Making the Strain, Episode 2: Sixteen Seedlings, Two Oddballs and the First Cut

Sixteen spots in the tubs, two plants doing their own thing, and a support system made from toothpicks and Post-it notes. The Pink Panty Cream project is moving along. The budget for seedling furniture remains under control.

This is Episode 2 of Making the Strain. If you missed why I started this hunt or what went into the lineup, start with Pink Panty Cream, Episode 1: Defining Desire. This update follows what actually happened next, including the parts that were less planned than I would like to admit.

The last seedling finally clocks in

I move the seedlings over one at a time as their cotyledons, those first little seed leaves, open and turn green. By day four, all but one spot in the tubs is occupied. On day five, the last Pink Strawberry seed sprouts and the lineup reaches sixteen.

The cups get fresh labels, and I move the taller seedlings toward the center. A few later lean over, which is where the toothpicks and Post-it notes come in. Not exactly a premium trellis system, but nobody in the tent has filed a complaint.

There is also a lot of leaving them alone. The medium started premoistened, and in this batch I do not feed until eight days after the first transplant. That is what happened here, not a universal countdown for every cup of medium.

Picks and page markers

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GuGen bamboo picks, 300 pack4.7-inch bamboo picks with ball-shaped tops. The picks linked for the improvised supports in this episode.View product

Post-it page markersAssorted-color, 1/2 x 2-inch page markers. Five pads with 100 sheets each.View product

The clear cups are earning their keep

For the first feed, I borrow water from the veg tent because I am too lazy to mix a separate batch. I show the readings, admit the pH is high, and keep filming. This is a project diary, not me pretending every decision was part of a flawless master plan.

The clear cups are the part I am genuinely excited about. I can see the roots instead of guessing what is happening under the surface. The video gives you a close look at them, and the difference between the plants is becoming more obvious above ground too.

Measuring tools

HiMo 20 mL syringes, 3 packThree 20 mL plastic syringes with caps for measuring and dispensing liquids.View product

GGQ rechargeable digital scaleBlack digital scale with a stainless-steel platform, gram and ounce readings, and USB-C charging.View product

Two oddballs and the rotisserie-chicken problem

Two of the Pink Strawberry selfed seedlings have unusual growth. In the video, I wonder whether that is connected to the small plant the seeds came from. That is my suspicion at this point, not a confirmed explanation.

I also notice that the plants in the center are much larger than the ones around the outside. My comparison in the video is a rotisserie chicken: I want everything getting its turn. So the outside plants move inward and the center plants trade places. Apparently, the seating chart matters.

A camera joins the crew, then it is time for the first cuts

AC Infinity sent over the SPECTRON 7 camera shown in the episode. My immediate reaction is to wonder why it has two cameras. My next thought is that I can now spy on the plants day and night. So much for trying not to check on them constantly.

The last part of the update shows the changing tent readings and the first tops. I use my thumbnail on the plants, but leave one unusually shaped seedling alone because I cannot work out where to top it. It gets a pass, not a diagnosis.

There are no keeper announcements or finished-strain claims here. We are still at the stage of watching how individual plants behave. Sixteen plants are in place, the first cuts are done, and the oddballs are still in the story.

Camera from this episode

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AC Infinity SPECTRON 7 cameraThe dual-camera model shown in this episode, with thermal imaging and under-canopy viewing.View product

The setup behind the episode

Want to understand the tubs underneath all those cups? The separate DIY automatic drip-irrigation tote article for eight seedlings or clones covers that project. This episode shows two tubs holding the sixteen-plant lineup; it is an update on the plants, not a replacement for the build article.

For the original lineup, project goals and starting equipment, head back to Making the Strain, Episode 1. For this week’s progress, the full video above is the main event.