Ortega & Critical Mass- Musashi plays with Fire

Aloha fellow firewalking braddahs!

Mahalo Byorn, P3Ci, Marcus! Thanks for stopping by.

This morning finds all the ladies in good health, continuing their vegetative growth. Height now at 51cm, I will start the flower cycle in the next few days. Some more males have been eliminated this past week as I further define and tighten up the grow,. As mentioned earlier, due to some mix-ups, I have tabled the ACDC (Nursie) pollination project- an ACDC female crossed with a beautiful, male Ortega specimen. My Medman cross (Curandera) project will continue. This is a Medman male crossed to an Diesel. So, the run will consist of: 4 Ortega, 3 Critical Mass, 3 Nursie, 5 Curandera.


ortega grp 6_6.jpg
Ortega Group. Uniform size, main phenotype

ortega4 6_6.jpg
Ortega #4 the other pheno. Squat with tight internodes, fat fans

critmass grp 6_6.jpg
Critical Mass

nursie grp 6_6.jpg
Nursie Group

curandera 6_6.jpg
Curandera Group

curan males 6_6.jpg
Curandera Males

As the world continues to burn in human idiocracy, all is well in the plant kingdom!


Shaka
Mu
 
Aloha braddahs,

It has been a week since plants began their flower cycle. The resulting growth spurt has plants that initially measured 20’’ on the 6th now at 35”. Lots of new growth both horizontal as well as laterally. The Curandera males have just started showing pods and so have been moved to another room for maturation and pollen collection. I am enjoying the fullness of the room and the smells are now becoming insistent. The Ortegas and Critical Masses are putting out earth, coffee, juniper and the Curandera's smell of fuel from the SD mom- all tolerated and welcome in this house :D

Some top views:
ortega 6_15.jpg
Ortega

ortega4 6_15.jpg
Ortega #4 My Precious

critmass 6_15.jpg
Critical Mass

nursie 6_15.jpg
Nursie

cura 6_15.jpg
Curandera, looks like she might have a little widow in her ;)


Shaka
Mu
 
Aloha fellow Firewalkers!

Another week has passed and as week 3 of flower begins, the girls are showing their sass. They are developing nicely. Lighter green bud sites are everywhere, accompanied by a voracious thirst, requiring watering every day with resultant slight increase in room humidity as well as ambient room temperature due to increased biomass. Time to bring in that dehumidifier! Average plant size in the room is now 36” (91.4cm), while the taller ones are at 45” (114.3cm), requiring another raising up of the lights. Vegetative growth has tapered off since the changing of nutrient. Lowering N in the first several weeks of flower and significantly increasing the P; the girls are taking it in stride with no tip burn. Audrey (LSoH ref) is turning into Audrey 2 lol. My sativas would be choking and clawing at this point lol.

Some of the maintenance currently involved includes the application of Tanglefoot to the lower stems and regular inspection of same for any sexual aberrations. With that in mind, I am using a cheap 1200w rated? ChiCom LED, which has worked well with past grows; it is helpful in lighting the thick undergrowth. I have changed one of the bulbs to HPS also. The other blue remains. They are still getting prophylactic/nutrient sprays which will have to end soon so as not to negatively influence flower or encourage mildew. So far so good!

These next 4 weeks of bud development are the most exciting for me. Smells of doggie poop and other things organic contribute to this excitement along with pleasing morphological changes i.e. ever increasing bud size! They sure come on quicker than those 14-weekers, don’t they?

I will gather pollen to pollinate the Curandera plants today and then keep my fingers crossed, anticipating enough seed to get a good representation of F2 going forward. As I had mentioned earlier, all is well in the plant kingdom.

cura2 6_25.jpg
Curandera

ortega2 6_25.jpg
Ortega

critmass2 6_25.jpg
Critical Mass

nursie2 6_25.jpg
Nursie

ortega4b 6_25.jpg
Ortega #4-my precious

Shaka
Mu
 
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Beauty`s, Musashi! 🤩 The Ortegas are the showmakers top notch! and ive got my eye on your Curandera project 🔥
 
Aloha braddahs!

Hey Fish and Byorn!

As summer marches past Solstice, I am hoping that everyone is communing in a good way with their grows. I am going into the 4th week here. A fair amount of bottom was pruned away the other day and all of the clones are intact. Everything is coming along nicely save for my laziness in not securely connecting the timer to my LED light. This resulted in the timer temporarily laying on the floor, which got knocked about, turning on 2 hours later after lights were off. It was on for approx. 5 min. F*#+*_**!! I just about made myself hoarse from all the expletives coming out of my mouth in a scene reminiscent of the Exorcist- such a rookie move because I was going to “take care of it later.” No one else in the room to blame but me as I was ready to flog myself with that unplugged extension cord I tell ya. Okay back to my happy place.

Plants are decidedly going in the right direction with buds adding more weight. No more sprays just regular feedings of reduced N, and now enhanced teas and increased P infusions. I believe I am achieving max P as some plants are exhibiting very slight tip burn, but most are still yelling moar! They are still requiring daily watering and so I am alternatively watering half of the room every other day to minimize humidity spikes. Currently running an average 40% RH and 77 deg. F. The Curandera’s (SDxMM male) good genetics are showing as the main stems are about 1/3 thicker than the other plants and the addition of silicates appears to be helping as the tallest plants at 46” remain unsupported and so far untouched by mites. Tanglefoot helps here. The pollination the other day went well for these plants. I could kick myself for muffing up the Ortega males that were to be used for my ACDC project though. Put that Doors down while working musashi! :giggle:

Par for the course, the critical mass appears to have the largest buds at this juncture and I sure do like the uniformity of the Ortegas with “My Precious” being slightly shorter but still the beautiful shape. The F1’s of Nursie are varied but most show their Ortega heritage in morphology.

This is the time to be thinking about seed starts and the confusion is setting in. I really want to get the (NHxDoors male) F1’s going. BTW, I call this cross Back Door Man, written by Willie Dixon and sung by The Doors. I miss the MHIbl, and the AH is also calling. Then there is the SkHaze being considered bc PC3i is having so much fun by himself. Lastly, the MasterKaze or MKS is such a fun grow and CannaFish’s cross reminds me of how well they combine. So, fish or cut bait? The time is now. You braddahs want to throw some suggestions around, fine by me. Good hunting!

curandera 7_1.jpg
Curandera

Ortega 7_1.jpg
Ortega

crit mass 7_1.jpg
Critical Mass

Nursie 7_1.jpg
Nursie

Ortega #4 7_1.jpg
Ortega #4

Shaka
Mu
 
You got a holy grail run to look at yet for us? I think you'd do a bang up job if you haven't already.

Just popped my next crop.
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4 at far right Mango Haze
3 cascading down middle are Bananium x Mango Haze (1 didn't pop )
4 far left Cotton Candy x Mango Haze.
 
Scratch that, all popped. Just took one more morning for the Bananium x Mango haze seed.
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Even put an extra in the paper towel for good measure the night before.
 
Aloha fellow Firewalkers!

The 4th week ending and everything is thriving. Bud formation is in full swing now and fragrances are more defined and lingering longer. At this point, the Ortega’s are not that far behind the Critical Mass in weight and the Nursie’s so resemble their Ortega father other than slightly littler bud size and longer axillaries like their AC/DC mother. Love the genetics in those Ortega’s!
The Curandera’s are showing some of their sativa heritage in stature with many smaller bud sites typical of sativas. Challenging times in the world eh? But when the going gets tough, the tough grow a lotta shit and put it away for a rainy day. I’ll get some pics later when I have more time. Stay tuned.


Shaka
Mu
 
Aloha fellow Firewalkers!

In the early morning, just before the fans come on, there is a strong fuel-filled acridness in the air. It brings a smile to my face as I enter the room; it is almost tear inducing. Fans always running; the carbon filter comes on, and then the lights, in succession, fire and gradually fill the room in light. It is now the beginning of the 6th week and fan leaves are beginning to yellow and fall, leaving lower buds exposed to more light and additionally providing better air flow.

The first thing I notice is that 2 of the Nursie’s are down, bent to the ground laden with ever heavier buds. As I secure them with bamboo stakes, I brush against the plants releasing a most pleasant fragrance; the slight sweetness of berries. Yep, they smell like their father, who was a tall stately Ortega. Their main stems remind me of their mother, the ACDC. She was a lithe, frail thing with long axillaries and smaller buds. The purpose of re-crossing this plant to another Ortega was to give her more backbone and as you know by now this won’t happen until next round due to the earlier mix-up of dads.

nursie a 7_14.jpg nursie b 7_14.jpg nursie c 7_14.jpg

The 3 Critical Mass are doing what they do best; gaining weight and smelling of fuel. 2 plants have similar structure while the third is a bit taller displaying a lengthening and thickening main cola. The one clone I kept was the right one as she is not as tall but she makes up for that with many thick buds.

critical mass a 7_14.jpg critical mass b 7_14.jpg

The 4 Ortega’s, as with all Ortega’s are always welcome in this room. Like long lost friends, I look forward to sitting down with them soon. They never disappoint in yield and effect. #4, my precious is doing well looking kushier every day. I lost one of her clones and the other is limbering along. It appears suffering from pH imbalance, yet all the other clones are looking quite healthy. I am not much for finicky plants and I have learned over time not to get too attached knowing that there are other trains to catch. Smelling of berries, I look forward to tasting her once again sitting on the back porch watching the stars come out.

ortega a 7_14.jpg ortega b 7_14.jpg Ortega #4 7_14.jpg

The Curandera’s are a taller plant with longer internodes and longer axillaries terminating in spear-shaped colas. I can clearly see her Widow heritage as evidenced by her glistening white appearance. As I was trimming the yellowing bottom fan leaves, her perfume comes across as fresh strawberries. Having grown the F1’s half a dozen times now, I look forward to the pain relief coupled with the euphoria and sweetness of taste and smell. The Diesel cut was given to me years ago BTW.

curandera a 7_14.jpg curandera b 7_14.jpg

It is an enjoyable grow and I am thankful to take this pause from the longer maturing plants that I prefer. Not to be belittled, these plants are worthy of the effort as they will provide excellent medicine in a few short weeks time.

🤙
Mu
 
Aloha fellow Firewalkers!

The grow has just completed its 6th week, 42 days. The stated time for these varieties is around 55 days. But, like my oven that is mis-calibrated due to altitude or some unknown vortex, what the dial sez is not necessarily so. I always add another 15 degrees or in this instance, another week on to the stated flower time.

By my estimation, I have another 3 weeks. And judging by the flowers, I can confirm this by the number of mature pistils in the entire room which can be counted entirely by the digits on both my rough hands and bare toes lol. I suppose I could induce by less food or light or some other form of stress, but why? When I see more color in leaves and pistils, I’ll begin flushing in earnest.

As Bong said, “looking forward to watching swell”. Indeed, they add weight daily and I continue to help them in their process with water, nutrients and adding efficiencies like yucca, fulvic, molasses in teas. Speaking of weight, many of the Nursies and Curanderas are staked now but the Critical Mass and Ortegas are pretty much standing on their own. I am impressed with the genetics of both of these MNS varieties. Nice bud and overall plant structure on both and they exude the “mana”! My back porch and favorite chair await!

ortegaa 7_21.jpg ortegab 7_21.jpg
Ortega

crit massa 7_21.jpg crit massb 7_21.jpg
Critical Mass

While fragrances are getting more persistent, they are also changing and adding new aromas each day. I brushed by one of the Curandera the other day, it threw out grape! The time has gone fast and it looks like I will be rewarded with a decent yield. I have every reason to smile and be thankful. And so I do!

nursiea 7_21.jpg nursieb 7_21.jpg
Nursie

curanderaa 7_21.jpg curanderab 7_21.jpg
Curandera

🤙
Mu
 
Hello musashi!

How do you add the molasses? I always find it very sticky and messy to work with.

Longball
 
Very cool MU they are looking fantastic, how do they stack on the resin compared to a more modern strain like cheese, diesel or OG?

I love short flowers just because you can almost watch them grow day by day at this point, bring on those fat buds 🤘

Bong
 
Very cool MU they are looking fantastic, how do they stack on the resin compared to a more modern strain like cheese, diesel or OG?

I love short flowers just because you can almost watch them grow day by day at this point, bring on those fat buds 🤘

Bong
I agree, it is great to watch change that occurs rapidly in these types of plants. Not sure how to answer the question you pose. I am in the camp that doesn't believe more resin necessarily equals greater potency. The psychosis producing thai stick of yesteryear is testament to that.
That said, the Curandera is a Diesel crossed with Medicine Man BTW. They were both prodigious resin producers. And while I am on the subject, Fish asked about that "SD" earlier. This cut was a plant given to me over a decade ago. My friend referred to it both as Diesel and SD, inferring that it was a Sour Diesel cut. Yet when meeting his compadre who gave this plant to my friend, he just called it Diesel, a plant that had been around since the 90's. When grown, it shows up with big buds in Christmas tree fashion as opposed to the smaller buds I see on the modern versions.
While I was not there to confirm its true origination I can attest to the fact that it was a good producer with an acrid, yet sweet aroma. When rendered into shatter and smoked, it imparts an incredible euphoria that gives a multidimensional clarity I have yet to match with any other.

🤙
Mu
 
I agree, it is great to watch change that occurs rapidly in these types of plants. Not sure how to answer the question you pose. I am in the camp that doesn't believe more resin necessarily equals greater potency. The psychosis producing thai stick of yesteryear is testament to that.
That said, the Curandera is a Diesel crossed with Medicine Man BTW. They were both prodigious resin producers. And while I am on the subject, Fish asked about that "SD" earlier. This cut was a plant given to me over a decade ago. My friend referred to it both as Diesel and SD, inferring that it was a Sour Diesel cut. Yet when meeting his compadre who gave this plant to my friend, he just called it Diesel, a plant that had been around since the 90's. When grown, it shows up with big buds in Christmas tree fashion as opposed to the smaller buds I see on the modern versions.
While I was not there to confirm its true origination I can attest to the fact that it was a good producer with an acrid, yet sweet aroma. When rendered into shatter and smoked, it imparts an incredible euphoria that gives a multidimensional clarity I have yet to match with any other.

🤙
Mu
Very cool MU, I was worried about growing something that's not on par with Resin production but as you say thai is a great exception to that. I actually had some Thai just before joining the forum and initially I was disappointed seeing it out of the bag it was brown and horrible to look at, I was very surprised at the high I got from this little bag of crap lol I got about 10 beans but I'm scared to pop them in my piddly grow tent.

Now onto the curandera.... You bred medicine man to a diesel? Medicine man formerly known as white rhino? I discovered MNS beans after finding out greenhouse are not the creators of WW and such but that will send me down the waffle hole 😂
Dude it sounds like you have a true diesel big fat buds not little golf ball nugs scattered all over the place the sour diesel I have experienced. We only get weak fem versions of diesel here in the uk, man oh man oh man did you do more journals of this or is it a new cross or run? Holy crap I'm all excited just thinking about it.... Medicine man was one of my first true strains I smoked as a teenager, some older buddies grew it so it was the first bud I "knew" what it was besides just green lol

Man I've missed this hobby so much.
(Sorry still fell in the waffle hole)
Bong
 
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