Auto Chemdog - Soil - LED

[1ofaKind]

Chemdog by Auto Seeds.

Single plant, single seed.

This is a gamble, just growing one seed. If it fails, I will feel pretty low... But I have never had a seed fail yet!

Distilled water on a paper towel sandwiched between 2 plates in a dresser drawer for 48 hours

48 hours in Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix before sprouting yesterday, September 1.

So today is day 2.

This is the shortest and fastest I have ever had a seedling start, but also the leaves are the smallest...

I usually grow in Vermifire soil, but with the auto supposedly only taking 65 days, I am concerned the nitrogen will be too strong??? So I might try happy frog and try to control the nutes more...

So I have no idea what Chemdog will be like. Should only grow 30 grams, which is fine for a taste.

I hope to use less lights, and thus possibly not need the ac machine... maybe just fans? It will just be one small plant.

I plan to grow one LSD and one Akorn after this, but I will make them separate journals.

I only plan on posting once a week, and plan on 70 days, so 11 total posts including today....

 

[kelticBlue]

Hey One!

I would be interested in the auto chemdog story and if it was an easy grow and that sort of thing. What is your light schedule?

Looks like fun!

 

[1ofaKind]

Since this is my first auto, I'm not sure this journal will bear the fruit of others with more experience.

I can get half a pound out of a regular seed. Now I hope for an ounce from an auto....

But the small size and short grow intrigue me. Plus the seed came as a freebee, so why not!

To come close to the 65 day harvest window, from my limited knowledge of autos, means I will have the lights on 24 / 0 the entire time.

I have always done that with seedlings anyways, so its not a big deal until flower. I am eager to see the plant flower under 24 / 0.

Currently under 2 - 23 watt CFLs @ 6500k, @ 4 - 6" height from the plant.

I have lots of LED lights. I want to grow this plant to its max, without overdoing the total wattage.

1 gram / watt would equate to a single cfl for the whole grow! Of course, that ain't happenin.

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 6

This girl is stubborn... I had high expectations that an auto would grow faster than a standard, but I just don't know what to say about this one...

The newest part of the first leaves are getting a weird wrinkle to them.

The second set are taking a long time to come out and look wavy.

The original seed leaves are also more curled than what I am use to seeing.

And there is not new stem at all. Like the newest leaves are growing right out of the first set.

I don't think the lights are too close or that it is too hot.

The soil is staying moist, so its not too dry...

Jiffy organic seed starting mix, distilled bottled water...

Maybe she just needs a few more days to get settled... Not what I was expecting from an auto.

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 9

Looks fine now.

I changed the lighting to 20/4.

Guess the little girl needed a break.

 

[AngryBird]

She looks better.. and yes autos like 20/4 a lot

 

[1ofaKind]

Chemdog Day 13

I'm not sure what to say about this girl. She's stubborn as can be...

I'm seeing some marks on the leaves. A little like heat stress, but maybe not?

Any ideas?

Very slow growth, but maybe she just needed some time to get going?

As an auto, it should go into flower in another 8 days, so I hope she gets moving soon...

 

[OregonGrown79]

So, take this for what its worth from a total newb!!! I just did some auto blueberries that said 10 weeks. I just chopped one last night and the other will come down thursday. Mine started to flower on day 16. They continued to stretch for 2-3 more weeks while still flowering good. One was really packing on weight and stretching at the same time! They both eventually calmed down around week 6 or so and from there on out it was all about growing big buds. I would say give her another week and you might be surprised at her growth spurt. I have seen some strains with LOTS of the lowryder gene and they are tiny little plants that finish quick!
OG79

 

[AngryBird]

Let her stay on for a week or two.. obviously too small to flower

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 17

Not bad growth overall. I am interested in the armpit growth I am seeing.

With regular seeds, I would not see that armpit growth at this point.

Still disappointed in the thickness of the stem at this point.

Added just a little Grow Big, Big Bloom, and Super Thrive.

With all the peralite I added, the soil is still taking along time to dry. Should have gone with crushed lava rock...

I have a 90watt LED (60 watt draw) straight down on the plant. It is a 7 band, mostly red. But the plant still leans towards the 46 watts of CFL.

This plant prefers the blue light.

I believe it is a 3 gallon pot, but is says #2 on the bottom of the pot... That should be the final pot.

Still going with a single circulation fan, no exhaust or ac.

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 19

Regular growth. I had turned off the timer when I put in the LED, so it was 24/0.

Now its back to 20/4.

The soil is taking forever to dry out, even though I added some pearlite, which I never did before...

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 21

Well, this is 3 weeks. Should be ready to kick into flower, just now as it should be ready to grow vigorously...

If it can add a little more to itself and can produce an ounce, i'll be satisfied.

But this little gal will probably grow herself, and she was just the pregame show.

Time for some real herb growing!

 

[AngryBird]

she came up nicely

 

[Tomula]

Hi man, she surely is nice one. I suggest you put the LEDs some 15' above the plant (use chains) and the CFL on sides. I also suggest you also check your PH and Young Yoda's Organic Autothon Adventure - Beginner Setup - Dinafem 3 Strains journal, he is doing some ponytailing for autos, easy technique with great results. Subbed! Happy growing!

 

[1ofaKind]

@ Bird: I guess... The plant is so small. What's it gonna hold, a few grams? 7? 10? It is a fine looking baby plant, maybe a teenager, looks like a plant ready for nutes and a few more weeks of veg in my book... We'll see.

@ Tomula: That's exactly how its been. Its so tiny, I don't think it needs pony tailing. Not much to hide... but I'll check it out. Now that I have some other sprouts in there, I'll add another set of cfls to the other side in a couple days.

 

[1ofaKind]

Day 24. White pistils. 2 more cfls.

 

[1ofaKind]

Auto Chemdog Day 25

I changed out the 90 watt LED with a 225 watt LED (maybe 150 actual draw)

I like the UFO because it curves up to provide spread out coverage.

 

[Tomula]

Very good progress, I like it! She is surely chugging along nicely! Happy growing!

 

[HemiSync]

Auto Chemdog Soil LED

My experience with autos so far leads me to always question the breeders flower times. If it is less than 70 days then I assume it will be 70 days to finish. If they say more than 70 I assume it will take 100 days.

Another lesson learned is to keep them on grow nutrients until they stop stretching after they start flowering. Start bloom nutrients too soon and you will sacrifice some of the upward stretch.

 

[1ofaKind]

That goes for regular seeds, too. Maybe they don't count the seedling stage or start counting flower with preflowers instead of when the stretch ends.

I am using a very mild nute blend of both veg and bloom nutes, as well as organics. The plant seems perfectly happy. Since the pot is still kind of big, I am only watering every 6 days, so it is nuted every time.

I am not use to watering just one plant, and it is hard to scale down the nute ratios to a half or quarter gallon using millimeter droppers. I am using just enough to drop the PH to 6.0, but normally I would drop it to 5 and bring it back up with PH up. Guess I've been lazy.

Watered her this morning. Looks very perky now.

Thanks for the tips.