I’ll do a brief blab about the genesis of this project I dubbed protocol 0. Back in 2017, I had been wiped out in the lab with a flood. I mail ordered seeds from AMS “big bud” and started growing. I brought in some mite infested plants from someone who is now a legal producer. He was growing living soil and I was like fuck mites. I’ll stomp their ass and move on. Foolish overconfidence I unleashed poison. The mites didn’t die. I changed the atmosphere -13C the mites didn’t die. I gradually accepted that the mites had been exposed to most toxins and had adapted. So the radical approach was NO poison! Since I could wash myself off after rolling in a pile of shit, I can wash a mite off. First attempt I used a water pik tooth brush but it cleaned 90% of the clones. I was focused on the spider mites at this time. I could see them living their lives under the microscope. The water pik process had actually snuffed out the mites, even though it only cleaned 90% of the clones. I tossed out the single infected one, and ended the mites.
IT was an evolution of how I got rid of thrips in the past using “clone them out”. That process failed on mites. So I had slowly been working towards “something”, but no real goal.
I had now saved: king tut, sugar black rose, big bud, and bert. So I kept going.
Next someone…ahem…who is now a legal producer, brought me meat breath. Should sound familiar, I’m still growing that stinky ass plant. I did what I now call the “protocol 0” on it. I used to call it something else but the name was stupid. That got rid of: spider mites, aphids, and thrips.
I think I joined OG after that or something. When I broke out the protocol 0, I assure you people were not in love. LOL! I’ve since learned that is a normal human reaction to my ideas.
Spider mites can definitely survive the entire winter at -18C clinging to the leaf bud of a dormant tree.
Blargh!!! The dog ate my homework!
Little motherfucker dug up the IPW plants and trashed them. IF this round with the protocol failed, I would be up shit creek. Lucky I’m pulling a rabbit out of a goddamned hat! FAAARRRRKKKKK!!! I’m having spatchcocked dog for dinner tonight. 
Little…bastard!
Well… I didn’t eat the dog. Instead I scavenged what was left of the plants and replanted. Protocol 0 is still progressing!
If there is a next time. . .
lol! I’m thinking of firing up that wok! Man, after the power outage everything was brown and dried up. Errrgh. Can’t I just do it without any fuckups? Shiiiiiiiiiitittt!
Forgot to mention I think it was the heat. Was up to 30C in there or something stupid.
aha! Quick brain consultation tells me to do something radical and stupid, brb!
Plan B…
The dog dug up the plants… so… I go and retrieve 'em. Still fucked up looking with a crack in the stem, but I think some TLC will bring it back? If not, I have one more attempt. fuuuuck me!
OK, so even though I don’t really recommend this. Here’s what I’m going to do. Stupid times, call for stupid measures. I’m generating some biomass like I did on the meat breath one. No part of the plant will enter the grow that had been outside. I moved it to a different quarantine area.
Once I get some mass on this thing, I’ll clone it. Also. The data is here! Dayum!!! How’d I miss that gold mine! I know that looks like a scraggle stick piece of shit, but yo, the most important part is intact! Guess the dog loves me after all.
This is why I need the plant in question. There is an incredible ratio of caps to sessiles. That shit only makes sense in terms of my other project. Also purple trichome caps and strange cell colors on the CALYX only. rrrrrrrrrr! It’s so full of fucking observations I want to make.
Now, after just sitting around and thinking, I have perhaps settled on the problem.
This chamber has lead to failures before! I almost failed with the PCK. Now, that’s not much to go by, but the extreme heat trapped in there can’t be good.
So, now I have a “clue” I can follow the strand. I know what you are thinking, because I’m thinking it too! Run some trials!!! Usually when I do the protocol, it’s in an atmosphere controlled environment where I always make the clones. So, I’ll run several trials over there, where everything was being run. Not using contaminated plant material though. That’s not what I’m testing. If I can get several clones to root in the trial, I know the most likely scenario, is they got cooked in that little enclosed space. I opened it up and shoved mutie in there. The genderless plant.
It’s building mass. I can see new root and leaf growth! Brain tells me the plant is…potentially too large to have been cleaned off. I’m inspecting it daily! No problems, so far.
Strange thing, but that mutie plant seems to be responding to the chamber. It looks… kind of upbeat.
Power went out! yay! For hours! yay!
Mutie is looking… happy? In that hellscape box. I think it likes extreme temps.
Your work is impressive @JoeCrowe. Thoroughly enjoy following along. Do you continue to dunk them like this periodically while they’re still a fairly manageable size? I think I read Snype on Icmag recommend a fairly precise dunking regimen of sorts to best ensure a mite eradication focused on their lifecycle timing.
On another note, it’s so awesome to see the new observations with the mutie plant. I’m quite fond of your work with that one in particular. I like to think there’s something vigorous still lurking within that one. Most respect for keeping it around! Many blessings and much love
I actually try for a single-go eradication. I’ve done it for plants I got from users here on OG, like TK and a few others. The only real problems I’ve had, is when they are rooted in frigging rockwool. I hate that shit.
Went through that baby with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing out of the ordinary except some fuzz stuck to the edge of a leaf.
mmm I think it’s obvious where the new roots are growing! We’ve got success!
starts to celebrate far too soon LOL!
I was super hopeful I could try to finish off mildew, but when I asked the donor, he said he hadn’t had mildew in a few years. Oh well! It was existing under a pile of rotting hay, so it’s probably hazardous. In terms of human health hazard fungus, that is. Probably coated in clado, and botrytis. BLACK MOLD AND GREY! yum! Gonna have to do a disinfectant cleanup after this.