First Grow - Learning from the mistakes

[greenaubergine]

Green Aubergine - First Grow

I purchased seeds 3 years ago and never grew them until now. Good news they're still viable!

The equipment list for this changed as the grow went on. The more I learnt the more changes I made.

2x Kera Classic - Auto Dwarf
1x Female Seeds - Big Bud XXL Auto

Growing medium - Tomato grow bag soil
Pots - 0.5 litre plastic > 3 litre plastic
Nutrients - Miracle-Gro Performance Organic All Purpose Plant
Lights - Sunlight > domestic halogen and LED bulbs > MiGro 100+
Cycle - 18/6
Extractor - Manrose 4"
Filter - 5" Swift Air
Space - Window sill/Greenhouse > Space Bucket > Cupboard (50x50x160, mylar lined)
Ink bird Wifi temp controller

Seeds started in early May in wet tissue under a propagator.

Planted on into 0.5l pots. Moved around the house/greenhouse for sunny spots. This method was not providing enough light and they stretched. As the fan leaves became more distinctive I was concerned about visibility so cobbled together a space bucket.

A water butt with a bathroom extractor fan duct taped to the outside and a light fitting made from bits and bobs from around the house

The plants spent the next 4-6 weeks under a combination of domestic LED and halogen bulbs totalling 120watts.

Next up they went into a cupboard I built from scrap furniture board. 50x50x160.

Repotted into 3 litre plastic pots. I left this too late and they doubled in size almost immediately. I didn't have space or a pot for the Big Bud XXL so this got potted on even later during flowering. As a result it's only about half the size of the other 2 plants.

I added a 5" swift air carbon filter, diamond mylar foil and a MiGro 100+. Adding the a proper grow light also saw an immediate increase in plant size.

The growth was slowed and stunted by lack of light. They should have finished already but I'm pleased with the results for a first try with no knowledge on starting. They'll be ready in a week or so. Will post weights of wet/dry when complete.

My biggest issue has been fungus gnats. They seemed to be in the compost already and I encouraged them by occasional overwatering. Lots of sticky yellow fly cards and a sprinkle of food grade diatomaceous earth has solved most of that problem.

I wouldn't grow in the same compost again as it's very heavy and retains lots of moisture. Next attempt is in Coco/Perlite.

I have a grow tent coming now and 3 more young plants in 8 litre fabric using Canna Nutrients. I'll write a separate diary for them.



Any feedback or advice is appreciated.

Love,

GA

[Nanook]

My advice would be get a tray for under them for watering. I am useless in soil so cant comment, but in coco I recommend running coco not perlite as well.
Its quite a small area for light power so keep a check on temps.
Them wee fly bastards are a pest - no pest strips help but tbh they dont seem to eat the plants so are more a nuisance than anything. You get them a lot in B&Q verve too. I used that as a soil long ago rather than pre-dosed compost.
Remember tho, its your first grow, dont expect miracles and expect mistakes - be intrigued by them and learn :) My first grow was pathetic... and now I do not too badly :) All in time :)

[Nanook]

Also the pots are small, in soil I used 10l or so for better results. Root mass does equal fruit mass :)

[greenaubergine]

My advice would be get a tray for under them for watering. I am useless in soil so cant comment, but in coco I recommend running coco not perlite as well.
Its quite a small area for light power so keep a check on temps.
Them wee fly bastards are a pest - no pest strips help but tbh they dont seem to eat the plants so are more a nuisance than anything. You get them a lot in B&Q verve too. I used that as a soil long ago rather than pre-dosed compost.
Remember tho, its your first grow, dont expect miracles and expect mistakes - be intrigued by them and learn :) My first grow was pathetic... and now I do not too badly :) All in time :)

Thanks for the feedback. I ran into issues when the bigger tent didn't arrive on time. Fingers crossed for this week. Had to repot my new plants and move the tray under the cupboard (Theres a vent in the middle of the floor).

I had a horrible temperature spike just after the light arrived during those hot days. I'd left the LED driver on top of the cupboard, you could have cooked on it! The inside got up to 36C! I've now got it suspended well away from the cupboard and the inkbird reads between 21-26C.

I read that fungus gnat larvae can eat and damage new roots.

That's it! loving the learning experience. Skills take time and practice. Give it a year and a few more grows and I might have a vague idea what I'm doing!

[Nanook]

Haha read some of the completed and condensed diarys here mate - not many soil growers tbh but the ones we have, are very good :)

[greenaubergine]

UPDATE!

The tent arrived (50x100x180) and I moved them into it. I also added a fan with temp/speed control and a 100 watt Invisible Sun light ( currently running low power over seedlings)

Harvested and dried one of the Kera dwarfs early for a little 5 gram total. The other two I've let run on a bit. Have been harvesting the other Kera Dwarf in sections as the flowers mature. Seem to be getting a better yield with this method.

The 3 plants I had in the 8 litre pots seem to be doing well but are getting a bit droopy sometimes (watering practices?). I have been using LST on two of them and defoliating a bit. I attempted a FIM on the 3rd plant which is slightly taller and seems to have grown less leaves than the LST ones. I've done a little LST on that one now to even out the tops a bit. They all seem to be just coming up on flower.

I planted 3 more seeds 06/07 and they're happy little seedlings that I'll properly be moving up to slightly bigger pots soon.

My humidity keeps dropping below 40%. I think this might be partially watering practices but also the extractor fan is pulling quite strong when the temperatures rise and we've had a hot few days.

[Nanook]

Need pics mate :) Get some up :)

[greenaubergine]

Final weigh in on the 3 plants dried.

1x Kera Dwarf (cropped early) - 5g
1x Kera Dwarf (harvested in stages) - 13g
1x Big Bud XXL - 5g

A low yielding first attempt but that's what I expected.

Here's the buds from the 13g plant.



2ND GROW - Looking much better in 8 litre fabric pots.

I'll get a decent photo of the other 3 in the tent soon. Now they're bigger and have started flowering I've identified the strains.

1x Blue Amnesia
2 x Blueberry Domina

2 look healthy but one got over fertilised and had a bit of a flush this morning. PPM of run off confirmed as much.

3RD GROW - Seedlings had a struggle. I didn't give the coco enough nutrients when I moved them from the propogator. They got very pale for a while but are looking a bit livelier now.

[greenaubergine]

I started a diary for my 2nd grow and will do the same for the 3rd (12 litre pots is the plan). For 4th it'll be a 2 plant 16 litre pot job. Might be next spring.

If I've missed any important details let me know. Any feedback and advice is welcome.