You should grow from seed, clone all you want from that stock, and keep it around, if you choose, for a couple of years. Make some seeds with it, and then move on, starting from seeds again. If you think about the big picture, you will agree it seems like a no brainer. You suffer breakdown at a cellular level when you artificially prolong the life of a plant programmed to be an annual (to die and be reborn by seed every year). At about the 2-year mark you will begin to note weaknesses in resistance to disease, and loss of vigor as well.
These little seedlings are keen to get going!
This is my little organic seed company, and I am a decent breeder with some tasty genetics that I mix, stabilize and match. If you can find any KOS seeds, try them out. If you are looking for them and can’t find them, come on over to the Skunk forums online and ask around. As a rule of thumb, organically bred seeds tend to perform better in organic growing environments.
These KOS organically grown seeds are labeled and kept in airtight containers
These guys have been around for a long time, and I have never heard one bad thing about them. Many of my friends have grown from their seed stock and have been very happy with the results. Their seeds will cost you a bit more, but in my opinion they are worth it.
What a groovy character this guy is! Not only is he a nice dude, his genetics are fantastic. Thai Lights is a really great choice from the Doc’s seed selection for those of you who prefer a unique and upwardly mobile high, and I loved that one myself. However, there are several great strains to choose from, so make your decision according to your grow room specs.
This source has always has been a straight shooter and I have gotten some great genetics here in the past too. You may even see some KOS genetics there when you stop by.
Sannie has always done me right, and I just had to get some of their Blueberry Sativa and Walhalla! Fast and secure, as well as being nice fellas.
TLO grown cannabis is elegant to smoke
SOIL MIX ADDITIONS: QUICK REFERENCE
It is very important that you cook (pre-process) any newly blended soil mix if there are raw elements added; don’t add an extra cup of kelp meal or something just before transplanting plants into it, because they will not dig it. Even things like dolomite lime need to be cooked first into the soil-mix to keep it über friendly to the microbeasties and the plants.
Below is a quick reference guide for TLO soil mix additions.
•Soft Rock Phosphate: Micronized (solution grade) soft rock phosphate will bring phosphorus and sulfur and will also hold the nitrogen in the soil mix and keep it from escaping into the air as a gas (ammonia).
•Bone Meal: Always use unsteamed bone meal in your TLO soil mix. Whitney Farms brand has great slow release phosphorus, calcium, some nitrogen and plenty of trace elements. Bone meal also will raise the pH due to the calcium present.
•Earthworm Castings: You want living earthworm castings here if possible; Gardner & Bloome has bagged castings that are still very alive and healthy. Sterilized or dry castings are a distant second choice here. Earthworm castings do NOT need to be cooked before using.
•Greensand: A great source of slow and steady minerals and a lot of potassium (K), just as the plant wants it. Greensand will take the pH up a bit due to the high potassium levels. It also adds to soil structure in a good way.
•Blood Meal: Powerhouse of nitrogen (N) with a big shot of iron as well as plenty of trace minerals. This really lowers the soil mix pH and will generate actual heat if there is a lot of organic matter due to the high populations of microlife feeding and reproducing. Careful, this stuff can be as dangerous as it is wonderful!
•Feather Meal: This brings long-term nitrogen and calcium as well, and endures much longer than blood meal. Always nice to have some N laying around for the plant if she wants some. Only nominally effects soil mix pH.
•Alfalfa Meal: Alfalfa meal packs high nitrogen and great potassium (N and K) as well as an exotic growth hormone called triacontanol. Worms also love this, but you need to be careful because the high nitrogen levels can generate actual heat like blood meal can, and this heat can kill roots. Use this in moderate amounts.
•Kelp Meal: Full of exotic growth hormones and enzymes as well as massive trace and micro nutrient diversity. Also high in potassium (K) and great organic matter with a dash of nitrogen.
•Perlite: Perlite aerates a soil mix and keeps aerating it, as opposed to shredded bark mulch, which processes too quickly. Use small nugget sized perlite if possible for the greatest aeration.
•Coconut Fiber (coir): Most coconut fiber is way too fat with salts. Either fully rinse your coir or get it pre-rinsed like the Botanicare product called Cocogro, which awesome for worm farms and all TLO applications. Good amounts of potassium and also takes pH up a bit; all good effects!
•Guanos: Never use raw bird or bat poop; this will kill your plants. It has to be composted first. Tons of powerful N, P, and micro/trace nutrients galore; awesome organic matter for microbeasty food! Chicken poop is extra kick ass if your chickens are at least semi-free-range so insects and other diversity enter their diets.
•Rabbit Poop: Awesome stuff. Don’t confuse how this works outdoors and how it works indoors in living containers; raw, it will very likely kill your plants, so cook it first. Great levels of nitrogen so it will cook very warm too, like blood meal and alfalfa meal. Feed your rabbits über-healthy stuff and their poop will be incredible all natural fertilizer.
•Farm Animal Manures: Always hot compost these first. Full of great mineral salts, with good nitrogen and potassium too along with vast trace and micronutrients. Usually a little salty so use carefully. I like to keep any manure of this type low in my container (Steer Manure Layer) to start with so any excess salts go out the bottom without passing through the rest of the soil mix.
•Oyster Shell Products: Down to Earth makes a great powdered version of oyster shells. I use this and the crushed version; awesome calcium and trace minerals, slow and steady release, plus a great place for bacteria to anchor to and colonize. Also has positive effects on soil structure.
•Bark Mulch: Always, always mulch your containers! I use shredded bark for this, any bark will do, just avoid walnut or cedar.
•Cottonseed Meal: If for some reason your soil mix’s pH is too high, then you can cook in some of this to drop the pH pretty effectively while also adding great nitrogen and trace nutrients. Awesome microbeasty food, especially fungi.
•Rice: I like to add a little of this anytime I mix up a new batch of soil mix for cooking, and I do it for a couple of reasons. First of all the fungi really seem to love it! Secondly, it is full of calcium and iron, two very important nutrient elements for healthy happy plants and microbeasties.
