First Time Grow! by Lebowskii

[Reefa Cheefa]

I'm glad you didn't top those! Next time I would top as early as possible, the later you top the more you will stunt their growth.

I'm kind of surprised you're running out of grow space. I guess it's hard to imagine without pics and I have never grown outdoors so I dunno...

I would think about building a small little greenhouse. Check out this thread, it's a cool little greenhouse he made... It might answer your question about what you should put over top of the girls... Katos New Green House Grow

 

[Lebowskii]

Thanks for the link! Thats a wicked grow theyve got going! I might actually just take the stakes out of the ground and drop some pvc piping in the ground and make a square greenhouse, then cover it with a bunch of that green mesh stuff. Been looking around here and there and it seems that its all roughly gunna be the same results. BUT! filtered light is better then 100 degree sun 8 days in a row thanks again reefa!
P.S. the plants in that greenhouse were the first ones on this site that were an outdoor grow similar to mine! hope mine fill out that nicely...

 

[Lebowskii]

Whats going on my loyal followers! I got my camera back, and boy are you guys in for a treat. I about cried when I looked at these pictures on my computer... didnt realize I was such a great photographer...

Lets get started! This is Kandy (my beautiful Purple Kush)
she has a magnificent aroma to her. The smell alone made this whole grow worth it!

From the top!

In this picture, Left: Tina the Trainwreck, Middle: Kookie the Purple Kush, and Back Right: G-13 number 2. what am i supposed to name a plant that doesnt have a real name to ryme with?

Tina looking tasty.

Almost forgot to add these pictures in! This is G-13 number 2. Smaller then others, but looking tasty with bud sites all over

Kinda hard to tell, but in the barrel there are three ladies, Katie (the Kushage) G-13 number 1, and Chem D. <-- not sure what to do with that one either...

Katie on the bottom, chem d top right, and g-13 top left:

Katie the kushage has some minor discoloration on her leaves and I wanted a second opinion.

ALSO!! take a look at Kandy and Kookie closely because for SOME reason their leaves arent opening right, they are getting big, but not opening up right. not sure if its genetics or what but I think i found my own mistakes.

Of the late, it has been pretty warm here, so the plants have required a more frequent watering cycle, but I was still adding nutrients every other watering cycle. SO! this week is a flush week, and they get just water, and ill ease them back into nutes and adjust accordingly.

Im going to be puting in (hopefully monday) a new enclosure. Im going to be constructing a grow tent/ greenhouse kind of thing out of 1.5 inch PVC piping and covering it with that green mesh. I think another problem some of the taller plants are undergoing is too much sun/heat on the upper canopies. Puting a top on them will hopefully fix this problem.

Im also going to be building a dry box. Ill be sure to have pictures of the box and enclosure (before/during/after)

Not really sure when they will be "done". all the clones were different ages and sizes when I got them, but they have been in the ground about 6 weeks now.

I added about...a quarter inch of soil on the top layers of the plants as well because i noticed how low in the containers the dirt was getting. Let me know what you guys think!

~Lebowskii~

 

[Reefa Cheefa]

Nice man those are looking strong and healthy. The nugs look like they're getting nice and frosty.

Sounds like you have a plan with the grow tent/greenhouse idea. There might be some things you can add to your soil to help them grow. I too will be building some kind of drying box, I will probably use pvc and some black tarp I have around it... Not sure on it yet.

Keep up the good work

 

[Lebowskii]

There might be some things you can add to your soil to help them grow.
Keep up the good work

Im very timid about adding things to their soil because of my inexperiance. However, I was looking at some flower food (which is safe with everything according to the box, had a rating of 6-12-0. have a few different kinds of the plant food that i can mix in with the soil... but not sure which would be best.

Note to self. Next time, not going to grow 5 strains in 3 barrels all in different stages...

 

[Reefa Cheefa]

Note to self. Next time, not going to grow 5 strains in 3 barrels all in different stages...

LOL! Yea man I feel the exact same way! I want to find one strain that I like and master that strain before I move onto anything else.

I'm currently working on getting the whole cloning situation right at the moment.

 

[Lebowskii]

I'm currently working on getting the whole cloning situation right at the moment.

Thats my next step. My next outdoor crop will be one or two strands I think, and they will all have their own containers... and hopefully... I can attempt cloning!

The only way to get experience is to try, and try again, learning from your mistakes as you go! ...so after this crop i should be an expert.

 

[N.W.Green]

My wife was just telling me i have to put that tutorial together on my cloner, you think its about that time?

 

[Lebowskii]

My wife was just telling me i have to put that tutorial together on my cloner, you think its about that time?

Well, here is my problem. I could take a clone or two now, but for now Im stuck outdoors, and Im not sure I would be able to get another plant done before it starts getting cold/frosty. However. If you show me how you made that cloner... i would be obliged to attempt it. I would really like to clone my G-13! so by all means, fire away =]

If anything, ill flower my clones early so that they finish before it freezes

Thanks man!

 

[Sonzor]

Hello Lebowskii,

Just caught up on you journal and your plants are looking very nice. Got yourself some great strains to work with. If I could make a couple suggestions. It looks like you have plenty of space I think what is going to become a big issue for you is multiple plants in one container. The bigger they get, the roots will become tangled and they will start competing for nutes and you know how that goes, only the strongest survive. It might be a little late to do anything about it now, so you just might have to see how it goes. Another things is I would not add anything else to your soil except for the Nutes you are already using, Fox Farms I believe it was. Do what they bottles say and you should have a very successful grow.

As for topping, Don't be timid about topping, Its a little late now but next time, if its something you think you want to do, just do it, these are strong plants and they actually seem to explode with growth after a topping. Sometimes it puts them behind just a bit but for the most part they don't even skip a beat. I like to top my plants cause I rather have many smaller buds sites, I don't need on big main cola. It just seem to invite all sorts of issues I rather not deal with. Its true some strains don't do well when topped but thats something you have to figure out for yourself or from somebody who has tried it with the strain.

As for trimming you plant, thats is something I would be very careful when doing. For the most part it is not needed when growing outdoors. It sound like you get plenty of sun that will get to most of the plants so trimming is probably more harmful than helpful..

Also I am not sure if you had done it already, I know you talked about putting slits in the green fabric, I think that would be a really, really good idea. You need to have plenty of air flow through there. The more the better...

Concerning you dry box... Its a great thing you are thinking ahead, the only things I would try to consider if I where you is light, heat and fresh air. You don't want your buds to be subjected to too much heat when drying, you want them to slow dry. And light keep those things you worked so hard for out of the light. And last but certainly not least you need some sort of air circulating. The last thing you want is stale air, you don't want anything blowing directly on the buds, but you do need to keep the air moving, no airflow, heat and light are going to cause you all sorts of problems and ruin those lovely strains you spent so much time and care to grow.

Please take all my opinions with a grain of salt, I have not been growing for years like a lot of these growers here at 420, All my opinions are based on successes and mistakes, and research over the last couple of years.

Keep it simple and try not to over think it. The more complex you make this the more issues you are going to have....

Good luck and can not wait to see how this all goes for you.... Will be watching for sure.... + rep

 

[Lebowskii]

Hey sonzor, thanks for stopping in! (was checkin in your journal, and turns out I am only about half organic due to fox farms (( didnt realize how harsh those nutes are on other bugs)

Your 1000000% correct. ive been kicking myself for having so many plants together like this the WHOLE time now. And i can stick my finger in the ground anywhere near the plants and I can feel the roots, so Im sure they are all trying to choke eachother now. I am considering a transplant when Kandy and Kookie are done (because they are so far ahead of the others) but Im not sure how they are going to take the transplant that late in their life cycles. Next crop will be MUCH different (already started my mulch pile for next crop too )

Next crop will also be getting topped EARLY!!

The only real trimming I do is for airflow. Especially on the Kushes. they are short stubby little bushes of magic.

I actually replaced about half of my green mesh around my container on one side with some 1/4 inch netting stuff. has these big holes in it which upped air circulation 10 fold. When I make my little box, I hope to utilize as much of that stuff as possible while keeping them concealed.... I will have no yanked plants by the dirtbags that live down the street from me... Ahhh.... outside voice....

My grow box/specs/plan so far!

I am no artist when it comes to drawing on a computer, but i think you'll get the idea. I plan on getting a tub from walmart (one of those purple and blue plastic rubbermade tubs), cutting a whole in the bottom side of it, running a piece of tubing (gunna have to work hard on this part...) and stick a 4 inch desk fan that I already bought from walmart for 6 bucks that has an ac outlet already (I was about ready to custom wire an old computer fan but figured... convenience or safety for 6 bucks. I chose my safety.

Once the tubing and fan is figured out, I found really cheap at walmart again, some really fine black screening that I can put on the top holes so they let air in but no light, no bugs, etc. AGAIN at walmart, I found some wooden screens that I can just drop into my box and attach, then lay my harvest across to dry. I was even considering a timer for the fan... but that is MUCH further down the line. SO! besides the fact I went to walmart for this stuff... what do you think? will it work? All suggestions are welcome!

Thanks again for stopping in Sonzor, INCREDIBLY helpful! The reason why I have a grow journal is for imput! I dont mind grains of salt. "Constructive criticism"

Ill snap some more pics of the garden today and have them posted by tonight or tomorrow morning! Stay medicated!

~Lebowskii~

P.S. my picture says 6inch fan, but its only a 4... i think....

 

[420warriors]

Hey Lebowski, looks like everything is well under control. If you are concerned with odor control in your box you can use a carbon air purifier pre filter They block light and are made for air flow,and you can get them at wally world! You can also upgrade to a 4" duct booster fan for about $15 if your desk fan don't fit or don't move enough air.

 

[Lebowskii]

Thanks 420warrior I hadnt even thought of smell yet...
And now i also know what to look for if/when this fan doesnt fit!

 

[Sonzor]

Anytime, Lebowskii

Looks like you have the drying box well thought out. Think that going to work our for you for sure... Your grow is going to be a fun one to watch. Keep up the good work....

As for a carbon filter. I made one that works pretty good. I think I spent about $20 for all the supplies. I have a step by step on how two make it in my first journal on page 16 if thats something your interested in trying, Otherwise at target they have a small self contained plug in version at Target, I think it was around $14 that works pretty good for small spaces where oder is an issue, the only down side to this little unit is you have to change the filter pretty often....

Anyways good luck and look forward to you next update....

 

[Lebowskii]

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~H. Fred Dale

BREAKING NEWS
I hope it is ok to transplant. Today: one of the barrels with 3 ladies is getting scrapped. I will be removing one of the wine barrels ( or at the most, put one of the plants in one by its self.)

G-13 number 2 has little spots all over. Please advise if anyone knows what it is. this is the first plant getting her own barrel/bucket today.

litterally 90% of all of kandy and kookies leaves look like this. Kandy is already in her own container, Kookie has not. she will be transplanted today.

This is the Chem D that is sharing a barrel with the Big G-13 and Katie. I THINK this is sun burn. because they have gotten so tall, so fast, and the weather went from 70's to 90's in a week, I think she is just getting too much sun.

So i talked to a guru. And along with his advice and the help you guys have offered, Ive made up my mind to what is wrong. 1) too much sun, so, hopefully building greenhouse expansion today. 2) too many plants in one barrel in 3 different stages isnt good. I was giving them nutrients but when plants get the wrong nutrients for their stage in life, they dont like it.

Let me know if this looks / sounds about accurate?

Ill be sure to snap some new pics of their new home today...long day ahead of me....

~Lebowskii~

 

[Reefa Cheefa]

Yo Lebo you are going to have fun today! I love building new/better things for my ladies. I feel like transplanting those now could really stunt their growth but that's me. I agree with you on the sunburn, looks like that girl needs some sunblock Have a good one

 

[Lebowskii]

Its stunt their growth or possibly lose some babies. The trainwreck/purple kush/ G-143 barrel is not happy at all but it will be a fun day. just... crazy chaotic. plus I have to do all this stuff stealthily so people arent like... hmmm i wonder what that guy is doing.... Do you think they will recover from the being stunted again? or am I going to have 4 multi-ounce plants and 3 multi-gram plants?

 

[Reefa Cheefa]

I really have no idea lol... I just try not to stress my plants at all once they start flowering, I also have never had to transplant but from what I have read the earlier you transplant the better. If you think that you are going to lose some girls if you don't transplant than I would do it too.

I feel ya on the stealthiness... That's the only thing keeping me indoors. Well that and bubbles are amazing.

 

[Sonzor]

Whats up Lebowskii,

I think the transplants may be a good Idea, Just try to scoop up those plants with as little disturbance of the roots as possible. I think those ladies will do just fine, actually I think they will be much better off in the long run.

As for the spots on the leaves. Are you adjusting the PH of you nutes before feeding. I know using the Fox Farms or any store bought nutes for that matter, you should be adjusting the PH to between 6 and 7. I think if you can do this the issues will be fixed. Just a thought.

Its just my opinion but I don't think you are having an issue with heat stress, a few days in the 90s should not be too big a deal. Just make sure they are getting plenty of liquids.

Just my opinion, so as always take it with a grain of salt.
Good luck,

 

[Lebowskii]

Thanks for stoppin in sonzor!
NOT AT ALL! I wasnt aware I was to adjust the ph of the nutes... As a matter of fact... Im not even sure how to go about doing so. Should i go buy some sort of "pH downers" and mix it in with water/nute mixture?

pH of the soil for all three barrels ranged from 7 down to id say about 6.8. pretty high. but for the soil i was just gunna flush.

What are some good store bought downers? I can go pick some up today while Im out.