Plumbers Grow Diary

[PlumberSoCal]

I just love living here. I've got wild sparrows and blue belly lizards taking mealworms from my fingers (yeah, got pic's and video) and just a few minutes ago a dove comes looking for something. I didn't have anything for her, no mealworms on the patio (I usually do, got hundreds in a tub in the garage) no bread or table scraps we give our chickens but she came and said hi. We'll see if she returns and accepts my offerings. Next time I hope to be ready. The pic is her sitting on a 1 1/2" ABS pipe in a dragon fruit plant given to me by a client two plus years ago. No fruit yet but I've given about two dozen cuttings away. The video speaks for itself. I love these little slices of nature in life and are always special.

Sheep dip, can't load the video. Oh well.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

I just love living here. I've got wild sparrows and blue belly lizards taking mealworms from my fingers (yeah, got pic's and video) and just a few minutes ago a dove comes looking for something. I didn't have anything for her, no mealworms on the patio (I usually do, got hundreds in a tub in the garage) no bread or table scraps we give our chickens but she came and said hi. We'll see if she returns and accepts my offerings. Next time I hope to be ready. The pic is her sitting on a 1 1/2" ABS pipe in a dragon fruit plant given to me by a client two plus years ago. No fruit yet but I've given about two dozen cuttings away. The video speaks for itself. I love these little slices of nature in life and are always special.

Sheep dip, can't load the video. Oh well.

This was really cool. I was talking to her and she flew up closer and walked that hand rail and was cooing at me. I checked on the spider and nothing I can see.

Every time I see that post "What are you listening to" it makes me smile. In the mornings on the patio the mocking birds are still singing, sparrow males are sparing and begging me for mealworms. Then the blue jays and crows are either in the Loquat tree or bitching at the other for being in the tree. Can't blame 'em, the fruit is really good and I've been eating my share. There's also a red headed woodpecker in one of the trees. In March the tree frogs were in abundance. By midnight the coyotes are howling. Mocking birds sing all night. Music or tv drowns out too much.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Memorial Day update

Greenhouse is still sitting in the front yard. It rained on and off all day yesterday and I wake up to more rain today. I'm really surprised my poor water logged plants are surviving as my clay soil, even with all the amendments the water will pool and the soil will become and stay saturated.

Received my new phone battery and charger yesterday so back to my good phone. My wife tells me there's a pro setting on the camera, we have the same model phone. Who knew? I played around with it this morning and am getting better pics. I just need to remember to put the setting back on after closing and reopening the program.

The stretching continues with one female really producing hairs.

The couple seem happy protected by the Loquat tree. I've been having to water them this past week even in this weather. That tree is really sheltering them from the elements.

The little ones in the ground are surviving, somehow.

7am and the sun is peeking out. A trend I'd like to see continue although I see a few clouds coming in from the ocean. No more rain in the forecast for the next 3 days!

Going to smoke a brisket today as well as many bowls.

Until next time, Happy Memorial Day and Happy Growing.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Forgot to add the popped seed. Saw it last night. There's another ready. I can see a white stem.

Removed 3 slugs and one small snail from the greenhouse. Bastards. I lose dozens of seedlings every year. This year I'm using Garden Safe Slug & Snail bait. It works pretty well but I've got to keep adding more with this wet weather. Going through 2 lbs a month and it's obviously not enough.

20 minutes of sun this morning then clouds and rain. Weather sucks.

 

[SinCity]

Might as well start a diary and post all this stuff in one place.

Chemdog x Brutus OG - F2
Currently the only strain I'm working.

Wants: Northern Lights and Chemdog. Maybe for Christmas.

Growing outside in the clay soil amended with composted chicken straw, leaf litter and horse manure and sand. Also I like to keep a few in 4-5 gallon pots with basic potting soil and manure tea weekly. Holes are dug 18-20" deep, lined with chicken wire and filled with all the above as well as a tablespoon of blood meal and tablespoon of Espoma Garden-tone. I give a monthly tablespoon of the Garden-tone and watering with manure tea. I use clean organic straw for mulch with a layer of horse manure in between. Most straw sold for live stock has herbicides. Don't use it.

That's about it. I've never had my soil tested. People for miles around have the same clay/rock soil and can easily find it, if I were interested. I've grown a lot of veggies in this crap and with the amendments through the years I can pretty much grow what I want.

Questions are always welcome.

Pics:
Six seeds I planted Saturday. Yeah, just soil in peat pots. What did you expect after two days?

Got some disappointing news this morning with my one and only Sativa pheno, he's got balls. Not really the problem, the problem is he's in the garden around several others. I may dig him up and move him or allow the pollen to develop and then cut him down. Haven't decided yet as the others are happy to just get some sun. Rain continues but did have a few hours of sun today.

I really thought with the way this Indica pheno was growing it would turn out to be male but so far so good. Put my hand in the pic to give some idea of size. This and the one above and a couple of others are about 11 weeks.

Awe, my two girls in the greenhouse stretching away 3 weeks in flower. There's a young spider who has a web between the two. If you look real close you'll spot her. Keeping my babies safe. Love all the work they do for me.

Not loving these spiders. I've got both black and brown widows. This one has taken up residence in a propane heater on my patio. Got bit on the leg a few years ago and can still see damaged skin. I'm no worse for wear and it wasn't bad nor even close to life threatening. No doubt a brown widow as they are less toxic.

Holy shit, an adult King Snake. It was basking next to a client's home when I disturbed it repairing a bathtub drain this afternoon. Wasn't happy I wanted to take a closer look. Hissed and snapped and even shook its tail like a rattler. Showed the client and 5 of her 6 kids (little one was napping). While we do live in a large city, well, on the edge and considered county of San Diego there's a lot of open country. Never know what I might run into.

Here's a flower I can't wait to taste.

Got a 8'x 16' greenhouse from my neighbor a few weeks ago. They used it as a storage and yeah, he smokes. It's still sitting in our front yard. Too stoned to get it in place. Maybe this weekend.

Long day and time to relax.

Happy growing.

when you have that strain, why would you work with anything else?

 

[PlumberSoCal]

when you have that strain, why would you work with anything else?

Northern Lights rocks my world. All time fav but yeah, that Chemdog taste is like nothing else and grows pretty well here outdoors. Super Glue is another I'd like to grow in the future. So many strains these days it's impossible to try them all let alone grow 'em all.

 

[SinCity]

Northern Lights rocks my world. All time fav but yeah, that Chemdog taste is like nothing else and grows pretty well here outdoors. Super Glue is another I'd like to grow in the future. So many strains these days it's impossible to try them all let alone grow 'em all.

i'd be incredibly impressed if you had access to a pure NL--or a Chemdog. there is NOTHING that even compares to Chemdog. nothing.

i'm ruined for life.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

i'd be incredibly impressed if you had access to a pure NL--or a Chemdog. there is NOTHING that even compares to Chemdog. nothing.

i'm ruined for life.

I got the F1's from a 2nd generation grower. I've been repairing his plumbing and that of his retired parents for years. If he says it was Chemdog x Brutus OG I believe him and the taste is Chemdog. If I can find some pure I'll cross it back in as well as grow it separate. I've got the room but I really don't want the cops over here busting me for dozens of plants but I'm finding it impossible to comply with cali's Horsechit 6 plant limit.

 

[Madbud]

Nature is the way to go outside. I've used many chemical fertilizers in years past and found good healthy soil is the key. I read another farmer's grow log from last year who grew GIANTS in cow manure. Don't recall her name but thinking of trying it. Once composted the shit smells like perfect soil.
Thanks.

Greatlakes grew those monsters last year but she disappeared. Her thread is still here, five year old composted cow manure and a little perlite i think. Gonna try a bucket full of Black Cow and perlite to see how it works.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Greatlakes grew those monsters last year but she disappeared. Her thread is still here, five year old composted cow manure and a little perlite i think. Gonna try a bucket full of Black Cow and perlite to see how it works.

Thanks man, found it. Really enjoyed that read. I don't know if the perlite is needed and 5 years is way too long to compost as you lose a lot of nutrients over the years. If done right 3-4 months is plenty.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/growing-some-monsters-outdoor-scrog.97560/page-4

 

[Madbud]

I

Thanks man, found it. Really enjoyed that read. I don't know if the perlite is needed and 5 years is way too long to compost as you lose a lot of nutrients over the years. If done right 3-4 months is plenty.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/growing-some-monsters-outdoor-scrog.97560/page-4

just potted this girl up to her armpits in .5 .5 .5 black cow composted manure, 20% perlite and 20% coco coir. We’ll see

 

[PlumberSoCal]

I

just potted this girl up to her armpits in .5 .5 .5 black cow composted manure, 20% perlite and 20% coco coir. We’ll see

Okay, time to give it a go. Planted 4 seeds in composted horse manure that's been sitting in a pile in the garden that I've been using as mulch on tomatoes.

There's no manure smell. If anything it smells like dirt. It's soft and light and holds water well. It's worked great as a mulch.

Filled 4 4" peat pots and if they pop and do well I'll fill 4-5 gal pots with manure and grow 'em out. We'll see.

 

[Madbud]

Okay, time to give it a go. Planted 4 seeds in composted horse manure that's been sitting in a pile in the garden that I've been using as mulch on tomatoes.

There's no manure smell. If anything it smells like dirt. It's soft and light and holds water well. It's worked great as a mulch.

Filled 4 4" peat pots and if they pop and do well I'll fill 4-5 gal pots with manure and grow 'em out. We'll see.

Good luck with them, think greatlakes said horse manure contains more seeds than cow. Girl knew her shit:opps:

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Update 5-28

Light work day today and SUNSHINE! Three whole days in a row they say. Not the light work days just the weather.

Barring any plumbing emergencies with my clients I'll be able to spend the day in the garden.

I moved the female round the other side of the male yesterday to give her more sun and gave him a shake. Got pollen all over me and couldn't visit the greenhouse for the rest of the day until I showered.

So I walk in this morning and my ladies needed a drink. Fixed 'em up and ran out and cleared a drain. Got home and they've perked back up no worse for wear. Do not over water people. Seeing a lot of that malady in the threads. Far too common.

And just look at those new seedlings. Took a few days longer due to the lack of sun and warmth but three have popped.

As mentioned above I'm giving composted horse manure a try as a growing medium. I've read about a horse owner planting directly in fresh manure. I wouldn't try that with any plant. Should be an interesting experiment.

I expect the four in the ground to take off this week. It's time for their monthly garden-tone, blood meal and manure tea but I've got to give them a day or two to dry out. I did put manure around two as mulch but didn't water it in. Works on the tomatoes.

A pair of lizards in the greenhouse. A month ago all the males around the yard were colored up like carnival dancers. Now that they've had their way with the females they've turned dark and the females fat with eggs. Soon I'll have baby lizards eating the bugs too. It's the circle of life, Simba.

Nature has always fascinated me. I've kept fish, reptiles and amphibians in aquariums and vivariums and provided conditions for breeding as well as raising live food. Won a lot of awards and learned a bunch. These days I try and provide the local wildlife with conditions to flourish, except gophers and ground squirrels. Those bastards should be nuked until they glow and then shot in the dark. I can't live with them and grow a garden. They took just about everything down last year. F 'em.

Time to get to work. Still haven't put the chicken wire and weed barier down and I can't move the greenhouse until I do. So, until next time, Happy Growing.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Good luck with them, think greatlakes said horse manure contains more seeds than cow. Girl knew her shit:opps:

Yes it does due to the cows digestive tract but this horse manure has been completely composted and sitting out in the elements for a couple months. The only weed seeds I expect are the usual from my garden. Who knows, this might be the wave of the future.

 

[Kingjoshh]

Update 5-28

Light work day today and SUNSHINE! Three whole days in a row they say. Not the light work days just the weather.

Barring any plumbing emergencies with my clients I'll be able to spend the day in the garden.

I moved the female round the other side of the male yesterday to give her more sun and gave him a shake. Got pollen all over me and couldn't visit the greenhouse for the rest of the day until I showered.

So I walk in this morning and my ladies needed a drink. Fixed 'em up and ran out and cleared a drain. Got home and they've perked back up no worse for wear. Do not over water people. Seeing a lot of that malady in the threads. Far too common.

And just look at those new seedlings. Took a few days longer due to the lack of sun and warmth but three have popped.

As mentioned above I'm giving composted horse manure a try as a growing medium. I've read about a horse owner planting directly in fresh manure. I wouldn't try that with any plant. Should be an interesting experiment.

I expect the four in the ground to take off this week. It's time for their monthly garden-tone, blood meal and manure tea but I've got to give them a day or two to dry out. I did put manure around two as mulch but didn't water it in. Works on the tomatoes.

A pair of lizards in the greenhouse. A month ago all the males around the yard were colored up like carnival dancers. Now that they've had their way with the females they've turned dark and the females fat with eggs. Soon I'll have baby lizards eating the bugs too. It's the circle of life, Simba.

Nature has always fascinated me. I've kept fish, reptiles and amphibians in aquariums and vivariums and provided conditions for breeding as well as raising live food. Won a lot of awards and learned a bunch. These days I try and provide the local wildlife with conditions to flourish, except gophers and ground squirrels. Those bastards should be nuked until they glow and then shot in the dark. I can't live with them and grow a garden. They took just about everything down last year. F 'em.

Time to get to work. Still haven't put the chicken wire and weed barier down and I can't move the greenhouse until I do. So, until next time, Happy Growing.

This is great I look forward to seeing those plants. And what’s your usual yield on a plant

 

[PlumberSoCal]

This is great I look forward to seeing those plants. And what’s your usual yield on a plant

Well, since I've never got them going and out this early in the year I don't know how much to expect. Usually I pop seeds in mid May and in the ground June 1. Usually anywhere from 2-6 oz per plant of dried cured bud. The three females flowering now are the smallest I've ever grown - seeds popped end of Jan hoping on getting a jump on the season and growing several monsters, but they had other ideas. Crap weather, very unusal in these parts and it is what it is. Maybe an oz off of each, before drying?

It's been a blast and hell of a learning experience. I never tried growing weed in winter. From now on I'm a grow it year round. Pop a few seeds every month and see what happens. Still looking forward to a few of those little ones in the ground. 3 month head start and their root system must be incredible by now. 10-12 footers? We'll see!

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Sorry looking clones find a home, for now.

I've never had clones look this shabby. I had to keep them in the garage under standard LED's and a couple of cfl's and 2 25 watt incandescents. Plants won't grow under that horsechit. Put 'em in the greenhouse last week before they died and they've maintained. Put one in a raised bed with my cherry tomatoes, 4 in a raised bed with five Brandywine tomatoes and three in premium garden space. We'll see. If they flower in the garden they'll be replaced with the new seedlings. In the boxes? I might let them go and harvest one bud each. Just depends on how many clones need space next month. Time for a few hits.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Still no idea the species of spider. She's repairing her web I just don't know when. Must be while I'm sleeping or maybe she's just shy.

Goldfish got a couple hundred mosquito larva today. Lovin' life. I'll get a pic of 'em soon. They've already grown and take down a few hundred larvae in two days max. They're getting use to me, takes time.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Oh my. Look who I saw. A white garden spider with stripped black legs. Sexy, no? Don't see that everyday. Awesome!