Turning 75

[Bud Green]

I was in Calif. in 1971 got a jay walking ticket, a hitch hiking ticket and 3 ID checks in one day. I dressed and looked on the crazy side.
You talk about the GESTAPO jack booted and all.

I grew up near the beach on the east coast of US, but in '71 I hitchhiked across Canada..
In Vancouver a cop got in my face and was accusing me of stealing my backpack from a lumberjack....

Yeah right! I was still in my teens, and at 6 feet tall I weighed 155 lbs.

I finally convinced the cop it would be pretty damn stupid, or pretty damn ballsy for me to steal something from a Canadian lumberjack...

Of course, I had real long hair, and was a little bit dirty from being on the road, but I think the cop really just wanted to fuck with a hippie dude much smaller than him..

 

[Ratzilla]

Of the days we were!
I do my best to stay in the now but fail miserably, often.
When i go into the past voices inside my head call me A F in A hole.
Yup pretty most all my life i was full of myself with much false bravado,this revelation i call wisdom!
I am making a moderate tea for tomorrow featuring 10/2/1 bat.
This will be the last N feeding of this grow.
I continue to give the plants N up to the end of the STRETCH.
Today is day 10 of flowering and they have grown 12 inches in this 10 days since the flip.
Skunk A Rella stretch usually last for 15-16 days so i expect another 6 inches before they are done stretching.
This is why they need nitrogen for the first couple of weeks into flowering.
They were 24 in. when flipped so they will grow another 18 inches after going through the stretch,they will be 42 inches when done .
With all that mass that the plant is putting on it certainly needs the N.
My favorite N source is BAT for i think of it as quite ready for uptake and lasts for 10-14 days.
When I do make the switch to P&K my P sources favor 0-5-0 BAT.
I also use Soft Rock Phosphate @ 0-3-0 and bulb food @ 3-8-8.
Take note on the low ratios of the phosphorus of these nutrient sources as all being low in P so as NOT to upset the mycorrhizal fungi which is responsible for much of the P uptake.
With flowering coming on strong right after this stretch the plants will be send out different exudes to their roots in looking for P and I want the fungi to be nice and healthy.
I have my eye on the two best looking females,fine genes they are.
The node floral formations are setting up well.
Still not sure if I will pollinate 1 or 2 females ,it all depends if i can get some of these genes spread around.
I sent a contact to the moderator of the seed fund to find out how i can do this without making any trouble but as of yet no one has replied.
But i am a stubborn old rapscallion.
RatZ

 

[Ratzilla]

I watered the males @ 5 days they are loading up with flowers @ day 11 of flowering.
I doubled watered the ladies @ 8 days since the transplant.the medium was pulling away from the sides of the containers telling me i was somewhat late!
But back on track and in about another 6-7 days i will do the dirty!
RatZ

 

[OkieSmokie]

Bump-chicka-bow-wow!

 

[Ratzilla]

Today @ the 18th day of flowering I placed 1 female,what i considered the best one with the 3 males that were separated about 3 weeks back.
The slightest movement of the males released huge yellow clouds of pollen.
I placed the female in the middle of them and turned on a small fan.
I will keep her there for two days!
Remember that it is very important to not cross contaminate the other ladies,I do this with a shower and a full clothing change.
A little pollen can go a long way!
I tried asking the moderators about donating a bunch of these genes to the seed fund as well as asking openly in this thread how was the best way of getting some of these soon to be made seeds spread around .
I got no advice or comments from anyone.
So only 1 female was chosen.
But i am sadden that no interest was taken about my Skunk A Rella.
Thinking it is the growing community lost not mine!
Moving on.
RatZilla

 

[Buddler]

Today @ the 18th day of flowering I placed 1 female,what i considered the best one with the 3 males that were separated about 3 weeks back.
The slightest movement of the males released huge yellow clouds of pollen.
I placed the female in the middle of them and turned on a small fan.
I will keep her there for two days!
Remember that it is very important to not cross contaminate the other ladies,I do this with a shower and a full clothing change.
A little pollen can go a long way!
I tried asking the moderators about donating a bunch of these genes to the seed fund as well as asking openly in this thread how was the best way of getting some of these soon to be made seeds spread around .
I got no advice or comments from anyone.
RatZilla

Mr R i 've read that gorrilla seeds has all the seedbay stock and they might take all your extra seeds and give away as freebies with orders..Not sure on that. But if you want a addy pm me and i would glady grow Skunkarella and document with pics..Keep her going. Good read Cheers.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

Very interesting knowledgeable thread, I'm subscribed!

Sent you a PM Ratzilla, hope to hear back from you!

 

[Ratzilla]

Today I brought the pollinated female back to the flowering area.
I can only hope that no pollen was still about.
I sprayed her down real good with plain water.
She does not look very happy her leaves are all twisted which ways.
I had to tie her over for the space i pollinate in is not very high.
I got her straighten up some.
I am making a tea for tomorrow,hoping that will help her get over her ordeal.
I hear you Smoke a lot as I put a finger to my lips and say shis.
RatZilla

 

[Ratzilla]

@day 21 of flowering and the plants are filling in the spaces between their nodes nicely.
I took some more time off the on time now somewhere around 10=10.5 on time.
I doubled watered today and for the first time a tea featuring P & K.
Not so much fertilizer as biology cleaved from 0-4-0 bat and 3-8-8 bulb food.
I want what eats P & K so they will eat the buried treasures that are laid down on the bottom of these flowering pots, which are exactly these things the bat and the bulb food.
I am thinking that the stretch is pretty much over for the tallest is now @ 52".
It was 24" going in.
Usually my Skunk A Rella comes close to doubling so this plant is an exception.
I still have another 6-8" in height if I need it so nothing to worry about!
The prego female is doing her best to look better and i believe that after this tea by tomorrow she will have straighten herself up.
This early flowering period is one of the most exciting times in a grow what with them growing 22-28" in 21 days to the flowerings sites setting up with their pistils standing tall and creamy white it is just a glorious thing to behold.
When a grower grows the same strain over and over he learns so much about his plants!
Ratz feeling really good today!!!

 

[Ratzilla]

Now @ day 26 so getting close to the 1/2 way mark.
Tallest @ 54" so 2 " in 5 days so saying that the vertical growth is over.
I made another P & K tea keeping it towards the lean side of things.
Only the tall plant has not yet formed it's cola for the node spacing is bigger then the rest.
The prego plant has completely straighten itself up and it is only after looking at her pistils that i can tell it's difference from the rest,her pistils are not as big and creamy as the others.
In looking at the plants I can see the purple starting to shade into its flowers .
By the end most will be almost black.
Did I tell you that I love MaryJane!!!
Ratzs

 

[Ratzilla]

Now @ day 31 of flowering.
Double watered with another tea designed to bring P & K eating beasties to the mix.
Now that the stretch is over the plants are into creating a floral mass.
It is so obvious which plant is the prego one for it is getting so left behind as far as floral mass is concerned for it is into seed development.
The next 2-3 weeks will more of the same.
Ratz cruising along!

 

[Ratzilla]

Day 36 of flower
The plants floral mass continue to swell.
One plant, 1/2 of a leaf finger looks like it being ate upon.
Check the plant and did not find any critter filling it's body.
Not sure what is going on but being it is only on one finger of one leaf on one plant i will do nothing.
Today is my 75 birthday Woot Woot!
Double watering again with a P & K design tea meant to deliver biology that eats P & K amendments.
I am of the opinion that the plant is the conductor of this symphony and will deliver the exudes it needs to bring this P & K to the floral mass.
I am but the caretaker!
In looking upon my plants and how big the colas are getting i am reminded of Botrytis cinerea AKA grey mold a nemesis of big dense bud.
I have seen this in the past.
I try and avoid this blight by providing lots of air movement!
Nothing is worse in destroying a crop then Botrytis.
Ratz

 

[Ace Rothstein]

Happy Birthday!
Keep that air moving.

 

[Ratzilla]

Now @ day 41 and the plants are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing at this point and that is putting on weight and swelling big.
Even though they are staked they are still getting very TOP heavy and want to bend over when moved about.
I doubled water today @ 5 days w/the 2nd watering another tea designed to bring in beasties that eat P & K.
Thinking that I have at least 3 more weeks maybe 4 to go.
Will wait until the Trichomes tell me that it is time.
All is well with me hope that you all are doing fine also!
Ratz

 

[Ratzilla]

Now @ day 46 and I am starting to see some pistils turning red.
On all but the tall plant.
That makes sense because I have been thinking that the tall plant was showing signs that it was had more of a SATIVA influence then the others.
Did I tell you that I love SKUNKS. hehehe
I turned the ON time back to 10 hours on I will stay there for the finish.
Some peeps will take the on time down to 9 hours on to finish but I prefer the energy provided by the extra hour of on time.
I yet gave them another tea design to provide biology that eats P & K @ 5 days double watering both till a slight run off. Thinking 2.5-3 weeks to go maybe only 1 more tea then plain rain water to finish is the way that I roll!
RatZ

 

[DrDee]

Good morning Ratz,
It's getting exciting...nearing harvest like you are. Hey this tea you talked of...to encourage nute usage. Is it a secret formula...or can you share? Just a rough idea...for us curious folk out here in the ether...
Cheers,
JD

PS: I like skunks too. Lived in San Diego back when Skunk was the hottest thing around. I remember paying $45 for a quarter which was pretty damn high in those days.

 

[Ratzilla]

Hey Dr. Dee
This tea is no secrete I am of the opinion that using something of a P and a K a long side of some worm casting and Kelp meal will get a peep the micro biology that eat's P & K.
I use rain water and aerate in a bucket with some yucca to break the bonds that water posses like adhesion and cohesion, I think of this as making my water wetter!
I suspend a cup or two of WC with a little, 1 TB Kelp and 1 TB 0-4-0 bat guano with a TBL of molasses in a 5 gallon.
When I built my flowering pots I laid what I call buried treasures down on the bottom of the pots in 5 TBL sp of say 0-4-0 bat , 3-8-8 bulb food,2-6-8 organicare bloom.
I use square pots so I put these buried treasures down @ 1 TBL in each corner and 1 for good measure down dead center in the pots.
If you'll notice I use these amendments in a very light manner wanting the biology over the tea becoming a nutrient feeding.I bubble for 24-30 hours .
This bubbling cleaves microbes that eat these things.
I use a boom and bust tea cycle bringing new biology in with each watering this influx brings in beastie's that eat the P & K that are in these buried treasures.
That is the BOOM and the bust is when the pots dry down a little this boom becomes a bust when the beastie's die because of the dry down.
I opine that the dead carcasses become food fodder for the next Boom.
Simple enough me thinks!
Ratz

 

[DrDee]

Hey thanks Ratz,
Simple...but also elegant in that each item and each step has it's purpose. I will save this info and give it a try.

I've been reading up on the Malawi cob sweat curing technique. It is totally dependent on bacterial growth that eats up all the left over nutrients. Working in a somewhat similar approach.

I can only imagine how good your grow room smells right now...thanks for keeping us posted.
Cheers,
JD

 

[Ratzilla]

Now @ day 51 and right on schedule I think.
What I like to do is stop giving any nutrients at all and give the plants 1 tsp/gal of molasses instead.
I feel that with the chelating properties of molasses it help the plant assimilate whatever nutrients are left within the medium, I think of it as a living flush.
I am aware that the Mg. that is in molasses is not something we want at this coming to a end and will only give plain rain water in these last days after this living flush!
I also like to harvest with the plant needing a watering to help with the drying process,so I'll time my harvest to this.
I also like my plants to be going into senescence at this coming to a end.
To this I am starting to see the plants beginning to fade.
So Cho Cho the train is on time I think.
The cola's are looking just downright delicious it all I can do to not give them a big SQUEEZE.
So a little less then 2 to 2.5 Weeks to go remembering that the plants are in charge!
I am also trying to not move the plants much for when I do they give off abundant intoxicating smells and I am trying to not be noticed.
RatZ

 

[Ratzilla]

Day 56 of flowering.
I doubled watered @ 5 days with plain rain water.
Not yet sure if this is the last watering but for sure it's
getting close the buds are looking quite dense and sticky.
For some reason this crop does not look as purple as some i have had in the past.
I am sure it still will be sweet.
Most of the pistils have turned red but I see no amber trichomes.
Another 7-10 days I think!
Will time harvesting to a complete dry down.
RatZ