The Musings of Serapis

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by TheLastWood

Hey serapis, I just fimmed a jack herer I have in veg and lstd it yesterday. I have 4 large branches on the top, 2 large ones halfway down the plant and 2 smaller ones at the bottom. I lstd them all in a kinda spiral shape. I'm wondering If I should just cut the 2 smaller ones off? If its ok with you ill upload a pic so yoiu can see what I mean

The plant will start of with simultaneous nodes, one on each side, branching down low. I take the first good looking 6-8, depending on how many I have, and I tie them down kinda like this....

Using simple clips and twine. By doing this, I'm forcing them to grow out, instead of up towards the light. this will keep the center open on the plant and everything should be getting good light. I also strip off ANY fan leave that is past the second node from the tip. I try to minimize shade as best as I can. Does this slow growth a bit? I'm sure it does, however; my yield will be much larger than if I had just let the plant grow on it's own as mother nature intended. All I'm doing is tweaking mother nature a bit. Man does it in agriculture all the time, crossing desired DNA traits with other plants, irradiating seed, developments in fertilizer, etc... If someone ever says to you, Mother Nature knows best, or yeah, mother nature gave it useless leaves, etc, just respond that mother nature isn't perfect. We tweak her all the time in other areas of agriculture, why not train a weed to give up a higher yield? Farmers have utilized various techniques to increase yields for centuries. Defoliation and LST are just techniques. If you are against removing leaves, that is fine with me, but please don't preach about nature in here, or you'll be talking to deaf ears. I've heard the Uncle Ben speech enough times that I'm sick of it's illogical conclusions.

This is my Pineapple Express before I finished up the lower LST. Notice that you can see into the center of this Indica. At this point in it's life, I've probably removed about 16-20 leaves. The picture is about 6 days old. Yesterday I finished off the LST and topped the plant. Since I'll be using a ScrOG method, I want as many different branches as possible. Once the dominant tops start to show themselves, I'll start bending them over and guiding them in opposite directions of the net. Now if I had say 12 of these, I'd veg another week to establish new tops from the topping and then I'd go 12/12. But because this plant will have at least 2' x 4' to it's self, I'm going to veg it for probably another 30 days.

Originally Posted by 420God

Looks like this is going to be a good thread.

I like the cloner, very nice.

Thanks 420. You should have seen my face in Lowe's when I spotted those on the end cap. I think my lower jaw literally dropped and hit the floor. They are PERFECT for this. Thanks for checking out the thread.

Originally Posted by plantvision

Serapis, this is the first thread that I will be subscribing to, as I am new to RIU, I just love to grow plants, and this really spiked my interest. With the greenhouse op, I have visited a huge rooting op, it was like walking through dinosaur land, super foggy and hot. This looks just like it, plan to try it my self. Thanks for the info.

Hi PV, welcome to the thread. Once I learn to take better cuttings, I think it'll root faster. I took the bubblelicious cuttings from new growth at top. If you saw the mom, you'd understand. I've been neglecting her, but now it is either her or my last two bubblelicious seeds.

I think out of 5 cuttings, maybe one will be worth saving. Now on the Pineapple Express, I took all lower cuttings and only one is in distress, I think it is too small. It was only two nodes and right after I cut it, I was like, Damn, should of given this one another week. I was only trying to remove all branches that had the thinnest stems. I now have 8 branches tied down and the rest were removed.

I'm hoping the foggy steaminess finds the Pineapple Express well. I have read it is an easy plant to clone.

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 10:28 AM

Thabks for sharing the information. Everything you provided is correct. I didn't go that deep into it, because many of my readers are asking what it is and how to make it. I didn't want to confuse matters any more or make the subject seem complex. I do however appreciate your sharing that with us. You brought up some good points. As far as the alchemy goes, I think my 153 proof does just fine. It is much stronger than any Vodka I've ran across and the more alcohol, the merrier.

Also, in regards to grinding, I recommend it for any extraction. You are opening up many more surface areas for extraction and your potency will be increased. There is very little you can do about leeching plant matter, because when you stick it in alcohol and nearly boil it for twenty minutes, you are going to extract the plant leave material as well, regardless. I did spread the weed out to totally dry before processing. I wanted as much chlorophyll out as possible.

Again, thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by Canon

Serapis,, NICE thread! I'll pull a chair up to the table on this one.

Mind if I add a couple foot notes to your Tincture post?

Pure alchol is good for this. If you can't get High proof and want some,, just use a quality vodka if you like. If you want to increase the alky, and reduce the water, Pour it into a plastic bowl (with tight cover). Make sure the sides funnel outwards. Then put it into the freezer to settle and seperate. When ready, the alky will remain liquid,, water will freeze, and when you remove it...... High Proof alky.

Snapps, bourbon, etc. can be added for flavor as well as flavor extracts from the grocery (most are alky / glycerine based).

Surely your prime bids, or anything can be used that has trichs visible. But, you can also use moldy bud, Harsh stuff you don't want to smoke or even hash that's gone wrong.
Nice way to make a save at times. You could also use males / hermies. Granted some willbe better than others, but THC is THC.

I know some chop it up finely. May want to try NOT grinding / chopping. When you chop it you give the liquid better access to the plant material. Without chopping it your just desolving the trichs and saving,, reduces the Dragon flavor a lot.

Under the tongue, etc. definately works. BUT, it also mixes well with morning coffee, Afternoon cocktails, B-B-Q Beers, and at the restraunt / work with food. You can put it on your cheeseburger, in a salad, and on your mint parfay. People see you with a eyedropper and a pharmacy bottle they'll figure your just taking medicine.

Going somewhere? Nice way to move it in your pocket.

If you continue to reduce it,, naturally you'll end up with a form of hash oil! (Like better ISO)

Hope somthing here is helpful or an idea generator.

Nice thread,,, think I'll tag along.

If you Google - Making Tinctures, You'll find a ton of info from Rick Simpson (ugh!) to Martha Stew-wart.

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 10:53 AM

One additional thing about grinding up the herbs for a tincture... I forgot to mention this earlier, but feel it is important enough to warrant it's own post.

marijuana has for generations been used to treat ailments. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services holds a patent on the medical abilities of marijuana for treating diseases involving oxidation, such as strokes, heart disease, Alzheimer, etc. These diseases aren't being treated with THC. There is something else in the plant that holds high medicinal value. When extracting the essence of a herb, we want to represent the entire plant, and derive benefits from all of it's characteristics, not just the getting high part.

That is why it is essential to slightly grind up the herbage. If all you want is the THC without any of the plant's other benefits, I guess you could use whole plant matter, however it's going to get messy recovering your alcohol. I can easily squeeze mush that was previously ground. I guess it is up to the individual, but since I was showing my way, I ground the herb and will continue to do so.

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 03:10 PM

If they look like they'll not get as big as the one's you picked for LST, ing, I'd let em get to about 3 nodes long and then cut them for clones. Good looking plants.

**TheLastWood** · 03-17-2011, 03:32 PM

Thanks. Yeah I don't think they will be long enough to lst by the time I flower her. Probably as soon as there big enough to clone ill flower her the next week. I can already tell she's gonna be a beautiful bush. Should I do more pruning up top?

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 04:21 PM

I would not at this point. Wait and see where your flower points are after the stretch. If you end up with prime spots being sun blocked, I'd stake that top away or if need be, nip some fan leaves off. I never remove sun leaves near the top. Those babies help produce the energy for the buds in my thinking.

Originally Posted by TheLastWood

Thanks. Yeah I don't think they will be long enough to lst by the time I flower her. Probably as soon as there big enough to clone ill flower her the next week. I can already tell she's gonna be a beautiful bush. Should I do more pruning up top?

**DrFever** · 03-17-2011, 05:06 PM

lol we have the same black Fan

) nice thread here about the fogger i was at walmart back in october and should of bought it its a actual haloween fogger was like 50.00 but was thinking could this work meaning if i added some nutes still need to figure out whast all needed to make it fog just water ????
but anyways as for tincture looks cool hell the women freaks when C02 is on cant imagine her letting me play with alcohol and her oven

) some things are better off left between us alone like my grow room and her kitchen

)

**Serapis** · 03-17-2011, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by redrum83420

so where are those tinctures

i got trim drying out now

You must of missed it, go back a page.. I didn't take pics, but i explained it.

Originally Posted by mantiszn

all subbed up

Glad to have ya!

Originally Posted by DrFever

lol we have the same black Fan

) nice thread here about the fogger i was at walmart back in october and should of bought it its a actual haloween fogger was like 50.00 but was thinking could this work meaning if i added some nutes still need to figure out whast all needed to make it fog just water ????
but anyways as for tincture looks cool hell the women freaks when C02 is on cant imagine her letting me play with alcohol and her oven

) some things are better off left between us alone like my grow room and her kitchen

)

LOL... Mine came with a float, and the mist maker sits down in it. The float keeps the water about 2" over the fogger's ceramic plate. Avoid the ones with lot's of lights...

You can always do a cold extraction tincture. Just heat up herb in oven first.

**steverthebeaver81** · 03-17-2011, 07:05 PM

subbed Serapis. I liked the cloner, i made somethin like it, but it was just aeroponic, no fog.

**redrum83420** · 03-17-2011, 07:18 PM

idk about cooking alcohol on the stove. if i just keep it in a jar and shake it 2-3 times a day. how do i know that its done, and i can remove all the material and evap it some?