Re-vegging Not Replaceable Weed

[OldGuyInOregon]

Help! Re-vegging Not Replaceable Weed!!! Help Keep Old Guy in the Game!!!

Background: I live in Oregon. I am legal to grow as of July 1st. However, my state has no provisions for me to buy seeds or clones. Just so happens I have two awesome bonsai indicas growing in my closet 200 watts T5HO, 100 watts DIY LED, 100 watts CFL. About 3 sq. ft., so 125 watts per sq. ft. LST=max, FIM=max I am closing in on harvest. Soon my grow area frees up because I cannot grow.

So much of my question relates to strain, which I specifically do not know. This weed came from a grower that is significantly older than me!?!? I believe he has grown all his life, seriously over 60!?!? years. I think this strain is best characterized as an "Northwest Pacific Seattle island area landrace indica that has been inbred for many generations for its ability to bonsai". It is very difficult to clone. When I got the plants, it was my first indoor grow, they already had several months plus of veg on them. My first clones were viable for three weeks before they died with no root hairs. Second attempt = killed by spider mites. My third attempt water cloning looks like it might work but the buds on the tops are looking pretty rough and I am concerned about disease = need some valium.

So let's change the future. I am pursuing other alternatives. What I need help on is re-vegging. By this I mean I want to harvest as much as possible, but keep the plants alive. Once I harvest, I would prefer for the plants to re-enter the vegetative state, grow a bunch more leaves, benefit from the existing root system and vascular (if that is what it is called) structure. Then I get good spider mite free clones from a vegging plant that I will water clone. Eventually I get more buds. Is this possible, and how do I do this?

If this is not possible, then I would like to harvest as much as possible, and have the plant stay alive so that I can water clone until I get viable clones. I don't care what happens to the plants after that. I need them to stay viable at least a month or more. Whatever I clone (I think) is gonna have to be grown after harvest for this to work? How do I do this?

If this is not possible, then I would like to incrementally harvest until I get a viable clone. Mostly red trichomes at the topmost of the plant except the growing tips (they are green and they produce new ones after a week. There are about 6 main buds per plant , the secondary buds are mostly clear or cloudy with an occaisonal rare red. How long can I keep this plant alive?

Your questions or comments are welcome, and thank you!

 

[topheavy420]

I would harvest just the tops and if possible place outdoors.

 

[Granger2]

Take your harvest, but leave a considerable amount of green matter incl bud. Feed with half strength high N, and give them 24 hours of light for about 2 days. Then go to 18-6. You should get new veg growth in a month or less. My experience with re vegging is that some will die. Leave as much green matter at harvest as possible. Good luck. -granger

 

[Mate Dave]

Air layer that bonsai mother fucker and take all the tops as plants.. Search IC mag for air layering there is an excellent thread about it..


Or you can partially flower some branches using 90% shade cloth socks doubled up...

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

I would harvest just the tops and if possible place outdoors.

Howdy thanks for your response. That was my thinking, I got three big buds I had previously FIM'ed, they were probably fine but def at more risk than others so they went first. I am taking whatever is above the fan leaf and leaving the good fan leaf and any bud below that. based on my previous experiences with these plants, they will both just transfer the growing to other buds and keep going. I guess harvest is good under any circumstance. This first grow was fucking painful.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

Take your harvest, but leave a considerable amount of green matter incl bud. Feed with half strength high N, and give them 24 hours of light for about 2 days. Then go to 18-6. You should get new veg growth in a month or less. My experience with re vegging is that some will die. Leave as much green matter at harvest as possible. Good luck. -granger

Thank you so much for your reply, I have read so many of your posts!!! You are awsome!

OK, high N at 1/2 strength and vegging lights after harvest. Initially, do you think as much light as possible, or maybe just the T5HO?

Also, I was thinking (for whatever reason) that the key would be to save good fan leafs and take buds that do not interfere with that goal. Some fan leafs are either a bit yellow or a bit burned and I trim them leaving green when possible.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

Air layer that bonsai mother fucker and take all the tops as plants...

Air layer = no idea guess I have more research thanks so much for the pointer!

yeah after all this work I would rather keep these things going than smoke 'em. I am dead serious. I can get weed. My life situation is so fucked up and two of these amazing like Miss Universe plants showed up at my door step one day delivered. The look like they are scrogged with no net and no tie downs. Nothing but lots of good thick branches and about 20 err 14 now buds that each think they are number 1. The popcorn buds are awesome and I might give the big buds away and smoke popcorn for 6 months. 74g so far and I am not a third of the way into either one.

 

[Granger2]

Lowering light intensity would be good, either by raising HPS high or moving to T-5s or CFL. Once you start getting new growth, I would ease them gently back into HPS [or MH]. Good luck. -granger

 

[stoned-trout]

don't wait till very end of flower to reveg .. once harvestable take best buds leave lower stuff...20 to 24 hours light ,weak, wait for regrowth ...simple..do not over water plant. I have seen a lot of newbs over water plant ..with reduced canopy /water needs just moisten soil..yeehaw

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

don't wait till very end of flower to reveg .. once harvestable take best buds leave lower stuff...20 to 24 hours light ,weak, wait for regrowth ...simple..do not over water plant. I have seen a lot of newbs over water plant ..with reduced canopy /water needs just moisten soil..yeehaw

Howdy stoned-trout I love your posts and your pic... yeehaw!!!

I am worried about the plants and I think I need to go 24x7 soon. As soon as I see new veg I will feel better.

Yeah they are not drinking much at all. Maybe a liter of water plus 4x misting per plant each day. I am stingy with food and water.

What happens to to the buds I leave on the plant? Any chance these plants are gonna hermie?

 

[waveguide]

i'm getting to be kind of an expert in miniature plant rejuvenation i agree - especially if you're not concerned about the bud, you can harvest in layers to increase survival, you can throw it into longer light cycle now, i often place mine outside too for space.. don't drop intensity too much.

don't - hit it hard trimming all at once, don't - give it too challenging an environmental transition. when it starts to veg again, it will grow from all the places in the bud that had growing tips, and the growth will be fucked up for a good time, eg. 3 leaves, funny leaves.

if buds are "too mature," even lower buds, they may not have much umph in the tips, but it doesn't sound like you're there yet. good luck, and thanks for saving a beaut!


i visited seattle in 1990 and hadn't seen much in the way of mature plants at the time - hippy college guy had a plant on his windowsill he was "low effort" about and just letting it grow for yucks.. i remember it was less than a foot high and like a ball, lots of tips and branches. i know i've never seen any weed since that was near that compact. interesting to think it might be a thing.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

i'm getting to be kind of an expert in miniature plant rejuvenation i agree - especially if you're not concerned about the bud, you can harvest in layers to increase survival, you can throw it into longer light cycle now, i often place mine outside too for space.. don't drop intensity too much. don't - hit it hard trimming all at once, don't - give it too challenging an environmental transition. when it starts to veg again, it will grow from all the places in the bud that had growing tips, and the growth will be fucked up for a good time, eg. 3 leaves, funny leaves. if buds are "too mature," even lower buds, they may not have much umph in the tips, but it doesn't sound like you're there yet. good luck, and thanks for saving a beaut! i visited seattle in 1990 and hadn't seen much in the way of mature plants at the time - hippy college guy had a plant on his windowsill he was "low effort" about and just letting it grow for yucks.. i remember it was less than a foot high and like a ball, lots of tips and branches. i know i've never seen any weed since that was near that compact. interesting to think it might be a thing.

Hi waveguide and thanks for the post... btw dig the account name, I am a retired EE and I had a copy of skolnik on my desk when I was young.


About the source for the plants: my friend Sarah's dad, lived on the island all his life, that is where my friend grew up and she is now married with a kid. He is still in the same place. He is retired, grows in a green house, been growing since before men-on-the-moon and before Sarah was born, no seeds especially no mail order seeds at all, occaisionally trades clones with locals he knows, just likes to bonsai for fun. His kids want bag appeal weed and he ignores them and grows bonsai. Gotta like us old guys! Seriously the strain has no name, and I received an "Nth" generation clone, so I call it SarahSmile.


About the plants: You can see the plants when I got them in an album here... I cannot post a pic at the moment because my laptop SD card reader is broken and my phone only has that secure way of moving pictures. Anyway, they are about 24 inches tall (above ground) in 3 gal pots. Very axially symmetric so the shape of a [child's spinning toy or a pack of the papers] top. You could identify very intense training by the "elbow" shaped branches. One plant was 12 inches and one was 14 inches tall. I was told they were 2 months old and that they were in living soil and no additional food was necessary.


Since my original post, I took 69g wet to add to the 5g I took to test. The plants responded as I figured they would. Every place I cut has some sign of green, and the buds that were mostly shaded are stretching already with white/green growth at the tips. These plants do not quit. The first smoke report: 3 day dry in paper bags, no cure, burns a little hot, nice taste, color is a bit dark. Lost 3g/5g = 60% water. SO the 69g will prob end up to be an oz and that is going in mason jars for a month after 4 days in a bag.



I am looking for some principle that allows me to know the right amount of bud to leave. Anyone... What is the purpose of leaving bud on the plant? Thanks!!!

 

[Weedninja]

I am looking for some principle that allows me to know the right amount of bud to leave. Anyone... What is the purpose of leaving bud on the plant? Thanks!!!

The more plant matter you leave, the better it can photosynthesize. It's less of a shock to the plant. On a non-replaceable plant, I'd leave a lot until you figure out how to clone it or layer it.

 

[stoned-trout]

take best top buds leave lower shitty buds...now sit and wait ,sit and wait ,sit and wait...yeehaw...revegging is soo damn slow .. I only do it in emergencies...waste of space and time otherwise

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

take best top buds leave lower shitty buds...now sit and wait ,sit and wait ,sit and wait...yeehaw...revegging is soo damn slow .. I only do it in emergencies...waste of space and time otherwise

It is an emergency. Once I successfully clone it wont matter.

Why is it slow I wonder? Sure slow to show new growth, but the growth is on top of a big ass root ball. And the stems are well developed.


Also, is there a ball of salt around the root ball, and should I be considering re-potting?

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

The more plant matter you leave, the better it can photosynthesize. It's less of a shock to the plant. On a non-replaceable plant, I'd leave a lot until you figure out how to clone it or layer it.

Lol, I suppose but it is good to hear someone else say it. Will the plant canibalize the bud the same way it does a leaf?

 

[Weedninja]

Yep. They'll look like regular buds that someone kept in a sweaty gym sock before you get 5 fingered leaves. You might be able to sneak a mini harvest once it looks like the reveg is successful. I never tried it, though. I always figured most of the thc will have broken down.

You might want to try some high octane rooting hormone like this: http://ecogardensupply.com/Hormex-Rooting-Powder-8-3-4oz.html
People use it to root tree cuttings.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

Lol, no thanks on the mini harvest, I just wanted to know the value in keeping the buds on the plants. Everyone seems to think it is a good idea, but I like to know how things work.

I added a 20 mg. @ 2l rooting hormone I normally use to the water once. I have been adding an aspririn if nothing else needs to go in. I do not know if either helps. I am pretty stingy with food, water, and everything else except light. They are not drinking much but the plants are still growing. The "new" top buds have a quarter inch of new growth for sure. Both plants are starting to look more than rough. I can't trim leaves because they are not growing except around the buds. Probably time to give them a final trim and do this.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

Thanks for all the comments. This one is in the books. I harvested about 160g total. I left about 40-50g bud (wet) on the plants. They are now under 24x7 100 watts fluoro. Gonna wait a week, then back to full 24x7 lights and veg nutes.

 

[OldGuyInOregon]

Kinda of funny, but working for 3 hours trimming kinda bothered me. I was sad while I was harvesting?