The James Gang

[H.A.F.]

"Take the corner, join the crash
Headlights, headlines... "

From Metallica even though it was their haircut days.

The connection I made during an excellent bong rip was the "gimme fuel, gimme fire" part

The other thing I did today was finish with my wake-n-bakes.
The astringent version of Headline, Headlights, Cookie Breath, Flashback '68, Sour Puss, Blue Jack City, and Flamethrower, and Dirty Taxi.

The Sour Puss is "good smoke" maybe next bean will be good as last one.
The Flame thrower I am not too sure about the high - but the orange smell and flavor make up for it. Maybe I mix these two together..

But the rest are all outstanding to the point that I packaged up all my older weed for the kids. I kept out some of the Platinum Ice, and the Raspberry Boogie and Jane Doe Skunk, but the rest is sacked and "in a cool dark place" not taking up fridge.

 

[H.A.F.]

This is veg for now. I topped one of the big pot Chemdog and took the lowers off the other. Both are in 'flip-prep' and I'm just seeing what they prefer. The little ones are in the running for mom. I just bumped up the light in here to veg levels instead of clone levels. If any don't like it they can move.

the other veg tent has peppers on the inside, with some other random stuff. Tray of dahlia and marigolds the grandkids planted, the strawberries on the bottom with some sweet alyssum, a few eary tomatoes and a few tomatillo, and the pot in the middle is a few dwarf tamarillo. Supposed to be some kind of berry plant or tree or bush or something, but it has this loud smoky barbeque smell that has to be good for something - whether it repels or attracts. If you get a chance to snag a pack (baker creek) it's worth sprouting a few just for the aroma. Crazy good smell. Also two praying mantis eggs waiting to hatch.

And since I don't need to get in there much for baby peppers I have a spot for the tomatoes. I am also going the super simple route with 11 CLHP that were left in an open pack, and three medical plants. Not the regular drop but I'm waiting on that to see what CLHP pop if any.

 

[Fiddler's Green]

The boss won't let me get mantis eggs cause she said she'd go loca if one landed on her lol.

 

[H.A.F.]

The boss won't let me get mantis eggs cause she said she'd go loca if one landed on her lol.

I got a pair last year and when they hatched (still in the jar) they were so cute! LOL I let them go outside because I wasn't as ready to have the bugs in the house.

All the beneficial mite sachets you see in the pics came with the rove beetles, green lacewing eggs and beneficial nematodes that got watered in.

Now that I am comfortable that the cover crop or mulch will keep most things happy because they like to hide from the bright lights I am cooler with letting stuff go.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

One thing to be careful about when ordering mantis eggs that I recently read about is that apparently a lot of the companies that are selling them are selling oothecas from the Chinese Mantids which is invasive in the US. Here's a comparison image that shows the difference in mantid oothecas.

 

[H.A.F.]

the Chinese Mantids which is invasive in the US.

Let your mind dive deep into that one for a minute?

It is a praying mantis. It is a bug that eats other bugs.

At what point do they become "invasive"?

From the USA standpoint wouldn't the Euro version also be invasive compared to the Carolina one?

Last ones I bought hatched and the right bugs came out. I was pretty happy about that - I didn't card them.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Let your mind dive deep into that one for a minute?

It is a praying mantis. It is a bug that eats other bugs.

At what point do they become "invasive"?

From the USA standpoint wouldn't the Euro version also be invasive compared to the Carolina one?

Last ones I bought hatched and the right bugs came out. I was pretty happy about that - I didn't card them.

What makes them invasive is they are out competing out native mantids and that can wipe our native mantids out over time.

 

[H.A.F.]

What makes them invasive is they are out competing out native mantids and that can wipe our native mantids out over time.

and if we end up with a stronger species that does exactly the same thing as the weak-ass local ones what then?

 

[H.A.F.]

this ain't like bringing in an invasive plant like kudsu, or some parasite that has no competition. It is a beneficial insect, and the only way it will outcompete local ones is through time and breeding. One won't kill the other, unless the female of one version breeds with the male of another - then he's obviously toast

 

[H.A.F.]

I saw the craziest thing today that would have made the best 10-15second video. I have a half-ass screen-porch with a greenhouse roof that I built onto an existing deck railing purely as a tempoary thing - 5 years ago...

Anywhooo, I hung a few of those birdhouse gourds in there and blocked the door open for the season. It took a day before i saw the little house wrens bringing in nesting material. Today I saw a chipmunk on the deck and was about to open the door and chase it off when the wren attacked.

It dive-bombed the stripe-rat and chased it off the deck, which was cool. it wran through the fence into my garden and the wren kept at it. There were about seven attacks until the chipmunk made it to the brush pile behind the garden. Then the bird sat on the top stick of the pile and yelled at it for about another minute before flying back to the porch with a little stick.

 

[H.A.F.]

Since there's an obvious spectrum difference between my two veg tents I split the clones into both to see what works best. Both pairs looked a little droopy before lights out so they are both getting enough light.

 

[H.A.F.]

looking at my records of what I dropped and what was duds, there have been a much larger number of feminized beans that were duds after a few years. I wonder if that's just random or a real thing and feminizing shortens the shelf life?

 

[H.A.F.]

Still no way to clone these except to top them. Nothing has limbs. I am definitely waiting until I see clone roots before flipping the Taxi's so that may be what I have to do. The MacFish not being branchy means they are likely girls based on what the breeder said. Backwards plants - short bushy males and tall skinny girls. I may top clone those two as well. The Jane Doe Skunk and T-star are just gonna get flipped. Everything got water last night so tonight I'll fuck things up a bit.

The CLHP x CSR are cbilling at 40% of a 3x3 light and loving it.

These are at 60% of a 33 light but I have it lowered closer. The Potion (back left) is turning quick and the taller of the Catpiss Kush is prretty much done. Those three are 9 weeks.

I'll not be trying the 3g thing again but the Bombthreat is doing OK. It's rootbound and I have to water the right amount in, then let it suck what goes through back up from the tray. Which it does. I thought about adding some castings but I don't want to give it some wierd nute boost when it's almost done. It's not quite 8 weeks but soesn't look to go anywhere near 9. I pulled/snipped any of the little sugar leaves that were laying on the buds below them so everything in that middle part gets light and air. It's like garlic and cilantro. Real sharp.

And these are at 60% on the 4x4 light that's ceiling mounted. The two Headline have different smells so I won't be going by structure when I get around to looking for a mom there. The current one with the astringent smell is super potent but not that same high. Trinity cross back right is never gonna be a cloner. With 100 beans to look through, and "male heavy" possibly being 1 girl in 5 I'm not worried about finding more. Muttzarella in the middle is lanky and the Chemdog shrub front right looks amazing still. The "pre-planned-60-day-chop" may get delayed a few days based on the living soil stuff taking longer. That would be 5/2, and I'll probably snag a few limbs but she is just now turning. We'll see. I haven't defoliatedd anything because I'm waiting on having to pluck dead leaves soon.

 

[1oldfart]

I saw the craziest thing today that would have made the best 10-15second video. I have a half-ass screen-porch with a greenhouse roof that I built onto an existing deck railing purely as a tempoary thing - 5 years ago...

Anywhooo, I hung a few of those birdhouse gourds in there and blocked the door open for the season. It took a day before i saw the little house wrens bringing in nesting material. Today I saw a chipmunk on the deck and was about to open the door and chase it off when the wren attacked.

It dive-bombed the stripe-rat and chased it off the deck, which was cool. it wran through the fence into my garden and the wren kept at it. There were about seven attacks until the chipmunk made it to the brush pile behind the garden. Then the bird sat on the top stick of the pile and yelled at it for about another minute before flying back to the porch with a little stick.

a little wren or bluebird , think they are a chicken hawk ,most small critters stay away ,unless they are waiting on a empty house,with Eggs!

 

[H.A.F.]

I stuck the two Frosty MacFish, the T-Star and the JD Skunk in the flower tent. Girls get big pots. no clones.

3 Dirty Taxi still in veg and I need to top them for a clone. Because of the emptying tents I'll be potting up three of the Chemdog and flowering them. Just need to decide on a mom and give her a slightly bigger pot.

The stuff from Family Tree was all duds so far, the Hollyweed x TKm10 is 100%. I popped three med beans then realized that two of them are regs. I'll be axing them. No room to grow out a 1:1 that might be a dude. Ever. I need to get me a good CBD fem plant (fuck a 1:1) and grow that instead. The "Hollyweed" is not the Big Sur Holy-weed - I think the name referred to the holly bush but no clue why. Maybe real pointy leaves. But it is one of the classic Mendo strains like the Trinity so I may think about keeping a cut of each short term.

Andy from Greenway warned me that there were germ issues with the first batch of '68, so he made more with a different dad/mom. I am waiting on a better explanation so I know what I have. The one here is also from that first pack so there's 2 for 2 with no issues. And it'll be cloned and run like the Chemdog, popping a bean every once in a while to see if there's a better one. I know the pack I have can make some of the best smoke I have had, but I don't know how that will play into the new packs. I have a feeling its the same "1968" mom that is doing the trick for me. Jack Herrer Lemon Skunk x Cowboy lemonade is the new pollen donor.

 

[H.A.F.]

I found some extra large 6-cell trays for starting tomatoes, then found out smaller is better for them. This is a lot easier than tippy-cups that need racks to hold them vertical.

I think the key to making the cels work is treating them as disposable. Cutting the things apart into the individual cels and cutting the things open if needed before transplanting, since I won't be waiting on them to get rootbound like a pepper.

I will be popping a few more beans that don't need to be cloned to go with these 8.

 

[1oldfart]

looking at my records of what I dropped and what was duds, there have been a much larger number of feminized beans that were duds after a few years. I wonder if that's just random or a real thing and feminizing shortens the shelf life?

i'll start to keep a eye out for that!

 

[H.A.F.]

In the past I tried tossing some captured ladybugs in the grow to see what happens.
Not much, except dead ladybugs in fans and lights.
But in general ladybugs are pretty lame. Their larvae eat like crazy but the adults suck.

After seeing the green lacewings outside I snagged a few to put in the veg tent and see what happens. Not sure the lifecycle but I don't think it's long. Once they are flying around chances are it's looking for a place to lay eggs. But if they just shit on everything and die like ladybugs, it's in veg where I can rinse them off.

 

[1oldfart]

In the past I tried tossing some captured ladybugs in the grow to see what happens.
Not much, except dead ladybugs in fans and lights.
But in general ladybugs are pretty lame. Their larvae eat like crazy but the adults suck.

After seeing the green lacewings outside I snagged a few to put in the veg tent and see what happens. Not sure the lifecycle but I don't think it's long. Once they are flying around chances are it's looking for a place to lay eggs. But if they just shit on everything and die like ladybugs, it's in veg where I can rinse them off.

i need to know more on the breeding cycle like you dead lady bugs on everything!

 

[H.A.F.]

i need to know more on the breeding cycle like you dead lady bugs on everything!

I think the life cycle on all the flying bugs is pretty similar. adult lays eggs, eggs hatch larvae, larvae eat like mad than make cocoons, cocoons hath adults. At least for the soft bodies ones like the lacewings. And if they die all over the tent there's no shells to hang around, pretty sure they love the rice hulls I have for mulch.

They ship the lacewing eggs in rice hulls. Pretty sure that's where they like to lay eggs. Maybe since I am using that mulch outside it's bringing them in? Who knows.