Hi everybody, it's almost that time if year again and prep work is upon us, so I thought I'd get my journal started. This season I'll be using my own home made super soil and the raised beds I've been working on forever now. The raised beds are filled with a combination of native soil, used potting soil from my old grows, home made vermi compost, and some hay to fluff it up. In the center of each raised bed I will be digging a 3x3 hole. The bottom of the holes will be filled with my super soil mix, and the top will be my favorite masters pride potting soil. I will also mix in a few shovelfuls of native soil to each hole for good measure. Native soil has all kinds of minerals and microbes that our plants need. And I think having some in my holes will make it a smoother transition when my roots grow out and hit the native soil mix in the beds around them. So far these are the strains I have going. I've started several strains but I'm only keeping the fastest growing, healthiest of the starts for my outdoor. The rest will be flowered indoors or maybe a spring light depo. So far I've been way more impressed by my clones than my seed plants. I guess I'm just a clone gal.... Girl Scout Cookies Sour Diesel Purple Diesel I'm still waiting on a Blueberry Headband clone a friend is helping my out with. And I will probably start a Sour Kush and OG 18 to fill out the rest of my grow. My other candidates are Sour Strawberry, Lifesaver, Skywalker OG, and LA Confidential.
I'm going to try two different soil recipes this season. One blood and bone meal dominant recipe and one kelp and Alfalfa recipe. I've heard great things about both but I want to see what works best in my location and what produces a better tasting herb. Recipe #1 1 large bag organic potting soil (2 cubic ft) 5 lbs worm castings 1/2 lb alfalfa 1/2 lb kelp 10 ounces high p bat guano 6 ounces rock phosphate 2 cups rock dust 1/2 cup neem cake meal 1 tablespoon lime 1 tablespoon azomite Recipe #2 1 large bag organic potting soil (2 cubic ft) 5 lbs worm castings 1/2 lb steamed bone meal 1/2 lb blood meal 10 ounces high p bat guano 6 ounces rock phosphate 2 cups rock dust 1 cup kelp 1 cup alfalfa 1/2 cup neem cake meal 1 tablespoon lime 1 tablespoon azomite
You won't regret it. I'm using the blood and bone meal recipe currently for my indoor and vegging plants and so far they're loving it. Growth has taken off since I put them in the new soil mix. I still don't have the neem cake meal in it though. I'm getting that soon to add to my outdoor soil mix. It will really help with pest control, and it's also a good nutrient for the plants. Its supposed to help keep the nitrogen in your soil avalivle longer instead of burning off all at once. Like time released ferts for organics. Good stuff right?
I knew you couldn't resist coming to see your baby grow up. She's looking damn good so far. The Girl Scout Cookies has that fat leaves stalky grow style that I love. My purple diesel is already bushing out big time. I started lst on her yesterday. I will probably use the big scrog screen on here again this season. It worked great last time. Here's the Purple Diesel's lst job.
Thanks Mike! I'm gunna need it. Really though the only thing I'm worried about this season is spider mites. I never have problems with mold or PM. I have the bud worms under control with BT and bug zappers. Mites have been the only consistent problem I've had over the years. But this season I'm prepared. I have a few different sprays to use in veg, but more importantly I will be using the need cake in my soil. The neem is perfectly safe for us, but makes the plants toxic to pests. So even if mites find their way onto my ladies, they will die once they start munching on the leaves. I'm also planting shit tons of garlic and onions around the yard to repel pests, and I even tossed a bunch of garlic into the neighbors yard over the fence into the bamboo. Hopefully some of it takes root.
sounds like we got same plan of attack on the mites idk they only hit my c99 last year but they sure did tear up the bottoms of those plants I was forced to pull them slightly early to rid the garden of them.. I had just set up a roadblock on the bud worms and never thought twice for mites, not this year..
Looking good Mama! I wont be starting until April, just ordered more seeds today. But I guess I better get out there and start digging grow holes before the goddam ticks wake up.
Thanks. You better hurry. I've already found 2 ticks crawling on me this season while out hiking. I've heard they are out early this year. But we have a different climate than you. Basically any warm day they should be out looking for food though. Wear repellant. I need to get some too.
Oh I will. Right now I have the plants out during the day and indoor at night until the days are longer. Girl Scout Cookies Purple Dieael Sour Diesel Diesel Auto Sour Strawberry and Lifesaver already hardened off.
Thanks. I have an act tea bubbling for them now. A handful of worm castings, a handful of compost, and 2 tablespoons of molasses for 2 gallons of water. I'll feed half the plants today then brew another batch for the other half. I don't have a bucket handy so I'm just brewing it in my water pale. Other than act tea I shouldn't have to feed these ladies much. They are already in super soil and I'm mixing a fresh batch soon for when I transplant them into their final homes.