Mystery Auto Fem Stealth Grow

[Zepharino]

These seeds were given to me by a friend whom had been given them by a Mendocino breeder. They started the initial seeding indoors and quickly moved them outdoors during the summer time (June-July). My buddy had no information about these seeds but we noticed that they started flowering without a change in photo period and grew only a foot in height before being fully matured. The seeds also had a overwhelming percentage of females. Another friend grew six plants from the same seed batch; all plants were female and all plants began flowering without a change in photo-period. I finished the rearing of those said plants; three were kept indoors and three brought to an outdoor location. The finished and were chopped by week 8 of flower (trichomes were 50/50 amber milk). The dried cured product was some of the sweetest most potent herb I have ever smoked. The same buddy who originally received the seeds gave me 6 more and told me to grow them using hydro. I started them on March 9, 2014.
Lights - 95 watt LED UFO
- 125 watt horticulture CFL (6500k)
- 18:6
Medium - expanded clay pellets
- rock wool cubes
- Deep water culture
Nutrients - Dutch Master Gold two part
- Liquid Light + Penetrator

 

[Zepharino]

 

[Zepharino]

On April 19 (Day 37) I switched the photo-period to 16:8 because there was no sign of sex and all the information I could find directed me to a switch in photo period in order to trigger flowering. Today April 22, there is still no sign of sex, but plants look very healthy. The lack of information on these seeds' genetics have made this grow very interesting so far. I am not sure when to expect signs of sex.

 

[Calyx Hunter]

To fully trigger flowering you will need a 12/12 cycle.

 

[Zepharino]

To fully trigger flowering you will need a 12/12 cycle.

For regular strains I always switch to 12:12 but after researching characteristics of auto varieties I decided that these seeds have rudelius genes for two reasons: 1) they finished flowering at 1foot tall and in the middle of summer 2) They flowered indoors during a 18:6 photo period. Has anyone had experience with auto or semi-auto varieties? I was thinking of leaving them in 16:8 for another 2 days to see what happens, if nothing I will switch to 12:12

 

[Zepharino]

Here some pictures from today (approx. Day 43)

 

[Calyx Hunter]

For regular strains I always switch to 12:12 but after researching characteristics of auto varieties I decided that these seeds have rudelius genes for two reasons: 1) they finished flowering at 1foot tall and in the middle of summer 2) They flowered indoors during a 18:6 photo period. Has anyone had experience with auto or semi-auto varieties? I was thinking of leaving them in 16:8 for another 2 days to see what happens, if nothing I will switch to 12:12

Since it is an Auto Strain then it should flower when it is ready with no dependence on light schedule.

I'm confused; are you trying to force flower just to see signs of sex or are you trying to force flower for timing or size reasons?

If the plant is a mystery then how do you know it is an Auto Feminized?

 

[Zepharino]

That plant has genetics from indica and rudelius. The rudelius relation was determined by my observations: 1) no change in (18:6)photo-period for indoor flowering to occur 2) outdoor (SW facing) plants topped out at 1 foot matured flower in the middle of summer (13.5 hour days). The indica relation was observed from the broad shaped leafs, the quick flowering time, the short stature, the taste and effect of the dried cured bud. The feminized characteristic (i.e. bread from pollen of hermaphroditic flowers) were observed through the astonishing ration of females to males (approx 1m:10f) I am not trying to force flower but I am not trying to waste unnecessary electricity, while also experimenting with the correlation of photo period to flowering with this particular variety.

 

[Calyx Hunter]

Those leaves are sexy.

 

[Zepharino]

Those leaves are sexy.

Thank you Calyx Hunter.

Today is day 50 total (15 days using flower formula) and there is still no sign of sex. I may have started the flower nutrients a bit to early because I expected flowering to begin before week 5 from seed. The plants still look healthy though and I will be changing the reservoir out tonight. Lights are now on 12:12, if anything this should help reduce electrical costs. Hopefully it triggers/forces the flowering because these plants will need to be LST if they veg any longer.

Here are some photos from the 29 (day 48) right after foliar spray was applied.

 

[Calyx Hunter]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that now that you are on a 12/12 light schedule you will see signs of flowering in 5-10 days. Patience, the flowers will come.

 

[TrysHard]

Sub'd

Welcome to Looks like a good chance to learn about autoflowering.

 

[Zepharino]

Thank you for the Feed back and the sub.
Here are some photos from today. I have been noticing protuberances on the plant stalks that I have never witnessed before. I sure hope they are not tiny male flowers emerging (they really look like it). But, they almost look like calyx in a very early stage but I cant be sure. I ran across this thread that made me think that these may be female as the other seeds predominately were, Female preflower? Usually I just see white hairs or very apparent male pollen sacks, never this.

 

[TrysHard]

Female for sure.

 

[scottish]

Those are definately photo period plants mate an autoflower will show sex under any lighting within a month some as early as 19days its not to say the other seeds didnt have the ruderalis gene its genetics this batch of seed must have have more photo period heritage some really nice looking plants now your on 12/12 you will have a proper sexing soon enough too me that looks like new leaf growth or the bit next to a female calyx so may be a lady good luck in subbed in

 

[Zepharino]

That you for your comments everyone. I think that you are right Scottish. I am wondering if environmental conditions may have brought out the photo period genetic traits of these particular seeds. They were all one batch of seeds so I am assuming that the genetics are the same. I think that the nature of the plant is to flower without a change in photo period, but the nurturing of this particular run of seeds brought out traits from the indica which require a change in photo period to begin flowering. These seeds were the only ones germinated in hot climate (lows 78degree F highs 90degree F) (RH: lows 37% highs 65%) and raised in the same climate. I will be cloning the plants if they do end up female so it will be interesting to see how the genetics play out in the clones.

 

[TrysHard]

You should take the clones now and label them, and keep the ones that come from females. I understand that clones should be taken from plants still in veg.

 

[scottish]

Nice some indica phenos will give you a nice heavy stone and those plants really do look amazing can't wait till you sex them as for clones I'm afraid they will be exact replicas of the mother plant so no auto just the indicas pheno you have you can keep alive until a seed out of the batch is the male auto repolinate her?

Tryshard its best to take clones after sexing or you could get male clones unless a feminized plant I find mature plants clones root better than a baby plant and also if lollipopping clone lower growth removal I think would be best cloning method it doesn't have to be done in veg its just easiest

 

[Zepharino]

Thank you for the Reply TryHard. I will be taking clones from one plant today.

Nice some indica phenos will give you a nice heavy stone and those plants really do look amazing can't wait till you sex them as for clones I'm afraid they will be exact replicas of the mother plant so no auto just the indicas pheno you have you can keep alive until a seed out of the batch is the male auto repolinate her?

Tryshard its best to take clones after sexing or you could get male clones unless a feminized plant I find mature plants clones root better than a baby plant and also if lollipopping clone lower growth removal I think would be best cloning method it doesn't have to be done in veg its just easiest

You read my mind Scottish. Right after I posted that, I thought about it and realized that a clone is an exact replica of its mother at the stage the cutting was taken. The indica genetics make for some awesome medicine, I just the auto genes would have showed through on these seeds. I really expected a quicker cycle to occur. But, since I have tons of shoots (which will be useless anyway because I am using minimal lighting) I will be taking cuttings tonight because I just sexed one of the plants and she is a girl

The plant that plant that is showing female organs is Plant C and it sprouted five days after Plants A&B (Far right plants). I am starting to be more optimistic with this grow. The waiting game is always hard for me. I am very impatient. That is why I love plants, raising them teaches you patience and commitment.

 

[TrysHard]

Tryshard its best to take clones after sexing or you could get male clones unless a feminized plant I find mature plants clones root better than a baby plant and also if lollipopping clone lower growth removal I think would be best cloning method it doesn't have to be done in veg its just easiest

I understand that, you take clones from your vegging plants just prior to sexing them. You will be getting your clone from a mature plant. I could be wrong, but from what I read if you take a clone from a plant that is already sexed, the clone then has to be revegged because it is currently sexually mature and you have a higher chance to get hermies. So take your clones just before going to 12/12 and label them. If they came from a male plant destroy the male plant and the clone, which you can do because you labeled them.