Desert Dude Learns Some Things About Growing Weed

[Greg_Midi]

I Moved to the Mojave here in '21 after retiring. In 2024 I got the idea to try growing weed and have had some success along with some failures. I started inside and then also did outside this year. I've learned some things, watched a lot of youtube videos and gotten some great advice on this forum so I'm feeling a little better about what I'm doing and I'll go ahead and start my diary with new plants I recently started inside.

Note that It's clearly just a hobby and my plants aren't really going to get much more attention than a typical house plant but having stated that I have upped my game some since starting out. I'm now using the Vivosun self-watering bases with 5 gal bags and more recently I got some far better lights; the 100 watt version of these from amazon. I specifically wanted these because they're on stands and I won't be using a tent or a lot of the fancy stuff I see associated with those. My plants sit in the dining area by the back patio door. We have two spare bedrooms but I'm not allowed to use those because they're "reserved for guests".
Additionally these indoor plants will only get RO water and I'll start them on the GH Flora series stuff coming up.

I went a bit nuts when I started out and bought more seeds than I needed but here I was down to four left from a HGC order on 2/19/25. Two of these Northern Lights #10 Feminized went from towel to pot on 10/16. The one really wasn't taking off as of 10/24 so I put another in a paper towel.

 

[MileHiGhost]

What type of medium?
Are you using GH 3part or 8

 

[Greg_Midi]

The third one went to starter on 10/26 so as of 10/30 I had three of them going. Number one foreground, retard back left and newbie on the right. Wife says, 'don't call her a retard'.

After the temps cooled a bit we were able to turn off the HVAC and open some windows but this is a really dry climate and I needed to get busy putting humidifiers back into action.

This from 11/8. Now I've got some new wicks for the old humidifier, bought a new humidifier and have a small cool mist unit by our plants so things are improving but the plants were real troopers.

 

[Greg_Midi]

What type of medium?
Are you using GH 3part or 8

I used a mix for soil in the starters, some FF HF/OF new and previously used I have in a tote, and some baked soil that had come with us from IA. For the 5 gal bags (coming up in the next post) I used new HF and OF.

I have the 3 part GH Flora stuff.

 

[Greg_Midi]

11/8 was a fabulous day and I decided it was time to put the bigger gals into their forever home. I didn't have the heart to pull the plug on the retard so I put it on a stand near the window by the other house plants with one of my cheesy old lights.

Outdoors I used a fresh mix of FF HF & OF to fill the 5 gal bags. This is a small town but these bags are available at our local nursery so it's a no-brainer.

I scooped some mycorrhizal into the transplant spot, it's supposed to encourage root growth.

I had the bases all prepped, positioned and ready when I brought them back inside.

This is a nice setup, doesn't take up much space and the light stands are perfect for fitting under the bases, keeps it rather neat, tidy and not aesthetically annoying.

It will get a bit colder in Dec/Jan but right now we keep the window and patio door open most the time so there's great ventilation and with the Sun sinking lower to the south there's a bit of shine into the patio window during the day while after dark the patio door helps reflect light.

 

[Greg_Midi]

These two continue to do well at 30 & 21 days. I topped the older one the other day and today I started them both with a little GH Flora early veg mix.
Nice distance between nodes on these whereas I've had stretch issues on prior plants, probably a testament to the better lights.

 

[cpurola]

They look happy! Do you have a plan for when they get bigger?

 

[Galgrows]

Hello i just wanted to say i did alot of early teen motorcycle riding in the desert of Mojave. Yes i'm a lady but i had highschool friend who's folks had a shack out there where they'd camp and ride. Also in Applevalley back in the early 70's. Anyhow........thanks for bringing back another happy memoryLOL i gotta agree with the wife on what your calling your "slow learner" heehee

 

[Greg_Midi]

They look happy! Do you have a plan for when they get bigger?

A plan would take foresight, something I often seem to be lacking

No I pretty much go with the flow but it should be a good opportunity to practice the training/trimming/topping skills I've yet to acquire. Eventually I'll probably need to put in the additional light poles, those lights will raise up to around 6'.

 

[Greg_Midi]

Hello i just wanted to say i did alot of early teen motorcycle riding in the desert of Mojave. Yes i'm a lady but i had highschool friend who's folks had a shack out there where they'd camp and ride. Also in Applevalley back in the early 70's. Anyhow........thanks for bringing back another happy memoryLOL i gotta agree with the wife on what your calling your "slow learner" heehee

Thanks for dropping by, I was a biker for most of my life and rode all over the country but sadly I had a bad wreck last year that essentially ended my riding days. We've made up for it a bit with a new Camaro convertible.

I didn't include any photos of the retard this time but she's hanging in there and it'll be interesting to see how she develops.

 

[cpurola]

Hello i just wanted to say i did alot of early teen motorcycle riding in the desert of Mojave. Yes i'm a lady but i had highschool friend who's folks had a shack out there where they'd camp and ride. Also in Applevalley back in the early 70's. Anyhow........thanks for bringing back another happy memoryLOL i gotta agree with the wife on what your calling your "slow learner" heehee

Brought back memories for me too. I was 18 when I told Mom I was buying a motorcycle. Think it gave her a few more gray hairs. LOL
My pride and joy, a Honda 1974 CB200.

 

[cpurola]

Thanks for dropping by, I was a biker for most of my life and rode all over the country but sadly I had a bad wreck last year that essentially ended my riding days. We've made up for it a bit with a new Camaro convertible.

I didn't include any photos of the retard this time but she's hanging in there and it'll be interesting to see how she develops.

So sad you had a wreck. Hope it wasn't too bad.
I had an old timer tell me every biker has at least one wreck if they keep at it for 10 years.

 

[Leste]

Brought back memories for me too. I was 18 when I told Mom I was buying a motorcycle. Think it gave her a few more gray hairs. LOL
My pride and joy, a Honda 1974 CB200.

View attachment 2564526

Chicks on bikes, what the hell! My go to phrase, born to be wild!

 

[Greg_Midi]

So sad you had a wreck. Hope it wasn't too bad.
I had an old timer tell me every biker has at least one wreck if they keep at it for 10 years.

It was rather death defying. I'd barely merged onto a busy interstate through the city, was rolling about 60 when suddenly this was sitting there in my lane...

I was a real fucking mess, spent nine days in the hospital with a list of ugly injuries but the worst and most lingering was the severe dislocation of my right shoulder. After a couple operations I ended up with a "reverse total shoulder replacement". I have some nasty photos but I don't want to gross anyone out.

Here's a photo from happier times, shortly after moving here, east of Searchlight NV heading towards CA...

 

[cpurola]

Who'd a thought something like that, geesch. Glad you are back together and with us.
I never had an accident, but stopped when I was pregnant and Mom reminded me that I was responsible for another human's life and please stop.
Sat on my son's bike a few years ago, but by then I'd lost my confidence, and without that....

 

[Greg_Midi]

I'd been riding the street bikes since I'd been 15 and was on my 48th year, been coast to coast, Canada to Key West so you just never know. It was a serious curveball life threw at me and I'll forever struggle some with my arm and shoulder but it's by the grace of God I've been able to mostly put it behind me. Sure I miss it but I've managed to come to terms with it all.

We enjoy rolling in our new toy now and damn glad to be doing it

 

[Greg_Midi]

I barely got the humidifiers going when the weather changed to cloudy and rainy. Humidity shot up and it's been cooler lately but warmer weather is on the way back soon.

These plants are looking a lot better than my previous two inside attempts, I figure it's the better lights. I have them set on 3 out of 5, wondering if I should go ahead and bump them up?
Wife is busy giving them names. The retard (#2) is now known as Minnie the Midget and #3, which is quite symmetrical and perfect looking, is known as Regina. She's still working on a name for #1.

Minnie is going to need to come out of the starter pot and I'm trying to decide if I want to grab an auto water base/bag from my buddy or just put her into a regular planter pot.

#1 at 32 days, seems to be coming along ok ya think?

Regina at 23 days seems very symmetrical, green and healthy.

Minnie the Midget is 30 days old and still in a starter pot. WTH with her??

 

[Galgrows]

Brought back memories for me too. I was 18 when I told Mom I was buying a motorcycle. Think it gave her a few more gray hairs. LOL
My pride and joy, a Honda 1974 CB200.

View attachment 2564526

Yep that's what we looked like haaha. What fun days we had.

 

[Galgrows]

Have you watered Minnie to run out the bottom?

 

[Greg_Midi]

Have you watered Minnie to run out the bottom?

I believe I've overwatered sprouts in the past and murdered them so I'm trying to restrain myself. She's gotten a few little sprinkles on the top but more often I've poured a little into the tray.
It's a little hard to know what to do with her, she seems healthy and developing but is just waaay behind. Quite the curiosity and I'm sure any serious growers would have pulled her ass long ago but here I'm just in it for the fun of doing it.