Swazi in Thailand - first grow

[shokdee]

Keywords for spiders and search engines

Techniques: Permaculture, tropical, equator, indoor/outdoor, soil, organic, coco hair, rice husk, kelp, bat guano, root restriction, supercropping, FIM, Efficient Microorganisms (EM), mineral water, cloning, newbie, Thai style.
Lights: PAR, PUR, floro tubes, CFLs, daylight.
Genetics: bagseed, phenotype, rooibart, South Africa, Swaziland.

 

[shokdee]

In the beginning ... La Diva Sativa

In the beginning ... La Diva Sativa

Hello and thanks for visiting. This is my first grow report and also the start of my journey to explore the mysteries of the cannabis sativa plant, and how I can unlock it's secrets with a combination of organic, indoor & outdoor growing.

I've decided to focus on pure/bagseed sativas for my first few grows, and will move on to hybrids and connoisseur breeds, once I've gained enough experience.

I plan to complete - from seed to flowering - three sativa grows this year, and over the next few months, I'll submit the reports. First the Swazi, then some Lao/Thai, and finally, Durban Poison.

UPDATE: See the second report here > Thai in Thailand - my second grow.
See the third report here > Durban in Thailand - my third grow



What will grow from my Swazi bagseed?

Ladies and gentlemen, my unrooted friends, let's get this grow on the road...

 

[shokdee]

Gallery

Gallery

I've set up a small gallery, and will update it as the grow progresses. Currently there are twenty five photos, please take a look first and then add your comments or questions here, thanks, shokdee. If you'd like more photos of the buds as they develop, let me know.

UPDATE: Good news everyone, I've updated the gallery, start from picture swazi27 if you've seen it be4.

UPDATE2: I've updated the gallery again, with photos of the 4 finalists for Miss Swaziland in Thailand 2013: Ladies #1, #2, #6 and #7, thank you.

UPDATE3: The grow is finished, check the gallery for the final bud porn.

 

[shokdee]

Stage 1: Germination - indoors.

Stage 1: Germination - indoors.

Stage 1: Germination - indoors.
-----------------------------------

There were not much seeds from a number of bags, but enough good looking seeds, nice and big, well ripened. Started with 20 seeds, into purified water overnight. The next day the 10 most cracked went into soil, in seed trays. The soil was a sifted, local potting soil ( 4 will turn out to be male, 6 female).

Week 1 - under floros.
Week 2 - under floros, a few purple stems. Numbered them, biggest to smallest, #1 to #10. At this stage, two different phenotypes were clearly expressed, the usual thin leaf, but also a very fat indica-looking leaf with hairy leaf surface, rough to the touch.
Week 3 - under floros, lead plant (#1) is 11 cm, 4 nodes, with mature 5 star leaf. Very strong looking strain, good sturdy, stems. Day 25, Chinese New Year, they were transplanted into small (2 l ) black plastic bags. I kept them in the seedtray EXTRA long as I'm using root restriction. The roots were white and thick, healthy looking. The new soil was 1/3 thai potting soil, 1/3 coconut hair, 1/3 worm castings.

 

[shokdee]

Stage 2: Growth- indoors.

Stage 2: Growth- indoors.

Week 4 - added more floros. From here on the growth was fast and it was a daily task to raise lights. At day 33 plant #1 is 21 cm tall and side branching is just starting. Some plants have adventious roots, the appearance of adventious roots on some stems is a signal from the plant. Too high humidity, I think. By day 40, plant #1 is 30 cm tall.
Week 5, I added one more CFL to the mix, using 22-26 watt CFLs in a downlight-style reflector, the plants just love them.
Week 6, I added one more CFL to the mix. Day 46, plant #1 is 43 cm, 12 nodes, 7 leaf sativa shape, side branching at the 5th node is largest, most symmetrical. Plant #2 is 36cm, 10 nodes, very fat, indica-like leaf, 9 leaf blades. Plant #3 is 31 cm, 9 nodes. Plant #4 is 29 cm, 9 nodes, very sativa looking, thin and narrow, dark green leaves.
Week 7, I added 2 more CFLs, one 45 Watt naked bulb. Plant #1 is 55cm tall, 13 nodes, pre-flower looks FEMALE.


.... uh uh, clouds are rolling in and I'm losing my connection, a tin can and a piece of string is all I can use at the moment ... I'll be back when the weather clears ....

 

[OLDproLg]

Plants look happy!!!

WHat is your plan for flowering,HPS or sun is best
but you can do them under cfl's....actually sativas dont stretch much
using cfl's try and use them hanging strait down with no reflector!
Right besides the tops or in between all tops for best results...

Did ya see my plants in your entro thread??

 

[shokdee]

Hello OLDproLg, respect to you for 35 years of growing! My plants are happy because I'm happy.

How much longer do you think my Swazi ladies have to go? Itching for a test smoke.

I've given up on CFLs <for the moment> and moved all the plants outdoors - I just don't like the dangling bulbs, the leaf burn, the daily adjustments, the weak light penetration. Anyho, I want to upgrade to MH, but that's another story.

FUCK the pigs that did that to your lovely plants. Do you have some more pics of your, gorilla grows?

Do you have any advice for me, just starting? What should I grow next? In what direction is cannabis growing going - organic or high tech? What do you feel needs to be done? How could I help? Should I grow funky strains, or seek some kind of purity? Should I seek "certification" and "government approval" and so on, or will it always be underground? What mistakes must I avoid?

I hope to add value to the site, not waste everyone's time.

Thanks, Shokdee


EDIT: No disrespect to any pigs, animals are my best friends, but really, some humans are animals.

 

[shokdee]

Stage 2: Growth - indoors, continued.

Stage 2: Growth - indoors, continued.

Day 1 was 16 January.

Week 7 - All plants given a mild top dressing of Thai-brand organic fertilizer and EM water. At day 54, roots are visible at the bottom of the grow bags. Time to repot. Plant #1 is 69 cm tall, has 16 nodes, shows female at node 9. Plant #2 is 50 cm, has 15 nodes, also looks female.

Week 8. Repotted into small, black plastic pots with the same soil mix. Lovely root growth, looks like spaghetti. Day 62, #1 is 88 cm with nice side branching.

Week 9, I supercropped 2 plants and FIMed 2 plants (UPDATE - FIM seems to not have worked, the plants slowed down, then just grew normally.)

#1 is under 2 x 45 watt CFL bulbs, about 6,000 lumens. I can see the lower third is not growing as well - the light does not penetrate deep enough.

# 2, 5, 6 are each under a 26 watt CFL down lighter. - they LOVE this!!

# 3, 4, 7, 8 are under 3 x floro tubes.

Day 67, I am NOT HAPPY the CFLs and moved plants #3, 4, 7, and 8 outside. It is hot and dry, temps hitting nearly 40C, humidity at 48%, sunrise is at 06:22, sunset at 18:33. The plants were keep in a shaded area a few days to harden off.

Day 69, lady #1 is over 112 cm tall and lady #2 was supercropped at 65 cm.

 

[shokdee]

Stage 3: Flowering - indoors/outdoors

Stage 3: Flowering - indoors/outdoors

Week 10, I'm ready with my indoor flowering room and pulled the trigger to 12/12.

Plant #1 is under a DIY hood with 12 x 22-26 watt CFLs in downlighters. Ratio is 2:1, extra warm white:daylight. Nearly 19,000 lumens.

EDIT: color temps.
Extra warm white is 2,700k. The extra means, EXTRA
Daylight is 6,500k, but the sun is better.

Plants #2, 5 and 6 are under a DIY hood, with 9 x 45 Watt CFLs, mixed 2:1, for about 24,000 lumen.

I still need more light? What must I do?

Week 11 and plant #1 is 132 cm. I supercropped all the other plants inside to try make use of the light better. I decided to hang weights on the bent branches to keep them down. At this stage, plants #1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 are female, and 3, 4, 5, 10 are male.

EDIT: I used hanging weights on branches, and supercropping, followed by a hanging weight.
Soon after triggering the flowering response, I supercropped and then hang a small weight on the supercropped main stem to keep the apical head bent over, below the other branches. After a few days, I removed the weight from the bent stem. After some more growth, I hung small weights - S-hooks - on various branches to try flatten out the shape even more. One or two days of carrying the weight and when I removed the weights, the branches should stay more-or-less horizontal. I'll try this technique again in the future.

Day 83 and plant #1 (inside) is already starting to respond to the 12/12 switch. This is a good sign.

Week 12, day 87, Thai New Year, gave all plants a top dressing of Thai-brand fertilizer with EM water. Day 90, they all got some Thai-brand algae/fish nutrients in the water. After much soul searching - I KILLED THE MALES.

Week 13, day 92 and they all got a top dressing of bat guano. Plant #2 leaves are now emerging very yellow. (UPDATE, after a few day this cleared up, probably the algae/fish fert.)

Day 94 and I can see the plants outside are better off then those inside. Worried, I decide to join the International Cannagraphic forum.

Day 96 and I moved all plants OUTSIDE - under the Equatorial sun.

Week 14 is this very week and I'm spending too much time online, but it sure is fantastic to be here! Thanks to everyone from the bottom of my heart. Hope to hear from you.

That's all for now, what else can I say?

Shokdee.

 

[shokdee]

Lost in LOS

Lost in LOS

Oh yes, I would love to hear from people actually located in Thailand, land of smiles, even it it's just to pop in and say Sawatdee Shokdee. Are there many of us?

Also, if you'd like to only talk more about growing >Thai plants<, then please see my new thread Thai in Thailand - my second grow.

I would also like to hear from anyone who has grown Swazi, or other African strains, the genetics are fascinating. And anyone around Durban area!!!

Shokdee

 

[StickyHands]

Apologies on missing this detailed thread. Everything looks lovely, and top job with the plants and environment.
Ure gallery is awesome. im gonna go re-read all the info in this thread to take it in, bit stoned just now, lol

 

[shokdee]

Welcome Sticky and many thanks for the kind words.

 

[daylighting]

I'll be watching your dagga grow with my rooibos and knobkierrie in hand (and ยำคอหมูย่าง and Sangsom close by).

Might be worth investing in a jeweler's loupe to watch the trichomes as the buds fill in! There is a possibility your girls will flower in the rain; not good!

I have been to Thailand a few times and will most likely be in BKK again later this year. Thai food is my absolute favorite (and so is Thai bud incidentally)! You must have balls like a buffalo to grow outdoors in Thailand!

 

[shokdee]

I'll be watching your dagga grow with my rooibos and knobkierrie in hand (and ยำคอหมูย่าง and Sangsom close by).

Classic

, you sound just like my mom.

Might be worth investing in a jeweler's loupe to watch the trichomes as the buds fill in! There is a possibility your girls will flower in the rain; not good!

The ladies, should be OK, the heavy rain is a few weeks off and I can always move them indoors (under CFLs) if I have too.

I have been to Thailand a few times and will most likely be in BKK again later this year. Thai food is my absolute favorite (and so is Thai bud incidentally)! You must have balls like a buffalo to grow outdoors in Thailand!

 

[shokdee]

Links

Links

For lovers of Swazi weed, some links:

UPDATE: The latest Strain Hunter's vdo on Swaziland is available on Youtube at last.

Links to good threads:
> 100% Sativas (Have you ever tried one?) <the big question
> SWAZI, SWAZI SKUNK?? ANYONE??

 

[shokdee]

Stage 4 - Drying and curing

Stage 4 - Drying and curing

I've already harvested my plants, to practice my manicuring, trimming and drying skills.

I'll cure some bud to learn more about the process.

 

[shokdee]

Smoke report

Smoke report

I'll then add the smoke report. Can tell you now: tropical and TRIPPY

Update: A smoke report further along in the thread...keep reading...

 

[shokdee]

Summary of grow

Summary of grow

and then, what worked, what did not.


UPDATE: Some lessons so far ...
Germination - worked OK, but has now been improved: adding heat under the seed tray, fan on the seedlings, less water, and so on.
Mulch - yeah mulch!
Trimming - need to get in tight, a close shave for the ladies.

 

[The Hatter]

Neat grow. I've had so little opportunity to try many African strains. Swazi is definitely on my list.

As far as rain goes, most pure blooded tropical sativas tend to be pretty mighty at shaking off moisture and mildew. They tend to be much hardier than Indicas when it comes to getting wet. Best of luck.

 

[The Hatter]

These plants have an nice look to them. The more thin leaved of your plants remind me a little bit of some of the pure Mexican strains I have seen as far as the leaves go but the structure of the plant as a hole is a bit different. Number 18 in particular. I wonder how the effects will turn out in the end. I bet this will be some upbeat and racy sativa goodness when its done.