Hello OverGrow.
It is a hot July 4 and I don’t feel like getting all sweaty today, so I thought I’d do an update. Since the Durbans (from FDM Seeds, via @Jellypowered) and my LowRyder x LaDiva (from @ReikoX) haven’t changed in their overall look since last time, so I am just doing trichome shots of them today. The trichomes shots were taken with my handheld digital 20X microscope.
Here is #74, she is the bushy type Durban female:
It was a difficult focus on the Durbans because the buds spread out more than the LRxLD auto, and the focal distance is too great of a difference across the buds.
The next is from #75, the tall one:
It is flowering day 62 for both of these ladies. The trichomes are not uniformly cloudy yet, let alone amber. Also, both are still adding new pistils and bud material. As anxious as I am to try it out, I remain patient as I can be.
The next photo is #80, my LRxLD auto.
The top bud is smaller and flatter than the Durban female’s so more of it is in focus. This plant was germinated 83 days ago. It’s trichomes are very cloudy and it is showing no signs of additional growth.
Here are the new autos I put in a month ago because I had put too much time on the Headbands I was having trouble with and neglected to start more photo period plants.
They are both female. I can’t wait to see how big her buds will get without growing seeds.
The next time I grow out autos, they will be from the seeds on #80 and one will get pollinated with daddy’s spooge to make F1 seeds.
Finally some joy on my baby (BC Mango x BC Night Nurse) x Diesel Moonshine (from @Kalgrae, via @Jellypowered).
I was wrong last week when I said all three of my first seedlings had dampened off. Only 1 had. I left all three in their pots an extra day. I’ve been wrong before about what is ailing my plants and waited one more day before uprooting all 3. I may be wrong about even the one being dampened off. It had a long, beautiful root, but never came out of its shell. When I helped it out, I found the starter leaves were just thin film-like things, nothing to grow. Very strange looking. The image of a dampened off seedling that @legalcanada posted in another thread had a similar odd look to it in the middle of the stalk.
The other 2 had looked contorted and dried out. The next day, I took a very close look (with a 5x visor magnifier) and realized what had looked like they were all dried out was just the nutrients that hold the starter leaves together. Both were still “glued” together by them. I carefully supported the seedling (#96) while scratching at the “glue” with a sewing needle. When I scratched enough away, the leaves on one opened a very small amount and continued to do so throughout the day. I did the same to the 2nd one (#97). It made no change that day. I fully expected to uproot it the following day. I didn’t want to say anything about it right away in case they ended up dying out anyway.
The next day, #96 was already spread open and had the first set of serrated leaves. Number 97’s starter leaves were still stuck together, but now had 2 very tiny serrated leaves coming out the sides. A closer inspection revealed that I had probably not use enough pressure when scratching at the “glue” on this one (fear of damaging the seedling) and the under side still had a connection at the thickest part of it. Once I removed that, #97 also looked better each time I looked at it.
Numbers 96 & 97 are maturing at a slower rate than 98 & 99. The former are older by 9 days, but look nearly the same age in this photo. Not sure if they will stay being slow or will grow more normally from now on. Either way, I now have 4 (BC Mango x BC Night Nurse) x Diesel Moonshine seedlings. As long as at least one is male or at least one is female, I am happy. As usual, I’ll be updating regularly.
Lastly, here are my ST4 seedlings I purchased from @Baudelaire’s FDM Seeds:
Number 82 is the one I chose to become a pollinator, she has had to STS treatments. I used a lot less on the 2nd application than the 1st. The 1st time, I made sure the entire plant was dripping STS. This time, I just sprayed the tip of each branch, each node, and the underside of the leaves. It continued to be wet for an hour-ish while it relaxed under the flood lights I setup for photography. Some of her pistils are in atrophy.
The following is a shot of 82’s midsection:
I wanted to show her very thick stalk. The stalks of 83 & 84 is just as massive. FDM Seeds website says to expect large buds from the strain. The thickness of the stalk is likely nature’s way of preparing for that.
Numbers 83 & 84 are looking very healthy. I’m not sure if I’ll even pollinate these. I took 2 cuttings for this purpose from the same plant that is getting reversed because I really like its shorted, sturdier form.
Question for experienced breeders: Can a femmed plant be part of the F1…etc tags if I use the original pollen and germinate its seedlings, then pollinate them with daddy’s fairy dust, or is that only possible with regulars?
Good wishes to all.
Celebrators, I hope everyone has the same number of fingers they started the day with.
Cheers,
C50
), I’ve been reading and watching everything I can get my hands on about germing old seeds. The femmed Headbands from brother 
Several people have said autos don’t like the stress of changing pots. I didn’t know that with the first group I grew out and started them in 4" pots and into 1 gal later. This time I went right into large pots in the hope that they will get even more bountiful this time around. 
here when we crack them…
They do look really nice.