DarkStar Project - Advanced Growing

[Mr Smith]

Hello I am Mr Smith and Welcome to my Darkstar Project.

The Darkstar project is not meant to be a ordinary journal. Its a combination of selecting a motherplant, caring for a mother plant, how I prefer to clone using 2 seperate cloning machines, growing out 36 clones in a SOG using a aeroflo 36, then growing in a diy vertical using clones. The last part will be flowering out a motherplant.
There will be links and references on how to build certain diys, how I like to use certain grow machines with a number of tips, info, and much more like light manipulation, pruning for yeild, different ways of using nutes and plant/clone timing and turnover rate yadayada. I have been wanting to start a long productive project for a long time and already done a number of diy grow tests(over a year's worth) but the 36plant sog will be new to me even though I am well experienced with aeroflo machines.

I wish for this journal to be interactive so the more questions the better. I will do my best to answer as honestly as possible. I consider this advanced growing and should be fun and useful to veterans and newer growers.

About the grower. Mr Smith is a 8 year 420 magazine member that has had 4 different usernames but only uses Mr Smith now. He used to work for 420 as a Newshawk, Moderator, Growmod, and Grow Support but had to step down and wished to become a normal member.
Personal note: Me and Rob are still good friends.

Strain: Darkstar
Breeder: TH Seeds
Breeder's discription:The latest variety to join T.H Seeds fleet is the devastatingly strong Darkstar. This mega Indica not only grows ridiculously dense buds, but the potency is out of this world.
Darkstar is a great plant for those seeking pain relief, appetite enhancement and other worldly activities. Darkstar is a dream to grow with its high calyx to leave ratio, making it a breeze to manicure.

Genetics:
Indica dominant
Parents:
Purple Kush x Mazar I-Sharif
Photoperiod / Autoflowering:
Photoperiod
Flowering Time:
70 days (10weeks)
Height:
120-140 cm
Yield:
400-500 p.s.m.
THC %:
Unknown
Award Winner:
No
Available As:
Regular Seeds

Grower's thoughts and opinians of the info listed above: I love strong couchlock indicas but there is no description of smell and taste, there is a chance for a purple pheno, I hate trimming so a easy trim plant is what I want. I don't care for the 10 week flower time but will deal with it if plant is worth it. If the clones produce ordinary buds and high this project might end short and a new strain will be chosen for the next. Wish me luck.

The equipment that will be used for the grows:
diy ebb and flow
botanical powercloner 45
Ezy cloner 60
aeroflo 36
diy vertical tube
single plant recirculating dwc
possible aeroflo 60
possible mult-plant recirculating dwc

Lighting:
floro tubes for germ and veg, 1000w hid, multiple 600w hids.

Ventilation and odor is controlled by inline fans with carbon filters.

The rest of the info will be described as the grow continues. Wow, this is a long introduction for a grow journal, need a timeout with my pipe.

 

[Mr Smith]

Re: DARKSTAR Project (advanced growing)

I have some catching up to do.
On August 08 I germed 2 darkstar seed. I filled a glass of rodi water added 5ml/1tspn of hydrogen peroxide stirred then dropped 2 seed and stirred again. I let them soak for about 2 hours(they say its 24 hours) then put into medium. I use rapid rooters but I make my own hole about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep and shove them down the holes with a broken toothpick.
The H2O2 is just used for sterilization and does not need to be used. The important part about rapid rooters is its best to presoak for 24 hours. Once seed is in medium give it a light squease to remove excess water then put into covered container to retain moisture, A bowl with stretch wrap will do, then place under light.
I use this container.

I will take this time to remind people to store your seeds properly and in a cool/cold dry environment. I think I fucked some seed up keeping them in a hot room. Don't worry, these two darkstar seed germed well. The first popped in three days. The second broke ground in 5/6 days.
Another reminder, replant rapid rooter into medium of choice once plant has sprouted. Don't let seedling hit the cover.
At this time I am using sure to grow medium but I like hydrotron too, just don't care for rinsing it.

 

[dadums]

I'm along for this ride

 

[SteveHman]

SUBBED!

I have a couple Darkstars that will be chopped in 2 weeks, they are getting very frosty. I kept a mom for future grows.

I germ the same way, just with root riot plugs (very similar to rapid rooters).

Always in for a Mr Smith journal.

 

[miwa]

SUBBED

this is something i need to learn...thanks in advance Mr. Smith...

 

[Mr Smith]

420-MaryJane, dadums, and miwa.
Thank for stopping by.
I can't wait for your taste,smell and high report Steve.

The most important tips I can give about germing is this. The papertowel method works great as long as you as its not soaked but just damp and then sealed in a plastic bag to seal in moisture. But germing this way makes it easy to damage the tap root.
The seeds soaking in a glass of water works great as long as you don't soak for over 24 hours. You take a chance of drowning the seed. Some folks wait for the seed to crack open before they put them into the medium. I put to medium after only a few hours weather its cracked or not. The soak is to soften the seed shell and allow moisture inside the seed so it can crack and grow. Cover your medium with a clear cover to keep moist until seed sprouts from medium. If shell pops up with sprout spray with water and carefully remove shell and skin.
Putting seed straight to medium works fine, farmers been doing this since the dawn of time. The problem is the waiting game of when if ever will the seed sprout. For most mj growers every seed is extremely important and they want to see results fast.

Seeds that are germing should always be kept in a dark place until they are placed in the medium. Roots don't like too much air or light.
Once seeds are placed in medium they should be put under a light. It is said you get a higher female count if the seed sprouts in the light. Might be a urban myth but I always get a high female count.

What makes germing easy is because it is easy.
What makes germing hard is because no mistakes can be made, you need good timing and balance being too wet or too dry.
When a seedling tap root is damage the plant becomes damaged. If you break the tap root or waterlog the tap root or let it dry out it can cause terrible effects to the plant.
Most of the mutant looking plants you see is the result of that damage and is blamed on genetics. Mutant plants have funky leaves that might be too broad or webbed or have a yellow/white stripe. These plants never produce well and the weed is either hermed or its just not real good.

So be very careful and just keep it moist and sealed.

 

[4twenty4all]

Okay.... You ha me at "not meant to be a ordinary journal"

Anyway, it sounds cool. I thought about getting Darkstar. I grew MK Ultra and it was chronic! They make some very good genetics, you will enjoy it. I'm subbed on two of your journals now. I likey hehe.

 

[onegramperwat]

Its funny you posted about germenation, Im trying the cup method, but waiting for it to crack. Half already cracked. Stuck them right into presoaked grodan cubes. Should I place them under the lights now? Or. Should I wait until a leaf pops? The last batch I tried all failed. I placed them straight into medium without soak. I have had success before going straight into the blocks. Maybe the seeds are bad. Whats your cloning solution? Im struggling with getting roots to pop in my homemade cloner?

Im in.

 

[Mr Smith]

Hi 4twenty4all. Glad to have ya.

Onegramperwat. Its best to soak the rockwool for 24 hours in ph treated water. Rockwool is not ph balanced so you soak between 5.3 to 5.5ph I think. Its been awhile since I used that medium but it works great. There is a magic number but I forgot. Anyways, seeds will germ between 5.0 and 7ph. Make sure you put them in a sealed container and just leave under light til it sprouts then remove and transplant. This type of medium is dark enough for the seed to germ and the sprout will get light from the start.

 

[onegramperwat]

Very cool response. Thanks for getting back so quick and for solid informantion. Eventually Im going to get more than one zip per plant.

thanks again

 

[Mr Smith]

Lets move on to veg. I start the seedlings with nutes at 600ppm and brought up to 800 after a week then 900 to 1000ppm after the third. I have gotten away with higher numbers but I am thinking longterm and wanted to make sure their were no mistakes. With this portion of the grow I am using dynagrow grow and protek. My water cycle is15minutes 3 times a day. I am vegging them in a homemade ebb n flow using multi buckets.DIY gravity drain multibucket controller
Along with the veg time is 4 blueberry and 1 ak sour.
This is a pic of August 21.

They are under 4 T8 floro tubes. The light is a diy recycling old light fixtures my company was throwing away. The bulbs are just normal cool white tubes.

This pic is from September 1.

This is a pic of September 4.

The plant thats bent forward is a blueberry. The table stand I am using was not level and the water/nute mix was filling over the medium and rotted her stem. She's a goner.

The correction was to level the plants so the water doesn't go over the medium by placing tiles under the buckets. One darkstar plant was affected but grew out of the condition.

 

[4twenty4all]

Sorry it looks like your gonna lose one. The rest look awesome.

 

[fncg]

Subscribed. Thanks again for such detail, it's invaluable for new growers such as myself.

 

[Aberration]

Hey, this looks like fun. Glad I got in now.

 

[GodSpeed]

Subb'd doing somthing similar so will be gathering some usefull tips here.

Good luck mr smith.

 

[Xlr8]

Cool. Excited to follow along. Nice intro and start to the journal.

You do your seeds in rapid rooters just like I do. I don't pre-soak for a few hours, but I loosen up the hole in the rooters and pre-soak them for 24 hours. I love those things. Think I'm going to try the seed soaking for a few hours first tip.

Bummer 'bout the Blueberry. Good luck the rest of the way!

I forgot to loosen the hole in the rapid rooter on a seedling earlier this year, and it pushed itself out of the hole. Doh!

 

[Mr Smith]

4twenty4all, yeah I lost her. It hurt cause I was going for a small plant grow to begin with and now its a 4 plant grow.
420MaryJane, thank you.
fncg, thank you.
Aberration, I am so happy to see ya. I love your grows and I think your gonna like mine.
Godspeed, any questions just ask. I hope your operation runs smoothly.
Xlr8, you just can't go wrong with them unless you let them stay oversaturated. You just need them damp. I stopped using the hole they make because of the same reason. Its why I make a new hole so it fits tighter around the seed.

 

[Mr Smith]

This is a pic of Sep 09.

Sep13

On Sep 15 the blueberries and the aksour left to go flower. The darkstar plants I topped by taking the tallest darkstar plant and cutting it in half then I trimmed the second to match the first's size.
This is a pic on Oct02

Darkstar 1 is on the right, 2 is on the left.

 

[Mr Smith]

This is a pic on 10/4.

I have already checked fro preflowers back before I topped them but they were small and hard to identify. Both of them seem to be girls. They are pretty much ready for me to take clones but I was waiting for the first frost of the season so a pruned and topped to keep the wouldbe mums short.
This is a pic of the same day, there was alot of fan leaf removal.

Shortly after trimming the darkstars I started prepping the botanical power cloner 45. Gave her a good cleaning and then did a waterrun for 24 hours.

 

[Mr Smith]

On 10/8 I crushed the stems and stalks with my fingers and bent and snapped make the plants more limp and spread out.

Darkstar 1

Darkstar 2

I was very mean to them.

On 10/10 I tied them down and rebent a few branches.