Monk

Haha... wow! I'm speechless... where's that dancing banana? WoooHooo! Thanks so much guys!! Congrats to @Fridge, @afternoon blazer and all the participants for such a fun competition this month. Thanks to the generous sponsors for putting up such cool prizes... especially @Totemic - thanks dude! I've been eyeing out your tasty genetics for a while and will make sure to diarise this next adventure. Happy Holidays guys! Monk

By way of an update, I haven't dropped off the earth, just been beset with a few work and personal challenges this week with little time for anything else! Intro my grow: I'm mainly invested in growing a strain called Kalichakra this season as it ticked a few boxes with regards being easy to grow, having a low odour, mould resistance and a good candidate for mainlining/manifolding etc.... and I kinda connect with the Mandala Seeds vibe. These are all the boys and girls on the left. On the right are some of Amadeadly's "Grape Ball's of Fire". I had a few instances damping off during germination, so we've only got 3 contenders here. Crossing fingers there's a female here as these are set to be some stinky fire! Has a few mishaps along the way and made some rookie errors. Here's a précis: The house I'm currently living is a bit of a challenge with regards to light and I need to move this whole lot around about 3 times a day so that they don't end up being shaded by a wall or tree. It's a bit of a mission, but I've gotten used to it. When the plants were in smaller pots I had them all in a solid-bottom crate to make the daily move a bit easier to manage. Not so smart. It rained heavily while I was out visiting a mate and by the time I returned, this whole lot were pretty borderline and it took a few weeks to get them right again. I've been feeding the soil with 'crobes and taking a keen interest on how to protect root systems since the near drowning incident. Reading up on how beneficial marigolds could be in keeping root knot nematodes at bay, I decided it couldn't hurt to add a few seeds to the pots. Mistake #2. I think every single seed germinated and filled these 6/7 litre pots in about 3 or 4 weeks flat! I'd noticed a bit of a Potassium deficiency over the last weeks and couldn't figure out what was causing it!? Added some dandelion root plant juice. No effect. Added some Biobizz Bloom left over from last season. No effect. pH seemed cool, so I was pretty stumped. Didn't connect the dots that the marigolds were budding and using up all the available K in the pots ...and the last few blisteringly hot day's haven't helped matters at all! Only solution... I'm going to try keep them in the semi-shade for the rest of the week, try balance the soil again and let them recover a bit ... perhaps even start a grow diary in an appropriate sub-forum. Will they live or die? You'll have to check it out there. Have a super week everyone! Many blessings Monk

@Heteropyxis Wow! Fast cat too! Would have left me in the dust. I'm a bit of a running n00b and working my way up to around 12k's... happy till around 10 at the moment, but going to keep pushin' on.. Still nothing like a little wake, bake and shake ;-)

Thanks for the warm welcome and positive vibes guys! Lekker to join you all and contribute here so you can all learn from my mistakes..hehe This is one of the most pleasant forums on the inter webs, so credit to the Mods for a job well done. Not blowing smoke, but this forum is a far more pleasant than some of the US-based ones where everyone seems to be an expert on every topic. Left my grow showered in Bioneem early this morning, so I'll take some pics over the weekend when my girls and boys aren't looking so grumpy. @Heteropyxis - thanks for the encouragement cool cat. Hit the streets again this morning. Feeling amped. Have a beautiful day everyone Monk

Just a quick check in to introduce myself and thank you all for the many tips I've picked up recently while lurking on this board. I've been 'growing' for a few years, mostly chucking bag seed in the veld, on friends land and in a few inaccessible places... all stealthy-like. Moved to Gauteng a few years ago and have been experimenting with living-soil in large pots since. Who knew that cannabis was a gateway drug?... Gateway to gardening, that is! This wonderful plant has really given me a whole new perspective on life, connection with mother nature and a love for all things green and growing. My mornings are full with post-meditation gardening and I barely have time to go for a run anymore ... but I digress. Super-interested in the microbiome and learning as much as I can from the work of people like Jeff Lowenfels, Chris Trump, Dr Elaine and all of you here. I've started making some of the long-term KNF & JADAM inputs like OHN, FAA, LABS, FPJ and a couple ferments, so I'll keep you all posted on my experiments as I venture down this rabbit hole. Perhaps even start a grow diary as soon as I fix my busted up phone. Been having an interesting outdoor season this year, battling the elements and various creepy crawlies who are intent on eating my grow. Will definitely be leaning on the collective wisdom here for troubleshoot some of the more interesting ones! Well that's me in a nutshell. Pics to follow soon. Many blessings Monk

Namaste fellow gardeners, It's pretty poor form not to introduce oneself first, but I'll be sure to do that soon in another thread as I'm just a bit finished after climbing on my roof for this evening's little project. I wanted to quickly wish you guys and girls... If you're going away, be safe out there! Monk