Help Me Bust My Grow Cherry

Planning my first grow and making sure everything goes accordingly is my utmost priority. That being said, I'm gonna start off with an autoflowering strain to get feel for this and also to guarantee success.

This is what I have to work with:
Sunshine Mix #4 advanced mix - aggregate plus
Fox Farms Trio... (Grow big, big bloom, tiger bloom)

From what I gather, I have to germinate the seeds in SM#4 (Sunshine Mix #4), transfer them over to peat pots filled with SM#4 using Grow Big on the seedlings, then put the peat pots in 4 gallon containers filled with SM#4, let the roots bust through the peat pot into their permanent home, hold off on the vegetative nutrients, then wait for those lil guys to flower and start hittin them with Tiger Bloom.

Detailed criticism would be much appreciated.

Take into consideration light, fresh air, and techniques you can use to maximize yield.

you look like you got right idea ptretty much. I have one warning though, those peat pots can be trouble unless you can keep the pot moist at all times otherwise they'll dry out and kill any roots that have grown to the outside of the pot. My neighbor used them all the time but she put them inside a styrafoam cup (any other cup that they'll fit flush in will work) When she was ready to transplant then she'd just pop them outwith healty roots dangling out of the sides of the pot.
No mention of how you're going to light the system.

breatheless said:

Planning my first grow and making sure everything goes accordingly is my utmost priority. That being said, I'm gonna start off with an autoflowering strain to get feel for this and also to guarantee success.

This is what I have to work with:
Sunshine Mix #4 advanced mix - aggregate plus
Fox Farms Trio... (Grow big, big bloom, tiger bloom)

From what I gather, I have to germinate the seeds in SM#4 (Sunshine Mix #4), transfer them over to peat pots filled with SM#4 using Grow Big on the seedlings, then put the peat pots in 4 gallon containers filled with SM#4, let the roots bust through the peat pot into their permanent home, hold off on the vegetative nutrients, then wait for those lil guys to flower and start hittin them with Tiger Bloom.

Detailed criticism would be much appreciated.

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i want to know about your grow area how is it set up ?

Also, make sure if growing indoors you have a carbon scrubber ready to go when that plant starts stinking or you're going to have a very paranoid unpleasant grow.

Be sure to do your research, on what auto you choose, because many of them are crap. Many don't flower automatically, like they're supposed too, many aren't that potent, etc.... My advice is to talk to people who have actually grown the strain before, and avoid the advice of seedbanks or advertisements. It's really not that hard to flip your lights to 12/12 and GUARANTEE flowering, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick a normal strain, that's been proven to have the traits you desire. The choice is your's, I'm sure there's a few autos that are pretty decent. There's just alot more regular strains that are.

jawbrodt said:

Be sure to do your research, on what auto you choose, because many of them are crap. Many don't flower automatically, like they're supposed too, many aren't that potent, etc.... My advice is to talk to people who have actually grown the strain before, and avoid the advice of seedbanks or advertisements. It's really not that hard to flip your lights to 12/12 and GUARANTEE flowering, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick a normal strain, that's been proven to have the traits you desire. The choice is your's, I'm sure there's a few autos that are pretty decent. There's just alot more regular strains that are.

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heard that about a year ago lot of seed banks pulled them off shelves cuz they didnt flower
i would rather decide when to flower my plants

^Bingo, I'm with ya there.

RubbinTizzug said:

Also, make sure if growing indoors you have a carbon scrubber ready to go when that plant starts stinking or you're going to have a very paranoid unpleasant grow.

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This, 100%. First time I got slapped in the face with skunk was both very gratifying and terrifying.

As far as my grow room is set up the only things I haven't done is set up my exhaust system and hung up mylar. I have a digital ballast with 50%, 75%, and 100% settings, a HPS bulb and a MH bulb (both 1000w [came with the ballast so I know they're the right wattage]) with an air-cooled tube. I've light-proofed the room for my future grows. As I've mentioned, bought my nutrients and soil. I have a germination station with a heating pad that I believe I was conned into, but it will still prove useful. I have my TDS meter and a cheap Milwaukee Instruments PH600 PH meter. I have the General Hydroponics PH up + down with PH testing tube. Let's see, pruning scissors... thermometer and barometer. I don't know if I should get a 40w cfl and replace my regular lightbulb in the room with it or not because I was under the impression that just the HPS/MH bulb would suffice. I'm working in a 8x8x10 room and as such have calculated the minimum CFM required for my carbon filter, inline fan, and ducting.

Reading all yous guise comments is making me feel a little more at ease. I've researched a lot, but, have no hands-on experience yet. I really want to grow Big Bud, but first I think it'd be good to grow Short Rider... I don't know... the seeds are my last purchase once I have everything I need (that way I can't back out ), so I don't have seeds yet and am open to your suggestions for seed choice.

jawbrodt said:

Be sure to do your research, on what auto you choose, because many of them are crap. Many don't flower automatically, like they're supposed too, many aren't that potent, etc.... My advice is to talk to people who have actually grown the strain before, and avoid the advice of seedbanks or advertisements. It's really not that hard to flip your lights to 12/12 and GUARANTEE flowering, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick a normal strain, that's been proven to have the traits you desire. The choice is your's, I'm sure there's a few autos that are pretty decent. There's just alot more regular strains that are.

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What jawbrot said. I've just finished growing some autos and I would say exactly the same thing. There's a lot of flaky autos out there. It's hard to stabilize autos because you can't clone and back cross.

I have one auto that wouldnt flower until I put her under 12/12. Yes check out grow logs and smoke reports for any strain you consider.

I think a solid , fast auto is an ideal choice for a first grow. It's simpler, you get something quick and the plant grows so fast it has a good chance of finishing before you manage to kill it!

I recommend Greenhouses Greenomatic. 67 days from seed to harvest! Great indica smoke. Ok yield. I'm growing it again.

There are others out there but you have to research.

Honestly, I'm being more and more turned off from autos. I read a log of the Lowryder strain, wasn't too impressed, but still concluded it or a similar strain (not too hybrid), would be a safe bet for my first time.

On the contrary, my confidence in regular strains is being reinforced...

IMO, going with autos, is like buying a moped, for your first motorcycle, thinking it's a good idea to ease into it. Then, a month later, you're kicking yourself in the ass, for not choosing the real deal.lol


I'll have ya talked out of it, yet....lol

Well one grow with autos is not like investing in a vehicle. It's just a bag of seeds. There's no reason he can't easily grow photos after that.

I don't know how many plants you are growing but perhaps consider growing both an auto and a photo together. I have a mix in my current grow.

Last time I looked, Lowryder was crap. But these new autos are not Lowryder, they have some lowryder genetics. Autos have been rapidly improving and will continue to do so, but they still don't get a lot of respect.

I grew a batch of autos because I was just starting up again and needed something quick. I expected them to be second rate but a quick harvest. What I got changed my mind about autos. I like the Greenomatic so much I will grow it again.

Right now you are looking for robust easy growers that give you a nice smoke and a reasonable yield. A 'turnkey plant' that almost runs itself is not a bad idea. The exotic stuff can come later.

Just my opinion.

jawbrodt said:

IMO, going with autos, is like buying a moped, for your first motorcycle, thinking it's a good idea to ease into it. Then, a month later, you're kicking yourself in the ass, for not choosing the real deal.lol


I'll have ya talked out of it, yet....lol

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i will help u try too talk him out of it
right now attitude has buy hazeman rocky mountain high 10 seeds for 50 then u get 10 more free and riu 10 % discount

I like that analogy, and actually, I could get both... for the trip to the grocery store and the journey up-state...

I can't find Greenomatic anywhere, and Rocky Mountain High is out of stock already, but I want to order from Nirvana anyways because Attitude's website seems like it was put together by stereotypical stoners and is kind of overwhelming, lol. Nirvana's choices for autos are Northern Auto and Short Rider... so I'm definitely going with one of those two, so now I'm deciding upon a regular strain. Tangerine Dream was one of the strains that really appealed to me, but I think that might be one of the advanced grows... I'm not sure.

breatheless said:

I can't find Greenomatic anywhere, and Rocky Mountain High is out of stock already, but I want to order from Nirvana anyways because Attitude's website seems like it was put together by stereotypical stoners and is kind of overwhelming, lol. Nirvana's choices for autos are Northern Auto and Short Rider... so I'm definitely going with one of those two, so now I'm deciding upon a regular strain. Tangerine Dream was one of the strains that really appealed to me, but I think that might be one of the advanced grows... I'm not sure.

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just shows out of stock u add to basket it will be there
or try tga/subcool plushberry going to order it my self and use 420 code to get riu 10 % DISCOUNT

Nice. Thanks guys. I ordered 3 Kalashnikovas and 2 Green-O-Matics from Greenhouse, then ordered 5 feminized Fruity Chronic something or others from Delicious Seeds. Gonna pop open the Greenomatics right away... Probably gonna start the Chronic too. I just hope I don't waste any seeds cuz my luck with germinating bagseed has been terrible.