AKGramma's Perpetual Grow

[AKgramma]

This is my first Indica grow, and I am embarking on a new adventure. My first 10 seeds were Sativa-heavy OG Kush, and I planted those in March of 2015. I am still running a perpetual grow from the clones from the first Ladies.
I acquired 10 Bubbelicious seeds from one of our sponsors, which arrived in 17 days, with 10 bonus mystery seeds. But I don't have the room or the stamina to grow that many at once. So, I'll pop one BBL at a time, till I arrange for more space and make sure I can sustain a new grow in the dead of a Far North winter.

When I clone or plant seeds, I put them under my light at my computer, so I can keep a continual eye on humidity and mold issues. Because I'm currently nursing both a seedling and a set of Sativa clones taken on Dec 1st, I will mention the progress on the clones when anything of note occurs. I'm finding the cloning process difficult during the very short days of a Northern winter. They seem to know what is happening outdoors, in spite of the artificial light. We are down to about 5 hours 15 minutes of daylight now.

Soil is Black Gold potting soil mixed with equal amounts of vermiculite and sand and the light is a 100 Watt output (23 actual draw) daylight CFL, the same light I use for my workspace. Temperature under the light is 75 deg F/36 deg C.

CHOOSING A SEED
I want to test the theory that seeds with indented "bellybuttons" are female. So I picked out a seed whose blunt end was indented like a volcano. I also gave it a deep cup so the taproot will not be restricted, which is said to encourage the plant to become female. Lower temps and minimum stress through the 4th week of veg are also said to encourage females. So I'll test all these theories on this and future BBL plants. I will have 10 BBLs plus 10 mystery seeds to test the theory over the next year or two.

 

[AKgramma]

PLANTING – Dec 10, 2015
• I took a 16 oz clear plastic cup, drilled 4 small holes in the bottom for drainage, and lined it with a paper towel to keep the soil from draining out. The paper towel also makes transplanting very easy. The whole package slides out without messing up the roots.
• I packed the soil to within ½"/ 13 mm of the top, gave the medium a good soaking, and let it drain.
• Then I planted my first seed ½” deep, pointed side down, and firmed the soil around it.
• I covered the cup with opaque paper and set it close to the light for warmth.
• I checked it several times a day to be sure it was still damp and to watch for its emergence. I sprayed it lightly once every morning.

COVERED SEED IN ITS NURSERY CUP

 

[AKgramma]

EMERGENCE – Dec 13, 2015
The afternoon of the 3rd day there was no evidence that the seed had sprouted. Because the seeds seemed so small, I figured I had a dud. When I checked 3 hours later, I was surprised by a healthy-looking brand-new baby, just unfolding its head from the soil!

BBL #1 BIRTHDAY PIC

I replaced the paper with a clear cover to keep it moist, while allowing light in. In this case, it was an inverted pot tray. I raised the plant to within 2” of the light, to keep it from stretching. I left this cover on all night, and opened the cover several times to acclimate it to the much drier ambient air.

BBL#1 COVERED

Light will be left on 24 hours because I also have a cloning chamber under the same light, and both seedlings and clones need light. Note that the BBL seedling gets the more intense light, while the OGK clones get less intense light until their roots form.

CLONES AND SEEDLING SHARING A LIGHT

I need to keep a close eye on the sativa clones I took on Dec. 3rd, because one or more have a tendency to wilt if the RH gets below 80%. So it’s a daily dance between misting and propping the cover open for ventilation. I trim off any signs of mold and rotate the dome a couple times a day to distribute the available light. Most of the clones are now stable, but still no sign of new growth. One clone is the sole survivor of the Nov 29th cloning and is holding her own. I think that 4 of the 7 clones will survive, which is better than the last 2 tries this winter.

 

[AKgramma]

DAY 2 – Dec 14, 2015
This morning BBL #1 was snuggled right up against the cover, which is why it is bent. So I have removed the cover entirely and am going to monitor, with spray bottle handy, so that it doesn’t wilt. I added another 1/4” of soil to support the new stem.

 

[arteekay]

Looks like your off to a good start.

Remember even a seedling will benefit from a little wind, nothing strong enough to lay her flat of course, but enough to give her a little dance. In a few days you'll have a trunk rather than a stem.

 

[DeanB]

Subbed. You could leave the cover off of the new seedling, she will be happier.

 

[ShiggityFlip]

Good advice on both counts. I will just grab a seat over here with rtk and fire up a big cone joint for us four to share.

 

[Curly Beaver]

I'm along with ya.

 

[AKgramma]

Thank you all so much for joining me on my journey! I do have the notes from my OGK grow, but it turned into a perpetual grow and is not all that interesting. And my pics were not all that pretty. So I didn't post that. Some people like to make their mistakes in private.

 

[AKgramma]

Subbed. You could leave the cover off of the new seedling, she will be happier.

I will HAVE to leave it uncovered, or else I'll have to raise the light. I hope it doesn't dry out overnight. It's only 2 days old. What do you think?

 

[ShiggityFlip]

If you follow the soak the soil heavily and wait for it to dry to the point that the plant almost wilts you will be fine. I avoid spraying seedlings intermittently as it causes overwatering issues.

 

[brightlight]

Hello AKgramma. Nice start. Subscribing.

 

[AKgramma]

Hello AKgramma. Nice start. Subscribing.

Will appreciate your input!

 

[AKgramma]

Looks like your off to a good start.

Remember even a seedling will benefit from a little wind, nothing strong enough to lay her flat of course, but enough to give her a little dance. In a few days you'll have a trunk rather than a stem.

At my age, I have plenty of wind.......

 

[jackwhite23]

Hey AKgramma! I am currently on my first grow, 1 Northern light plant but
My second grow will be Nirvanas feminized bubblicious! so excited, will be keeping an eye on yours! gl!

 

[AKgramma]

Hey AKgramma! I am currently on my first grow, 1 Northern light plant but
My second grow will be Nirvanas feminized bubblicious! so excited, will be keeping an eye on yours! gl!

So excited to have another newbie on board! I got my first 10 Sativa-heavy OG Kush seed in March 2015 and learned a tremendous amount about cannibus on 420's many forums. I still had a lot of preconceived notions about how my first batch would turn out. NOT!!!!!

Sativas are not as easy to keep healthy as Indicas, so I made a LOT of mistakes, but managed to develop a perpetual grow out of the strain. I currently keep 2 ladies in flower, switched a month apart, one very large motherplant from which I take clones, and two juveniles in veg that keep trying to get mites.

So, I AM a newbie with Nirvana's Bubbelicious, which I found is pretty much identical to Bubble Gum, with another strain bred in. So it's a tossup whether this grow will show sativa or Indica traits. One site says 55% Indica, another says 55% Sativa.

What I'm hoping for is Indica-dominant, for the short growth period and the night-time meds. I decided to try something totally opposite from my perpetual strain for comparison. So we can compare notes with your Indica Northern Lights and my Bubbelicious. I don't mind if we get into Indica growth characteristics in my journal. It will be educational for other newbies, too!

 

[arteekay]

At my age, I have plenty of wind.......

We'll get along JUST fine.

 

[DankWolf907]

Yay it happened, it finally happened! Glad to see this, ill be lurking around

 

[DeanB]

I will HAVE to leave it uncovered, or else I'll have to raise the light. I hope it doesn't dry out overnight. It's only 2 days old. What do you think?

Shouldn't dry out overnight. You're running a cfl and the RH is high and it's winter. lol
As for watering, she shouldn't need any for at least 5 days after sprouting. Be patient.

 

[AKgramma]

I'm showing off a freshly cut, trimmed, and washed set of COLAs from one of my OG Kush - sativa-heavy Ladies. This is just the upper half, and you can see they are still wet from their bud washing. Will weigh once dry.

It looks like the longest cola, wet, is close to 5 inches tall. Will be interesting to compare with the COLAs I get from Bubbelicious next Spring.