Well, 4.5 years in this excellent community and not a single grow or chuck to show beyond a few pics here and there, so it seems well past time to remedy that. The title is a reference to the overall situation, which is a couple acres of unimproved woods and brambles I’m gradually hacking away at to open up some general gardening space, the exact nature of which remains to be decided upon…we’ll see.
Veggies and herbs, from what seems like ages ago now…more pics of the Bramble Wars to follow.
About 30 two-year-old Haskaps/Honeyberries - here just put in the ground.
More to the point, my first substantial outdoor grow eased its way into flower throughout August powered by little more than sunlight, rainwater, native soil, and good compost – some of them could probably have used some additional help, but none of them got much pampering. The overall goal here is to yes, grow some great smoke, but also to work a few lines toward a condition where they will be viable outdoors in the increasingly mercurial climate typifying the Southern Tier region of NY in which their foreseeable futures will unfold.
Most of these lines result from my own hapless crosses, and were in small-ish pots outside for too long but most managed to get their “in the ground” feet under them – it’s very wet here (except when it’s not…) and the main battle has been with snails and such eating lowers. Anyone with advice on dealing with these is more than welcomed to clue me in. It’s gotten too cold for them now (and the last of the gals – mostly Kashmirs – will come down this weekend) I was thinking about ordering some nematodes to keep them at bay, anyone use them for this? They were also a huge issue in the veggie patch.
This first is from an original cross Kush n Cookies CBD X Royal Kush BX10.
Eventide F4: (Kush n’ Cookies CBD X Royal Kush BX10)
My KnC mom was phenomenal, by far the most aromatic plant I’ve grown and had the best down-the-middle hybrid high, and when she was dialed in could render just under 16OZ in a 2x4. However, as a breeder she has been less cooperative in passing on the most desirable traits. Great plant, mediocre breeder…common enough story. I miss her, her nose was like savory pastry in a spice shop, and overwhelmingly so. I always cringe at the name though, pure rhetoric/obvious pandering gets annoying. They were from Garden of Green, incidentally.
Hearthstone F4: (KnC CBD X [GMO X Kashmir Azad])
This is the second of only two crosses I managed to get with my KnC, and is another middling hybrid. The previous generation had two phenos, one taller and somewhat “headier” effects, the other shorter and more sedative. For this the taller pheno was selected.
HK are the two taller lighter gals in the back.
These never really took to the ground, but at least one of them looks to be getting seeds to finish, so they’ll get another go in the spring, hopefully fortified by mom and better able to thrive outdoors.
The Magdalene: Jacalyn/TNT BC1 (Jacalyn X [Jacalyn X KashAz])
The Mags began as an outcross from my Jac mom to KashAz, then back to mother Jac. The aim is to capture Jacalyn’s very nice sedative and body comfort/pain relieving properties and add a little of the “levity” and positive clear head space the KashAz brings (although Jac is not at all lacking in positive effects overall). The cross itself has a lot going for it, and hopefully this BC will tighten down the best qualities of both lines. Another case of more males than females too, five were selected out of a couple dozen, all but one male. In the end this one female proved to be quite susceptible to botrytis, and I ended up taking her pretty early, but left seeded branches to finish – hopefully the progeny will prove better suited to the environment than their mom.
Probably the most elegant plant of the season, botrytis issues notwithstanding.
Kashmir Azad P3
Pictured are plants of the 3rd P/filial generation I’ve worked (what I and many others here received were around 4gens out of the “wild”, if memory servesw?). This line has had and will continue to have a prime place in my grows. These are strong resistant plants that do well outdoors, are easy to manage, perform more than adequately in relatively low light, are drought resistant, and always add something special to crosses – if I ever needed a “desert island” strain, this would be it, hands down, variegation or not.
Here they are barely on the cusp of flowering.
Here they are a few days ago.
More pics of the KashAz to come, and I’ll fill in the blanks on some different directions I have in mind for them.
Light Fandango F6 (GMO[smf] X KashAz)
Not quite as “big” in effects as GMO on its own, but produces excellent (better, in my opinion) and longer lasting “up” effects, slightly trippy, and with a through-line I would characterize as a sense of “well-being”. This one plant (and the male that provided pollen…RIP) derive from 100+ beans sprouted in late January and kept in a barely heated greenhouse from seedling. I didn’t really expect any to survive, but 5 of them made it through freezing temps and the vagaries of the Southern Tier NY winter/springtime. Only one female in that group, the others ended up male. After the lengthy ordeal beginning months ago, this one deserves to live and make some beans.
Summertime pic, still in pots.
The only female of that lot, top taken off as she was too visible to a nosey neighbor (long story there…), she’ll be taken this weekend.
Anyway, there are a few more things going on, but that’s it for starters. Thanks for looking, all!
Very nice plants and quite interesting genetics. May the Universe bless you and your garden. 
