Has years of mollycoddling made strains harder to manage?

[Dmolisha]

I have had a break from growing, some 20 years, and now I’m seeing an exponential amount of ‘strains’ but also a lot of grow issues become more prevalent. Now that we have more advanced tech, nutes/supplements, forms of communication it also seems the simplicity and some joy has also been consumed by very technical grow procedures. Is it just me or is expectation and satisfaction at an all time unrealistic ‘high’ no pun intended.

 

[Pbass]

Interesting thought @Dmolisha I'm new enough to be growing handouts and bagseed, and started as DIY ignorant as you can. I keep it as simple as possible, and try not to care about the outcome to much! I'm having a blast still but this is only my second grow. Honestly with all the help I've received here, it's made it pretty dang easy. I have a fair amount of plants going though too so the stress is off if one of them is not doing optimally.

I think it's natural for people to want more and bigger buds, and the technical grow procedures are what has resulted from that desire. I do agree some people do have too high expectations for their skillset and are easily discouraged, but that's life eh? I don't think people stay discouraged around here though because of the amazing amount of knowledgeable and supportive growers happy to chime in with assistance and praise. Over my 6 months or so of being here, I've seen some pretty lousy looking plants and "green" growers turn around big time!

 

[Oldgrowth]

I was very happy to see "mollycoddle" used. I've loved words and read dictionaries since childhood. But I think the growing challenges have very much to do with genetic diversity, particularly when seeds, not clones, get the show started. I always grow at least one landrace female from seed as a standard of comparison. This year her comrades in my patch are several GG4s and a single white widow lady (a try out for 2020) in the least sunny location. (It will pay its dues for being a first-timer and if all goes well it will get a sunnier location next year.) The landaces I have grown, Hindu Kush and Afghan Kush, are robust, reach 7 ft+, have a lovely dark color and are very resistant to disease. A regular sea breeze helps to thicken and toughen the stems as likely did the mountain winds in the Kush. The GG4 in comparison, though very lush with branching in the veg stage is less insect resistant-as the assassin bugs at harvest testify. Its branches though presumably toughened a bit by the local breezes, are quite brittle though nicely bush. Some bamboo staking or tomato caging may be in their future. The non-landaces I have grown have been a bit more touchy to grow and I attribute some of this to the genetic diversity that displays itself in phenotypic variation in same-strain individuals. The same has been true in past years in my outdoor grows. As Pbass points out one learns to deal with challenges, acquiring knowledge for the next grow. Pax.

 

[MochaBud]

I got some dirt and a couple lights and a few 5 gallon buckets most technical thing I have is a timer

 

[Bush Doctor 77]

Not big on genetics, but that's what you're talking. Bout the only thing I know is that F1 hybrids generally rock. Some of the older/purer strains can be problematic at times(Blueberry comes to mind).

 

[Carcass]

most technical thing I have is a timer

I recently stepped into the 21st century,and bought a ph pen,that's as techical as I plan on getting...

 

[bluter]

strains show up then disappear in what feels like seconds now. i remember the same strains being around for multiple years. now they get bred out in a matter of months in some cases.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I don’t think the plant itself has changed much. It’s the average grower that’s changed. There’s just a zillion people growing now, they have access to infinite amounts of technical info, and some of them have only a dim understanding what a plant is. Have never grown a garden or even a house plant before but expect perfect harvests. The internet social media aspect kind of lends itself to going more technical. I get a kick out of some new growers posting pics of their plant problems -like ‘if you zoom in you can see the problem pale spot I’m worried about’. I spent years killing and frying plants the good ol fashioned way. Internet didn’t exist, we didn’t know shit, and were paranoid as hell. There were huge problems growing.
For a thing to become so mainstream like it is now- well there’s going to be mollycoddling

 

[bluter]

I don’t think the plant itself has changed much. It’s the average grower that’s changed. There’s just a zillion people growing now, they have access to infinite amounts of technical info, and some of them have only a dim understanding what a plant is. Have never grown a garden or even a house plant before but expect perfect harvests. The internet social media aspect kind of lends itself to going more technical. I get a kick out of some new growers posting pics of their plant problems -like ‘if you zoom in you can see the problem pale spot I’m worried about’. I spent years killing and frying plants the good ol fashioned way. Internet didn’t exist, we didn’t know shit, and were paranoid as hell. There were huge problems growing.
For a thing to become so mainstream like it is now- well there’s going to be mollycoddling

^ this. ^ this right here. i'm not sure i could agree more.

 

[MochaBud]

I recently stepped into the 21st century,and bought a ph pen,that's as techical as I plan on getting...

I had a PH pen once damn thing wouldn't write for shit I use a BIC pen now

 

[Dmolisha]

Thanks for the replies, I can see who’s old school in the forums now
I think i’ve allowed myself to get bamboozled by all the new school additions to the hobby/field. I’m working with completely new strains, nute mixes, grow system and environment, so it’s taking some adjusting to. I think I’m going to finish out what I’m working with and go back to something more familiar, maybe a more gentle mix of the two. ✌

 

[MochaBud]

Seriously @Dmolisha when I started it was Miracle Grow and guess work then I moved to fox farms products FFHF FFOF and the trio nute line with excellent results and I was in a couple of closets now I'm completely organic of my own mix and supplemental organic teas when in flower no need for a bunch of thermometers and humidity gauges or for that matter I haven't PHed anything in fuck I couldn't tell ya my soil buffers anything I put in it well maybe not a fifth of jack or something but water/tea wise peace and welcome to the jungle

 

[Dmolisha]

Seriously @Dmolisha when I started it was Miracle Grow and guess work then I moved to fox farms products FFHF FFOF and the trio nute line with excellent results and I was in a couple of closets now I'm completely organic of my own mix and supplemental organic teas when in flower no need for a bunch of thermometers and humidity gauges or for that matter I haven't PHed anything in fuck I couldn't tell ya my soil buffers anything I put in it well maybe not a fifth of jack or something but water/tea wise peace and welcome to the jungle

Awesome stuff man! Did you make a journal here? I’m keen to follow

 

[MochaBud]

Awesome stuff man! Did you make a journal here? I’m keen to follow

yeah it would take awhile that short story spanned about 11 years

 

[Galactic Center]

strains show up then disappear in what feels like seconds now. i remember the same strains being around for multiple years. now they get bred out in a matter of months in some cases.

new names new seed sales.