Soiltechs Swamp Hunt - Tiger Mint Kush

[Soiltech]

2 week update:

So true, always reminded by how it is a ‘small world’ in many ways. Glad to have crossed paths with @BasementBeans. My bank is always open and I’m glad we are able to do business - you can tell when passion is a driver and that comes out in your work. Pleased to share in this project.

This plant is going to be an absolute joy to rifle through, already having fun ‘sorting’ them. I’ve found at least a dozen or so which are overly pungent - brush against em and they release a good pungency. One with a recognizable menthol, and a couple with a good skunk. There is also some really ripe fruit forward/minty plants. Upotting has already taken place with a handful - the new soil has been re amended with some 8 year old pastures horse manure, some volcano rock I can find about 45 min from my place, and a crate of fresh worm compost from the ol worm farm. Upotting will finish up by the start of next week and light dep May start in only another week. It’s going to be a quick flip but I think just in time for the space provided: anticipating these plants to remain relatively stocky with dense lateral branching.

Thank you for the kind words - @MonasticDank @OhNo555 and @TopShelfTrees1 - I think I would have thought harder the next time I’m in a position to look at land again. We bought a small remote parcel - viewed in the winter and found it to flood every spring. It’s on the back of a creek which is damned up. It’s not ideal but it was dirt cheap acreage (hah, just look at the style and frugality of the hoop houses… you get a picture). the home is on the highest spot which hasn’t touched water yet, knock on wood. Water has come up to a stones throw away in peak spring. But the major concern is fires. Surrounded by dense crown land. It has us on high alerts with the amount of forests close to our home. Especially in dry conditions.

Here are morning shots of the group soaking up the first rays of the day:

I’ve got 6 ‘ruffled’ plants -its been observed since their first leaves. You can see in the above pictures. Some plants express more rounded ends with broad kush leaf while others are leaning more towards tiger berries longer sharper fans.

One plant out of all of these has been massacred by an insect with hundreds of tiny holes, I’ll get a picture next update. Also the 90th of the 90 seeds popped - very late. It’s been added to the group.

With the loudest plants already also selected/ I will start my popsicle stick labeling soon which will allow me to write more detailed notes going forward / using some code for some current observable groups of traits. I’ve been joking to myself to wrap it up and cull the rest of the plants now as we move forward.

[TopShelfTrees1]

Look at those serrations! Wow

[Soiltech]

Thanks for following along here, yesterday was a big day for the Tiger Mints.

The plants which remained in small pots just got their final up pot. I’d say almost half the plants yet, they got new boots the same day they got their first night of 12 hours.

I spent a good couple hours taping together the tarp. I acquired the ‘end of the roll’ for a few rolls of lumber tarp. The same stuff they wrap ‘lifts of lumber’ with. These were free from a local mill (knowing the right people). One layer may have been good enough- but to ensure darkness and in attempt to not worry about the occasional pin hole I figured I’d do 2 layers.

All plants have been fed some horsetail and clover FPJ with a good amount of 4 year old Fish Amino Acid and inoculated with a great selection of micro organisms. They’ve been eating it up and you can tell they are just loving it. Flower had to be kicked in a bit earlier than I would want for their size. But the timing for finishing up had to be sooner than later because I cannot flower too far into
September as it gets cold fast out here.

A good week or two and we will start seeing sex: currently I tarp at 8 pm and untarp at 8 am. Quite a commitment, will do this everyday for the next 10 weeks. I’ve attached long pole branches to the two corners of the tarp it allows me to drag the tarp over a bit more efficiently.

[Soiltech]

Wanted to share these pretty ladies - not directly related to the swamp hunt. But the first plant pictured here is using Tiger mints, an outcrossed poly hybrid using a tiger mints f1’ and raspberry barret. (Crossed and gifted by basementbeans) Turned out to be a good looking plant - all of these are outdoor deps and will be ready in about 2 weeks.

The second plant is a cross of a plant from the sorbetto line work I’ve been running and @lefthandseeds ’s tux. The last photo is of some black Lebanese he had gifted me. A parent to the tux’.

Edit : the photos are not in the order I said. The black Lebanese is the photo the darker plant surrounded by others. The second and last is the sorbetto x tux and the first and the third is the basement beans tiger mint cross.

Always a feels great to see the finish line with some gorgeous finishers. The lowers are all holding crosses in most of these for a colour driven project I’ve had some fun with the last few runs.

In the black bayou all plants are happy and loving the heat. The poly walls in the centre of each wall is propped up during the hot days with forked branches. It’s been almost a week of light dep - and they are primed for pre flowers.

Today the soil got a good cover of some fresh horse tail plants.

The range on these plants will give me a challenge when it comes to selections. I’ve got a favorited stem rub already. Very loud zesty tangy mint. Wakes you up after a sniff. Here is an example. One of the more broad leaf plants sitting next to one of the narrow leaf learners.

I am still working out details, but I believe I will pollinate almost all of the females (lowers only - leaving the top buds) label each collections and make some seed selections after the final product has been tested. (smoked by myself and friends)

The plants have been split up into several groups - I will reserve at least one male from each group and use it on the associated grouped females. (Example a ‘broad leaf’ male will be used on the ‘broad leaf’ females) there are seven interesting ‘crinkle leaf’ plants. I will be sure they are grouped for pollination.

Currently I have grouped based on veg growth traits - I may do some further ‘Terp’ groups / am thinking the louder mints and unique skunks should have their own f3 line regardless on leaf and plant structure.

Here are the crinkles today :

Also have to add/ my drive to see this project to fruition is the chase for a plant I came across exploring the cmk - some of the smoothest creamiest smoke I have come across. A thick cream mouth coat with a finish of menthol in the back of your throat. I had heard about ‘creamy’ smoke and was sure I had smoked it./ but until I had found a chunky mint kush with buds which were like velvet cream with each puff. Have yet to come across this again - but am I eager to find it or a version of it in this group of 80. I suspect a chunk of this group will be culled as I begin selecting the males for quarantine.

I will share all the details on my target pollination - I’ve had a chance to hone my precision with individual branch pollinations in the past and have several details I am happy to share here.

[Soiltech]

9 days of tarp dep - early birds showing sex.

[Soiltech]

I hadn’t planned to post this lady here - not sure why - probably should have posted her ahead of the other random outcross and ladies. But, after she caught my eye again as I get closer to chop - I knew she should probably grace this thread before it’s over.

This is a Tiger Mints F1 - she will be getting the chop next week. She was with a bunch of indoor vegged plants I pulled out of the indoor early because of an indoor thrips war I had been waging all winter. I thought the room was clean after my third battle - but a month or so later I found em again. So at the time in early May this year I pulled all my tiny vegging plants and put em outside and started them on light dep (had planned to flower em out indoors a month later). She is one of about 20 random plants I had going. Most are now carrying beans on the lowers - some of the other ladies were posted above.

I wasn’t too impressed with the size of the flower - but she makes up for it in terps and appeal.

After seeing her mature - it’s got me more amped to see how the range of tiger mints go in the swamp.

Currently in the swamp house I’ve started sexing - I have about 35 males identified and about 10 females - the remaining probably could be identified by now but I have yet to get around to it.

Any advices on some easy quick male culling tips would be great - about to start - the sheer number on boys is going to make it tough to decide. I don’t want to take a chance with culling a super star.

[Soiltech]

Male Quarantine & the Culling

Found 2 plants with the single early male flowers which pertrude on most male cannabis main branch and they had opened their shells or parts of their shell but the anthers were still stuck together and hadn’t released. I knew it was the time regardless of the circumstances to move the plants - so I put on a respirator and hauled 4 at a time to a wheel barrow accross the property. I believe there is no early pollen where I don’t want it.

Here is a chunky male before leaving the swamp.

There are some large wild fire areas with mandatory evacuations in our neck of the woods. We are situated 10 km from one of these zones. It’s been a bit nerve wracking looking through a fair bit of smoke
on the perimeter but I am carrying on as this project needs. Picture this : rubber boots, wheel barrow and a respirator. Yesterday I moved about 35 males. It’s a physical job to get it done and the smoke was thick.

The task at hand now is thinning the Tiger Mint brothers out. I’ve already began - a dozen as of this moment- going later to strike at least a few more down. Not more than 8 will remain. Plants selected for culling are based on substantial early sacs off the main or structure (leggy) and lacking noticeable stem rubs or stickiness.

This is their new light dep chamber.

The loud wake up and tangy plant I had already noticed turned out to be a male and
He joins 3 others I have already selected as tentative keepers. Mostly based on structure and stem rub. - as well as the chunkiest of the males buds.

Herms

On the female side of the tent I found 1 with early intersex expression. However on the side which I had identified males I found 3 which began to flower as females (with early pollen) that is currently 5% of the seed stock in this outdoor / hoop house environment. I anticipate some late showers - hopefully not too many more. Here is the herms fate as well as a male that looked at me wrong :

Chickens don’t discriminate.

Here are some of the ladies back at the swamp :

Looking forward to sharing some beautiful flower shots and more info on the pairings and selections in the coming weeks.

[PatioMat]

I am envious of your setup, but probably not of your mosquitos!

Looks like solid work you are doing over the border!

[Soiltech]

Pollination Station :

8 males had been selected. The rest culled.

Just before they start releasing pollen I leave them in the shed and cover the window for the light dep. this way the wind and bugs will have the least influence.

There are some real great structured plants - ‘B3’ and ‘LB1’ being my two favourite. LB1 being the greasiest most vigorous and B3 the chunkiest.

I also kept one of the crinkle males for all the crinkle girls:

Each male pollinates 4-5 ladies. Throughout this past week over most days I head into the male shed with a mason jar, a lid and a water spray bottle - I bend the top flower of one of the males and tap it into the jar - I do this with the door closed. I will use much less than 1% of potential pollen for any given plant - and I only need to see a small amount of open sepals before I collect.

After a change of clothes and a good rinse of my face/beard and hands I will head to the hoop house and begin labeling the selected females. After I move the selected girls (4-5 each day for each male) out of the hoop house - and into the tomato hoop - labeled with their tag as well as the males tag. I’ve had fair success of avoiding pollinating the tops without too much more than just being very mindful and careful with the application of the pollen to the lowers. Less is more, that’ shit just flies in all directions when in abundance. However as I usually do this type of pollination indoors - and with the wind outdoors as an extra precaution - I tried bagging the tops like you see here. ( pooch for your viewing pleasure)

This is the first time I tried this/ I noticed with a few in the first couple days I wasn’t careful with how I folded the leaves into the bag and the top buds rubbed on the bag and now some of the buds are ‘bruised’ - but only a few plants and I was able to be more careful as I completed pollination over the next several days with the remaining ladies. Before returning to their tent I give them a good spray down - this is generally later in the day - I let them sit with the tomatoes for some time while they take that pollen.

The plants are smelling great - and the variety is astounding - really is a complete roll of several dice. A good handful of plants, maybe 1/4 or so are glowing purple, lots of chunky stout plants.

Every single lady has now been dabbed - the last 5 plants were meant for ‘R7’ male - but his pollen never dropped only the sacs fell off (he didn’t adapt well to the lower light in the shed and all the ). Instead I used a combo of the pollen of the 7 remaining males. I also had a pure Michigan male I had - he was kept in the house… and I had no ladies for him… so I did use two of the ladies from this project… RIP.

All the males have been chopped - the first few pollinated ladies are already showing their beans. Looks like I’ll have plenty, much more than needed for the f4’s selection - happy to share these around.

[amumayuk]

yoir a real soldier man thats some real plannification and comitment i dig this

[Soiltech]

Tomatoes and a Herm Wanna-Be

The seeds have started to set on each plant now. It’s nice to see the lowers all holding beans with some nice clean top cola.

I’ve began re organizing the plants by their colour, we’ve got about a quarter of them untouched green phenos and the remainder 3/4 have at least a touch of color with some purple on the leaves and buds. I find the green ones giving off much more of a skunky musk also generally the leaves are much more narrow. Where the others a range of mint and sweet berries/fruit with more broader leaf set.

Tomatoes are setting up nice. Looks like by the end of august I should have a small harvest. One of my more successful tomato crops since moving out here.

Here are one of my dwarf f2’ tomatoes - as anticipated - putting out some good volume and has made itself comfortable and at home in its small pot. This thing actually survived a light frost - it sprang back to life while some others beside it were not so lucky.

Also hermie news: I’ve found an early banana thrower - he/she has been culled. But then there is this dudette…

No pollen as far as I can tell. But there are flowers at sites which we would regularly see intersex flowers - see in the photo above . In my mind this is not a great sign for selection - I’ve decided to let the plant finish or at least keep a real close eye on it until it does. I likely will not share the seeds made on this plant.

It’s unfortunate because it’s one of the ‘few’ green pheno’s. The count on herms in this f2 hunt is now 8 of 80 plants. I’m not too happy with these numbers and I’m hoping that the selections we further this line with will begin thinning this trait. Cross our fingers for the f3’s around the corner - I anticipate that this next generation will be one of the more ‘dirty’ gens which will most certainly need some mandatory ‘de-herming’. Has anyone seen any solid success with selecting away from intersex traits? Ive never been able to quantify any results on any past attempts. As we take this line forward I think it will give me some better insight it the possibilities of dulling a lines monoecious tendencies.

I’ll leave ya with a couple ladies as they head into six weeks.

The last photo there is the section of bench with my favourite green phenos.

Here is a quick snap of some of the more colourful ones.

Happy growing all, until next time.

[Soiltech]

Took my camera out to the swamp today. Thought, I’d dump a handful, hope no one minds.

Plants are into their 6th week now - slightly hungry, and heavy with beans, I’ve been water only feeding for the last little bit now, their last feed was a light hit of some mirco’s, with some diluted home made bone and egg shell extract.

Wanted to break down the lineage of this cross to anyone interested.

Tiger Berry x Chunky Mint Kush (Inebriating Mint x Soil Tech’s Mexican)

Tiger Berry is a landrace from China, I acquired the beans via cash/snail mail order from a gentleman somewhere in Cali who goes by Rigger, he selected these seeds growing in a gorge by a river in China, he has been furthering the line with his own selections since. This is a solid line and lends some real fruit driven notes to this kush hybrid.

The CMK used in this cross is a mix between a greasy male from Mexico and a cross by Red Scare Seeds. I aquired the seeds direct from a cartel run dispo, I was told it was known as a ‘candy store’ - they sold much more than illegal narcotics. I only purchased a bag of weed, it came with the seeds I used in this cross, this bag of seeds has been a gift that keeps giving, I’ve used several of it’s greasy males to date. I know only the origin of these seeds and obviously not the lineage, I do feel it is faily homogenous line which they have been growing outdoors in the region I picked it up. (La Paz)

The RSSC cross ‘Inebriating Mint’ is also an intriguing one using a Uzbekistan landrace with Kush Mints. I read that the Uzbekistan landrace is minty in it’s own right, and Kush mints has it’s own reputation for sharp minty phenos. The mother which I used in the CMK smelled of strong Fishermans Friend, a real spicy mint.

Would be interested to see a pure Uzbekistan grown out, or if anyone has any information or experience, please let me know, have been doing my best to identify which directions each plant leans.

Thanks for anyone who’s had a chance to follow along, glad I was able to get some of this lines work documented, and I am excited watching these beans bulk up. I am highly anticipating the moment I can taste test the flower.

[Soiltech]

Two More Weeks (just over)

Had our first frost this morning. Surprisingly the tarp holds a bit of the days heat. Went to -3 C on the mercury - forecast had said + 4 C low. We don’t have any weather station out here so it’s never been dead on for our area with any forecast source.

Plants are on the home stretch. A few of these plants look like early girls, ready to chop in a week or so. I’ll give em all the same time regardless, I need these seeds to ripen up - and with the colder weather especially.

All the seeds have set up nice - tops look to be 100 % seed free. Noticed one with some late nanners - very sparse - these seeds will not be used.

I’ll wrap todays post up with a selection of some of the ladies as they head to the finish line.

[Soiltech]

Should wrap this up here.

All ladies are chopped and hanging as of last night. Buds dense are aromatic, and Beans are looking dark and ripe.

Plants are hanging in an unused indoor room with exhaust on low. Rooms average smell is sweet berry kush. The range from plant to plant is incredible. We have some more raunchy skunky ladies as well as very tangy sweet minty fruit learners.

Each plant has had its final photo with its label - each plants top buds will be cured in its own labeled jar, the lowers will be shucked and also labeled with its donor parents.

This turned out the be a very colourful line. I’ve had the chance to finish a jar of cured Tiger Mint Kush f1 recently, and it’s been one of my more favourite smokes of the season. Very well rounded, mind body and soul. On the heavier side - suggest for evening or ‘last smoke’ can have you standing around dumbfounded at times. Or have you doing something different by accident even if you’ve done it 1000 times before. This plant was a quick cozy warm hug kind of high, quick because it hits ya fast, but also reasonably lasting. I’ve got dozens of cured weed this season and this jar was polished off ahead of many, a great indication that it was a natural preference for me at least.

Herm summary, 10 % in this environment. With half of them being very light or even sterile nanners. None of which will be used to further the line. I’d anticipate a different result with indoor grows. I finished 4 plants in the male shed against my own plans. None seeded with he herm flowers pollen. This is a great sign for the line.

I’ll leave ya with some final shots of the girls just before their chop.

Seeds will be available - I am happy to share these out for testing. Please feel free to reach out - I can share info/photos for specific parents and will give out specific crossed seeds if requested. I’ll pay shipping for those in Canada.

Thanks for anyone who followed along, I had a lot of fun with this project: I am already looking forward to next years swamp hunt.

[BasementBeans]

I can’t believe it took me so long to check in on this. What a fantastic looking bunch of selections!

@Soiltech

Rooms average smell is sweet berry kush. The range from plant to plant is incredible. We have some more raunchy skunky ladies as well as very tangy sweet minty fruit learners

This tracks pretty well with what I was seeing, I tried to keep things nice and open for you to narrow down in this generation. Did you get any profiles you’d describe as “cough syrupy”? I recall a few that had an unbelievably strong nose to them, and without being able to place it any better, reminded me of some sort of cough syrup.

I’m super eager to do the F4 work seeing how these turned out. Keeping seed separate or mixing some keepers??

Nothing but good to say. Well documented, well grown. You’ve made some great selections and I’m thrilled with how these are turning out. The colours are even better than expected.

@Soiltech

Seeds will be available - I am happy to share these out for testing. Please feel free to reach out - I can share info/photos for specific parents and will give out specific crossed seeds if requested.

super kind offer, hope a few folks take you up on that to share our work. I’ll be giving a bunch away when I finish with the F4’s!

[Soiltech]

Apologies my response took much longer than I had planned. Finally found a moment to make a quick update:

Everything has been cured up and in jars.

Seeds have been shucked and labeled with their specific parents.

I’ve been smoking this Kush since they were first jarred up. I began sorting the jars by most loud to the least - basically 3 sections. Loud medium and lame. I will likely dismiss most of the lame jars and the seeds will not be used to further the line. I have an idea about that ‘cough syrup’ almost a sickly sweet fruit smell, I can pick it up on a few jars for sure. I’m certain that comes through with the Mexican male used- as he’ had an indistinguishable potent lemon candy nose - which has proven to be a great pairing to a ride range of noses.

The smoke has been enjoyable across the board, a few real heavy smokes which have gotten my attention and some pretty basic — I’d say overall a very pleasant smoke with a comforting hug feeling in most cases. That same feeling you get from a hot chocolate on a cold day- I find the Chunky Mint Kush is like a warm blanket hug in the best sense.

My favourite stones have grabbed my skull and gave it a good hug. It’s been real tough to standardize my ‘tests’ in anyway. Comparisons can only be done from what I remember about the day before… and this is based on how I feel from day to day. Currently I try to smoke one strain a day. It has been tough to distinguish differences between some - but others have stood out thankfully. And the more appealing I have distinguished and set aside. Selections will be what I remember about it’s stone paired with only the loudest jars and most appealing look.

Here are some bud shots in no order - I am going through some small thumb nails I cant make out which are which - so enjoy the dump of pics:

If anyone has looked through this thread and has their eye on a plant they want more info on I should have more than enough notes and will be happy to share the seed. These are f3 - most tiger striped seeds come through the ‘crinkle’ plants. The majority of the other seeds are solid in colour.

Please reach out if you’d like to get your hands on any seeds - I’ve got about 100 seeds for each plant.

@BasementBeans your packs are selected I just need a moment to get em shipped.

[BasementBeans]

Sheesh dude! You’ve done an awesome job documenting all of this. Looking forward to picking your brain on which direction you think I should take the F4’s in.

I haven’t smoked any of this stuff in a while, I am very excited to be doing the F4 work. Looking like a late February start for those! Hoping we’ve eliminated those intersex traits, I’d be happy to be “done” with this one after the F4’s and move on to the next project

[Soiltech]

Thanks a bunch, was a real fun hunt and I enjoyed the whole process immensely.

Won’t have to pick my brain too much, I just sent a package your way with some labeled flower samples paired with their seed. Passing the /challenge on.

Headed your way are some top cola and some lowers, about 12 out of the 35 females. It’s hasn’t been the easiest task for me to sort through / but I’ve sent you some of what I believe I be stars of the show. Will send you photos of each plant with the males used for the seed once that package lands.

Included are a couple packs from my purple project as well as the TMK x Pure Michigan’s I had made with this hunt.

The selections sent were the ones I had enjoyed the potency and or the terps. I’m certainly going to revisit these genetics again and again - I foresee a production run of or the f5’s and I’d be keen to see how far we can take it. No rush or course and I don’t have any expectations - but I have forged a bit of bond with this TMK. Been smoking it almost exclusively for the last two months and have yet to get bored of its smoke.

[Garcimore]

What an impressive report !

It’s inspiring. And reminds me my outdoor guerrilla sessions. With mosquittoes trying to sting throught my clothes.

Though I wasn’t alone. So, big UP to you dude. I wish I will get to this level of commitment in the future.

Thanks @BasementBeans for telling us about @Soiltech 's journal.

Best wishes for '24.

[FieldEffect]

I can’t believe I missed this either.

Absolutely fantastic and inspirational! Tough conditions and incredible progress in a single season, beautiful plants. Great job documenting the selections and grow.

Looking forward to seeing the upcoming season