First grow - Autoflower & Photoperiod, multiple strains

Hello everyone. I'm starting this journal a little late. My operation started out as a sort of experiment with autoflower seeds (was intended to be grown outdoors but due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to start an indoor grow). This is my first grow ever so any and all advice and input is appreciated!

Lets get to it:

I'm running a 400w HPS (I have a dimmable ballast and since I don't have proper ventilation for my light yet, I run it at 200w) on 18/6 lighting (dark period during hot part of day) and 4x 23w 6500k CFL's on 20/4 (for seedlings and to balance spectrum a bit) inside a 2' x 4' x 5' tent. My oldest plant (autoflowering Kush van Stitch, supposed to be Lowryder #2 x OG Kush, from Flash Seeds) is about 1 month old and she has just begun to flower. I have been giving her weak ProGrow 3-2-4 (I am using the Botanicare line as they were given to me for free) and just switched to Hydroplex Bloom Maximizer 0-10-6 and ProBloom 1-4-5 nutes with today's feeding (along with a dose of CalMag). I have her tiered on top of a 3gal smartpot - I was originally planning to breed some of these plants but after seeing how weak the seedlings were and the thought of fucking with pollination, I'd rather just go with clones so I'm just trying to maximize my yield from this one plant before I move to photo plants for good) The rest of my seedlings are on a somewhat weak Botanicare ProGrow 3-2-4 nute with their feeds. My seedling line up is: 4 Super Silver Haze (x Unknown), 4 White Berry, 2 Bastard Bubba, 1 Blue Dream x Convict Kush (which I guess is LA con x Power Kush, only seen it mentioned here on RIU and I got all my seeds except the autoflower from a friend who also posts here). The seedlings were not all planted at the same time, I think the SSH and BD were planted 6/17, White Berry 6/19, and Bastard Bubba 6/24. I also took 3 clones from my friend's Unknown female plant on 7/1 (I did not have any rockwool, so I used peat pellets - soaked them in some pH'd water mixed with root hormone, and SuperThrive and then took cuttings, dipped in root hormone, and stuck in pellets then in humidity dome.)

My main concern right now is my temperature - it stays about 10-12F above my room temp (which is around 80) during the day (so temps in tent range from mid 70's at night to low 90's during day) and I am only running it at 200w. I leave the tent doors open a bit when I can and I also leave my screen door open at night to allow cool, fresh air in. I make sure I have plenty of air circulation, cooler air coming in, and making sure they stay watered and my plants haven't seemed to mind too much. I have 2 decent sized fans inside the tent, a small one blowing on the seedlings to strengthen stems and then another fan for intake. I did originally have a fan up on top of my tent to try and pull the hot air out but it seemed like it was not working that well because I do not have the ducting or anything set up and my light is pretty far from the top of my tent. I have been reading online and people say the optimum exchange rate is anywhere from 3 times a minute to once every 3 minutes - can anyone give me a definite answer on this? I am trying to figure out what CFM fan I will need (tent is 40cu ft and I plan on adding a carbon filter to fan when it is needed/when I can afford it)


Here's some pictures:
1. White Berry Seedlings (calling them "Mutant Pheno" because 2 of the 4 seeds started out with really odd, ruffled leaves and weird proportions. Anyone know the cause of this or is it actually just a phenotype?)
2. My Kush Van Stitch - about 1 month old, LST'd.
3. Group shot of seedlings. Clockwise from top: tray with Blue Dream x Convict Kush (guess this is LA Con x Power Kush - I've only ever seen it mentioned on RIU, seed was given to me by a friend who also posts here) and 2 Bastard Bubbas (a strain the same friend bred), tray with 4 Super Silver Haze x Unknown (these are growing like crazy, part of the reason I chose SSH), then tray with 4 White Berry seedlings (2 with "mutant" pheno)
4. 3 Unknown clones in peat pellets. I open the top and exchange the air a couple times a day and mist the plants once or twice. Am I doing something wrong, right - someone give me some input!



Again, this is my first grow so ANY HELP IS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED!

Well, couldn't really sleep so I decided I would do a little update.

I found a 4" 175cfm inline fan on craigslist the other day so I snatched that up, got some 4" duct, and tried a 4"-6" reducer but my cooltube is apparently a little smaller than 6" diameter and I wasn't able to get a secure fit so I went back to Home Depot today and found this rubber reducer and it fits just about perfect inside my cooltube and makes a good seal. Running my 400w HPS at full 400w power now and temps are staying about 10F over room temp (still averaging between about 75-92F) I have it set up like this: Cooltube -> duct -> fan -> duct out (with one 90* elbow in the duct between tube and fan) My girlfriend is a little upset with the noise of the fan so I need to work on a suppressor or dampener or something. If anyone has any suggestions, please share!

Here's a pic of the HydroFarm 175cfm inline and my CoolTube and a pic of my set up:



Up next, Kush Van Stitch is still looking good, hopefully she will take off under the full 400w now. It's exciting seeing little buds develop. I tried to get some pics of her pistils but my phone camera wouldn't focus in that close. Guess I'll just have to wait until the buds get bigger

Pic of the KVS:

Next, the seedlings. I suspect some N deficiency in my Blue Dream x Convict Kush and possibly one or two Super Silver Hazes so on their last feeding, I mixed about 1/3 volume of their normal ProGrow mixture with about 1/4tbs (to 1L) of 12-11-2 Peruvian Bat Guano. Can anyone confirm the nitrogen deficiency? I tried to take a picture of the Blue Dream (you can see the yellowing bottom leaves, but there appears to be some nute burn or necrosis or something as well?) Anyone have any ideas? I'm not too worried since the rest of the plant looks fine.

Here's a pic of the (what I suspect) is N deficiency on my Blue Dream x Convict Kush baby (there is a green leaf right over the top of the yellowing one - they're not the same leaf, I was trying to move leaves out of the way but didn't do a very good job lol) and a group shot of all my seedlings:


C'mon people, I don't wanna be talking to myself this entire thread! I want some friends, input, subscriptions, rep, anything! LOL Time to smoke some Purple Gas and head back to bed.

Mel - They are looking good. I think the brown edges on the BD and CK is just a little burn either from the fertilizer or being close to the light. But I'm kinda new to indoor growing as well. I'm definitely interested to see how your BD grows, I've always liked the blue varietals. My next grow will be Berry Bomb, I have heard alot of goodness about that strain. Keep it up and I'll keep looking for your updates.

Ilookin great subbed

Quick little update, no pics right now.

- 2 of the Unknown Clones I took from a friend have shown roots and have been transplanted into FFOF/perlite.
- planted 2 more Blue Dream x Convict Kush seeds - the one baby I have growing has impressed the shit out of me. Crazy vigor, nice structure. Would like to see if there are a few different phenos floating around in my seeds though so I can pick my favorite and start cloning to preserve the genetics.
- planted 2 Chocolate Chunky Munky seeds (was told by my friend that it is Chocolate Chunk x Gorilla Grape - can't wait to see these!!)
- Kush Van Stitch autoflower still looking good, looks like some trichomes are starting to show up

I can't wait to harvest this autoflower so I can change my lighting system. I am thinking about doing a SOG and just keeping my light on 12/12. My other option is to put a SCROG net in my grow tent and train a few plants with that but I think I would rather have more (lower yielding) plants with more variety compared to 1 or 2 strains grow with SCROG. Anyone have any input or comments on whether I should go 12/12 SOG or SCROG? I'm thinking 12/12 from Seed SOG would be nice because (especially now that its summer) I can run my fan and light at night to help offset hot temps and so I don't hear the loud whurring of my fan while I'm watching TV. Was thinking I could either lollipop the plants and have more or do some LST/Supercropping and train them for maximum light exposure. Just need to get this damned autoflower outta here! lol

I'll post some pictures on the next update, maybe the new seeds will be sprouted by then.

I've flipped the lights to 12/12! Today is officially the 2nd day of 12/12!

I know this is gonna take a toll on my autoflower yield but I don't care, I want to get these other plants flowering before they veg too long and then get too big (these SSH, BD, and Unknown Clones are growing like crazy)

# UPDATES:

- I transplanted about 1 of each strain into a 2L or 3L soda bottle, only strain that I haven't moved to a bigger container is the Bubba because its still young and one plant is freaking out and looks near death, not sure whats going on with it because the other Bubba looks just fine and they've got the same treatment. The larger plants I have been bending/supercropping to hopefully help keep their height in check (pretty sure the SSH is gonna blow up in size)


- I took some pics of my "self-topping mutant" White Berry - notice how the first set of leaves are turning into more cola-like branches, as if it topped itself. And the weird frilly leaves with the bright green spots - the leaves have been like that since it sprouted. Anyone have any idea why?

- Chocolate Chunky Munky and Blue Dream x Convict Kush have also broken the soil and are gonna be an experiment with 12-12 from seed.

- I topped just about all the plants

- Need to start working on a small veg/clone box - I would like to be able to preserve any genetics I like in this grow as well as being able to get a jump start on vegging for next grow while only having to run my HPS/fan on a 12/12 schedule.

# PICTURES:

1. Kush Van Stitch - this whole plant looks like its going to be mostly one giant nug. Looks like its nugging up almost all the way down the stem. Starting to get a little stank to it too.


2. My "self topping mutant pheno" White Berry (curious to see how these mutants turn out) - frilly leaves with bright green patches, looks like second set of leaves turning into colas


3. Some of the babies & Unknown Clones. Lets see from clockwise top left we have: Unknown Clone (this was the weakest of the 3 I took, I had to recut it so it rooted last), 2nd Unknown Clone (has been topped), healthy Bastard Bubba, unhealthy Bastard Bubba (hoping it bounces back, newer top growth still hasn't been affected by whatever the fuck is going on here )


4. Seedlings - top 2 are the Chocolate Chunky Munky I think and bottom 2 are the Blue Dream x Convict Kush. (babies in picture are same from last pic - clones & bastard bubbas)


5. Transplanted babies - clockwise from back left: SSH (x Unknown), Blue Dream x Convict Kush, White Berry, Unknown Clone (Kush Van Stitch just peaking into the pic on the left)


6. Group shot of babies waiting to get transplanted.


Going to the SF Indoor Garden Expo tomorrow - free nutes wooooo See you guys next update, PEACE


MODS: Please move/copy this thread to the Indoor Growing section - I would like more people to see/post in my journal. Thank you!

I'm continuing my journal in THIS THREAD because it seems like this section of the forum barely gets any traffic and I would like some replies on my thread! Go to the new thread and follow my plants' progress!

Just in case anyone is still following this thread and not my other one: I added an update to my journal. Check it out here