GuardianRager's First Grow RQS Autos LED Soil Grow Journal 2024

GuardianRager

Well-Known Member
Hello fellow cultivators. :ciao:

After months of researching and reading journals I decided to start one myself to document the experience and hopefully get some help along the way to avoid the potholes and learn from all of you vets here. Stand on the shoulders of giants, etc etc.

I chose to go with @Royal Queen Seeds. Why because they had a sale going on and I enjoyed reading a lot of the their articles which appear very informative and insightful.

I have
Northern Light Auto
Hulk Berry Auto
Sherbet Queen Auto

Also got OG Kush I want to use as a Mother when I learn more
and some Purple Queen cause she looks gorgeous but that's for another time.

So far I think I'm going to use @Bill284 's method of Solo Cupping and follow that into some 5 gallon fabric pots filled with Fox Farms Ocean Forest cut with Fox Farms Happy Frog and Perlite.
My local place sells Fox Farms really cheap, like half what they go for on Amazon so I couldn't in good conscience pass it up for this first go round. The plan was to create my living soil using my compost pile and coco coir and all those amendments bat guano, rock phosphate , l,m,n,o,p....till my head looked like one of those memes doing calculations. Then it hit me. Form a base line. Make changes as needed. I want to go all organic and sustainable as possible. I wish I could just use what I have here on the farm but I want to not totally fail so I'm hedging my bets.
Going back and forth over a 5x5 tent setup for now or building the addition in the house which would only be adding two walls to a back room. One wall would be exterior facing the rising sun, the rest would be internal. The price for both are about the same minus my time. Haven't decided on lights but not gonna cheap out on them.
Honestly I would love to just get the AC Infinity Lab 5x5 grow setup which is about $1499 on Amazon but Good Lord That's A Lot Of Money and I don't even know if its worth it yet but I like the integration, style and VPD control they have plus all the stuff stacks up as far as numbers with everything I've seen elsewhere and hey no one is sponsoring this noob. (Yet:high-five:)
Definitely leaning towards LED with the Samsung something something EVO chip, circuit, Skynet AI stuff so they get plenty of light.
From what I've seen autos don't need much in the way of nutes and I want to avoid them anyway. Focusing on healthy soil. Going to plant some local wild onions in there based on something I read here (will tag when I find it again). Using a Blumat drip irrigation system. So far that's where I'm at.
Thoughts, Comments, Recommendations, are all welcome.
Just realized all the cool sign-offs have probably been used so I'll just say
:peacetwo:
 
Can't wait to see your grow, sounds like a solid plan so far......I hear the AC Infinity are nice but pricey......just price and piece out similar but don't skimp on lighting....im a cheap.ass so have no recommendations on proper lighting as well as I'm an old school HID guy, just getting ready to dive into LED
 
I'm was always over thinking my indoor setups so much I would run a method 2 or 3 times.and disassemble and reconstruct with a new method, all had their pros and cons, but never did I ever dial in until soil grows indoors and a cut of grape.ape that freaking rocked , that's the last I grew inside and went to greenhouse and outdoor, and now I find myself wanting to.delve back into.year round fun!!!! I will be watching everyone closely as I start my adventures once again
 
Hello fellow cultivators. :ciao:

After months of researching and reading journals I decided to start one myself to document the experience and hopefully get some help along the way to avoid the potholes and learn from all of you vets here. Stand on the shoulders of giants, etc etc.

I chose to go with @Royal Queen Seeds. Why because they had a sale going on and I enjoyed reading a lot of the their articles which appear very informative and insightful.

I have
Northern Light Auto
Hulk Berry Auto
Sherbet Queen Auto

Also got OG Kush I want to use as a Mother when I learn more
and some Purple Queen cause she looks gorgeous but that's for another time.

So far I think I'm going to use @Bill284 's method of Solo Cupping and follow that into some 5 gallon fabric pots filled with Fox Farms Ocean Forest cut with Fox Farms Happy Frog and Perlite.
My local place sells Fox Farms really cheap, like half what they go for on Amazon so I couldn't in good conscience pass it up for this first go round. The plan was to create my living soil using my compost pile and coco coir and all those amendments bat guano, rock phosphate , l,m,n,o,p....till my head looked like one of those memes doing calculations. Then it hit me. Form a base line. Make changes as needed. I want to go all organic and sustainable as possible. I wish I could just use what I have here on the farm but I want to not totally fail so I'm hedging my bets.
Going back and forth over a 5x5 tent setup for now or building the addition in the house which would only be adding two walls to a back room. One wall would be exterior facing the rising sun, the rest would be internal. The price for both are about the same minus my time. Haven't decided on lights but not gonna cheap out on them.
Honestly I would love to just get the AC Infinity Lab 5x5 grow setup which is about $1499 on Amazon but Good Lord That's A Lot Of Money and I don't even know if its worth it yet but I like the integration, style and VPD control they have plus all the stuff stacks up as far as numbers with everything I've seen elsewhere and hey no one is sponsoring this noob. (Yet:high-five:)
Definitely leaning towards LED with the Samsung something something EVO chip, circuit, Skynet AI stuff so they get plenty of light.
From what I've seen autos don't need much in the way of nutes and I want to avoid them anyway. Focusing on healthy soil. Going to plant some local wild onions in there based on something I read here (will tag when I find it again). Using a Blumat drip irrigation system. So far that's where I'm at.
Thoughts, Comments, Recommendations, are all welcome.
Just realized all the cool sign-offs have probably been used so I'll just say
:peacetwo:
Welcome Brother :welcome:
I’m so happy with my VS650 and Grow Hub system.
Did you see my VIVOHUT?
Great equipment and excellent price at @VIVOSUN


Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Welcome Brother :welcome:
I’m so happy with my VS650 and Grow Hub system.
Did you see my VIVOHUT?
Great equipment and excellent price at @VIVOSUN


Stay safe
Bill284 😎
Thanks Buddy. I’ve definitely checked out your setup. It has been inspiring mine. I was leaning toward the Vivosun setup at first but they for some strange reason do not offer a 5x5 tent. I could just be over looking it but I’ve searched hi and low and nope. I like the integrated control they have as well. It may just be marketing lingo but the VPD control aspect seems useful with AC Infinity’s controller. (Shrugs) Time will tell. I pulled the trigger last night and got 25% on the river(Amazon) pictures coming soon.
 
Thanks Buddy. I’ve definitely checked out your setup. It has been inspiring mine. I was leaning toward the Vivosun setup at first but they for some strange reason do not offer a 5x5 tent. I could just be over looking it but I’ve searched hi and low and nope. I like the integrated control they have as well. It may just be marketing lingo but the VPD control aspect seems useful with AC Infinity’s controller. (Shrugs) Time will tell. I pulled the trigger last night and got 25% on the river(Amazon) pictures coming soon.
WooHoo :woohoo::yahoo::theband:



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Howdy Buds:ciao:

My apologies for the lack of communication. Lots and lots of moving parts around here with the farm and youngins and all that lol. Planted the girls on Monday Night Sept 9th

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Starting Seeds Sustainably: Why I Chose Gro-Med Coco Coir Pellets

After absorbing an overwhelming amount of information and opinions on seed starting, I ultimately decided to go with Gro-Med Coco Coir seed starter pellets. Why? For one, they offer a sustainable alternative to peat (yes, you read that right). But more importantly, I wanted something that would help manage moisture better, offering a bit of protection against both overwatering and underwatering thanks to its excellent drainage properties.

Another perk? These pellets come with a root-boosting additive, which sounded promising. I also sprinkled some Mycorrhizae directly into the seed holes before planting, misted them lightly with spring water, and tucked them in to grow.

The goal behind this process is to keep things as organic as possible, focusing on transitioning to a sustainable permaculture-inspired, perpetual grow system—complete with a worm farm. I’m using products that are OMRI-listed to stay in line with organic practices.

This approach isn’t just for my garden, but for a more sustainable and regenerative way of growing. A win-win for me and the earth!

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Mixing My Organic Soil: A Step-by-Step Breakdown

Howdy Buds! :ciao:

It was finally time to mix up my soil for planting, and while I have access to plenty of natural manure and compost from my goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, and other animals,
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I hesitated to use it for this first round. After digging through it, I found plenty of grubs and other critters—some good, some bad—that made me rethink using it right now.
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Instead, I went with a ready-to-use solution: Fox Farms Ocean Forest (FFOF) and Happy Frog (FFHF).
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Both are affordable and come highly recommended, so I decided to mix 2 parts FFOF with 1 part FFHF. These blends already contain perlite, but I added a bit more to aim for a 70/30 soil-to-perlite ratio for optimal aeration and drainage.
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Since both mixes already contain worm castings, I went ahead and added more—about 5% of the total mix using Wiggle Worm Pure Organic Worm Castings.
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I also threw in some Down to Earth Vegetable Garden Fertilizer
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at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon of soil. And I didn’t forget the Boogie Black at about 1 tbsp per gallon.
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After thoroughly mixing everything together, I let the blend sit for a week to settle.
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Now, it’s ready to be potted, and I can’t wait to see how it supports my plants!:ganjamon:Peace

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Germination Update: One Sprout Takes the Lead!

Howdy Buds! :ciao:

Here’s a quick update on the germination progress. By Friday morning, one of the seedlings made an impressive debut—she shot up and out of the starter pod, growing a full two inches overnight!
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Meanwhile, her sisters are either still snoozing or doing some underground acrobatics, with a few growing upside down and trying to find their way to the surface. Who knows what they’re up to down there? Stay tuned to see how they all turn out!
 
Planting Prīma: A Journey Through My First Grow with the @Bill284 Method (Modified)

Howdy Buds! :ciao:

It’s been an interesting week in the garden. After pushing through the frustration of only one seedling sprouting (so far), and dealing with one of the guardian dogs making a meal out of a goose, I’m a bit behind on getting Prīma (my first seedling) into her own pot. I’ve been planning to follow the @Bill284 solo cup layering method,
(Post in thread 'Heavens Shores - Bill's 2022 Grow: Come Meet Howie! Show Us Your Grow Too - Bring A Pic'
Heavens Shores - Bill's 2022 Grow: Come Meet Howie! Show Us Your Grow Too - Bring A Pic

though I’ve had to make a few adjustments due to not being able to get Bokashi in time.

Here’s what I did instead:

First, I sourced reusable and affordable pots to avoid using multiple solo cups for each plant. Solo cups run about $12-15 for a pack of 100, but I found a more sustainable option that costs $20 for 15 pots with vented tops, black bottoms, and labels.
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These pots come with adjustable air vents, and the lids snap on and off gently—no worries about knocking them over! I also ordered a second set of transparent pots ($15 for 30) to better mimic the @Bill284 method.
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Now, I might have gone slightly larger than the standard 18oz. solo cup size,
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but since I’m working with Northern Lights Autos from @Royal Queen Seeds , I made sure the pots provided enough room for root development before moving them into their final 5-gallon fabric pots.

Here’s a breakdown of how I modified the method for Prīma’s new home:

1. Layer of Perlite on the bottom for drainage.
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2. My Fox Farm Blend (MFFB): I used a mix of 2 parts Fox Farms Ocean Forest (FFOF) and 1 part Happy Frog (FFHF) with Perlite (70/30 ratio). Then, I sprinkled a light layer of Wiggle Worm Castings (WWC) and added a pinch of Boogie Black and Mycos.
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3. Misted the mix down with spring water, lightly infused with Dynomyco Spark—the only product I’m using that isn’t OMRI-listed, but it came bundled with regular mycos, so I figured, why not?
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4. Repeated the layering process until I was about 2 inches from the top of the pot. Added another layer of Perlite and a sprinkle of mycos.
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5. Placed the seed pod into the mix. Now, here’s where I got curious—apparently, you can leave the biodegradable netting on the pod, but I freaked out when I saw roots poking through. So, I carefully cut around it, though I’ve seen ads showing roots growing right through the netting. I’ll experiment more with that later.
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2B Continued
 
Planting Prīma:Part 2
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6. Covered the pod with a handful of WWC, then topped it off with more MFFB, creating a mound-and-moat configuration.
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7. Finally, I gave the soil a generous misting. I swear, I thought I saw a bit of yellow on the edges of the leaves start to fade, but that could’ve been my old eyes or bad lighting!
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Overall, I’m excited to see how this modified method plays out. I only planted the Northern Lights Autos for this first grow since they were all in the same pack and easier to manage as I continue dialing everything in.
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More updates soon—let’s see how Prīma grows! :ganjamon:Peace
 
Planting Prīma: A Journey Through My First Grow with the @Bill284 Method (Modified)

Howdy Buds! :ciao:

It’s been an interesting week in the garden. After pushing through the frustration of only one seedling sprouting (so far), and dealing with one of the guardian dogs making a meal out of a goose, I’m a bit behind on getting Prīma (my first seedling) into her own pot. I’ve been planning to follow the @Bill284 solo cup layering method,
(Post in thread 'Heavens Shores - Bill's 2022 Grow: Come Meet Howie! Show Us Your Grow Too - Bring A Pic'
Heavens Shores - Bill's 2022 Grow: Come Meet Howie! Show Us Your Grow Too - Bring A Pic

though I’ve had to make a few adjustments due to not being able to get Bokashi in time.

Here’s what I did instead:

First, I sourced reusable and affordable pots to avoid using multiple solo cups for each plant. Solo cups run about $12-15 for a pack of 100, but I found a more sustainable option that costs $20 for 15 pots with vented tops, black bottoms, and labels.
IMG_5948.jpeg
These pots come with adjustable air vents, and the lids snap on and off gently—no worries about knocking them over! I also ordered a second set of transparent pots ($15 for 30) to better mimic the @Bill284 method.
IMG_5944.jpeg

Now, I might have gone slightly larger than the standard 18oz. solo cup size,
IMG_5947.jpeg
but since I’m working with Northern Lights Autos from @Royal Queen Seeds , I made sure the pots provided enough room for root development before moving them into their final 5-gallon fabric pots.

Here’s a breakdown of how I modified the method for Prīma’s new home:

1. Layer of Perlite on the bottom for drainage.
IMG_5929.jpeg

2. My Fox Farm Blend (MFFB): I used a mix of 2 parts Fox Farms Ocean Forest (FFOF) and 1 part Happy Frog (FFHF) with Perlite (70/30 ratio). Then, I sprinkled a light layer of Wiggle Worm Castings (WWC) and added a pinch of Boogie Black and Mycos.
IMG_5931.jpeg

3. Misted the mix down with spring water, lightly infused with Dynomyco Spark—the only product I’m using that isn’t OMRI-listed, but it came bundled with regular mycos, so I figured, why not?
IMG_5949.jpeg

IMG_5950.jpeg
4. Repeated the layering process until I was about 2 inches from the top of the pot. Added another layer of Perlite and a sprinkle of mycos.
IMG_5932.jpeg

IMG_5934.jpeg

5. Placed the seed pod into the mix. Now, here’s where I got curious—apparently, you can leave the biodegradable netting on the pod, but I freaked out when I saw roots poking through. So, I carefully cut around it, though I’ve seen ads showing roots growing right through the netting. I’ll experiment more with that later.
IMG_5936.jpeg

2B Continued
Woohoo Buddy. :bravo:
Great job.



Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Thank you @Bill284. Heard through the Bud Vine it’s your birthday. Since your work has had such an influence on my grow wanted to make sure I said something here to appreciate you on this most special of days.
Happy Birthday Grow Buddy!!! :happy-birthday::party:
Your too kind my friend :Namaste:
Thank you so much :thanks::thanks::thanks::thanks:


Stay safe
Bill284 😎
 
Thanks Buddy. I’ve definitely checked out your setup. It has been inspiring mine. I was leaning toward the Vivosun setup at first but they for some strange reason do not offer a 5x5 tent. I could just be over looking it but I’ve searched hi and low and nope. I like the integrated control they have as well. It may just be marketing lingo but the VPD control aspect seems useful with AC Infinity’s controller. (Shrugs) Time will tell. I pulled the trigger last night and got 25% on the river(Amazon) pictures coming soon.
I did find a @VIVOSUN 5x5 tent on Amazon a few days after this posting but I swear on everything no matter where I looked prior to last week could I find one. Like they didn’t exist and like magic after the AC Infinity 5x5 Pro Kit shows up Bam! Vivosun to the value-minded rescue. Oh well, maybe next grow.
 
Two Weeks with Prīma: A Grower’s Journey

Hey Buds!:ciao:

Tomorrow marks two weeks since Prīma sprouted, and I’ve already learned a few valuable lessons. Her growth has been rapid, and I’m pretty sure what I’m seeing is what growers call “stretching.”
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Unfortunately, I broke the cardinal rule of growing—I wasn’t prepared. The grow tent stayed in the box until just two days ago, mostly because only one seed sprouted, which was a bit discouraging. But I decided to roll with it and gave Prima a temporary home in my version of a @Bill284 solo cup method of layering.

Now, I know autos aren’t supposed to be transplanted because their growth is so quick, and there’s not much time to recover from stress. But in this case, it was necessary. Prima stayed in the cup for about a week, and thanks to a mix of Perlite, MFFB, worm castings, and myco, her roots developed fast.
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Even though the pots came with domes, I had to make adjustments. The weather here has been warm, so I added ventilation holes and attached a germination light.
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I did my best to harden her up by gradually introducing her to sunlight and stimulating growth with some phototropism techniques.
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For the first week, she got 24 hours of light under the seedling lamp.

Once the tent was finally set up, I prepped her forever home.
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I was impressed by the root growth in her 5-inch pot, so I thought the transplant would go smoothly. After gloving up, I gently flipped her over, and everything looked intact. But just half an inch from being fully settled into her new pot, disaster struck—the whole thing crumbled apart.

I won’t lie, I panicked a bit.😬 I was worried about root damage and stress. But I quickly stabilized her with some extra worm castings and MFFB, then drenched the soil with my Growganica King Crustacean and Microbes-infused water. Into the new tent she went, and now, two days after the transplant, Prima seems to be holding up well.
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I’m open to any tips or advice you have to help her thrive. Thanks for reading, and happy growing!
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Peace :ganjamon:
 
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