Slabs Sphagnum Wicking grow - fall 2022

[Flower]

Your plants look great. Doesn’t look like you forgot much over the last 30 years.
The moss is interesting. I have seen some on here grow in 100% perlite.
Would that not kind of be the same principle?

 

[Slab]

Thanks! I assume so (with the perlite)? It's basically just hydroponics. What is amazing to me is how there is no root rot in sphagnum as long as there is no standing water. The moss seems to absorb and stabilize it or somehow prevents it from going sour. I would be curious about perlite as an alternative and if it has similar properties but I'm not going to try it anytime soon myself. I don't like all the dust from perlite, and I don't know how "floaty" it would be as the only medium. Would the plant fall over easily? I keep a hole down to the bottom of the pot in the sphagnum to verify no standing water. With perlite, you'd probably have to use a piece of plastic pipe or something to keep a hole there. I bet somebody's tried it.

 

[Slab]

Flushing now.

 

[boo]

every time I look up at my big oaks I now think of you slab...I've got trailer loads of the stuff way up in the old oaks...

 

[Slab]

get back away of the trichome splash!
"TIMBER".... (after 500 years of genetics)

 

[oldfogey8]

Flushing now.

View attachment 315211 View attachment 315212 View attachment 315213

Those sure are some sugary looking sugar leaves. Nice job.

 

[Slab]

Those sure are some sugary looking sugar leaves. Nice job.

Thanks! I blame mostly the FastBuds genetics on that Strawberry Banana. Amazing frost!

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[Slab]

Today starts week 10. Hardly an amber trichome to be seen which surprises me. Entering week 2 of flushing. I'll post some shots soon.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

every time I look up at my big oaks I now think of you slab...I've got trailer loads of the stuff way up in the old oaks...

You should give it a try boo at least on one plant. I would if I still lived in south ga I used it to cover the bottom of my house plants just have to microwave it for a few seconds to kill the red bugs.

 

[Ganjier]

Great sounding flavors, let us know how they turn out.

 

[Slab]

Week 10. Updated pics. I'm seeing amber trichomes now. Just a little longer...

 

[Slab]

Week 10:

 

[spunom]

I really like your setup Slab. I tried this once with perlite. I had to put clear plastic cups with holes drilled in the corner. The plant turned out to be male, but it grew nicely. Good job homie. Looking great.

 

[Slab]

Thanks! I think using perlite would drive me crazy... Nice to know it works. The sphagnum moss is also not as stable as soil, so when I LST the main stem early on, the whole plant leans over a bit unless I include counter ties. It doesn't seem to be an issue though once they get a big root wad in the bottom.

 

[spunom]

Thanks! I think using perlite would drive me crazy... Nice to know it works. The sphagnum moss is also not as stable as soil, so when I LST the main stem early on, the whole plant leans over a bit unless I include counter ties. It doesn't seem to be an issue though once they get a big root wad in the bottom.

I was wondering about that. Even in soil tho, a counter tie is necessary more than not when starting LST early on. My first time, I uprooted my plant some.

I feel that if a person were to double up (stack two of the same) planters with ample small holes drilled thru the bottom of the top planter, it may help the plant's roots get a stronger foothold for early LST.

 

[Slab]

I was wondering about that. Even in soil tho, a counter tie is necessary more than not when starting LST early on. My first time, I uprooted my plant some.

I feel that if a person were to double up (stack two of the same) planters with ample small holes drilled thru the bottom of the top planter, it may help the plant's roots get a stronger foothold for early LST.

You need the inner planters for holding it in place in the perlite, right? Do you reuse the perlite?

 

[spunom]

I'm just hypothesizing with ya, but yeah. I think it would give the roots a foothold to really anchor down on to help with LST. Even with the peat.

Recycled perlite, to me, is the best there is. It's thoroughy rinsed and ready to go.

 

[Slab]

The babies are hanging. They all fit in the Dry Tent, which I was worried about. The Forbidden Fruitz never did get many amber trichomes (except on the purple leaves) but it's got to be ready. The Strawberry Banana looks a little more normal with scatterings of amber.

Here is some pics just before they came down.

 

[Slab]

And some trichome shots:
I mistimed the flushing I think I could have waited a week. They were flushed for 2.5 weeks, because the trichomes took their time to ripen more than I expected. These were taken right before harvest at 11.5 weeks old.

 

[Slab]

The baby ChemDawg Photos are in the final planters now, soloing the 3x3. I'm continuing to reuse the sphagnum moss. I tossed some moss away that I didn't bother separating from the roots (just being lazy), and added a handful of new moss in. Fingers crossed and hoping I'll like the ChemDawg and looking forward to running a photo grow.