orient express

[YosemiteSam]

Those are beautiful Mayan. I cannot wait for mine to finish...it seems like a really special plant to me.

I have 3 growing and I think I see 3 different phenos. One is the short bushy, gonna yield ungodly...the other two did the stretch thing like you describe but their finish times look different with one looking like an extra 2-3 weeks.

The one I really underfed was the stretchy, longer flowering one. Mine is a little airy but that is my fault. Had I known and fed her properly there is no telling what that one would do.

None of them support their own weight by wk 5-6...so start the support early.

Magnificent plant...a true joy to grow.

I will definitely post pics before I harvest.

 

[mayan]

Hey thanx for the kind words, YoSam. I have begun to sample. It's all subjective but I agree-it is a special strain. It's such a wonderful high - it's like two perfectly blended -though completely different highs simultaneously - electric and active but warm and relaxing at the same time. Normally, one might wonder if those attributes would clash. Not at all. Not racy or paranoid. Nor is it couchlock. Complete synergy of the Yunnan and Vietnamese.

BTW, the first time I grew it out, I had a similar experience - one pheno was about two feet tall with branches like a bionic tarrantula. The other was a triffid. Many armed and over 4 feet (or thereabouts). Both of the plants though were remarkably similar in effect. I remember totally digging the high(s). I'm interested in your take. Soon come, I guess.

 

[YosemiteSam]

So I need to make excuses before I post these pics. Seriously underfed my OEs...at 150 ppm N. Also got the room so crowded it is difficult to get good pics. But with I am guessing 2.5 weeks to go



I think it is safe to say this is the bushy pheno. 4 ft tall from the floor and easily the most bud I have ever seen on a plant this size. Does not come close to supporting itself...but I might just let that slide. The smell is starting to come on and I have no clue how to describe it...but it is nice.



The stretchy pheno. 7 ft tall and denser nugs, at least at this point. You can see how badly I underfed it. This one might be the one for a tree/outdoor grow cause it stays nice and open and looks like it is going to yield on the extreme side...just wish I would have fed it.



another angle of the bushy pheno.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I forgot

I forgot

A clone from the bushy pheno. Even as a young un you can see what this thing is about



This one is destined for the main grow where we will see if I cannot squeeze 2-3 lbs out of it.

 

[mayan]

Looking quite wonderful, YoSam!! Any estimates as to how long you figure you're going to let 'em go? One of mine -the Triffid- is at about 62 or 63 days under 12/12. I haven't started flushing as I figure it is probably leaning toward the Vietnam Black side of things and figure it'll go close to 75 or 80 days (if not beyond - depends on whether there's mold issues).

In the meantime, here's some previews of coming attractions for you. These have been curing around 31/2 weeks. Yum!!!

 

[konopenko]

Nice OE buds mayan and YS, I will have to wait a bit, I hope that snow will not ruin october fiesta...getting colder here for OE

 

[canniption]

hello all,great to see everyone riding the orient express,beautiful plants!heres mine as of today.still a ways to go,starting to lean from the weight.love this strain dubi.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I have 3 of them going. Sunday will be 8 weeks and it looks like one of them could be done at 10 (a tall pheno), one maybe a week later (bushy) than that and the last one that I did not show must have a lot of VB...guessing 12 or so on it. But we will see. I am not about to cut em early unless something terrible happens...you just get the feeling it is going to be special and I want to see just how special.

 

[mayan]

Really nice looking plants y'all. Wow! Really beautiful, konopenko and canniption!

YoSam-> Getting exciting, eh? All of the sudden it hit me that I have to start considering strategies for final flush - pronto. My problem is not really knowing whethe the one plant is a twelve weeker or not - if it goes another two weeks, it'll be at 77 (or so) days - so I gotta start figuring out my landing approach one way or the other. I'm interested - what criteria are you currently using to decide how long the different phenos are gonna go?

 

[dubi]

Hello konopenko,

If you usually have spider mite problems i'd recommend spray with abamectine the area and the plants before they start to flower. She's a very greedy plant, she wants all the food for her I think your OE are ready to explode!!

Thanks Dubi! I also snaped some inside branches as you sugested earlier. OE also has less spider m. problems than last year growing very strong and bushy She could eat more but she will stay organic with biobizz bloom 5ml/l.
Regards

 

[dubi]

High mayan!

Both are branchy VB sativa phenos. This is where to find the best flower/leaf ratios in the line. And dont feel bad You are doing a great job with the orient express! It's a pleasure to see your plants, pics and read your comments.

Thank you very much. Enjoy your fruits!

OK...here we go. I have two Orient Expresses currently. The first is at about 55 days of 12/12. What a plant!!! Whew...

Basically, once under 12/12 she started stretching...right out of the gate...and stretching...and stretching...I had to keep tieing her down...but she didn't care...stretch, stretch stretch...As you can sorta kinda see, some of her main branches grew laterally - resulting in a forest of magnificent, individual buds. As well, she proved to be insatiably hungry. She gobbled down everything I threw at her and she still looked nitrogen deprived. At this point, she has lost many of her fan leaves. I felt terrible - I didn't know what to do but I kept growing her out. I can't imagine what she would have been like had she been "healthy." Shudder...

Orient Express Number 2 went under 12/12 about 34 days ago. She, as well, is magnificent but in a more -um- manageable manner.

Much, much better behaved. Although, her branches are already falling over...let the staking begin! Although, I must say, her kola and branches are so long, I have to go out and get the LARGE size bamboo because the stakes I have don't cut it.

 

[dubi]

Thanks canniption, im glad you are enjoying there

Looks like she will be ready for early october .. and she is going to produce some nice 'baseball bats'!

hello all,great to see everyone riding the orient express,beautiful plants!heres mine as of today.still a ways to go,starting to lean from the weight.love this strain dubi.

 

[dubi]

Hello YosemiteSam,

Sounds like you have different expressions, from intermediate sativa/indica to more sativa expressions. Would love to hear your opinion after harvest. Best wishes!

I have 3 of them going. Sunday will be 8 weeks and it looks like one of them could be done at 10 (a tall pheno), one maybe a week later (bushy) than that and the last one that I did not show must have a lot of VB...guessing 12 or so on it. But we will see. I am not about to cut em early unless something terrible happens...you just get the feeling it is going to be special and I want to see just how special.

 

[YosemiteSam]

dubi...which expression do you find to have the best yield?

I see exactly that leaf to bud ratio you are talking about in the stretchy one that is going to finish first. It has the densest, tightest bud also. But the balanced one just has bud everywhere...but looser at this point. Hard for me to guess which is going to yield best.

 

[KSP]

Not sure if this a good place to show these or not. Last year I had what must have been extreme VB pheno, very tall and lanky, purple colors, and could not finish in time here. I dusted her with some Panama pollen to try to bring flowering time down, and here is one of them outdoors.

 

[dubi]

Hello YosemiteSam,

As you experienced, the long flowering VB pheno has denser flowers with better flower/leaf ratio. The compact chinese pheno is usually massive yielding and faster to flower but the flowers are not so compact.

Depends on your criteria to quantify yield ... if you are talking about yield/plant maybe the taller pheno is better yielding but if you consider yield/m2 then the compact chinese pheno is overall the better yielding.

dubi...which expression do you find to have the best yield?

I see exactly that leaf to bud ratio you are talking about in the stretchy one that is going to finish first. It has the densest, tightest bud also. But the balanced one just has bud everywhere...but looser at this point. Hard for me to guess which is going to yield best.

 

[dubi]

High KSP

Purple long flowering OE Vietnam Black pheno x panama Sounds like a sativa winner, should produce very high yield of dense resinous and powerful sativa buds!

Not sure if this a good place to show these or not. Last year I had what must have been extreme VB pheno, very tall and lanky, purple colors, and could not finish in time here. I dusted her with some Panama pollen to try to bring flowering time down, and here is one of them outdoors.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Hello YosemiteSam,

As you experienced, the long flowering VB pheno has denser flowers with better flower/leaf ratio. The compact chinese pheno is usually massive yielding and faster to flower but the flowers are not so compact.

Depends on your criteria to quantify yield ... if you are talking about yield/plant maybe the taller pheno is better yielding but if you consider yield/m2 then the compact chinese pheno is overall the better yielding.

Thanks dubi. I have pretty much gone all vert or outdoors so single plant yield is the way I look at it...but excellent point, I was less than clear on that.

The taller one looks like the winner to us. Little better bag appeal and the openness of the plant makes it look a little safer to run. That short one sure fills its space completely.

Resisting the temptation to cut tester buds right now...but it is not easy...smells fantastic, looks quite tasty.

 

[dubi]

Resisting the temptation to cut tester buds right now...but it is not easy...smells fantastic, looks quite tasty.

hard to wait in this time of year! Outdoor matured plants are mouth watering, love the natural aromas...

 

[YosemiteSam]

getting closer

getting closer



tall pheno. very dense.



short bushy pheno.



tall pheno. it would not surprise me if this one does not go a pound which, in this room, puts it up with my highest yielders. and if the high is as described it will provide a nice difference cause all of those are pretty stony.



bushy pheno. bud is not as tight as the tall pheno...but bud is literally everywhere...can't really guess how much this one will go...looks about a week behind the tall pheno to me.