Skunk x Haze/Twilight/Shiva Grow (with a Double Gum survivor)

On 3 April I began germinating 5 freebie Skunk x Haze seeds. As of today I have four very healthy and light-loving little sprouts. Yesterday I also began germinating 5 Dutch Passion Twilights and 5 Homegrown Fantaseeds Shivas.

I also have a White Label Double Gum which has survived my learning efforts to date: I was doing some LST training with it but I think a SOG operation would better meet my smoking needs. I'm hoping to keep it alive and growing until I can get clones from it -- ETA on that is 2 weeks.

My present plan is to grow my babies up until I can get clones, sex and flower them, then (in an ideal world) get one mother from each. From these mothers I'd hope to have 2 clones each at any given time under my 400w HPS: this should allow me a pretty continual harvest of tasty bud that will be more than adequate for my needs.

Present temps are 73-75* at night rising to 81*-83* in the day. The light is provided by 2 105w CFLs and a Gro-Tek LED panel (in a few weeks I'll be able to say whether or not they assist with supplemental grows.

Two things I've learned so far.

1) There's no substitute for inorganic pH Down or similar acids. If you think vinegar is a substitute, it ain't, unless you like root-choking white slime all over the place.

2) A drop or two of antifungal/antibacterial solution (available at your neighborhood pet store) can go a long way toward keeping your grow running clean.


Any advice from those more experienced than me (that is to say, just about everyone reading this board) is welcome.

As of 21:40 two of the Shivas have cracked and a third is about to crack.

The fifth Skunk x Haze seed was a dud: 80% germination on the freebie seeds, which ain't bad at all.

I am moistening the rockwool cubes with pH-adjusted dechlorinated water to which a few drops of Seachem ParaGuard (an aquarium antifungal/antibacterial/antiparasite treatment) has been added. I have found this extremely effective in protecting against slime, rot and other nastiness.

I am keeping the Shiva and Twilight cubes under a Gro-Tek 14w LED panel. I moved the Skunk v. Haze to CFL because they already appeared to be stretching under LED -- not surprising, given their predominantly Sativa genetics.

4/5 (possibly 5/5) of the Shiva seeds have cracked. 2/5 of the Twilights have cracked.

The Skunk x Haze seedlings are looking fine: they are already showing some stretch, despite the fact that a 105w CFL is only a few inches above them. I hope that putting them on my balcony (which has southern exposure and gets tons of sunlight) when it warms up will help.

The Double Gum continues to show new growth: I'm hoping to get some clones and force flowering on them shortly.

I have once again noticed slime developing in the Waterfarm housing my month-old Double Gum. I have added a larger dose of Para-gone (an aquarium antibacterial/antifungal solution) to the pH-downed water which I added today.

Skunk x Haze seedlings did not respond well to the balcony -- in fact, they got moldy and died.

Shiva seedlings knocked over and killed (you may have guessed I am a newb): Twilight didn't show much vitality, although I do have one survivor.

Here's the operation as of 26 April:



Audrey, an LSTed Double Gum (30+ days vegging). Audrey is a tough girl: she survived my best efforts to kill her via incompetence and came through with flying colors. (If her preflowers are to be believed, she's a girl... but we won't know for certain until Audrey II takes root and I can throw her into flower).



Audrey II, four days after cutting.



Homegrown Fantaseeds Shiva. I have three more seeds where these came from.



Dutch Passion Twilight. Waiting on another 10-pack from Seedbay.

u reap what u sow...cant wait 2 see u reap!!!!

babylonburn said:

u reap what u sow...cant wait 2 see u reap!!!!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words, brother! Up next is an NYC Diesel Ryder (NYCD x Lowryder II) grow: I'll be planting those in early May and should be harvesting about the same time my Doublegum finishes flowering -- so this could be a Very Nice Autumn.

Just noticed that the Twilight survivor was drooping badly: it perked right up after I gave it some water.

This suggests to me that (a) the roots have not yet developed adequately and (b) Twilight is very sensitive to dry conditions. (I lost a very promising seedling earlier when it got dry and withered).

Since our last episode the Shiva grow has come to an untimely end (Parvati started showing balls, unfortunately... ). However, Audrey remains a healthy girl and is looking very nice after 40 days in flower.