Rusty Trichome
Member
Hi everyone. Been here a while, figure it's time for a grow log. I've done indoor grows for many years now, but this is my first real attempt at an outdoor grow.
Background:
I'm in Nye Co. Nevada, about half an hour from Death Valley. Temperatures are hot, but it's a dry heat. Humidity is usually under 15%.
Water is from our underground aquifer, and comes out of the tap at about 7.6ph. Native soil is clay, so I don't grow in it. Sorta. I dug a hole 6 x 5.5 x 4 foot deep and filled it with what I could afford.
Pea gravel and small river rocks (rinsed well) for between 4 and 6 inches of drainage.
First of the soils was the bulk garden soil trucked-in for my partners raised bed veggies. Smelled strongly of livestock pee. Once his raised beds were filled, what was left went into the hole. About 80 cu. ft. I'm guessing.
Next was 4 bags (2 cu. ft. ea) of Miracle Grow Moisture Control, which smelled like livestock pee mixed with something REALLY yucky. Couldn't put my finger on it. Anyway...that didn't fill the hole, so we got 5 bags (3 cu. ft. each) of Kellogg's organic garden mix...and a couple medium bags of perlite. I mixed it all in and watered it down every couple days. Nothing more to do but check moisture retention daily, remove tumble weed parts and wait for the fence.
The pipes have 3/8 inch holes every 4 inches. Using 'em as a dipstick tube, to try and monitor general water absorption. Was thinking about removing 'em, but with this slow-draining clay (bottom of the hole) I might put end-caps on the pipes and leave 'em be. If soil gets over-saturated I can remove the caps, giving the moisture an express escape route.
While waiting for the garden fence, I put the candidates outside to acclimate. Pet fences not only keep pets in...they keep pets out, lol.
Guess I should have checked weather reports better. I moved 'em outside and put other plants in their spots under the lights. The next 2 days...rain. The next two days following that...30mph winds with 50mph gusts. Needless to say it beat the crap out of the girls. This shot was after the winds died down. A little bit of wind burn, but...overall they're fine.
Stars lined-up right, and I now have a fenced-in area. It's 12' x 12' and protected on all sides from prying eyes and damaging winds. Once completed, I did a once-around. Prying eyes will have to pry pretty darned hard to see my girls.
With the fence up, the girls went in.
Tallest girl is around 24 inches, shortest is about 14". Wasn't going to include it, but what the heck...
Once they're over the transplant shock (none yet) I'll start the training. Likely I'll get some garden tape and some stakes to tie to.
I was going to use eye bolts screwed-into the fence, to tie off to. But that's a lot of string all over the place, and I'm not always fleet-of-foot. I'll try super cropping on a couple branches at first, but our intense sun might prevent this technique. Guess I'll see. I still have the weed cloth to install, but need more funds for mulch to cover the black fabric.
There are 4 strains. As they progress, I'll identify each for ya. But there's Nye-99, (originally Z-99, but I re-named it for local appeal) Grand Daddy Purple, Black Afghani and Eclectic Daisy. (ED is an indica-dominate strain I crossed last year, and have been working on)
I guess that's it for now. Hope y'all have a nice summer.
Background:
I'm in Nye Co. Nevada, about half an hour from Death Valley. Temperatures are hot, but it's a dry heat. Humidity is usually under 15%.
Water is from our underground aquifer, and comes out of the tap at about 7.6ph. Native soil is clay, so I don't grow in it. Sorta. I dug a hole 6 x 5.5 x 4 foot deep and filled it with what I could afford.
Pea gravel and small river rocks (rinsed well) for between 4 and 6 inches of drainage.
First of the soils was the bulk garden soil trucked-in for my partners raised bed veggies. Smelled strongly of livestock pee. Once his raised beds were filled, what was left went into the hole. About 80 cu. ft. I'm guessing.
Next was 4 bags (2 cu. ft. ea) of Miracle Grow Moisture Control, which smelled like livestock pee mixed with something REALLY yucky. Couldn't put my finger on it. Anyway...that didn't fill the hole, so we got 5 bags (3 cu. ft. each) of Kellogg's organic garden mix...and a couple medium bags of perlite. I mixed it all in and watered it down every couple days. Nothing more to do but check moisture retention daily, remove tumble weed parts and wait for the fence.
The pipes have 3/8 inch holes every 4 inches. Using 'em as a dipstick tube, to try and monitor general water absorption. Was thinking about removing 'em, but with this slow-draining clay (bottom of the hole) I might put end-caps on the pipes and leave 'em be. If soil gets over-saturated I can remove the caps, giving the moisture an express escape route.
While waiting for the garden fence, I put the candidates outside to acclimate. Pet fences not only keep pets in...they keep pets out, lol.
Guess I should have checked weather reports better. I moved 'em outside and put other plants in their spots under the lights. The next 2 days...rain. The next two days following that...30mph winds with 50mph gusts. Needless to say it beat the crap out of the girls. This shot was after the winds died down. A little bit of wind burn, but...overall they're fine.
Stars lined-up right, and I now have a fenced-in area. It's 12' x 12' and protected on all sides from prying eyes and damaging winds. Once completed, I did a once-around. Prying eyes will have to pry pretty darned hard to see my girls.
With the fence up, the girls went in.
Tallest girl is around 24 inches, shortest is about 14". Wasn't going to include it, but what the heck...
Once they're over the transplant shock (none yet) I'll start the training. Likely I'll get some garden tape and some stakes to tie to.
I was going to use eye bolts screwed-into the fence, to tie off to. But that's a lot of string all over the place, and I'm not always fleet-of-foot. I'll try super cropping on a couple branches at first, but our intense sun might prevent this technique. Guess I'll see. I still have the weed cloth to install, but need more funds for mulch to cover the black fabric.
There are 4 strains. As they progress, I'll identify each for ya. But there's Nye-99, (originally Z-99, but I re-named it for local appeal) Grand Daddy Purple, Black Afghani and Eclectic Daisy. (ED is an indica-dominate strain I crossed last year, and have been working on)
I guess that's it for now. Hope y'all have a nice summer.
