RQS Royal Dwarf, Hydro, 60/40, Wilma

Planted 19/05/2020, expected harvest 21 July Week ends: 26/05/20 Day 1 -7 day 1 to 7 = week 1 day 8 to 14 = week 2 day 15 to 21 = week 3 day 22 to 28 = week 4 day 29 to 35 = week 5 day 36 to 42 = week 6 day 43 - 49 = week 7 day 50 - 57 = week 8 day 58 - 65 = week 9 day 66 - 73 = week 10 day 74 - 81 = week 11 day 82 - 89 = week 12 day 90 - 97 = week 13

Transferred to new location. Week ends: 02/06/2020 Day 8 - 14

Grow 2 - week 3 ends 9/06/2020 Day 15 - 21 1. Changed lights from 10w to 75w led 2. Changed hydro from water only Aerogarden Sprout (germination) to Wilma, isning growth medium hydrococo 60/40 3. Miscalculated by factor of 2 the nutrient mix - resolved. Found a proper nutrient calculator at AdvancedNutrients 4. Taking regular measurements of ph and ppm (ph ranging between 5.8 and 6.4, ppm at around 560 - too high?) 5. Automated watering To do: 1. Add remote camera - done 2. Figure out mechanism to autoadjust light height to optimum - science - must be a caluclation for this - pi (ir/laser inferometer/ultrasonic?) and pulley/motor? - done (low tech) 3. Design instrument to automate/record readings of: air/water temp, air humidity, time/date of reading, ph, ppm, water temp, light spectrum, anyhing else? - pi? (done - bought one)

Grow 2, week 4 ends 16/06/20 Day 21 - 28 Bit the bullet and replaced the new 75 light with a 600w one. Started the training - no idea if I've done it right, but will soon find out. Decided on low tech height measurement - plank with 10cm increments drawn on. Have redone the training. Day 26 - still not seeing much height. plant still only 1/3 of anticipated height. Training holding it down?

Start of week 5, and all is looking fairly ok. definite growth over the past week, but not quite flowering yet. Day 29 - start of a new week. Can't tell if flowering yet or not, but sure that by the end of the week all will become clear. Day 29 - upwards growth at last. looking healthy. No visible flowering, but starting to get just a hint of smell. Still on for 21/07 - not sure. Day 30 - training has worked. Very definite spread showing. Day 32 - Height increased by around 5cms in the last 2 days. Lateral growth happening also, and nodes forming. Slight increase in smell. Day 35 - Last day of the week. Still shooting upwards, around 10cm's this week. I THINK flowering has begun, but I cannot tell. I'm not even sure what I'm looking for. Going to have to rethink the grow area. For a dwarf plant, it's starting to get very bushy, even if it's only around 30cm's tall. Still below the 40 - 60cms in description, but not yet full grow. Stem has increasd in girth, and I'm fairly happy with the training. I think next time though, I'll try scrog method, and go all out on the number of plants in the grow area, and try for 4 varietals in a staggered grow. Also going to start the bloom phase nutrients mix from tomorrow.

Week 6 Day 36 - still adding height. Not really sure if this is flowering or veg stage, but guessing that by the end of the week will definitely be flowering. Super-excited to see ow well it all seems to be going. Day 37 - reservoir top up 10 litres Day 40 - I think that making this a flowering week might have been wishful thinking. I'm sure that an expert eye would immediately determine one way or another, but not mine. I've completely bamboozled myself. Day 41 - did a little more LST, just to lower the canopy height and spread things out a little.

Week 7 Week 6 wasn't a flowering week, I was completely wrong about that. Mostly wishful thinking on my part. I'm not even sure what a flowering looks like when it starts. Sure I'll learn with a bit of experience. Ho hum. Have decided to skip feeding this week, my ppm is too high, by all accounts, at 1400. Day 44 - All looking good. Am leaving light shedule as is and running both bloom and veg for now. Have also taken a look at the RQS data sheet for the strain. As an auto, it looks like week 7 is when to expect flowering to start. So fingers crossed. Again. Learnt a new word - flipping (the attempt to trigger flowering by changing the light schedule to 12/12 - apparently this is for non-autos). Every day's a school day. Day 47 - Flowering has begun. Very definite pistils showing at nodes. Phew.

Day 50 - big day for my first grow. Flowering is very much underway, and all looks pretty good to me, and I decided to give as much light to the important parts by defoliating. Time will tell if I've screwed it up, and will keep a very close eye on things over the next couple of days. Day 51 - looks like I got away with the defoliation - no obvious signs of stress. Added Biobizz Top-Max. I think that my involvement here is done until the fabled flush.

Start of week 9 Day 59 - Tuesdays have become my favourite day of the week. It's the day I write my updates and take my photos. I have decided to give one more weekly feed, and buds have very definitely begun show and grow.

Day 66 - I was hoping that today would be harvest day - even if I knew it probably wasn't going to be. All looking and smelling absolutely wonderful. Very pleased with how things are going, and happy that I haven't completely cocked this up. Super happy with the guidance from the community. Day 68 - finally figured out why my dwarf looks so different to just about every pre-harvestable plant in jus about tevery other diary I look at - mine has lots of leaves, others seem to be denuded. So had a proper go at it. Still nowhere near a lollipop look, but definitely looks like a post-lockdown barber visit has just bee attended. Two days ago, I asked "are we there yet?" and so glad I asked because of the super-helpfulness of the community. The answer was "about a month". Day 71 - played with my new jewelers loupe toy to try to take pictures of the pistils. Might take a little practice, but can clearly see that all is still clear. Anticipation of harvest is building.

Week 11 Day 74 - I'm guessing that there's still a few weeks left to go, but since I've never actually seen an actual pot plant, let alone one that was flowering, I have no idea how long still to go. Hoping that it's sooner rather than later :). Day 79 - anticipation is building. 2 weeks on from my last grow question, and so glad I did ask - answer seems to have been spot on.

Day 82 - Added a new nutrient to bulk up on PK from Canna. Guide says to do this only once, so fingers crossed. Still trying to figure out how close I am. I keep seeing other pictures of what look to be near leafless buds, and the buds look absolutely huge. The problem for me as a first time grower is that I cannot figure out what the scale is, and so have no idea if the photos I see are very close up or not. Also, I keep seeing others pictures of what look to be really extended and pointy buds, and mine look nothing like those either. Can't tell if it's the angle or the actual shape. I'm sure I'll learn, and I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track. Loving the learning though. Such fun. And macro photography is hard.

day 90 - I think I must br super-close to harvest, but newbie first grow nerves have set in, and so will ask the community (again) if the time is right to harvest. The white pistils have started to turn brown, but I'm not sure if I'm looking at the right thing, as I'm not sure that pistils are the same things as trichomes, so not even sure I'm looking at the right thing under the loupe. haven't done this weeks feed yet. Also, ph has dropped quite dramtically to 5.23, so want to get on top of that if it's not yet harvest day. ppm has also halved since the beginning of the week, so not sure if thats a good or bad thing.

Very happy (and surprised at the harvest) with my very first attempt at growing my own. Will update this diary once the dry weight is in. A very special thank you to all of you who've commented and guided on what to be doing through this grow. I'm 100% certain I'd have screwed it up without your help. Final word - happy with the experience, but a little disappointed by the dry weight. Very happy to have a grow under my belt.