Hmmmm. Stepping outside and what do we see? Crocus blooming, Plum tree is budding up, Garlic is awake from it’s Wintery slumber,….Yep, you guessed it. SPRING. Time for another year of learning and growing, I’m REALLY excited for 2010 and hope you’ll stay tuned in and follow along…
OH- Almost forgot. Is it cool if I hang here in the Outdoor Forum with my Tree Bros?!! If I didn’t have to use this metal/plastic building I’d be Full-Sun too! It looks a little lonely in the G-House forum…..
On with the show:
Upon wrapping up each year, I like to decompress and debrief a bit while lessons are still fresh in my head and in my notebook! So for 2010 my main system enhancement was to get me some MORE SPACE!!! Last year’s project surpassed many goals for me and I achieved things I wasn’t quite sure were possible here. On average, my ladies pulled 3-4.5 lbs each and that was with almost all lateral branching removed due to space limitations in the 16x24 G-House. With lateral access to light and space to branch, I knew I could push some serious numbers for 2010. So here she is: 30x40, 15’ of headroom and 6’ roll-up sides.
This April was spent gathering many materials, building the new G-House, amending and preparing all the veggie gardens, and tending to the starts. The weather cooperated perfectly for the most part and I am thankfully ahead of where I hoped to be at this point in the game….
Below is half-composted Alfalfa. My version of Alfalfa Meal. I aquire this from a local rancher every year for the past 6 years. He has a literal mountain of it and it has proven VERY worthy as a soil conditioner and provides active decomposition in the soil. Much like a Green Manure, but better.
20 Yards of local top-soil.
Sheep Compost that we make on-site from our small flock...
Horse Manure Compost from a friend's farm...8 yards
Chicken Compost, 2.5 years old. READY.
Half the veggie beds amended and tilled..
Final shaping done of veggie beds in other half of garden
OK, back to the Ganja- Basic game plan is just a larger version of last year’s approach. The entire footprint of the G-House has been amended as a large bed for the roots as they outgrow their containers. The containers will sit on top of the amended bed in rows at 9’ spacing. (Yeah, a little tight but that’s as big as I could go) There is just no way to reliably finish Full-Sun Monsters here at 6000 feet so I am limited to what I can fit most efficiently into 1200 sq ft…..we almost always need a few nights of burning propane in the Fall to protect our hard earned crop. Getting them through those nights ensures a few more weeks of ripening and HEAVIER YIELDS. I know too many folks out here that pick early due to freezing nights (22-24degrees) and suffer quality/yield loss, even in un-heated G-Houses. I’m not working this hard to deal with that….
I used all of the above materials, along with Greensand, Rock Phosphate, Rock Dust, Cottonseed Meal, Sulphur, Gypsum, and Humic Acid to amend the "bed". Oh, and Perlite of course. Here is a photo of how I spread them before tilling in. I concentrated things in obvious rows...
And after tilling, watered everything in to "activate"....
Another thing to save my ass this year, or more likely my BACK, is the addition of a 1954 Ford Tractor and an ATV with dump trailer. I love it.
Loads of compost! I can drive right into the G-House and dump away...
Works on the light but bulky stuff too...
Planters: I’ll be building DIY smart pots this year. My approach to filling them is using a mix I can build upon year after year. While I really like some of the bagged options out there, I consider most of it “filler” from a Soil Building perspective. That being said, I’ll start this year with 60% bagged soil/perlite , 40% my own top-soil and my locally built composts above. (more on how I’ll deal with that from year-to-year later) In addition, I will use partially composted organic matter so I have an active decomposition process, continually producing fresh humus. I know some other respected growers have seen the direct advantages of this and it further affirms why I have seen amazing results over the past 6 or so years I’ve been doing it. My half-composted local Alfalfa is a prime example…also the Happy Frog Soil Conditioner. Below is my stockpile of bagged amendments. Not shown are Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, and a couple other goodies.....
Soiless Mix with Lava Rock, recycled from previous grow from a few years back....
Tea Teaser!--I have expanded my Tea Brewing with these 350 gallon tanks on 7’ stands. I will have 700 gallons available to gravity feed both greenhouses and the entire garden areas. Yes, I am PUMPED! I’ll detail my methods, recipes and equipment when I am up and running….
Genetics: I spent quite a bit of time and thought on my 2010 line-up. With the Medical scene BLOWING up the state, I knew I had to really bring in some heavy hitters to remain competitive with the influx of large and small indoor grows. I wanted some Sativa Dom varieties as well as a heavy emphasis on Chem, Kush, and Diesel infused varieties. So, in the end I’ll be running Chem D, Strawberry Chemdawg F1 and F2(THANKS CBF!!!), Ole Blue x (Straw CoughxCripple Creek) which has Tom Hill, CBF, and Moonshineman all coursing through her pretty little veins, Witches Weed (SFV OGK x Chem D) x C99, Dieselrella NYCDx C99 (both from DUTCHGROWN!!! Thank you m’lady!!!), a CLASSIC Super Skunk that has remained a staple on the Front Range of Colorado since about 1990, if you’ve had her you will never forget her. I just LOVE a quality SK1, probably my “go-to” smoke and REEKS to high heaven. Lastly, a Pre2k DJ Short Blueberry cut or one of my Blueberry Hashplant crosses from last year to round things out….
Here’s a quick glimpse of the Army preparing for deployment!
Chem D
Alright folks, hope you enjoy my little contribution here. I’m happy to share most info, just ask. Stay tuned for a lot more fun, I’ll be updating my veggies, flowers, and fruit this year as well.
Last but not least, to my Tree Brothers, Thank You for the inspiration and for choosing to share your knowledge over the years. I would never be where I am today without the gems you have willingly gifted. MUCH RESPECT.
Let’s get it on…..
PS--Here's how those Plum Buds ended up blossoming out:
GORGEOUS!
OH- Almost forgot. Is it cool if I hang here in the Outdoor Forum with my Tree Bros?!! If I didn’t have to use this metal/plastic building I’d be Full-Sun too! It looks a little lonely in the G-House forum…..
On with the show:
Upon wrapping up each year, I like to decompress and debrief a bit while lessons are still fresh in my head and in my notebook! So for 2010 my main system enhancement was to get me some MORE SPACE!!! Last year’s project surpassed many goals for me and I achieved things I wasn’t quite sure were possible here. On average, my ladies pulled 3-4.5 lbs each and that was with almost all lateral branching removed due to space limitations in the 16x24 G-House. With lateral access to light and space to branch, I knew I could push some serious numbers for 2010. So here she is: 30x40, 15’ of headroom and 6’ roll-up sides.
This April was spent gathering many materials, building the new G-House, amending and preparing all the veggie gardens, and tending to the starts. The weather cooperated perfectly for the most part and I am thankfully ahead of where I hoped to be at this point in the game….
Below is half-composted Alfalfa. My version of Alfalfa Meal. I aquire this from a local rancher every year for the past 6 years. He has a literal mountain of it and it has proven VERY worthy as a soil conditioner and provides active decomposition in the soil. Much like a Green Manure, but better.
20 Yards of local top-soil.
Sheep Compost that we make on-site from our small flock...
Horse Manure Compost from a friend's farm...8 yards
Chicken Compost, 2.5 years old. READY.
Half the veggie beds amended and tilled..
Final shaping done of veggie beds in other half of garden
OK, back to the Ganja- Basic game plan is just a larger version of last year’s approach. The entire footprint of the G-House has been amended as a large bed for the roots as they outgrow their containers. The containers will sit on top of the amended bed in rows at 9’ spacing. (Yeah, a little tight but that’s as big as I could go) There is just no way to reliably finish Full-Sun Monsters here at 6000 feet so I am limited to what I can fit most efficiently into 1200 sq ft…..we almost always need a few nights of burning propane in the Fall to protect our hard earned crop. Getting them through those nights ensures a few more weeks of ripening and HEAVIER YIELDS. I know too many folks out here that pick early due to freezing nights (22-24degrees) and suffer quality/yield loss, even in un-heated G-Houses. I’m not working this hard to deal with that….
I used all of the above materials, along with Greensand, Rock Phosphate, Rock Dust, Cottonseed Meal, Sulphur, Gypsum, and Humic Acid to amend the "bed". Oh, and Perlite of course. Here is a photo of how I spread them before tilling in. I concentrated things in obvious rows...
And after tilling, watered everything in to "activate"....
Another thing to save my ass this year, or more likely my BACK, is the addition of a 1954 Ford Tractor and an ATV with dump trailer. I love it.
Loads of compost! I can drive right into the G-House and dump away...
Works on the light but bulky stuff too...
Planters: I’ll be building DIY smart pots this year. My approach to filling them is using a mix I can build upon year after year. While I really like some of the bagged options out there, I consider most of it “filler” from a Soil Building perspective. That being said, I’ll start this year with 60% bagged soil/perlite , 40% my own top-soil and my locally built composts above. (more on how I’ll deal with that from year-to-year later) In addition, I will use partially composted organic matter so I have an active decomposition process, continually producing fresh humus. I know some other respected growers have seen the direct advantages of this and it further affirms why I have seen amazing results over the past 6 or so years I’ve been doing it. My half-composted local Alfalfa is a prime example…also the Happy Frog Soil Conditioner. Below is my stockpile of bagged amendments. Not shown are Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, and a couple other goodies.....
Soiless Mix with Lava Rock, recycled from previous grow from a few years back....
Tea Teaser!--I have expanded my Tea Brewing with these 350 gallon tanks on 7’ stands. I will have 700 gallons available to gravity feed both greenhouses and the entire garden areas. Yes, I am PUMPED! I’ll detail my methods, recipes and equipment when I am up and running….
Genetics: I spent quite a bit of time and thought on my 2010 line-up. With the Medical scene BLOWING up the state, I knew I had to really bring in some heavy hitters to remain competitive with the influx of large and small indoor grows. I wanted some Sativa Dom varieties as well as a heavy emphasis on Chem, Kush, and Diesel infused varieties. So, in the end I’ll be running Chem D, Strawberry Chemdawg F1 and F2(THANKS CBF!!!), Ole Blue x (Straw CoughxCripple Creek) which has Tom Hill, CBF, and Moonshineman all coursing through her pretty little veins, Witches Weed (SFV OGK x Chem D) x C99, Dieselrella NYCDx C99 (both from DUTCHGROWN!!! Thank you m’lady!!!), a CLASSIC Super Skunk that has remained a staple on the Front Range of Colorado since about 1990, if you’ve had her you will never forget her. I just LOVE a quality SK1, probably my “go-to” smoke and REEKS to high heaven. Lastly, a Pre2k DJ Short Blueberry cut or one of my Blueberry Hashplant crosses from last year to round things out….
Here’s a quick glimpse of the Army preparing for deployment!
Chem D
Alright folks, hope you enjoy my little contribution here. I’m happy to share most info, just ask. Stay tuned for a lot more fun, I’ll be updating my veggies, flowers, and fruit this year as well.
Last but not least, to my Tree Brothers, Thank You for the inspiration and for choosing to share your knowledge over the years. I would never be where I am today without the gems you have willingly gifted. MUCH RESPECT.
Let’s get it on…..
PS--Here's how those Plum Buds ended up blossoming out:
GORGEOUS!
This is going to be an awesome grow show! TAGGED! 
