Jon's Final Florida Journal For Real

[Jon]

Not by my definition. You've got side branching and not a single point of green. Still, don't be disappointed since it's no badge of honor!

I’d argue maybe. They are, like stunters, basically a single cola and although there is side branching it’s crap and way limited. And the whole bud is under built and flarfy. I would vote maybe. But pretty sure we all agree it sucks. Lmao!

 

[Jon]

Strawberry Gorilla Training Set continued

So here’s the promised AFTER picture in the SG training set.

I took anything that was headed downwards as a small shoot off a cola branch. I took anything small and emerging in the interior that I did not think would ever produce. I cleaned up the leaf count as I was beginning to get some moisture on overlapping leaves. Sidebar: in my battle to keep all leaves as long as possible, I find that you can almost always keep them all until they start to create sitting moisture on one another. At that point imo you’re wise to start taking some. I did so. I focus on taking leaves that block emerging growth I want to keep, such as cola branch upward facing growth. If those nodes are tight I will sometimes take every other one. It’s a balancing act between taking too many leaves and too much growth, and exposing and eliminating what you want without doing so. Try to not take too many. Your buds will suffer if you do. I’ve done it way too often.

As you see here, it doesn’t look that different unless you know what you’re looking at, which hopefully I have helped with. But it’s obviously thinned out, has way more exposed and productive growth, has far superior air flow through the plant, and is at this moment a relatively flarf free end product. Everything left should produce for its size, all things are relative with autos. The center cylinder is cleaned up and has space for anything that insists on being there.

Voila:

 

[Absorber]

You are weed man

 

[Gee64]

Um….???????

Well @Gee64, I’m mystified. Ok, so I tossed the MM x M34, right? You saw the closeups yesterday in the lab maybe. Well look at her today. All I did was leave her right here. She got dark at dark and rained on since, and this is right now.

This is overnight growth and noticeable change!

Wtf is she doing? Even the lowest yellowing first leaves are greener!

Im not sure, whats in that rain?

 

[Jon]

You are weed man

Thanks for the hilarious and kind thought @Absorber!

 

[Jon]

Im not sure, whats in that rain?

She is jamming now hard! I put her back in the tent! It’s really weird. She definitely got way rained on, for like 16 hours. 1/2 gallon pot. I can’t imagine there’s a whole lot of myco left in the pot. And it’s as if the rain and sun for just one day revived her sorry ass. I thought she was on the verge of death. It’s cool as hell. She lives!

 

[CaptainLucky]

Strawberry Gorilla Training Set continued

So here’s the promised AFTER picture in the SG training set.

I took anything that was headed downwards as a small shoot off a cola branch. I took anything small and emerging in the interior that I did not think would ever produce. I cleaned up the leaf count as I was beginning to get some moisture on overlapping leaves. Sidebar: in my battle to keep all leaves as long as possible, I find that you can almost always keep them all until they start to create sitting moisture on one another. At that point imo you’re wise to start taking some. I did so. I focus on taking leaves that block emerging growth I want to keep, such as cola branch upward facing growth. If those nodes are tight I will sometimes take every other one. It’s a balancing act between taking too many leaves and too much growth, and exposing and eliminating what you want without doing so. Try to not take too many. Your buds will suffer if you do. I’ve done it way too often.

As you see here, it doesn’t look that different unless you know what you’re looking at, which hopefully I have helped with. But it’s obviously thinned out, has way more exposed and productive growth, has far superior air flow through the plant, and is at this moment a relatively flarf free end product. Everything left should produce for its size, all things are relative with autos. The center cylinder is cleaned up and has space for anything that insists on being there.

Voila:

A very informative and well written piece Jon. I’m still going to stick with photos but I won’t say never now. CL.

 

[Gee64]

Young plants are all over the map. Usually its myco related. If I had to guess I would guess that myco hadnt linked up properly and when it finally did it just happened to coincide with you tossing it outside. But thats just a guess.

 

[Jon]

A very informative and well written piece Jon. I’m still going to stick with photos but I won’t say never now. CL.

The great thing about autos @CaptainLucky, is that they don’t inspire nearly the emotionAl commitment that a photo does. I have gotten into them and know a little about how to grow good ones, but at the end of the day, in my mind they’ll always be second fiddle. And since the light is not at issue ever, and they’re super hardy to climate and change due to the Ruderalis genes (check out where that crap grows naturally sometime), they can almost be treated as fun and cool distractions that you can do whatever with. Make art. Make indoor conversation pieces. Make them big or small. Grow in a closet with hardly any infrastructure like I am. Hell, I grew one in a bathtub once. It’s far easier imo to manipulate an auto to do whatever you want than a photo. And since who cares about autos, I take big and sometimes dumb chances with them and use them as experiments. I love the flexibility and the surprises and I even get off a bit on the unpredictability. They’re fun plants to go one on one with. Lol. So I love autos, but still will ask:

Why did the auto cross the road?

Cuz photos were growing on the other side and she wanted to see how real pot grows!

Lol

 

[Jon]

The great thing about autos @CaptainLucky, is that they don’t inspire nearly the emotionAl commitment that a photo does. I have gotten into them and know a little about how to grow good ones, but at the end of the day, in my mind they’ll always be second fiddle. And since the light is not at issue ever, and they’re super hardy to climate and change due to the Ruderalis genes (check out where that crap grows naturally sometime), they can almost be treated as fun and cool distractions that you can do whatever with. Make art. Make indoor conversation pieces. Make them big or small. Grow in a closet with hardly any infrastructure like I am. Hell, I grew one in a bathtub once. It’s far easier imo to manipulate an auto to do whatever you want than a photo. And since who cares about autos, I take big and sometimes dumb chances with them and use them as experiments. I love the flexibility and the surprises and I even get off a bit on the unpredictability. They’re fun plants to go one on one with. Lol. So I love autos, but still will ask:

Why did the auto cross the road?

Cuz photos were growing on the other side and she wanted to see how real pot grows!

Lol

I actually considered and still do becoming something of a pot grower comedian with a limited routine that’s all pot and pot growing jokes. I started writing auto jokes a while ago, for real. Lol. I also have a decent opener:

“Hi, I’m Jon, and I’m the only pot grower stand up comedian who can’t stand up!”

I figured I could maybe get “gigs” at grow conferences and stuff like that here and there. Just a five minute routine that’s very much targeted to our very specific audience - a fun sidebar thing. Not trying to get paid, just spread a bit of humor.

I realized a: I’m not that funny, and b: I didn’t have enough knowledge at the time to even write five minutes worth of jokes!



So it’s a bit on hold. But how many autos does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Heh. Only one if she has a photo to show her how. Lol.

 

[Jon]

Btw - here’s another perspective on the difference between synthetic and organics based on smoking tons of both and growing good weed with several different synthetic systems:

Every synthetic nute system injects a particular and specific taste to the finished product that is reflective of that particular nute system. I can often tell if Fox Farms was the nutes used to grow a plant by smoking it, for example. A “Fox Farms taste” is a thing. As is a Prescription Blend taste and a Remo taste. Etc. Regardless of what you use, at the end of the day you are tasting what the nute company intends you to or what its byproducts specific to that system produce in the taste profile. You are definitely not tasting the weed as nature intended it to taste unless you get very very lucky regardless of your skill level.

Not true of properly grown organic weed. There, you are tasting the natural expression of the plant’s genetic profile. You smoke what nature intended you to, and you get from that weed everything it has to offer as nature intended. It’s the TRUE taste of the weed. And the true buzz. Or as close as we can get.

This is either a dramatic difference to you and matters enough to grow organically and check it out ir it doesn’t. There’s are plenty of downsides to organic I can already see. Lots of advantages to synthetics. It’s definitively a to each their own thing. I might argue that the very best growers know how to do both effectively.

They are both avenues to whatever your idea is of a pot of gold at the end of your particular rainbow. Personally I’m going for the double rainbow.

 

[CaptainLucky]

I actually considered and still do becoming something of a pot grower comedian with a limited routine that’s all pot and pot growing jokes. I started writing auto jokes a while ago, for real. Lol. I also have a decent opener:

“Hi, I’m Jon, and I’m the only pot grower stand up comedian who can’t stand up!”

I figured I could maybe get “gigs” at grow conferences and stuff like that here and there. Just a five minute routine that’s very much targeted to our very specific audience - a fun sidebar thing. Not trying to get paid, just spread a bit of humor.

I realized a: I’m not that funny, and b: I didn’t have enough knowledge at the time to even write five minutes worth of jokes!



So it’s a bit on hold. But how many autos does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Heh. Only one if she has a photo to show her how. Lol.

Don’t sell yourself short you have me laughing but then I’m a little high. And then just think @ the crowd you’d be playing to would prolly be stoned too. Lmao CL.

 

[InTheShed]

Young plants are all over the map. Usually its myco related. If I had to guess I would guess that myco hadnt linked up properly and when it finally did it just happened to coincide with you tossing it outside. But thats just a guess.

Once the mycorrhizae are established I'm guessing they can't be washed from the soil since they become integrated with the root system. Is that true?

 

[Jon]

Once the mycorrhizae are established I'm guessing they can't be washed from the soil since they become integrated with the root system. Is that true?

What a great question. Thanks @InTheShed. I also want to know that. I’m gonna guess that the age, size, and health of the colony are going to be intrinsic to the answer. Example: I would guess that 16 hours of hard and solid rain on the 1/2 gallon MM x M34 pot washed out the bulk of the microbes, despite it being close to a month old from prep and the other plants in 1/2 gallons telling me I likely got it close to right.

Obviously I’m flying blind here but I like to postulate to get confirmation on my knowledge up to now. Or correction.

 

[Jon]

One more thing I notice in chem/org difference:

When I feed in coco using nutes and screw up the mix so it’s way too hot and feed it, the plant responds as close to instantaneously as I can reference - usually within 24 hours or less I see damage. I’ve fried my share of plants exactly this way. But how is this possible if the plant is only taking what it wants from the medium using chem? It should take just enough of whatever for its needs and leave the rest. Otherwise that would mean the plant has volunteered to hurt itself. This is not how plants or nature work, no organism voluntarily makes that choice. Therefore my logical conclusion is that the plant is in fact NOT taking only what it wants or needs. It is instead being force fed way too much of whatever and it is taking it in whether it is good for her or not. As proven by the immediate damage which would not occur if it was the plant’s choice.

This differs 180 degrees from how plants feed from a colony of crobes. In that case, my understanding so far is basically that it’s the equivalent of offering the plant a full buffet table and she takes only what she wants or needs. Plants do not have to scrap their buffet plates before they return for a second round because they have taken exactly what they needed at the time and in the exact amount they needed. There is no waste and no uptake of crazy, damage causing nutrient levels.

That’s sort of half observations and half a question of confirmation. Do I have this right approximately so far guys? Thanks.

 

[CaptainLucky]

One more thing I notice in chem/org difference:

When I feed in coco using nutes and screw up the mix so it’s way too hot and feed it, the plant responds as close to instantaneously as I can reference - usually within 24 hours or less I see damage. I’ve fried my share of plants exactly this way. But how is this possible if the plant is only taking what it wants from the medium using chem? It should take just enough of whatever for its needs and leave the rest. Otherwise that would mean the plant has volunteered to hurt itself. This is not how plants or nature work, no organism voluntarily makes that choice. Therefore my logical conclusion is that the plant is in fact NOT taking only what it wants or needs. It is instead being force fed way too much of whatever and it is taking it in whether it is good for her or not. As proven by the immediate damage which would not occur if it was the plant’s choice.

This differs 180 degrees from how plants feed from a colony of crobes. In that case, my understanding so far is basically that it’s the equivalent of offering the plant a full buffet table and she takes only what she wants or needs. Plants do not have to scrap their buffet plates before they return for a second round because they have taken exactly what they needed at the time and in the exact amount they needed. There is no waste and no uptake of crazy, damage causing nutrient levels.

That’s sort of half observations and half a question of confirmation. Do I have this right approximately so far guys? Thanks.

Sounds logical to me but then again what do I know? I just feed according to the directions and then alter it to plants responses. CL.

 

[Jon]

Watering Day Trick I Use

Today the Skywalker in the 7 needs water. Here’s a painfully easy trick I use when I water, really on any medium although it’s 100x more useful and important for soil.

Targeting your water, a skill I learned from Emilya, is vitally important in soil to grow your root ball out properly. If you don’t target you will pull a shit non ball looking small mass of crap out at the end. Every bit of your plant will be compromised vs if you water properly to grow the roots effectively. This becomes even more important when feeding a recently uppotted plant or when starting a seedling in a large final pot (an excellent way to test your watering skills). I even do this in Solos with seedlings. Targeting.

Most folks do this by manipulating the nozzle end of whatever type container they use to water with. Like simply running the gallon jug in circle around the plant to get the water where you think it’s going in that case. And can that work? Sure. Sometimes you’ll even get it right. If you’re really really good or water really really slowly. But it’s far from what I would call targeted. You have no idea in that case where the water is going once you can’t see it anymore. Targeted is just that - it’s precise. You want to at least try to control the water’s descent through the medium. If I want the roots to gravitate towards the outside and want to get the soil wetter an inch outside of the existing, dryer root ball, how can I target the water THAT precisely?

This is how I do it. I simply take my finger and dig a small trough or moat. In a circle around the plant. A straight down vertical wall of water falling through the medium in a circle exactly where I put the moat is what I’m after. That’s targeting. The trough or moat makes it super easy. You simply slowly pour into the moat. The water will flow around and only fill in the moat. I tend to dig it using the outermost leaf tips I have as my guide generally speaking. I use the tips to determine my moat circumference.

You can water the moat a little quicker than not having one. Still good to always water slowly imo, but the moat makes it a little quicker. More important by far is the accuracy it gives you.

A simple trick that’s very effective. For what it’s worth.

 

[Jon]

Mountaintop Mint x M34 photo
Skywalker photo
Semi-organic 1/2 gallon pot experiment
Geo/RGR grow

Here’s our suddenly seemingly fully recovered MM x M34. The sun and rain for one day performed some mystical magic on her and she’s back in the fray. Glad my “tossing her” only consisted of throwing her outside in the table and forgetting about her. Now she appears to my eye to be on the same page as the healthy as hell mini Skywalker. Here they are, the MM x M34 has the two yellowing bottom leaves.

Sorry for the all bold post. Not intentional. Somehow I got the goddamn bold stuck on.

Ha! Fixed it on edit!

 

[Gee64]

The great thing about autos @CaptainLucky, is that they don’t inspire nearly the emotionAl commitment that a photo does. I have gotten into them and know a little about how to grow good ones, but at the end of the day, in my mind they’ll always be second fiddle. And since the light is not at issue ever, and they’re super hardy to climate and change due to the Ruderalis genes (check out where that crap grows naturally sometime), they can almost be treated as fun and cool distractions that you can do whatever with. Make art. Make indoor conversation pieces. Make them big or small. Grow in a closet with hardly any infrastructure like I am. Hell, I grew one in a bathtub once. It’s far easier imo to manipulate an auto to do whatever you want than a photo. And since who cares about autos, I take big and sometimes dumb chances with them and use them as experiments. I love the flexibility and the surprises and I even get off a bit on the unpredictability. They’re fun plants to go one on one with. Lol. So I love autos, but still will ask:

Why did the auto cross the road?

Cuz photos were growing on the other side and she wanted to see how real pot grows!

Lol

I will give autos one big kuddo though, at least from my limited knowledge of them, which is watching, not growing them. They have amazing colors. My buddies wife grows them as show plants on her deck. I want that too. Next summer thats my mission. Figure out tbe schedule, stagger the starts, and have a couple in full bloom all summer long.

 

[Jon]

I will give autos one big kuddo though, at least from my limited knowledge of them, which is watching, not growing them. They have amazing colors. My buddies wife grows them as show plants on her deck. I want that too. Next summer thats my mission. Figure out tbe schedule, stagger the starts, and have a couple in full bloom all summer long.

You can have crazy fun with them treating them that way. It’s perfect. Want one shaped like a star? A few stakes and it’s cake. Want to do a mini Dual Sombrero (a cool looking outdoor training method I champion and highly recommend for this scenario, it would blow you away with coolness)? Cake. Options for fun and art abound with autos. They’ll take whatever you throw at them generally speaking compared to photos. And good lord you’ve seen my training on the Strawberry Gorilla - it’s about as easy as it gets to train autos compared to photos. All concerns about anything you do are pretty unnecessary. You’ll see. You’ll have a blast.