Autos v. Photos - A 5x5 No Rules Fight for Yield: A Jon & NickHardy Gig

[Absorber]

A word on the Skywalker strain…

I’ve grown this strain three times now. Including a photo. In all cases the plant has the same structure. I know enough about it from researching the strain (the first one really grabbed me, it’s in my super sweet spot for strains) that it has a rep for not super great production and minimal fan leafing. It’s a strain you’d grow cuz you like it. The reason I post this is in case anyone hasn’t grown it yet but wants to. My suggestion is don’t take a single leaf!!! She is the least fan leafy or sugar leafy strain I’ve ever grown. At first I thought I screwed the plant up somehow. Even through the stretch when you normally see a big sugar leaf push at least, hardly anything. Taking one fan from a Skywalker is never necessary, which makes her a super super easy plant to grow, train, or whatever. She also has very very long spacing between new growth on her stems. So you get long expanses of stem to a pair of buds, then the tops turn into one. Probably the main reason for her so so production. That is what the first one did and the two I have now show to be doing the exact same thing. It’s enough for me to feel confident enough in this post. This is the structure of Skywalker.

That said, why grow it? Cuz it’s awesome. Beautiful all day smoke. Medium thc, maybe 24-26 %. Woody, a little citrus, a little sweet, a good amount of earthiness, maybe even a bit nutty, and tons of dank. Tastes like real pot if that makes sense. Old school taste and buzz. Surprised it took me this long to gravitate to it. It’s definitely on the sativa side with the buzz, but not nearly the chest pump type sativa. Smooth. Soft smoke. I dig it a lot.

My two cents on Skywalker for tonight.

Im wondering how my Obi-Wan Kush will be its a cross of Skywalker and OG Kush
Out of the 5 strains I have its the stand out so far .

 

[Melville Hobbes]

A word on the Skywalker strain…

I’ve grown this strain three times now. Including a photo. In all cases the plant has the same structure. I know enough about it from researching the strain (the first one really grabbed me, it’s in my super sweet spot for strains) that it has a rep for not super great production and minimal fan leafing. It’s a strain you’d grow cuz you like it. The reason I post this is in case anyone hasn’t grown it yet but wants to. My suggestion is don’t take a single leaf!!! She is the least fan leafy or sugar leafy strain I’ve ever grown. At first I thought I screwed the plant up somehow. Even through the stretch when you normally see a big sugar leaf push at least, hardly anything. Taking one fan from a Skywalker is never necessary, which makes her a super super easy plant to grow, train, or whatever. She also has very very long spacing between new growth on her stems. So you get long expanses of stem to a pair of buds, then the tops turn into one. Probably the main reason for her so so production. That is what the first one did and the two I have now show to be doing the exact same thing. It’s enough for me to feel confident enough in this post. This is the structure of Skywalker.

That said, why grow it? Cuz it’s awesome. Beautiful all day smoke. Medium thc, maybe 24-26 %. Woody, a little citrus, a little sweet, a good amount of earthiness, maybe even a bit nutty, and tons of dank. Tastes like real pot if that makes sense. Old school taste and buzz. Surprised it took me this long to gravitate to it. It’s definitely on the sativa side with the buzz, but not nearly the chest pump type sativa. Smooth. Soft smoke. I dig it a lot.

My two cents on Skywalker for tonight.

Hmm. I haven't grown Skywalker, but I have grown Skywalker OG, and it did end up a lot less bushy than I was expecting.
Every Blueberry I've grown has been bushy, and all the pics of Mazar I've seen have been too.
I wonder what it would be about the cross that caused that?

Im wondering how my Obi-Wan Kush will be its a cross of Skywalker and OG Kush
Out of the 5 strains I have its the stand out so far .

If it's anything like its sister strain it'll be excellent.

 

[Absorber]

Hmm. I haven't grown Skywalker, but I have grown Skywalker OG, and it did end up a lot less bushy than I was expecting.
Every Blueberry I've grown has been bushy, and all the pics of Mazar I've seen have been too.
I wonder what it would be about the cross that caused that?

If it's anything like its sister strain it'll be excellent.

The buds at 37 days are looking pretty good and are already big ,I can't wait

 

[NickHardy]

Day #31 I guess. Popped 5th peat 7th. 24+7

Nothing at all interesting going on. Drinking about a litre each a day. Leaving 88 litres in the tank.

Hmmm.

I have to travel on Monday. Back Friday evening. Swapping a tropical island for… another tropical holiday. Part admin part holiday I guess. On my own - & Co is going to have to just hit the blue button to water while I’m away - Jon knows I’m going and gets its essential travel. Watering is fine as assistance goes.

It is after all Jon’s fault I have to travel. We agreed that I need to go and get some perspective on this grow and my growing overall. There’s multiple stages, acceptance of my early defeat here, the acceptance that I will never achieve Jon’s level of skills, but also targeting an acceptable level of grow skills. He’s sending me down to the Marigold leagues after this before allowing me back here. I understand, its kinda embarrassing for you reading and the site. Sorry Rob and the rest the staff.

So anyway - Penang for the week next week to recover from these grim times. For my mental well being he said.

Sorry. I’ve let you down. Jon explained it all to me last night in a video call. Right after he stopped waving that fob watch across the screen.

Nick




Yeah plants are fine. So relaxed am I that I’m flying off for a week. Topping Saturday, Flipping Monday before I fly. I’ll catch them for the start of stretch all being well.

 

[Jon]

Im wondering how my Obi-Wan Kush will be its a cross of Skywalker and OG Kush
Out of the 5 strains I have its the stand out so far .

Idk but based on the parents my semi-educated guess is that with the Kush genes you will get better productivity than straight Skywalker and likely a bit more leafing than that as well. Hopefully you get tighter internodal, cuz that would be the best way to improve the Skywalker imo. But it’s just a guess. Good luck!

 

[Absorber]

Idk but based on the parents my semi-educated guess is that with the Kush genes you will get better productivity than straight Skywalker and likely a bit more leafing than that as well. Hopefully you get tighter internodal, cuz that would be the best way to improve the Skywalker imo. But it’s just a guess. Good luck!

Its looking pretty good so far the best looking one out of the 5 strains I've got

 

[Jon]

Hmm. I haven't grown Skywalker, but I have grown Skywalker OG, and it did end up a lot less bushy than I was expecting.
Every Blueberry I've grown has been bushy, and all the pics of Mazar I've seen have been too.
I wonder what it would be about the cross that caused that?

If it's anything like its sister strain it'll be excellent.

Idk @Melville Hobbes, I don’t know enough genetics just yet. But my Blueberry was also leafy and bushy and most of the ones I’ve seen are too. I think we’re into strain specific traits here?

 

[Melville Hobbes]

Idk @Melville Hobbes, I don’t know enough genetics just yet. But my Blueberry was also leafy and bushy and most of the ones I’ve seen are too. I think we’re into strain specific traits here?

Probably. I think it's something about breeding too.
Do si dos is bushy with tight internodes, Gelato is bushy with tight internodes.
Breed the two together and you get Do si dos #33, which has longer internodes and thinner foliage
I'm thinking it's something like that.

 

[Jon]

Day #31 I guess. Popped 5th peat 7th. 24+7

Nothing at all interesting going on. Drinking about a litre each a day. Leaving 88 litres in the tank.

Hmmm.

I have to travel on Monday. Back Friday evening. Swapping a tropical island for… another tropical holiday. Part admin part holiday I guess. On my own - & Co is going to have to just hit the blue button to water while I’m away - Jon knows I’m going and gets its essential travel. Watering is fine as assistance goes.

It is after all Jon’s fault I have to travel. We agreed that I need to go and get some perspective on this grow and my growing overall. There’s multiple stages, acceptance of my early defeat here, the acceptance that I will never achieve Jon’s level of skills, but also targeting an acceptable level of grow skills. He’s sending me down to the Marigold leagues after this before allowing me back here. I understand, its kinda embarrassing for you reading and the site. Sorry Rob and the rest the staff.

So anyway - Penang for the week next week to recover from these grim times. For my mental well being he said.

Sorry. I’ve let you down. Jon explained it all to me last night in a video call. Right after he stopped waving that fob watch across the screen.

Nick




Yeah plants are fine. So relaxed am I that I’m flying off for a week. Topping Saturday, Flipping Monday before I fly. I’ll catch them for the start of stretch all being well.

Wow, your creative writing skills are just excellent. Brilliant post. Ok, a few things:
- in by case anyone doesn’t understand, he is of course joking. Other than the going away stuff. Take a look at his grow. Goddamn reality sucks. But it appears to me that in his fricking pseudo Dixie cups he’s got and will have a completely full and lush and healthy canopy. This is what I was afraid of. In reality Nick is an amazing grower with tons of skills and years of experience who does this to pay his bills. In Thailand yet, where he often has to work with compromises based on Thai availability of this or that. Really - dude is good. Good enough he really should crush any tent of autos regardless of who the auto grower is.

The question is, will he?

Must be nice to be automated you can jet off to another tropical paradise at will. I began the day at five and it took til 7:45 for me to do what needed done. Everything by hand. But I knew of that advantage ahead of time. And about the co2. And the wattage. Yep, he’s got all the toys and all the advantages.

Interesting, considering what I see is an equal battle at the moment. 25 square is 25 square. My tent is as full as NickNocks.

It’s on.

Have fun Nick. In a sense you’re an auto grower too. Lmao. Just the “-mated” variety.

 

[Jon]

Probably. I think it's something about breeding too.
Do si dos is bushy with tight internodes, Gelato is bushy with tight internodes.
Breed the two together and you get Do si dos #33, which has longer internodes and thinner foliage
I'm thinking it's something like that.

Ah! I see now. Yeah, that’s where I have to cry uncle. But it’s interesting as hell I agree and if one is strain searching for say a mother plant or something one is well served to dig into this side a bit, yea?

 

[NickHardy]

*1 years experience! Just the one. Though a very busy one

NickNocks

Love it.

* First Harvest Jan ‘23 so he’s beating on a noob!

 

[Jon]

Super Save!!

When this shit happens is when I know I’m firing on all cylinders as a grower. Two days ago I semi-broke one of tops on the Apple Fritter. I gotta remember that when I lift the lid to move over to the new res for res changes, the pot is attached. So flex the lid and the pot moves too, which can flex a line that was already intentionally at its limit. So I snapped one of the two. It was about 60-70% snapped off altogether on a semi thick stem. Difficult save, but far from impossible. The plant is WAY WAY more resilient than I ever thought, I’ve learned over time. But when this happens the first key is IMMEDIATE ACTION. The next is accuracy in the placement back to where it should be to heal. And the third is support in the exact position you want in a way that will not move.

I learned here how to fix these type breaks. If I remember right, a long time ago @StoneOtter had a similar injury and demonstrated the fix in his patio grow? Anyway, here’s the deal in pictures. You’ll see easily what I did. And this is almost 48 hours since the fix. It would be getting dark green and shriveled by now if it wasn’t going to take. I know from experience it’s been nailed. Yay me. I like that top. Lol.

 

[Jon]

*1 years experience! Just the one. Though a very busy one

NickNocks

Love it.

* First Harvest Jan ‘23 so he’s beating on a noob!

I don’t understand. You aren’t saying that in true reality you have only been growing for a year. Thats impossible. So what does that mean exactly? Am I missing a joke?

 

[NickHardy]

Yes we got two Bruce Banner clones October/November 2022, Harvested Jan 2023. Joined the site October 2022 having never grown weed in my life.

Learned it all here!

 

[StoneOtter]

Good save Jon! She's looking vigorous!

 

[Jon]

Yes we got two Bruce Banner clones October/November 2022, Harvested Jan 2023. Joined the site October 2022 having never grown weed in my life.

Learned it all here!

Christ. How did I not know that? And Christ. How can you go from zero to paying your bills that fast? Oy vey!! Ok so damn, now I don’t know how to feel. Sorta like I should apologize. Maybe this isn’t fair what I’m doing to you here. I thought stomping you was all in good fun but if you’re a noob then….hmm.

 

[Jon]

Day 29
Front and Back Overhead Views

Umm….don’t ask me. This is all them and I get lucky frequently. All I did was make a few suggestions to them. Hold their hands a little. And now this. Tomorrow is a month. Unreal.

Cyco nutes rock. At least this time with these two plants. Immense and super rapid growth that far outpaces the rest of the tent. Awesome color. No downsides I can see or find so far. Crazy good. So far.

 

[NickHardy]

I’ve grown more than your average bear in that year.

Wouldn’t have taken you on I didn’t think I could* best you. Trash talk away! Young pups need teaching a lesson from time to time!

But for paying my bills? We’re selling sure. But I’m not sure we’re paying costs yet Fortunately I have a full time job to pay the bills!

Carry on Jon!

NickNock

 

[Jon]

I’ve grown more than your average bear in that year.

Wouldn’t have taken you on I didn’t think I could* best you. Trash talk away! Young pups need teaching a lesson from time to time!

But for paying my bills? We’re selling sure. But I’m not sure we’re paying costs yet Fortunately I have a full time job to pay the bills!

Carry on Jon!

NickNock

Well thanks for clarifying all that for me and forgive the wrong info I posted earlier about you and your experience. But okay. I’m too invested now to grant you any pity anyway. So today is the beginning of the final piece of your undoing.

Witness, and don’t worry, and Co. will help you lick your wounds.

For those interested, this is where they’ll stay mostly, and we are starting at the lowest setting - 25%. Heh.

 

[Jon]

Well thanks for clarifying all that for me and forgive the wrong info I posted earlier about you and your experience. But okay. I’m too invested now to grant you any pity anyway. So today is the beginning of the final piece of your undoing.

Witness, and don’t worry, and Co. will help you lick your wounds.

For those interested, this is where they’ll stay mostly, and we are starting at the lowest setting - 25%. Heh.

My downward angle of choice: