Portland Oregon 2016 Rains and Harvesting

[Zymurgist]

On Sep. 17 my 4 plants were flattened by the heavy rains - laying on the ground.
I tied them up 2 days later using rope and 3/4 inch conduit.
Not too much rain after that until October hit and then every day.

I have been harvesting, starting on Sep. 28, according to the below strategy.
If I see bud rot, I cut off that branch at a good spot well below the point of the rot.
I shake off the water and bring it indoors, trim all the fan leaves off, remove the bud rot thoroughly, finish trimming the smaller leaves next to the bud and then hang it up in a well ventilated area. Everything appears to be drying without any post trim additional bud rot. I am throwing away about 10% of the bud at this point.

When I first started on Sep. 17 the Trichomes were very clear. Now, on Oct. 9, they are starting to become cloudy.

The strain appears to be decently resistant to the mold and powdery mildew. A Comfrey plant 4 feet away from the girls is covered in powdery mildew and I have not seen any powdery mildew on the girls. The bud rot, when it appears on the girls is no bigger than the size of a nickel in diameter.

What Strain is it? Melon Gum
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages? Indica
How Many Plants? 4
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Flower
If in Flowering Stage... How Long? 41 days
Indoor or Outdoor? Outdoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil, in ground
If Soil... What is in your Mix? FF Ocean Forest plus compost and built up soil.
Any Pests? No
How Often are you Watering? Mother Nature is watering multiple times per day
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used? None

 

[Zymurgist]

My thoughts for next year.

1. Go with auto flowering seeds or a strain that will be done before the end of September.

2. Plant in such a way that I can put a canopy over them - this year's plants got away from me and at 7' tall a canopy would be difficult without attracting attention. (Legal to grow 4 plants in Oregon, but I have gossipy neighbors.) Tying them down earlier or topping mid August might have helped with keeping the height down.

3. Find a strain with even better mold resistance and just ride it out if the rains come like this again. Not my favorite option, cutting and trimming wet bud is annoying.

 

[Zymurgist]

We had almost 3 days of no rain this week. I cut out branches on Monday and Tuesday and then finished on Wednesday. Even with everything I threw away, I should have no problem hitting my Oregon legal limit of possessing 8 oz. on the homestead. Which will tide me over nicely until next years harvest and even allow me to give some away to friends.

Final thought: I am very glad I do not farm anything for a living. Kudos to people who brave the weather, pests and diseases to make a living off organic agriculture.