Winging It In Winter By The Window: Soil Auto Grow

@InTheShed I tried watering down the sides and it went down two sides but not all around. It ran out the bottom though. Does this look right? I removed the sack from the peat pellet before planting. Her root was through the bottom and I forgot to take a pic.
Capillary action will spread that water around to the rest of the cup so you should be good for a while.
Your light will use:
3.6 units per day in veg at cost of 9,36R
2.4 units per day in Flower at cost of 6,24R

Weekly veg total cost 65.52R
Weekly Flower total cost 43.75R

Or Weekly units used is
25.2 for veg
16.8 for flower.
I just wanted to point out that since this is an autoflower grow, the light schedule (and cost) would be the same as veg from start to finish.
 
Day 3 above ground is my auto Caramel King. She's quite a bit on the tall side and I am wondering how I should manage this? This afternoon she is a little taller than in the pic.

Where she presently stands is 9500 lux. From my reading of the Royal Queen Seeds chart, this is too much for a seedling? The following is what they suggest:
  • Clones and seedlings: 5,000–7,000 lux
  • Vegetative growth: 15,000–50,000 lux
  • Flowering: 45,000–65,000 lux
  • Maximum recommended amount of light: 75,000 lux
But then why is she so tall? Frankly I don't know what I am doing with this light and I am afraid to make my own decisions in this regard. It is a full spectrum LED without a dimmer attached.

Also, is it possible that my autos may hermie if the light is on and off at random times from loadshedding? Each outage lasts 2.5 hours and these usually occur once to twice a day but not at the same times each day.

CK Day 3 .JPG


CK Day 3 b.JPG
 
I tried moving her closer to the light and then I decided to top up the solo cup gently around the stem. It was about 1cm additional soil, which was dry. I wet the outer periphery and not around the stem because I didn't want to cause the stem to sit wet. She hasn't responded well and is drooping. I have given her some crutches and moved her back away from the light. I hope it helps. Whadaya think?

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This ↓

Just support it like you have and then when you transplant you can bury a lot of that stem.

I don't think it's drinking much water yet. Do you see roots through the clear cup?
Thank you Shed. It's on day 3 above soil and no roots visible yet, just a tall skinny thing. I hope the roots are finding water and that all is good in the soil :)
 
Hi, Carmen just got a question for you- are you using just the led on her, or are you also using window light part of the time?
 
Hi, Carmen just got a question for you- are you using just the led on her, or are you also using window light part of the time?
Hi Carcass thank you, so during the day she is getting window light and led both, and at night the led stays on unless there is loadshedding and then the lights are out for 2.5 hours at a time. We are about to have lights out in twenty minutes.
 
Hi Carcass thank you, so during the day she is getting window light and led both, and at night the led stays on
Thanks,Carmen- I was just checking, they can get a bit leggy growing in a window, but you're using the led too, so it shouldn't be a problem.
 
That's a great help, thank you DV. That's for an 18/6 and 12/12 cycle right? I had pretty much made up my mind that I will go full tilt with the light 24/7 given that the plants are on the auto clock. Can I just double the flower rate to give me what I will use at 24/7? So I am looking at another 87.50R a week on top of my normal bill, is that correct? That helps me budget and will tell me what I'm saving if anything by growing my weed rather than buying it. Thanks muchly!

lol, yes!

:welcome: Hey V.S. welcome!

Hey Skottelgoed... the fuckers. I still haven't got my internet back so I'm using phone data atm. We go dark at 8pm so I am cooking supper early. What time do you go dark?
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Caramel King is 2 days old and an inch from the soil. She has a scar on one cotyledon which I think came from having helmet head. My West Coast OG hasn't popped yet so I've put another one into paper towel. I will hang onto the first OG for for a few more days but really it has been 5 days with no tail yet, so I'm thinking the seed is dud. @Skottelgoed Spons , was it the West Coast OG that failed to pop for you too? I'm concerned that time is ticking away. I wanted to get two grows of two plants done by October. If I don't see a tail in two days I will put the seeds into a pot outside and see what they do, and wet an NBA Diesel for inside instead.
Hey carmen! Nice going with the caramel king sprouting. The seed that didn't want to sprout was a nba diesel that I see you are planning on to sprout. I think we seriously need to advise b&b about these dud seeds they selling. I usually just order seeds that comes from reputable seedbanks/breeders and always take 5 or more to get it in its original package it comes from those seed banks/breeders. I do not trust the ones that b&b give in the baggies.

They going to have to up their game if they want to be reputable because at the moment they are failing at it....

Our loadshed is either early morning and then during peak time when we knock off from work. To plan for supper is a nightmare! Really hate this country!
 
Hi @Carmen Ray - I caught up and hopefully this is useful. At 9500 Lux you are looking at 244 ppfd. In theory this should work just fine. It is, however, about as low a level as you would ever use. Seedlings pretty much start at 200 or higher. As you are barely above that, a couple suggestions/comments for you:

- you can play it safe (this would be my choice) and do as @InTheShed suggested and just let them go. If they continue to stretch/get leggy as they are, you can simply bury half the stem or whatever to the level you want, as he said I've done that many times, it's not a big deal at all. If you choose this route just remember once the plant has a few sets of regular leaves to get it up into higher ppfd/Lux numbers, like in the 600 ppfd range or so.
- (slightly more risky but might teach you more about light) you could bring the plant closer as you did until you are in the say, 400 ppfd range (maybe around 17K LUX). They would likely be happier based on seeing them and it would likely stop the stretch dead in it's tracks.

Either way if you don't overwater you're going to come out just fine.

Hope that helps without being confusing. Lol.
 
can get a bit leggy growing in a window, but you're using the led too
Thank you for checking, Carcass.
dud seeds
Thanks Skottelgoed that Caramel King is from B&B. The seeds that I couldn't sprout are not from the same source. They were from a friend and they are probably quite old. I'm trying a second one and if that works it may have to go in a pot outside because I am busy trying to sprout an NBA Diesel now as a replacement. If that doesn't work I'll definitely speak to B&B who I bought them from.
I still don't have wifi... day 4 of Frogfoot down, so using Telkom data still.
- (slightly more risky but might teach you more about light) you could bring the plant closer as you did until you are in the say, 400 ppfd range (maybe around 17K LUX). They would likely be happier based on seeing them and it would likely stop the stretch dead in it's tracks.
Thank you Jon. I have moved the plant closer into the 400 ppdf range and will check often to see if there is any stress. She is standing on her own again and her leaves are growing.

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Thank you for checking, Carcass.

Thanks Skottelgoed that Caramel King is from B&B. The seeds that I couldn't sprout are not from the same source. They were from a friend and they are probably quite old. I'm trying a second one and if that works it may have to go in a pot outside because I am busy trying to sprout an NBA Diesel now as a replacement. If that doesn't work I'll definitely speak to B&B who I bought them from.
I still don't have wifi... day 4 of Frogfoot down, so using Telkom data still.

Thank you Jon. I have moved the plant closer into the 400 ppdf range and will check often to see if there is any stress. She is standing on her own again and her leaves are growing.

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Nice. Yep, just watch them closely, you'll know if you have a problem, but where you are I doubt you will. If you want to you could bury say half that stem now while they are in Dixie cups. That would allow you to run a very very small fan (or a bigger one at a large distance away) so that you have a little moving air on those puppies. It's a good thing if you can achieve it to have them jiggling slightly from air. That motion signals the plant to begin to defend itself against the wind, and guess how it does that? By making stronger stems!!!! Just a thought. I try to have moving air on the plants as early as possible and throughout the entire grow.
 
Nice. Yep, just watch them closely, you'll know if you have a problem, but where you are I doubt you will. If you want to you could bury say half that stem now while they are in Dixie cups. That would allow you to run a very very small fan (or a bigger one at a large distance away) so that you have a little moving air on those puppies. It's a good thing if you can achieve it to have them jiggling slightly from air. That motion signals the plant to begin to defend itself against the wind, and guess how it does that? By making stronger stems!!!! Just a thought. I try to have moving air on the plants as early as possible and throughout the entire grow.
I have a fan that I can use. I don't want to move the plant to a new dixie cup at this stage. I feel it would be too much stress. I have put the support in place in the event she starts to droop again, in which case I will know if it is too much light.
 
I have a fan that I can use. I don't want to move the plant to a new dixie cup at this stage. I feel it would be too much stress. I have put the support in place in the event she starts to droop again, in which case I will know if it is too much light.
Just don't overwater and you'll be absolutely fine.
 
I’m not sure if this will be helpful or not, but I always strike my seeds in a seed tray. Not a special one, just one I got filled with herb seedlings from my local nursery. They are really small, I view it as like a bassinet for a new born. I find it gives me more control regarding the soil moisture. I also water with a syringe. Again this helps with accuracy in the amount of water, and control when delivering the amount.

Once my seed pops. I wait a week then transplant into a small pot, or baby cot as I see it.
 
I’m not sure if this will be helpful or not, but I always strike my seeds in a seed tray. Not a special one, just one I got filled with herb seedlings from my local nursery. They are really small, I view it as like a bassinet for a new born. I find it gives me more control regarding the soil moisture. I also water with a syringe. Again this helps with accuracy in the amount of water, and control when delivering the amount.

Once my seed pops. I wait a week then transplant into a small pot, or baby cot as I see it.
Thank you Trala. I have two seeds soaking in glasses of water and they are doing nothing. I suspect they are both duds. I am not sure when to call it. Its been two days. The last one soaked for 6 days and disintegrated.
 
Thank you Trala. I have two seeds soaking in glasses of water and they are doing nothing. I suspect they are both duds. I am not sure when to call it. Its been two days. The last one soaked for 6 days and disintegrated.
I actually put mine straight in dirt. I bought seeds from 420 sponsors called Herbies Seeds. I’ve had 5 from 5 strike.
 
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