Grow Mediums Dear diary (1st autopot experiment)

[St. Tom]

Thanks Tom. This is a coco grow (canna coco coir), retrospectively I wish I'd rinsed it and learnt a lot already of changes for next time. Lights at 50% and about 30" away. I've swapped their positions in tent and think some of environmental changes may have made her a bit sick. She looked a wee bit worse a couple of days ago, that I thought may have been high humidity.. Hence I'm hoping she's recovering.

Editing to say different phone cameras, so different color capture! And you can see weird green mould that had started as my humidity had been too high
View attachment 1276458

Just a couple of questions do you ph your feed and what feed are you using and do you have a ec or ppm meter

 

[Cannabless]

@St. Tom I've got a fairly cheap ec/ppm pen (multi function jobby that does pH too). Please do let me know any good guides to read on their use! I've been pHing and using a few drops of pH down to get water down to 5.7-5.9 after adding nutes/cal mag. I'm using Vitalink grow a&b. I did make a mistake when prepping pots and added silicate (holding back this for later in grow).

They are looking bit better today (greener, less droopy) after feed and water...but still weedy

I think I may have stunted them through being too humid when they were a week or so old, and then possibly should have watered them a day sooner (given they've perked up since water). I also wondered if there might be some note toxicity due to clawing... But I want to rule out water-related problems before flushing or extreme measures.

I'm just hoping they pick up and start growing a bit faster, otherwise I'm gonna have bonsia buds

 

[Cannabless]

They seem to be improving (greener and less droopy), but I'm still a wee worried about leaf discolouration. Wondering whether to raise lights, do a smaller water* or a slurry pH test? Or all the above!

*last two waters were 750ml each pot. When dry I could do a smaller water. I'd based my watering approach on grow diaries I'd read on similar grows (Hans et Al)

 

[Jumanji Jungle]

I’m tagging along for the ride. Good luck on the grow

 

[Cannabless]

Glad to have you along @Jumanji Jungle

Friday update: a watched weed plant grows slllloooooowwwlly

But they do change color. Below snaps are a day apart of same plant, albeit second one in the tent so partly due to lighting. Think they're hungry for nitrogen, but wanting pots to be drier before water/feed. Hoping Sunday if not Monday.Thinking another week or 2 before LST commences?

 

[Cannabless]

If they weren't overwatered before, they are now my a***hole humidifier went into overdrive for much of the time between my last update and Saturday. Came in to sodden seedlings and grow area. Turned it off, lights down, but they really aren't happy. Showed slow signs of recovery, but they look very sad.

I need to decide whether to start again, and if so whether I attempt to repot sick ladies so I have autopots free; or just bin them

My gut is to start again, and repot (why not). I'll see how next couple of days go, and give them a wee water/feed tomorrow. I've learnt lots, and if starting again would:
Wash the coco thoroughly, maybe even a little h2o2 through current medium
Use smaller pots and carefully pot-up. Risk of stress outweighs risk of overwatering IMO
Keep environment stable and with less humidity

Any thoughts from all you kind folk appreciated

 

[Jumanji Jungle]

Well I am very new to this hobby so take this with a grain of salt. The girls definitely look unhappy. Getting humidity and room temps dialed in and understanding the girls needs has been a challenge for me for sure. I personally wouldn’t water unless the coco is pretty dry. I’m struggling with the same thing right now with two girls. I want to water them really bad to try to help them but I think it’s the wrong move. Been 8 days since their last feeding. IMO wait a bit before your next watering and then access. Good luck man

 

[carnivore]

A seedling that big, in a pot that big, might need to be fed after 3-6 days most likely longer. Even in coco when starting seeds, you have to let the root mass build up before you can feed every day, if not you can stifle the root development.

For example, I have some seedings in coco in a pot a little smaller than a party cup, and I have not watered them for the last 3 days. That's a party cup, not a 3 gallon bucket.

It looks like it needs some nitrogen, just wait till your next feed after some days of drying, and give it a feed. It needs some time to grow root mass and root hairs, it's currently drowning, the root hairs are unable to uptake the nutrients that are currently in the media and that's why the leaves are curling downwards and it looks deficient in nitrogen.

You got some algae growing on top, I would scrape that off the coco, and leave it alone until it weighs less than half of what it weighs now, and the pot feels nice and light but not dry..

hope this helps, and makes sense to you

 

[Cannabless]

Thanks @Jumanji Jungle - it had been 7 or so days before my water gate scandal! Now 10-11 days. Tough love

Thanks also @carnivore yes, all makes sense. Kicking myself for not starting in smaller pots! But hey, like much of life, this is an experiment. Snaps below are before I removed some unwanted green. Roots are coming out the bottom of each pot, despite my mishaps and autopot barrier.

Am I right in thinking to continue dry out and then water from top until plant more established? Or could I start autopot system before leaves reach edge? I'm feeling more positive, though this will be a stunted grow!

Thanks yall

 

[carnivore]

Personally, I would let it dry more. At least half the wet pot weight. A few roots might be coming out the bottom, but the root mass is still tiny. You might be able to run your auto pot, someone with more xp on auto pots might be able to help you out.

The best suggestion I could give, would be to relax and stop trying to do so much.