CBD Joy: A Community Garden Experience

[AKgramma]

Hi, Sue!

I don't know where to share the results of your gifted seeds, since none of your forum topics apply to me at this time, so I'll just invite you over to my journal, post #1253, to see the pics of the sole AK47 X Durban Poison survivor, before I harvest her buds and seeds.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Hello Amy and friends Was wondering why you think you "missed" the topping window? She looks perfect for topping...

Hi Duggan - I missed this before. I'd thought that because it's an auto, and I'd read in more than one place that the window is about day16-21 for topping an auto (or maybe above the 4th node and i don't think she had 4 nodes at that stage). It's only a 70day life cycle. Autos are not for the faint of heart I'm discovering! Not that I'm faint... there's just precious little time to get things right.

Anyhow - i've tried a bit of LST and probably stuffed it up a bit but she's still going! I've joined the current Autoflowering community grow too to see if any of the good folk over there have some advice for me. Am about to add a little update here, below...

 

[Amy Gardner]

I use the beaded strings for this purpose. I just love the way they glisten and throw the light in so many directions.

I made myself some of these. They're not as pretty as Sue's but they do the job and I had fun making them... and they work

and the final product! for 18" and 24". For those of you who spot the stoner mistake here... I've since rectified it!

And on to the plant. Ok so i did a bit of LST since last time and it's been a bit iffy. I've trained plants before but only photos and only outdoors.

here i was worried about light penetration so thought I could at least even the canopy a bit. I probably was too late (for an auto) and then tried to go too fast. Like I said above, I've posted over in the Auto thread and will get some good advice over there too I hope. Anyone here with insights I'm all ears. And hey - it's still kicking'! And still looks good. Sue, don't know if I'm letting it dry out completely enough. I'm really trying to, today I watered it because it looked a bit witty, and the bottom of the pot was full dry to touch - then it looked a bit waterlogged afterwards. Hopefully it's all good.

I'm pretty sure my last update here was day 25 so here's day 26 to today (day 32) and an LST attempt full of embarrassing newbie mistakes I'm sure! But mistakes are how we learn right, so if I don't share them, no-one can assist me.

A lot of this is copied straight from my own post at the Auto thread (also 420mag) - hope it's ok to do that!?

Day 26 - was dry, got a full soaking. Looked like the lower branch sites were in the shade quite a bit and I was getting concerned about trying to even out the canopy for better light penetration so I set up to gently pull her over a bit.
This went fine,

(Day 26)

but I think I then didn’t wait long enough before doing more. The next day, in the morning, I bent it a little further, and then tried to send the top around a bit and i think it was later on the very same day (or the next day - in any case I reckon it was too soon).
Noticed this day and the next there were pistils everywhere.

(Day 27)

Also on this day I lowered the light down to close to 18” and pretty quickly (within 12-24hours) the pistils became pre flowers and the top started looking like it was flowering.

(Day 28)

Trying to turn the top around was a bad idea! I blame this - which was also going on over these few days!

when it straitened up it was shading the lower branch site again so I let it loose from the attempted turn and just let it be laid down straight again.
(Day 29)

Then I vowed not to touch it for a bit. And spend some more time reading the Auto thread. Looked at threads on 420 and elsewhere again about training autos and that’s when I realised i’d probably started LST too late. Or that this strain is not suited to it maybe.

It’s now Day 32 and the top was leaning out of the pot too much so today, a few hours after I watered, I’ve turned the top gently towards the other side (opposite to my first attempt a few days ago) so the new branch(?) is on top and those higher budsites/branch sites are open to the light. I can see that the lower branches have shot up under the light since the first training and the higher ones are starting to now as well.

(Day 32)

I'm also holding a leaf gently out of the light path of a lower bud/branch site.

This is the left lower branch - i think it has about quadrupled in length and developed 2 more bud/branch sites since pulling the plant over.

This is the main top - it looks to me to be fully into flowering mode.

These 2 little bud sites under the main top have really come along the last 2 days...

I'm concerned that the spot where these pistils are is on the underside now, away from the light...

To my eye it doesn’t seem to be getting any more nodes or branches. Although looking through the pics has been good - i’ve seen more change.

So my questions now are about structure, growth, timing and what I should be doing (or NOT doing!) going into the second half of the grow. I’m not sure if I should let the top come up again or keep it where I’ve got it now. Or undo all the LST and let her (maybe) bounce back. I was worried about light penetration but I’m not sure I haven’t stalled her by trying to address it (a bit clumsily - ‘L’ plates!)

I’d thought it was a 90 day strain but checking the Dinafem site it says 70 days so i'm definitely halfway through that. I know heaps of people say they always go longer than 'advertised' but basically there’s not much time left. If I let it stand back up I’ll have to raise the lights too far away from everything else. Will it veg more while it transitions into flower?

I think in those pics of today it looks overwatered droopy - it did get a soaking today so I hope that'll turn around as she drinks it all up. it was dry all over before that, and looked woolly this morning - plus it's been hot over the last week. I also added some Seasol to the mix today as I'm not certain her roots are going to access the higher concentrations of the Osmo+ which I distributed more towards the sides and bottom of the pot. Auto growers seem to often say, Ive recently discovered, that any bigger than 5gal is a waste for an auto, and my pot is 7gal.

Oh, and I’ve slid the whole pot arrangement over so the plant is centred under the light.

The breeder (Dinafem) states that it is an Indica dominant hybrid with Sativa appearing vegetation and Indica size and shape buds (“more compact and numerous” they say).

And - I don't mean to sound like oh it's all gone horribly wrong! I'm pretty happy to have a plant! And all its parts look healthy and happy, and it smells excellent . SO i'm sure the bud sites that are there will flower up really well. I'm just needing some guidance going forward and wanting to understand maybe why it didn't fill out as much as it might so I can go better next time.

So that was a bit of an epic update! Thanks for hanging with me if you did.

 

[InTheShed]

Ok so i did a bit of LST since last time and it's been a bit iffy. I've trained plants before but only photos and only outdoors.

here i was worried about light penetration so thought I could at least even the canopy a bit. I probably was too late (for an auto)...

For real LST where you are encouraging the plant to consider the lower nodes as top growth, this would be a bit too late. At this point what you are doing is still good, but it's more like large scale leaf tucking than being able to balance the auxin distribution across all tops. I start LST pretty much as soon as there's enough height to start the bending process.

Looked like the lower branch sites were in the shade quite a bit and I was getting concerned about trying to even out the canopy for better light penetration so I set up to gently pull her over a bit. This went fine

This is exactly what you are doing, and it looks like it's responding very well!

Or undo all the LST and let her (maybe) bounce back. I was worried about light penetration but I'm not sure I haven't stalled her by trying to address it (a bit clumsily - 'L' plates!)

There isn't a reason to untie a plant once it's used to being tied, so let it sit as is and now check to see if everything is getting evenly lit. That should be your guide to any additional tugging. Not any real attempt to change the plant's direction, just to open up the lower pistils to more light.

I'd thought it was a 90 day strain but checking the Dinafem site it says 70 days so i'm definitely halfway through that. I know heaps of people say they always go longer than 'advertised' but basically there's not much time left. If I let it stand back up I'll have to raise the lights too far away from everything else. Will it veg more while it transitions into flower?
Oh, and I've slid the whole pot arrangement over so the plant is centred under the light.

I personally don't believe what auto breeders say in any way. My 55 day seeds went 84 and 99 days and my 57 day seed went almost 110 days, so you may not be as close to harvest as you think. And even at 70 days, that's a lot of time to pack on the weight!

 

[Amy Gardner]

... you may not be as close to harvest as you think. And even at 70 days, that's a lot of time to pack on the weight!

.. Great!

Thanks for the encouragement and advice. Very relaxing .

I start LST pretty much as soon as there's enough height to start the bending process.

Yeah - good. I think I get that now. And I'm doing some more reading about auxins.

Would this same 'start earlier' apply to photos as well if I wanted to train one into a low long shrub outdoors?

.

 

[InTheShed]

Would this same 'start earlier' apply to photos as well if I wanted to train one into a low long shrub outdoors?

Train early would be the same for photos as well. The idea is to get them thinking that maybe their top isn't going to make it so they better try to increase the chance of survival by pumping up the lower growth. Espalier has been performed for thousands of years and LST is basically what every commercial grape vine is doing. One long "shrub" but trained on high wires!

Of course, with outside photos your veg time is defined by the autumnal equinox, which will determine how long your shrub actually gets!

 

[SweetSue]

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 (Day 63) She's the next up for a spot under the flowering lights. She's nothing but a mass of green and bud sites.

I've been topping her regularly to keep her held back. She was ready to flower a couple weeks back, but her canna cousins aren't quite done yet.

She responds well to clipping back. They've all responded well to that. I'll have to make use of the Fiskars more often. LOL!

They're so delicate and elegant at this stage.

I have a Carnival coming down on Wednesday, and she'll get moved into the flowering tent then. Her predecessor, CBD CC 2.2.1, got jarred up today, bringing in a dry weight of 2.18 ounces of bud. *contented sigh*

The buds were dried low and slo, and look as beautiful today as they did the day they were harvested. They'll make good oil for sure.

These are the base meds for both my daughter and I. She takes a daily regimen of 8 capsules, in four regular doses. This chemovar has made the difference between her living in joy or living in constant and relentless fear of everything. Stay on her regimen and she can function, for the most part, like everyone else.

CBD Critical Cure has been a godsend in our home, and I love everything about growing them.

 

[AKgramma]

So beautiful, Sue!

 

[HappyHouse]

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 (Day 63) She's the next up for a spot under the flowering lights. She's nothing but a mass of green and bud sites.

I've been topping her regularly to keep her held back. She was ready to flower a couple weeks back, but her canna cousins aren't quite done yet.

She responds well to clipping back. They've all responded well to that. I'll have to make use of the Fiskars more often. LOL!

They're so delicate and elegant at this stage.

I have a Carnival coming down on Wednesday, and she'll get moved into the flowering tent then. Her predecessor, CBD CC 2.2.1, got jarred up today, bringing in a dry weight of 2.18 ounces of bud. *contented sigh*

The buds were dried low and slo, and look as beautiful today as they did the day they were harvested. They'll make good oil for sure.

These are the base meds for both my daughter and I. She takes a daily regimen of 8 capsules, in four regular doses. This chemovar has made the difference between her living in joy or living in constant and relentless fear of everything. Stay on her regimen and she can function, for the most part, like everyone else.

CBD Critical Cure has been a godsend in our home, and I love everything about growing them.

I'm so happy for you and your daughter that you found something that works for you both! .

 

[Radogast]

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 (Day 63) She's the next up for a spot under the flowering lights. She's nothing but a mass of green and bud sites.

CBD Critical Cure has been a godsend in our home, and I love everything about growing them.

First thought in my brain - That's a beautiful 3 oz plant. It's nice to see you bringing out the best in your girls.

 

[Amy Gardner]

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 (Day 63) She's the next up for a spot under the flowering lights. She's nothing but a mass of green and bud sites.

I've been topping her regularly to keep her held back. She was ready to flower a couple weeks back, but her canna cousins aren't quite done yet.

She responds well to clipping back. They've all responded well to that. I'll have to make use of the Fiskars more often. LOL!

They're so delicate and elegant at this stage.

I have a Carnival coming down on Wednesday, and she'll get moved into the flowering tent then. Her predecessor, CBD CC 2.2.1, got jarred up today, bringing in a dry weight of 2.18 ounces of bud. *contented sigh*

The buds were dried low and slo, and look as beautiful today as they did the day they were harvested. They'll make good oil for sure.

These are the base meds for both my daughter and I. She takes a daily regimen of 8 capsules, in four regular doses. This chemovar has made the difference between her living in joy or living in constant and relentless fear of everything. Stay on her regimen and she can function, for the most part, like everyone else.

CBD Critical Cure has been a godsend in our home, and I love everything about growing them.

Oh so beautiful - and so lush! This is CBD CC's first time in the hempy, yes? She seems mighty happy with it. Sue, when you do the topping for trimming purposes when they're waiting for flowering room, where on the plant do you snip snip? I know you've said you go by instinct but just curious what that actually ends up being. And what are the 'leaders' you refer to? I suppose that question might be better suited to your journal, but i was just here... so here it is...

 

[SweetSue]

Oh so beautiful - and so lush! This is CBD CC's first time in the hempy, yes? She seems mighty happy with it. Sue, when you do the topping for trimming purposes when they're waiting for flowering room, where on the plant do you snip snip? I know you've said you go by instinct but just curious what that actually ends up being. And what are the 'leaders' you refer to? I suppose that question might be better suited to your journal, but i was just here... so here it is...

Good question Amy. My intent in trimming back is twofold, I'm looking to maintain the canopy as lever as possible, and I'm also attempting to keep the branches from getting too gangly. I want the internode spaces pretty tight going into flowering.

Let's take a closer gander at this specimen. Looking over the canopy I can see a couple leaders, my term for those that are attempting to stretch above the rest. There's one off to each side that I can see.

The one on the left doesn't have much growth above the canopy, but when the ones behind it fill in they'll be just the height I'm maintaining with this pot.

I'd be clipping her right above the new growth, being careful not to damage those baby leaves.

Off to the right there's one trying its best to be sneaky, but I can see that long internode developing.

I'd clip all the way down to that new growth if she had another week or more until flip, but this girl gets flipped tomorrow. Come to think of it, that looks like an excellent candidate to become CBD Critical Cure 2.7 when the flip occurs.

When I'm trying to control structure I'll keep clipping back for about three weeks to a month. It depends on how much room I have for flowering. Keep clipping back - topping in the cultivator's parlance - the bushier she'll get and the more tops you'll have heading into flowering. It also keeps them from growing gangly arms that can't support the buds.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Good question Amy. My intent in trimming back is twofold, I'm looking to maintain the canopy as lever as possible, and I'm also attempting to keep the branches from getting too gangly. I want the internode spaces pretty tight going into flowering.

Let's take a closer gander at this specimen. Looking over the canopy I can see a couple leaders, my term for those that are attempting to stretch above the rest. There's one off to each side that I can see.

The one on the left doesn't have much growth above the canopy, but when the ones behind it fill in they'll be just the height I'm maintaining with this pot.

I'd be clipping her right above the new growth, being careful not to damage those baby leaves.

Off to the right there's one trying its best to be sneaky, but I can see that long internode developing.

I'd clip all the way down to that new growth if she had another week or more until flip, but this girl gets flipped tomorrow. Come to think of it, that looks like an excellent candidate to become CBD Critical Cure 2.7 when the flip occurs.

When I'm trying to control structure I'll keep clipping back for about three weeks to a month. It depends on how much room I have for flowering. Keep clipping back - topping in the cultivator's parlance - the bushier she'll get and the more tops you'll have heading into flowering. It also keeps them from growing gangly arms that can't support the buds.

Thanks!
so it's the same principal as topping, just on a fully vegged plant, then. Do you get 2 new shoots eat time you do it?

I'll be comfortable enough with doing that. Both my outdoor plants in the past I topped twice and that went ok. Hey - could you, when you take that clone you're talking about, do a little pic-tut-orial on the process, including why you chose that shoot? I am going to spend some time at some point going over cloning threads (i'm a few months away from having any plants to do it with), but in the meantime a little SweetSue pic-tut-torial would be good too!

 

[Radogast]

Thanks!
so it's the same principal as topping, just on a fully vegged plant, then. Do you get 2 new shoots eat time you do it?

If your plant has parallel branches, before sexual maturity, you get 2 shoots,

If your plant has alternating branches, as in SweetSue's photo, you get 1 shoot.


Both will encourage growth in other (lower) branches and increase general 'bushiness'

 

[Amy Gardner]

If your plant has parallel branches, before sexual maturity, you get 2 shoots,

If your plant has alternating branches, as in SweetSue's photo, you get 1 shoot.


Both will encourage growth in other (lower) branches and increase general 'bushiness'

Excellent. The consolidation lesson - thanks! that fits together perfectly with the last exchange about alternate/parallel branching.

I'm going to have some fun outdoors this summer

In the meantime, I snapped this of my little Critical+CBDauto on Sunday - day 36. I didn't see the frost until I saw the photo on the screen!

That was 2 days ago, and things are moving quickly with her! I've gotten over the shock of my LST and have settled into it with her - she never had any shock, she was fine. I plan to leave her this way for a week and then even things out if needs be...

just bursting with pistils and trichs...

So those were both taken 2 days ago as well. 2 days later and the expansion is almost exponential. The light is currently just inside 18" so I'm leaving it where it is and letting her rise to the occasion

 

[SweetSue]

Amy, I forgot to do the tutorial, but I have another cutting coming up this week. I'll be sure to do that for you.

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 has been in flowering lighting for 11 days. Today she decided to bloom.

Let the games begin!

 

[BrixNewb]

Man I totally forgot about this party over here. My veg tent currently has a few CBD girls in it. I have one Alphakronik Tesla, one A-Tonic x Rebel OG x Herijuana, and multiple Blueberry x Harlequin bx. These will be my first adventures into the CBD side, I have a few people in my life with arthritis and joint pain and another person who has a developmental disorder which includes severe epilepsy. Hoping that something works to help with the seizures.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Amy, I forgot to do the tutorial, but I have another cutting coming up this week. I'll be sure to do that for you.

CBD Critical Cure 2.6 has been in flowering lighting for 11 days. Today she decided to bloom.

Let the games begin!

All good Sue

We got time .

.

 

[DobeWan]

Here's where my Candida is today, she's getting flipped next weekend so I'm in canopy definition mode here now, training to get things set up nicely for flower. I fear how tall she'll get in stretch...

 

[SweetSue]

Here's where my Candida is today, she's getting flipped next weekend so I'm in canopy definition mode here now, training to get things set up nicely for flower. I fear how tall she'll get in stretch...

Nice-looking plant Dobewan. I'm getting ready to plant my first Candida some day next month. May mine look this good.