Honey Cream (R.Q.S.), 9x4,889=44!

Budcrack Week 1, concluding the first week of vegetating, Hi(gh) guys! Well, not so much for me though, because the O.G. from first grow is long gone. And the B.B. needs another 5 weeks to finish. Let’s see if we can up the yield to desired proportions this round! Here we go… I’ll continue optimizing the base principle of the previous grow, so nothing new to mention. If I’ll succeed in keeping all ten seedlings alive, the tenth seedling will move to the upper part of my tent as a nice bonus. But I’m not going to add its yield to the end result of this grow, but you will be seeing its cycle in this diary. I was surprised to see how the seeds sprouted. As you can see 8/10 sprouted very evenly, and I’d find it noteworthy to see all those little hair-roots coming out on the side! 2/10 sprouted a bit disappointing. And one of those I thought wasn’t going to make it, but I did a little intervention that saved it. But it is still a bit underwhelming. The other one will be fine I think. Thanks for looking in to this new diary, please tune in on Sunday’s to see how this progresses the upcoming months. Flowering is planned to start on 6 May, and harvest is planned on 23 June. Thank you and keep them nice and green! Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 2, concluding the second week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Doing fine over here. There’s a little bit of damage to the set of first serated leaves, this is due to the plastic bottle’s they had over them for a almost a full week. The metabolism kickstarts that way, all right, but sticking to the side of the bottles damages the leaves. Got to find a better solution for that, soon. Let’s see how the’d grown next week, see you then? ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 3, concluding the third week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Better late than never, i’m sorry but this is a busy week. I’m real excited to show the progress since last update. Ok, it’s 4 days later, but this strain shows amazing grow power. They started on Mills light-mix, and up until now they only got Ph’ed down plain water. I’m letting them grow a little longer because I heard that upper branches grow thicker, and I’m planning on removing some more lower branches this time. At 6 weeks I’m going to combine topping with transplanting them into 11 liter pots. With topping I’m removing the upper 2 to 3 internodes, which im going to save to clone later. You can save cuttings in a ziplock bag for quite some time, if you blow some humid air into them every once in a while. A clean run up until now, so no complaints what so ever. I’m hoping on surpassing the dry weight from last harvest. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 4, concluding the fourth week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Amazing Growth! I’d never before had a strain showing so much growing power. Every plant has a bunch of side branches sticking everywhere. This was the moment I’d planned to switch to 12/12 and let them grow for another 2 weeks until they show signs of flowering. Then transplant into 11 liter pots, top and remove the lower branches. Only that way the cuttings are already started flowering. Since the B.B. maybe need an additional week, I’m planning on using that week to let the Honey Cream grow a bit longer, then Top and remove lower branches before switching to 12/12. This way I can save some cuttings to clone later. Then when I’m transplanting them eventually, maybe I can combine that with tying the side branches down right away. They have had another 2 weeks of growing by then. This only prolongs my schedule by 1 week, meh! Big deal! I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 5, concluding the fifth week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, oFF WiTH THeiR HeaDS!! Picture this, you have 10 real nice plants growing and, SNiPP! Well it was time to Top them anyway. So now each plant has 8 branches left. All the lowest branches, matching the early leaves are removed, as well as the top 2 to 3 internodes. So basically each plant now consists of a main stem with 8 branches and matching fan-leaves. Only 1 plant I wasn’t sure which branches to remove, so this plant has 10 branches. They have this week to grow out those branches a little further. Next week I’m going to move them into 11 liter pots, and if the branching is long enough I’m able to tie them down right away after that. They can further grow inside the tent for two weeks after that, while going into flowering. And when they are then flowering, only 6 weeks later I’m going to harvest them! Easy as that! I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 6, concluding the sixt week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Transplanting time! Please take your time to look through my photo report, and like, please like! Earlier this week they got 2,5ml foliage nutrient spray to 1 liter water, divided between the plants. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 7, concluding the seventh week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Since transplanting them last week, the Honey Cream waited next to my attic-windows until my last crop is properly dried inside the tent. I know that’s not optimal, but it’s better to take some extra time and finish things properly. During the time here I’d tie the branches down a couple of times. There were lots of things to be done, so it was not until after the weekend before they could move into their final place. The pictures where from that day. That whole week before was kind of like not much to report on, only the grow-data. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 8, concluding the eight week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, I’m way behind with my weekly updates, luckily I’m not with my grow. In fact giving my plants some extra time before flowering. I hope I’ll manage to keep temperature down further on the timetable, that’s always a risk growing on the attic. Temperature is too high. The Honey Cream had a few days to get used to the flowering LED’s, during which I’d lowered the lamp a few times. Then time came to start pony-tailing the upper grow tips to allow the lower ones to grow taller. The grow tips will try to get free from their ropes, so I now started using enough wool to make three windings around the tip. After a day I’d notice some had opened up the points sticking out an catching light anyway. I added a short piece of wool to these cases to ensure they can’t receive anymore. Now the lower branches can catch much more light and will start growing. If you don’t do this focus will stay onto the top 4 branches and the lower 4 will be too much underdeveloped to use. Now I end up with 8 branches to choose from, and since last time I’d learn that keeping the branches that stay short in spite being allowed to grow to level, so I’ll lose them this time. Those branches produce only very light buds barely weighing 1 or 2 grams dry. And they always disappear behind a larger cola, failing to catch light. But this time the plant decides how many branches it ends up with. I hope this time to end up with an array of thick fat cola’s! Or at least fine-tune this method. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 9 concluding the ninth week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Where starting to get somewhere now. Ponytails are removed and the tips are starting to gain color again, seen at the last couple of photo’s. I’d also added before and after removing the ponytails photo’s per plant. You can see most lower branches did grow a couple of inches. The tips that where tied continue to retard for a few days until there same color as the rest and les wrinkly, during which the lower branches can stretch a bit further. The whole room is filled up nice and tight, tomorrow I’m going to switch to 12/12, for now they can recover a bit longer. I’m expecting these girls to go into flowering fast, so I hope to keep the entire vegetating period within 10 weeks. There was 1 lost week due to the tent being used for drying, so next time if that doesn’t happen again the entire period covers 9 weeks. Next up is trimming some unwanted offshoots and defoliating fan leaves to retard stretching further. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 10 concluding the tenth week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Last grow was the first time for me to apply those techniques, and I’d not have the right timing what unnecessary retarded the growth. Back then when I’d strip the plants there were only small grow tips left. Luckily the tent filled up nice and the plants stayed nice and short. This grow this is totally different, and since I went with the plan to grow 3 upperdecker’s the challenge will be keeping the height limited to available space. The Honey Cream shows very much growth. On Wednesday each plant was stripped from excess unwanted leaves and branches as you can see in the photos. That day I’d also switched to 12/12, and by the end of the tenth week the first signs of flowering are a fact. I’ll be counting flowering from next weekend, then there will be 6 weeks of flowering ahead. After defoliating and taking cuttings, the Honey Cream’s kicked into growing fast, and I really hope I can manage to keep them in check. The plus-side is that last time the grow tips stayed really (too) short, and now that is certainly not the case. I hope the Honey Cream grow’s long dense cola’s. The plants all have 8 branches, but In the upcoming week I’ll be losing some of the underdeveloped ones to concentrate flowering into the better ones. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 11, concluding the eleventh week of vegetating: Hi(gh) Guys, Hoi. On 6 June it was time to adjust the height of some branches, by pulling them back using a piece of wool thread and tying them to their main-stem. Not every plant required that, luckily this strain grows fairly even. Up until now I’d always have one or two plants below average, and experience learns me that good initial growers also deliver accordingly, so that’s a good sign! Kudos for Royal Queen Seeds! Also, the lower branches. First I want to share some findings, this will only apply to the next grow. I’d already read somewhere that the lower branches seem to stay very thin, so you should better lose them and use the upper ones. So I’d though, the lobe-leaves don’t count anyway, the first set of single serrated leaves rarely springs branches and thereby considered futile also, then the first set of triple serrated leaves springs branches to trim and toss. Then, I thought the first set of leaves with 5 fingers would be the proper ones? I think I’m going to lose them also next time. Only thing is it will add more veg-time. When you apply the pony-tailing, the branches who are too thin won’t grow fast enough to get on level with the rest. That moment went better last time, with the Bruce Banners. For now it meant for the Honey Cream’s that I’d cut most of the lower branches. Only a few where able to grow enough within those 5 days to keep. For now this is fine, as you can see on the pictures the tent is full, and it looks great! Stretching is almost done, ready to deliver on those tasty buds ;-p I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 12, concluding the first week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, Kudos! For Royal Queen Seeds that is, because Honey Cream seems to develop very evenly. Until now I’d always had one or two plants that where a little bit shorter, or underdeveloped if you will. Yesterday and today I’d give all the Honey’s a once over, sacrificing some branches to the greater good and defoliating for seeing the light, and last but not least adjusting the height. Every plant now has 4,6 branches on average, and they are all 42cm high. That is except 3 who are 40cm. So, I’ll be adjusting the title accordingly. Losing the leaf maybe’s retarding the branches growth a bit further next week, but considering this is the second week of flowering their mustn’t be much more stretching left in them (I’d hope). I’d installed the second lamp for the upperdecker’s, plant J’s already inside, check the last picture’s above. Maybe Honey Cream isn’t the easiest strain to match my growing technique, certainly because of the grow power of this strain. For the third time since transplanting them into the 11 liter pots I’d spend a lot of time adjusting the plants to the desired form. I’m expecting to be more efficient on this part next time. I’m happy with the result. For the rest of the cycle I can now sit back in my garden chair and see how things develop. Looks promising! I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 13, concluding the second week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, We already landed in the third week, and right now my biggest concern is the heat-wave that started yesterday, and may take the rest of the week. Although the reports change day by day. This means I’m busy with bottles with frozen salt water, the salt makes the ice melt slower. I have a forced air-inlet, that helps regulating temperature a bit more, but because it sits low it also helps spreading the cold from the bottles. For now temperature is under control. I’d make three different photo moments, so you can see the stretching is almost done. Between the last report and now they’d grow only a centimeter. There now all between 40 and 43cm. Some plants have five branches, but since almost all of the lower branches stayed too low, I’m thinking about removing them also, so that what’s left is 9 x 4 branches. They then must put that extra energy inside the remaining bud right? Next moment when I’ll have the plant’s out of the tent, then I’ll remove the support so that they can finish without all of the sticks and ties. I don’t expect them to become bigger than what the buds grow the rest of the cycle. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 14, concluding the third week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, A tent full of blackjack’s! It’s starting to look great, although the smell is still weak. I guess that means nothing because there busy growing bud. I’d make two photo series three days apart, I’ll try to put some photo’s next to each other so you can see the buds swelling. Resin production is well on the way, so it can’t be much longer before those aromas are going to grow stronger. Next week I’m starting with removing all of the support. I think I’ll also remove the last underdeveloped stuff, and maybe some leave, and then that’s it! Not much more to do but wait until the end of July and harvest! Next week I’ll again have an extensive photo report on these last steps, to see for yourself how that went. What’s next: To shed some light on upcoming project’s it’s good to know when this one is done. Obviously the Honey Cream’s harvest is end of July, but the Moon Walker needs 9 weeks to finish. So I guess around 11th of August I can harvest them, and around 18th they are dry and the tent will be free again. Somewhere at the start of august I’m planning to start germinating the next grow. That will be Zamnesia’s Larry Bird Kush. And I’ll be using Green Buzz Liquids organic line of nutrients this time. That round I’ll not have any upperdecker-projects planned. I’ll be trying to save the higher nodes that time because I’m expecting them to develop better. Since this current round the lower branches didn’t quite grow the way I’d hoped. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 15, concluding the fourth week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, This week I’d plan to remove all off the support, but the Honey Cream is producing such heavy cola’s and I’m really scared to lose one. So I’d opted to leave a cross to keep supporting the branches underneath. The branches are tied down long enough to stay in their position without stretching back, so removing all of the lower sticks and strings cleans up quite a bit. A few lower branches actually did grow high enough, and therefor keep the need for support, as you can see from the pictures. After removing some underdeveloped stuff, the final score is 44 branches between the 9 plants, with an average of 4,889 branches per plant. There are still a few branches that I’ll know next time to remove them, but for now let’s see how they come out. The most important thing is that there is at least enough space between them for light to penetrate and air to flow around. So +/- 40 cola’s on 80x80cm is pretty good, that would mean you could grow +/- 60 on 100x100cm. They have 3 weeks until harvest. I see the buds growing with the day. I’d make three photo moments this week, and I’ll put them in order so you can see the difference. They’re also producing a lot of trichomes, only the smell is still a little bit behind. Although while moving the pots around I’d notice some stronger smelling ones. So I expect them being busy as ever growing bud, and soon turn over to swelling them and producing aromatic resin to cover them up, we’ll see! ;-) I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 16, concluding the fifth week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, Welcome to the fun part! Life as a grower has it’s busy periods, but after that there is certainly time to reflect. Patience is mandatory! So, up to this part there is often uncertainty; will they grow fatter? Why don’t they already smell? Why are there stains on some of the leaves? Did I make a mistake? But when I take out all the plants one by one, and then starting to realize that I’d maybe again managed to break my own record, that’s for me the turning point during the cycle when I start to feel cheerful ;-) The pictures also show that by the way, I’d make 3 different photo moments this week, and will put the matching pictures in order again. And I’d also make individual photo’s per plant, together with the trichomes. Last time I checked there were 110 pictures, so have fun! That smell-thing isn’t really an issue anymore. There a couple of plants starting to spread a real nice smell. The buds are fattening up nicely compared to last week, and there is a lot of it! Some of the colas are real nice. Next week (6th) where they get there last nutrients including a dose of PK, and the week after that (7th) only flushing is left. I’ll feed them early this week and after that start with flushing right away at the end of this week. You can see that some of the trichomes already starting to color. This strain really does the flowering part in a fast pace, but it needs it time to grow. I was 11 weeks on the way until flowering started, normally between 6 and 8 weeks. I think I can start to look forward to a nice big harvest! I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s progress next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 17, concluding the sixth week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, This week I’d let the Honey’s fatten up nice and quietly. I don’t think that it adds much if I’d make yet another extensive photo session per plant, because since flushing started and this upcoming week is their last one, I’ll make one last photoshoot next weekend. So please tune in next week! ;-) For this time I’d made 3 photo series each a day in between to compare. Also some nice bud-porn and the non-focus plant J delivered on some nice trichome-pictures. I’m very excited about the results, all of the plants have a couple of nice big cola’s, and some are really fat and heavy. Royal Queen Seeds didn’t lie about being a fast-flowering strain. There’s already a good amount of amber colored trichomes. This last week much of the leave was started to turn brown and yellow. Since flushing now started I’d expect that to speed up with the finish in sight. I’m looking forward to see you back and check on the Honey Cream’s haircut next week! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack Week 18, concluding the seventh and final week of flowering: Hi(gh) Guys, This was the last week for the Honey Cream, tomorrow they reach day 50 of flowering and that’s end of the line! Haircut time ;-) Europe was flooded with absurd high temperatures this week, that was fun since my little Homebox S is at the attic, and there was virtually no wind and the temperature outside reached more than 40 degrees (Celcius) a couple of days. Today everything is back to normal, but I was busy with bottles of ice to try and cool the plants a little bit. They were flushed from last Sunday until yesterday. The trichomes are all milky and 10% turned color amber. The bud is very heavy and there’s some really impressive instances between them. This time it’s safe to say I’d outdone myself, never before I’d manage to grow as much bus inside the Homebox S underneath the two scroggmasters stacked on top of each other. When I take out all of the plants to photograph one by one, they stand across the room and then you realize how much it actually is, and it’s quite impressive and forces an genuine smile upon my mug. I’ll leave your guys with the bud-porn, and thanks to every visitor of my diary, that means a lot to me ;-) Please come back to check on the final results of this amazing round! ;-) Grtz, Budcrack ;-)

Budcrack This cycle, growing Royal Queen Seeds Honey Cream fast flowering strain, was the second time growing with heavy training and HST techniques. I’d certainly improve compared to the first time (Bruce Banner) mostly because I had the timing perfect this time, and no retarding mistakes this time. But there is always room for improvement, and I’d pick up some ideas for next time. One big thing is in realizing that, let’s say the quality of the branches you’d continue with is very important. And the higher branches seem to deliver on compacter growth, less stretch and bigger bud. So next time I would select ‘top-level’ ;-) branches and cut down the lower ones. I think this makes the difference. Also, working with 9 pots (11 liter) on 80x80cm, people told me to reduce the amount of branches, but I think I disagree. Keep in mind the findings above, and I think you can easily grow 4 to 6 branches per plant. They can sit close together if the ventilation suffices, without the risk of mold. So the 44 branches can be 54 in fact! During this cycle there where some really hot days, but the plants took it well and showed no signs of heat stress. Also tweaking with the space above where my ‘upperdecker’-grow sits, the lamp was fairly close to the plants, but they showed no sign of heat stress. All in all I can look back on the best cycle I’d ever grown! Thanks and i'll be happy to see you back next time ;-)