First auto grow - any advice appreciated!

Hey guys.

I just started a journal for my first grow of Dutch Passion Auto Ultimate and Shortstuff Seeds Tha Shiznit. I'll also be germinating a TH Seeds MK Ultra Kush Auto soon, and I'd just like people to check in on me, see how I'm doing.

Tha Shiznit popped her head today, The Ultimate is still a little shy. Jump on board if you can! Cheers

https://www.rollitup.org/t/first-grow-auto-ultimate-tha-shiznit.901185/

Thanks a lot, peace

SSW

I have a few of those MK Ultras...gonna wait on mine. What media are you using...?

guido420 said:

I have a few of those MK Ultras...gonna wait on mine. What media are you using...?

Click to expand...

Hey man.

The MK Ultra's sound a fucking incredible smoke, really looking forward to them! They'll be growing in BioBizz Light Mix I think, unless I nerd up enough on hydro first. Thought I'd just keep it simple as for the first run...

-Start in final pot, so you don't have to transplant. Some people say transplanting is ok, but there is a risk of stunting the plant and some people have even reported no further growth after a transplant. If your using a 15L pot then you don't need to water the whole pot at first, just water around the seedling and increase the amount and area each watering. It will dry out much quicker if you're using air pots/smart pots but still don't want to suffocate them while they're seedlings. Are you using air pots (plastic pots with holes in)? or smart pots (fabric)? They both do the same thing but there is a difference.

-I would suggest LST'ing them as soon as they are big enough. If you do a bit of reading you may even decide to top but there's mixed opinions on that so you'll have to decide if it's worth the risk.

-Go easy on nutrients if/when you start using them, start at 1/8 of the dose on the bottle.

-Be patient, they can take a few weeks to get going but there will be an explosive growth period. Don't expect to hit the seed info time either, most run a few weeks longer.

-I think you have an identical set up to me, did you buy it as a kit off eBay? Running two is a wise choice, I ran four and ran out of space. But I found the 400w didn't reach lower down to well but my plants got up to 70-85cm, so you can try keep them short with some training or harvest the top half of the plant first then lower lights/raise pots until the rest are ready.

TopDogTHC said:

-Start in final pot, so you don't have to transplant. Some people say transplanting is ok, but there is a risk of stunting the plant and some people have even reported no further growth after a transplant. If your using a 15L pot then you don't need to water the whole pot at first, just water around the seedling and increase the amount and area each watering. It will dry out much quicker if you're using air pots/smart pots but still don't want to suffocate them while they're seedlings. Are you using air pots (plastic pots with holes in)? or smart pots (fabric)? They both do the same thing but there is a difference.

-I would suggest LST'ing them as soon as they are big enough. If you do a bit of reading you may even decide to top but there's mixed opinions on that so you'll have to decide if it's worth the risk.

-Go easy on nutrients if/when you start using them, start at 1/8 of the dose on the bottle.

-Be patient, they can take a few weeks to get going but there will be an explosive growth period. Don't expect to hit the seed info time either, most run a few weeks longer.

-I think you have an identical set up to me, did you buy it as a kit off eBay? Running two is a wise choice, I ran four and ran out of space. But I found the 400w didn't reach lower down to well but my plants got up to 70-85cm, so you can try keep them short with some training or harvest the top half of the plant first then lower lights/raise pots until the rest are ready.

Click to expand...

1) Yeah, I think they're already in their final resting place. I was obsessing for ages about what size pots to use, settled on 15ltr out of impatience. They're currently in AirPots (the plastic dimpled pots), although the local hydro shop 5 minutes walk away sells fabric smart pots, so I may buy two of those as well soon. The main issue I foresaw with them was soggy bottoms in standing water, so was thinking to put above a drip tray on a baking cooling rack to drain off.

2) I've been looking into lst, never put into practise yet. Will let almost always guarantee a bigger yield vs letting the plant grow naturally, with a fat main cola? I'm also watching a couple of auto grows on here where they've decided to top, so I'll see how they progress also.

3) Yeeeeeah, nutes. Mixed opinions across the board. Wasn't sure whether to feed nothing until flower, or tiny amounts throughout the short lifespan of the plant? Any experienced thoughts?

4) Hahaha, yeah... From the grow diaries I have read, almost no past hits that harvest window the seedbank say. I'm in no rush, I have some awesome White Widow and Critical Haze to keep me going, and vape poo edibles if/when that runs out! Kinda hoping to get something chopped and dried by 31st May, but we'll see.

5) Yes, it was an eBay job, marginally more expensive than sourcing the shittiest, cheapest version of each component, and the products supplied were rated far better. Also, the company provides a 2 year warranty, which is nice. The only item I wasn't too impressed with was the timer, everything else I was very impressed with.

Were you growing autos in your tent when you ran out of space? What strains? I thought if I gave two high yielders a corner each, they might do alright, and give me a bit of nice. I do want to stagger, so maybe plant a couple more seeds in 4 weeks or so.

Cheers dude!

SSW

-I'd defiantly LST. I tried it on two of mine and it worked well until flowering.

You can see the back two are taller and the front two which I did LST on had more bud sites and were fairly evenly spread, but as they got bushier I couldn't tie down branches because there was no room, so the original main cola was the only one that wasn't competing for space and the others struggled, I think it still improved yield but space just fucked me. Lesson learned.

-I fed through veg from week 2-3 starting at 1/8 and working up to 1/2 strength. Ran into problems when I switched to flowering nutes tho. Temps got hot causing them to take to many nutrients in so they got burned and got some N tox. I think I stopped feeding and just gave straight water after that and they did better but no doubt it set me back. Until you get to know a strain I don't think you can say how to feed an auto, that's why the rule is to start out really low and build up.

-I think it's the exact same setup then. My temps were fine up until flowering, then got hot for some reason, I dunno if it's cause circulation was restricted because of space but it's something to keep in mind.

- Yeah, I started four Automatic AKs at the same time in 10L pots. Ended up having to move one out. Harvested one early so I could move it back in but it's not gunna be good. Out of the four plants only two are decent, one was ok that I harvested early but the one outside will be going into butter or hash. Wish I'd only started two. You'll have to see how space is when you get to the stage of maybe starting the others. I'm running a photo next and it'll be the only thing in there. Can't stress enough how important space is!

SickSickWorld said:

Hey guys.

I just started a journal for my first grow of Dutch Passion Auto Ultimate and Shortstuff Seeds Tha Shiznit. I'll also be germinating a TH Seeds MK Ultra Kush Auto soon, and I'd just like people to check in on me, see how I'm doing.

Tha Shiznit popped her head today, The Ultimate is still a little shy. Jump on board if you can! Cheers

https://www.rollitup.org/t/first-grow-auto-ultimate-tha-shiznit.901185/

Thanks a lot, peace

SSW

Click to expand...

To my blog on auto hints wil put ur mind at ease

https://www.rollitup.org/Journal/Entry/10-top-tips-for-a-better-autoflowering-yield.30162

TopDogTHC said:

-I'd defiantly LST. I tried it on two of mine and it worked well until flowering.
View attachment 3622331
You can see the back two are taller and the front two which I did LST on had more bud sites and were fairly evenly spread, but as they got bushier I couldn't tie down branches because there was no room, so the original main cola was the only one that wasn't competing for space and the others struggled, I think it still improved yield but space just fucked me. Lesson learned.

-I fed through veg from week 2-3 starting at 1/8 and working up to 1/2 strength. Ran into problems when I switched to flowering nutes tho. Temps got hot causing them to take to many nutrients in so they got burned and got some N tox. I think I stopped feeding and just gave straight water after that and they did better but no doubt it set me back. Until you get to know a strain I don't think you can say how to feed an auto, that's why the rule is to start out really low and build up.

-I think it's the exact same setup then. My temps were fine up until flowering, then got hot for some reason, I dunno if it's cause circulation was restricted because of space but it's something to keep in mind.

- Yeah, I started four Automatic AKs at the same time in 10L pots. Ended up having to move one out. Harvested one early so I could move it back in but it's not gunna be good. Out of the four plants only two are decent, one was ok that I harvested early but the one outside will be going into butter or hash. Wish I'd only started two. You'll have to see how space is when you get to the stage of maybe starting the others. I'm running a photo next and it'll be the only thing in there. Can't stress enough how important space is!

Click to expand...

Looking forward to watching your solo photo grow man. Think I may make the same move too after a few auto runs to ease me back in a bit. You in England dude? Were you growing in summer? I'll keep an eye on temps during flower, maybe install a big intake fan and upgrade filter and exhaust. I think venting into the loft will improve temperature in the room the tent is in also, which would mean cooler air being pulled in. I dunno, lot to think about. Cross that bridge when I get to it!

Appreciate the advice mate, thankyou.

SSW

vostok said:

To my blog on auto hints wil put ur mind at ease

https://www.rollitup.org/Journal/Entry/10-top-tips-for-a-better-autoflowering-yield.30162

Click to expand...

Haha, I've read these tips so many times. The amount of google searches that have brought me to that page. That's what's been making me question nutrients and how much/when to water. I like the idea of growing nine and weeding out the weakest. May get a bunch of Speed Seeds as they're pretty cheap, and try that tactic.

Thanks for checking in, and putting in the work experimenting with Autos!

SSW

SickSickWorld said:

Looking forward to watching your solo photo grow man. Think I may make the same move too after a few auto runs to ease me back in a bit. You in England dude? Were you growing in summer? I'll keep an eye on temps during flower, maybe install a big intake fan and upgrade filter and exhaust. I think venting into the loft will improve temperature in the room the tent is in also, which would mean cooler air being pulled in. I dunno, lot to think about. Cross that bridge when I get to it!

Appreciate the advice mate, thankyou.

SSW

Click to expand...

Yeah England. Nah not summer, was flowering through December and still got two in now finishing up so coldest time of the year. Got snow today infact. Yeah a few lads have suggested upgrading the extractor fan. I leave a window in there open 24/7 and have two fans running. It got up to 31c when it was freezing out and that was even with house heating off. Now it's at 26-27c with lights on so I'm happy lol. Yeah I think venting into attic space is best if it's possible. I vent out the window!

Looking forward to following you grow to, man. Sure youll grow some beauty's.

TopDogTHC said:

Yeah England. Nah not summer, was flowering through December and still got two in now finishing up so coldest time of the year. Got snow today infact. Yeah a few lads have suggested upgrading the extractor fan. I leave a window in there open 24/7 and have two fans running. It got up to 31c when it was freezing out and that was even with house heating off. Now it's at 26-27c with lights on so I'm happy lol. Yeah I think venting into attic space is best if it's possible. I vent out the window!

Looking forward to following you grow to, man. Sure youll grow some beauty's.

Click to expand...

Thanks man. Fingers crossed.

Touch of snow here today as well. Currently I'm venting towards an ajar window, not really optimal, but the boiler has packed in, awaiting repair, so cant have a fully open window right now, and I don't want the shiny silver ducting dangling out into the street. Might attach a small piece of white tumble drier house to the end, look slightly less suspect! Ideally I'd move the tent to the back of the house, but that's babies room, lol. I think going into the loft will be the best bet, just need to buy a hole bit for my drill, or try and jigsaw it upside down. Girlfriend is gonna kill me!

Thinking of giving up on The Ultimate soon. Brushed off a little soil, and the seed has cracked but not much else, no taproot, nothing. What you think? Switch it out for the MK Ultra Kush?

SSW

Yeah I tucked the vent in above the curtain rail and put a blind up, did lots of checking from outside to seeif the duct was visible. Know the feeling about the misses too, when I was struggling with temps she was complaining of open windows and stuff and I want to get some more stuff but she's against more atm lol.

I dunno you could always just start another off and leave that one and see what happens but goes back to space again, soils not dried out to much has it?

TopDogTHC said:

Yeah I tucked the vent in above the curtain rail and put a blind up, did lots of checking from outside to see the duct is visible. Know the feeling about the misses too, when I was struggling with temps she was complaining of open windows and stuff and I want to get some more stuff but she's against more atm lol.

I dunno you could always just start another off and leave that one and see what happens but goes back to space again, soils not dried out to much has it?

Click to expand...

No, I've given it a touch of water around the seed site. About an inch down it feels warm and moist, so should be ideal conditions for it.

I initially had the vent tucked into curtain pole too, but is now taped to windowsill. There's less chance of it being seen, and I figured as hot air rises, more of that hot would have the chance to escape as it rises past the window. Do need to get blinds up, then I can have it venting straight through them. I hate drilling into my window frames though, terrible concrete walls!

I'd like to plant the MK in addition, but currently have no spare pot or soil, just half a bag of perlite, lol.

While I can be arsed, I'll list the nutes I've acquired. Nothing fancy at all.

50ml Plant Vitality Nano Series Root Zone Mass
200ml Hydro Coco Grow NPK 10-5-4
200ml Hydro Coco Bloom NPK 5-4-9
200ml Hydro Coco PK Boost PK 13-14

The root zone mass I got as a freebie. Others were pound shop shite, lol

Just checked the pic in your journal and it is an identical setup, my fans black though not white.

You can can get net curtains that have like push and fit bars. Sure you could find something less old fashioned than the traditional look if you aren't wanting to drill holes. Blinds are useful anyway tho so it's no biggie really.

Did I read that right? The nutes are from a pound shop? Which?? They do have some useful stuff in pound land but never seen those nutes.

You could give the seed a few more days then switch it, doesn't matter if it's a few weeks behind cause you're not changing linght schedule and as they're diff strains they may not run the same time. Paper towel method to germ is ideal cause you can check it without disturbing it to much.

You using the HPS for veg? Looks close if so.

My kit was from Rutland Horticulture (hydroponicfans on eBay). Was great value, very impressed with quality. What make is your fan? Is it rated the same cfm?

I was thinking some form of push-fit pole in there. Was just staring at the shower curtain while on the shitter the other day, lol. Nets might be a good shout, for combination of reduced visibility/decent breathability.

Yep! Pound shop!! They also had rooting powder, but as I won't be taking cuttings from an auto didn't seem necessary. What do the ratios look like do you think? When I googled them to find out more info/reviews, it seems they have a pretty decent range of products targeted at "indoor gardeners". Didn't see any of their coco for sale though.

I got them at Pound Land in Nottingham. People are selling the grow/bloom/pk as a set for about £15 on ebay, and the rooting powder for about £6. Was considering doing that myself!

I'll give it a few more days, then probably germinate the MK. Think the MK will be a shorter lady, so age may need a booster seat of some sort.

Yeah, was planning on using the hps right through, it's the only light I have right now. It's currently about 35cm away from the lil sprout. I'm not sure on placement of my temporary thermo/hygrometer, so haven't got reliable temp readings. Still waiting on my digital. PH meter arrived, and doesn't turn on, so I need to get on Ti them about that.

How far off are your remaining two from chop do you think?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Best-Complete-Hydroponic-Grow-Room-Tent-Fan-Filter-Light-Kit-400w-80x80x160-/111607422849?var=&hash=item19fc521f81 I got the 4" fan and 400watt HPS.

I'll go check it out this weekend, I got some by growth technology. 1L of grow/bloom and 300ml of PK boost for £20 off eBay, not found many reviews on it tho. Your ratios look ok, research brings mixed opions again but the main thing is less nitrogen in flower which looks right. There's a bio Bizz starter nute kit that I like the look of.

I had mine quite far away at first. Just careful you don't burn them. Keep an eye out for canoeing, curling etc. I was really happy with how mine vegged under the HPS.

Well I've got the bottom half of one to chop that I'll be doing early next week and probably do the other at the same time, but the other one was the one that was outside the tent for most of flowering so the buds are really really airy.

TopDogTHC said:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Best-Complete-Hydroponic-Grow-Room-Tent-Fan-Filter-Light-Kit-400w-80x80x160-/111607422849?var=&hash=item19fc521f81 I got the 4" fan and 400watt HPS.

I'll go check it out this weekend, I got some by growth technology. 1L of grow/bloom and 300ml of PK boost for £20 off eBay, not found many reviews on it tho. Your ratios look ok, research brings mixed opions again but the main thing is less nitrogen in flower which looks right. There's a bio Bizz starter nute kit that I like the look of.

I had mine quite far away at first. Just careful you don't burn them. Keep an eye out for canoeing, curling etc. I was really happy with how mine vegged under the HPS.

Well I've got the bottom half of one to chop that I'll be doing early next week and probably do the other at the same time, but the other one was the one that was outside the tent for most of flowering so the buds are really really airy.

Click to expand...

Exactly the same kit and seller, clearly an obsessive bargain hunter like myself.

Think I'll just stick with these minimal nutes at the minute. Wasn't really planning on heavy feeding anyway, so if these nutrients are a little underpowered that's fine by me. I'll check out the BioBizz set though, should complement the Light Mix soil nicely.

Light distance seems ok at the minute, no early signs of burning, I'm trying to minimise stretch too. Multi spectrum hps seems the way to go for a single bulb, no changeover grow. Been looking at some vertically hung, bare bulb grows which seem interesting. Makes sense to use all of the bulbs surface, looking forward to experimenting.

Cool, good luck with the chop. Interesting to see what you get as a final dry yield, and what sort of quality differences you get. How are you curing? My usage is moderate at best, so looking forward to some loooooong cured buds down the line.

SickSickWorld said:

Exactly the same kit and seller, clearly an obsessive bargain hunter like myself.

Think I'll just stick with these minimal nutes at the minute. Wasn't really planning on heavy feeding anyway, so if these nutrients are a little underpowered that's fine by me. I'll check out the BioBizz set though, should complement the Light Mix soil nicely.

Light distance seems ok at the minute, no early signs of burning, I'm trying to minimise stretch too. Multi spectrum hps seems the way to go for a single bulb, no changeover grow. Been looking at some vertically hung, bare bulb grows which seem interesting. Makes sense to use all of the bulbs surface, looking forward to experimenting.

Cool, good luck with the chop. Interesting to see what you get as a final dry yield, and what sort of quality differences you get. How are you curing? My usage is moderate at best, so looking forward to some loooooong cured buds down the line.

Click to expand...

Yeah I did a lot of looking at that was great value, delivery was quick too.

I dunno if they're "underpowered", I've still not got a proper understanding on ratios as some people use 20-20-20 and other higher ratios. Mine are 1.8 - 1.4 - 2.6 for veg and 1.4 - 1.4 - 2.6 for bloom. It says to feed at 7ml per litre on the bottle for both, but I never got near that with the autos. I think the higher the numbers of the ratio then the higher the concentration but less you need to add to the water when feeding. So if you had 1 - 1 - 1 (as an example) and mixed it at 5ml per litre, then it'd be the same as mixing 10 - 10 - 10 at 0.5ml per litre. From what I've read i wouldn't bother with PK for autos. Think I used mine once or twice but regret it now, don't think I benefited from it.

Yeah see a lot of people saying not to use HPS for veg but if you monitor it and keep distances ok then your fine. I will eventually get a t5 for veg or MH bulb but might upgrade setup after my next grow so gunna wait to see what I'll need.

I'm dying in a makeshift dry box, pierced holes and put string across to create sort of racks. Rest the branches across the racks, poked lots of ventilation holes, occasionally open the box for an hour or two and try get some air circulating. Takes 3-4 days to dry in there then goes into jars. I've used some of old coffee jars, cleaned out with bleach. Just take bits out as an when I need it.

Just under an oz off my first plant I think, wasn't the best smoke, very weak. Just over an oz on second plant, not bad smoke, not really high grade but good enough for me. Still drying first half of 3rd plant but the buds look much better so expecting some decent smoke.

TopDogTHC said:

Yeah I did a lot of looking at that was great value, delivery was quick too.

I dunno if they're "underpowered", I've still not got a proper understanding on ratios as some people use 20-20-20 and other higher ratios. Mine are 1.8 - 1.4 - 2.6 for veg and 1.4 - 1.4 - 2.6 for bloom. It says to feed at 7ml per litre on the bottle for both, but I never got near that with the autos. I think the higher the numbers of the ratio then the higher the concentration but less you need to add to the water when feeding. So if you had 1 - 1 - 1 (as an example) and mixed it at 5ml per litre, then it'd be the same as mixing 10 - 10 - 10 at 0.5ml per litre. From what I've read i wouldn't bother with PK for autos. Think I used mine once or twice but regret it now, don't think I benefited from it.

Yeah see a lot of people saying not to use HPS for veg but if you monitor it and keep distances ok then your fine. I will eventually get a t5 for veg or MH bulb but might upgrade setup after my next grow so gunna wait to see what I'll need.

I'm dying in a makeshift dry box, pierced holes and put string across to create sort of racks. Rest the branches across the racks, poked lots of ventilation holes, occasionally open the box for an hour or two and try get some air circulating. Takes 3-4 days to dry in there then goes into jars. I've used some of old coffee jars, cleaned out with bleach. Just take bits out as an when I need it.

Just under an oz off my first plant I think, wasn't the best smoke, very weak. Just over an oz on second plant, not bad smoke, not really high grade but good enough for me. Still drying first half of 3rd plant but the buds look much better so expecting some decent smoke.

Click to expand...

I've seen the diy dry boxes on other peoples threads. Are you doing the 3 days at 20c, then at 17/18c thing? How long do you think your stash will last you? Planning for mine to last a while, gonna invest in a caliber hygrometer, so hoping a slow dry + slow cure = amazing taste and smell. You dont get any kind of taint from the bleach at all? Luckily my girlfriend is a hoarder, so I have more airtight mason type jars than Ikea, and plenty of dark cupboard space.

Nah just 3-4 days at 19-21c then into jars, I open the jars a few times a day. struggle to find somewhere that's consistant temp wise, it'll be to cold in the room my tents in. I'd rather dry it slower too, it's something I'll get sorted for my next grow, a better drying process. Still got most of the first plants harvest, but second plant has almost gone, lasted around 2 weeks but did give a little away. When I'm growing some better quality bud I'll want an oz to last about a month. Everyone says you smoke more because it's there in bulk which makes sense so need to just weigh out 1g each day or something, might have the odd binge on the weekend tho. Nah after I washed them I let them sit a few days with the lids off and they don't smell of anything now apart from the bud that's in them lol.