Ravenplume Grow Journal 2020-02: Video Journal, Wildling Seeds

[Ravenplume]

Alright, I decided to start a second grow project, and make a video grow journal for this one. This one, is being done as a way to show my techniques I have been using; and to give the feel of viewers just getting to watch a relative noob to this hobby learn the ropes and figure things out via trial and error, and hopefully discover techniques that others may have simply overlooked all these years.

That is the beauty of this becoming legal more and more places. We can now experiment and learn and improve the techniques and processes for growing and breeding.

So, here is my first entry, where I show three of my 2019 Wildling seeds being planted for germinating au naturale, and three going into a cup of water to be put in darkness until they sprout. No matter the number of seeds, I propose this method be called 2 Seeds, 1 Cup.

This is also the first ever video on the Ravenplume YouTube channel. Hopefully it will grow as the project progresses...

 

[Pbass]

Love your lamp! CHeers mate, look forward to progress!

 

[Ravenplume]

Small update here. The three seeds in the cup are all showing their taproots and will likely be planted in styrofoam cups sometime next week.

No signs of life for the three planted seeds yet. Hope I didn't drown them.

 

[Ravenplume]

The darkwater babies are getting planted tomorrow. The planted seeds will be dug up and then I will see if they will still germinate in my tried and true way, which I am going to stick with from now on.

Oops on the date stated at the beginning. Should have said 8th of February, not January. Was feeling a bit rushed to get this done.

 

[Ravenplume]

And already have another update here. The three Darkwaters are now planted in styrofoam cups, and I am giving up on the planted onces. I have enough seeds, there is no point in trying to salvage those three. And from here on out, I am sticking with the Darkwater, aka 2 Seeds 1 Cup germination method. It work without fail for me, so no point trying any other way.

 

[Ravenplume]

Finally an update. Actually 2, with a third coming in another two or three days. But for now, here is the first one, just an update on how the one I had called Runt is faring, and ironically, from the first batch, this is the only one that survived, whereas I thought this one wouldn't make it past initial planting.

 

[Ravenplume]

And as planned, Runt got planted yesterday on 4/20.

There are also three wildlings growing in the enclosure as well, from last year's mother plant. They should be the same heritage as Runt and her siblings that get potted soon and planted next month. We will see how they go.

 

[Ravenplume]

Very minor update from yesterday. Just mostly testing out a 10MP Fuji Finepix camera I have decided to keep for general video and photo work (outside my eCrater/Etsy/eBay work).

Anyway, Runt is still struggling, most likely due to being planted earlier than normal. I am holding out hope she recovers and begins thriving soon, now that the weather is getting really nice.

The feral Wildling seeds are surviving as well. Hopefully at least one of them grows up nicely too.

Could likely have a couple more video updates on this project later this evening.

 

[Ravenplume]

And here is today's update. The one I posted just a short while ago was technically a yesterday update.

Wildling 04 has been planted. It was struggling to stay vertical in its cup, so I had made a splint to lash it to with a twistie tie. I may have had it too tight. Hopefully it will get better out here.

05 and 06 will be house plants inside for the time being, and will be getting transplanted into proper pots either this evening or tomorrow.

 

[Ravenplume]

And in the latest update, it appears Runt is either showing preflowers, or has plain flowered early. I'll try to get clearer shots tomorrow.

Regardless, it appears runt is male. Now hopefully tomorrow we can get him safely dug up and potted to be an indoor plant (Need him for breeding) and get him back into veg mode. Or barring that, would he already have viable pollen? Should I go ahead and harvest a bunch before putting him back to veg? I could I suppose just collect the pollen sacs into a pill bottle and stow it in a safe place. I know I asked this a couple years ago, but how long would pollen be good for? Would it still be viable by flowering time?

Now the three feral wildlings seem to be growing together nicely. I think we are just going to keep them all planted together and see how they go.

Cratchet is also thriving, though I see the lowest leaves have been nibbled on by something.

And finally, it looks like we have another feral Wildling that recently popped up, and with plenty of personal space too. Calling this one The Nooblet for now, but I know that will change eventually.

 

[Ravenplume]

Here are some decent close ups of Runt. Is this preflower, or did he hit puberty early?

 

[Ravenplume]

Had a bit of a mishap during watering today...

Yeah, fumbled and ended up pouring half the pitcher directly onto Nooblet from nearly 6 feet up.

I think he is going to recover (I hope he is at least). Chances are, he should be back upright chasing the sun by tomorrow if not this evening.

 

[Ravenplume]

I suppose that there is no huge ass hurry to get him out of there, since this is a premature flowering, happening in fact before even the usual planting time, so nothing for him to bust a nut all over. It would still be nice to get a definitive yes or no on whether his pollen would be viable considering the unusual premature puberty.

Meanwhile, one of these two will be his replacement out there, hopefully to be planted on the 1st of June. Still would like to figure out an easy way to sex them without forcing them to flower like Runt did, especially this close to planting time.

Here is Wildling-05 as one replacement candidate

And Wildling-06

They both look pretty equal to me, so will likely go with 05, then the frog, toad, and turtles can join the ducks with 06, which will get moved up to the table most likely.

Anyway, this is why you should always germinate and start a few extra seedlings early on. And then any you don't need, you can always give away as starters to family and friends or just anyone you may happen upon who wants to give this a shot. The more the merrier, eh?

 

[Ravenplume]

Just a little update on how things are hopping out back in the pen.

Runt has not been dug up yet. Still waiting to hear definitively whether or not his pollen is viable this early on. Still no rush, but still hoping to have an answer by the 1st, because that will be when he gets replaced by one of the standby indoor plants, -06.

Wonder Dog is really taking off, and his stem is already turning into a trunk, while Wendy and Marvin are hanging in there behind him still.

Cratchet is doing fine too, and it does look like Nooblet is going to survive. We are going to give him a splint and let him recover a little longer from his mishap before traumatizing him with a transplant. We want to keep this corner clear so the lion's share of sun light coming from west and southwest does not get blocked.

That said, the ferals are sprouting like wildfire. I see two clusters that are just going to be plucked and thrown out. This other one here that is standing off a bit from the clusters will hopefully survive a transplant, since she just drew my interest, much like Nooblet. If she gets kept and survived, this one will be nicknamed Wildfire.

 

[FelipeBlu]

That’s a full-on male! No reason why his pollen wouldn’t be viable. I would get him inside ASAP!

 

[Ravenplume]

After I get today's Etsy listings up, I'll be at least plucking one pollen sac to see if its contents are mature yet. Regardless, he is out of there tomorrow. We will just be harvesting the sacs instead of potting him and trying to get him to reveg.

So, from what I saw elsewhere, the pollen gets stored in a pill bottle with dry rice in the freezer? Is it okay to have the pollen in contact with the rice then, or should the pollen be in their sacs or wrapped in plastic wrap and then put on top of the rice?

 

[013]

Hi Ravenplume,

Sometimes it’s hard to get timely answers, you could search here on “pollen” in the search box & to access all of the posts from people who are talking about using pollen. I have never bred cannabis but from what I read yes collect it in a pill bottle with couple rice grains to keep it dry. Also don’t spray, mist or foliar feed your girls on the leaves & bud sites with water before or after you try to pollinate her.

I have read numerous times that water kills pollen - that is the point I’m going for! Best of luck - hope this helps

 

[FelipeBlu]

After I get today's Etsy listings up, I'll be at least plucking one pollen sac to see if its contents are mature yet. Regardless, he is out of there tomorrow. We will just be harvesting the sacs instead of potting him and trying to get him to reveg.

So, from what I saw elsewhere, the pollen gets stored in a pill bottle with dry rice in the freezer? Is it okay to have the pollen in contact with the rice then, or should the pollen be in their sacs or wrapped in plastic wrap and then put on top of the rice?

I believe it would be best if the rice grains were in contact with the pollen, like you sometimes see in salt shakers.

 

[Ravenplume]

Ah, didn't realize it was only a couple or so grains of rice. I was picturing like the bottom 1/4 of the pill bottle being filled with rice.

 

[013]

Agree with Felipe, rice needs to be in same bottle as pollen