GreatLife4All's DWC G13 C99 Grow Journal - 2013

[GreatLife4All]

Insect Attack on my Clones

Damn... I was checking my clones tonight (they are in the veg tent) and I noticed some damage on a leaf. Got to inspecting and here is what I found:

Don't know what it is... but it had to hatch from an egg. Which would take about two weeks... so it was infected when it was in the clone box. I did have a couple of small flies or something in and around my clone box as they were rooting. Should have been more careful I guess.

I will monitor, but I think that is the only one.

 

[runewulfsong]

I was wondering about the lowering light increasing resin... it seems that when I see a few of the good growers who moved over to DLS that their harvests are always frosty... not normal frosty, but ice-y frosty... but it makes sense... if the plant thinks the season is getting closer and closer to ending, it's going to put out as much resin as possible, kinda of a last ditch effort to get some pollen.

 

[GreatLife4All]

When I wrote that post, I did not know about the Gas Light Routine (GLR). In GLR, you decrease the hours of daylight from 12 down to 9 (I believe) and then ride out the flowering phase. As a practical matter, this flies in the face of scientific studies that say you get the highest yield with 12 to 14 hours of light (depending on variety).

I would like to take it up to 14 hours of light and drop it down to 75% intensity. Maybe even 50% for the last week.

Since I am having issues, I might as well give my own hypothesis a shot... but I will leave it on 12 hours as I don't want to change too many things.

 

[runewulfsong]

I can understand that... remembering when to change the timer alone could be easy to slip on... but in theory, wouldn't a combination of Diminishing Light Schedule mixed with lowering the intensity towards the end come closest to mimicking nature on their normal "autumn harvest" default cycle? Just a thought.

 

[GreatLife4All]

but in theory, wouldn't a combination of Diminishing Light Schedule mixed with lowering the intensity towards the end come closest to mimicking nature on their normal "autumn harvest" default cycle? Just a thought.

Yes, and ultimately that is what I would like to test.

But I don't want to move too many variables at any one time.

 

[runewulfsong]

That makes sense... not to mention, you get to see what affects it more, decreasing intensity or hours, or if the combined effect is a simple additional or exponential change in production.

 

[GreatLife4All]

Been a couple of days since I last updated.

It is getting very hard to see the individual plants. But you can see a lot of buds that are growing.

Here is a look at HJ-33. Very impressive growth in the past two weeks.

Here is an image of the Green Poison. It has fallen behind the HJ-33 on bud size and number.

Here is an image of the Silver Kush. The frostiest plant in the tent. There are two buds from the HJ-33 in the foreground - the Silver Kush is in the background. You can also see the Sweet Tai in the background - that is a very large plant.

It is going to be a great harvest. The C99 is completely buried under the Silver Kush and Sweet Tai - can't even move things around to get a picture. Same deal with the BC Cheese and Sour Diesel. The WS-33 is looking nice as well - but very hard to see it in the canopy of buds.

Very close to finishing this grow... And it does look impressive at this point.

 

[GreatLife4All]

That makes sense... not to mention, you get to see what affects it more, decreasing intensity or hours, or if the combined effect is a simple additional or exponential change in production.

It has been close to two weeks since I changed the lighting down to 75%. My plan is to drop it down to 50% on August 5 for the duration.

While it is simply anecdote... I am becoming convinced that the buds are frosting more than I have ever seen before. But... the issue is that I don't know what to expect from these plants.

Even the fan leaves are starting to get a heavy coating of trichomes.

 

[CA215]

Impressive man, tons of bud sites they are all looking so good
+reps Great, CA

 

[jungle]

They are looking very very good

 

[GreatLife4All]

They are looking very very good

Yes, they really are.

Gonna be a little bit hard to tell which ones to cull. Each of these varieties looks interesting in a different way.

Really, really like how the Silver Kush has developed. Large, rock hard buds that are coated in a nice silver layer of trichs. I admit that this one was hard to get started... didn't like defoliation, had to be topped while in flowering, and I had to tie down all the secondary shoots because of height... but this plant has still produced a very large quantity of what looks to be very good weed. So despite the fact that it is hard to grow, it seems worth it.

Can't wait to try some...

 

[trichomes]

Re: Insect Attack on my Clones

That inchworm/caterpillar, came from a moth, they're most active at night, here's what you can look for on your buds & leaves, I'm in a constant war against moths and these eggs, overnight my plant can get 3-4 dozen eggs that I can see, LadyBugs eat the eggs and the worms before they get that big (as yours) I doubt that's the only one you have, they come out at night to feed, or they bore into the buds and you won't see them until you are trimming your mature/dry buds. Look for droppings on top of leaves under buds EVERYDAY! If you spot turds, the worm is usually above them or close by. Turds look like brown specks of dirt or termite shit. How many more have you found? BT Safer-Caterpillar-killer works excellent. Here's a turd pic & an egg pic for you.

Damn... I was checking my clones tonight (they are in the veg tent) and I noticed some damage on a leaf. Got to inspecting and here is what I found:

Don't know what it is... but it had to hatch from an egg. Which would take about two weeks... so it was infected when it was in the clone box. I did have a couple of small flies or something in and around my clone box as they were rooting. Should have been more careful I guess.

I will monitor, but I think that is the only one.

 

[GreatLife4All]

Thanks Trich for the advice - it is appreciated.

Yes, I figured that it had to be a moth of some type. I grow down in my basement... and that is also where me and my buddies hang out at night (playing pool, etc). When I let my dog out - I sometimes leave the door open for too long and get an invasion. The two major bugs that I see are these little green leafhoppers and various, random moths. There was one night a couple of weeks / month ago where I left the door open all night (and I found caterpillars about two weeks later). The caterpillar was too large for the leafhoppers, so my assumption was that it had to be a moth of some type.

I removed four or five caterpillars before I was done. They all hatched within a day of one another. It has been weeks now with no further issues. Because they were in the fan leaves, I simply did a hard defoliation on any plant that had a caterpillar.

I have been monitoring on a daily basis - nor further infestations or attacks. No signs of poo anywhere. I use my shop vac to suck up any bugs that I do see now and it seems to be working.

I hate using chemicals on my plants...

 

[GreatLife4All]

I have been having a real issue with bugs in my veg tent. Started a couple of weeks ago.

I don't have any immature bugs.. but there are still mature bugs flying around.

As I was cleaning things three days ago I moved a bucket... and out ran a wolf spider (at least, that is what we call them here). I know that they are one of the best insectivores out there - and they don't spin webs. So I caught that spider, and found 2 others. I put them into the veg tent with the plants and other insects.

This morning, I noticed that there were no more flying insects - the population has been dropping daily. When I started looking - there are dead and dried up bodies all over the floor. I can't find the wolf spiders - but it is obvious that they are cleaning up the tent.

So... if you have a flying insect problem and know what a wolf spider is... you won't have to spend money on chemicals or lady bugs.

 

[CA215]

That sounds super effective, have them wolf spiders running around the backyard daily, hopefully they are taking part in the circle of life and helping me out . Have also seen these praying mantis at work, they do quite the job! Caught a lime green guy few weeks back, set him on the "miracle grow and un pH'd water experiment" berry kush clone seen below (hope it's ok I added the pic), he has yet to move from that said plant and is now getting older and changing to a tan and brown camo color, pretty awesome. Can you spy the creeper on the top left tall branch

How are the girls looking Great? Swelling up nicely, reeking to high heaven?
Hope all is well CA

 

[GreatLife4All]

Everything is going great CA.

I went ahead and harvested the C99 and Silver Kush last night. I will have to take pictures once the drying gets done.

The C99 was very small - it got stuck between two tall sativas (Silver Kush and Sweet Tai) - maybe 10 to 12 grams of what looks to be very fine bud. The Silver Kush is likely around 3 oz.

Because I took those other two out, I went ahead and re-arranged and tied down the Sweet Tai - so hopefully the Cheese and Sour Diesel will get plenty of light to finish off now.

Still can't find any wolf spiders in that tent - but there are zero insects for a couple of days now. Those are some ferocious spiders...

 

[GreatLife4All]

I have now harvested the C99, Silver Kush, Sour Diesel, and BC Cheese.

The only one that is dry is the Silver Kush - the rest are still quite wet as they were just harvested.

Here is a photo update on the Silver Kush.

 

[CA215]

Frosty meds there G! That silver kush looks damn silver with all the trichs! +reps
Have you smoked a small sample of your yield yet? Planning a nice long cure?
CA

 

[GreatLife4All]

Hello CA

Yes, they are turning out very, very frosty. And the color is awesome - everyone comments on how beautiful the buds are.

And.. hell yea - this stuff is going to get bottled in mason jars and hidden. To be brought out when I need weed that will drop me to my knees...

I have been smoking just the popcorn buds off the Silver Kush - it is the most potent strain that I have ever grown. No doubt about it. I shared with my brother - who doesn't smoke very often - and it left him sitting on the couch babbling incoherently. He came over the next day and said no more of that Silver Kush for him... Now that is a testimonial.

The taste is somewhat complex... It starts out tangy on the inhale, but the exhale tastes like diesel. Aftertaste is definitely diesel. The high is immediate and forceful and then it tapers off to a body buzz. It would be great for the last smoke of the night.

When they have finished drying, I will transition to smoking the Sour Diesel and BC Cheese - haven't tried them yet. The C99 was disappointing and I gave it away... but I will take the blame as a grower.

I would have to rate the Reserva Privada Silver Kush as one of the best. A little hard to grow - but well worth the effort. Highly recommended by GL4A!

Frosty meds there G! That silver kush looks damn silver with all the trichs! +reps
Have you smoked a small sample of your yield yet? Planning a nice long cure?
CA

 

[CA215]

i love babbling incoherently....

I also love weed that will drop me to my knees your smoke report sounds quite appetizing as well. I would be proud

Sounds like you have quite the harvest GL4A how is the sweet thai coming along, I have never smoked/seen any bud along the lines of "thai" bud just pictures.. Always had a fascination of how the buds grew almost in a complete cylinder, or maybe the growers dry it in the way to have it form like that, i'm not sure but I do know i'm probably ill informed HA! +reps to you G!

Good growin', CA