Outdoor! Need advice - 7ft plant!

[hazophile]

Hello everyone ,

I have already gained some experience from reading and researching , and i have already grown a couple plants indoors for the past 3-4 years , soil and hydro ! Last hydro plant yielded 4.5 ounces (130gr) .

This is now my first time growing outdoor . All for personal use .

Started the grow end of march .

Pot Size : 57L - 15 Gallons

I have 3 plants :
- 1 Jack Herer
- 1 Blue Cheese
- 1 Sugar Pop

I've topped the Jack herer and the Blue Cheese plants 3 times (so 8 main Colas) except the sugar pop (2 times , 4 main Colas) .

Height :
Jack Herer - 160cm (5.24ft)
Sugar Pop - 220cm (7.2ft)
Blue Cheese (Weird Growth - 90cm - 2.95ft)

Nutrients :
GH Flora Series (Gro - Bloom - Micro)
1 water
1 nutes
1 water
etc ..

Now the basic question is , what can i do to maximise my final yield ?
The plants get about 4-5hrs of DIRECT sun light every day .

As you can notice , the jack herer is the one that started flowering the earliest . The buds are starting to fill up .

The sugar pop (since toped only 2 times) is the tallest of all and starting to fill the branches with pistils and trichromes .

And finally the little blue cheese plant filling up nicely aswell . It has grown in a weird way where the branches arent too strong enough to hold the tops .

ANY help , opinions , etc .. would be greatly appreciated .

Here are some pictures :

The Blue Cheese

Jack Herer and Sugar Pop behind

Sugar Pop

 

[hazophile]

Re: OUTDOOR ! Need advice , 7ft plant !

Anyone ?

 

[hazophile]

Bump

 

[hazophile]

Guys i just discovered those green looking worms on my leaves , i caught 2 of them and the 2 really thin ones with a brown colour .

Here are some pictures , please if anyone has ever encountered these before let me know how to solve the issue , and if they could be a threat to my plants .

 

[TorturedSoul]

Now the basic question is , what can i do to maximise my final yield ?
The plants get about 4-5hrs of DIRECT sun light every day .

IF stealth is not a consideration, add (lots) more light, lol. Either mount a big, bright 1kW HPS over them, or move them away from the building so that they get more hours of direct sun per day. The Jack Herer, assuming it is the actual Sensi Seeds strain, has around 50% sativa genetics and is a light-loving plant. IDK about the other two, but since the Sugar Pop is a couple of feet taller than the Jack Herer, I'd assume that it'd be happy with more light, too.

Failing that, can you use rope (or something thick enough not to damage the branches) to gently open up the plant a little bit?

 

[hazophile]

First of all thanks for replying !

Stealth is a consideration lol i studied and inspected the whole place to be able to get the most optimal zone for my plants in terms of sun light and discretion .

I could actually do that without a problem (the rope thing) . Will it help get more light into the plants ?

The jack herer is from green house seeds . Blue cheese is barney's . And sugar pop is philosopher seeds .

Now after posting the pictures of the caterpillars , i also discovered i have spider mites on some of my leaves .

Any fast home made mixes i could do to kill those ?

Will they affect my final yield ?

Again thanks for your help

 

[hazophile]

Here are some pictures of the small caterpillars and the spider mites

 

[TorturedSoul]

Stealth is a consideration

It usually is <SIGH> .

I could actually do that without a problem (the rope thing) . Will it help get more light into the plants ?

Well, sunlight penetrates much better than the average grow room light. Still... There's a reason that deep forest and jungle environments often do not have a lot of dense ground-level vegetation. Gently opening up the plant, if it can be done without breakage, can allow more light to penetrate - and at a higher intensity - regardless of the source of that light. It will also have other benefits. It'll allow for better air circulation, which will bring more CO₂ past the leaves' stomata - and help evaporate the copious amounts of moisture that those stomata transpire on a hot day in an attempt to help cool the plant. It can also help with insects and other critters... They'll be easier for you to see - and easier for the predators that feed on them to see. Depending on your location, it's probably a little late for this one to be a major consideration, but training a plant (again, gently - so this strategy is best done over time, and from the beginning) so that the growing tips are as low as possible - even the lowest point on the plant - will cause auxins within the plant to be redistributed and, therefore, the plant to produce more branches. This is a classic "light-seeking" response (plants evolved in an environment where light comes from the direction of the sky, lol). If you're likely to receive much rain between now and harvest time - and especially as the harvest date approaches - then opening up the plant will help allow a wet plant to dry out. That'll help prevent mold/rot.

The jack herer is from green house seeds .

I'm sorry to "hear" that, lol. I wonder if they got the parents - or maybe parent I suppose, since Green House only does feminized seeds - by buying seeds from Sensi Seeds, growing out the plants, and then selecting the best(?) one(s)? Or...? In any case, even an nth generation Jack Herer ought to be pretty decent. I'll be interested in reading a smoke report, if you'll be kind enough to post one in the appropriate section (and then post a link to it in this thread, lol, so I can find it).

Now after posting the pictures of the caterpillars , i also discovered i have spider mites on some of my leaves .

Awk! The Borg! You (and your plants) will be assimilated!

Any fast home made mixes i could do to kill those ?

Fast? Blast the SoBs into the next block with the water hose, lol. But on large outdoor plants, that isn't going to get rid of all of them. And you'll still have to deal with their eggs, and of course you'll see more of the little b@stards anyway. See this sub-forum:
Problems, Pests & Disease Control

There have been many threads about spider mites over the years. There are several threads on the first page of that area right now and many, many more if you care to page through the contents of it. Both homemade cures and commercial ones. For commercial products, you might take a look at Sierra Natural Science (SNS). Their products are effective, they are natural & organic (most of them are certified to be so, maybe all of them, IDK) and pretty benign in terms of the environment and people/pets, and they have been a sponsor here for years - so in a very real sense, a portion of the money you spend on their products goes towards helping to keep this forum free for all of us to use. They'll also happily send you free samples (you do have to pay S&H - they're not going to pay you to try them, lol) of many of their products; there is a page on their website about samples, they have four different sample "kits" to choose from, each with different products.

Neem oil can be useful, but (if I understand correctly) this is more of a long-term solution than a fast kill. In terms of beneficial organisms, spider mite predators are a commercial product and can be ordered in large quantities. But they do not come with tiny little leashes, lol, so there is no guaranteeing that they won't eat a lot of mites but then migrate to a neighboring property.

Another long-term solution is companion planting. You might consider planting things which produce natural pyrethrum (an insecticide and, in low doses, a repellent) or are in some other way repellent to pests. Or even doing a web search to learn what kind of plants are really appealing to spider mites, lol, and which will thrive in your area - and then growing some of them nearby as "sacrificial" plants.

Will they affect my final yield ?

Everything affects final yield.

Again thanks for your help

That's one of the reasons (IMHO) that we're here (both in the forum and on the planet in general), to help others. IDK how much help I have been, though.

 

[hazophile]

You really look like you know what you're talking about !

Alright so for the moment , i am going to try and seperate the branches with ropes to get the most out of the sun light that hits my grow area .

I also went to an agriculture shop today and bought some pesticides that work for both caterpillars and mites .

I have a friend who's doing his masters in insectology so he's helping me out a bit too .

The label says to mix 15CC with 20 litres of water , so i'm going to do the math and fill a little mister with the product and make sure to spray the chemicals on the leaves when the sun starts to fade .

I just hope this wont affect the buds , taste , or anything noticeable in general while consuming .

The problem is where i live , we don't have any of the american brands , and i'm talking about soil , nutes , pesticides , etc ... So i'm just trying to work things the best way i can .

I usually get my GH nutes from europe whenever i have friends coming over or whatever .

But i hope the pesticides i got today aren't too harmful or dangerous .

I have another friend who works for the company (pesticide) , and he said though not technically organic , it isn't a manufactured chemical since they get the active ingredient which is "abamectin" from a bacteria (streptomyces) .

So i hope everything works out well in the end .

And yes , indeed we are here to help . But i still think it's strange that you're the only person that's been helping me over here . This is why i thank you every time , and i confirm , your help is being more than enough .

One last question , from the look of the plants , the height , the amount of hours of sun light they get , the genes , etc .. In your opinion , how much would it be possible to yield from those 3 plants ? I know it's a vague question , but i'd like to hear someone's opinion about it , due to their experience and all . Would it be possible to get around 1kg ? Or am i just dreaming ?

Let me know if some better pictures would help .

 

[TorturedSoul]

You really look like you know what you're talking about !

I really look like a grizzled old fart. I'm not that old, lol - but the very few times in the past three or four years that I've been able to afford to go to a restaurant, I've asked, "Do you still give a seniors' discount?" and every person that I asked said, "Yes," - and then gave it to ME, lol. I started asking because I wanted to know so I could tell Mom. But then I finally decided if they want to give it to me, I'm not going to refuse it (and I make sure not to ask if they'll give it to me, only if they give it at all). I've probably only been to fast food joints six or eight times in the last three years, though.

Alright so for the moment , i am going to try and seperate the branches with ropes to get the most out of the sun light that hits my grow area .

Just make sure you're careful. A broken branch late in flowering is no fun; it takes time for the plant to repair itself (and some breaks cannot be repaired).

Painting the walls directly behind the plants a bright white color would increase reflectivity. But I guess that'd be an extreme step, lol.

I have another friend who works for the company (pesticide) , and he said though not technically organic , it isn't a manufactured chemical since they get the active ingredient which is "abamectin" from a bacteria (streptomyces) .

Just because something is considered to be "organic" does not mean it cannot kill you, lol. That ingredient is in a product here called Avid. It was developed for ornamentals, and I wouldn't use it on cannabis plants. Some do. But I have read that it can be detected in buds 28 days (possibly longer) later in lab tests. IDK... I hope that those who DO choose to use it, only do so during the vegetative phase and NOT during flowering.

Can you order predator mites or whatever they're called from your location? I have read that there are now products (critters) from places like Africa which are good for places that see high temperatures (it used to be they recommended predators for locations that didn't see temperatures above 85°F or so).

If I was going to spray something (besides a strong spray of water) onto a cannabis plant, I would only use something that states right on the label it is acceptable for food crops and which may be sprayed right up to the day of harvest.

So i hope everything works out well in the end .

Me too.

And yes , indeed we are here to help . But i still think it's strange that you're the only person that's been helping me over here . This is why i thank you every time , and i confirm , your help is being more than enough .

I'd like to see you receive more (and more knowledgeable) help. I stopped growing cannabis outdoors many years ago when local law enforcement began using helicopters to help them spot it. Maybe you should post a journal thread - a lot of people like outdoor journals because there aren't all that many of them. And you could try posting a thread in this section:
Outdoor Growing
(You could post a link to this thread if you do not wish to re-type/repost everything, I suppose).

BtW, I'll be sending you a PM shortly.

One last question , from the look of the plants , the height , the amount of hours of sun light they get , the genes , etc .. In your opinion , how much would it be possible to yield from those 3 plants ? I know it's a vague question , but i'd like to hear someone's opinion about it , due to their experience and all . Would it be possible to get around 1kg ? Or am i just dreaming ?

Oh dear. I have never been good at these kinds of questions, lol. I've seen plants that I expected to yield pounds only produce ounces, and plants that I thought would only produce a few ounces actually end up yielding a pound or two. So... IDK. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds, yes? I would think it should be possible, at least, to harvest that from all three plants, assuming that they remain healthy, grow a little more, you aren't plagued by bad weather, and they are allowed to continue until they are "finished" instead of having to harvest them early. I certainly wish you luck!

 

[Major PITA]

Keep 'em healthy (get rid of the mites and caterpillars for sure). Get as much light to them as possible.
There is no magic - just good standard gardening practices.

 

[hazophile]

I really look like a grizzled old fart. I'm not that old, lol - but the very few times in the past three or four years that I've been able to afford to go to a restaurant, I've asked, "Do you still give a seniors' discount?" and every person that I asked said, "Yes," - and then gave it to ME, lol. I started asking because I wanted to know so I could tell Mom. But then I finally decided if they want to give it to me, I'm not going to refuse it (and I make sure not to ask if they'll give it to me, only if they give it at all). I've probably only been to fast food joints six or eight times in the last three years, though.

Lol ! From what i read , i believe that you are indeed older than me and a lot more experienced which is the basic thing ! Age isn't really important , what matters is knowledge , and you certainly got it ! I hope they gave your mom discounts , and i'm sure they did (Unless she looks young !! They should probably ask for some ID !

Just make sure you're careful. A broken branch late in flowering is no fun; it takes time for the plant to repair itself (and some breaks cannot be repaired).

Painting the walls directly behind the plants a bright white color would increase reflectivity. But I guess that'd be an extreme step, lol.

Yes ! i actually read about the stress this could possibly do to the plants , because i wanted to cut the smaller branches at the bottom of the plants to be able to get more energy to the upper buds . I did that on the 2nd or 3rd week of flower . It looks like the plants are healthy and still growing and getting fatter buds . Painting the wall might be kind of impossible , i'd rather get a white wooden board or curtain lol sounds easier to me .

Just because something is considered to be "organic" does not mean it cannot kill you, lol. That ingredient is in a product here called Avid. It was developed for ornamentals, and I wouldn't use it on cannabis plants. Some do. But I have read that it can be detected in buds 28 days (possibly longer) later in lab tests. IDK... I hope that those who DO choose to use it, only do so during the vegetative phase and NOT during flowering.

Avid ? Are you playing games ? lol The product i bought is called what you just wrote instead complete opposite way . "Diva" .
I made a research on the product and read that you can actually harvest 12 hours after spraying that . I sprayed the whole plants today , that thing looks scary tho , the smell , the placebo effect of it burning my skin i guess , etc .. I don't know , at least harvest is going to be not less than 30 days from now .

Can you order predator mites or whatever they're called from your location? I have read that there are now products (critters) from places like Africa which are good for places that see high temperatures (it used to be they recommended predators for locations that didn't see temperatures above 85°F or so).

If I was going to spray something (besides a strong spray of water) onto a cannabis plant, I would only use something that states right on the label it is acceptable for food crops and which may be sprayed right up to the day of harvest.

If you only knew how hard it is to order something here , completely impossible , we have no addresses in this sh*t country . One time i ordered something from china , the post man called me saying , yo meet me at the closest round about i can't find your house . lol yea so that's why i get all my stuff when i travel to Europe .

A lot of farmers here use those products on foods we eat , mostly vegetables . So i wouldn't be scared anyway , i guess we're already toxic I'm kidding tho , that was an ignorant answer . I think that will be the last time i use that Diva thing on my plants , i just didn't have the choice because no one of my friends is coming any time soon from another country . I'll make sure to order something good and organic to my moms place in France . She'll get it with her soon .

I'd like to see you receive more (and more knowledgeable) help. I stopped growing cannabis outdoors many years ago when local law enforcement began using helicopters to help them spot it. Maybe you should post a journal thread - a lot of people like outdoor journals because there aren't all that many of them. And you could try posting a thread in this section:
Outdoor Growing
(You could post a link to this thread if you do not wish to re-type/repost everything, I suppose).

Well i actually posted my thread in the outdoor grow section , but i then noticed that it got moved to the FAQ section .

BtW, I'll be sending you a PM shortly.

I'll be expecting that .

I would think it should be possible, at least, to harvest that from all three plants, assuming that they remain healthy, grow a little more, you aren't plagued by bad weather, and they are allowed to continue until they are "finished" instead of having to harvest them early. I certainly wish you luck!

I hope it is possible , the weather here is really nice , stays sunny until October , even November sometimes . And i mean being able to go to the beach kind of days . I hope to reach my goal this time , and yes 1 kilogram is 2.2 pounds .

I'll keep you posted anyways that's for sure . And i'll post some recent pictures in a bit . Can't thank you enough

 

[hazophile]

Keep 'em healthy (get rid of the mites and caterpillars for sure). Get as much light to them as possible.
There is no magic - just good standard gardening practices.

Trying as much as possible man , i sprayed them today so i hope all those little bastards disappear soon !
Light is 4-5 hours of direct sunlight every day , so just hoping for the best

 

[Major PITA]

As for your harvest yield, I'll make a wild guess of 1 - 1.25 pounds, based on the photos above.

Mites almost always need multiple sprays, especially with as many as you have. Hit 'em about every four days, for at least three times to put a dent in them. If you are unfortunate enough to have two-spotted mites, almost nothing gets rid of them for long.

BTW, if you are using "Avid", it is listed for use only on ornamental plants. It is not supposed to be sprayed on crops that are consumed.

I'd actually be more concerned about the caterpillars. Mites weaken a plant slowly and the plant will end up unhealthy with reduced yield and quality. Caterpillars, on the other hand, will destroy entire branches and buds, killing quickly and completely.

 

[hazophile]

As for your harvest yield, I'll make a wild guess of 1 - 1.25 pounds, based on the photos above.

Mites almost always need multiple sprays, especially with as many as you have. Hit 'em about every four days, for at least three times to put a dent in them. If you are unfortunate enough to have two-spotted mites, almost nothing gets rid of them for long.

BTW, if you are using "Avid", it is listed for use only on ornamental plants. It is not supposed to be sprayed on crops that are consumed.

I'd actually be more concerned about the caterpillars. Mites weaken a plant slowly and the plant will end up unhealthy with reduced yield and quality. Caterpillars, on the other hand, will destroy entire branches and buds, killing quickly and completely.

As for your harvest yield, I'll make a wild guess of 1 - 1.25 pounds, based on the photos above.

Mites almost always need multiple sprays, especially with as many as you have. Hit 'em about every four days, for at least three times to put a dent in them. If you are unfortunate enough to have two-spotted mites, almost nothing gets rid of them for long.

BTW, if you are using "Avid", it is listed for use only on ornamental plants. It is not supposed to be sprayed on crops that are consumed.

I'd actually be more concerned about the caterpillars. Mites weaken a plant slowly and the plant will end up unhealthy with reduced yield and quality. Caterpillars, on the other hand, will destroy entire branches and buds, killing quickly and completely.

I mean i'm okay with a pound , but i'd be more than happy having a kilo

What could actually happen if i sprayed "AVID" on my plants ? Like would there be side effects on humans when the product is consumed ? (i'm talking about cannabis lol)

Since 1 day ago , i haven't seen anymore caterpillars , i guess i killed them all ? I go out at night as well checking for them since that's the best time to spot them . Haven't seen any today during the day as well so i don't know , i hope they're gone .

I wanted to post some pictures , but i'm actually having a problem . I can't upload anymore pictures , i actually go through the whole process of uploading them and then to the next page where it says "Photos uploaded successfully" . But then i don't see the new pictures in my album . I tried it 3 times with no luck .

 

[TorturedSoul]

What could actually happen if i sprayed "AVID" on my plants ? Like would there be side effects on humans when the product is consumed ? (i'm talking about cannabis lol)

There seems to be some debate on that. But it is a neurotoxin. In my book, any amount of such substances in my body is too much. But you'll have to decide that one for yourself. Do a web search with your favorite search engine for "avid dangers inhalation" (sans quotation marks). You can add the word "cannabis" to that if you like, but I didn't - and the first, second, fourth, et cetera results were all about the dangers of using it on cannabis plants (the third result was the product's MSDS (material safety data sheet). Outdoors like that, mites and other pests are going to be an ongoing problem, and I would suggest some kind of ongoing solution - not something that you can spray once or twice and feel that you might be safe. The caterpillars, yes, they can decimate your crop quickly if they get out of hand - but they're big enough that you can pick them off and squash them, lol.

I just read about mixing 91%(?) isopropyl alcohol 50:50 with water and completely saturating the plants (both sides of leaves, etc.). It's supposed to kill mites, and alcohol evaporates quickly/cleanly. I've never tried it, but I'm filing the idea against future need, lol.

I wanted to post some pictures , but i'm actually having a problem . I can't upload anymore pictures , i actually go through the whole process of uploading them and then to the next page where it says "Photos uploaded successfully" . But then i don't see the new pictures in my album . I tried it 3 times with no luck .

That, I'd post in the section about website issues. Are you using the 420 Magazine app? The issue could be on your end or theirs. And I think there are people on the staff who use the app (I have zero experience with it), so they'd probably be able to help you troubleshoot the issue. And if it happens to be on the forum's end, well, they need to know.

 

[Major PITA]

What could actually happen if i sprayed "AVID" on my plants ? Like would there be side effects on humans when the product is consumed ? (i'm talking about cannabis lol)

No idea. Probably nothing, but it is listed as "highly toxic" to humans and other mammals.

 

[hazophile]

I just read about mixing 91%(?) isopropyl alcohol 50:50 with water and completely saturating the plants (both sides of leaves, etc.). It's supposed to kill mites, and alcohol evaporates quickly/cleanly. I've never tried it, but I'm filing the idea against future need, lol.

I think i'll stop Avid for now then . If i see more insects on my plants , i'll give your alcohol solution a try and see how that goes .

Are you using the 420 Magazine app?

Nope , just using the website on my laptop . Will try to fix it though

 

[hazophile]

No idea. Probably nothing, but it is listed as "highly toxic" to humans and other mammals.

I hope so . But i mean even when the chemicals are gone would it still be toxic ? For example let's say it needs 25 days for it to be gone completely out of the plants system , won't it be safe again to harvest and smoke after that exact period ?

 

[hazophile]

Okay problem solved .

Here are some pictures :

Eggs and mites (With the Microscope) :

Jack Herer :

Sugar Pop :