I have a problem you probably be happy to get

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
Thanks for coming by and if you read this, thank you in advance for putting up with all the text. I hope you can appreciate the process. I could really use some input regarding the future direction of my grow.


About 50 days ago I placed 20 seeds in coco.
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As luck would have it, 19 of 20 seeds hatched. The only loser was a KC Brains Mind Bender (KC#33 x Brazilian). Eventually the other Mind Bender was deemed Male, so no KC Brains genetics this time (thank god!).
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Yet something interesting happened. One of the beans, Nirvana Ice, sprouted two plants.
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So I was back to twenty plants again after separating the roots after transplanting.
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A few weeks later and some plants are doing much better than others. This was expected and one of the reasons for running so many different strains. I'm looking for one that runs best in my own system. As it turned out, my own seeds were the most vigorous... All of the plants had been topped and some responded better than others. Also, some root systems (Sour Cream, Sour Kush) hadn't developed as well as others and got hit by a little over watering, slowing them a touch.
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One of the plants had gone straight Mutant. The Sensi Star has these ruffled leaves, they are EXTREMELY strong and the stem is outrageously tough. Pinching leaves off her takes some doing. Enjoys Higher ppm's than the other plants which I recognized eventually.
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After removing the first three males which appeared very early on
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I began checking for sex pretty regularly. So here we are, just flipping to 12/12.
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The problem is... I have 15 Female plants and only 1000w in 25sqft to grow them in. When beginning this project I was expecting at best 10 Female plants, so I'm wondering where to go from here. I don't think I'll have the space for all them to finish, even with the grow through plant trainers I'm going to use to keep them limited to a 16" circular foot print.

Now, on the side I have a 2x4 tent with a 400w that will be opening up in a few weeks, maybe 15 days, after I harvest what is in there. I had planned on cloning my 10 females to that tent and running those clones until after harvest and selecting one or two plants to keep as mother's for a while.

Since I have so many girls I'm thinking I could maybe just clone to a closet I have in the room with some CFL bulbs and move over maybe just the Chronic plant to the 2x4 tent and run that with the 400w all alone. Still though, that leaves me with 14 plants in what I wanted to be a 4x4 footprint, and dozens of clones stuck in a closet with like 250w of CFL's (unless I man up and get myself an 8-bulb 4 foot T5).

Sooooooo.... What would you do? What would you keep? I'm at a loss here because I'd rather just keep the good stuff. Ugh! Don't you just hate having too many girls and having to consider just trashing a few of them?!?!

Grow Info
These plants are growing in a 5x5 Mylar tent under a 1000w Lamp. Vegetated under a Phillips MH and currently under an Eye Sunlux HPS. Using a Cool Sun 6 reflector and Budget Grow 2 Sun System Ballast. Ventilated using a 6 inch 440cfm inline fan from Hydrofarm with a speed controller, usually kept on the lowest setting. (Most) Plants are currently in 3 gallon Smart Pots. Canna Coco amended with Humboldt Nutrients Myco Maximum. Humidity will fluctuate with the weather from 30% to 50% but is usually around the upper 30's (mold is bad in the Pac Norwest this time of year). Temperatures had been low which stunted the growth a little, but are now kept around 76 degrees lights on and 70 degrees lights off. Top fed with a 5.8pH solution, though the probe on my Hanna had been unreliable until just recently when I got it replaced, so I was kinda winging it for a while there. Fortunately coco is pretty forgiving with the pH as long as you're close and don't do it for too long. Hooray for pH buffering!

Nutrients:
The concept here is to run a baseline of nutrients I am comfortable with. The plants that thrive on MY method are keepers so I can just do my thing. I would REALLY appreciate people keep the input on my choice of nutrients out of here. In the future I'm thinking of moving over to Dutch Master Gold in a stadium Aero/NFT system so it's not like you'll get anywhere with a rant against nutes.

I have my way, you have yours, let us just leave it at that. :joint:

Current EC around 1.7, 860 PPM (Hanna). Will be dropping it to around 1.4, 700ish PPM, for most of flowering.

Measurements are in ml per gallon

Canna Coco A+B: 5-8 of each for 10 to 16ml total (depending on time of life)
Canna Rhizotonic: 5-8
Botanicare Cal-Mag Plus: 2-5 (lowered as flowering progresses)
Botanicare Liquid Karma: 8
Dyna-Gro Protekt: 3
Humboldt Nutrients Sea Mag: 2-3 (flowering only)
Advanced Nutrients Nirvana: 5 (flowering only)
General Hydroponics Liquid Kool Bloom: 2-3 (mid to late flowering PK boost)
TechnaFlora pH- down Nitric Acid: as req. (about 1.5 to 2ml per gallon though)

(Yes, I know it is a ton of shit. Seems to be working pretty well though. The key is watching the EC and making sure to get plenty of run off.)

Genetics

Element Zero (EZ): Big Bud x Mr. Nice cross strain made in my own closet from some bag seeds I got from Greenway Dispensary in Santa Cruz, CA. Admittedly, the beans could have been fathered by another strain... So there might be something else in there. Still though, just a very easy to grow, heavy yielding, Indica. Out of 5 plants I have 3 females remaining. I also have about 40 seeds left to continue the line.

Jesus' Sister: A few random seeds found in the last harvest. Immaculate conception; gifted to me from Jah itself. Found in some very delicious DNA Genetics Cole Train (Jasmine SSH x Train Wreck). Three distinct Pheno's in 4 seeds, one that leans to the Cole Train, One that looks more Sativa, and one that looks just indica. Best plants in the grow room. Out of the 4 seeds planted, all of them are female, and I have no extra seeds to continue this line after this grow. I want to keep all of these around to see how it turns out no matter what. Watching for Hermaphrodites too.

Everything else I have just one female of.

Nirvana: Ice

Paradise Seeds: Sensi Star (mutant pheno) and Wappa

Serious Seeds
: Chronic

Magus Genetics: Motavation and Warlock

DNA Genetics: Sour Cream and Sour Kush (aka headband)
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
Badum, Badum, Baah Dum badum, badum, Baaaah duuum Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaah duuuummmmm, Badum Ba BUMP!

Bumpity Bump.
 

bassman999

Well-Known Member
Can your tent/budget allow for a 2nd 1000 watt?
That might throw off the heat etc...idk.
Obviously you thought of this idea b4 posting so I am really asking why it didnt end up that way? I never used a tent and don't know what they can hold/support either.
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
Another 1000w isn't in the budget currently, but I could make some changes for the next grow. I think I have enough light in there. Honestly, the problem would be more electrical than anything, as I'd be running around 3000w combined with the fans and the second tent and I don't have the circuit in place to do so. I'm already running an extension down my hallway from the 20 amp washing machine circuit to alleviate some of the load on the 15 amp circuit that serves my rear bedrooms. The washer uses about 11amps, so I have maybe 22 amps to work with on the safe side at 120V. This tops me out around 2600w, of which I have about 2000w in use already. I could add a 600 maybe... Two vertical 400's is an idea I'd been tossing around to see if I could swing that. All of this would require a ventilation upgrade though...

So another $250 in ventilation and another $400 to $500 in lighting... Maybe after I've harvested this one :)

Some day I'll increase the lighting... but probably not yet.

Anyway, more light probably wouldn't solve my space issue. Might make for some great buds... but the problem I have is the 15 females.

More than anything I could use some input on what to toss. I'm leaning towards throwing out the Nirvana Ice and the least mature Element Zero, leaving me with 13 plants. Then I'd take the other two Element Zero's and run them in the 2x4 tent, leaving me with 11 plants to manage in the 5x5. From there it'd just be a matter of selecting the most similar phenotypes from the Jesus' Sister and removing the least vigorous. That leaves me with 10 plants in the big tent, 2 plants in the small tent, and 3 plants in the garbage...

I'm afraid I can't do it though. It's like walking into your children's bedroom while they sleep and doing something HORRIBLE to them. I don't know if I can kill my babies!!!

Meh.
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
I have a dude... Not a great friend, but at least a cool guy, and he's been thinking about growing but hasn't made the commitment. He's one of those thought-out types devoid of impulsivity so pawning it off on him is a long shot. I've offered him rooted clones for free and he has yet to take me up on that offer so I'd hate to force something on the guy.

Other than that I just moved into the area a short time ago and haven't really met enough people I can trust with something like this up here. Back home in Santa Cruz I'd just schelp them off on one of many people I know who grow. Unfortunately no luck there. Outdoors also isn't an option, supposed to snow here tonight and tomorrow...

I remember planting these things. 7 Fem'd seeds, all UFO's from Attitude. I expected 5 or 6 to hatch... but I got them all. Then another 13 regular seeds. And from them I get all 13 plants... but only 5 males (about 40%). When expecting 5 good Fem'd seeds and 6 Fem's from the Regs I thought I'd only have to bounce one out, and that's what the 2x4 is for anyway. Now I find myself about to hack down something I love dearly.

They are all topped once. The tallest plants are currently 16" tall, while the shorter and trained plants are closer to 12" tall. They should finish somewhere around 2' to 3' tall, and I have 60"x60"x72" to work with. Does anyone think I can run 12 plants in that 5x5 under the light? I'm leaning towards no.

The only configuration I can come up with involves 4 plants that are about 12" in diameter and 6 plants that can be about 18" in diameter. Put 4 down the middle, and then three on either side in the area between the center plants. Even then... That's 10 plants max. Curse my good luck.

Thinking about this all day has helped me come to grips with it. I need to man up and hack down some bag seed here... don't I?

I was thinking the Ice and the Sour Cream are my other options. I'm not a huge fan of Haze strains and it's been a bitch to grow. Can I get some support on a hacking of Sour Cream, Ice, and a bag seed, then putting two other bag seeds in the 2x4. Shit... there's an idea. Always good to talk it out... write it out... w/e.
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
hack down the bagseeds man at least this way you know the genetics you are growing...
Can I keep all of my Jesus' Sister and instead sacrifice the Nirvana Ice? It, and the DNA Genetics Sour Cream, have been sick for most of the grow and are my other best option I think. Technically they aren't Bag Seeds... Just a self made F1 from Bag Seed. I have had a chance to grow them out in the past but not since I've dialed things in with coco. I added some pictures below from my torrid past.

I'd hack down one of the Indica Dom plants. The Ice. And the Sour Cream. Then take two remaining bag seeds and place them in the 2x4 with the 400w.

I gotta keep at least one of those Element Zero Indicas, they've produced massive big bud nugs with Mr. Nice resin in the past for me, even after burning them.

Element Zero from a few years ago in FFOF:
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Its a shame to kill any female.I would rather suffer yeild then kill them but you gotta do what you gotta do.Kill the ice 1 bagseed and sour cream only if you have to.But try to grow them out even if you only have cfls for them.They will give you some smoke atleast..
Im mad im even saying that tho..I hope you come to a good decision.I wished i was close to you i would help you with that problem then in return give you half the bud or something..
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
Its a shame to kill any female.I would rather suffer yeild then kill them but you gotta do what you gotta do.Kill the ice 1 bagseed and sour cream only if you have to.But try to grow them out even if you only have cfls for them.They will give you some smoke atleast..
Im mad im even saying that tho..I hope you come to a good decision.I wished i was close to you i would help you with that problem then in return give you half the bud or something..
Thanks man. I'll take this advice under close consideration. I figure I can wait a few days before making my decision... there's still some good free space in there.

I know right... Usually advice is saving plants...

A Sophie's Choice viewing going on in my tent this week.
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
I harvested my 2x4 tent about a week earlier than I'd planned (it wasn't going that well anyway) and moved a few of my homemade plants in there.

I'll go take some pictures and do a little show and tell here.
 

bassman999

Well-Known Member
I harvested my 2x4 tent about a week earlier than I'd planned (it wasn't going that well anyway) and moved a few of my homemade plants in there.

I'll go take some pictures and do a little show and tell here.
mine didnt work out either mite infestation!!
 

W Dragon

Well-Known Member
can you not make a dark area to put half of them in? and keep your light running 24/7 and move them back and fourth under the light. i know it's a lot of work moving them back and fourth but could be worth it to double your crop?
 

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
I placed 3 plants in my 2x4x5 400w HPS tent.
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They include Two of the "Jesus' Sisters" (which I've recently renamed "Sister Mary").
These plants are VERY similar to their Cole Train Mother, but not exactly the same in leaf shame and nutritional needs. Here they are at almost 2 weeks from the 12/12 switch.
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The other plant in the tent is an Element Zero. This is the less hungry horizontal branching phenotype I've seen before. Around 2 weeks ago it was fed in excess of 1000ppm with minimal run off. Then, just recently I fed with run off and totally spaced on collecting it because it's in this side tent. So I had to water it again... and remove that. Anyway, she got a little pissy with me but it's all worked out now and the damage you see has been around for about 7 days without getting worse. I'm going to feed again tomorrow with my formula "light" at <500ppm. The wild thing is that I topped every plant, I'm sure of it, but this one I must have missed when fimming. Like, I fimmed my fim and it is my only main cola style plant.
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In the Main tent I have 12 plants. 10 of them are in 3 gallon smart pots. There are two other plants, another Element Zero and a Nirvana Ice I'm running in 1 gallon planters.
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In this tent I'm running oh, I dunno, like 10 different strains... So not everything is going to be as healthy as others. Also, I'm white balancing my camera so the color is a little iffy because the HPS has this pulse thing going on.

The larger plant in the center is my mutant Sensi Star. She is SCREAMING for more ppm and I can't wait to feed her again.
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The Wappa in the back right corner, near the fan, is flowering very vigorously. Also, one of the thirstier plants in the room, but not the heaviest feeder but resilient.
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Chronic is doing well too, but is begging me for potassium at this point in flowering. She'll get it soon enough.
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This Sister Mary is a single seed sourced from my best Lemon Skunk of a previous grow. The base stem is the largest of all the plants, and she has been flowering very well.
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Alot of my plants have an amount of nutrient toxicity that occurred around 2 weeks ago. It looks REALLY ugly on the plants but the majority of the leaf is still healthy and has remained that way since I saw it starting. I had mis measured my Water low and my nutrients high, and used a ppm level that was just a touch too much for about 75% of the plants in the garden. The Sensi Star, the Chronic, the Warlock, were all loving the 1000+ppm but everyone else showed varying degrees of pissedness.

A 300ppm watering and problem solved, and now I have the right nutrient mixture for the future to keep everyone mostly happy.

All 15 female plants are still here. I just couldn't stomach hacking any of them downbongsmilie
 
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