Emeraldo's 2020 West-Facing Balcony Grow

[Emeraldo]

...Last grow, one plant had a family of mealybugs ...I think they were there till the end. I had caterpillar outbreaks and red spiders too, which I blame mostly on not carrying out a regular spraying schedule. Anyway the main thing was to reach harvest! But this next grow I will spray on schedule!

On your AG cola above, is that some little bug silk strands trailing down in the top right corner or just an out of focus web in the background. Last grow I noticed some little silk strands but it didn't register, I even thought at first they were little strands that had blown there by the wind, there was only a few, then a bit later I noticed 1 or 2 seemingly harmless looking little bugs (red spider mites) but then within a couple of weeks they'd multiplied to a whole lot. So I will repeat again to myself... this next grow I will spray on schedule!

Keep to the code, mate, and spray on schedule!

For me the once-every-two weeks spray job is critical but also not the complete fix. This year am monitoring every day, and I do spray the leaves on the top colas more often, at least once a week, maybe twice. This is just bug spotting, not the whole plant.

Yes that is a strand of web, probably produced by a spider. Funny how you spotted that and I didn't see it at all. Been seeing those all summer, little spiders throwing a web, but it was not a problem at all during the windy times. The wind and heat had the positive attributes of keeping the bugs away. Now the night temps are down to 68 F, a good low nightime temperature for flowering. The balcony shaded area gets up to about 90F in the late afternoon. It's not perfect but a good range.

Aren't the red spider mites actually predators of the regular mites? I read that on a forum somewhere. Even if they are, I wouldn't rely on the red ones to eliminate the mites and would follow the code and spray. Like anything, you have to have a good plan and follow through in a disciplined way. So far this August, bugs have not been a serious problem and I expect the plants will be harvestable in about 6 or 7 weeks.

 

[Stunger]

Aren't the red spider mites actually predators of the regular mites? I read that on a forum somewhere.

I am not sure if red spider mites are friend of foe, most people seem to refer to them as a pest. I know when they multiplied on my plants and I started to see a lots of fine silk strands which tend to be only visible in a certain light, the appearance was not pretty, or welcome. I'll be following your experience and example and will be doing regular spraying from now on. It is too much of a risk to let pests multiply with the hope that a squadron of ladybirds is going to come to the rescue and get rid of them.

An exciting stage now for you. I wonder if you'll have them all finished earlier this year after last year's late bloomer Arjan Haze! I looking forward to hearing about the smoke reports for all these fine strains!

 

[Emeraldo]

Getting frosty now. Peering through the digital microscope at these buds this morning, I saw trichomes mostly cloudy and clear, some amber. But is it way too soon to sample this? Now in her 7th week of flowering, she'll have flowered for 12 weeks by October 1. Will probably start sampling her bud in early September. For now, it's just fun to watch the progress made every day...

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 26, 2020

AG, Aug 25

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 26, 2020

AG, Aug 25

 

[Emeraldo]

...That's why in my thoughts around having a go at subjecting my plants to 'drought stress' in an attempt to bump up the THCa levels I only want to do so after the buds have thickened up to their potential, and not too early where the resulting yield is affected. It'd be different if I had a whole paddock that I could plant and experiment with.
...

Still thinking about this "drought stress" idea you've been talking about so often. I suppose the time to do that is, like you say, when the buds are basically all developed and ready, except maybe needing a little more time. Would the last week before harvest, or maybe two weeks before harvest, be a good time to apply "drought" to bump up the THC?

 

[Stunger]

Still thinking about this "drought stress" idea you've been talking about so often. I suppose the time to do that is, like you say, when the buds are basically all developed and ready, except maybe needing a little more time. Would the last week before harvest, or maybe two weeks before harvest, be a good time to apply "drought" to bump up the THC?

The mention of it that I read, said to do so in the last 10 days before harvest. However, the time that I inadvertently had drought stress in a grow it occurred in the peak summer heat phase of flowering when every day the plant wilted, it's small'ish ceramic pot (18 liter?) which also heated up in the sun must have contributed to the extremely sticky varnished appearance and potency of the resulting buds. I still have that pot and may use it again one day as an experiment to try to replicate that result.

 

[Emeraldo]

The mention of it that I read, said to do so in the last 10 days before harvest. However, the time that I inadvertently had drought stress in a grow it occurred in the peak summer heat phase of flowering when every day the plant wilted, it's small'ish ceramic pot (18 liter?) which also heated up in the sun must have contributed to the extremely sticky varnished appearance and potency of the resulting buds. I still have that pot and may use it again one day as an experiment to try to replicate that result.

So you think maybe it is not only a "heat/drought stress" phenomenon, but at least in your particular case that time also had a "root stress" component because of the smallish pot (with comparatively little room for the roots and little water) you were using at that time?

That's would be a double-whammy for the plant, stress-wise. Especially since it occurred during peak summer heat. But the plant was in flowering during that heat, no? I think it is key to this that the plant was in flowering.

It's one of those things that happened once by accident and becomes something you'd like to repeat, if you only knew what to do. Either Holy Grail or worm-hole, you can't help but want to chase it down again but it remains elusive.

I like having my plants happy and green right up to harvest, but I think I will stop watering the last week or ten days before harvest, after the trichomes are looking mostly cloudy, at the very least it shortens the drying time and, who knows, maybe the lack of water has an effect on the effect.

 

[Emeraldo]

So here's an update on AG. The yardstick (middle of photo) is resting on the top of the Acapulco Gold's soil and shows the two plants, AG and Super Lemon Haze are approching 9 feet in height. The AG's branches are weighed down by the heavy bud, and I've had to provide some support with ties. The weight caused some of the lower branches to swing around and point sideways into the shady side, so I've pulled them back over into the sunny area. She's definitely a good producer, I've not seen so much pistil growth on one plant. I'll have give some of this bud away, no way can I use it all... a nice problem to have.

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

AG, Aug 27

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

AG, Aug 27

Some of the trichomes have gone cloudy or amber, but most are clear as of yesterday Aug 28. And pistil production is still ongoing though many have turned a rusty golden color.

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

AG, Aug 27

 

[Stunger]

So you think maybe it is not only a "heat/drought stress" phenomenon, but at least in your particular case that time also had a "root stress" component because of the smallish pot (with comparatively little room for the roots and little water) you were using at that time?

That's would be a double-whammy for the plant, stress-wise. Especially since it occurred during peak summer heat. But the plant was in flowering during that heat, no? I think it is key to this that the plant was in flowering.

Well it was an afterthought about the pot. It is a dark ceramic pot which must have been absorbing a lot of heat and presumably would have passed some stress on to the roots.
My currently used containers are black plastic with drilled out holes which also get hot but not to the same extent as the ceramic pot which stored the heat. I just remember that in that flowering stage when the plant is requiring more water and the days being hot, that each morning I would water but the plant would be showing significant drooping by each evening and I'd then water again.

I like having my plants happy and green right up to harvest, but I think I will stop watering the last week or ten days before harvest, after the trichomes are looking mostly cloudy, at the very least it shortens the drying time and, who knows, maybe the lack of water has an effect on the effect.

I like how your plants look healthy and green to the end. I hope in this next grow that mine are more like that, I have given more amendments to the containers this time, and I intend to not delay if any top dressing is required. The 10 day figure I think comes from the testing that Dr Caplan carried out on his study of increasing resin/THC by restricting water over the last 10 days, that seemed to be simply the period he chose for his experiment. That early grow on mine wasn't restricted to 10 days, it was probably more like most of the flowering period. It just turned out that way because the pot was too small, the plant was a very late germinated in the first week of summer which probably allowed it to survive in that pot, quite possibly if it was germinated a couple of months earlier and been vegged longer then the sun's heat and restricted water could have overwhelmed it. Pure speculation of course. But I will probably continue play with some water restriction in my grows.

So here's an update on AG. The yardstick (middle of photo) is resting on the top of the Acapulco Gold's soil and shows the two plants, AG and Super Lemon Haze are approching 9 feet in height. The AG's branches are weighed down by the heavy bud, and I've had to provide some support with ties. The weight caused some of the lower branches to swing around and point sideways into the shady side, so I've pulled them back over into the sunny area. She's definitely a good producer, I've not seen so much pistil growth on one plant. I'll have give some of this bud away, no way can I use it all... a nice problem to have.

Well.. she's a beauty!

Looking really good. It is great that this grow you've sought to further refine and optimize the growing space available to you - it appears to be working great!

 

[BeanTownFan420]

 

[Emeraldo]

It's really great to have your comments. I enjoy the thought that someone, somewhere is reading this thread.

Since all plants are now in flower, some to a greater extent than others (the AG being the farthest along), I thought I'd post photos of almost all, taken today. However, I've left out G13 Haze and Gold Leaf, as they are least farthest along and not as exciting as what you'll now see.

Dream Berry - Female Seeds writes on their website that Dream Berry will produce compact nugs at the tips of its branches, and that lower on the plant the buds will be more "open structure" (read: fluffy buds). Being a fan of compact buds (and less so of fluffy ones), I thought that if I LST'd my Dream Berry into a horizontal platform, the plant would send up, from each of its nodes, many many branches and that I would thus get many many compact buds on the tips of those branches. So here's how that worked out so far.

First, the view below the canopy:

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

Dream Berry, under the canopy August 29

Above the canopy, Dream Berry now has put up many branches, some approaching 5 feet in height. The most buds that might eventually become compact are on the tallest branches and on the main stem, which is lower, on the left side. The buds on the tips of the branches are filling in nicely, this plant won't be ready until mid October, so there is time.

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

Dream Berry colas now about 5 feet high, August 29

It is kind of difficult to get a close up photo of Dream Berry buds, but here is the best I could do today.

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

Dream Berry buds, August 29

Super Lemon Haze - This has been slow to flower, and it was hard to tell at first when she would start, but she is now in about her 5th week. It looks like some of the ash from the recent No Cal wildfires settled on her leaves.

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 19, 2020

Super Lemon Haze, Aug 19

White Widow - This mostly indica has flowered very quickly and may need only another month or so. We'll see...

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

White Widow, August 29

Finally, by far the star of the grow so far, Acapulco Gold's buds continue to swell and give off a wonderfully tropical fruit aroma...

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

AG, August 29

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

AG, August 29

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 26, 2020

AG, Aug 25

As Donkey Member exclaimed, "Well, Hee-Haw!" My sentiments exactly!

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• Emeraldo
• Aug 29, 2020

Hee haw! AG, August 29

 

[BeanTownFan420]

They look amazing.

 

[BeanTownFan420]

Hell ya we are reading it here in Mass!

 

[Stunger]

Super Lemon Haze - This has been slow to flower, and it was hard to tell at first when she would start, but she is now in about her 5th week. It looks like some of the ash from the recent No Cal wildfires settled on her leaves.

I had previously noticed the white specs on some of your pictures and I'd just assumed that it was from rain on the leaves reflecting light back as specs. So that is somewhat sobering to have the ash coming down.

As Donkey Member exclaimed, "Well, Hee-Haw!" My sentiments exactly!

Oh yes, that would have had him braying loudly!

Great updates Emeraldo, it is fun to watch your grow develop!

 

[DonkeyDick]

little silk strands

Good spotting, Koro

It's one of those things that happened once by accident and becomes something you'd like to repeat, if you only knew what to do. Either Holy Grail or worm-hole, you can't help but want to chase it down again but it remains elusive.

Timing it is the trick. I’ve been doing this deliberately for the last few I felled. When you get the timing right you can see trichomes proliferate and swell.
Watching the ‘leaf wilt angle’ to gauge turgidity is one of a few cues. At 50% droop is about where the magic happens.
Our mate @Maritimer has a whole thread of developing some of these ideas. I’ll post a link when the farrier has next been.

It's really great to have your comments. I enjoy the thought that someone, somewhere is reading this thread.

We are only the ones lucky enough to live contemporaneously with the now legendary Acapulco Gold. You know the future is already full of a slack jawed readership come to see where the beginnings of modern mythology were made. No doubt many will be electrocuted by dribbling into their keyboards. Research like this full of such hazards.

It looks like some of the ash from the recent No Cal wildfires settled on her leaves.

I wonder what the effects on your flowers will be from a foliar feed of potash?
I‘ve heard of fertigating this as a bloom booster.

 

[Emeraldo]

...Timing it is the trick. I’ve been doing this deliberately for the last few I felled. When you get the timing right you can see trichomes proliferate and swell.
Watching the ‘leaf wilt angle’ to gauge turgidity is one of a few cues. At 50% droop is about where the magic happens.
Our mate @Maritimer has a whole thread of developing some of these ideas. I’ll post a link when the farrier has next been.

Thanks DD, I'd like to learn more about this "leaf wilt angle" thing. Is it the angle of the dangle of the leaves that you watch? A "50% droop" is pretty far, isn't it. Of course 100% would be the plant is near death, I would think. One moment too long and the plant has gasped its last. So is your wilt-technique only for say the last 10 days before chop?

Do tell us more, oh Great Donkey Member! Post that link please

 

[DonkeyDick]

Hey Em’o.
I tagged you in over at Maritimer’s journal where these discussions are taking place.

A bit of ear candy on that and related subjects on this link which I cut and pasted from a post I made over there. Have a listen, a read:

“I thought of you all when the fifty minute mark rolled around here..

Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast: Episode 57: Published Research on Cannabis with Dr. Deron Caplan on Apple Podcasts

Show Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast, Ep Episode 57: Published Research on Cannabis with Dr. Deron Caplan - 3 Dec 2019

podcasts.apple.com

A “world first” (according to the interviewee) research project on drought stress in cannabis.
Fairly recent.
Endlessly fascinating.
The discussion touches across difficulties in setting and testing parameters, and how different stresses may actually be triggering drought stress.”

 

[DonkeyDick]

A "50% droop" is pretty far, isn't it.

I meant to say fifty degrees

 

[Emeraldo]

I meant to say fifty degrees

I see. Like as in "a bit over a 45 degree droop". I can visualize that. Thanks for that thread. Koro thanks you, too, I'm sure as he has been pondering this phenomenon for some time.

 

[Emeraldo]

Nirvana's Blackberry now flowering for about a month. The canopy is thinning out, giving her more light and airflow, morning temperatures now at 68 F.

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• Emeraldo
• Sep 1, 2020

Blackberry, Sept 1

Acapulco Gold just keeps on putting out those pistils and trichomes... The other day I was relaxing, reading my book under the shade of the Acapulco Gold "tree" when my nose became aware of a most pleasant aroma of tropical fruit ripening... Wonderful plant!

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• Emeraldo
• Sep 1, 2020

Acapulco Gold, Sept 1

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• Emeraldo
• Sep 1, 2020
• 1

Acapulco Gold, Sept 1

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• Emeraldo
• Sep 1, 2020

Acapulco Gold, Sept 1

 

[Stunger]

Wow Emeraldo, that AG just keeps looking better and better. Good work! Wonderful days for enjoying the flowering stage.