First Indoor Grow

buddha61

Well-Known Member
Deciding to start a journal on here, for future reference, in case I run into problems, and also to possibly help others in their pursuit of growing. I started today, going back over part of what has done (will copy from the Word file), and will continue to document in the future.

1st Grow Journal


12/30/18

Placed 1 GSC and 1 BBG seed into wet paper towels for germination.


1/1/19

GSC seed cracked and placed into Miracle Grow Indoor Mix potting soil, and placed in Rubbermaid tote under 90w CFL lights, 24 light cycle.


1/3/19

The seed has sprouted through the ground, and officially being counted as days from here going forward, for veg.


1/8/19

Day 5 - Watered the sprout.


1/9/19

Day 6 - Plant seemed a little light (didn’t water a bunch), and I watered it again.


1/12/19

Day 9 - Watered the plant.


1/14/19


Day 11 - Watered the plant again, and also switched the lighting to my newly built QB132 setup. I started the lights @ about 15”.


1/15/19


Day 12 - Plant appeared droopy. There were a couple changes made, the lights changed to QB and moved to the tent, which was cooler. I was unsure if the plant was overwatered, cold (room temp was ~64°), or the new lights (too close/too intense). I kind of assume it is the watering, and am waiting until at least the 19th (day 16 – 5 days prior watering). I pull the light back to ~26” in case that is part of the problem and do some research into the height it should be. I also added a space heater into the tent to keep the temperature in the tent near 75°.


1/16/19

I finally settle on leaving the light @ about ~20” right now and on about 50% power. After procrastinating, I have bought a timer for my lights, and will now being switching the plant to 18/6 lighting. I also got my first cheap thermometer/humidity meter for the tent, and it is holding steady @75° with the space heater. Humidity seems to be in the mid to upper 50s with the light on, didn’t check middle of the night without the light. Plant has make some comeback, but still droopy. Leaves make it appear that watering is the most likely cause of the droopiness. Now it is just on to the waiting game for more recovery. My plan is to move to a 7 gallon fabric pot with Mother Earth Coco Peat after it has recovered, or within a week or two of the recovery, and then prep for topping/training. Since the 2nd seed I tried to germinate did not grow, I only have the 1 plant for the tent, so I want to veg it out to try to cover most of the 3x3 tent space.


1/17/19

First morning the plant has had a ‘night time’. I checked on her around 9am (lights come on @6am), and she (from feminized seed, so I feel safe to refer as she) appears to be doing okay, still a bit sad, but trying to recover with new growth coming in. More or less at this point, it is on to the waiting game until I can transplant to the 7 gallon pot.

This brings us to today.
 

buddha61

Well-Known Member
Bought Girl Scout Cookies and Bubblegum seeds from GYO. Only bought 3 each as a starter, and didn't want to blow them all in the first go, which was why it was 1 each, and only one made it through. Feel free to discuss, ask questions, critique, etc as the grow progresses.
 

buddha61

Well-Known Member
I decided to transplant a day early. The leaves were starting to feel a bit dryer, so I hoped I was over the overwatering. As I took the plant out of the solo cup, I noticed that roots were just reaching and starting to wrap around the inside of the cup. It surely could have lasted another week, possibly 2, but I wanted to get it transplanted ASAP so that I can get to topping it in a week or so and then work on training her for bushiness and filling in a tent.
 

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H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Bought Girl Scout Cookies and Bubblegum seeds from GYO. Only bought 3 each as a starter, and didn't want to blow them all in the first go, which was why it was 1 each, and only one made it through. Feel free to discuss, ask questions, critique, etc as the grow progresses.
Looks good! Don't want to fill your page up, but I have a pretty fool-proof germination method described on my journal.
https://www.rollitup.org/t/superskunk-manifold.982650/
For future seed-popping adventures :)
My only critique since I don't grow in coco is that you might want to water away from the plant (should look like a dark circle just past the outer edges of the leaves) and make the roots "chase" the water. By the time you are watering around the outside of the pot it's ready for a full soaking.

I am personally not a fan of multiple transplants, just because of the transplant shock and the chance of doing damage.

I also advise against "Miracle-No" products at all costs! :)
 

buddha61

Well-Known Member
Looks good! Don't want to fill your page up, but I have a pretty fool-proof germination method described on my journal.
https://www.rollitup.org/t/superskunk-manifold.982650/
For future seed-popping adventures :)
My only critique since I don't grow in coco is that you might want to water away from the plant (should look like a dark circle just past the outer edges of the leaves) and make the roots "chase" the water. By the time you are watering around the outside of the pot it's ready for a full soaking.

I am personally not a fan of multiple transplants, just because of the transplant shock and the chance of doing damage.

I also advise against "Miracle-No" products at all costs! :)
The miracle gro was a pinch buy. Seed was ready to start and I wasn't going to be able to get to a better store to get other soils, and wanted something indoor/coco based. It fit the bill for the cup, and that was going to be its only use. I knew I was going to get something better for the rest of the grow. I understand it is like a LAST resort (some may say I was better off just using dirt from the ground, etc), but it was just what I could get.

I also am not a fan of multiple transplants, which is why I went from cup right into the 7 gallon pot. It seems many people go from cup to 1g to 3g to 5/7 for the end or whatever, the point being that they step up, and I had no desire to do that.

As for watering, I think if you at the transplant 2 photo, I assume that is what you meant. When I put the water down, I started at the roots, and went just past the area where the contents went (used an empty cup to prep the soil for the plant). The water goes just past the outer diameter of the leaves.

I am going to blame the non growing seed to user error. It is actually the first seed I have had not fully germinate (tried about 10-12, many years ago outside). I feel that they weren't kept in a warm enough area, and that probably helped to slow down the germination, and then when it did finally start to crack, I just placed it in some soil and hoped, since it was already like 10 days behind the other one.

Appreciate the input! Happy growing!
 

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
As for watering, I think if you at the transplant 2 photo, I assume that is what you meant. When I put the water down, I started at the roots, and went just past the area where the contents went (used an empty cup to prep the soil for the plant). The water goes just past the outer diameter of the leaves.
If you can imagine setting a cup over the plant, or a 2 liter bottle, then watering outside that, that's what I mean. You don't have to cover the plant, but that's the area I mean. Not going to hurt watering close, but the roots seem to develop quicker if they have to go looking for water rather than having it delivered :)
 

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
I also am not a fan of multiple transplants, which is why I went from cup right into the 7 gallon pot. It seems many people go from cup to 1g to 3g to 5/7 for the end or whatever, the point being that they step up, and I had no desire to do that.
Cool, didn't see the pic when I replied, I think that was more like offering a second opinion, because someone else mentioned the 3/5/7gallon transplant thing .
 

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
https://www.rollitup.org/t/superskunk-manifold.982650/

That is my current grow. Lots of experimentation to find out what works for me if you want to check it out. I've been growing for about a year, but can now support my habit without ever having to Jones :)

Whatever you are growing in, it looks to be partly soil, so stuff I do might work for you or give you ideas. I have a degree in elem. education, so I like to break stuff down to the basics.
 

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
As far as miracle-no goes, I think they are starting to get with the program, but I'm not to the point of trusting them.

Even their "natural peat" is "enriched". :wall:

The main issue is any 'timed release' nutrient already in the soil. It always releases the wrong nutrient at the wrong time for weed.
 

buddha61

Well-Known Member
1/19/19


Transplant seems to be fine now. No real droopiness or effect from the transplant appears to be there. After about 11AM yesterday, I upped the power on the lights to about 75%, and it is sitting about 18-20 inches from the top of the plant right now. The power supply is warmer, but the lights are not very warm at all, and can still hold your hand on it without fear of burning. Now part of the waiting game applies, and I wait a couple days to top it. Then start training. At first I was just going to SCROG it, and may still do so, but after checking out a few plants that are either manifolded, or at least something similar, almost makes me want to try that. At least I still have some time to decide what kind of training to do and how I want to make it.
 

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buddha61

Well-Known Member
1/20/19


Day 17 – Place a small ring of water around the outside of the edge that was watered after the transplant, to help hopefully encourage the roots to keep searching. Imagine I can hold off on watering another 1-3 days since the coco mix seemed to have some moisture out of the bag. Just want to make sure that I don’t overwater again. Other than that, she seems to be moving along fine since the transplant to the 7g fabric pot. I guess the next prep to take will be to get ready to top. I feel like she is getting close, but I also don’t want to top too soon (not sure there is a disadvantage other than having 1 or 2 less nodes after topping).
 

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buddha61

Well-Known Member
Also, if anyone has any input as to the problem with the 'rusting' leaves, I would be all ears. Cursory google search shows people with similar giving cal-mag, and some saying it is a fungus.
 

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buddha61

Well-Known Member
1/22/19


Day 19 – I changed the power on the lights yesterday to 100% and raised them up slightly an inch, maybe 2. Watered today with some Epsom salts in the water (just under 6 grams for 1 gallon of water), as well as sprayed a little on the plant for a ‘foliar feeding’. Put about a total of 1-1.5 quarts of water in the coco and through the feeding. I was told the coco was ‘hot’ enough for about a month worth of feeding before I would have to supplement nutrients.
 

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Serpentz

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't worry about those first leaves. It does look like a cal-mag deficiency, but your top leaves are looking nice now. Whatever it was could have just been some temporary thing and it looks as though your past that.

I didn't see anything about you measuring your water pH levels. This is something I check daily... almost religiously. What is the pH level of your mag water that you are using? By the way, never heard of magnesium water - You're adding something like CalMagic?
 
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