Bonzo Bud / SK#1 Mix

As a very close friend has been keen on growing for a while now, I've been helping her get a little closer to her goal of that first harvest

we tried popping 4 seeds that I know are definately either W.Widow, N.Lights, Silver Pearl, BubbleGum, C99 or any of the above pollinated by a Skunk#1 male thus making them W.Widow x Skunk#1 for example .

Of these four, she has now two just popping their heads up through a basic growmix/perlite mix.

My humblest apolz about the quality of the pics, I was using macro mode but couldn't find anything steady enough to lean on :

...especially this one!, there is a seedling in this pic, honest!...


Apart from these I gave her some Bonzo Bud by Zep of SwanSong Seeds that have been stored in a fridge for nearing a year now. Despite their age there were 3 out of 4 all split within less than 24hrs of coming into contact with water!

...less than 24hrs after hitting water...


Hopefully these will end up in soil beside the two others.

As far as vegging lights go there are 3 x 3ft fluros at 30w each with a cool blue output that would do the job but she's talking about an EnviroLite. This would probably be the better option?, I've used 2 x 125w EVs myself with great success for vegging and/or bringing on clones etc.

I'll post more pics as & when things change and hopefully progress

Regards, Esskie.

Hey esskie!
Sounds like a nice surprise genetics wise any of those will be good i think!
As far as lighting goes the enviro's will cover less area than those 3fters but they will be more intense i think. I haven't grown with tubes but was pleased with the way my plants vegged under the enviro's.
Best of luck to both of you!

Hey 'Neil' ,
Thanx for stoppin by buddy, good to see you (passes neil a phat spliff)

Yeah, as far as genetics go those two that are 'up through' could be anything from a heavy body stone to a more heady, up type of high but there are so many defining factors even if the exact strain was pinpointed from time of harvest to genetics and phenotype .

Of these particular seeds I personally have grown out the C99, Silver Pearl, the W.Widow x Skunk#1 and Silver Pearl x Skunk#1, the latter was a crackin example.
Beginning with 'clumps' of bud at the nodes around 3wks and quite branchy as it had been topped, come harvest time there was no stalk/stem visible on the branches as buds developed all the way along & between the internodes, as sat/sat-hybrids do as you know.
I love it when they bud like this, plenty bud but airy & not so dense or fat so theoretically less chance of bud-rot

As far as lighting goes the enviro's will cover less area than those 3fters but they will be more intense i think. I haven't grown with tubes but was pleased with the way my plants vegged under the enviro's.

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I agree, pretty sure the EVs are more intense. my veg/clone room has had both in it (ie; 2 x 125wEnviroLites or 3ft 30w strips) at different times & the fluoros were doing a fine job. If I had any grumps it would only be about more cabling to deal with compared to one lead/plug from the two EnviroLites thanks to the shade.

That said there are the remote ballast/starter types and/or the complete all-in-one types as the middle one in the pic is, these could be fitted to a rack easily

The twin EVs & shade came together as a kit from MG Electrical consisting of an Envirolite double reflector (one lead/plug), a blue 6100k EV, a red 2700k Envirolite (had a choice) and a pair of EzeeRoll Hangers, they aren't cheap shades but bloody good!. With the EzeeRollers I love it!, so much that I went out & bought them for my HPS flowering lamps/shades too, way more convenient and no more messing with chains!.

This pic doesn't do the surface justice but you can see the reflectiveness inner of the hood,
...you can see this in the pic...


...this is the Quad EV Reflector by the same company, lets you get a better look at the setup inside...


These are the 5 element EVs Neil, I see the 4 element ones everywhere not to mention the fact they're half the price of mine , do you know anything about them in terms of lumen output compared to the fives at all?.
From the specs of the 5 element 125w bulbs it's stated they omit

over 10,000 lumens of 100% PAR light...(Photosynthetically Active Radiation)...

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The results are lamps which give your plants full spectrum light, between 400 and 700nw - which means great growth results in all propagation, vegetative or flowering stages...

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I've never used them for flowering so I have no idea how 250w would perform, they would preflower plants no probz for sexing should they be proving difficult to tell normally or if sexing had to be done immediately or whatever?.
I just wonder if the 5 elem are more intense/more lumens than the 4 elem bulbs?

...this looks pitiful light wise!, can't rem if the middle one was on or not?, it was much brighter than this as the pic below, which was taken at the same time as this one shows...

...the same 3 x 3ft 30w fluoros as in the above pic taken from the side/plant-level...

...there was a good while when all that was over my cloner was one of these 3ft strips sitting in the corner of a room, no box, cupboard, reflective sheeting nothing and it knocked out rooted cuts in a week no probz, okay you don't want too much light while rooting anyway...

I'm trying to steer her to grow in soil this time at least, she does have a green thumb, is well keen on her houseplants which are all healthy looking even helped me take cuttings before so she knows what plants like which is a good starting point.
She isn't going in without a clue if you know what I mean?, despite her wanting to try hydro, a soil grow will be more forgiving for one but mainly isn't going to cost her near as much initially!.
A small system may be bought for £25+ or even less if built but the cheapest pH & EC meters I know of available atm are £40-£45, maybe £35 for the pH meter? and I know I'd be lost without mine!

The Bonzo Bud, is from Swan Song Seeds, it's a mostly indica F1 of a female Spanish bush called Olivio with a Lifesaver male.

In honor of percussionist John Henry Bonham. A female Spanish bush called Olivio was used in this cross with our Lifesaver studs. This F1 is mostly indica and will branch out well producing many bud sites. Vegetate 35 days and flower 63 days for optimal plant performance. Heavy yielder with good cloning ability. This hybrid produces thick colas with a tropical scent and moderate expansion. Bonzo Bud comes in packets of 10.
It, apparently, yields well, clones well and will develop lots of lateral branching which create potential clones or lots of bud-sites.
Flowering: 9 weeks

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happily all 4/4 have sprouted with a couple ready for potting & placed in the prop to sprout, I've seen me leave seeds in this stage for too long trying to get a good tail on them but ended up with them rotting/turning to mush due to the humidity , I definately don't want that to happen to these as I'll be looking for clones from them for myself
...less than 48hrs...


Regards, Esskie

I remember reading at overgrow that the 4 tube ones are just more more powerful tubes thats why they are both 125w. I cant find anything to confirm this or even the output seems everyone quotes 10k to 10400 lumens. I have the five but its branded as ecolight not envirolite, the 4 tube envirolite seems brighter but its in the blue day light spectrum which i think is what makes it seem brighter.
The bonzo bud sounds like great strain!
I grow in soil and agree its much cheaper than hydro initially and probably more forgiving for a first grow. I don't actually use a ph meter but i think one would be handy but lime dose go along way to keeping it balanced in soil. Until my current grow had been using the purest water you are ever likely to come across( di ironised to 18 mega oms resistance) but i cant anymore
Good luck with whatever you decide!
keep us updated ~neilspotshop

I remember reading at overgrow that the 4 tube ones are just more more powerful tubes thats why they are both 125w.

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yep, makes sense to me

you know this is the first info I've really had on this, I'd asked in a shop I use but although the guy is sound, he's a bit wide at the same time, it's just his banter but all I can get from him is they're 125w, very good and I should buy one from him!.
It's a case of asking a guy who wants you to buy something from him if it's okay, good or bad?, you know he's gonna say good lol.

the 4 tube envirolite seems brighter but its in the blue day light spectrum which i think is what makes it seem brighter.

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Definately mate, as you can see from the pic in the other post there were one of each in that reflector and the blue one is brighter.
In hindsight I should have used two blue 6100k lamps but was thinking about as wide a range of colour from the whole spectrum as possible .. Everything underneath it was in veg or clones at the side so a pair of blues would have been a better choice, you could see a very slight difference in growth rate and I used to put the little ones at the blue end, the plants in the middle would tend to lean more towards the blue.
You had mixed lamps at the start of your grow too so you might have noticed what I mean?.

All 4/4 of the Bonzo germinated , I cut a piece of B&Q capillary matting (white stuff in pic above) and soaked it in some water I'd had in a glass since the night before, shook the excess water from it before folding it in half with the beans inside and placed it into a ziplok bag.

Tbh, this is the first time I've used the ziplok bag method and it's okay, I normally germ them in a glass of water then put the into the cloner/propagator as soon as they split, even as above but into the cloner/propagator instead of the ziplok.

Anyway they're in four little pots now beside the other mix seedlings, the last time I saw them there was one only just showing through the surface so it's looking the best candidate for being the first to sprout?

I like to see them almost shedding their shells before I put them into a pot , think it's the suspense?. Not always, usually aslong as there's a 5-6mm tail on them I'd say?.
It is well encouraging when you see them in a glass of water with no seed casings left on them after a couple of days though

I'll post some pics of the baby Bonzos as soon as possible for updating,
Regards, Esskie

update #1

update #1

Hi there,
I'm really happy to start this first proper update, as the previous posts were/are really just Hi, this is the strain & here are the germinating seeds type posts, (forgive me if I ramble on, I've got a little Super Silver Haze to smoke and it's a very 'get up & do something' hit).

Okay, all 4/4 of the Bonzo Bud had germinated by the day after the last pic was taken and were taken out of the ziploks as soon as possible as the humidity would just rot the seed & turn any germinating seed to mush if left too long (mental note about germing in ziploks ).

Three of them are up through but there was one seed that just wasn't as well developed as the other three, my moneys on that being the one that's still to show?.
Here are some pics below but christ knows what happened to my photography , I have taken some pretty good macro shots but these are garbage and they're not all macro!!
...here you can see the 3/4 Bonzos up through atm...




Here are the two Skunk#1 mix (whatever they are?), both these plants have only one cotyledon?, I did help tease off the 'afterbirth' lol!, the little piece that can be left behind after the seed casing has come off.
I know, I know , I should just leave it alone and it'll be fine
...the two Skunk#1 mix? with a Bonzo behind...

...it may be possible to see the single cotyledon?...


Now they're under 3 x 30w fluro tubes and were only taken out for the pics, on the whole though she is taking very good care of them and I've every confidence they'll produce well for her.
When I was round taking these pics taking clones was being mentioned , she knows it's impossible atm but at least thinking ahead. I've booked 3 or 4 which will probably mean half a dozen .

Hey neilspotshop, "that de-ironised to 18 mega oms resistance" sounds well pure!. It's weird isn't it?, I mean they teach the kids that water is one of the best conductors there is but water that contans absolutely no salts of anykind or anything isn't conductive.
It wasn't until I began using E.C. (electrical conductivity) meters I gave that any serious thought.

Theres always my meters if needed but one of the 'manual' 2ml of nute solution + 2-3 drops of the re-agent is there too, it's the General Hydroponics one not the Nutriculture one, the latter contained re-agent only good for between 6.0-7.6 while the GH one is 4.0-10pH. I think Nutriculture do have one that covers 4.0-8.5pH which is okay but having used the 6.0-7.6 manual test kits myself you are limited.
I don't think I could go back to manual testing now after being made soft with the meter lol! : , the time saved is massive (not as if I'm in a hurry) even taking into account the time spent waiting on the meter to compensate for temperature, not like that takes long.

Can't wait to see how these babies are lookin in 3-4wks time?, I've never seen the Bonzo other than pics in veg or in flower on the net so this'll be the first time in the flesh so to speak.
Mostly indica, easily cloned with a tendency to produce lots of lateral branching which will create potential clones or lots of bud-sites. A good yielder that clones easily so that'll be good if her first batch of clones has a high strike rate

It sounds like it might do well in a SCROG setup tbh?, top them at the 2nd then maybe the 3rd or 4th internodes before placing the screen over em maybe?, all clones of the same size I mean of course?.
Never done a SCROG with the screen but I have done SOG of a fashion?, I mean 24 clones all the same height but probably too far apart to be called a SOG?, they have approx 18" area each/per plant. I guess a proper SOG would be more like 4 plants per 18" square!

Hey there ,
I managed to get a few more pics of the Bonzo Bud & the SK#1/SK#1 Hybrids?.

Thankfully all 4/4 of the Bonzo germinated and came up through, this means one of them is half the size of the other three but it wouldn't be the first time I've seen the runt of the litter, so to speak, turning out great so we can only wait & see?!?!?

They're still under little fluros atm being only days old but those fluro tubes or EVs, whichever way she goes?, will have to be installed as soon as poss!!. They would benefit from it/them right now infact!.

Still on plain water although a mild strength Rhizotonic solution was made up for them for their next feed which will pretty much be their first feed.

Here is a group shot, not too clear but you can see the sizes we're at, they look a bit yellow looking but it's just the lighting as they're all a nice green colour:

...see the little Bonzo?...

...the runt of the litter...



Both the SK#1/SK#1 Hybrids? aren't as far on as the Bonzo F1s but I thought they might have been doing a little better than they are?.
me messing with the seed casings won't have helped & that's hopefully all it is?, they both have only one cotyledon each though




...SK#1 #1...

...SK#1 #2...


As the Bonzo Bud apparently responds well to topping, producing many bud-sites maybe a SOG grow with it at some point may be well worth trying?. It's also apparently an easy to clone strain?.

From these here only the females will be kept for cloning, although I wouldn't mind saving a male for F2 seed production depending on how these turn out?. It's been agreed that I can pollinate one of the lower branches should I take a male once they are identified so?....

If I had the space or can manage to make some for them?, I'd like to do some BX'ing with these, maybe introduce something else . All that's really going to have to wait until they show their traits etc & how they grow. Backcrossing is one thing but the introduction of a whole new line can be just like starting from scratch by the time you seek out all the phenos & cross em this way & that.

Anyways, that's a ways off as yet so I'll get some more pics up as soon as I'm round next (definately over x-mas) so look out for another update then if not before.

Have a Merry X-Mas everyone & I hope you've all got something nice to smoke , if not?, why not?.
Knowing by now what it can get like at xmas if you're not growing, I've been saving bits of any different types of bud I've been given or swapped so I have a nice little salad, some press of whatever's been through my screened stashbox over the last 2-3mnths & 1-2grams of Honey-Oil for crimbo morning .

Regards, Esskie

Hi there & festive greetings to everyone ,

Well I have a few more pics of the 4 x Bonzo Bud F1s (LifeSaver x Olivio) and the 1 x Skunk#1 (SK#1 Hybrid?) to post for you folks just to let you see how things are coming along.

...first off this is the SK#1(?)...




...a group shot of the Bonzo Bud Babies...

...numbered in order they germinated/sprouted...

...this is the little one, what was initially called the runt of the litter but IMHO it's a lovely little plant :smile: ...

...this pic shows the average heights of them all atm, those are only 55mm deep & 60mm diameter...


None are showing sex yet obviously, it'll be a wee while before that no doubt. Never having done this strain myself before I couldn't say if it's easily sexed while in veg or not as a lot of strains are?.
Another thing I noticed but may just be due to the young age of the plants? is how broad the first few leaves are. This may well change as they mature though and the typical fan leaf may become 'narrower'?, we both think they are going to be bushy though?.
As it's readily cloned and should take well to a SOG type grow, the females from these are to be topped & bent over/trained in such a way as to fill the available space and create as many bud sites as possible?.