@Maddawg without a doubt JLo is an excellent strain. I like her a lot and man is she a sweetie but for the purpose of this exercise; while she is a great producer and her flowers are truly scrumptious she’s just too spindly to produce much more than 8 oz’s. I figure if the other two are anything like I hope they will be - dank oily dense buds; the Black Cream will not have to pick up much if any slack in the yield.
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3 4 A Kg (Three For a 
)
1 October 2022
I’ve had a few comments regarding the journal title:
3 4 A Kg (Three For a ) even more Automatc Writing
If you find yourself in the befuddled group I hope this text explanation helps:
“I’m not sure I understand what you don’t understand. 
Trying for 1 kilo for 3 plants - aka 3 4 A
Automatic writing is a play on words as I’m writing about autos and automatic writing is doing nothing and letting the spirits move your hands - no work on your part.
Of course I don’t believe in automatic writing but I do believe in automatic writing 
”
Fingers crossed this helps clear up any confusion - automatically!
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So… Act 1: three seeds popped, three healthy sprouts. Not all of us earthlings get that batting average.
Explicate your process Professor. What’s your germination protocol?
-Grouchy
PS, I’m cribbing this dialog for our next BU2BPPP version… 
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@GrouchyOldMan ya know - I really don’t have a magic process.
- I insure seeds stay as fresh as possible by storing them in their original shipping containers, in a paper bag in a large ziplock storage bag and kept in their own special door in the refrigerator crisper.
- I use the plastic baggie and paper towel method and do my best to start germination as close to the new or full moon as possible.
- As long as the paper towel is not too wet or too dry and is in the Goldilocks zone and if sprouted seeds are placed tap root down and lightly covered with starting medium and if I follow these simple steps and guidelines I have amazing success.
Using this method I have had only one … maybe two seeds NOT germinate in over 10 years of indoor growing (and some of those seeds have been 8 years old). The vast majority are ready to go in the starting medium in 36 hours from start of germination.
Lightly covered in the starting medium (jiffy pods) most have their heads above ground within 48 hours of putting the germinated seeds into the net pots.
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Looks like you have things set out great. Some fantastic autos from some of you guys.
Thanks for clearing up the 3 4 a key thing, it makes sense. i kind of misunderstood thinking it could mean £/€/$/3400 for a killo . Being old school im not very good at abrviations.
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I use a similar method and while I’m 100% on germination, I’ve had some issues with getting sprouts started in DWC.
Takin that baby sprout, angling the sometimes weird tap root, setting up in bubble buckets…I haven’t lost one but I’ve definitely stunted a few and I feel like the time really matters when dealing with autoflowers.
My workflow:
- dampen half of a small paper towel, fold in a bean, place in glass tupperware thing, leave in dark warm closet. wait 36 hours
- while waiting prep hydro bucket with super super super light nute solution, set up in tent with air stone running and everything
- dampen 1.5" rockwool cube, place on lite layer of hydroton in 4" netcup, drop in bubble bucket.
- take a look in that warm closet and find a nice sprout, drop that sprout in the damp rockwool cube, surround cube with hydroton, top over with plastic dome.
it’s really step 4 where I’ve had trouble getting the sprout to seat well. Just be more careful? Let me know if I’m missing any tricks, still a newbie 
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Well there ya go, and I thought you cant top or heavily prune autos, this will be an education @BU2B.
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@logangrowgan2020
Your process sounds very much like what I do with the exception of the rock wool; I’ve always used jiffy pods.
As long as the tap root is facing downward the plant WILL right itself as needed. They’ve been doing it for some time without our assistance.
The only suggestion I have is maybe next time give the expandable jiffy pods a try as you can lightly cover the germinated seeds with soil.
Best wishes in your future
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@Jango ahh… I think that’s still true. However the method I use you only top the plant one time, everything else is LST to establish plant structure. The only real exception from the accepted norm is that I top my plants as soon as is possible - about the time common knowledge says Autos are entering their first growth spurt (around week 2) 
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Following with interest mate,should be quit a show:+1:
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3 4 A Kg (Three For a ) even more Automatic Writing
2 October 2022
24 Hours with their heads above the soil.
Ph per tub ranges between 5.8 - 6.0
Tent environment - Humidity 32% Temp 86°f
All plants received the following in their tubs:
3 ml Flora Trio Micro
3 ml Flora Trio Gro
3 ml Flora Trio Bloom
15 ml Hydroguard
Everyone is pretty much upright at this point and net pots have been rotated to the plants growth pattern.
These baby pictures are about 30 minutes old - the next planned grow update will be on day 8 (Week 2 Day 1; Saturday 8 October)
Until the next time … stay Happy, Healthy & High
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So what’s your schedule for Hydroguard?
Every feeding? Or, “As Needed?” “Preventative,” or “Reactive?”
I use it, but I don’t think I understand it…
Illuminate, elucidate, or otherwise enlighten us please,
Respectfully Submitted,
-Grouchy
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@GrouchyOldMan
I use Hydroguard every time ANY liquid is added to the tubs. I would have to say for me it’s definitely preventative.
Growing in DWC Hydro in the desert in a poor man’s home with only evaporative cooling adjustments have to be made.
I’ve experienced root rot and root issues in the past and have no desire to revisit the experience if at all possible. I’ve found two things specifically will allow DWC hydro users to grow outside of the accepted normal range of temperatures; excellent aeration and Hydroguard.
If growing in Hydro in warm temps you want as much O2 to the roots as possible as long as it’s not damaging your roots. This alone can allow Hydro growers an extended high temperature in their tubs in the mid to high 70’s. 80’s for only short periods of time.
Enzymatic additives like Hydroguard contribute live cultures to you water or other growing medium. I think of it as plant yogurt. It adds the ability for the plant to benefit from not only the nutrients in a more well balanced way, but also any decay from damaged roots don’t become root issues they instead become root food as the cultures eat the bad roots and transform it into food.
I really have no problem going over and above label amounts when adding Hydroguard from time to time, but I never add less than the recommended dosage.
Just my two cents my friend, which we all know isn’t worth Jack Sh!t but costs 2.6 cents to make!
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I’m adding a bit of an update to my comment/reply
3 October 2022
The way I look at it (from the top and a little to the left) until your plants are actually above the ground (so to speak) they are sprouts - not until the seed cap has been dropped off and the cotyledon appear is the plant really a seedling. Even though seedling development begins at germination. I tend to think in terms of embryo vs child so I have always counted the start of the grow once sprouting/cotyledon are above the ground. It’s a baby when it’s hatched NOT when it’s attached to the uterus. e.g., fried eggs vs baby chicks in my book. I wouldn’t worry too much about stunting growth until after it’s up. Do what you can but I don’t see much evidence pointing to a healthier baby that was born at exactly 9 months vs one born at 9 months and 1 week.
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Plant Yogurt! Ok, got it.
A quick followup if I may. A friend suggested this Hydroguard lookalike product and I wondered if you have used it. It claims to have many more colonies per ml than HG and is significantly less expensive. Dosage is 5ml/gallon rather than 15.
You can see the specs on the label.
I’ve used it and it certainly doesn’t seem to do any harm.
-Grouchy
PS, sitting on the edge of my seat for the next couple of updates!
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@GrouchyOldMan I haven’t used the product but I really have no reason for choosing Dannon over Yoplait other than force of habit. It’s the cultures not the the brand name that are important. 
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Thanks Boss, that confirms what @MrWizard noticed, exact same culture in both products.
-Grouchy
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3 4 A Kg (Three For a ) even more Automatic Writing
5 October 2022
Automatic Rambling -
While the girls are getting themselves rooted and settled in for the ride and since I know this question is going to come up at some point I figured I may as well address it now. PH.
More and more people are switching to or trying out Hydroponic growing all the time. Some will stick with it but most will find it a bit tedious with too many things that can go wrong quickly. While it is true that growing in hydro can be best suited to control freaks, it can also be relatively simple once you learn the new system. What’s more amazing is the number of people that would never grow in hydro that are now growing using some sort of auto-pot systems that leads them to have to deal with issues that in the past were Hydro grow only issues; Namely PH.
First and foremost I want to say from the get go that a cure all with immediate results even though often short term is FLUSH YOUR TUBS AND START FROM SCRATCH! PH issues solved! New tub of water/nutrients and balanced ph for your set up.
However; and this is the big one that leaves most people throwing in the towel on hydro, there are times when a long term fix and solution not just a bandaid would really be best. For those times - THIS IS THE BEST PH CHART I’ve EVER come across. I don’t know how old it is and I don’t have the referred to notes but it is a keeper. Thanks to our friends at 420Magazine for this one -
If you find you have a meter that you need to convert the output from:(i.e.; one whose output shows ppm only)
How do I convert between TDS and EC readings? To obtain an approximate sodium chloride TDS value, multiply the EC reading (in milliSiemens/cm) by 1000 and divide by 2. To get an EC value, multiply the ppm reading by 2 and divide by 1000.
Ppm calculations provided by generalhydrponics
If you’ve had questions about maintaining a steady PH level I hope the info helps
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I put this suggestion to work yesterday on one of my micro octopots when I discovered the pH had gotten away from me! Since these pots have a one gallon reservoir, the fix was quick and easy and this morning that plant looks happy again.
That was a good wake up call to increase my pH monitoring and I’m wondering what the best tool for that job is and just how diligent I need to be.
I’m currently testing using drops and GH Up & Down for corrections. I clearly need a better measuring tool but the wide selection of pH pens is daunting. Do you have a specific recommendation?
How quickly do pH shifts happen? Should I be checking more than once a day to keep up on it?
I don’t mean to belabor the issue on your excellent thread, but a few more words on the subject would be helpful.
-Grouchy
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3 4 A Kg (Three for a ) even more Automatic Writing
8 October 2022 - Day 8 (Week 2 Day 1)
The girls are officially one week old today. They’re doing; but not nearly as well as I’d like them to be.
The first with a tail and the first up out of ground was Double Grape.
She has several roots popping out of the net pot.
Next up is Scarlet Runtz. I think as my wife put it - she’s trying to be an over achiever! Of all three of the girls she is doing the best so far. With several roots coming out of the net pot her above ground development is the best of the three at this point.
Last out of the gate (and I worry about her) is the Black Cream. She germinated last, had her head above ground last and has yet to have even one root sticking out of the net pot. NOT a good sign after 7 days. To be on the safe side I started germination of my last Black Cream seed yesterday.
And that’s all I have to say about that. Phhhht!
This coming week should see the girls taking off a bit. Roots for 2 out 3 are well established and the third is getting there with a backup waiting in the wings.
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