My gardening drills, the easy way....and a Help Desk if you're "needy" LOL. Questions? Fire away, I'm here to help.

[Old Uncle Ben]

I want to pull up a chair here on your thread. I really like your pollen collecting technique!

Pull up a chair and have some fun.......

Cutting select branches off the plant and sticking them in water is a lot easier and cleaner to work with.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

What a disaster! Shouldn't have used re-cycled soil as I have a terrible infestation of fungus gnats resulting in premature yellowing of fan leaves and necrosis. 4th - 6th week of flowering. Stubborn me, I refused to order a bale of Berger BM-7 since the price has tripled in price in a year. Paid $29 on the last order. Oh well....

Berger BM7 Bark Mix, 3 Cu. Ft.

Produced with pine bark, BM7 is formulated for perennials, shrubs and also trees. Bark is used for perennial and greenhouse crops for its weight and strong root anchorage while also able to be used for applications needing heavier weight. Made of: coarse peat moss; pine bark; horticultural...

www.amleo.com

Pollinated a Kwik Seeds Afghani with a 1990 Master Kush X Afghaan 90 few days ago. Will do it one more time.

C99 are bulking up really nice, just wish I didn't have the leaf issue as that will affect my yield and quality in a bad way.

 

[gorilla ganja]

Shouldn't have used re-cycled soil as I have a terrible infestation of fungus gnats

BTI works well for this. I pretreat my mixes with it.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

BTI works well for this. I pretreat my mixes with it.

Thanks. The biggest enemy is also me, I'm not watering often enough which is stressing them out.

Just did a back cross pollination hit on a female 1990 Master Kush X Afghaan 90. Now to hit the Afghani lady again......

Afghan Mix - Kwik Seeds - Landrace Cannabis Seeds

Mixed Afghan landrace strain cannabis seeds from historic centres of cannabis cultivation in Balkh, Badakshan, Kunduz, and Mazar-i-Sharif

kwikseeds.com

1990 Master Kush x Afghaan 90 - Kwik Seeds

Genetics: 1990 Master Kush x Afghaan 90 Indoors: 8 weeks A cross between two classics of the old-school Amsterdam days, 1990 Master Kush and Afghaan 90. The Master Kush mother is a very early finisher, stable, highly branched, and with...Read more

kwikseeds.com

 

[gorilla ganja]

Heard good things about the Afghan 90. There should be some interesting plants in that hybrid.

 

[Ikea22]

I followed you over a few weeks ago from OG. Everything you said and did made sense, vs the "it's made specifically for cannabis side"...the reg garden section is less stressful. Now I'm buying $8 bags of soil (40qt), perlite, and a little osmocote; plants are loving it. I appreciate you "speaking up"!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I followed you over a few weeks ago from OG. Everything you said and did made sense, vs the "it's made specifically for cannabis side"...the reg garden section is less stressful. Now I'm buying $8 bags of soil (40qt), perlite, and a little osmocote; plants are loving it. I appreciate you "speaking up"!

Welcome to IC Mag and thanks for the kind words! Think you'll like it here. The new "OG" can get a little weird if you dare challenge their brand of Bro Science. If you're an old fart check out that thread. Gets pretty funny at times. Folks chill real good there. https://www.icmag.com/threads/the-original-ol-farts-club.18128901/page-734#post-18558795

Happy gardening,
Ben

 

[CocoNut 420]

Hello old uncle Ben, I was wondering if you're familiar with megacrop 1 part nutrient?
Npk 9-7-14

I got the offer of a 3lb bag for £10, in a moment of weakness i bought it

Would you mind taking a look at it and tell me what you think?

Thanks

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Hello old uncle Ben, I was wondering if you're familiar with megacrop 1 part nutrient?
Npk 9-7-14
View attachment 18968065
I got the offer of a 3lb bag for £10, in a moment of weakness i bought it

Would you mind taking a look at it and tell me what you think?

Thanks

Being in the states never used it but nutritional value, salts, looks very good albeit low in N. What's your root medium? Water, soiless, organics?

 

[CocoNut 420]

Being in the states never used it but nutritional value, salts, looks very good albeit low in N. What's your root medium? Water, soiless, organics?

Thanks Uncle Ben, it's coco and airpots it'll be used with.

 

[CocoNut 420]

Maybe you can shed some light on npk ratio's, i can't make sense of them.
Looking at them there's no pattern i can see, for example canna is 5-4-3, hydrocrop is 20-17-36 and megacrop is 9-7-14
They're no even similar in npk but they're all popular choices of nutrient?

I'm more concerned that they work but if its no too complicated I wouldn't mind understanding how nutrients can have such different npk ratio's but all work?

If you or anyone else wants to try megacrop 3lb for $11 delivered

Shop – Greenleaf Nutrients

greenleafnutrients.com

$11 is automatically deducted.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Maybe you can shed some light on npk ratio's, i can't make sense of them.
Looking at them there's no pattern i can see, for example canna is 5-4-3, hydrocrop is 20-17-36 and megacrop is 9-7-14
They're no even similar in npk but they're all popular choices of nutrient?

I'm more concerned that they work but if its no too complicated I wouldn't mind understanding how nutrients can have such different npk ratio's but all work?

If you or anyone else wants to try megacrop 3lb for $11 delivered

Shop – Greenleaf Nutrients

greenleafnutrients.com

$11 is automatically deducted.

Are you in the states? Anything that's balanced, around a 1-1-1 and has a good micros package (is complete) will be fine for coco. Coco is too expense and no more than a trend IMO. I just throw stuff together, add Osmocote or use Dyna-Gro products or Peters and be done with it.

For example, for some bulk I'm about to buy 4 cu. ft. of A-3 coarse vermiculite and a few pounds of dolomite lime, the latter which I ran out of years ago. Got a mango tree coming in today and need to get ready to give it some TLC pronto.

Good call on the airpots! It's all about great root production, mass. Rest will follow.

Good luck!

 

[CocoNut 420]

Are you in the states? Anything that's balanced, around a 1-1-1 and has a good micros package (is complete) will be fine for coco. Coco is too expense and no more than a trend IMO. I just throw stuff together, add Osmocote or use Dyna-Gro products or Peters and be done with it.

For example, for some bulk I'm about to buy 4 cu. ft. of A-3 coarse vermiculite and a few pounds of dolomite lime, the latter which I ran out of years ago. Got a mango tree coming in today and need to get ready to give it some TLC pronto.

Good call on the airpots! It's all about great root production, mass. Rest will follow.

Good luck!

Hello uncle Ben, I'm in Europe, coco has been going strong here for 30 years I know of, I've been using coco for near two decades.

It can be expensive relative to compost, however if you recycle it, its astonishing value for money.

I've not bought coco in two+ years and still works great.

It's easy to remove the undesirable fines by putting it in large container and only taking the stuff the floats.

The fines sink and are easily separated, if you choose you can add some back in for better water retention ie when flowering during summer.

Cheers OuB

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Hello uncle Ben, I'm in Europe, coco has been going strong here for 30 years I know of, I've been using coco for near two decades.

It can be expensive relative to compost, however if you recycle it, its astonishing value for money.
View attachment 18968995
I've not bought coco in two+ years and still works great.

It's easy to remove the undesirable fines by putting it in large container and only taking the stuff the floats.
View attachment 18968997
The fines sink and are easily separated, if you choose you can add some back in for better water retention ie when flowering during summer.

Cheers OuB

Looks good!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Weird mushroom top on a C99 backcross side bud. Think I'm at about 7 weeks 12/12.

Had nothing but problems with this garden - spider mites, fungus gnats, watering neglect.......

 

[Kimes]

Hiya @Old Uncle Ben , been lurking your threads for a while now and love what I read..

Any opinions on Osmocote Exact Standard High K 5-6M, apparently 11-11-18 NPK, that's easily available in my country.. But a tad high on K

Other than that I could easily get a version of osmocote for roses but it is either 22-3-12 or 15-4-10 for something else I think ..?

I also saw you have experience on hazes, any advice using osmocote and 50/50 peat moss/vermiculite?

Thanks in advance,

Kimes

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Hiya @Old Uncle Ben , been lurking your threads for a while now and love what I read..

Any opinions on Osmocote Exact Standard High K 5-6M, apparently 11-11-18 NPK, that's easily available in my country.. But a tad high on K
View attachment 18973623

Other than that I could easily get a version of osmocote for roses but it is either 22-3-12 or 15-4-10 for something else I think ..?

I also saw you have experience on hazes, any advice using osmocote and 50/50 peat moss/vermiculite?

Thanks in advance,

Kimes

That's not high in K. Go for it. The others are a little low in P. ICL only sells high quality products so you should be fine.

Haze - like all things in life the legend becomes bigger than what it's worth. Been there, done that. For starts I doubt if anyone has what Sam the Skunkman's buddies from Santa Cruz created back in the 80's/90's. The original, real Haze is Colombian Gold X Acapulco Gold X (S. Indian X Thai). It's been bastarized every way since Sunday with all kinds of crap. Saw it passed off on one seedbank decades ago as originating in Jamaica.

Here's some history for you:

SEPTEMBER 13, 2000

High Uncle Ben,

My name is Sjoerd , I am one of the growers/ gene finders for the Flying

dutchmen seed co. In answer to your Haze queries: The Haze that we posses is

the original cross between the 4 sativa types you mentioned. It is however

not from Wernard, but from a guy known as Sam the Skunkman Sam the miracle

man etc. He created and patented the Skunk #1, the original hazes and also

introduced many other fine varieties to Holland in the early 80's. The

advantage we had was the hectares of greenhouses we had to select good

parents, and the patience to test the combining abilities between many of

the already selected parent plants. Since the Haze genetics came to holland

it was not inbred extensively so I can't tell you in which generation

they are in you would be better to ask rc. As for atributes the Haze we

have is the green haze. It was selected specifically for breeding purposes

that is to say don't expect 20% t.h.c until after you create your own F1

hybrid. from what I know Haze reacts better when you hybridise them than

when you inbreed them, It brings out the best in them.

Given the choice I would cross the haze with our Afghan Skunk or with the

Pot of Gold, it's more work as these are F1 plants already but if you know

what to look for you will get very interesting results. always choose a

minimum of 5 parents of each sex and try all the combinations to pinpoint

the best combining abilities. The Thaitanic is an interesting choice and one

in five do show a small number of male flowers late in flowering, mabey more

in the next generation, careful selection and some gentle light stress on

cuttings will give you an idea of how hermy they might be. the photoperiod

could start on 13/11 then to 11/13. or 12/12 from the start. If you want to

breed then an immediate short day would speed the plants up alot plus they

get mighty large if you veg them more than a couple of weeks. please write

back if you have any questions i will be happy to help. Sjoerd



> Hello, my name is Uncle Ben. I post to (and used to moderate) cann.com and

> having been around cannabis forums for a long time. I've been putting in a

> plug for you here and there after talking to Gypsy, RC, and my email buddies

> about your quality reputation, background (Positronics/Wernard support) and

> strains. Hope you will take some time to answer a few questions for me.

>

> I have an interest in your Original Haze, for small time breeding purposes.

> Stock sold through Heaven's Stairway. I talked to Richard who wrote me from

> the Dam recently, and apparently visited with you folks at the time. After

> answering a few questions RC suggested I email you for additional info.

>

> I am a seasoned grower and don't have a problem managing sativas. What I'm

> looking for is a strain that will impart an excellent potency phenotype to its

> progeny, for a personal smoke for me and my wife principally. I have the

> genetics for yields, so yield is not that important; potency is. I have

> quite a few Dutch strains and the potency is not all that impressive compared

> to some of the old Colombia and Mexican sativas I have grown out.

> Questions....

>

> 1. Is the strain you sell the original strain that Wernard got from whomever

> that was bred by the Haze brothers from the Oakland Bay area? Is it THE pure

> unadulterated haze hybrid consisting of Col. Gold X Acapulco Gold X Thai X S.

> Indian?

>

> 2. Have you backcrossed this strain into a F10 (wherever it's at), to try to

> get certain attributes? What are the dominant characteristics/phenotype

> please? What is good, and what should one watch for?

>

> 3. What is the best photoperiod to use with The Original Haze considering

> almost all of the parentage is from an equatorial region? I was planning to

> go 24/0 for veg, drop to 11/13 by harvest.

>

> 4. What in your repertoire would you recommend for crossing Haze to, to bring

> down the harvest time a little while maintaining a very potent sativa

> influence. How about the Thai Tanic, or is this strain prone to hermies due

> to the paradigm that Thai tends to impart this trait?

>

> Thanks so much for the advice, and keep up the good work!

>

> Much respect,

> Uncle Ben

....and my communication with Sam himself:

SEPTEMBER 2003 - Sam the Skunkman via a PM response

The Haze brothers were from Santa Cruz not Oakland, and they were not brothers, just friends. Most Original Haze were ColumbianXMexican, with some Thai and S Indian later on added to the mix. I lived next door to them, and gave them genetics from my travels. But they were not breeders, just growers with very good luck.

-SamS


Am harvesting C99 FWIW. Sticky stuff!,
Tio

 

[Kimes]

That's not high in K. Go for it. The others are a little low in P. ICL only sells high quality products so you should be fine.

Haze - like all things in life the legend becomes bigger than what it's worth. Been there, done that. For starts I doubt if anyone has what Sam the Skunkman's buddies Santa Cruz created back in the 80's/90's. The original, real Haze is Colombian Gold X Acapulco Gold X (S. Indian X Thai). It's been bastarized every way since Sunday with all kinds of crap. Saw it passed off on one seedbank decades ago as originating in Jamaica.

Here's some history for you:

SEPTEMBER 13, 2000

High Uncle Ben,

My name is Sjoerd , I am one of the growers/ gene finders for the Flying

dutchmen seed co. In answer to your Haze queries: The Haze that we posses is

the original cross between the 4 sativa types you mentioned. It is however

not from Wernard, but from a guy known as Sam the Skunkman Sam the miracle

man etc. He created and patented the Skunk #1, the original hazes and also

introduced many other fine varieties to Holland in the early 80's. The

advantage we had was the hectares of greenhouses we had to select good

parents, and the patience to test the combining abilities between many of

the already selected parent plants. Since the Haze genetics came to holland

it was not inbred extensively so I can't tell you in which generation

they are in you would be better to ask rc. As for atributes the Haze we

have is the green haze. It was selected specifically for breeding purposes

that is to say don't expect 20% t.h.c until after you create your own F1

hybrid. from what I know Haze reacts better when you hybridise them than

when you inbreed them, It brings out the best in them.

Given the choice I would cross the haze with our Afghan Skunk or with the

Pot of Gold, it's more work as these are F1 plants already but if you know

what to look for you will get very interesting results. always choose a

minimum of 5 parents of each sex and try all the combinations to pinpoint

the best combining abilities. The Thaitanic is an interesting choice and one

in five do show a small number of male flowers late in flowering, mabey more

in the next generation, careful selection and some gentle light stress on

cuttings will give you an idea of how hermy they might be. the photoperiod

could start on 13/11 then to 11/13. or 12/12 from the start. If you want to

breed then an immediate short day would speed the plants up alot plus they

get mighty large if you veg them more than a couple of weeks. please write

back if you have any questions i will be happy to help. Sjoerd



> Hello, my name is Uncle Ben. I post to (and used to moderate) cann.com and

> having been around cannabis forums for a long time. I've been putting in a

> plug for you here and there after talking to Gypsy, RC, and my email buddies

> about your quality reputation, background (Positronics/Wernard support) and

> strains. Hope you will take some time to answer a few questions for me.

>

> I have an interest in your Original Haze, for small time breeding purposes.

> Stock sold through Heaven's Stairway. I talked to Richard who wrote me from

> the Dam recently, and apparently visited with you folks at the time. After

> answering a few questions RC suggested I email you for additional info.

>

> I am a seasoned grower and don't have a problem managing sativas. What I'm

> looking for is a strain that will impart an excellent potency phenotype to its

> progeny, for a personal smoke for me and my wife principally. I have the

> genetics for yields, so yield is not that important; potency is. I have

> quite a few Dutch strains and the potency is not all that impressive compared

> to some of the old Colombia and Mexican sativas I have grown out.

> Questions....

>

> 1. Is the strain you sell the original strain that Wernard got from whomever

> that was bred by the Haze brothers from the Oakland Bay area? Is it THE pure

> unadulterated haze hybrid consisting of Col. Gold X Acapulco Gold X Thai X S.

> Indian?

>

> 2. Have you backcrossed this strain into a F10 (wherever it's at), to try to

> get certain attributes? What are the dominant characteristics/phenotype

> please? What is good, and what should one watch for?

>

> 3. What is the best photoperiod to use with The Original Haze considering

> almost all of the parentage is from an equatorial region? I was planning to

> go 24/0 for veg, drop to 11/13 by harvest.

>

> 4. What in your repertoire would you recommend for crossing Haze to, to bring

> down the harvest time a little while maintaining a very potent sativa

> influence. How about the Thai Tanic, or is this strain prone to hermies due

> to the paradigm that Thai tends to impart this trait?

>

> Thanks so much for the advice, and keep up the good work!

>

> Much respect,

> Uncle Ben

....and my communication with Sam himself:

SEPTEMBER 2003 - Sam the Skunkman via a PM response

The Haze brothers were from Santa Cruz not Oakland, and they were not brothers, just friends. Most Original Haze were ColumbianXMexican, with some Thai and S Indian later on added to the mix. I lived next door to them, and gave them genetics from my travels. But they were not breeders, just growers with very good luck.

-SamS


Am harvesting C99 FWIW. Sticky stuff!,
Tio

Awesom @Old Uncle Ben, love the stories... any advice on the landrace sativas and how to grow them I'd be so happy to learn from experiences..

ps thanks for the feedback on my availavble osmocote

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Awesom @Old Uncle Ben, love the stories... any advice on the landrace sativas and how to grow them I'd be so happy to learn from experiences..

ps thanks for the feedback on my availavble osmocote

I'd go with Ace Seeds from Mandala or landraces from Kwik Seeds. Ordered from both. I'm doing "landraces" but focusing on indica. The re-vegged Cannacopia Lapis Mtn. I have left is some ass kicking, fine smoke. LOVE the high.

This should be some ass kicking sativas. Also look at their Golden Tiger or other Thai enriched goodies. I could (and do) look at Mandala's site for hours. Excuse me if I posted this before.

Sativas are challenging regarding your space. If you're in a warm clime where you can grow outdoors you're good to go. If you're growing equatorial types you'll be waiting a long time. They seem to flower based on chronological age vs hormonal responses induced by photoperiods. Hormone is called phytochrome. Dalat is a bitch to get to flower but when it does it explodes. Like Haze the high can be....meh.

CharlesU Farley, ya might like the Usenet stories......

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I harvested some pretty chunky C99 the other day off small plants. Same old fruity sticky stuff. This is probably the most disappointing indoor garden I’ve done, nothing but problems - spider mites, fungus gnats and found some mold in buds on a indica I’ll harvest today. Pretty fed up…time to move on.

Hollow trunk on a C99. Believe that's a sativa pheno. Thai and other sativas have this trait.