Vortex, day 1, 60+ to go

[KickYoAss]

I'm going to try to stay adamant in a weekly log for the next 18 weeks or so. Here's the very first picture. I'm battling thrips in the actual room now, so it's a mess, and an embarrassment. Once they're gone, the room will be rebuilt so the vortex sisters will all have a nice place to grow.
To start out, I've put 10 vortex seeds in a cup with RO water and a few drops of H2O2. I'll let them germinate for the next 2-3 days, then plant them in rockwool 1.5 inch wrapped cubes, which have been sitting in RO water with a PH of 5.45.
My current plan is to grow out all 10 seeds, and make 3-4 clones of each, and instead of waiting on the clones to grow out, the mother's will all be put into flowering. This way I get a clear view of what those clones will have to offer me, and a bit of variety in the flowering room as well. I've heard of 3 different phenos coming from every bag of vortex, so I shouldn't be dissappointed at all.
One pic of the grow room is attached to give you the gist of my setup. The third picture is a plan of the new grow room.

[Unknownfigure]

A journey, where only bold men have gone before....


I'll be watching this log very closely. And if you run into any problems, I'll do my best to help you out, as long as you promise that you give everybody here a nice pic of all of the finished product = D


Good luck, and Godspeed!

[Weedhound]

Thanks.....I'll just take the actual finished product, thank you. :D

Vortex....is that a strain? I've never heard of it. Can you give me some info. Cool name. :cool:

[KickYoAss]

Absolutely. In order, this is what I've done to rid the room of thrips. Manual crushing, tons of yellow sticky traps, neem oil, neem oil + pyrthrum, tons of blue sticky traps, garlic barrier, TONS OF GARLIC BARRIER. Rooms smells like garlic, and it sucks. I've got hydroguard on the way, and as per someone's reccommendation, I bought some Safer's insecticadal soap, and have sprayed a bit of it. I'm going to spray it again right before the hydroguard application. Last night I also hung a NO PEST STRIP, and am hoping for some results from that. If it kills or hurts the plants currently vegging, oh well, I've got seeds of gold to replace those bronze plants. Along with the vortex seeds, I was given for free, Spacequeen as well. So if all plants somehow fail, I've got that to fall back on.

[KickYoAss]

Vortex....is that a strain? I've never heard of it. Can you give me some info. Cool name. :cool:

It's a cross between Spacequeen, and Apollo 13. There are at least 3 phenos you can get from a set of 10 seeds.
"A fast growing and exotic blend of excellent potent genetics, combining the pollen from a spacequeen male to add that special something to an already top performing strain Apollo 13. Needs to be flowered early to keep short or topped, excellent for scrog with its long branches..very tarty mango/pineapple almost like rotting fruit with an energetic mind expanding high, cerebral humour invoking."

[Weedhound]

Spacequeen!? :eek: Never heard of that one either. Wow....no kidding about bold men going......

That's a nice looking plant in the photo btw...:thumbsup:

[KickYoAss]

I don't want to cram this full of too much non-grow conversation, BUT I do feel it necessary to let you know the person who created this strain is THE weed god, and without him, I'd still be lost. Subcool is someone who I hold in the highest respect, and hopefully, I may meet him some day.

P.S. that's his picture in the post above, not mine

[Weedhound]

Good luck with your thrips issue. Very nice plant. :thumbsup:

[Ganj]

Patience is a virtue and you seem to have it. This log ought to be as educational as it is provocative.

[KickYoAss]

It's now officially day one of the new pheno(s) grow. One of the seeds arrived a bit crushed, but it might still have a fighting chance. The other 9 seeds germinated amazingly fast, compared to all the nasty bag seeds I've had before. In just 12 hours, I had 3 seeds germed, 4 hours later, 7, and when I got home earlier, the last few also sprouted. I've got them in grodan cubes that were soaking in 5.6 ph water, which dropped to 5.45 some how, but it should be fine. I'm going to refresh their drinking supply with a bit of a flush, every day. PH 5.6 and a few drops of peroxide will be their diet for the next 2-3 weeks.

[KickYoAss]

Here's my girls after just 8 hours, sitting in the dark. I picked the crushed seed out to see if it had changed at all, but it's not looking good. Next time I check on the sprouts, if it hasn't done anything, poor thing's going in the garbage. I had a bout with the trips earlier involving them, and a half a container of Safer's insecticidal soap. Their numbers have dropped significantly, but not enough to where I don't know they're still there. I see a few if I look for a minute, where-as before, in a minute I'd see a few dozen.

[smokedoja]

thats good to hear

[Subcool]

Hey mate!
Just wanted to stop by and tell you I have pulled up a seat ringside to check out your grow and lend a hand if needed :)

I just pulled down a Vortex that gave us 3 full jars and is one of our favorites known as female Cosmos.

Here is what you can expect I hope you dont mind some motivational pictures?

[Subcool]

1. Phenotypes -Large variation with phenotypes like both parent strains
2. Height-Short, vine like, weak stems, long internodal spacing
3. Yield-Medium/ Very hard to trim
4. Indoor Only
5. Best Way to grow- Wide sagging bush with hundreds of bud sites. Lots of stakes and string
6. Harvest Window-45-55 days
7. Sativa/ Indica 80/20
8. Hybrid-Genius X P75 X Romulan X Cindy99
9. High type-heart racing, energizing, confusing, stoned, ripped curled under, stupidity
10. Smells like Mango Snapple with lemon/ Taste like sweetened lemonade.
11. Very unique Cindy like plant with a bizarre twist, very potent

From a TGA customer

Once again the reasoning behind why this girl is so special. I tend to keep herb for the enjoyment of the buzz only secondary to the enjoyment of the flavor, so you can probably assume without a reasonable doubt that this pheno tastes great. Secondly this herb has a very unique buzz, which I will try to explain from two peoples point of views. My wife says that this Vortex tastes like a tropical fruit smoothie made with sour cream, I assume she means she finds it has a fruity taste with a sour secondary. Her experience with the buzz is very energetic, she can not smoke anywhere near bedtime as it keeps her mind awake even though her body is drained. Now me, it tastes like Apollo of old with a slight sour undertone, for anyone who had the pleasure of growing or smoking real Apolloâ?¦. very apollo â?�YOU DIGâ?�. I find the buzz to be very heady and quite effective for reliving aches, make sure munches are available because your stomach knows not the powers of Vortex. This Vortex Phenotype is not a huge yielder, and will not win any beauty contests thatâ??s for sure but for someone who has a connoisseur palette the genetic makeup of Vortex makes for some mighty stony, awfully tasty herb, Peace and keep well.

[KickYoAss]

Those look soooo wonderful. I'm so bummed out that I have these thrips, but earlier today when I searched for them, I saw ONE. None were flying around at all. I'm going to spray them with the soap again, and when the botanigard comes, they'll be wiped out for sure. After that, I'm going to add some nematodes to the feed.

So, three jars at a half ounce a piece or so?

[Subcool]

Naw Sorry when I say jar I mean an Ounce she gives up 3-4 with good veg :)

[bongerstonerd00d]

I'll be watching this thread also. I have a pack of Vortex I am going to crack in about 2 weeks. Get some Hot Shot pest traps, that should rid you of them thrips. Maybe lower the humidity, and get air blowing around, too.

I am assuming you are going to grow these in hydro since starting in rockwool ?

Best of luck and keep the pictures comming.




b0nger

[KickYoAss]

Yes, hydroponic, with around 1400-1500 watts of lights over 12 plants. I know I should probably have closer to 2400 or something, but, this is what I can manage. As for air, I've got a high power can fan with a carbon filter in the flowering room, along with two wall oscillating fans. For veg, just a stationary fan, and a standing oscillating fan. I'll show pics tonight of my stretched girls. I don't think they like rock wool. I found one dirty SOB thrip on one that was already looking a little sorry, damn that pissed me off. I hope the remaining 9 make it, although one is in intensive care. I put it in a humid dome, in case it's base wasn't going to be able to supply the top of the plant with water. I think I'm going to start using rapid rooters once I get through with this nasty rockwool.

[KickYoAss]

Every day these babies are getting 5.6 h2o2-a-fied water, and a little tlc. Today, there was one thrip on each of these poor babies, and that's about enough to make me lose my mind. I'm thinking of quarantining them so they're safe from those bastards. Here's a pic of the stretched girls. I've never had so much stretching from seedlings, and there is a fan on them all day long! Other pictures are from a 15 wet-oz harvest, which actually had a total of 29 oz from one plant. The other 14oz or so are being bubbed, and I'll get pics of that once I get into it. Also are some bagseed clones that are actually very decent.

[smokedoja]

stretch armstrong over here, hope they calm down a bit

[the_camel]

They look very pretty mate (Y)
Looking good.

[KickYoAss]

Nothing really new to post as far as growth, but as far as mortality....I may have lost one. The first picture is the first plant to go into the ICU, and the browning/dying of the base caused me to take one last measure. I cleaned it up a bit, since it still seemed like it was breathing. I cut it off right past the brown part, and dipped it in some rooting gel, and rootone f powder, and gave it a new grodan. I really hope it makes it through this, but I've definetely got my doubts. Wish I would have started with some rapid rooters, but, another lesson learned.

[KickYoAss]

Slow progress, but at least 5 are progressing. I hate rockwool, and thrips, and myself, for not having a little patience. If I would have waiting until I got the room remodeled, I might have 9 healthy plants. Oh well, I do still have spacequeen seeds! Last night was a HORRIBLE night, as I dealt with my new water storage tank leak. I have a 36 gallon tank for RO water, with a ball valve at the base of it. There is a 1/2 inch black tubing coming from that ball valve, and there is a ball valve on the end of that. I closed, only the hose ball valve, and as the pressure increased, the tube popped off the base of the tank. Somewhere around 35 gallons of water, from the upper level.... I about had a heart attack, but got it taken care of promptly. Threw away all the carpet after vacuuming most of it. I was getting rid of the nasty carpet sometimes anyways. For a grow, I'm more a fan of lenolium, or tile maybe. So several fans, and humidifier fills later, the room's back to normal, phew. I'm so sorry the beginning of this grow is almost seeming like a joke, I've never has plants grow so awkwardly, and slowly.

[Ryno]

They dont look too bad mate!! keep your chin up hey!!
Personally the ones that are still going look great!
Impatiance is what i battle with aswell it can become extremly tedious! lol

But anyways mate just stick in there and im sure theyll pull through :)

Ryno :rastasmoke:

[KickYoAss]

Thanks, I think you helped my morale a bit. Been depressed and headachey. Stressed out that my plants are stressed. Looks like 6 of the girls are going to make it, so the thrips and rockwool killed 3 of em. I'm very excited for the weeks to come. What kind of feeding regimen would you recommend subcool? I have advanced nutrient 3 part, and overdrive. I read that I should probably get big bud as well. Should I give them a HEAVY feeding, or medium?

[metalirock]

Just gotta say that bud looks awesome.. looks like it'll be a wicked high:rasta:

[KickYoAss]

Thanks. I only smoked the hash I made from the rest of the plant, and it was very floaty. I felt like my head was going to detach from my body, and float to the floor, like a piece of paper that rocks back and forth, downward. Weird? Who cares, I liked it! Kinda made my face and ears feel really cold. I have a bonzai tree looking mother of that plant, that's been growing for the last 4 months or so. Can't wait, but I'm probably going to use it strictly for hash.

[KickYoAss]

26 or so days old, and 6 have made it through the hard times of the thrips. Every 5 days, I apply more botanigard, and I'm always spraying safer's insecticidal soap on all my babies. 3 days or so ago, I also watered with nematode laden water, muahahhah. Predatory nematodes were around $30, and I can only assume will be well worth it. Botanigard has done very well, I never see any adults thrips any more, but the baby thrips, or pupae, whatever, the demons from hell, are still pushing their way out of the rockwool. 5 of the 6 plants that are thriving look only 2weeks old, but they're growing a lot faster now that there aren't so many pests, and they're getting a bit of food. One of the plants just about died, but it's now pushing some leaves out. I'm glad I held on until the near end, and didn't toss her.

[BeforeYourTime]

I wish you luck.

[KickYoAss]

5 of the 6 girls get 3/4th strength of GMB Advanced nutrients(week 2 mix), while the last stunted baby gets about 1/2 strength of that. Transplanted into 4" grodans a few hours ago. Healthy roots on all of them, 4 of them had roots longer than the plant is high. And I took the advice of someone for clones to receive just a bit of nutrients, and my success rate jumped to near 100%, and the roots were 3 times the length of the rooting in only 2 weeks!

[KickYoAss]

The two plants on the lower left are different strains. The upper 4, and lower right 2 are vortex. I was having a bit of yellowing of the tips 3 days ago, so I did a full flush on all my girls a few nights ago.
I've noticed this, I think ever since I had a thrip problem, but I've had a lot more lower leaf death than before. Lot less healthy than I ever remember, and I blame little thrip pupae, but could it be something else? Anyone think I'm doing the damage to my poor babies? I do remember several plants having more than HALF of the lower portion die off, and I think that's when the thrips were the worst. When I'd go to my room, and get bit repeatedly by the SOBs!
Anyways, besides the lower leaf thing(which ALL my girls have, dirty thrips...), they're doing pretty well. All but one have gotten out of the slooooow growth, but I've been talking to them, and trying to boost their morale. I think I'm going to get a radio up there for them. I read on another forum that rock and roll seems to be the best for them, so I'll try that.

[KickYoAss]

Thought I'd wait a few days for another post, since growth has been a bit slow. Temperature has been dropping recently, so maybe growth will accelerate. I've got my old grow tent destroyed, and I'm going to have the new ones built within the week. Still got carpet to tear up, and linolium to put down.