So I found time to put a few hours into playing catch-up tonight. Mostly mundane housekeeping.
The wonders of having a 420 journal are starting to dawn on me slowly. I can see how awesome it is going to be- to be able to look back through this later and see what went on. This is so much better than the notes I have scribbled down in my book.
I've been bumping into a lot of people lately talking about harvest windows, and trichome color. Amber in particular. SweetSue's and JoJo's journals in particular.
I've read a few different people now saying that a plant reaches its full potential when it has mostly amber trichomes. As well I have read several people saying that they don't generally get amber trichomes. I would be one of those people. I see the occasional amber, but usually my plants seem ready to harvest and possibly past ready, without having much amber to speak of.
Also I steer extremely clear of anything that has the term 'couch lock' attached to it.
I don't have a couch anyway, and I Really Really Really don't like being 'locked' to anything at all.
But after reading Sweet Sue's journal tonight I decided I would let this current Mama Thai run longer, and see if I can get some amber out of her. I'll take a few samples at different stages and see if I can figure anything out. So I'll have two science experiments going on. The PC being subjected to the recommended Botanicare feeding schedule, and the long running Mama Thai.
Here's a pic of the MT from tonight- showing her latest burst of foxtailing at 87 days flowering. I think maybe some of the foxtailing relates to the backbuilding I usually do to the MTs. They take very well to it, and grow large lumpy blobular buds, which seem to barely know which way is up. This MT is actually a reveg. The mother of Nanny.
I did a bunch of undergrowth clearing on the newest PC- the one I started flowering the day I started this journal. A bit sooner than I usually defol but she kind of grew out of control while I was away. The growing tips were/are very far above the screen and generally too tall. I managed to lower them a bit by doing a straight pull down towards the base with pipe cleaners.
This scrog method I'm doing here is what OMU would call 'not a real scrog'. There is very little weaving of the branches into the screen. Basically I have a plant which has a sort of candelabra shape and each branch goes up through a space in the screen.
I'm doing it this way because
- I don't have room in the veg room for screens so put the screen on when I move to flowering, and because
- I'm not around every day during the next three weeks to do the weaving during the stretch.
I have happened to be around in the past, and done it properly where I have woven the branches through the screen. It makes for more budsites and it is lower and more stable in the screen. But doing it this way works alright too. It's still spreading out a nice canopy under the light. I don't worry to much about it being 100% even. It's more unstable, especially if the tips get too long above the screen- as some of mine have. They're wanting to flop around
I went through the plants and tidied up things a bit and removed some of the damaged foliage.
Did a little more backbuilding on the MT where I could find pointy tips to snip. I may do the PCs too. But they grow so dense already that the risk of mold seems greater if I do.
I see now that having everything in a scrog makes it hard to get nice photos of the individual plants. It all just looks like a big green mass. I tried hard to get some individual pics tonight. It's cramped quarters too. I'll try to find a way to isolate plants for the purpose of getting decent pics.
Not much success tonight but here are a couple of the attempts.
The 'problem' White Widow
Side view of the Blueberry
I macheted the veg room plants down by 6" or so and fed them at 500 ppm Grow. Actually -3ml/gallon cal mag and about 8ml/gallon Grow.
I'll come and deal with the veg room soon. Repot some into 7 gallon pots and probably toss a strain or two. Still waiting to hear from the patients re the GSC cross. I didn't like it's effect when I tried it (though I love it's smell) but that was with just a quick dry sample. It will be cured enough to try again soon. Also the WW and the Blueberry I may or may not grow again depending what they say, and what I think of them. I think sativa is likely the only herb I want for myself. The MT lifts my spirits yet allows me to think very well, while still helping me to sleep at night.
I would like to grow a strain that would help with pain. One main reason I don't sleep at night. If anyone knows a good one let me know.
On that note I suppose I should try to sleep a little.
Geez I talk a lot...
Goodnight 420 friends.