Newbie please help with first autogrow

[Dannyboy2022]

Hi all so I'm new to the growing experience but have been getting advice from a family member but I don't think some of the info/ help is the best so I've came here for some advice but please be gentle as I know some thing are incorrect.

So the grow room.

Spider farmers 2x4 grow kits
Lights - SF2000
X3 Pot size 5 gallon
X2 ram air clip on fans
4 inch spider farmer inline filter with carbon filter

Soil - clover MPC

Nutrients I have so far.
Canna Coco a and b
Cal mag
pH up
Ph down
pH 7 test liquid

Growing autoflowers under 20/4 light conditions with 60% humidity.

Using regular tap Water pH to 6.3 at room temperature

Seeds have been germinated successfully using the paper towel method and potted into 5 gallon pots and we are currently at day 9 ( picture attached)

Feeding every 3 days at the at the moment using the following dose per plants:

1000ml/ 1litre pH 6.3 water
1ml of canna Coco A
1ml of canna Coco B
EC after mixing 1.0 TDS 500PPM

I always try to keep top dressing damp with a light spray of pH 6.3

Day temperature 24c - 26c
Light off night temperature 22c- 24c

What I would like help with would be the nutrients what do I need to get moving forward? Am I giving the right amount of canna A and B to start with?

Where do I need to improve?
I have realised I should have grown in Coco coir to start but it to late now and will have to continue with what I have now.

Any help would be much appreciated as this is the beginning of my journey.

 

[StoneOtter]

Welcome Dannyboy2022! Looks fine from my house. Will you be going over to journals in progress to start one so we can keep up with you?

 

[Dannyboy2022]

Thanks StoneOtter I'm new to the site as well as being new to growing. Would It be better for me to post a journal for advice?

 

[Tokin Roll]

Welcome to 420 Magazine @Dannyboy2022

Which do you enjoy dirt or water? I know your current one is dirt, but you mentioned coco also.
Is this you first grow?

Here's some helpful info.

Welcome New Members - Please Read Before Posting

Here is some information if you would like to start a a grow journal How to Make a Grow Journal

If you want to see want other growers are doing, here's that link. This is where you place your journal.

Journals in Progress​

Current and Ongoing
www.420magazine.com

And, after you have over 50 posts you can vote and enter our contest to win free grow stuff from our sponsors.

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Stay safe, and grow well my friend,

Tok..

 

[Tokin Roll]

Would It be better for me to post a journal for advice?

That is one of the best ways to get help.

 

[Dannyboy2022]

Hey @Tokin Roll how you doing?

Yes this is my first grow. Well I'm going down the dirt route on this first run but may move to water on the next run.

Just been getting miss information from the family member that why I've came here for some advice.

I know I bought canna coco a and b and cal mag but I've have read somewhere that I can still use these for this grow just in small quantities?

 

[Tokin Roll]

Let's get you started to your first harvest.

The biggest thing to remember is KIS - Keep it simple. Don't over complicate things.
Have you germinated seeds yet? Da
Have you read any grow journals on growing in soil? " I would suggest this."

I grow in soil in the summer months, and change to DWC for the winter months.

I will be in and out, but I and others will follow along with you until harvest.

 

[Dannyboy2022]

I've read a couple of journal online but nothing that goes into real depth and watched plenty of YouTube videos.

I have germinated the seed. I'm not sure if you can see the attached photo?

 

[StoneOtter]

Yeah, and when you do, copy the url onto your signature so we can bounce off it to the journal from wherever you are. Like the beating hearts below in mine. Detailed information and clear pics in white light help. @Dannyboy2022 the @ calls individually.

 

[Dannyboy2022]

Yeah, and when you do, copy the url onto your signature so we can bounce off it to the journal from wherever you are. Like the beating hearts below in mine. Detailed information and clear pics in white light help. @Dannyboy2022 the @ calls individually.

Silly question how do I add a signature ?

 

[Tokin Roll]

Welcome New Members - Please Read Before Posting

Welcome to the 420 Magazine community forums! Our website is dedicated to spreading Cannabis and Hemp awareness throughout the world. We are a mature, friendly community that appreciates your participation. To get started, we encourage you to visit our Introduce Yourself - 420 Magazine forum...

www.420magazine.com

This will answer a lot of your questions.

 

[MochaBud]

to the forum @Dannyboy2022

Don't know where you're at on the map, but here in Southwest Missouri I can get my hands on Fox Farms products pretty cheap. I use FF Ocean Forrest soil straight out the bag, no need for PH Up or Down, it buffers it for you, straight tap water, or I mix my nutrients and feed no PHing at all...

013.jpg

• MochaBud
• Aug 30, 2019
• 3

White Widow 3 weeks in flower
No PHing of water!

And BTW, what you have there are coco nutrients, coco needs to be watered every day or 2, soil not so much only when the pot feels light...so anyway I would get some soil nutrients...or use more than recommended on "those" bottles

 

[SmokingWings]

Soil - clover MPC

Nutrients I have so far.
Canna Coco a and b
Cal mag
pH up
Ph down
pH 7 test liquid

Using regular tap Water pH to 6.3 at room temperature

Welcome to the group. Seedlings look great. You will be able to get a lot of helpful tips and suggestions on what looks to be your first growing experience.

My question is what are the basic ingredients of the Clover MPC mix that you bought? It is a potting soil from the UK so maybe some of the other growers from your part of the world will know. I did come across a lot of positive comments by other growers who have been using the companies products but did not check what was mentioned regarding the nutrient scheduling.

Looking up Clover MPC I have come across the mix being a peat moss base with composted organic materials added. Since the UK and European countries are going with zero peat moss in the commercially available soil mixes the companies have been switching over to Coco Coir as the base. That is making me think that the grow medium is already a Coco Coir base rather than being a traditional soil mix.

The fertilizer mixes you have already, the Canna Coco A & B are a good standby for hydroponic growing so those fit in. The Cal-Mag is good for indoor hydro and humus based soils so that fits.

It is the pH of the water being at 6.3pH that might not be the best. That pH s a level that is considered optimal for organic/mineral soils. With a coco or peat base many consider the growing medium to be best treated as hydroponic medium which calls for a lower pH, usually much closer to a 5.7 or a 5.8 pH reading.

 

[Dannyboy2022]

Hey thanks mate the three of them are going well so far so good hoping to have a successful grow with everyone's help.



So the soil is clove multi purpose compost a UK brand I read up good reviews based on autoflowers and people success rate and it being guaranteed to be bug free.



This is what it says on there website.

A Consistent , high quality compost with a nutrient enriched formula and wetting agent to ensure easier watering. Used for seed sowing. potting, containers and hanging baskets.



its also states it 100% Irish peat



The reason I went with this is because It was sourced locally and from a fresh delivery. Other than that the packet don't have any ingredients nor can I find any information online.



The plant are on low dose of canna a and b at the moment. Not to sure how to use cal mag at the moment so haven't touched it on the list to be researched as I still learning.



Reading up on pH it was kind of hard who to believe as I there so many different/ mixed reviews on pH.



But I'll be honest I just type in best autoflowers ph into Google



And this was the answer...



The ideal PH for autoflowering plants is in the middle of 6.2 to 6.5 for soil and 5.5 to 6.1 when grown in hydroponics, but a little variance won't affect the plant that much.



Would you say to start bringing the pH down Or continue ?

 

[Dannyboy2022]

to the forum @Dannyboy2022

Don't know where you're at on the map, but here in Southwest Missouri I can get my hands on Fox Farms products pretty cheap. I use FF Ocean Forrest soil straight out the bag, no need for PH Up or Down, it buffers it for you, straight tap water, or I mix my nutrients and feed no PHing at all...

013.jpg

• MochaBud
• Aug 30, 2019
• 3

White Widow 3 weeks in flower
No PHing of water!

And BTW, what you have there are coco nutrients, coco needs to be watered every day or 2, soil not so much only when the pot feels light...so anyway I would get some soil nutrients...or use more than recommended on "those" bottles

Hey there @MochaBud

I'm using a UK based soil so foxfarm is expensive to ship to the UK. Your plant is looking lovely there tho.

I don't feel I need to give them more nutrients right now. as for doubling the dose to I think that will burn my little ladies so Id rather read the plants and observe need as I go along atm

 

[SmokingWings]

So the soil is clove multi purpose compost a UK brand I read up good reviews based on autoflowers and people success rate

I kept reading msgs from growers in the UK that had great success with the product.

It contains what looks like a good amount of Peat Moss which is inert and supplies few nutrients until it decomposes over several years. It is supposed to have Compost which is close to a natural soil.

Reading up on pH it was kind of hard who to believe as I there so many different/ mixed reviews on pH.
But I'll be honest I just type in best autoflowers ph into Google

While plant varieties do have a preferred soil pH for optimal growth the growing medium that the roots are in is considered to be the way to find the best pH to use.

Best bet is to find someone in the group who has used the Clover line of products and ask what they found to be to best pH to adjust the water to.

 

[Dannyboy2022]

I kept reading msgs from growers in the UK that had great success with the product.

It contains what looks like a good amount of Peat Moss which is inert and supplies few nutrients until it decomposes over several years. It is supposed to have Compost which is close to a natural soil.


While plant varieties do have a preferred soil pH for optimal growth the growing medium that the roots are in is considered to be the way to find the best pH to use.

Best bet is to find someone in the group who has used the Clover line of products and ask what they found to be to best pH to adjust the water to.

I've lowered the water pH down to 5.9 will see how they react when I feed them next.

I see at lot of stories too about people success, but no one actually goes into details when they have used clove multi purpose compost it seems.

What the best way to test the soil do you know? I have a essential pH meter and also have a pH test kit with liquid drop for test aquarium water if that could be used for testing the soil.

 

[SmokingWings]

I see at lot of stories too about people success, but no one actually goes into details when they have used clove multi purpose compost it seems.

I noticed that too, a lot of success stories without details such as if they had to use specific nutrients or fertilizer mixes and so on.

What the best way to test the soil do you know?

The best way to do a soil test is to send a sample off to an agricultural business that can do the test. The test is a lot more involved in trying to measure the pH of some of the water that comes through the drain hole in the bottom of the pot. The water will give a different number just about every time it is tested, even if the tests are done minutes apart.

I use the drops test kit to measure pH of water when before I add it to the aquarium. It also works when measuring after adding nutrients or fertilizer to the water before it is poured onto the growing medium.

 

[rigidigital]

Hey thanks mate the three of them are going well so far so good hoping to have a successful grow with everyone's help.



So the soil is clove multi purpose compost a UK brand I read up good reviews based on autoflowers and people success rate and it being guaranteed to be bug free.



This is what it says on there website.

A Consistent , high quality compost with a nutrient enriched formula and wetting agent to ensure easier watering. Used for seed sowing. potting, containers and hanging baskets.



its also states it 100% Irish peat



The reason I went with this is because It was sourced locally and from a fresh delivery. Other than that the packet don't have any ingredients nor can I find any information online.



The plant are on low dose of canna a and b at the moment. Not to sure how to use cal mag at the moment so haven't touched it on the list to be researched as I still learning.



Reading up on pH it was kind of hard who to believe as I there so many different/ mixed reviews on pH.



But I'll be honest I just type in best autoflowers ph into Google



And this was the answer...



The ideal PH for autoflowering plants is in the middle of 6.2 to 6.5 for soil and 5.5 to 6.1 when grown in hydroponics, but a little variance won't affect the plant that much.



Would you say to start bringing the pH down Or continue ?

Very nice, & it looks like you are well researched & sensible in your approach, especially for 'first time': the development of the seedlings only at day 9 seems excellent. I would add a few suggestions & based on the fact that I'm a relative newbie as well but have done this a few times now & adjusted a little from where I've started. A very similar indoor set-up to yours, currently growing Blueberry & White Widow autos.

The main change I've made over time is to go with my own soil mix, much like a 'no-till' method. The main difference I've found with this is that I don't have to mess with the plants much in terms of nutrients, maybe only a little bloom in the final stages. And, overall, more is less. Ingredients are straight forward & should be available everywhere (eg, in the UK & certainly here in Australia). To cut a longer story short, these organic farmers at 'Homestead & Chill' in California are pretty much 'spot on' in my experience to date, eg:

How To Grow Cannabis Organically: Seeds, Soil, Containers & Care​

Soil Base:​

• 1 part Canadian sphagnum peat moss
• 1 part high quality compost (You could use aged homemade compost)
• 1 part aeration additive (We prefer 3/8-inch Lava rock, aka lava cinders. You could use pumice or perlite instead.)

Evenly mix in the following amendments:​

• Kelp meal, ½ cup per cubic foot of soil*
• Neem meal, ½ cup per cubic foot of soil
• Crab or Crustacean Meal, ½ cup per cubic foot of soil
• Rock Dust, 2 cups per cubic foot of soil
• Gypsum, 1 cup per cubic foot of soil
• Oyster Shell flour, 1 cup per cubic foot of soil
• A handful of worm castings and a few compost worms, if possible
• Optional: Biochar, 2-4 cups per cubic foot of soil

Re. the amendments, there are pre-made packets (or similar) out there; personally I use Southern No Till 'Regerate' (check with your local Hyrdo suppliers for something similar. See also more about No-Till Farming here.

Their tips on the general use of Aloe Vera have been brilliant; I use this in general watering in the garden & the plants love it. They have a recipe but I just simply use the 200:1 powdered variety.

Homemade Fertilizer with Aloe Vera: Soil Drench or Foliar Spray​

& finally, there's the idea of some organic top dressing, again, similar packets available from hydro suppliers; personally, I've been using the OGS top-dress kit.

How to Feed Cannabis, Organically: Top-Dressings, Teas, & More!​

Whichever, I've found organic a great way to go; the plants certainly need less fiddling with and, all of the overpriced (& often dubious) nute kits. The taste and smell is also much improved.

Hope that helps for next time maybe?

PS fungus gnats can be a problem where I Iive; adding some beneficial nematodes to the soil solves that problem; similarly, spraying with Neem Oil also helps with pests.