Zen Garden 2025

[Bandit420]

I think I'm getting some UV burn on the leaves closest to the UV lights, running them at bigger intervals than mfg recommendation, and the leaves affected are closer than 1 foot to the light. But other than that i love it, other leaves look great!

Is it UV-B?
Is so yep it can burn. I think it's application is something like no more than 4 hours on and towards then end of a lights on period.
It also requires some protection or at least respect for it to not look into it or get bare skin too close.
I like UVB mostly because bugs like mites avoid it like it's radiation poison and it can get some strains to frost up more than usual.


UV_A is nearly harmless and can be used for an entire lights on period and really from early veg until death. It's pretty much black light but in LED and not floro like the 70s and blacklight psychedelic posters.
When a LED company uses UV as a selling point, it's UVA diodes in there.
It's been slow and wonky for it in horticulture light development but is coming along. I'd say it's results are somewhere around 60-70% of what UVB can do. Not quite as good but far less dangerous and gives enough positivity with zero negativity to make it a worthwhile addition IMO.

 

[ninjadip]

Is it UV-B?
Is so yep it can burn. I think it's application is something like no more than 4 hours on and towards then end of a lights on period.
It also requires some protection or at least respect for it to not look into it or get bare skin too close.
I like UVB mostly because bugs like mites avoid it like it's radiation poison and it can get some strains to frost up more than usual.


UV_A is nearly harmless and can be used for an entire lights on period and really from early veg until death. It's pretty much black light but in LED and not floro like the 70s and blacklight psychedelic posters.
When a LED company uses UV as a selling point, it's UVA diodes in there.
It's been slow and wonky for it in horticulture light development but is coming along. I'd say it's results are somewhere around 60-70% of what UVB can do. Not quite as good but far less dangerous and gives enough positivity with zero negativity to make it a worthwhile addition IMO.

Yeah i think just UVA, it's from spider farmers. Maybe just being super close to it, those leaves don't like it. Got it on triple the mfg recommendations i think, i forget what i have it on, maybe 20 minutes on 20 off

Now what really gets my eyes it's looking in that super deep red.... I have those come on only before and after lights out, with a small overlap. Fucking got me good one day admiring the crazy cyclops laser red/purple lol, i can't even look in the tent at the bottom of it when they are on, fucking hurts like shit.

 

[Pipecarver]

Caution with that UV-C man...it aint for plants but for sterilization.
It can be used to sweep over a plant to kill mold or powdery mildew but in very short, like 5 second bursts and you have to wear eye and skin protection while it's on because it's pretty much instant cancer when exposed to it without protection

I uv'd wrong its ultra violet UVA around 400nm. I have 2 week ass black lights but they are pretty 10w. Green on top Black in the middle and full spec side lights bottom

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250822: GDP Autos Day 79

Gave them a feeding yesterday. Some color changes and fan leaves have a bit of faded wash to them. Colas are big and firm.











We actually had rain over two days. No downpour but enough to water most plants. Some needed a little extra. Temperatures have greatly improved holding around the mid 20’s. Strong winds from the south.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Gardens doing okay.













Pic from two days ago when it transplanted the spearmint plant. Looks better today. Rain helped with the digging.

 

[stonemason]

I have been trying to kill my spearmint for 20 years.used to have a big patch where the oregano is now.it tried to take over the whole herb bed. Be carefull where you plant it.makes good fpj that the bugs dont like.

 

[Pipecarver]

I have been trying to kill my View attachment 111887spearmint for 20 years.used to have a big patch where the oregano is now.it tried to take over the whole herb bed. Be carefull where you plant it.makes good fpj that the bugs dont like.

Our cats love the mint patches, They roll around in it and get all frisky, its like cat nip to them and when they get close you can see the determination in their expressions and there's no stopping them at that point.

 

[Zen_seeker]

I have been trying to kill my View attachment 111887spearmint for 20 years.used to have a big patch where the oregano is now.it tried to take over the whole herb bed. Be carefull where you plant it.makes good fpj that the bugs dont like.

I was warned by @Stoneyluv he’s got it as well.

I put it in the small garden beside the porch. It’s not a large area and the sidewalk has plastic under it so that should contain it. Need to rip out the rest of the grass there.



We planted the peonies, the rest are from 30 years ago when we bought the place.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Our cats love the mint patches, They roll around in it and get all frisky, its like cat nip to them and when they get close you can see the determination in their expressions and there's no stopping them at that point.

Sam (Samantha) passed just before Covid. She was a great black cat with a white diamond on her chest. If I’d known cats like it I would have bought it sooner. I only got this plant as an impulse buy. Reminded me of “home”.

Down the road rhubarb and lilac will be added.

 

[Stoneyluv]

i have a big patch out on the corner of my yard... best smelling part of mowing the lawn!!!!! hahaha

makin tea baby!!!! hahahaha

https://imgur.com/a/VgjMfcs

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I have been trying to kill my View attachment 111887spearmint for 20 years.used to have a big patch where the oregano is now.it tried to take over the whole herb bed. Be carefull where you plant it.makes good fpj that the bugs dont like.

Yeah, I may have effed up, myself. I planted some in with my tomatoes. Afterwards I started seeing comments about it's reputation for spreading. Have you tried wetting everything and covering it with silage tarp or some kind of non-permeable black plastic for a few weeks? I've been seeing where some market farmers do this to start in new ground or to kill cover crops before planting. They do talk about it being hard on soil biology and some stuff being just plain hard to kill, though.

 

[stonemason]

Yeah, I may have effed up, myself. I planted some in with my tomatoes. Afterwards I started seeing comments about it's reputation for spreading. Have you tried wetting everything and covering it with silage tarp or some kind of non-permeable black plastic for a few weeks? I've been seeing where some market farmers do this to start in new ground or to kill cover crops before planting. They do talk about it being hard on soil biology and some stuff being just plain hard to kill, though.

Ya black tarp would do it,but i dont want to kill the oregano and the cone flowers I planted in it's spot. As long as we pull it all up in the spring just a tiny bit comes back during the summer.

 

[Zen_seeker]

i have a big patch out on the corner of my yard... best smelling part of mowing the lawn!!!!! hahaha

makin tea baby!!!! hahahaha

https://imgur.com/a/VgjMfcs

That’s how I got introduced to spearmint plants. Ran my uncles over with the lawnmower. He was cool about it. Hard but fair man. Only one who paid well for a good job done. Learned a lot from him. Smell is a strong memory stimulant so this reminds me of times past.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Yeah, I may have effed up, myself. I planted some in with my tomatoes. Afterwards I started seeing comments about it's reputation for spreading. Have you tried wetting everything and covering it with silage tarp or some kind of non-permeable black plastic for a few weeks? I've been seeing where some market farmers do this to start in new ground or to kill cover crops before planting. They do talk about it being hard on soil biology and some stuff being just plain hard to kill, though.

Surround the plant with a plastic border, not sure how deep you’ll need.

 

[ninjadip]

Yeah i think just UVA, it's from spider farmers. Maybe just being super close to it, those leaves don't like it. Got it on triple the mfg recommendations i think, i forget what i have it on, maybe 20 minutes on 20 off

Now what really gets my eyes it's looking in that super deep red.... I have those come on only before and after lights out, with a small overlap. Fucking got me good one day admiring the crazy cyclops laser red/purple lol, i can't even look in the tent at the bottom of it when they are on, fucking hurts like shit.

Just realized my UVA timer got set to never turn off for who knows how long... Explains a lot

 

[ninjadip]

I miss mowing, used to have a mint patch as well that i liked mowing over. I learned after i planted it that i should have never done that lol

Everyone's gardens look great

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250826: GDP Autos Day 83

Things were going to well. Should have expected an issue was due.

I noticed the small indoor sunflower we put on the porch to get extra light was covered in webs two or three days later.

This had me checking the GDP the next morning. Found a few things.
First thing I noticed was this stoned guy sleeping in the buds. G$ noticed the poop but I’d already found him.

Dark spots aren’t good.


This is just dried lacto.


Webs had me concerned but when I sprayed Safer’s a few garden spiders dropped down.


Sprayed and soggy.



Only a week or two to go so I should have expected something sooner. The heatwave and drought had stopped a lot of insect issues but the colder temp and rain has kicked off a rush I wasn’t ready for. Live and learn I guys. I’ll be checking them later this morning.

 

[Stoneyluv]

kill em all Zen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i saw this come across my radar and thought of you..

 

[Zen_seeker]

kill em all Zen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m not sure they got on the plants but I wasn’t waiting to find out.

It’s been cold and damp the last few nights. Light rain that doesn’t really water the plants.

Cold temps really changed things too.

i saw this come across my radar and thought of you..

That looks cool. I still use the type I grew up with.

If I found one of those for a reasonable price I’d give it a shot!

Didn’t someone here try a brass one that looked good but broke after a few uses?

Wonder if I could find a 3D one to print? Something to look up.

Woke up after a bad/sad dream. More of a reliving past events mushed together. Left me sad and depressed this morning. Having trouble shaking it off.

I’ve got a couple of nice Teddy Bear sunflower heads I’m saving. When I harvest them I’ll send you a bunch.

 

[Zen_seeker]

 

[ninjadip]

View attachment 112310

I'm OG i can roll about as fast and uniform as this tool, but it's still really cool!

Learning to roll was a rite of passage growing up, i think it's an lost art now with this generation and all the new ways to consume, it's cool to see these tools bringing the old school ways back for sure

 

[Pipecarver]

I'm OG i can roll about as fast and uniform as this tool, but it's still really cool!

Learning to roll was a rite of passage growing up, i think it's an lost art now with this generation and all the new ways to consume, it's cool to see these tools bringing the old school ways back for sure

Did you roll joints on papers without Glue? I'm that old. its all that was available until the Aquafuge papers came out. Like wow glue on papers was a hit back in the 60's

 

[ninjadip]

Did you roll joints on papers without Glue? I'm that old. its all that was available until the Aquafuge papers came out. Like wow glue on papers was a hit back in the 60's

I have used mostly ones with glue but have done a few without, not many. I won't say what religious book they were from... Of course only the blank pages at the end lol. The ones with the built in wire for a roach clip bring me back to my earliest times

When i was a kid it was also a lot of cigar rerolls, which takes skill, especially when using real palma leaves, the green ones. Cutting leaf veins, layering two funny cuts to make one, oh it was the best of times lol

Once had a friend who wasn't tripping roll me a Y joint, two converging into one! Man that tripped me out, but i was already tripping!!!

 

[steamroller]

 

[Zen_seeker]

I'm OG i can roll about as fast and uniform as this tool, but it's still really cool!

By hand mine are probably passable, maybe pregnant.

Learning to roll was a rite of passage growing up, i think it's an lost art now with this generation and all the new ways to consume, it's cool to see these tools bringing the old school ways back for sure

I could roll as a kid. Tobacco or weed there was always a tin of tobacco and papers around. Different machines too.

We use filters now, no one used them back then not even ones you could make, so by hand is a pita with the filters. Machine makes it easier but isn’t perfect.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Did you roll joints on papers without Glue? I'm that old. its all that was available until the Aquafuge papers came out. Like wow glue on papers was a hit back in the 60's

Yep, drum tobacco and papers no glue. But glue was out when I was a kid.

Sooo many types and brands. 80% advertised for tobacco. A few weed directed sales.

 

[Zen_seeker]

View attachment 112354

Don’t know if it’s the same brand but I tried them. Also one with a kangaroo logo that had a pouch you filled then rolled.

Most were tobacco papers like export & players. Half the kids I grew up with had parents that smoked and had different machines that rolled or filled empty cigarette shells with attached filters. Most sucked if you tried to use weed.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250829: GDP Autos Day 86

Nights are down to 10*c. Days have been 24*c or lower. Leaves are fading faster and buds are much darker and showing purple. Most pistils turned brown in two days but more are still growing.

I’ll need to start checking with the microscope. Get my sons eyes involved.

All the damp and cold had me watching for mold and rot.





Shouldn’t be much longer.

 

[Pipecarver]

By hand mine are probably passable, maybe pregnant.


I could roll as a kid. Tobacco or weed there was always a tin of tobacco and papers around. Different machines too.

We use filters now, no one used them back then not even ones you could make, so by hand is a pita with the filters. Machine makes it easier but isn’t perfect.

I roll then pull a bit from the end and stick my rolled up filters in. I fold my filters in half

 

[Pipecarver]

20250829: GDP Autos Day 86

Nights are down to 10*c. Days have been 24*c or lower. Leaves are fading faster and buds are much darker and showing purple. Most pistils turned brown in two days but more are still growing.

I’ll need to start checking with the microscope. Get my sons eyes involved.

All the damp and cold had me watching for mold and rot.

View attachment 112446

View attachment 112447

Shouldn’t be much longer.

Wow nice big bud on her, looks heavy too. Nice job!