Auto GDP - First Grow

gsimd —

gsimd This week I added the AC Infinity fan to extract the hot air. Last week the lights would keep the temperature in the tent in the high 80's. Now, it's able to keep it in the mid 70's. I also started adjusting the PH of the water this week. So far so good.

gsimd At the end of this week, I saw yellowing of the lower leaves and some drooping leaves. Some research made me suspect overwatering. A look at the bottom of the seedling pots showed roots poking out. I realized the pots were sitting directly on a non-porous PVC board so the bottom of the pot couldn't properly drain. I raised all three pots up onto some spacers to allow airflow and things started to improve. I'll transplant these into larger pots on day 22 or 23. Carry on!

gsimd At the end of this week, I saw yellowing of the lower leaves and some drooping leaves. Some research made me suspect overwatering. A look at the bottom of the seedling pots showed roots poking out. I realized the pots were sitting directly on a non-porous PVC board so the bottom of the pot couldn't properly drain. I raised all three pots up onto some spacers to allow airflow and things started to improve. I'll transplant these into larger pots on day 22 or 23. Carry on!

gsimd Transplanted on Day 22: 3 gallon fabric pots. One in Fox Farm Ocean Forest, the other two in Coast Of Maine Stonington Blend. Light meter: Using a new light meter I adjusted the lights to 40,000 lux. Moisture meter: This has been very useful in letting me know the soil is still wet when I would have thought otherwise. Flowering: It also looks like a couple of these are starting to flower on day 29. Am I right? Overall, these plants seem much smaller than other grows I've seen here. I was tempted to scrap them and start over but decided to carry on and learn as much as I can from this first grow. I'm not expecting much so that will help dampen my disappointment.

gsimd My biggest mistake of this grow was using peat pots (pictured above) for the seedlings. They are advertised as though they are to be put right in the ground. Unfortunately, they don't decompose fast enough. This bound the roots and made for a very stunted grow. I finally tore them off and put the plants directly in the soil and things have improved dramatically. I used them last spring for my vegetable garden and had horrible results. I assumed it was a soil problem. Now, I know the pots were the issue. The big news this week is the soil. Two of my plants are in the Coast of Maine Stonington Blend. The third plant is in Fox Farm Ocean Forest. The two in the Coast of Maine Stonington Blend look so much better than the Fox Farm Ocean Forest Plant.

gsimd This week I continued to water using the Coast of Maine Squid Concentrate. I also added a DIY CO2 Generator. The plants are still much smaller than they should be due to early mistakes. Fortunately, I've learned a lot and am seeing good flower development this week. A huge thank you to @MalumProhibitum for offering some terrific advice on my grow. What a great member of this community.

gsimd This week I raised the light a few inches. I also removed the CO2 dispenser as it seemed like I was meddling to much. The humidity levels remained in the 50's so I removed the watering can. Overall, things remained much the same. My main takeaway this week was "stop doing things". Leave the plants alone. I'm learning that the plants respond negatively to changes in their environment. Let them be and they'll figure out how to survive.

gsimd Day 55 - This week the plants started yellowing and spotting significantly. I'm hoping this is the normal color change before harvest since the flowers are fattening nicely. I added a second fan to the tent and have a USB microscope arriving today to check the trichomes.

gsimd Day 62 - Buds are fattening. I defoliated some and am watering once a week. 2 gallons evenly distributed between the 3 plants. This week I added 1/4 cap of squid concentrate. The trichomes are still clear so I wait.

gsimd I was out of town last week and the girls kept fattening up nicely. Nothing new to report.

gsimd My first grow and what a learning experience. I overwatered early and didn't transplant soon enough, which stunted them badly. These autos just didn't have enough time to recover before flower. I wanted to dump them and start over but decided to let them ride and learn from my mistakes. Looking back, I'd fuss less with them early. Final Yield: 0.5 Ounces.