Project Re-Veg,Clone and Make feminized seeds

[JackTheGrower]

Update 6-16-10

Update 6-16-10

I can say that the recovery is on track but I still want to go a week or two to give these two more time to convert better. It still seems a bit early to take clones.

I am working the old soil from some container growing I did too so that is coming along slower than I expected. Oh well live and learn..

Here are some shots. The plant on the left is doing better having not been cut down as hard as the one on the right so there is a measure of truth.




This project should have a nice flow to the content of the posts in a couple weeks but for now, lets let the easy cool spring weather these re-veg plants are enjoying be their joy..

 

[kannubis]

5 finger leaves are back. Plants look way healthy, sprouts pulled some N out of the pool. Lady on the right looks ready. The clones will do great under LED.

 

[JackTheGrower]

5 finger leaves are back. Plants look way healthy, sprouts pulled some N out of the pool. Lady on the right looks ready. The clones will do great under LED.

Indeed the 5 fingers are back! Did you see the size of those single blades? I was impressed.

I think this thread will be a good example. It's just my thing to push into the unknown.. Silver and LED at the same time.

These ladies are doing fine but I did cut the right girl too much.. I had my eye on filling a jar rather than recovery-health.

I have not applied any nitrogen or other food yet.

You and I chatted about letting the soil expire nitrogen but that is what this is about right now for everyone else.

I am wanting these plants to pull the nitrogen and take the soil down some. It's rather easy to get the biology active on processing new materials rich in nitrogen but my personal theory is it's good to relax things a bit between crops.
Not that this will sit for 10 months like it did a while back but that it just needs to go down some IMO.

This is an example of a no feed re veg.. We read about recommendations of 18 hour days and a shot of nutrients but here is an example of nothing and 14/10 So we have a lot of room to work with.

Oh I will feed in the future you can count on that but after the transform stress is behind the plant for the most part.

I still have buds on there too.. I guess I can harvest them now.. They should be well aged so I can find out what it's like in a late harvest.

These are the two winners of the genetic selection out of 4 females that were all different. I wish I had the space to grow all of them out and study these plants but the spread of traits was impressive in just 4 females. Still I'd love to see 100 plants grown out.

Anyway I am taking notes and if I get the chance to grow more I will have a basic working knowledge of this breeding.

Oh and the smell of the plants is nice! They never lost their scent and when one touches them it leaves the hands smelling like excellent bud.

These do very well in organic soil.


It's all good.. I just hope my luck holds in keeping the lights on. I am still needing a proper job.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Here are two shots of the leaf status.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Update 6-19-2010

Update 6-19-2010

hey today has been rather productive!

I managed to get the bulk of the clone room done. I still need a couple fans and the doors but for the most part it's all good,

This is my first experience with LED lights. I went with the economy version since this isn't a large scale system. I am just practising proper horticulture with a breeding program. After all we cannot improve the utility of this plant if we do not use a medical selection and breed for a better benefit.

So this light seems to be nice. I noticed it did heat the floor! so it has some power! It is a little less than 24 inches from light top to floor. I believe the clones will be in the 17 - 18 inch range. I have to check but I think this is correct. I welcome any suggestions as this is my first LED.



I do so love GFI and I do suggest any time we install any outlet to test our connect. You may have the white, black and ground right but that doesn't mean someone else didn't screw up.

Well I have more finishing to do but this is the bulk of the Clone station. I expect to fit 9 to 16 clone in there at a time. I will be using 4x4x3 soil block this time.

The Soil mix has a week to go before the biological activity subsides and then I will make blocks and give them a week to "cure" so that there will be a minimal chemical foot print.
I am feeling really good about that soil mix. In fact it's more a bonus situation than I have the skills for. It's one of those soil karma things.
I researched and I see that it was the Oatmeal that is causing this balance and thus the lower but stable heat. Right on!

Alright.. Moving forward.

 

[kannubis]

Love the UFO looking light colors, all I can offer is keep the LED closer than hids, and enjoy the tightness of the internodes.

The mucilage in the oatmeal should make a great binder for the blocks.

 

[JackTheGrower]

well I say can this; It's a nice day here!

You spotted it I believe I have my left and right backwards. LOL..

Okay so the Left plant is the More Kush line and the Right plant is the Juicy fruit line.

It's looking good and for the first time I can say I expect to be making clones in two to three weeks.



I will be pulling and bushing this as much as possible in a week I believe. I will be starting slowly and testing the LED set-up and my soil mix. No sense betting the whole effort on the unknown. Maybe two of each and they can come back to the main box to help their bigger sisters.

Can you believe the first day of Summer is Monday and it's still chilly outside at night? Well like I wrote.. What a special sweet season.
This is a season to remember. It's been a long time since I felt the spirit of hope. I feel it now.

Isn't life the sweetest when we have risk and we survive? I don't mean growing medical cannabis for myself just the nature of our nations situation and the future security of our people.

Well one thing is the air quality is better with less industry in town.

Soon too it will be time to feed the soil in the big box. Oh BTW check out the Compost tumbler thread. Gelatin is a quick Carbon! It handles natural excesses nitrogen by being easy to bind with or simple vrs complex carbon.

It fixed my soil block mix real fast it was impressive!

 

[JackTheGrower]

Love the UFO looking light colors, all I can offer is keep the LED closer than hids, and enjoy the tightness of the internodes.

The mucilage in the oatmeal should make a great binder for the blocks.

Well that is what I am wondering as there isn't any obvious data on distance for this unit. I believe someone said 18 inches but I'm still on the guessing side atm.

And: When they say 1.5 cubic feet they mean it. There is shadow land all around as this is an easy 2 sq ft area.
It may be wise to do no more than 9 4x4x3 inch blocks. The 16 blocks are out.
well if I go with 2 inch blocks I can get more but that seems like something I will have to "tune up" to.

I am going to need to refresh my clone skills. I work from seed mostly.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Update 6-23-2010

Update 6-23-2010

I am looking at a soil mix that has kicked it down into low gear by going Steady-State

I am guessing I have an extra week on that if it stays 100 for the next few days.

It's best to keep at it and turn and let the natural bio-activity do it's thing when it comes to clone soil.

The Good news is the bio-activity is steady and once it drops then the soil will be a nice and balanced medium biologically.

With Clones most folks want a sterile medium so the roots are not faced with hardship of bacteria or fungus.

I will be gaining an advantage with Raw Organic Honey. Honey is known for it's antibiotic properties and will give the cuttings a helpful start but once the roots emerge the soil micro-organisms will be there to be a symbiotic part of the plant.
Now I admit I am going to work with 4 inch blocks and I may have some unknown things to deal with. Humidity is one of those things.. How do I handle the large blocks?

With this update I have some pictures of these two and I am happy.

I will be starting some Widow Warrior to make some F2's and do a wild card seeding. I am interested in the Left Lady who is much more Kush than her sister but I will see.
It's an unknown as I never have had the Widow Warrior still I can't and won't let these Mums just get pulled without one more "chance."

Anyone have experience with Widow Warrior?

These Girls will have to go after this because I will need a test grow of the feminized before I offer them to others but for now they are my special Babies.

Fingers crossed on the Juicy Fruit line. I have to say this.. You can't grab the stalks of the Juicy Fruit Girl without your hand smelling like great bud!

So here are a few shots of the state of Reveg. i hope to offer something different in this project soon but it will only be at the discretion of nature as to when i am able to post new aspects.


Be well!

 

[kannubis]

You mentioned using honey to clone. Is that instead of gel or powder to dip the stem in? Or is it more of a carbo to feed the blocks?

The plant on the right is looking great. Come on Happy Jack's Seed Escort Service, guaranteed to grow you some nasty but nice girls.

 

[High Country]

I'm interested in your colloidal silver experiment. I would like to try the same thing one day. I have 16 mother plants and have maintained my strain for 8 years.

It nearly got wiped out by spider mites recently but I managed to resurrect them with further clones. It would be good to have some feminized seeds of the strain I grow as a back up, just in case.

I'll be watching with interest.

 

[cracker_420]

awesome! subscribed!

 

[JackTheGrower]

You mentioned using honey to clone. Is that instead of gel or powder to dip the stem in? Or is it more of a carbo to feed the blocks?

The plant on the right is looking great. Come on Happy Jack's Seed Escort Service, guaranteed to grow you some nasty but nice girls.

Mostly for it's antibiotic properties but it will decay and become sugar.
The idea is to have rooting powder on the cut and the honey in the hole. "Heh he said honey hole"

Honey will "kill" the local bacteria and protect the cut a bit while the rooting powder aids in the rooting.

That's the idea.. The soil will be alive with bacteria and fungus as a healthy soil is and so a temporary sterile hole is what hope to achieve. I think we all appreciate a clean hole.. "Heh he said Hole"

The trick here is to manage the humidity too so the clones respond as quick as they can. Too dry and the cut fails to grow roots and too much and the cut gets taken over by bacteria and fungus.

I admit i will be unsure going in under LED and 4 inch blocks. So it's a gamble.

I will run 4 blocks as a test to get an idea of the LED and humidity first and then see what i am to do. I am learning as I go here. The first 4 will be my Classroom.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I'm interested in your colloidal silver experiment. I would like to try the same thing one day. I have 16 mother plants and have maintained my strain for 8 years.

It nearly got wiped out by spider mites recently but I managed to resurrect them with further clones. It would be good to have some feminized seeds of the strain I grow as a back up, just in case.

I'll be watching with interest.

Me too.. I have a couple bars here 1 OZ each and I am wondering if I need to preclean them?
I have a 9V power adapter here and a nice jar.. I have a pH meter some place around here I ordered.
I am sure I will want to re-read the CS thread.
Anyone that has suggestions I am open to read the News.

This project will take time as I am dependant on that soil finishing naturally in the tumbler.

So yes Friend! I will be happy to share what experiences I have with this. I think many of us have thought about saving a Mum or two for later and Feminized is somewhat close to the Mother from what I read with a small variation due to natural selection pressures.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Update 6-25-10

Update 6-25-10

Well you know the story by now.. Compost still steady at 100 F..

Had a chance to put the doors on the new Clone Station Cab. Also found a tub I liked as it is heavy duty. It is called a "Cement" tub and I found it at a hardware store. Not expensive.

I thought to take the time to say that i have bought many fans for my growing needs in 10 years but these Masey "Personal" fan actually makes good use of a motor design I first saw in the 1960's inside Phonograph players without wearing out quickly.

While they seem to be steady in their RPMs they do not have longevity with that simple brass "bushing" that the base of the rotor shaft spins in. However, with this small fan design the forces on the shaft, from the smaller blades, on the bearing seem to be stable in that no excessive wear happens in a year or more!

I cannot say anything good about these motors in larger fan units and I see them all over the place. They are good for one season in a large fan situation.

So I give a big thumbs up on utility, longevity and especially cost ( $6) They did start out at $9 a couple years ago. For the Masey Personal fan!


I started a few beans in cups but my suspicion is they were microwaved during shipment as the last attempt to germinate some of the beans failed.

Make no mistake Microwaving beans kills them.

So: Jack The Cat found my putting on the doors today really interesting and made sure to mess with just about all the materials I installed. He really enjoyed the LED and the new Tub.




I still need patience for the soil block mix.. No sense in rushing the biology when I want a naturally balanced soil mix.

 

[kannubis]

Were the nuked beans Widow Warrior fem, regular, or both?

That looks like one content cat in the hod tray.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Were the nuked beans Widow Warrior fem, regular, or both?

That looks like one content cat in the hod tray.

I tried to pop a couple Fem's a while back. You know I just get the feeling they are dead. I sure hope I am wrong.

Ain't he Something? I picked up two after Tiki-jo passed and I wanted a cuddle-kitty but I could take two so I picked jack as he was on death row and labelled a biter and he is.. I assume he is one of the "Wounded Souls" of this world. I find it hard to believe he started out a bad cat but just like an abused child may act out as they grow old Jack doesn't like to be carried and doesn't like it if I smell like rum for sure.. Big clue here with jack.. He was a Second time Shelter cat and didn't qualify for Cat-rescue because of the biting. Oh he really knows how to fight back. He and I are mostly cool but when he quietly lets me know he want down I need to respond or he will escalate quickly in panic. Time has mellowed this behaviour out and I figure three years down the road he may even forget to panic.
So I picked him and a very smart girl cat who was sick then and also was on death row on "Time Out."

So I lost Missy here a month ago and Jack.. Jack, Jack, Jack.. Why does he have to be so much like me..

Well Missy knew nothing but love with me. She seems to have died quick and that is a comfort.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Update 6-26-2010

Update 6-26-2010

Hello Organic Soil – 有机土 Boys and Girls.

Man I am feeling so good today. I started a diet and have lost over 10 pounds in a couple weeks. Hey i know these first few pounds are the easy ones with a big drop in caloric intake and I know the road ahead is a long one but we have to plant the seeds of change and tend our crops for the whole season to get the harvest we want.

Today I am doing a big feed! Today is the bulk of what this Organic gardener has to offer his pet soil.

Let's see: I am trying out some new collage software and working the soil.

Azomite, Fresh ground coffee ( Foldgers Classic Roast here ), GreeenSand, lots of rice, Epsom salt, Bone Meal, Crushed Oyster Shell, 12-12-2 palletize Sea Bird guano, Fine screened and Rough grind Black Soldier Fly compostings, Raw Washed Cane sugar ( C&H rocks!) , Kelp Meal and I think that was all.
I am like a cook making a stew.. If I have it I'll add it.

I know I need to look into a program here to advance the basic nutrients in a more subtle application but at this point I see the signs that easy nitrogen and other macro-nutrients are going low. Oh no damage just that light green sign of it's time to feed.


Here we have the Mung Bean plants and a few last cannabis sprouts of stray seeds. An interesting thing here is that some of the stray cannabis seeds are quick to sprout and others wait a while! I take it this is another survival trait. Cannabis is a survivor and has many “genetic tools” in it's tool box. I hate killing plants but they are not a controlled grow. I don't know which these young plants represent. I do know that the genetics should be one of 4 Tiki-jo Mum's. That they grow squat and branchy under 90 watts per square foot of blended spectrum and then have the ability to compete with long stalks amongst the Mung bean plants under the twin 250's. That is diverse skill and is very impressive. Again the genetic tool kit here impresses me.



Also I have some bulk dry and decaying cannabis material piled in the back and green manure in the Mung Bean plants. I will distribute the green, brown and top soil then dump the feed-mix.
The goal here is to get the micro-organisms to go after the new top dressed food stuff.
There is no need to liquid feed at this time as these Reveg plants are in no danger but I will water first.. You will see my method next.




I am taking my hands and mixing this green manure ( Mung bean plants ) into the soil's top 2 inches carefully. It's best to use my fingers so I am as gentle on plant roots as possible.

With that all torn down and the top layer of soil worked it is now time for the super-mix. Got to love Organic soil. Absolutely no chemically made fertilizers here and absolutely fantastic plant health.
The goal here is to provide materials that will in time become plant nutrients. I am actually planning ahead.




So that is it. I know most folks don't operate on this level of gardening but I feel the care I do here means the quality and safety of my cannabis is top rate. Oh sure I can vouch for all the materials I mean I don't go gathering Sea Bird Guano myself but that's a risk I have to take.

So there it is.. The Big Feed!

----

Also the compost in the tumbler started to heat up.. Why? It resisted rising above 100 for the longest time and today it's over 110 again.
That is actually good so I am a bit mystified but happy nonetheless.

 

[twrex]

I love this thread, that is all.

 

[VerdantGreen]

reveg looks great jack! good luck with the clones.

VG