Emeraldo's 2021 East-Facing Balcony Grow

[Emeraldo]

Lucky with the weather this past month while I was away. September here was consistently warm and sunny, temps in the mid-20s C, mid-70s F. Just these past days however it has gotten cold suddenly, last night the temp dropped to 8 C, or about 48 F. Not good. So today I hung up more tarps to keep the cold out and installed a heater in the grow zone for the nights, just to keep it around 15 C minimum.

Today is special. It's Mexican Sativa Day, sort of Cinco de Mayo only in October. I brought Mex-Sat inside (it's raining a bit outside this week) to let her dry out for the big day tomorrow, when she'll be harvested and her bud hung up to dry. When I returned from a month away, I didn't notice how ripe she was. She's not sick, she's dead ripe. So we move on to the chop.

Her hashy-sweet aroma has filled the living room with that wonderful smell. Her trichomes are way beyond clear, I am wondering how couch-lock this "sativa"'s effect will be. I don't see a single white pistil. So here are her multi-colored leaves and heavy sotten buds hanging out to dry on her last day.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Mexican Sativa, Oct 6

I defoliated the Afghani to let more sunlight into her interior branches.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 6

Chrystal needs a few weeks more, maybe until third week of October. In the meantime, her trichs continue to form and mature. Chystal is technically an "indoor" Nirvana strain, but when I first bought the reg seeds about 10 years ago the seed guy said she could also be grown outdoors and that had proven to be true. Still, I wouldn't want to have her flowering into November when it can get below freezing.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Chrystal, Oct 6

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Chrystal, Oct 6

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

 

[Emeraldo]

The sudden drop in temperature this week looks like it will continue on and get colder. So I hung more tarps, not so much to keep the light out -- those were already hung -- but to keep the cold wind out. The heater will work to the extent the warm air isn't removed by wind. This afternoon the sun could warm the grow zone. While the outside air temperature was 12 C / 56 F, in the mostly enclosed grow space it got up to 19 C / 66 F.

This was taken at dusk at 6:43 pm, just minutes before it got dark. The flash from the phone-camera flashed all that light on Chrystal. Only three left, in the pitch black of night. Hopefully the heater will keep 'em warm enough, it will get down to 8 C / 48 F again tonight, and next week it will hit 4 C / 40 F. I remember one grow two years ago I was flowering into late November in freezing snowy weather, hope I don't have to go there again!

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 6, 2021

Grow zone just before sundown (with blackout curtains)

 

[DonkeyDick]

Beautiful.
♩♪♫
Music to my eyes!

 

[Emeraldo]

Hee haw haw

 

[Emeraldo]

The sun is now lower in the sky, with a lower arc to the South. During the day, if the sun breaks through the clouds, it shines directly into the grow zone and warms it. The blackout tarps on the North end keep the wind out. The heater kept the inside temp at about 13 C / 54 F, which isn't great but better than the 8 C / 48 F it was outside last night.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021
• 1

Grow zone daytime, with sun from South

Chystal has maybe another 10 days to do. Calyxes swelling and trichomes are cloudy and clear! Here's some close ups taken today:

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Chrystal, Oct 7

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Chrystal, Oct 7

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Chrystal, Oct 7

Durban up close to the big LED. Starting to show trichomes. Pistils just starting to wilt.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Durban, Oct 7

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Durban, Oct 7

Afghani is well into trichome production, in full flower.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 7

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 7

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 7, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 7

Harvesting season is always a reason for endless good cheer!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

 

[Emeraldo]

Smoke report: Mexican Sativa

Mex-Sat was harvested October 7 and has been hang-drying in a dark room with fan on about 50% of the time, temperature at 67 F / 19.5 C. As mentioned, the trichomes were all cloudy and grey, none clear, at harvest. Bud was sticky, with a sweet hashish aroma. After drying 9 days, I've now jarred the bud and will let them burp and cure.

So I put the popcorn aside (it was drier than the larger buds) and have been smoking that. A smooth smoke just 9 days after harvest (smoother than my 2018 Mex-Sat before curing).

This is some of the strongest weed I've ever had, after 10 hits it nearly made me pass out. At first an intense euphoric effect, it soon goes over into a very strong body and narcotic head stone effect and leaves me crashed out, unable to concentrate, falling asleep or in such a stupor I cannot follow a conversation or even watch tv. I need to dial in the right dosage, hehe.

This is so different from my 2018 Mex-Sat. 2018 had very little body but a strong cerebral effect and her trichs were nowhere near as cloudy as this year's. The 2018 was germinated in early July and this gave her less time to ripen. It was quite cool that Fall, and she was harvested November 3. The 2021 plant (grown from a seed off the 2018) was germinated May 1 and began flowering in early August; she was dead ripe by harvest date October 7.

Same strain -- opposite results in terms of effect due to climate and harvest timing. 2018's Mex-Sat was cerebral and energizing; 2021's Mex-Sat is a knock-out stone. Moral of the story: Starting the grow earlier in the season gives the benefit of more time to ripen if in the grow's climate the winter cold sets in early in Fall.

 

[DonkeyDick]

Nice write up, Em’o.
They both sound good - the ‘18 and the ‘21.
How did the ‘18 get pollinated? Some of the difference could be part of the roulette that is S1.

I like the sound of creative, cerebral and energised. But I also like the idea of a joint that can not be finished!

 

[Emeraldo]

Oyeah, anyone for a round of S1 roulette?

Nice write up, Em’o.
They both sound good - the ‘18 and the ‘21.
How did the ‘18 get pollinated? Some of the difference could be part of the roulette that is S1.

I like the sound of creative, cerebral and energised. But I also like the idea of a joint that can not be finished!

I'm still not sure how to best consume this one. In small doses, definitely. Maybe as cannabutter, a sleep aid. You can actually finish the joint because it really hits you full strenghth about 10 minutes later. It is cerebral as well as body, just not cerebral-stimulating: cerebral as in brain-goo.

As for the 2018/2021 comparison, the main difference was the early flowering this time around. Mex-Sat is said by some to be a bit genetically instable, so that its seeds (even under ideal conditions) would produce significant variations. That instability might be amplified in an S1 seed. This S1 seed was not the product of a full blown hermaphrodite but certainly was the product of self-pollination of the lesser order.

So yes, maybe you are right, Donkey Member. The early flowering aspect in Mex-Sat might go back to its genetic heritage in the Pakistani Hashplant. Durban and Oaxacan (the other two parents), being both longer flowering sativas. Maybe that Hashplant gene was a dominant one here.

Another explanation is that the early planting in May 2021 allowed her to reach maturity by mid-July (the point at which her 2018 mom was just a seedling), to start flowering in early August (early September in 2018), and to reach dead-ripenss by October 7 (this degree of ripeness was not reached in 2018).

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Emeraldo]

Chrystal was harvested October 17. Her pistils had been all brown for weeks, so that indicator of ripeness did not help in the last 3 weeks before harvest. I checked the trichomes often, and yesterday was the day they were mostly milk-white opaque, with about 25% clear and just a hint of amber here and there. Am hoping for a good strong body stone along with a clear cerebral high, which is how I've experience Chrystal in the past. Will post a report later.

Here are some close ups of Chrystal from the last few days before harvest.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 17, 2021

Nirvana's Chrystal, Oct 14

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 17, 2021

Nirvana's Chrystal, Oct 14

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 17, 2021

Nirvana's Chrystal, Oct 16

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 17, 2021

Nirvana's Chrystal, Oct 16

 

[DonkeyDick]

Another explanation is that the...

Not to mention your change in latitude.

Here are some close ups of Chrystal from the last few days before harvest.

 

[Emeraldo]

changes in latitudes
changes in attitudes
nothing remains quite the same

with all of our cunning
and all of our running
if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

-- Jimmy Buffet

 

[Emeraldo]

Only two plants left now, Afghani and Durban. There will be more to write about later, but today the fall colors are really on display. The cool nights have been good for purple.
Afghani #1:

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Afghani #1, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Afghani #1, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Afghani #1, October 18

Then there is Durbi, the little triple-mainstemmed freak that turned into the prettiest, most wonderful smelling plant ever.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 18, 2021

Durban, October 18

 

[Emeraldo]

Having some wonderfully warm autumn weather today, temps outside are up to around 65 F / 18 C, and in the grow zone it's close to 80 F / 25 C, just perfect for flowering! Ha ha, just when I thought winter was upon us.

Afghani is getting close. I defoliated many of the yellow and orange and purple fan leaves and let her stand in the sun today. Below some close up of her rapidly fading pistils and swelling trichomes.

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 20, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 20

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 20, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 20

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 20, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 20

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 20, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 20

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• Emeraldo
• Oct 20, 2021

Afghani #1, Oct 20

 

[Emeraldo]

To close this journal out, Afghani #1 was chopped October 21, and Durban on November 2.

After sampling and savoring my 4 strains after a bit of curing, both smoking as well as in extract (cannabutter in coconut oil):

Afghani - not as potent as I was expecting, but a nice relaxing stone.

Durban - Very fruity with a strong head high with great body stone as well. Fantastic aroma!

Mexican Sativa - This went into extreme ripeness by October 7. Strong couch lock effect. Really strong body stone and head stone!

Chystal - She lived up to my expectations after growing her twice before about 10 years ago: Nice body stone with stimulating clear head high. This is my daytime medicine.

Thanks to all for your comments. I will start a new journal in 2022.

420, I'd say this journal is ready for storage. Thank you for hosting the forums!

 

[Bill284]

To close this journal out, Afghani #1 was chopped October 21, and Durban on November 2.

After sampling and savoring my 4 strains after a bit of curing, both smoking as well as in extract (cannabutter in coconut oil):

Afghani - not as potent as I was expecting, but a nice relaxing stone.

Durban - Very fruity with a strong head high with great body stone as well. Fantastic aroma!

Mexican Sativa - This went into extreme ripeness by October 7. Strong couch lock effect. Really strong body stone and head stone!

Chystal - She lived up to my expectations after growing her twice before about 10 years ago: Nice body stone with stimulating clear head high. This is my daytime medicine.

Thanks to all for your comments. I will start a new journal in 2022.

420, I'd say this journal is ready for storage. Thank you for hosting the forums!

Congratulations on your harvest my friend.
Really nice work.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Stunger]

Well that was lucky, I just spotted your last post and realised that I missed the end of your grow, I must have been blind to the notifications, but it has been a distracting year. Looks a good harvest and some great variety of bud to enjoy, that Mexican Sativa sounds like it has some clout. All the best.

 

[Emeraldo]

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• Emeraldo
• Dec 11, 2021

Grow zone, Dec 11, 2021
See you next year, oldtimer!

 

[Emeraldo]

Smoke report: Mexican Sativa

Mex-Sat was harvested October 7 and has been hang-drying in a dark room with fan on about 50% of the time, temperature at 67 F / 19.5 C. As mentioned, the trichomes were all cloudy and grey, none clear, at harvest. Bud was sticky, with a sweet hashish aroma. After drying 9 days, I've now jarred the bud and will let them burp and cure.

So I put the popcorn aside (it was drier than the larger buds) and have been smoking that. A smooth smoke just 9 days after harvest (smoother than my 2018 Mex-Sat before curing).

This is some of the strongest weed I've ever had, after 10 hits it nearly made me pass out. At first an intense euphoric effect, it soon goes over into a very strong body and narcotic head stone effect and leaves me crashed out, unable to concentrate, falling asleep or in such a stupor I cannot follow a conversation or even watch tv. I need to dial in the right dosage, hehe.

This is so different from my 2018 Mex-Sat. 2018 had very little body but a strong cerebral effect and her trichs were nowhere near as cloudy as this year's. The 2018 was germinated in early July and this gave her less time to ripen. It was quite cool that Fall, and she was harvested November 3. The 2021 plant (grown from a seed off the 2018) was germinated May 1 and began flowering in early August; she was dead ripe by harvest date October 7.

Same strain -- opposite results in terms of effect due to climate and harvest timing. 2018's Mex-Sat was cerebral and energizing; 2021's Mex-Sat is a knock-out stone. Moral of the story: Starting the grow earlier in the season gives the benefit of more time to ripen if in the grow's climate the winter cold sets in early in Fall.

In view of the 2022 "droughting" info that has come my way via @Krissi1982 's in-depth look at this phenomenon from a science perspective, as well as @Stunger 's dramatic contribution to our practical experience of droughting, it suddenly dawned on me that my Mexican Sativa 2021 was very likely an example of unintentional droughting. At harvest on October 7, there was not a white pistil to be seen, and the trichomes under the microscope were all cloudy-grey with quite a few gone over to tan, brown, amber and dark grey. No clear trichomes left.

I left home on September 1 for a whole month, returning October 1. While I left all my plants with a water supply, the Mexican Sativa's water was all used up, and she was dry and withered when I returned. Many of her leaves were yellowed and dried, and I defoliated her before taking the photos, and her buds hung heavy and put a sweet-hashish aroma. During my absence, she was in the warmest, sunniest spot in the grow zone, which made droughting possible. At first, after I returned, I thought she was sick or dying, noting her yellowed mainstem. I recall watering her on October 1, and she made it another week to harvest on October 7 after I concluded she was overripe.

The effect on smoking, however, was and is very strong and immensely narcotic as described above. Perhaps others who've droughted their plants will find large swaths of trichomes are amber or brown or grey and will post a smoke report on the effect of droughted cannabis.

Enjoy!

Emeraldo

 

[Stunger]

It's funny that we both have accidentally droughted plants in flowering and been surprised at the resulting potency. I think @Maritimer's promise may well be true! "A cannabis gardener that triggers the species survival response thru the application of controlled drought in his or her garden has indeed become a droughter for life". Even now with my Mango Sherbert I feel that with so many clear trichomes left, that as long as I can keep her alive I would rather not harvest for another 2 weeks, it doesn't seem much to ask considering I have been nurturing her for close to 7 months already.

"Moral of the story: Starting the grow earlier in the season gives the benefit of more time to ripen if in the grow's climate the winter cold sets in early in Fall."

This makes appealing sense for when growing outdoors as those rapidly cooling wet months can be very challenging to continue a grow to true completion.

 

[Emeraldo]

This journal is complete. Thank you 420magazine!