New Grower White Widow Auto Flower Grow, Looking for Advice/Tips

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Hi everyone, this is my 3rd grow with White Widow Auto flower from ILGM.

My first 2 grows took place in a 3x3 tent in a large basement. The temp is in the 60s all year round, dehumidifier in the room to keep it below 50% otherwise the basement would smell. We have a sump pump and a damp basement, when it rains the humidity would shoot up 70% sometimes. Had a humidifier and small room dehumidifier along with a small heater. No circulation fan, no exhaust fan. I was using pot for a pot grow kits, no nutrients just water. First tried three 5-gallon pots and only got about 2.5 oz on the second grow I thought I bought four 2-gallon pots stupidly thinking they were 3 gallons and I got just under 2 oz. Yes, I was skimping, being cheap, doing it wrong.

This is where I'm at now... 3x3 tent in a bedroom. During the light hours I keep the heat vent closed, the heat from the light keeps the tent between 74-78, depends on how often the furnace kicks on during the day, the room as a lot of day light shining in but after it gets dark the room cools a couple degrees before the light turns off. The light is on a 18/6 timer. Light off hours the temperature stays about 68, the house is set for 65 and the bedroom holds in some extra heat. I have both temperature and humidity controllers in the tent. The humidity controls an exhaust fan with a carbon filter in the tent and does a great job holding the humidity at whatever I set it, currently I have it at 60% day and 55% night, I feel like I should start lowering it, also controls a humidifier that is outside of the tent but the only time it seems to kick on is if I open the tent or bedroom door. The temp controller isn't connected to anything it's just to monitor. I do have a 6" circulating monkey fan blowing between the top of the plants and the light. The light is currently set approximately 16" above the plants which are 18 days from germination start.


Full tent.jpg All five babies.jpg A.jpg B.jpg C.jpg D.jpg E.jpg



Light - Platinum Led P4-XML2, it has separate blue, red and white light LEDs. I have been using both the blue and red together this time as I've read that auto flowers do well like that, last time I only used blue for veg and red for flower. I do not use the white light only because it adds way too much heat with both red and blue on.

Germination - I just soaked for 12 hours in water, placed them in peat pellets, after roots started to show I put them in the soil.

Soil - Fox Farm Ocean Forrest. 5-gallon pots, I've left about 2 inches of room at the top to recharge the soil during flowering. I don't plan on using any other nutrients for this grow but I thought I might experiment, one of the plants seems tiny maybe, he needs some help.

Watering - I just have been using bottled water, not checking ph, Last water was Thursday morning, gave 2 bottles of water to each. I have never been unsure about how much or how little to water

I've done some research about various types of training but I'm undecided as to what I might do. I really want to maximize this grow. Would like to get some knowledge from someone growing auto flowers who has experience with training them.

Any and all advice, tips, questions are welcome, I'll keep updating with pics and relevant info, I hope to get the most out of this grow, thanks in advance for the help!
 
@Slate3978 :welcome:Welcome to AFN:welcome:Until you can run your grow lights properly you will continue to get low yield crops. Heat and cold is a battle that all indoor growers must win. You need to figure out how to give your plants 42+ DLI of light a day while maintaining 78°F day 68°F night with RH >40%<60%. They need plenty of fresh air and air movement in the tent. It is a lot harder to do than to say!

:goodluck:
 
The temp at night is pretty steady at 68, the temp in the house never changes. During the day Its usually close to 78, unless its warmer than normal and the furnace isn't kicking on nearly as much. Humidity is not an issue the exhaust fan works perfectly.

Probably a stupid question, do auto flowers need changes in temperature and humidity throughout the various stages of growth the same as photos do or can they stay more consistent throughout the grow? like if I wanted to have a rotation of auto flowers in a single tent, would the same conditions through both veg and flower hinder yield and potency too much?
 
I grew 2 of that strain last time, along side 2 GSC Extreme all from ILGM. Definitely potential for yield there, those 4 plants all got about the same size and overfilled my 5x5 tent.

Tried to keep the humidity at 50% but it would get pretty dry sometimes when my humidifier ran out of water. Didn't seem to mind at all. Ran the lights 24h for the first half then cut to 20/4 then 18/6. Temps about 75F dropping to 65F at night. 55F at night during the last couple weeks.

I was using a different medium though so may be the difference as well. 5gal pots with Promix HP watered to runoff every time using General Hydroponics Maxi-bloom the entire grow with some extra cal mag and super thrive (vitamin B). LST'D and became quite bushy.

Went 95 days and yielded nearly 2 pounds between the 4 plants. One of the WW smelled very loud of pine and turpentine. The other was meh...
 
Friday Update #1

Everything is chugging along steadily. No changes in grow room environment. I think in the past I wasn't watering enough. I get a little runoff but not 10% or more like I keep reading around here. If my timing is correct they are approaching pre flowering.


Full Tent 2.jpg


A2.jpg


B2.jpg


C2.jpg



D2.jpg


E2.jpg



Ive been using the Blue, Red and Full spectrum lights almost all the time, I turn off the Red now and then if it starts to get over 78 in the tent. I've been doing a 18/6 Schedule but I'm thinking of keeping the lights on a few hours longer.
 
Friday update #2... (One day late)

Took pics on Friday and again on Saturday after tying down the tops and making room for light all around.


Lots of growth this week... mostly. Before and after tied down, the second pic could have been better.
Wk3 Full.jpg

Wk3 Full tied.jpg



Plant A before and after tied down...
Wk3 A.jpg
Wk3 A tied.jpg
Wk3 A tied2.jpg



Plant B, no tie down.
Wk3 B.jpg



Plant C, no tie down.
Wk3 C.jpg



Plant D, before and after.
Wk3 D.jpg

Wk3 D tied.jpg

Wk3 D tied2.jpg



Plant E, blah blah
Wk3 E.jpg

Wk3 E tied.jpg

Wk3 E tied2.jpg
 
Friday update #2... (One day late)

Took pics on Friday and again on Saturday after tying down the tops and making room for light all around.


Lots of growth this week... mostly. Before and after tied down, the second pic could have been better.
View attachment 1403455
View attachment 1403484


Plant A before and after tied down...
View attachment 1403456View attachment 1403458View attachment 1403459


Plant B, no tie down.
View attachment 1403470


Plant C, no tie down.
View attachment 1403472


Plant D, before and after.
View attachment 1403474
View attachment 1403475
View attachment 1403476


Plant E, blah blah
View attachment 1403478
View attachment 1403479
View attachment 1403481
Lookin good!
 
too many plants.
fingers crossed they dont continue to grow at that pace. OVERGROW ALERT!:biggrin::biggrin:
 
too many plants.
fingers crossed they dont continue to grow at that pace. OVERGROW ALERT!:biggrin::biggrin:

I grew 3, 5-gallon pots in that tent but also had a humidifier, small dehumidifier, and heater, I still had room to grow with that setup. Agin only used soil, but not FFOF, and no addition nutrients.

I was wondering if 5 would be too many, I may still take out the small middle one if I do need the room. And if it they do stretch more, I have a trellis to put up.
 
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