1st grow, grow medium + feeding advice.

afghan bob

Baked
Community Member
User ID
75
Sorry mate, never used a cfl in me life so cant offer any help there
Always gone with t5's then progressed to 135 watt hlg's
When plants are strong enough and around 5 nodes, i'll place em in shady spot outside 4 morning sun and then direct in late arvo 4 at least 3-4 days 2 acclimate 2 outside living
Ppl got diff ways just don't wack em straight in direct sunlight from being inside
Bit like a pom spending his first week in AUS lying on beach at Surfers .....never ends well
 

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Aye Shroomer

Baked
User ID
85
Is your cfl split for multiple globes? You could use different globes if so. I started with a second hand four way cfl. Still used it for veg until I got my new veg light.
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
Is your cfl split for multiple globes? You could use different globes if so. I started with a second hand four way cfl. Still used it for veg until I got my new veg light.
I was going to get a 2 way splitter and run 2x24W 6500k. Will make a custom reflector for it.
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
IMG_20230311_122806.jpg

Hey guys,

I know I'm late to the party with this girl after having a few failed attempts at germinating my GSC autos.
I ended up getting some various autos from Herbies, GSC, Gorilla Glue, Blackberry Gum and this one, she is a Godzilla Cookie Auto.

I gave up on the paper towel germination, and went straight from 30hrs in water until I had a nice taproot, then into my grow medium (70% organic potting mix / 30% perlite).

I'll be the first to admit I've made novice mistakes along the way (as I wasn't fully prepared when I started), I started her under a CFL lamp, I had the light too far away without a diffuser, she ended up being real leggy but new growth was great.

My next mistake was re-potting, I know everything I'd read said not to, but I didn't have the room for my 25L fabric pot inside. At around the 4th node (2 weeks), I potted up (this was around 12 days ago). This obviously led to stressing her out, as new growth stalled up until a 3 or 4 days ago, although she kept stretching higher. I also planted her a bit deeper in the new pot nearer to the first leaves as the lower stem was pretty thin.

I was watering with tap water that was left outside to remove chlorine. At week 3 I started feeding Canna Terra Vega at 1/4 the recommended dose (2.5ml/2L) I suspect I may have had nutrient lockout as I was awaiting delivery of my pH buffer solution to calibrate my pH/EC pen and found the water at almost 8 when I began feeding, so I have no idea of the pH value after adding ferts (I suspect it came down as this was my observations once my pen was calibrated).

I now have my pH calibrated and since feeding (5ml/2L ~250ml runoff). I fed this morning (3 days since last watering) at 7ml/2L pH 6.4. I have a soil pH/moisture probe that shows the medium at ~6.5-6.8pH and held off on water as the soil at the roots was still pretty moist.

That leads me to this (long) post. The attached photo, this is the first original leaf at the bottom, I can see a little yellowing and a brown spot on the leaf, and slight browning on the edge. Would this look like a magnesium deficiency to you experts? If so, should I add lime? I'm worried that it will raise to soil pH too much?

Trying to dial things in as best I can with the research and limited knowledge I have.
Unfortunately I have no EC readings as I'm still waiting over a week for my EC buffer solution to arrive.

I'm going to keep persevering with her, and learn from the things I've done wrong and hopefully have better results with my next attempt.

She is living outside 24/7 now, around 12hrs of light, and under cover at night with min temps down to 17-20c at night.

Any other tips/advice?
 

ShellzShuff3

Vegetating
User ID
2903
My advice for first timers is always coco/perlite blend with a basic a+b (I recomend house and garden cocos as a base with a pk booster for flower) and hand water. Get a decent ph and ec meter and some ph up and down (not from Bunnings make sure the down isn’t citric acid)
I second this - I wish I did this for my first grow as the canna terra had a few issues. I will change to this next grow. Coco a lot easier to flush etc
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
Thanks y'all, I kind of wish I went with at a minimum 25/25/50 coco/perlite/soil, I feel the soil is pretty compact. Next time I'll run with this setup.

Can anyone give me advice on the first pic, the yellowish bottom leaf and brown spot?

I really hope it starts to fill out a bit more in the next week or two before she starts to flower.
 

Sedge

Baked
Staff member
Community Member
User ID
5
Thanks y'all, I kind of wish I went with at a minimum 25/25/50 coco/perlite/soil, I feel the soil is pretty compact. Next time I'll run with this setup.

Can anyone give me advice on the first pic, the yellowish bottom leaf and brown spot?

I really hope it starts to fill out a bit more in the next week or two before she starts to flower.

its only the bottom leaf ,,I wouldn’t worry too much ,it will probably correct itself with better new growth ,,,
the brown bit is probably a reaction to overwatering at Some stage ..
just look after it and most likely the rest of the growth will be fine..
if you try treating something as minimal as that you’ll be just chasing your tail and over complicate things.

If it does persist and spreads to other leaves then you’ll want to do something about it but in the meantime just let it grow out of it.
 

Sticky67

Curing
User ID
1881
You're going ok for someone who hasn't grown auto's before, I wouldn't stress to much over that leaf mate as long as it doesn't keep getting worse. You're getting some nice new growth coming up nice a green like a healthy plant..keep doing what you're doing, it seems to be working.
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
Thanks for the reassurance. I think sometimes the more you read, the more things you think of going wrong. See how she goes in the next week or two.
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
You're going ok for someone who hasn't grown auto's before, I wouldn't stress to much over that leaf mate as long as it doesn't keep getting worse. You're getting some nice new growth coming up nice a green like a healthy plant..keep doing what you're doing, it seems to be working.
Mate, I can barely keep the weeds in the garden alive 😂
 

Sticky67

Curing
User ID
1881
Thanks for the reassurance. I think sometimes the more you read, the more things you think of going wrong. See how she goes in the next week or two.
Thanks for the reassurance. I think sometimes the more you read, the more things you think of going wrong. See how she goes in the next week or two.

I've learnt more from growing and from the mistakes and successes of growing than reading, yes reading will give you info but the doing of will teach you. Well that's been my story, I've found the more I read the more I go in circles so now I read to get general info and hopefully from informed growers and learn from trial and error.
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
Screenshot_20230317-165747.png

Day 31, Godzilla Cookie Auto outdoor.

She'll be due for a feed tomorrow, should I start bloom nutes, or wait a little longer? Full bloom, veg/bloom mix?
 
Last edited:

Sticky67

Curing
User ID
1881
View attachment 32850

Day 31, Godzilla Cookie Auto outdoor.

She'll be due for a feed tomorrow, should I start bloom nutes, or wait a little longer? Full bloom, veg/bloom mix?
View attachment 32850

Day 31, Godzilla Cookie Auto outdoor.

She'll be due for a feed tomorrow, should I start bloom nutes, or wait a little longer? Full bloom, veg/bloom mix?
You could do any of those 3 mate, it's a choice. But me personally I'd start with slowly amping up the bloom nutes and change over in around a fortnight to full bloom nutes..she's looking nice and healthy/green. And a lovely girl she is..
 

4twenty

Germinating
User ID
2541
A nice day in the sun on day 32. First dose of Flores @ 0.8EC 6.2pH, starting to fill out a little;

Screenshot_20230318-172054.png

Screenshot_20230318-172348~600.png


IMG_20230318_183934~800.jpg
 

Beil

Blooming
Community Member
User ID
3194
Sorry mate, never used a cfl in me life so cant offer any help there
Always gone with t5's then progressed to 135 watt hlg's
When plants are strong enough and around 5 nodes, i'll place em in shady spot outside 4 morning sun and then direct in late arvo 4 at least 3-4 days 2 acclimate 2 outside living
Ppl got diff ways just don't wack em straight in direct sunlight from being inside
Bit like a pom spending his first week in AUS lying on beach at Surfers .....never ends well
Ive been here 15 years and I still cop it every summer, anything over 30 and I wish I was walking though sleet back home lol
 
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