First Grow

[MLD]

Hello Everyone,

I am about to start my first grow and would like some advice on the initial part of my plan. I have researched extensively and thought I was ready. As soon as my seeds arrived, I began to feel overwhelmed - want to make sure I don't screw it up.

My plan is to grow 4 autos indoors and 1 auto outdoors. My tent won't arrive for another week, but I plan to germinate 1 seed and prepare the coco on Monday for the outdoor grow.

Plan:

- soak seed in water from my dehumidifier for 24hrs in the dark
- plant seed into small rockwool in a seedling tray with cover OR plant seed into coco in half a toilet roll cube and put into seedling tray. Which is better?
I will soak either one of these mothods with tap water and Formulex (formulex is designed for seedlings)
- Once first set of leaves sprout, I will place them under 3 x 23w CFL lights indoors
- I will use tap water with Formulex as folier spray
- When there are 3 sets of real leaves I will transplant into my 5 Gallon Fabric pot and continue using CFL
- Roughly 2 weeks from germinating I will place the plant outdoors

My concern is that putting the plant outside to early will result in it being damaged from heavy rain (usually predictable in the late afternoon - I'm in the tropics). I can't always be home to rush the plant inside if it rains. Once the plant is stronger and I put it outside, I will create a sort of runoff tent from the stem to the rim of the pot to cut down on rain water entering the pot.

I will be using coco perlite 60/40 ratio. As my coco is not from a reputable source I will wash it before buffering. To buffer I plan to use Cal mag and silicon. Should I also add 1/4 nute strength to buffer it, or add this post buffer and flushing?

If I do use the coco in a toilet roll instead of rockwool for germinating, should it also be buffered? Should it be soaked with my coco nutrients, and/or additives on top of my formulex?

Please let me know if I got any of the steps wrong or if there are steps I should add

I also have the option of using my bestva 1500w for germinating instead of the CFLs.... But I will need that room to be free of the light within a week to setup the tent

 

[MLD]

I'm not seeing an option to edit the post:

I will place the seedling tray under the cfl once the head pops, not when the first set of leaves emerge.

 

[pongster]

Hello Everyone,

I am about to start my first grow and would like some advice on the initial part of my plan. I have researched extensively and thought I was ready. As soon as my seeds arrived, I began to feel overwhelmed - want to make sure I don't screw it up.

My plan is to grow 4 autos indoors and 1 auto outdoors. My tent won't arrive for another week, but I plan to germinate 1 seed and prepare the coco on Monday for the outdoor grow.

Plan:

- soak seed in water from my dehumidifier for 24hrs in the dark
- plant seed into small rockwool in a seedling tray with cover OR plant seed into coco in half a toilet roll cube and put into seedling tray. Which is better?
I will soak either one of these mothods with tap water and Formulex (formulex is designed for seedlings)
- Once first set of leaves sprout, I will place them under 3 x 23w CFL lights indoors
- I will use tap water with Formulex as folier spray
- When there are 3 sets of real leaves I will transplant into my 5 Gallon Fabric pot and continue using CFL
- Roughly 2 weeks from germinating I will place the plant outdoors

My concern is that putting the plant outside to early will result in it being damaged from heavy rain (usually predictable in the late afternoon - I'm in the tropics). I can't always be home to rush the plant inside if it rains. Once the plant is stronger and I put it outside, I will create a sort of runoff tent from the stem to the rim of the pot to cut down on rain water entering the pot.

I will be using coco perlite 60/40 ratio. As my coco is not from a reputable source I will wash it before buffering. To buffer I plan to use Cal mag and silicon. Should I also add 1/4 nute strength to buffer it, or add this post buffer and flushing?

If I do use the coco in a toilet roll instead of rockwool for germinating, should it also be buffered? Should it be soaked with my coco nutrients, and/or additives on top of my formulex?

Please let me know if I got any of the steps wrong or if there are steps I should add

I also have the option of using my bestva 1500w for germinating instead of the CFLs.... But I will need that room to be free of the light within a week to setup the tent

hey brother, best of luck in your new grow!
i'm also in my first coco grow, can tell you some hints:
- you only need tap water to make seeds sprout. no additional brawndo.

- once the seed sprouts, go directly to coco... full coco, no perlite, not even at the bottom (big mistake from my side)

- wet your coco without seedlings with low dose... i used h&g cocos a+b, Grotek calmax and H&G drip clean. small dose. you can see in my diary. then put the seed in the coco. use an ec meter. for the first weeks i used 1 ml/L of Cocos A, B and 0.1 ml/L drip clean, and 0.3 ml/L calmax. The lowest strength i used is 1 EC. Currently i'm up at 1.28 EC.

- when watering the coco for seed emerging, use the same strength feed water.

- no need for foliar spray, until your plants are mature enough for foliar fertilizing or pest control. on young plants, no need at all. in fact it could harm more.

- from a small cup or toilet roll to 5 gal is too much for coco. go step by step. i go from burger king cups to 1 gal (3.5 lts) pot to 3 gal pot (10 lts).

then go step by step! take it easy and smoke a bowl, they say "KISS" (keep it simple stoner!)

best regards and best of luck!!!!!!

 

[aridbud]

Diluted (1/2-1/3)bloom nutes once your autos show sex....every 3 waterings. Then every 2 waterings as they bloom bloom. NEWBIE MISTAKES ON AUTOS: Over-water, over fertilize.

I know a lot of folks add 3-5 extra fertilizers (over kill, and gnarly chemicals....yuck)...your plant will tell you if she's happy or not. Good luck!

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Since they're Autos, I'd only transplant once and way before lots of roots. But I've done it 3 times. Lol. Bit of a shock but...

I want to make sure I don't screw up

Take it like a champ. Fight back. Investigate failures. Don't just deep six the plant.

Good luck. We're rooting for you and don't forget...

 

[MLD]

Thanks for the input everyone.

Originally I did plan to transplant into solo cups, into 1 Gallon pots, and later into my 5 Gallon pots. I understand that it is doable even with autos, but I also see people strongly recommending not to transplant with autos. So for my first grow I have decided to go straight from the toilet rolls into the 5 Gallon pots.

I know I don't need more than just tap water to germinate the seedlings. I have Nitrozyme on the way, which can be used to soak the seed for the first 24hrs. Tests show it to help a lot in growth later. I also have Formulex on the way, and this is designed to be used with seedlings until they are ready for base nutrients. Both of these products are from Growth Technology. I will be using it at 1/4 strength to be safe.

Airbud, I do see many people advocating bloom for autos. I have Coco Bloom and Coco Grow plus OK Boost on the way. Nitrozyme and Cal Mag are the only two additives I will use veg stage onwards. Should I not use coco grow with autos? I do understand that these autos should flip to flowering pretty quick, and then I would be using bloom the rest of the way. Also, in the coco growing threads I have read that I can't over water in coco perlite, and that I should water often always with the same EC levels (slowly increasing EC throughout the plants life). Your advice seems conflicting Am I missing something?

 

[MLD]

My seeds are Pinneaple Express auto femenized... Low chance of any being male but I do know it may happen

 

[pongster]

Thanks for the input everyone.

Originally I did plan to transplant into solo cups, into 1 Gallon pots, and later into my 5 Gallon pots. I understand that it is doable even with autos, but I also see people strongly recommending not to transplant with autos. So for my first grow I have decided to go straight from the toilet rolls into the 5 Gallon pots.

I know I don't need more than just tap water to germinate the seedlings. I have Nitrozyme on the way, which can be used to soak the seed for the first 24hrs. Tests show it to help a lot in growth later. I also have Formulex on the way, and this is designed to be used with seedlings until they are ready for base nutrients. Both of these products are from Growth Technology. I will be using it at 1/4 strength to be safe.

Airbud, I do see many people advocating bloom for autos. I have Coco Bloom and Coco Grow plus OK Boost on the way. Nitrozyme and Cal Mag are the only two additives I will use veg stage onwards. Should I not use coco grow with autos? I do understand that these autos should flip to flowering pretty quick, and then I would be using bloom the rest of the way. Also, in the coco growing threads I have read that I can't over water in coco perlite, and that I should water often always with the same EC levels (slowly increasing EC throughout the plants life). Your advice seems conflicting Am I missing something?

hello friend,
it is very understandable the approach of autos on the final pot. The thing is that with coco, as i understand, you need to keep it moist. All of it. 5 gal of coco without roots is very tough to keep moist, without it going dry in some places and spiking the EC (especially the surface if irrigation is too deep, or the bottom if your irrigation is insufficient). Then your roots will reach a barren land with pH-EC issues.

i think (i have a couple of autos/seedlings currently in coco, and will do this) one could progressively transplant autos without issues just being ahead of your game and anticipating rootbound. I've read somewhere that when autos feel rootbound they start to flower, so by this approach you/me are playing with a warm fire.

even so, if you get rootbound in 1 gal pots, you just need to increase your feeds or setup some blumats. On the other hand, battling against EC and pH on 5 gal of coco is a very tough fight and likely one that is going to be lost. (my final pot for these autos will be 1 gal, then blumat).

that is why i said it was too much for coco, not for autos. different if the idea is pop in coco and go to soil afterwards.

best wishes in your new grow! post a diary eh!

 

[MLD]

@pongster, I read the entire hand watering thread started by Bonecarver and he also recommends transplanting up even with autos. I've been back and forth on what I should do. I realize a 5 Gallon pot will require a lot of water to achieve runoff - meaning a lot of wasted nutrients. I think you have me sold. I will transplant up step by step.

You think 5 Gallon is to large as a final pot? I'm thinking seedling to half Gallon to 5 Gallon...

 

[MLD]

I have 5x25w CFL lights to get the outdoor plant started and strong before it is moved outdoors. Will all 5 be overkill for a seedling?

I will start a grow diary/journal on Monday when I begin. For now I have put tap water in a bucket to let the chlorine evaporate

 

[DeathHouse]

Good luck!

 

[Flying Monkey]

GO for it fella. You got too break a few eggs to make an omlette.