Automatic Writing
16 August 2022
Toosday’s T’oughts -
As I’m sitting watching the grass grow I have a few automatic thoughts on autos. I’ve noticed they uptake and use nutrients quite differently. Here is just one example:
Notice the leaves on the Black Cream. To me this screams molybdenum and or calcium deficiency- which is very rare during flowering for photo plants in hydro.
If you ever see this in a photo plant it is usually due to low or fluctuating ph values. I can assure you, ph values have been stable the entire grow and both girls are getting the same nutes yet the issue is only appearing on the Black Cream and NOT JLo. This is totally new to me and adding cal/mag makes little if any difference- it’s something at this point I guess I will just have to live with. Unless, any of you have a solution for my nutrient solution.
Current ph is running 5.9 on the Black Cream and 5.86 for JLo.
I’ve also come up with an estimate on yield. We will know in about 4 weeks how close I am.
My estimates are:
For JLo; a lot of flowers but not sure about bud density, I’m gonna say 8-10 oz’s.
For the Black Cream; a lot more branches but buds are not stem to stern like on JLo, but what is there is filling in nicely and the buds are rock hard, so I’m gonna say 10-12 oz’s for her.
Total for the grow: At least a pound for the two in flower alone.
If you have projections on final harvest dried weight PLEASE feel free to share them.
If you were one of the unlucky who read this before editing and were wondering WTF!? I’m posting a note to self: ‘wait awhile after smoking a bowl and pondering before putting fingers to keyboard!’ - lol As my wife would say “That’s the first time I’ve ever done that again!”
it does look like cal/mag deficiency. I am soil, so my results might be different, but my BC’s got cal/mag ever 2-3 waterings (and I use well water with decent Ca to begin with).
Also, while autos like less nutes on the whole, I found the black cream wanted more P/K in flower than the others. Also helped purple them up a little (as will cooler flowering temps)
My BC’s buds weren’t stem to stem, more like candied apples on a stick LOL…
Your harvest looks like it will be a nice one with those two!
Thanks @Nagel420 for the info. VERY helpful
I’ve been using cal/mag on her every 3 watering/feedings Were nearing the end - a bucket flush and refresh is called for to finish up anyway. May as well do that today and try to alleviate the problem. Thanks again
To be quite honest, this grow has been a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. It’s definitely been a change up in my routine and the challenge and mystery have kept me gladly coming back for more.
I had a Small focus on Black Cream - I figured it was JLo’s time for the spotlight. With only about 2.5 weeks left for the grow both autos have exceeded my expectations - but JLo; she’s an exceptionally flowery girl. When she first started she was spindly - and I don’t mean a little, she still is! I wondered just what kind of flower structure I was going to get with this one. The worry and anxiety were all for naught; she’s loaded REALLY REALLY loaded with flowers. So much so that I have had to use more yo-yo’s on her than any one plant I’ve ever grown - and I’ve grown some beasties. 5 yo-yo’s utilizing both hooks. That’s almost ⅓ of the branches that have so many flowers on them that they literally fall over from the weight. Go JLo!
And now they are getting super frosty, even stickier (which I didn’t think was possible) and the smell is amazingly sweet and both floral and fruity. Whichever phenotype she ends up being - high CBD or high THC there is no way I could ever be disappointed. Have a look:
While changing out tubs I broke a tip off of one of JLo’s branches.
Looks like I’ll have a sampler in a few days
Looking her over - you can’t see any difference at all. I’d be hard pressed to know which branch it was … if I didn’t know.
Well this is fortuitous- that’s about 1.5 grams dried. Judging by the size of the bud and the length of branches that means abou 9 grams per branch dried. Scribble, figure, scribble … wow that’s 9X32 (conservative estimate of branches) or about 288 grams dried and cured for the plant. And there’s still a few weeks to go. NEW ESTIMATE for JLo yield is about 10.28 oz’s. Woot!
The problem with autos though is they are still kinda in their infancy. Some will yield nicely (I’ve had a few), and some WILL be pitiful (also had some of them). 288g from a single plant, DRY, would be pretty amazing on an auto, but not unattainable with the right plants. And still, comparing time to harvest, space required, the right autos can produce on par with many photos (you might be able to get two harvests of autos in the time span of 1 harvest of photos, and with smaller plants, you might have 4x the plants, but taking up the same space as 1 photo, etc). People never look at it evenly. "oh an auto will only make 150g, but that photo is supposed to make 300g / sq m, yet they forget the short harvest time of the autos, so two auto harvests in that same 4-5 month period means the same amount of bud really…
Each has their benefits though. You don’t use a Ferrari to move a refrigerator, and you don’t drive 150mph in a truck. I like a mix of the two to be honest. The best of both worlds, a few of these, some of those LOL…
I know there are at least 2.5 weeks to go on the grow but the anticipation and excitement is already rising with the sweet smell and is practically thick enough to cut with a nice at our place.
In the next week I will start removing all leaves that have stems and cleaning up any undergrowth that needs attention. The last 7-10 days the girls will be on ph balanced water and Signal Terpene booster alone - with a final shot of blackstrap for their last meal. Yesterday I accidentally broke off a branch tip on JLo which inspired me to take action along the same vein with the Black Cream. I looked for an ‘average’ branch out of her about 40 and gave it the chop. Both girls are estimated to have the same amount of flowers in length per branch, but as expected the Black Cream is close to 1.75x as dense as JLo’s flowers at this point. The estimate is that each branch will have an average of 6 inches of bud packets per branch. For JLo that equals around 9 grams dried per branch and for the Black Cream 11 grams per branch. Both estimates are for 32 branches - though in reality they both have more.
I cut off one branch of Black Cream for samplers and weight estimate. Row in front is one branch. 24.23 grams wet about 11 grams dry. Current estimates JLo 228 grams Black Cream 352 grams. FYI:Trees is/was a Dispensary in Victoria BC.
JLo is good to go
All the leaves that are going to be removed have been. All wires holding her down have been given the role of now holding her up. Next up today the Black Cream gets her few hours in the barber chair.
May I have your attention please: All riders on the Automatic Writing Magical Mystery Tour. Good news! The candy has arrived! The wrappers a bit tattered but it looks like there just might be enough to go around😍
Next lifetime - when I get my nug smasher mini I’m gonna post a picture of JLo all fattened up and being held by yo-yo’s with a caption of - “She ain’t heavy, she’s my budder!”
The plan is to carry on carrying on for the next week and do a photo and observation update on Week 11 day 1 (August 29, 2022). This will give me a week off and all of you good folks a weeks break from having to look at basically the same images and my rambling. Not to worry though; should anything spectacular or puzzling appear in the next week I’ll be here to share and beg your indulgence for advice.
I’ll see everyone in 8 days - until then my friends I leave you with a parting shot of the Black Cream who even with her freckles and wear (and my fallen hair) is looking quite mouth watering -
sorry. just couldn’t resist one more photo. I don’t think they’ll look much different tomorrow so here’s their Week 10 Day 1 photo a day ahead of time. The comparison shot for week 11 coming up when it arrives
Damn these are beautiful plants!
Prepping for harvest (part two) -
So much for waiting a week; obviously I couldn’t do it. As the grow nears it’s final week I have a few questions for the regular auto-growing group. Both the regular folks who grow autos AND those who grow autos on a regular basis
What do you find is the most productive light schedule for your indoor autos?
Since the grow started; up until a few weeks ago the girls have had the light on 24/7. Starting a few weeks ago I began adding 4 hours of darkness to the light cycle - 20 on 4 off. My thoughts were to help ripen up buds and increase trichomes. As I have no real experience with growing autos I truly have no idea if increasing or adding darkness to the light cycle actually makes a difference.
Harvest date is pretty much set even though I would really like to go a week or so longer for the flowers full potential - I’m gonna be out of town by mid month and part of the harvest is leaving with me.
Do you think adding the darkness will help or hurt? What do you do when you have a set harvest date to insure your flowers are as ready as they can be?
I run autos at 18/6 from start to finish, under the assumption that even plants like a little rest at times (ie no 24x7). Also helps with the electric bill a little.
About all I do for a set harvest date is start flushing just water, no nutes, a week or so before.
Otherwise you plan, pray, hope and beg for the plant, and your harvest day, to be in agreement. 9 times outta 10, the plant is setting the harvest date here, not much you can do to majorly speed up maturity, it is what it is.
Thanks 
