NorCal Outdoor Growers

[MadMike2]

Hi everyone
I grow outdoors for personal use and would appreciate a place we can discuss outdoor techniques, strains that grow well in our area, etc. With all the micro climates existing in our predominantly Mediterranean climate, it would be enjoyable to discuss and share knowledge here. It's going to be well over 100 degrees this Labor Day weekend Try and stay cool, people!

 

[Phytoplankton]

Yep, hot weather coming for several days, not looking forward to it. I'm in one of the microclimates, I'm about 30 miles inland but get a big ocean cool air push most afternoons that tends to keep me cooler, but this week with still air, it's gonna get hot, at least in the 90's at my place, closer to 100 in town, away from the water. I'm not growing outdoors this year because I've got contractors putting new siding on my house, but even my garage grow is greatly affected by the outside temps.

 

[MadMike2]

I try to take advantage of filtered sun from surrounding trees, bushes where I plant. Still, the high humidity from midnight to morning and 100+ temps can be rough on plants. Well seasoned growers find resilient strains accustomed to their particular areas, which I'm still learning through trial and error. The GDP strain seems to be a good choice for me this year.

 

[Phytoplankton]

One of the best outdoor grows I've had lately was with a Mimosa. Great yield, and it was a fast finisher, started flowering mid August, done by mid October, 22 Oz. yield on two plants. Very little mold damage due to the early finish.

 

[MadMike2]

Looks like a good strain. I can't keep up with all these strain names

 

[Phytoplankton]

Looks like a good strain. I can't keep up with all these strain names

Cannabis aficionados are getting like wine snobs. Some of the strain descriptions of taste are flat out rip-offs of wine reviews! “It has overtones of blackberry with hints of oak, and citrus”. Now is that wine or pot? (LOL)

 

[SmokingWings]

I grow outdoors for personal use and would appreciate a place we can discuss outdoor techniques, strains that grow well in our area, etc.

There is a sub-forum with threads specifically for California growers but that it seems to be more for introductions and basic info. Most likely any techniques and/or strains that are unique to your conditions will more attention here.

 

[BeezLuiz]

The GDP strain seems to be a good choice for me this year.

I live in the South Bay. Last year I grew a GDP outdoors in a 20 gallon pot. It did pretty well, but by October it started getting a little bud rot. Really the only plant that I've grown that ever showed bud rot (that wasn't caused by caterpillars). I ended up harvesting it on 10/26. I probably threw away about 4 oz, but I still ended up with 18.5 oz of nice cured buds. It's one of my favorite smokes these days. Here's a picture of it in early October.

20211005_093120.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Oct 6, 2021

Granddaddy Purple day 173 from sprout.

And during harvest...

20211026_164621.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Oct 31, 2021

Granddaddy Purple on day 194 from sprout and flowering for 98 days.

It had such big dense buds, I think that's probably why it started to get bud rot as fall arrived.

 

[MadMike2]

I live in the South Bay. Last year I grew a GDP outdoors in a 20 gallon pot. It did pretty well, but by October it started getting a little bud rot. Really the only plant that I've grown that ever showed bud rot (that wasn't caused by caterpillars). I ended up harvesting it on 10/26. I probably threw away about 4 oz, but I still ended up with 18.5 oz of nice cured buds. It's one of my favorite smokes these days. Here's a picture of it in early October.

20211005_093120.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Oct 6, 2021

Granddaddy Purple day 173 from sprout.

And during harvest...

20211026_164621.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Oct 31, 2021

Granddaddy Purple on day 194 from sprout and flowering for 98 days.

It had such big dense buds, I think that's probably why it started to get bud rot as fall arrived.

I had botrytis on an Afghan main cola the first year I grew. Very disheartening when that happens. I have been good about defoliating and location provides good breezes throughout the day. I am careful not to over water. We get these 90% humidity foggy nights and mornings in the 50s, then 80-100 during the day. One GDP I have in a Geopot was getting sun blasted, and since I moved it to some surrounding bushes where sunlight is screened, she is doing much better. Now it's just a matter of keeping my eyes out for those pesky little white moths that lay eggs in buds.

 

[BeezLuiz]

Now it's just a matter of keeping my eyes out for those pesky little white moths that lay eggs in buds.

Yeah, my biggest challenge here has been caterpillar infestation. Last year, I finally had pretty good success in preventing the cats from devouring my buds. On one plant (a Purple Haze) I sprayed BT once a week.

20220903_072448.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 3, 2022

Bacillus Thuringiensis

One the other plant (GDP) I built mesh cage that I moved the plant into each evening.

20211020_134451.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Oct 20, 2021

Granddaddy Purple sheltered from the coming storm.

Both methods worked really well. Moving the plant into the mesh cage each night and then pulling it out in the mornings required a good bit of diligence, but I didn't have to coat that plant with a chemical spray as I did for the Purple Haze... pros and cons.

 

[MadMike2]

I had some horn worms on tomato plants earlier this season. Ugly, big green bastards. That BT works for those leaf chewers for sure.

 

[MadMike2]

Some bud pics from this morning:
GDP

A variety Kush clone someone gave me

Kush bud

Kush bud

GDP bud

 

[MadMike2]

Wow. That was quite an Indian Summer heatwave Temperatures of up to 114 F were rough to work in and rougher on plants. It looks like we'll be back in the 80 range for the next week. What a relief.

 

[BeezLuiz]

For sure! My plants were not happy about this heat. Started to see leaf burn.

20220908_083139.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 8, 2022

Chem Dog leafy issue.

20220908_081354.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 8, 2022

PH? Phosphorus? Heat?

 

[zigzagman1960]

North Bay here. Gelato does well outdoors. Currently growing a few gelato plants but most of this years crop is white widow. I top to keep ‘em short. Gelato can grow 12 feet(my seeds) if left unattended. White widow can get tall too. I top at about the 5th node early on and again for the last time mid July. Resulting in a baseball bat style crop of long colas. Right now I’m spraying spinosad once a week. Buds are washed in an H2o2 solution directly after harvest before hanging as normal.

 

[MadMike2]

For sure! My plants were not happy about this heat. Started to see leaf burn.

20220908_083139.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 8, 2022

Chem Dog leafy issue.

20220908_081354.jpg

• BeezLuiz
• Sep 8, 2022

PH? Phosphorus? Heat?

Looks to like a little nute burn. I had that, then backed off to half strength every other watering after I flushed. Dyna-Gro website states 1 tsp per gallon for cannabis every watering. Bottle says .5 tsp every watering. Neither regimen was good for GDP or Kush plants I have.

 

[MadMike2]

North Bay here. Gelato does well outdoors. Currently growing a few gelato plants but most of this years crop is white widow. I top to keep ‘em short. Gelato can grow 12 feet(my seeds) if left unattended. White widow can get tall too. I top at about the 5th node early on and again for the last time mid July. Resulting in a baseball bat style crop of long colas. Right now I’m spraying spinosad once a week. Buds are washed in an H2o2 solution directly after harvest before hanging as normal.

Those are beauties, Zigzagman

 

[MadMike2]

My difficulty resides with a few things trying to grow excellent quality buds. Getting the soil mix just right so I don't have to feed with water soluble nutes. Nutrients are touchy since certain strains seem to have their individual tolerances. I have always been careful with feeding, yet I'll still see some burn. I then have to flush and back off on amounts already cut in half and use them only on occasion. The other difficulty is trichome identification. I know about clear, cloudy, 30% amber, etc. Even using a loupe with a 30-60x lens is difficult for me to see clearly. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Phytoplankton]

My difficulty resides with a few things trying to grow excellent quality buds. Getting the soil mix just right so I don't have to feed with water soluble nutes. Nutrients are touchy since certain strains seem to have their individual tolerances. I have always been careful with feeding, yet I'll still see some burn. I then have to flush and back off on amounts already cut in half and use them only on occasion. The other difficulty is trichome identification. I know about clear, cloudy, 30% amber, etc. Even using a loupe with a 30-60x lens is difficult for me to see clearly. Does anyone have any suggestions?

My eyesight ain’t what it used to be, I still use a loop but it’s becoming increasingly difficult. I would think about getting one of the microscopes I’ve heard several people at 420 say we’re really nice, and pretty inexpensive, some you can take good pictures through. I can’t recall the brand(s), hopefully someone will help.

 

[zigzagman1960]

Overthinking it in my opinion.

Trichome identification is for google heads and amateurs. Learn to identify a ripe bud and you can see it from 10’ away. The calyxes look like popped popcorn and ALL the pistils die back and turn color. Soil— I get a half a yard of the garden mix at my local materials yard, dig a pit about 7-8 gals and fill with garden mix(fox farm ocean Forest works great too) No nutes for a month..then while in veg they get Jacks 20 20 20 once a week. When in flower jacks 10 30 20 twice a week..5ml calmag/gal every feeding. Use grow bags if you don’t want to dig pits but I like to be in the ground. The heat of the day is too much for the grow bags—you can bury the about ⅔ in the ground.