Hey guys. I had another thread, but I ditched it in favor of this one. I'll recap bits of the pilot post, but this will be the start of a new thread. THIS JOURNAL WILL BE UPDATED ON THE 20TH OF EVERY MONTH, UNTIL GROWING SEASON. FROM THEN ON, IT WILL BE UPDATED EACH WEEK ON MONDAY. It's the 20th, let's update this! Nothing too major, because nothing has happened. Pictures will come when there is something to take a picture of, I promise. Until then, I hope to entertain you with my text-bound adventure. This update will include: Bagseed Grow Results Accumulated Resources Status of guerrilla grow locations Selected/Future Strains Proposed Schedule: December '10 Accumulate resources and materials for future grow. Experiment with natural bag seed grow. Scout for outdoor grow-spots. Basic research on strains I would love to grow. January '11 Ordering seeds online. VACATION~ Preparation for indoor grow session. February '11 Secure/prepare outdoor grow spots. Preparation for indoor grow session. March '11 Plant seeds indoors. Indoor Veg-Sess. April '11 Clones will be taken at this point. Move plants to grow spots. May - September GROW, MAINTAIN, UPKEEP. Cultivate clones. October '11 First stages of harvest should happen in Mid-Late September. November '11 Cure. This will be my "No Smoke Month". December '11 Live in the clouds. Every day. Schedules may be changed at any time. This is a pretty decent outline for myself. BagSeed Grow Results: I am capable of growing and supporting a seedling. My experiment was terminated prematurely, but I can sprout a seed. That's enough reason to try this. I found that seeds tend to germinate better when in the dark, rather than in the light. Seeds that were planted just after they cracked open sprouted faster than seeds I left in the glass longer, comparatively. I will definitely take more detailed recordings when I start my official grow. Right, so, what did I get done? Seems like nothing... Too high all the time. Accumulated Resources: 2x Bags of Fox-farm Ocean Forest 1x P.h tester 4x 100w bulbs (23w equivalent) 4x 2ltr containers 1x Grow cabinet 1x PC fan 4x Light sockets Also on this list: PVC Pipe, Wire, "Camping" supplies... Any questions, just PM. Money Spent on Materials: ~110 Basically, I have all the materials I need to conduct a basic indoor grow. All in all, I suppose this has cost about $110 bucks right now. That's enough to get myself a Q. Add on the price of quality seeds, and that's about $50. So far, I've spent ~$160 dollars on supplies. Not shabby. Grow Spots! I have located a moderately secluded spot outside of town. I say moderately secluded because you would have to know the plant is there before you're inclined to go to this place. It is not completely sealed away, but the spot it is located in is secluded. The hole is about 3x2. I want to get out there later this week to prep the soil and fert mix for the area. Vegetation grows abundantly when the sun makes it through the trees, and fallen foliage. I had to dig a couple of inches before I even found Earth. This spot gets a decent amount of light, so I think my plants will thrive. I just decided that I am going to grow monsters. After much research and deliberation, I've selected the following strains. This will be my building blocks to more complex, individualized strains. I have picked the strains I hope to grow next. I may grow them later in this season, if my results are fair. Selected Strains: 1x Barney's Farm LSD (Fem) 1x Barney's Farm Red Dragon (Fem) 1x Hammerhead (Fem) 2x SURPRISE SEEDS! (Fem) 7x Mystery Seeds Future Strains: 1x 1024 (Fem) 1x Dutch Dragon (Fem) 1x Blackberry (Fem) 5x Red Diesel (Reg) 1x Blueberry (Fem) Red Dragon will be my main producer. I plan to take clones from this plant only. I do not want to risk my plants health because of my inexperience. These mystery seeds were given to me from a friend. Supposedly it's legendary, but that's what everyone says. His grandfather knows the strain, but will only tell us if we choose to grow it out. He says it will satisfy my diesel craving... Righteous, old man. Here's to a good grow! QUESTION SECTION! If I blend a bunch of organic shit together, can I call it a fertilizer? (Carrots, potatoes, coffee grounds, rice, bread...) I put the mixture in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour, put it in a jar, and sealed it. 2 weeks later, sticky goo had made its way out of the jar. My next update will include: We'll find out! From California, no less. Cheers! I'll see you on the 20th of January!
Sounds good bro By the looks of it, it seems you are just as excited as I am for the next seasons grow! Get that old man to budge and tell you the strain! lmaoo
Trust me, I wish I could. But he is, for lack of a better metaphor, as stubborn as a billy goat. I can't help but respect the man though. I want to be like him one day. I want to have my own strain, give out the seeds, and see how well the young grower preforms. It's almost a challenge to make sure those seeds are VERY carefully watched. He would not let me down, I know these babies have secrets...
In that case I can't wait to watch the journal and see the turnout! Best of luck to you and your mysterious seeds!
This is quite well planned and your schedule looks really good. But instead of using the above, just go with things like wormcastings, bone and blood meals, fish emulsion, maybe prep your holes with a little composted manure/humus. Potash and dolomitic garden lime is good too. Bat guano can make a good top dressing, calmag is a nice supplement to keep em healthy. That's really all you need for a good organic grow. Hope your spot is stealthy enough, bro, it really is the key to success. Good luck you seem stoked and organized.
I hope that my novice grow skills will keep you entertained! If not... there is popcorn and a movie in the other room. Thank you for watching, sir! Thank you as well! Once the ball starts rolling, there will be more depth to this thread. I will not end up like most of the outdoor grow journals. If I fail, everyone here will know about it. However... There will not be any failure! GC and I will make these plants as healthy as possible. Thank you for your wisdom, sir! +rep coming your way. I've read about the benefits of wormcastings, blood/bone meals, and manure. Yet, as I browsed through the organic section, I didn't see anything -close- to the concoction I brewed up. Since all of the ingredients are organic, would it -theoretically- be helpful to a plant, in limited doses? I will probably set my grow site up when I return from vacation. How much time should I let fish emulsion or manure set in the ground, before I am able to plant? Again, many thanks for your post!
Hey Rad, I really like your style and your game plan, and I certainly hope my advice is well received. Just because something is organic doesn't mean it's beneficial. But it may well be. I would suggest some online research of the ingredients you are interested in using and if you find nothing on the subject, I would caution against using it. Keep in mind also that most organics need to be broken down by natural processes before it is usable food for the plant. Plants will use only what they need and there are many proven organic soil mixes you can find right here on GC. The fish emulsion can be fed to your plants (diluted in water) once they are established but is really not necessary in hole prep although I suppose it couldn't hurt. I would say the big thing is to check your pH levels (around 6.6-6.8 is ideal IMO) and also to check the consistency of the soil in your grow holes. You can get a cheap pH meter with a soil probe at any garden store for 10 bucks. Check the natural water content in the soil..is it a swampy area? Clay soil? Then find out which soil amendments will make your spots more conducive to growing those monsters you desire. There are lots of gotchas...one thing to watch out for is heavy springtime rain...I have seen lots of grows wiped out by flooding because the grower planted smaller plants in the ground too early. The best way to protect against this is to keep them in pots with good drainage and a good soil mix (I use Promix-BX) until the weather stabilizes. Also very important is to check the sun exposure at various times throughout the day. You will need at least 5 hours of direct sun exposure per day. Have you figured out how to get water to them once they are in the wild? Where will you park your vehicle? What's your alibi for being there? LOTS and LOTS of things to think about, I am just naming a few. But #1 rule: Be STEALTHY to keep your ass out of jail.
Can you be more specific about your lighting? How many lumens/bulb is listed on the package? You listed 4x100 watt (23 watt equivalent) but from what I've read you're supposed to go by actual wattage, not incandescent equivalent....just trying to help . Theres a big difference between having 92 actual watts and thinking you have 400+ watts. If you are only using the cfls for seedlings and clones and then consistently moving the plants outdoors, the 4x23w might be enough, but more light is usually always better and if you are growing more than a single plant I'd suggest adding more wattage or more bulbs.
Your advice is very well received, OldPork. One thing you said is "Just because it is organic does not mean it is beneficial to your plant." I was unsure of this. Once this first grow is complete, I might test the effects of other organic recipes on my plants. I am here to grow, but also to learn. There is little information on the subject, because someone has tried it and failed, or failed to try it. That will be a different thread. I will not deviate from traditional growing methods on my first grow. Thank you for your guidance, I look forward to any other advice you choose to give. Good afternoon, Flymaster! Thanks for caring! I have 4 23-watt CFL light bulbs. They are equivelent to 100-watt incandesent bulbs. I am unsure of lumens, but I know the spectrum on these bulbs is 5600k. The bulbs I have are identical to the bulbs in the link below: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Globe-48526-Fluorescent-Incandescent-Equivalent/dp/B000GBIVVS"]Amazon.com: Globe 48526 23-Watt Mini Compact Fluorescent Spiral Bulb (100-Watt Incandescent Equivalent), Soft White, 4 Pack: Home Improvement[/ame] My light set up is featured in this thread on page 8. http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/231455-inexpensive-diy-grow-light-8.html I will post pictures of my grow cabinet once I have started to work on it. The container will be half of a computer desk. There is a door that will allow access to the cabinet. The total area is roughly 2x4x6. With a little modification. I could make it 2x4x8. It is the perfect cabinet to start seeds, and raise clones. I am on vacation in San Diego right now. This place is perfect. I will take pictures of all the bud I smoke while visiting. Until then, GC.
Cool! I knew I recognized your avatar from somewhere..I've seen your light setup thread before, I like the design. Your grow looks very interesting and very well thought out, I can't wait to see pictures...hopefully your gonna take outdoor pics too once they're outside?? Vacation in Cali...I'm very jealous, hope you're having a good trip, safe travels.
Good afternoon, GC! This is just an apology post; I'm sorry I have not updated yet. Vacations tend to steer people off track. I will return shortly with an update! Until then, GC.
Thank you all for disregarding my tardiness. Let's get this post underway! This update will include: Updated Schedule "The Usual" Pictures More Pictures Like most of the community, I cannot get enough of this site. There's always a wealth of information. That said, I've decided to adjust my growing schedule quite... radically. Updated Schedule: February '11 Plant seeds indoors. March '11 Transplant outdoors. April '11 Clones. May - September GROW, MAINTAIN, UPKEEP. 28 North has outstanding growing potential. It would be in my best interest to take advantage of the weather. I want monster plants. The sooner I plant, the sooner I may harvest. I will keep this journal updated, so you will know as I know, Blades. My indoor grow cabinet has not been completed yet. Since my plants will only need temporary housing, I've taken my time on it. My indoor setup will be inferior to most. I am content with that. Outdoor locations have been scouted several times, and I am certain they are secure. Water is easily accessible, and there is lush vegetation to camouflage my plants with. The soil is very fine and sandy; very good for drainage. 28 North is prone to intense storms. This thread is not a joke. This is happening. Pictures will be added for each update over growing season, or as I feel the need. I am feeling the need. I am happy to say that ALL of my seeds made it to my dwelling. I ordered from The Attitude, The Single Seed Centre, and Sannie's Shop. All of my seeds look and feel normal. Each of them is labeled clearly. All the packaging was discreet. I was not worried about shipping time, because I was on vacation. Yet, I'm sure they arrived promptly. I received free seeds from all three seedbanks. Once they have started growing, I will talk more about them. As of this moment, however, I am extremely pleased! GO ORDER NOW! To paranoid Blades: I used my personal check card to make these purchases. I sent them directly to my home. My roommate did not even question me, much less the government. Do not let paranoia get the best of you, because everything will be okay. These are all the seeds I have in my possession. I will not try to grow all of these at the same time. Updated Strains: 1x Barney's Farm LSD (Fem) 1x Barney's Farm Red Dragon (Fem) 1x Medical - Hammerhead (Fem) 7x Mystery Seeds 1x Blackberry (Fem) 1x Paradise Dutch Dragon (Fem) 5x Killing Fields (Fem) And, the freebies? 1x UFO #1 Dutch Passion Skunk #11 (Fem) 1x Pyramid Osiris (Fem) 1x Pyramid Anestesia (Fem) 1x Pyramid Tutankhamon (Fem) 1x Afghan Kush Ryder (Fem) 1x Afghan Kush Special (Fem) 5x Lavender x Blueberry Sativa That's pretty much everything, GC. Now, about my vacation... I smoked every day. Some of the strains included: Pot of Gold Blue Thunder Mango Thai Super Silver Haze 707 Headband Diamond Haze Trainwreck Super Skunk Pictures speak louder than words. Only a few, though. My next update will include: Who knows! Come back for more.
Hell yeah bro sounds like a good year to come, im also trying Red Dragon and Afghan Kush Ryders.... What did single seed send u for the freebies? idk when ur photoperiod and last frost is but i would maybe start them in march if ur growin outdoor it might be to far off the photoperiod to start in feb.... i could be wong tho.
Hey man - solid choice of strains. I can't wait to see how they turn out for you. Im still in the seed selection process, but have also been looking at Barney's. At the moment I'm thinking some Flower Power to get some early buds, and then some Laughing Buddha and Pineapple Chunk. but yeah, let's hope for a good grow season
Good looking Journal dude- you seem to have everything planned out really well. I'm sure your season will be great and the Marrijuanabis Gods will bless you with plenty of bud I'll be checking in often to see your progress.. again, good luck
SSC sent two Afghan strains as freebies. I've heard they are excellent. I am not sure if I will grow them this season, but I do have them. Also, my last frost is mid-February. Theoretically, I could begin germination right now, and plant outdoors at the end of the month... But I will take my time. I appreciate your concern, and I will watch your grow as well. We can be grow buddies. If I can help pick a strain for you, please let me know. I am no expert, but I will help where I can. I've heard amazing things about Pineapple Chunk, however. That sounds like an excellent decision. I will keep an eye out for your grow. Thank you for your support! All your well-wishes guarantee success for me. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. I will see you on the 20th of February!