Xarg's 1st Grow - Auto Duck & Critical Orange Punch - 2023

[Greenvein]

Day 49 and I'm hoping the yellowing of the bottom fan leaves is natural senescence:

Bill day 49

• Xarg
• Jul 16, 2023

Have you changed them to a bloom food higher in phosphorus and potassium? Or still feeding the same stuff. Just realised we was catching up the whole time lol

 

[Xarg]

Have you changed them to a bloom food higher in phosphorus and potassium? Or still feeding the same stuff. Just realised we was catching up the whole time lol

Probably not clear enough this was catch up! Up to date now.
Just feeding them the same stuff. If there is something easy I can switch to, I'll do it - but I'm learning so much just by watching the plants

 

[Xarg]

Have you changed them to a bloom food higher in phosphorus and potassium? Or still feeding the same stuff. Just realised we was catching up the whole time lol

So you're thinking the lack of bloom nutrients is causing the plant to pull them from the lower fan leaves?

 

[Greenvein]

So you're thinking the lack of bloom nutrients is causing the plant to pull them from the lower fan leaves?

Yes mate they like a nice ratio too. If you check out grow & bloom fertilizer you'll notice ratios on the packaging usually in the order of N - P - K (Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium) veg is usually higher in N then flower will be higher in PK... Even if the plant has all three but the one she needs most isn't as available she will slow everything down.

Also growing in Coco it's best to use a little calmag through out the grow this can definitely cause yellowing even if your base nutrients are enough. For better understanding research Coco cation exchange capacity (cec)

 

[Xarg]

Yes mate they like a nice ratio too. If you check out grow & bloom fertilizer you'll notice ratios on the packaging usually in the order of N - P - K (Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium) veg is usually higher in N then flower will be higher in PK... Even if the plant has all three but the one she needs most isn't as available she will slow everything down.

Also growing in Coco it's best to use a little calmag through out the grow this can definitely cause yellowing even if your base nutrients are enough. For better understanding research Coco cation exchange capacity (cec)

Thanks for the pointers! Lots of stuff to read about here...

 

[Xarg]

Three days ago we had weather - "unseasonably high winds ...heavy and persistant rain" for 20 hours. The plants were brought inside for duration. I hope this isn't considered cheating for an outdoor grow!
They were put back outside once the persistant heavy rain had turned into occasional heavy showers.

 

[Xarg]

So this journal is now up to date.
It's been nearly eight weeks since the first seedling broke ground.
Here are the girls now:

Group shot day 54

• Xarg
• Jul 17, 2023

Bill at the back, then Ben, then the Duck

Ben, the shorter, stockier auto critical orange punch has damage to all growing buds, caused by overfeeding / acidity. The damage seems to have stopped. Not sure if it will be terminal. She's not drinking and it feels like she's on pause.

 

[Xarg]

It looks like the problem was fixed just before serious damage was done to Bill. There are some signs of burn at the tips of the new growth:

Bill day 55

• Xarg
• Jul 17, 2023

Auto critical orange punch

 

[Xarg]

The Auto Duck just makes me smile

Auto Duck day 55

• Xarg
• Jul 17, 2023

 

[Xarg]

Looks quite different, and seems to be doing well:

Auto Duck bud day 55

• Xarg
• Jul 17, 2023

 

[Greenvein]

Looking good bro concidering the auto duck definitely is unique! Theirs no cheating in growing your own bud a few growers here that grow indoors bring their ladies out on nice days. Grow how you feel to, I like seeing people's personalities though growning methods
Rainy days in Coco will wash the nutrients out alot faster then soil.
Your stunted plant could be because of your nutrients (the blue powdered stuff, 24-8-16) I'd definitely change that asap even if you grab something cheap.. Random example 5-15-25.. if you continue with your stuff it will loose smell, taste and potency... if you was closer to me I'd have given you some lol.
Do you feed nutrients every feed?

 

[Xarg]

Looking good bro concidering the auto duck definitely is unique! Theirs no cheating in growing your own bud a few growers here that grow indoors bring their ladies out on nice days. Grow how you feel to, I like seeing people's personalities though growning methods
Rainy days in Coco will wash the nutrients out alot faster then soil.
Your stunted plant could be because of your nutrients (the blue powdered stuff, 24-8-16) I'd definitely change that asap even if you grab something cheap.. Random example 5-15-25.. if you continue with your stuff it will loose smell, taste and potency... if you was closer to me I'd have given you some lol.
Do you feed nutrients every feed?

I'd never considered how different personalities would express themselves through growin'!

Currently feeding nutrients every feed.

I will pop to the shops tomorrow and see what new nutrients are available.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Xarg]

Could only find a rose & shrub NPK 5-6-12 at my local shop. It was granular (i.e. mix in with soil or top feed and water in over months) so I left it on the shelf.
Will go to a different shop tomorrow...

 

[Xarg]

The weather is mainly cloudy, with occasional rain and the odd ray of sunshine.
In an attempt to preserve what is left of Ben (the plant most damaged by overfeeding / acidity), I've been cutting off the dead tissue, in an attempt to stop it from going rotten.
It did not work (should have taken more off?) - as can be seen in this photo, the centre of each bud is beginning to rot:

Ben day 61

• Xarg
• Jul 23, 2023

Bud rot?

I fear the end is near for Ben.

 

[Xarg]

Bill, the other auto critical orange punch, has a couple of mouldy leaves too.

You can see one in this photo:

Bill day 61

• Xarg
• Jul 23, 2023

A couple of mouldy leaves

The trichomes on the mouldy leaves seem to have gone into overdrive and are much denser than in other parts of the plant - guess this is a reaction to the stress?

I'm going to cut the affected areas from the plant.

 

[Xarg]

Even the auto duck has a mouldy leaf on one of it's branches. This will be cut out too:

Auto Duck day 61

• Xarg
• Jul 23, 2023

One mouldy leaf on one branch

Cannot wait to start growing indoors where it doesn't rain!

 

[Greenvein]

Sorry to see that bro they was doing good.. my cousin is looking to throw some autos outside I might tell him to just grab a little tarp greenhouse.

Are the lower buds still ok? If so could try getting them some cover and finishing them up.

If going indoors mars hydro are giving away a light the most expensive part just need to journal a grow if you win it

 

[Xarg]

Sorry to see that bro they was doing good.. my cousin is looking to throw some autos outside I might tell him to just grab a little tarp greenhouse.

Are the lower buds still ok? If so could try getting them some cover and finishing them up.

If going indoors mars hydro are giving away a light the most expensive part just need to journal a grow if you win it

@Greenvein thanks for your commiserations!
I think I'd definitely recommend a little greenhouse for your cousin after this experience!

All is not lost though, still have two plants left:
Bill, who's had quite a few bits chopped off in an attempt to stop the rot
The Duck - I've chopped the infected branch fully off (you can see it in the photo below).

On the positive side:
- the auto critical orange punch is very orangey and quite sticky
- most of the Duck's branch was OK and is now in the oven

Thanks for the heads up re. the Mars Hydro competition - just about to enter...

and then there were two...

• Xarg
• Jul 23, 2023

Bill and the Duck, day 61

 

[Xarg]

Day 62. The earth turns. Day 63. Don't plants grow slowly?

Group shot day 63

• Xarg
• Jul 25, 2023

Bill at the back, the Duck on the left, Ben at the front

 

[Greenvein]

Did you ever manage to get any other food bud? And you cut one down? Did all of it go bad?