Oct 2022 - Auto Grow - 4 Different Strains - AutoPots - Coco

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 60 - Cont'd for Photos

Purple Lemonade #1 had been the start of the tent, but #2 is coming up the back stretch.

Purple Lemonade #1 is Going Strong

 

[Peat Phreak]

@Peat Phreak (You'll like this)

I just let stalks grow wild until flipping to bloom. Then cut some mature stalks out whenever it looks like they aren't going to be a good producer. Because sometimes the stalks that would automatically get cut from the bottom turn out to be good producers. I take a wait and see how it grows approach.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 22 - Recharge Day

Last night, the Plant Crew got the following injected into their coco:

• Recharge
• Vitamins & Aminos
• Photosynthesis Plus
• Super Thrive (reminds me of my grandparents)

As usual, my injections were made about 5" into the coco.

I use a repurposed Tony Chachere Turkey Injector. You know, for "stategic" placement.

If you are wondering, "Injections, what the hell?" I'll show you.

It holds about 29.5 ml and I insert around the outer perimeter of the seedling or small plant.

For the larger plants (my other grow), I inject as well, but their real treatment goes in the AutoPot AquaValve compartment.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Recharge Day Update - Stroke of Luck ... or Genius?

Who am I kiiding, of course it was luck. I'll explain.

Last night I gave everyone a Recharge (+) treat.

When I do this, I shut off the valve to the main reservoir (12-gallon from AutoPot).

Side Note: * Being an uber nerd (or paranoid) I have shutoff valves to each pot and two around the in-line filter.

If I didn't do this it would just keep refilling itself while my back was turned making their microbial delight.

I then siphon out their mini-reservoirs and use those onboard nutrients stores as my stock fluid for the rest.

Back to the main point of the story:

Meantime, Mother Nature is being a mother (&#%$) and it is minius (-) 4 here.

As a reminder, my grow tent and grow area are up on this second-floor loft in my garage.

I have a mini-split AC with heating capabilities, but it is not ready for below zero temps.

So, this morning I wake up and find that the reservoir is now 54 degrees.

This is where the luck comes in, my plants never had to drink water that cold because I usually don't turn the valves back on until all the Recharge Mix has been taken up.

There is one exception, I have a Mystery Seed that is in a 2-gallon Rain Science pot being fed via a BluMat dripper. At least there, the coco is at tent temps.

Solution:

I'm taking an radiator style heater to set up outside the tent and near the reservoir to augment the tent heat and try to warm up the nutrients.

I used to have an aquarium heater, but got rid of it because I worried about it getting the solution too warm. I could it right now.

Until I get the rez back to normal, I'll take nutrients down into the house to warm up and pour that into each reservoir.


Update:

Once those lights went out this AM, the tent dropped fast and my radiant heater couldn't keep up.

I put one of those small heaters in the tent and the radiator style near the reservoir.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Today is Day 65, but I got behind because of the holidays.

I took these pics Christmas Eve (Day 62), even though they say Day 63. I probably labeled those the next morning.

Let's start with the Critical Purple. She is refusing to go full-on flower. Although, every day, I think I see more white hairs.

I purposely included the Black and White under-canopy shot to show that I need some pruning skills. I ordered a cheap scalpel to start making better cuts. I can't tell you how many times I've used trim scissors, and they don't make a cut all the way through. A tinge of guilt comes rushing over me when that happens.

The flowers want to come out. I just know it.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Now, let's take a look at the Purple Lemonades.

These two are going to be my first harvest.

Purple Lemonade #1:

PL#2 is holding own now. She is double the size of #1.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Mystery Seed:

I tried to top the way I've seen where there is no cutting or pinching. The videos I've watched show that you just reach into the flower and roll out the the "top." It looks like a tiny fuzzy ball.

My attempt wasn't so graceful. I used blunt tweezers and got something out of there.

A few days have passed and I'll get some close-ups soon.

Plus, she got the Bill Ward treatment. That's where he tops and then removes 2 to 4 upper fan leaves to give the lower future flower sites time to grow out some.

The rest of these are just "top" pics. It is not that obvious where I topped.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Gorilla Glue & Group Shot

Gorilla Glue, as of today, is really firing up theflowers. In these pictures, not all the bud sites show spry little white pistils. However, today they look much better than these pictures.

Let's do a Bonus Plant. This is my Blackstrap from Gnome Genetics. I'm not doing my journal for this one here.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 66 - Just Some Random Stuff

In the photos below you'll see the following:

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Added a 4-inch exhaust (and 45º) to supplement the tent's main 6-inch exhaust.

I also added an HVAC register vent to my incoming cool-air intake. This nice low-profile 90º sends the air up into the fan zone to be disbursed.

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The height discrepancy between Gorilla Glue and Critical Purple needed to be evened out. So, I raise an AutoPot, fully expecting to have to shut it off and manually fill it.

However, to my surprise, there is enough water pressure to push fluid up to the baby rez. I looked this morning and later today, and the onboard reservoir is staying where it should be.

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Mystery Seed got its first trip into "The Box" (Pulp Fiction Reference).

I gave it the Kyle Kushman Xylem Crush in two places and she bent right over.

You can see the before in the Group Shot from today.

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Finally (for now), here's a look at Purple Lemonade getting prettier each day.

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[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 67 - Back Behind The Lens (Part 1)

Notables:

Gorilla Glue:

• Whoa boy - has Gorilla Glue taken off.
• She seems to have forgiven me for my Edward Scissorhands impersonation

Critical Purple:

• Although, no close-up pics, I swear I am seeing pre-flower activity
• Some sort of 2nd Stretch is Happening

Purple Lemonade 1:

• After the leaves died, she stopped robustly adding buds
• Even so, her trichomes are transitioning

Purple Lemonade 2:

• Beast - this plant may be a weirdo, but it is packing on the "Bud" (singular intentional)

Mystery Seed:

• This is one beautiful plant
• Dark Green and well defined
• Recovering well from my drastic pull over
• I crushed her Zylem, so a nice knuckle should appear soon

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On with the Photos:

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[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 67 - Back Behind The Lens (Part 2A - PL#1)

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 67 - Back Behind The Lens (Part 2B - PL#1)

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 67 - Back Behind The Lens (Part 3 - Mystery Seed)

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 69 - Gorilla Glue's Time to Shine

Ol' GG is going crazy, with flowering.
She reminds me of a White Widow in leaf style (or maybe Blue Dream)

Critical Purple continues to act like a Photo
So, I cleaned her up again
I'll give her another week before moving to a 12/12 tent.

I looked at other Diaries and this wouldn't be a first time for this strain, but this is 42 Fast Buds.
We'll see!

I'll break the photos up.

Let GG fill your eyes with beauty!

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 69 - The Lemonade Twins Are Twinkling with Trichomes

Freakish as they look, I bet they'll taste good.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 69 - Auto or Photo?

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 46 - Mystery Seed Gets Minor LST

• I gave her the Xylem Crush, then tipped over and removed one leaf covering a bud.
• Otherwise, she is running a stock engine.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 69 - Finish with an Olin Mills Family Pic

More like an Addams Family Photo

Bonus Plant- Gnome Genetics' Blackstrap

I'll add in a bonus plant. This is the Gnome Genetics Blackstrap.
I have high hopes for her. So, far I have been hands off.

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 70 - Cruising Along ... Still Worried if Critical Purple Will Ever Flower

Mystery Seed on Day 47 (Following 2 Below):

Gorilla Glue is Really Stacking Up (below 2 pics). They are small buds, but go down below the canopy.

The two weird Purple Lemonades don't quit. The back one (PL #2) is getting some nice hips on her. : )

We'll finish out with some group shots. Note the size of the Critical Purple (back left). 70 days in and no flowers on an Auto Flower. : (

 

[ExNavyInSTL]

Day 75 - A Lot Has Happened

Decisions have been made. The older plants are making a sacrifice for Critical Purple.

CP just would not go into flower, so she and the older plants are finishing out their lives in 12/12 lighting.

It won't hurt the freaky Purple Lemonades; they are as bulky as they are going to get.

Gorilla Glue is filled with bud sites, and she is well into flower.

I'm ok with less than awesome yields because I just grow for myself.

They spent 22 hours in the dark so that I could get them back on a night scehdule.

The Mystery Plant and Blackstrap have been moved into my 4 x 2. I pilfered a Mars Hydro SP-3000 away from the big tent, and it is going to make big buds in the small tent.

Photos for the Masses:

Let's Start with the Purple Lemonades: