New Cannabis Cultivator — A Few General Questions

[angelass]

First — HI to all and in advance. I've read lots and am just getting started with my first grow. Please comment on these few concerns I'm a bit unclear about.

Background = Soil, HO T-5 germ & seedling, 4 x 4 foot tent, 1000w aircooled HPS, passive intake/active exhaust, 9 fem'd autos from seed. I understand that the many cultivating variables make it difficult to provide exact answers but would appreciate all your input to help clarify the following...

Timeframe — The seeds are advertised at 70 — 75 day seeds, please comment on my expectations:

• Is that the number of days from start of flowering, or the number of days from germination - ???
• Growth Phases — general timeframes & identifying transition:
  
  Seedling — From soil break to 3-4 nodes of 3+ fingers, I expect ~2 weeks of slow establishment - ???
  Veg — From 3-4 fingers to preflower, I expect another 2-3 weeks of more aggressive growth - ???
  Bloom — from preflower to harvest, very aggressive, I expect 6-10 weeks until trichs indicate ready - ???​
• If I'm in the ball park with the above assumptions, those 70 day seeds are actually 70 — 100 day seeds from planting to harvest — Correct ???

Nutes — I am fairly versed in basic hort and understand the interplay of environmental & nutritional variables. There is a plethora of specialized nutes available on the market, many lacking labeling specifics. It seems like marketing overkill to me. Why not go with a proper growth phase tailored NPK / micro & supp / beneficial feed program — Comments ???

Topping — Autos should be topped early only (NLT 3-4 nodes) due to limited veg, whereas photos can be topped & retopped throughout your planned veg phase — Am I clear here??? Might I have time to top multiple times???

Transplanting — I assuming the seedlings will stretch quite a bit under T-5's. Would it be OK to transplant them deeply, covering most of the primary stalk??? Starting with a highly organic medium and I don't plan on any nutes until transplant and move to HID or soon after — Comments???

EC/PPM pen Utility — In Soil grow with organic dry nutes & soft water I believe the only utility would be to QC run-off — Your thoughts???

Thanks again

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Too early to answer all yer questions, no coffee yet

As for AUTOs, your best to germ and plant directly into their final pot, 3-5gal
Once the tap root bottoms out it starts to go into flower stage. The more room it has the longer the veg stage is

I've topped most of my Autos at right where you mentioned, spot on there . If yer doing 9 plants I'd not top a couple for comparison, see how each performs

Most seed banks give a general time for seeds, 70 days is an estimate, in autos it's from seedling to harvest, but again don't base your life on that
Don't over think it...

I suggest a cannabis designed nute system
Fox farms
General hydro
Advance nutrients
There are a few of the top lines
Soil...don't get any home store plant food lines. Get a good plain soil or a cannabis designed nute rich soil

pH your water, pH is very very important, so the pH pen is a must


Good luck and have fun

 

[angelass]

... Too early to answer all yer questions, no coffee yet...

Don't over think it...
...

Ooops, I def have anal tendencies - over think/dissect every endeavor, have already read 3 books cover to cover.
Thanks Scorp, njoy your java!

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Ooops, I def have anal tendencies - over think/dissect every endeavor, have already read 3 books cover to cover.
Thanks Scorp, njoy your java!

Best teacher is hands on. You've got some great background knowledge already, but be ready for some twists in the proverbial road lol.

Chris has addressed most of your questions.....anything else unclear?

 

[angelass]

Yep - very few straight roads in mother nature, never a boring drive!

More questions - of course! Thanks for asking....

Considering transplanting/moving them earlier than planned since mo light = better. Just now starting first set of true fingers 5-6 days after breaking soil.
- Is it ever too early to move to HID lights if heat & humidity under control?
- Started in pods/cups. Ever too early to move to final 5 gal airpots?
- Transplant Deep - Is it ok to cover much of the stalk stretch when transplanting? I so thinking of keeping some room in the pot for top-dressing if they get too leggy.
- Have 3 strains - will def top 2 and keep 1 of each natural as Chris suggested. Might multi-top 1 of each. When is it too late to top autos? How much recovery time between topping is suggested?

FYI - Cautiously paranoid olde fart here that was hesitant even to join you guys. Posting pics is both beyond my tech ability and my comfort level.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

What are they in now, pics please

Like I said Autos don't like transplanting, and it's fine to burry the stem a bit when done

The hid light is pretty strong, maybe wait till the are a bit more established

Again, relax, don't stress, it's a weed, they grow great

 

[Guy Cavallero]

I topped my present autos and then topped the tops I created. I did this once the 4th set of leaves had shown up. I always top 4th set of true leaves if topping. Then I top the tops. With autos that's the end of their stress lol. If Phelps, is continue to top the new tops depending on length of my vegetative state/length.

 

[angelass]

Hi again - A few new questions & an update (try posting them here rather than starting a new thread)

Now day 13 from germination start (T-5, heat mat, dome), and day 3 since transplanting to 5 gal pots & moving to tent (125cf 1000W MH). All looking pretty good IMO, far from perfect though due to slight tip discoloration on a few seedlings & minor stippling on a few leaves. I see no reason for stippling at this stage - it may just be due to recurring hallucinations or my aging eyes!

Tent humidity - Averaging ~30%. Unable to bump it by varying air circ or adding multiple reservoirs with water & rags. Should I be concerned and get a mister? Normally with most plants I would be most concerned with high humidity & this 30% ok.

Soil % Saturation - Averaging ~80% and steady for past 3 days. Applied only ~1.5 qts water during transplant to each 5 gal pot 3 days ago. Organic well drained medium showed runoff soon after. I expected at least the soil surface to dry with the 1000 air-cooled watts ~30inches from tops, but no. Is this normal, at his rate I'll never need to water!?!

Air Temp - Acceptable @~78 / ambient temp ~60, (cool tube fan @ min ~35%). Only minor variation amongst ceiling / floor / hood / soil temps. I expected the variations at those differing places to be greater, but guess the cool tube works really well. Please comment on 2 changes I'm considering: 1) turning off active exhaust during lights out to minimize temp drop, 2) Setting the light even lower since the temp @ reflector is not too hot.

CO2 Supp - None! Not totally convinced it's crucial but I am considering a passive source. Comments, objective experience & what phase is it most important?



I'm getting ahead of myself here but would like suggestions on next grow (if I survive this one). Considering perpetual op by supplementing my 4x4 with another smaller tent for mother & clones. I would prefer this space to be LED. Please suggest space/light requirements for such a mother/clone den.


Biggest Lesson so far - I need to harvest some patience prior to starting this growth phase again, It's crazily slooooooow

 

[drawingablank]

Hi again - A few new questions & an update (try posting them here rather than starting a new thread)

Now day 13 from germination start (T-5, heat mat, dome), and day 3 since transplanting to 5 gal pots & moving to tent (125cf 1000W MH). All looking pretty good IMO, far from perfect though due to slight tip discoloration on a few seedlings & minor stippling on a few leaves. I see no reason for stippling at this stage - it may just be due to recurring hallucinations or my aging eyes!

Tent humidity - Averaging ~30%. Unable to bump it by varying air circ or adding multiple reservoirs with water & rags. Should I be concerned and get a mister? Normally with most plants I would be most concerned with high humidity & this 30% ok.

Soil % Saturation - Averaging ~80% and steady for past 3 days. Applied only ~1.5 qts water during transplant to each 5 gal pot 3 days ago. Organic well drained medium showed runoff soon after. I expected at least the soil surface to dry with the 1000 air-cooled watts ~30inches from tops, but no. Is this normal, at his rate I'll never need to water!?!

Air Temp - Acceptable @~78 / ambient temp ~60, (cool tube fan @ min ~35%). Only minor variation amongst ceiling / floor / hood / soil temps. I expected the variations at those differing places to be greater, but guess the cool tube works really well. Please comment on 2 changes I'm considering: 1) turning off active exhaust during lights out to minimize temp drop, 2) Setting the light even lower since the temp @ reflector is not too hot.

CO2 Supp - None! Not totally convinced it's crucial but I am considering a passive source. Comments, objective experience & what phase is it most important?



I'm getting ahead of myself here but would like suggestions on next grow (if I survive this one). Considering perpetual op by supplementing my 4x4 with another smaller tent for mother & clones. I would prefer this space to be LED. Please suggest space/light requirements for such a mother/clone den.


Biggest Lesson so far - I need to harvest some patience prior to starting this growth phase again, It's crazily slooooooow

Just a friendly idea on co2, search grow420guide co2 on YouTube to get video instruction on how to add co2 for dirt cheap! It's easy and free once set up. Good luck and happy growing!

 

[Guy Cavallero]

That humidity level would be great if you could get down to what you consider your ambient temperature at 60 degrees, under lights I cannot see that happening LOL. Especially in winter time, as furnaces Etc are on full blast...... Assuming of course you're in the northern hemisphere LOL. With temperatures creeping up on 80°, I would do my best, as I always struggle with the same, at increasing your humidity however you can. A humidifier, something just sat in the corner that you buy used is a great idea.

I'm not that experienced when it comes to HPS or metal halide but I would assume that you could put your lights as close as you can while you're ambient temperatures are still in check. Watch for leaf curling on the edges as your plants tell you that they are too warm. I would personally keep all ventilation running, my fans and my filtration run 24/7.

I've never run CO2 in veg, I cannot comment on that but I have used the enhance CO2 bottles as well as the bags that you activate and hang up in the corner. Both seem to produce better Bud density during flower.

Although I haven't used any of the site sponsors for my own lighting needs, Sara at Mars hydro and Gee at growant lights are always active on the forums and would always be there if you had a problem/ comment / concern with your light in the future.

Not sure if I've said it to you already, but patience was the biggest thing that I had to learn and one of the first things that somebody told me to get a handle on when I started growing.

Most of all, have fun and learn to read what your plants are telling you.