Butte's Bounty - 2011

[guest8905]

everything looks great butte, nice bobcat, nice pile of soil, nice plants!!

airpots eh? never tried but heard good things. interesting. Are you starting a tea regiment soon? ok good growing to ya, enjoy the sun should be out in about 24 hours nice and bright!! nice plant selection as well

stickky

 

[Butte]

Hello everyone

The rain continues to fall here and we're being blessed with three weeks of free watering! Very little has happened in the garden other than the plants growing. The constant rain has made us hold off on the irrigation system until things dry out. Also, the tea program is on hold until the beds actually need the moisture.

Regarding the use of clover, this from my opening post:

Crimson clover fixes nitrogen from the air into root nodules. The clover is then “mowed” and turned under. A generous batch of compost tea was applied to the freshly turned beds and then allowed to sit for about a week before planting.

YosemiteSam - I look for my major nutrients to be off the charts, my micro nutes somewhere in the middle, and a high CEC. I use the health and vitality of the plants as my indicator how the soil is performing throughout the year. I'm very fortunate to live where I garden and spend time in the garden every day (rain or shine!). This allows me to 'see and feel' how the girls are doing and what they may need, if anything. I test again at the end of the season to see how much is remaining in the beds for next year. Based on this end of season test, we plant the appropriate cover crop and add any nutrients in the form of dried amendments then. Grow the crop over the winter then test again to see if we hit the mark.

Nomaad - thanks for the words. I don't mind folks checking in to get updates, just the social banter got old on the big plants thread. I'll try really hard to stay through the end!

Happy gardening everyone - Butte

 

[nomaad]

I have missed a few opportunities to connect with you about your art and I'm being overly protective of this one. Not trying to moderate your thread by any means. I apologize to anyone who took it that way.

I am curious as to whether you dropped that Sour D from your lineup? I have just started letting it go another week or 10 to at least 70 days and it just keeps packing on the weight and developing the flavors. It originally came to me touted as a 62 day SD, but this is obviously not the case. I finally developed the patience to take it to its full potential. I was hoping to see how it did in your care as I was stupified by some of last year's full season results with other homies... I personally only ran it in the black boxes and took it down at 62, like I was told to. This year I will teeat the strain with the proper respect.

Did you find anything specifically problematic with it?

 

[mapinguari]

Speaking of clover

Butte, we have a lot of white clover established in our garden, and I've confirmed Rhizobia nodules on 'em.

What comparative level of effectiveness does your research on crimson clover nitrogen fixation indicate? (Other things being roughly equal, I'd rather encourage the clover we have than buy seed.)

 

[cjk]

looking great!

 

[BIGGS]

Wow, what a great thread. Big up butte, for making such a detailed and informative thread. Good luck with everything bro.

 

[quadracer]

Mmmmmm, can't wait to see this at the end of the season. Looks like a lot of work hasgone in already.

 

[.clunk]

I'm also curious as to what your research shows for clover cover crops. I'd like to incorporate a cover crop over the upcoming winter but I'd like to know what will be most efficient. You have evidently put alot of research and effort into perfecting your cultivation techniques, so I'd like to hear what you think.

 

[GAME]

Simply a thing of beauty, thanks

 

[YosemiteSam]

YosemiteSam - I look for my major nutrients to be off the charts, my micro nutes somewhere in the middle, and a high CEC. I use the health and vitality of the plants as my indicator how the soil is performing throughout the year. I'm very fortunate to live where I garden and spend time in the garden every day (rain or shine!). This allows me to 'see and feel' how the girls are doing and what they may need, if anything. I test again at the end of the season to see how much is remaining in the beds for next year. Based on this end of season test, we plant the appropriate cover crop and add any nutrients in the form of dried amendments then. Grow the crop over the winter then test again to see if we hit the mark.


Happy gardening everyone - Butte

Butte...thank you for the reply. I had the feeling some of you big plant guys really pushed things. My experience has been the harder you push the better your nute ratios better be cause lockouts become much easier to have.

Do you do anything like an ergs or would you share say an N number? I am trying to get a handle on just how hard cannabis can be pushed.

 

[JOJO420]

Veg watering

Veg watering

Ok , i gotta question. How much water/ferts do you feed to the smart pot on top of the bed? vs the bottom bed itself in veg?
Reason I ask is cause my instinct is to water the bed more than the pot. I am wanting the roots to grow , reach for the water down below.
I am wondering just how wet do you keep those smart pots?
Butte you have been my mentor realize it or not for yrs. We r doing the same thing at the same time. You are amazing in how you can put it together for all of us to see and understand. Big ups I cannot thank you enough for doing this

 

[Butte]

The sun is finally shining on Butte Farms and the ladies are off and running.

Nomaad - we decided not to run the SD only because we had so many choices and are not big fans of sour d. Will look forward to tasting a sample from your spot, though!

mapinguari - White clover should also be fine. I recommend the book Feed the Soil by Edwin McLeod to anyone that wants to educate themselves on cover crops and green manures. The writing style is a bit weird, but the information contained within is worth twice the price.

YosemiteSam - Here's a scan of my test results. The potassium appears high as an artifact of the testing methods used. I disregard their "Optimum Range" recommendations, too.

​

JOJO420 - Straight in the ground this year...


Happy gardening everyone!

- Butte

 

[guest8905]

cool info butte,

thanks for the nice pic, lovely setup, looks clean and efficient.

straight in the ground nice...are you planning to mulch? my vision inst that great but it looks like u may have mulch down on the left side of th garden?

im am a huge promoter of good straw, it makes the garden so much brighter and conserves water as well. Also imo it allows for more biologoical activity on the soils surface as its not being beaten down by the sun.

nice brewer too....keep it green

 

[mapinguari]

Butte, it won't let me give you reputation and private props, so I'll thank you here for the cover crop book suggestion. Cheers!

 

[Aeroguerilla]

Those are going to be BEASTLY. ill be watching bro

 

[YosemiteSam]

Damn. It takes some skill to push them that hard.

Thank you so much and good luck on the grow.

I obviously have some more learning to do.

edit...always surprised to see just how much Ca these plants can use.

 

[nomaad]

Nice to see it plugged, bro. I should be all in by the evening. I love this part!!!

The SD is one of my staples. I am just finishing a jar of uber-organic greenhouse that went to 76 days. I am doing a bunch in the black boxes and then a late season greenhouse run with very fresh small clones that will replace the black box plants. I'll let those go till Thanksgiving... along with one or two outdoors (that I might pop a hoophouse over at the end. I'll save you some of the best from the first blackboxes.

I am trying to compare our soil tests which are from different labs and use a different metric. I have done a lot of tests on a lot of mixes- used, new and replenished. This one is for FFOF amended with Age Old Dry Grow @ 1tbps per gallon of FFOF. I can only use the "optimum levels" to sort of compare this to your test...

I'm going to post a test of depleted FFOF from last year on my thread for comparison. Where do you have your testing done?

 

[elkslayer]

I have missed a few opportunities to connect with you about your art and I'm being overly protective of this one. Not trying to moderate your thread by any means. I apologize to anyone who took it that way.

I am curious as to whether you dropped that Sour D from your lineup? I have just started letting it go another week or 10 to at least 70 days and it just keeps packing on the weight and developing the flavors. It originally came to me touted as a 62 day SD, but this is obviously not the case. I finally developed the patience to take it to its full potential. I was hoping to see how it did in your care as I was stupified by some of last year's full season results with other homies... I personally only ran it in the black boxes and took it down at 62, like I was told to. This year I will teeat the strain with the proper respect.

Did you find anything specifically problematic with it?

Finish the SourD(organically), and you will be rewarded. I think many have dropped her as she is not "trimmer machine friendly". Its a hand trimmer to be sure. Also, obviously she finishes late. Very hardy and weathers bad weather(late) well. For the second year in a row 1/2 my grow will be the sourD, that just hit the ground today.

Best of luck too ya!

ES

 

[nomaad]

As far as I am concerned, trim machines are not friendly to any kind of ganja, though i fully understand what you mean about the SD being particularly mangled by them....

On the subject of trim machines... not a fan. I am not a fan of wet trimming in general but the hopper/tumbler machines are the absolute worst.. Even if they render nug that looks good, its has received a sap bath and then dried and cured with that coating of sap. That sap ferments on your nug and lowers the quality.

I believe a slow dry with only fan leaves removed (any leaf that protrudes from the nug that is cut wet will ooze sap onto your nug) and a loving hand trim will render those legendary AAA Cali outdoor nugs.

edit: To test this theory I mashed sap out of a few leaves as if I were going to test brix levels. I let the sap evaporate and put the residue on a bowl as if it were kief. The resulting smoke was super harsh and tasted like shit. Not hard science for sure, but good enough for me.

Butte: what's your trim process? do I offend with my critique of the robots?

 

[Gooey]

No offense here lol i enjoy your opinions nomaad as well as the wonderful information butte is sharing...very nice layout butte, clean effecient, positive vibes your way this season...i also am curious about your trim process butte if you dont mind sharing?...peace n puffs