Jojonetics - Trainwreck S1 & BlowFish S1

[neongreen]

Jamie - Any time man

cfunk - Thanks. Various cameras/lenses depending on the type of shots I want to get and/or how long I want to take over it. Cameras are not that important (up to a point). It's what you do with them, and knowing the limitations of your camera/lens that counts IMHO.

MP - Thanks. Glad to have you aboard. I don't know why it is that this technique is fairly well known in gardening circles, and yet almost unheard of in the cannabis growing community despite the few reports that I have come across of this being applied to cannabis being very encouraging. It seems odd to me!

Hopefully it should produce some impressive plants, but since I'm using a combination of techniques it may be hard to tell which had the greatest effect. I suppose digging up and examining the root system would be a pretty good indicator, which is something I intend to do at the end of the grow.

If I get a good result, I'd like to think some of the blood, sweat and amendments I put into the trenches had also played a part

-

I was working on the trenches today, adding more of the really well broken down tree stump then raking that in. I sprinkled a bunch of ground rock on them yesterday.

The soil is begging to look really nice to my eye now. Is there such a thing as over-tending? I've been raking over/breaking up the surface of the beds (perhaps a better word than trenches) perhaps once or twice a week.

I was nearly tempted to buy some composted stable manure, but with a little under 4 weeks to go, and there being a fair bit of organic matter in there anyway (most of it composted farm manure) - should I be thinking "less is more" at this point???

I suppose a couple of bags couldn't hurt lol

In the mean time, up in the attic I'm already battling high temperatures, and I decided to move the plants/lights to a cooler part. Despite doing this, temperatures, especially in the root zone (I have a probe in one of the cups), are still reaching around 90F. I reallyneed to transplant soon

That should help a bit I hope.

The temperature in the attic was the main reason I stopped growing indoors, but I thought I might get away with it. However it's been so hot (more like mid summer) here, that it's obviously having an affect on the growth rate of the plants

Aside from that, and the magnesium hungry TW, everything seems OK.

Hope to get some pics tomorrow.

 

[neongreen]

Photo update

Photo update

Thankfully temperatures have dropped, and moving the plants seems to be paying off. Root zone temperatures are below 80F and ambient/canopy height temp. is 76F.

I'm still feeding them all with epsom salts together with their food in small doses, and they seem to be making a slow, but steady recovery.

I set up the light so it's at 45 degrees more or less, which seems to me to give the plants a more even intensity of light over their whole length.

Blowfish

She's perhaps a bit over 6 inches tall, and she's already showing her sex! I almost mistook her pistils for stipules they were so straight at first. Will get some pics soon. :wink:

Trainwrecks

Totally different structures/leaf shapes, although I don't know if that's down to one having a magnesium deficiency, at least partly.

Trainwreck #1

She's starting to branch out quite well lower down. I suspect she'll be the one that I bury vertically.

Trainwreck #2

I think I'd describe this as "vine" or "creeper" like - which is supposed to be the way true Trainwreck is supposed to look I believe.

Taskenti

The Taskenti was looking very happy when I checked on her, and yes, she is a female!

As a bonus, the news comes on the same day I happened to catch a longterm/summer weather forecast. They are predicting a hot/dry summer, which should be ideal for the Task, so I could be in with a chance with her


Meanwhile, my new potting compost mix showed signs of microbial activity. The temperature was an impressive 2 degrees above ambient for a while. A bit of reading turned up that it should be kept at least at 68, and even though I have it indoors it was only at about 67. So I took it to the warmest room in the house, and it's sitting right next to me, with a heating pad buried in it, wrapped up in a bunch of old sheets to help keep the heat in lol.

ng

 

[JamieShoes]

Hey Neon G,

Looks like the recovery plan is working out nicely.. Task looks ominous as ever...

Long hot summer you say?... I think I need to relocate

 

[neongreen]

Yep. Looks like we're back in business Jamie. Getting the temps down has really helped.

I'm with you on the Task. Reminds me of a raven the way its leaves look. Perhaps it's an omen of some killer weed to come

I hope they're right about the summer - I invested in a second 120 gallon (Edit - that should be 120 liter!) rainwater butt. Just need rain now!

I raked two or three cups seaweed meal into my trenches today, and put some comfrey pellets in there for good measure. The still cooking potting mix also got some comfrey, which I soaked, and then mixed in. Better late than never I figure

I'm regretting putting in those larger bits of part rotted tree stump after reading it may cause problems, so I'll probably sift the larger bits out, along with quite a few 1-5 cm stones that litter the surface.

Anyone know if its a good idea to keep/leave all the larger wood chips/stones on the surface, to help keep the moisture in? Seems like a good idea, although it would mean more hiding places for pests like slugs

Anyway, I'm off to finish reading Burn 1's "Organics for beginners" thread. So much to learn, and so little time!

 

[SuperConductor]

Looking forward to seeing this grow, can tell there'll be some great pics to come. Also intereting to see how the strains do outdoors here, what lat are you at?

Btw I read yesterday that mulch is best for keeping moisture from evaporating from around the plants.

 

[neongreen]

Hey SuperConductor

Yeah, the biggest question mark is over the Task at this point. If I get away with the Task, it'll be down to luck probably.

Having said that, there is bound to be a bit of variation in the others too although they are selfed using quick flowering genetics. Here's where we get to see how inbred those lines/clones really are or not, as the case may be.

So far, the BF seems just like the last BF that I had, whereas the TWs seem allot more variable... but then this is only a tiny sample.

Lat. is around 50N.

Thanks for the tip on the mulch, and for dropping in. Looks like I'll be getting that composted manure :wink:

I was working on the plot again today, continuing to sieve the soil. Still not sure if if removing all the stones that are over 1cm from the top foot or so is a good idea.

Anyone know if they contribute much to drainage/soil structure at all?

This is what the soil looks like after sieving

Seems like a nice texture now to me! It's a lot of work though, and I'm not sure if its worth doing, or even if it's just better to leave it alone now

I may just leave the other trench alone, perhaps just getting rid of the larger bits on the surface

I also re potted the S1s today, and gave them a good watering with full strength wormcasting tea that had been brewing for 4 days. Luckily I remembered that I forgot to add the myco. fungi, but not before I watered, so I had to re pot twice

It's been so dry here, that all the rain water that was collected was used up, but I'm glad that was the case, otherwise I'd have watered with plain water, and I think the tea really perked them up.

When I checked the a few hours later they looked like they could not be happier. I think they are just glad to be in bigger containers

I'll try to get some pics in the next couple of days.

 

[High Lowlander]

Hey neongreen

Tagging in
BBL Low
PS:those trenches are looking really nice! Can't wait to see them get inthere and take-off

 

[neongreen]

Hey Low

Glad to have you aboard.

Not long now. Two or three weeks and they'll be out in the trenches

I discovered a bit of perlite left over from a previous grow today which I think will go into the trenches, although it's hardly enough to make much of a difference, but I may as well use it up. I think the soil could do with something more to help keep it light and airy. I suppose it's just as important outdoors as it is indoors?

I also made up some soil mix for some tomato plants that I picked up, using some of the ingredients that I'm using for the weed and some old compost that I also found along with the perlite. The 5 inch plants went straight in there. It'll be interesting to see what they do!

As well as that I also continued sieving the top soil from the smaller of the two trenches. It's getting a bit tedious, and I've only done 1/2 of the 6 foot trench in about 4 or 5 hours altogether. I'm considering picking up a sieve with a bigger size of mesh as I've come to the conclusion this one is a bit too small, and it would really speed things up I think.

I have to go give the girls a foliar now. I'll get a few pics and post them later if I still have the energy

Edit - for some reason pics won't upload. I'll try again later perhaps.

 

[neongreen]

Pics uploaded!

Pics uploaded!

Shots taken just after foliar feeding epsom salts.

Blowfish

Trainwrecks

The task was also given some ewc tea earlier on, and she doesn't like water at all, hence the droopy look! I'm going to add even more perlite when I next pot her up I think.

 

[neongreen]

Another quick update

Another quick update

Hey everyone

The trenches are finished

I was complaining about the lack of rain the other day, and I now take that back! I found out a little factoid I'd forgotten... that you can harm the soil structure if you work it when it's wet, and it seems Jah was smiling on me, because I found it out just in time. Rains are forecast for tomorrow!

So today I worked on the plot for 6+ hours to try and get everything done, as this is probably the last chance I will get.

As well as getting out most of the partly rotted stump chips that I put in I also dug in 20+ liters of perlite, got rid of a bush that was part growing in the big trench, and I was originally going to keep since it added to cover a little, but I decided it had to go!

So that trench also got widened a little at the sides, although I did not have much time, so I only dug down about a foot, and loosened up whet I could below that. It's a "raised bed" so that adds another 5 or 6 inches too. Also threw in a bunch of comfrey pellets, bonemeal, perlte and and finished off what I had left of dolomite lime.

Should have also thrown some horse manure in there, but I'm not sure it's rotted down enough. It still smells, and the bedding is hardly decomposed by the look of it. It should make a good mulch at least I think!

I just remembered that I forgot to throw some rock dust in there, although it was so windy I doubt much would have made it in there. Perhaps there will still be a small and hopefully less windy window tomorrow

I noticed that there were loads of worms in the trench soil, including babies, which can't be a bad sign :smile:

Apart from that, things are looking much better with the girls indoors. I'll get some pics soon :wink:

Time to pass out. I think I've earned it today

 

[JamieShoes]

Sounds like you've been a busy beaver, Neon G.. Still, it seems all the major work is done and you're all set up for a nice summers growing. Time for some of that hard work to start paying off eh mate :smile:


happy growing
j :smile:

 

[cfunk]

Hey neon, your last picture looked exactly like mine a couple of days ago, but mine was down to them being hungry (im a bad father).

I notice you spray your plant leaves? Any time? I was advised to do before the 12 hour lights on? Any logic in this?

 

[High Lowlander]

Hey NeonG

Sounds like you've been hard at work profiting from the nice weather
Can't wait to see what those trenches are gonna look like inna couple months
for the hard work y'r putting in here's to hoping it will result in a bountyfull-harvest !
Low

 

[neongreen]

Jamie - That's the idea. Should mean less work/problems later... if I've done a good job

cfunk - That last pic was when she was over-watered rather than under-watered. Both conditions look the same, which can be confusing for new growers. Heck, it even caught me out a couple of weeks ago!

I don't usually spray the plants. This was purely to treat the Mg deficiency that the plants had.

The logic behind spraying at the start/end of the day is that if the solution evaporates too quickly, the leaves won't be able to absorb most of the salts in time, and the solution can become concentrated enough to burn the leaves. Personally, I just move the plants a bit further away from the light, and I haven't seen any burning. I think it's more important to observe this rule in outdoor grows, when it's very hot/dry/windy.

Low - Cheers mate. I can't wait either


I got my "window" today, so I can rest knowing I've done all I can. It's in the hands of the gods now. Expecting heavy rain for the end of the week/weekend, so it's worked out pretty well. Will get some pics soon I promise :wink:

 

[neongreen]

Two weeks to go!

Two weeks to go!

I'm hoping to make up a bit of lost growing time in these last two weeks before the girls go out into the trenches. The Taskenti got an upgrade to a larger pot, with the new soil mix, which I cut with more perlite, which means that they are all in the new mix now, and hopefully that should be the last of the problems.

I grabbed a few pics just before re potting the Task

Blowfish

Trainwreck#1

Trainwreck#2

Taskenti

She seems intent on dropping her lower fans, but at least her side shoots are quite well developed. With any luck the increased root space and new mix should cure that.

 

[High Lowlander]

Hey Neon
can i ask a question about that blowfish?? ya got anymore background info on her? where she originates from/lineage etc etc..
two more weeks and they'll be fillin' them trenches!!
Low

 

[neongreen]

Hey Low,

Check out the first page. There's a strain description there, as well as a few quotes I saved further down the page :wink:

 

[High Lowlander]

aye i'll look it up and start me search from there
Low

 

[neongreen]

Update

Update

Apologies for the lack of updates over the last couple of weeks. It's been a busy few weeks. These will probably be the last pics before the girls hit the trenches/outdoors in the next few days

Blowfish

Trainwreck#1

Trainwreck#2

Taskenti

 

[JamieShoes]

so did you get them out yet, mate? how do they like it out there?



cheers
j :smile: