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[MEGA]Community Growing advice, tips, tricks, & experiences Part 5 (2012-2013)

I love the way canna growers can take the simplest of ideas and turn it into something so effective.

Check this awesome growing technique. Training with a stick. I might try it as well as trellising (training onto a fence).

med_gallery_71958_4358_115942.jpg
 
Hi again Artificial Emotion,

Two years ago i've grown behind my windows and couldn't provide more than 10 hours per day, even using a reflector panel while moving them between windows 3 times each day this didn't seem to make my plants as successful as those of people using cabinets, etc. Perhaps these genetics happen to be hungrier for light than "photo" strains, i wonder...

By the way, the "training" method developped above feels impressive. I wish i could play with this again some day! The rocks on top remind me that i've tested it as well...

=D
 
When you say behind your windows you mean inside? If so then that explains it since it's very hard to get enough light that way. You really need to have your plant out in the open in a south facing space (northern hemisphere), not obscured by trees or buildings.

You will never yield as much with an auto strain as you would with a photoperiod strain outdoors (or indooors in most circumstances) so that is a consideration you just need to factor in when you're weighing the pros and cons. Overall I think autos have their place outdoors as long as they are mold resistant enough to be viable. They are a niche that allow you to grow in places photoperoid strains cannot (such as near street lights) and they let you harvest earlier, avoiding problems with rippers or law enforcement. There are plenty more reasons to go down the auto route too, but you just need to be aware of their limitations.
 
I love the way canna growers can take the simplest of ideas and turn it into something so effective.

Check this awesome growing technique. Training with a stick. I might try it as well as trellising (training onto a fence).

med_gallery_71958_4358_115942.jpg


That's a pretty cool training method. But, that is not effective for my plants. I do use chicken wire fencing to train and support the mega baseball bat sized colas on the 300 and 400 gallon smart pots.
 
When I say fencing just to clarify I don't mean a scrog type setup, but rather the fencing at a right angle to the ground, training the foliage along one verticle plane. This could be facing the south, to increase light exposure compared to conventional growing. So in a way it would be like scrog, but instead of the scrog screen at a right angle to the grow bulb, it would be at a right angle to the south itself. This will increase yield quite a bit, and not just through creating more tops but as I said, exposing more foliage to the max amount of sunlight possible.

Instead of chicken wire it would use two posts 1 to 2 metres long 1 to 3m apart (driven into the ground) and wires stretched between them at 30-45cm intervals, like a wire fence or grape trellis. As long as it's oriented on an east-west axis it should give maximum sun exposure.

Here is what I mean:

med_gallery_51167_2607_18527.jpg
 
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Salutations FreeHugs,

It's not all clear to me: why would you want to grow an auto-flowering strain outdoors when there's never 18 - 20 hours of daylight and even less sunlight?...

The benefit of being an "auto", i thought, would be a brief life-cycle as a result of receiving more light daily. If the seeds are germinated outdoors now then the vegetative phase won't be optimal and then it would only seem natural that they don't deliver a havest up to normal expectations. Personally i'd want to complete a satisfying early development phase, expecially when considering its flowering phase wouldn't be optimal neither... Only then i'd bring them under the sun to benefit from the protection of natural parasite predators, etc. Thinking some UV may do them good too.

Please tell where i've got it all wrong if i have!

:?
Basically what AE said, but yeah I just want to try them. They are kind of hyped and I can't get many good sativas up here without going to a dispensary, so an extra pound would be great :) Plus right now I get 12+ hours of full, hot ass sun so they will be great.
 
When I say fencing just to clarify I don't mean a scrog type setup, but rather the fencing at a right angle to the ground, training the foliage along one verticle plane. This could be facing the south, to increase light exposure compared to conventional growing. So in a way it would be like scrog, but instead of the scrog screen at a right angle to the grow bulb, it would be at a right angle to the south itself. This will increase yield quite a bit, and not just through creating more tops but as I said, exposing more foliage to the max amount of sunlight possible.

Instead of chicken wire it would use two posts 1 to 2 metres long 1 to 3m apart (driven into the ground) and wires stretched between them at 30-45cm intervals, like a wire fence or grape trellis. As long as it's oriented on an east-west axis it should give maximum sun exposure.

Here is what I mean:

med_gallery_51167_2607_18527.jpg

Ok, I am following you now. Your talking about a simple trelis such as what grapes are grown on. That would be interesting. What I was referring to is basically a cage around your plant. I use LARGE smart pots in an area well reknown for growing outdoor marijuana. So my plants turn into 15 ft trees that yield upwards of 10 lbs a plant. On some plants the branches would break. Therefore, I create a cage to house the plant and use that as my training "tool". In a way it is like a scrog but not parallel to the ground. Rather the cage is vertical (perpendicular) to the ground. You definitely present some interesting discussion with these training ideas. I am not sure they would be effective for the yields I need to get.

In a week (or less) when the plants are transplanted into their final resting places for the season, I will snap some pictures to show the cage I am mentioning.
 
Salutations Artificial Emotion,

...it's very hard to get enough light... ...grow in places photoperoid strains cannot... ...harvest earlier...

It's all true, i tried behind the window with Cannatonics and i only managed to get some flowers from 1 plant out of 4: bad timing + spider mites infestation made this whole exercise practically fruitless.

8)
 
So my plants turn into 15 ft trees that yield upwards of 10 lbs a plant.
I will snap some pictures to show the cage I am mentioning.

That sounds sweet! I think I saw a pic of that kind of set up from Tom Hill or someone similar. Would love to see pics. Any particular strain for those yields or is it mostly in the methods and conditions?
 
That sounds sweet! I think I saw a pic of that kind of set up from Tom Hill or someone similar. Would love to see pics. Any particular strain for those yields or is it mostly in the methods and conditions?
Strain is not too much of a factor. A common growing method here is very large smart pots. I use 200, 300 and 400's. I would say 4-5 lbs in 100 gallons is pretty achievable for anyone knowledgeable and skilled in growing. A big factor is location. I am in the heart of the emerald triangle in northern California. There is a reason why these mountains produce much of the marijuana in the US. We won't get any more rain here until the fall. A good south exposure provides the plants with full sun all day. Without the location it is impossible to achieve such yields.

Pictures will be coming in a bit. The season is just getting started here.
 
^Makes me want to buy some land. Its shame about the legal restrictions here. 15 ft is not very discrete in the suburbs.
 
Salutations,

Eventually i wouldn't be surprized if i were to be told that tomatoes can't be grown privately, on a balcony for example...

:|
 
Lol thats the day I move into the forest.

I just got my Malawi Standard Seeds today and three free out of Ace's Tropical mix. I'm stoked :3

They're sprouting in worm casting tea and mycorrhizal fungi right now.

Apparently seeds that are soaked for an hour in worm tea (I just germinate them in it) grow much bushier compared to regular non soaked seeds. You guys should try it out. The guy who told me about it said they used a 1% tea when testing it and it worked wonders. This was at some worm conference so yeah it should be legit.
 
Salutations FreeHugs,

Apparently seeds that are soaked for an hour in worm tea (I just germinate them in it) grow much bushier compared to regular non soaked seeds. You guys should try it out. The guy who told me about it said they used a 1% tea when testing it and it worked wonders.

I conducted a simple experience once with percolated water collected at the bottom of my vase, thinking it would cause less stress if the seed could germinate in a medium having a PH level closer to that of the soil where it was going to grow a couple days later. This has never been sorted out for sure but i've observed what looked like a cracking skin of goo all over that seed's surface at the time and i also recall the smell was so terrible i thought it was about to die...

Good day, have fun!

=D
 
After doing a lot of experimentation with worm castings and vermicompost I found the two best applications of this stuff was firstly in actively aerated compost tea (AACT) added to outdoor and indoor plants. I use instructions/recipes from the book written by the scientist that's done the bulk of research into this topic, Dr. Elaine Ingham, in her book, 'the compost tea brewing manual' using a cheap compost tea brewer I bought from her organisation and on outdoor plants I water it into the soil/earth twice during the vegetative and flowering stages, each followed by heavy mulching to seal in the tea so I can avoid the necessity of having to do repeat applications. The second use is the use of neat worm castings in the planting holes on outdoor plants. The idea is that it inoculates the soil so I only need a relatively small amount and I also add rockdust to feed the beneficials as well as adding mycorrhizal fungi at the same time along with diluted molasses (AACT itself is made with mollasses so I don't need to use any extra when I use this).

I avoid adding significant amounts to potting media because I find the heavy structure of the stuff to not be conducive to healthy root growth and I only really use it as a means of innoculating the soil/root zone since it's rich in beneficial bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and fungi. The AACT multiplies these microorganisms, allowing me to add much more than if I added even fresh vermicompost it on it's own. It works quite well at breaking down complex organic nutrients to plant available salts the plants can use for growth and it is able to prevent and treat some diseases IME. It is no panacea but it does have a pronounced positive effect on plant growth as well as keeping plants healthy for longer. So much I never grow without it, particularly on outdoor grows. It is important to use vermicompost from a good source and it must be stored correctly otherwise the beneficials may be killed off. The best way to get it is to make it yourself by having a worm bin under the sink in your kitchen. As long as you feed the worms the correct kitchen waste you will get a good quality worm compost that you can use.
 
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After doing a lot of experimentation with worm castings and vermicompost I found the two best applications of this stuff was firstly in actively aerated compost tea (AACT) added to outdoor and indoor plants. I use instructions/recipes from the book written by the scientist that's done the bulk of research into this topic, Dr. Elaine Ingham, in her book, 'the compost tea brewing manual' using a cheap compost tea brewer I bought from her organisation and on outdoor plants I water it into the soil/earth twice during the vegetative and flowering stages, each followed by heavy mulching to seal in the tea so I can avoid the necessity of having to do repeat applications. The second use is the use of neat worm castings in the planting holes on outdoor plants. The idea is that it inoculates the soil so I only need a relatively small amount and I also add rockdust to feed the beneficials as well as adding mycorrhizal fungi at the same time along with diluted molasses (AACT itself is made with mollasses so I don't need to use any extra when I use this).

I avoid adding significant amounts to potting media because I find the heavy structure of the stuff to not be conducive to healthy root growth and I only really use it as a means of innoculating the soil/root zone since it's rich in beneficial bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and fungi. The AACT multiplies these microorganisms, allowing me to add much more than if I added even fresh vermicompost it on it's own. It works quite well at breaking down complex organic nutrients to plant available salts the plants can use for growth and it is able to prevent and treat some diseases IME. It is no panacea but it does have a pronounced positive effect on plant growth as well as keeping plants healthy for longer. So much I never grow without it, particularly on outdoor grows. It is important to use vermicompost from a good source and it must be stored correctly otherwise the beneficials may be killed off. The best way to get it is to make it yourself by having a worm bin under the sink in your kitchen. As long as you feed the worms the correct kitchen waste you will get a good quality worm compost that you can use.

Great post :)
Wait so just because the "silt" (what I'm guessing you're talking about when you say the material is not good for root growth) is in the tea you don't feed them every time with it? Man if you were just to strain your teas better I'm sure you could completely do away with synthetic nutrients, if you even use any. Plants can easily survive on worm castings tea alone, but if you had say seaweed extract, molasses, composted materials, and alfalfa meal, you pretty much have a complete nutrient for your plant that you can feed at every single watering without having to worry about burning.
 
Salutations FreeHugs,



I conducted a simple experience once with percolated water collected at the bottom of my vase, thinking it would cause less stress if the seed could germinate in a medium having a PH level closer to that of the soil where it was going to grow a couple days later. This has never been sorted out for sure but i've observed what looked like a cracking skin of goo all over that seed's surface at the time and i also recall the smell was so terrible i thought it was about to die...

Good day, have fun!

=D

The experiment is more about the fact that the beneficial parts of the worm tea help the seeds right off the bat, thus making them far bushier later in life. And I have the same thing although I'm pretty sure its from the fungi I added.
 
Great post :)
Wait so just because the "silt" (what I'm guessing you're talking about when you say the material is not good for root growth) is in the tea you don't feed them every time with it? Man if you were just to strain your teas better I'm sure you could completely do away with synthetic nutrients, if you even use any. Plants can easily survive on worm castings tea alone, but if you had say seaweed extract, molasses, composted materials, and alfalfa meal, you pretty much have a complete nutrient for your plant that you can feed at every single watering without having to worry about burning.

The brewer I have is designed so the worm compost goes in a nylon pouch with lots of holes in it. This pouch is suspended by a simple metal frame the fits into the bucket above a powerful pump that bubbles air bubbles up into the water. So I don't need to strain my tea at all with my setup. As for synthetic nutrients, I try to just stick to organic nutrients. For container growing I use Plant Magic Oldtimer bloom and grow when I need it and sometimes Biobizz fishmix. For growing in the ground I don't use any fertilizer because the plants get what they need from the soil and the nutrients in the manure I add. That said when growing in the ground occasionally I use an organic potash fertilizer to add weight during flowering - the main one is comfrey tea since it has a high amount of potash compared to other organic ferts (it is a unique, useful fertilizer).

The goal of my teas is to inoculate the soil rather than provide any usable nutrients (this is why I only use it once or twice). If you feed the soil you will be indirectly feeding the plants anyway but if the plants need feeding I prefer to do that separately. But as above, they don't usually need fertilizer if the plants are in the earth and have access to good soil and organic matter. I always add organic matter anyway because it will not only make poor soil good but it will make good soil excellent.

edit: here's a pic of my commercial brewer (minus special pump tubing that disperses air bubbles and the compressor pump itself). It is awesome.
med_gallery_51167_3924_80668.jpg
 
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Issues Concerning Miracle-Gro Being Used?

Greetings everyone,

This is my first time posting. I'll do my very best to not step on any toes here. I've taken time to review stickies and Growing Tips thread already.

I heard a rumor from a friend of mine recently that not only is there a supposed rise in growers using Miracle-Gro in their cannabis plants, but that this is a dangerous practice since, according to my friend, smoking cannabis with traces of the chemicals in Miracle-Gro can have profoundly negative effects on the body, specifically bone/muscle pain, and literal "killing of brain cells".

I am wondering if anyone here can source me material about this, and/or share feedback with me about this supposed issue? It frankly has me worried.

Thank you for your time!

<3
 
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