Tylersays - First Grow w/ First Grow 2.0 Featuring the A-U-T-O-matic Experience

[Tylersays]

Last, but not least - The Experiment.

2 GDP, 1- 4gal pot, Crap for soil…Perfect recipe for forced flowering! LOL!

It wasn’t meant to be but that’s the way it ended up. I have ZERO expectations of them so whatever they do is fine with me. It’s just something fun to do and an excuse, in addition to tobacco barn, to get that small tent! LOL!

Honey - I’ve already got the tent, the exhaust and 2 fans. I’d be STUPID if I didn’t get a light! Do you want to be know for living with someone stupid? I didn’t think soooo! Thank you! I’m gonna put that on your card! LOL!!

As if!!

It’s technically 2 weeks tonight since we started but I somehow blew off the alarm on Tuesday and realized like 15 minutes later.
Eh - we’ll see what happens!

edit: I think I’m gonna keep putting them in the solarium during the day. I can keep it cooler and more fall-like and easily control the humidity.
The ceiling fan does that fake breeze crap so i turn that on for a while each day and she might as well be outside!

[Tylersays]

OMgoodness! I have GOT to stop going to seedbank websites!!
WSE has a buy 5 get 5 sale on 3 different strains…long story short, I’ve got 10 Gorilla Glue Autos coming my way…oh and the 2 free Northern Lights Autos for doing the bank transfer over the CC. LOL!

I am hiding this mouse!!

[TheVirginian]

“i’ll take 200 of your turnip twaddlers ASAP, and YES!! please include the free knife block set!!”

[MadamCalamity]

Buying seeds is addictive. Haven’t even finished my grow and in that time I’ve bought blueberry, banana kush, cherry cookies and cream, cotton candy rock candy, brown sugar cake and rock candy and cookies. Plus I have other strains already laying around. I have enough seeds to last me 10+ years and I still want to buy more HA! Absolutely ridiculous but I just can’t help myself

[Tylersays]

My last order won’t even ship until Monday and I’ve already been back to the well! LOL!
At this point I have Granddaddy Purple Fem, Super Skunk Fem, New York City Diesel Fem, G13 Fem, Gold Leaf Fem. On the way - Grape Ape Fem and now GG Auto, plus the 4 Northern Lights Autos for free for the bank transfers.

Can’t wait to play with the autos honestly. Guess I’ll be starting with 1 each of the 2 I have just for variety.

This is the worst best hobby ever!! LOL!

[MadamCalamity]

Nice! I really want to get some GDP or grape ape one day. Don’t know if you have IG but there are a lot of breeders on there with giveaways and what not. I personally don’t have an IG account because the app confuses me lol no clue how to work it but there is some awesome bud porn on there that my husband showed me.

[Tylersays]

Girl - I’m 53 - it took me a couple of minutes to figure out IG meant Instantaneous Grammar!!

…oh, that’s not it?..

LOL!!

[Tylersays]

This is officially a free festival!!

Yeah - I’m gonna talk about my grow - chime in about yours, but from time to time we’re gonna veer off topic - DON’T be afraid to post whatever is on your mind.
It’s the nature of conversation and COMMUNITY.

I’m sure everybody here knows the difference between serious inquiry and pot-head conversation.

to all and best of luck in your endeavors!

*Thank You to everyone who makes this COMMUNITY possible!

[Tylersays]

While I stand by everything in the last post I will say Corona and Pineapple Cake are a hell of a drug!

Been a couple of rainy days - at least it hasn’t been super heavy but we did get 2-3 hours of steady rain both Sunday and Monday evening. Luckily Fred moved past us to the west over the mountains. I’m sure the river, which is fed by those mountains will be up even further tomorrow and it’s already running strong and dirty. Sorry about the trash Chesapeake Bay
The outside girls are getting a good flushing and will be starting full force into the bloom nute schedule on the FF line, including ChaChing, Open Sesame and Beastie Bloomz. Anything else I should add to the party mix? These outdoor ladies are very stout and healthy. I feel like I can push them a LOT harder than the indoor ladies. Although they’re holding their own too!

Here’s where we are now

Each of the NYD has a funky leaf or two.

Odd, rando leaf issue. It almost looks like some kind of bug damage, but it’s the only example of the issue I could find and I see zero indication of critters in there. I have sticky traps but literally no where to stick them! LOL!

This is on the other NYD

Sorry for the orientation of the pic! There’s one or 2 tips that have a little discoloration and that small one there.

Last feeding each got half a dose of the FF nutes per veg schedule with CalMag and Silica Supplement in appropriate doses in 1 gallon each in proper PH range. In fact, the best PH I’ve achieved yet and didn’t have to use any adjustments! I am using Sodium Thiosulfate(I think) treated tap water. The sodium whatever is the active ingredient to eat out the chlorine. Sadly I did not test ro but I will when I “plain” water in a couple of days. Honestly, for reading the PH and PPM of the soil it stands to reason that you’d want to use plain water. I find it hard to believe all the nutes and stuff in feed water is filtered out in the 30 seconds or so it takes for ro to start.

TBH, as far as the leaves go, I plan on doing some fan chopping tomorrow and watering later in the day or Thursday morning to give them a little more “stress” period, and unless I see a lot more problems as I dig through the Amazonian growth or start finding bugs I’m gonna chalk it up to eh, shit happens.
I’m 53 - NEXT month(LOL) and I still get a zit every once in a while! LOL!
And yes - I had to think for a minute if I was actually 52 or 51 now! LOL! Ahhh Pineapple Cake shake…LOL!!

NEXT BIG DECISION…

BTW, from lt to rt - NYDiesel ,NYDiesel, Super Skunk…

Got all my pieces together to make a new scrog frame.
Originally stole @Syndrix 's idea for the boards to use as a scrog mount using surveyor tacks to keep the net taunt across the top of the boards.
Then I read the Northern Scroggers tips and decided to build a 3/4" PVC frame work as a scrog mount.
His recommendation was 18" tall. The top of the boards in the tent is 24" off the ground. I see his point, because everything under the scrog will be cut away anyway, so why grow sticks?
The boards are 4" wide so the top of his frame would be 2" below that point. That’s gonna put some of the tops at an immediate scrogging level, like IMMEDIATELY.
I’m just wondering which would be the better way to install the scrog? Scrog first then force plants under, or plants first and bring frame in over the plants?
He had mentioned the frame being lifted by the plant as it tries to escape the scrog. I plan on filling everything from the top of the frame down with sand for rigidity and weight. I plan on melting some wax and plugging the top of the support poles so I don’t have to worry about sand leaking through the screw holes up top.
All in it was about $40 for everything to build the frame and scrog net. Not the most expensive purchase by far!! LOL!
Oh crap!! Forgot to get the screws!! LOL! …$45…LOL! I might have something I can use back there already though.

That’s more or less where I’m at atm…
decisions, decisions…

Thanks in advance for any tips, journal links, or anything else anyone might think useful.

Happy Growing Everyone!!

[Tylersays]

@dbrn32 @Graysin - I’ve decided that since the 2x4 is my main tent and probably main producer since the 2.3x2.3 will pretty much be for autos, that I should upgrade the light for that space and send the SF-2000 to the small tent for the autos. It’s overkill for that space but too much is never enough and it’s dimmable.
Considering that I feel like the light I get for the larger tent should be overkill too. LOL!
But also dimmable. Plus, in case i upgrade to a 4x4 or 5x5 I’ll be halfway there with proper lighting at that point, if it comes.

With that in mind, this is what I’m considering.

I don’t mind paying for bigger, especially since there’s a chance I’ll be expanding the space one day.

What are your thoughts about this in a 2x4? According to the specs it should be good to go.
Thanks-in-advance for any input you can provide.

Happy Growing Everyone!!

[dbrn32]

The 320 kit would work, you could also go with hlg-350r. The 350r is newer board tech and larger light in terms of overspending light output, and not terribly much more money. Also gives you extra 660nm.

[Syndrix]

@Tylersays

Originally stole @Syndrix 's idea for the boards

easy there, I don’t need anyone thinking I know what I’m doing,

Your plants look so nice and bushy! I enjoyed the LST way to much I think, I can’t wait to be out of auto seeds so I can really LST some photos. lol

That 320 xl kit is the one I got, except I only got heatsink and boards from them, got the driver from somewhere else and had everything else I needed at the house to build it which saved me even more money.

I had no idea the 350r was slightly better, it is also only 2 boards vs 3 for the same recommended space so should save a little more on power. I think…

[Graysin]

@Tylersays without a doubt get an HLG to overpower the bigger one. I have my 260w XL over just one plant right now and she’s the happiest girl in the world (which is remarkable, she’s being held together by clear packing tape)

The extra light also helps a ton with my little guys. I’m in a 4x4 but the Xl heat sink board is perfect for a 2x4 space

[Tylersays]

You had me at Diablo!! LOL!
Pulled the trigger on the 350R literally seconds ago
Of course I now have to wait till next month to get a new chargepipe/blow off valve for the B but that’s ok - it was supposed to be my birthday present to myself and my mechanic has a 6 week wait to get in anyway. LOL! I understand though, you don’t often find BMW Certified Master Mechanics outside of BMW stealerships who don’t charge BMW prices, so I can wait to save probably the entire cost of the chargepipe TWICE over for labor charges. Plus J is a really cool guy!!

I haven’t felt this giddy since I ordered the initial set-up or got the T6 installed and watched the negative pressure suck in my tent walls for the first time!!

Saved $50 with the current sale they got going on. The reviews on the site are all VERY positive and I can’t wait to get my greedy little paws on this beast!!

THANKS so much for all your input and help in making my decision @dbrn32 and @Graysin !!
I’ll be honest d, I don’t see how you have time to grow with the constant barrage of questions you receive on the site concerning lighting.
Again, thanks to you 2 for taking the time to help a boob! I mean noob…LOL!

@Syndrix I guess it’s the diodes they use? Because I would, ANYONE(without the knowledge) would assume more boards is better. The way it reads I’m pretty sure these diodes were forged in the fires of Olympus by Mars himself! I think this is a pre-built light vrs a kit. I’m a little disappointed that the driver isn’t a Meanwell, but I would assume HLG has deemed it adequate for their lights, otherwise they wouldn’t use them. And it could probably be upgraded I’m sure, even though there was no option from the factory to do so.
As Americans we’re more or less taught “bigger is better”. That’s how inferior VHS overtook Beta back in the magnetic tape dragging caveman tech days!
And I assume the Big Mac over the Whopper, although I’m not eating either of those nasty things!! I’m going to Five Guys where the burgers said MOO when they were living and weren’t hopping by @anon33684698 's window on a regular basis! LOL! (Told you I’d shout you out!! DON’T think at all that I know what I’m doing!! And I saw “Welcome To Woop Woop” back in the day! “Dog Food”…yeah, right! LOL!)

And I hear you on LST!! It is great fun!! I’m about 50% positive that my next grow will be 100% 1- G13 scrogged across that entire footprint. I want to make sure I maximize those beans to their fullest! And I’m good with taking the extra time it requires. If it’s growing healthy and well it shouldn’t take THAT much longer.

Got a busy day ahead but I plan on getting the ladies out this evening and doing some trimming and will hopefully get the frame built or at least started on it. I might make mine 20" tall just to accommodate the size of my ladies already and my pots. I might not though due to size limitations of the tent and the extra girth of the 6" exhaust. I really don’t want to blow through the filter, I’d rather pull through it, seems more efficient that way.
I was reading a post last night about GDP and the poster was advised GDP didn’t stretch that much during bloom. Then as his pics and grow progressed I watched them add another 1-2 ft ABOVE the scrog!! If that’s “not that much” what’s considered “a lot”? LOL! I just want to make sure I leave room for any contingency.

Too much stuff to do and too little time to do it!

GREAT NEWS!! While I had to stop typing and go give my cat his insulin shot and snack I got shipping notification from HLG!! WOW!!! I am super impressed!! Hopefully I’ll be installing it in the next few days!

Have a GREAT DAY and Happy Growing Everyone!!

[Graysin]

My (very limited) understanding is the HLG lights actually upgraded to Inventronics from the Meanwells - that’s why the nice pre-builts have the Inventronics and the kits use Meanwell. My Meanwell driver does run rather hot (hence the massive heat sink) on my light kit - I’m considering getting an Inventronics to power a QB288 to have a side-by-side on heat generation between the two.

[Tylersays]

Things that make you go Hmmm…
Not knocking anyone but all you hear is Meanwell, Meanwell, Meanwell so I assumed that was the best.
Although my current Spider Farmers both run Meanwell and many around here think SF is the WORST!! LOL!

What was that thing Jim Carrey did in Ace Ventura?

Thanks for the info and I’m gonna put my trust in HLG.
Kinda already did when I gave them that $500! LOL!
I thought that was peyote in your photo! LOL!

[dbrn32]

Meanwell is thrown out because they are super easy to get, and they are pretty good drivers. Invertronics is considered superior in most cases.

[Tylersays]

Excellent!

*said while doing my best Mr. Burns scowl and finger rolls!

And I just googled and they ship from Tennessee. I’m in VA so it should be a quick trip!

[Low]

I would go for a 350r

Edit
just read that you did… great choice.

[Syndrix]

well now I’m the jelly one with you and your diablo lights lmao

congrats man I’m legit excited for you lol, how the hell does that even work…

Makes me want to get another tent so I can also have more diablo things in my house lol