UK New G

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Hi Everyone.

English lad here.. Brand new to the forum so hope all are well and all that.

Im pretty well read as in I've done tons of self motivated research, but totally inexperienced. So please be gentle and sympathise with the noob whose got his first indoor auto grow of 4 x Fastbuds GSC at 22 weeks in a 1.2sq tent under a supposed 600w Led light and only got tiny flower buttons. Even after adding another 1200w crappy Chinese light.

Literally learning as I go. ‍

About to sacrifice the whole 5 month grow and start again. Bit miffed but all the more determined.

Noted shortfall.. and assumed conclusion (very much so assumed).

Inferior lighting, over fed in the first 2-3 months, roots sat in too much run off causing buildup and lockout and probably LST, Pruning, SCROGing and FIMing techniques used with no real knowledge at the time.. haha we all gotta learn I guess..

2nd attempt starting in 7 days to be 2 plants only, bigger 25L pots, lamp directly over 1 plant each hope to work out ideal distance with help maybe lol.. untill I get upgraded lights.. with the use of simplified Biobizz Light Mix and Nutes (Starters Pack)

Project "Kong O" only just started. Sites scouted now for the real hard work.. Site prep!

Time to step it up a bit and start absorbing other peoples knowledge lol..

Hope to turn my efforts, your knowledge and my steep learning curve into rewards this time round.

Hope to get to know a few of the brains round here...

Peace SG

 

[StoneOtter]

Welcome Sneaky G! Have fun here!

 

[copperrein]

Welcome! Love that you've been lurking and researching.

Before you pitch those 5 plants can we maybe see them?

 

[VetSmoke85]

Yeah show us what's going on with the current ones if you can. Quality lighting will be your biggest investment but it doesn't have to break the bank. Good lights are worth that bit extra. I'm in the UK too so if you want any help just give me a shout and I'll always try to help. Loads of amazing knowledgeable people here more than happy to help out.

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Thanks all hopefully I be able to upload the video i just took for you and ill find some pics from along the journey.. I've had to prune them so much along the way as they grew out of control but never changed it up a gear when they needed.. or should I say when I needed lol..

Bare with me..

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

I've just taken this as we speak.. at present pruned em right back a week ago removed the scrog net and all training wires and put lights down real low and left em. only feed weak 1/4 strength canna a+b, rhizome, canazyme, boost, pk13/14, seaweed liquid. Bone meal in coco coir polystyrene bits near beginning and month 3 top dressed and Epsom salts used infrequently. Neem oil spray infrequently used on foliage. Ph in 6.2 ppm normally around 350 run off usually ph 5.6-5.9 but ppm is usually way high 1000-3500..
I again assumed this was because as a rookie I didn't wrinse me coco first.

I flushed at month 3 and reduced down to 1/4 nutes from full dosing in beginning. And for a while run off ppm was acceptable ish but builds up slowly lol started removing run off at month 4 rather than letting sit even tho most was sucked up or evaporated in less than a day.

Trying to give as much info as I can think of lol

Unfortunately I deleted a lot the other week.. but they have bushed out and had to be thinned out multiple times as I was getting damp spots under leaves where it was so thick at times.. it was literally a screen of green before I removed the scrog net

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Ah the video didn't work ill try to convert it and upload.

 

[Enr0n]

Greetings nice plants

 

[VetSmoke85]

So how old are the plants? If they're 5 months old alarm bells are ringing as I've never heard of an auto going anywhere near that long. Most are done in around 12 weeks. What light schedule are you using? I've never done coco but I believe pH 5.9-6.0 is best. How often do you water? Good that you're now removing the run off.

 

[VetSmoke85]

@GoogleGenie We've got a new UK grower looking for some advice. You'll know more about coco growing than me.

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Ignore the scrawny cup grow in the middle that was just a dog seed i found in my weed i thought I'd chuck in the mix out of interest i guess..

Sep
20th germination
24th potted
Oct
11th reported
22nd FIM
Nov
19 started showing pistils

Remained here really since but just thickend out more and more as I mentioned to the point I've thinned out 3 times at least with odd couple of problem fans removed from time to time..

Anyway... hers the video from today.. I welcome all feed back but let's be nice eh lol..

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Yeah show us what's going on with the current ones if you can. Quality lighting will be your biggest investment but it doesn't have to break the bank. Good lights are worth that bit extra. I'm in the UK too so if you want any help just give me a shout and I'll always try to help. Loads of amazing knowledgeable people here more than happy to help out.

Thank you I may tap you up on that at some point.. thank you.

 

[StoneOtter]

Ignore the scrawny cup grow in the middle that was just a dog seed i found in my weed i thought I'd chuck in the mix out of interest i guess..

Sep
20th germination
24th potted
Oct
11th reported
22nd FIM
Nov
19 started showing pistils

Remained here really since but just thickend out more and more as I mentioned to the point I've thinned out 3 times at least with odd couple of problem fans removed from time to time..

Anyway... hers the video from today.. I welcome all feed back but let's be nice eh lol..

Nice plants! Interesting, I saw one leaf with 5 blades the rest had three. Did they call them super auto's?

 

[VetSmoke85]

According to fastbuds they should be done from seed in 8-9 weeks. So more like 10-12 realistically. Either way shouldn't take 5 months. I suspect lighting will be the main culprit.

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

So how old are the plants? If they're 5 months old alarm bells are ringing as I've never heard of an auto going anywhere near that long. Most are done in around 12 weeks. What light schedule are you using? I've never done coco but I believe pH 5.9-6.0 is best. How often do you water? Good that you're now removing the run off.

My alarm bells have been ringing since beginning of December but I've kinda clung on in hope that they are going to "Do their thing" as every one always suggests about slow autos.. but kinda getting to the point where I'm thinking i can have a harvest in 3 months now if i cut and restart.. of I could wait another 3 weeks and see but chance having to cut and bin it any way then wait 3 months for a new harvest..

So yeah 161 days today.. lights started 18/6 after 2 months went to 20/4 then about month later 24/0.

New Yr i reduced back gradually down to a 12/12 to see if the genotype was a little less stable and was working like a photo.. no joy ive sat at 12/12 since.. then added the 1200w cheapy light at the end of January.

I'm watering when top layer dries out or the pots light. Usually every other day with perhaps the leftover couple litres of nutes in the bucket added the day between if they aren't quite dry enough to fit into my day to mix up at that point. The plants have never been dehydrated or given indications of any issues.. ie leaves curling browning and yellowing no mould root or bug problems.. small gnat one but kinda unstoppable I believe. And its under control.
They have always looked healthy nice green n bushy healthy leaves plenty of air flow above and below the canopy. Ive always been gentle kind spoke sweetly to them hahaha..

They are just soooo Sloooooow!

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Nice plants! Interesting, I saw one leaf with 5 blades the rest had three. Did they call them super auto's?

No its had some lovely full fan leaves but I had to do a massive prune as was way too bushy.. no light getting through, damp spot starting and humidity was rising.

But since its first prune way back when it did start sprouting single and triple finger leaves as well as the big 5s

 

[GoogleGenie]

Hey @Sneaky Guerrilla How's it going? Also from the UK.

I'll get straight to it...

As Vet eluded too, i think this is a regular Photoperiod plant. 5 months no flower is definitely off. If you want to induce them to flower I'm sure you know you just need to adjust the lighting to 12/12. I'd make sure they're heathy and have recovered from any stress before you do. Could you post some pics of them under regular light? It's hard to tell with the grow lights on.

Also I tent to aim for 5.8-6.2 in Coco. Favouring the higher PH later in flower.

If you flush your Coco with plain water, you need to buffer it by passing through water + full strength calmag. Coco has a high cation exchange capacity which is why you want to make sure it is well buffered with calmag.

Regarding pot size in Coco, i tent to start small and work my way up, but i rarely have the need to use anything more than a 12L-16L pot. Not unless I'm flowering a single monster plant with a huge root mass. Big pots need watering less, but means that they don't dry out as quickly - which is convenient, but isn't good for the roots. You want a regular wet/moist/barely moist cycle in coco, especially when you are trying to grow a big root mass.

Definitely good that you aren't keeping them in run off. The plants reabsorb this which contributes to salt build up (as you now know).

How big are the pots they are in now? How long does it take for them to go from Wet to Moist/Barely moist?

Also, as i'm sure you also know, but i'll reiterate, never let the coco dry out.

I've just taken this as we speak.. at present pruned em right back a week ago removed the scrog net and all training wires and put lights down real low and left em. only feed weak 1/4 strength canna a+b, rhizome, canazyme, boost, pk13/14, seaweed liquid. Bone meal in coco coir polystyrene bits near beginning and month 3 top dressed and Epsom salts used infrequently. Neem oil spray infrequently used on foliage. Ph in 6.2 ppm normally around 350 run off usually ph 5.6-5.9 but ppm is usually way high 1000-3500..
I again assumed this was because as a rookie I didn't wrinse me coco first.

I flushed at month 3 and reduced down to 1/4 nutes from full dosing in beginning. And for a while run off ppm was acceptable ish but builds up slowly lol started removing run off at month 4 rather than letting sit even tho most was sucked up or evaporated in less than a day.

Trying to give as much info as I can think of lol

Unfortunately I deleted a lot the other week.. but they have bushed out and had to be thinned out multiple times as I was getting damp spots under leaves where it was so thick at times.. it was literally a screen of green before I removed the scrog net

You got a lot going on there, I commend your enthusiasm I would suggest you simplify though going forward and don't concern yourself with yield first time. Maybe go you first run without using boosts. Just a suggestion First grow is always a steep learning curve. From here it looks like you'd done well though well researched, and they look good.

Shame about the Auto that probably isnt an Auto but onward and upward

You came to the right place too, plenty of knowledge and support here at 420Mag

 

[GoogleGenie]

I didn't realise you had already gone to 12/12. Still no flowering?

Maybe put them in darkness for 24-48 hours to try and force it.

 

[GoogleGenie]

reduced back gradually down to a 12/12

When you switch in future, just do a hard switch, dont drop it gradually. I've researched this myself I'm yet to find anything that suggests this has any benefit.

Don't mess with your lighting too much, it will just stress them. The sweet spot for Autos i've heard is 20/4, but i don't grow autos. I go with 18/6 for photo period. Once you flip, don't change the lighting from your lighting schedule. Only time i do this is late in flower if i want to encourage them to mature. Even then, I change it and dont change it back.

 

[Sneaky Guerrilla]

Sorry I think we were writing at same time lol

They are in 15l pots at the moment..

Do you still think its worth spending time on or just replanting a new batch now at this stage im just thinking cut n run haha

I've got biobizz light mix and their starters pack ready to go for this next run and will be very lightly feeding this time round (I didn't the first I used the full doses as per the canna feeding schedule below..