2024 Outdoor Grow Season

I'm glad you're bringing us along. Thanks.

I had plans to maybe not grow at all this year because I have so much in jars, or slim it down to 2 plants. But, I just ordered Candy Kush and White Widow seeds, and really want to do another run of Gold Leaf and Dosido. So, it looks like I'm back to 4.

^ lol...Growing is a safe and worthwhile addiction, Brian :)

Best wishes to all for another fun and productive grow season. And may no one's plants float away this year ;)

Maybe I'll grow in smaller pots to decrease yield.

That's silly. Why would I do that?

Yeah Brian. I know where you can send any unneeded excess.

Wouldn't it be sacrelege to import bud to California?

Not if it's good enough.

^I've been growing in either basements or greenhouses for the past 33 yrs, Mike.  It' just takes time until you're comfortable with your equipment, the genetics of the strains you've chosen, and the growing environment in your enclosed space.  If you want to minimize stretch, specifically, make sure that your ferts have NO ammonium phosphate (very important), keep room temps in between  68F and 78F, and keep lights at around 12" or a little less from plant tops if using  T5 fluorescents, LED's can be kept a bit closer due to very little heat output.

Always talk to them, run your fingers / hands across them when young, and as adolescents in veg., and Always tell them, 'I Love You'.  Our Breath and Words carry tremendous energy, both positive and negative, to all life around us. Our Choice. And all plants carry ancient energies and wisdom that was here on Earth LONG before any animal life appeared. 

Bottom line, t's mainly about learning to read the plants, and that simply takes time from successes and mistakes. They speak to us in health, in sickness, and in death.  A good guide book is a necessity to ease nerves for new growers, and old alike..  My first book was purchased in '90, written by Mel Frank.  I referenced that book many, many times over the years. The one i currently have is Marijuana Horticulture  -  Jorge Cervantes.  The nutrient deficiency / overload section is pretty good.

I'm sure this year will be a beauty for you :)

>>>>What I've learned though is that I just need to leave things alone as much as possible...

Yes!......(((((((((( Let it Grow )))))))))))))  

If i was good at writing effectively, i would've written, You'll get there, Mike.  It just takes care and patience. :)

You'll get there, Mike. It just takes care and patience. :)

Looking good ,Mike :)

Looks good, and I love the shadows!

Well, on the anniversary of last year's July 10/11 flood, what do you know, we had another flood. As this year has been so much warmer than last I already had them tied back, which stopped them from floating away and getting all mangled and shocked. They were fully submerged for at least 6 hours.

Although they hated floating away and getting banged up, they evidently love taking long river baths.

I took that pic the day after. All 4 have grown like wildfire since!

Being proactive paid off.  I love your determination to grow your own, Brian.  They're looking great!! I still get quite a chuckle at last year's flood story of the firefighter letting you know he saw one of your plants floating on by, and the local newspaper gal taking a pic of you with your rescue. 

 Talk about a challenging environment. I hope the girls finish nicely for your efforts this year. 

The local new reporter (TV) actually helped me rescue the plants. She was doing a live broadcast from my canoe  She said it's her most told story in her 7 years of reporting. She texed me that she was very concerned for this year's crop.

^^That entire explanation makes that scenario just that much funnier :).   Your post made me lol.  Thanks!

She broadcast from my yard the evening before, as the flood waters were rising. I'd already put the plants on the picnic table because predictions did t have the water coming "that" high. She asked if I minded if she showed the plants. This was the caption when they came on-screen:

Katherine, the reporter, checked in with me throughout the night, just to see how things were going. The next morning I canoed out to get coffee and she was setting up for a broadcast. She asked if she could do a live broadcast from the canoe. When that was done an asked if she wanted to see where we'd been the prior evening, so we canoed over. She was dismayed to see only one plant on the half-toppled table. I knew one had floated down the street, but the other 2 were MIA. She wasn't okay with that and we went on a search mission, finding the other 2.

A few months later she told me she had been offered a job for the Weather Channel, but had declined. The whole pot rescue made her realize that she wanted to stay local and be a part of the community, not just chasing stories and leaving. She also said the rescue was the one positive she saw that day.

She's not a pot smoker but her father is. I told her that she can always drop me a line when he's visiting because it's half hers. She did text me this year to make sure they were okay, and offered to do another rescue mission if needed.

I've never seen the live broadcast because I guess it was Facebook live-streamed, but clips of it are in this report: https://www.wcax.com/2023/07/11/waterbury-residents-remain-positive-they...

I know the report from the night before, with the plants on the table,  became TikTok famous or something, and that little section showed up on feeds from GA to CA.

^Agreed!! Thank you, Brian, for the full story.  All if it is remarkable, and quite humorous. 

It is without a doubt, the best GD related  'wake of the flood' story I've ever read :)

Cool story Brian.

^ Lovely!

Good job Mike.

My Gold Leaf and White Widow started flowering super early, last week of August. GL in particular is looking frosty as can be, and WW less so,  but buds are getting massive.

Dosi and Double Bubba literally just started flowering a few days ago, way later than anything I've ever grown. Even if they're 9 weeks, that's the end of October which doesn't work in Vermont. By then it's too cold, damp, and the light fades. I have low hopes for those 2.

.

Getting milky boys ! Keep it up!

Checked the trichromes on the Gold Leaf this morning and looks perfectly 50% amber.

So, I pulled her down, a full 16 days ahead of my earliest harvest.

Due to septoria I don't save any of the leaves and I don't dry trim. The goal is to get all the fan and sugar leaves off ASAP. The bud structure on Gold Leaf gives a ton of small buds and it takes forever to hand trim. As I'm not saving trim I decided to go the fast route and use the salad spinner trimmer. I had the entire plant processed and everything clean in about an hour.

So, my buddy that has a decent indoor grow did not have room for all his plants and he gave me 3. It was too lng before I got them in the ground and it was in the middle of the July heat wave. I thought for sure they would all die. Luckily they lived. Did not rely thrive, lived. Then they started budding and all is as good as could be expected. I have never grown outdoor before and it has been 35 yrs since I had a little closet grow. So I am just hummin it here.  Feeding with foxfarm Big Bloom.

As you can see I am utilizing companion gardening. It seems to be working as I have not seen any pests.

I could use some pointers from all you pros.

Companion Gardening

Runts

LCD

Pablo's Revenge.  Two thirds of this plant broke off(don't ask).

Thanks Mike. That's perfect.  When do you feed for the last time?

looking closely at them just now, it looks like most of the pistils have turned brown. All of them on some buds. With my hand held magnifying glass, I cannot see the trichomes clearly but they all look white to me. Last day I fed was the 19th.

Should I wait a couple more days or harvest now?

Thanks. I will do that.

I pulled down my Gold Leaf 10 days ago, a good 16 days earlier than I've ever done. It was perfectly ripe, but for some reason excessively wispy. That aside it's pretty crystal laden, so the proof will be in the smoke.

White Widow came down last Sunday, also perfectly ripe. My basement is a perfect 62%, but it has been warm and it's 70 degrees, speeding up the drying. I started the dry trim last night and I'll finish tonight.

The Dosi and Double Bubba are coming down this weekend. They can use more tim but it's going to be highs in the 50s, lows in the 40s, and some rain. That's a recipe for mold, so it's time.

I'll leave you with my White Widow winner, 16.9 g dried and smelling of skunk piss:

Nice, Brian!

Blueberry Kush looks great, too, Mike!

I ended up getting a few ounces and it turned out pretty good.  Not a great first grow, but considering the parameters, I am happy with what I got. Next yr I will do better.

>>>>, and I'm not sure what happened.

Different strains this year?  Different strains respond differently to both weather extremes and to mechanical manipulation.  Also, don't forget that when you choose to grow feminized versions of a strain, the previous grower picked the pheno for you, and that pheno choice may have  been based on ( ideally) test results, physical structure (morphology), or simply needing to get any and all seeds to market asap for income.  

Have you thought of buying a 90um bubble bag and dry ice for some dry ice kief?  Super easy and pretty inexpensive. 4 lbs is a nice harvest.

I think there are a lot of variables, especially when outdoors.

I had a decent year. Quantities weren't huge, but quality was way better than last year. I'll take quality over quantity, especially as I can't give it away because everyone grows.

I didn't even do dry ice hash this year.I did get 1.5 oz kief through the screen on my trimming tray, and that was plenty.