Rippsta - First Real Grow - AK48 Feminized - 400W MH/HPS - Soil

[rippsta]

I'll be starting a grow journal for my first "real" grow (I did a small CFL grow a few years ago but nothing serious). I've spent a lot of time reading through other journals and i've learned a lot. So I hope my journal can help someone in the future/and i'll be able to get help from the community during this grow.

Strain
I started 2 Ak48 feminized seeds (Nirvana) and will be adding a few THC Bomb Autos once I get them (should be around 10days). I ordered the Ak48 fem seeds like 4yrs ago.

Strain Stats
Name- Nirvana Ak48
Plant Type- Hybrid (Sativa dom)
Plant Height- Medium
Effect High- (Head Trip, Cerebral Effect)
Flavor- Sweet, Smooth
THC Content - 15-18%

Veg or Flower stage?
The seeds were germinated (root popped) and planted on 11/24. Both popped from the soil by the 27th.

Grow Medium
Aurora Innovations: Roots Organics Original
INGREDIENTS
Perlite, Coco Fiber, Peat Moss, Composted Forest Material, Pumice, Worm Castings, Bat Guano, Soybean Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, and Greensand

Watering/Nutes
I'll be watering once a week or when the soil is dried out. I'll be using the Fox Farm line: Grow Big, Tiger Bloom then I might try Beastie Bloomz and Cha-Ching in flowering. Will follow the soil feeding schedule and will try to avoid nute burn.

Grow Room Stats
Dimensions 4x3.5x6
Temp- Around 74f
Humidity- 60%

Lighting
Using 23w 6500k for seedlings to get started before switching to my MH.
400w Apollo Horticulture dimmable MH/HPS



Comments: My first seedling is thriving and isn't showing any problems. I'm worried about my 2nd seedling though. It's growing extremely slow and the cotyledons look damaged and discolored. Any tips on what I can do to improve her would be appreciated (shown in pics).


Day 3 - Grow Area and 1st Seedling

This is the seedling that's having problems day 2 to day 3

 

[Mello136]

Subbed. I will be using a 400w hps as well. Hopefully we can learn together and share anything we learn. I'll be lurking around. Nice to meet you and welcome to 420Mag!

 

[rippsta]

Nice Mello! I'll check out your grow as well. Good luck!

Day 10 update

My first seedling is doing great but that 2nd seedling that was weak didn't make it. The cotyledons never properly opened and new growth never took. I don't know what the problem was but one still remains! I moved her under my 400w (50% power) and she seems to like it. Shes on day 10 and i'll be watering tomorrow. I'll be starting a small amount of nutes and see how she takes it.



Closeup new growth

 

[rippsta]

Day 25 Update - Everything is going well. It gets a little hot in my grow area so i'll be adding a better exhaust over the next few days. During my last feeding I noticed a little nute burn but nothing serious. I will be starting my THC Bomb and Blackberry Kush within the next week . Cheers!

 

[Michael McIntosh]

So far so good! Looks like we started our plants around the same time; yours looks a lot like mine. What size pot are you using?

Subbed!

 

[rippsta]

So far so good! Looks like we started our plants around the same time; yours looks a lot like mine. What size pot are you using?

Subbed!

I'm using 2gal for the AK48. I found out that will probably hinder my yields later. So with my new THC Bomb and Blackberry Kush autos i'm about to start i'll be using 5 gal pots.

 

[rippsta]

Day 33 Update - Hope everyone had some good times over the holidays. Topped the Ak48 last week and shes been recovering nicely. Also planted 1 THC Bomb, 1 Blackberry Kush and 1 Quick One autos (which are all around day 6). I'll be transplanting my AK into a 5gal pot sometime within the next week and shes been loving all the nutes i've been giving her (calmag + Grow Big). Cheers!

 

[rippsta]

Day 42 Update- My AK48 has been topped a few times now and been recovering nicely. I had a problem in the past few days (the bottom leaves of the AK were yellowing/dying off while some random fan leaves were clawing up top. From research the yellowing/dying off is a nitrogen def. while the clawing looked to be beginning of nitrogen toxicity? I felt the safest thing to do was to do a clean flush and reset the soil. At the beginning of the grow I didn't have my ph meter and used regular tap water (which was pretty high 7.5+) so maybe I had nute lockout or salt buildup from ph fluctuations. My autos are in the picture now too and are all around day 14. (back right - Quick One auto, front left - THC Bomb, front right - Blackberry Kush) Cheers!

 

[Neighbours]

Looking great, I am trying blackberry next grow, subbed

 

[rippsta]

Day 48 Update for the 48 and Day 20 for the Autos - The Ak48 has been topped 2 times and i'll be switching everything to HPS in about 10 days or once I see the autos stop stretching and focus on flowering (usually around day 30-40) from what i've heard. I pruned the bottom of the AK and took off some fan leaves and smaller bud sites that wouldn't grow out later in flower. Shes been on 4tsp Grow Big and 1tsp calmag.

I find it funny that my THC Bomb (Sativa dominant) is growing shorter/bushier while my BB Kush (indica dominant) is growing taller/thinner. They're on 1/4 dose of nutes now which 3 took well but the BB kush had very slight nute burn. I'll be increasing dose in about a week from now. Cheers!

Top of the Ak48

Nice growth on the THC Bomb

 

[rippsta]

Day 8 Flower for AK48. Day 35 for Autoflowers Update -
The AK48 has just finished its first week of flower. White hairs/buds are starting to form. She's a thirsty bitch and drinks about a gallon of water every 2 days (currently on 1tsp GB and 2tsp Tiger Bloom). My autos are all flowering nicely. My Blackberry Kush has what looks like some really bad P or K deficiency while the other autos are nice, green and have been on the same feeding schedule. I've been testing out my new 500x digital microscope so I will start adding some trichome closeups. Cheers!

BlackBerry Kush trichome shots

BB Kush auto

THC Bomb auto

Quick One auto

Top of AK48 (beginning to flower)

Getting crowded in the grow room

 

[Michael McIntosh]

Looking good!

 

[rippsta]

Day 52 Autos. Day 24 Flower AK48 - The Quick One auto is getting near harvest. I'll only be giving it PH water til harvest in 10+ days. The Blackberry Kush auto will be harvested early March. I wish I could find the Blackberry Kush in photo form. It's going to be some good herb but its yield will be low. Maybe i'll get a different pheno from the 2 auto seeds I still have. The THC Bomb auto and AK48 photo should be done around mid march. I'll post some better pics once it gets closer to the harvest date. It's getting real crowded in the grow room and I think i'll be happy with the yields.

The Ak48 is taking up the right half of the room.

 

[David Bowman]

Hope all is well in your world.

Is this grow still alive?

We would love to be updated with some pictures and info.

How about posting a 420 Strain Review?

If you need any help with posting photos, please read our Photo Gallery Tutorial.

I am moving this to Abandoned Journals until we get updates.

Sending you lots of love and positive energy.