Looking for some middle-of-the-road advice

[ringmanme]

I'm a 50- something year old head that is experiencing a dwindling access to herb. I've been smoking for over 35 years and experienced many varietys of herb, hashish, and hash oil. I do appreciate the devotion and fine work that many of the members here have done in developing the various strains and variants that I've seen on this site. I have had access to some excellent quality herbs over the years but, to be frank, I just can't afford them. I have satiated myself over the last dozen years just buy run off the mill skunk weed that cost me about $85 a half oz. This lasts me about 3 to 4 months. Due to my worsening financials, the ever threat of exposing myself to law enforcement, risking a 20 plus year career and the sole support of a wife and 3 young kids, I decided to grow some bag seed in the basement.

The Particulars
Bag Seed
Miracle Grow Potting Mix (soiless) on top & half composted cow manure mixed with bagged topsoil on bottom
4 plants in 5 Gal buckets
2 - 105 watt 6500 K cfl ( approx 13,500 lumens total)
4 - 40 watt 6500 K 48" linear flourescent (12,200 lumens total)
6 - 26 watt 2700 K cfl ( 10,500 lumens total)
Nutes 10-15-10 water soluble fert
temps 65- 70 deg.

Plants are approx 6 weeks old and 18 inches tall with a 21/3 light cycle.

I'm moving to a 12/12 light cycle to getting these babys to flower and to harvest. I am need to harvest by June 15th.

My first of several questions follows. I was happy with the Columbian that i used to smoke back in the 70's and it had seeds. In fact, what I'm smoking now has seeds. How much am I reducing the quality/quantity of my harvest if I let the male plants (that's assuming I can accurately ID the male plants before they fertilize the "girls") go to maturity? How much THC do the male prode vice the females. Can I separate them in seperate grow areas to flower and mature?

My reason for asking is that,I don't need to get waisted. I'm not looking to harvest a one hit and you are out killer weed. I don't won't to destroy may lungs in process of trying to relax either. I just want to blow an occassional dube and get a little spacey.

Am I barking up the wrong tree here?

ringmanme
Just trying to chill in the Mid-Atlantic States

 

[Ms.Fox]

Most of us here prefer not to burden our girls with seeds. The quality of the plant goes down. We can definitely help you figure out the difference between male and female. Males have very little thc. Male pollen can travel for miles and successfully pollenate a female, so I wouldn't suggest keeping them around. Not all weed has the same effect. You can choose a variety that you like. There are indica, sativa, and indica/sativa hybrids. Each can provide a different experience for you.

 

[ringmanme]

Thanx, All I have access to is some bagseed. Paranoid about buying seed thru mail. I mean is it that commonplace?
Anyway my grow looks good now. I try to attach picture soon!

 

[jaymay]

We're around the same age and similar situation with dwindling access,etc. I started a continuous cabinet grow from bagseed,all very middle of the road, last March that I've been pulling around an oz a month from since Thanksgiving.

Your light setup sounds similar to what I use in my flowering cabinet, but you need to change those 6500k bulbs to 2700k for flowering. I'd suggest getting away from the Miracle Gro mixes on your next grow too. I just use a locally produced potting soil mixed with composted manure and a little lime based on pH testing. It's cheaper, better texture and there's no slow release nitrogen mixed in to contend with.

How much am I reducing the quality/quantity of my harvest if I let the male plants (that's assuming I can accurately ID the male plants before they fertilize the "girls") go to maturity? How much THC do the male prode vice the females. Can I separate them in seperate grow areas to flower and mature?

You're going to reduce the quality relative to what it would have been sinsemilla, but as long as the bag you got the seed from was decent, it'll do what you're looking for.And if it all goes to seed you're going to lose alot of bud quantity. But if you want to to make seed for future grows, there's ways you can pollinate 1 or 2 buds, which will give you plenty of seed. Cannabis males are pretty worthless other than for pollinating and just have very small amounts of thc/cannibinoids in the leaves. In my experience if things are really dry and you're waiting for your females to mature, if you smoke a fat joint or two of them by yourself you can get mildly buzzed, or you may not depending on the plant.

I am need to harvest by June 15th.

It's not going to be anywhere near ready if you're just putting it on 12/12 now.

 

[L8tNightSkunk]

Looking forward to checking out your grow!

 

[ringmanme]

Thanx for explaining some of the particulars. I think I have ID'd two females out of the four plants that I have. I guess it work out for the better as they are getting very big for the space that I have.

Thanx