I'm going to start another journal in this one.
Im growing in soil, backyard soil, but this stuff has pumped nice lush tomatoes for the past 2 seasons. Plus I live in the sticks so no factories or mining around. Just forest.
It appeared only slightly too clay based, so I added some dried top-soil in with it and mixed it up. Dries nicely and drains well. Holds a nice amount of water for around 4-6 hrs @ 25 degrees C. Then I let it stay reasonably dry to totally dry, until the next day, when the soils moistened again, in the same manor.
Ph of water is unknown. I do let it sit 24-48 hours (water daily, but the container keeps enough for 2 days) to remove any chlorine. REMINDER: Get Ph tester. Will aquarium ones do if Im near one and happy to do a quick job? Or would I be better going to a plant nursery (cute) and get one?
Growing under a self imposed (no timer) 20/4 light schedule. Buying a timer this coming Thursday and enforcing an automatic 18/6. Then fortnightly reduced by 3 hrs (15 mins per day for 12 days) until 12/12. ANOTHER REMINDER: Buy timer! Preferably not digital, the old style with plastic 'push pins' every 15 mins.
By then (6 weeks) I'll either have the money, or have invested in, a small HPS system, perhaps x2 150w's sold as security lights (not the halogen ones). As currently I'm using CFL's ( x1 14w 3200k and x1 24w 5000k) and x1 4' 20w T5 Fluorescent. Hung around 3" from the canopy.
Day 1: Placed 10 Big Bud X ??? seeds, in soil. Used plastic cake container as humidity dome.
Day 2: Applied a small amount of water, shut the lid of 'humidity dome'.
Day 3. Noticed a sprout today through the perspiration on the inside of the lid. I think I left it in there a little too long and it was fully open but a bit yellow. *Shrugs* and put it under lights. Placed wet paper towel on where Id planted the other seeds and transplanted the sprout into its own 5" pot. END OF DAY: Colour returned to seedling.
Day 4: No seedlings. Im sure the one thats emerged is enjoying being out of the dome...duh.
Day 5: Checked under each piece of wet paper towel, 2 seedlings had emerged. Trans'd into, again, 5" pots (seperately).
Day 6: No new seedlings have emerged. True leaves are emerging nicely on first seedling.
Day 7: Again, no new seedlings. Starting to see 2nd set after cotyledons on first seedling. Second and third seedlings are coming along nicely, similar growth habit, still developing (though nicely too) first set of true leaves.
Day 8: One more seedling emerged. Got some of the backyard soil, and used the rest from the dome as topsoil, to see if any others emerge (didnt hold high hopes, seeds are 2 and a bit yrs, but were stored correctly) First seedlings 2nd set of trues coming along nicely. Second and third are just developing 2nd set.
Going to skip some days, as the usual happened. 2 - 2 1/2 days later, new sets of leaves were developed.
Day 11: Noticed first seedling developed its 2nd set of trues as 2 opposing 4 and 5 blade leaves. This one is also slightly ahead. Second and Third are still sending their 1st set of trues out like fan leaves (on a stem) and their 3 blade leaves are developing. New seedling seems deformed with twisted leaves and weird spears (not a single tip spear,more like an M)
Day 12: Not alot happened.
Day 13: Noticed first has developed 5 blade leafs after the 4 and 5 node, and working on 7's. Second and third emerged are working on 5 blades, and the deformo, appears to be, if not ahead of the larger one, definately at the same level of growth, just stunted and runt-ish.
Day 14: The deformo appears to have grown 1 5 blade and either 2 7's in a V shape, or another 2 5's growing in a V shape (still hasnt developed enough). Can see either 9's or 7's (depending on the how many blades the V leaves have) developing on it.
Day 15 (Today): First emerged is working on 7's and has beautiful fans for the rest of the nodes. Appears to have 'pistil' like growth growing from the side of each node, and is growing shoots from the 4 and 5 set leaves. Only noticed those ones today, would they be showing sex under a 20/4 light schedule?
Like I said above, the seeds are from a Big Bud mother, unknown father, though I snuck a peek at 'him', when he was about 4'. Bushy, indica type leaves, almost maple indica like, with dark, dark green foliage. Didnt appear male nor female and was in the middle of summer. Appears whatever it bred with has created seeds of odd stock. First emerged appears to be slightly more vigorous than the 2 that emerged together, they appear as usual seedlings, whilst the last emerged appears stunted, though not in development, just in size. The last also appears thinner than the others, while the 2nd and 3rd are similar and 1st emerged keeps getting thicker each node.
Will add some pics soon