Distinguished and Nurtured Kind

[heady blunts]

ya i’ve gotten some shock from going from fluoro straight to cmh. they are deceptively intense.

back when i had gavitas i was reading a lot of their material about the science. one thing that stuck with me was the way they spoke about total photon absorbsion per day (they called it daily light intake or DLI).

the idea is to equalize the DLI from the 18 hour veg cycle to the 12 hour flower schedule to minimize transitional stress. lower light intensity for the longer days = higher intensity for less hours per day. i don’t remember the exact recommendation, somewhere in the 40–60% range veg:flower. it fits with the old ways of vegging under 4’s or 6’s and bumping to 1k for flower.

the dimmer function worked really well on the gavitas ime. i ran them at 60–75% most of the time to keep proper intensity at the canopy level with my low ceilings. grew awesome nugs that had great resin and complex full spectrum cannabinoids and terpenes (scored as high as 31% TAC and had a couple plants hit 3%+ thcv under artificial light!).

with the cmh i always start them really high off the plant for the first few days to harden them off if transitioning from a weak veg situation.

lately i’ve been vegging in the flower tent so i just veg under one light and then turn on a second one for flower. no hardening off needed so far w that technique.

 

[useless.gardens]

i agree with the other posters. even going from 440w t5 to 400w (conversion bulb) cmh, the plants dont respond immediately & act a little shocked. they only take a few days to adjust though & its nothing like putting fresh outta veg childrens under a 1000w lamp.

 

[DoubleTripleOG]

ya i’ve gotten some shock from going from fluoro straight to cmh. they are deceptively intense.

back when i had gavitas i was reading a lot of their material about the science. one thing that stuck with me was the way they spoke about total photon absorbsion per day (they called it daily light intake or DLI).

the idea is to equalize the DLI from the 18 hour veg cycle to the 12 hour flower schedule to minimize transitional stress. lower light intensity for the longer days = higher intensity for less hours per day. i don’t remember the exact recommendation, somewhere in the 40–60% range veg:flower. it fits with the old ways of vegging under 4’s or 6’s and bumping to 1k for flower.

the dimmer function worked really well on the gavitas ime. i ran them at 60–75% most of the time to keep proper intensity at the canopy level with my low ceilings. grew awesome nugs that had great resin and complex full spectrum cannabinoids and terpenes (scored as high as 31% TAC and had a couple plants hit 3%+ thcv under artificial light!).

with the cmh i always start them really high off the plant for the first few days to harden them off if transitioning from a weak veg situation.

lately i’ve been vegging in the flower tent so i just veg under one light and then turn on a second one for flower. no hardening off needed so far w that technique.

That makes so much sense. I veg with flouro's and T5's. Right now they stay on 24/7( I need the extra heat) . I flower under a couple 1000 watt HPS. During the winter months I notice the plants don't seem to get stressed as much at the flip, compared to during the warmer months of the year. That DLI info fits right intot that equation perfectly.

 

[genetic freaked]

DF you ended up with 1 female Snow Monkey?
Post up a pic of her if u can. I’d like to see how they compare to mine.

I have 3 confirmed females on the Snow Monkey.

The one girl is special with such a stink to her it stings your nose. I don’t even like bumping her or moving her cause my eyes water something fierce. Kinda like GG4 but she has way more Stank. I can’t put my finger on the smells but it’s a blend of burnt rubber gas is just crazy.
The other girl smells just like clean sented cat litter and sweet burnt rubber.
The last girl had a faint smell but is a combination of the other 2

The double serrations are really showing in the Snow Monkeys

 

[dank.frank]

GF - I had a Snow Monkey that hadn't really sexed yet. It appears it is a he. So, that would mean no females this round unfortunately. This would be the more GROM smelling plant.

In regards to your PM. Your plants look way different than mine. Seems to be lots of variation in the line, understandably. In the Digi lines, the double serrations, are coming from the Digi. It's why I looked for it in the Bx1 population and why I look for it in the resulting offspring of my Bx1 male.

I do know, the doubles are not isolated to just the Digi clone. It's on other cuts and seed lines as well. I'm not sure where it ultimately originates from, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it's from hemp some where. Within the Digi line breeding, I just use it as an indicator.



dank.Frank

 

[dank.frank]

Cobalt Haze update. Both plants are female. They are nearly ready to flower. I'm expecting 3-3.5x stretch on the plants, which means a max veg height of 16" to keep things manageable. I'm very close to that threshold but still don't have the volume of plant I want for what I estimate potential yields will be in flower.

This first plant is the more unique of the two. It's more lanky and shows excessive stretch between internodes. The light has to be kept further away to encourage any actual growth but the moment you move it upwards she returns to being lanky. However, she shows an OG 3 leaf start pattern with more Cookie type expressions. I'm expecting a heavily frosted, Cookie type expression, with purple flowers. Which would mean, lower yields on this plant.

The plant smells doughy, like you would expect of a cookie cross. It also smells like a mixture of different berries, with a certain lean towards blueberry. I expect this is from the Blue Dream in the mix. I expect this plant to be a high quality keeper.



dank.Frank

 

[dank.frank]

The second female, took much longer to sex. It grows more compact. Tighter internodes on a sturdy frame. However, it has the much more SSH/sativa type expressions visible in the leaf sets. I actually expect this plant to be longer flowering pheno with heavy yields. It smells almost identical to the sibling, but not nearly as doughy. The berry is more muted with hints of lime coming through. This plant shows Blue Dream influences as well. I think this plant will be more representative of most plants in the line, where the first plant is likely more of an outlier.

dank.Frank

 

[nickman]

Your cobalts are both looking really good... how many times did you top the first one? Looks like twice...

The leaf serrations on that second one are very bold...!!!...

Can’t wait to see these girls go into flower...

 

[dank.frank]

@Nickman - I've topped once, then topped the two shoots once at 4 internodes. (so yes, twice) The lower branches are topped at 4 internodes. They were topped with 5 internodes and were cut back a bit. One down to 3 and one down to 4, simply to control height a bit. The taller of the two, had her top two internodes pinched as well. They stand at 13" and 15" now, respectively. The plant with the leaves you like is the shorter of the two, yet I still think will have the more sativa like flowers. One plant has 20 possible colas and the other 24, is the important factor.



dank.Frank

 

[whadeezlrg]

2nd cobalt definitely has hazy-er leaves, and depending on veg conditions the clone sometimes grows a bit more on the compact NL end of the spectrum. The clone stretches about 18 inches whether ya flip it at 6" or 4 ft. I'm gonna try to follow along!

 

[_mr.hendrix__]

awesome thread , bringing back that ICmag huh!!

thanks for the good vibes dank.frank you got the magic

 

[dank.frank]

2nd cobalt definitely has hazy-er leaves, and depending on veg conditions the clone sometimes grows a bit more on the compact NL end of the spectrum. The clone stretches about 18 inches whether ya flip it at 6" or 4 ft. I'm gonna try to follow along!

Just the type of information I needed to know. Thanks, brother. I'll try to do them justice. Nice to know I'm seeing what I think I am in regards to pheno. That stretch is a bit more comforting to know. That's only about 2-2.5x which means I have a few days grace after transplant into the soil bed to veg these girls into place. I expect I'll be getting them under the 315's very soon.



dank.Frank

 

[dank.frank]

Transplanted. Vegging for a few days then flipping.

The Med Tree Suzy Q Bx2 is going to be a beast of a plant. Those Cobalt have me excited to try something new. I've got clones of the Suzy Q but not of either of the Cobalt yet. I've left branches in place for this purpose though. I'll likely have to take them around week 2 or re-veg the original plant after harvest.

After getting these plants in the bed and looking at things, I am really liking the original idea of running mono 8 plants under a dual screen system, once I confirm a remotely decent plant.

I'll get this Suzy Q tested once harvested and dried. If she meets the hemp threshold, she'll be kept, if not, she's at risk of getting the axe. No need to keep something that is non compliant in that arena when there are still more seed. Plus, the male, is all in all a more impressive smelling plant (exact same profile just much more intense) with a great tackiness to him. I'll likely keep him around for bonsai fun until I find the right female plant.

On a completely different side of the garden, is the on going seed troubles. The small Chem Sis x TCPK seedling was pinched at the stem and no vertical growth was able to emerge. I took the razor out for a 3rd surgery, scrubbed, sterilized and prepped. I made small incisions, just a couple mm long at the edge of each cotyledon where it meets the stem. This was days ago now and I do indeed see a bit of green growth pushing it's way upwards, very slowly emerging. I DO think the plant is going to live.

This got me in the mood to see what the other seeds, the Raskal x Skunk Va fems, were doing and why they hadn't germinated. I dug one and attempted to crack the shell, which I then noticed they were insanely hard still. I began scrapping along the seed and even though I had scuffed them, there was still a very thick layer on the exterior of the shell. After being in soil for days, it had softened, and I was able to peel it back in pieces, not unlike peeling a bad sunburn. I then scrapped very gently and consistently in the same place along the largest ridge, where the two halves of the seed coat come together. I did this for about 5 minutes forming a little pile of canna-shell dust as I progressed. Finally, I see the seed split a bit. I proceeded to do this same process to the 4 seeds. One, I accidentally crushed - the first one. The embryo was still vibrant white and oily even. It was due to the health of the seed interior, I decided to take the fuss with the other 3. Before they were replanted, I soaked them in hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes just in case. Maybe, we'll get some plants.

Oh. Also. Stank Bros fans. I have been told a buddy who had stuff in the freezer got 7 and 8 of the BKGK Bx1 and FBPK to germinate no issues at all. And Lazy Lightning may not be lost after all. She's the only clone I'd take back at the current moment.



dank.Frank

 

[TheBlaze]

All that effort you put into the soil seems to be paying off.

 

[dank.frank]

@TheBlaze - time will tell. Veg is the easy part. If I can get my flowers as chunky as yours have been the last several runs, I'll be thrilled.



dank.Frank

 

[TheBlaze]

I also use soil, but I cheat and use synthetics in flower

In the last 3 weeks I switch back to organics though.

 

[Zapadra]

I also use soil, but I cheat and use synthetics in flower

In the last 3 weeks I switch back to organics though.

Just as well the strains make up for it

 

[useless.gardens]

you dont think, at the one end of the bed, those plants are too close together?

you're growing out little monsters. seems like more than 4 plants in that space is going to be tight.

maybe burn them with ferts to slow them down ;-)

 

[dank.frank]

I also use soil, but I cheat and use synthetics in flower. In the last 3 weeks I switch back to organics though.

What some would call cheating, others might call shooting themselves in the foot. If I tried to feed things in this bed, it'd burn them. Leaf tips are always showing the very slightest hint of yellow. I know the plants are being pushed and I know there is plenty of nutrition available. I suppose, if the plant wanted more, it'd take more.

I imagine your yields go up with that approach, but I'd also have to assume it comes with a bit of sacrifice as well in terms of flavor differentiation between flowers.

All that aside, I'm not hear to say way is the right or wrong way, only sharing how I get it done. Your flowers at least LOOK good.

@useless - close is relative to many things, no? Think about a SOG where it's 4 per sq ft. Close works because the parameters are controlled. In this situation, the biggest limiting factor is light penetration and root space competition, which should be a none issue. They have about 14 gallons to themselves in their immediate proximity. They are 8" off each wall and 11" apart, more or less. It's not less than 1 cu ft per plant. If air flow is good, and with proper canopy management, I don't see it being a problem. To be honest, this is just the first run, and I'm sure I'll run into some issues, but those are spaced how I'd have 8 in the bed, which was the original plan. Doesn't mean it's a good plan!!!

I considered the same thing, with the potential of 44 tops in that area from the two plants, minus what I trim away for clones or canopy management. My BIGGEST concern with the lower powered bulb is canopy penetration in relation to buds vs larf. I'd hate to prep for 16" colas and find the lamp can only drive 10" into the canopy.

I expect around week 3 of flower, I'll likely start seeing some true frame to the plants and I'll be able to shape them up. That is the general plan. They could take off on me though and have 3' of growth in flower in which 3/4 of the plant is potential out of the sweet spot for the lights to form proper flowers.

It's a learning curve and I'll get it figured out. This is still warm up. The run I'm really excited for is when I select the right mother to mono-crop things for a real look at the potential output. Cobalt Haze #2 has the right structure to be a contender for a cropper.

I think I had already decided that 1 gallon is waiting too long to transplant for a mono type run. I think, more ideal would be plants the size they were before going into 1 gallon, going into the bed then, and being vegged into a more level canopy, so when flipped, stretch and branch spacing is controlled.



dank.Frank

 

[dank.frank]

See that tip burn. SEE THAT TIP BURN!!!! LOL. In all reality though, I used that as an indicator for many years to see if I could feed heavier or not, especially in the earlier days of designing custom mixes.

That aside, this is the Snow Monkey that sexed male early. Think he's got a little bit of GG#4 in his expression??? This plant smells divine. He'll be kept around.

dank.Frank