Paradise Pine - Huckleberry Hill Farms

03/05/25: Germination Day 1 Today marks the start of my grow with some legacy genetics from Huckleberry Hill Farms. I’ll be working with a back-cross of the Emerald Cup-winning Whitethorn Rose and one of its parents, Paradise Punch. These are regular seeds, meaning they have an equal chance of being male or female. My goal is to find at least three strong female plants for flowering while also identifying and potentially isolating any males for pollen collection in a separate tent. To begin the germination process, I have placed five seeds in a glass of distilled water. This step helps soften the seed coat and kickstarts hydration, encouraging the seeds to absorb moisture and prepare for sprouting. They will remain in the water for 24 hours, or until I see signs of the seed cracking open, which indicates that germination has begun. After this initial soak, the seeds will be moved into small starter pots filled with a 40/40/20 blend of: • 40% soil (Roots Organics) – Provides organic nutrients and microbial life. • 40% buffered coco coir – Improves aeration and retains moisture. • 20% perlite – Enhances drainage and prevents compaction. This balanced medium creates an ideal environment for seedling development, offering both moisture retention and oxygen flow to the roots. For this grow, I will be using: • AutoPots – A gravity-fed watering system that delivers nutrients efficiently with minimal maintenance. • Advanced Nutrients – A pH-perfect nutrient system that ensures my plants receive the correct nutrient balance without frequent pH adjustments. Tomorrow, I will transfer the seeds into their starter pots and begin monitoring humidity and temperature to ensure optimal conditions for sprouting. I’ll provide an update once they are in the medium and starting their early growth phase. 03/06/25: After 24 hours of soaking, I checked the seeds by gently tapping them. Since they all sank to the bottom of the glass jar, I knew they had absorbed enough water and had likely started the early stages of germination. At this point, they were ready to be transferred to their starter pots. To ensure a smooth transition: • I carefully poured the seeds onto a paper towel to drain excess water. • Each seed was then placed directly into Roots Organics soil, which is well-suited for early seedling development. • While my final transplant will use a 40/40/20 mix of soil, coco, and perlite for better aeration and drainage, I opted for pure Roots Organics soil at this stage to provide a stable and nutrient-rich environment for initial root development. To encourage strong root growth, I added mycorrhizal fungi to the soil. This was placed about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) below where the seeds were set, ensuring that once the taproot reaches this depth, it will benefit from the symbiotic relationship mycorrhizae create with plant roots—enhancing nutrient and water absorption. After placing the seeds into the soil: • I gently covered them with soil and lightly tapped down the surface to create good seed-to-soil contact. • Using a misting bottle, I moistened the soil surface to prevent overwatering, which could lead to damping off. • I placed humidity domes over each pot to maintain a high-humidity environment, which is crucial for seedling emergence. The pots were placed inside my AC Infinity 2x2 tent, under the AC Infinity Ionboard S22 grow light, currently running at 30% power. This provides gentle, consistent light without creating excessive heat or drying out the soil. The next few days will be an exciting time as the seeds break through the soil and begin their early vegetative growth. Monitoring moisture levels and maintaining a warm, humid environment will be key to ensuring a successful start. I’ll provide an update as soon as the first seedlings emerge! 03/10/25: All five seeds have successfully germinated and broken through the soil within three days of planting. This is an excellent start, indicating that the environmental conditions and medium are well-suited for early growth. Observing their early development: • Four of the seedlings are displaying a consistent growth structure, suggesting uniform genetics. • One seedling is already showing significantly more vigor, growing at a faster rate than the others. This could indicate a particularly strong phenotype, which will be worth monitoring as the plants develop. To maintain optimal conditions for seedling development: • The seedlings will remain under humidity domes for at least a few more days (likely until the end of the week). • The domes help retain high humidity levels, reducing stress on the young plants as they establish their first set of true leaves. • Once they are ready, I will gradually remove the domes to allow them to adjust to open air and the gentle airflow inside the grow tent. The next week should require very little intervention: • I will check the seedlings daily to ensure they are progressing well. • Watering will be minimal—only small amounts if the soil appears dry, but since the humidity domes help retain moisture, they will likely be fine on their own. • No nutrients will be introduced at this stage, as the Roots Organics soil provides sufficient nutrition for early seedling development. Assuming no issues arise, my next update will be at the end of the week when I transition the seedlings out of their humidity domes and begin preparing for their early vegetative phase. If anything of note occurs before then, I’ll document it accordingly.