Darclinc

On 8/5/2022 at 6:35 PM, MrE said:

You can always start over dude.

I intend to, when these are done. By that time the climate will probably be more suitable anyway.

On 8/5/2022 at 1:26 PM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

cz it's the wrong time of the year brother

Yes, yes. I know. 

On 8/5/2022 at 8:03 PM, SkunkPharm said:

They still stretch quiet a bit after the start flowering

I hope so, it would be great if we can get something out of it. Probably not a bad time to start giving it some flowering nutes next time I water?

Hmmmm .. despite being only knee high to a grasshoppper, it appears as if the Blue Mystic is starting to flower. What the actual fuck.

Anyway, I guess I will enjoy at least one tasty popcorn bud!

4 hours ago, Khakibos said:

@Darclinc Maybe save the autos for the beginning of summer next season. I would say if you plan on growing in winter next season maybe start some photoperiod plants towards the end of autumn - they should stay on the smaller side depending what you decide to go for 

Thanks, yes this is the plan, kind of.

I am also investigating the possibility of getting a small tent and setting it up in my pool shed. Well, once I have a nice new pool shed, that is. As nice of an idea as outdoor exclusive growing is, I'm not sure it's going to work for me, long term. I need something that's out of the way.

I still need to pick everyone here's brains about it, but it will be at least 2.5m x 4m and should have plenty enough space to accomodate a tent and other equipment. Still thinking about it...

5 hours ago, SkunkPharm said:

Just let it grow. Water only when dry. Really dry

This is pretty much what I've been doing. I think they've only been watered 3-4 times, many of which were just with spray bottle.

Hello All,

So pretty much a month has passed and 2/5 are still alive, albeit very small. They became severely stunted and showed little to no movement for about a week, maybe more. Not sure by what, my ineptness most likely.

But, both are still going which is something, I guess:

The Blueberry Kush was slumped over and nearly died one day, not sure what happened. I propped him up (and continue to do so), he's still alive and showing some new growth despite having a bit of a kink in his stem. One of his leaves, the one on the bottom left was also chowed by something.

The Blue Mystic has generally looked very happy and healthy, but is also going slowly. Really hoping this one pulls through.

So yeah, not much to celebrate unfortunately, but I'm going to care for and nurture them as best I can until they either deliver me some delicious buds or die. Whichever comes first!

Any thoughts welcome!

D 

31 minutes ago, Prom said:

Somebody just reminded me that we are load shedding for 12 years now... is that right??

Indeed. How ridiculous.

I am having solar put in before month end.

On 7/2/2022 at 4:33 PM, DamDave said:

My outdoor during the day and under lights during the night are also battling.

Mine get moved three times a day, following the sun and go indoors at night. But no lights though since I don't own any. Yet.

On 7/2/2022 at 4:36 PM, DamDave said:

Short notice but my wife is heading into town tomorrow (Sunday). Milnerton market area.

Awww shucks, it's a pity I'm only seeing this now, I live in that general area so it would've worked out well. Thanks for the offer, it is appreciated.

On 7/2/2022 at 4:36 PM, DamDave said:

Or we can arrange something over the next week or two.

Well, I have four pots and four plants on the go at the moment, so let's see how they get on first. But I will definitely get in touch should they also die.

On 7/2/2022 at 9:50 AM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

aaah faq man, sad sight to see. the auto thing still has me scratching my head, but OK... it's almost as if my suspicion was warrented, but hey what do I know about growing weed?

what you are doing there is trying your luck. and there is nothing wrong with that, we all start there. 

Exactly. I'm looking at it as a fun thing to do, just to grow something. I actually don't smoke enough to warrant growing one plant, let alone 4. But hey, like you said, we have to start somewhere.

On 7/2/2022 at 9:50 AM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

how do you know that one single seed you popped was meant to carry you through? maybe it was just the weak one. PLUS conditions aren't favourable. PLUS it's an auto seed.... so many things against you, I would scratch this up as a school fee and start planning new.

Indeed. Northern Lights 2.0 is almost ready to go into the pot. I'm just going to put it down to rookie mistakes. All things considered I am glad it happened only 4 days in, as opposed to 4 weeks in.

On 7/2/2022 at 9:50 AM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

if you growing bunch of different phenos (each seed within one specific strain is a different pheno from the seed next to it in the very same strain) and one dies or doesn't pop you really can't say it's directly linked to anything specific. maybe it was just a weak pheno.

This is exactly why I chose to plant the Northern Lights again. I figured it might just have potentially been user error or a weak plant and not necessarily the strain itself.

On 7/2/2022 at 9:50 AM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

at our rookie learning level we should just be focused on growing a plant, which anyone can do. for the most part weed grows everywhere. you don't need to be a wizard or a "grower" just to grow a plant.

Yup, this is pretty much how I see it. The other three are doing well, thankfully.

On 7/2/2022 at 9:50 AM, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

Talk to some of us about clones, we got tons of reputed strains going around here, most of them grown out for you to cross reference the end result, you literally don't have to spend any money PLUS you don't have to pop any seeds... now does that not sound magical? I think I have offered before, if not I am now. 

Thanks for the offer, I will definitely take you up on it in the future.

D

So he didn't make it. But a friend gave me another NL seed, hopefully this one will fair better.

Please join me in honouring his memory:

11 hours ago, Prom said:

You don't get much information from just one seed of a strain.

This is very true, but I had to start somewhere. I have 4 pots and would rather have 4 varieties than the same ones, regardless of which ones make it. Granted this poses some risks, but I cannot really afford to buy that many seeds either as I have no other equipment. This is literally the first foray into this kind of thing, so I thought it best to try 4 variants, learn something, and go from there. Perhaps in the future I will do a large batch of seedlings and only use the best/strongest ones.

11 hours ago, Prom said:

And to Nirvana, if you buy a pack of.. isn't it usually 5?.. you get one free seed (they usually offer feminized freebees, you say in the offer to please send you a auto freebee and they will change) and any seed not sprouting, you contact Jenna and she will replace it. Service at Nirvana SA is second to none.

No, I bought from their 'pick a mix' single seeds selection. But, in order to buy singles like this you need to buy a minimum of 4. Guess I should've clarified that.

Hello All,

Hmmmmm .. off to a rocky-ish start.

The Northern Lights, which germinated first, seems to be fading and I don't think he's going to make it. He was first out of germination and first out of the soil but has yet to lift his head up. The inside of his baby greenhouse and top soil is very, very dry, so I gave him literally one extremely tiny spray of water in case it might be that. As far as I'm aware there's literally nothing else I can do, so let's see what happens.

The Blue Mystic which was planted a day after the NL is doing the best and is looking fine and happy.

The Blue Cheese, which was planted first with the NL, is also happy-ish, but showing a little bit of yellow colourating on that very first round-ish leaf. Guess it must be a case of the soil being too nutrient rich for him? Not much I can do about it now, we'll just have to ride it out and hope he comes right.

The Blueberry Kush, which is a very late starter and was last out of germination, is out above the ground but has yet to shed his little pod helmet. It was also the biggest seed of the lot, for what it's worth.

Here's hoping at least 3/4 make it though these first rounds, because frankly, at this point I don't think the Northern Lights is going to survive. Pity, I thought he was going to be one of the best for this climate.

On a side, note, does anyone in Cape Town sell single seeds? Nirvana only sells in packs of 4, and I don't really want to buy that many. In case 1 or two don't make it I'd like to plant again as soon as humanly possible as this is not only an experiment in the weather/outdoor situation but also with how the different strains perform against one another. And, how well I can get them to grow using the exact same methodology. I would like to take the 1-2 best performers out of this lot and put them in subsequent lots going forward. Potentially anyway.

@DamDaveI seem to remember you mentioning some kind of 'lucky packet'? 

D

Hi All,

Here's the start of my grow diary. As mentioned in this thread, I have no experience whatsoever, so any advice or observations along the way will be greatly appreciated. 

So far all 4 of my Nirvana seeds have germinated successfully. 2/4 (Northern Lights and Blue Cheese) are ahead of the others with their tap roots at about 1-2cm, so they went into the pots today. The other two (Blue Mystic and Blueberry Kush) will most likely be planted tomorrow as their tap roots are only just coming out. Each of the pots contain Orgasoilux and some mycorrhizal fungus and have been sitting, watered, for about a week now. I only sprayed the top of the soil lightly with some water after planting and enclosed each in a little 4 litre greenhouse. They will stay in here until they get too big.

Here they are, Northern Lights and Blue Cheese, each planted in their 10l forever homes:

Here's hoping it all turns out ok ...

D

18 hours ago, DamDave said:

to prevent High Stress Training by my kid

HAHAHA. I have two toddlers myself. 

18 hours ago, DamDave said:

Secure it somehow to prevent it sliding across your plant.

Yes, my intention is to fix some sosatie sticks to the inside of each bucket so it can peg into the soil and not move at all.

18 hours ago, DamDave said:

I only use the spray bottle for now and aim at the base of the seedling. One squeeze to many and the seedling falls over.

Good to know, thanks. I have a small spray bottle so might just do the same.

17 hours ago, DamDave said:

At day 9 this batch is off to a good start. 

Are those little wires just for support from wind?

After some reading, I bought 4x 4-liter 100% clear buckets for each to make a little greenhouse of sorts so that they can be kept warmer, more humid and sheltered from the elements. My intention is to poke on or two small holes in the top and to keep them in there for a few weeks at least, or as long as they'll fit comfortably. Whichever comes first.

Thoughts on that?

Nice. I'm going to plant my 4 autos this week.

Holding thumbs!

Thanks for sharing!

2 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

you obviously need to know the EC of the water you put in, so test that first. needs to be below 1 EC for seedling plants. 

And this can be reduced by carbon filtering? Are there other ways? Actually, come to think of it, if you do see a too high EC in the runoff, what is the remedy, just more water i.e. flushing until it reaches the correct EC?

2 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

realising now you are going to be growing autos

haha, hence the clever name of the topic? 

2 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

one thing I have to mention before going forward is that you should pop the seed straight in the finishing pot. don't pop and transplant. also don't go from small pot to big pot. one big pot and done.

Yes, this is what I'm going to do, I have no intention of transplanting. After germination they are going straight into the final pots. Based on everything that I read, I opted to use 10l fabric pots.

2 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

I feel autos are great for the guys who have loads and loads of weed already and don't mind only harvesting "half-plants" just for new flavour. the guys that know their setups are 100% fine tuned for absolutely no hickups, because even just a slight sign of stress takes you from potential 100g a plant to a maximum yield of +/-50g.

As I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I smoke very, very little. When I used to buy it, I bought about 3g every 3-6 months. As such I have no use for as much as 50g and would probably end up giving most away to friends (this is the plan anyway). This is why autoflowers appeal to me so much, because of their smaller size, reduced yield and generally shorter growing period.

I'd rather have a small variety than a large yield that I couldn't possibly use by myself. In fact, I never would've started growing if autos didn't exist. I only learned about them  very recently.

2 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

I'll let you know when I am making clones again you in Western Cape?

I am, yes. Thanks for the offer, I'll see how these go first!

20 hours ago, Martin7318 said:

PH was a tricky 1. I was given advice all the way from 5.5 to 6.8 and that is a huge difference in PH. 6.5 worked great for me in soil and I aimed for that every time I watered. You will never get it to exactly 6.5 every time and that's perfectly fine. 

From what I've read around 6.2 is where you want to be. Again, this may not be 100% correct but this is most likely what I am going to be aiming for.

20 hours ago, Martin7318 said:

10 different people will give you 10 different answers and all 10 can be correct.

Indeed. This is why I always read quite a lot and, to a degree at least, try and average out the opinions I get.

20 hours ago, Martin7318 said:

Happy growing dude, and good luck with the Auto's this winter. Excited to see how they turn out for you

Thanks, I'm probably going to be posting a grow diary on here. Then everyone can either silently laugh, ridicule, praise or tell me how lucky I am.

19 hours ago, DamDave said:

My outdoor lot really off to a slow start.
Condition's not ideal but I wanted to see for myself.
Will be updating that thread soon.

Very interested to see as well, please let me know when you've updated it.

FWIW, two other friends of mine are also growing autos outdoors as we speak, one planted about a month ago and one about a week ago.

The older plant, an Auto Gelato 420, is looking happy and healthy and has had very little attention according to him:

36 minutes ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

Too high EC/PPM/TDS = too much nutes / hot soil

Too low EC/PPM/TDS = too little nutes / dead soil 

Perfect EC range = differs between Organic & Hydro, although the big picture stays the same - small plant want small EC, big plant want big EC

seedlings -> 0.1 - 1.5 EC

medium size -> 1.6 - 5.0 EC

flowering plant -> 5.1 - 7.5 EC

Thanks for the explanation, that seems simple enough. And do you measure this in the runoff after watering only? How else would you do it when you are at the very early stages and cannot measure runoff due to just giving a little bit of water, i.e. not nearly enough to cause any significant runoff?

39 minutes ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

Sounds good! Just don't give them cold fridge water root zone prefers to be at a constant temp between 25 and 30°C. 

giving a plant cold water will slow down root development and could stunt over all growth quite a bit. 

Yes, I intend to let it sit and get to at least ambient temp before watering.

20 hours ago, Prom said:

As you do not care about canape outside, i would just LST the side nodes to have sun as much as possible without getting shade by any fan leaf.

So am I right in understanding that outdoor plants will have more yield than indoor plants, due to the direction of the light and the fact that it moves?

19 hours ago, DamDave said:

Male's aside I've harvested about a third of the plants.
So that gives me about 30 plants that were flops.

Eish, the odds are not in my favour. I've only got the 4 seeds, so let's see what happens.

19 hours ago, DamDave said:

Only spray for watering, no watering soil directly.

For how long?

1 minute ago, Prom said:

Outdoor training is done to maximize harvest, indoor training to reduce fluff buds.

My intention is to do some very, very basic LST, mainly starting with the main stalk after about 3-4 weeks and bending that one down to the opposite end of where they are going to be planted, and then maybe doing a few other of the main branches depending on how it goes from there.

I've read up on the method you describe as well, but this seems to be a more prevalant method with shorter, stubby plants with a thick main stem that cannot be bent. Anyway, I'll see how it goes and adjust accordingly. I want to do LST for a few reasons:

a) to attempt to maximise any yield during already trying conditions

b) to grow shorter, wider plants that's hopefully more inconspicuous and has a higher resistance to wind

c) because it seems like a fun thing to do

3 minutes ago, Prom said:

If is your first grow.. I wouldn't go to complicated.. the more you add to your first run.. the easier you run into a fuckup.

Absolutely, I only intend to do a few steps of it and I'm trying to keep the rest of the plan quite basic. If I've learned anything from the countless hours of videos and whatnot I've watched and stuff I've read, is to try and keep the process simple.