I used to have 2 2x2 tents taking up space in my office, but the wife wants a guest room, so… she moved in to my study to make space.
Just finished my last grow a few months ago., but i just got the itch.
Also, it didnt hurt that ILGM had a black friday sale and i picked up some new strains.
BUT… Where to grow now? Well, i just cleaned the garage, and its winter. And, Hey! Tis the season, right?
Let it grow!, let it grow!, let it grow!!
I have twin AC Infinity 2x2x6 tents.
I set up both tents in the garage raised on pallets to keep off the cold concrete. Im going to be using this forum to track my progress and also note technical specs and highlight issues i may run into since it very well could snow before my grow is done.
I am currently soaking 1 Gold Leaf seed (my favorite strain of the ones I’ve grown in the last year.
And I just ordered a Sweet Mix feminized pack and i picked up some Apple Fritter Autos. So i will pop 1 apple fritter when they come in.
Now, some detailed stats:
It was 55 F (12.7 C) outside today. I set up both tents but only turned on lights and fans in 1 so i could compare.
With lights on: temp hit 73 F (22.7 C) and 43% Humidity.
No lights: staying around 60 f (15.5 C) and almost 70% Humidity.
I have ordered a few solutions to keep the tent warn in the dark hours. We will see what works best as we progress.
Quick update. Early morning.
It got down to 41 F (5 C) and the tents never got below 57 F (14.1 C). I ordered some automatic humidifiers and small chicken coop heaters that ill have on an automatic timers during dark hours. I think i will have the heaters cycle on/off every 30 minutes to regulate the temp, but we will see. As Dec and Jan roll in colder weather, i may need them on all night, we shall see!
So i think this will be very good conditions for growing. Super excited.
My #1 goal for this grow is quality over quantity. My last 2 grows were very successful, with large crops. BUT, i want to fine tune for flavor profile. Now that i can dial in humidity, i plan on a 2 week slow hang dry in the tent and then jar.
Oh, and the new seeds i just ordered are my first ever Autos!
I purchased these long cables for heating water pipes so they don’t freeze in the winter. 40 feet long each. I ran them up and down the inner walls of the tent in a zig-zag pattern. The sensor is outside the tent so if it falls below 43 F (6.1 C), it kicks on and creates a little ambient heat. Probably useful in the very, very cold weeks to come.
For the evenings, I went with small Chicken coop radiators. They’re basically a heating pad on a stand. It has an adjustable nob with a min of 120 F (48.8 C) so my plan is to set my manual timer to intervals of 30 minutes at night. They are scheduled to be delivered today. Still not sure if I’ll be hanging it or just setting it in a corner.
This seed was DRY as a BONE 3 days ago. Seriously, I put it in distilled water at 8am on Nov. 24.
Two days later, I put the popped seed in a Root Riot seed pod. That is, yesterday, I put it in the seed pod YESTERDAY.
I came home today to find THIS (she’s an overachiever):
Also, it looks like my chicken coop heaters are really working their magic. It stays at 78 F (25.5 C) with the lights on. And last night, it never got below 74 F (23.3 C). Since my tents are so small, I think the low profile against the wall is perfect. As the plant grows, I can raise it with the adjustable hooks I used.
Now, tonight is the real test, because it’s getting near freezing. (Around here, the weather fluctuates literally to whichever way the wind blows)
AND, another update! My new Black Friday seeds are already here! They weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. SO, an Apple Fritter Auto is resting comfortably in a shot glass of distilled water in a dark lunch cooler on my dining room table. Let’s see how quick She can pop!
Minor mishap last night.
My guess is the automatic timer had issues and wasnt keeping the chicken coop heater on. It got down to 27F (-2.7 C) outside, My little seedling was in 59*F (15 C) in the tent. Just a little below the safe zone.
So she was in that state for a few hours. Glad i caught it this morning at 4:45am. She looks to be doing ok and the heater will just stay at medium heat for good. The tent can vent if it gets higher than 79* F.
Back to 74+ Now.
I also hooked up my reptile mister/ humidifier. It has a long extended hose so i can keep it outside the small tent, and a humidity meter to self shut off once it reaches optimal %.
So far so good. Its keeping the humidity above 55% if i set it to 45%. One downside tho. The hose builds up water vapor and it drips inside the tent. Gotta be super careful of where those drips land. If i build up puddles, it can grow mold.
I wet the Apple Fritter Auto 2 nights ago. Same as always, distilled water in a shot glass, inside a lunchbox cooler. Drop the seed in, so it floats on the surface.
I checked it this morning looked down into it, but couldn’t see a taproot yet. No biggie, it can take time.
I checked again this evening, and when I looked down into the glass, still couldn’t see any sign of it. I used my cellphone light and laughed, this thing has a tail three times the length of the seed hanging underneath itself in the water.
So, since I had my second tent running all day yesterday and today, the climate is nice and cozy, I dropped her in a Root Riot seed pod. But instead of putting her in a seedling tray, since she’s my very first attempt at an Auto and I’m still learning, I figured I would just put the pod directly into the final pot she’ll be in the whole time. best of both worlds, right? And no risk of shock.
So, now we have both tents set up with identical systems. here’s a shot of the Apple Fritter Auto in her new home.
@Need_4_Seed
Looking good man.
I just ordered another tent. You’ve inspired me now to set it up in my garage. Maybe I can get to nerve up to start me a grow thread on here.
@FUKAZ28 - Grow on, my friend! It’s one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had, and I’ve only been doing this for a year. It’s a cross between farming, engineering and patience.
This is my third grow, but first garage grow in the winter, and first Auto, so we’ll see how it goes.
I wish I had more space for larger tents or more 2x2s, but we just have too many hobbies, I guess.
Let me know when you start your thread, I will definitely follow!
