Too early? We shall see

[CoastRoaster]

Huh, now that the seeds are germinated I am doing the math after seeing some photos of big bushy plants after 40 days from seed. I was planning on transplanting outdoors in late May, but unless we have a warm spring I could be dealing with 10 indoor autoflowering plants without a great indoor setup, besides my bathroom (kinda using it already).

Anyhoo, any ideas? Maybe I can use this thread as a grow-tracker and we can all see what happens

 

[Bonsaiweed]

Huh, now that the seeds are germinated I am doing the math after seeing some photos of big bushy plants after 40 days from seed. I was planning on transplanting outdoors in late May, but unless we have a warm spring I could be dealing with 10 indoor autoflowering plants without a great indoor setup, besides my bathroom (kinda using it already).

Anyhoo, any ideas? Maybe I can use this thread as a grow-tracker and we can all see what happens

I don't know where you are located, but the farmer's almanac is usually pretty accurate. You should check for your area, and see what they are predicting. Just an idea.....

I know many here swear by it.

 

[Diggler420]

What if you put it into a 7-10 gallon pot. That way you could bring it in if it gets too cold

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Hey brother. I wouldn't worry about having "giant plants" after 40 days. You must be in Canada or something.....we always use end of May as our trigger for growing outdoors. Most would be in the20- 30 cm range after 40 days, depending on training techniques. Minimum I would do is top a plant 3-4 times. If theyre Autos, remember to forget transplanting them to a bigger pot later. At germination, give them the biggest pot you can fit. Autos HATE being transplanted.
Do you have any sort of indoor setup, because this is your veg cycle for your plants. You don't want them all stretchy and weak. You need to promote strong growth.....whats your setup? It'll help us understand .....

 

[CoastRoaster]

Thanks for the suggestions. Sorry (yes, Canada) I should have posted this in the outdoor forum, though I am doing organic also (my own compost).

I don't have a setup per se, though I do have two T45s, these plants were going outside. Regular plants are greening up (my apple tree is budding already) but I don't know for sure we are past last frost. Usually people go by mother's day. And a couple years ago the frost killed my apple buds.

My plan so far is to light these babies up, and like advised top or restrain to keep from getting too spindly, hopefully the light is good enough while they are small. I know lack of light will make them go longer searching for light and I want these low as they will be just off my deck, in south exposure.

Maybe a cold frame will help once outside, but I wasn't intending to bring them back inside, I would need to seek higher level permission.

My other plan was to finish a small greenhouse, which could protect it from frost but not optimal in spring weather unless I get a large heat mat until it warms up.

Chalk one up for over-eager planting....my lack of planning isn't your emergency but thanks for your advice!

 

[Guy Cavallero]

We are all in this together my friend, I also totally abide by higher-level permission LOL.
I certainly understand the seeds burning a hole in your pocket but I don't think you're completely crazy.

If you have the space.....10 is a good chunk. Id do 4 gallon pots (is your soil/compost ready, cooked?), under the fluorescents and train them under a Scrog net of LST them to the sides of your pots. Your right in that the summer sun will finish them off.... if you do this right, he may be able to get two grows in this summer outside.

Some believe that it is genetics that will cause an Autoflower to flip from vegetative state to flowering mode, some also believe that it is the depth of the pot and how much stress that the plant is in. I'm not sure where I stand on the theories, but I will give you that once your plant hits soil, you have between 25 and 40 days before it goes into flower. That puts your flowering date about smack-dab in the middle of where you were planning on putting them outside... (I warn you though, do not try transplanting Auto from pot to pot.). That's not such a bad plan as the cool nights and the Summer sun will help in trichome development.

All in all, you might have planned this just right...... It all depends on when you put them outside and what the Summer sun does when you do that.

Keep in mind, that there is no advantage to getting an Autoflower outside too early. All that will potentially do is cause premature death due to frost. If yours were photoperiod Plants, the earlier the better in order to maximize days before she automatically flips to flower to due to the Suns lack of energy and time in the sky. Autos Will do that regardless of lighting.

 

[CoastRoaster]

Thanks for the advice, sincerely. If nothing else this will be an interesting experiment, though for the price of 10 of these seeds probably not an experiment to repeat without a bit more prior planning.

All ten have now popped and are now sporting pretty leaves. Some have thick stems, some thin. I've put them by the window during the day, with a couple hours of T45 light but not enough to burn them.

Full disclosure - I have a long background in growing things, though not weed (at least, not completely to harvest, but that's another story). I've read the minutely detailed and somewhat stressed posts of growing conditions, nutrients, and photo periods. To be honest I don't plan on treating these much different than others, in that I will give them loving care, water and good food. I also recognise now I don't have enough of my own compost for ten plants in 4 gallon pots - yikes 40 gallons - and have contemplated purchasing a grow tent for my crawl space, along with carbon filter and fan etc. but I really don't want to go there as it probably wouldn't go over too well with the better half not only is she a non drinker, she's a non puffer and I'm lucky she is ok with my habit. Enough have fallen by the wayside by this point in my life to tempt fate and push my luck.

Ergo, I will plan this grow organically, one day at a time and see how she all goes. My back yard is a postage stamp - I could fit ten in there but my neighbors would surely notice the smell (probably a few would be enough to be noticable anyway, nevermind ten) - and even though growing will be legal soon the security is simply a latched fence and anyone with a nose could potentially raid my garden. What can I say, this is a managed risk kind of endeavour. What's life for if not for some fun now and again. So, I could be scouting a couple other patches to hedge my bets. Will update!

 

[Conradino23]

Hmm I'm growing some autos now. Freebies basically. But I wouldn't say they stress easily. I upcanned and they didn't skip a bit. No problems with photoperiod either. High brix soil works well although they seem to have very low nitrogen demands. I'm gonna cat them and we'll see if they brix up. Anyway treat them like any other plant and stay away from fertilisers and you'll be fine

 

[CoastRoaster]

Well thanks for that assessment! We shall see how I have stressed my plants...

Sad to say, this update is looking like a post mortem. Last week we had weather in the high 20s (C) and I was putting my plants on the deck during the day for the week, and they were on their third leaves benefiting greatly from the natural sunshine. I was anticipating putting them in the ground in mid-May once they were nice and bushy. They were all in peat pots.

Ironically it was Friday 4:20 when I put them on the deck, this time leaving the top on the container since it was still quite cold in the morning, like about 5C. (for germination and seedling size they were in a small clear plastic container) and I came home from lunch - they were toasted, roasted in the container.

Chances are one or two might survive, but today even the ones that looked like they had survived the heat are not looking so good. From ten fully viable plants to almost none - disgraceful! I guess now I won't have to worry about having to cull any, since (once the law goes through) we are only allowed to grow 4 per household, not per person. I was hoping 4 for me, 4 for the wife, and two for the dog.

Undecided whether I try again. I guess there is still plenty of time, just a matter of shelling out another hundred bucks for seeds. They were looking good, Crop King. Sadly - 'user error' was their downfall....

 

[Guy Cavallero]

That truly sucks CR, but get some in water already would yuh....youre right....Tonnes of time!

 

[CoastRoaster]

Actually it was the day before 4:20. So, no irony there.

The irony was that I WAS NOT HIGH when I did this stupid action. Also, instead of bringing in the plants to see if they would recover, I planted them outdoors for some reason. Only a not high person would do this.

 

[CoastRoaster]

Starting with two different strains, the low flyer from Spain I think, and a cbd cheese strain, both from crop king.

Maybe it's my setup but only two seeds germinated so far, one from each strain. I started two more seeds, aiming for 4 plants total to be legal.

Two seedlings are in the garden already. Steady as she goes! Still mourning my 10 cooked seedlings, they were growing so great. But four should be plenty. Hopefully not too smelly but my neighbors are both cool. Hopefully the gas meter man doesn't notice!

 

[TorturedSoul]

Full disclosure - I have a long background in growing things, though not weed

Don't worry about that. I've grown a few different types of weeds. I once grew a dandelion to about six feet tall (the SOB branched, LMAO) - and the experience did not add to my cannabis-growing knowledge even slightly. BtW, do not attempt to pull a 6' tall dandelion with your bare hands; my brother did - and he bled from the attempt .

I don't have enough of my own compost for ten plants in 4 gallon pots - yikes 40 gallons

Well, cannabis prefers a well-drained soil(/etc.), so you can add in a good bit of perlite as a "filler."

have contemplated purchasing a grow tent for my crawl space

Your crawl space is actually a stand up and walk space, I take it? Because almost everyone that I've seen buy a really short grow tent... has later regretted doing so.

along with carbon filter and fan etc. but I really don't want to go there as it probably wouldn't go over too well with the better half

I suppose that you could wait on the carbon filter setup until the plants start producing significant odor and then let her suggest it, lol. Unfortunately, the suggestion might be to just slaughter the young, instead .

she a non drinker

Does she not do caffeine, either? That one's NASTY, lol - and affects both the brain and the rest of the body pretty much on a 24/7 basis, unless the consumer only uses it occasionally. (For those who drink a lot of soda pop, coffee, or black tea and who don't think caffeine is nasty, get up tomorrow and skip the morning caffeine, lol - then continue to skip caffeine for the next 20 days).

My back yard is a postage stamp - I could fit ten in there but my neighbors would surely notice the smell

Yeah, no doubt. I suppose you could hide one amongst several corpse flowers (or other "carrion flowers"); but, unfortunately, this plant species grows in equatorial rainforests, so that's out. Quite an interesting plant, though - and not solely for its fragrance, lol. BIG flower:
Amorphophallus titanum - Wikipedia

. t (probably a few would be enough to be noticable anyway, nevermind ten)

Had you planned for it... There are some "low-odor" strains. There are others that do have an odor, but one that doesn't really scream, "Cannabis!" But that's highly unlikely with a random strain choice.

even though growing will be legal soon the security is simply a latched fence and anyone with a nose could potentially raid my garden.

The law might be written so that growers must have some reasonable amount of security (assuming it even provides for outdoor grows in the first place), too. I mean... It'd be great if the burden was on the f*cking thieves, lol, but, sadly, that's often not the case where cannabis grows are concerned. I don't know what the "logic" is in requiring cannabis growers to lock their plants up, fences, gates, locks, sometimes even forbidding outdoor grows completely... I suppose "Complete around-the-clock human guards, one per side of the garden's perimeter" will be next .

I would LOVE to be a LEO dispatched to take a vehicle theft report from one of the douche bags that come up with those kinds of requirements. It'd be worth my job (figuratively and literally ) to be able to ask, "Mr. D. Bag, was your car locked up in a secure facility with uprated locks and no windows or other means for anyone to peek in and see your automobile? Nope? Well, okay, then, it's your own fault your car got jacked, Jack, so I'm out of here, lol. But if whoever took your ride uses the vehicle during the commission of a crime, well, I'll be back to arrest YOU for it."

Ol' Douche Bag (politician) would fail to see the similarity, I'm sure - but at least I'd get the entertainment of seeing him jump up and down and shout a lot. And of knowing he'd be walking...

If you're really worried about running out of room, plant them in two-liter pop bottles. That plus a soil (or "soil") grow will keep them pretty small.

 

[CoastRoaster]

Cool, thanks.

tea drinker.

Most of that other stuff won't be relevant anymore as the temps have gone up now a month or so have gone by. I have three maybe four with first set of leaves only. Already made the mistake of putting two out there with only one set of leaves and no other protection, I think the slugs got them. Will wait until three or more sets of leaves, and then also seriously consider a barrier to prevents slugs, and my cat from digging around in there.

So far a nice relief that I do have a few alive, though the tap root on these was quite smaller in comparison to the last batch that were quite large. Still sad I killed ten babies ... they would have been so bushy by now. Since then I have added peat and organic fertilizer to the soil. A number of other beans and peas have germinated, some bush others climbers. Hoping some others will be flowering around the same time, like the nastursiums, and potatoes. If lucky some corn will germinate. Tomatoes, basil, and three grape varieties. Two blueberries but only one flowered and it is over now.

C'est la vie, what will be will be -

 

[TorturedSoul]

I feel your pain on the slugs issue. I saw a picture here recently where someone had simply coiled a piece of thinwall copper tube around their plant on the ground to act as a slug/snail barrier. I think there is a copper "tape" product available, too. Not exactly stealthy, lol, but...

I've grown several types of plants that cats typically love - including catnip - and my own cats have rarely bothered them (couple <OOPS> type incidents where one knocked over a plant that was in a small container, top-heavy, or both by brushing up against it when walking by, and a little one used to love laying in a five-gallon bucket soil grow (no, she never used it as a litter box, just sort of perched there for hours at a time). One cat about every ten years or so (on average) will eat a handful of leaves - and then "produce" them a short distance away . About half the time that has been a seedling, but that works out to losing seedlings a couple of times to date, so no real big deal (upsetting at the time, of course).

Other people's cats, OtOH... If they were people, I might shoot them, lol (or at least give them Very Harsh and Severe Looks ). But they're just animals being animals. Like little, retarded, kids.

I'm just rambling. One day, maybe I'll learn how to fall asleep at a decent hour. If I live long enough, I suppose.

 

[CoastRoaster]

Ha ha, my 'fur baby' fits your description quite well. He peed in my seedling box I have in my bathroom because one of the peat pots was untidy, probably looked like a mini-litter box I provided just for him. Fortunately he just got one, but it stunk up the place and I had to clean it outside.

My night owl sessions are fewer and farther between than ever now that work and marriage have taken over. Way back when I used to say that the day begins at midnight - which it does - and I didn't want to waste any of it. I was also high most of the time back then, probably not conducive to successful marriage #1 or gainful employment but at the time it was sure great but eventually unsatisfying when the $$ (and the X) ran out

 

[CoastRoaster]

Before (note also tomatoes and basil):

growing well

• CoastRoaster
• May 25, 2018

After cooking covered in the sunshine too long:

After the heat

• CoastRoaster
• May 25, 2018

 

[CoastRoaster]

Time for an update. It was 27 C in the shade today. Sitting outside after soaking things down it felt pretty good. Sadly one unnamed plant is on the outs, leaving me with four. I don't know which is which strain, and two potted ones are older than the other two in the ground.

 

[CoastRoaster]

Hey @TorturedSoul cut out the bottom of old buckets to put around the plants, kept the slugs out that way, worked well.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Between the weather, my procrastination, and some injuries, I gave up on outdoor gardening this year; it's too late, now. (Guess I'll learn to eat air this Autumn/Winter ). But I'll remember that tip for next year.