New Grower Outdoor Autoflower South West UK Advice on plan

[jack1991]

Hi people, so my plan is to next year start my first autoflower grow, im going to go with a high cbd strain, at the moment i like the sound of 'sin tra bajo'. I have done a fair amount of research into growing but do have a few questions. I know most the time its more of an opinion than a actual answer but all advice, help and opinions i will greatly appreciate


I will be growing 2 or 3 plants in 15litre (3 gallon) pots outside in the garden in the south west UK.

My questions are:

1. What medium do you reccomend? At the moment i think i will go with Plagron Light Mix soil mixed with perlite at 70:30. ...or do you reccomend different for my situation?

2. Seeing as its my first grow i dont really want to go all out and buy loads of nutrients and additives etc because i know it will get too much and i want to keep it simple yet effective. I was hoping i would be sound with just a specific grow and bloom nutrients. From reviews i have read that plant magic oldtimer grow and bloom is really good for soil. Will i be cool using just this grow and bloom?

3. Should i add nutrients with every water slowly increasing the dose? (starting on 1/4 the stated dose)


Anything ive left out just ask, cheers!

 

[blue]

Hi Jack!

I'm not an outdoors grower, but think i can help with a couple of the questions

1. What medium do you reccomend? At the moment i think i will go with Plagron Light Mix soil mixed with perlite at 70:30. ...or do you reccomend different for my situation?

Plagron Light is tried and tested and regulalry used by one of AFNs super-growers TaNg, so i would completely recommend it based on his results.
Not sure whether he mixes any extra perlite into his soil - you might want to scour some of his threads - He's an indoor grower, but there's certainly some inspriation and good advice to follow there!

2. Seeing as its my first grow i dont really want to go all out and buy loads of nutrients and additives etc because i know it will get too much and i want to keep it simple yet effective. I was hoping i would be sound with just a specific grow and bloom nutrients. From reviews i have read that plant magic oldtimer grow and bloom is really good for soil. Will i be cool using just this grow and bloom?

I think it's a very sensible idea to stick to a basic nute lineup for a first grow - I've think old timer grow and bloom would fit the bill for this.

3. Should i add nutrients with every water slowly increasing the dose? (starting on 1/4 the stated dose)

TaNg has a feeding schedule up although he uses quite a large advanced nutrients lineup, he says with his soil (plagron light) he only feeds plain water for the first 10 days. (you'll probably need to get some PH down and a good digital PH meter pen to get your water at the right PH)

Starting at 1/4 of the recommended dose for there on and building up is the way to go!

Sounds like your making good choices not being too hasty and getting the right stuff - when you're ready with the grow, you can setup a journal and we can advise on feeding from there. Probably the most important thing to get right is PH for a successful grow - thats where most new growers stumble.

Build up feed gently and gradually - if the leaves are too light green then (presuming the pH is in check) you need to feed a little more, if your tips of the leaves are burning - you probably fed a bit too strong and the plant is telling you off

Hope this hels to get a little head start

All the best
Blue ^_^

 

[jack1991]

Thanks alot for your answers blue its going to help me out big time!
Yeh i like to be organised and know what im doing so want to have the best idea i can get.
cool ill check out TaNg and read a few of his threads.

Thanks again man im sure ill have a few more questions before i get going but for now ill carry on reading stuff on here

 

[Muddy]

The kind of growing that Blue described is what is commonly called soil less growing. The medium used, Plagon Lite Mix, only contains some starter nutrients that will be exhausted after the first week or two of the grow. After that it's up to the grower to supply everything the plant needs. While this works very well indoors where you can control your feeding schedule, it can be problematic outdoors where you are subject the the whims of rainfall. It's very likely that you will run into extended periods of wet or humid weather that will prevent you from staying on a fixed feeding routine. Your plant could end up suffering during those times from a lack of nutrients. You might be better off using something like Plagron All Mix or Royalty Mix. They both contain worm castings and humus that will feed the plants during those times. Just know that they can be a bit hot for auto seedlings so you should start in something like the Lite Mix. This can be done by either hollowing out the center of the All mix and replacing it with Lite Mix or starting in a smaller pot of Lite Mix and transplanting into the All Mix once they are 2-3 weeks old.

 

[jack1991]

Ah right cool cheers man I'll check out those other mediums in a bit. Just been reading about plant magics soil too that sounds pretty decent, if Im going to use plant magic nutrients I would guess it would be best to use there soil too I suppose they'd go hand in hand?

Also once I've germinated the seed and it's come out the soil is it good to go straight outside? Or is it best to pop it outside daytime and bring it inside at night for the first (approx) 2 weeks?

 

[Muddy]

Ah right cool cheers man I'll check out those other mediums in a bit. Just been reading about plant magics soil too that sounds pretty decent, if Im going to use plant magic nutrients I would guess it would be best to use there soil too I suppose they'd go hand in hand?

Doesn't really matter much. Most soils all contain basically the same ingredients, peat, perlite, dolomite lime, and amendments like worm castings, guano, composted manure and humus. Stay away from anything with clay or sand as they tend to compact and cut off needed oxygen to the roots.

Also once I've germinated the seed and it's come out the soil is it good to go straight outside? Or is it best to pop it outside daytime and bring it inside at night for the first (approx) 2 weeks?

If started indoors you always want to do what is called "hardening off", which getting them used to the new environment. Put them outside for a couple hours a day and increase that time every day. Start out in a semi shaded area before moving them to full sun.

 

[jack1991]

Oooh okay man cheers about the soil info

So I could just germinate the seed stick em in there final pot then stick them outside straight away?
And do away with hardening them off an that?
Or is it best to just bring the plant in every night throughout the whole time till harvest just to save it from getting too cold lol

 

[jack1991]

So you can germinate the seed put them into there final pot then stick them outside straight away? Rather than starting indoors and hardening them off an that?

Or is it better to start indoors then harden off? If started indoors is that under a light or just indoors near a window to get sunlight?

Or is it best to just bring the plant in every night throughout the whole time till harvest just to save it from getting too cold lol

 

[jack1991]

anyone?

 

[Banana]

So you can germinate the seed put them into there final pot then stick them outside straight away? Rather than starting indoors and hardening them off an that?

Or is it better to start indoors then harden off? If started indoors is that under a light or just indoors near a window to get sunlight?

Or is it best to just bring the plant in every night throughout the whole time till harvest just to save it from getting too cold lol

Hello Jack. The answer to your questions can only be answered by you because it is the weather and ambient conditions that determine which option works best for your location.

so for example if you start your plants off early April in SW UK, you are unlikely to be able to successfully leave them outdoors day and night until late May early June. Autos are intolerant of cold and will protect themselves by going into a sort of stasis (alive but not growing)

Hope this helps your planning....