I’ll be popping soon

I have never grown a plant from start to finish in a party cup. After looking for inspiration online, as many of you Have I’m sure I settled on a party cup with a single 1/8” hole about 1” from the bottom. I will fill perlite in the bottom 1.25” and the rest will be 70/30 coco/perlite. I’m hoping this will create a wicking effect and slow the coco from inevitably drying out. I’m using a  red 18oz Solo brand cup.  I will germinate a feminized OG Kush Seed in paper towel as I normally do and then into a jiffy pellet. 
this ought to be fun!

So I call this “The Reverse Mullet” party (challenge cup) in the front, business (PTGC) in the back. Seeds are in the drink for a soak.

So now I wish I would of waited 1 more day before popping the Shiskaberry because today, only 8 business days after I ordered I got the seeds from Kyle at Predicative Breeding. I really didn’t think the Afghan Cherries and Rock Candy Cake would be here so soon. I had only ordered a couple and Kyle gave me a few more.

All three seeds I dropped in the water were put in paper towels last night and after 36hrs all have popped open and have root tips showing. I’ve been soaking my jiffy pellets in the same distilled water the seeds were in and it’s all on a heat mat in my veg tent. 

Heads popped up within a few hours of each other and so the lights got turned on 24/0. When the Cotyledons open I will switch to 18/6. Heat mat is set to 76 and humidity is still very high around 100% as I keep them in a Tupperware until I see green. I’m assuming by tomorrow they will be in the humidity dome. 

party cup side note

I’m using 2 feminized OGK seeds that a friend gifted me. both of them popped and Look good. At first figured I would grow both OGK’s in party cups. But then I went to smoke a joint and when I got back my kids wanted to play LEGO. So I got to building...and I built a LEGO pot (about the size of a party cup) I know this won’t officially “qualify” for the party cup challenge but the other OGK will, and this should be fun. I even found a lil LEGO guy with a green “B” on his shirt so “Bud Man” will help me grow a cannalego plant! 

Another day later and the OGK’s are starting to open up their Cotyledons. The Shiskaberry is not far behind. I placed them in a standard Mondi type 7” dome with vents. I put my inkbird hygrometer and temp sensor in through one vent and closed it. I have some 1/2” tubing from the humidifier spout that leads through the other vent feeding humidity into the dome. I can get the vents pretty much closed 100% around the wires and tube. The Inkbird controller turns the humidifier on/off and provides heat to the heat mat when they drift out of the set perimeters I have input. The lights I have in that veg tent is an HLG 135w LED.

So after about 24 hrs of lights on all had unfolded their cotyledons, the last one being the Sihkaberry. 

This is the first time I try setting up a veg tent. I’m using mostly stuff I started out with. Except I don’t have an extraction fan. keeping the temps right right will be changing without an extraction fan. I’ve managed to balance it out around 75f 75rh by piping in some a/c from another room. If I do buy a fan i won’t be buying a fan appropriately sized for a 2x2 tent. I’ll be buying a 6” Ac infinity and I will put that in my 3x3 flower tent and taking the 4” Ac infinity I’m currently using in my flower tent for the smaller veg tent. 6” infinity might be overkill for a 3x3 flower tent but it won’t be for my eventual 5x5 I’m planning. Growing is like getting tattoos, once u get one you can’t stop.

All 3 seedlings are doing ok. One of the OGK stretched a bit more then the others but the radical also shot right through the bottom of the jiffy pellet within 24 hrs.

I put that one in the solo cup for the challenge  but I’ll hold off on fertigation until all 3 are in coco. I’m only doing this because I’m fairly confident They will all be in coco Later today and I’ll be able to start my first fertigation event tonight. It also makes it easier if all the plants are at the same EC. 

The method I use for “up potting” from jiffy pellet is a double party cup or “Cali cup method’ I use this method because I usually have party cups around anyways for measuring EC/pH and I did it such a breeze to transplant from the party cup to 3gal air pot. First time I transplanted with the regular 1 cup method I was cringing as the roots stuck in the drainage holes were ripping Off. I figure the way I do it now is less stressful for the plant. 

Cali cup method:

take 2 party cups (cuz it ain’t a party if you only have one)

cut one down the side all the way to the bottom and remove the bottom. Then put a bunch of pin holes along the sides. Take the other cup and cut lots of slits in the bottom. So much that the cup won’t hold water. This will be your putter cup

from there is pretty simple slide the cut open cup into the outer cup Until both rims are touching. effectively, staking one cup in the other and fill with media.

when it comes time for transplant remove inner cup. It comes out like a big plug, peel off the slit inner cup to expose the roots and transplant. Easy and low stress for you and the plant.

I decided to graduate the girls to their next biggest container. 
Party cup challenge OKG is the strongest out of the gate
Lego cup OGK is catching up and Shiskaberry is close behind Lego. So technically both of the OGK’s are in final pots, as a challenge. The Shiskaberry will probably be transplanted into her final 3gal airpot and hooked up to a automated fertigation / drain system in about 7 days. Man hand watering the 2 OGK’s for the next 3 moths is gonna suck. 

Shiskaberry got transplanted yesterday into a 3 gal airpot. She wasn’t too happy about it. The OGK is taking on an OG lean

I’ll prob add air holes  with a thumb tac. But I like how the bottom portion or the cup stays wet and acts like a wick keeping the coco wet. 

I noticed some leafs twists and Before the rust spots appeared I have been Applying a calmag foliar solution for 3 days and have been able to get her back on track. Before I do this I always calibrate my ph meter and check the Ph of the solution. I believe wrong Ph is one of the most common mistakes made in hydro and is easy to avoid. The OGK’s are doing great. I raised the heat a bit And noticed the Shiskaberry is much much happier. She likes temps closer to 80. I believe this Shiskaberry will be temperamental. Compared to my last grow or even compared to the OGK’s. But I believe we have found our heading and we should be hitting some smooth waters soon. I bet she will be a heavy feeder compared to my gorilla. 

As soon as my flower tent is free I’ll clean it and bring the 3 plants in. I’ll change the timer for 18hrs of light. I have a feeling the larger tent suffered less from temp/Rh spikes and this Shiskaberry is a little bit more difficult to please then the 2 OGK’s in Solo/Lego cups. My flower tent should be ready in a day or two to receive these 3. 

I also lowered the Ph to the lower end of the recommended scale on the CFC schedule for week 3. I also upped the EC a touch. Not sure if it will help but already today she seems happier then yesterday, I think dropping to 5.9 ph helped. I notice my plants do best in the 5.9-6.0 ph range. 

Temps 75-79 Rh70% EC1225 ph 5.9

Day 20 and she’s finally looking a bit happier. I have been busy trimming my latest harvest and have neglected to update this journal. No matter what I do I can’t get the big fans to stand up. I know some cultivars do it more then others and on my last grow the gorilla leaves were praying so hard they were almost standing up straight. I’m sure the calcium deficiency slowed her down too but she looks like she’s picked up steam again. I started LST and should be able to do my last topping easily 5 days to a week before I flip. Which is pretty much on par with what I normally do. 

the part cup challenge OGK it’s fading In colour. I’ll fertigate more often and maybe add holes to the party cup.
Lego cup is the worst off. She’s not happy.

I’ve topped the OGK twice and that’s as far as I’ll go. A bit of LST or bend and secure to try and even out the small 8 tops I have. Growth is slow compared to a 3gal! But she has suffered calcium deficiency in early veg. I’m using Mo’Koko since I was out of Canna and that’s all they had. I think I’ll buffer the pre buffered coco next time. Second grow this happens with this coco. I wonder if I should prune the roots before flower. If I would ever risk it, it would be a perfect time to try. This is such a great learning experience, growing in a cup from start to finish is a challenge. I increased temps and humidity, still staying within appropriate VPD in hopes of speeding up growth a bit