Ep 001: Indoor Problems, Greenhouse Progress Behind the Grow
· Episode 001 of the Home Grow TV 'Behind the Grow' vlog series splits time between an indoor CO2 room struggling with overwatering and nutrient issues post-transplant, and an outdoor Colombian greenhouse at day 21 of flower receiving a heavy defoliation and lollipop session. Dakota and Mr. Q walk through PPFD checks, clone recovery diagnostics, and a deep strain walkthrough of Granny Candy, Grape Graffiti, Punch & Punch F2, CBD Dawn, Ultra Pink, and various emoji crosses. A major lesson is learned when the team must re-transplant all AutoPot XL seedlings after discovering 100% coco without an aeration amendment is not recommended by AutoPot's own guidelines. The episode closes with the CO2 room plants recovering strongly at veg day 20, with a SCROG and topping session performed in preparation for flipping to flower.
Topics
CO2 room clone recovery after overwatering and low-EC problems · PPFD measurements across indoor tents and outdoor greenhouse · Greenhouse day 21 flower defoliation and lollipop session · Strain walkthrough: Granny Candy, Grape Graffiti, Punch & Punch F2 · CBD strain comparison: Dawn vs Ultra Pink powdery mildew susceptibility · AutoPot XL system setup mistake and double re-transplant lesson · Rice hulls as perlite substitute in Colombia for aeration amendment · Seedling transplant timing and root-bound detection · Cronk Nutrients feeding: Intermediate plan with cal-mag, Armadillo Armor, Monkey Juice · CO2 supplementation strategy change: delaying until mid-flower · SCROG planning and double-layer SCROG for CO2 room · Topping to even canopy before flowering flip · Fem side test on CO2 room genetics to identify keeper phenos · Watermelon Emoji rosin winning Copa Colombia professional category · Pulse sensor use for VWC monitoring and automated dryback triggers
Sections
Intro, Episode Framing & Giveaway Winner
Dakota previews the episode's dual focus on indoor problems and greenhouse progress. AC Infinity giveaway winner 'Organic Mixture' is selected and announced. AC Infinity Terraform highlighted as a prize option.
CO2 Room Montage & New Seedling Setup
Post-transplant CO2 room montage shown. New seedling batch from Compound Genetics Mellows and Seedsman strains placed under light in the propagation setup. PPFD check performed with EVO light at level 2 showing 150–170 µmol for pre-emergence seedlings.
Mr. Q Arrival & CO2 Room Diagnosis
Mr. Q arrives and inspects the struggling CO2 room clones. Both hosts diagnose overwatering and low EC as the cause of claw, nitrogen deficiency, and nutrient lockout symptoms. Mr. Q recommends extended dryback, hand-watering restart, silica foliar spray, and no topping until fully recovered. PPFD check confirms 500 µmol at center canopy on level 5.
Seedling Inspection & Transplant Assessment
Mr. Q assesses the 12-day seedlings as ready for immediate transplant. PPFD confirmed at 300 µmol at level 3—'fucking perfect.' Seedlings include Blue Moon Gelato (Seedsman), Mellows (Compound Genetics), and Peyote Skittles. Plans made to transplant into 100% coco in autopots and planter box.
Harvest Sample Review & Copa Colombia Win
Dakota and Mr. Q examine Bomba Emoji #10 and #19 harvest samples from the previous CO2 run. Extraordinary trichome coverage noted. Mr. Q announces Watermelon Emoji rosin made by Santi won first place in the professional rosin category at Copa Colombia—a result Mr. Q had predicted in his dab report video.
Greenhouse PPFD Check & Entry
Live PPFD measurements outside and inside the greenhouse. Overcast outdoor readings reach 1,000–1,300 µmol; shaded interior side shows 400–450 µmol; brighter interior area hits 600 µmol. Contexts established before entering for day 21 flower defoliation.
Greenhouse Day 21 Flower: Defoliation & Strain Walkthrough
Main greenhouse work session with Mr. Q, Dakota, and grow workers Brian and Alejandro. Heavy defoliation and lollipopping performed across all beds (~250 plants). Detailed walkthrough of Granny Candy (Humboldt Seed Co.), Grape Graffiti and Punch & Punch F2 (Shadowborn Genetics), CBD Dawn and Ultra Pink (Trilogy), Tongas Emoji cross, and Bomba/Moido crosses. Powdery mildew observed on Ultra Pink. Herm-check discussion. Premiere watch break taken. Before/after comparison shows dramatically improved airflow.
AutoPot Re-Transplant: The Mistake & The Fix
Dakota explains the substrate mistake: 100% coco in AutoPot pots is not recommended per AutoPot's own guidelines. After AutoPot's team contacted the channel via Instagram DM, a full re-transplant is required. Rice hulls sourced locally at $15/bale as a perlite substitute. All AutoPot XL pots are re-transplanted with a 70% coco / 30% rice hull mix. AutoPot's official setup guidelines are read aloud as lessons learned.
Veg Day 18: Post-Transplant Check & First Watering
Day 18 veg check across the 2x4 (planter box doing well, perky) and 4x8 (droopy, ready for first water). Dakota hand-waters 20 L of Cronk Intermediate Plan (pH 5.8, Micro/Bloom/Grow + cal-mag + Armadillo Armor + Monkey Juice). VWC in Pulse goes from 15% to 30% after watering. First-water overwatering risk discussed. Plans set for upcoming SCROG installation.
CO2 Room Veg Day 20: Recovery Check, Topping & SCROG Plan
CO2 room shows strong recovery—new growth across all plants healthy except Blueatti 11 row which remains locked out. Kaleidoscope showing preflower. Dakota tops taller plants (Mr. Stinky) to level the canopy, removes damaged leaves, and plans to install SCROG net within a day for double-layer setup. CO2 still not running; plan to introduce mid-flower post-stretch confirmed. Episode closes with reflection on growing as a neverending learning process.
Notable quotes
Mr. Q: "They're not looking that good at all."
Mr. Q's first reaction upon entering the CO2 room and seeing the struggling clones post-transplant. → watch @ 0:04
Dakota: "This episode is full of real learnings and reminders of why growing is such a wild, humbling, and neverending hobby. It truly never gets old."
Opening narration framing the episode's theme of honest real-time learning. → watch @ 0:54
Mr. Q: "We got a problem in the CO2."
Said while approaching the CO2 room for the morning walkthrough and diagnosis. → watch @ 6:57
Mr. Q: "I think the EC has just been too low."
Mr. Q's diagnosis of the CO2 room clone issues after observing the plants; noting one plant was already recovering. → watch @ 8:31
Mr. Q: "Maybe overwatering—the roots couldn't get any oxygen, they couldn't absorb the nutrients. And some phenos were definitely more sensitive than others."
Mr. Q's full explanation of the likely cause-and-effect chain leading to the CO2 room problems. → watch @ 8:58
Mr. Q: "Don't top them yet. Don't apply extra stress even if they branch out a little bit. Now, what is more important is getting these plants recovered before they flip into flower."
Mr. Q's key recommendation during the CO2 room diagnosis: prioritize plant health recovery over training. → watch @ 11:46
Mr. Q: "500 in the middle, which for veg is definitely enough when they're that small."
Mr. Q's PPFD assessment for the CO2 room at level 5, confirming 500 µmol is appropriate for the stressed young plants in veg. → watch @ 12:08
Mr. Q: "You see like another 20% more micromoles per square meter here—if they start shooting up only like 10 inches, you immediately have 200 micromoles extra."
Illustrating the inverse square law of light intensity, explaining why canopy height consistency matters during PPFD measurement. → watch @ 12:31
Glossary terms from this episode
AC Infinity EVO 10 · AC Infinity EVO 3 · AQUAvalve / AutoPot Float Valve · Armadillo Armor · Autoflower · AutoPot System · AutoPot XL · Bag Appeal · Buffered Coco · Calcium-Magnesium (Cal-Mag) Deficiency · Canopy · Claw (nitrogen toxicity symptom) · Clone · CO2 Supplementation · Coco Coir (100% Coco) · Compound Genetics · Copa (Cannabis Cup Colombia) · Cronk Nutrients · Defoliation · Double-Layer SCROG · Dryback · EC (Electrical Conductivity) · Feminized Side Test (Fem Side Test) · Foliar Spray · Germination · Green Mile (Colombian Cannabis Company) · Hand Watering · Hermaphroditism (Herm / Herming) · Humboldt Seed Company · Internode / Internodal Spacing
Products mentioned
Seedsman (seed bank) · AC Infinity EVO 3 · AC Infinity EVO 10 · AutoPot XL · AC Infinity Terraform · Pulse Sensor (Pulse Pro) · Cronk Nutrients (base trio: Micro, Bloom, Grow) · Armadillo Armor · Monkey Juice · Rice Hulls (Sanitized) · Tray to Grow