F3 Valley Ice. (Matanuska x SFV OG)

Farmer's Hat said:

Week 4 of 12/12
Some fan leaves have died back. I pruned off some of the lower larf. Nugs are starting to swell. New growth is dark green and plants look happy. I am top dressing every week. It seems to be working just fine.
For watering, I am taking them out of the tent, and dunking the pots in a 3gl bucket of water. This is the only way I can get the soil evenly saturated. Its a tedious task, but at least I get the chance to inspect every plant thoroughly.
I will be changing many things for the next run. It will require less work all in all. However, I do enjoy being more involved with the plants.
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Below is pics of both mothers pruned back to the extreme! Lol! I wont be needing clones from them for several months.

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I didn't waste the plant material. I ate a lot of it in a salad.
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By hands the way to do it that way there is less chance of missing anything it's tedious but the best way imo bud

With so many little pots, and having to hand water them all…… have you ever tried something like a small flood table, dumping in water and just letting them all wick it up at the same time, and then draining it? I’ve thought about it for when I have 50+ little pots or solo cups with my spring garden seedlings.

MissinThe90’sStrains said:

With so many little pots, and having to hand water them all…… have you ever tried something like a small flood table, dumping in water and just letting them all wick it up at the same time, and then draining it? I’ve thought about it for when I have 50+ little pots or solo cups with my spring garden seedlings.

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Ive looked into many watering alternatives. The issue with ebb & flow is that its more suited for coco or rockwool, and it requires liquid fertilizers. I like growing in soil, and using dry amendments.
Im pretty sure my next run will be easier because my soil mix will not have the same issue. It will be more porous and water will penetrate the top soil effectively. A simple watering can will do the trick.

When the plants were in vegetative state, It took like 7 minutes to water all of them, and I was watering every 3-4 days. Once the plants become root bound, the soil dries quicker and becomes more difficult to saturate because water struggles to penetrate the top soil. But like I said, I wont have this issue on the next run. It all takes a little finesse to get things dialed in.
Its been a while since I've grown indoors. I had a 20x20 grow room for years. I was flowering 24 plants in 15gl pots. Had a drip irrigation system on a timer, and a 50gl reservoir. It was pretty sweet.
I took in a sour diesel clone from a buddy, and it infected my whole room with russet mites. I fought them back for a year before I finally got tired of the whole thing and shut down the grow room.
I have been growing outdoors since then. Its been about 6 years since Ive grown anything indoors.

I forgot to include a picture of the
Amnesia Haze x Sour Strawberries. The male I am keeping is pungent! It has a strong lime diesel smell, with that classic skunky og.

Im taking 4 cuts to root and reverse. Im pretty sure all 6 seedlings turned out to be males. The last plant is still waiting to be confirmed. I will plant the rest of the seeds and hope for at least one female. I would like to make f2 seeds. I can tell the genetics are going to be fire, and will most likely produce really large plants outdoor. I will grow some in the greenhouse if I can successfully make some f2 seeds before spring.

Week 5 of 12/12
The nugs are getting really dense. Everything is looking good. Got a few burn tips here and there, nothing concerning. I dont hold back on Nitrogen, unless the strain im running is sensitive to strong doses of N.
Both cuts of the Valley Ice are straight Nitrogen whores. Im giving them 2tsp of blood meal and 1tbs of fish bone meal every 2 weeks. In addition to this I am also top dressing 2tsp of 4-4-4 pellets every week.


The Valley Ice pheno #2 is not foxtailing. Its looking very similar to pheno #1. This leads me to believe that the foxtailing I witnessed in the greenhouse was purely an environmental effect. I can only speculate and hypothesize that the foxtailing was caused by elevated temperatures in the greenhouse.


Another fussy thing to point out... I spotted a banana on one of the colas. I decided to leave it because I want to know if its sterile or not. I have seen the MTF throw bananas late into flower, but its always been sterile.


Below is a picture of the Valley Ice pheno #1 "flat top" mutation. I think it is technically a form of cresting or fasciation. It starts of with this strange looking crab claw pinchers. It will be really interesting photographing the different stages of this mutation.


In the veg tent, things are looking somewhat tame right now. I am keeping things alive and doing my best to stunt the growth of many plants, especially the Malawi Gold. I noticed a seedling popped up, basically a month after I sowed the seed. It is the f1 Valley Ice x Brandywine. LOL

Last thing to mention. Plant #6 of the Amnesia Haze turned out to be a female! I took two cuttings from her today. I will be making f2 seeds.

Thats all for now. Cheers.

Looking good bud, interested to see that mutation come along.

Dboybudz said:

Looking good bud, interested to see that mutation come along.

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Its really strange looking. It would be fun making that mutation into a signature for the indoor version of this strain. The outdoor version of this strain is going to be worked more towards an early finishing sativa, with fluffy foxtailing flowers.

I wonder if its even possible to identify the same mutation in male flowers? Ive grown thousands of plants from seed, but in all honesty ive only seen 40-50 males in full flower. Its one of those things that very few growers are willing to do. Just imagine 100 males in full flower? All that pollen floating around would give me a freaking headache! LOL

In my current greenhouse, I can easily grow out 1000 plants in one gallon pots. Its just a lot of work. For 2025, Im contemplating a side project of 200 plants in 4x4 pots. I would be starting the seeds late in the summer, that way they go straight into flower and remain small. I will also use synthetic 10-10-10 pellets just to simplify the whole grow. It would be a really effective way of finding 1-2 female "unicorns". All of those plants will get turned into bubble hash though. Im not about to trim and cure all those plants! Been there done that. After sampling a few dozen strains, Ive realized that there definitely isn't 100 different types of highs. LOL! Its more like 12....

The males are always the most difficult to sort through, because the window for selection is really short. Its just not feasible letting all of the males go into full flower... Unless I am intentionally doing an open pollination. Ive never done that though.

Farmer's Hat said:

Its really strange looking. It would be fun making that mutation into a signature for the indoor version of this strain. The outdoor version of this strain is going to be worked more towards an early finishing sativa, with fluffy foxtailing flowers.

I wonder if its even possible to identify the same mutation in male flowers? Ive grown thousands of plants from seed, but in all honesty ive only seen 40-50 males in full flower. Its one of those things that very few growers are willing to do. Just imagine 100 males in full flower? All that pollen floating around would give me a freaking headache! LOL

In my current greenhouse, I can easily grow out 1000 plants in one gallon pots. Its just a lot of work. For 2025, Im contemplating a side project of 200 plants in 4x4 pots. I would be starting the seeds late in the summer, that way they go straight into flower and remain small. I will also use synthetic 10-10-10 pellets just to simplify the whole grow. It would be a really effective way of finding 1-2 female "unicorns". All of those plants will get turned into bubble hash though. Im not about to trim and cure all those plants! Been there done that. After sampling a few dozen strains, Ive realized that there definitely isn't 100 different types of highs. LOL! Its more like 12....

The males are always the most difficult to sort through, because the window for selection is really short. Its just not feasible letting all of the males go into full flower... Unless I am intentionally doing an open pollination. Ive never done that though.

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Yea I've been talking with a breeder and he actually smokes the leaves and flowers of male plants to determine potency before crossing with his females. Few guys tried out his gear and did the same with males they found and said it was a great buzz and potency,all new for me. Someday I would love to be in your position to be able to pop and search. I have a fridge of f2's but since I only grow a few outside not worth the time and energy to wind up with males. Tho my luck has been good when I do they most of time are fems not this year.My buddy was like yeah just pop like 10 and pick the best two keepers. So kinda limited to fems at the moment. Same also I just want the top buds and rest washed,why I want strain with little trim. Have you tried Indiana bubblegum by FDM. All I've heard from everyone is this is the true bubble gum smell and taste and huge nugs but come in regs. On my list...

Dboybudz said:

Yea I've been talking with a breeder and he actually smokes the leaves and flowers of male plants to determine potency before crossing with his females. Few guys tried out his gear and did the same with males they found and said it was a great buzz and potency,all new for me. Someday I would love to be in your position to be able to pop and search. I have a fridge of f2's but since I only grow a few outside not worth the time and energy to wind up with males. Tho my luck has been good when I do they most of time are fems not this year.My buddy was like yeah just pop like 10 and pick the best two keepers. So kinda limited to fems at the moment. Same also I just want the top buds and rest washed,why I want strain with little trim. Have you tried Indiana bubblegum by FDM. All I've heard from everyone is this is the true bubble gum smell and taste and huge nugs but come in regs. On my list...

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Ive never smoked any male plants. I will have to try that, im super curious.

I will look into that bubblegum. Sounds like it could be good breeding material. I grew a bubblegum kush back in 2009, it was pretty amazing. Not sure where the genetics came from. It was a fem seed from dispensary bud. I remember the flower was pretty tasty though.

This is a smoke report.

Today I trimmed and jarred the Valley Ice #2. Its been curing in an oven bag for at least a month now. It smells like a mint chocolate muffin. I sampled some of the hash, and it is a heavy hitting indica. It made me so drowsy, I had to go lay down and sleep. A great bedtime smoke. 100%


I will eventually sample the SFV OG hash. Its most likely going to be another hard hitting indica.

Im seriously looking forward to having some silver haze and Malawi Gold in my cupboard! The Valley Ice strain is destined to be a hard hitting indica. The MTF genetics are no joke.

Farmer's Hat said:

The males are always the most difficult to sort through, because the window for selection is really short.

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I've started a bunch of seeds some of which I'm planning to use for pollinating, is that likely to cause me problems?
Idk even the basics about breeding.

"The selection window"
I've found I can prevent female plants from flowering by pruning them, I've personally kept females from flowering in 12-12 for circa 8wks by pruning them, I was hoping that's the case with males I was going to use that to shift male flowering to something more suitable?

Star Dog said:

I've started a bunch of seeds some of which I'm planning to use for pollinating, is that likely to cause me problems?
Idk even the basics about breeding.

"The selection window"
I've found I can prevent female plants from flowering by pruning them, I've personally kept females from flowering in 12-12 for circa 8wks by pruning them, I was hoping that's the case with males I was going to use that to shift male flowering to something more suitable?

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That's really interesting. Ive never tried pruning plants during 12/12 to delay flowering.

Im not sure I fully understand you. Are you planning to prune the males to delay flowering?

Can you elaborate?

Farmer's Hat said:

That's really interesting. Ive never tried pruning plants during 12/12 to delay flowering.

Im not sure I fully understand you. Are you planning to prune the males to delay flowering?

Can you elaborate?

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I was thinking of pruning more as option than a plan I've no plan as such tbh, other than using a bag like you suggested.

In the seeds I started I've a selection to cross with my exo I'm a bit concerned about it pollinating my other plants in between times being in the same room but different tent?

Star Dog said:

I was thinking of pruning more as option than a plan I've no plan as such tbh, other than using a bag like you suggested.

In the seeds I started I've a selection to cross with my exo I'm a bit concerned about it pollinating my other plants in between times being in the same room but different tent?

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If you keep the fans off in the tent that you are flowering the males, it will help prevent any unwanted cross pollination.

The best thing to do is flower the males before the females. Collect and store the pollen. If you flower the males 2 weeks earlier than the females, then you can collect pollen, store it, and use it to pollinate the females when they are in week 3 of 12/12.

Today I grafted one of my mothers. I totally forgot that this is a great way to save space.
I saw a thread pop up recently, and op said he used plugs to increase the odds of the graft. Thought id give it a try.
(All three are cleft grafts.)

Nice plants you grow, how are your 12-12 seeds coming along?

This thread has it all, grafting, 12-12 from seed and chucking pollen!

Good luck with the grafts I think they'll be successful, high humidity is good thing atm.

Star Dog said:

Nice plants you grow, how are your 12-12 seeds coming along?

This thread has it all, grafting, 12-12 from seed and chucking pollen!

Good luck with the grafts I think they'll be successful, high humidity is good thing atm.

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The 12/12 seeds are looking good. I have the Amnesia male hanging out in the living room, on the windowsill.
The female is in the flower tent looking happy. I have cuttings of both male and female Amnesia rooting.

Im 3 weeks out from harvesting the Valley Ice clones. I have a few strains that I want to flower. Im still deciding what I will do for the next run. I want to make f2 Amnesia Haze x Sour Strawberry. I was thinking about pollinating one of the Valley Ice as well, but im going to wait on that. I want to test the f4 Valley Ice and cross pollinate a plant from that lot.

Week 6 of 12/12
Today I top dressed half a tbsp of fish bone meal, 1tsp blood meal, and mixed in some fine sand. Im hoping the sand will help make watering easier. Its getting harder to shuffle the plants in and out of the tent, because the branches are starting to get heavy. All of the plants are staying upright because there is no space for them to fall over. They are essentially leaning on each other. LOL


I transplanted the Amnesia Haze. She is ready to start putting on some weight.


The veg tent is looking good. Ive started to feed all the plants, in order to get them ready for flowering in 2 weeks. I am pruning down most of the Valley Ice clones, because they keep getting too big.

I also noticed the first SSH male. Its exactly what I was hoping for. I was thinking about grafting all the males I plan to keep, onto one rootstock. It seems like the graft I recently did is going to be successful.

Thats all for now. Cheers

Can a male be kept in constant veg like a female, I seem to recall males flowering with 18-6 or 24hrs but i could be mistaken?

I've sexed and re vegged one male it didn't present any problems but i only had it a few months that's the extent of my experience with males besides sexing.
I was thinking another option might be as soon as the sex is revealed prune it/them back and put it/them into 24hrs for use at a later date?

Is it feasible to flower, harvest and then pollinating the lower airy stuff?

Star Dog said:

Can a male be kept in constant veg like a female, I seem to recall males flowering with 18-6 or 24hrs but i could be mistaken?

I've sexed and re vegged one male it didn't present any problems but i only had it a few months that's the extent of my experience with males besides sexing.
I was thinking another option might be as soon as the sex is revealed prune it/them back and put it/them into 24hrs for use at a later date?

Is it feasible to flower, harvest and then pollinating the lower airy stuff?

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Depends how stable it is some will wanna almost auto or flower if roots are too restrained as well especially then you get some that are easier to keep in veg similar to a female