First Grow: Stunted White Widow Auto LED Microgrow

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 52! Not much to report. Thankfully there have been no more nanners. I've snipped some yellowing crispy older fans leaves to reduce any risk of mold. The buds get slightly fatter each day and her smell is wonderful. Overall I'd say she smells spicy and sweet with a slight musky earth aroma. She is more hungry now as the pot is drying faster so I've been making sure to give her more frequent feedings every 2 days from 3.

One thing to note is that now I have my humidifier on all the time on top, outside of the tent (within the cupboard), the smell seems to get carried slightly by the vapour, whereas without it no smell comes out. This has been giving me a consistent 40% rH though so I'm not complaining.

Frosty:

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 53! This may have been the final feeding, as we are on week 8 and if everything follows Fast Buds' chart then we have 10 days left. Although, I've not noticed any amber trichromes yet and there are still some clear so we'll be paying close attention with the microscope now.

My current thought is, will she start producing some ambers once the flush starts? What if I start too early and she can go further? What is the primary indicator you guys use to start the final weeks flush when organic?

Also I don't see an edit button on my original post where I was going to add some early pictures so I'll put them here. Perhaps a mod can throw them in the first post?

 

[VetSmoke85]

Why stop feeding? Keep feeding her until the end.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Why stop feeding? Keep feeding her until the end.

From what I've seen people say you're supposed to only give water on the last week for a cleaner smoke. The Biobizz chart says that too. Something about letting the plant use up all the excess nutrients.

I'm gonna upload some trichrome microscope pictures now. I dimmed the light down to minimum and took another look at the trichromes and I'm seeing amber now.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

What I'm seeing is that the main cola has more mature amber trichromes at the very top:

The middle buds have some slight amber:

The lower buds are mostly white:

 

[VetSmoke85]

Some do, some don't. It's an ongoing debate but I believe the whole flushing nutrients from the plant has been proven to be a myth. Makes sense to me to keep feeding the plant when it needs it. I did the same thing on my first grow and the difference was that the plant faded much more at the end. A good dry and cure process will give a smooth smoke. She looks like you could chop anytime now though.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Yeah the reasoning makes sense but so does proper drying and curing as you say. The buds are actually still adding on new bits each day, the older top growth turns slightly purple and the new bud growth is an emerald green. Perhaps she will feed less when the time is right? Because right now it's still every 2 days from 3 prior and im feeding around 0.5ml grow, 5ml bloom, 5ml topmax, 30ml coconut water, 2ml ACV at about 1.2ltr, the ppm around 1000.

 

[VetSmoke85]

InTheShed Grows Inside & Out: Jump In Any Time

Hey Shed :high-five: There’s some helpful information on nutrient interactions HERE Howdy Felipe! Excellent link... :thanks:

www.420magazine.com

Worth a browse. Interesting stuff.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Ahh thank you that was a good read and it matches up with the additional research I did last night. I'll skip that flush and keep feeding.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 56! I'm glad I listened to sensei because she is throwing on new calyxs and getting fatter. The buds are nice and dense to the touch, with smaller buds are gaining some height. I find it interesting that the central buds have bright orange hairs where the outer ones have more milky amber and white coloured hairs which are completely covered in resin.

I'm also seeing that reducing the grow nute solved the nitrogen issue as there are almost no claws anymore.

Temps have been staying around 23C, rH 35-45%.

Main cola:

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 60! Not much happening. Temps and rH have been stable apart from one random hotter day which showed me I'll definitely need more fans for the next grow from spring onwards.

She continues to fatten up the buds with new growths and is showing no sign of finishing at 63 days per Fast Buds recommendation. Trichromes mostly milky with some ambers on the odd sugar leaf. I'm thinking we still have another solid week to go at least.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 64! She has now just started 48 hours of darkness before I chop and hang it up whole for a slow drying in the tent. I've decided to wrap it up as she won't grow much now and the trichromes are all nice and milky and I want a cerebral effect. I'm also eager to get the next grow started as it's a sativa which will bring new challenges. I'll be doing topping this round granted the next plant doesn't stunt I'll probably have to grow with the lights dimmer this time.

I've been experimenting with putting the exhaust ducting on the top of the tent where it was on the side before. My reasoning for having it on the side was that it is directly in front of the hot zone of the light and due to its large size the airflow above the light is weak. The ducting angles are also more forgiving with it on the side. It performs well on the top also, perhaps dealing with the smell better.

I also grabbed two 5v 80mm fans to help with cooling put they are ineffective thus far... maybe I'm doing it wrong or they are just crap.

As for the plant her final height was 18cm with 20cm from canopy to light.

Lights off flash, lovely colour on the central buds:

 

[VetSmoke85]

She fattened up nicely mate. Frosty too. Best USB fans myself and others have found are the AC Infinty S3 120mm fan. Can get them on Amazon. A little more expensive but really quiet, powerful, 3 speed settings and you can link multiple fans together.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Yes its crazy what a few days can do. Even before lights off she was still flinging out fresh green bud growth and adding little tower looking things on top of the main cola. Not sure if that's just a sativa trait or the beginning of foxtailing.

And I knew I should have gotten the AC Infinity fan... but the chinese brand fan had 2 linked together for a cheap price... dunno what I was thinking lmao. Gonna refund them and grab the proper fan. I wonder if they will smell the resin on the cords

Is the trick to aim the fan underneath the light to get airflow going across to shift the heat? I didn't notice any temp change when I aimed the fans directly at the light from above either.

 

[VetSmoke85]

I have one blowing just above the canopy to keep a good breeze around the top of the plant and one low down angled up to blow into the main body of the plant. Seems to keep good air movement going. I don't have anything blowing on the light.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Thanks mate I'll set em up like that. I've also grabbed some root juice and acti-vera from biobizz. Getting some of that kombucha bacteria stuff from a friend too. Considering getting some molasses for the next round for a thriving organic soil.

Would it also make sense to keep 1/4 of the soil to keep the microbes? I'm also thinking it'll be a good idea to put the old depleted soil in the middle of the new grow so the seed isn't going straight into the fresh allmix.

 

[Spitz]

She’s getting close! Nice looking plant

 

[VetSmoke85]

Considering getting some molasses for the next round for a thriving organic soil.

Would it also make sense to keep 1/4 of the soil to keep the microbes? I'm also thinking it'll be a good idea to put the old depleted soil in the middle of the new grow so the seed isn't going straight into the fresh allmix.

Sounds like it would be okay but not tried anything like that myself. I started messing about adding wormcast for my last auto grow and I had problems so gone back to keeping it simple for now. Still researching living soil as I want to go that way eventually but want to know exactly what I'm doing.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Still researching living soil as I want to go that way eventually but want to know exactly what I'm doing.

This is the area that has me excited right now. I have to hold back actually because I have some bio-active isopod enclosures which are brimming with composting bacteria, friendly nematodes, predatory mites, springtails and bacteria that have been cultured by generations of woodlice. There is also some type of fungus which goes crazy with threads when something sugary is left in there. So tempting to add some of that substrate.

 

[H1gherD1mensionz]

Day 66! She is now hanging upside down whole in the tent. The temp is 21C and rH is 50%, hopefully it stays consistent. I thought she would yellow up more through those 48 hours of darkness. She was almost like a puppy welcoming me home waiting to be fed.

Pics taken inside dark tent with flash on.

You can see how eager the lower buds were to fatten up more if only they could have gotten more light:

The underside of the plant looks like its seeding but I'm pretty sure they are just the bracts on the extremely short branches making them cluster. I did give them a squeeze and they are soft.

Main cola: