Tokyo Pave

(Strawberry Pavé x Shiatsu Kush) by Thumbprint Genetics

Seed to Harvest Grow Blog – March 12th, 2024 to Present

Introduction:

Hey Y’all! I am excited to begin this micro phenohunt of a Shiatsu Kush cross from Thumbprint Genetics’ latest drop (as of March 2024). I am excited to cover the reasons for selecting this genetic and my meticulous cultivation methods for these delicate seedlings. Tokyo Pave has an outstanding lineage, including Red Pop and Pavé, which provide the potential for greatness. I’ll then cover my method of seed prep before the soak and then the ratio of iBEX Seed Gro nutrients and water for the perfect Jiffy Pod. It’s time to get this journey started and see what kind of experiences we will find within these six seeds we have started.

Unveiling Tokyo Pave’s Lineage:

Tokyo Pave is the marriage of Compound Genetic’s Strawberry Pave with Thumbprint Genetic’s own Shiatsu Kush F2. Strawberry Pave is the fusion of Red Pop and Pave, two esteemed strains known for their distinct characteristics. Red Pop is known for its vibrant red hues and sweet, berry-like aroma. Meanwhile, Pave, renowned for its robust growth and resinous buds, contributes structural integrity and potent cannabinoid content.

Thumbprint Genetics created Shiatsu Kush F2 from BCBudDepots’ Shiatsu Kush, brought back from Japan with no further lineage details. The Shiatsu Kush F2 parent plant aromas were filled with a fruity rubber offering. This genetic will hide a diamond in the rough, with various blends of berry, creamy yogurt, and fruity rubber experience on top of potentially resinous dense buds.

Methodical Propagation Process:

After taking the time to deep clean and prepare my propagation tent for this fresh batch of seeds. I randomly selected 6 of the 12 Tokyo Pave seeds from Thumbprint Genetics. Since these are Regular seeds, there is potential for some or all of these seeds to be male plants that we must identify and remove from our growing space. On March 12th, 2024, I placed the six seeds into a small plastic container that I utilized for this step in all my seed drops. The seeds are sprayed with a 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (Glasses Cleaner – Purchased at my local dollar store), which helps kill and eliminate possible pathogens living on the seed’s casing, after allowing the seeds to sit with the Hydrogen Peroxide coating for a minute or two before adding the warm water to the container and placing it on the lids with the genetics identifying details.

After allowing the seeds to crack and a tap root to emerge (typically 2 to 5 days), we can prepare the Jiffy Pods with a combination of Hot Water and the iBEX Nutrients ‘Gro Seed’ bottle nutrient. Combining the peat moss medium in the Jiffy Pods and the iBEX Nutrients focused on the earliest stages of growth provides the building blocks to successful growth in both organic Living Soil mediums or a bottle feed system in the variety of mediums available. Three days after placing the Tokyo Pave seeds into the water bath, they will be transferred into these ready Jiffy Pods.

On March 15th, 2024, we rehydrated our Jiffy Pods with a ration of 1mL of the iBEX Nutrients for every 1L of HOT water utilized. Hot water is vital to this system as it allows the Jiffy Pods to be a warm and welcoming environment for the newly exposed tap roots, creating a warm blanket around the seeds for the length of time you have the cover off of the propagation tray or have the tray outside of the tents optimized environment. Place each seed into the Jiffy Pod with the exposed tap root or the sharp point (Stylar End) of the seeds with no visible tap roots facing down, then place the seeded Jiffy Pod into the holding tray inside the propagation tray. We put the humidity dome on once all the seeds were put into the propagation tray. We set the humidifier to maintain an environment of 75% to 85% RH under our seedlings’ soft, warm, and welcoming blurple grow light. With this combination of high humidity and warm, gentle light, we can begin to watch these seedlings began to stretch toward the light.

Nurturing Growth in the Seedling/Cloning Tent:

These seedlings needed 14 days in the optimized environment we created to properly root into the Jiffy Pods and stretch toward the light. During these 14 days, I maintained a humidity of 75% or greater with a small humidifier. I also had a small amount of water in the base of the propagation tray to help increase the ambient humidity in the dome over the propagation tray. A seedling heating mat underneath the propagation tray will raise the temperature within the tray and dome to encourage growth. The iBEX Nutrient Solution helps provide the initial nutritional building blocks for these seedlings before we transplant them into their first pots.

Transition to First Pots:

After these first two weeks of care and optimizing the environment for the sensitive Tokyo Pave Seedlings, we will take the next step in our journey. Establishing a healthy tap root and system provides a sturdy base to begin searching out and utilizing the available nutrients in the medium. The seedlings are gently removed from the propagation tray, and the Jiffy Pods are dusted with a mycorrhizal blend to encourage a deep and practical rooting system. Since this is the Pheno Hunt stage of my growth, I will transplant all six of the Tokyo Pave into a Living Soil medium, consisting of Gaia Green dry amendments and earthworm castings in a ProMix medium.

The sizes of pots at this stage only matter significantly if you plan to transplant your plants into the final pot from the beginning point of your growth. I will be transplanting and upgrading the pots for these plants between 3 to 5 times, including this first transplant through to harvest. Each transplanting process remains the same: remove from the previous tray/pot, dust the root zone with a hardy amount of mycorrhizal powder, and then transplant into the desired pot. These seedlings will receive a pH-corrected watering for the first time and will join the rest of my plants for the weekly beneficial waterings until harvest.

Beneficial Watering – Microbial Mass & Molasses:

Now that these seedlings have been placed into their first home, we can incorporate some beneficial watering to help curate healthy and hardy growth. I will alternate weekly between organic molasses and Microbial Mass watering for these Tokyo Pave plants. These watering curate an optimized environment for root development and overall plant health. Molasses help boost the active bacteria and living environment within the growing medium to provide the highest levels of nutrients to the plants. Mix the molasses into your already pH-adjusted water at a rate of 1 Tablespoon to 1 Gallon for up to the final four weeks of flowering. I like to pair up the day I top feed my plants with the same day they receive the molasses watering.

In the weeks opposite to when I top feed and molasses water our plants, I switch to Microbial Mass as a beneficial additive to my water. This bottled nutrient helps curate a boasted root development and depth of penetration to maximize the potential nutrient uptake from the growing medium. By encouraging the growth of thin hair roots growing off roots, the plants can find and utilize anything that may be hidden away. As we wait for these first few weeks of initial vegetative growth, this beneficial watering can support the vigorous growth we aim for.