Ep 025: AJ Guest-Hosts Flower Day 15 Walk-Through

0:00 — 1:18

AJ introduces himself as guest host

AJ explains Jeremy is away and he is filling in. He owns Growing Organic with his wife, has grown herb for close to 20 years, worked for BuildASoil for a little over three years, and produces kashi blend and lactobacillus ferments. His first grow was water-only soil, then he dabbled in hydrofarm drip buckets with hydroton, ebb and flow, rockwool, coco drip, and many nutrient lines before transitioning to living soil around 2014-2015 for unmatched quality, ease of growth, and proper terpene expression — which he says also improves rosin washing flavour and potency.

1:18 — 5:40

Quadrant one earth boxes pest and soil check

Quadrant one holds earth boxes — one recycled soil, one new soil — and the plants look beautiful. AJ points out an apical meristem on one plant that sat lower than the others, noting Jeremy had already addressed it and that training is required to keep the canopy even. He pulls the mulch covers to inspect for bug and fungus gnat pressure, finds a big feeder root breaking the surface, sees vermiculite left over from the predator mite inoculation, and spots a live hypoaspis miles hunting. He flips leaves to inspect undersides for aphids, eggs, and spider mite damage, checks stems for aphids, and looks for hermaphrodite male parts — all clean. He advocates removing lower lateral growth that won't reach the screen before day 21, arguing the energy redirects into higher choice nugs that wash better into rosin.

1. 1. Pull back the mulch cover to expose the soil surface
2. 2. Visually scan for fungus gnats, aphids, and predator mites
3. 3. Flip leaves and inspect the underside for dots, bites, eggs, or mites
4. 4. Check stems for aphids clustering
5. 5. Inspect each plant for hermaphrodite male parts sticking out
6. 6. Identify lower branches that will not reach the screen
7. 7. Plan to clean them up before day 21 so energy flows to top colas

5:40 — 7:38

Halitosis #2 and LED resin production aside

AJ highlights Halitosis #2 in the back as a monster that stretched hard with roughly four-inch node spacing lower down and is now tightening up, meaning stretch is slowly ending. He notes the canopy is uneven and explains that on an educational run you use this to learn which cultivars pair well in the same quadrant — ideally you would separate keeper cuts into their own quadrants so a taller plant doesn't steal light from a shorter one (less dramatic in a 10x10 than a 4x4 thanks to multi-angle lighting). He praises the Cypress plants for resin production and says guys washing flower into rosin report increased resin under LED versus HPS, and plugs Timber Grow Lights' made-to-order warranty service.

7:38 — 9:40

Viewer question — clone of a clone and long-term preservation

AJ answers a viewer question on whether clones degrade over successive generations and how to preserve genetics long term. Using Chem D as an example (over 20 years old), he acknowledges 90s growers say it lost a little but questions whether that is from salt-based hydro under artificial light for 15 years or passing through many gardens. Citing Kevin Jodrey, he believes large volumes of living soil plus annual outdoor mom time (mid-May/June to late July) then bringing cuts back indoors mitigates drift via natural sun and biology. For very long-term preservation he suggests F2/F3 seed making — finding a male, doing a few back-crosses — or tissue culture which can also clean viruses. Seeds should be vacuum-sealed in the fridge and left unopened; storage can last 5-10 years or longer.

1. 1. Keep clones rolling in large-volume living soil beds
2. 2. Put mothers outdoors mid-May through late July each year
3. 3. Take fresh cuts off the outdoor mom and return them indoors
4. 4. Repeat annually to let sun and biology refresh the genetic
5. 5. For long-term preservation make F2/F3 seed with a male and a few back-crosses
6. 6. Alternatively preserve via tissue culture (also cleans viruses)
7. 7. Vacuum-seal seeds and store in the fridge unopened for 5-10+ years

9:40 — 12:50

Quadrant three Branson's Royal Revenge scout

Quadrant three holds all Branson's Royal Revenge in 10-gallon containers with only one cubic foot of soil per container and different recipes. AJ notes this cultivar is a leafier, bushier variety than the Halitosis next door — leaves are covering stuff up. He repeats the pest-pressure scouting routine warning that spider mite damage can go from one leaf to a fully infested garden in a couple weeks, and stresses that this is the last window to safely spray (in a week or two flower will be too far along). He pegs these as likely 60-day varieties, predicts strong cola production from tight node spacing, and teaches that praying leaves caused by turgor pressure reflect proper watering and humidity. He contrasts tip burn causes — under-watering with sodium/phosphorus imbalance gives edge burn, while salt-based hydro tip burn comes from excess nutrition — and celebrates that living soil lets the soil feed the plant without hammering it.

1. 1. Walk quadrant three row by row inspecting each Branson's Royal Revenge
2. 2. Flip leaves to look for spider mite dots or damage
3. 3. Assess node spacing to predict finish time (60-day class)
4. 4. Check leaf tips for burn — edge burn suggests moisture/sodium/phosphorus issue
5. 5. Confirm praying-leaf turgor posture indicates proper watering and humidity
6. 6. Plan light defoliation pass for Zach or the team
7. 7. Shift plants physically to inspect from all sides with a fine-tooth comb

12:50 — 14:10

Quadrant four vegetables and cover crop

Quadrant four is the veggie and companion quadrant. AJ spots greens starting to bolt (flower), meaning one more harvest is possible before the cycle ends. Tomato production is under way, clover is in full bloom providing nitrogen fixation, keeping roots in the ground, and aesthetic value. A pepper plant has new peppers forming on top and mature fruit hidden below. He's surprised how well the peppers and tomatoes are doing in such small three-gallon containers — attributing it to how well the living soil is working.

14:10 — 14:30

Wrap-up and viewer call to action

AJ closes the episode saying he came in to make sure everything was proper as Jeremy asked, invites viewers to comment with anything he didn't cover for the next video, and signs off.