McToker Grows Again ~ CFL/HPS Hempy Bucket ~ Bag Seed

After the first night under the HPS the babies grew several inches. The temp sensors had disappeared beneath the canopy.

Fed them full strength transition nutes and added Sweet and Molassas today.

No sign of sex, yet. I'm thinking the bagseed may show first as it is about 2 1/2 weeks older than the others. Last grow we had some bagseed show while still in veg. But then we vegged about 8 weeks, too.

First shot is from the side. Second one is a canopy shot. Both are after I raised the temp sensors.

looking good mc!


-shake

Thanks shake. I'm really surprised at how the AK and the BA are both leaving the bagseed in the dust. The bagseed is still in the rear left corner in the pics.

yeah, it's amazing as to what quality genetics can do! i can't wait to get my hands on some!


-shake

mctoker.....id do a heavy prunning about day 21-25 bloom depending how large the bud sites and the leafs are at the time.....i prune EVERY fan leaf which is not bud related! just to show you how hard i prune during flowering...this opens the canopy for the buds!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by killa12345

mctoker.....id do a heavy prunning about day 21-25 bloom depending how large the bud sites and the leafs are at the time.....i prune EVERY fan leaf which is not bud related! just to show you how hard i prune during flowering...this opens the canopy for the buds!

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I've been following your pruning efforts on your log. It's something I may have to seriously consider, especially if we end up with a bunch of ladies.:D Thanks for your input, it is always appreciated.:thumbsup:

Shake ~ I'll know for sure after the harvest but, so far, I'm very pleased with the Bean Ho AK-47. We only tried them because the price was VERY right compared to other suppliers. That said, the Joey Weed Blue Apollo seemed rather reasonably priced, as well. Besides, several folks raved about Joey's product.

We will probably be getting our hands on some more bagseeds in the near future and will probably grow another batch of that, too. And........ we're also following several other folks' grows to explore other varieties we might like to try.

They say, "Variety is the spice of life.";)

you got any pics in your log killa? for the pruning i mean? i've been debating wheter to do this or not. my ladies have tons of fan leaves.

sorry, not trying to jack your thread toker!


-shake

No problem shake. I wouldn't mind seeing some pics of the pruning either.

Man-alive!!!

We're wondering when this growth spurt will slow down a tad. The taller plants shot up a good 6 inches since yesterday. Some of the fan leaves on both the AK and the BA are getting downright huge. At this rate we're going to run out of room to raise the light.;)

We haven't run the humidifier for about 36 hours. Humidity is holding at about 42 to 44% without it. We may have to start draining out the overflow water from the drain pans to help keep the humidity down. We've found that a turkey baster works quite well for this.

WoooHooo!!!

AK's #1 and #3 are both girls !!!

None of the other have shown, yet.

Had to raise the light again but they didn't shoot up as much as they did yesterday.

Yayyyy! Congratulations on the girls Let's hope the other ones turns out to be girls, too! All of your plants are looking so nice, great job, McToker!

Do you think that you'll be cloning the girls to get a few more plants?

Naw. We just don't have the room to get into any cloning, yet. The Mrs. and I keep tossing out ideas to expand and make our grow space permenant. But, so far, we haven't come up with a workable solution.

However, we are seriously considering taking one female to seed if we get enough females. We're still hoping to cross the AK with a BA to get some seed stock for future grows. Or, a batch of seeds from either one would be acceptable, too.;)

Ok. If AK-47 x Blue Apollo = Spaced Invader, would bagseed x AK-47 be Armed & Homeless or Desperado ?:D

Today's feeding will be the last for the transition period. No more Gro from here on out. Just Bloom, Cal/Mag, Sweet and Molassas.

Turns out AK #2 is also a girl. So far, that makes 3 out of 4 AK's that are females.

One of the BA's may be starting to show that it's a male. It's really hard to tell if it's a male or it is just beginning to sprout a third pair of leaves at the sixth node. Several of the BA's have three sets of leaves at a node.

We were trying to tie down/bend a couple of the BA's as they are really stretching out. One had been tied down for about 30 minutes when the stalk gave way. We straightened it up and put on a splint. We'll see how it does. We managed to get one BA tied down successfully (knock wood).

In the first pic we're trying to give y'all an idea how big the stalks are on the BA's. These babies are just getting huge. They may end up being too big (tall) for our tent.

We're really hoping that a male or two will show soon. It's getting quite crowded in there.;)

OMG! those babies are boomin'!! don't stress over the one that creased, I was tying down one of my ladies about 2 weeks into 12/12, and she creased bad. I put a splint on, and after about a week or so she was better than new. I eventually did get her tied down like I wanted, I just did it a little @ a time after that. I know where I went wrong though, I forgot to water at least an hour before I tried to tie her down. lesson learned! out of curiosity, did you guys water before you tried to tie her down?

Yup. We watered and went about other farm chores for about an hour first.

well what a bummer! still though, no worries she'll come back fine. the plants look amazing mctoker! I'm still watching your bagseed, I'm now convinced I need to order some beans. I hope it's female though, I'd still like to see the difference in yield. I really enjoy watching your grow, I always check for updates. keep up the good work guys.:thumbsup:

fluid69 ~ I'm hoping the bagseed is a female too. A comparison would be great, not only to the store-bought seeds but to our last bagseed grow with CFL's.

Couldn't sleep so I got up to check on the babies after the lamp kicked on. BA #1 is looking more like a male. It is by far the tallest of all the plants. I'll give it until, at least, tomorrow. But, BA #2 is a girl !

We were hoping to move some outdoors but I don't think that's going to work out for us. Breeding projects will just have to wait for another time. Just too much going on right now.:(

McT! I'm floored by all of the changes since last I checked in on your ladies (and possible BA male). It looks like things are about to get exciting for you - I can't wait to see all of those heavy buds.

Also, I hope all goes well with your upcoming surgery. I'll be sure to keep you in my thoughts and prayers, my friend!

Continued good luck with your grow!

Good to see you buddy! Thanks for the prayers.

The BA did turn out to be a male. We have a small window of time to work with so we moved him outdoors. He'll stay in his hempy bucket. Temps here will be back up to seasonal normal (107 F) in a few days. We'll be able to see how he handles the heat and how well a hempy bucket works outdoors.

If all goes well, we'll harvest some pollen for later use.

Here's the score as of this morning:

Bagseed = GIRL
BA #2 and #3 = GIRLS
All of the AK's #1, #2, #3 and #4 = ALL GIRLS

Only two BA's have yet to show.

We tied string around the midsections of most of the remaining plants to support the lower branches. They all are now getting more light to the middle and lower bud sites.

We're a little concerned about the humidity. It was at 55% when we opened the tent this morning. We removed the excess water in the overflow pans and we're hoping that the extra light getting through will also help lower the humidity. We also raised the circulation fan a bit higher to get better air circulation.

Your log is so fun to watch for me. I can't wait to see the results! You're gonna absolutely love your AK, Mc!

Glad you're enjoying the show fdsaasdf. We're getting pretty excited ourselves.;)

Yesterday's adjustments have brought the humidity back down to 45%. Started more tying down on another BA today. We only have about another inch, or so, that we can raise the lamp.

The first pic is a group shot from this morning. The second is just me playing with the macro setting on the camera. We've been toying with the idea of picking up a USB microscope but the budget is kind of tight. Isn't everyone's these days?:( We do have a 30x handheld scope for checking trichs but the USB one could be fun to play with and we'd be able to share photos with y'all.

We culled out another BA male today. Only BA #5 has yet to show.

The rest of the crop is doing well. Tied down another AK this morning. All seem to be responding well to their little dose of B&D.:D The one that broke when we tried tying it and had to be splinted, healed up just fine but turned out to be a male.

We relaced the factory light hanger attatchments with a couple links of decorative lamp chain. This gave us another couple inches of lamp height.

The BA male we moved outdoors a few days ago is doing well with afternoon temps in the high 90's.

Good news and Bad news.

The bad news is......... it's gonna be really crowded in the tent.

The good news is........ the last remaining hold out is a GIRL!!!

So, here's the final tally:

Bagseed = GIRL
BA #2,#3 and #5 = GIRLS
All of the AK's #1, #2, #3 and #4 = ALL GIRLS

for a total of 8 females out of ten sprouts.:jointsmile::D:hippy::jointsmile::D:

We're considering moving one of the AK's outdoors with the male BA. Just waiting to see how the outdoor plant holds up to the heat first.

The early bloomers are really starting to form some nice bud sites. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow. The girls have already gone to sleep for today.:)

Had to tie down a couple more......... purely for height resons.

They are starting to bud up real nice.

looking very nice mc! i've really got to get me some of those hempy buckets going!


-shake

I admit those buds are starting to look really delicious. With those male plants, are you going to make a mass of brownies or something along those lines?

Nope. One male was cut up and tossed. The other, the one outdoors, will only be kept around for pollen. That reminds me............ We had to hide him behind some plywood yesterday. Too much stuff going on outdoors. Now we just need to un-hide him.;)

Oh....... and ....... shake ~ We won't be going back to soil grows. Even though we haven't gotten all the way to harvest yet, this hempy bucket thing just flat ROCKS!. I'm really glad we finally listened to killa and SG.

that's what i keep hearing mc! i'm trying to find some good one gallon containers like killa suggests.

maybe i'll have to buy lots of pickles or something.

i can't wait to see the difference.


-shake

Hey shake ~ Try the paint departments of your local hardare stores. I went with 2 1/2 quart paint buckets because they were about the same size as all the coffee cans (plastic) I had already saved. The 2 1/2 qt. ones were about $1.29 each. Both of the big box stores had 1 gallon plastic ones for less than $2. The little store closer to home had 3 1/2 quart paint pails for less than $2, as well. Seems to me that most of the hempy grows have pretty much been in whatever sized bottle or bucket was readily available.:D

The last male we pulled out was in one of the 2 1/2 gal. paint buckets. I expected to see some serious root binding when we pulled the plant out of the bucket. I was actually surprised at how well behaved the roots were.:jointsmile: They had a long way to go before being rootbound. I don't think they would have been by harvest.

the only reason that i made reference to the 1 gallon buckets is because that's what killa recommends as "optimum".

i'll keep looking around. i have various other jugs lying around but i was looking for the recommended.

i think i read somewhere that you have to water once a day? is this correct?


-shake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by headshake

the only reason that i made reference to the 1 gallon buckets is because that's what killa recommends as "optimum".

i'll keep looking around. i have various other jugs lying around but i was looking for the recommended.

i think i read somewhere that you have to water once a day? is this correct?


-shake

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Only once a day for the first 2 to 3 weeks. After that, every 2-3 days was recommended. I water every other day.

McT

Creased another BA stalk today. Got her all splinted up. We've found that we have to really limit each bend with the BA.

The AK is another story. They are very pliant and respond quite well to being tied down to control height. The AK's are showing quite a few more and bigger bud sites than the BA's.:D

Outdoor temps are starting to climb now. Been hitting about 109F in the afternoons. The BA male out back is still alive but, from the looks of it, it won't be for much longer. We're doubting now that we'll be able to successfully move a female out there to get pollinated.:( We'll either have to do it the hard way or hold off until the new grow room is done. But, that will be a while.

thanks for the info mc. i just read that on killas log too.

if you can, try to move the male to were he doesn't get very much direct sunlight. some strains like a lot of direct light, some don't. if you can get it back into a pot you can move it around and figure out it's preference. then when you find a good spot you can plop it back into the ground. just a though.

everything is sounding good.


-shake

McT, I hope all's good with y'all. You said it - it's getting to be a NYC subway during rush hour up in there. Nice to think of a subway car full of ladies all bumpin' into each other which is almost as good as the pictures of your ladies. You've got a tent full! I hate to read about the BA dude not doing well in the heat. I wonder if it's the heat or the direct sunlight like shake said? It'd be nice to get some beans off a BA mix, but if you lose him it won't be the end of the world with all of the bud from all of those ladies! Ahhh, the silver linings....

How right you are my caped freind.:) The BA male didn't make it. I checked on him this morning and it was a pretty sad sight. He'll become mulch when I mow the yard later today. He was fairly well shaded but I guess the heat was just too much for him. But, no great loss. It was more of an experiment anyway.

Now, moving on the the bright side, there are buds starting everywhere!:D I'm sure it's way too early to call these shots bud porn but the sight of all those blooms starting to form is certainly getting the Mrs. and I excited.:D:cool::stoned:

On another note; After a couple months without, an old freind paid a visit and hooked us up. I don't know what this stuff is but it sure is potent. One doob takes us two days to smoke. The aroma is so strong that we have to keep this stuff in the master bathroom with the exhaust fan on. And, that's before we light it up! We don't dare sit in the living room and light up. Thanks Old Man.

McT, your pics sho nuff look like bud porn to me - sahweet! As long as they're getting plenty of light, which it looks like they are, being crammed in like that may actually help support all of that heavy bud they'll be bearing here shortly.

Hey, man - when is your surgery? If you've already had it, I take it that everything went well. And, if you haven't had us, give us all an update on when so we can keep you in our prayers, my friend.

Sorry to hear about the BA male, but it's an easy thing to take in stride especially now you have all that bud candy to ogle and smell. Continued good luck to you!

I go back to the surgeon in a week. He'll order some more tests, CT Scans and such, and then decide when I go back under the knife. Mrs. McT wants me to postpone surgery until after the harvest. The Dr. may not want to wait that long. I think she'll do just fine with the feedings. Keeping them tied down may be a different story.;)

They seem to be getting plenty of light at this point. In another week, or so, we'll decide if we're going to do an "SG supercrop" job on any of them. Since SG says they slow down for about 30 days and then burst, this may be the "pause button" that the Mrs. wants/needs.;)

McT, I hope you don't have to go back under the knife. I don't wanna pry as to the reasons, but obviously I hope it's not anything that is life threatening. Regardless I'll keep you in my prayers.

I'll be interested in seeing the supercropping if you determine to head in that direction. Seems like Dive had supercropped a couple of his BG or B-52s just for demonstration purposes.

Whichever way y'all determine to go, I know it will be a good one. Looks like you'lll wind up with some serious bud weight! Be good out there, my friend!

Jake ~ Actually, it will be good news if I can go back under the knife. It is not life threatening, per se, but it would be nice if they could put me back together again. Last October I had just finished a 2-year treatment of radiation and hormone injections for prostate cancer. That night I started having abdominal pain. Two days later, when I couldnâ??t take it anymore, the wife hauled me to the ER. Two hours after that I was in surgery for a ruptured colon due to diverticulitis that I didnâ??t even know I had. Because of the radiation, they were unable to patch up my colon and I ended up with a gawl-durned appliance hanging off my stomach. They are hoping that Iâ??ve had enough time to heal up inside so that they can reconnect things and I can ditch the appliance.

If they canâ??tâ?¦â?¦â?¦ wellâ?¦â?¦â?¦â?¦ Iâ??m still looking for the bright side on that one but, Iâ??m sure Iâ??ll find one eventually. Yup. Iâ??m one of those whose cup is always half full. No pun intended.:D

Now to the ladies:

One of the AK stems creased a bit, probably during the night. But, it didn't fold very much and the cola looks fine so I didn't splint it. I don't know how much closer to the lamp these ladies want to go. Most are within 12 inches now but aren't showing signs of lamp burn or heat stress.

Here are a few pics from this morning's feeding.

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Originally Posted by McToker

Mrs. McT wants me to postpone surgery until after the harvest. The Dr. may not want to wait that long.

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haha, i can only imagine the look on the surgeons face if you tell him you want to postpone until after the weed harvest!