It’s the new year and time to get ready for the 2023 outdoor grow. I missed growing outdoors! Been back at it for a couple seasons now. For those who don’t know, about a decade ago I was robbed at gunpoint for my crop. Even though the 3 guys were caught and went to jail, I couldn’t shake the fear for a long time and stopped growing outdoors. Stopped posting online. Went back to college and studied plants science, biology, genetics etc during my break. Did a lot of work in habitat restoration. Some work in pest inspections for the ag department. I’ve moved now and feel much safer in my neighborhood surrounded by old ladies, a couple of which also grow. So, I’m ready to get kicking. Getting started by phenohunting genetics and prepping soil. I spread some chicken shit and got a couple bales of alfalfa to spread out. Should be plenty of times for the worms to get to work. So far I’m looking at growing Triangle Cake Gelato Mac Dosi Sherbet Jelly Mochi Grape Drops And still trying to pick the last strain. Maybe Iranian Ice Cream. Anyone else getting prepped for the new season?
I remember when that robbery occurred and I kind of figured it was the reason you dropped off the City not long afterwards. I never stop growing and last winter I did a lot of regular seeds selecting the girls for this past summers run. Then 2 different folk inundated me with clones and now I was up to my eyeballs in strains and plants. The cloner thinned the number of strains again this fall and I have way to many of Koda. If I plant now I can get 2 more sets in before summer and get the males cleaned out and add some variety. BNW
Koda Kush? I ran that one last season but only small plants. I crossed it to Hella Jelly. It’s ok but probably not anything I will take to the F2 or beyond. Yeah the robbery had me shook. I was heading into 3rd trimester being pregnant. Just wanted to finish out my crop so it would be ready after I had the baby. Having the gun pointed at me and the threats, it was a lot. I grew another season or two and couldn’t get passed the anxiety. Especially after I got divorced and was alone with the kids and the plants. Too much. I’ve got a lot better set up and more support now.
After a year off last year, I have 3 different strains of seeds ready to go. Gorilla Blue, Girl Scout Cookies, and still my long-time favorite, Blue Dream. Need to get past this last bit of bad weather and it's on! Good luck with your grow
A familiar face, so nice to see. I grew along side you a decade ago, and here we are again. Although, I did similar in attending school for organic chemistry, I didn't pause my growing. Stayed guerilla for about 7 years, then obtained my producers license. Sold the farm last year and decided to take a year off to tour the country with the family. A year w/out a grow has been a challenge. It beckons. Heading north in less than 3 months to get back in the saddle. This years lineup so far (at least one more order for genetics); LSD (Barney's Farm) Grandmommy Purple Bruce Banner #3 Trainwreck Girl Scout Cookies Wedding Cookies Blueberry Cheese Gorilla Glue Gelato CBD Lemon Zkittlez AKxWW C99 Godberry Critical+XXL Crit+2.0 Tropical Punch ... and a few more. C99 has been a part of my lineup since the day you recommended it, a decade ago. After all, it's my Mrs. favorite. So happy to see you around mjmama
Hi old friend!!! Sounds like you have done really well for yourself! That trip around the country sounds pretty awesome. I got to do more traveling this year than normal. I was just trading someone some beans for C99. It’s one of those strains I haven’t ran in years and want it back.
C99 was your go-to a decade ago. It was you that which turned me on to it... haven't looked back. It's truly to this day, a master strain. So, yeah, of course I have to love you for that morsel of advice!
I am still trying to figure out the best time to start the seeds and when to plant outdoors. I will plant Critical Mass, Super Skunk, Wedding Cake and Durban Poison. I have room for two more. Debating doubling up on two of them or adding another two strains. In previous years I didn't pay attention to dates and still got a good crop. Now that I know about the photo period light schedule I am working on my technique. Sorry to hear about the robbery. About twenty years ago I woke up to find my two plants missing. It was a couple of days after my neighbors had their roof repaired. In my current place I have a lot more privacy with few neighbors. About the only thing I worry about is the neighbor's gardeners. However I believe the risk is lower now due to legalization.
Same! I had apartments behind my house. It was a chill neighborhood and I had grown there for years. But the apartments had work done. Told their kids. Next thing you know three 17 year olds hopped the fence and took the closest plants tops. Then a couple days later I heard the dogs barking and found them trying to toss chicken bones over the fence to distract them. Chased them away. Thought it was done. Then they came back with daddies hunting riffle. It was bad. I agree. Legalization changed everything. The demand just isn’t there anymore. At least that’s one good aspect of the market tanking. Nobody wants to rob me for it anymore. Ugh.
Oh yeah, timing. February to march start indoors can produce monsters outdoors. A start on April 1st still still result in really nice size plants and you could get away with starting outdoors if the weather is nice. I was just listening to a podcast about Durban where they talked about starting it later in the season than the earlier flowering strains. Basically since it flowers later in the season, it gets an extra few weeks of veg time compared to the early triggering strains. I haven’t tested that out but it seems fitting to pass along.
I like a good storm. I very much don't like bad storms. Hope it clears soon w/out too much collateral damage. Those plants are off to a fabulous start. It's a joy to watch grows from experienced growers. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy offering help with new growers. But, there's something more relaxing when you can look at a pic like yours, knowing they are destined for greatness. - I dislike that you had to travel a rough road getting to this point, with the robbery and all. Not always easy to shake those events. So, thank you for sharing your progress with us. - My plots are my sanctuary. I can only imagine that you find similar solace with yours. Summed up in two words; Green Peace. Very interesting comment re. that Podcast, and starting times. I'm in the NE, so our rules are slightly different. However, I think I follow the logic there. - I've started crops as late as the first week of June and they still turned out to be pounders. But, I'm a green-thumb; So generally, w/in a few days of the new year, I'm itchin' to get started. Hence, hanging out in grasscity = a good 'fix' until I can sew those babies. Indoor is great, but no matter how intense the lighting fixtures are, I can't help but feel like I'm being held back. The Sun is where the buck stops. Plus, is there anything better than strolling through a forest of hemp in bare feet?
Dec 27th We traveled so much it interrupted my usual routine and I missed my fall veg window and dropped the small clones in the ground and kept the lights on them instead. They did nicely and I killed the lights on the 6th so they should be nearly on track for a March 15th harvest. I was gone so a few days late getting the lights turned off on the 1st as I had planned. Even winter sun does a fine job on outdoor cannabis here in Southern California. BNW
It was a bad storm. We lost a family member while the power was out the other day. Totally unrelated to the story. Just eerie timing. I appreciate all of your kind words.
Don’t you love that! I’m farther north but the Sacramento Valley stays pretty warm and frost free most of the winter. December and early January get a little dicey. Our last frost is this month and soon the hours of daylight will be back to 10+. I’ve got a completely over packed grow room knowing that I can bump any of the less stellar plants to just finish outside while I focus on the winners. The problem child plants always get sent outside to think about what they’ve done wrong in life. They usually straighten up.
If you were to choose an optimum date? March 1? How old should my starts be? Six weeks? Start indoors March 1 plant outdoors April 15? South of you in San Diego county inland about 10 miles.