Footsteps In Becoming an Expert Grower

[Bona Fortuna]

Origin stories are absolutely alluring haha. What would your dream breeding project be?

I haven’t found my singular grail seedline yet. Throw a bunch of haze and other NLD seeds in a bag and call me happy though haha.

 

[Biosystem]

Damn, the dream project. . . I'll try to keep it clear and concise.
So, the real goal is to find something with
•significantly higher than average potency
•a flowering yield capacity that can justify its length of flower cycle
•A terpene profile that smells both unique, strong and pleasant
•An overall effect that for now I should only describe as "fun"
•Aesthetically, it would be preferable but not necessary to have the plant be as dark purple to black as possible though that's really just a horticultural bonus for my benefit.

For over 10 years now, I've wanted to try more strains, especially pure Sativas as I've never had access to those before, and I want to try many strains to know what effects I enjoy best. It's possible that Sativas are not what I'm looking for, but they always did seem promising.

I always thought it would be interesting to find a very high quality specimen as a base genetic line (usually Malawi Gold from Ace in my mind's ideas), and over the years of meeting people or going places, growing seeds that I acquired from sentimentally significant sources like vacations, friends, etc. Those seeds, if yielding a specimen I enjoy as much as or more than my original specimen, would be crossed to my "base plant." The progeny would be compared to the parents, and if one of the seedlings should be equal to or greater than the sum of its parts and be worthwhile, I'll store S1 seeds of the old lineages for potential backcrossing or fail-safes against disasters, and move on with the new lineage. This would continue over my lifetime until one day I have a stable seed line based on the many adventures I've had. It would be a homebrew strain whose DNA would (in a way) tell the story of my extensive research into favored strains as a foundation, my (hypothetical) trip to Thailand, my trip to Jamaica, my trip to The Congo, my trip to blah blah blah. It's not a 5 year project. This would take a lifetime. Each new addition of genetic material will likely deserve a minimum of 30 seedlings germinated per selfed-gene generation, only selecting one winner and then S2, S3, S4 etc done in the same fashion with likely a minimum of 4 generations of Selfing per cross just to ensure stability and that the genetic addition was really contributing to the pleasant effects rather than diluting them.

I'm really looking for the most mentally stimulating, "fun" plant possible. I expect most any strain would give me the amount of pain relief I need from edibles, so I'd rather focus on finding one that has a very high ceiling and would make something like a kayak-fishing trip be maximally improved. Potency is critically important for me, as my ability to build tolerance is unfortunately very high. But ultimately effect is king. My younger self would not understand that idea, but I do now.

As I've found so far, things are not always as they appear, so maybe I try Malawi Gold and I find it isn't the right fit. But based on what I've heard, I now have a good option B to try if that is the case - the lovely miss Zamaldelica. Either way, I have very strong leads towards finding an excellent foundation line for a project like this.

 

[Biosystem]

Well. Good and bad over here.
The cover crop mix and the Seeds Mafia seedlings are doing splendidly!

However, there's a 98% chance the best phenos of the BBFV strain are all dead. There's a 85% chance the big mystery plant is dead. Oh well! Live and learn! Those plants weren't the end of my seed hunting anyway. Here are some photos of the current state of things.
Also a bittersweet before photo.

 

[Biosystem]

How silly of me. I still haven't put up any nug photos since I trimmed them a couple days ago. I still have many plants that aren't finished drying though. Here're a couple photos of one of the largest bugs from the small plants. No big ones here.
One photo with flash, the other without.

 

[Biosystem]

The definitely-dead plants were cut down after this photo was taken. Posting this to document growth of cover crop seedlings. It won't be long before the cannabis seedlings start growing over it too. I believe I know what killed them now. I have had fortune in the past with transplanting, but the humidity was so low in the flowering tent, the soil wasn't quite wet enough (though it was wet), and I didn't turn the lights down. I think the right move would have been to set a humidifier for a couple days and turn the lights down to cut down on transpiration that couldn't be feed by their disturbed roots. I didn't disturb their roots much at all since they came out of the pots like plugs, but I guess just pulling them out of the pots and into slightly drier soil was too much. A valuable lesson. As of now, I only have 3 strains going.
The mystery vacation seedling x 1
Seeds Mafia Big Gun x 3
Seeds Mafia Wedding Cake x 2 (1 didn't sprout the soil)

Once they've been vegged out, they'll be plenty for a good flower, and I'll be picking up new genes shortly.

 

[Bona Fortuna]

A cheap way to increase humidity is to just hang a damp rag in front/behind your fan. Uses less energy than a humidifier and has the benefit of evaporative cooling. Rudimentary swamp cooler.

Cover crops are looking fantastic!
The Buckwheat, Flax and Peas are going gang buster! Just be sure to keep an eye on your nitrogen for now, as the cover crops will drain your nitrogen fairly quickly. It will take a few cycles before the nitrates and microbes start stabilizing.

 

[Biosystem]

I have done that before, and I need to do it again when transplanting. Hang the towel over the side of a bucket filled with water. It wicks up the reservoir and increases the humidity through evaporation like you said.

As to the nitrogen, I will be feeding heavily with fish poop and JLF. I get both for free, so I get to apply as much as I want! It's great!

 

[Biosystem]

Spider mites are back. I want to buy a military flamethrower. They won't stay out of the tent. I shower and put on clean clothes every time I go in there. I don't put outdoor plants in there. I just do not understand where this is going wrong.
Azamaxx being applied daily now, which I hate. But I need these dudes gone.

 

[Biosystem]

Greetings. Things are still slow here, and I've got mixed feelings about how fast everything is developing.
On the one hand, I am very upset that spider mites are ravaging my garden and that my H2O2/Azamaxx treatments are royally pissing off my plants, but on the other hand I am pleased that the soil is retaining water better than ever before, the covercrop is coming alive and the cannabis seedlings are still moving forward albeit agitated by the peroxide. I don't know, y'all. I'm tryin' to keep smilin' despite it all. Gotta keep in mind that this time two years ago I wasn't even growing at all. So this is progress. Thanks to everyone for the support the past year or so. Looking forward to next flowering run!

 

[Biosystem]

Hello again, everyone.
Things are going much better! The spider mites seem to be losing some ground at least, though I'm unsure of they're totally gone or not. I'll continue spraying azamaxx especially since these plants are in veg.

The covercrop is exploding, the cannabis seedlings have mostly recovered from the peroxide, and the water retention going on here is incredible despite the transpiration from the cover. I also started doing some potentially unusual things (for indoor gardeners, that is). I recently had a problem with pests around the property (rodents) now that the seasons are changing again. I've decided to take a page from my favorite necromancers and turn my enemies into resources. This is also common practice for the fish I keep that die of age related reasons. All their corpses are buried in the soil now. It's been long enough that they're not going to decay into any more fragrance, and there isn't one bit of scent in the tent. Just free ferts. Leave my house alone, or you'll become my soil mix. Haha

I'm excited to see how these Seeds Mafia strains grow out in comparison to the mystery plant I have. It's really exciting! Thanks for lookin', and let me know if any of y'all have any questions.

 

[Bona Fortuna]

Look at all that green!!!
Hopefully the new greenery will attract some beneficial insects.

 

[Biosystem]

I'm doubtful it can attract them since it's totally indoors, but then again, bugs are resourceful. And after all, the SPIDER MITES got in. I considered getting some predator mites to put in here, but after wasting a bunch of money on two different beneficial bug products, I'm hesitant to purchase more. I wonder if I could find some native predators of mites in my area. . . This gets me thinking again.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that big plant mass hanging off the edge there are several tomato seedlings I never got around to transplanting outdoors this year.

 

[Biosystem]

I know it ain't been the 7 day mark, but who cares. It's been a hell of a week, and I would like to post some plant content.

Things are going well. The spider mites seem to be beaten, but I won't let them fool me. I'm still spraying with azamaxx. I picked up a pump sprayer today, so that'll save my hand some effort. The cover crop seems vigorous enough that it may be competing with the cannabis seedlings, so instead of pushing them flat like I have been, I just smashed and yoinked a few inches around each plant. The cover has gotten so abundant that it can take the abuse without being stunted. I have it where I want it, and that's a nice feeling. Temperatures are excellent, fluctuating between 66F and 73F through the evening and day, while RH sits at a clean 57% on average. The addition of cover crop has made all the difference in the world regarding humidity. I was at much lower numbers even with large flowering cannabis plants in the tent before I had the cover. Water disbursement throughout the soil is amazing as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think I have levelled up. I dumped a massive amount of fish-filter squeezin's into the center of the bed, but instead of burning everything, it appears it's all being taken up by everything and getting spread around better.

I've been toying with the idea of how to process bones to make them more usable for the bed. Liquify them with acid that could benefit the soil like citric or phosphoric acid maybe? Burn them and sprinkle the ashes? Wrap them in cloth and crush them with a sledge? I've decided to just say "the hell with it," and just bury the damned things. I've come to the decision that one of the best parts about organic growing is the ability to set up the systems for self-sustainable success, and then just take your hands off the wheel. Let the biology take care of itself. Don't work so hard. It's not like bones are hard for me to come by. I eat an offensive amount of meat. I'm just going to start burying them willy-nilly all over the bed and mixing them in like you would pumice. Hell, it's porous like pumice, and it doesn't float the way perlite would. Great aeration + microbe housing + P/Ca for the plants! Let the roots and microbes break it down. Give them something to do.

"But you won't get as much into the soil without increasing the surface area!" Shoot, man, when I can bury nearly endless amounts of bones in the soil, who cares? It'll fill the soil and break down for years to come.

I don't mean to brag, but I came across another nug from a different source today. It was not nearly as frosty as the ones I have been trimming, and it did not smell nearly as good. Now, whether or not it is more potent or pleasant is another story that testing will have to conducted for. Additionally, smell is subjective. But I suspect it will at best be as good as mine, but not better. We will see. Strain matters, but the point here is (again) that I pay NOTHING for nutrients that I wouldn't have already purchased (like bones from meat or Epsom salt - that's about it).

I look forward to the day I have enough space and resources to do a side by side grow with my natural inputs alone vs purchased organic amendments alone vs synthetic soil nutrients alone. If the differences aren't significant enough to justify the cost of purchased goods, people need to see that information. There's no need to throw away money if it's not necessary. Still, more research is needed before I can make any claims as to whether my methods would actually be "better" for other people's situations. Far be it from me to grow some good bud and suddenly take to the rooftops shouting that everyone except me is doing it wrong hahaha.


At the end of the day, I'm still just a noob shuffling through this with one arm tied behind my back and one eye covered. I'll have it all figured out one day (mostly), but that day ain't today.

Happy Halloween, y'all. Be safe out there, and have fun!

 

[Bona Fortuna]

Holy cover crop, Batman! Haha
Things are looking very nice, especially with one arm tied and one eye blindfolded.
Took me a minute to find the fourth and fifth plant lurking in the back there, very lush and green.

 

[Biosystem]

I tried to upload a video, but ICMAG said no, so. . .
Yeah, the seedlings are all effed up from the peroxide treatment - weird leaf shapes. If my experience tells me anything, it's that these ladies have started to hit the point that fish and plants do where they "shift into gear." They get to a size where they can eat/photosynthesize more, that leads to more growth, which leads to more eating/photo, and it perpetuates into very fast growth. These seedlings have been slow as tortoises , but I think they're about to go off. I'll let them become titans and then flip the switch to flower. No impatience will give me a small yield this time. With the cover crop there to buffer and indicate against overfertilization, I'm going to be feeding this bed hard. But I'm going to wait until the old crop is out and jarred before adding heavy nutrients since the fertilizer I make from non-fish sources is of a truly fetid odor, and I don't want that smell sitting on my smokable buds.

 

[Biosystem]

Just some photos. Gonna move some plants around soon.

 

[Biosystem]

A few more.
I wonder if the leaf curl on the plant is from the peroxide, excess light, excess wind or excess nitrogen. Hmmm.

 

[Biosystem]

I have candy for you. Nuggets to see.

This isn't the last of the nug photos. This is just from a portion of a portion of a portion of the total harvest. I'm realizing this crop might have been a significant amount of weight after it's all said and done - much more than my Silver Lotus run and much more then the first BBFV run.

Y'all, I understand that my irritations regarding incorrect flowering time advertisements were justified, but when you remove that expectation and just appreciate it as a plant, this strain is actually quite nice. The smell on the first plant (the group of small clone plants) I harvested has been pretty bad, BUT I believe that to be a result of my putting them in containers for curing before they had completely dried despite there having been an enormous amount of time between chop and curing, but oh well - it smells almost like hay. I know the pungent "THAT'S HAY" smell you can get off of incorrectly cured buds, and this isn't it. It's similar though, so I suspect it is simply a subdued, toned-down version of that.

Having said that though, this other plant I have been trimming (#7, the one that flowered for 13 damned weeks and threw a few nanners in the end) smells like heaven. I've always been so skeptical of smell reviews from people on the internet since everyone wants to sell or promote something. "This one smells like the blueberry cookies your dead grandma made, specifically when you were 5 years old!" I'm being hyperbolic, but how does a plant smell like gingerbread cookies? Seriously? We're supposed to believe that?

Well, guys, this is me coming around to the idea that that might just actually be possible. This plant smells like you were just handed orange-lemon sour gummy candies made by a candy artisan. It's insane. The smell literally makes your mouth water when you remember it, and I find my muscles tensing up when I smell it (in a good way, I might add). No, it didn't give me the ability to grow wings and fly to elysium, but I'm saying this thing smells a m a z i n g . I love terpenes. More info to come.

As to the grow bed, it's been a fiesta in there. I dug up two plants to redistribute their spacing (since the big transplants farted and then died). They're covered with bottles to prevent dessication. Watered in with coffee, homemade lactobacillus culture, some expired Kiefer, some battery acid, and aquarium water. I'm kidding, but only about the battery acid.

I also buried 3 full bunches of bananas and 3 small decorative pumpkins for extra nutrients in the soil. I forgot to get a photo, but I also discovered some of the tomato seeds (from tomatoes grown indoors last year) are still lurking in the soil and sprouting occasionally. I'll get a photo soon. Probably when the peach habanero pepper seeds I planted sprout as well.

Anyway, that's enough nonsense for one day. I just wanted to update the log for my own records and for anyone else who gives a damn about plant-nerd things. I look back to last year and marvel at how far I have come in this endeavor. This hobby has brought so much joy to my life, and has reconnected me to my roots of caring for plants. I don't care that it's not perfect. It's my garden, and I love it.

PS - If anyone knows a good bug nerd who breeds ladybugs and praying mantises, please DM me. Thanks!

 

[Biosystem]

Okay, okay, I couldn't help myself. Here's a picture of the tomato seedling. It's so cute and small. And covered with freaking keifer because I didn't know the seedling existed when I was slinging it. . .

 

[Biosystem]

Before and after. Realizing letting the cover crop grow unchecked will impede the growth of the cannabis as they won't outpace the cover. So I chopped it. I also might have chopped the tomato seedling. I forgot it existed. I hope it's alive. But whatever. Got too much going on these days anyway.

Does anyone know what microbiology is going on here? There were occasional puffs of spores (?) as I chopped the cover crop with hedge trimmers. A LOT of life in the tent.