Recovery Grow & Redemption Arc: Autoflower Northern Lights First Time Grow

[goosebuds420]

Hi All,

The Recap:

I started my first grow on the 13/06/2021, due to my inexperience I accidently overwated my girl and stunted her growth while she was still a seedling.

Since then I've made changes to my growing strategy and am hoping to see an improvement over the coming weeks, but our story doesn't end there, one failure has energised me to take what I've learnt and begin another grow hoping to kickstart a new rejuvinated girl that will by my redemption arc to becoming a self sufficient smoker.

Why post my journey here? if one stuff up is all it takes to set a grow back, I'd rather document it here and hopefully be advised along the way by all of you experts to ensure I'm on the right path to a healthy grow.

Firstly, lets roll through the setup:

5 Gallon Fabric Pots.
Mars Hydro TS 1000W LED.
Dehumidifier for flowering.
120x60180cm Grow Tent.
6inch Fan/Carbon Filter Combo.
Tower fan for ambient breeze.
Automatic Watering System - For when I travel for work, each spike produces 50ml/1min of runtime.

Nutrients:

Soil 70% Perlite 30%.
Grow Nutes - 12N-2P-13K-7S with 1.3% calcium.
Bloom Nutes - 10N-2P-8K.
Water PH - 6.2-6.8.
Temperature - 20-25c consistently.
RH - 60-70% consistently.

if anything seems odd or missing feel free to call it out!

Left side is original grow started 13/06/2021, right side is newly germinated and planted 23/06/2021.
I'll be applying the watering technique How to water a small plant in a large container on the right one.

While the left one I've mixed 5ml nutes with 4L of water and am giving it around 50ml a feeding every third day whilst also moistening the top soil with a spray bottle slightly. Growth is still happening with her but very slowly, I'm noticing just an extra seration on her newest set of leaves almost everyday.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

I'm in

 

[Mdlroad]

Hi All,

The Recap:

I started my first grow on the 13/06/2021, due to my inexperience I accidently overwated my girl and stunted her growth while she was still a seedling.

Since then I've made changes to my growing strategy and am hoping to see an improvement over the coming weeks, but our story doesn't end there, one failure has energised me to take what I've learnt and begin another grow hoping to kickstart a new rejuvinated girl that will by my redemption arc to becoming a self sufficient smoker.

Why post my journey here? if one stuff up is all it takes to set a grow back, I'd rather document it here and hopefully be advised along the way by all of you experts to ensure I'm on the right path to a healthy grow.

Firstly, lets roll through the setup:

5 Gallon Fabric Pots.
Mars Hydro TS 1000W LED.
Dehumidifier for flowering.
120x60180cm Grow Tent.
6inch Fan/Carbon Filter Combo.
Tower fan for ambient breeze.
Automatic Watering System - For when I travel for work, each spike produces 50ml/1min of runtime.

Nutrients:

Soil 70% Perlite 30%.
Grow Nutes - 12N-2P-13K-7S with 1.3% calcium.
Bloom Nutes - 10N-2P-8K.
Water PH - 6.2-6.8.
Temperature - 20-25c consistently.
RH - 60-70% consistently.

if anything seems odd or missing feel free to call it out!

Left side is original grow started 13/06/2021, right side is newly germinated and planted 23/06/2021.
I'll be applying the watering technique How to water a small plant in a large container on the right one.

While the left one I've mixed 5ml nutes with 4L of water and am giving it around 50ml a feeding every third day whilst also moistening the top soil with a spray bottle slightly. Growth is still happening with her but very slowly, I'm noticing just an extra seration on her newest set of leaves almost everyday.

The 1st 2 weeks growth is slow until the roots establish then boom. Patience is a requirement I learned that the hard way

 

[goosebuds420]

25/06/2021

Left Side
Temp : 20-23C
RH : 70%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Water: No Water Given

No noticeable growth happened overnight, planning on feeding her tomorrow and seeing how she reacts.

24/06/2021 Growth:

25/06/2021 Growth:

Right Side

Still awaiting for her to sprout, misted the top of the soil several times yesterday and will do the same today.

 

[Mdlroad]

25/06/2021

Left Side
Temp : 20-23C
RH : 70%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Water: No Water Given

No noticeable growth happened overnight, planning on feeding her tomorrow and seeing how she reacts.

24/06/2021 Growth:

25/06/2021 Growth:

Right Side

Still awaiting for her to sprout, misted the top of the soil several times yesterday and will do the same today.

What kind of soil she looks hungry

 

[goosebuds420]

What kind of soil she looks hungry

Being from Australia I don't have the option to choose from many of the recommended soil brands so I went with 'Brunnings 25L Tomato and Vegetable Growing Mix', however I'm quickly finding that this may have been a poor choice by me.

The right plant is in different soil however so I hope it doesn't repeat the problem, I have coco on order to start a third grow as I think soil isn't a good option at this point.

With her being hungry as you say, do you think it would be worthwhile feeding her today instead with some nutes? The soil is quite dry currently.

​

 

[Mdlroad]

Being from Australia I don't have the option to choose from many of the recommended soil brands so I went with 'Brunnings 25L Tomato and Vegetable Growing Mix', however I'm quickly finding that this may have been a poor choice by me.

The right plant is in different soil however so I hope it doesn't repeat the problem, I have coco on order to start a third grow as I think soil isn't a good option at this point.

With her being hungry as you say, do you think it would be worthwhile feeding her today instead with some nutes? The soil is quite dry currently.

​

Worm castings would help

 

[goosebuds420]

Worm castings would help

What if I were to transplant her into coco? surely it couldn't get any worse than it already is if it sets her back a few more days, atleast then shes in a more trusted growing medium.

 

[Bill284]

What if I were to transplant her into coco? surely it couldn't get any worse than it already is if it sets her back a few more days, atleast then shes in a more trusted growing medium.

Hello @goosebuds420 great name.
Your ladies are definitely very hungry.
Coco won't help as it is hydroponic and has no nourishment for your girls.
Do you have access to any nutrients where you are?
I'd recommend @GeoFlora Nutrients if available there.
Fantastic nutrients easy to use.
But they need something to eat soon.
How is your watering practices?
Are you comfortable or would you like some info on that.
I'll try and follow along and see how your making out.
Bill

 

[goosebuds420]

Hello @goosebuds420 great name.
Your ladies are definitely very hungry.
Coco won't help as it is hydroponic and has no nourishment for your girls.
Do you have access to any nutrients where you are?
I'd recommend @GeoFlora Nutrients if available there.
Fantastic nutrients easy to use.
But they need something to eat soon.
How is your watering practices?
Are you comfortable or would you like some info on that.
I'll try and follow along and see how your making out.
Bill

Thanks for the advice Bill, yes I've got access to nutrients that are a mix of 12N-2P-13K-7S with 1.3% calcium but I've found a source for the Geoflora nutrients and think I'll be getting those based on all the recommendations from people.

Any info you can pass on is greatly appreciated, at this stage I've been watering Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and have been hesitant to give alot of water due to some overwatering that occured whilst she was a seedling.

Normally I check to see if its moist from 1-3inches down and then water but it always appears to be dry by the time I goto water as per the scheduled days, I only gave her nutrients 3 days ago and the reason I held off on nutrients for so long was because most places said wait until theres 3-4 sets of true leaves before giving them which mine didn't grow due to initial overwatering. So its really been a compound of different factors and inexperience that has lead to this.

I've given her around 250ml this morning with nutrients mixed in a circular pattern as seen below.
Appreciate the help, hopefully I can make her have a comeback!

 

[Mdlroad]

Thanks for the advice Bill, yes I've got access to nutrients that are a mix of 12N-2P-13K-7S with 1.3% calcium but I've found a source for the Geoflora nutrients and think I'll be getting those based on all the recommendations from people.

Any info you can pass on is greatly appreciated, at this stage I've been watering Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and have been hesitant to give alot of water due to some overwatering that occured whilst she was a seedling.

Normally I check to see if its moist from 1-3inches down and then water but it always appears to be dry by the time I goto water as per the scheduled days, I only gave her nutrients 3 days ago and the reason I held off on nutrients for so long was because most places said wait until theres 3-4 sets of true leaves before giving them which mine didn't grow due to initial overwatering. So its really been a compound of different factors and inexperience that has lead to this.

I've given her around 250ml this morning with nutrients mixed in a circular pattern as seen below.
Appreciate the help, hopefully I can make her have a comeback!

Have you read Emilya's watering tutorial if not plz do. It'll help the plants tell you when to water not on a schedule.

 

[goosebuds420]

Have you read Emilya's watering tutorial if not plz do. It'll help the plants tell you when to water not on a schedule.

Were you referring to this one? How to water a small plant in a large container or a different one?

 

[Bill284]

Try this tutorial its more for babies in a big pot.
You should be feeding every other watering in soil at 6.4 ph or close to it.

The Proper Way To Water A Seedling In A Large Final Container

In the beginning, you may even want to start your seed directly in the final container, simply by putting it one inch deep, pointy end down. It is surprising to some how often this works, even though mother nature does it all the time. If you go this route, lightly mist the area around the...

www.420magazine.com

Bill

 

[goosebuds420]

Try this tutorial its more for babies in a big pot.
You should be feeding every other watering in soil at 6.4 ph or close to it.

The Proper Way To Water A Seedling In A Large Final Container

In the beginning, you may even want to start your seed directly in the final container, simply by putting it one inch deep, pointy end down. It is surprising to some how often this works, even though mother nature does it all the time. If you go this route, lightly mist the area around the...

www.420magazine.com

Bill

Cheers, I'll follow it closely and keep my Ph close to that as possible.

 

[goosebuds420]

27/06/21

Left Side
Temp : 20-23C
RH : 65%
Light : 75% @ 24in for 18/6h
Water: 500ml plain water, ph 6.5

New set of true leaves have almost grown to the length of one the cotlyedons each with two extra leaves growing beneth them, good to see her bouncing back, if slowly even.

26/06/21 Growth

27/06/21 Growth

 

[goosebuds420]

01/07/21

Left Side
Temp : 20-23C
RH : 65%
Light : 75% @ 24in for 18/6h
Water: 750ml plain water, ph 6.3

Bottom leaves on the next set of true leaves coming along.

Right side sprouted on the 28/06/21, giving roughly 20 squirts of a spray bottle with 6.5 ph water twice a day

 

[goosebuds420]

04/07/21

Temp : 20-23C
RH : 65%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Left Side Water: 750ml nute water, ph 6.2
Right Side Water: 20 sprays of plain water twice daily, ph 6.5

Right plant is coming out slightly wonky but good growth on the leaves.
Left sides true leaves still coming through.

 

[Mdlroad]

04/07/21

Temp : 20-23C
RH : 65%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Left Side Water: 750ml nute water, ph 6.2
Right Side Water: 20 sprays of plain water twice daily, ph 6.5

Right plant is coming out slightly wonky but good growth on the leaves.
Left sides true leaves still coming through.

And we're off to see the wizard

 

[goosebuds420]

06/07/21

Temp : 20-25C
RH : 60%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Left Side Water: 750ml nute water, ph 6.3
Right Side Water: 20 sprays of plain water twice daily, ph 6.5

The right side is now 6 days old since sprouting, coming along nicely though sideways.

Left side has been going for 24 days now and is finally starting to wake up, can see a new set of leaves starting to sprout from the middle.
Growth is definitely stunted however so curious to see how big it can get before it decides to start flowering.

 

[goosebuds420]

08/07/21

Temp : 20-24C
RH : 60-65%
Light : 100% @ 24in for 18/6h
Left Side Water: No water given.
Right Side Water: 30 sprays of plain water twice daily, ph 6.5

Upped the amount of water I'm giving the right side slightly as shes nearing 10 days old, appears she might be ready to start growing her next set of true leaves.

The left girl is 26 days old now with about 9 days remaining until she should technically be getting to her flowering stage, will be interesting to see how much more growth she can gain until that time.

Responded really well to the last feeding she had, next set of true leaves growing out more as well as new growth barely appearing in the middle, I'll be upping her nutrients from 5ml per 4L to 10ml per 4L after the next feeding.