The harvest of round 2 is currently curing in glas jars, each plant yielded approximately 30 grams. I have yet to taste it^^
A few days ago I started the next installment of two Black Cream Autos.
Germination lasted one day longer (three days) than last time, probably due to lower ambient temps, as I put the seeds to late in the green house with floor heating. At day three of watering and wet mull both showed their tap roots, I put them in Root Riot cubes, and the cubes in the green house.
After one day in the green house the seed popped through the surface of the cubes and the tap root at the bottom - Day one of their seedling life. Amazing how fast the tap root is - approx. one inch in that one day.
To allow unhindered growth of the tap root I transplanted the cubes on day one into their final pots (12 liters of seedling soil with 25% perlite and some funky volcano polmere).
I covered the pots with clear half-spheres for some green house effect. Lightning is two clusters of a blackstar chrome and four 23W 6500K CFLs - pretty much this early, but it's needed for heating and I think they can take it.
Setup at day one:
I didn't keep the plastic domes long, as I think it was too moist and hot beneath there.
The small baby plants look a little lost in the large pots, but they seem to enjoy it. I guess the tap roots are already halfway down the pots.
Both keep very short so far (roughly 2cm), produced their first set of true leaves, and started the second set. The plant with the shell at one cotyledone (I don't dare to remove it because of my bad experience) is maybe half a day behind.
Both plants are really short for that stage - could it be even too much light?
Also both have dark stems, wonder where the tap roots are already. I'm very curious how this grow will compare to the last.
Not sure how to water such little plants in big pots. I moistened the soil up, when I filled the pots one week ago. Since then, I'm only moistening the upper soil layer every other day, but no real watering up to now. Works well so far - the tap roots must be almost through the entire pots, and it's still plenty moist down there.
The plant which took one day longer to come out of the shell is behind and her leaves start growth with a yellowish green which turns dark later, but I think she will be fine nonetheless.
The plant which was up first, is developing really nice.
The crazy little plant even started side branches on day 8!
Here Is a little tip. I wouldn't water every other day until you see rapid growth because you can drown the roots in those big pots. Plus if you give them dry periods it makes the roots go crazy looking for water just a little tip. Even though I know they say to plant autos in there final pots I would still water lightly until u see them explode with growth and pots are light because you also don't want to cause a gnat infestation they are a pain in the ass to get rid of that's why I said the hell with peat and went to coco. Your last plants turned out really nice! What size black stars are you running? And what company sells that black cream autos might want to grab a pack I love a good auto grow so easy to grow and they barley need anything. Oh also almost forgot when you see new growth come in light then change to dark that is pretty normal. Peace mike
Thank you for your comment, Mikenite69. Lighting is four 23W CFLs with 6500K, and a "Lighthouse Hydro Blackstar Chrome 180W" - currently two clusters active. The seeds are from spanish seed company "Sweet Seeds".
I'm also very concerned about overwatering, therefore I really only moistened the top layer of the soil to increase air humidity.
Both plants do very well, which I attribute to letting the tap roots go wild in the large pots.
Now both plants show side branch growth on the first and second internodes.
However, the real stem of the "Crazy" plant already breaks through the seedling stem - I don't know how to call that properly.
Today they got their first real watering. 1500ml each, half tap and half sparkling table water (brings the pH down and is high on minerals). That may sound a lot, but I wanted to wet the entire pots, and I know 1500ml is just right for these. On the pics the leaves have a bit of what I call the "watering blues", but they were all up again a few hours later.
Both plants are developing very well, especially the side branching is massive this early. I have seen a tiny little preflower on the later plant, but I think there will be still some nice vegetative growth before flowering (probably starting in a little more than a week).
Yesterday I turned on the remaining two clusters of the LED. Unfortunately, while I was on work today the temps in tent increased to 31° C. Now I'm concerned, because the pots were also very warm, and the top leaves of the one are a bit droopy. Hopefully the roots did not take damage. I will leave the tent open as long weather is unusual warm around here.
Aside from that, both plants are showing preflowers now, strechted quite a bit and are generally developing well:
Flowering has started!
The plants (one more so) developed some eagle clawing at the top leaves during the last days (see last post). The leaves improved much after yesterday's watering - maybe they were a bit too much on the dry side (the one with more clawing was more dry). Now the clawing is confined to the tips of the leaves.
Today I rearranged the pots and the CFLs (see below).
I think of decreasing the light period gradually to 18/6 during the next days to give them some resting periods. Bad idea? What do you guys think - stay with 24/0 or go down to 18/6? I have the impression the leaves are stressed being on light all day.
Four weeks after germination everything is on track. However, I'm a little lost on how far the plants are within their set lifespan (normally ~65 days), as they had 24/0h light during veg. I have gradually introduced a 20/4 light cycle during the last days, and want to keep that till the end.
Today I watered each with 1500ml (50/50 mineral/distilled water) with 50% of the recommended amount of BioFlores from BioCanna, to which they responded well.
Flowers have increased much and some very early trichomes can be seen.
Currently I'm switching the CFLs gradually from 6500k to 2700k. Some sugar leaves of the lower buds show a little eagle clawing, but I think most of them will grow out of it. However, both plants are doing great overall.
Thanks to all who have posted here, gave positive ratings, or are just interested watchers.
Two days ago I installed another LED (Chinese rip-off of a HydroGrow 84XP-Pro, I was told), so that each plant has her own LED - which they oviously liked.
Flowers are progressing great, with nice main colas and evenly developed side buds.