Elevator in the Forest

[TheGreatBC]

Great grow elevator, Have you grown flo outside before,? just curious on the finish time I've heard they can be harvested around mid to late September but looking at your flo's it looks like they may run into october. When do you expect them to be ready?

 

[Elevator Man]

Yeah, it finishes fine - or at least most phenos do - my 11-week one which got eaten hasn't begun yet, though that's as much to most of the branches disappearing than anything else, I reckon. It was realising that Flo would finish which got me back into the whole outdoor thing. However, it's specific to Flo - Grape Krush and Cocoa Kush barely got started before the weather turned, and although the Blueberrys are both flowering, I can't definitely authenticate those, so it's not that clear yet.

But most of the my Flo phenos will happily flower between 15/9 and 13/11, and rarely go beyond eight weeks. End of August is around 13 hrs 40 mins here, which is when they usually begin.

 

[Elevator Man]

No rain now for three and a half weeks, and glorious sunshine yet again - I'm really pleased I got that watering/feeding sone when I did, as they're perfectly placed to make maximum use of it before the days get darker.

When it will actually rain properly is not my concern, as I can water and feed them right to the end if need be, so I'm happy for no rain at all till the end of November if possible! Unlikely I know, but this is a great time for bud development, and it's been plenty breezy too, so not much chance of any mould yet.

I should be able to get out there at the weekend, so will do another update after that - there should be some decent buds to see by now.

 

[Elevator Man]

Still not had chance to revisit yet, but it's raining for the first time in 32 days! Not a lot now, but it did throw it down at 6am for a while. Needless to say they won't need a drink now, but I'm going to anyway in a day or two - I can give them a last dose of flower nutes and bat guano, and then by my reckoning, the MoFlo should be done in 2-3 weeks, and the Flo#4 a week after that - assuming they're still untouched!

More as soon as I can get out...

 

[Elevator Man]

Alrighty - well, the one day's rain I reported last week is still really the only significant sky-watering they've had in nearly six weeks now, and for that I am eternally grateful. They're not suffering from water deprivation though - far from it. I visited again on Sunday, and gave them all another very good watering, packed with nutes, flowering boosters and bat guano - normal dilutions of course, but they're getting a large volume of water along with it, and are thriving as a result - no animal damage either, BTW.

So - the purple MoFlo will be the first to finish, and it's beginning the final stage - not a large bud on top yet, so that looks like it will be the last to form, as buds lower down are more deveoped already. The shade-leaf sudden-death syndrome, seen on my old purple Flo, is clearly visible on this plant also. The calyx formations are really interesting also - almost like coral, or anenomes. I'm expecting this to be done in about two weeks:



The 'green' Flo #4 is also looking beautiful now, and beginning to fatten up - this pheno usually performs the best outdoors of my Flo/MoFlos, and it looks like this year won't be any different. I just wish this was a larger bush, as it would have been quite a good, and tasty yield - no thanks to the deer for chewing off half the branches...



And now - oh baby - my beautiful Oaxacan Gold, not only flowering, but positively enjoying herself in the October sunshine - this pheno never ceases to amaze me, as outdoor growing was definitely not on my list of requirements when I got her, but what the hell - that'swhat you call adaptability - for both of us...



The Blue Satellites seem to be relaxing a little, leaf-wise, and look a little less rain-trapping than they did, although I still expect some mould from at least one of these at some point if it gets really wet - just too leafy (and slow) by far for a damp week or two. These, like most of the 'fast' indica-dom plants I've grown outdoors, will probably be among the last to finish - again, late trigger-date being the culprit, not the actual flower-time. Still, they're both floweruing, so should be finished in about four weeks I reckon - #2 first, then #3:



The Kentish Creme is also looking happy, though again, I wish it had been bushier. Still, with about three weeks to go it should fatten up more, and it's easily the most resiny strain out there, so it should look pretty good by the end:



The indica Blueberry #1 is looking lovely - small, but perfectly-formed, and will produce a few nice buds, if not a huge yield:



And finally, what a revelation - the sativa Blueberry #2, which was struggling for ages, now looks totally at home outdoors, with a beautiful two-tone mint/choc coloring, and a healthy coating of resin. The smell of this one, which is always beautiful, is absolutely amazing outdoors - full-on blueberry, raspberry, bilberry - you name it, it's berry - with a creamy finish. Makes me wanna cry.

But more excitingly( as I decided to let this one die off this year), the seeds I made from it (BB2 X (Mystery Strain X Flo)) - codenamed 'Bilberry' - are definitely going to get started ASAP now, as all the parents involved will finish outdoors here, and they should be much denser, hardier hybrids than this too, but are bound to be varied - like I care:





So all in all, I'm quite pleased, apart from the obviously low yields on some of them - not really the point, as it's just some free smoke, and more data for the files. So - first chop in about two weeks or less, and then I'm hoping it should be about one plant a week down until the end of November. What will that Oaxacan Gold look like by then, I wonder...?

One gripe here - I had to pull out some images, due to a 'maximum of 25 allowed per post' - is that normal?

 

[sneakinman13]

mmmm,all looking nice and sticky my friend. i bet your juiced for them to finish up!
good luck

 

[Elevator Man]

Trying not to get too excited, as there's still time for plenty to go wrong, though fingers crossed it won't...

 

[Luco Cadalora]

Hello Brother, hope all is well! just curious? have you suffered from mould or mildrew as of yet? it's getting real chilly at night's now?

Take care LC

 

[Dr. Conjuror]

Great pix again E. The color on your Moflo's seem to be the very definition of "royal purple". I am so glad the weather is treating you and your lovely harem so nicely this year.

Dr. Conjuror

 

[Elevator Man]

Well, here's some more news on the plants - I visited again today. And in answer to Luca Cadalora's question - a little mould - more on that later.

But essentially, all is still fine, and progressing smoothly, though I'm hoping this MoFlo will put a bit more on yet - I was expecting it to be finished in the next few days, but it looks like it's still happy, so I'm going to leave it longer - it's beginning to smell quite strong and minty now:



The Oaxacan Gold is doing fine too - turning purple with the colder nights, and fattening up - I can't imagine it will bud as densely as indoors, and am expecting leafier buds all round, but I'm still happy with progress, considering where I am! It's not quite as strong on the gear-oil smell outdoors either - sweeter, and slightly fruity:



Flo #4 is ramping up now, and has the beautiful green/purple 'cluster-buds' I love so much - I've only ever really had them on this pheno - it never foxtails outdoors either, which I'm assuming must be a temp-related thing too. It's the strongest-smelling of all my Flo and MoFlo plants, with a sweet, skunky/floral aroma:



Blue Satellite #3 is finally showing some color, and the buds are stacking up - I'm expecting this one and the other BS to be another three weeks at least yet though, possibly four - depends on the weather, as always, really - if it gets really wet, I think these two plants will struggle, given the bud density, etc.:



The Blueberry #2 is showing the first hint of mould - the only one in the set, but it's the most delicate, and I was expecting it to be the first one - I clipped this bit off, and drenched the plant in Rot-Stop, so hopefully it shouldn't progress. Actually, I did every plant thoroughly with this stuff, as there's no point in risking it with more rain due:



Blueberry #1 is still doing, though I wish it wasn't so miniature, as this too is far better-flavoured outdoors - really tangy orange/blueberry stink - yum:



And last, but not least, the Kentish Creme, looking as mysterious as ever. The resin content is increasing, and I'm expecting this to fill out more yet - another three weeks too, probably. The unusual leaves are quite clear on the second photo - the deep-cut veins and extreme forward-pointing leaflets are quite unique to this plant, though I'm pleased to see they're coming through in the JLo hybrid I'm working on too:



So they're all prepared as best they can be for rain, which shouldn't be too heavy this week, I don't think. I'll give them all a feed next weekend, and if the MoFlo looks done, it'll come down - if not, I'll leave it another week, and do it and the Flo #4 together. But I'm reasonably happy, given the missing branches on the MoFlo and Flo, which still depresses me a little, when I think how much bigger those two would have been...

 

[The Hummus Monk]

I've got some rot issues too...going to try a dehumidifier in the greenhouse! What's rot stop like?

Very impressed by the way!

 

[Elevator Man]

Cheers mate - won't get the yields you might, but it's more for fun than anything else - and to prove it can be done, even in this environment. Bud Rot Stop is the Hydrogarden version of Greencure I think - it's a bacterium in malt extract, which kills Botrytis spores:

http://www.gardenofedenhydroponics.co.uk/product.php?productid=367

It stinks rotten though...

You'll probably have better results in the greenhouse, as they recommend drenching the plants and keeping them wet for four hours - i.e. just before dark. I couldn't do that yesterday, and it's generally better for me to visit midday, but I didn't have many issues so far, so it's OK.

 

[Elevator Man]

I'm going to try and get out in the next couple of days, and decide what to do with the MoFlo - we've got more rain forecast, and as it's pretty much done, I may well chop it - depends on what the pistils are doing really - if they've all closed up, I'll pull it down. It only took 7 weeks indoors, and it's had 8 outdoors, so I'm thinking it's ready, but I'd hate to lose some yield if it's still fattening up.

Other than that one, I'll give them all another feed, which will be the last one for most - they certainly won't need much water, but some more bat guano won't go amiss, and some PK 13/14. The Flo #4 should be ready in a week, and then I'm hoping for one down a week until the end of November, when the Mexican should be done - whether it'll survive that long is up to the weather now...

 

[weedster]

nice tops Elevator Man

 

[Elevator Man]

Cheers! It's pissing down with rain today - not heavy, but constant, so it's unlikely I'll get out today. Tomorrow is meant to be sunny, so we'll see. Goddamn...

 

[Elevator Man]

Well it was suuny today - gloriously so, in fact. I chopped the MoFlo and the Flo#4 - they didn't look like they were going to do any more, and there was a tiny bit of mold on one of the Flo buds, so I was happy to wield the knife. My camera ran out of juice, but I got a few final ones of the MoFlo on my friend's, so as soon as I can get them transferred, I'll post them up.

There were small bits of mold also on the HOG and one of the Blue Satellites, but not much, and after that was clipped off, all the plants were literally drenched again with Bud Rot Stop, so fingers crossed they'll be OK. Next ones down I reckon will be the Kentish Creme and one or both of the Blueberrys, but I don't want to pull anything unless it looks like it's struggling or definitely finished, and I don't think they are yet.

More as it happens...

 

[The Common]

EM,
thanks for your advice, I've posted again cause I found some mould, we've got a downpour on the way tonight, then some dry warm and overcast days, felt comforted reading your own expectations of a November chop, worried the mould will be a bigger problem by then, what to do?
Lovely job you've done. Congrats
Gracias por ayuda
TC

 

[Elevator Man]

Well, it looks like the whole of Britain is going to be drowning in torrential rain on Sunday, so I may have to chop the Kentish Creme and two BBs tomorrow - they're so close to finished that I don't want to risk losing the the whole plant for the sake of a few grams more - I was planning to leave them out until next weekend.

The two Blue Satellites will be another fortnight, and the HOG at least three weeks yet, so it won't be all over, assuming they can handle this rain. If I do chop tomorrow, I'll post some final pics, but I'll be keeping a close eye on the weather for the next 48 hours!

 

[Benefit]

Hi Elevator Man you are a great grover
I haven't found how long of direct sunlight per day got have your plants?

 

[smokeymacpot]

updates ?