Northern Lights Autos: FoNz's Fabulous First Grow

[FoNz]

So, given that they have just started flower with some farther along than others, would it be reasonable to expect harvest in 4-5 weeks?

If harvest did end up around then it would be pretty funny if my first ever harvest was a month from today.

The plants will take however long they will take and I'll be using trichomes to determine harvest time. But if I had a 4/20 harvest that would be priceless.

 

[StoneOtter]

Diggin' the new profile pic, Magoo!

If I decide to either build my own LED board or use cobs, using a spectrometer to calibrate it isn't a bad idea. Will do that and share my results with you when I decide to build custom lights.

I don't personally own most of the equipment I used, but I was able to borrow some from some people who were interested in helping. Now, the reason I actually wanted to test the lights was because my lights are relatively cheap and I wanted to make sure they put out the wavelengths they claimed (including the non-visible wavelengths which are difficult to detect without a tool due to the whole non-visible bit). For the price I am very happy. Seeing as the forum has specific sponsors that specifically vend lights, I am not going to mention the brand I bought from in this forum.

I very much would like to build a DIY cob set, and if I did it would be absurdly overkill 'cuz that's how I build things - just ask my computer. However, I am very limited in the budget aspect so that project may be a year or more out. The only reason this grow was possible was min-maxing my expenses, using/recycling items I already had, and networking with people when possible. Maybe the aforementioned sponsors of this forum have some good DIY kits I can use to start building my wish list.

There's so much fun to be had and all it takes is money(Oye!) to go all the way. Little bits at a time. I'm not sure cob is the future. It might be, at least part of it. Lighting technology may be coming to a point where it's understood what wavelengths are best for growing. Prices for this knowledge is another thing.
I hope to follow or hopefully join you in the future looking at the ultimate light bath for our beauties.

 

[StoneOtter]

So, given that they have just started flower with some farther along than others, would it be reasonable to expect harvest in 4-5 weeks?

If harvest did end up around then it would be pretty funny if my first ever harvest was a month from today.

The plants will take however long they will take and I'll be using trichomes to determine harvest time. But if I had a 4/20 harvest that would be priceless.

Wouldn't that be perfect. It's never perfect science though. Good luck!

 

[HutchBenedict]

A 420 harvest would be sweet!

 

[Strainyourbrain]

So I was reviewing my photos of the plants in bed before sleep, as one does. I realized after looking at the meta data of my first photo of all the gals in their pots that I took that picture on Feb 19th. Here it is again.

Now I now I just posted a photo yesterday of the gals all together, but today is March 19th so here's one from today to compare with the Feb 19th pic.

What a crazy and wonderful experience this has been.

Those auto's. One month and starting to flower. I must say I do prefer to give the plants a chance to veg more but that's auto's for you. I am getting some auto seeds soon for indoor winter in grow cupboard.
These are looking great FoNz. My Blueberries have also just started flowering. so at a similar stage.
I am going to keep tabs to compare flowering time

 

[Virgin Ground]

Hey @FoNz . Girls look great.
I'm just going to hang out, if you don't mind.

 

[FoNz]

Wouldn't that be perfect. It's never perfect science though. Good luck!

A 420 harvest would be sweet!

My mom already volunteered to help with harvest if she had the day off! Never thought I'd be having a laugh hanging with my mom while harvesting cannabis, but I can't say I mind.

Those auto's. One month and starting to flower. I must say I do prefer to give the plants a chance to veg more but that's auto's for you. I am getting some auto seeds soon for indoor winter in grow cupboard.
These are looking great FoNz. My Blueberries have also just started flowering. so at a similar stage.
I am going to keep tabs to compare flowering time

This is exactly why I was happy they went a bit long in veg, even if it pushes things out I like that they've had a chance to bush up pretty well.
Looking forward to photos for really pushing it, how many monster photos do you think a 5x5 can take? Running outta space with just these five autos.
Realistically, I think a mother/clone tent is my most likely next addition if I can figure out how fit it with limited space.

Hey @FoNz . Girls look great.
I'm just going to hang out, if you don't mind.

I'd be happy to have you, VG. It's fixing to be a ridiculous week workload wise and coming home to find a like-bomb like that really helped me crack a grin, thanks man.
Really thanks to all the supportive folks here. Nice to have people to share with, and to follow.

 

[StoneOtter]

Looking forward to photos for really pushing it, how many monster photos do you think a 5x5 can take? Running outta space with just these five autos.

4 fill my 4.5 x 4.5 footer. That's with 10 gal for photos and 5 to 7 gal for autos.

 

[FoNz]

Thanks for that Stoneotter, helps a lot with planning ahead.

So top down photos getting all the plants in one shot is getting more difficult. But here is an update from day 39.

The one thing I realized was lacking is being able to see just how much vertical growth had happened these past 39 days. Connie, having been wanting to stretch from the beginning is the tallest by far. She is definitely the most distinctly different phenotype, and also now has the most bud sites.

It is slightly distorted because it was made with panorama mode, but gives a decent look.

 

[Captain Cannabis]

My mom already volunteered to help with harvest if she had the day off! Never thought I'd be having a laugh hanging with my mom while harvesting cannabis, but I can't say I mind.

That's Awesome!

Me Grandmother taught me how to grow. It was a pass-me-down tradition in our family. Odd part was, she didn't smoke at all, but if she didn't feel well, she'd add some to her coffee. Great memories indeed!

 

[FoNz]

That's Awesome!

Me Grandmother taught me how to grow. It was a pass-me-down tradition in our family. Odd part was, she didn't smoke at all, but if she didn't feel well, she'd add some to her coffee. Great memories indeed!

That's one awesome grandma!

In my house growing up there was the typical stigma against cannabis that even I bought into in my youth. Then I got more life experience and education and realized the stigma is far overblown.

I wasn't going to insist my parents change their minds just on my account but I told them fairly quickly anyway. I'd like to see it normalized here, so if I can't speak openly with my own family then that'd be a difficult goal to achieve.

Flash forward a few weeks and I we all are cool and fine with it. Even shared some CBD enhanced cake the last time I went to visit. There's something really wholesome about sharing what you've grown yourself with your family, or in your case how to grow something.

 

[FoNz]

So question on plants, phenotypes and personal experience.

The strain I am growing, Northern Lights Autoflowers is considered by the breeder to be an indica dominant hybrids with around 20% sativa.

Connie the Barbarian is the only one that has shown a significantly different growth pattern throughout the entire growth cycle. She is currently easily distinguished by larger internodal spacing and narrower leaflets. You might see what I'm getting at here.

Do you think it's possible that Connie is exhibiting a different phenotype that leans towards sativa-style growth a bit more? Have you had hybrids that show such prominent variety in the same/similar growth conditions?

Just pondering what's mechanically at play. Who knows, given it's differences it might have even been a rogue seed that got into the wrong batch. *Shrug*

Once the flowers are grown, dried and cured I'll probably get myself and a few others to test to see if the taste and effects are similar or as notably different as the growth was.

 

[StoneOtter]

Thanks for that Stoneotter, helps a lot with planning ahead.

So top down photos getting all the plants in one shot is getting more difficult. But here is an update from day 39.

The one thing I realized was lacking is being able to see just how much vertical growth had happened these past 39 days. Connie, having been wanting to stretch from the beginning is the tallest by far. She is definitely the most distinctly different phenotype, and also now has the most bud sites.

It is slightly distorted because it was made with panorama mode, but gives a decent look.

Looking all happy in there. Bring the buddage on!

 

[StoneOtter]

So question on plants, phenotypes and personal experience.

The strain I am growing, Northern Lights Autoflowers is considered by the breeder to be an indica dominant hybrids with around 20% sativa.

Connie the Barbarian is the only one that has shown a significantly different growth pattern throughout the entire growth cycle. She is currently easily distinguished by larger internodal spacing and narrower leaflets. You might see what I'm getting at here.

Do you think it's possible that Connie is exhibiting a different phenotype that leans towards sativa-style growth a bit more? Have you had hybrids that show such prominent variety in the same/similar growth conditions?

Just pondering what's mechanically at play. Who knows, given it's differences it might have even been a rogue seed that got into the wrong batch. *Shrug*

Once the flowers are grown, dried and cured I'll probably get myself and a few others to test to see if the taste and effects are similar or as notably different as the growth was.

One of four of the lemon og candys is growing like that. she's at least 6 inches taller than her sisters. What you're thinking is what I'm thinking too. I'll have to wait to see how she makes us feel.

IMG_4422.jpg

• StoneOtter
• Mar 15, 2019

Lemon OG Candy Reorg 3-15-19

 

[FoNz]

Finally got to mess around with photos again, worked on and refined the previous mag-light technique and tried some other stuff without macro. Trying to get a good non-macro setup to showcase my eventual colas and nugs nicely.

Early Flower Internode

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Apical Bud Site

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Dramatic Lighting is Dramatic

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Just so damn pretty

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Akimbo Pistils

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Num Num

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Backdrop Test

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Backdrop Test 2

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Overexposed thicc baby bud

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Plant still in preflower, almost there!

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Artsy Leaf

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

Just like this one, dunno

• FoNz
• Mar 23, 2019

 

[HutchBenedict]

Love your photos, especially against the black background. Dramatic indeed.

 

[FoNz]

Love your photos, especially against the black background. Dramatic indeed.

Thanks Hutch! I am glad you like them, me and my wife find it fun to try to take better and better pictures so hopefully there are even better ones in the future.

Small update, the plants have continued being quite vigorous with Chachi and Runty still in pre-flower. Number Four, Connie and Eminem are developing buds in strong fashion.

Did another trim since I want more energy to go to the canopy since they have gotten so big, hoping that they would show no shock like last time. It was a great success, two days since trim and they haven't even shown a hiccup. Their resistance to shock is probably mostly genetics.

I took all the extra trim again and this time decided to make butter, after all it's early flower and it should be pretty weak.

I was wrong, we made cookies with the butter and I damn near glued myself to the sofa and later my bed. We watched Spiderman into the Spiderverse and the surprise potency really went well with the visuals.

 

[StoneOtter]

Wow FoNz did you see trichomes on the leaves? That's a fun and early way to get introduced to a plants ways.

 

[FoNz]

Wow FoNz did you see trichomes on the leaves? That's a fun and early way to get introduced to a plants ways.

Well, on each of them the whole plant is covered in trichomes, just not the sticky trichomes yet (the tentacle looking ones with the pollen catching goop on the ends). So any potency was from the stems, fan leaves and a couple small future popcorn nug sites I removed.

Even on the furthest along Connie I don't have fully formed buds/sugar leaves yet so no obvious visuals to say 'hey, I'm oilin' up'.

I think those macro photos will be able to capture the sticky trichomes when they start popping up.

 

[StoneOtter]

Well, on each of them the whole plant is covered in trichomes, just not the sticky trichomes yet (the tentacle looking ones with the pollen catching goop on the ends). So any potency was from the stems, fan leaves and a couple small future popcorn nug sites I removed.

Even on the furthest along Connie I don't have fully formed buds/sugar leaves yet so no obvious visuals to say 'hey, I'm oilin' up'.

I think those macro photos will be able to capture the sticky trichomes when they start popping up.

Yep sounds like your an oiler now. I haven't tried that so early...Yet! Sounds like you had a fun time. I have to remember that's what we're here for.