Defiler

Got branches hanging and ceiling fan on full tilt, temps around 22 degrees and RH hovering around 65%, not ideal, but humidity should start to drop in a couple of days (it's also been raining the last two nights in a row which doesn't help). Buds are rock hard and are stinking up the house, but I really need to invest in a dehumidifier as there is going to be a lot more bud to dry in the next few weeks!

Decided to harvest the Jillybean and Pineapple chunk at the crack of dawn this morning, weather has been super windy the last few days and it looks like some light rain this eve so wanted to get those two plants chopped ASAP. Noticed a couple of small spots of powdery mildew on some of the lower leaves of the Jillybean which I removed before chopping, but luckily, it looks like nothing on the buds or any of the other plants. Also had a tiny amount of bud rot on the pineapple chunk from water dripping off the shade cloth onto a couple of buds, but noting too serious, just picked it off with some tweezers before chopping the plant. Day before harvest: Jillybean (started going dark purple after cooler night time temps and lots of flushing) Pineapple Chunk: (probably the next strain I'll do indoors)

Ah, I thought as much. Thanks for the input! I've only done a few indoor runs using General Hydroponics tripart salt based nutes, but never salts outdoors in soil/coco/pearlite. I was using the Biogrow range for a few years and then swapped over to the Pro Organic range and have always used molasses when growing organically. I just found that using molasses always made the buds extra sweet and sticky compared to times I didn't use it, even did a side by side comparison with some indoor clones. Regardless, I always like to flush heavy, even with organics as I like to get that fade in But the proof will be in the pudding!

Just a quick update, I spoke to the manufacturer of the nutrients and he advised I shouldn't use any molasses and I should just push through with the salts until a week before harvest, so I'll do just that! The Pineapple Chunk and Jillybean will be up for harvest first, probably in the next 10 days or so, so I gave them their last dose of bloom nutrients before I flush. The sativas are still taking their sweet time, but getting thicker and still stretching, the one Chocolope actually ended up hitting the ceiling of the shade cloth so I tied it down a bit. The wind has been insane the last few days, so I had to do some extra tying up, but all good.

Getting thiccc, frosty and stinky! RH has been high, hovering around 80%, there has also been some rain and wind, so making sure the lower sections are nicely defoliated. Pineapple Chunk and Jillybean will be done first as I'm just starting to see some trichomes turn amber, usually around this time I would stop feeding and start "flushing" with rainwater and molasses, usually for two weeks, and then just plain rainwater for a few days before harvest. Since I'm using salt based ferts, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to introduce molasses, I know some nutrients will be available immediately, but I have no idea what the soil microbe life is like.

Stoked, installed my little water pump this week to help with water pressure, makes life so much easier! Indica dominant strains thickening up and the sativa strains are still stretching for the stars!

Looking good!

My only concern for this grow is if there happens to be torrential rain... I would like to get a clear pullover tarp but it's a bit out of my budget currently.

Touch wood, I haven't needed to use anything this whole grow! (except giving the whole grow area a generous dusting of diatomaceous earth before planting seeds) Plants are healthy and full of predatory bugs; praying mantises, lynx spiders, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, and the occasional ladybird. I did apply quite a thick layer of mulch and keep any weeds out. I even saw a Western Cape leopard toad under one of the plants.

AK-01 from Anaconda Seeds (two phenos) Slurricane 7 from In House Genetics: Raspberry Cough (Nirvana Seeds) Jillybean (free gift)

Pineapple Chunk from Barney's Farm: Purple Haze from Green Smoke Room: Bubba Cheesecake from Seedsman: Chocolope from Barney’s Farm: (2 plants)

Plants are getting thick and stinky! I can smell them from the other side of the property lol. Slowly adjusting pH to 6.1 - 6.2 for flower. I need to do some defoliation and tie up some of the lower branches.

Some notes to add: I planted seeds directly into coco/pearlite mix, watered with rainwater @ pH 5.95 - 6.00 until germination. About a week after germination I started with 0.5ml/L veg nutes mixed with rainwater, pH 5.9 - 6.00, hand watered. Gave seedlings a half-dose of CalMag foliar spray 1ml/L every two weeks, and every other week 10ml/L Kelpak foliar spray. Increased veg nutes to 1ml/L, fed once a week. Watered with tap water mixed with rainwater pH 6.00 about ever 2-3 days depending how hot it was. Every week I increased nutrient strength by 1ml/L until I was @ 4ml/L base and veg nutrient. Stopped CalMag foliar spray, hand watered Kelpak 20ml/L every two weeks. Got heatstroke and missed a few feedings... had to have a friend water with rainwater/tap water from my reservoir for about two weeks, pH 6.00. Started spraying plants with Biogrow Phyta every two weeks until first sign of budding. Switched plants to bloom feeding schedule, 4ml/L base nutrient and 4ml/L bloom. Stopped Kelpak. Its so hot, waterings plants almost daily. Feeding weekly. I fill up a 500L water tank with either tap water or rainwater which I use for watering, I adjust it to pH 6.00 for watering between feeds, I have a air pump and some air stones in the tank to keep the water well oxygenated and to help bubble and evaporate some of the chemicals in the tap water, if I fill the tank with tap water I like to wait at least 24 hours before I use it for my plants. If the water is too warm, I chuck in a few frozen blocks! I like to keep the temperature around 23 degrees.

I don't know if it's just me, but pics look super compressed...

Finally, time for an update! So ya, I did get pretty serious exertional heatstroke followed by rhabdomyolysis, now I can't stand the heat for more than a few minutes at a time, going to take months to make a full recovery, but at least plants are happy! I've been giving them full strength bloom nutrients once a week, and 20ml/L of Kelpak every two weeks which I have stopped now. I have also been spraying with with Biogrow Phyta every two weeks, but have since stopped since plants are in flower. I haven't needed to use neem oil or anything else since plants are happy and there aren't any bugs except for the occasional grasshopper... I did get some pretty nasty leaf burn on a couple of plants due to the crazy mountain fires in my area, the ash landed on the shade cloth, and then when it drizzled, concentrated ash dripped off the shade cloth and onto some leaves... Plants are starting to get really stinky, especially the Bubba Cheesecake, it has that really strong skunky cat piss smell with a hint of fruitiness... Also, the one AK-01 has gotten quite large, almost 2.4m tall and over 2m wide... I will update with individual pics as the plants mature. Time for some pics!

Will be updating soon, plants are really putting on the stretch! I've just been sick as a dog since Friday, I think I may have picked up heatstroke working in the garden because I still got sunburnt through my shirt and have been barely able to get out of bed without fainting. Went to doc, took some blood, will wait for results. The sun has been pumping out UV radiation the last couple of weeks... Has been peaking at 14 UV index for at least a few hours each day... Keep safe all you outdoor growers!

Some pics from today: Pulled one purple haze regular that turned out to be male. The two AK-01s and the slurricane #7 are the biggest plants so far (all just over 1.5m already).

Another year another grow! I have been growing organically in the same area for about 15 years now, but only recently fully enclosed my grow area with 40% shade cloth to help prevent wind burn and other issues as the Cape Doctor likes to do a number on my plants each year! Growing outdoors is really just fun for me and a place to experiment with different strains or growing methods. This grow I have changed things up a bit and thought a forum would be a good place to track my progress. I am growing in soil which has loads of organic matter on the surface but mostly sandy soil with poor drainage about 40-50cm down, so I dug some holes to fill with compost, worm castings, some leaf mulch and other organic matter before giving a good soak with rainwater @ pH 6 and washing in some TrikoLogic I had left over my previous organic grow. I then mixed in a few big blocks of coco coir and pearlite and then leveled the area as much as possible before giving another good soak. This grow I will be running salt based nutes to compare to my previous organic grows as I would like have this area fully irrigated and to keep things as simple as possible going forward. I love growing organically, but it's just so much fucking work! I planted a little later than usual as I hadn't got the shade cloth up yet, but planted the following strains: 23/10/23 - Pineapple Chunk, Bubba Cheesecake, 2x AK-01, Raspberry Cough - a couple didn't germinate, and a couple got eaten by those big fat hairy caterpillars, so I planted some more seeds I had in my collection: 07/11/23 - 2x Purple Haze, 2x Chocolope, Slurricane #7, and JBL (Jillybean) Right, time for some pics!

Not sure why some of the pics are upside down though...

Wadddup guys and gals!? Been growing for a while, thought I would join the forum as a place to record some of my endeavors as I'm terrible at taking notes lol. I grow indoors and outdoors, but have a love for growing massive plants outdoors. The last few years I have been growing organically (inside and out), but thought I would change things up a bit and trial some salt based nutrients outdoors in soil this time. Some pics from grows throughout the years: