Multi-Strain Seed Run

[Old Salt]

Still vegging out...

Tent Shot: One Week After Transplant

Starting LST - Before and After Shots of Typical Plant​

I've trimmed off any shoots and leaves below the fourth node and bent over the four remaining shoots. Some weren't ready for training, and I'll start their training when their shoots are long enough. Those automatic waterers sure make it easy to tie the branches down.

 

[Carcass]

They're looking good,Salt-coming along nicely.
Those grids are a great idea for training,even without the automatic waterers!

 

[irie lion]

Loving the look of your grow Salt
Nice job on the training she’s been opened up nicely. How’s that TS2000??

 

[Old Salt]

Those grids are a great idea for training,even without the automatic waterers!

Thanks. It will be harder to adapt to containers without the cages. They just clip on. Perhaps a trivet or steamer rack could be used.

 

[Old Salt]

Loving the look of your grow Salt
Nice job on the training she’s been opened up nicely. How’s that TS2000??

The plants seem to like it. I'll have to do a comparison grow with CKS Crown Royale to see if I get a better harvest. I can't do that until this grow is finished.

 

[Old Salt]

Since I'll be making the STS soon, I thought I'd mention what I use to measure weights and volumes.

Accuracy is very important for growers when mixing nutrients, or making chemical solutions for tasks such as sex reversals. I use weight for most measurements. You can easily measure the volume of liquids such as water by weight, if you know their specific gravity. Specific gravity is simply the ratio of the weight per unit volume of a substance compared to that of water. Knowing that 1 liter of water weighs 1Kg makes this easy.

My personal standard for accuracy of solids and liquids for my nutrient solutions is ±5%. Chemical solutions such as STS require greater accuracy, so my standard for them is ±1%. Because of this, I have a variety of equipment I use.

Weight Measurement:

​

Scale	Typical Usage
50Kg X 10gm	water 2l - 20l for nutrient solutions
3Kg X 1gm	water 250ml - 2l for nutrient and chemical solutions, also larger harvests
500gm X 0.1gm	water 50ml - 250ml for chemical solutions, 50gm - 300gm harvests
100gm X 0.01gm	5 - 50 gm dry goods such as Dry KoolBloom, buds
50gm X 0.001gm	anything less than 20gm (rosin, Dry KoolBloom, chemicals for STS)

Weigh Scales and Their Usage​

Note: Scales are useless unless they are calibrated. I have a variety of calibration weights from 1gm to 500gm. These are used to calibrate the three lower capacity scales, and to make calibration weights for the two larger capacity scales. The calibration weights for the larger scales are a gallon jug, or pail filled with sand, and/or water measured on the lower capacity scales.

Scales interpolate the measurement from the unloaded value to that of the calibration weight. The actual weight may deviate from the interpolated value by a small amount. If you need more accuracy you can put your empty container on the scale, add calibration weights equal to your desired value, and tare the scale. You then remove the calibration weights. Using this method you add material until your scale once again reads zero.


Liquid Volume Measurement:

Equipment to Measure Liquid Volume Directly​

These are what I have to measure volume directly. The most accurate is the volumetric flask on the left in the back row. It will measure only one volume, in this case 250ml. It's accuracy is better than 1%. The graduated cylinders are used when 1% accuracy is not required. The 100ml graduated cylinder is accurate to within +/- 1ml, and the 10ml is accurate to within +/- 0.1ml. An accuracy of 1% is realized at their maximum volumes, but it decreases as the volume to be measured decreases. Both the volumetric flask, and graduated cylinders can be used to determine the specific gravity of a liquid. The syringes are accurate to +/- 2% of their rated volume, so the 10ml syringe is accurate to +/- 0.02ml. I use the syringes to add the nutrients to the nutrient solutions.

Equipment that Should Not be Used to Directly Measure Liquid Volume ​

Although these items have volume markings on them, they are not accurate enough for our purposes. The measuring cups are sturdier than the beakers and less prone to breakage. These are but some of the items that can be used to indirectly measure the volume of a liquid. I use the beakers for chemicals so they don't get mixed up with the measuring cups used in the kitchen.


Indirect Liquid Volume Measurement:

The best way to indirectly measure the volume of liquid is to use weight. Multiply the desired volume of the liquid by its specific gravity to find the weight you need. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance, normally water which weighs 1Kg / liter (1000cc).

How to accurately measure out desired volume of a liquid with an unknown specific gravity:
1. Turn on and calibrate a scale
2. Place the volumetric flask on the scale and tare it
3. pour the liquid into the volumetric flask until it reaches the line
4. read the scale to determine the weight of 250ml of the liquid
5. calculate the specific gravity of the the liquid (weight/250gm)
6. place an appropriately sized beaker on the scale, and tare it
7. calculate the weight of the desired volume (volume * specific gravity)
8. pour the liquid into the beaker until the scale reaches the weight computed above.

 

[The Bard]

Since I'll be making the STS soon, I thought I'd mention what I use to measure weights and volumes.

Accuracy is very important for growers when mixing nutrients, or making chemical solutions for tasks such as sex reversals. I use weight for most measurements. You can easily measure the volume of liquids such water by weight, if you know their specific gravity. Specific gravity is simply the ratio of the weight per unit volume of a substance compared to that of water. Knowing that 1 liter of water weighs 1Kg makes this easy.

My personal standard for accuracy of solids and liquids for my nutrient solutions is ±5%. Chemical solutions such as STS require greater accuracy, so my standard for them is ±1%. Because of this, I have a variety of equipment I use.

Weight Measurement:

​

Scale	Typical Usage
50Kg X 10gm	water 2l - 20l for nutrient solutions
3Kg X 1gm	water 250ml - 2l for nutrient and chemical solutions, also larger harvests
500gm X 0.1gm	water 50ml - 250ml for chemical solutions, 50gm - 300gm harvests
100gm X 0.01gm	5 - 50 gm dry goods such as Dry KoolBloom, buds
50gm X 0.001gm	anything less than 20gm (rosin, Dry KoolBloom, chemicals for STS)

Weigh Scales and Their Usage​

Note: Scales are useless unless they are calibrated. I have a variety of calibration weights from 1gm to 500gm. These are used to calibrate the three lower capacity scales, and to make calibration weights for the two larger capacity scales. The calibration weights for the larger scales are a gallon jug, or pail filled with sand, and/or water measured on the lower capacity scales.


Liquid Volume Measurement:

Equipment to Measure Liquid Volume Directly​

These are what I have to measure volume directly. The most accurate is the volumetric flask on the left in the back row. It will measure only one volume, in this case 250ml. It's accuracy is better than 1%. The graduated cylinders are used when 1% accuracy is not required. The 100ml graduated cylinder is accurate to within +/- 1ml, and the 10ml is accurate to within +/- 0.1ml. An accuracy of 1% is realized at their maximum volumes, but it decreases as the volume to be measured decreases. Both the volumetric flask, and graduated cylinders can be used to determine the specific gravity of a liquid. The syringes are accurate to +/- 2% of their rated volume, so the 10ml syringe is accurate to +/- 0.02ml. I use the syringes to add the nutrients to the nutrient solutions.

Equipment that Should Not be Used to Measure Volume Directly​

Although these items have volume markings on them, they are not accurate enough for our purposes. The measuring cups are sturdier than the beakers and less prone to breakage. These are but some of the items that can be used to indirectly measure the volume of a liquid. I use the beakers for chemicals so they don't get mixed up with the measuring cups used in the kitchen.


Indirect Liquid Volume Measurement:

The best way to indirectly measure the volume of liquid is to use weight. Multiply the desired volume of the liquid by its specific gravity to find the weight you need. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density ofa substance to the density of a reference substance, normally water which weighs 1Kg / liter (1000cc).

How to accurately measure out desired volume of a liquid with an unknown specific gravity:
1. Turn on and calibrate a scale
2. Place the volumetric flask on the scale and tare it
3. pour the liquid into the volumetric flask until it reaches the line
4. read the scale to determine the weight of 250ml of the liquid
5. calculate the specific gravity of the the liquid (weight/250gm)
6. place an appropriately sized beaker on the scale, and tare it
7. calculate the weight of the desired volume (volume * specific gravity)
7. pour the liquid into the beaker until the scale reaches the weight computed above.

This is a great tutorial, Salt, thank you!

 

[Preston9mm]

Still vegging out...

Tent Shot: One Week After Transplant

Starting LST - Before and After Shots of Typical Plant​

I've trimmed off any shoots and leaves below the fourth node and bent over the four remaining shoots. Some weren't ready for training, and I'll start their training when their shoots are long enough. Those automatic waterers sure make it easy to tie the branches down.

Don't get much cleaner than that!


I love your cages.... I wish I had so many tie down points. That's a set-up for perfection homie!

 

[Old Salt]

Sex Reversal of Female Cannabis Plants, or One of Their Branches

I've wanted to try this for a while, but needed to get some growing experience first. Now the time has come to actually do it. I started by reading several threads here. The first I came across used colloidal silver (CS). Later I found out about silver thiosulfate (STS). Reading through several threads I found that CS was prone to failure, although many have used it successfully. STS seems to be a sure-fire method, so I chose that. Here are some links to threads I've found helpful:

• Icemud's How To Make Feminized Seeds Using Colloidal Silver by @Icemud, 2016
• How To Reverse Sex Using Silver Thiosulfate Solution by @Smokin Moose, 2007
• Colombian Gold Grow: Come Learn With Me How To Produce Your Own Seeds! by @beez0404, 2018

About Silver Thiosulfate (STS):
After deciding on STS, I did a fair bit of research, including how to make, use, and store it. This is what I've found:

Silver thiosulfate (STS) is commonly used to block the action of ethylene in plant cell cultures. Ethylene is a hormone that is present in the gaseous state. Ethylene increases during senescence (aging, flower development) and ripening, and has been shown to increase in plant cell cultures due to wounding or the presence of auxins. Silver nitrate may be used alone to block the action of ethylene but it is not transported as well as STS thus is seldom used alone.

STS is the most commonly used compound, for creating stable feminized cannabis pollen. While it is not the only method, it is arguably the most commonly used and is quite reliable. Female cannabis plants require ethylene production to form female flowers. STS suppresses ethylene production in the plants, so they will produce male flowers. As the genetics are totally female, the pollen used on female flowers will result in about 99.9% female seed.

Ethylene is a hormone produced by female plants and used to build pistilate flowers. Ionized silver inhibits ethylene production so the plant will produce staminate flowers instead. The are every bit as stable as there male counter parts. Being genetically female the pollen sacs can only produce pollen with female chromosomes. 99% of off spring will be female.

Most sources agree on the 1:5 ratio of silver nitrate to sodium thiosulfate. Some use a 1:4 ratio. Several sources state that metal implements should not be used while making STS. Some sources mention that the silver nitrate solution and STS will stain almost anything they come in contact with. I have verified this. Wear gloves and cover your work surface with wax paper. All sources agree that silver sitrate and sodium thiosulfate should be dissolved separately in distilled water. (Note: Use distilled water, or water from an RO with a de-ionizer. The TDS must be below 5 PPM. Never use tap water, as the silver nitrate and sodium thiosulfate will bond with compounds in the water rather than with each other.) Some sources use a more concentrated silver nitrate solution, but in the end the solution sprayed on the plants has identical silver content. Both the concentrated and diluted solutions should be clear. If they have turned brown, they should be discarded. Many sources recommend the addition of a surfacant to the diluted solution. Yucca extract is often used, although dish detergent is also an option.

There are a wide range of instructions for the use of STS. Some start application of STS three weeks before switching to 12/12 lighting; others start two weeks after the switch. This thread is the only one recommending a single application. Other sources recommend up to once every five days for five weeks.

The dry chemicals can be stored in a cool, dark place indefinitely, as can parts A and B before they are mixed together to form the concentrate. One source states that the concentrate can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to nine months, but will have degraded somewhat by that time. Other sources state it should be used within a month or two. Most sources agree that the solution diluted for application to the plants should be used within a week or two.

I'm about a week away from needing STS, so I've mixed up a batch...

Making STS:
Most sources dissolve 0.5gm silver nitrate and 2.5gm sodium thiosulfate in 500ml ml in separate containers. The silver nitrate solution is then mixed into the sodium thiosulfate solution while stirring rapidly to form a concentrate. The concentrate is then diluted with nine times its volume to make your working solution. This approach makes ten liters of the working solution, far more than most of us will use in our lifetimes. I strongly suspect that the reason for this approach is the tiny amount of silver nitrate used. A scale such as many of us have with 0.01 gm resolution that reads exactly 0.5 gm will have measured the silver nitrate with a 2% accuracy.

I have a scale with 0.001 gm resolution, so I chose to make a smaller amount of 200ml of the silver nitrate and sodium thiosulfate solutions. The amount of silver nitrate required drops to 0.2 gm, and the accuracy increases to 0.5%. I could drop to 100 ml or even 50 ml of the silver nitrate solution for a 1% or 2% accuracy, but those quantities are very difficult to measure out. For my purposes 0.2 gm ± 0.002 gm or a 1% accuracy is acceptable. The updated instructions are:

To make 200ml stock solutions:

For Part A, dissolve 0.2 gm silver nitrate into 200 ml distilled water;​

For Part B, dissolve 1.0 gm sodium thiosulfate in 200 ml distilled water; and​

Store Parts A & B in separate containers in a cool dark place until needed.​

These solutions should last indefinitely. If your working solution turns amber or brown as you mix it, discard your stock solutions and make new ones.

Making Part A and Part B Stock Solutions​

Note that the sodium thiosulfate crystals are quite large. I needed to break one up to get this close to the required amount. With the stock solutions on hand, it's time to make a working solution. I don't want a lot of it, just enough to reverse a branch or two on three plants. I decided that 200ml would be a reasonable amount.

To make 200ml of STS working solution:

Slowly mix 10 ml of Part A into 10 ml of while stirring rapidly;​

add 180 ml distilled water while continuing to stir the solution; and​

pour the working solution into an amber bottle.​

The working solution should be discarded when it starts to turn amber or brown.

Note: I sourced the dry chemicals through e-Bay. The silver nitrate came from Riga, Latvia, and the sodium thiosulfate came from Guangzhou, China.

I intend to try spraying some branches, and painting the solution on others to determine the best way of applying the STS working solution. This will be covered in a future post.

 

[Icemud]

Sex Reversal of Female Cannabis Plants, or One of Their Branches

Wow!!! What an excellent writeup and journal on the processes of making STS!!! Great job!!! Very well put together and informative, and I especially appreciate the "shout out" to my journal as well! thank you!

One thing, if ya don't mind, I would like to add to this thread, is safety regarding the use of Silver Nitrate. PPE (personal protective equipment) should be used when mixing Silver Nitrate as it is pretty nasty stuff, and very caustic and reactive with other chemicals. Gloves, eye protection and a good carbon based respirator mask/great ventilation should be used when preparing the silver nitrate.

For anyone who wants to read the SDS sheet (Safety Data Sheet) on Silver nitrate, you can find it: SDS for silver nitrate

Also, Silver nitrate will stain pretty much anything it touches black, even at a diluted amount. I found out the hard way by accidentally staining my sink, therefore make sure to be aware of Silver Nitrates Staining potential.

Sorry to intrude in your journal, but felt this information was also important to put out there for those that may follow along and try it at home. STS works very good and you have provided an excellent resource! Hope you don't mind me chiming in

 

[Old Salt]

Wow!!! What an excellent writeup and journal on the processes of making STS!!! Great job!!! Very well put together and informative, and I especially appreciate the "shout out" to my journal as well! thank you!

One thing, if ya don't mind, I would like to add to this thread, is safety regarding the use of Silver Nitrate. PPE (personal protective equipment) should be used when mixing Silver Nitrate as it is pretty nasty stuff, and very caustic and reactive with other chemicals. Gloves, eye protection and a good carbon based respirator mask/great ventilation should be used when preparing the silver nitrate.

For anyone who wants to read the SDS sheet (Safety Data Sheet) on Silver nitrate, you can find it: SDS for silver nitrate

Also, Silver nitrate will stain pretty much anything it touches black, even at a diluted amount. I found out the hard way by accidentally staining my sink, therefore make sure to be aware of Silver Nitrates Staining potential.

Sorry to intrude in your journal, but felt this information was also important to put out there for those that may follow along and try it at home. STS works very good and you have provided an excellent resource! Hope you don't mind me chiming in

Thank you, and I have no problem with folks chiming in with their thoughts and experience. We all learn that way.

 

[MaddHacker]

Look at this old bastard getting all " Big Bang Theory " LMAO... Love your method my friend.. And I hope this post finds you in better health and spirit... I am very measured when it comes to feeding, both in schedules and in the weights and volumes.. Specifically when it comes to water amounts for different strains, and such... Green days old man... and to all

 

[irie lion]

Wow Salt, thank you for that! I’ve bookmarked that and will be using it in the future. Looking forward to see how it works for you

 

[Carcass]

Great tutorial,Salt -Thanks for sharing it with us-very well done!

 

[Old Salt]

Update - Week 4 of Veg under the TSL-2000:

Tent View: Week 4 of Veg under the TSL-2000

Top View: Cream & Cheese #2​

It's getting close to the time to apply the STS. Before I do that I'll take two of the branches of the Sapphire Scout as clones. I'll use STS on the remaining two branches for pollen.

I notice holes in one of the leaves of Cream & Cheese #2. This usually indicates a pest problem. I examined all the plants carefully, and didn't see any bugs. It's something I need to keep an eye on.

I've got to decide how to handle having some of the plants in veg, and others in flower. I could move some into the other tent, which is not being used at the moment, or I could put the plants in veg outside for a few weeks. Decisions, decisions... The tent costs money to run. Outside is free, but the plants will be exposed to pests. I've got a week or so to decide.

 

[Jackalope]

Old Salt. When it comes to spraying the plants. I have tried a few times with a product I know works. I have been spraying all the tops. I do this to get lots of pollen but it hasn't been working. I am getting seeds but not many. I know Tiresias Mist works because I grow seeds made with it. I have had some success but not as much as I would like.

The only difference between how I do it and my mentor who uses the same product regularly. Is that he only does the top of the plant. Leaving the rest of the branches to make seeds. I always tried it clone to clone. In the future I plan to only do the top to see if that matters. My guess is it may be harder for the plants to make the everything reverse and produce pollen. Mine have lots of male flowers just a small amount of pollen. Maybe with less pods there will be more pollen.

Something to consider.

 

[Old Salt]

Old Salt. When it comes to spraying the plants. I have tried a few times with a product I know works. I have been spraying all the tops. I do this to get lots of pollen but it hasn't been working. I am getting seeds but not many. I know Tiresias Mist works because I grow seeds made with it. I have had some success but not as much as I would like.

The only difference between how I do it and my mentor who uses the same product regularly. Is that he only does the top of the plant. Leaving the rest of the branches to make seeds. I always tried it clone to clone. In the future I plan to only do the top to see if that matters. My guess is it may be harder for the plants to make the everything reverse and produce pollen. Mine have lots of male flowers just a small amount of pollen. Maybe with less pods there will be more pollen.

Something to consider.

Thanks for the information. Rather than spray all the tops, I plan on spraying or painting the STS on one or two branches. I'm wondering if the ethylene produced by adjacent branches will affect pollen production on the treated branches. It seems the more we learn the more there is to learn.

 

[Backlipslide]

Your a smart, smart man!!

 

[Old Salt]

Your a smart, smart man!!

I don't think so. Being retired, and not much of a socialite, I just have more time to think about things.

 

[Backlipslide]

I don't think so. Being retired, and not much of a socialite, I just have more time to think about things.

I stand by what I said, your smart, smart man!