Jerrys Organic Obsession

For those of you that dont know me, I am Jerry, and am pleased to meet you. For those of you that do know me, well, its good to see you here. Its good to see all of you here!

My wife and kids tell me that I have an obsession with organic gardening.

I have been gardening marijuana for many years, but only in a little less than a year have I discovered the secret, and it is Gardening Organically, hence, I consider myself a student, and hope to continue to be for many more years. I am lucky enough (I think, anyhow!) to live in the country, on a quiet dead end road on 35 acres in the great State of Maine, who allows me to grow 6 marijuana plants medicinally. For probably 20+ years I needed to garden "underground", like so many. Thank God that many states are turning towards legal medical marijuana gardens! At the very least it takes a great deal of strain and stress off of our gardens.

I did have a journal here at Grasscity at one time, but due to busy times - children, work, etc., I was not able to keep up on it as I should have, and so I ended up taking the journal down. I was growing with chemical nutrients at the time, and do not any more, so this should be different and I will keep up on it as best as I can.

Where to start?

First, I consider myself very lucky, as many of you do here at GC, to have peers that know what the hell they're doing. There is an incredible wealth of information here, and after finding this information, I have made use of it in my physical garden.

You know who you are - you, whom I consider my teachers, and I am the student. Hopefully I can pass on this knowledge to others that want to learn to grow organically. There is some damn good Karma between many of you here.

For me, growing organically means making use of the Soil Food Web. It means using high quality compost, which is alive, and full of beneficial bacterias, fungi, mycorrhizae, and all of the living critters that work symbiotically with our plants to help us produce incredibly healthy, disease resistant, high yielding and most importantly, high quality cannabis.

I start by using a very high quality compost. I consider this my "base". To this I add sphagnum peat, as, unfortunately, compost is usually very dense and poor-draining. I then add Vermicompost,which I do make myself. Unfortunately, I cannot yet make enough for my needs, and so need to supplement with store-bought (but yet high quality from a very good source) castings, but am working on making myself self-sufficient in this area, but is for another time to discuss. I consider vermicompost our #1 soil ammendment. If I had to pick one ammendment, it would be earthworm castings - hands down.

So - Compost, peat, and EWC. This is a great start, but to this I ammend further using seed meals, kelp (another biggie!), rock dusts - and, oh, jeez, a mess of other goodies. I will post my actual soil mix in another post, but am hoping that you can see where I'm going with this.

I have built, with help from some fantastic people here, and with some suggestions from Tim Wilson, who is The Man at Microbe Organics, a fantastic website (check out Tims website if you are interested in compost teas) that delves deeply into compost teas, a very good compost tea brewer. I use this in conjunction with my soil program, and also sometimes make nutrient teas and other assorted witches brews with this contraption.

I have several big giant totes that I use as worm bins to make my own high-end castings. Worm castings are only as good as the food they are fed. With some help from some good people here, I will be building a production, Flow-Through bin soon. My goal is to take my soil ammendments - kelp, seed meals, accumulator plants, composts, everything!, and run all of these goodies thru the big worm machine, and let the worms have thier fun with these items first, before mixing into my soil. To be able to let our earthworm friends cycle the organic goodness of these items, to let the worms turn all of these ammendments into usable plant food before they hit the soil is gold to me.

I think that this could be fun. I'm looking forward to helping some people with info that they need, and really looking forward to suggestions and teachings from others, to help me better my own garden. This website is a fantastic resource and I intend to get everything that I can out of it.

I'm going to post a few pictures to show you where my garden is at right now. I'm looking forward to this, and I hope that you are too.

jerry.

Here are some pictures of where my garden is at right now. I am very pleased with whats going on in there. I am allowed 6 flowering plants by law in the state of Maine with a medical marijuana growing status. Right now I have a plant that will be ready for harvest in anywhere from 2-4 more weeks - who knows, might be 5 weeks. I will know when it is ready. There are several more spaced around 10 days apart, and then another that I put into the flower room last night. This gives me 4 total plants in the flowering room right now, with more in the veg area growing. I like taking a plant down, lets say every ten days or so. Its too much damn trimming to have it come down all at once.

Another thing that I like to do is plant training, but will get more in depth with this another time. Basically what I do, though, is to take the branches and tie them down to the outside edges of the pots, exposing the center of the plants. The plants grow very low this way, but wide!

Here we go. This is my largest lady right now, which, again, has anywhere from 2-5 weeks left. It is a "Blueberry" strain given to me from a friend. I had problems with one of these Blueberries recently, and was told that Blueberries can be finicky/unstable. This one is doing pretty good, though!

I am using 10 gallon pots, and they seem to be working out very well for me. A friend got them for me from a nursery. They used to hold fruit trees, I believe.

jerry.

Here are the next two behind the larger one. These two are "Northern Lights", and are spaced at around 10-14 days apart as far as how long they've been in the flower room. The slightly larger one that has little buds on it has been in the flower room for around 3 weeks?, and the smaller one has been in there maybe just under 2 weeks.

They are both VERY healthy and very bushy to say the least! Later today they will be getting a "Comfrey Tea" that I have had brewing for several days now. I also put a cup of organic aloe vera juice into the comfrey tea mix.

jerry.

Here is a smaller plant that I put into the flower room last night. You can kind of get an idea as to how I tie the branches down, exposing the middle of the plant - very short and very wide!

I like that better than tall. I can get more plant under the light this way, and not hidden in shadow.

The flower room runds 2 - 1,000w HPS lights. I built a "table" in there, which is only 10" tall, slightly slopes to one side, and is covered with bright white single ply roofing material. The table drains into a low black plastic cement/mortar mixing tub. No mess this way.

jerry.

edit - the picture on the left is right when I tied the lady down. The pic on the farther right is early this morning. You can see how it has already turned back towards the light.

The middle pic shows topdressing/mulching with my own personal vermicompost - probably an inch and a half thick.

Edited by jerry111165, 20 November 2011 - 03:02 PM.

Subbed.........nice garden Jerry. Looks like you've got it dialed in big time........


chunk

Hi Chunk!

Yeah... for the first time, I think, I'm content. Always room for improvement, but content.

As usual, got a bunch of gardening type work done today. I finally got off my butt and transplanted 3 comfrey plants that I bought a month or so ago and got them into the ground at the far end of the yard. I dug big holes (kinda), and threw a few shovelfuls of my good soil mix into the holes, transplanted, and filled in well w/ good compost soil too. I didnt load them up with straw for winter protection, but I bet they dont need it. From what I hear, comfrey is pretty hardy.

I also mixed up another garden cart full of soil mix. I'm trying to stay on top of this, so that I can let the mix sit as long as possible before using it. I've had a negative experience from using a hot mix too soon, and dont want to go thru that again.

I also got several more medium size vegging gals transplanted into my 10 gallon pots, and tied them down to open up the centers, basically "training" them. This method is working out really well for me. I drill holes in the big 10 gallon pot rim, and then gently pull each branch out to the outside and tie it down with soft yarn. I tie them loose, as I find that I need to adjust and re-tie several times during the growing cycle.

Then I went out back to my "specialty" compost pile...this is the pile that I am adding a very diverse variety of organics to. I start out with very old (at least 1 year, maybe 2 years old) of black leaf mold, then I add and "layer" horse manure from our horse, and then I add all of our kitchen scraps, seed meals, alfalfa, - al kinds of good stuff. I got to add a couple of bushels of old apples to this batch.

Anyhoo, I went out with a couple of big black "contractor" trash bags - as I wanted to fill these with this compost, to make sure that I have enough worm food for the winter. I was pleasantly surprised to see this pile was already starting to get loaded with worms. Good stuff! Now I have enogh worm food put aside out on the porch before the big snow hits. Winter is just about here, aint it?

I still have to water the flower room before I'm done for the day. Its never done! I mean seriously, I bet I spent 3-4 hours today working on gardening related chores.

I'm off to play "Skyrim"

jerry.

Awesome Jerry!!!! I like the part about being a student, as that is what I am currently. Unfortunately for my guerilla grows I will have to stick to my old chicken manure, mushroom compost, and dolomite technique for now, simply because of the difficulty and risk of visiting my patches. I am going through all of the organic stickies though, and every session is like a big old eye opener for me. The more I read here, the more I'm groovin to the idea of the worm. Great looking garden man, and I'll be visiting often.

im subbed to this one! i spend a good amount of time in maine in the summer:wave:

The flower room runds 2 - 1,000w HPS lights. I built a "table" in there, which is only 10" tall, slightly slopes to one side, and is covered with bright white single ply roofing material. The table drains into a low black plastic cement/mortar mixing tub. No mess this way.

jerry.

edit - the picture on the left is right when I tied the lady down. The pic on the farther right is early this morning. You can see how it has already turned back towards the light.

The middle pic shows topdressing/mulching with my own personal vermicompost - probably an inch and a half thick.

Hypalon?.....just a wonderin'!

I'm so glad you started this Jerry, I've got my pencil, my paper, my weed and a chair. I'm ready to learn!!!

The tie job you do seems to be working phenomenal too man, props! You've always had a green thumb, even before you discovered organics;)

Oh yeh jerry! Man, when an 'obsession' produces such goodness as what you've shared, well, that's a very good obsession to have.

Hey man you know what I respect about dudes like you? You don't dick around. If you're gonna grow then you're gonna eff'ing GROW! And it shows you got your game on man! Mad props and a really good show. WoW!

Awwww yEEEaaaa! I'll be tuned in.

Looking good Jerry! Should be a fun journal

LMAO too man. You're a devious imp aren't cha man LOL . I caught the mind phreak you pulled on all of us. Lets see who else catches it . No shouting it out now.... LOL! Mind Phreak!

Nice one jerry. Thanks for having us.

"Don't forget to flush!"

Im definitely gonna tune in on this one! You grow monsters

Jerry, I think I'll be stealing your draining table idea. I can't stand these little drip trays. They suck bad. What a good idea!

I tried to +rep you for the drain table idea, but it says I have to spread it around before I can rep you again

GC guys & gals -

Ridiculously long workday - but ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Up at (literally) 1:45am and out the door at 2am - hoping to be home by 8:30pm tonite.

Will respond properly as soon as I can. I had no idea I would get this much support!!





Thank you!

Jerry.

im subbed to this one! i spend a good amount of time in maine in the summer:wave:

Mike - its how we do things in Maine...*lol* Check out my buddy Mainas grow! http://forum.grassci...water-only.html

Hypalon?.....just a wonderin'!

Chunk - Is actually on that same idea. It is a single ply PVC roofing membrane. We use it where I work, and am able to get it in 10' to 12' wide by up to 100' long rolls. This is super-handy stuff! It is washable, very bright white, and reinforced, so is very strong. I have my "table" covered with it, and am actually going to answer Irie below about the table.

I'm so glad you started this Jerry, I've got my pencil, my paper, my weed and a chair. I'm ready to learn!!!
The tie job you do seems to be working phenomenal too man, props! You've always had a green thumb, even before you discovered organics;)

Doc! Its been a long time and am really glad to see you - I mean it, and hope to see you a bunch here!

Oh yeh jerry! Man, when an 'obsession' produces such goodness as what you've shared, well, that's a very good obsession to have.

Hey man you know what I respect about dudes like you? You don't dick around. If you're gonna grow then you're gonna eff'ing GROW! And it shows you got your game on man! Mad props and a really good show. WoW!

Possum! It really is an "obsession", I think sometimes. As soon as I get home from work every day i spend at least an hour, and many times much, much more time on my garden - ya know, doin' whatever needs doin! It is my 'sanctuary", if you know what I mean. Its my quiet place - is pretty and it smells nice - like women should! haha!

Awwww yEEEaaaa! I'll be tuned in.

Fun Time! Great to see you here, and hope to often!

Looking good Jerry! Should be a fun journal

Stankie - Thanks, I think so too.

Nice one jerry. Thanks for having us.

Wee - thanks man! I wanna see yours sometime soon, too!

"Don't forget to flush!"

Yes, sir, I will.

Im definitely gonna tune in on this one! You grow monsters

Irie - I actually dont even mean to, but with the right mix and plenty of microbes it just seems to happen! *lol*

Jerry, I think I'll be stealing your draining table idea. I can't stand these little drip trays. They suck bad. What a good idea!

I tried to +rep you for the drain table idea, but it says I have to spread it around before I can rep you again

I have been using the table idea for a long time Irie, and it sure does work super. I simply built a 2"X4" (12" on center for strength) and plywood table, and put a very slight slope on it. An inch over 8' works just fine, and you dont even notice it. I have it probably 10" off the floor at the low end, and no more than a foot off the floor at the high end. I put 2x4's on the 2 sides and at the top, to make a little "wall, and then put white roofing (1 sheet - covers the whole 8'X8' table) over the whole thing. At the bottom i folded the sides just a little bit, so that it drains into the center of the table at the low end. Right where it drains, I have a black plastic mortar mixing bucket, which is around 2'X3' and maybe 8" deep? at this spot, and really only have to have a couple inches sticking out - the rest slides out of the way, under the table, and so is completely out of the way! I also have my 2 light ballasts under the table, so that they are out of the way, too.

I will post a couple of pictures soon for you all to see. This works out super for me. It is ver cleanable, so I am always just wiping it down and have a very clean grow area this way. Staganant water sitting in those little plastic trays just aint for me!

I gotta get back to work, but thanks to you all again. I'm hoping that this can be fun.

jerry.