My Adventures with Ace Genetics & Living Soil Bed

[Hmong]

I'm following CSI on Instagram, he uses raised beds extensively for his work.

If you guys are interested in upgrading to fabric one day, there are good deals in USA
not available for me unfortunately, so might as well try a kids pool^^

GeoPlanter Fabric Raised Beds

Better Raised Bed Gardening. Raised bed gardens are one of the best ways to garden. Not only are the savings on water and fertilizers great, but raised beds also create the ideal soil environment for organic and no-till garden systems. The GeoPlanter Fabric Raised Bed has all benefits and...

geopot.com

Raised Beds - Cannabis Fabric Pots

Maximize your square footage We know that the goal is to grow as many plants in the space you have, whether in a greenhouse or a specific square footage allotment. Raised beds are help you make the most of the space because you can line them up right next to each other and potentially put […]

www.cannabisfabricpots.com

@tjmccoy awesome thread, I'll keep lurking

 

[midwestkid]

Thanks! Yeah the big stores have them in storage, have to go get the fork lift guy in the winter lol at benards

i asked at a few stores; mainly dollar general. i got some funny looks

 

[El Timbo]

What a great grow - good job! Looking forward to your smoke reports.

 

[tjmccoy]

@Hmong Thanks for Lurking with me, thanks for the encouragement! I’ll be lurking too

@midwestkid hahaa I just said I’m going swimming and laughed, I keep finding more uses for them, I mix soil in them, I mixed concrete in one last year, we fill one with water in the summer to water outdoor potted plants to give them a good soak, we have 4 cats and guess what the litter box is? Lol

@El Timbo Thank you very much, Learing as I go but getting more dialed in each time! I can’t wait to share the smoke report, everything looks so frosty and yummy hanging there! Thanks for following

 

[tjmccoy]

Some thoughts on the “Sub Irrigated Living Soil Bed”….

Kiddy pool design

I feel like there is several advantages to this design over something like the earth box. First the reservoir is easily accessible as there is a 3 inch open ring all the way around that I can get my arm in there if I want to, I can visually see the water level, it’s easy to add water to the reservoir. There reservoir holds 35 gallon, and can be almost completely hands off.

Waterfall - The pond pump pumps water from one side to the other side with a hose to keep water from getting stagnant, the hose is tied to the top pool inside the lip and trickles down the side ripples oxygenating the water maybe even restructuring it somewhat, It helps add humidity to the room that’s why I initially did it. I’ve found the sound of trickling water pleasing maybe it’s also pleasing for the plants?

Some Control of Soil Temps

Soil Temperature plays a big role in availability of nutrients and also the type and activity level of biology. Maybe not an issue for everyone but on cold cement it just stays too cool and sluggish. I feel like I get the best results by setting aquarium heater to 80 degrees but connected to the timer. I feel like this mimics nature anyway, the coldest point in the morning before lights and warmest at sunset! I think the fluctuation is good for biology and encouraging microbes that function better at different temps. I unplugged the heater the last week of flowering this time


Large Battery - With the large mass of soil and water things don’t change very fast and I think provides stability. I’m sure I could fill this up and walk away for a month and it would be fine besides trellising! It’s almost not enough work for someone who likes to tinker around lol

Weakness - It’s strength is it’s weakness, compared to a pot it’s a ship that doesn’t turn well, what is good nutrients for lush veg growth, flowering happens so fast and then struggle with to much N.

Weakness- Not being able to customize for light feeders to heavy feeders. Still trying to figure this one out, this grow I had a TC growing next to a KA5 the TC looks amazing but imo over fertilized had clawing the KA5 liked the higher nutrients. My thoughts for addressing this is that if I focus on strong robust soil biology that the biology can bring balance. Nature doesn’t run on much EC, or soluble nutrients. New research by dr James White shows video of plants eating microbes whole and essentially farming them! This is fairly new ground breaking research. Ha as it turns out plants in nature aren’t vegetarians! He talks about when plants are getting most of their diet directly from microbes like this and not in soluble ion form can you truly see what the genetics are capable of. Both the numbers in quantity and diversity of microbes is the goal.

Nitrogen Management - To get this to work I’m going to have to do a better job of nitrogen management, Im going to try not adding anymore nitrogen period and maybe foliar spray the N in veg so I have more control of it in flower. I like fish powder as my go to pure N source, I like this powder because it’s not acidified with acid like the liquid fish, it’s also lower in ec salt, plays well or neutral with other nutrients and is already in amino acid form so the plant doesn’t have to spend much energy converting it.

Just some thoughts… Have a great day everyone!

 

[weedsmoker420]

Some thoughts on the “Sub Irrigated Living Soil Bed”….

Kiddy pool design

I feel like there is several advantages to this design over something like the earth box. First the reservoir is easily accessible as there is a 3 inch open ring all the way around that I can get my arm in there if I want to, I can visually see the water level, it’s easy to add water to the reservoir. There reservoir holds 35 gallon, and can be almost completely hands off.

Waterfall - The pond pump pumps water from one side to the other side with a hose to keep water from getting stagnant, the hose is tied to the top pool inside the lip and trickles down the side ripples oxygenating the water maybe even restructuring it somewhat, It helps add humidity to the room that’s why I initially did it. I’ve found the sound of trickling water pleasing maybe it’s also pleasing for the plants?

Some Control of Soil Temps

Soil Temperature plays a big role in availability of nutrients and also the type and activity level of biology. Maybe not an issue for everyone but on cold cement it just stays too cool and sluggish. I feel like I get the best results by setting aquarium heater to 80 degrees but connected to the timer. I feel like this mimics nature anyway, the coldest point in the morning before lights and warmest at sunset! I think the fluctuation is good for biology and encouraging microbes that function better at different temps. I unplugged the heater the last week of flowering this time


Large Battery - With the large mass of soil and water things don’t change very fast and I think provides stability. I’m sure I could fill this up and walk away for a month and it would be fine besides trellising! It’s almost not enough work for someone who likes to tinker around lol

Weakness - It’s strength is it’s weakness, compared to a pot it’s a ship that doesn’t turn well, what is good nutrients for lush veg growth, flowering happens so fast and then struggle with to much N.

Weakness- Not being able to customize for light feeders to heavy feeders. Still trying to figure this one out, this grow I had a TC growing next to a KA5 the TC looks amazing but imo over fertilized had clawing the KA5 liked the higher nutrients. My thoughts for addressing this is that if I focus on strong robust soil biology that the biology can bring balance. Nature doesn’t run on much EC, or soluble nutrients. New research by dr James White shows video of plants eating microbes whole and essentially farming them! This is fairly new ground breaking research. Ha as it turns out plants in nature aren’t vegetarians! He talks about when plants are getting most of their diet directly from microbes like this and not in soluble ion form can you truly see what the genetics are capable of. Both the numbers in quantity and diversity of microbes is the goal.

Nitrogen Management - To get this to work I’m going to have to do a better job of nitrogen management, Im going to try not adding anymore nitrogen period and maybe foliar spray the N in veg so I have more control of it in flower. I like fish powder as my go to pure N source, I like this powder because it’s not acidified with acid like the liquid fish, it’s also lower in ec salt, plays well or neutral with other nutrients and is already in amino acid form so the plant doesn’t have to spend much energy converting it.

Just some thoughts… Have a great day everyone!

Can you explain a bit more about the construction of this? Is it like 2 kiddie pools stacked with a layer of perlite in between?

I'm currently using a Growbox SIP (similar to Earthbox, slightly different as the fill hole is on the side so you can see the water level) and I feel like the sub-irritated raised bed is the next logical step...

 

[tjmccoy]

Can you explain a bit more about the construction of this? Is it like 2 kiddie pools stacked with a layer of perlite in between?

I'm currently using a Growbox SIP (similar to Earthbox, slightly different as the fill hole is on the side so you can see the water level) and I feel like the sub-irritated raised bed is the next logical step...

Hi! Sure I will try to explain that…

So here’s the bottom reservoir part, just some plastic webbed drink carriers act as the platform for the top pool to sit and still allow water to flow around down there. The spacing is about 6-7 inches from bottom pool to top pool. There’s 4 sets of slotted irrigation pipe capped at the bottom with a few holes drilled in act as the wick.

The top pool soil bed. the irrigation pipe was cut almost flush to the bottom of the soil bed, then the pipe was packed tight with soil and just above it for good wicking, with 4 wicking points. Works like a charm! Super Simple! Hope that helps!

 

[weedsmoker420]

Hi! Sure I will try to explain that…

So here’s the bottom reservoir part, just some plastic webbed drink carriers act as the platform for the top pool to sit and still allow water to flow around down there. The spacing is about 6-7 inches from bottom pool to top pool. There’s 4 sets of slotted irrigation pipe capped at the bottom with a few holes drilled in act as the wick.

View attachment 18987765

The top pool soil bed. the irrigation pipe was cut almost flush to the bottom of the soil bed, then the pipe was packed tight with soil and just above it for good wicking, with 4 wicking points. Works like a charm! Super Simple! Hope that helps!
View attachment 18987766

Dang that's easy enough I suppose. Thanks for sharing! I love your garden

 

[tjmccoy]

And just like that it’s out with the old and in with the new!

Except a possible reveg attempt on a couple

Everything chopped including the nasturtiums that never did try to flower, I buried everything and trimmings back into the center, back on veg cycle, and a cover crop planted with a mix of ancient grains of rye wheat and oats! I mulched with some vermiculite

To me the soils point of view it’s like a wrecking ball hit. I think Soil microbes will shift to more decomposition type and the carbon to nitrogen will spike with all the decaying roots. I don’t feel this is a good time to replant main crop, I’m learning there needs to be around a 30 day rejuvenation/rest to let everything level out.

Getting it back to green photosynthesis again I think will help keep that living root dependent type of microbes thriving

I was very pleased with the results of the oats cover crop a while back so I’m repeating this. The idea is to bring balance and to break cycles, so it’s planted so thick that after 6 inches it just kinda flops over in 30 days, so it’s about 45 days until a new planting.

Waterfall tricking dripping dispersed down the litte fish ripples lol

This is what the soil looks like after 2 years, I started as super soil with the kitchen sink in it! I’ve fed all my plant trimmings back. I plan to run a soil test soon so that will be interesting

 

[Maria Sanchez]

Thanks for documenting all this @tjmccoy
There are beautiful plants to enjoy, much information to absorb, and creative methods to learn from.
Thank you!

 

[dubi]

Congrats on your harvest @tjmccoy fantastic show, plants and your own hybrids!
Not easy to grow so many different hybrids in the same cycle, yet you got excellent results for most of the plants.

Makes me very happy to see the development of your own Kali China x Malawi hybrid looks really promising, with mostly Kali China dominant expressions, a few Malawi expressions and hopefully some transgressive expressions different to both parents, you will know for sure during smoking tests through curing.

Your observation that Malawi dad was not too dominant in his crosses, yet adding vigor is correct
Both Kali China and OG have the potential to seriously improve Malawi¡'s terpene profile, especially if you dig in a decent sized population. The OG x Malawi was indeed more OG dominant. Should come out very strong, if the OG mother was really good one and close to original OG Kush.

How were the terpenes of Killer A5 Haze and Thai by end of flowering ?

Excited about your upcoming adventures

 

[tjmccoy]

@dubi

“Congrats on your harvest @tjmccoy fantastic show, plants and your own hybrids!
Not easy to grow so many different hybrids in the same cycle, yet you got excellent results for most of the plants. “

Thank you! So cool that we can connect with the breeder here and get so much information! By culling the seed plants and just running clones I was able to see more plant numbers and push my setup to the max and that turned out to be 15 clones in about 6x6, still quite crowded! I was a lot of extra time and work to do that not sure if I would repeat that!

“Makes me very happy to see the development of your own Kali China x Malawi hybrid looks really promising, with mostly Kali China dominant expressions, a few Malawi expressions and hopefully some transgressive expressions different to both parents, you will know for sure during smoking tests through curing.”

Yep you hit the nail on the head, it’s density just doesn’t burn well until a lot of jar time! Seems like all kali so far. Maybe this cross would be better Malawi fem and KC male

“Your observation that Malawi dad was not too dominant in his crosses, yet adding vigor is correct
Both Kali China and OG have the potential to seriously improve Malawi¡'s terpene profile, especially if you dig in a decent sized population. The OG x Malawi was indeed more OG dominant. Should come out very strong, if the OG mother was really good one and close to original OG Kush. “

Yes the Malawi dads did great! Almost every plant is resinous and potent looking, great bag appeal, vigor with out dominating! Glad I still have a vile of frozen pollen! I’m finding the OG x Malawi specifically my #19 to be that! it’s a sticky dense resin bomb of Sweet a Sour Kush! Early smoke test are great, hard hitting then getting more and more Malawi as time goes on, and on for hours! Can’t wait to more properly evaluate it! To me this Og x Malawi seems to be the best marriage of these crosses. The Thai dominated the other and Kali dominated its cross from the small population I have.

“How were the terpenes of Killer A5 Haze and Thai by end of flowering ?”

OMG Dubi! Thai Chi has the best terps in the room hands down! It’s like you took KC and made perfume out of it! I’m saving the mom plant for it even though structurally it’s not a keeper, too lanky but saving her to potentially get some pollen! Oh and yield wasn’t as bad as I thought got 2 mason jars, same as the KA5. I didn’t expect that! I’m adding a Thai chi pheno hunt to my bucket list!

The KA5 also I like very much! I feel like I got a columbian pheno, it’s delightful smoke already, I love the light popcorn like bud structure, it lends well to joint smoking! This jar is go to go fast! The high is good even this early, it’s a really happy feel good high, not paranoid, not Malawi, not cerebral or electric. It’s feel good, happy, cheerful, but baked kind of high! I feel like im seeing a very columbian pheno with a touch of taming form the NL. The smoke is light and sweet and pleasurable already! The high reminds me almost of how you describe the oaxaca a5 cross! So glad I grew it!

“Excited about your upcoming adventures ”

Thank you so much! I’m really excited about this! I’m gearing up to run a pheno hunt of some blue lines that I’ve always wanted to revisit. BCM mix 1 & 4. I’ll be back when I get Ace lines back in the grow! Already the next generation lives on, a buddy already popped some of the Thai chi x NC Thai Malawi and KA5 x Thai Malawi for outdoor this season so that will be fun to watch!

Take great care!

@Maria Sanchez Gosh awww Shucks Thank you for the encouragement so much! I hope you have a blessed day!

 

[tjmccoy]

Here’s my #19 Og x Malawi Resin Bomb! I’m betting that this is my top keeper of the grow! I also have the mom of this one saved! The kind of plant that when you’re trimming and get to this one the scissors get glued shut! It’s lightly sweet,yummy sour, kushy , dense, and sticky! Early smoke test suggests that it’s a creeper, the ride starting 10 min after, then a heart pounding, face muscle pulling ride that last a good bit then that develops into more strong Malawi as time goes on, and on and on with that Malawi feeling for hours

In the living soil bed, the cover crop is up and growing vigorously already! I’m adding night crawlers to the mix now, I already have a good red worm population but I’m thinking the bigger worms might help make it more airy with their bigger holes and bigger poop!

 

[tjmccoy]

KA5 Harvest Pics! For only growing one seed of this I can’t imagine a better pheno for me! Also this really sparks my interests in trying the Oaxaca x A5 and even SMH since it’s offered in regs too!

 

[FeelHaze]

Damn your KA5H buds are
Really well done !
I hope mine will end up like that.

 

[tjmccoy]

@FeelHaze Thankyou so very much! I also hope you find one you really like! The genetics are strong in this one! Let me know how yours turns out!

This #16 Nor Cal Thai x Malawi - A really good pheno with all the signs of Thai, Lemon oil, woody very up cerebral high, not detecting Malawi in the high so far, great vigor and resin though! It also had a really good yield of 4 mason jars!

My suspicions on this nor cal Thai not being real Thai is over, my buddy grows it outdoor and I kept telling him there’s no way it’s Thai because it’s finishing here. What I realize now is that he/we were only seeing the first flowering. This one had a second flowering that transformed it into something else, I think it would have went for a 3rd if I kept flowering!

 

[tjmccoy]

Not too shabby que… about the time a grower disappears for a bit

 

[Hasch]

Uihh, I fully understand!

That kind of haul deserves sufficient tine and deliberation to be fully appreciated



A head's up from time to time would be welcome, just so we know you're still connected to the here+now.

 

[tjmccoy]

Hey guys! I’m still working up a smoke report from last harvest, it’s been well over a month in jars now and they are smoking good, what I can say is that I’ve been really high lately, they all get me everyday!

The soil bed has had a cover crop of wheat, that was incorporated and I planted oats again this time to just leave as a living cover, these grasses are easily suppressed indoors, oats seem to really have a good effect on the soil to me, it’s all experimental

… we have some new babies! The next generation! I felt like this “KA5-X” seed might have the most potential that I have in my homemade seeds. I recently had zero germination on some other lines and decided to pop these to fill the gap! An accumulation of my favorite lines that I’ve grown in the last several years in seed form. Although not from the best selections by any means, just some pollen chucking I guess, can’t wait to see how these turn out!

KA5H was a real hit this last grow, so much so that it’s all gone, I sent some blind samples to friends with only the numbers. Everyone picked KA5H as their favorite including myself so going to try these seeds first! Kinda a wild card with the mixed pollen!

Ace KA5H (F) x (Nc Thai Stick x Ace Malawi)M)
I think it breaks down kinda like this…
12.5% NL5 from Fem
12.5% Haze A - from Male
25% NC Thai Stick or Og18 (M Mixed Pollen)
25% Malawi Killer Reversed
25% Mix Pollen 2 different Lanky Malawi Males

I’m also incorporating into the gene pool DJS Blue Moonshine BC4 into this indoor round, they have a 2 week head start.

 

[tjmccoy]

Smoke Report!

Here are my Favorite smoke tested Pheno’s after 21/2 months jar cure out of 16 females this round… in order from least to most favorite!


Pick#5 , Thia Chi - I consider it an improvement on KC pure as far as smoke, structurally this one was too lanky to consider practical. Yield low, Beautiful color’s and buds reminds a bit of DJS gear by looks. I think I’m learning what terpinolene is, always described it as strong oily smell, this has it as well as my #16 Thai from totally different genetics! The taste is Kali China with terpinolene, but in a good way. It’s like perfumed Kali China. It’s definitely one that needs some jar time. The smoke isn’t great for activity, I kinda feel down, calm and kinda serious on this one. Making it not my top favorite. Potency and duration is medium compared to others. Mid evening is probably the best time to pull this one out!

Pick#4, Thai x Malawi #16 - The most cerebral of the bunch, not electric, but not the most upity up either, not tired at all, smoked much like Thai. My preferred daytime smoke of the bunch, but still not the best at that because it seems to erase my brain, Lots of just going blank on this one! Yield was excellent, 4 mason jars!Duration medium, a little more potent than Thai Chi. It has that terpinolene taste and smell, with earthy and spicy undertones. I like it but some don’t. Its up and positive vibe is what I like but will will leave you blank!

Pick#3, OG18xMalawi #24 - This was the surprise of the bunch, a plant that was so choked out by the others that I didn’t even really know where it went, didn’t think it would amount to much, the one next to it was an extra vigorous yielder. Yet when smoked it’s really quite potent, as much as the top 3, it has that Malawi High, and looser bud structure, the Most Malawi of the bunch. I like potent weed and I like Malawi for that reason. It hits every day with little burn out. I’m used to it now and doesn’t trip me out much. Taste smell and smoke is like an earthy Malawi, yield was medium low but I’m sure could have been better with more space.

Pick#2 OG18XMalawi #19 - probably the best of my own crosses, This one was a resin bomb, it’s dense, resinous, hashy, Sweet and Sour in flower but cured it’s more hashy earthy mushroom, tobacco like. It’s dense but burns really good and leaves streaks of resin in the joint. The high is potent, quite satisfying , strong buzz that’s neither up or down. Too much and my eyes look like slits! Yield was medium at 2 jars! It’s the one I grab to impress friends and it’s almost gone! Its potency is on par the the KA5H as the most potent of the bunch! Easily 4 plus hours

Pick#1, Killer A5 Haze - This is my top pheno pick of the grow! Just something about it! I really like the light popcorn bud structure, burns so well, so easy to just grab a piece and fire it up with out breaking it down. I think the way it burns really adds to the fire factor! I also wonder if it’s some of the familiar genetics that I like, and others recognize too. Reminding us of the indoor we were getting in the 90’s likely northern lights variety’s then I guess. The plant had a golden hue to it in flower, structured like a tamed columbian. I think I see the NL5 in this more than I initially thought. I see little Malawi in it but maybe feel it in the high a bit. The high is much like the #19, string buzz that’s neither up or down, taste became much more incense over time loosing that touch of sweetness when in flower. It just has a quality to it that takes you back to the good ol days. So these genetics move forward into my future seed line!

The Kali Malawi’s didn’t make my top list, even with 5 to choose from, overall it’s just less interesting and potent, kinda down feeling in the dirt to me, Kali has always been one that doesn’t burn well for me, just the opposite of KA5, even with time in the jar if I don’t pay attention and roll a joint loose enough it’s like sucking on a stick. I found Thai Chi to be somewhat better than these. They were pretty and yielded ok but probably won’t continue with any of these.

Summary… I ended up culling all the clones in the end! I found some great plants but still not my Holy grail like keeper. I think this grow is a testament to how great of a dad Malawi makes, not too overbearing yet adding resin, potency and vigor. For just a guy chucking some pollen I made some that are quite good! Even some testers couldn’t decide a favorite just saying they all got me ripped! I can say that as well, even after months of smoking it everyday, these still hit everyday, something I can’t say about most dispensary like cookie stuff going around that has quick burn out. Overall a success and quite the learning experience!

Thai Chi

#16 NC Thai Stick x Malawi

OG18 x Malawi #19 - last nug

OG18 x Malawi #24

KA5H - We smoked this up so fast it didn’t last a month!

Got a #16 rolled up

And here’s the current situation! 8 KA5H x (Thai x Malawi and 10 DJS BC4 “ Blue Moonshine” )