Glasgrow's Outdoor Grow - Early Skunk - Scotland

[Glasgrow]

Latest update. Pics taken yesterday morning. They have been getting placed outside, now go out at 10am and come back in at 9pm or so. Bottles get taken off for outside and placed on for when they come in at night. Am thinking of leaving outside on the balcony permanently, do others agree now is ok for all night? Been hardening off since last mon. Has been a bit windy but they seem to be holding up well, prob best to cover them up at night with the bottles. A couple of leaves on 1 plant seem a bit floppy but think that is the wind. Gonna give them some feed later on, last feed with nutes was when i transplanted, had water once since then but now soil seems a tad dry so gonna give a half strength feed, prob just under half - as they say more is less. Too much nutes may cause irreversible damage so best be cautious. Compost had enough nutes for a couple of weeks so a wee feed now should be ok.

Update on chewed plant. You'll notice it in the pics that she has not died and is growing a wee bit and leaves are growing too and a new shoot is still coming up the middle so all is good. Not growing as fast as the others but should still grow and get a decent crop.

Site update - no time to sort it yet. Defo going out tomorrow to find a suitable site and hopefully the sun will be shining so i can get a good idea of how much sun the site will get.

Any info from you guys re my next moves is appreciated.

 

[Kushtie]

Am thinking of leaving outside on the balcony permanently, do others agree now is ok for all night?

I certainly hope so as two of mine were transplanted at site today with no hardening up. Should know if they survive in a few days.

The pots I got were a couple of feet wide so trying to carry them full of wetted soil and plants without getting noticed was going to be a mission so the transplant at site seemed like the best option. Got another 2 seedling destined for the same fate soon and one more going in a more portable pot but I may keep that one indoors for when my flowering autos leave a space under my 600W HPS.

 

[Glasgrow]

Have got a thermometer outside just now so should get an idea of the temps. May just cover them wi the bottle cloches over the next 2 nights just in case.

My plant pots are 19cm (8" wide) so i can fit them in a flat brown jute bag. Gonna have to walk with them to the site, only problem is giving them a water. Will need to go back home to fill bottles then bring back out. 2 trips in the one day isnt ideal but needs must. No way to take plants and water at some time, although i may get lucky wi taking 2-4 litres. Do have a friend who is helping me. May meet him nearby in his car and he can bring the water but he not a big part of this.

 

[Glasgrow]

As the temps were as low as 10°C last night at around midnight i decided to bring them in. 2 reasons - 1st it warmer inside, 2nd the sunrise just hits the kitchen window so makes more sense to put them there for maximum exposure to sunlight. More light = bigger plants and bigger denser buds Also gave them a feed last night, just about half strength so that should be them ok for another week without any water. Obviously if they get quite a bit of sun and it is warm then will need watered sooner.

Had intended to find my site today but it is f*cking cloudy! So i can go investigate the 2 other sites but hoping that the sun makes an appearance so i can see how much light the areas will get. Want maximum exposure during the hottest part of the day and will get the most sun between 11am and 3/4pm. Will post pics later on of the new sites.

 

[Glasgrow]

As it so happens i went for a nap yday afternoon and by the time my mrs got up as well it was time to bathe the wee one and get dinner sorted so no site found. Typical that is is raining today as well, but am hoping it will clear up a bit later on. Dont wanna go out and try guess where the sun is, i want to see it so i know i'm getting maximum exposure. I may just have a look at the 2 sites in mind and see how secluded they are and then sort them next week by digging the soil around, aerating it and adding some bags of compost. Just want to know what you guys would think if i added pear based compost? Would this affect taste and the yield? Lastly my folks are coming over next week and possibly staying overnight, now a wee day trip wont pose a problem but overnight will. Cant leave on the kitchen windowsill and nor can i leave them on the balcony just in case they go out on the balcony. Will it be ok to put the plants in a cupboard which will be completely dark for around 24 hours? Have no place to put them somewhere and even stick on a low wattage cfl bulb so they need to be in the dark. Will this affect them at all or will one day be ok?

 

[Glasgrow]

Finally got round to finding a site. This is what looks good to me. 1st pic shows into the area to plant to. Pics 2 and 3 are more close ups within the area, pic 4 is to the left of the path i was standing on and no 5 is to the right. The path comes from a farm down the road but this area look relatively untouched. Seems secure enough and although i did find a footprint in the mud not far from here am sure anyone walking a dog will hopefully not notice them. Also this area is drenched in sunlight from dawn till just before dusk. These pics were taken around 2.30pm. I do have some other pics to show of 2 potential areas. Just need to upload them.

Nutty - the last pic i will post is from the other side you mentioned about the dead tree. That area is a no-go, not enough discretion and a big 5'/6' plant is likely to be seen and subsequently busted by the police.

 

[Glasgrow]

As mentioned here are the other places. The first pic is just an area i seen while out wondering although looking at it it seems as though it may not get enough sun and it may be a bit too exposed. There is a big field adjacent to it and the field next door is used by dog walkers. The next 2 pics are of a new planted forest area. All new trees have covers round the base so this area could be good but a bit further away from my preferred choice. Lastly nutty - this is the view from the other side of that site you mentioned with the dead tree. As you can see it not really secluded enough and from where i was when i took the pic it is a path so not really any good.

My main problem that i now have is getting enough soil to the site. Ideally would like 4 20L bags of compost (1 for each plant) but carrying 80L of compost will be quite difficult (gonna ask my mate to help), if he cant then it gonna have to be done in 2 trips and will need to hide the bags in black bags. Walking past a housing estate and then over a couple of fields with big bags of compost will definitely draw attention to myself. The only other problem i have is watering. No stream or river nearby with the exception of a wee burn (small stream for those that are not scottish) that runs a couple of hundred metres away. Not sure how clean that water is nor what it will have in the way of nutrients. If i transport water from my house it will be a slog. 4L of water for each plant (almost a gallon at a time) will be heavy on the arms. Can fill 8 2L bottles and carry there to water, may need more if we get a dry spell. Will have to weigh up the pros and cons of each and see what will work. The easiest may be to fill bottles from the burn and add feed whilst there.

Next post will be pics of plants before transplanting to the site and then the transplant itself. This will be in approx 2 weeks time although i will prob add before then, lol.

 

[Kushtie]

I feel your pain in lugging soil and water buddy. I reckon it needs to be done though.

The water in a burn near my site gives my meters a reading of pH 4.5 and an EC of 0.0 so I think it would be a bad idea to use it and rain isn't much better. The nutes I intend to use are, I think, intended to bring the pH of tap water down to where it needs to be and would save a lot of faffing with pH up and meters on site.

 

[Glasgrow]

I dont have the luxury of using a ph and ec meter. Was imperative that i had both when growing hydro and had ph up and down to adjust reservoir when needed. Unfortunately i will have to make do with lugging water from home and if that proves too much then burn water it'll have to be. The source of the burn is where i can get it from. Will do some research as to what effect slightly acidic water will do to the plants. Rain water wont actually be that bad, and with it raining means less trips to go and water them.

 

[Kushtie]

Believe it or not I know guys doing hydro that have never owned a pH meter! I did 2 runs without one but that was all I could take of working blind.

Never needed pH up yet....only had one low pH moment with one tank which I suspect was too much nutes in with a young plant so I flushed and put less nutes in until they were needed to keep the pH down and EC up. I've got some PK boost which seems to up the pH of flowering nutes when you add it but the only thing I've got flowering since I got the meters are 4 autos in a 20L tank and it's hard work keeping the pH down without it so haven't risked adding it.

 

[Glasgrow]

Got a busy week ahead of me. Got a marathon run on sun then need to go out and prep the site(s) for the plants. Am thinking of growing some auto thc bombs nearby but will be more hidden and less light so not as big a yield as would be possible with lots of light (these will be a fall back in case i lose the others). Plants are doing well, now up to 5 sets of leaves and now small shoots are sprouting at the stem where the other leaves are so should start bushing out soon. It been rather cold here of late so still continuing to move outdoor during the day and in at night (have spent only 1 full night outside as temps bit too cold for permanently leaving out at night). Not sure if the constant moving in and out of cold to warm is harming them but they seem ok apart from some of the lower leaves curling and showing some brown spots at the edge - i think this is nute burn. Also being out on the balcony they have been pelted with rain and also getting watered with rain. Will post some pics later on and you can let me know what you think about the curling leaves and brown spots. I know it not light burn cos they only growing with natural sun!

 

[Glasgrow]

Latest update with photos. Group shot of all the plants taken yesterday. The rest are (i think) 3 photos of each plant with various views. As you will see from the pics (the best that can be taken with a galaxy s5) the plants have suffered some damage. The brown spots and the upturned leaves are possibly nute damage, the rest is wind damage but some of the photos are showing tears on some of the leaves with 1 looking like it is getting munched on by something. There are no bugs which i can see and not sure how the tears have occured but i think this purely down to them being outside and with strong winds. What do you guys think? Also am thinking that any brown spots at the end of the leaves and any other damage that has occurred would be best be snipped off. Is that advisable?

Also have taken some close up pics of 2 of the plants from where the new shoots would be coming up the middle. They have shrivelled up. Any idea of what is causing this? The last plant (the 1 that looks like a runt) is the 1 that got munched on by 1 of my cats. Seems to have recovered quite well and is still growing, not as fast as the others though but getting there. I intend to put them all out on the balcony again today for maximum sun exposure and hoping that the winds will stay down. If they dont then i will leave the cloches on them to prevent more damage to them.

Any information on what problems i have experienced is appreciated. Will get round to another update in a few days time. Next will probably be prepping of the sites so will take some photos of me and my pal at work (no faces of course) and then after that it will be outdoor transplant time. After that it will be up to the elements and as minimal work as possible - feeding water and nutes, keeping deer away, and removing any dead/damaged foliage.

 

[Kushtie]

No idea about the issues but I don't think I'd worry too much. Looks like they are doing ok to me.

Good luck with the marathon bud.

 

[Glasgrow]

They do look ok but just wondered what may have caused the problems. My best bet was it was just far too windy and as a result it has caused some damage. They not taking as much water as i hoped they would - not watered them since last week! Although they have had some rain falling on them. Gonna wait till tonight then give them some water from the tap. Had it sitting out for a few days so the chlorine is long evaporated and will be at room temp (sitting on top of fridge). As the pots are small am only gonna give them a half pint (300ml) which should give a wee bit of run-off at the bottom. Will hopefully be all they need till they get potted outside next week (if things go well). Dont wanna pot outside while temps are still really cold at night, ideally i wouldnt like much below 10°C but i cant wait forever, nor can i really have them growing here. Someone would eventually see them and the yield in these size pots would be minute, be lucky if i get a quarter from each plant. Also hiding them when parents come over - where do i put them and how, it not possible. Considering they have only been on the go for around 4 weeks they are not bad and i know that within a month of going outside and if the weather improves (is saying on the weather it will next week) then they will explode with growth.

 

[Glasgrow]

Couldnt help myself with another update and photos. Been reading up on doing some lst - should keep the plants from looking like xmas trees and hopefully in my clearing they wont stand out as much. The runt (1st pic) is the one that was chewed by the cat. Ztill growing but at a slower rate. As you can see the rest have come on leaps and bounds. Have cut off the tips of some of the leaves as they were nute burn and anything else that was dead has also been cut off. Have angled the 3 good plants with a stake and will tie down with string and tent poles when transferred out into the open (tent poles in the ground with string attached to it and the other end to the plant). Plants have been kept indoors while we have had wild rain and wind recently so this seems to helping with growth. Found some crazy tiny critters running around in the soil, not sure what they are (looked like fleas) but i know they arent otherwise cats would have them (plus they indoor cats). These critters have been squished. Eventually got round to watering them this morning, 300ml each. Stems are also thickening on the plants apart from the runt.

Once outside gonna get some cheap lightweight green chicken wire and drape over the plants and use canes to support them as the plants get taller. This should keep out the door, not an effective method but should do the job at keeping them at bay. Gonna piss in the area too, also gonna get some eggs and smash them around the site and hopefully get some hair from the barbers just down the road. Think that is all for now.

 

[Kushtie]

No half coming on there bud

You hear we're due a heatwave? What a treat!

Not sure I'd put much faith in large mammal scents deterring deer in our neck of the woods though. I regularly see deer in areas I and many others walk dogs and pee outside. It's been a while since our deer had any natural predators so their numbers are unnaturally high and it would be hard for them to avoid areas that they may come into contact with large mammal scents so I think they are likely to ignore it rather than recognise it as a danger.

 

[Glasgrow]

A heatwave - brill!!! Just what these girls need. Should have them outdoors before summer solstice so will get maximum light for a wee while before the days start getting shorter but that not noticeable till around end of july. These plants should get to around 4' - 5' high but gonna keep 3 of them low profile. Will bend the plant over and create a horizontal trellis. Every so often i will pass the main branch through the holes thus keeping the plant relatively flat and creating more colas and a type of scrog effect. Want to get as much yield as i can and distribute light more evenly over the whole of the plant. Popcorn buds are good for wee tasters and making bubble hash but much rather have bigger buds and more final product.

 

[Kushtie]

Do you get as much popcorn when growing outside?

Was hoping that was mostly down to indoor lighting. The thing that worries me more is fluffy buds.

 

[Glasgrow]

Have never grown outside before so not sure how much popcorn there will be. I assume that there will be some as there is no way that the sun will penetrate through all the branches down to the bud sites near the bottom. This is part of the reason that am gonna do some lst with the plants - more bud sites get more light, more light = bigger buds, bigger buds = more yield. If i was more confident and had started growing earlier then i would do some topping and then used lst alongside the topping but not really how sure to do it. Read plenty of articles and seen videos but still unsure. I have topped one of my plants so will see how that goes, did that yesterday or the day before. The more you grow and try things then the more experience you will get.

Fluffy buds. When i first grew the buds werent that tight and compact but still got over 9oz of quality smoke. Providing you keep the light as close as you can to your grow without burning your crop then buds should be ok and not fluffy. I would have a look at using a screen (did read your grow but cant remember if you used one or not) and a scrog grow. Plants will remain flatter and the buds will get an even coating of lighting. If you can get a cool tube for your light, i seen a friend of mind the other day that had attached a sheet of glass to his reflector hood (didnt ask how he did it nor did i inspect it) but his temps were 88°F and RH was around 50%. He had a screen in place but in my opinion the string was too thick (more like thin rope) and the holes were way too big, prob between 4"-5" square, maybe a tad bigger. I think the holes should be around 2"-3" square.

I get round to finalising my spot tomorrow - making sure it is all concealed off, security not a problem and then digging up the plots and mixing some compost in with it. Gonna get some liquid fence to keep out the deer. Although there are many other options this seems the most convenient and reliable way to keep deer away. Will re-apply every time i visit the site. Not getting a big bottle so hoping it last till harvest time.

 

[Glasgrow]

Cant help with another wee update. Now have the plants sitting outside permanently on the balcony. It is a lot warmer there during the day, light is reflected off the building opposite onto my balcony first thing in the morning and the sun moves to the balcony around 2pm so they get direct sunlight till the sun sets. They have fair grown over the past few days and my fim of 1 plant has gone well. Two of the others seems to have been stunted a bit - lost a leaf in the wind near the main stem so growth seems to have halted while it figures out what it is going to do. Have 3 of them growing at an angle but will tie some string to them soon so they are more horizontal than vertical. This is my first time doing any topping or any lst'ing so hoping it works out. Picking up more supplies in the next few days - canes, netting and some PH tester strips from boots to check the water from the burn nearby. If this reads around 7 then am good to go with that for water. If it too much more or less then will cross that bridge when i get to it. May have to buy bottled water - approx £1 for a 5L bottle with a PH of 7.2 (best i could find). Netting and canes are gonna be used to protect plants from deer, may have to erect a tall fence as best course of action but am worried it may get spotted. The netting and canes are green so should blend in and be slightly camouflaged.

Will be definitely sorting out my site this coming sun. My mate from work is gonna help me lug the soil along the riverbank and across the fields and will inspect two other sites along the way. Best to get a second opinion on where to grow. Once we decide on a final site we will spark up a phat one, dig and turn the soil for four plots, mix in the bags of compost (20L for each plant), give a good watering and then leave. Will leave the area for a week to 10 days before taking my babies out to there new home and let nature take its course.

Will post some pics (later on) of my plants as they are just now and appreciate any feedback.