Junk's Growing Log

[Ceveres]

Now I know it must be a ghost... It was this link, must've lingered from an earlier draft. I've had them do it on my posts too.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/my-first-grow-auto-feminized-sweet-skunk.82884/page-170

That link is from his signature, it shows on every post. If you are on a phone like me, it only shows when you are viewing the site sideways in landscape mode. Mine says something too :smug:

 

[SmithsJunk]

That link is from his signature, it shows on every post. If you are on a phone like me, it only shows when you are viewing the site sideways in landscape mode. Mine says something too :smug:

Showed up on my puter. Didn't see it on any other posts. Didn't mean to make a deal out of it but it threw me at the time because it almost seemed applicable. Lol

Thanks.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Looked up over the front house and saw cotton candy everywhere in the sky. Almost ate it 10 times tripping over my limp rushing to get to where I had a clear shot. Then I almost ran into two trees while trying to quickly swap back and forth between my 55 and 300 lenses. The cotton candy will have to wait for another morning but I was still able to catch the last few seconds of fire before the sun rose above the clouds. It was bada$$.

 

[SmithsJunk]

I have not been able to get a picture that really shows how much bud my Creamsicles have stacked against the fence and around the edge of the planters on the sun side.

Two people have told me to expect 1lb each plant, but they never did see the heavy side. My guess is there's already a pound each up against the fence and they haven't fattened yet. It looks like there's way more leaves than in reality. Those are almost solid flower, 3-4" across. I wanted but never expected colas this size. They're falling over everywhere. It's so cool.

Sorry, the camera just can't seem to grab the pic... I'll try again with my big camera tomorrow.

Overhead shots...

Like I said, it's hard to make the camera show you what it really looks like. You guys will see when I harvest in about a month, maybe less, hopefully longer. Swithching the Orange Creamsicles over to Cha Ching next week, I bet they'll love the extra nitrogen. Next year note, some Sativas like nitrogen even in flower.

 

[Farmer P]

Damn that's a lot of weed! I see big balls of scissor hash in your future. Awesome time of year! How much longer? I'm thinking of chopping one a week from today. (8 weeks from flip) I'd like to go longer, but I might need to stagger the harvest to even out the workload of trimming. Great Job!

 

[SmithsJunk]

Damn that's a lot of weed! I see big balls of scissor hash in your future. Awesome time of year! How much longer? I'm thinking of chopping one a week from today. (8 weeks from flip) I'd like to go longer, but I might need to stagger the harvest to even out the workload of trimming. Great Job!

Thank you. You've got some great plants. I like how picky you are and that you're not afraid to chop bad ones. I'll waste all kinds of time and resources to save a plant.

I'm thinking 2-3 weeks till flush on the Orange Creamsicles. They're at 6 weeks and the little info I was able to scrape up on the strain makes me think it's possible for them to run up to 12, Sativa dominant and all. 2-3 harvests. All my trichs are absolutely clear and outdoor tends to loose a few to amber before the bracts are fully loaded. I'll probably have to disect one when I think they're ready to know for sure. I'm only chopping what becomes ripe, down to individual colas. I'll know after the first cut exactly where I stand. I'm getting my room ready just in case I have to cut more than I expect. I'll be doing my trimming every daybreak once it starts. First light is the high point of THC production. So, 4-5 weeks is my estimate on the Creamsicles but I'll be ready if its sooner. Switching over to Cha Ching to run them out longer. It's possible I'll be flushing in a week or two but I hope not. We're dropping into the mid 40's here and that sets everything off and into flux. Heading back into the 50's in a few days but if that doesn't hold it's going send us into an early harvest. This area is not optimal for Sativa like where you are.

The Kush are right on time. My guess is 3-4 weeks till flush. 4-5 to first harvest. Will start them on Cha Ching a week or so after the Sativas. Their buds are developing insanely fast and I'm throwing every thing but the kitchen sink at them to fatten them. They seem to be a bit nitrogen sensitive so I might keep them on Beastie Bloomz instead of switching to Cha Ching.

The type of soil where you are I remember from when I was a kid in Orange County and the Coachella Valley. You might benefit from large smartpots 100 gal plus and a more of a peat soil mix. Between that and your shade cloth you could grow Sativa monsters. I am so envious of your grow season. We've got 120 days max. Jorge Cervantes was growing monsters in Santa Barbera that way. He's who I got my soil mix recipe from.

Next year I'll be buffing my soil biologicals, including predatory nematodes, a couple months before I plant and start early on with regular doses of predatory mites. Two spots spider mites seriously effected my Sativas this year. They've been growing off severely damaged and underdeveloped leaves the whole time. It's crazy how much bigger the leaves got after I reduced the populations with Azamax.

Mite leaves...

Healthier leaves after Azamax...

They're recovering so fast it almost looks like revegging.

Because yesterday was the last time I could spray I saturated them with 18 liters of Azamax @0.5 oz per liter. My hail Mary attempt at destroying the little bastards. At least enough to keep them from spidering up my buds.

This is my first real grow and I think I have, or almost have, made every mistake in the book. But that was just because the book arrived after I started. I'm a quick study as I'm betting you are. By how clean and precise your garden looks and how you work with your plants I'm guessing your an engineer, fabricator, or mechanic. Something mechanically inclined. If not, definitely take the compliment, lol.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Damn that's a lot of weed! I see big balls of scissor hash in your future. Awesome time of year! How much longer? I'm thinking of chopping one a week from today. (8 weeks from flip) I'd like to go longer, but I might need to stagger the harvest to even out the workload of trimming. Great Job!

I just took a look at your Sunday picks again. I'm new at this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but it seems to me like they are way too early to harvest. To me, they look like they still easily have 3 weeks left. I'd hate to see you loose that much potency just to rotate some new plants in. Maybe extend the grow area to accomodate.

...but again, I'm new to growing for myself. I would defer to someone like EventHorizon for harvest advice.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Damn that's a lot of weed! I see big balls of scissor hash in your future. Awesome time of year! How much longer? I'm thinking of chopping one a week from today. (8 weeks from flip) I'd like to go longer, but I might need to stagger the harvest to even out the workload of trimming. Great Job!

I just took a look at your Sunday picks again. I'm new at this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but it seems to me like they are way too early to harvest. To me, they look like they still easily have 3 weeks left. I'd hate to see you loose that much potency just to rotate some new plants in. Maybe extend the grow area to accomodate.

...but again, I'm new to growing for myself. I would defer to someone like EventHorizon for harvest advice.

Sorry, I think I misread your post. I thought you said you were adding plants for some reason.

 

[Farmer P]

Thank you. You've got some great plants. I like how picky you are and that you're not afraid to chop bad ones. I'll waste all kinds of time and resources to save a plant.

I'm thinking 2-3 weeks till flush on the Orange Creamsicles. They're at 6 weeks and the little info I was able to scrape up on the strain makes me think it's possible for them to run up to 12, Sativa dominant and all. 2-3 harvests. All my trichs are absolutely clear and outdoor tends to loose a few to amber before the bracts are fully loaded. I'll probably have to disect one when I think they're ready to know for sure. I'm only chopping what becomes ripe, down to individual colas. I'll know after the first cut exactly where I stand. I'm getting my room ready just in case I have to cut more than I expect. I'll be doing my trimming every daybreak once it starts. First light is the high point of THC production. So, 4-5 weeks is my estimate on the Creamsicles but I'll be ready if its sooner. Switching over to Cha Ching to run them out longer. It's possible I'll be flushing in a week or two but I hope not. We're dropping into the mid 40's here and that sets everything off and into flux. Heading back into the 50's in a few days but if that doesn't hold it's going send us into an early harvest. This area is not optimal for Sativa like where you are.

The Kush are right on time. My guess is 3-4 weeks till flush. 4-5 to first harvest. Will start them on Cha Ching a week or so after the Sativas. Their buds are developing insanely fast and I'm throwing every thing but the kitchen sink at them to fatten them. They seem to be a bit nitrogen sensitive so I might keep them on Beastie Bloomz instead of switching to Cha Ching.

The type of soil where you are I remember from when I was a kid in Orange County and the Coachella Valley. You might benefit from large smartpots 100 gal plus and a more of a peat soil mix. Between that and your shade cloth you could grow Sativa monsters. I am so envious of your grow season. We've got 120 days max. Jorge Cervantes was growing monsters in Santa Barbera that way. He's who I got my soil mix recipe from.

Next year I'll be buffing my soil biologicals, including predatory nematodes, a couple months before I plant and start early on with regular doses of predatory mites. Two spots spider mites seriously effected my Sativas this year. They've been growing off severely damaged and underdeveloped leaves the whole time. It's crazy how much bigger the leaves got after I reduced the populations with Azamax.

Mite leaves...View attachment 742243

Healthier leaves after Azamax...View attachment 742244
They're recovering so fast it almost looks like revegging.

Because yesterday was the last time I could spray I saturated them with 18 liters of Azamax @0.5 oz per liter. My hail Mary attempt at destroying the little bastards. At least enough to keep them from spidering up my buds.

This is my first real grow and I think I have, or almost have, made every mistake in the book. But that was just because the book arrived after I started. I'm a quick study as I'm betting you are. By how clean and precise your garden looks and how you work with your plants I'm guessing your an engineer, fabricator, or mechanic. Something mechanically inclined. If not, definitely take the compliment, lol.

Lol thanks. I was an Ase certified mechanic for a while, then went into injection molding. Did a lot of fabrication there. Now Im in networking. Decided I like cleaner environments. I still wrench from time to time and love to fabricate.
I already started my next indoor back in the cabinet. I am already close to flip. Got some new genetics (CSI Bubbas girl), and im running clones from the outdoor strains. Still waiting for the outdoor smoke test to see if I have any keepers. I would like to go longer and may take your advise and chop only buds that look ready. I just don't want to get the count too high. Eventually I need to get to only 6 which should be soon. Thanks again and keep the pics coming!

 

[SmithsJunk]

Lol thanks. I was an Ase certified mechanic for a while, then went into injection molding. Did a lot of fabrication there. Now Im in networking. Decided I like cleaner environments. I still wrench from time to time and love to fabricate.
I already started my next indoor back in the cabinet. I am already close to flip. Got some new genetics (CSI Bubbas girl), and im running clones from the outdoor strains. Still waiting for the outdoor smoke test to see if I have any keepers. I would like to go longer and may take your advise and chop only buds that look ready. I just don't want to get the count too high. Eventually I need to get to only 6 which should be soon. Thanks again and keep the pics coming!

I was a telecom tech inside plant (attic rat) in the AF (not as clean as you'd think, the switchroom people got that benni, lol), master house painter (my fall back job for almost two decades), rebuilt commercial Cummings and CAT heads, fabricated high end garage doors, found my groove in the PM industry when I learned to valuate junior mining stocks (I don't recommend them without intimately knowing the industry, and even then), ran a coin/bullion shop for a few years before partnering with my now ex-wife and her mother to open our own store. Then a genetic autoimmune disease started destroying my body. I took disability and retired. Now I'm the happiest I've ever been growing pot, building enthusiast grade computers, and taking pictures.

It's funny how life turns out. I'm happier now than I ever was when I was wealthy, especially without a b*tchy wife spending all my money.

I will definitely keep the pictures coming. I try to post quality shots every few days but the morphine has a tendency of wiping me out in the middle of editing. Please keep yours coming too. There's only so much I can learn from my own grow.

 

[Wishbone]

Can you expand on "trimming at daybreak"? THC levels decrease throughout the light period and peak at night? I was wondering about that approach of cutting only the ripest buds, not the whole plant as well, seems like a good approach.

Thank you. You've got some great plants. I like how picky you are and that you're not afraid to chop bad ones. I'll waste all kinds of time and resources to save a plant.

I'm thinking 2-3 weeks till flush on the Orange Creamsicles. They're at 6 weeks and the little info I was able to scrape up on the strain makes me think it's possible for them to run up to 12, Sativa dominant and all. 2-3 harvests. All my trichs are absolutely clear and outdoor tends to loose a few to amber before the bracts are fully loaded. I'll probably have to disect one when I think they're ready to know for sure. I'm only chopping what becomes ripe, down to individual colas. I'll know after the first cut exactly where I stand. I'm getting my room ready just in case I have to cut more than I expect. I'll be doing my trimming every daybreak once it starts. First light is the high point of THC production. So, 4-5 weeks is my estimate on the Creamsicles but I'll be ready if its sooner. Switching over to Cha Ching to run them out longer. It's possible I'll be flushing in a week or two but I hope not. We're dropping into the mid 40's here and that sets everything off and into flux. Heading back into the 50's in a few days but if that doesn't hold it's going send us into an early harvest. This area is not optimal for Sativa like where you are.

The Kush are right on time. My guess is 3-4 weeks till flush. 4-5 to first harvest. Will start them on Cha Ching a week or so after the Sativas. Their buds are developing insanely fast and I'm throwing every thing but the kitchen sink at them to fatten them. They seem to be a bit nitrogen sensitive so I might keep them on Beastie Bloomz instead of switching to Cha Ching.

The type of soil where you are I remember from when I was a kid in Orange County and the Coachella Valley. You might benefit from large smartpots 100 gal plus and a more of a peat soil mix. Between that and your shade cloth you could grow Sativa monsters. I am so envious of your grow season. We've got 120 days max. Jorge Cervantes was growing monsters in Santa Barbera that way. He's who I got my soil mix recipe from.

Next year I'll be buffing my soil biologicals, including predatory nematodes, a couple months before I plant and start early on with regular doses of predatory mites. Two spots spider mites seriously effected my Sativas this year. They've been growing off severely damaged and underdeveloped leaves the whole time. It's crazy how much bigger the leaves got after I reduced the populations with Azamax.

Mite leaves...View attachment 742243

Healthier leaves after Azamax...View attachment 742244
They're recovering so fast it almost looks like revegging.

Because yesterday was the last time I could spray I saturated them with 18 liters of Azamax @0.5 oz per liter. My hail Mary attempt at destroying the little bastards. At least enough to keep them from spidering up my buds.

This is my first real grow and I think I have, or almost have, made every mistake in the book. But that was just because the book arrived after I started. I'm a quick study as I'm betting you are. By how clean and precise your garden looks and how you work with your plants I'm guessing your an engineer, fabricator, or mechanic. Something mechanically inclined. If not, definitely take the compliment, lol.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Can you expand on "trimming at daybreak"? THC levels decrease throughout the light period and peak at night? I was wondering about that approach of cutting only the ripest buds, not the whole plant as well, seems like a good approach.

Excerpts from the Cannabis Encyclopedia...

"Harvest early in the morning, before direct sunlight warms the plants. This is when cannabinoid content is at its peak." pg 111

"Harvesting 2 to 4 times over the course of 2 to 6 weeks can increase harvest weight by as much as 40 percent. The top 1 to 2 feet (30.5-61cm) is removed at the first harvest. Secondary smaller buds receive more sunlight and become heavier. The second layer of medicinal buds is then harvested." pg 110

Cervantes does say that harvesting whole plants or larger branches can help increase drying time because the stalks must dry as well. This allows chlorophyll and leftover fertilizer salts to dissipate better. Also drying quickly can cause the buds to form a hard shell. Slower drying times and proper curing will help the buds maintain a suppleness even though they're fully dried.

There are a lot of places in this book where proper information is sorely lacking but how to harvest is not one of them. If you want to know about harvesting, hydroponics, indoor grows, and signs of nutrient excess/deficiencies, I'd say it's an excellent tool. Feeding and pest management, meh, not so much.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Can you expand on "trimming at daybreak"? THC levels decrease throughout the light period and peak at night? I was wondering about that approach of cutting only the ripest buds, not the whole plant as well, seems like a good approach.

I can't explain to you with certainty why cannabinoid production is the highest at night but I can give you my guess. I would think that during the day the plants are expending their energy on photosynthesis, staying cool, and following the sun. At night that energy is redirected to flower growth and cannabinoid production. That way the processes are not in competition for resources. (I'm sure there are many more processes but I'm just throwing these out there as examples) Plants are cyclical just like us. We expend energy on motion and feed ourselves during the day, then at night our bodies repair themselves while we sleep. Again, there is no competition for resources that way.

I want to harvest top-shelf herb. If I need to do that one bud at a time, I am willing. If you are going to do that it's not just taking the time with harvesting but also controlling temps and humidity more tightly in your drying/curing room. Individual buds, minus stalk, dry more quickly, so if they aren't slowed they will have that harsh green taste. Something I've come across far too often with co-op/dispensary weed.

What it comes down to is, what are you comfortable doing? How closely can you control their drying environment? How much do you have to trim? There are benefits and drawbacks to most every technique. (eg... If you trim the fan leaves while they're fresh then trimming is easier later and trichs are damaged less from handling, but they may dry too quickly. On the other hand, if they are left on, there is a higher risk of mold and rot.)

 

[SmithsJunk]

Grow Log 09-19-2017

Been in the 40's the last few days. The girls have stalled somewhat, for the moment, so I didn't see the point in taking my normal shots. Still trying to get decent shots of the lower flowers from outside the garden fence. The combination of light, shadow, and the fence make this a photographic nightmare. Even my pro camera can't seem to reconcile the shot and it is in perfect focus, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the pics.

 

[Wishbone]

Thank you for the info and your thoughts!

Do you plan to do any bud washing after harvest? I have some bugs too and there is a fair amount of crap (both literally and figuratively) building up, and have been doing some reading on bud washing after harvest and am still undecided on what to do.

I can't explain to you with certainty why cannabinoid production is the highest at night but I can give you my guess. I would think that during the day the plants are expending their energy on photosynthesis, staying cool, and following the sun. At night that energy is redirected to flower growth and cannabinoid production. That way the processes are not in competition for resources. (I'm sure there are many more processes but I'm just throwing these out there as examples) Plants are cyclical just like us. We expend energy on motion and feed ourselves during the day, then at night our bodies repair themselves while we sleep. Again, there is no competition for resources that way.

I want to harvest top-shelf herb. If I need to do that one bud at a time, I am willing. If you are going to do that it's not just taking the time with harvesting but also controlling temps and humidity more tightly in your drying/curing room. Individual buds, minus stalk, dry more quickly, so if they aren't slowed they will have that harsh green taste. Something I've come across far too often with co-op/dispensary weed.

What it comes down to is, what are you comfortable doing? How closely can you control their drying environment? How much do you have to trim? There are benefits and drawbacks to most every technique. (eg... If you trim the fan leaves while they're fresh then trimming is easier later and trichs are damaged less from handling, but they may dry too quickly. On the other hand, if they are left on, there is a higher risk of mold and rot.)

 

[SmithsJunk]

Thank you for the info and your thoughts!

Do you plan to do any bud washing after harvest? I have some bugs too and there is a fair amount of crap (both literally and figuratively) building up, and have been doing some reading on bud washing after harvest and am still undecided on what to do.

Absolutely. Using a touch of peroxide too. I don't even want to black light them until I'm ready to wash. They've got to be loaded with sh*t. My mite problem has been baaaad. We get some nasty bud rot around here too, the peroxide should keep that from happening as well.

 

[SmithsJunk]

The nights here this week have been in the mid 40's so the Royal Nepal Kush are picking up some purple tips. The Orange Creamsicles are getting more pale, though still extremely green, and the hairs are dying back to a burnt orange.

My stakes are getting pulled loose by the weight.

Had to secure the heavier gauge plastic trellis to one of the bamboo reinforced shade structure stakes. It's flexing the whole frame of the cover.

Oh, great. Talk about weight. It looks like the first real rain this season is starting as I'm writing this. I hope what I built can hold them. I'm glad I got the last Azamax spray done a couple days ago.

 

[Wishbone]

Absolutely. Using a touch of peroxide too. I don't even want to black light them until I'm ready to wash. They've got to be loaded with sh*t. My mite problem has been baaaad. We get some nasty bud rot around here too, the peroxide should keep that from happening as well.

Ok, cool, good to know, I wasn't sure how many outdoor guys were doing a rinse. Crop is looking stellar.

 

[Wishbone]

The nights here this week have been in the mid 40's so the Royal Nepal Kush are picking up some purple tips. The Orange Creamsicles are getting more pale, though still extremely green, and the hairs are dying back to a burnt orange.

View attachment 742778 View attachment 742779 View attachment 742780 View attachment 742781 View attachment 742782 View attachment 742783 View attachment 742784 View attachment 742785 View attachment 742786
My stakes are getting pulled loose by the weight.
View attachment 742787
Had to secure the heavier gauge plastic trellis to one of the bamboo reinforced shade structure stakes. It's flexing the whole frame of the cover.
View attachment 742788 View attachment 742789 View attachment 742790 View attachment 742791 View attachment 742792 View attachment 742802 View attachment 742803 View attachment 742804 View attachment 742805 View attachment 742806

Oh, great. Talk about weight. It looks like the first real rain this season is starting as I'm writing this. I hope what I built can hold them. I'm glad I got the last Azamax spray done a couple days ago.

I'm starting to pick up some purps as well, down to 39 this morning.

 

[TheRemer]

The nights here this week have been in the mid 40's so the Royal Nepal Kush are picking up some purple tips. The Orange Creamsicles are getting more pale, though still extremely green, and the hairs are dying back to a burnt orange.

View attachment 742778 View attachment 742779 View attachment 742780 View attachment 742781 View attachment 742782 View attachment 742783 View attachment 742784 View attachment 742785 View attachment 742786
My stakes are getting pulled loose by the weight.
View attachment 742787
Had to secure the heavier gauge plastic trellis to one of the bamboo reinforced shade structure stakes. It's flexing the whole frame of the cover.
View attachment 742788 View attachment 742789 View attachment 742790 View attachment 742791 View attachment 742792 View attachment 742802 View attachment 742803 View attachment 742804 View attachment 742805 View attachment 742806

Oh, great. Talk about weight. It looks like the first real rain this season is starting as I'm writing this. I hope what I built can hold them. I'm glad I got the last Azamax spray done a couple days ago.

Those are some healthy looking girls. Noce job man.