The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[fisher15]

Bamboo- Thank you. Those were all clones, plugged from 5 gallon bags May 9. The mounds were about 12x12'. Plants on 15' centers. There is good soil all over out there from previous season's spilt out. By the end of summer I was watering the ground all around the mounds.

I feel the mounds veg out a little faster and are generally healthier because of more available oxygen to the rootzone, which gives you the ability to throw down more water.

 

[bamboogardner]

Those were all clones, plugged from 5 gallon bags May 9.

Thanks for taking the time to elaborate fisher. Well for me it is a no brainer. Do the clones and not take the risk of getting a bad batch of seeds from whomever and not having them produce. I do have some seeds I will be popping since I do not have clones of them though.

Your theory on the mounds I think is right on. Trenches will hold water, especially in the red clay that California is famous for. The mounds let water run out naturally if overwatered. It is my opinion that the tap root of seed grown does not get much oxygen after about 2 feet, so the lateral branching of the clone underground is beneficial and not hindered by the smarties or trenches.

How many Cubic Yards of soil on those mounds. Looks to be about 4 or so. The old saying. The bigger the root, the bigger the fruit.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

the patches that do best at my farm are the old trenches that have turned in to long mounds from piling more soil on season after season. The big one is 8' x 80 and the rest are 8 x 50 ...Big soil in them.

 

[bamboogardner]

the patches that do best at my farm are the old trenches that have turned in to long mounds from piling more soil on season after season. The big one is 8' x 80 and the rest are 8 x 50 ...Big soil in them.

Hmmmm, that may be a good idea. How deep were those trenches? I am on a hillside. Dig trenches, mound them up like you said, AND add a peculation pipe on the bottom of the trench with a drop of 1 foot for every 100 feet, which is called a French Drain. This way the water could never puddle up and cause root rot. You have the best of the trenches and mounds, all in one. Water the dickens out of the girls. If you are overwatering, it will come out the end of the French Drain pipe.

Get back to me how deep those trenches are. The wheels are turning, lol. Backhoe, here I come.

 

[bamboogardner]

what do you use to keep the roots from growing into the drain pipe?

Well with clones, the roots are growing laterally, not vertically. Even with seeds, the roots should not go down about 2 or 3 feet, but maybe deeper in an amended soil such is used growing our girls. But back to the original question.

You put this tar paper over the top of the pipe. This diverts roots to the side because it hits the tar paper covering the pipe and the root grows around it. On the french drain, the water is actually coming up from the bottom of the pipe and it drains out. The term "tar paper" is used figuratively, and it is not really "tar" but a special paper that goes over the pipe. It keeps the roots and soil from clogging up the top of the pipe. Any hardware store carries both the pipe and paper. Some people use a special cloth to cover the top of the pipe too.

I have never done this. I am just a bro who has a contractors license utilizing basic knowledge on how to drain excess water out of an environment. I do see some of our brothers here mentioning excess water in a trench. Better to be safe than sorry. Maybe some of the more seasoned growers can chime in on this.

The downward slope is essential on any French Drain. Otherwise you are wasting your time. One more thing. The pipe is just a black plastic flexible tubing with a bunch of holes punched in it. Nothing special and inexpensive. In some situations, some people cover the pipe with stone. This should not be necessary because you are not trying to empty a bog, just get excess water off the girls after overwatering so the roots do not rot.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

I know about the corrugated drain pipe you're talking about. It really isn't necessary.

It's amazing to me how many people have problems watering. Is it really that complicated? When it's cool and they're small, don't water them a lot. As they get bigger and it warms up increase the amount of water. When it's hot as fuck hammer them every day, as they get old and ready to die and drink less, cut back again. Easy. I will say when it's in that Hot as fuck hammer them time of the Summer, to water all my patches and food it takes me 10,000 gallons every day. Be up on that water storage ya'll!

I'm embarassed to say the two that originally were trenches are 6' deep. They also started out 6' wide. Now they are more like 8' wide and mounded up a good 2' above the ground so there is 8' of worked soil there. LOL. The trench could have been only 2' deep and it would be the same probably.

I have 3 8'x50's that I built on top of a "House Pad" that I made by pouring hundreds and hundreds of yards of compost , peat , perlite , lava rock and amendments mixed with native soil in a 40x50 area..The pad is probably good for 1.5 - 2' and the trenches are a good 2' on top of that.

Both patches have done me soild the last few years in a row.

It's funny in 2010 and 2011 I didn't have as much soil but I had better spacing , MUCH better spacing and my per plant averages were similar to what they are now but I had to work harder to get there...Now I have an incredible amount of soil, so much soil that the delivery driver asks me if I just like it when he comes to visit...but the spacing is tight..Much too tight for my liking.

Maybe next year I'll end up planting fruit trees in all my current mounds and start over by building a bunch of green houses like I've dreamed about doing for a long time

 

[milkyjoe]

Backyard...completely off topic, but if you started new fruit trees would you prune them or go all One Straw on them? I would be damn tempted not to prune them...course space would be an issue 10 yrs down the road or something.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

I also would be tempted to let them just go , but like you , 10 years down the road see myself pulling some trees out or regretting being lazy. So I will get up on the ladder and manage their canopy.

Believe me, I am considering making this year my last year in my current set up , building green houses and doing the types of plants I like with the spacing I like in a controlled climate and growing fruit in my current gardens. I miss having room to work in my ganja patch.

I suppose that puts the nail in the coffin re pruning the orchard...

 

[Cep]

Revolution ftw, the plant knows what to do...

 

[420247]

Backyard Orchard Culture

Backyard Orchard Culture

http://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens/backyard-orchard-culture

I like the idea of small fruit trees and no need for ladders

 

[Madjag]

I don't mean to misrepresent, none of the seed stock that we are going to run is stuff that is offered from Ganja Rebel , Humboldt Seed Organization , local clubs or any other seed peddler. I wouldn't trust any of those seeds. I'm sure there may be good stuff in them, I'm just not going to be the guy to find out.

To me what makes a seed line good is a high % of uniform winners , the ability to continue the line forward with out fixing traits that reduce the quality of the line...

This selection criteria disqualifies 99% of stuff out there.

....and remember Tom Hill, a master breeder and grower, whose genetics are in that 1%.

.....in fact, this awesome thread was started in order to ask him how he gets such great results in his fields. Go back through this thread and you'll find all the answers you need.

 

[bamboogardner]

Last season was very much a success.
Wishing everyone luck on their start. See yas in San Bernardino.

Hey Fisher. Those pics are amazing, to say the least. Couple more questions please. On those trenches, how high did we get on those pics? Also, the strain, was it a blue dream or sativa dominant strain that is known to get large and tall?

Reason to ask is I have cut rolls of the concrete reinforcing mesh which is 7 foot tall. That obviously would not work, lol, but is easier to install than the trellis netting, which I hate. I have in the past added another 5 feet to the 7 foot wire since the rolls come in 5 and 7 foot height. End of year you just roll them up, stack them in a corner, and reuse the next year.

How tall and wiide did some of your hybrid sativa/indicas get? Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Hey Fisher. Those pics are amazing, to say the least. Couple more questions please. On those trenches, how high did we get on those pics? Also, the strain, was it a blue dream or sativa dominant strain that is known to get large and tall?

Reason to ask is I have cut rolls of the concrete reinforcing mesh which is 7 foot tall. That obviously would not work, lol, but is easier to install than the trellis netting, which I hate. I have in the past added another 5 feet to the 7 foot wire since the rolls come in 5 and 7 foot height. End of year you just roll them up, stack them in a corner, and reuse the next year.

How tall and wiide did some of your hybrid sativa/indicas get? Thanks in advance for the info.

Hey it isn't a big deal when they grow up the extra 5' out of the re-mesh , if you are on your game you will have put a cap on the re-mesh already and the main structure will be supported. For the extra height put in some T Posts , strap some Bamboo to it and throw some Hortonova over. If you put it on right you can just chop the colas off to dry for your main cut then roll up the hortonova and keep going as the flowers ripen.

Old Betsy grew out to be 13' tall and 12' wide...

Wish I was some where I could finish a Blue Dream type plant...

 

[GanjaRebelSeeds]

Hey it isn't a big deal when they grow up the extra 5' out of the re-mesh , if you are on your game you will have put a cap on the re-mesh already and the main structure will be supported. For the extra height put in some T Posts , strap some Bamboo to it and throw some Hortonova over. If you put it on right you can just chop the colas off to dry for your main cut then roll up the hortonova and keep going as the flowers ripen.

Old Betsy grew out to be 13' tall and 12' wide...

Wish I was some where I could finish a Blue Dream type plant...

We usually pull the Dream on Oct 10 th. Some people take it a tad early by the 7th. But that's in containers. Huge mounds probably go to the 18th I guess.
Hope you have a great season bro.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Hey Ganja Rebel, around here you'd be pulling the blue dream early too. Every one I know who does the Blue Dream is running her in to November...I just don't have the opportunity to be able to do that.

Are you running Nomaads Blue Dream? Maybe that one comes in sooner...The Blue Dream that's been around Humboldt since there has been a blue dream in no way would be ready by 10/10 or even 10/21 in a 5 yard hole...More like 11/7 around here....

 

[fisher15]

The dream at my place this year was pulled 10/13-10/21. Mounds did take a lil longer to ripen and fade than those 400's. I must not have the cut you are referring to, Backyard Farmer. I think that was still Nomaads actually. But I didn't keep it..no more dream for me.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Yeah, I don't care about blue dream, I just want that type of vigor on weed thats great, not good. Main reason why I am looking to Kush Cleaner crosses.

The Old Betsy is the closest thing to a Blue Dream type plant that I can work with and I'm pretty tired of tending to it, it's very hard to keep in veg indoors. It has a great smell , stupefying high , and can have decent bag appeal when done right.

I recently picked up the Cherry Pie. Seems to have the robust root system you want on an out door plant and vigor to match. I was making some cuttings today and the 3 cherry pie cuttings I made stink up the whole tray! I know Yes4Prop215 and Boobs have tended the Cherry Pie, have you guys gotten them in to the 5 LB range? When does she come in?

 

[bamboogardner]

Yeah, I don't care about blue dream, I just want that type of vigor on weed thats great, not good.

I hear you guys on the Blue Dream. I had some dank dream last year. The dispensaries told me they don't even want any dream. Took the rest of my grow though. I think it will be the same this fall on the cookies. I have moved on with that one too. If High Times has an article on it, centerfold, well..... you know it's over on that strain. They are definitely not on the cutting edge of having the best and latest info.

Most of the bro's I have talked to this year all said that their harvest was late a few weeks, mine included. Weather, global warming, or whatever. I was running about two weeks late on everything.

Careful on those Cherry Pies. They are PM whores. Both myself and a few others in this area had problems with them this year. Everything else was fine. Could be the area though, but with some folks on the coast, I would beware. I have seen them called PM magnets in other discussions too. Just a FYI.

Ganja, we need seeds. Where can we find them at? Your one of the few peeps we can trust. San Bernardino maybe (fingers crossed)

Later folks!

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Pm is a culture problem not a genetic problem.

My garden performed as it had in years past regarding finishing etc.,

 

[GanjaRebelSeeds]

I hear you guys on the Blue Dream. I had some dank dream last year. The dispensaries told me they don't even want any dream. Took the rest of my grow though. I think it will be the same this fall on the cookies. I have moved on with that one too. If High Times has an article on it, centerfold, well..... you know it's over on that strain. They are definitely not on the cutting edge of having the best and latest info.

Most of the bro's I have talked to this year all said that their harvest was late a few weeks, mine included. Weather, global warming, or whatever. I was running about two weeks late on everything.

Careful on those Cherry Pies. They are PM whores. Both myself and a few others in this area had problems with them this year. Everything else was fine. Could be the area though, but with some folks on the coast, I would beware. I have seen them called PM magnets in other discussions too. Just a FYI.

Ganja, we need seeds. Where can we find them at? Your one of the few peeps we can trust. San Bernardino maybe (fingers crossed)

Later folks!

Not really the right forum, but i'll let Cali peeps know where they can find them soon.