BlueCollarBob- Bumbling Through My First Grow

[BlueCollarBob]

Just a quick update. Back to the grind and plenty to keep me busy, this week. I have a lot of posts to catch up on from you guys, too. Hopefully, I can catch up on that everyone's reports tonight.

Two outdoor plants (white widow and orange widow) are showing signs of septoria. I took this photo after work on Monday:


The other white widow that I believed to be a hermie was already stripped down and looks okay, but I'm watching closely. I removed every spotty leaf and all the wispy little bud sites that won't make it to the canopy from the second white widow and the orange widow. I also watered in some BushDoctor Boomerang that I found at the local nursery. I've never used it before. I just took a chance on the description saying it was good for recently stressed plants. The Lemon Sour Diesel will get a less aggressive defoliation this evening. She looks not-so-bad, but needs a good thinning. I gave everyone a spray with neem oil, last night. I plan to hit them with a copper fungicide, this evening. If I had used that preemptively, I might have avoided all of this. I've seen a few of the little green bastard moths are still around and I hope to get a spray of Monterrey BT in before they start flowering.



Lemon Sour Diesel, yesterday evening:



Stripped yesterday were orange widow (back left) and white widow (front center). On the right is the wierd one-leaf widow I stripped down last week. I'm more curious than concerned. I didn't do this much defoliating, last year. I'm interested in seeing how they respond to that much plucking and trimming. I can afford to be pretty cavalier about it, as I planted much more than I need and will jump right in to a two plant grow indoors when these finish. Frees me up to do experiments and learn.


Veggie photos. Getting loads of cucumbers and a few squash and bell peppers. I started late and no tomatoes are ripe and my chickens got a few of the low hanging tomatoes when I wasn't keeping an eye on them. The foul fowl are on lockdown, now. I really like the tomatoe trellis, but have some adjustments to make for next year and will separate the cucumbers from the tomatoes.




Weed barrier:


I support our female troops:

View attachment IMG_8953.mov

Shishkaberry x Sour Lime OG started day 19 of flower this morning. They're recovering from their struggles with humidity, light failures and calcium deficiency. If they keep heading in the right direction, maybe I get to do my first indoor harvest in September . Since flipping to flower they've had two rounds each of Terp Tea Bloom and Uprising Bloom, both from Roots Organics. I need to research tips on taking photos under HPS bulbs. To me, they look a little better in person.



I took a quick stab at adjusting the white balance for this one. It helps show the striations that, as Grump pointed out, will not go away. So, I'm sorta focussing on new leaf growth to determine If things are going okay:


Happy growing, everyone!

 

[Bandit420]

Outstanding work you've put in there Bob!
I love that tunnel. I'd spend hours hanging out in your garden spaces.
I really like how you've trellised and pruned your squash plants. Another idea I'm stealing from you!

My little garden is winding down as August creeps in. Too many hot days, they stop producing, get weak, then bugs and drought trying to keep them alive while really doing nothing other than wasting water trying to keep them going.
May try to get more going for a little Fall harvest but I learned a lot and have set the stage for next year to do better and grow more.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Outstanding work you've put in there Bob!

Thanks Bandit

I love that tunnel. I'd spend hours hanging out in your garden spaces.

That cattle panel really has worked out well for the cucumbers. I think they'll climb anything, lol. The cattle panel is quick and easy. I'm moving it away from tomatoes, next year. It all proved to be too crowded. The 16ft X 50in panels were $33ea at Tractor Supply, here. They'r heavy gauge and should last a long time .

I really like how you've trellised and pruned your squash plants. Another idea I'm stealing from you!

First time trying that. I was a little late staring them up the t-post, but I'm impressed. It's clearly a benefit getting them off the ground away from the borers. I will probably go to the conduit method in the tree squash video. Pretty sure these will outgrow 6' t- posts.

My little garden is winding down as August creeps in. Too many hot days, they stop producing, get weak, then bugs and drought trying to keep them alive while really doing nothing other than wasting water trying to keep them going.

May try to get more going for a little Fall harvest but I learned a lot and have set the stage for next year to do better and grow more.

Same here. I have some plants started that I'm going to take a stab at getting a Fall harvest out of, but it will take a mild September and early October for some.

I'm really gearing up for next year, too. Hoping to get things situated and prepped to where the hard work is done. Then focus on more timely planting and care. I really dropped the ball on preventive care. I was better at it on my first effort last year, lol.

I have plenty of goals to shoot for, next year. I've been looking at these DIY row covers and low tunnels made by bending EMT conduit. I'm going to try making some row covers for fall broccoli, cabbage, radishes, bok choy, etc. If I learn anything there, this might be my answer for protecting weed from rain in late flower. Maybe even bug protection next year. Just swap between rain, frost, bug protection as necessary. We'll see....

 

[Bandit420]

Thanks Bandit

That cattle panel really has worked out well for the cucumbers. I think they'll climb anything, lol. The cattle panel is quick and easy. I'm moving it away from tomatoes, next year. It all proved to be too crowded. The 16ft X 50in panels were $33ea at Tractor Supply, here. They'r heavy gauge and should last a long time .

First time trying that. I was a little late staring them up the t-post, but I'm impressed. It's clearly a benefit getting them off the ground away from the borers. I will probably go to the conduit method in the tree squash video. Pretty sure these will outgrow 6' t- posts.


Same here. I have some plants started that I'm going to take a stab at getting a Fall harvest out of, but it will take a mild September and early October for some.

I'm really gearing up for next year, too. Hoping to get things situated and prepped to where the hard work is done. Then focus on more timely planting and care. I really dropped the ball on preventive care. I was better at it on my first effort last year, lol.

I have plenty of goals to shoot for, next year. I've been looking at these DIY row covers and low tunnels made by bending EMT conduit. I'm going to try making some row covers for fall broccoli, cabbage, radishes, bok choy, etc. If I learn anything there, this might be my answer for protecting weed from rain in late flower. Maybe even bug protection next year. Just swap between rain, frost, bug protection as necessary. We'll see....

Yep this year was pretty much the same for me trying to understand what I can and cannot do.
Better timing will help me a ton and just a better overall plan.
Pest control and prevention worked really well so I'm feeling really good about that. Squirrels seem to learn when something is off limits and eventually stop trying and leave my garden alone.
Grubs were an issue on my squash.

I was happy with my tomato and squash harvest but not happy with the skin on anything I harvested. Skins were more like a plastic film that's hard to eat and chew but inside was delicious. I think that may just be heat related.

Funny thing is I already have two sheets of that cattle panel! Got them during curbside trash pick up where somebody left them on a curb. We call it hog wire fencing here but yep same thought process was to use it for a trellis!

 

[Zen_seeker]

Yep this year was pretty much the same for me trying to understand what I can and cannot do.
Better timing will help me a ton and just a better overall plan.
Pest control and prevention worked really well so I'm feeling really good about that. Squirrels seem to learn when something is off limits and eventually stop trying and leave my garden alone.
Grubs were an issue on my squash.

I was happy with my tomato and squash harvest but not happy with the skin on anything I harvested. Skins were more like a plastic film that's hard to eat and chew but inside was delicious. I think that may just be heat related.

Funny thing is I already have two sheets of that cattle panel! Got them during curbside trash pick up where somebody left them on a curb. We call it hog wire fencing here but yep same thought process was to use it for a trellis!

I’m planning to steal Bobs idea too.

Had plans to pick this up today after seeing the sale last night. Wanted to check store stock and notes the sale ended.


I just looked to see if the bigger size is on sale yet. Won’t need it until next year…I’ll find something by the fall sales.

 

[stonemason]

Yep this year was pretty much the same for me trying to understand what I can and cannot do.
Better timing will help me a ton and just a better overall plan.
Pest control and prevention worked really well so I'm feeling really good about that. Squirrels seem to learn when something is off limits and eventually stop trying and leave my garden alone.
Grubs were an issue on my squash.

I was happy with my tomato and squash harvest but not happy with the skin on anything I harvested. Skins were more like a plastic film that's hard to eat and chew but inside was delicious. I think that may just be heat related.

Funny thing is I already have two sheets of that cattle panel! Got them during curbside trash pick up where somebody left them on a curb. We call it hog wire fencing here but yep same thought process was to use it for a trellis!

Are talking about the vine boars on your squash @Bandit420 ?

 

[stonemason]

Thanks Bandit

That cattle panel really has worked out well for the cucumbers. I think they'll climb anything, lol. The cattle panel is quick and easy. I'm moving it away from tomatoes, next year. It all proved to be too crowded. The 16ft X 50in panels were $33ea at Tractor Supply, here. They'r heavy gauge and should last a long time .

First time trying that. I was a little late staring them up the t-post, but I'm impressed. It's clearly a benefit getting them off the ground away from the borers. I will probably go to the conduit method in the tree squash video. Pretty sure these will outgrow 6' t- posts.


Same here. I have some plants started that I'm going to take a stab at getting a Fall harvest out of, but it will take a mild September and early October for some.

I'm really gearing up for next year, too. Hoping to get things situated and prepped to where the hard work is done. Then focus on more timely planting and care. I really dropped the ball on preventive care. I was better at it on my first effort last year, lol.

I have plenty of goals to shoot for, next year. I've been looking at these DIY row covers and low tunnels made by bending EMT conduit. I'm going to try making some row covers for fall broccoli, cabbage, radishes, bok choy, etc. If I learn anything there, this might be my answer for protecting weed from rain in late flower. Maybe even bug protection next year. Just swap between rain, frost, bug protection as necessary. We'll see....

They do love to climb

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Tomorrow I leave for Vancouver. Just some work stuff with a short turn around to fly home Friday. So, I've been trying to get everything fed and watered for my short absence. Ready for some really exciting stuff? I flipped some compost, lol:


Weed is looking thinned out and sad, but looks healthier. I think I'm on top of the septoria, now . Hoping it'll look a lot nicer after they pack on some fresh growth. I plucked and trimmed a lot out of them. I also added Humbolt's Secret Flower Shield to the foliar spray line-up. Supposedly, you can use it all the way through harvest. We'll see how that goes:





I'm still getting loads of cucumbers and squash. Some tomatoes are starting to ripen. I'm taking a chance and got some more squash and short season melons in the ground. Scallop, butterbush, zucchini, kajari and lemon drop. Next weekend I'll try my hand at bending some row covers for Fall crops: broccoli, cabbage, icicle radishes, turnips and some bok choy. I don't have pics of the new rows. We'll see if climate change gives me a win, lol. I'm not really growing big, but I'm aiming for a more well-rounded garden next year. I love the fresh veggies.

Yep this year was pretty much the same for me trying to understand what I can and cannot do.
Better timing will help me a ton and just a better overall plan.
Pest control and prevention worked really well so I'm feeling really good about that. Squirrels seem to learn when something is off limits and eventually stop trying and leave my garden alone.
Grubs were an issue on my squash.

Squirrel whisperer? The Internet is full of videos with people doing battle with tree rats and losing, lol.

Good deal on controlling pests and disease. I think I know what to do. I just need to execute. Might be a good idea for me to develop a calendar with a schedule for applying sprays, etc.

I was happy with my tomato and squash harvest but not happy with the skin on anything I harvested. Skins were more like a plastic film that's hard to eat and chew but inside was delicious. I think that may just be heat related.

As soon as I read about the tough skin on your veggies, my mind jumped straight to the Texas heat. If you narrow it down to that, I wonder if shade cloths might help? I added some 30% shade cloths over my tomatoes. August is usually when I see signs of too much Sun and too little rain. Hoping they will help keep things from drying out so fast. I think the 8'X12' were on sale for $14 when I bought them on Amazon. Looks like $17 and change regular price. I also bought a 20'X20' 40% for $30. There might be better deals. I didn't do a deep dive.

Here's the two 8X12s laying over the tomatoes:

Funny thing is I already have two sheets of that cattle panel! Got them during curbside trash pick up where somebody left them on a curb. We call it hog wire fencing here but yep same thought process was to use it for a trellis!

That might be even better. These cattle panels have smaller squares at the bottom and get wider towards the top. What I've seen described as hog panel has same size squares, throughout. Not that it affects function. I just thing the uniform squares look better, lol. Might even be a heavier gauge. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Happy growing everyone!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

They do love to climbView attachment 109464

Looks lush and happy there, @stonemason! I dig the metal rooster, too. I told my daughter I'd like to have some fun and add in accents like that after I get the garden lined out. I was thinking cryptids like bigfoot, mothman, loch ness monster, etc. It would be hard to top Bandit's armadillo, though.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I’m planning to steal Bobs idea too.

Had plans to pick this up today after seeing the sale last night. Wanted to check store stock and notes the sale ended.
View attachment 109444View attachment 109445

I just looked to see if the bigger size is on sale yet. Won’t need it until next year…I’ll find something by the fall sales.

That looks like good stuff. I think they'll climb anything you put between them and the sky. The cattle panel is just what I happened to try. It's pretty common to use it that way around here. I was using the nylon trellis netting. It worked fine, too. I had it attached to a wood frame that finally rotted out in the ground after several year. I actually just planted some more cucumbers and hungs trellis netting between t-posts. I have to say that I like the arch in the cattle panel, though. It's neat when they cover the top and cucumbers are just hanging down.

 

[Zen_seeker]

That looks like good stuff. I think they'll climb anything you put between them and the sky. The cattle panel is just what I happened to try. It's pretty common to use it that way around here. I was using the nylon trellis netting. It worked fine, too. I had it attached to a wood frame that finally rotted out in the ground after several year. I actually just planted some more cucumbers and hungs trellis netting between t-posts. I have to say that I like the arch in the cattle panel, though. It's neat when they cover the top and cucumbers are just hanging down.

I’ve been letting hang down since I started. But the point of the crates is to save my back. Raising the trellis higher would further that goal. Plus the mesh I’m using has small one inch holes or smaller. Occasionally the cucumbers get stuck part way.

Only have two ready atm. Far left and on the right.

Only two out of four vines survived the first heatwave this year. I’ll do a second crate next year.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

View attachment 109549
I’ve been letting hang down since I started. But the point of the crates is to save my back. Raising the trellis higher would further that goal. Plus the mesh I’m using has small one inch holes or smaller. Occasionally the cucumbers get stuck part way.

Only have two ready atm. Far left and on the right.

Only two out of four vines survived the first heatwave this year. I’ll do a second crate next year.

Sounds like some crazy weather extremes up your way. Either cold or hot. Seemed like you waited forever for decent weather to plant. And now I'm reading that a heatwave wiped out some plants. Damned harsh conditions.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Sounds like some crazy weather extremes up your way. Either cold or hot. Seemed like you waited forever for decent weather to plant. And now I'm reading that a heatwave wiped out some plants. Damned harsh conditions.

The last two years have been bad. Very high humidity and little to no rain. Lands all around us but skips us. Wife works 15 minutes away, gets a downpour, at home nothing.

Until 5 years ago we never had to water the grass or gardens unless we added something special.

I need to find an old wagon at a garage sale or something. Move it around with the sun. Save my back from moving the cannabis plants manually.

Most of the vegetables need 2L a day of water with the cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon up to 3L now. Might have to water twice a day if the heat keeps up and more start to fruit.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

The last two years have been bad. Very high humidity and little to no rain. Lands all around us but skips us. Wife works 15 minutes away, gets a downpour, at home nothing.

Until 5 years ago we never had to water the grass or gardens unless we added something special.

I need to find an old wagon at a garage sale or something. Move it around with the sun. Save my back from moving the cannabis plants manually.

Most of the vegetables need 2L a day of water with the cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon up to 3L now. Might have to water twice a day if the heat keeps up and more start to fruit.

Yeah, I feel really fortunate being able to pump water from the creek. No meter and no drain on our well. I hope to get a drip system set up. Anything to reduce work, lol.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Some of the late season gambles, a sunflower and a pollinator palooza I stumbled upon when I was snacking on blackberries off the vine:

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Whelp, I survived the short work trip out West. Made back Friday evening, but my checked bag didn't. The airline delivered it to my house Saturday evening, so no hardship. We don't have recreational retail in VA, so I usually enjoy checking out dispensaries in OR and WA. Things seem to have really dropped off out there. I only visited two (1 in Portland and 1 in Vancouver), but both were pretty disappointing. All the flower looked like the same tiny little unappealing buds. Maybe I need to hunt up some boutiques dispo for the quality stuff???

A guy that I get to work with out of CA showed me some of his grow pics. His outdoor grow of Golden Sands (Humbolt Seeds Co.) from last year had some absolutely massive buds. He's probably an hour or two East of @TomH's neck of the woods. He also shared a cool pic of him buying plants from Humboldt Seed Co. for this year's grow. He had a big ass garden cart loaded down with seedlings. He said they're all from seed and no clones. Looked like shopping for flowers and vegetables at a garden center around here.

Anyway, below are some indoor pics of Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG from Saturday morning at the start of day 28 of flower. I tried cutting off the light for the pics in an effort to remove the yellowing effect of the HPS bulb. The flash made the photos harsh. I still need to research how to take a semi-decent plant photo.

The plants look okay, to me. I'm not seeing any new yellowing/browning on the leaves. I added a tsp per gallon of FF CalMag to the pre-trip watering. This round got the Roots Organics Bloom.

Yesterday (Sunday), I added in a set of AC Infinity's supplemental S16 full spectrum light bars. I told myself I was going to finish a full grow under HPS, only to switch up mid-flower, doh! Right or wrong, it is done.



I spent some time defoliating outdoors on Saturday. Nothing pretty to look at, but no new signs of septoria. I'm continuing with applications of Humbolt Secret: Flower Shield.

Still collecting squash and cucumbers, but the cucumber plants are nearing their end. Some tomatoes are ripening, but I'm not going to have a ton of them. That's mostly due to me cramming too much stuff together. I find my self thinking, "It'll be better with some changes for next year", way too often . That seems to be my theme, lately.

 

[TomH]

I’m happy you had a safe trip!
We have some decent dispo weed here in both the Bay area and the Sierra foothills but it’s definitely hit and miss even with the best! I’ve had some that I’d be proud of, I‘ve also had some that I ended up never smoking due to taste of harshness.

The guy that does our yard pest control has a commercial growers license and he was showing me his op!
Holy cow, every plant was at least 15’ tall, colas like my leg! He had one cola in hand and it was simply enormous. He said he waters and feeds daily, sprays weekly and lets the low RH keep things under control.

He’s growing in 100 gal bags in rows. It’s a great setup, I feel like a piker when I look at other growers pics.

 

[TomH]

Whelp, I survived the short work trip out West. Made back Friday evening, but my checked bag didn't. The airline delivered it to my house Saturday evening, so no hardship. We don't have recreational retail in VA, so I usually enjoy checking out dispensaries in OR and WA. Things seem to have really dropped off out there. I only visited two (1 in Portland and 1 in Vancouver), but both were pretty disappointing. All the flower looked like the same tiny little unappealing buds. Maybe I need to hunt up some boutiques dispo for the quality stuff???

A guy that I get to work with out of CA showed me some of his grow pics. His outdoor grow of Golden Sands (Humbolt Seeds Co.) from last year had some absolutely massive buds. He's probably an hour or two East of @TomH's neck of the woods. He also shared a cool pic of him buying plants from Humboldt Seed Co. for this year's grow. He had a big ass garden cart loaded down with seedlings. He said they're all from seed and no clones. Looked like shopping for flowers and vegetables at a garden center around here.

Anyway, below are some indoor pics of Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG from Saturday morning at the start of day 28 of flower. I tried cutting off the light for the pics in an effort to remove the yellowing effect of the HPS bulb. The flash made the photos harsh. I still need to research how to take a semi-decent plant photo.

The plants look okay, to me. I'm not seeing any new yellowing/browning on the leaves. I added a tsp per gallon of FF CalMag to the pre-trip watering. This round got the Roots Organics Bloom.

Yesterday (Sunday), I added in a set of AC Infinity's supplemental S16 full spectrum light bars. I told myself I was going to finish a full grow under HPS, only to switch up mid-flower, doh! Right or wrong, it is done.

View attachment 110100View attachment 110101View attachment 110102View attachment 110103View attachment 110104

I spent some time defoliating outdoors on Saturday. Nothing pretty to look at, but no new signs of septoria. I'm continuing with applications of Humbolt Secret: Flower Shield.

Still collecting squash and cucumbers, but the cucumber plants are nearing their end. Some tomatoes are ripening, but I'm not going to have a ton of them. That's mostly due to me cramming too much stuff together. I find my self thinking, "It'll be better with some changes for next year", way too often . That seems to be my theme, lately.

View attachment 110105View attachment 110106View attachment 110107View attachment 110108View attachment 110109View attachment 110110View attachment 110111

Your garden makes me really jealous. your plants look awesome!

 

[steamroller]

Frosty buds and nice outdoor growth man.
You got a great space.
I have a 100g bag I got 3 years ago.
It is like 6 feet diameter~!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I’m happy you had a safe trip!
We have some decent dispo weed here in both the Bay area and the Sierra foothills but it’s definitely hit and miss even with the best! I’ve had some that I’d be proud of, I‘ve also had some that I ended up never smoking due to taste of harshness.

I'm usually just grabbing some processed stuff that isn't readily available in VA, but I always like checking out the flower for something special. I didn't go on a serious hunt last week. Just picked a couple of nearby dispensaries with good ratings online. Maybe I was just tired or something, but nothing turned me on and I left empty handed.

The guy that does our yard pest control has a commercial growers license and he was showing me his op!
Holy cow, every plant was at least 15’ tall, colas like my leg! He had one cola in hand and it was simply enormous. He said he waters and feeds daily, sprays weekly and lets the low RH keep things under control.

He’s growing in 100 gal bags in rows. It’s a great setup, I feel like a piker when I look at other growers pics.

I get inspired looking at your grows. I don't think it would be healthy for me to see something that impresses you that much, lol. Other than scale of operation, do you think the container size might be the main difference between his and your plants? More exposure to sunlight?

Daily? They must be hungry. Did he offer to share any details on what nutrients he feeds them? With your green thumb, I'm sure you'd be able to replicate and get the same results he does. Or, maybe it's strain related and something that wouldn't even appeal to you.

Did he have any recommendations on dealing with the grasshoppers?

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Frosty buds and nice outdoor growth man.
You got a great space.
I have a 100g bag I got 3 years ago.
It is like 6 feet diameter~!

I used 100 gallon bags last year, but they were the narrower and taller version. I miss not having to bend as much to work on the plants. I've seen the wider ones like you have. They might be better. I don't know if cannabis plants prefer room laterally, vertically or both for root expansion. They sure seem happy in your bucket set up, so maybe they like deeper containers???

I'm hoping to learn how to develop and improve the outdoor soil in ground. Great soil, improved pest/disease control, experience and 100 other things are all that stand between me and growing great weed .

 

[TomH]

Frosty buds and nice outdoor growth man.
You got a great space.
I have a 100g bag I got 3 years ago.
It is like 6 feet diameter~!

Yeah! Can you imagine a 15’ or 20‘ tree sticking out of one after the next? I was a little stoned just by looking at it! Looked like they were really low sided, I’m guessing about 2 or 3 feet. They looked like big turtles!

 

[Zen_seeker]

Whelp, I survived the short work trip out West. Made back Friday evening, but my checked bag didn't. The airline delivered it to my house Saturday evening, so no hardship. We don't have recreational retail in VA, so I usually enjoy checking out dispensaries in OR and WA. Things seem to have really dropped off out there. I only visited two (1 in Portland and 1 in Vancouver), but both were pretty disappointing. All the flower looked like the same tiny little unappealing buds. Maybe I need to hunt up some boutiques dispo for the quality stuff???

A guy that I get to work with out of CA showed me some of his grow pics. His outdoor grow of Golden Sands (Humbolt Seeds Co.) from last year had some absolutely massive buds. He's probably an hour or two East of @TomH's neck of the woods. He also shared a cool pic of him buying plants from Humboldt Seed Co. for this year's grow. He had a big ass garden cart loaded down with seedlings. He said they're all from seed and no clones. Looked like shopping for flowers and vegetables at a garden center around here.

Anyway, below are some indoor pics of Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG from Saturday morning at the start of day 28 of flower. I tried cutting off the light for the pics in an effort to remove the yellowing effect of the HPS bulb. The flash made the photos harsh. I still need to research how to take a semi-decent plant photo.

The plants look okay, to me. I'm not seeing any new yellowing/browning on the leaves. I added a tsp per gallon of FF CalMag to the pre-trip watering. This round got the Roots Organics Bloom.

Yesterday (Sunday), I added in a set of AC Infinity's supplemental S16 full spectrum light bars. I told myself I was going to finish a full grow under HPS, only to switch up mid-flower, doh! Right or wrong, it is done.

View attachment 110100View attachment 110101View attachment 110102View attachment 110103View attachment 110104

I spent some time defoliating outdoors on Saturday. Nothing pretty to look at, but no new signs of septoria. I'm continuing with applications of Humbolt Secret: Flower Shield.

Still collecting squash and cucumbers, but the cucumber plants are nearing their end. Some tomatoes are ripening, but I'm not going to have a ton of them. That's mostly due to me cramming too much stuff together. I find my self thinking, "It'll be better with some changes for next year", way too often . That seems to be my theme, lately.

View attachment 110105View attachment 110106View attachment 110107View attachment 110108View attachment 110109View attachment 110110View attachment 110111

I need a combination of Stonemasons, TomH and your gardens. Few others too. Lots of good ideas and excellent results.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Definitely lean towards TomH and StoneMason. Speaking of those two, I hope to eventually copy Tom's terraced beds and do a lot more of SM's KNF methods.

If I hit anything right, it's dumb luck. Nothing original in my garden. Just borrowing ideas from others including you.

It can sound a little hokey at times, but that Paw Paw Ridge guy keeps showing up in my video feeds. His garden/homestead is beautiful and I'm seeing a lot of his tips that make sense to me.

Edited to add link for Paw Paw Ridge YouTube channel: Pawpaw Ridge Homestead

 

[Zen_seeker]

Definitely lean towards TomH and StoneMason. Speaking of those two, I hope to eventually copy Tom's terraced beds and do a lot more of SM's KNF methods.

If I hit anything right, it's dumb luck. Nothing original in my garden. Just borrowing ideas from others including you.

It can sound a little hokey at times, but that Paw Paw Ridge guy keeps showing up in my video feeds. His garden/homestead is beautiful and I'm seeing a lot of his tips that make sense to me.

Edited to add link for Paw Paw Ridge YouTube channel: Pawpaw Ridge Homestead

Snagged the link. I’ll check it out when I get a chance. JMS videos first. Need a refresher.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Everything is mostly okay outside. Nothing outstanding. Nothing near death. I do still have an oddball White Widow that I've been referring to as "Weird Widow". I don't know if she's been stressed or what, but she's different. Mostly three leaf fans. Extra bushy. I don't have any idea what's up with her. The seeds were given to me. I searched the seed company (Atlas) and found complaints about quality. It's more likely that I stressed her somehow. She is 12 feet away from her sister who looks nothing like this one.

Everyone is filling back out after a pretty thorough defoliation z. I'm still hitting them with the Flower Shield. I think that stuff is doing a good job of keeping the septoria at bay. I'll probably get a bigger bottle and try to use it preemptively, next year.

Took these with my cellphone yesterday evening:

Orange Widow (Captain Red Beard's):


Lemon Sour Diesel (Captain Red Beard's):


White Widow (Atlas):


White Weird Widow (Atlas):


Yesterday's veggie haul:


Today's veggie haul:


Random Pics:

 

[ninjadip]

Everything is mostly okay outside. Nothing outstanding. Nothing near death. I do still have an oddball White Widow that I've been referring to as "Weird Widow". I don't know if she's been stressed or what, but she's different. Mostly three leaf fans. Extra bushy. I don't have any idea what's up with her. The seeds were given to me. I searched the seed company (Atlas) and found complaints about quality. It's more likely that I stressed her somehow. She is 12 feet away from her sister who looks nothing like this one.

Everyone is filling back out after a pretty thorough defoliation z. I'm still hitting them with the Flower Shield. I think that stuff is doing a good job of keeping the septoria at bay. I'll probably get a bigger bottle and try to use it preemptively, next year.

Took these with my cellphone yesterday evening:

Orange Widow (Captain Red Beard's):
View attachment 111144

Lemon Sour Diesel (Captain Red Beard's):
View attachment 111145

White Widow (Atlas):
View attachment 111146

White Weird Widow (Atlas):
View attachment 111147

Yesterday's veggie haul:
View attachment 111148

Today's veggie haul:
View attachment 111149

Random Pics:
View attachment 111150View attachment 111151View attachment 111152

I love your garden!
those are some healthy girls!

I was gifted some redbeard seeds, i can't wait to try them, yours look great!!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I love your garden!
those are some healthy girls!

I was gifted some redbeard seeds, i can't wait to try them, yours look great!!

Thanks, man. I look forward to seeing what you do with those seeds.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Took some photos before heading out this morning.
Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG (Captain Red Beard's freebies)
Veg- 400W MH
Flower- 400W HP and recent addition of ACI full spectrum supplemental lights.
This was right after the lights came on at the start of day 40 on a 12/12 light schedule.
Soil= BAS 3.0. Nutrients during flower have been Bloom and Uprising from Roots Organics.

This is my first indoor effort. In person, the plant on the left is lankier and a lighter green with more brown in the pistils. The one on the right is more compact with shorter nodes and is a deeper green color. I have the shorter one on a riser to even the canopy a bit. I'm horrible at defining smells, but I really do get some type of citrus and sometimes a hint of peanut butter. Nothing really loud, so far. I'll try to get some better sniffers to tell me what they pick up on, lol.

I know they aren't perfect. Im just tickled they're still with us and that's thanks to help from you guys. Some earlier humidity and power issues had me sweating.

Happy growing, everyone!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Still finding my way on everything, including defoliating. Last year I only lightly thinned out the plants and ended up trimming a lot of small stuff at harvest time. I didn't have much time today, but I did cut some smaller stuff that was low on Lemon Sour Diesel. I wish I had done this a couple of weeks back. I'm looking forward to seeing how things finish out this year:



Oz (blue-tongued skink) had a bath, today:


Mr. Toad has that "Yeah, I poisoned your dog look on his face":


I dug out the wireless microscope and checked out the indoor grow earlier this week. Still has a ways to go, but it's fun to look:


Time to crash. I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the weekend. Happy growing, everyone!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Anybody have experience with worm bins? Co-worker messaged me from a moving sale today. They had three Worm Factory worm bins. $10 for all three. Lady told her she just wanted someone to take care of her worms and didn't want them to die, lol. Debating picking them up tomorrow. I use worm castings all the time, but I think the basement would be the best place for me to keep them. That's where my grow tent is. Wondering if that's a bad idea. I've heard stories about fruit flies and other insect infestations happening with the bins.

She said there was a lot of nice stuff going cheap. Maybe she's an avid gardener and there's something else worth checking out. My friend did mention they had a canner for sale. Maybe that's another good sign, but I didn't ask what else she saw.

 

[Bandit420]

Anybody have experience with worm bins? Co-worker messaged me from a moving sale today. They had three Worm Factory worm bins. $10 for all three. Lady told her she just wanted someone to take care of her worms and didn't want them to die, lol. Debating picking them up tomorrow. I use worm castings all the time, but I think the basement would be the best place for me to keep them. That's where my grow tent is. Wondering if that's a bad idea. I've heard stories about fruit flies and other insect infestations happening with the bins.

She said there was a lot of nice stuff going cheap. Maybe she's an avid gardener and there's something else worth checking out. My friend did mention they had a canner for sale. Maybe that's another good sign, but I didn't ask what else she saw.

Stoney's kept a worm bin and may still have it going.
I know the WF system you're talking about because I have one but no worm farm in it. I failed at it lol. My failure was due to climate and not having a good space for it.
Cool basement would be ideal. However a grow room or carport like what I tried, not so much.
Worm Factory should have instructions but I remember a bed of coco coir, food scraps, and newspaper or corrugated cardboard in it and layered. Once thriving I hear they can operate like a garbage disposal and compost up food scraps fast.
Pest can be an issue too but if it's dialed in I don't think pests are a problem.
Sorry I can't be more help. It was something I really wanted to do but watching all my worms leave my bin and die on room floor was pretty discouraging to do it again. Kinda like aquaponics and raccoons for me. Yeah I would love to do it but I'll be heartbroken again if I go out to an empty and wrecked pond again.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Stoney's kept a worm bin and may still have it going.
I know the WF system you're talking about because I have one but no worm farm in it. I failed at it lol. My failure was due to climate and not having a good space for it.
Cool basement would be ideal. However a grow room or carport like what I tried, not so much.
Worm Factory should have instructions but I remember a bed of coco coir, food scraps, and newspaper or corrugated cardboard in it and layered. Once thriving I hear they can operate like a garbage disposal and compost up food scraps fast.
Pest can be an issue too but if it's dialed in I don't think pests are a problem.
Sorry I can't be more help. It was something I really wanted to do but watching all my worms leave my bin and die on room floor was pretty discouraging to do it again. Kinda like aquaponics and raccoons for me. Yeah I would love to do it but I'll be heartbroken again if I go out to an empty and wrecked pond again.

I've look at trying it before and studied up a smidge last night. I have a block building that would be perfect. Used to be a work shop that my daughter has turned into an art studio. So, looking at the basement. You've confirmed where I'm seeing a good environment to set the bins up is key. It looks like a little observation Wild would get me tuned into feed amounts and schedule... maybe.

Enjoy your day off!

 

[Zen_seeker]

Anybody have experience with worm bins? Co-worker messaged me from a moving sale today. They had three Worm Factory worm bins. $10 for all three. Lady told her she just wanted someone to take care of her worms and didn't want them to die, lol. Debating picking them up tomorrow. I use worm castings all the time, but I think the basement would be the best place for me to keep them. That's where my grow tent is. Wondering if that's a bad idea. I've heard stories about fruit flies and other insect infestations happening with the bins.

She said there was a lot of nice stuff going cheap. Maybe she's an avid gardener and there's something else worth checking out. My friend did mention they had a canner for sale. Maybe that's another good sign, but I didn't ask what else she saw.

I want to give a worm farm a shot but wife’s against it. I’ve been looking for a good three bin setup. Found an okay one my son can print but need wife on board.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I want to give a worm farm a shot but wife’s against it. I’ve been looking for a good three bin setup. Found an okay one my son can print but need wife on board.

I'll write a glowing review for you to share with her. All about how the worm bins make the whole house smell like a cross between a candle shop and a bakery. And how my wife loves it when I race her to do the kitchen clean up so I can collect the best scraps for my worms. Plus, the heat generated from the composting castings cut our electric bill in half. It was so awesome that my wife ran out and bought two more worm bins and now the electric company cuts us a check each month.

When I came strolling through the living room heading towards the basement carrying the first bin, my wife asked, "That shit goes inside? You didn't tell me that." I replied, all matter of fact like, "Yeah it says so right here on the lid. Must keep between 40℉ and 80℉." And kept on hoofing it. I got questioned on each trip with her ever growing incredulity that there was more. More of the same when I carried in the extra tiers, drain pans, and 5 gallon bucket of wheat grain. It was all in good nature. She puts up with a lot of shit out of me and my interests. I'm definitely the luckier one in our relationship.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Here's Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG at day 52 on Sunday. These two plants are so defferent from each other:




White Widow that I refer to as Weird Widow


White Widow


Orange Widow


'maters


Water bathed some bread & butter pickles


The worm bins I picked up at a moving salew

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I was looking forward to seeing Brent Cobb and The Fixin's this evening, as it's my first time seeing them live. I'm a fan of live music and this turned out to be one of those bands that I enjoy better live than I do their studio work (which I do like). They're young to me but still have 20yrs of experience, and it shows.

Another pleasant surprise was that their just released album has a lot more rock than their alt-country and Southern rock sound I'm familiar with. Brent said he had come across a drum kit for his 4yr old son, who he referred to as "Tuck". Brent had set up a little amp in Tuck's bedroom so he could plug in and jam with him. One day Tuck asked him to play some rock. No matter what Brent played, Tuck said, "No dad. Play rock like [so-and-so]." So, the story goes that the whole album was written to prove to his son that he could rock. The guitarist was even playing a Flying V, lol.

I'm a sucker for learning the stories behind songs and Brent was great at weaving those stories into the show. The venue was perfect, too. It's a place about a 45min drive from my house in Lexington called The Lime Kiln. It's well known on the bluegrass circuit and a lot of people purchase season tickets, for those shows alone. They do get some different acts sprinkled in, like this. A lot of the bluegrass fans sell or give away their tix for these shows. Bluegrass or nothing for some of that crowd. The venue is outdoors in a hollow. The stage is set in a deep pit and the sound is great. Smallish and pretty intimate venue. I think it has around a 600-700 person capacity.

None of this is forum-related. I'm just laying here in bed, not sleeping and pecking away on my phone. Wish I had grabbed a photo to share before it got dark, but only have this one. I don't take many photos or vids at shows. I did get a little video to share with a buddy, tho. It really is a pretty place. I've only been to a handful of shows there, but my wife goes to see some bluegrass with her friends. I used to be really outgoing and have always loved live music. Then I entered a hermit phase that the wife is ripping me out of. I thought forced socialization would be horrible, but, dammit, she's right again. I'm atarting to look forward to our outings.



Couple of pics of the two Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG from yesterday evening (Day 55). The first is with the HPS light on. The second pic is of the second plant with HPS off.

#1 while HPS is on- This plant is starting to show some amber trichomes:



HPS entered lights out, right before I took pics of #2. The supplemental LEDs were still on. I had them set to a 10min fade in/out on either side of the HPS. No reason other than I saw the option, lol:



The fairies' puffball ring, right before mowing them to the ground and adding their delicate little wings, homes and all to the compost pile:



Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I doubt I'll forget about the draft-dodging, billionaire dictator pressuring the USAF into reversing course and offering a funeral with full military honors to an insurrectionist. This, after giving $5mil of our tax dollars to this traitor's family. This is the long weekend we get to celebrate the average hardworking men and women who make up the backbone of our country. May they rise up and right the ship.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Getting down to the last of the summer veggies, but still getting a few. Bell peppers are coming in late and I have a few second plantings of squash, cucumbers and tomatoes that I think will make it before frost



My wife and I water-bathed some more bread & butter pickles today



I ordered an inexpensive dry herb vape to try out. I've never been around anyone who uses one in my neck of the woods.

On stuff I'm not familiar with, I'm bad about spending cheaply and having to repurchase for quality down the road. If I find something I like, that is.

I went with the Linx Saber. Tabletop Bong guy on YouTube gave a decent review for a budget vape. I like this guys review videos. He's out of Canada.

It sounds like you don't get much vapor on the first pull, but can get "adequate" vapor on succeeding draw. The mouthpiece fits in a bong, so you can run it through a water pipe.

It has four temperature set points. The reviewers in the few videos I've watched all preferred the two highest temps. They just didn't get much vapor on the two lowest settings. Also, it's flower only. No concentrates.

It's sorta long with the regular mouth piece and even longer with the bubbler. It doesn't look very pocket friendly. It also does not have an option for the little capsules that you can preload for other dry herb vapes.

I purchased the vape directly from Linx for $60 and added their $20 bubbler.

I just did the recommended iso clean and burn in. Getting ready to try loading it with Sour Diesel and see what's up:



Happy Saturday night/evening or whatever time it is in your part of the world.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Color me surprised. I did not expect much from the Linx Saber, but I think this may change things for me. I'm not usually too hung up on flavor, but I couldn't believe the difference with combustion taken out of the mix. Really, really, eye-opening for me.

Even more surprising, my normally concentrates-only daughter likes it.

If this impression holds up, I can definitely see looking to upgrade to a better vape. I'll think I definitely want one that takes capsules and is more easily pocketable.

Tried to take some more trichome pics, but I really need to dig out a camera stand and rig up a boom for the Bluetooth microscope. It's hard for me to keep it steady enough to avoid blur. I can see enough to know that the indoor plants still have a ways to go. Based on the little I was able to see with outdoor plants, last year, I'm guessing a couple weeks...

 

[Stoneyluv]

I've been behind on all kinds of good stuff here.

We have the same worm factorys... I still use mine. My worms are about to join AARP