RootFarmer's 2024 Outdoor Organic Grow Journal

[RootFarmer]

Huhhhh......I smoke mine. I ferment twice a month. My Airheadz are feeding way heavier than anticipated. Gobbling up P as fast as I can give it to them. Time to reassess and come up with a new strategy for next season.

They are actually doing great! Just as perky as if it was way cooler.

It's currently 92° F here. Take a look.

I usually cut back the water about 15% on really hot days because it seems to stress them less than a normal watering. As I like to do from time to time, I will test my own "theories" to be sure they still hold up. So this morningbi gave them a normal watering. What I noticed was a slower uptake of water and I don't think that it can be attributed to just more water to take up. With a 15% difference in volume I would expect a comparable dry down relative to the volume difference. Like say needing a second watering maybe 30-45 later in the day. Turned out to be like 2-2.5 hrs later. Intuitively that seems disproportionate. The other thing is that the pots aren't drying evenly. Some of that could be the color except that on days when I water less I get a very even dry down. So I decided to only give a light watering on the drier side of the pots and just let the soil even it out on its own. But a whole week of 100+? Idk, I only have so many things in my bag of tricks.

 

[RootFarmer]

The daily dragonfly show. They seem to have a thing for that one pole....weird

The temp has dropped.....





All the way to 92°

 

[RootFarmer]

 

[gazyabam]

June 10 - AirheadzView attachment 2199259

Not bad for about 10 days growth I guess

10 days?You guys are so lucky to have the sun!Im in Scotland and you can do the outside grow but it’s once a year and takes a lot of work!Tents are best but that there is amazing for ten days,just in the sun!Ive got an RS11 that is on the flush now,got about a week left and looks and smells magic!Im going bigger shortly!Ive only got a 2-1m tent so can only grow one female at a time!I don’t like auto’s,they don’t work well for me!Going to get a 2-3m tent but I’m struggling wether to switch from HPS to LEDs.I get nice enough weed with hps but I will need two for the bigger tent and heat might be a problem!What do you guys think,been following your convo and you seem to know what ur on about!!Thanks!

 

[gazyabam]

Ooh La La 2023

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Jelly Breath 2023
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Black Raspberry Kush 2023

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Sour Apple Kush 2023

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They look bangin’,bud!The trichomes are sparkling!Wish I had sun like that but we only get one shot at our short summer and sometimes it’s a bad summer so tents are better!Still,wish I could get them like yours but I just don’t have the knowledge yet!Anyway,well done!!!

 

[RootFarmer]

They look bangin’,bud!The trichomes are sparkling!Wish I had sun like that but we only get one shot at our short summer and sometimes it’s a bad summer so tents are better!Still,wish I could get them like yours but I just don’t have the knowledge yet!Anyway,well done!!!

Thanks mate. How are things in Scotland? My people hail from there. I thought I was of Pictish decent for a long time but turns out I'm Norse. Apparently from one of the original Viking clans.

Anyway.....

That definitely sounds like a challenge for you. Even with a greenhouse you would need supplemental lighting ir seems. Have you tried SCRoGing or LST?

 

[gazyabam]

Thanks mate. How are things in Scotland? My people hail from there. I thought I was of Pictish decent for a long time but turns out I'm Norse. Apparently from one of the original Viking clans.

Anyway.....

That definitely sounds like a challenge for you. Even with a greenhouse you would need supplemental lighting ir seems. Have you tried SCRoGing or LST?

I do lst all the time!Its just that I need a bigger tent!I also hear that there is stuff you need that is expensive but essential if you want to get nice tight buds!Don't know what it’s called tho!Any idea what I’m on about?Did u see the photo of the RS11im growing just now?

 

[RootFarmer]

@gazyabam

I will take a look. Do you have a grow diary? I could pop over a take a look. I'm happy to offer advice if I can. It can be a challenge when you don't know what resources someone has available. I could suggest the perfect thing but if you can't get it then it's a moot point. Look for things at farm supply stores. Grow shops automatically come with a premium price. Avoid any nutrient line that insists that you need a 12 part nutrient program. All of those brands are designed to make you spend more money on things than you really don't need to. Their stock is likely to be over hyped trendy "flavor of the day" products andvway over priced. I can get my microbes from an commercial farming supplier for a fraction of what I would pay at a grow shop. All my dad ever did was catch some fish and bury them in the garden/flower beds ahead of planting in spring. That's it! All that is needed to grow great weed is to follow the basics. Sufficient, balanced nutrition, water, light and air. The perfect amendments in a poorly constructed soil defeats the purpose. If it gets compacted,, doesn't have proper water/air holding capacity, you're taking one step forward a two steps back in a way. Look at the guys who have all the latest nutes and gadgets but still have no clue how to water properly and come looking for advice. If your fundamentals aren't solid then all that other crap isn't going to help.

It pains me to see people struggling. Their excitement and expectations far exceed their ability level which only comes from experience. Its perfectly natural. No one was born a Master Gardner. How do you get good at it? Screw it up a lot! Experience is the best teacher. If I can offer advice I will. If not, I shut up and listen to those who do know. I am not the message. I am merely the messenger.

 

[gazyabam]

@gazyabam

I will take a look. Do you have a grow diary? I could pop over a take a look. I'm happy to offer advice if I can. It can be a challenge when you don't know what resources someone has available. I could suggest the perfect thing but if you can't get it then it's a moot point. Look for things at farm supply stores. Grow shops automatically come with a premium price. Avoid any nutrient line that insists that you need a 12 part nutrient program. All of those brands are designed to make you spend more money on things than you really don't need to. Their stock is likely to be over hyped trendy "flavor of the day" products andvway over priced. I can get my microbes from an commercial farming supplier for a fraction of what I would pay at a grow shop. All my dad ever did was catch some fish and bury them in the garden/flower beds ahead of planting in spring. That's it! All that is needed to grow great weed is to follow the basics. Sufficient, balanced nutrition, water, light and air. The perfect amendments in a poorly constructed soil defeats the purpose. If it gets compacted,, doesn't have proper water/air holding capacity, you're taking one step forward a two steps back in a way. Look at the guys who have all the latest nutes and gadgets but still have no clue how to water properly and come looking for advice. If your fundamentals aren't solid then all that other crap isn't going to help.

It pains me to see people struggling. Their excitement and expectations far exceed their ability level which only comes from experience. Its perfectly natural. No one was born a Master Gardner. How do you get good at it? Screw it up a lot! Experience is the best teacher. If I can offer advice I will. If not, I shut up and listen to those who do know. I am not the message. I am merely the messenger.

That’s good info!I paid £130 for my nutes bio-green with 12 different bottles in it!Is the grow diary on here?See the nutes I got,most of them are in baby bio,if you’ve heard of it!My weed is good but it’s not as hard as I would like the buds!Im going to change my soil too!I think it’s a bit heavy!Its 20% peat,70% a good soil I buy and 10% perlite!It needs to breath more so I’m thinking upping the perlite and maybe trying one of those ready mixes too!What do you think?Thanks for answering me,bud!!!! Ps,the photo is an RS11 that’s just about done,be ready in about a week!Its a 600w hps lamp and I stuck a small led in to see if it made a difference and it makes it frost a lot more!The things you learn,eh!!!

 

[gazyabam]

Hope u see these!

 

[RootFarmer]

I did, indeed! Check your messages!

 

[Thatoneguyyouknow_]

July 1

Defoliation done except for a few big leaves up top on a couple plants to encourage a few branches to grow outward more before i take them. The canopy can get better light penetration and airflow now.

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The blackberry jungle that surrounds my space in the background above. Nature's security wall. They get as tall as trees practically.
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love blackberries. If you dont wanna come to my patch from where i live passing right by my windows, you're gonna be wading through about 20ft of neck high thorns to get to em. From any direction.


Ive been pretty stoked to see how my ladies have been handling the heat waves too. Was nervous going in, I only got one that cries mid afternoon some days. Rest eaten that heat and sun like twinkies. Got lucky, usually the humidity makes heat bad news out here, but there was drought too, so they were able to transpire effectively still. Was just stuck carrying lots of water. Humidity came back hard recently, but its only been in the upper 80s during, so theyve still been able to manage.


You;re gonna have some beautiful tree's this season

 

[RootFarmer]

That’s good info!I paid £130 for my nutes bio-green with 12 different bottles in it!Is the grow diary on here?See the nutes I got,most of them are in baby bio,if you’ve heard of it!My weed is good but it’s not as hard as I would like the buds!Im going to change my soil too!I think it’s a bit heavy!Its 20% peat,70% a good soil I buy and 10% perlite!It needs to breath more so I’m thinking upping the perlite and maybe trying one of those ready mixes too!What do you think?Thanks for answering me,bud!!!! Ps,the photo is an RS11 that’s just about done,be ready in about a week!Its a 600w hps lamp and I stuck a small led in to see if it made a difference and it makes it frost a lot more!The things you learn,eh!!!

Check out my soil recipe in my grow diary. A 12 week cycle indoors shouldn't require any added nutes. A well made organic soil and water should suffice. The veg cycle is so short you really only need a good balanced flowering fertilizer. If i had to choose one or the other, I'd rather have really good microbial inoculant over a great fertilizer than the other way around. The best defense against pests and pathogens is a thriving root zone teaming with microbes. They establish a more efficient system and can achieve more with less. They reduce plant stress and allow your plant to focus more energy on growth instead of searching food, water and oxygen or mitigating stressors. That being said, I do keep certain things on hard like micronutrients and CalMag that I use for foliar application to help determine a potential deficiency. If you soil amendments are balanced it shouldn't be an issue but it's wise to remember that Murphy never takes a day off despite our best laid plans. I prefer to plan for success because if you don't, you're just planning for failure.

 

[Novaracer69]

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I have a question do you use a support system for them. Oh and do you water in your ferments or is the foliar feeding.

 

[RootFarmer]

Thanks....fingers crossed.....Still plenty of time for things to go sideways. Seen it happen before.

 

[cbrians]

@RootFarmer great looking plants man! I’m also growing outside, down in central ish california. Will be stalking you for outdoor grow advice haha.

I’m curious about your soil mix? I mixed up my own this year but I don’t have much reason to it. whatever you’re doing that’s got them looking so damn big and healthy. Tell me everything

 

[RootFarmer]

I have a question do you use a support system for them. Oh and do you water in your ferments or is the foliar feeding.

Yes I do. Used netting in the past but it can be a hassle at harvest time. The nets end up mangled because I usually have to cut away sections to harvest. Tis year I'm just tying cordon between pole only where support is needed. I don't want to immobilize them for two reasons. One is that a little wind stress strengthens the lignin structure making for a sturdier plant. The other is that if modt of the branch can't move with the wind and only the top portion can, then one strong gust could snap the big heavy tops. The only concern with overall weight support us if we get a rain or two which isn't uncommon. That can have lower branches touching the ground. Not ideal. If we get a heavy dew you can see them hanging just a little lower than normal early in the morning.

The ferment is a water-in. The stuff is way more active than em1. Im not a big fan of it. It's bottled with the culture medium used to grow the microbes so you get carbs, a super active massive population, some light nutrients from fermented organics and all of the metabolites of the microbes, which is the real go-go juice right there. I have sprouted barley premixed in my soil too so my garden smell a lot like a brewery for 2-3 days. Lol I would point ut that this isn't why I used the barley. There are many benefits. Grains and seeds contain chitin. It is also found in shellfish and, most importantly, insect exoskeletons. The presence of chitin stimulates a defense response in the plant. Terpene trichomes (there are 3 types) are a pest deterent and pollinator attractant. We like trichomes, yes? Important things happen. Microbes start cranking out their own natural insecticides and fungicides. Why? Because they have a symbiotic or at least obligate relationship with plants. Their own survival depends in great part on the survival of the plant. Microbes don't just feed the plant , the plant feeds them too. Barley also contains enzymes that can break down carbs and hard to decompose ingredients like Soybean meal. That stuff would actually take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to fully decompose under normal conditions. Add in microbes that also produce enzymes and the process is accelerated mean greater nutrient availability. To me buying supplemental enzymes for organic growing is kinda silly. Every living thing contains within itself its own "compost starter", including you and me. Plant material contains enzymes that are safely tucked away inside their cell walls. On the inside they can perform important functions necessary for life. Once the cell walls are ruptured those very same enzymes perform the function of decaying that plant material. More enzymes in the soil solution the faster nutrients become available. Fast growing annuals like cannabis are heavy feeders. When I think about soil amendments I have two primary goals. Sufficient well balanced nutrition and pest management. Some ingredients are dual purpose, i.e., neem seed meal contains not only nutrients but chitin, enzymes and natural pest control. All good stuff. I used neem seed to create what I call a "neem cap". Mound some neem seed meal at the base of the plant and then moisten it well with a spray bottle. When it dries it will create a hard shell. It will shred soft bodied insects better than diatomaceous earth and, as long as you don't disturb it or water over it, neem meal won't wash away into your soil. It can provide some silica and other things to your plant depending on the type of DE you use. If it starts to crack a little you can top it with a little more and spray it again. I don't worry about one or two cracks. Any bug tbat dares to crawl down through it is soon to be microbe food. Lol I swear the rabbits take breeding lessons from the fungus gnats and root aphids around here.

Ok I think I've rambled enough. I blame the coffee and my morning "black raspberry jelly" which is a combination of my black raspberry kush and my jelly breath. A nice creative exbotanical hybrid, if you will. Breakfast of champions!

 

[BearWater]

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The shit I could grow with that sun! grow a great monster queen for me!

 

[RootFarmer]

The shit I could grow with that sun! grow a great monster queen for me!

I will certainly do my best! Now as long as mother nature cooperates and I don't commit a stupid stoner mistake like accidently feeding a plant twice as you're working your way around the garden. Oh that gut wrenching feeling of watching your baby perish right before your eyes.....

I think I'm gonna need a minute. I'll be right back.

 

[RootFarmer]

@cbrians

Aww man, not ANOTHER stalker. lol

The recipe is in my first grow diary post.