OldPork's Outdoor Monkeyshines 09

Well I guess we better get this show on the road, shain't we?
Welcome back and for those of you who don't know me, take your shoes off and set a spell. In fact any Russian attorneys in the house can take all their clothes off...it's OK I wont tell your fiance! You'll find I am a friendly sort of fellow always willing to give a pal a tip (unlike the cruel Cantharis). This year I'll be growing out 2 feminized varieties, both from Greenhouse Seed Company. First for those of you who enjoyed my White Widow last year, you'll receive more of the same this year. I popped my last 2 seeds from my 08 batch and 2 more WW seeds from a new 10-pack. I'll be checking these two different batches of GHS WW for consistency. As far as the debate of who's got the original WW, who gives a fuck. Not me. All I know is last year I was astounded as many of you will be this year when the sugar fairy visits. So GHSco gets an big A+ from me and I ordered up another strain from them. Hawaiian Snow, an 80% sativa leaning hybrid. I remember the Hawaiian and Laotian genetics from waaay back and I am hoping this strain comes through for me with that same high...the kind that puts goosebumps on your scalp with each happy toke. With 23.7 THC octane, it darn tootin should. hahaha
I popped the 8 beans in Promix seed starter on 4/15 and by 4/23 all 8 had broken through the soil, so 100% germ rate the old fashioned way. I think Ganga Guru commented on how small the seeds are and I have to agree. When first breaking through the spouts are extremely tiny, but after a couple days they are looking quite a bit better, and I have a feeling that trend will continue. So to the pix. This year, I set up a little 2x2 plywood platform and covered that platform with roofing shingles. Then I leveled the platform on the hillside with some bricks and set my Victorian Lantern Cloche on top. On hot days, I leave the lid on askew to let the heat escape. The Hawaiian Snow is in the blue cups and the WW in the red cups to help me keep things straight.
In the first pics you can see I popped the seeds in a half full solo cup. That's because seedlings tend to stretch, and so I leave room for a good top dressing of worm castings and promix, which you can see have been added in the last picture. The trick is gonna be to get these little gals over the first month or two without being turned into swiss cheese by hailstorms, or devoured by slugs, or attacked by aphids, or dug up by rodents! Not to mention the worse threat of all...the two legged ones. Now I like just about everyone, but just don't let me catch your thieving ass in my garden...
So again welcome to all. Let's keep the hate out and enjoy what we're all here for. Growing good smoke. Here's to a good year.

 

Why thank you, thank you very much indeed

 

There you are you rascal. Not quite a Spanish balcony but it'll have to do~

 

I know I took my time but the weather just would not seem to cooperate! I saw a window of opportunity on the 15th and things turned out A-OK... The long term forecast looks like clear sailing from here on out. Truth be known I don't hold much stock in THC content percentages. What matters is what ends up on the vine!

 

Our night time lows will be in the mid to upper 50's for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow's highs will be in the upper 80's, maybe 90. Right now it's 11pm and 70.

 

A good morning to everyone on this happy day. And what a glorious morning it is! I am sitting on my front porch of my modest little home which is right in the middle of a forest. It's a nice cool morning and the birds are singing and my dog is next to me, a cup of joe and catching up with all my pals on Grasscity. It just doesn't get any better than this. Bukley asked about the cage, which is actually a Victorian Lantern Cloche and if you Google that term you will find it. I was lucky enough to find two of them at a yard sale for cheap. I gave one to a gro bro and kept the larger of the two. Mine seems to be of a high quality, very thick glass and very heavy. This thing not only provides warmth on early spring days but it really does a great job protecting from slugs and varmints. Nothing is worse than coming out to see a slime trail where your seedling used to be. I know the pain.
This weekend has started off great. My family is all home for some big springtime area events and I took them all out for dinner and drinks last night and we all had a ball. It set me back a few hundred but money's no good unless it's spent and I can't think of a better way to spend it.
Corto, my good southern European friend, how goes the night growing? Is mother nature cooperating with you? I'll check your thread next to see what's going on.

 

Hey Loveshack, yes there are holes in the bottom of those solo cups and they had better be there. I found rotating an exacto knife or even a box cutter (anything with a point razor blade type edge) lets you get the exact size hole you want. I make my holes about the diameter of a pencil. I cannot believe how much water the promix seed starter can hold. I used over a quart of distilled water on those 8 cups yesterday and it held it all.

 

Yes everything worked out as planned. I was sweating it there for a while. I had 5 spouts after 6 days, 7 after 7 days, but held off on starting my thread in hopes of getting 8 for 8. And on day 8, I was 8 for 8!
For family reasons I need to germ outdoors. I knew from the long term forecast that by the time they sprouted they would have to endure a couple of evenings that dipped into the upper 30's. But they made it through fine and from here on out there will be no more evenings in the 30's until fall. My other options would have been to plant on 4/23 but that would have put me over a week behind and with that sativa I thought it best to get started as early as I could.
My spot has room for only 6 plants, but I want 2 for backups. But if they all make it, that will leave me with having to find a place for 2 plants.