Candy Cane Auto & Trainwreck Auto

[Oldhatnewgrower]

This is my first grow and would be happy if people gave me any advice as it progresses.
The seeds are from crop king and they were given to me by a friend. Using compost from my parents compost heap mixed with potting mix and perlite. Planning on fertilizing with worm casting (also from my parents) tea during the veg stage and perhaps trying some organic fertilizer.

I transplanted two candy cane and one trainwreck from the peat moss propogation medium this morning. I started germinating them the evening of the 27th of November and three of the 7 seeds had sprouted by 5am this morning.

Currently using a small 45 watt led panel purchased from crappy tire for keeping our succulents healthy and growing fresh herbs over the winter but I am working on building a 2.5x3 foot grow cabinet (self employed cabinet maker) that will have a 400w hps conversion bulb and an in-line fan in it. The ballast was free and for my first grow I figure what the hell.

Ph is neutral at 7 and I am using plain tap water that tests at 6.5-7. I am not overly concerned about adding nutrients as I have grown many high yielding tomato plants with this soil mixture over the years.

 

[Kongfuzi]

Honestly you’re growing in organic soil so you should stay the hell away from nutrients until you have a confirmed deficiency (outside of adding mag because if you’re successful more than likely you’re gonna get hit with mag def first.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day 3.
Five out of the seven seeds have germinated, two candy cane and three trainwreck. Watered with a spray bottle a couple of times just to keep the humidity up. Hoping for one more candy cane to germinate in the next day or two but I am not holding my breath.
I put the fan on the seedlings yesterday as I was concerned about stretch. They haven’t grown much verticly but the stems have all doubled in thickness in 24 hours and the leaves have opened.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day six. One of the candy cane plants has some damage to the tips of its first two leaves but the second node has started. Anyone know what may have caused this? The trainwreck is doing well. I am thinking it’s time to move them under my 400 hid light. I built it with a buddy from parts scavenged from four lights. It was free other than the cool blue veg lamp from the local grow shop.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day 6.5 moved them under my makeshift grow light earlier this afternoon. They stretched a bit this morning while under that cheep led panel. I hope they have enough light now. Ithe light is approximately 18 inches from them.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day 7 took the diffuser off the light at 420 this morning. The light kicked in and by 420 this afternoon the had doubled in size. Gave them some worm casting tea this morning. Ph was seven when I checked the runoff.

 

[Happythoughts411]

Those sprouted up nicely!

 

[Zincite]

Looks like you have things in control. Like your shop and set up.

cheers

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Those sprouted up nicely!

Yeah. I am really surprised how quick they took off once I put them under that metal halide.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Looks like you have things in control. Like your shop and set up.

cheers

Thanks. That wasn’t my shop. the shop belongs to a good friend. He is the guy who taught me the basics of carpentry and cabinet making. The ballast was a freebie from him for helping him move some equipment. An electrician friend has a free 1000 watt hps ballast kit and I was able to score an empty can for it from my friend and teacher so now I have to decide on which 1000 watt lamp to buy.

 

[Zincite]

Thanks. That wasn’t my shop. the shop belongs too good friend. He is guy who taught me the basics of carpentry and cabinet making. The ballast was a freebie from him for helping him move some equipment. An electrician friend has a free 1000 watt hps ballast kit and I was able to score an empty can for it from my friend and teacher so now I have to decide on which 1000 watt lamp to buy.

Is that your handy work in your avatar, that's a nice looking piece of work? Noting like the barter system, everyone wins. Can't wait to see your grow cabinet.

cheers.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Is that your handy work in your avatar, that's a nice looking piece of work? Noting like the barter system, everyone wins. Can't wait to see your grow cabinet.

cheers.

Thanks, that is my handy work In my avitar. I am not sure when I am going to have time to build the grow cabinet so for now I am set up in the spare bedroom with that make shift structure supporting the lighting. Hoping to get at it in the next couple of weeks but if I don’t I’ll just hook up a carbon filter and a variable speed inline fan I have that was salvaged from a demolition job to keep the smell under control.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Fed the girls with some worm casting tea this morning and hooked up the humidifier this evening as the rh was 30%. Southeastern Alberta is a semiarid desert and in the winter it’s bone dry especially when the chinook winds start howling. We get serious amounts of sun here both winter and summer. I am planning on growing some photoperiod strains in my parents greenhouse/garden next spring/summer. The temperatures here in the summer range from 18C in may to as high as 41c during August and early September with little to no rain and infrequent storms after July, not to mention the exceptionally inexpensive electricity here. I guess that’s why aurora cannabis is building the worlds largest hybrid greenhouse/grow opp here.

 

[Zincite]

Little ladies are looking great.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day 10-11. It’s my birthday today and I think I am going to give the girls the gift of more space. From what I have read in other grow journals I believe that once the plant is as wide as the pot it is in its time to transplant for the last time. They are not there yet but they are close. I would love to hear what other people think. Attaching a photo for reference.

 

[Zincite]

if it were me I would take a look at those roots and make a decision then if to transplant. Should have a nice root system. BTW happy freaking birthday.

cheers.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

if it were me I would take a look at those roots and make a decision then if to transplant. Should have a nice root system. BTW happy freaking birthday.

cheers.

Thanks for the suggestion and the happy birthday. I’ll check the roots this afternoon and be ready to transplant if I can see them.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Day 11/12. I picked up some coco bricks this morning in preparation for transplanting and soaked one of the four bricks to mix with my worm castings and potting soil. I forgot to take photos as I was super exited when I checked the runt plants roots and found them to be growing throughout the small root ball. None of the plants were root bound but the soil held together nicely during transplanting and from experience with tomatoes this shocks the plant less than when they are root bound. I topdressed the new pots with pure worm castings and watered them in.

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Just looked closely at the first internode. Is this what a preflower looks like?

 

[Oldhatnewgrower]

Just looked closely at the first internode. Is this what a preflower looks like?

Well they weren’t preflowers. They are leaves.

Day 14
Water ph between 6.5 and 7
Runoff 6.5-7
Fed with worm casting tea yesterday and this morning. Lights on temp is hovering between 23-26C and humidity between 47-55%. Lights off temp is 19-22C. The coco seems to really hold the moisture but the mixture is nice and light. They seem to be thriving in their new pots.