Fools Rush In: Newbie's Adventures In Suboptimal Conditions

[Doctor Trevor]

You have a lot of brown tips there. Could be nutrient burn.

 

[DonkeyDick]

Tell me more about your growing vibe! Indoor, outdoor? What's on the menu right now?

Hey Sy. I’m running a perpetual grow now, so seperate veg and bloom spaces, feeding the flower room as and when I can.
Like you, I started with bagseeds (NZ! ) which took over a year to find! I got lucky and a year later I am still running cuts from one, along with some newer gear.
My main interest is in making cannameds. I infused an edible oil with over three ounces of spent pucks the other day (the pucks are the flat biscuits left from rosin making).
The biomass for that would have cost me $1800 from my local sadist.
Thank goodness for !!
Feel free to drop in at the Stable Of Impermanence in my sig. just jump in at the end and you won’t have missed a thing.

While doing research, I was shocked by the degree of competitiveness and toxicity in some of the other forums.

Glad I'm here instead!

We are very lucky.

 

[Sickboy420]

Oooooohh I am really keen to go down this route! But there is some strange tendency in me to want to learn about this most basic and ubiquitous medium first.

... that and I can't afford to spend much more money on this right now

Please indulge my soil leaning for now, and I have the feeling coco will enter the scene a bit later this year

do not grow in coco your first grow

 

[syenite]

You have a lot of brown tips there. Could be nutrient burn.

Yeah she's got a bit of a claw going too! Unfortunately it is partly to do with the crappy soil she's in, which has the dreaded slow-release stuff in it. I will flush her tomorrow and see if that helps.

Hey Sy. I’m running a perpetual grow now, so seperate veg and bloom spaces, feeding the flower room as and when I can.
Like you, I started with bagseeds (NZ! ) which took over a year to find! I got lucky and a year later I am still running cuts from one, along with some newer gear.
My main interest is in making cannameds. I infused an edible oil with over three ounces of spent pucks the other day (the pucks are the flat biscuits left from rosin making).
The biomass for that would have cost me $1800 from my local sadist.

Hahaha scavenged bagseed must be very typical for new growers in NZ I guess I was "lucky" that that ounce I got was so bad and full of seeds eh? Maybe if I grow these right I'll get to see what that strain could have actually been like.

Really interested in all your elixirs and concoctions! I recently have shifted to decarbing and ingesting with a bit of light smoking near the end of the day. I've found the right dose that gives me a light background hum but that otherwise leaves me very functional. Would love to actually be producing this with my own homegrown.

do not grow in coco your first grow

Nice consensus you lot!

 

[syenite]

Highya syenite!

I’ve done a couple 12/12 from seed plants that ended up as one cola. I started them outside in May though, not in the winter. But since I never took them out of solo cups, and kinda neglected them, they only got as big as plants grown in the winter probably would.

Cheers! Yeah I guess I've found a complicated/roundabout way to say that I'll be abandoning a third female to the elements if I get one

I think the single cola/12-12 immediately thing is me resigning to the conditions and trying to get her to harvest as quickly as possible.

The real learnings would be what @Stunger pointed out earlier:

1) how will she cope in the winter during the day?

2) how will keeping her warm at night assist/offset that?

3) when will she actually flower and when will she be ready given the winter light schedule?

4) and, in general, just how hardy are these weeds??

 

[DonkeyDick]

I've found the right dose that gives me a light background hum but that otherwise leaves me very functional. Would love to actually be producing this with my own homegrown.

Nice to find a good level.
I can certainly help when it comes time to do some extracts.

 

[FelipeBlu]

They’re pretty f‘ng hardy, but the more severe the condition, the lower the yield. You’re going to have to weigh your risk:reward.

 

[syenite]

They’re pretty f‘ng hardy, but the more severe the condition, the lower the yield. You’re going to have to weigh your risk:reward.

Yeah, I'm putting yield/quality aside. It will just be another plant to experiment with and practice on! And this is also only in the situation where all survive and are female.

 

[syenite]

Small update for today. A lovely mild winter Sunday, crisp and sunny.

Had the babies out on the deck because of the relatively friendly conditions. Seedlings are tough. I hesitated at first as to when and how long to leave them outside, but they adapted very quickly and happily from their warm heat mat to the crispy outdoors.

I made a mock-up of the cabinet I'm getting for my setup. A true masterpiece of craftmanship. A pinnacle of human endeavour!

This will give y'all a better idea of the spatial constraints I'm working with! Essentially the cabinet is 2 cubic feet and I will have 1 - 1.5 cubic feet for the actual plant (and lights). I'm using the mock-up to help me map out where I want stuff to be.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Okay. You will need to train aggressively, have a short veg (probably 4 weeks max), have a strain with a short stretch (50% max) that will tolerate high light intensity. Because you will likely have less than 12” light distance during flowering. And ventilation will need to be well-thought out to avoid excessive heat (and humidity during flowering). It’s a challenge alright.

 

[FelipeBlu]

BTW, you’re going to take that netting off the peat starter, right?

 

[syenite]

Okay. You will need to train aggressively, have a short veg (probably 4 weeks max), have a strain with a short stretch (50% max) that will tolerate high light intensity. Because you will likely have less than 12” light distance during flowering. And ventilation will need to be well-thought out to avoid excessive heat (and humidity during flowering). It’s a challenge alright.

Yes. I'll have to be Houdini. And I have 0 control over the genetics. So it'll be all about the training and the timing.

Thank you very much for the pointers!

BTW, you’re going to take that netting off the peat starter, right?

Yeah I snip the mesh off when I transplant them. I actually did transplant that one after I took the photo. Was careful not to sever the root which was poking through the bottom!

 

[FelipeBlu]

Yeah I snip the mesh off when I transplant them.

Excellent! That has screwed up a few growers.

 

[syenite]

In preparation for veg, I made some notes comparing different topping strategies:

Mainlining (Professor Nugbuckets @ Growweedeasy)

1. first top at 6 nodes
2. top down to third node, pruning all growth below (2 colas)
3. once the two "mains" have grown out, choose a node on each main (mirroring each other)
4. once chosen, top to that node on both mains, also prune below (4 colas)
5. repeat previous step again (8 colas)
6. ultimately, top 3 times for 8 main colas (pruning offshoots)

Manifolding (Nebula Haze @ Growweedeasy)

1. first top when plant is at 6 nodes
2. top down to third node, also pruning nodes below the third
3. when each of the two mains has 4 nodes, top down to third node on each side, removing the fourth, then also remove the second node (or keep it for 12 colas)
4. this leaves the plant with 2 nodes on each side, and with 2 colas per node, (2 * 2 * 2) = 8 colas
5. ultimately, top two times for 8 main colas (plus offshoots)

Quadlining (@Asesino85 )

1. top down to 4 nodes
2. prune nodes 1 and 2, keeping 3 and 4 (could do this a day or two before topping down to give plant a chance to settle)
3. after initial topping, produces 4 main colas
4. bend 4 main colas down to form X, each cola towards the edge of the pot
5. remove bottom branch on each main
6. so we don't top anymore after this? because each main will have multiple nodes/offshoots?
7. so main advantage is that this is just a single topping?

Questions I have:

For mainlining and manifolding, why wait till 6 nodes before topping down to the third? Why not top once there are 4, for instance, as with quadlining? Is this about the plant's ability to recover?

For Nebula's manifold, why bother with the second top + prune? Why not leave all 4 nodes on each main branch, including the main branch tip? Is this to do with spatial distribution?

 

[Stunger]

I think it is horses for courses. Those methods are steps that those people have developed for their own training styles. The 2 girls I quadlined and harvested this year I micro topped off above the 3rd node and grew out the 2nd and 3rd nodes for the quadlining 'arms'. Some folks experience find it best to let the plants grow more nodes to 'get stronger' before topping. I was influenced by @Light Addict who preferred to top early and do so by micro topping (when the grow shoot is barely an inch high and then just wiggled back and forth and it then comes away and heals very cleanly). I don't think there any right way, just the way that works for you. I got 19oz from my 2 quadlined girls so I was happy with how they turned out. Good luck.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Indoors, I have quadlined. Outdoors, I keep node 2, so it’s a sexline.

In both cases, I top above the fourth as soon as the plant starts to work on node 6. I like to leave a long nub, so I cut right below node 5. Seems to reduce splitting.

I’m doing some sexlines outdoors this year if you want to see some in training.

 

[DonkeyDick]

I do the same as Felipe, except I can’t grow outside.

I keep node 2

I leave these on until they are two or three inches long. This pair is the first couple of cuts to go for clones. Usually, by the time these two have died there are others coming on

 

[CraCraCarl11]

Bro I admit I didn't read it all but u remind me of me when I 1st tried to grow. Except the chance seed in a herb garden. I planted on purpose. But yea I experimented. Took me 2 indoor and 2 outdoor grows to get both down. I prefer outdoor n if you can let those babies outside do so. Also yea def issues with 1st plant from get go. If not too into flower transplant to a more neutral soil. Others are def stretching and need more light. When you transplant ad space for extra stem. I live in massachu and now short days n crap weather. Trying my own grow 5 lemon ak47 auto fem and 4 kiss dragon going right now. In they very begining. Picked auto cause auto and Kiss Dragon short flower. Try outdoors u can find a strain.

 

[CraCraCarl11]

@syenite after reading more let me say it's good to hear that this pandemic covid ain't bad where you are at. I live in Massachusetts which yea kinda bad. Odd thing is I took 2 weeks off of work and have been back for over a month. Since yea cause work with public masks mandatory. Still that wasn't company policy till 2 weeks after I was back and some customers still don't wear masks. Still outta the 10 people I work closely with none have gotten sick to our knowledge. Just a side tangent. Anyway you set are to all over the board in growing experiments. Especially for a new grower too much. Topping and training much debate. From personal experience if little room lst 1st. The old bend the plant to grow horizontal I like even if I got endless room. I even do it outdoors. Topping is fine just add bout a week for recovery no matter the method. I went random when topping even doing so to lower branches. Always sticking to lst all the branches got good light. It was about having more controlled branching. No matter what don't try too much n don't over think. As I said I got a new outdoor grow. 1st in years n yea they just may have just sprouted but I'm already thinking of things. Just gotta stop and take it step by step. Hope you get some ok bud I did from my 1st bag seed grow. I did better than the bud I got an from. Yea I screwed up a lot. Still do which is why I'm stressing not wven a week in paying for seeds. When u get what u like to do down buy seeds based on space n summer season u have. Trust me outdoors the flavor and taste just better in my opinion. But good luck I will stay watching.

 

[syenite]

Thanks for all the great tips fam

I think it is horses for courses. Those methods are steps that those people have developed for their own training styles. The 2 girls I quadlined and harvested this year I micro topped off above the 3rd node and grew out the 2nd and 3rd nodes for the quadlining 'arms'. Some folks experience find it best to let the plants grow more nodes to 'get stronger' before topping. I was influenced by @Light Addict who preferred to top early and do so by micro topping (when the grow shoot is barely an inch high and then just wiggled back and forth and it then comes away and heals very cleanly). I don't think there any right way, just the way that works for you. I got 19oz from my 2 quadlined girls so I was happy with how they turned out. Good luck.

Thank you for the example! Very helpful. It's both helpful and scary to know there isn't a single correct answer

Indoors, I have quadlined. Outdoors, I keep node 2, so it’s a sexline.

In both cases, I top above the fourth as soon as the plant starts to work on node 6. I like to leave a long nub, so I cut right below node 5. Seems to reduce splitting.

I’m doing some sexlines outdoors this year if you want to see some in training.

Nice! Regarding sexline outdoors, is it because you can rely on there being better ambient light and light penetration?

I do the same as Felipe, except I can’t grow outside.

I leave these on until they are two or three inches long. This pair is the first couple of cuts to go for clones. Usually, by the time these two have died there are others coming on

I'm glad you reminded me of the possibility of clones. I will try and get some from the initial prune

Bro I admit I didn't read it all but u remind me of me when I 1st tried to grow. Except the chance seed in a herb garden. I planted on purpose. But yea I experimented. Took me 2 indoor and 2 outdoor grows to get both down. I prefer outdoor n if you can let those babies outside do so. Also yea def issues with 1st plant from get go. If not too into flower transplant to a more neutral soil. Others are def stretching and need more light. When you transplant ad space for extra stem. I live in massachu and now short days n crap weather. Trying my own grow 5 lemon ak47 auto fem and 4 kiss dragon going right now. In they very begining. Picked auto cause auto and Kiss Dragon short flower. Try outdoors u can find a strain.

Cheers man! Sadly she is very deep into flowering to be transplanted into new soil. She's showing a lot of cloudy already so I am just gonna let things take their course!

@syenite after reading more let me say it's good to hear that this pandemic covid ain't bad where you are at. I live in Massachusetts which yea kinda bad. Odd thing is I took 2 weeks off of work and have been back for over a month. Since yea cause work with public masks mandatory. Still that wasn't company policy till 2 weeks after I was back and some customers still don't wear masks. Still outta the 10 people I work closely with none have gotten sick to our knowledge. Just a side tangent. Anyway you set are to all over the board in growing experiments. Especially for a new grower too much. Topping and training much debate. From personal experience if little room lst 1st. The old bend the plant to grow horizontal I like even if I got endless room. I even do it outdoors. Topping is fine just add bout a week for recovery no matter the method. I went random when topping even doing so to lower branches. Always sticking to lst all the branches got good light. It was about having more controlled branching. No matter what don't try too much n don't over think. As I said I got a new outdoor grow. 1st in years n yea they just may have just sprouted but I'm already thinking of things. Just gotta stop and take it step by step. Hope you get some ok bud I did from my 1st bag seed grow. I did better than the bud I got an from. Yea I screwed up a lot. Still do which is why I'm stressing not wven a week in paying for seeds. When u get what u like to do down buy seeds based on space n summer season u have. Trust me outdoors the flavor and taste just better in my opinion. But good luck I will stay watching.

Glad no one has gotten sick at your work! Still so much uncertainty. Where will the world be in like 3 months?

And yeah I agree I've probably thought about too many possible experiments haha. This was a good reminder to take it easy, slow things down. I will aim to vary only 1 thing per plant so I don't get overwhelmed.