Journal: Big Bang Auto

[AGuy]

New around here. Amateur gardener, been at it 6 months. Only been attempting Autos so far.

1st attempt was real bad. (Girl Scout Cookies)

2nd attempt was much better, had some issues. (Girl Scout Cookies)

3rd attempt is going even better, might be on to why I was having issues with attempt 2, hopefully.

What I've learned so far: Auto Flowers are a heck of resilient plant.

Attempt 3:

2 Big Bang Autoflowers.

Indoors. DIY box/room: 3x3x7. Studs and OSB.

Medium: Soil (Ocean Forest majority, topped with Happy Frog in 5 gallon Fabric pots.)

Lighting: LED (2 Panels. 275W total with the 2 lights. Uses 5W Diodes. MEIZHI Brand. The "300W" Equiv Panels, so I "should" have 600W equiv.....eyeroll. Power consumption is minimal barely getting above 2 Amps. They do not run hot whatsoever and they seem to regulate my GR temp almost perfectly)

Light Exposure: 20 on/4 off.

Sprouted: 1/16/17

Water: Tap

Temps: Range from 65 to 77ish.

Humidity: 40-50%

Transplants kept to a minimum. Germ'd in water. Placed in peat pellet. Let grow in pellet for a bit then place in 5 gallon pot.

Plants sit in an Oatey washing machine liner pan (plumbing supplies). They sit in said tray resting on 2 "Deck-Protect" pads. Easy enough to water, let the run off gather in the pan then wet vac it out.

Still currently in veg. Pistils should start showing sometime real soon. Was expecting them early last week. Might be this week. I hope.

Use 2 "Hot Shot Pest Strips". 1 high. 1 low.

Give me a minute and I can do a pic of my light(s) and my plants.

Previous and Current issues: Leaf tips start with what looks like nute burn, then it continues down the tip and I get crinkled, dead, orangy-browny-yellowy ends. It just eats its way down the leaf tip, no other signs show on the leaf edging (ie potassium def). Some yellowing in the margins.

I do not have a regular schedule of adding nutrients or any such regime. I have used some Schultz drops here and there. I have also recently been adding a bit of CalMag. The only thing I HAVE done a regular basis is PH my water. It takes a lot of PH down to balance even 16oz. Like 15 drops. Seems like a lot. Starting to wonder if I'm not burning the crap outta my plants with PH down. After some research, seems like my soil should be regulating PH, hence me then thinking that I shouldn't have and currently be adding PH down and should instead just go with the plain ol' tap water. Seems like PH down is more ment for hydro where the water is the actual medium.

I gave my first full water yesterday with straight tap water, no PH down. See what happens.


Took lights apart and removed the included eye pieces and used new eye bolts that 1/4" all thread fit through. And this is how I have my 2 lights set up. This light maker makes a "450W" light that uses around 200 real Watts. The 2 individuals, together, put me at 275W, so for around the same amount of $, I get another 75W."

 

[Rosebud]

Hi A, nice to see you and your grow journal. Looks like the plants are a bit burned from being too close to the lights? Your soils are great and the Happy Frogs nutes have now left or been used after 4 weeks. So you still have a couple of weeks until the FFOF as gone too. So.. you may want to start a bit of food. The LED's make you need to feed less.

And can we have a picture with lights off and of the lights and plants in one pic? Thanks.

 

[AGuy]

Hi A, nice to see you and your grow journal. Looks like the plants are a bit burned from being too close to the lights? Your soils are great and the Happy Frogs nutes have now left or been used after 4 weeks. So you still have a couple of weeks until the FFOF as gone too. So.. you may want to start a bit of food. The LED's make you need to feed less.

And can we have a picture with lights off and of the lights and plants in one pic? Thanks.

Just call me Guy!

As you noticed, I do indeed have some issues. My problem leafs start at the bottom and progress upwards. I did rule out light burn because of this characteristic after trying to read as many "pest/problem" pages I could. I am currently at 18" above. The guide with my lights says I can get them as close as 12" during flowering. The "zone" seems to be at 18".

Had been trying to research as much as possible into my issues, but I simply just can't find a pic of exactly what my plant looks like.

I personally think I've been burning the crap outta my plants with PH down. My last water (yesterday at lights out) I watered with plain tap water. I did not add any PH down. I am having to add A LOT of ph down to balance out my water.

Honestly, even after 24 hours, the "burning" seems to have slowed down. I am interested in how the next few days go.

Still in the figuring it out stage, all help is appreciated!! Thanks for the heads up on nutrients, kind of about halfway through flower it seems.

I have 2 OG Kush Autos I threw in water yesterday, their about to germ already. Nice plump looking things. These Big Bangs have taken forever, sorta counteracts the 6 week flower time that was given. (Same as the 2 Fruit Punch's I also have been trying to get going. Yeah, a little impulsive. Why I kinda like the auto's, light schedule is always the same)

Can do on the pics also! The whole purple thing makes it hard to see.

 

[Rosebud]

Ok, I quit reading after I saw ph down. You are in organic soil, you never have to check ph in organics. What is your water ph? Can you let your water sit out for 24 hours and see what it is? looking forward to your pic.. you found a good place for help. Others will be buy to help.

 

[AGuy]

Ok, I quit reading after I saw ph down. You are in organic soil, you never have to check ph in organics. What is your water ph? Can you let your water sit out for 24 hours and see what it is? looking forward to your pic.. you found a good place for help. Others will be buy to help.

Quick post before work this morning, but yeah my little plants are looking much happier not being drowned in PH down. Sorta glad that's been my issue, not a nute def problem or anything.

My leafing issues definitely seemed to have stopped, already.

Live n learn, right. Enjoying the forum, who dosent' wanna brag a little about their gardening.

 

[Lesso]

I would say the ph was an issue. That defect on your leaves indicates so.

 

[AGuy]

Requested pics. Busy life ya'll, sorry about takin' so long.

"big bang" gets some sleepy leaves in the dark. They perk up when the lights come on.
Leaf tip issues really seemed to have diminished with cutting out the PH down chemical, got some older ugly stuff on there still.

Still not obviously flowering...?? Supposed to be an auto. Keeping an eye on it. Am keeping in the back of my mind I could of gotten photo's.

2 Big Bangs in the back. 2 newbs up front, OG kush auto. Started the OG kush cause the BBs do worry me having not shown definitive signs of flower, the OGKs have just taken off super quick.

I got some 12/12s, think I'm gonna give those a try next go around. Purple paralysis is that strain.

Blue things in middle of pic are headphones. I like to play music for em.

 

[AGuy]

Big Bang (on left) is in FLOWER! Finally. Keeping close eyes on the right, should be soon to follow.

First clear, visible, definitive pistil has popped out! Wish I could get a better pic of it. Excited, these have spent a good while in veg.

Has a 6 week flower time, puts me around the beginning of April for harvest.

One of the new OG Kush's (right) has already sprouted and 1st tiny leaf set is visible. Other one still workin' it way out.

Also decided to go back to an 18/6 light schedule. Just seems...more natural...to me. Not many places in the world getting 20 hours of full light a day and if a 12/12 plants does what it does with 12 of light and dark, I think the 18/6 is sufficient.

Also lots of debating/going back and forth on what I want to continue growing. I have some photoperiod plants I think I am going to try next. Originally went with Auto's obviously for the time factor, but also I didn't know if I could guarantee 100% dark for 12 hours as my "box" is in an area that does see activity (laundry). Yield is a concern as well, like I said, this is personal growing, but I don't know if 1/2/3 oz per plant is just gonna cut it, I would definitely have to keep a full room. 4 plants is a full room for my area. I admit, we like to blaze, so we do go through quite a bit, hence the reason for starting to grow, getting sick of giving my hard earned bucks to some other fella.

 

[AGuy]

First Pistil

Perky plant, cause that dark pic bugs me with the droops.

 

[AGuy]

Big Bang (Left) 100% in flower and stretching. Pistils starting to pop out a good bit from the top. Nothing visible yet on lower portions of plant. Staggered harvest potentially. Top would be done 3/30-31 (42 days in flower). This one is a bit more "stunty" than its companion, does look like it took the PH down chemical burn the worst of the 2. Had a hot shot pest strip on the floor around it, moved it outta the box, stole some peppermint extract from the wife and now have a soufle cup with peppermint liquid in it instead of the pest strip. Who knows, maybe it didn't like being close to the pest strip too, it is insecticide.

Big Bang (right) still hasn't sprung any pistils yet. Seems just so, so ready to pop any time.

Also turned into a OG Kush Auto grow as well. Gonna be a little cramped for a minute. Got 3. 1 has sprouted. 1 is trying to sprout and the last has germ'd and working its way upright.

Gonna stay with Autos. If I can get 3 oz/plant, that should do me fine. The choice is sorta limited with 20%+ THC content and High/Very High yields. There is a good bit more in the 15-20% range, autoflower seed wise.

 

[Ketel]

Looking good! Keep up the great job!