Switching Gears Once Again
Seed Sprouting Issues and Forced Changes
Boy, sometimes when a streak ends, a streak ENDS. I was 31 for 31 on both popping seeds and sprouting seeds. Up until this grow I never once failed in those regards. I was starting to think I was immune to bum seeds. I am not. So we already had to switch out the Sugar Breath which wouldn't pop for me, and now, although her stand in, the Chocolope, popped no problem, in 8 days it never sprouted. I am certain I planted it properly and all that good stuff. Just decided she didn't want to play. So the Chocolope is out too. Some of you would try and wait it out a little longer. I don't. If you aren't up in a week you're out. Just policy around here.
This is when your seed addiction comes in handy. I have PLENTY of good photo seeds I could replace the Chocolope with. So I did. I am going to take another shot at the strain that got me inspired to try my scrog last time: I give you......
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Humboldt Seed Company
Pineapple Upside Down Cake BX3 x Pineapple Train Wreck x Cookie Monster
Sativa leaning hybrid, 60 sativa/40 indica
Flower Cycle: 45 Days
Smell: Pineapple and Creamy Vanilla Frosting
Flavors: Slightly tangy with a Creme Brulee finish
Appearance: Frosty Lime Green with Golden Calix Tips
I took a shot at her in the scrog and that grow progressed far enough before it went hermie for me to see exactly how this strain grows and how the buds turn out. VERY dense buds, very sativa like growth and appearance to them, and absolutely gorgeous colas with a smell that's almost impossible to describe, but really amazing. The smell HSC describes as creamy vanilla frosting is the one that throws off my perception. It's super unique. It's also a very big yielder. When I busted down the hermie scrog last grow the biggest yielder by far was the PUC of the three strains. And perhaps best of all, it's the fastest finisher by far of the plants in this grow and even starting about ten days behind the others will catch up on the finish and maybe be first photo harvested, we'll see. Long way off. Lol.
WARNING: Strongly Held and Potentially Unpopular Opinion About to be Expressed
There are a contingency of folks out there who don't use HSC or other certain breeders, or grow certain strains, because they believe that the genetics from the company or that particular strain have a tendency to "go hermie" more often than other breeders or strains. I read two grow journal reviews last night on this strain in particular, and both growers said they wouldn't grow it again because it "went hermie" on them. They believe it's a genetics issue. I hear this over and over again in grow journals and online, not just about HSC genetics, but about many strains and seeds. WELL IT'S ALL COMPLETE BULLSHIT. (I warned you) Before I even say it, you can try and argue all day that hermie seeds are real, are a thing, and some seeds/strains are more "prone" to going hermie than others, as are the genetics in general from some companies, even highly respected, as good as it gets companies like HSC. This is simply not true. Yes, there are some seeds that may be more prone to reacting negatively to stress, and that stress reaction may include self-pollinating as a self-defense mechanism (this is what "going hermie" is when no pollen has been introduced to your grow, otherwise it's simply the plant going male as it's supposed to when pollinated). But that is not a result of "bad" genetics. It's a result of UNREFINED genetics. New hybrids in particular are potential candidates for this, as all these seed companies now want to rush their new hybrids to market LONG before they have had time to refine and tune the genetics. That takes years. Not two grows and let's sell these seeds. If you ever smoked Sour Diesel x Chem Dog, this hybrid was invented and developed by my Yoda from Oregon. It's part of his claim to fame. It took him 12 years of growing it, selecting phenos, growing it again, refining, etc...before he was willing to grow a whole greenhouse of it and sell it. Now it's as stable and consistent a strain as there is out there. You simply don't get four or five different phenos from a refined strain that's long term genetically stable - that's kind of the point of stabilizing the genetics in the first place: CONSISTENCY. And the ones that do have a few phenos are well-known and specific phenos they can describe to you before you grow it, not whatever happens happens. It's a long process no matter who is involved, as he had the backing of the top pot geneticists in Oregon. At the end of the day this is a genetics stability issue. The problem is not the genetics, it's the greed of the seed companies. Generally speaking, a plant will not just "go hermie" if you don't stress it. If it's grown in a stable environment without any major issues with light or nutes or whatever, the odds are very high that it will NOT go hermie. No matter what you may read. I'll bet anyone here that this Pineapple Upside Down Cake will not go hermie. And the real deal is actually simpler than that to say:
IF A PLANT WENT HERMIE ON YOU IT WAS PROBABLY YOUR FAULT, NOT THE GENETICS.
Ok, got that off my chest. Anyway, all seven plants are now out of the ground for this grow, so I believe it's safe to finally print the list of the grow. Here is the final tally:
4 Strawberry Banana Auto
1 Gelato Auto
1 Raspberry Parfait Photo
1 Pineapple Upside Down Cake Photo
1 Mystery Seed Photo I Will Reveal and Add to the Grow if it Pops and Sprouts - Currently Soaking - When I prepped the two seven gallon pots yesterday for these photos I discovered I had enough soil left for one more. Lol.
The girls will make their first live appearance in the journal here on FRIDAY!!! Why that day? Because that's the day we flip the Gorilla tent with the three photos from my other journal to flower, ie 12/12. This is where the girls currently reside. Can't very well have these girls vegging at 12/12. So they will go to the auto rig outside under the blurples - about 550 actual watts worth of them. At least the five autos will go there, the photos will live their entire lives (until flower) next door under the
@Mars Hydro FC-E6500, on a 20/4 light cycle. I normally veg on 18/6 but for two reasons we are going 20/4 with the photos this time:
1. The difference between 20/4 and the natural light cycle, about 13/11, will be more dramatic a change than if I used 18/6 and guarantee the plant will begin to flower when she leaves the rig at the flip and finishes entirely outside.
2. The autos right next door will be on 20/4, so by vegging the photos on 20/4 with the identical hours of lights on/off, I don't have to worry about light from one rig bleeding into another.
Very excited to see what this light will do start to finish in veg. Perfect test for it.
So there you go guys. Can't wait to post some pictures of the actual grow, like, plants! I'm sure you guys have had enough of my writing. I need some veg porn bad, it's kind of another addiction. Not sure I can sell y'all on this, but in reality I enjoy taking pictures and editing them a lot more than I do the verbiage part. Lol.
Me and the babies will see you guys here tomorrow.
That's awesome, I'm glad the kind folks 
Lol. Of course neither of us would ever even approach breaking any law in the slightest way like that, so you'll have to just accept my sincere thanks and when I see you, I assure you I will bring something to the party.
