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Sherbet Queen and Royal Creamatic Grow 2 electric boogaloo
4th of January, 1:55 A.M. We have lift-off! On the right is Royal Creamatic and on the left is Sherbert Queen. Both are Automatics and both are from Royal Queen Seeds. This is my second grow ever and I am feeling confident and hopeful that I can replicate and build upon the success of my first.
They germinated and sprouted without issue. This time I germinated directly in the root riot cubes instead of starting with the paper towel and then moving to the cube. Made things much easier, and it was quite successful. I am using the same AC infinity propagation chamber as my first grow. Managing the humidity and cube dampness with a spray bottle and a heating pad to regulate the temperature. The second I saw the sprouts coming out of the cubes I flipped the lights on and ran 24 hours for the whole week. I upped the intensity from 10% to 100% over the week as the sprouts strengthened. I generally kept the temp and humidity between 70-80 degrees, but because of my setup, it's hard to keep it 100% stable. (The heating pad likes to push it past 80 even on low with a buffer between the box and pad once the lights are on and closer to 100% intensity.)
Transplanted on the 6th day after germination. By day 8 they took to their new homes and started their expansion. I put them in a 65/35 fox farms ocean forest and perilite combo mix. I added a barrier of Mycorrhizal Inoculant from Dynomyco between the root cube and the soil like I did in my first grow. This once again feels like the right play since I only noticed a tiny bit of nute burn as the seedlings expanded into the soil. (Fox farms is a bit hot, but I like being able to run for a about month without extra nutes.)
Temps and humidity have been 100% stable along with my VPD and PPFD. Having that knowledge dialed in for my second grow has really made the first few weeks a bit of a snooze. With my first grow I had to check on her every 2 hours just to ease my stress, now I check once a day to make sure no one has blown up.
Week two! They are growing well and everything is stable. Haven't really had to do much except change the light height a smidge as they have grown up a bit! Currently watering about a liter and a half every 4 days or so.
Week Three! Pretty much status quo. Giving more water now though. I have upped it to about 2 and a half liters per 4 days. They seem to be thriving! (I failed some LST on the Sherbert. I decided to try and go with a different technique that I am making up on the fly. Going to try and push the plant in 4 directions then stabilize on the way up with bamboo poles. I did this with my first grow, but not until later in the plants life, so it wasn't as controlled. Hoping this time around it works even better!
Week four has been smooth but active! (Also technically Sherbert is "Flowering" and Royal just started, so next week we are officially switching to the flowering label!)
The girls are beginning to enter pre-flower, and they're growing up quite quickly! Sherbert started showing some pistils about 5 days ago, and the royal started showing some within the last 24 hours (1/30 evening time is when I noticed.)
I gave the girls another Flowers kiss spray down right at lights out on 1/30. I intend to sneak in one more dose next week before they start growing some buds, but at the rate Sherbert is going, she may be past that point by then. I got two rounds in though, so hopefully that is enough if it comes down to it.
I still haven't provided any nutrients, but that will be changing with the next feed since they are showing some flowering signs. (will start with a light dose of Cal/mag and bloom nutrients and see how they react) I think I overwatered the Sherbert a tiny bit this last week, but overall they are drinking regularly, and Creamatic's thirst is growing rapidly. (Along with her size!)
I did some light LST to open her up and tucked some fan leaves below the bud branches. I will continue applying my bamboo stick/tuck/tie-down method to spread her out and bring her bud sites up the best I can.
Excited to see how the next few weeks progress!
The girls got their first feed this week. It looks like the Nitrogen was a bit much for the Sherbert queen, so I may need to separate their nutrient dosing if the Creamatic still wants more. Going to give them water for their next feed, but go a bit lighter. I want to give them a bit more phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, and potassium now that they are entering the flowering phase. I might only give them a liter of plain water next feed, and check two days later to see if they want another round, so I can get another nutrient dose in minus the Nitrogen. (2 liters of water per feed usually)
So far we are looking good I think! The flower stretch is in full effect, checking the 1/31 top shot duo photos against the 2/4 top shot duo is quite a contrast. The middle bamboo stick used to tower over the Sherbert, Now you can barely see it. Even the Royal Creamatic is keeping up, even though she is supposed to take an extra few weeks to finish, so I am pleased that I don't have to make too many adjustments to keep her happy. I always appreciate a lady who leans a bit toward the low-maintenance side ;)
The bamboo LST method continues to prove effective and truly low stress. Its very easy to continue the NESW spread and spread the larger branches away and up from the main cola. I want to take more risks with either topping or other HST tricks on the main stem to promote multiple "main cola' growth, but for now I am enjoying just letting the plants do most of the work while I promote the best possible coverage and space for them. Once I get a bit more bud rich I will play around more with the limits. But hey, this hobby is a blast, and just growing some plants is so much more fun than I could have imagined before I gave it a shot!
Got lots of shots this week! The girls grew like weeds! (Haha, Classic...)
I have dialed back the nitrogen hard and upped the phosphorous and potassium. (The soil mainly had the nitrogen since it is Fox Farms Ocean Forest) It was too hot for the Sherbert and probably a smidge hot for the Creamatic, but both managed to chug along without much issue. Both showed signs of nitrogen burn as we hit pre-flower, and I let them ride the week. I pulled the trigger and gave the Sherbert a 10-gallon Fox Farms sledgehammer flush, and the Creamatic 5 gallons. Hopefully, that will get rid of the remaining excess nitrogen and I can focus on mid to late flower feeding as we bring these gals in for a landing. Sherbet looks to be on pace for a quick finish. Probably a month out from her chop day give or take. I would assume Creamatic will take an extra two weeks given where she is compared to Sherbert.
I am going to let them dry out really well from their flush. Looking to probably feed with some more P/K nutes (And just a tiny touch of Nitrogen if they look up for it)
Next, I need to consider mapping out what I want to trim off to open them up more, but so far the bamboo sticks with Soft wire tie-downs have provided a pretty even canopy and spacey center.
Starting to get a faint whiff of terps from both. Creamatic is a faint honey smell, and Sherbert is a fruity sweet with a bit of gas behind it. Excited to see how they develop over the next week! See you then!
Day 48! (As of this update)
Flowering is coming along and the flush went well I think!
Sherbert is looking so much better. She does have some permanent nitrogen damage on her older growth, but the new growth is coming in with a much better color and no clawing. I have started providing her with flowering nutes, mainly just a mix of Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom, and Beastie Bloomz with some Cal-Mag. I did provide both Sherbert and Creamatic with a tablespoon of Epsom salt during the first feed after flushing. They seem to have enjoyed that thoroughly and rewarded me with about 4 inches of growth over 4 days.
Creamatic is going strong, I have not had to do much for her. She is getting her flowering nutes now and seems to be chugging along. I am impressed that she caught up to Sherbert in height. Supposedly she takes a good 3-4 weeks longer on average so either Sherbert is taking her time, or Creamatic is flying. Either way I love the look, and can't wait to see the buds develop more!
Plan to keep chugging along until she tells me she needs something different. I will probably dial back the cal-mag unless she asks for some more.
It's getting to be that time when I need to plan my next run! I am posting my current stock and taking votes! Currently, Titan and Watermelon are winning in my friend group for auto's and I intend to run a photo in my new tent that I just picked up! (Sweet ZZ's is winning that vote currently)
So I need to choose a total of 3 plants. (2 Auto's and 1 Photo)
Cast your vote in the comments! (Pictures should be uploaded with my stock and the number of weeks it takes for the seed to flower. I made a mistake and put the F1 Titan seeds in the photo pile, so disregard that as a choice for photos.)
Another week in the books. Things have been steady and smooth. Both girls have fully bounced back from their respective flushes and have developed some juicy-looking buds over the last week! The Sherbert Queen especially is looking good. Based off my last grow, Sherbert Queen is easily on pace to exceed the 3.3 ounces I got from my first plant. I did some defoliation, and removed a lot of the old lower growth, along with some doomed branches and bud sites that were never going to see the light of day.
Both plants didn't seem to mind the defoliation, and after re-adjusting some of the tie downs and bamboo poles I was able to really spread them out. I am hoping to just ride into the sunset with these gals now and bring them in for an effortless landing. Watering has picked up a bit, the royal creamatic is drinking almost a gallon every two days, and Sherbert is still sticking with a gallon every 3-4 days.
Remember to cast a vote for my next run! Doing a total of 3 plants (2 auto 1 photo) the seeds available are posted in the pictures.
Another week in the books! The girls have been stacking up nicely. I gave them their final soil flush 3/4 to set them up for success going into the last phase of their maturity. Got both soils pHing at 6.5 and will continue providing P/K in large quantities to fuel their development. Both girls are stacking buds and trichomes and their smell is delicious! Pistils are slowly changing to brown/orangish and both have a sweet cream/honey-esk scent, with a bit of pepper from the Sherbert. Quite a contrast from the Gasoline/Dank smell that White Widow gave off at this stage! (My fiance appreciates that!)
I am thinking about 2 weeks or a smidge more for the Sherbert Queen, and maybe 3 or so for Royal Creamatic. Both should be smooth finishes and I will let them ride to the end. Looking for 85/15 on cloudy/amber give or take. (Maybe 80/20 on the Creamatic since she is supposed to be geared towards a sedative high.)
Don't forget to cast your vote for my next grow! 2x Autos and 1x Photo from the two pics in my diary. (Titan F1 is an auto, so it counts towards the auto vote even though it's in the photoperiod section)
Currently, Watermelon and Titan are winning on the Auto side, and there are no photo votes yet, so let me know! I have been leaning towards Royal Runtz, Amnesia Haze, or Blue Mystic.
Coming into the final weeks of this round of growing. Sherbert Queen is on the chopping block. She has been fading hard, and in the last few days has eaten the majority of her leaves. I am planning on chopping either tonight or tomorrow. I didn't get much or any amber trichromes on her and I wanted to try and let her ride, but the plant seems to be ready to call it quits, so I am just limping her along for a bit longer to try and get some final THC production in. But as you can see I have had to take off a ton of leaves since they have all been eaten up. Her Trichromes are getting pretty stacked and the majority are at least cloudy, so she should be potent.
Royal Creamatic is still chugging along and looking fantastic. She will be very excited to have the tent to herself to finish up I am sure. Continuing a normal flower feed schedule for her. She is drinking about 3 gallons of water a week now, but I expect we will see that drop off here in a week or two as she enters her final chapter.
Don't forget to cast your vote for my next run! I am planning on doing 2 auto's and a photo so let me know what you think I should run! (Options are posted in my pics, Titan F1 is an auto and shouldn't be in the photoperiod pile)
Sherbet is down! (As of 3/16) She made it to day 72 and was ready to call it quits. She is drying at 62/60 in the smaller tent and seems to be doing well.
Royal Creamatic now has the tent to herself and is loving it! She is stacking nicely and rewarded me with an immense amount of new bud growth showing on most of her crowns. I am thinking about two more weeks, but we will see!
The voting has concluded and the winners are as follows! Watermelon, Titan, and Northern Lights will be my three for the next round. (I decided to roll with three autos this round to make my next grow a pure photo grow) So keep an eye out in mid-April for that diary to drop!
Another easy breezy week with the Royal Creamatic. (Bit of a late update this time!)
She has been a very thirsty girl ever since she sprouted; that trend continues. She is currently drinking about 5 gallons a week and no signs of slowing yet. I expect about 10-14 days at her current pace, but she might stretch a whee bit longer. She is an absolutely gorgeous plant and I wish my photos could do her justice. I got lucky with her phenotype and it's been a treat to watch what she's grown into. I will definitely feel a pain when I have to bring her down for the dry and cure!
I continue the nutes, plain water, nutes feed schedule and I am pretty much just eyeballing it at this point. I have dialed it back a tiny bit since the nute burn on her leaf tips moved a bit inward over the last week, but I expect the signals that it's time for the end to come will happen soon, so I will dial it down as it is. (I don't fully flush for 14 days. I know flushing can be a bit controversial, and I am slightly on the side that it doesn't make that much sense. Not that I want to argue about it, everyone should grow how they want! That's the joy of this hobby, isn't it? Total control of our product!)
Sherbert Queen is on day 13 of her dry. It looks like she will land at the 14-day cure that is desired! I got lucky with the weather in my state, and the temps stayed low, so it was easy to maintain a 60/60 for almost the whole dry. Her stems feel right on the cusp of being ready today, but I figure I'd let her go until tomorrow to hit that 14 days and then she should be ready for the jars/bags! (After a much-needed haircut)
I am looking forward to my next grow! Getting that itch to have three going at once and to really see what I can do!
Royal Creamatic is going strong still. She is just starting to eat some of her older fan leaves, so I expect we are within the final week or so. (I feel like I keep saying this but for reals this time!!)
She is still eating quite a bit but has slowed down. She is taking about a gallon less a week now. (Down to 3 gallons a week compared to 4 at peak) I swapped over to Cha Ching because she was showing signs that she wanted just a touch more nitrogen. Everything else looks good, just waiting for those trichomes to finish up! Her colors are stunning, and I can't wait to taste her. She has a delicious honey/cream smell that is truly tantalizing.
I took her outside of the tent for a photoshoot to show off colors. This has been my favorite looking plant so far!
And just a quick update on the Sherbet Queen. She is all dried and curing away. Took out a half ounce to start smoking and my goodness she is a dream. Hits hard and fast and makes you feel energetic and good. Very happy with her, especially with a full grow cycle netting over two ounces of delicious smokeable product and 20 grams of edible trim in about 70 days.
I just finished trimming her and now she is curing. She came in at 62 grams of nice smokeable buds, and about 20 grams of shake/trim/popcorn for my edible adventures, so I am happy! For a plant that finished in 10 weeks from sprout to chop, I can't complain. I think the nitrogen issues shortened her life span and reduced her yields, but it smells fantastic, tastes great, and the little sampler I tried last night sent me to the moon, so I am excited to enjoy the fruits of the labor.
It was a very easy plant to grow. I did very little outside of a bit of trimming, a bit of LST, and a couple of flushes. Hopefully, the experience I picked up here will help me avoid nitrogen toxicity next time. (Or at least recognize it sooner)
So, as a smoking product, she sits around 8.5/10. She isn't going to put you in a coma, but the high is very strong and it hasn't even been cured yet. It's a great cerebral buzz that sets in behind the yes and hovers over the frontal cortex. It gets me energized and feeling good. The smell is citrus/sweet mostly. The buds smell way more after drying, than they did while she was growing, so that was exciting.
She was a bit leafy! Probably because of the nitrogen overdose, but I will have to see if that happens again when I get back around to popping another Queen.
Now we just need to get that Royal Creamatic through the finish line and I can move on to my next one!
Trimmed and curing! Just waiting for Royal Creamatic to finish up so I can get to drying her. Sherbert was an easy dry and trim and I got a fair yield for the speed.
Another week down! Royal Creamatic is really taking her time and enjoying having the tent all to herself. The end is coming quickly, though. Her top cola is showing amber finally, and the mid-range colas are swelling up and all cloudy, so they should start showing the amber real soon here. I think I am going to try and ride her out until either Friday or Saturday. (A 4/20 chop date sounds perfect, no?)
She smells amazing and looks so damn delicious. She is still drinking pretty well, but it is tapering off as we go along. A lot of her fan leaves are starting to turn, I absolutely love how she goes from a deep purple, to an assortment of reds mixed with purple as her leaves senescence. I wish I had a leaf book to press some of these, because they are spectacular.
She is easily the best looking plant I have grown, and her frosty buds lead me to believe she might end up being the best smoke as well!
I will come back to update this appropriately as I dry and cure, but she was chopped today 4/17/2024 at 12:40 CDT! Her top cola's were showing a decent mix of cloudy and amber. Her mid and bottoms looked pretty milky with few clear so it felt like a good time to take her down. (Included shots of both top, mid, and bottom nugs, so some trichome shots will not have amber since I didn't ride until everything was fully done. (I would have to chop top cola's and I prefer to just hang dry the whole plant and take the lower stuff for edibles.)
She is thick and her nugs feel very dense. I am hoping she rivals my first plant or possibly exceeds her. She definitely put on more weight than Sherbet did, but Sherbet finished about 5 weeks faster... So to each their own! We don't judge here, at least not the speed of growth. 😉
She is drying at 63/60 now. It will be harder to give her 60/60 like Sherbet got, but I will try my best!
Stop back in 28 days for the smoke report! 🙏
So this is a bit before 28 days, but she is all trimmed and jarred up. I have tested a few nugs and my god, she is amazing! Brilliant honey cream taste with a fantastic high. Hits you in the middle of the head to start and loosens up your whole body as it progresses down your spine. The pleasant full body buzz made a 3 hour house cleaning session fly right on by.
She ended up giving me about 117 grams of smokeable bud with an extra 20 grams of edible trim. The total harvest clocked in at:
117 grams of Royal Creamatic
63 grams of Sherbet Queen
roughly 35 grams of edible trim/larf from both plants combined.
Now its time for round 3! Seedlings are currently germinating and I will have that diary started within the next few weeks as I have the time! Thanks for following along with this run!
Will come back to update this later. She was ready to chop so I went ahead and pulled the trigger. I can't wait for the dry and cure to finish so I can taste her.
@Adkguerrilla44, Thanks for the likes and replies!! I did know about Titan being an Auto, I just accidentally included it in the photoperiod photo. My next run is decided and will be Titan, Northern Lights, and Watermelon. (All Auto's again)
On the Widow post you mentioned getting away from Fox Farms. Do you have any soil recommendations? I eventually want to try a different medium, but I have been enjoying soil a lot so far.
@MrBulldops, Haha thanks! My grow room is adjacent to my man cave, so the gaming/anime tapestries make it into the photo shoot now and then when I want to take pictures outside of the tent.
Shishio
