Plant Training Challenge here we come. In my obsessive over analysis of the upcoming PTGC, I impulsively went out and scooped up a clone from a local dispensary. I have been wanting to try out some of the Grapefruit offerings from Next Generation Seeds and thanks to the folks at Dark Heart Nursery they just happened to be releasing some clones from stock. So begins the adventure.
Allow me to explain over analysis and impulsive being used in the same sentence. I couldn't decide if I had enough time to participate in this challenge. How can I work this in? Fast forward a week or so and I see the Grapefruit Romulan. I must have it. That's when my mind was made up. It may be a little early but then I can be ready when the time comes. And ready I was. Commence with the topping.
The big question. This plant appears to be going into flower. Should I continue topping or try to re-Veg and then continue topping?
The accidental flip to flower was purely ME being lazy and leaving it outside for the free photons. I think this is beyond re-veg. This is just another lesson in a long long line of lessons. I thought I learned the lesson where I don't mention what strain I am growing in the title of the journal. More often than not I end up growing something different because of a flub up. Just started soaking a White Widow. I'm a grower, right? Keep Growin'. Considering an auto for my party cup entry. That gives me some time before I start another and they can finish together. Hmmm. Don't have a strategy for the party cup.
I edited my growbox to reflect the new White Widow sprout from seed. I will continue to show the progress of the Romulan Grapefruit since I am just going to let it do it's thing. You will see some other outdoor garden progress until the PTGC is in full swing just to keep the eye candy flowing.
Today I added the little manifold to the drip feed line up. It's hard to believe that the Barney Farms Lemon Tree to right of it in the picture was started only one month before. It's almost 10 feet tall. All of the plants are obscuring the actual lemon tree behind them. Barney Farms Vanilla Kush. Barney Farms Lemon Tree. Dutch Passion Frisian Dew. Seedsman Critical Purple Kush. And, of course, Romulan Grapefruit now.
This is that slow growth time when it's close enough to taste. A little over a month to go. Buds beginning to stack. Flowering is a bit staggered across the strains. Frisian Dew was first. Then Lemon Tree and CPK. Vanilla Kush is just getting started. Romulan Grapefruit is cruising along.
Ahhh. Nothing good to report. Severe weather has been a challenge outdoors Not so much for the dwarfed little Romulan Grapefruit manifold. It's short stature has protected it from both the high heat and the rain and wind. I can't say the same for the unsupported 10' Lemon Tree or the one in the 7 gal pot. After a week of 105 - 110 F temps we then got a driving rain and then a severe wind storm. And I, of course, was out of state. The rain dragged the branches toward the ground and then the wind distorted and twisted them around. Some severe lollipopping needed to be performed to save the plant. It's sister in the 7 gal just blew over completely. So far everyone is surviving. I have been periodically hitting the freshly rained upon plants with a blower to get standing water off of the buds.
Indoors I have some issues as well. There has not been very good growth since I left and now I am seeing some evidence of deficiencies. The White Widow may make a widow out of me. Not looking so good. At this point I may only have the Keg Cup plant to worry about and I haven't even started it yet.
Onward and upward
During and after the wind. Lemon Tree has been restrained. Branches going all directions, mostly the wrong direction.
Are you ready for flip? Oh, I'm not. As previously documented, I have had one plant flip early. Now the White Widow in the Keg Cup seems like it may never be ready for the next pot size up. I have had a pretty much complete stall out in growth. Not even certain it is really alive. I think it is petrified. Has this become my Keg Cup entry by default? Not the challenge I was hoping for. It's hard to complain though, all else considered. If things are coming up lemons ... Thank goodness it's Lemon Tree.
Flip Day! I'm trying to make room in the tent for this beast. After a thorough defoliation, this is what I'm left with. 😉
Romulan Grapefruit has sprung forth with some odd buds. I'm pretty sure this is a reaction to the topping and training. With very little veg time, the plant had barely started kicking out leaves with 5 segments. After topping/training, perhaps too close to flowing time, the plant appears stunted. There was zero stretch, and the only growth seems to be the buds. However, the buds look kinda spindly and fox tailed. There are huge calyxes and lots of smooth 1 to 3 leaf vegetation. The texture of the plant in general is, I don't know , soft? It's a bit of an oddball.
Cold temps in the last week have spurred a few plants to display some purple. One of the Lemon Trees and the Critical Purple Kush. I must say, the CPK has really turned out well and is probably the best thing I have grown from Seedsman. The Dutch Passion Frisian Dew has been a bit under-whelming as far as the expected size and color. It's still going to kick out some choice buds and a bit of weight too. The Barneys Vanilla Kush is supposed to be the fastest flowering of everything I have in the garden, but it was the last to come into play.
With a bit of luck the weather will remain fair and I can stagger the harvest so I'm not over-whelmed with drying plants and trimming. The order will likely be Frisian Dew then CPK then Lemon Tree then Vanilla Kush.
The White Widow Keg Cup is still struggling. I'm debating whether I should just give up the keg cup and transplant. It's not worth trying to run this plant alone in the tent so I started some Cinderella Jack. A full tent should get me through to the NYGC and I can have another swing at actually timing things properly.
