Sweetsue's First Grow - Stealthy Trio of Autos Under CFLs

[Graytail]

I did some reading and it would appear that the oldest leaves are probably not the best receptors of foliars, unless the objective is to directly feed N to them.

As leaves age, they become disassimilated from much of the plant's nutrient pathways and are less likely to influence exudates, while the flowers and the newest growth take primary control of hormones and nutrient sinks. I still haven't learned if the flowers respond best to foliars - it seems a bit counter-intuitive, if so.

 

[SweetSue]

Great advice, GT.

I agree.....two more weeks. But it's really a personal preference at this point.

My preference Doc, is to let her live as long as possible before she offers the reward. I check trichomes every morning and at this point we're at less than 10% amber. I defer to the wisdom of experienced growers here. Dale won't be home for weeks and the girls are no effort at all. I take it my call on Buddha is close at over three weeks?

Guys, you're making me blush. While dealing with saving Dale's life I keep neglecting to express thanks for the rep points I've been honored to receive. Let me do that here. I'm so glad my contributions to the community have made you smile. It's a nice, warm feeling.

 

[SweetSue]

Da Bomb!!

A+ top-shelf flowers. Oooooo, that's a nice plant!

She'll be first, of course, almost ready, but I wouldn't be surprised if she lasted another couple weeks. It'll depend on the pistil development. So far, she's still putting out new ones. In a week, they'll either have gone all brown or she'll still be making more.

Have you tugged the cola buds away from the main stems at all? It can get kinda stuffy in there - nice place for mold - and if you bend them slightly out and away from the main stem you can get some of the inside growth to mature better. I've used a pencil and a chopstick to gently pry them away.

Thanks for the info Greytail. I'll do that tonight. Just getting close to the colas leaves you sticky.

 

[Graytail]

Hmmm, more info ...

It seems that there are counter balancing factors. Older leaves become nutrient exporters ...


Collectively these results illustrate the difficulty in interpreting studies of leaf age, leaf cuticular structure and plant phenology on foliar absorption. In the absence of biotic and abiotic factors, it is apparent that (at the single leaf scale) the proportion of cuticular waxes on a leaf area basis decreases with time as leaves expand more quickly than new cuticular matter is synthesized. In field conditions, this pattern may be reversed as light, temperature, humidity, mechanical stresses and other abiotic and biotic factors stimulate cuticular synthesis while restricting leaf expansion. The complexity of the interactions between leaf age and foliar absorption are further complicated by simultaneous changes in leaf metabolism and nutrient export that occur during development, as well as patterns of crop phenology which determine leaf age distribution, canopy architecture and relative competition between organs. It is also very difficult to compare results from diverse experiments since true physiological leaf age is highly dependent on growth conditions and simultaneous changes in deposition of cuticular materials, leaf expansion and the accumulation of mechanical and biotic stresses (pathogens and herbivory) which all act to alter foliar absorption capacity. When rapid leaf export of a phloem mobile nutrient is occurring care should be taken to ensure quantification of the rate of absorption by measuring both nutrient recovery in the treated area as well as in sink organs.

• The influence of leaf age and the environment on the efficacy of foliar applications is complex and currently no universal principles can be discerned.

• Leaves of diverse species exhibit gross differences in cuticle structure, wax percentages and composition but these differences are poorly predictive of foliar absorption capacity.

• The effect of leaf age on the absorption and transport of foliar-applied nutrients can be directly attributed to leaf transition from a sink for photosynthates to a source of photosynthates for newly developing sinks.

• At the whole plant level differences in patterns of leaf development, canopy expansion and bearing habit affect the homogeneity of the leaf canopy and hence alter the population of leaves of a given age at any point in time.

• The rates of uptake of applied chemicals by leaves declines with leaf age from initiation to full expansion and may increase again during leaf senescence.

 

[newoldguy]

Just ran across this blog and I have to say it's an amazing grow.
And you're an amazing person, SweetSue, dealing with all of what life has thrown in your path.

Blessings to you and yours.

 

[SweetSue]

Just ran across this blog and I have to say it's an amazing grow.
And you're an amazing person, SweetSue, dealing with all of what life has thrown in your path.

Blessings to you and yours.

Why thank you newoldguy and welcome to the excitement of watching my soil raise such beautiful specimens. I must admit, I had no idea they'd be this successful. Are you planning on staying with us for the close? We've another month, at least.

All I'm trying to do in life is spread as much love and joy as possible. Living with a man who's loved me unconditionally for over 34 years has made that much easier to do.

 

[newoldguy]

Yep, I'm here for the duration.

I agree with the unconditional love aspect.

Blessings

 

[SweetSue]

Greytail, reading that research just reinforced my resistance to defoliate. Those leaves serve a purpose or they wouldn't be there.

Thank you for contributing such valuable information to my journal. Between you and danishoes I'm getting a sweet crash course in our favorite plant.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Good to know we are pondering things at the edge of science

 

[Doc Bud]

Greytail, reading that research just reinforced my resistance to defoliate. Those leaves serve a purpose or they wouldn't be there.

Thank you for contributing such valuable information to my journal. Between you and danishoes I'm getting a sweet crash course in our favorite plant.

I do not defoliate. I've tried it and brix went WAY down. Sure, it might give more bud sites and increase overall yield if done properly, but if it's quality that you're after, defoliating is not the path to be on.

Afterall, our plants often defoliate themselves, do they not?

I am a firm believer in foliar feeding, and foliar feeding requires foliage!

 

[SweetSue]

I do not defoliate. I've tried it and brix went WAY down. Sure, it might give more bud sites and increase overall yield if done properly, but if it's quality that you're after, defoliating is not the path to be on.

Afterall, our plants often defoliate themselves, do they not?

I am a firm believer in foliar feeding, and foliar feeding requires foliage!

Thank you.

 

[SweetSue]

It's good to be home, warm and safe. Hope you all are staying warm as well.

Sure do miss these beauties all day.

 

[SweetSue]

It's so funny that I don't get to really see my own posts until I get home and can use the iPad. Wow! I'm as impressed as all of you are.

I have these huge and obviously potent plants maturing just three feet from me, filling the apartment with their sweet perfume and nothing to smoke when I get home. How ironic. It's only temporary. The other day I took the smallest of the Bomb's popcorn buds, flash dried it and got completely blasted! After her buds cure at least two weeks she's going to be a two hit wonder. Just what I was hoping for. Just what Dale deserves.

I'll admit, they took me by surprise as well. When I started, my expectation was an ounce, maybe ounce and a half per. I believe I under estimated. All of the buds are solid and dense. Excited!!!

The best part is having this wonderful community to share the excitement with. You guys rock.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

I think you'll be pulling at least a few ounces, ma'am

 

[akisunni]

Sue, you and I are old school, we have to remember these kids have invented new tech and embrace it.

I remembered I have a Vaporizer in storage, and dug it out. While I have owned it for years, I never really got into it. To me it seemed to ruin my best bud which oddly enough was really dry when I got it, even though I lived on the Oregon coast in some of the highest density of growers on the West Coast with in feet if not miles.

I dug out my Vaporizer, went and plucked a couple of buds off Ms Stinky the Infested one, and Wamm I had a multi hour buzz on... And the taste was amazing. You could "breath" the physical flavors. You can go directly from plant to Lungs in under 1 minute if everything is warmed up.

No funky green grass experience. No waiting on flash dry to work or not. Straight up meds on demand. I think you and Dale will believe its worth the investment, if you have one and can plug in fresh buds from your future girls directly to Dale. Using your Auto Grow and lighting. You could stagger your girls so there is 1 in back going from seed to veg, one from Veg to Bud and one from Bud to harvest. Dale would always have fresh on demand meds while you wait for stuff to properly dry and cure...

Just an Aki thought of the Day...

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Arizer V-Tower.

Best Vape for the money.

 

[SweetSue]

And a good thought it is aki. I initially wanted to do a perpetual garden, but thought I'd like to get my feet properly wet first. I'm still considering it, but if I pull in enough to get us through until the next harvest I'll stick to what I did this time. I think they enjoyed growing up together. I know I enjoyed comparing their different styles.

I'm seriously considering a vape. It would be best for Dale, aside from edibles, which I plan to start as soon as the Bomb is harvested and the excess is dried. I'm going to make some kicking butter and make some caramels and little med cookies for Dale and our daughter.

I soooo can't wait until I can test the harvest. I intend to cure it properly first. Why get this far and rush the cure? We'll last until then. It'll give me time to get that vape.

 

[SweetSue]

Arizer V-Tower.

Best Vape for the money.

Sweet, and reasonably priced. Not that I can afford it just yet.

 

[Ranger275]

If those herbs aren't ripe, I've never seen ripe.

 

[SweetSue]

Still don't have amber trichomes Ranger, and she's still putting out new white pistils. She's close, there's no denying, but I think Doc and Greytail may be right. I'll give her to next weekend and decide again. I'm checking her closely. I want a vast majority of cloudy, but the longer she wants to take to get more amber the longer I have to let the soil create more frosty goodness. Mmmmmm. Dear Lord, you should smell her. Drives me to distraction!