Platinum Lantz Project (plus more)

ChillSpace The recent seed failures are the first real uncertainty in my Platinum Lantz project. I have known about Ridgeline Genetics for a long time and deliberately chose them as the source for my photoperiod genetics, so I came into this expecting a stronger start than I have gotten. I rarely have this many seeds fail either during germination or after being placed into soil, and because I have never grown Platinum Lantz before, I do not yet know whether I am dealing with bad luck, older or poorly stored seeds, environmental mistakes, or a weakness connected to this particular batch. I am hoping the failures do not represent the line itself, especially because I eventually want to use Platinum Lantz as a foundation parent and cross it into plants I already know and value. At the same time, one difficult germination run is not enough evidence to condemn the genetics. Platinum Lantz #1 germinated quickly, emerged successfully, and has shown strong early growth, so the living plant is already proving that the line is capable of producing a healthy and vigorous seedling. The two new seeds I started will give me more information. Right now, I am cautious but not discouraged. I have gotten into a project with more uncertainty than I expected, but that is also part of working with regular photoperiod seeds and starting a breeding line I have never personally evaluated before. Platinum Lantz #1 is still healthy, still growing, and still has the opportunity to become the male foundation plant I was hoping to find.

ChillSpace Honestly, very happy with how Platinum Lantz # 1 & #2 turned out. #3 didn’t make it It was actually stuck above soil for a day or so and I helped it open and it just wasn’t meant to be. It was like super pale yellow to begin with it greened up slightly, but I’m giving up on it. I started three new seeds and we’ll see how that goes. Hoping to have all three germinate and give me a few to select from for the final three that end up in this tent. I could possibly squash a fourth in there, but I wouldn’t have the self watering bases. But we will see. I ended up whipping up a batch of reused soil and compost that’s been aged for a few years now probably if not longer and then a fresh bag of ocean forest mixed everything up put together a 5 gallon pot for PL #1. And then I whipped up three new gallon bags for the next three seeds

ChillSpace Big week for the Platinum Lantz project! PL #1 is around three weeks old and taking to LST incredibly well. No topping—just bending and spreading—and she has already turned herself into a compact little bush with an even canopy. PL #2 had clearly outgrown the 1-gallon pot, so it was time to transplant. I’m still getting used to transplanting since this is only my second photoperiod plant and I normally start autos in their final pots. The root ball fell apart when I removed the liner, but I stood her back up, filled everything in with fresh soil, and watered it down to settle. Somehow, she barely seemed to notice. We’re also officially welcoming Platinum Lantz #8, #9, and #10! After a few failed germination attempts. All three seedlings are established and moving forward, bringing the Platinum Lantz crew to five plants total. Now the real pheno hunt begins. I’m excited to watch the differences emerge and see which of these five turn out to be the strongest—and, eventually, who’s male and who’s female.

ChillSpace Week 4 with Platinum Lantz, and this project has progressed an incredible amount in a month. At this point I have five living plants from the ten seeds I started, and the differences between them are becoming increasingly obvious. The oldest plant has turned into an absolute bush. Early LST completely changed its architecture, spreading the main stem out and allowing the lateral branches to develop into a dense canopy of competing tops. Looking underneath it now, there is already a substantial framework of branches supporting all of that growth. For a plant only four weeks into this project, I’m extremely happy with the structure it has developed. The younger plants are coming along nicely as well. #6 has now been trained and is beginning the same process of opening up and redirecting growth outward. The others are showing their own differences in vigor, leaf shape and structure, including one particularly strange little plant that has been considerably slower and has produced some unusual growth. It is still alive and growing, though, so for now everybody gets a chance to show what they are. Probably the biggest development since the last update is that I have officially started cloning. I took four cuttings from the older Platinum Lantz plants for my first-ever attempt. Six days later, three are still alive. Two look remarkably good, one is struggling but continues to hang on, and one didn’t make it. Considering I had never cloned a plant before, I’m extremely happy with that result so far. That was an important step for this project because these plants aren’t being grown simply to finish them and move on. I want to be able to preserve individual genetics while I evaluate the original plants. Once the clones are established, I can use them to help determine sex and, more importantly, keep copies of promising individuals while the originals eventually go through flower. That means I can make selections based on the complete plant rather than trying to guess which one will be special from vegetative growth alone. The amount I’ve learned in these first four weeks has honestly been one of my favorite parts of this grow. This is my first serious photoperiod selection and breeding project, and I’ve already gone from germinating seeds to training very different phenotypes, taking my first cuttings, and beginning to preserve individual genetics. There is still a long way to go before I know which of these plants are male or female, which ones will flower the best, or which genetics will ultimately deserve a place in future crosses. Right now I’m just enjoying watching the differences emerge and documenting as much as possible. Four weeks down. Five seed-grown Platinum Lantz still going, three clones still alive, and one increasingly ridiculous bush taking over the middle of the tent. This is getting fun.