AKGramma's Perpetual Grow

[TorturedSoul]

Have you finished any of that AK47 x Durban Poison, yet? I've enjoyed both of those at one time or another, and am very curious about the cross.

 

[AKgramma]

Have you finished any of that AK47 x Durban Poison, yet? I've enjoyed both of those at one time or another, and am very curious about the cross.

Sue brought that back with her from Jamaica. With a name like Durban Poison, it's GOTTA be good s***! I popped them in May. So they are in stretch now.

What is really strange is that the male bloomed and the one female in veg seems closer to show in veg under gaslight than those under 11/13 (I reduced their daylight by one to speed things up). It's gotta be the DP ancestry, because the AK 47 behaves itself under gaslight.

Plus, the DP gives off more odor than the AK 47 or AK 48 (AK 47 x Ice). If I had the room I would clone the heck out of the lady in Veg, because I used all the seeds I was gifted.

DP also seems to make the AK 47 stretch more. The lady under flower is getting lanky.

 

[AKgramma]

I planted up the last 2 of the AK 48 clones into one 3 gallon bin. I dont have the room to give each lady her own. But they seem to do well paired up, on opposite ends of the bin (semi-rectangular).

I realized today, that the family is not coming to me anymore for smoke, and that I'm putting out a lot of effort for nothing. I have jars full of ground and powdered leaves, and a few jars of cured buds. I'm seriously considering cutting way back on the grow, possibly stopping after this harvest, and the next batch of clones now up-potted.

If I DO continue, I will try to stick with one or two strains. By the time this and the next grow is finished, I'll know which strains I like the best, which clone the easiest, and which ones are not a PITA to grow.

There is one AK47 x Durban Poison bushy lady who is trying to flower under veg, and I may have to clone her to save her phenotype. I DO like the AK 47 x ? hybrids, because they clone well and are hardy. And their leaves are quite potent, even dried and ground. I like the idea of having the leaves available all the time for consumption, and not just waiting for the harvest for something good for edibles.

The two strains at the top of my list are:

AK 48 (AK 47 x ICE mother)
AK 47 x Durban Poison (something Sweet Sue brought back from Jamaica.)

Both have impressive ancestries with indica-like phenotypes to choose from. I'm cloning this particular pheno, cause I dont have the patience for sativa phenos. And I just dont have the room to accommodate them.

I expect some thumb-sized buds this time, because I trimmed out the undergrowth to avoid popcorn buds. We'll see how it goes. Got the mites totally under control so I'm hoping for some

 

[SweetSue]

I planted up the last 2 of the AK 48 clones into one 3 gallon bin. I dont have the room to give each lady her own. But they seem to do well paired up, on opposite ends of the bin (semi-rectangular).

I realized today, that the family is not coming to me anymore for smoke, and that I'm putting out a lot of effort for nothing. I have jars full of ground and powdered leaves, and a few jars of cured buds. I'm seriously considering cutting way back on the grow, possibly stopping after this harvest, and the next batch of clones now up-potted.

If I DO continue, I will try to stick with one or two strains. By the time this and the next grow is finished, I'll know which strains I like the best, which clone the easiest, and which ones are not a PITA to grow.

There is one AK47 x Durban Poison bushy lady who is trying to flower under veg, and I may have to clone her to save her phenotype. I DO like the AK 47 x ? hybrids, because they clone well and are hardy. And their leaves are quite potent, even dried and ground. I like the idea of having the leaves available all the time for consumption, and not just waiting for the harvest for something good for edibles.

The two strains at the top of my list are:

AK 48 (AK 47 x ICE mother)
AK 47 x Durban Poison (something Sweet Sue brought back from Jamaica.)

Both have impressive ancestries with indica-like phenotypes to choose from. I'm cloning this particular pheno, cause I dont have the patience for sativa phenos. And I just dont have the room to accommodate them.

I expect some thumb-sized buds this time, because I trimmed out the undergrowth to avoid popcorn buds. We'll see how it goes. Got the mites totally under control so I'm hoping for some

You'll get that good luck, and kuddos on beating back the Borg. I know how intense it can get. I'm still gunshy, and I've had a whole new group through.

I like the image of you growing just for you and the joy of growing and keeping the mind sharp with experimentation. You're working out a lot of issues specific to the Alaskan grow. I'd hate to see you stop engaging your mind in this manner. I gain so much from posting, and I suspect you do as well.

Growing is in our blood. Just face it and make it fun for you.

Before the year is out I'll pop one of my AK 47 x Durbin Poison. The daughter might like to give it a try. We're trying to expand her options.

 

[AKgramma]

Before the year is out I'll pop one of my AK 47 x Durbin Poison. The daughter might like to give it a try. We're trying to expand her options.

Of three AK 47 x Durban Poison seeds that thrived, one was a male, one is tall and lanky, and one is bushy and getting taller and bushier. The bushy one will be the mother, if I can make her behave and not rush to flower.

Their scent promises some potent stuff, no matter how it's processed! The AK 47 terpenes balance out the DP, so the occasional whiff I get of them isn't stinky-dank, but definitely a note higher than the AK 48's. I'll let you know what they smell like in full flower.

But their leaves.... oh MY, how fragrant!

 

[TorturedSoul]

I realized today, that the family is not coming to me anymore for smoke, and that I'm putting out a lot of effort for nothing.

So relax and look for ways/methods to make your grows less labor-intensive. It looks like you'll be able to afford to lose a little efficiency in terms of yield (if that should happen).

I'm seriously considering cutting way back on the grow, possibly stopping after this harvest, and the next batch of clones now up-potted.

???

That'd be a shame (IMHO). Maybe this is actually an opportunity - and opportunity to try out a different strain or two now and then (with no deadlines and no stress from people asking, "Is it done yet?") at a more pleasant pace. You might discover one that you really enjoy that you wouldn't have, otherwise.

AK47 x Durban Poison

How strong is the smell from that one? (My apologies if I've asked you this before!)

 

[AKgramma]

TS: The smell is surprisingly mild for a name like Durban Poison. But, the hairs are only just beginning to show. I'll let you know how intense the odor gets as the flowers open up.

 

[AKgramma]

> sigh < My beautiful bushy AK47 x Durban Poison turned out to be another male. The remaining plant is female, already stretched, and safely in the flowering unit. I am going to attempt a carefully-controlled breeding between this last male with the only female from the set of seeds I was gifted.

I need to find a way to isolate him without either killing him, or allowing him to sow his wild oats all over the veg unit or the house. I'm not sure that treating him like another houseplant will confine his pollen well enough to not contaminate the ladies in flower, when I tend them.

I'm open to ideas. Cheap, DIY ideas.

 

[Tony Urban]

Could you trim the majority of him, leaving limited pollen sacs? Perhaps cover the last pollen sacs with a very thin plastic bag (drycleaning bag) as it nears maturation? I dont really know, since pollen is very small, and nature has a way of finding a way to survive.

 

[AKgramma]

Could you trim the majority of him, leaving limited pollen sacs? Perhaps cover the last pollen sacs with a very thin plastic bag (drycleaning bag) as it nears maturation? I dont really know, since pollen is very small, and nature has a way of finding a way to survive.

Yep, that is exactly what I did with the last one, and previous others, and the plastic bag filled with moisture, which causes the pollen to activate prematurely. Maybe a paper bag?

 

[AKgramma]

I came up with a workable solution for the last male AK47 x Durban Poison. So, a pictorial history.

First is what he looked like in veg. Such a beautiful plant, as most of my males have been. But i was hoping it would be female. However, under 16/8 HE decided he was ready to make pollen.

This is a closeup of what to expect from a male. No hairs = Male. single buds on stalks = Male. Grape-like bunches of them growing in nodes = Male.

And now, after trimming all that lovely foliage down to one stem and a promising tip (you dont need much).

I will see open pods here in a few days. Or should I say a week or two?

 

[AKgramma]

> sigh < Three more males showed up in the flower tent today.

All my White Castles were males. Luckily, these were gifted, so only cost of postage on Sue's part is all we lost, not counting 100 days of nursing seed, pampering, trimming, feeding, and continual moving around to accommodate new growth. And then, there are the lighting costs ($40 a month per unit). This probably explains why only 1 clone of 20 survived, all being clones of males.

I saved the leaves and pods for cooking herbs. I'm due to make more capsules, so will add this trim batch to the other mixed cannabis parts, already dried and stored.

All I have left in flower are three ladies, (4 weeks and 2 days since switch):

AK47 x Durban Poison
AK48 (revegged clone)
Arjan's Haze (revegged clone)

Nature solved the space problem for me!

The veg unit contains 8 AK48 clones off a proven female. More proof this is a hardy hybrid!

 

[AKgramma]

I'm making my capsules today, using the freshly dried and ground male plant I harvested: the leaves, well trimmed before drying and the male pods. I didn't go fresh because we are in our rainy period, and even fresh stuff left in the refrigerator gets moldy.

So,I adjusted Sue's FHO recipe to 25% cannabis (dried weight compared to wet), so that my ratio of green to Coconut Oil is 1:10 by weight.

1/2 oz powdered cannabis to 5 oz melted coconut oil + 2 TSP of LSL. (you can adjust this ratio if you use buds instead of just leaves and pods.)

Here's what I do. I don't decarb, cause I want to preserve all the natural compounds and terpenes for pain relief and preventative medicine.

1) grind dried Cannabis to a powder and set aside
2) measure room-temperature coconut oil into a pyrex (glass, not plastic) pitcher. I add a bit over to allow for melting.
3) microwave coconut oil about 1 minute till it melts. Pour off any extra back into the jar so you have 5 oz.
4) mix in powdered cannabis
5) microwave for two minutes. This will bring the mixture to a boil
6) remove from microwave and add the LSL (Liquid Sunflower Lecithin)
7) Allow to cool naturally, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from separating. This might take hours. By cooling naturally, this gives the cannabis time to steep in the oil for more absorption
8) When the mixture starts to firm up into a mash, use a skewer to scoop the paste into 00 sized gelatin capsules. Fill to top, then cap.

If you set the storage container on a cold icepack, the capsules will firm up while you are filling the rest of them.

Store in freezer, and only remove what you will use within a week to the refrigerator. It WILL spoil if left for long periods if not frozen.

You can store the leftover mash in the freezer for the next batch of capsules you fill.

FWIW, this works well for me, and I take them orally before bedtime for a good night's sleep.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I don't decarb

3) microwave coconut oil about 1 minute till it melts. Pour off any extra back into the jar so you have 5 oz.
4) mix in powdered cannabis
5) microwave for two minutes. This will bring the mixture to a boil
6) remove from microwave and add the LSL (Liquid Sunflower Lecithin)
7) Allow to cool naturally, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from separating. This might take hours.

That might be performing quite a bit of decarboxylation. Doesn't coconut oil boil at a higher temperature than water does, something like 350°F or 450°F, depending on whether it's "extra virgin" or refined? (I might be thinking of something else, but was thinking it's a fairly high temperature.)

 

[AKgramma]

That might be performing quite a bit of decarboxylation. Doesn't coconut oil boil at a higher temperature than water does, something like 350°F or 450°F, depending on whether it's "extra virgin" or refined? (I might be thinking of something else, but was thinking it's a fairly high temperature.)

That is entirely possible, TS! I didn't BOIL it but for 1 minute. It took a minute to get hot enough to boil. And I didn't test the temp of the mash.

I don't make enough at one time to justify bringing out the mini-crockpot for a 4-hour "cook". So, whatever actually happens to the compounds and terpenes in the hours during cool-down is anyone's guess.

 

[AKgramma]

This recipe makes about 120-150 capsules.

 

[AKgramma]

The male AK47 x Durban Poison's pods are taking their time to mature. I am afraid the female is going to be past her prime before I can harvest pollen. She is all stretched out sativa-style with long spiky hairs.

The 8 AK48 clones are all growing at the same rate and will be ready for the switch by the time my current ladies in flower are harvested at the beginning to mid October.

After that, I may pop the rest of the autos and shut down one tent to save on electricity this winter.

 

[AKgramma]

> sigh < it looks like my male is dying. The leaves have withered (not dried) and blackened, and I don't see any progress with pods opening up. I might as well get used to the idea that I won't have any more AK47 x Durban Poisons, once the female is harvested.

I COULD try a reveg, but seeing as the AK 48 reveg is scrawny with tiny leaves, I doubt it will work. Still, ever the optimist, with no other options open to saving this strain, I have to plan for a reveg, taking JUST the buds and leaving ALL the foliage.

I wonder if it being Sativa-heavy will further doom the experiment. In my experience Sativas have been very finicky. One really has to be patient to see results.

One upside is that my used-soil remix has sustained the entire grow without having to add nutes. Since the AK 48 clones are quite vigorous, however, I might give them a boost with seaweed extract for the Nitrogen content.

 

[TorturedSoul]

<edited>

 

[AKgramma]

I had an interesting surprise this morning when the flowering lights came on and I took the time to look.

My AK47xDurban Poison has seeds! After looking at a video about what a hermied plant looks like, mine does not fit the pic.

I fyou got emailed the previous version of this post, where I thought she had hermied, I was mistake.

So: I assume my earlier AK48xDP snuck some pollen onto the female before they were properly separated. I THOUGHT I caught both males before their pods opened, and no other female has been seeded, so go figure!

I guess Nature saved the strain for me!