Doing the root pruning thing again, this time with MicroKote

@SHSC-1 Sorry I was just linking yours because of how you were saying that back in the days of BC Skunks, everyone was using Peters ag fertilizers and they worked just fine, since Ben is of the same generation and a big proponent of them I thought he’d be interested to see that comment on how once you get basic nutrition and environment right it’s all about the genetics. Actually, I imagine you and Ben probably have a lot to talk about as peers from that era.

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well that makes sense hehehe
yup, when i was first learning under my mentor and for the years that followed up to me switching to GH flora and the lucas method (modified), it was peters 20 20 20 veg and 2 weeks into flower and then peters 10-52-10 for flower. There was another granulated product that was added in flower but I’m not sure where we got it from as it was always in a big ziploc. Looking back I am guessing it was mg/ca and K. Back then I was just a garden apprentice and just worked off the feed charts I was given. It wasn;t until later and when I was on my own that I started to do my own learning and getting deeper into nutrition.

as per root pruning. One of the growers I know …20 years ago now,. He grew a constant flow system in long 12" diameter tubes with cutouts for large net pots. I am not sure exacly when in his cycle he performed his root pruning but he would lift his pots and prune his roots right back as part of his method. He was growing double dutch and I do have to say, his finished rooms and cured flower always impressed me.

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4 males. All plants are a DARK green. Have not fed since upcanning on Dec. 25. Watering with rainwater. Funny, the Afghaan 90 X Master Kush 1990 all turned out male, just LOADED with balls. They were all treated with paclo.

Nutrition: Osmocote Indoor-Outdoor Plus, 5-6 month, 15-9-12 plus blood and bone meal, alfalfa meal “slop”.

This Deep Chunk, which was a runt for weeks, turned out male. Gorgeous plant with thick stems, very short internodes, skunky.

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Never have I had such a struggle sexing a garden. Out of 8, still have 3 that are ???. 11 days 12/12. I normally do a 20/4 veg. Did a 18/6 this time. Hmmmmm…

Maui Wowie, unsexed.

Sensi Kush indica, unsexed.

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The X’s on the pots didn’t work regarding root pruning. Will paint the entire surface from now on.

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Ace Seeds, couple of freebies. Mandala Seeds, Ace Seed landrace hybrids received - wow!

PSA, don’t miss out on this bargain! I order BM7 soil, vermiculite, heavy items. BM mixes are very high quality, cheap (as opposed to cannabis crap and BS like FoxFarms). This is what the quality commercial ops buy by the pallent. Also got a 50# of Osmocote. $200 shipping fee waived. Get ya a big bag of vermiculite, BM7, Osmocote Indoor-Outdoor Plus and you’re all set to grow cannabis, veggies, potted or in ground baby trees…anything.

https://www.amleo.com/email-offer-details/a/85e?dm_i=6ZPZ%2C6900%2C1RYQWA%2CV60Y%2C1&fbclid=IwAR09zI3KesDtvGd1CzKasMrPZMK1yutcCQbF9_jMfzwdFLJLG6eccEoP6Hs

Wow, price drop to $19!

@Hippiechik

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Time for some schooling. Wrote this ditty many years ago, posted it on the old OG and other forums.

The never ending abuse of Phosphorous to enhance flowering (edited)

A common mistake for growers when they reach the flowering stage is to start hitting the plants with a high P fert like a 10-50-10, continuing to use this blend exclusively, and when their plants start experiencing a deficit of N, Ca, Mg or micros as reflected by the dropping of lower leaves and chlorosis, they wonder why. Plants flower as a response to long nights, not because of food blends high in P (and K). The plant will take what it needs and compete for other elements that may be more important at the time.

You may have heard that too much N can inhibit flowering. No question about it, exclusive use of a plant food that is rich in N such as blood meal, a 5 1 1 blend, or ammonium nitrate/sulfate may inhibit flowering especially if the phosphorous level is low, but most balanced blends have sufficient amount of P to do the job. The question is “how much P is enough to support a good flowering response and still retain my leaves?”

Manufacturers/horticulturists will give you element analysis and what effect the elements have on plant growth, but remember this does not necessarily mean you will get better yields. Using a high P fert exclusively during flowering can actually work against you due to impending leaf drop and iron chlorosis. It’s an abundant amount of healthy leaves going into 12/12 and maintaining their health that produces a lot of bud, not high P, or low N foods.

I rotate fertilizer blends as the plant requires them, not because it is “the thing to do.” For example, when your plants are going thru the stretch phase during early flowering, they may need more N, especially if you’re getting some yellowing in the lower leaves. Give up the cannabis paradigms and give them what they need.

There are many foods I stock in my toolbox. Dyna-Gro is another excellent brand.

Stay away from cannabis specific foods. They market unsuspecting newbies who don’t yet have a handle on plant nutrition and soil chemistry.

Uncle Ben

Must read: Bloom Booster - Fertilizer Nonsense #5 - Garden Myths

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Received via Mandala Seeds.

https://www.aceseeds.org/en/strains/feminized/goldentigerxpanama-feminized-seeds.html

https://www.aceseeds.org/en/strains/feminized/panamaxmalawi-feminized-seeds.html

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I don’t know how I missed this, but your garden looks fantastic. Very much enjoy your writing, too.

I’m gonna have to wait until after the first of May to make any more major purchases, but I will definitely keep that link handy. :+1:t2:

There’s a lot of flim-flam artists and shysters out there waiting to take advantage of noobs, definitely. Flashy packaging and slick advertising are big red flags. The stuff I used to buy from CO-OP didn’t have anything at all (normally), just a label. I’m fortunate to live in a pretty intensive agricultural area, so I could generally get whatever I needed locally (most of the time). I just don’t need 50 pounds of it at a time, lol- I am growing a closet, not 1500 acres! :rofl:

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Be glad to send you a slimmed downed version care package. Let me know what you need.

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I sent you a message but hit send too soon, check my edit. I’m pretty sad that my old seeds just aren’t doing anything except growing fungus.

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This is a first, out of 8 seeds/plants grown, 7 are frickin’ males! I have 1 Cannacopia Lapiz Mtn. indica lady that is very nice. Friend who gifted me this original said this about the high - “The Lapis Mtn. Indica is a great high. It was what made me realize I actually do like indicas. It’s been a while but I remember it being a good high that never put me on the couch. Strong but a mellow feel. Cerebral but nothing racy about it. I enjoyed it!”

Just sowed this freebie after a day of soaking and sinking. Is this 33% THC for real or just marketing hype?

I spread my DAMP soil on a large metal pizza plate/foil and heated it for at least 2 hours. Oven was set to 180F. This will insure all nasties are dead while not hot enough to carbonize the organics. Using the 20 oz styro cups as usual to germinate the seed again.

I’m a very small consumer of pot these day, and a couple of cartridges in a pen sure does a number too. That pen is so convenient and way too easy. It’s the live type resin/oil. First time I tried that stuff - had finished 2 glasses of wine. In spite of my guest who warned me, I took 2 big tokes off her pen. I about couldn’t walk I was so fucked up! Took me quite a while to get my shit together LOL.

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@Hippiechik, how so? Fungus while still in the pack? After being sown?

I tried to germinate them after a soak in warm water with a small amount of molasses and brown sugar (1/2 tsp of each in a cup of boiling water, plus h2o2 when it cooled. Prawn Connery told me about it (he only mentioned sugar or honey), and I figured it wasn’t that much different than Murashige-Skoog formula and couldn’t hurt to try.

The seeds soaked and sunk, none were floaters, which gave me a little bit of hope for viability. Sadly, it seems to be mostly false hope.

I still have some left, and I am holding onto them until I can get this: https://microclone.com/store/ols/products/microclone-sterile-seed-germinating-kit

I think if anything is going to work, this will. It’s a gamble, and most likely a stupid decision, but I have held onto these things for nearly 20 years! If someone can find 30 year old seeds in a tacklebox hidden in an attic and grow them, then I still have hope for them.

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I reckon the sugar stuff is supporting fungus and other issues. Folks tend to over think this. ALL 20 year old C99 seeds I did in 2020 germinated. 1 male, 4 females. Haven’t changed my ways in 30 years or so - soak in plain water overnight, sow the seeds that sink 1/2" deep in a tall container…

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I think maybe I ruined them by storing them improperly. They were in a toolbox shoved into the back of an unheated closet, and not in controlled environment storage.

If you’d like to try your hand at some, I would gladly send you a few. Most of them sink during presoaking, but they don’t get any further than that. Occasionally one splits, but nothing else.

Hey @OldUncleBen
From what I remember years ago you were always about the community and sharing your knowledge ect.

The fine folks here at OG are always doing these preservation runs and I wanted to make you aware of them, they are a free giveaway for everyone that signs up.
The one posted below is over but it will give ya the idea.

Now for my selfish motivation…
I will be blunt here, I think that is how you prefer things?
Do you have anything in that vault of yours that you would be interested in sharing with the community?

I bet some others around here are thinking the same thing. :thinking:
Just an inquiry, I hope I did not come across as pushy, I didn’t want to sugarcoat it.
As I said above I think I remember you like to be direct in your conversations.

Thanks for your time.
Shag

This is one I signed up for.

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About the only thing that may be “preservation” is some very old Mexican bag seeds I’ve had under cold and dry conditions for at least 22 years. I had a friend who sold a lot of fine Mexican pot and saved seeds from the best kilos he bought. We’re talking south Texas area, not upstate N.Y. I remember smoking some Mex weed back in the 60’s that was so trippy we called it “Acid Weed”. I’ll have to check but I think I still have some. What the germ rates are and quality I have new clue. I grew some outside and it was really nice with a clean cerebral affect, happy and fun. In his 1982 book Mel Frank wrote “Mexican weed can be some of the best pot you can grow”.

I also have some very old crosses of dutch varieties like TFD’s O. Haze by Peak 19, etc. I don’t consider that preservation, or landrace stuff. I have pure Dalat Vietnamese seeds I can let go too. A Vietnam war pilot visited the Dalat valley around the early 2000’s and sent me and some others a bunch of them during the old OG days. Here’s one such plant I sent to guy in Santa Cruz. He had to remove his greenhouse roof! Total PITA to grow though. Takes forever to flower which is strictly based on a chronological response vs photoperiod. I grew it indoors under HID’s.

Speaking of oldies, I bought some of the old Afghan 90 X Master Kush from Kwik Seeds. All turned out male. Not that I know or buy from a lot of seed vendors but it seems that Ace Seeds is one of the few that is doing the preservation thingie justice. One reason I got their Golden Tiger crosses and Panama X Malawi work.

Who do I contact in case I wish to share some of this stuff?

Appreciate ya being direct @shag. You’re cool.

Have a good one,
Tio

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How very kind of you to share!
I think everyone would like to get their hands on some very old Mexican bag seeds.
And yes some of us know the gold you may find in them, Acid weed sounds killer…love the giggly stuff myself.

Been a while since I even heard the name Peak 19, that is an olde but a goodie.
I know what you are saying that would be more of a reproduction than a preservation project and that still may be eligible for a co-op run.

The pure Dalat Vietnamese seeds would be awesome, folks round here would go crazy for some of that.
Cool story too.
We have a few around here that are willing to give us some history, not many so thanks for that.

That is a real bummer, I think that has something to do with breeding a male to himself, not really sure.
I have heard nothing but good about ACE seeds.

I am pretty sure you submit your info here.

Now if you want to go in a different direction you can do that too.
But if you meet the criteria for a co-op the good folks at OG will help you distribute the seeds.

I think everything you mentioned should qualify, but it has to go to a vote before approval.

I always thought you were kinda cool too @OldUncleBen :star_struck:
Peace
Shag

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