Calypso

This grow started uniquely. I grow using topfed DWC in a 10 gallon tub and a LED light (rated 450w, actual ~210w draw on flower setting, ~150 on veg). I have two air stones. I tend to have 6 gallons of water to my reservoir. I grow one plant at a time from seed in my smallish tent in a closet. I don't have AC and I struggle with temperature and ventilation with my current set up. I make it work, but I wish I had better control of my environment as I know how important it is to overall size and quality of your harvest. I had received these genes as part of a recent seed purchase. They are a tough sativa leaning hybrid with a shortish flowering cycle. I was excited to try them. I live in Northern California and our summers have warm days that make it difficult to keep a tent cool if you're running lights during the heat of the day without AC. Nights get down to 50-60F though so running lights 12 hours per day during the nights should work, even during summer when it can be 95F during the day. Summer was coming and I wanted to have a plant already on 12 hours of light rather than a seedling on 18 hours of light when the heat arrived. I was 60 days into an 90 day autoflowering grow when I started the seed in the same tent as the autoflowering plant in full bloom. It also feels like a waste of time to have my whole setup dedicated to tiny seedling for the first 4 weeks of its life when it is only inches tall. I germinated the seed using the paper towel method. Started to crack in about 24 hours and placed her in Rapid Root plugs with the top feeding pump running nutrient rich, oxygenated water onto it after 48 hours. There are some challenges to having two plants in dramatically different stages of their lives in the same tent though. Specifically, ideal number of hours of light, color of light, and strength of light are all different for seedlings and plants in flower. Ideal nutrient mixture and quantities are also different. If I were growing a photoperiod plant and it was in bloom, this wouldn't have worked as the photoperiod plant would have been on 12 hours of light which is not enough for a seedling or a plant in veg. As I was growing an autoflowering plant though, and lights were on for 20 hours per day, this plan stood a chance. Seedlings and plants in veg prefer for a bluish spectrum of light while flowering plants prefer more red. A seedling will still grow fine under the redish spectrum though. Worst case, I just have to veg this girl a little longer until it gets to be the size I want it to be. So the only challenges I had to overcome were different nutrient needs of a seedling and plant in bloom and not frying the seedling with my full strength light on bloom. I used a 2 gallon bucket inside my main reservoir to give this plant its own reservoir with the appropriate level of nutrients for a seedling. The smaller bucket just barely fit under the lid of my main reservoir but it worked. I cut a chunk of its brim out so the air stone line and top feeding pump cord had a way out of the bucket. The bucket was just lined up with the hole in the top of the reservoir where her seed was placed. I also put one of my two air stones in the bucket and left the other air stone in the main reservoir under the plant in bloom. I also needed to mute the light with a glass bowl as I thought my LED light would be too much for a seedling. I used a heavy glass bowl to protect the seedling. Even clear glass blocks some of the light and UV rays. I wasn't sure how heavy of a piece of glass to use so I started with a heavy bowl. After 9 days from seed, everything was working. The seedling was surviving and looked fine. I noticed the smallest amount of stretch so I switched from a heavy bowl to a lighter, clear glass plate. It worked though!

After 15 days, everything is going well. The largest root has reached the reservoir and others are on their way. The plate is working and she looks pretty healthy and the right color. I believe this method saved time and allowed me to use a flowering Auto grow to start a photoperiod seed.

After 23 days, everything is still going well. Explosive growth is happening. Took plate away. Light is off to the side over the flowering auto so its getting unfiltered light but not really directly. You can see her indica heritage here.

At 28 days, she finally got rid of her roommate when I harvested the auto she had shared the tent with up until then. She also is now in the big reservoir with all six gallons rather than being in her little 2 gallon bucket. Took the top feed pump and lines out. I also switched the LED light back to Veg only. That is why the picture is bluish. I started bending her over. She has significant root mass in the reservoir. She is growing vigorously.

It is growing fast and looks healthy. I am definitely being a little rough with her and keeping her down with a brick and a bent coat hanger.

At 35 days, changed out water and changed to 'transition' nutrient levels and switched light scheduled to 12-12. Specifically, lights is set to be on from 10 at night until 10 in the morning.

Growing vigorously! Looking healthy to me.

Plant is definitely stretching. I topped a couple kolas that got too far above the others. It was 13 days from when I switched to 12-12 until when flowers were seen. Defoliated aggressively.

The stretch is still going. Not sure how close it is to done. The canopy height is not as uniform as I'd hoped but what do I really expect with a sativa leaning hybrid not under a screen. I'm sure it will work fine. :-)

The stretch is slowing. Lolipopped and defoliated again.

I'm really happy with this plant! The stretch is pretty much done. The canopy height is not as uniform as if I had used a SCROG but I'm still really happy with it. When I take the brick off in another couple weeks the front of the plant will pick up a little and she'll be pretty uniform then. She is filling in nicely. She has started smelling more. It is a sweet and lovely smell! During the stretch, I was nervous about her inter-nodal spacing. It looks like it'll work out fine though. I haven't defoliated any more but I'm thinking about it. Temps are a little warmer than I'd like (NorCal summer, lights on from 10PM to 10AM) but it's all working out. It has gotten to 80F in the tent a couple times but tends to stay from 74-78. Not ideal but she is taking it like a champ. Without the SCROG screen, I have a few branches that were leaning on the side the the tent. Used some duct tape and a straightened cloths hanger to prop them up off the tent wall. That should help with air movement and keeping them healthy.

At 84 days from seed, 29 days into bloom, she is drinking about a liter (1/4 gal) per day. The stretch has stopped. I continue to defoliate lightly so light and wind can get to the bud sites. Her harvest window will start in another 30 days so there is not much to do but wait. Highest temps in the tent this week were 79F, lowest were 73F. I read somewhere that purplish tones are more likely to show themselves if you have cool nights. Unfortunately, as I'm growing during the summer without AC, I don't think I'll be able to create cool enough nights to see purple leaves. She smells great though and is putting on weight well. I am excited to watch her develop. I am also trying out Terpinator for the first time. I am using it at much lower dosages than recommended. I plan to increase the amount I put in when I get comfortable that it won't burn my lady.

At 91 days from seed, 36 days into bloom, she is drinking about 2 liters (1/2 gal) per day. It has been a little warm in the tent which has caused her to drink more. Since she is drinking more than normal, the tips of her leaves look a little burnt. I think my nutrient levels would be fine if she weren't drinking so much. It's only slight burn though so she'll be fine. She still smells great but is actually one of the less pungent plants I've grown. So it’s a nice smell but its not overpowering. It looks like its going to be a bountiful harvest. I upped the terpinator added to the minimum recommended dose suggested by the manufacturer. Not much to do but wait and watch her put on weight.

At 95 days from seed, 40 days into bloom, she is still drinking about 2 liters (1/2 gal) per day. I am noticing new pistils being made on buds that otherwise look 3 weeks away from being ready to harvest. They were mostly observed on the highest parts of the highest kolas. This is probably a sign of light stress as it only the parts closest to the light. As I noted, my canopy height isn't very uniform. There is 8-10" of difference between the top of my highest kola and the top of my lowest kola that I wouldn't consider popcorn bud. I raised the light up so it was 16" above the highest kola. This means that its 24" to the lowest. Before I raised up my light, it was probably less than 12" from it to the highest kola. Not ideal but that is the result of not using a SCROG screen and my less-than-perfect training. I think I was stressing the highest kolas with light that was too intense. I've seen pictures of seriously deformed kolas before and I'm not that bad yet. I hope the shape of my buds remains typical and new pistil creation stops or slows. The light was probably too close. I don't think I did serious, long-term damage. At 98 days from seed, 43 days into bloom, she is still drinking about 2 liters (1/2 gal) per day. Not much to report today. She is filling out and looks more and more frosty everyday. Her smell is mild but really nice. The breeder's description of her sweet fruity smell is spot on The buds that were not closest to the light are looking like they are a few weeks from harvest. The buds that were closest to the light still have the new pistils that don't look anywhere close to harvest. It is high summer so temps are slightly higher than I'd like but it is all working out acceptably. Not much to do but keep changing the reservoir, watching her put on weight and waiting.

She continues to put on weight. It has been a hot week here in Northern California but I don't think its gotten over 80 F in the tent. She is looking great to me and I am looking forward to seeing some amber so I know its time to harvest.

Harvest time! 112 days from seed, 70 days from switching the light to 12-12. This is the last update before the harvest. I saw the first amber trichome earlier this week. I've flushed for the last couple days. I'm going to take her down right after I finish this post. I wait to see a little amber to harvest but I don't want too much amber as that means the stone will be more couch lock and less psychoactive. She continues to smell great but not strong. She is looks frosty, delicious and done to me.

At 112 days from seed, 70 days from when the lights were switched to 12-12, 57 days from when the first flowers were observed, I was seeing a few more amber trichomes everyday so I chopped her down. I was thrilled with the harvest. We'll see what the dry weight is but wet weight is 19.5oz ~ 554grams. Not a huge mistake but I wish I would have either used a scrog screen or done manifolding or vegged a little shorter and given more attention to guiding and managing the stretch. I think manifolding would have been best as she is a tall, stretchy plant. I didn't have the support I wish I did. The breeder says that she'll probably need some support and I think my consistency would have been better with a more uniform canopy height. Zero issues with mold, bud rot, root rot, pests, etc. Great plant!0 After letting her dry for 5 days, I weighed the harvest again and put it in jars. Buds are still sparkly and sticky and resiny. Not super compact, but my growing conditions were a little warm so I can't fault the genes. Dried weight is only 19% of wet weight which is less than I expected. She had a little more water weight than I thought when I chopped her down. I had my first sample of her. One good hit is all you'd want. I'd call the affect balanced. Great, strong hybrid. Somewhat in your head and up, but also a relaxed feeling in your body. I wouldn't want to over do it but a little is very nice! I'm glad I have almost 4 oz of it. :-)000