Good morning! Or evening! Or whatever time it is where you are!
There's a bunch of aspects surrounding the process of growing cannabis that I'm in love with.
First...the variety. I doubt a person could ever really grow 'every strain out there' and I'm not even thinking phenotype variance within a specific genome. You want a chocolate taste with euphoric effects? I gotchu. You want full diesel and a trip to space...gotchu there, too. You want to go full Disney princess in nature with a mouth full of fruit sorbet...boom...done. I've joked about it before but these plants are my pokemon in some primetime hoarder way.
Second, the science. Science has been part of my life since I popped out. Bill Nye is my cardinal, Feynman my prophet, and Oppenheimer my martyr. I love experimenting and getting messy. I like shoving my brain into a complex system in an attempt to understand and pick it apart. What is most pleasurable is that 'ah-hah' moment when something finally clicks and the complexity untangles ever so slightly. I get a real kick testing these lights and nutes and seeds because in a way, I'm helping the people producing those things with their science and development.
Third the community. Whether it be other members of the cannafam/growmie club, or all of the great sponsors, I'm meeting some of the most intelligent and understanding people here in the forums. We're all nerds in our own rights, and we all experiment and we all speak the same language. I've learned more here about biology/botany/chemistry/physics than any other place outside of college. Y'all are some smart buggers and I love you for that. Thank you for existing.
Lastly, the bud. I still need my antidepressant, but cannabis fills in the gaps and helps me coexist with all the bad patterns in my brain in a gentler and more human-compatible way. There's probably something really wicked going on between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain when using cannabis because all those dumb social/emotional loops I sometimes get stuck in are buffered so that I can work on me without further self-hate/doubt.
Ok gross...enough wishy washy...on to the grow:
@Mars Hydro
I've been oogling your lights since I started growing and have watched you guys on here and other online places being absolute bosses with the customer service and development. The wider community appears to agree that y'all make some nice kit so I am beyond tickled to get this grow going. Thank you so very much for allowing me the opportunity to feature your light in this grow.
Mars sent me the SP3000 to test. It literally fills my 2x4 tent:
I'm going to go ahead and guess coverage isn't going to be a huge issue with this light. Its flower footprint is 2x5!
There are 960 diodes on the light and Mars figured out that each LED is most efficient when running at 0.3 watts so total power consumption comes out to 288W at full blast. They state it's max draw is 300W so with controller and driver I'd say they're pretty accurate. If anything this should draw less than 300W, which I'll test with my plug-in usage meter later.
On to the spectrum. Since the specific characteristics a spectrum needs to best grow cannabis seems to be a point of contention I'll be basing my opinion on what I think I want. I want blue and far red to be a major factor in my grows. Blue light gives my plants stouter physical build and smaller internodal spacing. Blue also aids in bulking up the roots. The red light aspect I don't understand as well, but am currently trying to get a handle on. My suspicion/weak understanding is that 660-780nm (far red/IR) aids in the production of a little known hormone called floragen, which is theorized to be what actually makes flower happen. I'm hoping to shorten the initiation of flower from the time I switch my lights to 12/12 to the time the plant responds by adding extra red light towards the end of veg and the beginning of flower. Perhaps I can also up the vigor of flower with more red.
And here's Mars' spectrum:
Well there ya go...lots of blue and red! I'll post more about the SP3000 as the grow progresses. On to genetics:
I couldn't avoid it much longer. I had to. It's like visiting Chicago...you gotta get a street dog. My first strain I'll be growing here is...
STRAWBERRY COUGH!
I'm so tired of hearing about this strain.
Ok, mods...please don't ding me for this video...it is 100% required for this strain. It's the reason I have to grow it.
Fair warning, a couple f-bombs get dropped but it's Michael Caine doing it so yeah...whatever. And you don't have to watch the whole thing...just the Strawberry Cough bit:
John, my partner, has such a damn infatuation with this strain after he watched Children of Men. Something about the idea of making one's cough air taste like a strawberry appeals to him. To be truthful, I'm not 100% a fan of anything strawberry so I'm staying open minded for him and will grow it out. From Homegrown's site:
..."Bred by Kyle Kushman using a combination of Haze and a mysterious clone he nicknamed 'Strawberry Field', the plant burst onto the scene in the early 2000s. It became an instant cult favorite after its release and even won the Best Flower title in Cannabis Cup of 2013. However, its exact lineage remains a mystery to this very day and, without advanced genetic testing, its precise parentage may never come to light."...
..."Strawberry Cough's scent is loved by newbies and veterans. Once lit up, it's sure to leave cannabis enthusiasts salivating, longing to take a hit. Each puff offers a sweet aroma with a distinct touch of strawberry, and a faint earthy-herbal note offers an interesting twist just before the fragrance diminishes.
As its name suggests, this cultivar is likely to leave smokers with a bit of a cough since its sticky sweetness can be hard on the throat. After exhaling, a distinct strawberry aftertaste with a hint of spice remains."...
Spice? Ok...I like hashy spicy weed...
..."Strawberry Cough's mean punch has lured smokers for years. The ride starts off with a mental buzz that carries users off to a place where everything seems brighter and more cheerful. The blissful high is soon joined by a surge of energy that makes it a great daytime weed. Tokers will feel lively and full of spirit, but never agitated or jumpy.
As is the case with most other marijuana cultivars, it may cause dry eyes and cottonmouth. Two easy solutions to this are using over-the-counter eye drops and drinking plenty of water. Aside from these manageable physical discomforts, there may be some more serious side effects such as dizziness, anxiety or even paranoia"...
I found my last Kyle Kushman strain, Sweet Island, to be pretty full of an initial 'mean punch', as well as some paranoia and anxiety (which I have a pre-existing tendency towards anyways). Her and I have come to an understanding and I'm growing to love what is sort of a challenging high? You can't sit back and chill on it...you've got to interact with it by either calm introspection or animated debate and discussion.
Ok so maybe I'll like Strawberry Cough. Maybe.
Next up:
Yumbolt!
Sweet baby jesus the name alone makes me smile. I have a fascination with the Humboldt current and how it affects the ocean ecosystems of the west coast. The name caught my eye first, not gonna lie.
The plant itself sounds incredibly fun and a nice counter to all the more active highs of what I currently have jarred and growing (kinda hard to get to sleep on green crack and sweet island
). It's another mystery lineage cultivar. From the Homegrown site:
..."As legend has it, a union of Afghani and Himalayan landraces gave rise to Yumbolt, a pure Indica cultivar. Yumbolt was perhaps a wordplay derived from the county of Humboldt, California, where it was first discovered back in the '70s. Up to this day, its actual ancestry remains unconfirmed. What is known, though, is that its earthy, and pine-scented vapor brings profoundly relaxing and therapeutic effects which appeal to recreational and medicinal users alike. Such properties have earned it several accolades including the 'Best Indica' award in the 2001 High Times Cannabis Cup."..
Effects should be a lot more chill than anything in my hoard of sativas which I am now realizing wasn't the best use of my grow space. I'm hoping this will become a new sleepy time smoke.
..."Yumbolt's fragrance is reminiscent of a musky, earthy rainforest after drizzle. The flavor compliments the scent with a burst of sweet, freshly squeezed lemon juice that leaves a skunky and nutty aftertaste."...
Dudes, I'm a swamp witch...this sounds like it's gonna fit me really well. I prefer funk and spice to bright and fruity. Hollah!
..."Indica cultivars, and especially pure ones, are best known for exerting exceedingly potent sedating effects. For this reason, Yumbolt is best consumed at nighttime, around half an hour before tucking yourself into bed.
The psychoactive effects manifest in a euphoric rush that puts a wide, satisfied smile on the face, creating a blissful buzz that makes even the most mundane tasks seem fun and exciting. But after a few moments of elation, the effects gradually transition to a sedating body-centric high. Relaxation creeps from the back of the head and into to every limb, until the whole body is under its spell. Calmness and relief come in droves as the taut muscles relax, and stress begins to dissipate. After a few moments of chilling out, expect sleep to come swiftly."...
Yep, all of that. That's what I want. I suffer from broken sleep and night terrors, I'd rather not get addicted to anything so no pills and good old Benadryl wreaks havoc on my gut bacteria, making it difficult for me to process B12 and 6 which yadda yadda yadda means I get a niacin reaction to pickles and I love me some pickles. Damn, that could have been written better but you get the point. I need my sanity sleep (beauty sleep flew the coop years ago) and I will never stop eating pickles.
Last strain I'll be growing in this journal is:
Northern Lights!
Ok, I'm guessing at least 70% people here on 420 have grown this strain. Hell, some of you were probably there when it was first a thing. I know nothing of it other than this one little experience:
A couple years back my man and I went out to Red River, New Mexico for a very good friend's wedding. Red River is this cool little resort town up in the mountains. We stayed a month (meant to only be there for a week but fell in love) and it's just...special. There used to be this little vape shop on the strip in an old red caboose. It was called the Juice Caboose and some totally epic crusty punk hippies ran it. After they closed at night, they and a handful of other locals would gather on the bench outside and play music. And smoke weed. They smoked something that smelled nothing like weed, as far I was concerned. It smelled just like the pine forests that covered the mountain. It smelled like my favorite places up north here in Michigan. It smelled like the Pacific Crest Trail. We both fell in love. It was Northern Lights.
Our very good friend died recently and suddenly and John has been crushed so badly by it. They spent countless years together working at the Philmont Scout Ranch and our friend was one of the few people besides me that understood John. So yeah, I'm growing this plant for John, and also for Tim, the friend.
The process:
I can't not grow hydro. The idea of no hydro for the next couple of months makes me sad in the pants so I'm currently in the process of cleaning out my system from the last grow for use in this grow. I'm cleaning the hydro gear using citric acid to break down rust and scale from my water, and any salts from nutes. I'll rinse that out, let it dry, and use a weak bleach solution on everything, tent included. No, I haven't had any infections, which is why I clean the crap out of everything each grow. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION!
I'm going to be running everything the same except for the light. I'm using @Prescription Blend nutrients because my last plants with them were the best yet.
One change to the system is everything is getting painted white. Res temps were high last grow so I'm trying to get as much passive cooling going before electricity needs to take over ($$$) I'm also going to try to make my own mesh grow bags like what came with @Rexer 's Bucket Company system. I love growing in coco until fluid has to move through it. I'm either completely missing some very basic idea to the whole net pot thing, or this is why lots of people hate coco: it all washes away eventually.
How to stop it? Well I tried those compostable nursery bags but a film of myco slime built up and caused water damming issues. This forced me to have to jab holes in the bags, which opened stuff up enough for all the coco to go into the res. I want to be able to use net pots, coco, have a healthy myco colony in said coco...and not have it all wash out. I feel that's not too much to ask, right? So stalking Rex and TBC I have an plan. Fiberglass window screening. I'll pattern and sew myself some bag inserts for a standard 6" net pot.
Another upgrade is when I install my scrog, I'll install a section for each plant. Last grow I had one scrog setup for three plants of different strains...all growing and maturing at different times. Harvesting just one was more of a pain in the ass than I care to openly admit. I'm not doing that again. That was pretty silly.
I think that's about it for the intro. On to the grow:
Dropped all three seeds last night into a 5% H2O2 solution after roughing them up a little with my handy-dandy matchbox of super germination fun time.
Woke up this morning and Yumbolt was already popped!
Damn girl, slow down!
I transferred all three to paper towel and a bag and will be popping them into rockwool cubes later today.
There's a bunch of aspects surrounding the process of growing cannabis that I'm in love with.
First...the variety. I doubt a person could ever really grow 'every strain out there' and I'm not even thinking phenotype variance within a specific genome. You want a chocolate taste with euphoric effects? I gotchu. You want full diesel and a trip to space...gotchu there, too. You want to go full Disney princess in nature with a mouth full of fruit sorbet...boom...done. I've joked about it before but these plants are my pokemon in some primetime hoarder way.
Second, the science. Science has been part of my life since I popped out. Bill Nye is my cardinal, Feynman my prophet, and Oppenheimer my martyr. I love experimenting and getting messy. I like shoving my brain into a complex system in an attempt to understand and pick it apart. What is most pleasurable is that 'ah-hah' moment when something finally clicks and the complexity untangles ever so slightly. I get a real kick testing these lights and nutes and seeds because in a way, I'm helping the people producing those things with their science and development.
Third the community. Whether it be other members of the cannafam/growmie club, or all of the great sponsors, I'm meeting some of the most intelligent and understanding people here in the forums. We're all nerds in our own rights, and we all experiment and we all speak the same language. I've learned more here about biology/botany/chemistry/physics than any other place outside of college. Y'all are some smart buggers and I love you for that. Thank you for existing.
Lastly, the bud. I still need my antidepressant, but cannabis fills in the gaps and helps me coexist with all the bad patterns in my brain in a gentler and more human-compatible way. There's probably something really wicked going on between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain when using cannabis because all those dumb social/emotional loops I sometimes get stuck in are buffered so that I can work on me without further self-hate/doubt.
Ok gross...enough wishy washy...on to the grow:
WELCOME MARSHYDRO!
@Mars Hydro
I've been oogling your lights since I started growing and have watched you guys on here and other online places being absolute bosses with the customer service and development. The wider community appears to agree that y'all make some nice kit so I am beyond tickled to get this grow going. Thank you so very much for allowing me the opportunity to feature your light in this grow.
Mars sent me the SP3000 to test. It literally fills my 2x4 tent:
I'm going to go ahead and guess coverage isn't going to be a huge issue with this light. Its flower footprint is 2x5!
On to the spectrum. Since the specific characteristics a spectrum needs to best grow cannabis seems to be a point of contention I'll be basing my opinion on what I think I want. I want blue and far red to be a major factor in my grows. Blue light gives my plants stouter physical build and smaller internodal spacing. Blue also aids in bulking up the roots. The red light aspect I don't understand as well, but am currently trying to get a handle on. My suspicion/weak understanding is that 660-780nm (far red/IR) aids in the production of a little known hormone called floragen, which is theorized to be what actually makes flower happen. I'm hoping to shorten the initiation of flower from the time I switch my lights to 12/12 to the time the plant responds by adding extra red light towards the end of veg and the beginning of flower. Perhaps I can also up the vigor of flower with more red.
And here's Mars' spectrum:
Welcome back Homegrown Cannabis Co!
I couldn't avoid it much longer. I had to. It's like visiting Chicago...you gotta get a street dog. My first strain I'll be growing here is...
STRAWBERRY COUGH!
I'm so tired of hearing about this strain.
Ok, mods...please don't ding me for this video...it is 100% required for this strain. It's the reason I have to grow it.
Fair warning, a couple f-bombs get dropped but it's Michael Caine doing it so yeah...whatever. And you don't have to watch the whole thing...just the Strawberry Cough bit:
John, my partner, has such a damn infatuation with this strain after he watched Children of Men. Something about the idea of making one's cough air taste like a strawberry appeals to him. To be truthful, I'm not 100% a fan of anything strawberry so I'm staying open minded for him and will grow it out. From Homegrown's site:
..."Bred by Kyle Kushman using a combination of Haze and a mysterious clone he nicknamed 'Strawberry Field', the plant burst onto the scene in the early 2000s. It became an instant cult favorite after its release and even won the Best Flower title in Cannabis Cup of 2013. However, its exact lineage remains a mystery to this very day and, without advanced genetic testing, its precise parentage may never come to light."...
..."Strawberry Cough's scent is loved by newbies and veterans. Once lit up, it's sure to leave cannabis enthusiasts salivating, longing to take a hit. Each puff offers a sweet aroma with a distinct touch of strawberry, and a faint earthy-herbal note offers an interesting twist just before the fragrance diminishes.
As its name suggests, this cultivar is likely to leave smokers with a bit of a cough since its sticky sweetness can be hard on the throat. After exhaling, a distinct strawberry aftertaste with a hint of spice remains."...
Spice? Ok...I like hashy spicy weed...
..."Strawberry Cough's mean punch has lured smokers for years. The ride starts off with a mental buzz that carries users off to a place where everything seems brighter and more cheerful. The blissful high is soon joined by a surge of energy that makes it a great daytime weed. Tokers will feel lively and full of spirit, but never agitated or jumpy.
As is the case with most other marijuana cultivars, it may cause dry eyes and cottonmouth. Two easy solutions to this are using over-the-counter eye drops and drinking plenty of water. Aside from these manageable physical discomforts, there may be some more serious side effects such as dizziness, anxiety or even paranoia"...
I found my last Kyle Kushman strain, Sweet Island, to be pretty full of an initial 'mean punch', as well as some paranoia and anxiety (which I have a pre-existing tendency towards anyways). Her and I have come to an understanding and I'm growing to love what is sort of a challenging high? You can't sit back and chill on it...you've got to interact with it by either calm introspection or animated debate and discussion.
Ok so maybe I'll like Strawberry Cough. Maybe.
Next up:
Yumbolt!
Sweet baby jesus the name alone makes me smile. I have a fascination with the Humboldt current and how it affects the ocean ecosystems of the west coast. The name caught my eye first, not gonna lie.
The plant itself sounds incredibly fun and a nice counter to all the more active highs of what I currently have jarred and growing (kinda hard to get to sleep on green crack and sweet island
). It's another mystery lineage cultivar. From the Homegrown site:..."As legend has it, a union of Afghani and Himalayan landraces gave rise to Yumbolt, a pure Indica cultivar. Yumbolt was perhaps a wordplay derived from the county of Humboldt, California, where it was first discovered back in the '70s. Up to this day, its actual ancestry remains unconfirmed. What is known, though, is that its earthy, and pine-scented vapor brings profoundly relaxing and therapeutic effects which appeal to recreational and medicinal users alike. Such properties have earned it several accolades including the 'Best Indica' award in the 2001 High Times Cannabis Cup."..
Effects should be a lot more chill than anything in my hoard of sativas which I am now realizing wasn't the best use of my grow space
. I'm hoping this will become a new sleepy time smoke. ..."Yumbolt's fragrance is reminiscent of a musky, earthy rainforest after drizzle. The flavor compliments the scent with a burst of sweet, freshly squeezed lemon juice that leaves a skunky and nutty aftertaste."...
Dudes, I'm a swamp witch...this sounds like it's gonna fit me really well. I prefer funk and spice to bright and fruity. Hollah!
..."Indica cultivars, and especially pure ones, are best known for exerting exceedingly potent sedating effects. For this reason, Yumbolt is best consumed at nighttime, around half an hour before tucking yourself into bed.
The psychoactive effects manifest in a euphoric rush that puts a wide, satisfied smile on the face, creating a blissful buzz that makes even the most mundane tasks seem fun and exciting. But after a few moments of elation, the effects gradually transition to a sedating body-centric high. Relaxation creeps from the back of the head and into to every limb, until the whole body is under its spell. Calmness and relief come in droves as the taut muscles relax, and stress begins to dissipate. After a few moments of chilling out, expect sleep to come swiftly."...
Yep, all of that. That's what I want. I suffer from broken sleep and night terrors, I'd rather not get addicted to anything so no pills and good old Benadryl wreaks havoc on my gut bacteria, making it difficult for me to process B12 and 6 which yadda yadda yadda means I get a niacin reaction to pickles and I love me some pickles. Damn, that could have been written better but you get the point. I need my sanity sleep (beauty sleep flew the coop years ago) and I will never stop eating pickles.
Last strain I'll be growing in this journal is:
Northern Lights!
Ok, I'm guessing at least 70% people here on 420 have grown this strain. Hell, some of you were probably there when it was first a thing. I know nothing of it other than this one little experience:
A couple years back my man and I went out to Red River, New Mexico for a very good friend's wedding. Red River is this cool little resort town up in the mountains. We stayed a month (meant to only be there for a week but fell in love) and it's just...special. There used to be this little vape shop on the strip in an old red caboose. It was called the Juice Caboose and some totally epic crusty punk hippies ran it. After they closed at night, they and a handful of other locals would gather on the bench outside and play music. And smoke weed. They smoked something that smelled nothing like weed, as far I was concerned. It smelled just like the pine forests that covered the mountain. It smelled like my favorite places up north here in Michigan. It smelled like the Pacific Crest Trail. We both fell in love. It was Northern Lights.
Our very good friend died recently and suddenly and John has been crushed so badly by it. They spent countless years together working at the Philmont Scout Ranch and our friend was one of the few people besides me that understood John. So yeah, I'm growing this plant for John, and also for Tim, the friend.
The process:
I can't not grow hydro. The idea of no hydro for the next couple of months makes me sad in the pants so I'm currently in the process of cleaning out my system from the last grow for use in this grow. I'm cleaning the hydro gear using citric acid to break down rust and scale from my water, and any salts from nutes. I'll rinse that out, let it dry, and use a weak bleach solution on everything, tent included. No, I haven't had any infections, which is why I clean the crap out of everything each grow. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION!
I'm going to be running everything the same except for the light. I'm using @Prescription Blend nutrients because my last plants with them were the best yet.
One change to the system is everything is getting painted white. Res temps were high last grow so I'm trying to get as much passive cooling going before electricity needs to take over ($$$) I'm also going to try to make my own mesh grow bags like what came with @Rexer 's Bucket Company system. I love growing in coco until fluid has to move through it. I'm either completely missing some very basic idea to the whole net pot thing, or this is why lots of people hate coco: it all washes away eventually.
How to stop it? Well I tried those compostable nursery bags but a film of myco slime built up and caused water damming issues. This forced me to have to jab holes in the bags, which opened stuff up enough for all the coco to go into the res. I want to be able to use net pots, coco, have a healthy myco colony in said coco...and not have it all wash out. I feel that's not too much to ask, right? So stalking Rex and TBC I have an plan. Fiberglass window screening. I'll pattern and sew myself some bag inserts for a standard 6" net pot.
Another upgrade is when I install my scrog, I'll install a section for each plant. Last grow I had one scrog setup for three plants of different strains...all growing and maturing at different times. Harvesting just one was more of a pain in the ass than I care to openly admit. I'm not doing that again. That was pretty silly.
I think that's about it for the intro. On to the grow:
Dropped all three seeds last night into a 5% H2O2 solution after roughing them up a little with my handy-dandy matchbox of super germination fun time.
Woke up this morning and Yumbolt was already popped!
Damn girl, slow down!
I transferred all three to paper towel and a bag and will be popping them into rockwool cubes later today.
to the 2 new sprouts!
