Tom’s Dream Weaver grow

[TomH]

Foothills plants middle of week 3 since flip.
There were a pair of growing tips that were cut and rooted just prior to flip. I put them in soil today with the intention of creating a mother plant for both blue dream and the sativa plants.

Hopefully that will solve one problem for me in the future.

 

[TomH]

The plants are growing well but my blue dream doesn’t seem to want to produce trichomes?????

WTH?

They both completed week four yesterday.
The sativa has tons of trichomes, the blue dream buds look bigger and fuller but I can only see trichomes with a magnified picture.

Is blue dream a slow development strain or might this plant be lazy?

 

[GoodShit97]

The plants are growing well but my blue dream doesn’t seem to want to produce trichomes?????

WTH?

They both completed week four yesterday.
The sativa has tons of trichomes, the blue dream buds look bigger and fuller but I can only see trichomes with a magnified picture.

Is blue dream a slow development strain or might this plant be lazy?View attachment 44271View attachment 44272View attachment 44273View attachment 44274View attachment 44275View attachment 44276

I had a zkittlez auto that waited til the last like 4 weeks to pump out trichs.

 

[TomH]

Middle of week five for the two ladies. They look underweight to me but that’s probably the usual flowering jitters.

The blue dream is definitely behind the curve on trichomes. Not sure if she’s ever going to catch up.

All clones look really good but flowered because I didn’t give them a long enough light cycle. Lesson learned.

 

[Rootsruler]

Just speculating as I have no real proof other than what I've anecdotally observed.

Trichomes have been explained to me as the plants way of protecting itself. The plant uses it to protect itself from bugs and other predators that would eat the flowers as it imparts a sour and bitter flavor. It is also used to protect itself from weather like wind but what piqued my interest is in its use against the sun's UV. I assume that trichomes will develop for the physical bugs and animals that it is trying to protect itself from. That will happen regardless of what I do but how do I make them more potent and larger/more bountiful?

I raised the DLI above what was recommended in weeks 3 through 7 and noticed a considerable increase in trichome development. I'm attributing this to the increased amount of light intensity signaling the plant to make more and bigger trichomes to protect itself from the higher DLI. I had to mess around with it to make sure I didn't light stress the plants but once I figured out where that threshold was it seemed to really grow trichomes.

I posted a photo of the flowers in week 5 and they had a nice layer of trichomes developing. So much so that SLG nominated it for POTM.

Again, probably broscience but I can say that I will try this again on another cultivar to see if it was just this one that responded like that or if I can use this technique across multiple cultivars.

 

[steamroller]

I have read that insect frass encourages resin gland growth along with improving plants general resistance to many issues.
Makes the plant think bugs are irritating it causing the plant to step up its game.

 

[Rootsruler]

I have read that insect frass encourages resin gland growth along with improving plants general resistance to many issues.
Makes the plant think bugs are irritating it causing the plant to step up its game.

How does that work? Do you work the frass into the soil or do you dust the bottom of the transplant hole like mycorrhizae?

 

[steamroller]

How does that work? Do you work the frass into the soil or do you dust the bottom of the transplant hole like mycorrhizae?

General Application Rates​

There are plenty of ways you can apply insect frass to your garden. Furthermore, the method you use depends on the use you want to put your garden compost towards.
Before applying insect frass to your garden, it’s usually best to pre-mix it into soil or compost. However, if your plants are already growing you can mix some insect frass in water and let it steep for several hours. Then, use it to drench the roots of your plants.

• For fertilizing raised beds: Plan to add a pound of insect frass to 20 square feet of garden space. Then, gently dig the top half foot of soil up, watering it thoroughly before mixing in the frass. For continued benefits, you can top dress the bed with more frass every few weeks throughout the growing season.
• For making a mix for potted plants: Plan on adding one cup of insect frass per cubic foot of potting soil. Then, add a sprinkling on top of the soil every few weeks for added benefits.
• For an insect frass tea extract: Add a ½ cup of insect frass into a gallon of dechlorinated water and use it to drench the roots of your plants within two hours of mixing it. If you have extra you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. This is due to storing it at room temperature causing it to go bad quickly.

Additional Tips for Using Insect Frass​

To clear up any confusion you might have about the best ways to use insect frass, here are some additional tips and tricks for getting the maximum benefit out of this fertilizer.

• Frass is not a pesticide or a fungicide. Although, it works to prevent both predator insects and pests from harming your plants. For this reason, you don’t have to worry about frass killing beneficial insects or nematodes.
• Some insect frass will be sold as a mix between frass and insect exoskeletons (they are the little gold and black shiny flakes). There’s no reason to be concerned about this, as they are also beneficial for your plants.
• Insect frass can be used in hydroponics systems so long as you drain out the frass pieces before running the frass tea through the water pipes. Otherwise, the indissoluble pieces of frass might get stuck in your pipes and bring down the system.
• If you simply want the benefits of chitin for your plants and are less interested in the fertilizing aspect of frass, you can use less frass in your mixtures. A tablespoon per gallon of water should be perfect.

I keep meaning to try this stuff out.
I'll try to remember it tomorrow when I am out.

 

[Rootsruler]

Someone on another site recommended using insect frass.

I might try this. My potting mix bin is full of earthworms so I don't want to hurt them. This seems like it would do the trick.

Tell me again how this affects the plants? I know you said it makes the plants think it has bugs but HOW does it make them think this?

You know me. I have to understand the mechanisms behind everything so that I can manipulate/modify it to what I'm doing.

 

[Bandit420]

General Application Rates​

There are plenty of ways you can apply insect frass to your garden. Furthermore, the method you use depends on the use you want to put your garden compost towards.
Before applying insect frass to your garden, it’s usually best to pre-mix it into soil or compost. However, if your plants are already growing you can mix some insect frass in water and let it steep for several hours. Then, use it to drench the roots of your plants.

• For fertilizing raised beds: Plan to add a pound of insect frass to 20 square feet of garden space. Then, gently dig the top half foot of soil up, watering it thoroughly before mixing in the frass. For continued benefits, you can top dress the bed with more frass every few weeks throughout the growing season.
• For making a mix for potted plants: Plan on adding one cup of insect frass per cubic foot of potting soil. Then, add a sprinkling on top of the soil every few weeks for added benefits.
• For an insect frass tea extract: Add a ½ cup of insect frass into a gallon of dechlorinated water and use it to drench the roots of your plants within two hours of mixing it. If you have extra you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. This is due to storing it at room temperature causing it to go bad quickly.

Additional Tips for Using Insect Frass​

To clear up any confusion you might have about the best ways to use insect frass, here are some additional tips and tricks for getting the maximum benefit out of this fertilizer.

• Frass is not a pesticide or a fungicide. Although, it works to prevent both predator insects and pests from harming your plants. For this reason, you don’t have to worry about frass killing beneficial insects or nematodes.
• Some insect frass will be sold as a mix between frass and insect exoskeletons (they are the little gold and black shiny flakes). There’s no reason to be concerned about this, as they are also beneficial for your plants.
• Insect frass can be used in hydroponics systems so long as you drain out the frass pieces before running the frass tea through the water pipes. Otherwise, the indissoluble pieces of frass might get stuck in your pipes and bring down the system.
• If you simply want the benefits of chitin for your plants and are less interested in the fertilizing aspect of frass, you can use less frass in your mixtures. A tablespoon per gallon of water should be perfect.

I keep meaning to try this stuff out.
I'll try to remember it tomorrow when I am out.
View attachment 44936

Stoney and I both have experience with the stuff. Looks like meal worms on the label and that's the frass you want
I remember something about it triggering defense systems in cannabis thinking it was infested with bugs so the plant would make more resin.
I'm not sure about that because if I concluded it did I'd still be using it.

You can apply dry, mix in soil, or mixed in a tea.
I pretty much consider it another dry amendment like sea bird or bat guano, blood meal, etc.
It definitely won't hurt your plants. I was using it with composted buffalo manure in compost teas and top dressings.
It was a precursor to what I use now which is pretty much just ocean borne liquid ferts and supplements from Neptunes Harvest

 

[steamroller]

The Importance of Chitin​

Closely related to cellulose, chitin is a naturally occurring molecule that is found in the shells of crustaceans like lobsters and crabs, as well as the exoskeletons of insects. In many cases, it is also found in algae and yeast. Chitin’s benefit to plants is that it causes them to be fortified from their cell walls out.

When used in fertilizer, chitin triggers the immune systems of plants. Thus, causing them to rev up and defend themselves against predators like root-feeding nematodes and disease pathogens in the soil. The presence of chitin triggers plants to think that insects are eating them. Thus, causing them to build up their cell walls and release natural insect toxins as a defense.

Though chitin doesn’t act as a pesticide, its presence prepares plants to better withstand a pest-filled onslaught, should one come.
Taken from ; https://growingorganic.com/soil-gui...ly from plants that herbivore insects chew up.

 

[Bandit420]

The Importance of Chitin​

Closely related to cellulose, chitin is a naturally occurring molecule that is found in the shells of crustaceans like lobsters and crabs, as well as the exoskeletons of insects. In many cases, it is also found in algae and yeast. Chitin’s benefit to plants is that it causes them to be fortified from their cell walls out.

When used in fertilizer, chitin triggers the immune systems of plants. Thus, causing them to rev up and defend themselves against predators like root-feeding nematodes and disease pathogens in the soil. The presence of chitin triggers plants to think that insects are eating them. Thus, causing them to build up their cell walls and release natural insect toxins as a defense.

Though chitin doesn’t act as a pesticide, its presence prepares plants to better withstand a pest-filled onslaught, should one come.
Taken from ; https://growingorganic.com/soil-guide/insect-frass/#:~:text=Just like bat guano or, insect frass is,entirely from plants that herbivore insects chew up.

Ha! Like a walk down memory lane!
Yeah this is what took me into the world of crab and lobster meals. I think you get more of it or a more available source thru crustaceans. One of those xtra benefits to crab meal that pretty much makes it the best calmag and silica + nitrogen & potash supplement you can buy.
Then when NH offered it in liquid form, game over! Ready for uptake and plants love the stuff in liquid form

 

[Stoneyluv]

I agree with all that... the lobster and crab is a game changer in soil growing. i tend to use the dry shell mixed in the soil and feed with the liquid every couple weeks. when i harvest and tear open the root balls pretty much all the shell has been absorbed and used up completely. seems like there's never enough.

i've used the frass a lot... i was getting it for free from a local worm farm at one point, you can't overdo it and it will not hurt your plants. at one point i was raising those worms for my chickens so i got all the frass from that and when i stopped using it cold turkey you couldn't even tell. the plants didn't care if i used it or not. the frass was not a game changer in my opinion.

 

[TomH]

I didn’t have any insect frass, nor could I find any, but I do have Bio-Live (5-4-2), lots of crab shell and other fishy smelling stuff.

I top dressed the two plants with bio-live, worm castings and some azomite. I followed up with 3 gallons of rain water. They look happy and I can begin smelling a heavy fruity smell.

The clones have all established tremendous roots, the blue dream clones will up pot to 1/2 gallon pots, working their way up to 3 gal felt planters (I’ve yet to purchase).

Pictures will be added later this morning.

 

[TomH]

The two blue dream clones have been moved to 1/2 gallon pots.

This was done with absolutely no root disturbance, the cups slipped off, roots held the soil together, right into a cup sized hole in the new pot.
The hole was dusted with great white and rooting hormone.

 

[TomH]

I have been lax in my updates.

Both plants are crossing into week nine after tomorrow. Still sporting lots of white pistils and bulking up.
The blue dream still has far fewer trichomes than the sativa.

 

[TomH]

Both sativa and blue dream are in week nine since 12/12 flip.

Most pistils are still white, estimated less than 10% red.

Fed ca-mag/iron and kool bloom powder.

Both plants bulking up well, blue dream is easily double the size of the sativa. It’s getting chunky.

Temperatures mid 60s day with mid RH in the upper forties and low fifties. They were low forties before feeding. They seemed to increase transpiration after a good soak.

 

[TomH]

This grow was done using Humbolt Secrets, parts A and B, golden tree, flower stacker and enzymes.
Recently, I added flower fuel, massive 1-2-3 and kool bloom, not in combination but at different feeds.

One thing I’ve done is keep most feedings at or below 450ppm.
I’m growing in about 15 gallons of ffof and happy frog each plant.

Every other water (average 4 days) is rain water only with a pinch of epsom salt.

I’m amazed how green the plants still are, w9d3 since 12/12 flip. The sativa has significantly increased conversion of white pistils to red, but the blue dream still has mostly white. Triceratops are still clear.

 

[TomH]

Week 9 glamour shots.

 

[TomH]

Spell check on the iphone: Triceratops are sill clear
translation: Trichomes are still clear! valiant effort!

 

[TomH]

Today, we’re down to 10 hours of light a day.
About 65 degrees with 30% - 35% RH.
I just gave everyone a drink of rain water and Epsom salt.
Girls remain green with very little seasonal fade or leaf drop taking place.
They seem to be happily chugging along.
Weeks to go, trichomes still glassy and pistils still mostly white.

 

[TomH]

We finish week 10 since flipping.
Both plants still have more than 50% white pistils, trichomes are nearly all milky. I wasn’t able to detect any amber yet though.

I didn’t expect them to remain this green, this late in the flowering cycle.
They are beginning to fade to yellow now, but slowly.

 

[TomH]

As we are doing week 10 things, all the colas are getting thick.

They now bob and flutter with just the least bit of breeze.

The blue dream took its last drink of water today, the sativa is waiting until about Monday or Tuesday.
The plants will then be allowed to drink their media dry with a harvest planned for the first week of April.

The sativa has had a great batch of trichomes since week three.
The blue dream just began to catch up. It’s getting closer.
We’ll see what a couple weeks do.

 

[TomH]

Mid-week 11

Pistils are about 50:50 white:red
Trichomes are white, with a sprinkling of amber.

They are probably at the beginning of the harvest window. They are scheduled to meet with the trimmers on Saturday 4/5, if I can wait that long. They look awesome now.

 

[TomH]

Week 13, day 1.
Both plants coming down today.
Sativa first, blue dream second.
Blue dream has turned very yellow over the past four or five weeks.

 

[steamroller]

Super nice looking buds there Tom~!

 

[TomH]

One of the best looking buds I can remember. But then ownership adds 10 points

 

[TomH]

Final results of the fall 2023 grow:

Two jars of blue dream, half gallon and a quart.
Two jars of bagseed sativa, half gallon and a quart.
Half a quart of crystal berry.

The crystal berry has smelled like cat piss since it was about three weeks before chop. It got really stanky about 10 days ago.
I thought, no way I can smoke this, it almost made me gag to smell it and not many things make me gag.
Now, all of a sudden, a floral scent wafted out of the jar this morning! Yeehaw.

A couple more weeks of cure, burping regularly and looking forward to the next grow.

Happy Friday fellow budbuilding buds!