MY LITTLE GROW...or What not to do 101A

jangel · 05-30-2008, 03:28 PM

Here's some more.

jangel · 05-30-2008, 03:45 PM

Here's a shot of my veg area. These guys I left a bit longer than I wanted to as they REALLY need potting up and are looking kind of sick. I did that. I know it is just there is no more food in the pot for them and their roots are crowded. Here they are before. and during. LOTS of roots. They are now under the big light and the clones under the T-5.

jangel · 05-30-2008, 03:48 PM

Here are the little clones I got from a friend a couple of weeks ago! This is the second pot up for them and they are almost 12 inches! I am going to take some clones this week to keep one of each for a mother.

jangel · 05-30-2008, 04:23 PM

On my road there is a little nursery run by friends of mine. I road my ride up the road to them and bought my soil. I have taken Shamen's advice in choise of items to add. What I got so far and will get more as needed is:

4 bags (large) ProMix
4 bags (small) well composted sheep manure

I am also adding some seaweed compost to this, not sure how much and some bone meal. Maybe through in a bit of Fox Farm American Pride. For the ones that I hope to go directly to flower I am adding a small amount of blood meal as well, to help with flowering. I want this out and wet by rain before I plant. I also will put over the new soil for mulch, leaves raked up from our camp site we have built in the forest. This will make the black of the fresh soil harder to see.

Okay, so here is the ingredients for the main mix of soil, and where I will mix it. Then my Deere little ride! and then our fleet! We have trails cut through our forest and bush trails snaked all over so we ride our tractors through them! It is fun and great to do with the kids. They love it too. LOTS of times we have had to haul one or the other back on chains ! Then my man fixes them up and off we go again! It is great fun!

Also, here is our barn. Talk to ya soon! Thats all for now!

tokecrazy · 05-30-2008, 08:06 PM

Hey There gal.Your plants are looking great nice and hardy.I would love to be out away from poeple like you are.Love the barn.You been watching the jeff foxworthy show {you could be a rideneck} Racing lawnmower in the back 40.Best of luck with the weather and getting your plants in the ground.Your training the plant to grow bent over is looking good,nice job on the listing and tieing then down. Peace

jangel · 05-30-2008, 08:16 PM

Thanks Toke! It is lots of fun with the tractors and with the kids they don't really go fast enough to really kill them toooooo bad! A couple don't even have cutting platforms they are just for fun. We call ourselves the Tractor Devils! Free membership if'n ya got a traktooor don't ya know! My man even has a devil head for his gearshift. I am going to put deer horns on my deere this year. What ya do to have fun aiy?

Gonetripping · 06-06-2008, 01:19 PM

Jangel

Just read over the thread - very nicely done!

I've got a much smaller grow taking place - first batch we got 3 out of 4 turned out to be boys (the fastest growing, tallest ones ... ) and have cultivated our lone girl and she looks very similar to where you were mid april. I think we're in the same general location (southern ontario) and bringing her out now. I've got 2 Thais about 3 weeks old which were thrown in once the number of boys in the original batch was realized (we're going to leave those in pots as we'll have to finish them indoors). Lol, it's a long finishing Thai which is a funny replacement I know, but it's what we had at the time ...

Couple thoughts while I was reading what you've done

- Are you considering pruning them at all (or does taking clones accomplish this)? I've been reading/researching how some would suggest a heavy pruning - while scary - is very helpful (leave fan leaves and 6-8 of the strongest branches, prune the rest/take clones) and can all but elimate 'popcorn' bud and ensure thick chunky solid buds --- still looking into this - but I'm 99% I'll be following the pruning instructions in the next week on my girl

- Transplanting - have you ever considering 'shaving' the roots when you transplant? This is a very new technique to me - again, it's just what I've read in forums/documents - but shaving the root ball (we're talking 1/8inch or less) appears to be good to stimulate new root growth (similiar to how LST, supercropping or 'twisting' stems results in hulked up stems)

- LST'ing - I remember reading a post once (could PM you link if I can find it) where 1/2inch screws were put into pots at 12 o'clock positions, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock etc all the way around (so you end up with 12 short screws in a clock face layout, can tape to secure) ... when doing this (and any other LST technique) always tie off the stem first - to do this, tie the bottom of the stem to the 6 o'clock screw (this is done to anchor the stem and remove the stress placed on the roots to hold the plant in place), the LST the plant into the 12 o'clock position. After waiting (a day ot two), add a tie down to the 3 o'clock position - and wait ... repeat at 6 and 9 and then jump to 1 o'clock position after proceed to 4-7-10 to create an outter circle around the 12-3-6-9 ring - jump to 2 o'clock and the final ring follows 5-8-11 ... you can create as tight of a spiral as your abilities allow - the post that I read this in they had done some amazing work --- remember: tie off the stem first to reduce stress!

- when the weather turns and gets colder (you can do it anytime actually) - you can put hay on the ground as it:

(this list is a direct quote from Guano Tea - an incredible grower)
1. It adds reflection
2. builds more soil
3. helps me water less
4. Worms and other macroscopics work at the top of the soil and break it down (keeping them warm and dark)
5. Its composting adding heat and CO2
6. Keeps the kitty from arching his back in my grow bed
7. Pests who use the soil for their eggs, now have 12" of fresh straw to maze through...and a team of macrobiotics eat the pests eggs for me when they do finally make it to the soil level
8. Keeps branches that bow from ending up in the mud but rather a nice resting bed of straw
9. Provides more thermal mass
10. It looks good and is clean

For everyone - I'm not experienced in the techniques I say I've read about - just throwing them out there for discussion

Really good read - thanks!

jangel · 06-06-2008, 02:21 PM

Hey Gonetripping! Welcome to my journal! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I have used straw and hay in the past for mulch, especailly on vegies, but if you are growing in a forest or trying to be stealth, it stands out like a sore thumb. I am using leaves in the forest from our camp site. We rake them up anyway as it cuts down on the bugs. So we just spread them around the soil for the girls and it doesn't stand out. Does the same thing. I have carted in my mixed soil and it is black ! in the forest dirt. This way it is not obvious, just looks like a normal meadow or forest floor. I am working on it today as a matter of fact. I will be adding to this in the next while.

Since you are in Ontario, how do you like todays weather?

Yes, It is funny you mentioned straw mulch. I was looking at my gardening books the other day and one to me is like a bible, it is most likely out of print, The No Work Garden, by Ruth Stout, she used straw mulch and nothing else all her adult life and she was around 80 then. The book is dated 1973. LOL! I guess I have been organic gardening a while!

kennkenniff · 06-06-2008, 04:34 PM

heres a pic of the packages that my 12 $ bulbs came in the one on the left is a 250hps they are 9$, the 400 is the same package and i bought a 250wt hps ballast for 85$ the box on the left is a 400 this one is my fav i think because the electrodes are a metallic green

jangel · 06-06-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennkenniff

heres a pic of the packages that my 12 $ bulbs came in the one on the left is a 250hps they are 9$, the 400 is the same package and i bought a 250wt hps ballast for 85$ the box on the left is a 400 this one is my fav i think because the electrodes are a metallic green

Why thank you Kennkenniff. I appreciate it. I will add it to the list! There is an electrical supply place we have used and they have a farm account for us. I will check there first. they have everything I think!

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MY LITTLE GROW...or What not to do 101A

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