These pictures and quotes were donated from a sexing thread about identifying females by their pre-flowers (primordia) which was authored by "Crazy Composer". The pictures alone speak a thousand words...




Note: The plant parts marked with an "X" are called "stipules", they appear on both male and female plants.


This diagram shows the difference (on a slightly more mature plant) between genuine pre-flowers and actual bud sites, which are - in fact different animals altogether.



From a further distance, but quite clear-cut.
I know how it is for some of the newer growers who are eagerly anticipating their first view of an actual marijuana flower. Well, this is what it looks like, play your cards right and you'll have thousands of these hairs clumped tightly together and covered in crystals that will smell so nice. Don't worry, it's coming.

it's been a while since i've done anything really productive around here.. but since i have a new grow going, and am doing things i often get questions about here http://www.rollitup.org/newbie-centr...s-tons-68.html i figured now would be a good time to do a nice new thread...

i love super cropping.. it is by far one of my favorite pruning techniques.. its quick, easy, causes little stress, gets huge results, and gets them quick.. best of all it can be done multiple times during the veg period.. this can mean huge results...

first lets talk a little about super cropping... the idea behind it is to push lower growth up and out... this means more tops, more lower growth that can get flowered, which all leads to heavier yields..

super cropping works by moving the auxins, or growth hormones, from the growth tips to other parts of the plant causing growth to happen below the point of super cropping...

to explain it in a way that makes sense, you basically fool the plant into thinking it has no top.. if the point in which you super cropped formed a horizontal line over the plant, the plant would try to push everything below that line up to give it a top... all the lower branches, instead of growing outward horizontally, will start to bend and grow upwards, vertically... really, everything below the imaginary line the super cropping makes grows vertically verse horizontally...

the end result from super cropping much bushier plant, more tops or branches closer to the light that will flower, and a shorter over all plant...

this can be done to any mj plant.. the only exception is autos.. it can be done once fairly early on.. but the veg life of autos is short so its impossible to get multiple super crops done successfully...

now, although it can be done to every plant, not all plants will react the same.. i urge you to try it on a few branches of a plant before doing the entire plant.. make sure your plant reacts well to it.. i haven't seen any plants that dont enjoy it yet.. but i havent by any means grown everything there is to grow..

now... for the slide show...

first, locate your plant... this girl was 3 weeks old monday.. i have super cropped her once or twice already.. you want to wait until there is a good amount of growth.. usually after a week and a half or two weeks your ok...


second, locate the spot on the stem you want to super crop.. remember it will create the imaginary line which all growth below will push up.. usually it is done close to the end of a stem or the main stalk.. i like somewhere under the 1rst to 3rd node set.. depending on how tight the spacing is..


this is where i decided to do her at...


now to start the super cropping... once you pick the spot, you want to gently squeeze the stem between your thumb and pointer finger... you dont want to pinch.. the idea here is to soften the stem.. not to break it...


this is somewhat what it should look like...


now turn your hand 90 degrees from where you started......


and do the same thing.....


hopefully after this your top will fold over like this...


if you have tops that are higher than the spot you just did do them also...


eventually you'll get to the point you do your entire plant, and it looks like this one when your done...



now a few last things before im done...

first.. please remember to start out doing a few branches at first.. make sure your plant reacts ok to it.. some do better than others... its better to make sure first... but again, i have not grown any that react poorly...

second.. if you tear the stem its ok.. you may get little rips that run vertically up the stem.. its alright if this happens.. your plant will be just fine... trust me.. it happens a lot..

third... be gentle when you squeeze.. you may need to work it a little if the stem is thicker.. this is ok... if you are too rough you will break it off.. i have done that.. topping unwantedly is not a pleasant surprise...

fourth... take your time at first... its nothing you need to rush.. get used to how the stem feels when it pops like you want it to.. how it feels when its softened enough to bend easily.. then build up your speed.. it can take a while to do a larger garden.. and you may want to hurry.. but patience is a virtue here...

lastly... when the spot your super cropped heals up it will more than likely be a thick round ball in the middle of the stem.. this is good.. think of it like scar tissue..

i cannot claim original ownership of this idea - it was in the old growfaq - but since i don't think anyone uses it anymore, i'm gonna jack it for myself. it won't double the yield of someone already using advanced growing techniques but it is an easy way to improve on basic growing techniques.

anyway, here are the basics
1. either top or fim the main branch after the 4th node
2. on the main branch only, prune every other fan leaf in a staircase pattern. this slows the growth of the main stem and for some reason stimulates the growth of secondary branches.

here's what you get after two weeks: Attachment 931031Attachment 931025

versus this for topping alone: Attachment 931032

notice that each topped/pruned plant now has at least 6 growth tips all within a couple of inches of the canopy top. i think this is superior to multiple topping because it causes less overall stress to the plant and can be tailored to keep the growth tips all at the same height.

this is what a mature female looks like after topping/pruning: Attachment 931036

versus this for topping alone: Attachment 931037

i've tried it with two strains and gotten the same results. doubled yield to 4 ounces per plant from 2 ounces.

Here is one of MANY ways to dry and cure Marijuana. Figured I put this in here while there aren't too many topics. Courtesy of marijuanapassion.com

Drying and Curing Marijuana




The deal with this method is to dry it slowly but not to fast. If you dry your buds too fast it will make your buds smell like pine needles, hay, or taste bad. Drying the buds too slow in this first step is not a good idea ether because of mold and mildew will attack them. It's very important there's enough air circulation in the room so you can't do it without an electric driven fan.

After the fan leaves are trimmed you want to hang it up to dry again because the marijuana buds will still be moist or wet. They should still have the little inner leaves so they can droop and cover the buds . Hang the branches again in a cool dark place with proper ventilation until the little leaves and bud tips turn crisp when you touch them. It is then time to remove the buds from the branch and remove the rest of the leaf material as best as possible. This is what is referred to as "manicuring" of marijuana buds. But as said before it's better if you do this before you hang them to dry.

At this point the buds should be a little moist, including the inside of them. Some can be smokeable at this point, but if you wait till the next 2 processes you can get even better smelling and tasting buds

Bagging the Marijuana Buds

After the marijuana buds are trimmed (and a little moist still) you would want to dry them some more in the paper bag step. The best choice would be the brown shopping bags found at a supermarkets, because they are not bleached (the stuff you don't want in your buds) This is another tricky step. Put the trimmed marijuana buds in the brown bag loosely and its best not to fill it more than 3-4 inches from the bottom. It is not necessary at this time to close the bag ( still need to prevent mildew and mold) When the buds are in the bag you would want to check every day to rotate the buds in the bag so they dry evenly. This can be achieved by shifting positions of the marijuana buds, turning them ever so often, or shaking the bag. As the buds dry they will naturally compact into the self-preserving state that is mostly desired . At this time that the buds can be more compacted together and the bag can be folded close. They should now be fully smokable, though perhaps still ! slightly moist in the middle. A big reminder that every climate differs and may take more or less time. There is nothing better than repeated, hands-on checking to prevent damage to the marijuana buds from mold and mildew.

Curing the Marijuana Buds

The last step is to create a way to bring out the full flavor and best smoke from the marijuana buds. This can be done by using an air tight jar or similar. Put the dried buds into the jar loosely (do not compact them) and cover them. It is very important in the early jar-stage to check the buds at least once a day to replace the air, take them out(this helps dry evenly) and put them back in a different order. This should be done for 7 to10 days then it can be done lest often. After 7 days all you need to do is open the jar and check the buds on a daily basis for mold and mildew. If mold and mildew is found in this step. Take the buds with mold or mildew out of the batch (throw away) and put the rest back in a brown bag for a few more days then the jar step can be repeated . this step can take from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on how you want you buds to develop its distinctive characteristics. The longer the better

A bud is completely dry, cured, and ready for consumption when the stem in the middle of the bud snaps easily with the fingers. The snap is easy to detect with practice. The marijuana buds now can be sealed and stored for a really long period of time.

lastly there are many ways to dry marijuana buds, but this is the best method yet I use and never failed me.

Enjoy!

I have noticed some people around the forum are not too sure of what Foliage Feeding is. Here is an article courtesy of cannabis-seed-banks.com that summarizes foliage feeding pretty well.

CANNABIS FOLIAR FEEDING
Foliar feeding seems to be one of the easiest ways of increasing yield, growth speed, and quality in a well vented space, with or without elevated CO2 levels. Just prepare a tea of worm castings, fish emulsion, bat guano, or most any other plant food right for the job and feed in vegetative and early flowering stages. It is not recommended for late flowering, or you will be eating the sprayed-on material later. Stop foliar feeding 2-3 weeks before harvesting. Wash off the leaves with straight water every week to prevent clogging the stomata of the leaves. Feed daily or every other day.
Best times of day to Foliar feed are 7-10Am and after 5 in the evening. This is because the stomata on the underside of the leaves are open then. Also, the best temperature is about 72 degrees, and over 80, they may not be open at all. So find the cooler part of the day if it is hot, and the warmer part of the day if it is cold out. You may need to spray at 2AM if that is the coolest time available. The sprayer used should atomize the solution to a very fine mist; find your best sprayer and use it for this. Make sure the PH is between 7 and 6.2. Use baking soda to make the solution higher PH, and vinegar to make the solution lower PH. It is better to spray more often and use less, than to drench the plants infrequently. Use a wetting agent to prevent the water from beading up, and thereby burning the leaves as they act as small prisms. Make sure you don not spray a hot bulb; better yet, spray only when the bulb has cooled.


Perhaps the best foliar feeding includes using seltzer water and plant food at the same time. This way, CO2 and nutrients are feed directly to the leaves in the same spray.


Foliar feeding is recognized in most of the literature as being a good way to get nutrients to the plant later when nutrient lockup problems could start to reduce intake from the roots.


WARNING!: It is important to wash leaves that are harvested before they are dried, if you intend to eat them, since they may have nitrate salts on them.


NOTE: One grower who reviewed this document comments: "Fish emulsion smells. Bat guano could be highly unsanitary. Stick to the Rapid-Gro, MgSO4 (Epsom salts), hydroponic trace element solution. Nitrate salts (The "N" in NPK) are unhealthy to smoke. Personally, I never foliar feed."


Above is a great comment, and there is great wisdom in an organic, non-toxic garden. Personally, I use only CO2 on my indoor hydroponic plants, and never folar feed. It simply does not seem to be necessary when using hydroponics.

Indica is a short plant, usually under 6ft tall, rarely over 8ft tall. Its marijuana leaves have short, wide fingers and are deep green, often tinged with purple.At maturity, the marijuana leaves start to turn even darker purple. It has short branches laden with thick, dense marijuana buds, which mature early, usually about the beginning of September.

The marijuana buds vary in colour from dark green to purple, just like their marijuana leaves. Under cooler conditions, the coloration becomesmore intense. The marijuana buds have little trouble maturing under the cool conditions of our northern climate. Indica marijuana buds smell stinky, you know the type that smell like bad B.O often pungent and their smoke is thick even a small toke will often induce fits of coughing. The best Indicas have a relaxing social high, which allows the person to sense and feel the environment, but does not lead to thinking or analysing the experience.
Other Indicas get you, well shit faced, heavy neck experience I like to call it, to total sleepouts, one spliff and its goodnight! Aside from recent colonisation, Indica is found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and other surrounding areas. All of these fall between the 25th and 35th parallels, and have extremely variable weather - rainy one year hot the next, and so on. For that reason, each plant population's gene pool is heterogeneous. Plant characteristics vary regarding all phases of their growth including maturation time and climate preferences. In any season, no matter what the weather, some marijuana plants do well.

In the UK, the vast majority of marijuana plants grown come from a mainly Indica background due to the early flowering times and our bad weather. THE THC/cbd ration also varies. Poor quality Indica marijuana and hashish contain high quantities of CBD. This is where the toker becomes lead-headed and sleepy.
Sativa marijuana plants vary from about 6ft to over 25ft in height.Most varieties grow in the 8ft to I2ft range. The marijuana leaves are long and thin fingered and are light green , especially equatorial varieties, which have less chlorophyll and more yellow pigments in order to protect the plant from intense light. Temperate varieties are darker green.The marijuana leaves of some varieties yellow and fall off during maturity. The marijuana plants have long branches. The bottom ones may spread 4ft or more from the central stalk, rather like a conical Xmas tree shape.

The marijuana buds are long and thin, far less densely populated than the Indica, although longer in length, sometimes stretching 3ft in or more along the branch. The stomas of the flowering bud may be tinged slightly purple in a cool climate but in a warmer environment will turn dark orange or even red. Maturation time varies considerably.
Low THC midwestern varieties mature in August and September, while Equatorial varieties mature from November through to January. The marijuana buds require intense light to thicken and swell. Under the low light conditions found in the UK the marijuana buds are very skimpy and thin but are often very potent. Sativa marijuana buds smell sweet, fruity (Apple Pie comes to mind) and perfumed, and their smoke is usually smooth and easily inhaled. Sativas are found all over the world and include most of the commercial equatorial varieties such as Colombian,Mexican, Nigerian and South African where marijuana plants can be very potent.When smoking a sativa the high is very Cerebral, you have a rush of energy, a buzz in the body and a great way of getting the housework done without vegging out.

Native sativa marijuana plants above the 30th parallel are considered industrial hemp. Under artificial light an Indica plant will mature faster than a sativa, over 4 weeks of extra light is required to bring a sativa plant to maturity, even then its weight is often much lower. Hence, more indica strains are grown for sale, making the dealer / grower richer. So, with all these different growth patterns, highs, THC content and maturation times, marijuana plants of today are almost tailored to the individual grower.

Twenty years ago it was difficult to get a prime crop of bud, as the seeds were from a country that produced more light and heat, therefore making growing in this country a little painful for the poor marijuana plants. However today it is possible to buy strains that will flower in the autumn month that best suits you. Indoor growing is fast becoming big business in this country and growers are free to grow whatever strain they desire, no limit is put on light and heat, making all strains possible to grow. Seed companies would not exist without a crossbreeding pattern and there would be no cannabis Cup!!

So when you go out to Holland and purchase a strain of weed, purchase three kinds, Pure indica, Pure sativa and a 50/50 crossbreed, and see if you can see the difference in the high, you will be pleasantly surprised, if not a little trashed.
The Sativa High :
The sativa high is often characterized as uplifting and energetic . The effects of a sativa marijuana are mostly cerebral. They give a feeling of optimism and well - being, as well as providing a good measure of pain relief for certain symptoms. A few pure sativas are also very high in THC content. They are known to have a quite spacey, or hallucinogenic, effect. Sativas are a good choice for daytime smoking.


The Indica High :
The indica highs are most often described as a pleasant body buzz. Indicas are great for relaxation, stress relief, and for an overall sense of calm and serenity. Marijuana indicas are also very effective for overall body pain relief, and often used in the treatment of insomnia. They are the late - evening choice of many smokers as an all - night sleep aid. A few pure indica strains are very potent in THC, and will cause the "couchlock" effect, enabling the smoker to simply sit still and enjoy the experience of the smoke.

Here are some pictures of my problem plants, each picture is repeated, once without flash then again with it to try and make things easier to see for everyone.

The first two pictures of plant 1, it seemed to have stalled for a while when the seed shell stuck tightly to the leaves but now it has sprouted out at an angle. Anything I should do to help that little girl out?

The third pic and the last pic are of the little tyke that hasn't done anything in weeks. You can see she's still green and sticking straight up but seems to have stunted. Anyone know why this happens?

The next six pictures are of plant 2 thats height is pretty comparable to the rest (except two that have really taken off). But it seems to be showing a slight yellowing (maybe the beginning of yellowing) and some curling UP (not down under) on the leaves. It is the only one doing this. What is causing it?

Added Info to help diagnose the issues... thanks obiwon :)
I'm using hempy bucket method. They are in solo cups with holes cut. 3 parts perlite, 1 part verm. Seeds were germ in a jiffy puck. I water, no, feed, no, feed, no... I'm currently only feeding with foxfarm grow big at 1/4 the strength. They are under 1 t5 light on 24 hours a day with the light about 8 inches away. The plants are three weeks old. Can't tell you exactly which strain it is... Anything else needed to help?