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BlueCollarBob- Bumbling Through My First Grow

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.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
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.
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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.
 
Bandit420 said:
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.
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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!
 
BlueCollarBob said:
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.
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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.
 
Zen_seeker said:
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.
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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.
 
Here's Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG at day 52 on Sunday. These two plants are so defferent from each other:
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White Widow that I refer to as Weird Widow
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White Widow
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Orange Widow
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'maters
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Water bathed some bread & butter pickles
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The worm bins I picked up at a moving salew
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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.

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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:

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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:

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

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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.

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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 🤞

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

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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:

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

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Thinned the outdoor plants this evening. Orange Widow is the tallest and I was curious about just how tall she is. I had an 8'X2"X3" laying nearby and threaded it through the plant down to the soil. Looked like she cleared the top of the board by 3 or 4 inches. Lemon Sour Diesel is not far behind. White Widow is probably closer to 7ft and around 6ft for the weird one.

Here are some photos of the Shishkaberry X Sour Lime OG under HPS along with some trichome photos:
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Bumblebee:
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ninjadip said:
Nothing exciting my ass!! Those are some monsters, very healthy monsters!!!
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It's all exciting for me. I only meant that the post was more to document the current status of things, rather than report a new milestone achieved. Plus, I'm new enough that I see so much room for improvement in every phase of the process. It's definitely a blast, though.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
It's all exciting for me. I only meant that the post was more to document the current status of things, rather than report a new milestone achieved. Plus, I'm new enough that I see so much room for improvement in every phase of the process. It's definitely a blast, though.
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You're killing it
 
BlueCollarBob said:
I like them, too. I'm getting concerned about not seeing any honeybees, tho.
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Bumbles too. I can go a year or more before seeing one. I used to see them everywhere during the summers when I was a kid.

We've known the honeybees were in decline for a long while now but big Ag doesn't give a shit.
 
GrumpAzz said:
Bumbles too. I can go a year or more before seeing one. I used to see them everywhere during the summers when I was a kid.

We've known the honeybees were in decline for a long while now but big Ag doesn't give a shit.
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I'd like to try my hand at beekeeping. A fella about a 1/4 mile below me kept bees, but he passed this year. Might explain why I'm not seeing them, but we had them before he started beekeeping, so... Yeah, it's scary to think about losing our pollinators. I used to spray with the bad stuff before learning about the negative effects. I'd just be thinking, "This is great. Less work with the weedeater or less bad bugs." There was a time when that sorta thing wasn't even on my RADAR. We need to reverse a lot of damage we've done or the next generations are screwed.

Hope your young family is doing well. I'll bet the kiddos love those chickens, or will when they get old enough.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
I'd like to try my hand at beekeeping. A fella about a 1/4 mile below me kept bees, but he passed this year. Might explain why I'm not seeing them, but we had them before he started beekeeping, so... Yeah, it's scary to think about losing our pollinators. I used to spray with the bad stuff before learning about the negative effects. I'd just be thinking, "This is great. Less work with the weedeater or less bad bugs." There was a time when that sorta thing wasn't even on my RADAR. We need to reverse a lot of damage we've done or the next generations are screwed.
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I only spray indoors because we have a crazy amount of Brown Recluse fuckers...

I let my lawn go hella long before my first mow of the year just to give them a little something extra.

BlueCollarBob said:
Hope your young family is doing well. I'll bet the kiddos love those chickens, or will when they get old enough.
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We're doing great. Back to work already but the family is doing well. Little man is growing fast!

Daughter loves the chickens. No doubt. Not as much as me though. I'm a hippie at heart and love all critters, but these chickens have really added a little bit of spark to everyday life. Get to teach my daughter all the cool stuff about them and she gets to learn a little bit about chores. Plus, we just started getting our first eggs! Woot.

I used to keep ducks. Had 25 or so several years ago. They were so cool and unique but I'd rather have chickens.. they're much less of a mess. Runner ducks are cool though and I was very proud of my little flock.
 
Stoneyluv said:
me too man, it's something that has always fascinated me. i'm sure my local bears would love if i got them too!!! hahaha
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Brother, I'm an animal lover, but I'm starting to struggle with bears. They used to be a rare sight in my neck of the woods. Now they're thick and a nuisance.

I have a buddy who will help me out, if I get into bees. It does add some responsibility that I'm not looking for, lol. I think they require pretty regular inspections. Not a big deal on it's own, but added in with other stuff... I just want to make sure it will be fun and not feel too much like work.

I use honey from by buddies bees every day in my coffee. My wife uses it to make a granola mix. I imagine infusing it could provide some interesting opportunities, but I haven't gotten into anything like that, yet.

You go first and let me know how it works out 🙃.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
Brother, I'm an animal lover, but I'm starting to struggle with bears. They used to be a rare sight in my neck of the woods. Now they're thick and a nuisance.

I have a buddy who will help me out, if I get into bees. It does add some responsibility that I'm not looking for, lol. I think they require pretty regular inspections. Not a big deal on it's own, but added in with other stuff... I just want to make sure it will be fun and not feel too much like work.

I use honey from by buddies bees every day in my coffee. My wife uses it to make a granola mix. I imagine infusing it could provide some interesting opportunities, but I haven't gotten into anything like that, yet.

You go first and let me know how it works out 🙃.
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Bears from my friends trail cam next to his tree stand just the other day
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ninjadip said:
Bears from my friends trail cam next to his tree stand just the other day
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As long as they stay in the woods and out of my stuff, I'm cool with them. I'll get home with a load of chicken feed and think I'll just wait and put it away the next day, then I remember the bears and I don't want them climbing in the truck. I can't just set my garbage in a trash can outside. That shit has to be locked up in a block building and forget about setting out the trash the night before and sleeping in on trash pick up day. Minor inconveniences that just irritate me, lol.
 
👍 I dug around in the weed cabinet and found a bag of Butter Waves that I thought was all gone. Nice surprise. It was the favorite of most everyone here. I thought I preferred the Sour Diesel, but right now I'm really digging the Butter Waves.

👎 I made the mistake of agreeing go to a sunflower festival with the wife and daughters on Sunday. I thought, "Hey, it's agriculture, maybe I'll by a bag of sunflower seeds to plant next year. No seeds for sale, but there were endless rows of vendor tents selling every imaginable handmade trinket, smelly craft items and sunflower art. Definitely geared towards the ladies.

👍 The vast fields of sunflowers were pretty. And I did find a vendor selling all natural spices and seasoning mixes. Picked up a few to try as some of my favorite seasonings were found to have "natural flavors" and were banned from the house. Took a card in case I love them and want to order more or try their other offerings.

👎 The deer are growing more brazen. They ate the tops off of a couple pepper plants and a butternut squash plant, last night. To add insult to injury, they ripped a green tomato off the vine and left it laying there with a single bite taken out of it. I gave my dogs a talking to and temporarily rigged up another solar powered motion light.

👍 I took a closer look at the bases of the outdoor plants. I just like seeing the fat stalks, lol.

⭐️ I've been using the Bud Wakker, that @steamroller and others here brought to my attention, for a couple of weeks. Offhand, I don't remember who first pointed it out. Love it. Gave one to a daughter and will need to order some more for gifts. They were only $25ea when I ordered these. Sweet!

😑 Took a blurry look at the trichomes on the indoor plants at day 67 of flower. Seeing a little more amber on one plant, but experiencing the "perpetually two weeks out from harvest" sensation that @ninjadip recently mentioned. This might be an interesting experiment for me with one plant finishing a little head of the other. If I cure them separately, I can compare flavor and potency. Due to some wind damage and rain, I harvest the outdoor plants a little on the early side, but all seemed fine. I'm curious if I can tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison of the same strain.

😑 Weird Widow looks odd with her three leaf fans, but she has the familiar smell. Maybe she'll smoke okay. We'll see. She's the furthest along of the outdoor ladies.

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BlueCollarBob said:
I'm curious if I can tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison of the same strain.
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I harvested my Guzzlers grow a bit early. Each of the 3 plants were at varying stages of ripeness. I can absolutely tell a difference. Tastes, levels of smoothness, quality of the burn... all different.

Which reminds me... I never updated that thread. Smoked it all and can't post any after-cure pictures. Shhhhh... don't tell anyone.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
👍 I dug around in the weed cabinet and found a bag of Butter Waves that I thought was all gone. Nice surprise. It was the favorite of most everyone here. I thought I preferred the Sour Diesel, but right now I'm really digging the Butter Waves.

👎 I made the mistake of agreeing go to a sunflower festival with the wife and daughters on Sunday. I thought, "Hey, it's agriculture, maybe I'll by a bag of sunflower seeds to plant next year. No seeds for sale, but there were endless rows of vendor tents selling every imaginable handmade trinket, smelly craft items and sunflower art. Definitely geared towards the ladies.

👍 The vast fields of sunflowers were pretty. And I did find a vendor selling all natural spices and seasoning mixes. Picked up a few to try as some of my favorite seasonings were found to have "natural flavors" and were banned from the house. Took a card in case I love them and want to order more or try their other offerings.

👎 The deer are growing more brazen. They ate the tops off of a couple pepper plants and a butternut squash plant, last night. To add insult to injury, they ripped a green tomato off the vine and left it laying there with a single bite taken out of it. I gave my dogs a talking to and temporarily rigged up another solar powered motion light.

👍 I took a closer look at the bases of the outdoor plants. I just like seeing the fat stalks, lol.

⭐️ I've been using the Bud Wakker, that @steamroller and others here brought to my attention, for a couple of weeks. Offhand, I don't remember who first pointed it out. Love it. Gave one to a daughter and will need to order some more for gifts. They were only $25ea when I ordered these. Sweet!

😑 Took a blurry look at the trichomes on the indoor plants at day 67 of flower. Seeing a little more amber on one plant, but experiencing the "perpetually two weeks out from harvest" sensation that @ninjadip recently mentioned. This might be an interesting experiment for me with one plant finishing a little head of the other. If I cure them separately, I can compare flavor and potency. Due to some wind damage and rain, I harvest the outdoor plants a little on the early side, but all seemed fine. I'm curious if I can tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison of the same strain.

😑 Weird Widow looks odd with her three leaf fans, but she has the familiar smell. Maybe she'll smoke okay. We'll see. She's the furthest along of the outdoor ladies.

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Love that sunflower picture, wow!!! Must have been even cooler in person
 
ninjadip said:
Love that sunflower picture, wow!!! Must have been even cooler in person
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It really was nice view. There wasn't enough elevation anywhere to get a good photo. There were rolling hills and I couldn't find anywhere snap a photo that captured more of the sunflower fields. I think I read they have 20 acres planted with sunflowers. The farm is Beaver Dam Farm. It's near Buchanan. Not too far outside of Roanoke, if you're familiar with that part of the state.
 
BlueCollarBob said:
It really was nice view. There wasn't enough elevation anywhere to get a good photo. There were rolling hills and I couldn't find anywhere snap a photo that captured more of the sunflower fields. I think I read they have 20 acres planted with sunflowers. The farm is Beaver Dam Farm. It's near Buchanan. Not too far outside of Roanoke, if you're familiar with that part of the state.
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Not super familiar, I'm up in northern va, but my wife would love it, she's crazy about sunflowers
 
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