Miketama **Milky Way - Introduction 🌌🌱
Milky Way F1 is a robust autoflowering hybrid known for its resilience and vigorous growth. This strain delivers a balanced high with sweet, creamy terpene profiles reminiscent of its name.
This grow began as an experiment in sustainable cultivation and quickly became a lesson in resilience. I decided to plant the Milky Way F1 seed directly into its final 8L pot, reusing soil from previous grows. Unlike the usual Bio Tabs method (see photo3 ), I removed all old roots and reworked the medium thoroughly. This wasn’t about saving money - I wanted to leverage the beneficial bacteria still thriving in the soil, plus there were undissolved Bio Tabs that could continue releasing nutrients.
The Fatal Mistake:
Unfortunately, I made a critical error. Feeling confident about the substrate’s consistency, I planted the seed without germinating it in fresh medium first. This decision proved devastating - **5 seedlings died from damping-off**, victims of lingering pathogens in the recycled soil.
Only one germinated seed survived the pathogen assault: the Milky Way F1. I believe she made it (and here’s my second mistake) thanks to a Bactrex irrigation (Trichoderma protects against pathogens) applied when the cotyledons hadn’t even opened yet.
I remain convinced the soil itself was still viable, but for the other strains, I’ll start fresh and see how the Milky performs. As a precaution, I:
- Sprayed hydrogen peroxide on the soil surface and around the pot base
- Added 2cm of fresh substrate on top
- Disinfected the entire grow box to prevent contamination of new plants
*“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”*
The Milky Way F1 earned her place in this diary through sheer survival - now let’s see what this cosmic warrior can produce! 🌌💪
P.S. I didn’t throw away the remaining 50 liters of soil! Instead, I used it to repot my houseplants, and after just one week they’re absolutely thriving - which confirms my belief that the soil was still perfectly viable. The substrate had plenty of life left in it; the damping-off issue was likely about timing and methodology, not soil quality.
Miketama Before spending hundreds of euros on a professional Autopot system, I decided to experiment with a more spartanic DIY approach: a homemade wick irrigation system using cotton ropes.
Setup:
• My fabric transplant pot (with velcro opening on one side) wasn’t filled to the top
• Placed 2 cotton ropes at 5cm and 10cm distance from the stem
• Pre-soaked ropes in water for 30 minutes to activate capillary action
• Fed ropes through the velcro opening of the fabric pot
• Covered with 4cm of fresh substrate
• Light watering from top to activate the wicks
Why now:
The Milky Way seems to have developed enough to handle increased water intake - perfect timing to test the system.
First results (48 hours):
She consumed approximately 0.5L through the wick system - it’s working well so far!
Testing this budget solution before committing to expensive equipment. Will monitor closely and report results. 💧🌱
@Miketama, I just see this message , sorry for the late answer ! But we wish you and your family the same ! BTW im doing the same with soil of my growths ... i use it to repot plants in and around house.
@MonyetDiablero, Yes I think it remains the best way to reuse the soil.
I had never done it with cannabis, I know that new plant=new substrate is the rule, but if I don’t see it I don’t believe it :)
@Mia_BIOTABS, Unfortunately I made a stupid mistake, probably a germination jiffy would have saved my seeds, fortunately I have a reserve and more of each strain :) what’s your opinion on recycling the biotabs soil 👍or👎?
@Grow4ever, Thank you for stopping by and for your kind wishes. I hope everything goes well.🙂
I like your plants in large pots. Surely you don't want to be too precise about the harvest😁. I wish you all the best🍀
Hi,@Zizidoem,
Yes, pathogens = harmful microorganisms (fungi, bacteria) that attack plants. In my case: damping-off disease
It’s essential to start with fresh substrate and only introduce recycled soil after a few weeks.
For photoperiods with transplanting and For autoflowers (final pot from start): Dig a 1L hole in the center of your recycled soil and fill that hole with fresh substrate.
This applies to organic substrates which can be recycled because beneficial bacteria are still active. With mineral fertilizers, you typically don’t recycle soil due to salt buildup - you start fresh each time.💚
🌿😍 Beautiful plants and great attention to detail! Respect for the consistency 👊🔥 Wishing you a heavy harvest! Also, I post grow videos on YouTube—support is always appreciated 💚📺