1st Time With Auto Flowering In Soil, 3rd Time With LEDs

[sstressed]

Join me as i try not to screw up again - 1st time with auto flowering in soil, 3rd time with LEDs after decades using HIDs. it's not going well!

i used to brag about my two green thumbs. now they are turning black.

here is my light set up. this was last grow (photo females, 3 genetics), a measly 1/2 oz average per plant (3 weeks veg, 60ish days in flower). thank the gods, the highs are very nice.

three viparspectra xs2000s.

i'll fill in the details of how i keep getting tiny photos considering how much light potential i have. don't mention PAR, i'm seriously too high/stupid to figure it out. seriously, don't even try. it's a waste of time and it will harsh my mello! and i tried the leaf temp idea, woefully inadequate as i had my lights down to 50% power during flower to keep the temp of the leavesw around 80ish f. trichs don't like low light and stayed away until i cranked them up to 100% as god intended.

here is the current crop. those are real 5 gallon bags, they are huge compared to every other 5 gall (more like a bit less than 4 gall) bags i've purchased. i'll compare them next time.

these are all autos , green crack from weedseedsexpress. 4 about the same size, 1 runt and 1 that i started a few days ago but forgot to take the wrapping off of the pellets they popped from. i might pull her and plant one of the jack widow autos from the same place.

these are 10 days in veg. the tent needs a good cleaning but see above for the reason why it might take a few days.

HOW much would you water these? i surround them with maybe a bit more than 1/2 cup of water and a tiny bit of root enhancer and mega crop. i'll top the soil with worm poop when they get bigger.

i have been trying to figure out how to get these plants, under the LEDs, to grow larger/taller. the nodes are very tight at the heights recommended by viparspectra so i'm assuming that hanging the lights higher than recommended (the recommended heights are for one xs2000 not three)

I was hanging the lights about 32 inches at 50%. i have lowered the lights to 26 inches but still at 50%. when would you turn the lights up to 75 or 100% and how high would you hang them to get the nodes to stretch a bit for larger/taller plants?

i'm using mega crop, their flowering nutes, some mollasses for old times sake, some silica and have cal mag and nitrogen as needed. i was using fox farm nutes and decided to try this stuff. i have used damn near every well like nute company that were around 10 years ago.

the soil is good stuff, 2 layers of fox farm soils and light warrior.

 

[Roy Growin]

@sstressed
The roots are desperate to fill that pot and will do so if there is water there - but it looks way too dry
The whole pot needs to be full of damp soil or roots won't go there
I'd give a thorough watering, it won't need watering gain for quite a while afterwards as the roots spread out to find the water - if you have myco, frass, root juice, rhizo etc, now is the time to use it

 

[Phytoplankton]

Go with what the light manufacturer recommends for height above plants, and intensity. Adjust if they start to show signs of light stress (too much light) or start getting too much internodal space (not enough light). I'm not positive, as I'm also "photonically challenged", but using three lights will give you more lumens, which is good, and a wider footprint, but it doesn't mean that the three XS2000's together will be a xs6000. I don't believe it increases intensity (but I could be wrong). Those are big bags (true 5 gallons). Most places sell based on "trade gallons", which in the horticultural language means a 5 gallon trade pot is actually about 4 gallons. Go figure!

 

[sstressed]

@sstressed
The roots are desperate to fill that pot and will do so if there is water there - but it looks way too dry
The whole pot needs to be full of damp soil or roots won't go there
I'd give a thorough watering, it won't need watering gain for quite a while afterwards as the roots spread out to find the water - if you have myco, frass, root juice, rhizo etc, now is the time to use it

you'd get all that soil wet for those little buggers? like today? not questioning your knowledge just thinking of my experience.

i'm about to water them and from my little experience with LEDs, it would take a month for them to need to be watered/fed again. maybe add a 1/4 of what the mega crop recommends and maybe 1/2 strength with the Myco + super premium root inoculant?

 

[Phytoplankton]

Read Emilya's tutorial on watering plants in big containers. It will be helpful:

The Proper Way To Water A Seedling In A Large Final Container

In the beginning, you may even want to start your seed directly in the final container, simply by putting it one inch deep, pointy end down. It is surprising to some how often this works, even though mother nature does it all the time. If you go this route, lightly mist the area around the...

www.420magazine.com

 

[Roy Growin]

you'd get all that soil wet for those little buggers? like today? not questioning your knowledge just thinking of my experience.

i'm about to water them and from my little experience with LEDs, it would take a month for them to need to be watered/fed again. maybe add a 1/4 of what the mega crop recommends and maybe 1/2 strength with the Myco + super premium root inoculant?

It shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely and lose the ability to absorb water is what I'm saying
So keep all the soil slightly damp (with plain water), then apply water/feed around the plant, as you are

I know the plant won't use up all that water, but it needs to be wherever the roots look for it
Not suggesting you waterlog it, or drown it, just saying young roots won't probe totally dry soil
Then little and often until the roots build

 

[sstressed]

Read Emilya's tutorial on watering plants in big containers. It will be helpful:

The Proper Way To Water A Seedling In A Large Final Container

In the beginning, you may even want to start your seed directly in the final container, simply by putting it one inch deep, pointy end down. It is surprising to some how often this works, even though mother nature does it all the time. If you go this route, lightly mist the area around the...

www.420magazine.com

i kinda read it, love her info, but that was awhile back. i'm off to read.

i keep looking at my 600 watt HID as my last crop off her was 21 glorious ounces (vegged for months). vs 4 oz. BUT led is cool and i shall try, try again.


i have a local friend who i used to sell OZs to way back when who only grows autos. he suggested the watering around the outside too (i kind of already knew that but again, with HIDs, just pouring in the water in a porous bag worked very well) at about 3 cups right now. i'm leaning to the total watering but i change my mind like my last GF, which is often. way, way often.

 

[sstressed]

It shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely and lose the ability to absorb water is what I'm saying
So keep all the soil slightly damp (with plain water), then apply water/feed around the plant, as you are

I know the plant won't use up all that water, but it needs to be wherever the roots look for it
Not suggesting you waterlog it, or drown it, just saying young roots won't probe totally dry soil
Then little and often until the roots build

done deal. makes sense. i really want to figure out these LED bastards and the much slower water uptake from the HID grows. i used an odd 800 watt unit, a 1000 watt, with 400 watt for veg and then a 600 watt when i moved. big, hot, ugly...but i knew them like i know my nose.

 

[sstressed]

considering that my first grow book was - a child's garden of grass - in which the author stated that you needed to dig up the plant, roots and all and hang them upside down so the thc would flow from the roots to the buds, we've come a long way.

this is the humidifier i was using. no matter what i do, it now leaks.

$90 that could have gone to baby back ribs.

ok, the floor looks terrible. i need a maid.



new one -

Vornado EVDC300 Energy Smart Evaporative Humidifer​

 

[Roy Growin]

done deal. makes sense. i really want to figure out these LED bastards and the much slower water uptake from HIDs. i used an odd 800 watt unit, a 1000 watt, with 400 watt for veg and then a 600 watt when i moved. big, hot, ugly...but i knew them like i know my nose.

Remember the old rule of thumb '50w sq/ft'?
LEDs are at least 30% more efficient, = +/- 35w sq/ft
You got roughly 75w sq/ft there, so 50% is gonna be fine for vegging 24-30" x 3

 

[sstressed]

pretend there is a picture of three viparsectra xs 2000s in my 4.5ish sq ft tent.

pics not allowed because of something about advertising. i like this place but i've never seen these kinds of rules at the other 20 grow forums i've used over the decades. different strokes.

it's bizarre you very nice and polite mods. i spent 30ish years as a procurement manager and competition is not for sissies but is great for customers and bank accounts, never seen anything like this. advertisers seem to be making or "suggesting" some rules about content. kinda funny as without forums, they wouldn't reach growers who test and comment on their products with real life experiences.

i'd like to see light companies start their own forums and go head to head with each other. but it's never about the customers, it's always about outliving the competition.

information passed between growers is the point of most forums and would probably bring more growers, but your house, your rules. carry on.







p.s. - they are excellent lights.

 

[sstressed]

so the girls are 12 days old. i've kind of taken the watering advice, not too much water, not to little. i put in 4 cups per plant around the outside, just to test and learn, plus fed them by encircling the plant a few inches out from the root ball. i'll raise it up to six cups or maybe i'll YOLO one of them and drown the little darling. for science! if i can find the sweet spot life will be good. seeing the pictures, they look kind of dry so i'll give them another 4 or six cups around the edges.

i gave them a 1/2 dose of mega crop and 1tsp per gallon of root stimulater stuff. my grandfather would laugh at all the stuff we use to grow a weed.

i pumped up the lights, (ALL THREE OF MY VIPARSPECTRA XS2000s!!!!!) (lol) to 75% today to see if they like it.

i'm thinking of trashing the runt and the one i started days later. it seems to be stalled.

seeds i got.

pretend this is my 3 lights ---

 

[sstressed]

i have decided to keep the runt out of curiosity for it's dry weight. i mostly have photo seeds but i think i'll go with the auto black jack widow (i think thats what it's called). i'm trying to buy some more auto seeds but i'm having problems paying the vendor. it's annoying. probably my fault.




the girls have grown noticeably since yesterday. they seem to like 75% power and 27 inches high, but I'm keeping an eye on them.

i'm going to a buddys house in a few days to check out his auto grows and pick up 2 ounces of his finest (for free of course). he has 5 bedrooms and uses 4 for tents. he's allowed 12 plants, i'm only allowed 6. his wife doesn't smoke/vape but allows his household to grow 6 for him and 6 for her. it'll be my first taste of autos. i'm also picking up my new .38 snubby with the covered hammer. weed and weapons, what could go wrong??



as i always wake and bake, i aways have a decision to make, each and every day: coffee or nap?

 

[sstressed]

 

[sstressed]

two weeks above ground

i keep meaning to make the tent clean but waking and baking and doing stuff don't always go well together.

4 look like this. 1 is a runt and i'm about to pull the one i started late. some leaves are a bit droopy. cant tell if it's a need for water or too much light at 75%. there should be enough water to keep them going for days. but i'll give them a few more cups when i wake them up and drop the light to 50%. they have not been praying to the light giver. so maybe not too much light.


i think i'll give them a full dose of the mega crop today. with a pretty heavy watering/feeding. any suggestions are welcome. some silica, some molasses ...what else?

 

[Listersmeghead]

Hiya sstressed.
The plants look a good colour..nice growth.
Do you have a light meter to show you the strength of light the plants are getting? 3 xs2000's on 75% seems alot of light.
I've got 3 auto plants on day 12 at the moment. They're under a se3000 300w LED bar light and they're only getting 270ppfd.
My light is up high about 36" and only on 40% and that's only a 300w light.
Yep a plant can droop from to much light buddie. It can also droop just before lights out also.

 

[sstressed]

i love sci fi. we are bizarrely destructive in ways that are more surprising every day. we are doomed. hopefully before we kill this big blue marble.

gaia is pissed.

Rainwater is no longer safe to drink anywhere on Earth, scientists say

Scientists are calling for tighter restrictions on PFAS which persist in the environment for years.

www.euronews.com

growing up in the 50s and 60s was great for a kid. all that land just living it's best life. i could wander around the local forests and never bump into anybody else. never had a concern or fear of strangers. parents were mostly unconcerned about what we did as long as we were home by dark.

the ponds, rivers, streams, brooks, cricks, whatever they were called in your area, all clear and full of life. playing hide and seek in huge corn fields. the farmers would let you wander around and enjoy the animals. the silence, the wind through the branches. i can close my eyes and see and smell the life


you young people are fucked.




the girls have perked up nicely. i turned the lights down to 50% and gave them 4 cups each of icky brown stuff all full of goodness.

i want to soak the entire pot but i'm not sure when to do that. i'll flip that coin in a few days.


in some of the sci fi, the remaining humans hunt down the scientists who, in their minds, killed the mother of us all


soylent green with a little hot sauce. Yum!

 

[sstressed]

today is 17 days old.

day 16 pics but a couple of them grew noticeably since yesterday. these are true five gallon bags. the plants look larger in real life. and i should have filled the bags a bit more.

practice, practice, practice!

going from regular seeds to autos is pretty eye opening. much larger than 16 days old back then. i can't wait to see how much the roots spread out and down once i cut them.

i can LST 2 maybe 3 of them. not much to work with but, i'm delicate and knowing with this art form.

the only kind of down side is i have large, kind of large, medium and 1/2 the size of the biggest. too much variation in size. and tell me about phenos etc, been doing this for decades. i just suck at using LEDs and i remember some of the great old timey seed breeders with the excellent F1 genetics. some were so similar, if you didn't know what clones looked like, you'd think they were clones. the game changed as i don't think female seeds were more than a novelty for beginners back then.

but i'm learning.

got my new humidifier yesterday, got the tent up to 58% in a few hours. my old one that cost 30$ more, never came close to 58%. truth in advertising is a lie.


i think i might give the largest ones 8 cups of water/food tonight. depends on how stoned i'll be when i wake them up

 

[Listersmeghead]

Looking good sstressed. We're pretty much matched..my 3 autos are on day 16 today.
I started some LST on one of them yesterday...the other 2 are not ready yet....patience i keep telling myself.

Practice, practice, practice. Lol.

 

[sstressed]

got a little something from a local bud. 2 oz of white widow, very dark buds and gelato autos. bugger has many jars full.

it's good to have friends. it's better to have friends with homegrown bliss. i t

pics are too dark. the buzz is very nice. i rarely smoke joints but both genetics are so smooth from his very slow cure, that i'm smoking my 2nd joint this afternoon. now a little allman brothers and i'm goneski.