Whats up everyone, this is my first grow. I looked a lot online, and did a whole bunch of research, especially on this strain of Cannabis. I decided to go with white widow autoflower because from what I see its pretty easy to grow. I am using 50% Fox Farm Ocean Forest Mix on the bottom, and 50% happy frog on top. I read a lot of posts about it being to hot, and with the nearest hydroponic store 2 hours away, I said heck with the lime and Perlite. Also, I read a lot about germination, and i wanted to do this as cheap as possible, but get the best yields, so i didn’t go cheap on everything. I ordered my seeds, and they sent me 2 extras, so I went ahead, and germinated 3. I did this differently, and if it don’t workout then that’s okay, no big lossd. But I soaked the seeds for 14 hours in room temperature water with around 7 Ph. Then i soaked for about 6 hours with 70-75 degree water, then put them straight into 7 gallon containers since they are autoflower, and are sensitive to stress. I then squirted about half a cup of water around each of the 3 seeds, and some on it, without soaking it. My grow tent will be here this week, but i had some Reflectix laying around the house, and i tacked it up around a decent size bathroom closet, and set up the grow light. I buried the seeds about a knuckle deep. Less then 1/2" deep. I put the grow light about 4 inches above them for now to see how the humidity and heat will do just using a 600W WAKYME LED light set up. (cheap and only 150W i’m sure). I will attach pictures from a different device in few so everyone can see the set up. I appreciate all advice. I have sensi grow part A & B, but i dont think ill need it since i went with fox farm soil, if i do someone please let me know if it helps. i also am using the Fox Farm Trio. I am using someone else’s schedule for nutrient feeding, but if anyone has any input please let me know. Im going to be patient during this grow, and if all goes will, i plan on starting another 4 right after. Im sure ill make mistakes, but autoflower white widow is forgiving, so hopefully with the community i can get this thing right!
Welcome to the ILGM… Sounds like you have a good plan and good luck with your grow. Not sure if you have it but here is FF schedule also.
Welcome to ILGM! Off to a good start.
Please remove the link to a competors seed bank, only post links from approved vendors (refer to rules), I have flagged it for a mod Incase your unable to get to it in a timely fashion.
Welcome to iglm and thus the community.
Good choice on the strain to start, I’m also a fox farms soil grower, good ratio and glad you didn’t go with straight FFOF.
Did you add a plug of happy frog to the center all the way to the bottom of the pot? If so do that next time it will allow the tap root to grow all the way down faster, as now it will stop at the ocean forest and then slowly grow into the hotter soil.
Did you add perlite to both soils? If not make sure you pre mix them with more perlite, it should be about 30% Perlitre.
Look into Mykos, they are beneficial fungi that help roots and you mix it in your soil as well.
My first recommendation you can do right now is get clear plastic domes (make them or buy them) so you can dome the seedlings to keep humidity in, you want very high humidity in vegitative growth, 4 weeks roughly. Remeber your first 4 weeks are very important to keep environmental controls as close to ideal as possible because autos have a limited grow time.
Here is a temp/humidity range table you can flow, know as VPD.
You will need a TDS meter, sounds like you have a PH meter already so make sure your watering 6.5 ph water for now.
Around week 6 from sprout you will nedd to give bloom nutrients and possibly cal mag, I have heard some new AN now have cal mag but you will have to confirm that.
You’ll want to follow AB ppm ranges not fox farms scedule, sorry @Oldtimer69 he’s in fox farms soil but not fox farms nutes =p still love you buddy lol.
Keep your Temps nice and in range and that will buy you some time.
Do you have all the other gear coming to go in the tent?
Plan on buying or building a new light, you’ll need more lighting within a month and an HLG 260w would work well
Sweet, I AM using Fox Farm Trio. I don’t think ill give the seedling any big bloom, as i think the soil is hot enough with nutes for the first 3 weeks i believe is what i read? Let me know if thats wrong
I fixed the post! My bad, i didn’t even realize. So, i did not add the plug all the way to the bottom. i did do 50/50 but i poured my fox farm on the bottom, and then my happy frog on top, and i mixed the happy frog up with the Fox Farm, not the whole pot, but mainly around the middle. It wont be all Happy frog, but some. I did NOT add perlite. I read a lot of places that you should, but the nearest place to buy it was 2 hours away, and for my first grow i just wanted to see if i could place directly into Happy frog and sprout. I know these autos are pretty tough, and can handle a wide range of temperatures and torture from first time growers lol. Ill also check out the mykos, and ill look into the domes today, and see what i can find out about making my own. I think i want to go ahead and order cal mag anyways, ive read a lot of good about it. If they sprout that will be on my order list. As for the lighting, ill look into the HLG 260w, but i can get a 15% discount on HORTILUX lights.They are expensive, but i think i like them. I will keep you all posted, my new tent will be here tuesday, my iPower speed adjustable exhaust will be here today, and by Wednesday i will have the new grow set up, full exhaust system, and carbon filiter.
Here is everything as of right now, its not getting to hot. this light is a wakyme, should i turn both veg and bloom on as i have seen some people do with theirs, or should i just run veg?
Id put clear domes over them I just use plastic cups but you could use plastic soda bottles or anything light with get through its just going to hold moisture in and just mist them In There. they don’t need much this early in life. Definitely don’t add any nutes this early they should be good for about 3 weeks or so. You want the RH 65% or higher when you do remove the domes for the veg period.
Welcome to I❤️GM ! Good luck with your grow! I’m set to watch✌🏻
@Oldtimer69 I wish I could say I was stoned when I read this but I must have just been tired, good catch my bad I stand corrected kind sir.
Did you steal my chart? Lol kidding it’s a community chart
@DubV24 thanks for the detailed reply sometimes it’s hard to get those from new growers. Your grow will go good, I’m just offering the Perlitre, the mkyos and the plug suggestions on how to improve your grow if you hadn’t already done them as they will increase growth and thus yeild. If you want me to go into detail on these let me know I will be happy to explain.
Keep your bloom switch Off, you want more blues this will alter the morphology of the plant in a favourable manner. If you want to learn about lighting YouTube Apoge instruments, Bruce bugbee has a new video out on cannabis that helps with some basics.
We abbreviate fox farms happy frog as FFHP & fox farms ocean forest as FFOF Incase you were unaware as they are both fox farms. Considering you didn’t use perlite it sounds like you did a good job so I’m sure plants will grow good.
Perlite is VERY light and cheap so don’t be afraid to order it on Amazon or when your order something else because it costs next to nothing to ship and you should be able to find it ant any hardware store or garden center locally.
Get creative with your domes, my first were distilled water jugs cut 1/4 off the bottom (they were clear)
Your going to want to look into a Inkbird Humidity & Temperature controller this will help keep your environment much more controlled, it kicks the fan and humidifier /dehumidifier on when Temps or humidity hits a range it can also control a heating or cooling item if you need heat or cooling in your grow room. By far one of the best things I recommend for new growers and it took me a year before I bought one now I own two.
Cannabis and white widow will survive alot of torture and temp swings but if you want your grow to be good and not have a tiny plant or a plant that doesn’t produce much you need to keep within the VPD chart. If plants get to cold the sugars in them get thick and they don’t grow if they get to hot they can’t transpire properly so they get all stressed and they grow slow.
Room temperature with according humidity is the minimal to have a successful grow.
I would recommend printing that VPD chart and taping it to your grow room door or something similar, do your best to stay as close to ideal as possible it will pay off.
You won’t have to feed nutrients until late into bloom if at all considering your soil, the fact they are autos (less hungry) and that your in 7gallon pots. My suggestion when they get larger and you start the flood and dry water cycle, is to not water 20% run off like you hear so many do because your not feeding salt nutrients. Keep the nutrients in your pots by watering until the run off just starts then leave them be, although it takes a couple times of soaking for the soil to absorb all the mosture so the pots will be heavy. Start reading your run off and watching it closely by week 6 but I suspect you’ll go to week 8 from seed without needing any nutrients.
What size of grow tent did you order?
The HORTILUX only has 2 LED’s and they are pricey. Even with your 15% discount one of those 1000$ LED’s would be a more expensive compared to a 4x4 (4plant) lighting solution by HLG. I recommend the 260w because I figured you could start with one (putting 2 under it and using your current light on the other plant) and get another if and when you could afford it for a 4 plant system a 3 plant light is a bit meh you could run a 320xl but again it depends on future plans and tent size. I have a 320xl in my 4x2 and while you can do 3 plants 2 is ideal, with 7gallon pots a 320xl will be a struggle to get them under the light. In my 3x3 I have lights for a 4x4 at 240w (different brand but hlg similar)
LED’s are the way you want to go, CMH, MH, HPS is not very efficient costing alot in power and producing alot in heat. Also studies have shown that LED’s produce more cabanoids and higher thc levels than these older technologies of lighting.
Okay ill definitely do that tomorrow. i appreciate you old timer! i will have my tent tomorrow, and my iPower exhaust. I’m hoping I see some progress tomorrow. Its 30 hours now since i have planted and so far i haven’t seen anything pop up. I don’t have a humidifier, i will be getting one here really soon, but i used a vapor machine, and my grow room is by my shower in a closet with moisture seal, so both of those will raise my humidity super fast. Right now i am running a little hotter, 77 degrees, and 45-55% humidity. Hopefully tomorrow has some progress!
Put some clear domes over them that will help keep the moisture in. They don’t need much in the beginning, spray the inside of the dome keep it wet
I think i will do Perlite next time for sure, and im for sure going to make the core FFHP. I have some ideas for the domes, something simple. I am definitely going to upgrade in the future with everything. I’m definitely going to check out those youtubes, and print that VPD chart off for sure. & sweet, i didn’t think i would have to do much nutes until after week 3, so if it makes it to week 6 that would be great. My tent is a 2 foot deep by 4 foot wide, by 6 foot tall. It honestly might be a little to small, if so ill just order a bigger one. This grow room i made works just as well for the moment. As for the lights, i get what you mean. I am definitely going to go HLG, did some research, and my supplier carries them. I was only originally going to do 2 plants, but i just went with 3. If these make it thru germination ill order the light this coming week. Ill be putting new pics up, and ill be making a detailed journal day by day. Hope you guys hangout thru it all. Sorry if i didnt cover everything you said i just had surgery and i wanted to make sure i responded. Thanks nicky
just put some clear storage containers over them for now. Making a trip to the garden center tomorrow haha. Have not put much water at all. Just poking holes in a water bottle with a tac and spraying them all very lightly
Yea it doesn’t have to be fancy. I’ve seen 20oz drink bottles, milky white plastic cups, Mason jars just something light can get through and hold moisture in there. You’re good on nutes for at least 3 weeks, and it doesn’t take alot of light right now either so relax and you’ll do fine​:+1:
You did a great response man, sorry to hear about surgery I hope you heal well and we’re better than before. I have a CT scan Friday and then getting ready for lung biopsy lol… Not from smoking I have a genetic thing or a really rare infection that I’ve had for my whole life we will see…
I just wanted to add a tid bit of advice, while they are small water in a circle just outside the plant leaf area. This causes the roots to search for thst water and stretches them, it’s all these little things we do that adds up to bigger stronger plants to pack on bigger buds.
I’m set to watching. You can follow mine if you want it’s “Two little monster autos”
Ok ill remember that. I woke up early this morning, nothing yet with the plants. Don’t see no seed shell popping out of the soil that i can see, 48 hours since planted as of 5pm. After 72 hours i’ll start worrying.