Old Dudes Grow

Howdy Everyone,
My partner and I decided to do a little grow after a 10 year layoff. We are just sick and tired of smoking brickweed or paying $100 to $130 a quarter oz. We have grown off and on since 1981, we are not noobs but we aren't pros by a long shot. We are at 30 something in lattitude so we can grow long season plants. The problem is that the summers are hot, humid, and dry. This year we got a big suprise, it didn't stop raining in June. We had the wettest July in a long time. Using the information gleamed from lurking here for a year or we prepared our holes using water crystals, potting soil, worm castings, blood meal, bone meal. Our soil has a clay pan from 1 to 3' deep. As you shall see, this plan worked only too well for retaining moisture. We have had our share of setbacks because of this. Please feel free to offer positive advice, and comments. We hope to harvest a little quality smoke to see us thru till the next season.
Seed Collection

Clay Pan


Durban Poison x SK#1



Hashberry in Nursery


7-23 Swiming hole


Drowning Hashberry

7-23-07 Nirvana Afghans in Nursery

8-2-07 Afghan flowereing

Durban Poison by Seedsman?Afropips

Hello Ancient One, Good to see you coming-out of retirement & getting back in the game. Looks like your ready to play!
peace

looks good man

Hey Guys
Thought I would do a little recap of what has happened with our guerrilla outdoor adventure. We decided last December to give it another try. The laws in this state are uncivilized to say the least. When you are older you sometimes have more to lose and thats when the fear factor kicks in. However when you love the herb like we do, you just gotta take the chance. This is the normal pot that cost $125 to $150 a quarter lb.
Mexican brick 1/4lb




If you want to spend the money then you can get this for $120 to $130 a 1/4 oz.
"Outdoor white widow


Indoor AK47 X Nl



Somtimes you get this light green, lightly bricked,, seeded Mexican



We selected a site we felt was secure, adequate sun, water close by. security first. Seeds ordered on 3-2-07 from Gypsy Nirvana, 2 pks Afg, 1 pkg of Mandala Hashberry, 1 pkg of Mandala Speed Queen, 1 pkg DPx SK1 as freebie. Received on 3-23-07. Our orginal plan was to do a spring bucket grow with the Indicas and then put our Sativas out around the end of May, keep them smaller and reduce the water needed . I'm sure you understand about the best laid plans of mice and men, we gave that ideal up. Weather became very crazy, Rain, Rain, Rain, ground too wet to dig, shovel makes sucking sound. Between weather, work, family problems not much accomplished. Weather drys up some the first part of May, holes, dug and prepped. Started DPxSK1, Mandala Hashberrys, and some bagseed Mex on 5-12. First tips showing on 5-12; 10/10 Hashberry, 3/10 DPxSK1, and surprise, surprise, only 4/12 Mexicans. I might add we have no safe place to germinate and grow to 4-5". We used the wet paper towel to germinate. On 5-17, moved to nursery at the site, 4" pots, used chicken wire painted black to protect from animals, however Bubba keeps the wildlife to a mininum around here.
Mandala Hashberry in the Nursery



On 5-8, ordered Afropips and Seedsman Durban Poison from Doc Chronic, no IBL's of Durban at GN. 5-25 Seeds arrive. 5-31; seeds sprouting 6/6 Afghanis, Seedsman 3/5, and Afropips 4/5,
June 7, planted 7 hashberrys in ground, 3 DPxSK1, and 1 Mexican. everything looking good. Then the rains started and didn't stop. All hashberrys drowned, 2 of 3 DPxSK1 were males and the other drowned. The Afg, Durbans, and Mexicans in the 4" pots did ok, they could drain. Going to the site was tough, you sank 3 to 4" in the ground with every step. We begin to believe the gods had conspired against us. This July we had 6.5" of rain, the previous 10 year avg was 3.4". If we had planted in either deep sand or well drained soil they might have done ok. There are so many factors to deal with when growing like this that I have to tip my hat to those who succeed.
7-17 Started germinating the Speed Queen, starting to worry about harvesting anything. We still have enough time for the 55 day SQ to grow.
7-23 Hasn't rained since 7-21, woo woo its a drought. Nursery plants looking good.




8-2 We think the rains are stopping and the normal high pressure ridge has settled in. We finished planting the Afg, DPs, and Mexican into the holes, they were all rootbound. 5 DP, 5 Afg, and 1 Mex. Will save the remaining holes for the SQ. Still germinating Mexicans.
8-8 We have 5 Afg females showing, 1 DP female showing. Took low resolution pictures, flowers don't show very well. Will take pictures later this week. Sorry for the long rambling post, just wanted to show the difficulity of doing things on the sly.
Later Dudes

Looks good! Sometimes its tough to get only what you need, I apreciate self providing growers like yourselves, keep it up!

Hey Everyone,
Weather has been hot and humid, over 100F, over 65% humidity, Growth has slowed. Water crystals doing their magic, no need to water just yet. Big rains on the way in the next few days. Afghans continuing to flower, 2 Durbans showing female pre flowers, Mexican getting big

I think its a girl


Nice top



Durban female


16cm tall Duran planted in ground 8-2

Looks like you have a great grow going. I can't wait to finish this one so I can try growing my African seeds in my grow tent.

It's too late now but next time...when you plant outdoors, plant in raised mounds or bottomless containers. Then if it floods, the soil can still drain?

Good luck

Obli


PS

I'll be SIXTY next year. Do I qualify as an Old Dude ?

Oblidio49 said:

Looks like you have a great grow going. I can't wait to finish this one so I can try growing my African seeds in my grow tent.

It's too late now but next time...when you plant outdoors, plant in raised mounds or bottomless containers. Then if it floods, the soil can still drain?

Good luck

Obli


PS

I'll be SIXTY next year. Do I qualify as an Old Dude ?

Click to expand...

No you qualify as a greatly experienced human resource not an old dude.

High,
Nice little rains the past few days, temps below 90 Deg F, humidity still > 65%, Getting sun part of the day.

Obilido49
Thanks for stopping by, sure you qualify as a "old dude" by the average age of the members, but like me you've had a few more years to enjoy the herb, and in your case developed a vast wealth of information. Please feel free to mentor me , my partner and I would appreciate it.

Hey Magi101, How's it going, I like self-deprecating humor, goes with my profession. There so many people here with so much valuable knowledge.

Growing this wonderful plant all over the world in so many different climates that its hard to believe that the oppression of cannabis can go on forever. The people won't stand for it anymore.

A few pics of the Afghans, I know its a gamble that they fill finish, humidity, mold, etc. Have heard good things about this one. Good night time smoke.

Smallest Afghan


Nirvana Afghan flowering


Biggest Afghan

Ancient One, got room for an Old Fool? Mind if I sit and watch? I can help with something or nother. Not sure what. But I'm willing to do something.

Ancient One, just came to say hi to your girls...your recent weather report sounds exactly like my own. And it looks like somehting big may be coming !

peace

Hey There Old Fool, You met another one that's for sure. Cross your fingers that something come in that puts a foolish smile on my face.

trouble, Looks like the weather channel people are in hog heaven with the storm in the Carib. Just enough rain to keep from having to make trips in the heat and humidity would be very welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

Hey again!!

I'm old, I've been smoking weed since 1966.... but not an experienced weed grower...although I have extensive experience gardening and growing lots of other stuff. Weed has some specific requirements and likes and dislikes as most plants do. However, it's not all that hard to grow IMO. I've grown roses off and on for years. I think they are harder to grow...at least back east they were. Mine are doing pretty well out here. It's so dry that the usual fungus related stuff doesn't do well here. That's also good news for my weed growing.

Anyway, I wish you luck and if I can help in some way, let me know. Feel free to stop by my grow if you like. Let me know what you think so far. I may need help LOL

Obli

Good luck with the weather!

Nothing like a grow thread called "Old Dude's Grow" to draw out us old guys, in age, eh, guys?

Thats me old i guess......

WELCOME on in to IC man!!
Cool guarrilla set up,good luck
and a bountifull yield to you!

Old Fool
Maybe because cannabis is a part of our life it keeps us younger in spirit, you allowed to have fun anytime.

Lougrew,
Thanks for the kind words. I was in total awe when I first saw your thread. Gave my partner and I a little steel in the ole backbone, made us aware that without taking some risk you don't much in the way of return

My wife use to say she had 3 kids and I was the worst. Now she just wants to know when I am moving out of the house like the other 2. Ancient one, I'm growing Hashberry 15 days in. Nice easy to grow plant. I made butter out of a couple of males I cut. MAN! Talk about butt getting kicked! I ain't no rookie but DAMN! I hear conflicting things on the DPXSK1. Using compost would help break up that clay. If this is a spot you will reuse, you might consider working in some organic matter to help break yp the clay and help with drainage. Also, on the crystals..a little goes along way. Also, re-reading, I didn't notice any nitrogen source. Welp, off to pester the wife...she looks too happy.

Old Fool,
I hear you about the Ms, I work with women, they all talk about their husbands they same way they do their kids, what you gonna do.
The clay pan here is from 1.5' to 2.5' down, the top 6-8" is forest soil, in between is sand. Most hole got 20 gals of premium potting soil, we added blood meal, bone meal, dolomite lime, water crystals, and top dressed with worm castings. 1 or 2 hole were even lined with garbage bags to retain moisture. One of the reasons we stopped growing is that if was getting too hard to hand water the plants, carrying 5 gal of water at a time for over a quarter mile is tough in July and Aug. The 10 year avg for rain in the general area is 3.2, some years less than 2". May and June were also wet. To date this is the wettest year on record, with more to come. Backcountry mentioned that excessive rain will leach the nutrients out. We are now using MG on the Durbans and Mexicans, and a bloom formula on the Afghans. Someone else mentioned mounding the holes to facilitate drainage, when we replanted I did a couple like that and my partner freaked, "you need to leave a depression to collect the water so it won't run off." It's hard to go against 28 years of experience with the weather. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate all suggestions and comments, it helps to refine your plans and gives you a new perspective. Keep me posted on the Hashberry. I hear many good things about Mandala, We have 4 Speed Queens in the seedling stage, hope they survive.

July still wet


Hashberry going down for the third time


Clay Pan


End of June DPxSK#1 male

What Ob was referring to with the mounds is a gardening (veggie) technique called raise beds. They heat up faster in the spring and they drain better. He didn't know the rain you been having is not the norm. Yeah 28 years local experience is tough to beat. lol Hell, when I was younger we use to tote our water 5 miles, uphill both ways! lol I hear you on hiking water! Especially in the heat. I stuck out a couple 3 or 4 clones a week ago. But I have a water source VERY close by. But they were just a drop and check in October kinda thing. A trial for next year. If the deer or critters don't get them and the helicopters miss them, I've got an added bonus. And the great part is I can sit and innocently watch them/the area. Be safe.