Indicas Grow & Experimenting Genetics Part II - Winter Indoor Organic Grow

[Danishoes21]

Grind & Mixed up some Peanut shell and egg shells, added a new layer of soil.
Egg shells source of Calcium
Peanut shells source of Nitrogen
As they slowly decompose in the soil, the plant can start feeding on this.
We will see how the plant react to this.

 

[BeemerBill]

Merry Christmas danishoes and your family. I see you are doing some experimenting. Looking good my friend.

 

[Danishoes21]

Merry Christmas danishoes and your family. I see you are doing some experimenting. Looking good my friend.

Merry Christmas to you Bee. I most certainly am doing some experimenting to keep myself busy during winter... Im really trying to understand photoperiods and how plants adapt to new environments.

How about you Bee got some Cali loving growing during this time of year?

 

[Danishoes21]

Today took the time to really work on the garden, Im battling what I think are fruit flies (small dark color flies) they are mainly situated on the tomato and pepper plant specifically on the soil which I find very strange, seems like there's something in the soil that is either feeding these flies or attracts them, they where not on the Cannabis plants. But did find few eggs below surface of the young leafs on some of the young'uns, I cut the leaf that showed more presence of the bugs. The entire tent was washed using bleach,baking soda, hydrogen peroxide mixed liquid, tried to "Sterilize" the environment again.

Each plant was carefully mist & washed with an organic bug and insect repellent made of simmered tomato leafs and garlic. Pure solution was used to Mist and Wash directly on the plant, the remaining was diluted with more tap water and mix with a dose of Jacks Blossom Booster 10-30-20 for an extra boost on the plants. But I don't want to intoxicate the plant by adding more nutrients to the mix in the soil, I believe the soil is fertile enough as it breaks down all the peanut and egg shells. Im also going to get my hands on some oyster shells as they break down they release calcium and helps balance soil pH by deacidifying and also promotes drainage in the soil.

The Blue Berry is overall healthy, some bruises on the leafs and minor burns from foliar feeding, but she is slowly growing. The main cola is slowed down a lot but the growth seems to be more on the lower branches. She is only 4 fingers from hitting the target, hopefully she will bump this next month.

The most exciting times yet to come for the little ones, as they all start to develop their phenotype traits and hopefully soon they start showing sex. Also testing how very minimal changes in the photoperiod affect the young plants, meaning that its a less stressful light change as I go from 14/10 to 13/11 and so on ultimately stopping at 10/14, this mimics the photoperiods times in my city from the months of August to Early November this being the full flower period of my latest outdoor grow 4 months. In theory this indoor grow should last around 4 months. Slight blueish pigmentation on some of the young ones, could be that the environment is slightly cold for them but natural selection is going allow the strongest one to over grow the weak ones. So for now we can only wait and see whats coming, Temps. remain in the low 20's Celsius and RH% 50-60 avg.

Thats all for now.

 

[BeemerBill]

Good day weed danishoes. I'm thinking you have read about the Gas Lamp Routine light schedule. It's in my signature. That all I use with regular seeds. Cuts down on the electric bill a little also. Hope you had a great Christmas and got smothered in gifts. Happy Freetheweed day.

 

[Danishoes21]

Good day weed danishoes. I'm thinking you have read about the Gas Lamp Routine light schedule. It's in my signature. That all I use with regular seeds. Cuts down on the electric bill a little also. Hope you had a great Christmas and got smothered in gifts. Happy Freetheweed day.

Good Weed to you Bee

GLR yeah its a great way to save money and still get some yield. Now I gotta ask; any particular reason why you use the GLR for regular seeds??

I've been reading about what some could call "the Ideal conditions for Females" its a lot of reading on how changes in environments promote sexual tendency towards more female plants...

Back to GLR, I did read about it when I started to grow but It came to my head just now because of the observations during the summer grow and noticed the plants didn't really start fully developing mature flowers until the photoperiod actually hit 12 hrs. So I just wanted to see if I could "vegetate" them at the same time they pre flower, kinda like earning time by doing two things, but I noticed that this light schedule seems to promote some weird hormonal signal, growth of "sugar leafs" or 3 leaflet leafs some sort of mutation, instead of normal growth more 5 or 7 pointed leafs more bigger fan leafs.

I gotta wait and see how the little ones react.

 

[Danishoes21]

Also the little flies could be fungus gnats. So Im working on eliminating them I watered today but I will let them dry out a good week the soil might be to moist. Although the problem is not directly on the cannabis plants, If i don't attack it now they are way to close so I fear a total gnats disaster on my ladies.

 

[BeemerBill]

What I meant was I don't use it for anything else like auto's. I also use the diminishing light schedule for my grows. To me it is mimicking the shorting of the days which to me helps in flower production.

GNATS Grrrrr Dam things are a pain. I always had the yellow sticky trap hanging around in the tent and I would put diatomaceous earth over the soil when it is dry. It will cut the hell outof the gnats as they go in and out. helps in stopping the cycle. Some use really fine sand and get good results. Happy Days

 

[Danishoes21]

To me it is mimicking the shorting of the days which to me helps in flower production.

Thats the key right there Bee you said it. Thats what Im looking for in this winter session. But the Blue Berry started leaf mutations despite she seems "happy" growing, no clear signs of stress apart from the weird leafs. I feel the little ones are gonna give more answers because they are more disposable. For now I gotta focus on keeping the BB happy.

 

[BeemerBill]

 

[Danishoes21]

Extract of the material Im reading:

"Photoperiod has been shown to play a crucial role in plant flower development. Indeed,
this is a primary reason Cannabis continues vegetative growth in a light cycle of 14-16
hours. During the vegetative stage most indoor Cannabis growers keep their plants on a
long light cycle, in some cases the lights are never turned off. When the light is decreased
to 12 hours or less key signaling events occur within the plant that trigger the ABC
transcription factors that allow up-regulation, or turning on, of flowering genes.

With the diversity of plants on earth (-280 million species) it is a well-grounded
assumption that each plant species has evolved to respond in a slightly different way to
varying photoperiods. This partly explains the diversity in strains that have the ability to
flower early or late. Still, the ABC model of flowering applies to nearly all plants.

There also exists within Cannabis and other plants a protein called cytochrome (Bou-
Torrent et al., 2008). Cytochromes are protein molecules that harbor a chromophore, a
color-absorbing molecule. Depending on the wavelength of light striking the plant
surface, the phytochromes are converted between different states or forms. When the
phytochromes receive red light (660nm) they become the Pf r type, which is active and
allow flowering to proceed. If far-red light (730nm) is detected the phytochrome becomes
the P r type. The P r type is a biologically inactive form and so flowering cannot proceed.

An indoor gardener can use this principle to initiate flowering even in a light cycle of 14
or more hours. During the dark period of a plant's life, they can be given a brief pulse of
red light. This changes the P r type into the Pf r form and allows flowering to begin.
Interestingly, these same phytochrome proteins play a crucial role in seed germination.

For instance, the Pf r form of phytochrome allows germination to proceed. Therefore, if
one is having difficulty germinating recently purchased Cannabis seeds, they should try
exposing them to a short period of red light before planting them.

Transcription factors and cytochromes are still just part of a larger system within the
plant cell. Plant hormones are another important part of Cannabis development and
biochemistry and play a crucial role in its genetic modification. There are five prominent
classes of plant hormones, which include auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and
abscisic acid. An imbalance in any of these can cause strange morphologies within a
plant (Robert-Seilianiantz et al., 2007). The hormones all act as chemical regulators of
gene expression and thus, guide development and the morphology (observable shape) of
Cannabis. After all, the word hormone means "to set motion to".

Indole-3 -acetic acid (IAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) are perhaps the
most widely known auxins. The amino acid tryptophan is enzymatically modified to
produce indole-3 -acetic acid. Auxins are commonly found in developing leaves and
seeds. They function to control apical dominance, which is cell division at a terminal bud
or stem. They also play an important role in stimulating flowering and fruit development,
stimulate adventitious roots (growing from the stem) in asexual cuttings (clones), and can
induce ethylene synthesis.

Cytokinins also have many identified structures, perhaps the most common one in plants
is zeatin. Cytokinins are synthesized in the roots and are moved through the xylem to the
shoots to regulate mitosis. Artificial application can induce lateral buds to branch.
Cytokinins will be discussed later due to their important role in culturing Cannabis in
vitro. Cytokinins can also cause a delay in leaf senescence.

Gibberellins were used early on in plant experiments. They elicit perhaps one of the most
dramatic effects on a plant. If two plants are grown in separate pots, side by side and
gibberellins are applied to one plant, that plant will grow several magnitudes taller than
the other. Gibberellic acid is one of the most important and common gibberellins in
plants. Gibberellins are produced from mevalonate, a precursor in synthesis of terpenes (a
class of plant metabolites). They are found in immature Cannabis leaves and seeds. In
most species gibberellins help in elongating shoots and regulate some seed enzymes,
which are proteins that speed up a reaction.

Ethylene (C2H4) is a gas, which functions as a plant hormone. The amino acid methionine
is the precursor, which leads to formation of ethylene. Because ethylene is a small
molecule, it can easily move from cell to cell via diffusion. This hormone gave rise to the
old adage that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Ethylene is most well known for
hastening fruit ripening. When tomatoes are picked and shipped, they are green. Just prior
to arrival at the grocery store the tomatoes are sprayed with this gas, ripening and
reddening the tomato fruits.

Like gibberellins, abscisic acid is also synthesized from mevalonate. It is an important
regulator of stomates and plays a role in seed dormancy. By applying abscisic acid to
seeds, they can be kept dormant for shipping, so as not to allow them to mistakenly
sprout.

It should be noted to the reader that only a basic introduction to plant hormones is
provided here. For example, there are additional classes of plant hormones, but limited
knowledge exists on their synthesis and function. These include jasmonates, systemin,
salicylic acid, and the brassinolides. For the purposes of this book, the focus will be on
auxins and cytokinins, since they are used in plant biotechnology.

In Cannabis tissue culture, auxins and cytokinins are used to control root and shoot
formation of a young tissue growing in vitro. From a scientific view it is interesting to
know how Cannabis plants are growing and being maintained within their cells.
Hormones regulate nearly every response and function within the marijuana plant. Most
importantly, because many synthetic hormones are available for anyone to purchase,
experiments with Cannabis and any of these plant hormones can easily be performed by
anyone with a basic understanding of plant biology.

When flowers appear on the plant, more energy is delivered into the flower cells rather
than the vegetative cells. Plants in nature start to lose their flowers and begin seed
production each season when their genetic makeup interacts with environmental cues.
These cues are signaling events that prepare the flower for seed production, seed
maturation, and eventually plant death (annuals) or dormancy (perennials).

The plant roots are important in taking up minerals, ions, and water. There exist small
root hairs on the roots to increase surface area. Therefore, when transferring Cannabis
plants from one container to another, one should be very cautious to keep the soil-root
interface in tact. Disturbance of this interface diminishes the capability for the plant to
take up its needed supplies for metabolism. "

 

[BeemerBill]

my head hurts now. That will have to be read many times for me to absorb

 

[Danishoes21]

My head hurts too... LOL but it's a fine reading material.

 

[Danishoes21]

I also want to post this extract of another reading where it explains a little what my Blue Berry is going thru... I believe she is hormonally at premature state of flowering;

Quote
"PREMATURE FLORAL STAGE

At this stage floral development is slightly beyond primordial and only a few clusters of immature pistillate flowers appear at the tips of limbs in addition to the primordial pairs along the main stems. By this stage stem diameter within the floral clusters is very nearly maximum. The stems are easily visible between the nodes and form a strong framework to support future floral development. Larger vegetative leaves (5-7 leaflets) predominate and smaller tri-leaflet leaves are beginning to form in the new floral axis. A few narrow, tapered calyxes may be found nestled in the leaflets near the stem tips and the fresh pistils appear as thin, feathery, white filaments stretching to test the surroundings. During this stage the surface of the calyxes is lightly covered with fuzzy, hair-like, non-glandular trichomes, but only a few bulbous and capitate-sessile glandular trichomes have begun to develop. Resin secretion is minimal, as indicated by small resin heads and few if any capitate-stalked, glandular trichomes. There is no drug yield from plants at the premature stage since THC production is low, and there is no economic value other than fiber and leaf. Terpene production starts as the glandular trichomes begin to secrete resin; premature floral clusters have no terpene aromas or tastes. Total cannabinoid production is low but simple cannabinoid phenotypes, based on relative amounts of THC and CBD, may be determined. By the pre-floral stage the plant has akeady established its basic chemotype as a fiber or drug strain. A fiber strain rarely produces more than 2% THC, even under perfect agricultural conditions. This indicates that a strain either produces some varying amount of THC (up to 13%) and little CBD and is termed a drug strain or produces practically no THC and high CBD and is termed a fiber strain, This is genetically controlled.

The floral clusters are barely psychoactive at this stage, and most cannabissmokers classify the reaction as more an "effect" than a "high." This most likely results from small amounts of THC as well as trace amounts of CBC and CBD. CBD production begins when the seedling is very small. THC production also begins when the seedling is very small, if the plant originates from a drug strain. However, THC levels rarely exceed 2% until the early floral stage and rarely produce a "high" until the peak floral stage.

EARLY FLORAL STAGE

Floral clusters begin to form as calyx production increases and internode length decreases. Tri-leaflet leaves are the predominant type and usually appear along the secondary floral stems within the individual clusters. Many pairs of calyxes appear along each secondary floral axis and each pair is subtended by a tri-leaflet leaf. Older pairs of calyxes visible along the primary floral axis during the premature stage now begin to swell, the pistils darken as they lose fertility, and some resin secretion is observed in trichomes along the veins of the calyx. The newly produced calyxes show few if any capitate-stalked trichomes. As a result of low resin production, only a slight terpene aroma and psychoactivity are detectable. The floral clusters are not ready for harvest at this point. Total cannabinoid production has increased markedly over the premature stage but THC levels (still less than 3%) are not high enough to produce more than a subtle effect.

PEAK FLORAL STAGE

Elongation growth of the main floral stem ceases at this stage, and floral clusters gain most of their size through the addition of more calyxes along the secondary stems until they cover the primary stem tips in an overlapping spiral. Small reduced mono-leaflet and tri-leaflet leaves subtend each pair of calyxes emerging from secondary stems within the floral clusters. These subtending leaves are correctly referred to as bracts. Outer leaves begin to wilt and turn yellow as the pistillate plant reaches its reproductive peak. In the primordial calyxes the pistils have turned brown; however, all but the oldest of the flowers are fertile and the floral clusters are white with many pairs of ripe pistils. Resin secretion is quite advanced in some of the older infertile calyxes, and the young pistillate calyxes are rapidly producing capitate-stalked glandular trichomes to protect the precious unfertilized ovule. Under wild conditions the pistillate plant would be starting to form seeds and the cycle would be drawing to a close. When Cannabis is grown for sinsemilla floral production, the cycle is interrupted. Pistillate plants remain unfertilized and begin to produce capitate -stalked trichomes and accumulate resins in a last effort to remain viable. Since capitate-stalked trichomes now predominate, resin and THC production increase. The elevated resin heads appear clear, since fresh resin is still being secreted, often being produced in the cellular head of the trichome. At this time THC acid production is at a peak and CBD acid levels remain stable as the molecules are rapidly converted to THC acids, THC acid synthesis has not been active long enough for a high level of CBN acid to build up from the degradation of THC acid by light and heat. Terpene production is also nearing a peak and the floral clusters are beautifully aromatic. Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce cannabis with a clear, cerebral, psychoactive effect. It is believed that, in peak floral clusters, the low levels of CBD and CBN allow the high level of THC to act without their sedative effects. Also, little polymerization of resins has occurred, so aromas and tastes are often less resinous and tar like than at later stages. Many strains, if they are harvested in the peak floral stage, lack the completely developed aroma, taste and psychoactive level that appear after curing. Cultivators wait longer for the resins to mature if a different taste and psychoactive effect is desired.

This is the point of optimum harvest for some strains, since most additional calyx growth has ceased. However, a subsequent flush of new calyx growth may occur and the plant continue ripening into the late floral stage.

LATE FLORAL STAGE

By this stage plants are well past the main reproductive phase and their health has begun to decline. Many of the larger leaves have dropped off, and some of the small inner leaves begin to change color. Autumn colors (purple, orange, yellow, etc.) begin to appear in the older leaves and calyxes at this time; many of the pistils turn brown and begin to fall off. Only the last terminal pistils are still fertile and swollen calyxes predominate. Heavy layers of protec tive resin heads cover the calyxes and associated leaves. Production of additional capitate-stalked glandular trichomes is rare, although some existing trichomes may still be elongating and secreting resins. As the previously secreted resins mature, they change color. The polymerization of small terpene molecules (which make up most of the resin) produces long chains and a more viscous and darker-colored resin. The ripening and darkening of resins follows the peak of psychoactive cannabinoid synthesis and the transparent amber color of mature resin is usually indicative of high THC content. Many cultivators agree that transparent amber resins are a sign of high-quality drug Cannabis and many of the finest strains exhibit this characteristic. Particularly potent Cannabis from California, Hawaii, Thailand, Mexico, and Colombia is often encrusted with transparent amber colored instead of clear resin heads. This is also characteristic of Cannabis from other equatorial, subtropical and temperate zones where the growing season is long enough to accommodate long term resin production and maturation. Many areas of North America and Europe have too short a season to fully mature resins unless a greenhouse is used. Specially acclimatized strains are another possibility. They develop rapidly and begin maturing in time to ripen amber resins while the weather is still warm and dry.

The weight yield of floral clusters is usually highest at this point, but strains may begin to grow an excess of leaves in late-stage clusters to catch additional energy from the rapidly diminishing autumn sun. Total resin accumulation is highest at this stage, but the period of maximum resin production has passed. If climatic conditions are harsh, resins and cannabinoids will begin to decompose. As a result, resin yield may appear high even if many of the resin heads are missing or have begun to deteriorate and the overall psychoactivity of the resin has dropped. THC decomposes to CBN in the hot sun and will not remain intact or be replaced after the metabolic processes of the plant have ceased. Since cannabinoids are so sensitive to decomposition by sunlight, the higher psychoactivity of amber resins may be a secondary effect. It may be that the THC is better protected from the sun by amber or opaque resins than by clear resins. Some late maturing strains develop opaque, white resin heads as a result of terpene polymerization and THC decomposition. Opaque resin heads are usually a sign that the floral clusters are over-mature.

Late floral clusters exhibit the full potential of resin production, aromatic principles, and psychoactive effect. Complex mixtures of many mon oterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons along with alcohols, ethers, esters, and ketones determine the aroma and flavor of mature Cannabis. The levels of the basic terpenes and their polymerized by-products fluctuate as the resin ripens. The aromas of fresh floral clusters are usually preserved after drying, as by the late floral stage, a high proportion of ripe resins are present on the mature calyxes of the fresh plant. Cannabinoid production favors high THC acid and rising CBN acid content at this stage, since most active biosynthesis has ceased and more THC acid is being broken down into CBN acid than is being produced from CBD acid. CBD acid may accumulate because not enough energy is available to complete its conversion to THC acid. The THC-to-CBD ratio in the harvested floral clusters certainly begins to drop as biosynthesis slows, because THC acid levels decrease as it decom poses, and at the same time CBD acid levels remain or rise intact since CBD does not decompose as rapidly as THC acid. This tends to produce cannabis characterized by more somatic and sedative effects. Some cultivators prefer this to the more cerebral and clear psychoactivity of the peak floral stage."

 

[Danishoes21]

Something I plan to experiment is the exposure to UVB light. I just purchased some small ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Mini Compact Fluorescent (13 watts) I will start as soon as they get to my hands, the will be mounted to specifically target the Cannabis plants but the whole garden will be touched by the UV waves.

Maybe some of the new leds are still lacking this Spectrum of light subtracting it from the Equation in the photosynthesis, Im no LED expert but I can say that from a CFL perspective, I want to throw this Light spectrum in the mix, we are talking UV light at (280-315 nm) and see the effects on THC production.

 

[Danishoes21]

I throw a question out there, has anyone in the growing community already tried with supplementing UVB (280-315 nm) lighting to the light spectrum? or knows any thread mentioning something in that matter?

I looked at various LEDs lighting spectrum charts and they all stop at 400nm with peaks in the blue and red light. Despite that most if not all of the grow lights out there Hps MH CFLs Led might emit a marginal amount of UV radiation its not being absorb by the leafs. Understood that over exposure UVB will burn the plant alive, still if we can supplement a bigger amount of UV radiation to the spectrum equation, could mean favourable results despite the plants stress reaction to this. Like favourable I mean according to what I have been reading better synthesis of the CBGA and THCA in to THC molecules, so its not gonna make bigger yields but the quality of the THC could probably increase.

Any thoughts ?

 

[BeemerBill]

:surrender:

 

[Danishoes21]

Its kinda uncharted undocumented territory Bee...

I've lurked around other sites and little is documented about the use of UVB radiation on cannabis plants. Im not even sure there is a thread on that talks about this. Guess I can take a hit on my plants if it doesn't work out, guess we will have to wait and see what ever comes out of this experiment.

Also my low budget makes it kinda a rudimentary process, since I don't have the equipment to measure the UV index or the wavelength of the UVB light, I don't know at what height to start or how many hours should the plants be expose to the UV radiation...

But so far by looking at the spectrum charts of actual grow light today (no names) they stop at around 380nm-400nm, the sun emits as low as 280nm-290nm lower than that is proveen not beneficial to absorb by living cells and causes DNA mutations and cancer/tumours. Over exposure to UV causes skin cancer, but absolute lack of the proper amount of UV radiation is responsible for the non-production of Vitamin D for example, that in the case of humans. Some believe is a cause of Seasonal affective disorder or "winter Depression", and multiple other diseases.

If we could somehow see how this same radiation affects (good or bad) the THC molecules in Cannabis. Some talk about and abnormal abundance of trichomes is formed to create some sort of protective coating "UV screen" to protect it self from over exposure to UVB radiation. But not necessary means a higher percentage of THC.

I keep digging in to the subject as I wait for the little lights to arrive.



I would like to add: that this just experimental grow techniques, I don't intend any harm to any of our sponsor brands.

 

[Danishoes21]

Since I have no reference to start from, after some thinking and irrational calculations, I decided to start at a height of 4 ft and exposure of 2.5 hrs of 10.0 UVB 30.0 UVA (13 watt x 2 compact bulbs), and I will time it so that the 2.5 hrs fit the last hours of the 14 hour photoperiod. Now as I monthly subtract time from the photoperiod I will also subtract time to the UV radiation exposure.

Just waiting for the lights at this point.

 

[Danishoes21]

Chipping in this video: