Dutch Passion's Think Different: Topping, LST, HST, Autoflowers, 260W Kit, BioBizz

[SandwitchBiscuits]

Hello 420mag community, I will be posting a flowering-only organic-only journal as I wasn't sure I'd even create one. I'll cut to the chase. If it will interest people I will provide info about the vegging period which is currently on its last week.

Grow Info:
Self-medicating, non-commercial grow ONLY.
Strains: Two Dutch Passion's Think Different autoflowering plants.
Lights: One of HLG's 2xQB288 Rspec Version 2.0 260watt kit drawing 240-249watts at the wall. Full spectrum, 3500k & 660nm diodes.
Pots: 5.3 gallon/20lt fabric smartpots
Nutrients: Biobizz's Grow/Bloom/Topmax/Algamic
Soil: Biobizz's Light-mix
Training: Topping & LSTing
Light Distance: 30-45cm in Veg and Flower

Grower info:
My name is SandwitchBiscuits and I'm a newbie grower. I have 4 grows under my belt with this being the fourth and counting 10 plants in total. I find nothing wrong with playing things safe but I have witnessed myself caring better and with greater interest for the plants while experimenting and risking yields. All this feels more than satisfying to me. Along with the innate love I have for growing I trust I'm becoming better at it.

Timeline:
They have both been germinated in december 2019 and are currently going through their 6th week of vegging. As you'll see in the photos these plants have been topped at 6th and 7th node and trained to look the way they do right now. I'm constantly tying them down and removing leaves I judge troublesome. These two have been racing each other right from the start and have presented with a Calcium/Magnesium and Iron deficiencies to which I have tended to, to an extent. Flowering time will be 6 to 8 weeks and bottom(if any) growth will be removed during the first two weeks of flowering.

 

[Silverfox125]

Man you kept those trained low. Nice work so far! Is it your first grow with the board style light?

You’ve got them trained nice to take advantage of the even light distribution

 

[SandwitchBiscuits]

Welcome Silverfox125 and thank you. This is my first grow with quantum boards and to be honest I'm impressed. While I was planning this grow beforehand I had a pretty clear idea of how I would like those two to end up looking like. It was a completely flat canopy but with a greater plant height than it currently is.

I blame myself for this because I underestimated the intensity of the QB and kept it quite close without burning them essentially giving them all the light they need to hang low..even for a strain as this which grows really big for an autoflower.

Having said that, I am delighted to witness the result of my methods. And that's because I have witnessed that I can indeed play with the ppfd provided to a plant to manipulate its characteristics especially when I get to grow big sativas in the future.

Topping surely slowed growth but I had no signs from the plant such as drooping. With that aside, LSTing them was a hassle. The small main branches were tight enough to partially tear at the base, so I spent time tying the bases and letting them heal. With time, they didnt heal exactly, the wounds dried out and the rest of the branch grew larger in size to compensate.

I apologise for the length of the answer, truth be told I was waiting for someone to discuss with Feel free to subscribe for updates

 

[NewLedFarmer]

 

[SandwitchBiscuits]

Update Day 47
End of first week of flowering.
The plants were showing zinc and magnesium deficiencies so I flushed and renuted with 50% of what is scheduled to get them reinstated in the soil. I can't get my head around how important watering and scheduling it is. I expected I would remember what works and what does not after few years but man this is mindboggling.