The Sweet Seeds Express - stops at - Ice Cool - Crystal Candy - Sweet Cheese.

[2Fat2EatThat]

 

I trust everyones well and you've all had a good start to the new year.

 

I'm looking forward to getting this grow of the ground. Massive thanks to Sweet Seeds for their generosity and their continued support of growers here, and abroad of course.

 

First of, are there any bonus points for using images of the correct high speed Spanish train in my header ?! It may be fast but damn that's an ugly duckling of a train

 

It's now time to depart on our Spanish excursion. So let's hook up the Pantograph (did my tech research!) draw down some go juice and get this electric express rolling.

 

The grow plan -

 

As the title hints, this grow will be done on rails. They are my interpretation of a net grow but only from the net up,not down,with a hint of mainlining to mash it up further.

 

The rails are 40mm x 20mm timber batons that are 1200mm long. Eight are screwed together equally spaced into a bed form that's then hung from the heavy duty 100mm x 50mm timber skeleton of my grow space held about 8 inches above pot height.

 

Its easier to get your head round if you think of each baton/rail simply as a row of squares in a net and each row is a strain. So it's not as mad as it may sound initially.

 

Here they are pre use -

 

 

 

Four plants sit underneath them at each end of the rails, rather than from the middle as with a net. This means growth will be from the outside in towards the prime light centrally.

 

They're not in situ yet as I've another grow finishing while this one veg's out, but all will become clear soon enough.

 

So why rails not a net anyway?

 

I was looking for a method I can use to maximise my space and one that can be rolled over growing out new strains and starting new diaries as I go. 

 

When I broke it down, I realised all a net really does is force you to grow in equally spaced rows to maximise yield in the space you have. I needed to replicate that in a simpler form but with an extra requirement or two.

 

You obviously cant use a net in that way, theres no way to add a fully vegged plant directly into one ,let alone perpetually as I'll be doing. But, with rails aslong as I train them right in veg I can plug any plant straight into it as soon as a rail becomes free with a little jiggling.

 

If I can get 10 good flowers a rail I'll be rolling in Trichomes and will be a nicely baked bunny.

 

The process from seed  -

 

I grow in budget compost but I have the luxury of having Intense Nutrients range of Organix products to hand that will all be used as described in their schedule.

 

 

 

 

Plants will be potted up quite quickly and will be finishing in 5.5 litre square ones, four at each end of the rails.

 

They will initially be over vegged to the third node before being topped back down to the first to give a sturdy main stem to work from. I then remove one branch leaving me with one lonely branch per plant to train, which is why I need a sturdy stem to work from.

 

In veg, that solo branch is grown across the top of a 1 meter long upturned plastic tub for support at pot height. Then as the plant develops, I bundle all the developing side branches up together, roughly placing flower sites and encouraging the minor flower sites to develop, as happens in mainlining. 

 

The basic aim is to form a "bundle" of branches with flower sites all along it, a cannabis conduit if you will.

 

Once a flowering rail is free up top, the vegged plant gets lifted and tied down to that rail in my flower space where some final adjustment and bud site placement can take place.

 

Fan leaves will be left free of the ties as theres no reason to tie them down so they can blow freely in the breeze. At flip any stretch is tied back down and re-positioned again as required. Later on, any flower supports needed can be simply ziptied or screwed to the baton itself.

 

Lighting -

 

My veg light is a row of three small equally spaced 35w CMH control gear mounted to a board that acts like a false ceiling that I can lower or raise as needed.

 

 

 

 

They provide a good even light spread the whole 1400mm length of my veg space at low wattage and low heat. Height in veg will be of no issue as all growth is held entirely at rail level.

 

 

 

 

Flowering will be done under my Blackdog Phytomax2 200w that always does the job no matter what set up I place it in, and, aslong as I dont grow 3ft porn star buds, flowering height wont be on my worry list either.

 

The strains -

 

I've done all of these strains in a past grow life so it was no problem selecting them for this years competition as they're my favourites of the range.

 

 

 

 

I went with Ice Cool as I've always loved that proper Diesel smack upside the head. Grown well its like being mauled by an angry yet kindly Grizzly Bear forcing that distinct Diesel flavour down you that fizzes across the palate like mommas home made sour lemonade making your brain squiffy as it goes

 

 

 

 

Sweet Cheese is an interesting mix of genetics, and has proper full Cheese power. The ones I ran had notes of Apricots with a slice of Goats cheese that coated the mouth like a spoonful of cold sticky honey. It delivered a nice warming hit that kept me smiling.

 

 

 

 

Crystal Candy was obviously inspired by Willy Wonkas everlasting exotic gobstopper. It dances round your gob like a drunk leprechaun, liberally splashing his hangover cure tropical smoothy as he jigs and fiddles. Fruity, zingy with a soft background umami that lasts in the mouth, and indeed, memory for sure.

 

Germination -

 

I'm germinating two of each strain and will pick the most virile of each to run with initially. Unselected seedlings will be following its predecessor directly after.

 

I germinate simply between two wet layers of kitchen roll inside an ice cream tub. They then get placed into the airing cupboard for 24hrs or so. It tends to sit at around 26c - 28c inside the tub with max humidity of course.

 

Once popped, they're lovingly placed into the same compost I grow in,nothing seedling specific, and sat under one of my little 35w veg lights.

 

From that point onwards it's a lazy way to grow really but I've been declared "medically lazy" so it's fine for me

 

That's my intro done and I just hope I can complete the journey without any delays for cattle on the tracks or the wrong type of snow (UK based joke for any Spaniards reading,UK rail sucks)

 

I am the fat controller, so climb aboard folks and lets get the Sweet Seeds Express rolling. See you at the next update with seedlings....toot...toot!!

 

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by 2Fat2EatThat

[Asterion]

Good luck man  sweet cheese sounds pukka  

[InTheSystem]

Nice one, cool to be in another comp with you - I am sure it will be a fun one... All aboard The Sweet Seeds Express!! Best of luck mate - it's nice to see Crystal Candy making another appearance also, was one of my selections too 

Edited January 14, 2020 by InTheSystem

[2Fat2EatThat]

@InTheSystem thanks for popping in man,nothing but dirt,nutes and lights underneath it all this time round thank god. My noodle contraption was a double f*****g stupid idea and It really did my nut in but I'm not exactly balanced anyway

 

Crystal Candy rocks 110%,best of luck I'm sure you'll nail it big time and theres so many ways of winning in this competition that if you put a bit of effort in your almost certain to walk away with a little something by the end.

 

@Asterion I dont think I've had a cheese from anywhere that's not hit the spot but Sweet Seeds crossed in Black Jack, I think, and gave it a real nice edge.

 

Thanks for climbing aboard the Sweeet Seeds Express it's £5 return or £10 first class  

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by 2Fat2EatThat

[badbillybob]

"Ivor", one will "rail"- ee be interested in seeing how this pans out (see what I did there?)

Strains sound nice, I hope they "stay on track" for you mate.  wouldn't want to see this grow "De-railed", or "side tracked".

I will "station" myself in the corner and watch from the "sidings"

 

I''ll get me coat...……...

 

Anyway, I hope your timber set up makes more sense to me  when its in action, ive no idea what its all about, too much concentration for me at this time of day im afraid . Are you growing the buds between the timbers or something/? ill have another read......

 

Lovely selection of strains, Best of luck with the grow, 

l 

 

[UKsFinest]

Cracking intro mate looking forward to seeing what you've got in mind with the rail it's gone over my head aswell @badbillybob they all sound banging the crystal candy description is making me want to try that now  

[AustrianToker]

Some detailed intro you got there. Looking forward to the rail growing. 

[Exhale]

@2Fat2EatThat hope there's no first class bullshit on this train

 

Really interested to see what this rail growing is all about, looks like a japanese torture rack to me, you aren't going to be nailing bamboo splints into your plants and wiring up the lady bits to the mains I hope!

[GreenVision]

Another Crystal Candy grower! 

 

Best of luck mate. Will be joining in soon but I'll pull up a chair to follow along if its OK.

 

 

 

GV.

[2Fat2EatThat]

@badbillybob @UKsFinest @AustrianTokker

@GreenVision thanks for calling in chaps and hope I can give you something to watch on your train journey while I serve you shit tea and british rail sandwiches, mmmmm remember those

 

 

[Sweet Seeds-tommy]

Cheers mate

 

That's a very good start with a lot of features going on

 

Welcome to the competition. Going to be fun for sure

 

tommy

[HEMPFRUIT]

Have I missed the snak trolley? 

Ya can't beat a sarny with a mouthful of thick recycled sweaty slightly pissy train air...

Good luck mate nice selection 

[McHazy]

Mmmmm  mmm 

Sweaty British rail sandwiches yum

Good luck mate

[GreenVision]

At least you could open the door when you threw up though  

[Sweet Seeds -Jaypp]

Hi my friend!

That's a great start

Welcome to the 6th Sweet Seeds® Grow Diary Competition.

Best of luck!
jaypp