What's new
  • Happy Birthday ICMag! Been 20 years since Gypsy Nirvana created the forum! We are celebrating with a 4/20 Giveaway and by launching a new Patreon tier called "420club". You can read more here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

Bobbles Strawberry DD Big Cola Contest

Mister_D

Active member
Veteran
I didn't mean to muck up the original intention - I still think biggest cola is good.

I really don't give a shit about the wattage TBH. I thought that it was a relatively easy thing to "scale" to give some parity, .. But then I suppose one could make the argument "Yeah but your 600 was in xyz space and my 1200 was in xyz * 2 space, so what's the difference?"

..I'm not sure any of us really care to get down into the nitty gritty at that level, so just discard it as a thought from a guy who was likely baked upon its delivery to y'all.

Hmm. As long as I can resurrect a cut (;) ), I think I'm in. I might end up regretting trying to cram in one more to the room, but f- it.

As bobble said, not everyone participates to win. I'll be that guy!

I'm gonna keep posted up here to keep abreast of the start date, make sure I can rustle up some supplies perhaps.. :joint:

I don't know that any of us are "really" competing to win, though I am going to kick bobbles ass :laughing:! It was just a random stoned idea I tossed out there, it gained some ground, now we're rolling with it :biggrin:. Most of all the idea is to just have fun with it :woohoo:. Something to keep us goofy idiots, and others like us entertained.

I'm working on developing a points system that allows other aspects of the grow to be judged also, so having the biggest yield isn't the sole determining factor in the win. That way even people with less light/space can still be competitive. No promises, but i'm working on it. Anybody else with ideas should feel free to share them.
 
Last edited:

Ichabod Crane

Well-known member
Veteran
Well heck if we are just having fun maybe I will do a completely differnt style of grow them. Maybe just straight napa floor dry start to finish. In a bed setup flood and drain on the flat.
 

megayields

Grower of Connoisseur herb's.
ICMag Donor
Veteran
DAMMIT....and I just lost my grow room.....bahhh I would have KILLED it....lol!

(how about an allowance for a 30 x 60 greenhouse and 200 gallon bags and NO lights?...:headbange )
 
Not that I'm planning to participate -- only an enthusiastic spectator -- but if the competition is purely for cola size, and there is a 6-week time limit from cut, are you sure you need a limitation on wattage? As long as the and the main cola is closest to whatever light you have, and you are providing adequate w's psf, I would imagine the size difference of that one bud from one light to the next would be negligible.

Also, if you are purely judging the top cola, would it be too complicated to limit the distance from the light? It would be hard to measure from the overall canopy, I'll admit, but if you limit your top bud-to-light distance to, for example, 18" from a 1k, or 12" from a 600 (scaled math can be figured later), you'd have an objective landmark from which to take measurements.

Of course, if overall yield or gpw gets factored in somehow then a wattage limit makes a little more sense than either of these suggestions.


I'm probably missing something, but I just don't see how, in a contest of big colas, a limit on wattage is necessary when there is already a limit on veg time.


Of course, you could always pretend that you're the Tour de France and hand out a few different "prizes" at the end. One main prize for biggest cola, then one for highest GPW, one for highest bud size-to-container size ratio, etc.
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
hmmmm.... This guy has a point.

Have you ever grown a plant 6 weeks from cut that needed more than 1200w? lol... We can probably throw that rule out the window, and then just factor in gpw into its own category, along with an overall score.

This contest stuff is complicated! Good thing we're hashing out the rules now...
 

SRGB

Member
whythefnot:

Also, if you are purely judging the top cola, would it be too complicated to limit the distance from the light? It would be hard to measure from the overall canopy, I'll admit, but if you limit your top bud-to-light distance to, for example, 18" from a 1k, or 12" from a 600 (scaled math can be figured later), you'd have an objective landmark from which to take measurements.


Hi, whythefnot.

Eighteen inches away from such a luminaire might be considered a `safe` distance, though that distance could possibly be decreased to approximately six inches with adequate cooling or movement configurations.

We are not certain about `GPW` being a factor in the final judgment. Perhaps another contest? A specimen could potentially be the `biggest`, yet not possess the same weight as a smaller specimen. The two measurements could possibly be combined to tally the end result, though the title of the contest and thread does include `Big`; not reference to a particular ratio of input/output.


bobblehead:

6 weeks from cut that needed more than 1200w


Hi, bobblehead.

The above might depend on the objectives of the gardener. There might be some gardeners that may vegetate for eigth, ten, or twelve weeks, or lengthier; or until a specific specimen reached a specific total mass, with more or less energy input. If there were no time frame in the calculations, it would be at the gardeners` discretion how long they might vegetate a given cultivar.

Perhaps another perspective on the rules is that as few as possible might reveal the most expressive forms of input from the gardener - to their advantage, or conversely, their disadvantage.

Whatever magic applied, however applied. If the magic works, all benefit from its declaration and distillation of its effectiveness via observing updates and final entry. If the magic does not work, whether it be twelve hundred, or even two thousand at six inches, those implementations might too be filtered out of the total project.

As we have posted, we would have no objections to PGR`s, either. If they are magic, and the magician knows how to use the magic, and the magic is ultimately found to be effective, or ineffective for that matter, as long as the declaration and application rates are studiously declared, all benefit from the knowledge of its efficacy in attempting to attain the `biggest` specimen within a group.

Tria, in particular, might require some attention to properly apply. Too much and its effectiveness could be entirely negated; its effective application rate being only 1 microgram per liter, approximately once per season; additionally, it also requires emulsification to even be assimilated by the specimen as a foliar spray, due to its inherent insolubility. It could also be as simple to incorporate into a regime as alfalfa meal, or other material which it could be derived from.

Effective at increasing overall yield? Possibly, if properly prepared and applied.

Will adding Phosphorus to a flowering regime increase size of flowers or yield? Possibly. Potassium `boosters`? Possibly. Some plants can use 300 - 500ppm of Potassium alone. Some plants may not require more than 100ppm of Phosphorus, at any stage of growth or flowering. Though diff and VPD manipulation might also substantially affect plant or tree growth without actaully supplying any physical materials to a given media or foliage - though they might supply signal to the specimen via temperature variations and, or vapor pressure variations.

In any event, handicapping the constestants might not thoroughly `level` the field as to reducing the human input to only that of the gardener. To really level the field, as might have been suggested, might include employing the same nutrients as well. For example, a single bottle of flora-nova or maxi series, same medium, etc; illumination and space being somewaht more difficult to achieve uniformity of. Would the results be the same then, between contestants?

The varied input here are refreshing, delving into the details of this matter.

We suppose there could be a presumptive list compiled of materials or practices that might attain clear advantages for the gardener. We are not certain if simply applying materials to a specimen, or garden, might accrue clear advantages versus a garden without any application of additional inputs. The special materials and practices would, in general, have to be fully mastered by the gardener for them to even have a chance at successfully implementing them within the confines of a time-limited constest. But, if they were to stumble upon an adhoc combination of various techniques that helped them, in a good way, achieve the `biggest` of whatever the object is, it might be beneficial to gardeners as a whole to thoroughly vet what works and what does not work.

We would not necessarily consider extra illumination, extra fertilization, or other inputs as advantages. They might just be more variables to manage within the scope of a finite time for them to be effective - and they each bring with them their converse side-effects; whether that be heat, over-application, or sheer reliance on magic, versus a simplistic approach.

In any event, these are only potential gardening observations and possible considerations for the gardener.

Respectfully,
/SRGB/
 

megayields

Grower of Connoisseur herb's.
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Sorry for reasons I cannot go into, their will be no pictures.

Good luck everyone now grow some buds the size of watermelons!
 
Eighteen inches away from such a luminaire might be considered a `safe` distance, though that distance could possibly be decreased to approximately six inches with adequate cooling or movement configurations.

We are not certain about `GPW` being a factor in the final judgment. Perhaps another contest? A specimen could potentially be the `biggest`, yet not possess the same weight as a smaller specimen. The two measurements could possibly be combined to tally the end result, though the title of the contest and thread does include `Big`; not reference to a particular ratio of input/output.


Yeah, I'm sure the specifics would be worked out by the guys actually participating in the contest. I'm just hoping to stir the pot a little. I can't wait to see this take off. If I could get a cut I'd most likely jump in, but I'm in no position to make that happen right now.

Anyway, the way I see it, the very first thing that would need to be hammered out is the criteria for winning the contest. I really like what bobble said about acknowledging highest GPW and (imo, more importantly) largest cola. But having two entirely separate contests, or limiting it to just cola size may make more sense, depending on popular opinion.

If this is a strain that produces abnormally large colas, and that is the reasoning for the contest, which is what I gathered from bobble's hi-brix thread, then why not have a purist competition? It would make judging a hell of a lot easier. Maybe have a GPW contest later on with a strain that produces abnormally high GPW's.

I say restrict the growth to 6 weeks from cut, either allow CO2 or don't (for everyone), and let everything else be fair game. Honestly, if your environment is dialed in, what influences cola size more than veg time and CO2 supplementation? I can't think of much.

Just a suggestion.
 

SRGB

Member

whythefnot:

I say restrict the growth to 6 weeks from cut, either allow CO2 or don't (for everyone), and let everything else be fair game. Honestly, if your environment is dialed in, what influences cola size more than veg time and CO2 supplementation? I can't think of much.


Hi, whythefnot.

Good points. Everything will get sorted out and at the end of the day all that share in the experience are winners, at least in our view.

Perhaps vegetating for six weeks in a 1 gallon container versus vegetating for six weeks in a 20 gallon container and, or, pruning, training, thinning, anchoring and supporting methods might be subtle, yet tangible possible flower mass influences. We are not certain if they might be more influential than vegetation time and C02 enhancement, but their application, or non-application might be considered by the gardener.

Thanks.

Best,
/SRGB/
 
Yes, you wouldn't want to regulate it so hard that growers can't take advantage of their own individual techniques and preferred growing methods.
 
Top