Isolating variables. (Engineer as well so my mind can find so many variables — light distance, time, and intensity, water, nutrients, pot size, humidity, temp, etc)
Makes sense. I’ll let this dial in a bit and try to change small things in general.
Took it down to 40% for the time and am (as always) going to see what the plants say! Still seems plenty bright in there!
Letting them go dry so the roots stretch out in their new homes — but not toooo dry — just a little. Then they’ll get more normal water — but again — letting them talk! (And listening to yall)
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These mostly aren’t getting any extra nutrients. They’re in a fairly heavily amended soilless (soil) — BuildASoil 3.0 and also their light mix. Two are in Mother Earth Groundswell and those I imagine are going to need some more feeding — haven’t decided on a nutrient line yet.
The Build A Soil pots though I plan to top dress before/right after flowering and also have some BuildAVeg and Big Six to add to the water. Also some Rootwise Microbe Complete here and there — twas the plan. Otherwise distilled water.
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It’s a morning! It’s going to be a long day but at least it’s off to a decent start.
Still waiting for signs of life from the Frankenstein seed I sowed and the three Do Me Fast autos that had their germinated (wet paper towel) seeds sown. All very recent so not concerned. Much. Yet.
Otherwise gave things a small drink. Filling there measuring cup to 100mL at a time to make my watering choices mindful and slow.
After a conversation here yesterday the lights are much much lower. (40%) Temps were solid while I slept at 72F and 60RH.
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Lights are down to 30% — definitely immediately noticing the water isn’t drying up as quick (go figure). Letting things cruise.
Still waiting for signs of life on the Do Me Fasts, and the Frankenstein. I think they’ll all pull though — but I’m kicking myself for not starting them in solo cups or rockwool.
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From 80% to 30% I’d expect slower drying of the soil. Within a week you should see increased vigor.
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A sign of life in one of the autos! Everything else is at cruising speed and I’m just leaving it alone.
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Things got a little water.
Stepping away from the tent.
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A little more water — with a few things in it.
Rootwise Microbe Complete, Build A Soil BuildAVeg, Build A Soil Big Six, and some Saponins from a Quillaja Extract 20.
A picture:
I feel like I went a little too much on the water with the seedlings but am just going to let it ride out — I’ll be gone tonight so won’t see them again until tomorrow evening.
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Stopped in briefly on this grow today. Watered a little and also started a rescue operation on a Frankenstein seed — I’m hopeful. It didn’t do much the way I sowed it and now is soaking for 24 before going into a field capacity solo cup or possibly a paper towel germination — then solo cup. Thinking now the later as I write this out. I guess I’ll see if it pops anything in the water.
Again used Build A Soil (BaS) Big Six, Rootwise Microbe Complete, BaS BuildAVeg, and some of the Quillaja Extract 20 with todays watering. The flowering Maui plant got a drink of the same — I don’t think I’d normally add the BuildAVeg for a flowering plant as it’s more N heavy but I wanted the Saponin to get in there and it wasn’t too much. Nice and foamy! Forgot to take pictures of anything but the Frankenstein seed in a cup.
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Rootwise and big6 are now in your medium. No need to use again. Maybe reintroduce RW in a month.
Grow on
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I always use a bit under recommended amounts as well — so a weak dose.
BuildASoil has a feeding schedule here ( https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0248/9641/files/BuildASoil_Schedule_-_2022.pdf ) where they recommend Big Six straight through until the very end, and the Rootwise Microbe Complete until flower.
I recognize that this very well might not be needed. I’m sure, even though I like BuildASoil as a local to me Colorado company — that they are motivated to sell their nutrients and they sell more when they get used often. I’ll just give them water the next few rounds :). I am aiming for small changes with the low amounts of this stuff — really still just paying attention to my plants and trying to learn as I go!
I’ll admit I have some more products coming to help tailor things along the way here and there (all BuildASoil stuff — not loyal to them but it’s where I ended up starting out):
-Coconut Water Powder
-Horticultural Aloe Vera Powder
-BuildABloom
-Craft Blend (to reamend pots after this run and reuse the soil)
Home to my plants today and happy to be back with them — working away from home/garden is rough sometimes!
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One thing i’d mention, once they start to get established, water a few times away from the stem. Like in a ring around the perimeter, to encourage roots out to the edges.
These are looking great for a first run man- wishing you all the best. For better or worse though- you’re in the right place for the expedition you’re undertaking 
Ps- in the future - a little stretch (or even a lot) can just be buried- when you transplant, just dig the hole as deep as you need so what you want to see is above the soil. More roots usually pop out of what you bury, so no harm no foul
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Thank you!
Yeah, I definitely buried some of the stretch — maybe even a little too much, lol.
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Updates!
The Frankenstein seed soaked for almost 24hrs and now is hopefully germinating between a few wet paper towels, in a tupperware with a loose lid, in a sprouter, in a dark closet 12/12 as I grow mushrooms on a shelf in there. Hopefully I can get it in a solo cup within a few days!
All three of the autos (Do Me Fast from our own Johnny Potseed) have sprouted up as well. They were pretty dry alongside a few others so I gave things a drink. Just plain distilled water. Before and after watering pictures here. Just one snap after they got a drink.
Going to pick them up tomorrow and move them and start getting in the habit of lifting them before and after watering.
Refilled the humidifier and set it to 55RH. Leaving it alone until tomorrow or day after.
Frankenstein’s empty pot is just chilling in the corner dry.
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Frank is still just looking very seed like — it’s only been a day.
Everything else seems to be getting around to node four / five-ish with the exception of the three new autos.
Letting them all dry out for this light cycle. Most seemed to still have a bit to drink up in any case.
I’m going to number them tonight to help keep track of things.
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Still need to number things. If for no other reason than to keep track in a journal :).
The real topic of the day for me has been watering. Over. Under. Unsure. Also lighting — over? Under? (Unsure) … and temperature!
I saw some droopage yesterday. Just a few of the plants but the leaves were…droopy. The stems of the fan leaves also seemed to be sagging down, like they were weak at the knees.
I immediately went to watering issues in my mind. The light isn’t very intense right now, less than 40% of a 400W LED — and it’s also not super close, at least a few feet away (3ish ft away). Not to say that isn’t a powerful variable.
The HVAC control in the lung room is pretty flexible with a good AC and decent dehumidifier running and then a humidifier in the tent— and I felt like tipping at 69-70F was maybe too cold, so let it go up a few degrees to 75F and 55-60RH or so. Just refilled the humidifier which I didn’t realize had gone empty.
In any case, I wanted to water yesterday but after reading a bunch I guessed that I had overwatered and should just leave it the fuck alone. So, I popped a moisture meter in a few to check and yep — still wet. Then again this morning — I went to check on things as surely it’s time to water now…and still not quite. Soon, maybe this afternoon for a few? But the meter still said nope at the bottom.
This watering thing I feel like I’m staaaarting to get the hang of but I have no confidence — over/under, letting it dry, keeping it wet — so many variables. Learning! Open to any suggestions.
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More droopage. Droopy stems eep!.
I feel like I should wait to water these until I’m home tomorrow morning (so about 16 or so hours from now). Maybe I’ll give the autos a drink? (Three smaller pots together) — but maybe I’ll just let this ride. I suspect the droopy was from overwatering but am really not sure. The moisture meter says they still have some down there.
They have lights off soon from 3-7pm and I could stop back in tonight to water but it would be an extra trip. Help! lol
Some data (still dialing this in, notably recently letting it get a little warmer):
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So I just want to say that it’s pretty normal for these plants to droop for a couple hours before lights off. Are they droopy an hour after lights come on in the morning?
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They seem relatively happy a few hours after lights on.
I’m probably overthinking it. I don’t want them to completely dry out while I’m gone — I’ll probably give them a little drink now. Just a little.
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