Tom’s 2026 outdoor grow

[TomH]

Can you freeking believe it? Spring is close and summer will be here before ya know it!

I took the clear weather opportunity to prep my main outdoor grow site on the hill.

I dug about a 5 gallons of soil out of a 30 gallon dirt locker (planter on our hillside), dug in a medium sized bag of perlite + Mykos and humic acid deep into the pit, added some soil back and topped that with a decent amount of pumice and mykos, then filled the pit up with coco-canna soil (similar to coco loco but different mfg).

we have a 24 to 36 hour atmospheric river on the way so mother nature is going to water in all the nutrients for me.

As soon as this upcoming storm is done, things are supposed to get into the mid-upper 70s (it’ll be 80s) for a while. I’m hoping a good 3 month cook is going to make the plant happy when we get growing (late may or early june). Last year I started in late april and that was too early (plants were way too big for my preparation).

Planning only 2 plants this year.

1 - in the newly prepared location I’ll be planting a Maui Wowie.

2 - in a 2 gallon cloth planter I’ll be planting something called “The Gift”, it’s a CBD specific sativa that is related to something better known as Ringo’s Gift.

As a fallback, should one of those not thrive, I’ll be planting something called China White. It‘s a seed pulled from a dispensary purchased 1/2 oz. I grew it once and loved it, but I think I could do better now.

Fingers crossed for the summer outdoor grow!

I’m looking forward to reading other grows so I can be jealous of what you’re all growing!

 

[Zen_seeker]

Looking forward to your grow bud. I’m shutting down for the summer but might do another auto outdoor run. Oldcro sent me some fem autos and I still have some of G$ GDP auto seeds, but these are regs.

 

[TomH]

Spring is in the air, I’ll be starting seeds in a week or so for the outdoor journey in summer 26.

Meanwhile, I’ve got about 14 artichoke plants tossing up chokes already.
About 100 onions and perhaps 20 or so garlic, these are all up with a few spikes but have 4 more months to go.
My Pomegranate tree was covered with aphids yesterday so I’ll be treating it for a few weeks.
Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and 2 types of Blueberries are all putting on lots of weight in fruit, be eating some yummies soon.

We have some potatoes growing too, they are starting to get big, probably 4 to 6 more months of growth for them, I can never tell when they are ready! But we’ve had a few good crops (I guess being Irish makes me good at potatoes . )

All the rest of the garden is cactus and succulents, they are all starting to wake up (except for the ones that didn’t survive winter (a few).

2026 is going well, still hearing long range weather reports saying the west coast is in for a return to winter in April, we’ll see if that happens.

I’d prefer a cool dry rather than a rainy, but no one ever asks me!

 

[TomH]

Time for a brief update, while Bruce Banner fem is finishing up in the tent, I had tried cold stratafication to pop some seeds for summer.

I took a Maui Wowi seed and The Gift (CBD) seed, dropped intodry soil, in ziplocks and bottom of the fridge.

I have 50% success. The Maui Wowi already had a significant root network when I opened the bag. The Gift just sat there.

I planted both, Maui popped up and is now showing 3 point leaves with he next set just starting to show.

I replaced the failed seed (The Gift) with something called Durban Cherry. It’s apparently a cross of Durban and Trop Cherry. This (presuming success in germination and seedling stages) will grow in the foothills location, in a 20 gal cloth planter, using organics and tap water (we’ll see if my tap water is good or bad for dirt germs).

Additionally, my daughter is going to tend to a GDP-auto here in the bay area. It’s generally more pleasant temps but higher humidity and not as much sunlight as the foothills location, but it’ll keep her occupied.

 

[Zen_seeker]

I ran GDP autos G$ made last year outside. They did great but one got bud rot in a cola a week before I planned to harvest. Was really humid and damp and the buds were really packed. Pretty sure we still have some left.

 

[TomH]

Maui already planted in solo cup.
3/29

Maui Popped up 3/30

The gift failed to germinate



4/13/26

Maui getting 3s and 5s are showing points

Top dressed worm castings, Epsom salt and great white.



Foliar fed epsom salt and maxsea 10-10-10 (4/12, 4/13, 4/14)


Two more seeds starting to replace the dud seed (the gift).
Soaking overnight in water plus 3% peroxide,
Planted in solo cups 4/13

Durban Cherry sativa fem

Covered with plastic bag and bottom water slightly.

Popped up 4/16



Grand daddy purple auto indica

Seed extending root 4/14, I can see it trying to pop up but all I see is part of a stem

Covered with plastic bag and bottom water slightly.

Popped up 4/16


GDP auto will be growing in the beautiful Bay Area while Maui and Durban Cherry will get moved to the foothills when they are big enough to survive a 2 hour highway trip. I lost one seedling that way recently.

 

[TomH]

Maui wowi getting big.
Honestly, the leaves don’t look like a sativa to me so … not sure this is the real thing but it’s growing large quickly.

It overpowers the solo cup, roots popping out the bottom.

I’ll uppot to 1 gallon this weekend when I return.

The other two seedlings are: cherry Durban and granddaddy purple.

I can’t tell which is which yet.

Maui and Durban will move to the foothills in a couple weeks and into the ground sometime around the first of June.

GDP stays in the Bay Area, I might plant a cbd specific seed this coming weekend as I’d really like to make my own balm without going to a dispensary.

 

[Shaded]

something exciting about starting new seedlings