Oreoz USA Biotabs x Autopot lazy grow

kohlrabi One week younger than her roommate, but I also transferred her in week two for convenience. I'm happy now that I chose photoperiods for this first grow in autopots; as they are a bit more forgiving. Installing the autopots actually turned out to be a bit trickier than expected. My order didn't come with instructions, and many descriptions online referred to older versions of the "Aquavalve" — the valve that regulates watering. But with a bit of thinking it worked out after all. I've uploaded a few photos of the finished setup. It's recommended not to start automatic watering until week 2. Next week I'll turn it on and upload a short video of that as well. For now, the plants should just settle into their new home. To get started, I thoroughly watered the pots with water mixed with "Bactrex" and let it drain off again before putting them in their new position. There was also a prophylactic dose of nematodes against fungus gnats — that's always proven helpful so far.

kohlrabi Since the last thorough watering a week ago, they haven’t needed any extra water and have been growing nicely. But yesterday it was 38 degrees in Berlin again, so I took that as an opportunity to start watering the Autopots. I’m uploading a video showing the reservoir filling with water - be warned, though, it's extremely boring. Unlike other countries in Central Europe, there are currently no major forest fires in Germany. However, the heat means the air is unusually humid. Instead of seeping into the soil, rain evaporates straight away. In many places, people are already banned from watering their gardens because there isn’t enough groundwater. It just makes me so sad and angry. It’s good to have an indoor grow box where I can control some of the environmental factors. Otherwise, my little hobby would be in serious jeopardy this year. And by the way, in case you’re interested: Discount code for the BIOTABS Webshop https://biotabs.nl/en/shop/ GDBT420 This gives you 15 Percent off all the products. I definitely recommend giving them a try!

kohlrabi The plant shows a lot of variegation, something that I noticed often with seeds from Kannabia. Interesting! It's vacation time and we were away for a few days. For the first time, I had no stress with organizing the watering (at least not in the grow box), even though the days were a bit warmer than usual. At home, I use a dehumidifier that I originally bought to fight mold. This summer, I use it nearly every day. At least the condensed water from it can be put to good use in the Autopot system. (Berlin's tap water is extremely hard, with a high mineral content, so I hesitate to use it.) I am amazed at how much water I had to pour into the reservoir. I definitely did not use to give them this much in this phase in the past. I have seen absolutely terrifyingly large growing plants in these Autopots and decided to switch the light this week. For this plant it may still be a bit early, but the other one is ready. Let's see what happens. On another note, I am currently having problems uploading photos to GD from my phone. Am I the only one, or is this happening to you too?

kohlrabi Two days ago, I decided on the spur of the moment to top out this one as well. It was just a whim. I don’t grow photoperiod plants that often, so I hardly ever get the chance. Hopefully she won’t hold it against me. Today I flipped the switch and the plants are now only getting 12 hours of light. This one is still quite small, but I don’t want to take too many risks with their size. Better to have plants that are a bit too small than giraffes in the tent. Whilst the plants seem to be developing well overall, they’re a bit more delicate than average. The leaves and stems are thin and fragile. It could be a coincidence, but I’ll keep an eye on how things develop.

kohlrabi Three days after I adjusted the lighting, the plants had already grown by 12 cm each. I didn't regret topping her. There’s no trace left of their former fragility; they now look robust and are growing not only upwards but also outwards. We’re keen to see how this will turn out. I’m already glad that I only have two plants and not three, as I did before. I’m off to another festival this weekend (luckily, it won’t be 41 degrees like it was at Fusion this year…) and I’m completely at ease about looking after my plants. The reservoir is half full and will certainly keep the two of them well-watered whilst I’m out dancing.

kohlrabi As expected, the Autopot system has looked after the plants whilst I’ve been away. They’ve grown 25cm since last week and flowering has begun. I added a spoonful of Bactrex, at that's it.