Getting Ready To Get Out There!

I can't wait to get these gals outside this year. I am really looking forward to see what I can make of them.

I like to refer to them as gals, although I don't know that for sure. I start my crops by seed, generally not a feminized either so it's always a surprise when them pistols pop. A great feeling at that. For those of you that have no clue, until the cannabis plant begins to flower if it were grown from unfeminized seed stock, it is literally impossible to look and tell which sex it is. We all want them females, unless your into breeding. The males don't do shit but seed out or gals, and this kills the quality of the end product. Boo.

^{[C99/HB x PBB]}

I start my crops early in the year, late in the winter to give them that jump start to glory. I like 1 big plant and a few manicured shorties to keep me busy in the summer. Such a relaxing time out in the garden. Whether its bending branches, trimming foliage, or carefully making it grow in a certain way, you can't beat the zen of getting back to nature, even in the city.

This year I started up 5, of which I have already pulled out 1 Gorilla Passion for just looking shitty right out of the gate. I still have 4 going, 1 Gorilla Cookies, 2 C99/HBxPBB, 1 Gorilla Passion. They are coming along nicely, the BIF strain is fricken growing way faster than anticipated, she's out of control.

The GCO is also blowing up pretty fast. I had to leave town for 4 days for work and when I returned the two plants had grown up into the lights. I like to bend the branches and tuck them under the twine I strung across the top of the plants or use soft pipe cleaners to hold the branches in place for periods of time. If you hold a branch in the same position for a few days it seems to want to remain in place. I woods up, for the lack of a better term. Stop blushing ladies.

When I run in to this problem it is time to take some clones. This year, I started the plants early enough to have time to grow them big enough to take and root clones before needing to get them outside. I will be able to 12-12 one of the clones to sex the plant as well. If I get my results early enough, I can then clone the female plants again, this will assure the crop I put outside will be worth it! Here's a few more photos of the sprout box...

^{[GorillaPassion]}

^{[C99/HBxPBB#2]}

^[GCO]

Got Clones?

So cloning is a fun time, a delicate time, but fun no doubt. Some growers would cringe at the cuts I am going to make to the BIF C99/HBxPBB plant. She's just so big, I am going to start the cloning this year with her. I'll take some really nice branches in hopes they take vigorously. She'll have plenty of time to recover outside. and in this way I am keeping the growth more on the bushy side.

I like to use Solo cups for my clones, the square ones to be specific. I find they are less apt to want to tip over, and make it really easy to cut the corners, the only corners I cut. They fit nicely in the common plastic plant trays you frequently see at any garden section or store.

I cut of 3 branches and cleaned up some foliage from the BIF C99/HBxPBB #1, the really big one. I used the tips of these branches for my clones. They looked pretty good but we'll see in a couple days if they look healthy.

I think everyone deserves a box they can grow some cannabis in. Even if not to consume, just to grow. There is something to be said when you can get a living thing to thrive. A feeling of accomplishment, a felling of winning, a smooth easy feeling that makes stress melt away. You can see the three clones I took are really nice looking, on is laying down, but this will correct itself as she roots. I'll spray water on them daily and keep them covered to maintain a high relative humidity and to allow the clone to foliar feed.

I really like to look at canna. I can spend hours with my plants, curtain open, bowl blazing. Just visiting. Plants like companionship in my opinion. They want to be handled, touched, bumped, moved and broken. The vigor it brings out in the final dash toward the sun is definitely affected by the early attention. Just like a kid.