VARIGATED Mimosa Cake Auto | Living Soil

poloq_mauriceloetel Environment At the beginning, the focus was exclusively on providing a mild but humid environment so that the seedlings could establish themselves. See how there are random little plants coming up, as well as mycelium, moss, et cetera? The system already starts to stabilize and creates a breeding ground for all sorts of organisms that - in the end - will benefit the symbiosis and longevity of said system. Plants Besides that, the seedlings are happy and healthy. _______________ About this grow _______________ Introduction I took a lot of precautions because my last run got eaten by slugs (probably because of the top dressing (leaves) you can see in the very 1st image). Besides that, I just focused on a stable and humid environment for the 1st Week. A very exciting aspect is that I noticed a variegation on the Mimosa Cake Auto right from the start! Setup This is a low-noise, low-budget grow (331 € acquisitional cost (including fails and abundance of substrate for the next runs), 17 € for electricity per month, max. 28 dB). I don't use an air filter and try to minimize every use of electricity (the system can't draw more than 110 W). Living Soil The goal is to learn how living soil (and nature really) works - healthy plants are just a side effect. To this end, I am intensively engaged with the biological functioning of plants (which is also an important part of my profession as a product designer focused on biomimicry). Germination I germinate with the classic 'seeds in a glass of water'-method for 12 - 24 h and put them right into soil directly after. Mimosa Cake had water contact on 01.12.25, Gorilla Z on 04.12.25. Mimosa Cake broke through the soil on 04.12.25, Gorilla Z on 07.12.25. The documentation starts at 04.12.25 (so you have to add about 3 days to the Mimosa Cake to get the real age including the germination). 'Optimal' values (I try to reach) Soil temp.: 24 °C Air temp. : 26 °C RH veg.: 95 - 65 % (lowering while time goes on) RH flower: 50 - 60 % Temp. Gerneal min. 16 - 18 °C, max. 28 - 30 °C Soil: 20 - 80% saturated Exhaust air: ~ 1 tent volume per minute Circulating air: as low and 'chaotic' as possible VPD Vege. = 0.7 VPD Preflower = 1 VPD Flower = 1.3 * I'm just starting to get a feel for VPD, but I think these values are a good starting point (they also match my general knowledge and experience with plants). Philosophy I take what I learned, compare it with knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, and try to develop a system that is as durable and as efficient as possible. I also wanted said system to be as modular and simplistic as possible to actually learn and feel what every components does - not just have a controller that I don't understand and can't manipulated to the point I'd like. So the leeway I have with these components can be used to influence other values. In the end: Yes, I could use higher PPFD + increase the substrate temperature to 26°C, but that would be inefficient (in my setup) because none of the values are in a critical range right now and stay like that naturally because of the ambient environment (just so that you understand my reasoning for this experiment). Further Info I used the nutrients tab to show the light intensity (ml/l) (I will rarely fertilize because of the living soil). I will try to add an Info tab as soon as I've figured out how. 😅 It's best to look at this diary on a computer (mobile version seems bugged/ does not show everything).. _______________ Lessons learned for the next run _______________ Pests Act faster and more aggressively when dealing with pests. (I was too hesitant and ended up prolonging the process - which wouldn't be a big problem with photoperiod plants, but is with autos. Also: Always keep the system in balance (dont fight Sciaridae e.g. with draught, cause it will create new stress.) Light Provide more light directly. (I had the theory that the plants' metabolism could develop more naturally if the increase in light intensity was simulated as it occurs in nature (iterative increase until summer, then decrease until winter). I still support this theory, but in a different spectrum: e.g., directly 500 PPFD propagation - 800 veg. - 1000 flower - 800 late flower. However, since my lamp can only reach a maximum of approx. 800 PPFD, and I wanted to be cautious in this first run, I adjusted the scale accordingly. Environment + Setup With that much substrate in such a small tent, the amount of moisture the soil has/ the amount of watering you give is the biggest and most consistent influence on the RH. The activation of an exhaust fan drops the temp by about 2 K and the RH by up to 20% (in my setup). The light can generate up to 1-4 K (20 to 80% intensity, depending on the exhaust fan). Plants + Training With a 60x60x160 cm tent and 2 plants, utilizing just 4 or even only 2 offshoots instead of 6 will be more efficient (less complex but 'enough' to fill the space). Next time, I would prefer to grow the seedlings in smaller pots so that I can arrange them directly according to my LST plans (x vs. +) when repotting them into the Living Soil bed. [To much bending can result in the stems cracking while growing and should be avoided.] Genetics During the grow, I already noticed that Mimosa Cake Auto did not meet my expectations. Even though its structure is quite appealing at first glance (dense, dark green growth), the nodal distances are so small that all side shoots are extremely close together (especially for a Sativa leaning hybrid). You have to remove quite a few shoots and realign them daily, which involves a considerable amount of effort. Gorilla Z Auto, on the other hand, has an incredibly beautiful growth pattern. Because it grows extremely symmetrical and ‘predictable’, you only have to realign it every 2-3 days and that's it. I (personally) also prefer its lime-green color with the berry-colored accents. All in all, auto-genetics certainly have their uses (fast, can be finished outdoors in summer, etc.), but they're not for me. I want to have full control, do what I want with the plant and not be stressed by an internal clock. I also like the living soil approach, which requires high genetic resilience. In fact, I actually wanted to test a single photoperiodic genetic, but decided on the ‘new, modern, fancy’ varieties simply because they were there.

poloq_mauriceloetel Setup + Environment With the seedlings stabilizing, I slowly and gradually lowered the humidity to about 75% RH by removing the cling film. Environment Removing the foil while increasing the PPFD also decreased the temperature by about 1K, which will be compensated for with an increase of light intensity over the upcoming weeks. Pests Because I started to see Sciridae, I also focused on a reduction of the moisture content within the first few centimeters of the substrate. This - in combination with more sticky fly traps - should disable the sciridae's ability to lay eggs.

poloq_mauriceloetel Pests The amount of sciridae increased a lot (as expected, because the population should be about to collapse), but I also noticed that they were being accompanied by exactly 1 premature spider mite (drop in RH). Because my environment seemed to fall out of an equilibrium, I thought about using fine quartz sand (0.1 - 0.4 mm) and nematodes to hinder the adult Sciaridae from laying eggs and also actively hunt for their larvae, while being able to get back on watering regularly... In the end I actually ordered those - but decided not to use them because the process of drying out the substrate was already in its final stage [foreshadowing: bad idea]. Plants Also, the variegated plant got cellular damage... most likely because my temp. and RH varied too much (VPD and temp. spikes were too extreme and rapid). [Variegated plants in general are less resilient and need a more stable environment]. Setup Until now, I didn't use any fan so that I could keep the moisture and temperature up, but from now on, I will start to activate an exhaust fan at about 0,5 -1 air exchanges per minute. This should homogenize the environment but also decrease the temp. by 1-2 K, and the RH yet again by another 10%. It also allows the plants to transpirate more efficiently, and with that, normalize the VPD. Living Soil In general, when the pests are in control, I will yet again focus on the 'right' environment rather than battling those pests. With this approach, I can keep the moisture content in the tent the way I want to without worrying about anything else.

poloq_mauriceloetel Pests + ⚙️​Setup As expected, the RH dropped - but below 45%. To counter this, I actually exchanged the exhaust fan with a circulating fan. This allowed the RH to climb up again, while giving the plants the same VPD-benefits from the setup before. It's just strong enough to get the air inside the tent moving but is not adding too much stress to the plants (it's giving them more resilience while allowing them to transpirate and also makes it harder for the sciaridae to lay eggs). The change in the setup + the increase of light intensity yet again raised the temperature by more than 1 K - although I chose to not increase it by only 60 PPFD yet again, but by about 160. This is due to the observation that the plants are a little bit behind, and I still have a little 'room for improvement' left (especially for the flower). ​Pests At this point, I decided not to use the nematodes and sand (for now). The drying process seemed to work, because I got a lot more adult sciaridae at first but ([foreshadowing] what seemed like...) a continuous drop over the next days. At the end of week 4 there were still a few left, so I decided to wait until I don't see a singular one for 1 whole day until I get back into watering - and with that, giving the nematodes to prevent another colony from inhibiting the substrate. The sand, on the other hand, can be stored and used next time or for other projects.

poloq_mauriceloetel Environment + Pests + Setup This week (at day 31) I decided to end the battle against fungus gnats. Even after almost three weeks of dried-out soil, dozens of adult insects could be seen, which told me that there were pockets of moisture that I couldn't influence. Accordingly, I went back to the original plan I had outlined earlier: bring the system into balance and use sand and nematodes. Since I should no longer have any problems with low RH, I have also reactivated the exhaust fan, which lead to the values you can see above. Nutrients + Environment From the outset, the plants showed a slight nitrogen deficiency, which was evident in their rather pale, light green color. This is probably due to the fact that the substrate (until now) did not contain enough moisture to allow metabolic and decomposition processes to proceed efficiently. Directly after watering I got reassured that my choice was right and the soil still alive, healthy, and ready to 'get back to work': Look at the amount of springtails and how fast new growth appeared! Plants On day 30, I topped the plants. Both had already formed three nodes and started to develop healthy side branches at all of these nodes. So, according to my plan, I removed the main shoot, leaving enough space for the stump to encapsulate without damaging the healthy plant. I also removed one shoot from each of the middle nodes, as I don't want branches that already grow towards the center (the branches will grow towards the light anyway, and this way I can ensure that there is enough air circulation and room for expansion). Besides that, I sadly feel like the variegation - and genetic really - ain't stable. By the end of week 5, you could see that the offshoots differed a lot in their 'quality' (asymmetrical, some very weak, etc.), and the variegation didn't appear again. *Gorilla Z Auto was 14 cm tall, Mimosa Cake Auto 7 cm (both after topping).

poloq_mauriceloetel Training This week was the start of the LST and, with that, a continuous gentle defoliation to ensure that the new shoots are getting a lot of direct light. Leaves (especially sun sails) growing over new shoots are either pressed down or, if necessary, removed. When LSTing, I always focus on gently bending the branches in the desired direction every day, without disregarding the natural structure of the plant. Once they reach a length of about 5 cm, I start to secure them with training stakes(*1). This way, the risk of damage (as well as overall stress for the plant) is kept to a minimum. Setup The lamp is now at max. intensity and min. distance (35 cm) at around 650 - 700 PPFD. (*1) I built the training stakes myself to match my needs (enough length, natural material, no sharp edges, slightly downward facing angle). Pests + Living Soil + Environment The combination of nematodes and sand seemed to work immediately, because the number of Sciaridae quickly dropped to about 2 - 3 adult flies per day. Still, on day 40 (8 days after adding the sand) I removed it again, because: - it was rather intended to support the nematodes (fewer new larvae), - the Sciaridae had fallen to a level that seemed acceptable, - it would keep the soil too anaerobic and moist in the long term. The decision also had a positive effect on the RH(*2) (approx. 10% increase). (*2) Relative humidity fluctuated slightly from day to day, but generally remained around 50%. Although removing the sand (at the end) of this week increased the RH, I only evaluated this ‘new average' RH from the following week onwards. Environment + Plants The stabilization of the environmental conditions and the increase in light, have allowed the plants to grow intensively this week. In the beginning, the relative humidity was still a little lower than I would like, but acceptable since the plants were still quite small and didn't need to be watered as often (large amount of substrate with corresponding buffering effect to keep the plants healthy. During the seedling phase, I observed slight deficiency symptoms that at first glance looked like a nutrient problem (potassium, calcium, ...?). Since I cannot control the nutrient content as precisely as I could with a hydroponic system e.g., and the damage was manageable and occurred during a phase in which I also stressed the plants by allowing them to become too dry, I simply ignored it in hope that the system will stabilize itself. *Gorilla Z Auto was 20 cm tall, Mimosa Cake Auto 12 cm. (Pre-)Flower I have also been able to observe pre-flowering, which is consistent with my other observations. [Autoflowering genetics in particular do most of their growing during this phase, which lasts just under two weeks, roughly starting from week 3 - 5.]

poloq_mauriceloetel Growdiaries deleted this section (don't ask me why). So everything in this week is from the top of my head (like 2 weeks later): Environment This week, I went back to watering (gently) to get the soil used to a ‘normal’ assimilation rate again. As a result, the temperature dropped slightly, while the relative humidity increased at the same time (which was of course elevated by the fact that I removed the sand at the end of last week). Plants + Training Gentle defoliation continued this week. However, it became apparent that Mimosa Cake Auto requires significantly more attention than Gorilla Z Auto, as it grows incredibly densely and intertwines. It also seemed like the Mimosa Cake Auto was about to crack due to the high forces (no space to bend and stretch because everything is just nodes and side branches). Organisms As you can see, microbial life is still in full swing. Numerous springtails can be seen (yellow sticky traps), Oribatida are decomposing organic material, etc. Living Soil To check the most important indicator of healthy soil life, I carried out a pH test this week. This showed a value of 7, which is slightly too high but definitely within an acceptable range. [Living soil should be between 6 and 7, ideally 6.4–6.6.]

poloq_mauriceloetel ​Setup + Environment This week, I adjusted the height of the lamp slightly to ensure that the distance to the plants is always at least 30 cm (and no more than 40 cm). I also increased the exhaust fan speed from 25% to 35% to maintain the relative humidity at 60%. The growth of the plants is also causing the temperature to drop slowly but steadily (more cooling effect form evaporation) - to just under 23°C now. At the end of this week, I also repositioned the recirculation fan and the hygrothermometer to ensure that the air is coming from the bottom of the plants and draws upwards, taking the humid air with it (+ that the hygrothermometer displays overall correct values). Pests The adult Sciaridae have now stabilised at a level that does not require further treatment (approximately 3–5 adult flies per day). Living Soil Update: I have looked into the issue with the necrotic leaves again and believe that it is a CalMag problem, for the following reasons: 1. Although CalMag has been added via the rock flour, it takes a very long time to become bioavailable. 2. The prolonged drying out of the substrate has further slowed down the assimilation of these minerals. 3. Autoflowers need as stable an environment as possible and are therefore not particularly well suited to living soil – especially when additional stress is added. 4. ... such as constant topping and removal of leaves (the plants need additional calcium to close the open wounds). 5. In addition, I water with relatively low-mineral water, which also does not provide any readily available calcium or magnesium. 6. And last week's top dressing initially removes minerals slightly, but stabilises in the long term. So everything I have done stabilises the living soil in the long term, but causes short-term stress - for genetics that are not very resilient. Plants While Gorilla Z Auto continues to develop its very pleasant structure and slowly begins to align its tops, Mimosa Cake Auto is becoming denser and bushier every day - which is a problem. If its structure continues to develop in this way, the flowers will literally grow over and into each other, leaving no room for air circulation. (Pre-)Flower I expect the plants to start shifting into flower at the end of this week (2 weeks after noticing the first pistils). Even though it looks as if the plants (especially Gorilla Z) are already in the flowering phase, closer observation reveals that there is still one pair of stigmas per leaf axis.

poloq_mauriceloetel *Prewritten Coming soon SCROG (new... tbf, might not even need a scrog because of my extensive LST) Flower I expect the plants to start devolping the flowers