Well...here goes nothing 420 Magazine! This is going to be my first journal, and I'm going to be completely out of my element, and might need some guidance along the way! While I'm nervous about a few things, getting assistance from my brothers and sisters here is not one of them!
I'd like to start off by offering a huge to 420 Magazine, and all the great members here that have made me feel like part of the family right from the beginning. It's because of you I'm where I am now...so again!
I'll be including a lot of details along the way, mostly for me, but also for the benefit of any new growers that happen to stop by. I would also encourage anyone to jump in and ask questions if there's something that needs more explanation. The best part of a journal is the interaction...so don't be shy!
Here's the rundown:
The strain I'll be growing is Nirvana's Ice. The mothers were from a feminized seed. It's a 50/50 Sativa/Indica hybrid that a strain guide lists as a Skunk/White family cross. It also list the flowering time as 63-70 days, but I only use those numbers as a guide. Here's what else it said about it.
Here's what the breeder says:
This is a new strain for me. While I have grown the mothers, I've yet to flower one out , so I guess we'll have to wait and see. So far this pheno seems to exhibit mostly Indica traits. The mothers are compact with broad leaves...also seems to be a fairly heavy feeder, and very hardy.
To go along with the new strain, I'll be trying a new growing style as well. This run will be my first SOG... I got my inspiration to try a Sea of Green from folks like 420fied, Twelve12, Mr. Krip, and many others along the way. In the past I've grown much smaller numbers of much larger plants, some as large as 5 ft tall, so this will be a learning experience. I'll be growing 49 plants in a 4'x4' tray under 1000 watt HID lighting, in a Magnum XXXL hood, powered by a Lumatek digital ballast. I'm using a MH bulb now, but will switch over to HPS for flowering.
The ballast is dimmable. There's a dial to choose 600W, 750W, 1000W, and Super Lumens which is supposed to be 1100W...all settings work on a 1000 watt bulb. It's also a true multi-watt ballast, in that you can screw in a 600 watt bulb and use it on the 600 Watt setting.
The girls will be in .8 gallon (3 liter) Superoots Air-Pots. I have been using these exclusively for everything other than my moms for about a year, and love them. If you grow in soil and haven't tried Air-Pots, I think you'll be impressed. Here's a couple videos I think are worth watching.
Air-Pots-Overview - YouTube
How to use Air-Pot Containers - YouTube
I've also used the .3 gallon (1 liter) Air-Cells, and the 3.4 gallon (12.5 liter) Air-Pots, but for a SOG I think these will be ideal.
This brings me to the growing medium! I've been growing in soil from the start. I've played around with Hempy a bit, but there's something about growing in soil that I really love!
When I started looking at soils, there was a couple things I took into consideration. First, being on the East coast, many quality soils and composts that folks are using on the West coast just aren't available here. Some of the larger names like Fox Farm and Roots are, but it's been my experience that most items marketed for cannabis are overpriced and over hyped. I've also heard that the Fox Farm soils here are a different formulation than what's sold out West. I have used FFOF and still use Light Warrior for starting my clones, but I began looking for something new.
When I looked locally, it didn't take long to discover that the absolute best organic products available here are from a company called Coast of Maine. All of their soils contain compost and are actual living soils right out of the bag. They have many different products geared towards many different types of plants, but Ill be using their Bar Harbor Blend...heres another short video.
Bar Harbor - YouTube
I've used various nutes along the way, including one of my favorites, Osmocote Plus. While OC+ grows excellent cannabis, I have been itching to switch over to organics for quite a while...which brings me to high brix! Stay tuned...on my next post I'll pick up right here!
I'd like to start off by offering a huge to 420 Magazine, and all the great members here that have made me feel like part of the family right from the beginning. It's because of you I'm where I am now...so again!
I'll be including a lot of details along the way, mostly for me, but also for the benefit of any new growers that happen to stop by. I would also encourage anyone to jump in and ask questions if there's something that needs more explanation. The best part of a journal is the interaction...so don't be shy!
Here's the rundown:
The strain I'll be growing is Nirvana's Ice. The mothers were from a feminized seed. It's a 50/50 Sativa/Indica hybrid that a strain guide lists as a Skunk/White family cross. It also list the flowering time as 63-70 days, but I only use those numbers as a guide. Here's what else it said about it.
Two types of grass gained popularity among Dutch growers in the mid-1990s. The red skunk strains gave high yields of middling quality weed, while the resinous white strains satisfied any ganja gourmet with flavor and quality of buzz, but gave only modest yields. After an intense selection process, Nirvana hybridized for the best qualities of these two established strains with Ice.
A new generation power plant, Ice weds kind bud with kind yields. Ice has few branches, minimal foliage, and many floral clusters: a plus when manicuring. Virtually all of the branches Ice extends will be heavily budded. A rapid grower, this plant can be put directly into flower after roots are established. She will double in height and start forming flowers in the first 2 weeks of the 12-hour regimen. No ice maiden, this strain is happiest with lots of fresh, warm, humid air circulating around her. Hydroponic methods will give the most effective results with the best resin production. A sea of green set-up is appropriate.
Ice practically fumes with nearly fuel-like scent of raw THC. Flavored like Nepali black hash, toking Ice is likely to induce coughing. Plan on putting your brain on ice because this variety's heavy stone may leave you in lazy daze for hours.
Winner, High Times Cannabis Cup 1998.
Here's what the breeder says:
Through an intensive process of selection among thousands of marijuana plants, Nirvana seeds managed to create Ice, a perfect union of quantity and quality. With its ancestry of Afghan, Shiva, Northern Light and a very special Skunk, Ice is a truly spectacular cannabis hybrid. Its dense marijuana flowers are richly covered in trichomes and the buds that form along the main branches have a high marijuana flower-to-leaf ratio. Ice seeds will flourish in both hydro and soil environments. With its heavy stone effect and almost fuel-like aroma, it's no wonder Nirvana Ice won the 1998 Cannabis Cup hands down.
This is a new strain for me. While I have grown the mothers, I've yet to flower one out , so I guess we'll have to wait and see. So far this pheno seems to exhibit mostly Indica traits. The mothers are compact with broad leaves...also seems to be a fairly heavy feeder, and very hardy.
To go along with the new strain, I'll be trying a new growing style as well. This run will be my first SOG... I got my inspiration to try a Sea of Green from folks like 420fied, Twelve12, Mr. Krip, and many others along the way. In the past I've grown much smaller numbers of much larger plants, some as large as 5 ft tall, so this will be a learning experience. I'll be growing 49 plants in a 4'x4' tray under 1000 watt HID lighting, in a Magnum XXXL hood, powered by a Lumatek digital ballast. I'm using a MH bulb now, but will switch over to HPS for flowering.
The ballast is dimmable. There's a dial to choose 600W, 750W, 1000W, and Super Lumens which is supposed to be 1100W...all settings work on a 1000 watt bulb. It's also a true multi-watt ballast, in that you can screw in a 600 watt bulb and use it on the 600 Watt setting.
The girls will be in .8 gallon (3 liter) Superoots Air-Pots. I have been using these exclusively for everything other than my moms for about a year, and love them. If you grow in soil and haven't tried Air-Pots, I think you'll be impressed. Here's a couple videos I think are worth watching.
Air-Pots-Overview - YouTube
How to use Air-Pot Containers - YouTube
I've also used the .3 gallon (1 liter) Air-Cells, and the 3.4 gallon (12.5 liter) Air-Pots, but for a SOG I think these will be ideal.
This brings me to the growing medium! I've been growing in soil from the start. I've played around with Hempy a bit, but there's something about growing in soil that I really love!
When I started looking at soils, there was a couple things I took into consideration. First, being on the East coast, many quality soils and composts that folks are using on the West coast just aren't available here. Some of the larger names like Fox Farm and Roots are, but it's been my experience that most items marketed for cannabis are overpriced and over hyped. I've also heard that the Fox Farm soils here are a different formulation than what's sold out West. I have used FFOF and still use Light Warrior for starting my clones, but I began looking for something new.
When I looked locally, it didn't take long to discover that the absolute best organic products available here are from a company called Coast of Maine. All of their soils contain compost and are actual living soils right out of the bag. They have many different products geared towards many different types of plants, but Ill be using their Bar Harbor Blend...heres another short video.
Bar Harbor - YouTube
I've used various nutes along the way, including one of my favorites, Osmocote Plus. While OC+ grows excellent cannabis, I have been itching to switch over to organics for quite a while...which brings me to high brix! Stay tuned...on my next post I'll pick up right here!