Zen Garden 2025

[ninjadip]

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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]

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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.

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Shouldn’t be much longer.

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

 

[Zen_seeker]

I roll then pull a bit from the end and stick my rolled up filters in. I fold my filters in halfView attachment 112450View attachment 112451View attachment 112452View attachment 112453

We did that. Made strips from anything like match books or cigarette packs. We rolled them up first then stuck them in. Didn’t start doing that until about 2000.

Tried the booklets of filters too. They are a fold then roll style. Son got tired of rolling joints and just used a bong daily now.

 

[Zen_seeker]

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

Both plants are doing about the same, ones just a few inches taller. It’s my first autos grow so I have no expectations or experience with them. They are firm hard buds and real sticky. G$ made them last year I think. I’m the first to grow them iirc.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250831: GDP Autos Day 88

Both days and nights have been cooler and nice breeze. The one plant still has purple coming in while the other is mostly green still. Both are sticky and stinky. Heavy, musky skunky, not even close to sweet or flowery.

These are no flash then flash of the same cola.

Bigger plant



Smaller plant



Got to scope them.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Made the Jadam sulphur today. Nice and windy out so well ventilated.

Used the reduced measurements to make about 2 litres of the liquid sulphur.


Was cool to watch it bubbling and see steam coming out.

Edit: A few days later. Has sediment I’ll filter before storing for next year.

 

[Zen_seeker]

We did some testing over the weekend. Seems we like the taste of the classic papers better than the organic. Organic are whiter but have a nasty aftertaste. Not always but often. Classic don’t seem to get it.



I’ll update if things change.

 

[ninjadip]

We did some testing over the weekend. Seems we like the taste of the classic papers better than the organic. Organic are whiter but have a nasty aftertaste. Not always but often. Classic don’t seem to get it.

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I’ll update if things change.

My goto is the OCB bamboo long bodies

 

[Zen_seeker]

My goto is the OCB bamboo long bodies

I’ve had OCB but not sure if bamboo. Elements too.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250901: GDP Autos Day 89

WPM

Between Friday and Sunday the smaller one got WPM starting in two spots. Main cola and side one. I cut it all off and chopped the plant. It’s hanging in one room awaiting final inspection after it dries.


Taking the hint i chopped the second bigger one.


Funny coincidence, I finished the Jadam sulphur this weekend before I found the WPM.

Not sure if I’m supposed to have sediment left over or if my reduced measurements are the cause but every thing else seems good. I’ll filter it and put it away for next year.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Looks like the peonies are the WPM cause. I took the flowers long ago but left the stems as they stayed healthy and green.

Looking for a cause of the WPM I checked all the nearby plants and found that all the stems on only the peonies were covered.

Directly below the small GDP plant.

Chopped and bagged.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Last of the sunflowers are trying to bloom.

 

[GoodShit97]

20250831: GDP Autos Day 88

Both days and nights have been cooler and nice breeze. The one plant still has purple coming in while the other is mostly green still. Both are sticky and stinky. Heavy, musky skunky, not even close to sweet or flowery.

These are no flash then flash of the same cola.

Bigger plant
View attachment 112616
View attachment 112617

Smaller plant
View attachment 112622
View attachment 112623

Got to scope them.

Shit! The sign was right there the whole time man!

Right side of the bud about half way down.
Dead leaf, bud rot from inside out 100%

 

[GoodShit97]

20250901: GDP Autos Day 89

WPM

Between Friday and Sunday the smaller one got WPM starting in two spots. Main cola and side one. I cut it all off and chopped the plant. It’s hanging in one room awaiting final inspection after it dries. View attachment 112745View attachment 112746
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Taking the hint i chopped the second bigger one.
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Funny coincidence, I finished the Jadam sulphur this weekend before I found the WPM. View attachment 112751View attachment 112752

Not sure if I’m supposed to have sediment left over or if my reduced measurements are the cause but every thing else seems good. I’ll filter it and put it away for next year.

They really did well man! Im gonna have to run some and stop giving them all away

 

[ninjadip]

I’ve had OCB but not sure if bamboo. Elements too.

The OCB bamboo is the one that is on point, highly recommend. I've tried a million different ones too, these are the only ones i buy now

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250905: GDP Autos Drying

I chopped just before the weather got worse. More rain and high humidity. Outsides been RH 87% but insides in the mid 70’s. Trying to dry at 22*c & RH 71% today.



No new signs of mold/mildew but the I’m trimming away leaves each time I check to try and help dry faster as well as remove possible outbreaks. Going to be a long dry at this rate.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I’ve been looking at making my own worm farm for a few years. I originally had three large totes ready but the wife nixed that idea.

Lately I was looking again for a smaller solution my wife can live with. I saw a few indoor/outdoor setups that use small bins the size of a trim bin. Some fit on a counter top but most are for discrete corners or out of the way spots. Prices start at $120 but go as high as $180 for these base Maze models.

Not many 3D printable options either. But I’m thinking about printing this one.

If needed I can make more levels.


No spigot but it’s small enough I can just dump it into a bottle manually or make a hole and add one. We’ll see…



No one local carries the Red Wigglers but a few will special order, $15 plus tax for 50 is the best I’ve found. Amazon wants $20 to $50 for the same thing. Should have looked when fishing season opened. Some bait shops carried these and night crawlers.

 

[Zen_seeker]

The first worm composter failed to print properly. Kept going stringy. So I chose another smaller model that’s round rather than square. Only problem is that it’s for a single bin with a separate base and lid. Further inspection has me believing that the main bin design will let stack them. I’ll start with two and see if it works.

New design.



At 2:30am the second bin had an error at 99% and 3 minutes left. Lucky it was just an out of place spool. It was down to three loops of filament left. I fixed it and it finished but the last run is a bit bumpy rather than smooth. (Who cares, it’s a worm bin?!)


They stack!

I’ll do the base next and then the lid. We’re out of black so I’ll use the brown petg-gf I have left over. After that I’ll do a final third bin for when things get rocking and I need more space for scraps and worms.

To be continued…

 

[Zen_seeker]

Garden is slowing down but flowers are still going.











Drying is going terribly wrong. Weather made it 22*, damp and 77%RH in the basement. I hooked up the dehumidifier but that made it 28* and 27%RH by morning so it’s off for now.

 

[Pipecarver]

I'm using 2 dehues to get my flower tent down. 1 can maintain 65% but I need both going to get 50% or lower if I can. My basement stays pretty cool even with 2 dehues running. great this time of year in veg, flowering??? I'll need both going again real soon

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Garden is slowing down but flowers are still going.

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Drying is going terribly wrong. Weather made it 22*, damp and 77%RH in the basement. I hooked up the dehumidifier but that made it 28* and 27%RH by morning so it’s off for now.
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Looks nice! What kind of melon is that with the peppers and tomatoes?

 

[Zen_seeker]

Looks nice! What kind of melon is that with the peppers and tomatoes?

Sugar Baby. Haven’t opened it yet. Two more still on the vine.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Worm farms done.


Feet almost slide over the base feet. 1% off as it’s just a hair off wide enough. Everything else is a perfect fit.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Worm farms done.
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Feet almost slide over the base feet. 1% off as it’s just a hair off wide enough. Everything else is a perfect fit.

I was able to get two out of the four feet to slide over the originals. So I grabbed a rotary tool and rounded the sides of all the feet and removed any burrs. Once all slid on with a bit of force I used a rubber mallet to seat them solid all the way on.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20250911: GDP Autos

We’re at the end now. Jarred the big one and got about 3oz. Small one that got mildew or mold is pending a second inspection. I’m even using a black light. So far only about 1oz was jarred as I know the lowers are good. The rest I want verified by a good set of eyes. Rather toss it than risk it.

Other than posting the final weight this threads done. I’ll start a winter run thread once I know what I want to pop next.

Thanks for the company on this one.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Went to buy red wigglers from Canadian Tire, only two had stock and neither was close by. Hit the one in Ajax as they had 11 boxes in stock and were the closest.

The boxes looked like single serving ice cream containers. And seemed light. I opened two and couldn’t find one worm. I took a third that had more soil to the returns counter and asked if it was supposed to be live worms or eggs? Seems no one knew but assumed live. I pointed out that 50 worms in the container should be visible and we can’t find any. So they agreed to let me dump it into a dust pan they had. Three worms. One moving a bit and two others not moving. Seems they were from June. I’m guessing they ate each other or just died and turned to mush.

As it’s end of fishing season I wasn’t sure where to get any. Amazon wants $45 for a $15 box that holds 50. I had an idea that a pet store might have worms for food so checked Pet Smart. They seem to carry the same type. Reviews are up/down so it’s buyer beware. They do agree that fall/winter are the best time to buy to ensure they are still alive and the right amount so I’ll go to one later this week.

 

[Zen_seeker]

The wife and i decided to try one of our mini sugar baby watermelons. It’s about the size of a softball.


Lots of seeds to try again next year.

It was actually quite good. Sweet and juicy. No yucky parts and hardly any white rind. We still have two on the vine.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Our neighborhood raptor had a mate two weeks ago. One flying high and the other just above the tree tops. They would screech once in a while. Last week they both were absent.

Sometime between 7:30-9:00am a squirrel and rabbit were in the upper yard around the vegetable garden. One or both got into the plants. Two sunflowers got hit, tomatoes were bitten but left behind. Lots of dirt dug up.

I’m sure the squirrel did mist of the damage but the rabbit might have gotten the sunflowers. Not sure. We saw the squirrel with a green tomato the next morning.

Rabbit






So I put out cages again.



Something tried again the next morning.

If anything’s missing this morning I’m putting the cage trap out.

 

[ninjadip]

Our neighborhood raptor had a mate two weeks ago. One flying high and the other just above the tree tops. They would screech once in a while. Last week they both were absent.

Sometime between 7:30-9:00am a squirrel and rabbit were in the upper yard around the vegetable garden. One or both got into the plants. Two sunflowers got hit, tomatoes were bitten but left behind. Lots of dirt dug up.

I’m sure the squirrel did mist of the damage but the rabbit might have gotten the sunflowers. Not sure. We saw the squirrel with a green tomato the next morning.

Rabbit
View attachment 113762

View attachment 113763

View attachment 113764

So I put out cages again.View attachment 113765

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Something tried again the next morning. View attachment 113767View attachment 113768

If anything’s missing this morning I’m putting the cage trap out.

Just read a story of a record breaking 35' sunflower!!

The world's tallest sunflower blooms in an Indiana backyard as a tribute to Ukraine

When Alex Babich looks up at the 35-foot sunflower towering over his Fort Wayne, Indiana, backyard, he sees more than just a plant. He sees a tribute to his roots.

apnews.com

 

[Zen_seeker]

Just read a story of a record breaking 35' sunflower!!

The world's tallest sunflower blooms in an Indiana backyard as a tribute to Ukraine

When Alex Babich looks up at the 35-foot sunflower towering over his Fort Wayne, Indiana, backyard, he sees more than just a plant. He sees a tribute to his roots.

apnews.com

That’s crazy!

My largest is only 5’-6’ atm. It’s a mammoth that can go 15’. Got the seeds from Stonemason who has many of them growing each year.

I had a lot of luck with the Teddy Bear sunflowers this year. I’ll need to grow them indoor sooner as our yard lost most of its sunlight when both neighbouring houses got renovated and block our sun now.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Just read a story of a record breaking 35' sunflower!!

The world's tallest sunflower blooms in an Indiana backyard as a tribute to Ukraine

When Alex Babich looks up at the 35-foot sunflower towering over his Fort Wayne, Indiana, backyard, he sees more than just a plant. He sees a tribute to his roots.

apnews.com

This write up has a really nice backstory. Thanks for sharing. That scaffold is sketchy af, though .

 

[ninjadip]

This write up has a really nice backstory. Thanks for sharing. That scaffold is sketchy af, though .

Yeah i enjoyed the backstory as well, very interesting

 

[stonemason]

This guy lives 20 minutes from me.same city Johnny apple seed is buried in.