Is it just me, or is writing the first post of a new journal super difficult?
Today I’ll be germinating one pack of the 2020 Boxes of Chocolates and one pack of the '21 Boxes of Chocolates, to see what there is to see. If you’ve a pack of either version I’d greatly appreciate your company. Feel free to throw up a pic now and then. And if you don’t have a pack, but want to help in the testing – shoot me a PM.
The most important thing, tho – is that we’re not cherry-picking results. I need to know what plants you aren’t happy with, even more than the ones you love. Because I’ll gladly discard a parent that I really like, if it means removing negative traits from a line.
And without further ado – stumbling through – trampling all over the English language; I present to you, the contenders.
Can’t say I have either pack myself, or even know what they are… I also don’t think I have room to grow them myself right now, but I’ve never met a grow I didn’t like watching. Whoever’s making the popcorn, sign me up! I’ll infuse the butter, and we’ll have ourselves a good old-fashioned grow show.
I skipped the Box of Chocolates giveaway as I did not want to deal with a pack of variety seeds but there sure looked to be some great stuff in them. Gonna pick a spot in the corner and watch this show.
I’ve got this crazy idea with no evidence that it’s a valid method, of starting them with a 10on/14off for three weeks or so. They should think winter’s coming and show sex stupid early.
Then depending on their size, and number of females, I’ll either kick the light up to 18/6 or 12/12. In my dreams I am harvesting the first plants by the first of the new year.
From what I understand, they’ll probably just have less time for photosynthesis and veg growth, devote more time to their roots, and still won’t be able to show sex until they’re a few weeks to a month old; roughly the same age that you’d start being able to see their pre-flowers under a microscope. I haven’t tested it myself, but that’s what the science says should happen.
I’m normally against 12/12 from seed because the plants end up spindly. Any dark period before they’re sexually mature is just wasted time. But with a 5000k blue light the stretching should be minimal, and if the intensity is high enough they’ll hopefully grow fast enough to make the lost hours perfectly acceptable.
I’m basing it on a happy accident last year. I germinated a bunch of things while the goroka highlands was finishing under 10/14, and I had unusually quick preflowers.
You’ve heard of Carey Reams? By foliar spraying regularly to precisely control nutrients and hormones, he had bean plants producing in literally unbelievable timeframes.
I hadn’t until now; looks like what he’s most well-known for is RBTI, which seems mostly like physics-based common sense with a side order of religion thrown in to satisfy his beliefs. All matter is energy, so of course if we can measure energy flow precisely enough we can learn everything we need to know about our environment. Until Heisenberg steps in, anyway. I’m still not seeing any cheap, simple, readily-available methods to conduct micronutrient testing on soil… so I’m not sure how far along his dreams are in coming to fruition. The Google search I ran also featured “carey reams quackwatch” prominently among the alternate suggestions, lol. I’ll have to see your Carey Reams and raise you a Bertrand Russell.
That being said, if this actually works and doesn’t cause weird, spindly growth during re-veg I’ll definitely be interested in trying it myself. It’s different if you can actually pour me a cup of tea! And I’m certainly open to learning something new every day, most of the reason why I’m here.
I’m still not seeing any cheap, simple, readily-available methods to conduct micronutrient testing on soil… so I’m not sure how far along his dreams are in coming to fruition. The Google search I ran also featured “carey reams quackwatch” prominently among the alternate suggestions, lol. I’ll have to see your Carey Reams and raise you a Bertrand Russell.