Advice on strains election

[Luiggi]

Hi all,
Hope you are all finee.

I thoug I wont be able to login any more because of not being able to reset my pass from the computer but I got it back somehow.
I just wanted to update you because I think I didn't. At the end I picked a Nepal Jam, an orient express, a panama (which a friend bought for me at spannabis), a congo and an HondurasxPanama (not sure the order). First I did sprout the Nepal, Orient and Panama but had an issue during germination (probably my fault) of this last one and so only the other two remain. I spoke to ACE and they did solve the issue.
I did germinate them by half june (not sure and they have grown nicely)

Nepal Jam
30/07

29/08

Orient Express
30/07

29/08

Now, harvest time os yo come and I would like to know tour opinions. How dar should I keep them? I think Nepal Jam might need one week more (if not te ready), while the orient express I would say It is three weeks to go. All years by this time It comes the same doubts about if It is todo early, so would like to know what others might think about It being almost ready.
Nepal Jam

Orient express

 

[Hombre del mont]

They both could do with several weeks yet.

 

[dubi]

Hi @Luiggi I think both will be ready around this time (mid October). Yummy flowers ! Enjoy your harvest!

 

[Luiggi]

Hi @Hombre del mont and @dubi. Actually both of them got harvested last week and two weeks before or so. I decided to post them in each strain topic and got adviced by dubí and some others on Nepal Jam. Anyway I have left part of the plant to see when trichomes get amber. For Orient Express It seems some are turning amber (not Many, about 1:200, so seems it'll take it a bit longer). However for the Nepal Jam, which got harvested before OE, trichomes seem to never get cloudy or amber. Is this possible? Will try to upload some Pic tomorrow.

 

[Luiggi]

Quick Pic update. This evening (now morning just started here) Will try to update in each specific thread.

OE has about 5% trich amber or less. Smell changed to Kind of gummy.

Nepal Jam. None is amber trich yet, like 20 days after harvest point and all keep transparent. Not that smelly as It was. Really covered on White but not sure if missing some trichomes which could have been dissappeared before turning amber. Seems there is less trich amount than before (not that much crowded at microscope) sobprobably some heads have got Broken.

 

[dubi]

Hi Luiggi Although i'm not able to examine the trichomes from here, both look pretty ripe for the rest of variables, especially if you feel the aromas (terpenes) are starting to fade. As i think we commented previously in our conversations, i like to harvest when last reflowering is getting ripe and terpene profile is still at its best.

 

[Luiggi]

Yes. I did harvest half of It after we talked and later had to harvest most of It because of a robery attempt. However wanted to see if trichs Will get amber. Never before was I able to see them amber at any harvest. Usually transparent and some milky. Should It happen in this two strains? In nepaljam none is even milky. I left about 10 dry grama each so does not Matter how It ends if I get to see amber trichomes

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

New run this year with the ones I had no chance to grow last year.

Panamá. Did sprout one last year but had some issue while sprouting and died. I did contact ACE and did explained them what had happened. They did send me another one even if it had already popped. because of time did not start it so this year there is another chance to test it.

sorry if pictures are not the best. Somehow I expected it to be narrow leaved but seems they are quite wide.

I had started a congo too. It is going to a guerrilla plot equipped with 200l drum per plant. (only two plants) this one seems more vigorous than any other. It is more branchy and now it should get branchy since I have toped it. I think I read it performs good in drought so let's see.

Last from ACE is Honduras x Panama. I recon I expexted even narrower leafs than in Panama but keeps them wide. Not sure where I took that idea from. Probably they might get thiner in adult stages. This one has a special trait. a branch has started to appear down the cotiledon level. Had never seen it before but as I started bending them I'll keep an eye on its growth. my plan is to bend them to almost floor level and to finish it in an 80l (15 gal I guess) after a 40 liter repotting. How long doy you think it might get? 2 meters or so?

Finally would ask something else. I heard sativas are difficult when growing in pots. I use only organic fertilizers (guano, compost and worm castings) because I love to preserve flavour. Is it that difficult to get to a final stage in pots?

Have some 3 others but I think I would have to gift one to a friend because of always growing more than what I am able to handle. One (jack la mota) is meant to go guerrilla style toguether with congo and the other(jack la mota too) is to be grown the same as Honduras x Panama as bent as possible to the floor level. It is usually ready at the middle of November so let's hope all fits well in the drying room.

For the guerrilla I am to use water crystals and an item we have designed this year based on the same idea of water collars. it goes inside the hole toguether with the root ball. It is a bottle filled with arlite and connected to a timer from the 200liter (40+ gal) drum. one drum one bottle each. Lets se how it performs.

Luiggi.

 

[Luiggi]

Forgot to add that HxP has a light green. I am tryin to not overfeed it but I think I have not yet reached the point of right feeding.

 

[SolarLogos]

Greetings Luiggi,
Congratulations on your harvest last year of the OE and NepJam, they look very nicely done.

I have grown the Honduran x Panama and found it very easy to grow. I've planted them in the ground as well as in pots. You are correct, the shade leaves will be wider than the leaves that come out during stretch.

They can easily grow up to 2 meters but are very manageable. I grew one under a net, kind of an outdoor SCROG and the harvest was huge.

I topped the one's I grew in pots while they were small, leaving 3 nodes (sets of branches). If the bottom set of branches are really small in comparison to the others, I also get rid of those so as to put all the energy into the remaining branches. This gives the plant two main colas and resticts the height a little. You can also pinch those two leaders so as to get 4 main colas and restrict height some more.

Growing directly in the ground is a lot more forgiving when it comes to deficiencies and water. Moreover, the Honduran x Panama creates large root balls, which can easily fill out a pot so you'll want to make sure you have a large enough pot, or feed a lot more often.

In my opinion, longer flowering Sativa can be a bit more challenging, but the Honduran x Panama is quite easy to grow.

Your plants are likely to be light green because they need bigger pots. In my experience, when a small (your size plants) plant's leaves start to extend beyond the sides of the pot, it's time to repot or it will slow down it's growth and start showing deficiencies quite easily, unless I feed it regularly. I prefer to repot into amended soil and not have the roots get bound up and avoid constant feeding.

BTW, the Panama from Ace has the finest Lemon terpenes I've smelled on Cannabis. Those lovely terpenes carry over into the HxP cross. I think you will enjoy them very much.

What are your thoughts on the OE and NepJam? How was the high?

Thanks for sharing and best of luck
Peace
SL

 

[Luiggi]

Hi @SolarLogos,

As you said, ideally I would plant them in ground but because of my constrains I can only grow one in ground and panama was the chosen one for this year. Actually I am trying to get on the safe path since in my country (Spain) it keeps being illegal and so authorities as much as thieves are trying to take from us (the self providers) their little piece. In addition, even me being almos 40, my family disapproves growing marihuana as a hobby and so I might have to move those plants for short periods at specific moments. This way I would keep the two others, apart from the one in the ground, in pots. Ideally I wanted to not get bigger than 80 litters because of the movements I have to perform every time my family comes to visit me. However, looking at how fast they are growing, I think I might have to use a 150l air pot as the final pot (which once filled with soil it is not movable anymore). Love growing and so love the growing season because of taking care of the plants and following the development so it is difficult for me to wait longer in the season before popping any seed. Actually, the first seed sprouting this year was a cheeseberry from 00seeds and it got in the por about april 1st and yesterday y gifted the plant to a friend. It was quite sad but had no other chance.

Regarding your advice I think I will take it directly to 80 litters and will finish in the 150l (last transplant about end of july). In addition I am not pruning them, my idea is to bent them as close to the floor as possible and to let colas grow during stretching no more than 40 cm or so. Whatever is taller will be bent. I have no space issues buth height.

O.E. and Nepal jam are quite good. At first I didn't like to much O.E. flavour but once i got used I like it. High is quite good, not racy not sleepy but warm. I did like it at first because of high was not too overwhelming so it is perfect to smoke any time in the day. In addition this plant was quite good yelding.

N.J. tastes great. first it was a flavour similar to a brand of homebrew beer I usually drink but it is difficult to say what it tastes of. High is a bit more overwhelming than for O.E. (for me who is not a heavy smoker) but if amoked in the right amount it is a bit energetic with a kind of sleepy hangover(not too much). O.E. leaves no hang over at all but high is softer. I prefer N.J. better tah O.E. but I can't smoke it at every moment in the day.

None of them tastes like dutch genetics so I usually let my friends know when I offer them a bud. however, most of them say it is good but I would say in my opinion those flavours are not that strong as dutch smoke flavours are.

Nevertheless I have to admit that I have tried Guawi, O.E. and N.J. form ACE and another one from a mix and not disappointed at all but I still prefer Jack la Mota (Medical seeds) because of it having a not too overwhelming high and what I think is a frankincense lemony flavour. Anyway I keep growing ace's strains because I think they have something different to offer and highs are not all them the same as it happens with most dutch strains. So lets see how it is Panama. It seems to be the most remarkable strain in ACEs catalog.

Something else I have not yet asked. Are them too smelly when flowering?

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

I have finally set the gorilla spot up.

Unfortunately me and my partner missed a connector for a pipe connecting the tanks to the drip system. Drip system this year is not using emitters but taps at the end of the pipes so to make it difficult for the water to get blocked in the emitters. I took the idea from some posts by @BACKCOUNTRY which I think is not any more in this forum. I took the idea of watering collars which I think he was also explaining at some post. The pipes can be seen digging in the soil. 1 tap and 1 of those "collars" per plant.

They got about 80 litters of amended soil with plenty of guano, worm castings and manure (in pellets).

Let's see what is to come.

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

Back for an update.

Guerrilla plants (a congo and a jack la mota) have got a bit stretchy because of sun not hitting them directly for long enough. However, if watering schedule is correct they will produce some good nugs with really good flavour (never get that good flavour when not growing in ground but in pots even doing non mineral feeding). Unfortunately I missed my phone at home on last visit, so no pictures of them.

Jack la mota (pink bucket) and a Honduras x Panama (orange bucket) are growing good. I hope to up pot them along this week. I would like to avoid taking them into a 150l pot for the end of flowering so I am trying to delay up potting a bit. As you can see both have been bent as much as possible so to avoid them overpassing the balcony wall.

before last bending.

after last bending.

Panama is doing well, as said I am trying to get them growing close to the floor as @Hombre del mont does with his plants, however it has passed a month since transplanted and bent and top branches seem to have stopped their growth while the side branches are growing slowly but with no problem. Not sure those tops will continue vigorously their grow.

Finally I took some clones I want to grow in another location (congo, cheese berry and panama) since the mothers are not any more on my hands or they are in risky places and I want to at least try their flavours. They are almost rooted after two weeks. Yellowing ones are panama. One is alive, the other is bound to die.

Love,

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

did a little trip to the guerrilla. probably a month or so after last visit. the plants were looking a bit langi (we say espigadas) because of not much sun light I guess but hope to get something to smoke from them.

Jack la mota on the left, congo on the right.

Jack la mota

congo

Panama in the garden is doing great. I have set a net over the canopy but got no picture.

Love,

Luiggi

 

[dubi]

Hi @Luiggi

Thanks a lot for your feedback on your last season' Nepal Jam and Orient Express, and for choosing our genetics again for this year outdoor season much appreciated.

Both OE and NJ have been bred to deliver kind, pleasant, warm effects, they are not overwhelming in raw power or type of psychoactivity. OE is more vigorous and high yielding, while NJ's yield is moderate being quite inbred. Glad you liked both Panama, Congo and Honduras x Panama are great classic ACE sativa selections and quite different to the ACE genetics you previously chose.

I have been breeding and selecting many of our most worked sativa strains for tamed, robust and stronger structures in their early stages of life, to later show in flowering all their sativa qualities. Tthis has proven to be very benefitial (especially) for indoor growers who want to experience sativa strains in small spaces in an easy way.
To grow sativa strains in pots is not more difficult than indica strains, it's just that sativa flowering times are longer so there are higher chances that something goes wrong during the process (plagues, robberies, etc ...) than with short flowering strains. On the positive side, sativa strains are more vigorous, less demanding and more mold resistant than indicas.

Regarding pot size, the more the better, but taking also in consideration that if you are growing in a terrace, and to be discreet is a must, then to grow in very big pots can make plants growing taller than the building

I don't recommend to train the growth of the plants so close to the soil unless (again) to be discreet is a must. They can collapse easily under heavy rains, touching soil, getting rotten or full of sand, more easily succumbing to any illness.

Guerilla garden looks promising although not receiving lots of direct light. As i usually like to say, guerrilla plants in the wild have such quality of terpenes and special effects that cannot even be replicated with mono cultives grown organicaly in pots or in the ground. Guerrilla plants have some kind of symbiosis with the other plant species nearby, and this translates into more natural, better tasting finished product of higher vibrations.

Flowering should be about to start for all of them, except for Honduras x Panama, good luck!

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

Thanks @dubi for answering.

Regarding pot size, the more the better, but taking also in consideration that if you are growing in a terrace, and to be discreet is a must, then to grow in very big pots can make plants growing taller than the building

As per the entry about pot size I am sure if I give the HondurasxPanama 150 litre smart pot it would have grown till 4 meters for sure, but I have to keep stealth. Not the same for the Jack La Mota which seems not being that explosive while growing. I did uppotted them to a 50 litre pot the day before yesterday. Added like a 10 to 15% of water crystals because I am to go on vacations for ten days but I guess after I am back they will require at least two waterings a week.

I don't recommend to train the growth of the plants so close to the soil unless (again) to be discreet is a must. They can collapse easily under heavy rains, touching soil, getting rotten or full of sand, more easily succumbing to any illness.

The same stealth applies for taking it too tight to the ground bus as per your entry I will try to put something in between the main stalk and the ground so to avoid it getting in direct contact. I am planning to defoliate it in the bottom part (whatever is under the cannopy) to help for a better air flowing. do you recomend it?

As i usually like to say, guerrilla plants in the wild have such quality of terpenes and special effects that cannot even be replicated with mono cultives grown organicaly in pots or in the ground.

Finally, I thought it was me being under the impression that guerrilla plants taste better and so that is why I keep doing it but glad to see other growers might find the same. keep a couple of clones of congo in pots so I might be able to ensure if the difference is such as big between guerrilla and pot.

Regards,

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

I have taken a picture of the plant under the net. It is a handmade net and rows can be adapted but not columns.

It might be too close to the ground, bit no other wey to keep it out of people's view but still thinking I might be discovered because of the smell. It is like 20 meters from a track which is used for many people, or at least more than what I would like. Anyway, let's see how it performs and how seasson gets to the end.

Not sure I might not need another net in the near future.

Peace,

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

Hi all,

Back again for an update. I have been quite busy lately and had not a minute to post.

First I am going to talk about Panamá fem. I feel it grows not so fast but rather a bit slow for my expectations (being bent might not help on comparing to other plants growing). It took it a while to recover from first bending and toping buf after that it has been growing good. Anyway this is nothing to complain since it is good to keep it stealth.

It took not so much to recover from the first netting but about twoo weeks.

Then, I decided to take the net out (bad idea) and to join another net to help it spreading more and so keep it small in height. Probably to close to the ground, as dubi already noticed, but I want it to stay stealth. this was like a moth ago or so.

Not sure, but I think this next one is about a week later.

after two weeks or so

By that time it hasn't started flowering and so was still keeping a low profile. Now that it started to flower it has grown like crazy and so net is almost 100% full. I still want to keep it les than 50 cm so I am planning to bend the taller branches a while.

How long does it stretch? I am afraid of it getting quite visible because of height.

Smell is not to strong yet and I hope I got a pheno which is not too smelly, otherwise they might be in risk of getting discovered.

Another thing I discovered about this panama is that it got quite difficult to clone it outdoors. I did first clone a congo, a cheese berry, a jack la mota and a couple of clones of it. Only congo and cheese berry survived (3/3 of each) while the others didn't. since then I have tried to clone it twice more and all of them did not success. It gets like if it were overwatered, gets yellow and then dies.

Kind regards,

Luiggi

 

[Luiggi]

As per the clones I did talk earlier, they have got not the best conditions always.

I took it to another location and I am feeling there is something at this location which makes them getting sick.

After an storm it got left only one branch. it was about 6 to 8 branches. Cheese berry.

This two are a cheese berry clone on the left and a congo clone on the right. Both got to the location on that date and were not affected by the storm. However, this two were taken outdoor 2 weeks later than the others and kept smaller.

Finally this is a congo clone. Was quite more big than the first cheese berry shown but after the storm, only 3 branches left.

Now they did start flowering and I am finding the same symptoms I did get in the autos I grew. Yellowing leafs which get quite weak. Could it be cause the airflow? Heat? Humidity? Have no clue why this is happening but seems is something contagious which is affecting all of them. Not sure if a fungus or mites, still keeping an eye on them.

Honduras x Panamá and Jack la mota in the balcony will need of its own update.

Love,

Luiggi