My first grow

[kolah]

Thats pretty cool, SM. lol

What type of "carbs" are you talking about?

 

[Seamaiden]

Sugars in various forms. I found some old brewing kits of my husband's. I've got myself another whole quart of malted barley extract, PLUS the priming sugar and... some other sugars that I now forget.

 

[kolah]

The cold nights are too much here...esp for a few strains. I think I might lose one. Even my 3 plants (that were clones in April) were flowering like mad but now they have slowed considerably.

Yesterday I started to put a inner layer of 6ml plastic on the inside walls. I will finish it up today. I hope to make it air tight and create an air space for better insulation. My ordered ventless heater (from Northern Tools) won''t be here unitl wednesday (UPS sucks!) so I borrowed a small propane heater for a friend. I checked on my ladies 3 times last night and it held a nice 62 degrees while it was 35 outside.

I did quite a bit of reading about cold temps and growing MJ. Yes, MJ can "survive" way below 50 degrees (38 -39 and in some case even below freezing) but when temperatures dip below 50 the metabolism of the plants slows way down. This is even more critical when the plant is flowering. If it is exposed to continual temps below 50 the plant could entirely shut down. (or it could pop a few boners in your females..aka hermaphoditism)

I have come too far to lose this crop, my first grow. I'd like to keep my nightime temps at 70 degrees and get a bit of ventilation in there to keep humidity levels down.

note: Dj's Blueberry has not been effected by the temps at all...along with my two ECSD/Deep Hash strain plants.

 

[iscrog4food]

Yeah burning a propane heater is gonna make your humidity spike if you dont vent the GH first thing in the morning. Also I cover the GH to induce flowering early so I can chop on OCT 1st. On the western slope shit gets crazy in October. Also before I build a GH I always get a bunch of 55 gallon barrels and bury them around the GH. Also I build the floor from horse shit and dig trenches for the plants so that the decomposing horse poo helps to keep the root zone temps higher. This also helps keep the temp in the entire gh higher.

 

[kolah]

Yeah burning a propane heater is gonna make your humidity spike if you dont vent the GH first thing in the morning. Also I cover the GH to induce flowering early so I can chop on OCT 1st. On the western slope shit gets crazy in October. Also before I build a GH I always get a bunch of 55 gallon barrels and bury them around the GH. Also I build the floor from horse shit and dig trenches for the plants so that the decomposing horse poo helps to keep the root zone temps higher. This also helps keep the temp in the entire gh higher.

I like your covering idea to spurt them into flowering sooner. For my 2nd GH I will make a heat sink like you describe. And yeah decomposing horse manure is a good heat conductor. I got plenty of that from my 2 horses here. We usally get one or two snowfalls in Sept where I am at (9300 ft up) so I am getting ready. Appreciate your good advice, thanks man.

 

[maestro]

Hang on there. The leaves will change colors n fall before they die usually. Most plants acclimated to the outside handle the cold well. Its beautiful to see an indica patch steaming off a light snow dusting on a cold Colorado morning. Don't chop early. Every year people here ruin all the work they do by chopin three or four weeks early. Peeps gets super impatient n buggin about rippers so first lil cold spell they rip up beautiful smoke just starting the second half and the grand finally. My earliest skunk is about two weeks out n most have 3+solid weeks at least left to do the dance. Last year I chopped right before Halloween. I'm in a really warm area of Co n my patio gardens sheltered by my house n sunroom plus the paver floor and all the organics in my soil usually keep my soil in the 40's+until temps go down to low twenties to some degree warm roots will keep your plants warm just like use my canopy to keep my girls in the summer n growing crazy when I shoot for 8-10 footers.....I got a big big tarp attached to 2x4s on my roof and 10ft stakes lil taller than my biggest girls so if it gets nasty I cover them. ......Last season I nursed a mikadoXoaxan haze hybrid through november by covering her with an electric masons blanket at night. 16 week bloomin
but she yeilded almost 3 whole with only about 6 hours full sunlight a day and no ferts but scraps from my trout fishin...injun style...
Cold really forces them to bloom like crazy! I like to just water the hell out of everyone this time of year and watch um fll in n get all gumby ass bendy wonky sticky funky fun..........

peace

 

[kolah]

Good advice maestro, thanks!

Double layered the plastic sheeting, installed the heater I borrowed from a neighbor and I can keep it 62 degrees in the GH.(it was 35 last night) With a window cracked open just a tad its been 70% humidity at night. At 7 am I open the front and back windows and let it air out. :icon_dizzy:

Maybe it's my inexperience but it seems as though my flowering stage has really slowed (and as I mentioned before some of my plants have stopped completely) :sweating There are no evident signs of disease, bugs or funky leaves. I occasionally add some General Organics Bloom fertilizer. No signs of over-watering or root rot either. Again, I think the cold temps (before I got a heater) really effected my flowering. I just hope they kick back in and finish off because at this rate I will be harvesting at Christmas time. :sign0065:

Next year I will take Iscrogs advice and force-flower them early. Running the propane heater is going to be costly. DJ Blueberry and my G-13/Deep Hash strains have not been effected and they continue to grow and their flowering in quite noticable every day. I most likely will plant those 2 strains next year since they have fared so well up here. Simply said, it's trial and error. The same went for my vegetable crops, I had to figure out what grew best in these drastic hot days/cold night conditions.

My new ventless propane heater should be delivered by Wednesday.:sign0023:

 

[maestro]

Sounds good....Some strains are gonna freak out on your temp swings especially sativas. You'll learn what you like best n what works best for you, even particular phenos will perform better in a certain space under a certain sky. imo
I have mixed breed or two sat/indis that are interesting. Outside, with hot days n cold nights, they express the indica side of the genes dominantly. But indoors with moderate temp swings 80-70 day/night the same cut is unmistakable sativa every grow.

I wouldn't worry about the stallin plants they might just be starting to swell up n mature...they can double in then some every week at the end.
I'd water those girls as much as ya can without drownin um...like 3-4 times a day with just water if i were you. They'll do what they are gonna do regardless but taste a lot better with just water imo ferts this late outside around these night temps are just gonna confuse them. Cold temps basically stop the uptake n they use up all thats inside them but they got PLENTY by now...air...water...sun ....n patience is all they need. Watch out for pm n bud rot too. Greencure is a lifesaver for outdoor right at the end.

peace

 

[chickenman]

Golden rule... DONT CHOP EARLY!!!
Even some indoor growers seem to think some plants are done in 45-50 days, just no way is a plant at 45 days going to be as tasty or wastey as a 70 plus day finish....
Get your loop out, learn what to look for, can take sample tester nugs also as you go and see the difference patience makes...
Greenhouse finishing with Solex seems to take longer to finish, wondering if its the Solex material or do greenhouses take longer in general to finish, anybody know?
And also Kolah if you decide on Solex for next yr., lemme know, can get a farm price for you, save a few $$$, worth the investment sooner than later, really think you would like, will last 15 years awesome for your altitude, your pretty high up there, and will be even higher after harvest, good to see you enjoying, thanks for sharing, we all learn something...
Get your self some of them bubble bags for trim, suggest using dry ice method you soon will be set.. CM

 

[kolah]

Once I get the new heater I will be able to tune in my temps and humidty levels better.
Thanks!

I have one "experimental" G-13 strain that is completely outdoors and shes planted in a 40 gallon trash can. She started flowering about 4 weeks ago. The new buds and stigmas (fuzzy hairs) have turned blueish-black and some of the smaller leaves have colored up as well. The only thing I do is drape a blanket over it at night. I'll see how she does. A few snowfalls in September are the norm up here at 9300 feet.

 

[chickenman]

Also can cover plants in greenjouse as well. Never cover with plastic tarp, bed sheets are best....

 

[kolah]

Golden rule... DONT CHOP EARLY!!!
Even some indoor growers seem to think some plants are done in 45-50 days, just no way is a plant at 45 days going to be as tasty or wastey as a 70 plus day finish....
Get your loop out, learn what to look for, can take sample tester nugs also as you go and see the difference patience makes...
Greenhouse finishing with Solex seems to take longer to finish, wondering if its the Solex material or do greenhouses take longer in general to finish, anybody know?
And also Kolah if you decide on Solex for next yr., lemme know, can get a farm price for you, save a few $$$, worth the investment sooner than later, really think you would like, will last 15 years awesome for your altitude, your pretty high up there, and will be even higher after harvest, good to see you enjoying, thanks for sharing, we all learn something...
Get your self some of them bubble bags for trim, suggest using dry ice method you soon will be set.. CM

No way I am going to chop early. Thanks though. I have a cool 30x loupe and check the tri's everyday. Solexx is definitely in the plans but even still its R value is poor. But yes its longevity is awesome. I used 6 ml GH plastic (inside and out) and hope to get another 3 years out of it.

I found this to be an interesting "clinical pearl" for growing outdoors: Someone here explained to me that the flowering time is longer when growing in natural sun because you don't have that immediate 12/12 cycle break. Outdoors (or in a GH for that matter) is more of a gradual process therefore the flowering stage to finished crop is much longer. (add into the equation the cold night temps and this extends it even further).

Bubblebags? I haven't gotten that far as I am currently reading and studying up on different ways to cure (hang on lines, store in bags, etc etc etc) I am an old fart and a slow learner so I take things in small bites. The dry ice method for hash making sounds interesting though.

 

[Seamaiden]

GHs in general seem to take longer. The theories I've heard mostly center on the light in a GH environment.

 

[kolah]

My dog just farted. whew. gotta go! neeeeeed.........air........ LOL

 

[chickenman]

yea blame it on the dog!!! Someone lite a match!!

 

[chickenman]

We got a 40 by 15 ft GH. Way less plants this year. When it gets cold we will wall off to 8 by 15 ft.We got a propane heater that can heat entire house to 55 when outdoor temps get down to 5 above, its way expensive to heat full house so the reduction in size will reduce heat costs.
Got ripped, had some males, plants got pollenated, indoor crop froze last Jan. when heater went out, lost my genetics, clones were not cloning, rules changed, busy with other projects, but things are lookin up, got some nice starts going, will harvest a few nice plants to keepon going, thus is life on the farm, you keep on keepin on.
In the long run it works out...

 

[kolah]

Yeah CM, the pros and cons of outdoor growing in Colorado, in a nutshell. The only thing you can do is try to keep improving but Mother Nature always bats last.

I plan to build a second greenhouse next spring...and will definitely design it with a cold sink and insulated north wall.

This years investment:
Greenhouse: $800
3 clones: $60
bunch of seeds: $75
soil: $110
nutes: $60
5 gallon buckets: $40
ventless propane heater: $150
propane: $ 100-150 (estimated)

approx $1500 clams.

 

[Bud Spleefman]

Yeah CM, the pros and cons of outdoor growing in Colorado, in a nutshell. The only thing you can do is try to keep improving but Mother Nature always bats last.

I plan to build a second greenhouse next spring...and will definitely design it with a cold sink and insulated north wall.

This years investment:
Greenhouse: $800
3 clones: $60
bunch of seeds: $75
soil: $110
nutes: $60
5 gallon buckets: $40
ventless propane heater: $150
propane: $ 100-150 (estimated)

approx $1500 clams.

Yep, but just think, most of that shit will be around for you to use for a few years to come.. A solid investent, if you ask me. I never see successful growers that are afraid to spend a few bucks.... heck, for me, it's the one thing I spend money on that I don't think twice. If the grow need a new heater, no if's ands or but's, the grow is getting a new heater!

 

[kolah]

I agree Bud. What's the going price for an good oz of weed here in CO ? $300-350?
If I get 2 pounds of decent smoke out of my first attempt at growing I have no complaints..plus I totally love growing my own. Cheers and beers.

 

[chickenman]

I agree Bud. What's the going price for an good oz of weed here in CO ? $300-350?
If I get 2 pounds of decent smoke out of my first attempt at growing I have no complaints..plus I totally love growing my own. Cheers and beers.

if you can get $300.00 to $350.00 your doing well.

Ive ran short and am blessed to get awesome and I mean awesome quality zips for $200.00 from a fellow farmer, so 300/350 maybe a little high especially right after harvest season whens bud is so available.

Save it, let it cure out well. Bury deep in buckets just remember where the hell you buried it though!!!
I found a 1/2 lb in bucket last spring diging in manure pile, thars gold in that there shit if you remember where to dig!!! :icon_animal26::icon_animal26: