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Horto_in_Urbs This is not a common strain for the diaries here, and not one for beginners. With that, welcome to my first attempt at this legendary African landrace made possible by Ace Seeds (who are not sponsors). I began germination of two seeds in a paper towel after an overnight soak. Taproots appeared on the second day. Both were planted directly into their final, 5-gallon fabric pots since I will be flipping to 12/12 in a mere three weeks. Malawi is widely known for it's seemingly never-ending stretch, so vegetation time can begin at two weeks in, but I'm giving myself three so I can perform some much-needed HST and LST. Sprouts appeared today, two days after planting.
I am running Nature's Living Soil original concentrate in Roots Organic Original, so this run will be watering-only. I will supplement during flower with Earth Juice Hi-Brix molasses and other things, as needed. This is going to be a long one, folks. I do not expect to harvest until mid- to late February, barring any disasters that force me to compost my progress.
Thanks for following.
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Used method
Directly In Substrate
Germination Method
1
Week 1. Vegetation
5y ago
1/5
5.08 cm
Height
18 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.5
pH
20 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
0.04 L
Watering Volume
76.2 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs These sativa sprouts feel like they grow extra slowly compared to the hybrids and indicas. I thought nothing was happening, but the photos tell a bigger story. Not only is there OK growth, but I clearly have two phenotypes. One has larger leaves and different coloration. The larger-leafed one is growing like crazy, the other seems runty in comparison.
I ended up yanking most of the clover cover crop because it was on-track to overtake the Malawi. So far, the living soil seems to be doing OK, though the deficiencies always seem near.
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2
Week 2. Vegetation
5y ago
1/8
10.16 cm
Height
18 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.5
pH
20 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
0.04 L
Watering Volume
76.2 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Looking at those photos, you'd never know they sprouted on the same day. Same birthday, same medium, same tent, and very different plants. The big one got topped with a no- to light-defoliation manifold in mind. When using living soil, defoliation is a bad idea because the nutrients that are stored in those leaves are what's going to carry these all the way to harvest without adding any bottled nutrients. That big one has been showing signs of light overdose with a little bit of taco shelling leaves, but nothing else in the tent is doing that. I shrug my shoulders and move forward with my eyes open for change one way or the other.
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2 comments
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3
Week 3. Vegetation
5y ago
1/3
12.7 cm
Height
18 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.5
pH
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
0.04 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Little weirdos, these ones. One is a brute, the other a delicate flower—both from the same pack of seeds, both sprouted the same day.
The roots have clearly found the living soil and are eating it up. Color has improved, growth is noticeable each day. Both have grown into the first round of topping and LST. I'll be topping again this week, I suspect.
I will need to get these girls into their own tent for the flip to 11.5/12.5 soon. Malawi has a tendency to never stop stretching, so they will not be getting twelve hours of daylight during flower. Fingers still crossed we have two females, especially considering that they are very different phenotypes.
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4 comments
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
HST
Technique
Topping
Technique
4
Week 4. Vegetation
4y ago
1/10
17.78 cm
Height
18 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Moved them into the big tent. Remember, both are the same age, one much smaller. Topped and recovered well. Flipping the light schedule for flowering. Growth is fast, as you can see in the photos.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Topping
Technique
5
Week 5. Flowering
4y ago
1/5
25.4 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Dropped to 11.5 hours of light to keep the infamous Malawi stretch in check. Not much to report other than all that growth you see in the photos compared to last week. No sign of sexes on either one yet.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
6
Week 6. Flowering
4y ago
30.48 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Growth, lots. Color is great. No sign that the flip has triggered flowering, nor sign of sex. Top-dressed with some Nature's Living Soil concentrate.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
7
Week 7. Flowering
4y ago
1/10
30.48 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Preflower bunching began this week. The little one revealed itself as male, so the remaining one gets the whole big tent all to itself. Room for me to spread her out. I like to use stakes and ties to make a grid rather than a screen/net that will just get cut up and thrown away. I can use the rubber-coated steel stakes forever without contributing to the landfill needlessly. I'll post this next week.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
8
Week 8. Flowering
4y ago
40.64 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs This plants suddenly needs Cal Mag every day. The color started looking a bit yellow last week, which you can see in last week's closeups, but the brown spots came on fast. Budding and growth has not slowed at all, however. I'm happy but vigilant.
Note my stake and tie support grid. Much easier to deal with than a net, customizable and reusable. I hate the net.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Defoliation
Technique
9
Week 9. Flowering
4y ago
40.64 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.25 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Nutrients 2
Key Solutions Green Dragon
1.5 mll
CalMag & Iron
2 mll
Horto_in_Urbs Flowers bursting out everywhere. The nutritional deficiency is cycling. I may have damaged the living soil early on by using a non-organic PH down, which is known to kill the microbes. Either way, I'm using CalMag and an organic potassium booster. If I had not topped and tied these branches down as I did, this plant would be 38 inches tall. It's around 20, as is.
Note that the main stalk split as a result of a vigorous tie-down. I wrenched it together with soft ties, and the plant doesn't seem to notice that it was almost mortally wounded.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Defoliation
Technique
10
Week 10. Flowering
4y ago
50.8 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Nutrients 2
Key Solutions Green Dragon
1.5 mll
CalMag & Iron
2 mll
Horto_in_Urbs Thirsty, thirsty creature, this one. So very many colas. These look like they're going to be huge. Huge for an indoor grow in a little tent, anyway. The cal mag deficiencies continue. I suspect that its needs are greater and different during this stage, so I'm not holding back. Note the beginnings of trichomes appearing on the leaves.
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Defoliation
Technique
11
Week 11. Flowering
4y ago
50.8 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
26 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Nutrients 3
Key Solutions Green Dragon
1.5 mll
Hi-Brix MFP
1 mll
CalMag & Iron
2 mll
Horto_in_Urbs I pluck a few bad leaves every few days. I will not make the mistake of using non-organic PH down in living soil ever again.
Those big colas everywhere are gorgeous.
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comments
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Defoliation
Technique
12
Week 12. Flowering
4y ago
1/4
53.34 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
20 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
60.96 cm
Lamp Distance
Nutrients 3
Key Solutions Green Dragon
1.5 mll
Hi-Brix MFP
1 mll
CalMag & Iron
2 mll
Horto_in_Urbs Fatty, fat flowers. Very happy with the progress. The deficiency continues and I continue to fight it. She just grows and grows. I can't imagine how stuffed this tent would have been had the other plant also been female. No complaints.
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1 comment
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Used techniques
LST
Technique
Defoliation
Technique
13
Week 13. Flowering
4y ago
1/13
60.96 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
20 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
30.48 cm
Lamp Distance
Nutrients 3
Key Solutions Green Dragon
1.5 mll
Hi-Brix MFP
1 mll
CalMag & Iron
2 mll
Horto_in_Urbs She’s really sucking the life out of herself. The living soil has to be depleted by now. Adding more concentrate didn’t help, and I feed every day. Lots of potassium and cal mag. The leaves are all dying back and drying up, but the flowers look great. I checked trichomes for the first time today and there are nearly no clear ones left. Everything is good and milky. I am keeping my eye on the yellowing to make sure it doesn’t creep into the flowers. Giving her another week or two before the chop. No more feeding.
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1 comment
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14
Week 14. Flowering
4y ago
60.96 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
Normal
Smell
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
20 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
30.48 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Photos go in chronological order for the past week. Flushing this week. Totally on auto pilot. The buds keep getting bigger and more gorgeous. The trichome coverage is looking great. I would normally harvest with all the trichomes showing as cloudy, no amber ones because I hate falling asleep involuntarily, but I'm letting it go maybe one more week to let those buds swell. I don't see the undesirable amber trichomes much yet, so when I see just a little bit more, the lights will go out for a couple days, followed by the chop.
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4 comments
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15
Week 15. Flowering
4y ago
1/15
60.96 cm
Height
11 hrs
Light Schedule
27 °C
Day Air Temp
6.3
pH
Normal
Smell
50 %
Air Humidity
24 °C
Solution Temp
19 °C
Night Air Temp
18.93 L
Pot Size
1.89 L
Watering Volume
30.48 cm
Lamp Distance
Horto_in_Urbs Still flushing. Still on autopilot. I thought I might have harvested by now, but the trichomes are still holding at cloudy with almost zero ambers. I do not want amber trichomes, but there’s no problem letting this go a few days. The buds keep getting heavier and branches are starting to give way. I’ve tied up one cola and staked another to keep them upright. Next time is harvest, I promise. The yield should be fantastic.
This was one of those sativas that appear to consume all of its own fan leaves. Each branch was essentially a huge cola that trimmed down into large popcorn buds. Light bud structure with absolutely INTENSE trichome/resin coating throughout. Each snip resulted in a cloud of resin that shone like gem dust in the air. It was a relatively easy grow with very pleasing results. It's in the curing stage now, but first taste test was great. This could be the most clear-headed, delightfully intense sativa I've ever had. Landraces come with the best medicinal effects, people. Hybrids tend to increase the negatives, such as anxiety. This is a perfect landrace sativa.
Show more
Spent 107 days
Ger Veg Flo Har
992 g
Bud wet weight per plant
200.2 g
Bud dry weight per plant
1
Plants
2.44 m²
Grow Room size
Normal
Difficulty
Creative, Euphoric, Uplifted
Positive effects
Dry eyes
Negative effects
Herbs, Pungent, Sweet
Taste
Height
Day air temperature
Air humidity
PH
Light schedule
Solution temperature
Night air temperature
Pot size
Lamp distance
1/14
Horto_in_Urbs I used Nature's Living Soil concentrate as a watering-only, organic method and suspect it could have been an older batch of concentrate. I had what looked like calcium and magnesium deficiencies throughout most of the grow. Many of the larger leaves never stayed green very long. The plant didn't seem to care and grew well anyway. I topped two or three times and utilized aggressive LST, tying down branches laterally. Every single branch became a cola, at least twelve, maybe sixteen. Side branching gathered closely with the main branch and essentially became part of the main.
I supplemented with CalMag, an organic potassium booster, and hi-brix molasses.
The winter humidity is so low, that it was difficult to maintain an RH over 45%, so the drying only took four days. What I normally would have trimmed off with scissors simply broke off with gentle taps of my gloved fingers, so 'trim jail' was only 45 minutes instead of three hours like it was with some of my other plants. The sugar leaf trim and massive pile of resin went into my shake supply waiting to be turned into ice water hash.
This is a fantastic strain and fun plant to grow. This would be a fun strain to cross with Cinderella 99, but it's so great on its own, it doesn't need anything more to make its amazing effects better.
ACE's Malawi seems to have a lot of diversity to offer. I have sown 3 Malawi seeds from ACE and they all revealed different pheno. If you are interested to understand a little more about Malawis genetic background and different phenotypes you can look at ACE website. Find their Malawi Breeder Pack. All the right info will be there.
Looking good! Just an fyi with these plants, it might be a LONG while before you see amber, and often you'll have to harvest bud by bud because they don't ripen all at once. Bit of a pain, but well worth it for a great strain from the great ACE.