SuperSkunk Manifold

My natural manifold got a beat-down tonight. There is nothing snippet in the middle, but I had one do this and split when I tried LST, so the grafting wax is there as a preventative measure. Those weird angles on the limb in the middle is from it wish-boning into two skinny stems. I pruned the others that did that, but this just happened to be aimed at the center, so if it grows slower it'll be getting the best light and catch up.

Here's the schedule I'm using on this plant. Also the GDP that's flowering. So far I see no ill effects.

Good thing about being retired, is that since I have stuff to do that is easier with the lights on (at night) I can just go nocturnal for a few days

I was mixing the "week 5" feed for the GDP because she is light already after about 40 hours.
Then I had an epiphany about my moderately-successful/really-early-ripening last grow.

I had the same issue with small pot, low humidity, water-feed often. I was using my damn checklist and progressing through the weeks - and changing the nutrient makeup that I was adding earlier than the plant was ready for!

The reason I noticed was that the FF Crystals (Open Sesame/Beastie-Bloomz/Cha-Ching) progress from one to the next during flower. I was in week 3 and mixed up the "final" element of the trio and was getting ready to feed her. I am tossing about $0.89 worth of nutes and testing this theory.

She already got the second part of that trio, so I am going to continue using the "week" that has that product for a few more feeds, then move to the next one after I see a brown pistil. I think I was actually promoting it ripening early - which might be a good note for the future, especially if you need weed quick and fatness can wait til next grow.

Here's the text of an e-mail I sent to Fox Farms. I'll update on any replies.

Hello

I have almost become disenfranchised with the FF original trio. Be honest - You came up with the Gringo Rasta (no solids) stuff because the stuff that settles in the original trio is what needs flushed and leads to nute burn. That is why you made the Gringo Rasta stuff - we know

I am convinced that you know the original trio was a "best at the time" product, but that because people adjusted it to make it better and are sold on it, you can't change it. I know you did the same thing creating the happy frog and lucky dog soil mixes because the FFOF is a staple, and you can't change it or people that have the perfect "mix" of stuff they add would be angry.

Anyway,
I had an epiphany regarding your Gringo Soil schedule (and any others with the soluble trio). Last grow was a smaller (3gal) pot, and with the furnace, winter, low rH etc. the plants drank a lot. I was either feeding or watering every 2 days. Not even thinking about it, I was using the checklist/schedule and doing my feed-water-feed-water schedule and progressing through the "weeks" earlier than I should have. Here is what I have found:

1. My grow finished quickly, probably because I advanced the nute schedule.
2. The flowers were beautiful, but not very dense.
3. They ripened early, and seemed to progress like the schedule predicted, but in a shorter timeframe.

The nugget I got from this was that based on how they are used, the Open Sesame should be used from when you think about flipping until you see the first pistil. The Beastie Bloom from first pistil to first brown pistil, And then the Cha Ching to the finish line. I thought you might want to comment.

Thanks,

4hrs later - weed is awesome

My *plan* is to let them go mostly vertical from here. After looking at the overall picture I may try to crescent the main trunks towards the bottom a little so it fills the pot better.

No one ever mentions a good camera (that is easy to use) as part of weed growing.

That's 2 days from wet to something.

@diggs99 , I just got that silicone sleeve that fits in the Ardent Nova. Looks like a winner.

That is a few grams of first run dry-sift keif. The plan is to clarify some butter, decarb the keif, then run the unit for another cycle with decarbed stuff and oil or butter and it infuses it. It worked well with a random glass jar that fit in it, the sleeve being form fitted should make it better.

Biggest thing is guessing at the THC content of the keif (anywhere from 40%-70%) and figuring out how much to use with how much butter. The first test is always on a "nothing to do" day

More random stuff I saved these since I started doing the manifold because they are symmetrical and stuff.
The front one is "lefty" that broke off early and lived. That one is getting a little better trim and becoming a hat-rack
Not sure on the others.

Northern Lights by ILGM, day 3

Later, the leaves still hadn't opened. Under a loupe it had a thin membrane holding them together, like from the inside of the seed husk. I pulled it off with tweezers and they opened right up.

The flower closet. Just watered, and the plant isn't usually that close to the light, but it's on the caddy and junk to drain.
This one just got her first training, and first flower feed. With these clones I have done no special flush or transitional junk. Both actually got their first flower feed after they were flipped.

And this girl is beautiful if I do say so myself.

And the one vegging. Looks tiny in that big pot.

I like that sleeve, seems like any of the new silicone stuff is great

You have been busy, got alot going on i see. How many seeds you popping for the competition?

diggs99 said:

I like that sleeve, seems like any of the new silicone stuff is great

You have been busy, got alot going on i see. How many seeds you popping for the competition?

Click to expand...

Probably 4. Never done 4 at once yet so there's that. Probably sticking to the 3 gallon pots. I have the NL going, so maybe 3. Still in my head on that one.

I figure I probably have 3 weeks to a month until they get out of the solo-cup stage, which is when I'll flip the other clone. These 3 or 4 will be quick-flip, no training, nothing. Just nutes. The NL will be a manifold. If I let the plants get to the 6th or 7th node when it would be cool to top, and they have had a few veg feedings, they should be good to flip instead.

I plan to be done before the contest end date and move on. After that I am leaning towards just dropping a seed every month.

diggs99 said:

I like that sleeve, seems like any of the new silicone stuff is great

You have been busy, got alot going on i see. How many seeds you popping for the competition?

Click to expand...

You don't know the half of it. All those tomatoes and peppers are ready for re-potting, and I am building a "greenhouse" on my back porch.

My area is sub-mountainous (about 1000' elev.) and is very prone to thunderstorms. I have a generator in the 24x10 blue-roof shed (that I got for $2800 because it was a repo…) in case power goes out.

This is mainly for cooking herbs and young plants, gets about 6-7 hours of sun minimum, more in summer. ILGM has "mix-packs" of seeds, where you get 5ea of 3 different strains for anywhere from $110 to $150. Works out to $10/seed or less, which is competitive, but they have a 100% germination guarantee. If it doesn't pop, they replace it with whatever you want (same price). And there is always a $5 discount so move your cursor like you are closing the page and it will pop up.
https://shop.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/collections/mixpacks/products/power-mixpack?variant=654175764496 this is what I am looking at next, but they also have some auto-flowers, and I was thinking that if I have enough other plants I can toss an auto or two among them.

My nearest neighbors are 4 horses across the street

Day 4