GJCN420M-2023:06 - One Month Sexing Experiment

[Ravenplume]

As encouraged by a recent post in one of my other journals, I am starting a new side journal here as an experiment to get plants sexed within a month plus change of birth. This notion hit at the perfect time, as all of the subjects from the 420 Challenge are ready for planting, plus I may as well start another 3 Birthday Cake Lites from Plant 1 as well, which are direct planted in Jiffy Pots of dirt.

So here is what I am working with tonight...

And I am starting with my first three direct plantings, those previously mentioned Birthday Cake Lites.

I figure I don't need to worry about lighting until they break the surface, since right now, they are in darkness completely, of course.

Next up, we address the sprouts that were the 420 Challenge subjects and are overdue for planting.

It turns out that three of them, Subjects 0, 1, and 2 (Second seed from 4/17 and both from 4/18, which will be designated now as 4/17:2, 4/18:1, and 4/18:2) were all too well developed to go in either size Jiffy Pot, so the first two got Not Pringles canisters, and the third got a cut down V8 jug planter. When they get put to bed for 12 hours, they will go under a tall cardboard box.

The two from the 19th, 4:19/1 and 4/19:2 are in a small styro cup and a Dollar Tree planter respectively.

They will get their dark in a drawer, as will the three Wildlings that sprouted after 4/20.

4/17:1 and 4/20:1 get the larger J-Pots. Guessing they are 8 ouncers, and 4/20:2 gets an 8.5 oz styro cup.

I have an hour and a half before these get put to bed. Their 12 hours darkness starts at 21:00, and that is when I am "starting the clock" on their 10 days at 12/12.

 

[Ravenplume]

15 minutes until bedtime for the little ones, and rise and shine at 9:00 in the morning.

So I am wondering if instead of 18/6, would 24/7 close under a CFL lamp work as well? That is how the few revegges I have done were conducted, as well as several cases of bringing struggling seedlings and juveniles back from near death experiences; like the key is 18 hours at least, not period.

 

[StoneOtter]

Hi Ravenplume, nice experiment! I'm on the edge of beginning the same schedule for a grow too! My first time using the method too. I watched it work once. It can work for us! Good luck!

 

[Ravenplume]

First day of 12 hour lighting, and even managed to start the shuffle from downstairs to upstairs like right on the 09:00 nose, for what it's worth. Granted, nothing significant to show, just marking the moment.

That should do it for these little muskflowers for now. They even had room to share the space with some of the other plants that are undergoing a bit more intensive care to help get them Summer ready.

They go back to bed in 11 1/2 hours now and that will mark Day 1 of their 12/12 time. So looks like on the 5th of May, they get to go to "normal" time, though I am still leaning toward putting them on 24/7 upstairs where they are right now when the time comes.

 

[Ravenplume]

Already have another update. Really thought this journal would be even less frequently updated than my others. So anyway...

The three DPs have not popped yet. Gave them a decent watering. Should hopefully be good for a couple days. The Birthday Cake Lite-Plant:1 Trio that was started on 04/23 and sprouted on 04/25 have been planted in J-Pots, and they officially began their 10 days of 12/12 at 21:00 tonight, when the earlier ones were put to bed. I also decided that after day 10 (05/05 and 05/07), I am going to give an extra 6 hours at least and switch them to 24/0 (instead of 18/6) to whenever I get up the next day (so morning of 06 and 08).

I am a little concerned about the 420 Challenge subject 4/17:2. It went totally splut shortly after planting...

Stem is rather squishy and limp. It is likely dead, but I have not given up on it yet. I went ahead and gave it effectively a deep watering (to the rim). Likely not going to matter. However, if by some stroke of voodoo botany, it does recover, I am requesting that I be permitted a custom title of Necroplantser here.

 

[Ravenplume]

I really was not meaning for this to have nightly updates, but I have updates again.

First, it is actually starting to look like 4/17:2 is coming to life after all. Go figure. Check it out. We will see if it is even more vertical tomorrow. Really did look like it had died upon planting.

And finally, we have the BC Lites from 04/23, the Directs Plants, heretofore to be referred to as the DPs. DP:0 looks like it may be about to pop up. Pretty sure it is not just "erosion" from watering, since that is a dot of white showing, instead of the brown of the exposed shell. Nothing yet on DP:1 or 2. Guess when 0 goes on 12/12, it will get the single drip catcher and 02 will join 01 in the double.

That's tonight's bedtime update for the little muskflowers. Better than even odds there will be another tomorrow for one reason or another.

 

[Ravenplume]

So as predicted, here is yet another bedtime (for the muskflowers, that is, not me) update on this project.

Starting with the DPs this time, it appears that I was correct that DP:0 was indeed sprouting. I went ahead and moved it to the single tray and put DP:2 (which i now showing that tiny flash of white) in the double next to DP:1, which is not yet showing. I'm going to wait until both DP:0 and 2 have finished popping up and are showing their infant leaves before starting them on their 12/12 phase. Perhaps DP:1 will be popped and ready by then as well.

It is also really starting to look like I may need to simply give the ones that have been sleeping in this top drawer for their dark periods, a deeper drawer, as more are getting close to being too tall for the other. Should have plenty room in this one in the desk by the front door.

 

[StoneOtter]

So as predicted, here is yet another bedtime (for the muskflowers, that is, not me) update on this project.

Starting with the DPs this time, it appears that I was correct that DP:0 was indeed sprouting. I went ahead and moved it to the single tray and put DP:2 (which i now showing that tiny flash of white) in the double next to DP:1, which is not yet showing. I'm going to wait until both DP:0 and 2 have finished popping up and are showing their infant leaves before starting them on their 12/12 phase. Perhaps DP:1 will be popped and ready by then as well.

It is also really starting to look like I may need to simply give the ones that have been sleeping in this top drawer for their dark periods, a deeper drawer, as more are getting close to being too tall for the other. Should have plenty room in this one in the desk by the front door.

Like in the Jaws movie. "Were going to need a bigger drawer"!

 

[Ravenplume]

This project ended up being a huge fail 100%. All subjects just ended up being super stretched with just a tiny crown, those that didn't just up and die. In fact, all but one did fail, that was Birthday Cake Lite - Plant:1-S:05, which was direct planted in a Jiffy Pot. I have since upgraded it to something that should allow it to recover and grow as a "pet house plant." Been nearly a week, I think, and it is at least still alive.

This journal is now closed of course. The sequel to this one will start soon(tm), and will have subjects being force flowered AFTER they have at least 2 levels of leaves (not counting the crown or baby leaves).

Oh yeah, the failure of this project also meant my own 420 Challenge:2023 is also failed and terminated, as all subjects from that were also subjects for this.

 

[013]

Ah well stuff happens, pick up the pieces & start over!

 

[Ravenplume]

I understand the process a little better now, and am getting all my plants growing up nice and healthy under 10 days to 2 weeks flowering lighting, which I have finally got consistent for myself as 14 hours dark / 10 hours light. That boils down to wake up at noon and go back to bed at 10: that night, with some leeway for tardiness here and there.

From just a quick once over my plants around the house and on the porch, everything surviving that started as flowering is at least showing preflowers; and they began showing considerably before their cousins and siblings that went on 14/10 after starting on veg lighting.

I'm now going to go ahead and start everything on flowering lighting, other than any confirmed feminized seeds like my two remaining Seedsman Purple Ghost Candy seeds, when their time to rise comes. And hopefully, starting tomorrow, if not tonight, I will submit to my own Consolidated Sexing Thread, one candidate from each type I have going to see if I am missing anything not quite obvious at this point yet to determine their sex. Will do one set per day.

 

[Azimuth]

What's that mix you're growing in? Doesn't look like it has much aeration.

The 12/12 for the first 10 days above ground for early sexing is an idea from The Rev and he shared it in his new book 'True Living Organics.' A few of us have tried it with pretty good success, showing sex right around day 30 from seed.

I'm not sure what effect waiting for two sets of true leaves will have on the experiment but the suggested approach is your original version, but I'd like to follow along whether you continue in this thread or start another. If you start a new one can you link it here?

 

[Ravenplume]

I have no idea what that planting mix is in that last bucket there. It was what we recovered from the 4 bigass planters my neighbor left when he gave me three Birthday Cakes and a Bubblegum that he did not have space for at his new place. Just figured that soil was some good stuff. Now, I really don't know for certain. We have moved on to Miracle Gro potting soil now, with yard dirt on top so sprouts don't get uprooted every time I water.

Gonna go ahead and keep it around for mixing in with other soils anyway. I mean, Cam's BCs and BGs did well in it, so it can't be too bad, yes?

No real major critical reason to wait until the plants have 2 nodes though for those starting on Veg lighting. Just felt like a good "waypoint" so to speak.

I did open up a new journal for this though, but the scope is greatly reduced to 2 subjects, and that journal is almost done as well; will show the two subjects in an update for that one soon, possibly even today. They both have preflowers, now we see which shows its sex first.

After that journal is done, there likely won't be much need to open another on this subject, since I have concluded that I may as well start everything on flowering lighting after all. I might start another little journal some time soon though to just track a couple siblings from start to flowering and seeding once the main projects are settled into the long period of hurry up and wait. After all, I did get another 10 seeds started, mostly to fill in the gaps in the various projects: 2 each Birthday Spanking - Pair:0, Bubblegum Lite, Feyleaf, Feyleaf Lite, and Wildling-01:2023. For now though, those aren't even sprouted. Will address those when the time comes.