Back to the Swamp 2014

[RosettaStoned]

Hey guys, after a short hiatus I'm back at it for the 2014 season!!

This year I decided to simplify things a bit and concentrate on fewer, but better, plants. There's only one spot, I have 3 females out there right now, 2 Jack Herer and a Brainstorm (Dutch Passion). I vegged them indoors for a little less than 2 months with the same light schedule they would be going out into. I had to supercrop the stems a few times to keep them short enough to fit in the box and they responded well. They were just transplanted to the site within the last week or two and are still adjusting. I have some pictures and a 5 gallon bucket for reference.

Here is the Brainstorm, she's going to get the best treatment, seeing as how much I loved my other DP plant (Jorge's Diamond):

Another pic:

1st Jack Herer (more indica dominant pheno):

2nd Jack Herer:

I busted my ass earlier in the year and made some real mounds for these girls, I'd estimate they are 40-60+ gallons each counting all the 5 gallon buckets I had to carry. There are also two smaller mounds for 2 bagseed plants that are going out once they are old enough. The soil a mixture of composted manure, soil from last year, and Promix BX.

Here are the bagseed, a little sad looking, but they'll pick up growth soon:

I'm hoping for a male from these so I can make a few seeds for future seasons with these real genetics while I have them. I'll be spraying them outside regularly with a neem/pepper spray to help keep bugs and critters away. I believe with the changes I've made this year I can grow some more serious plants, and if I'm lucky I'll get some real monsters.

Thanks for stopping by! Good luck and fat nugs to everyone this year!

 

[Rob547]

Hell yeah man, good to see you back around.

best of luck this year, been doing some work in the swamp myself but still too cold for plants! Think I have a GHS jack herer for this year, nevr grown it before

 

[Photosynthesis]

Not trying to pry to much, but was wondering what State you are in? Just curious as to your timing of putting your plants out.

They are looking awesome.

 

[FlaDankster]

Nice to see a thread of yours up an runnin.

 

[FlaDankster]

Not trying to pry to much, but was wondering what State you are in? Just curious as to your timing of putting your plants out.

They are looking awesome.

I believe Rosetta has the privilege of being able to grow year round?

 

[soil margin]

Nice Rosetta, can't wait to see the fruits of your labor this year. Bigger is always better.

 

[RosettaStoned]

Thanks guys!

I believe Rosetta has the privilege of being able to grow year round?

Sadly no, I can't. I'd love to live in the tropics someday and be able to have an outdoor garden year round.

I'd prefer not to say where I live, but I'm around lat 42N. It just began to warm up around here, and my plants were beginning to get very cramped and rootbound so I put them out.

 

[locoezon]

Welcome back and have a good season.
Hope you will get the male u want for the breeding!

Subbed..

 

[Swamp Thang]

Good to see another of your renowned swamp grows taking shape for 2014, RosettaStoned.

As the old geezers might say, the only thing worse than growing in the swamp would be NOT growing in the swamp.

I got a front row seat for this go round, especially with your note that the watch-word this year is quality over quantity. Amen to that for sure.

May the Swamp Gods smile down on your efforts between now and when those monster swamp buds are harvested, cured and ready for smoke tests.

 

[two heads]

Wow, looking great already RosettaStoned. I'll be back in the swamp as usual but it's still too early for me. Still working with our Baby's Breath but also Pineapple Chunk (fem) and the recently revived Blue Velvet (fem) from Dutch Passion. Dastardly seed companies always lie when it comes to outdoor harvests it seems but I'm hoping they're both done by early October.

I'll be tuning in - good luck!

 

[ipumpon]

hope you dont mind if i lurk.

good luck in the swamp!

 

[RosettaStoned]

Things are going well. We had a lot of rain, but then some real hot sunny days to dry it out and the plants are just booming I sprayed them with a hot pepper/neem oil spray to help fight critters. One of the bagseed indoors was a little sick, maybe over watered a bit, but it's coming back, the other is very happy and vigorous. Hoping the healthy one is my male. The plants this year are gonna be a lot bigger than I've had in my past seasons for sure.

 

[The_Core]

I am growing in an area by a lake. Very high water table. After heavy rains there is a couple inches of standing water. Nothing serious but its a swampy like area. I am running bottomless grow bags. I see that you grow in a swamp and do raised beds. What makes you run the raised beds in a swamp? Seems like that could be an issue?

 

[RosettaStoned]

Usually the water table is just slightly below ground table in this area, even after it rains. I made each plant a large mound which can help with drainage a bit, and they also raise the plant around 1-2 feet off the ground. The bottoms tend to stay wet, but the top dries out enough for the plant to breathe. It's nice in high summer because there isn't as much watering. If it rains for like 2 weeks straight (and it has) the plants suffer, but generally they don't mind this.

 

[The_Core]

Ok sounds good. It rained here for 2 weeks almost everyday and today I'm going to check how wet the soil is inside my bottomless bags.

 

[The_Core]

Hey RosettaStoned, Checked my area today. After 2 weeks of straight rain at 58N in Sweden I had a couple inches of standing water over the entire area. The good thing is my grow bags are taller then wide and even after all the rain the dirt is only staying moist, Not soaking wet. Which is great.

You grew your plants for 2 months inside then moved outside in april at 42N? Your going to have some monsters plants by the time the season is over. I went to my spot today and trimmed the trees around my grow bags so my plants will get 12 hours of sun per day.

Here is a picture of my finished grow bag with supports. Nothing great but it should grow me a decent plant I think.

I am not worried about rippers, only deer. All that standing water, your feet just sink into mud and water so no one is going out there.

Let me know what you think.

 

[RosettaStoned]

I planted the healthy bagseed today, with any luck it'll be my male, seemingly indica dominate with some purple in the stems, decent vigor, too. Nursing the other inside for awhile, hopefully I won't have to start another. The other plants are growing well, been tying tops down and I topped the indica dom Jack Herer.


The_Core: Looks good man. Since it's not soaking wet after so much rain, the plants should end up fine, my old swamp tubes were similar in design and they have pretty good drainage. Once summer hits it usually dries out pretty well in my area, but the swamp has just enough water so I don't have to water constantly. Hopefully it'll work out the same for your plants.

I'm definitely hoping for some real monsters this year, my spot doesn't have as much sun as I would like, but it should be enough for them to get big. I've never let them grow for so long indoors or put nearly as much soil as I did this year, so I've got my fingers crossed for some magic I just have to tie my tops down so they don't grow too tall and spindly from having less light.

My situation is similar, there's literally been no human traffic in my area for years, but plenty of deer, hence the cages. If you can get your hands on some chicken wire, it'll protect them until they get big enough to survive on their own. My swamp also becomes unbearably humid, it's hard to tell what ground is solid or what's just water from all the moss/lichen, and the insect life is terribly aggressive, meaning no one in their right mind would want to be out there for more than a few minutes.

Hope this helps you out, and again good luck with your grow!

 

[The_Core]

Thanks RosettaStoned!

I think because my grow bag is taller and not wider it will help keep the soil from getting too saturated with water. The sides of my grow bag are black as well and when I ran my hand through the soil today it was pretty warm in the middle. I was surprised. I think that will also help with the soil drying out.

My spot has 12 hours of sunlight right now. They have sun from around 6 in the morning and full sun until around 6-7 in the evening until the sun goes behind a couple huge pine trees. But 12 hours is plenty of sun for me. I would be happy with 8 to be honest.

Next year i am keeping this spot as long as i dont get ripped or the police dont find it. I will run less plants next year but will use more soil and bigger containers. I want to grow a monster plant. A 2-3 meter tall monster.

I have no idea how big my plants will get this year but I will find out. I finished pouring azamax and water into the grow bags. It kills everything BUT the ants. So my ant problem continues. Lets hope they dont feel like eating my plants. When I go back tomorrow if I see the ants are fucking up my plants I will go buy some insect killer made for vegetable gardens and use that. Anyway I put 2 plants into each bag and the female will be the one I leave. If both are male I will pull them both and start something else in their spot.

Anyway I am sending karma your way brother. I hope this year goes great and you get healthy plants come harvest time.

 

[RosettaStoned]

Hey everyone I visited the plants and got some pics. We've been having a lot of rain, but after a few days the sun always seems to come out and dry things up, which the plants just love. My hot pepper/neem spray seems to be working, or maybe it's just luck, but the plants have pretty much no insect or critter damage as far as I can see. They are really booming, usually they're this big at the end of the season, although more stretched and not nearly as healthy. The soil volume is really doing the trick. You can see how much they've grown in relation to the cages.

Brainstorm, very bushy, the biggest of the girls:

Jack Herer more hybrid pheno:

Jack Herer more indica pheno, she hasn't full recovered from the topping yet, but it still growing so I tied the top down again:

Bagseed I put out maybe a week ago:

And this spindly bagseed, looking better than it was, but still kind of sad:

I try to keep my expectations low, but just one of the big girls could beat my yields from the past seasons, as long as growth continues as is. I'm very excited to see how the rest this plays out.

Thanks for stopping by,
RS

 

[The_Core]

Looking good RosettaStoned! Your plants are really taking off. I like that your home made bug spray is keeping them away. Nothing chewing on the plants. Looking real good.