New part-time thread.

[packn2puff]

Through great pain and suffering she gives life..and emerges from war with signs she's not ready to give up..
Now on the lost-my-post issue..I fell victim too many times..I now continually highlight and Ctrl + C (copy) the text..
Anything goes wrong..just paste it back Ctrl + V..
and if you do a preview post..you can get it back on a expired page fault..just go back and hit refresh..it will warn you things might be different now, but it will usually show the previewed post in post form..the typing slate will be empty..
You can just copy/paste by highlighting the preview post..

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

^^^ GMT, this guy has been around the block, er I mean screen, a few times.... Good advice there packn!

GMT - those seeds look mighty purty!

Bugs have been bad by me this year too. Asparagus beetles are flying around in squadron formation, decimating asparagus greens.

Cya!

 

[GMT]

Hi Pack, unfortunately I was viewing the preview screen when it happened, so hitting the previous page button on my browser only took me back to the thread pre-post. I stopped copying my posts to the clipboard once I started running the spybot checker that you reccomended, as it seems to have sorted most issues out. Time to start again as standard safe practice I guess.
MGJ, I've been trimming again, so many branches on that girl, the later seeds seem almost done already, so I guess from here on in the girl hasnt got too much work to do. Maybe she'll get off her arse and start making some buds for me now. Here's a pic of the clone in her home. I keep taking the dome off and blowing a little co2 in there, (exhaling), to see if it helps her at all. Do Asparagus beetles eat everything green? Do you grow asparagus too? On a side note, I also managed to get myself a little bonsai tree going. Very small and only 2 leaves on it yet, but I think it will work, I'll post it up at some point in the next few days in the apropriate thread.
Started another of the bruised nuts off the other day, looking healthy so far. And I'm soaking some of the E plants off again (remember the old days of naming plants with letters?). I'm going back to a couple of them as they have shown fairly mite resistant in the past, so just in case they try to attack again, I want something easier to defend on the go. And I miss the smoke they provide. They arent very heavy yielders, but I do like the stone they give. Also soaking some more bruisedberries, but only looking for another tri, I want some f2s as seeds are getting low from them. Then once sexing on that round is complete, I'll plant a couple of these new seeds, to see what they are like. Think that brings me up to date. Appart from reading that pom is trying to make another comeback on this site, even outing gypsies name, so all out this time, we'll have to see what happens there, but if the shit hits the site, I'll be a reef's site, probably in the arcade.

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

Love your dome technology man! Fits perfectly!

Yes, I grow asparagus too. Have a bed that's about 12 years old. Last year didn't have to spray at all - but most years I have to spray at least once early to mid summer. The asparagus beetles seem to leave everything else alone, just the asparagus fronds get stripped. Stunts them just a bit.

Congrats on your bonsai! Hey, lots of folks trim 'em down so there's only 2 leaves! Sounds like you found a good specimen - looking forward to your pics.

:friends:

 

[packn2puff]

Shields up Capt...doesn't look like the Borg is getting in there..let a bunch of ladybirds go in there and see what happens..they might clean the whole room up for ya..
Them loose in the house..isn't such a bad thing..they can find bugs you can't..
Daddy long leg spiders..are good and harmless to you..they will find and eat up all kinds of tiny insects..I don't know if they are abundant in the UK..
I put almost every spider I find in the grow..except the small spinner spiders..they like to use the plant to make webs..
It's interesting how fast they set up shop..When I started the clones recently..gnats were buzzing around them..
almost immediately two spiders set up right near the plants..I don't know if this is why I've never dealt with mites..but could be..I don't kill spiders..I move them..
Daddy long legs are the best spiders to have around..can't/won't bite you..easy to spot..and they love to eat parasites and probably no web on plants..
Just makes sense to me to have sentry guards around that want to eat anything that wants to eat your plants..win-win
Food for thought

 

[GMT]

OK, I have to clear something up immediately. Not because I need to be pedantic, but because I am terrified of spiders. Daddy long legs are not spiders. Even if they are, flying spiders is something that I dare not contemplate or acknowledge exist. Daddy long legs are common in the uk, if you want some you just leave a light on and an open window. But I dont like them either. No where near to the extent that I dont like spiders though. I can't even think of the spider mites as being real spiders as it would freak me out far too much. When I cleaned the grow area out a little while ago, I found a bigger spider had set up home and web under the HPS ballast. He had to die quickly. It was a long process that involved a lot of tools, but he is an ex spider. Spiders have no place in the world, never mind my grow room. As far as I'm concerned anything with more than 4 legs, simply should not be allowed to live.
I'll ditch any grow at any stage long before I start letting bugs set up home in here. I appreciate the thought, but I can't even consider any solution that involves increasing the numbers of any type of bugs. Fungus gnats are something that I try to ignore the existance of, but I'm not happy about them either. Currently my solution to fungus gnats is clingfilm over the tops of the tubs that are too big for coke domes. It doesnt prevent them all, but they dont manage to survive in quite the same numbers as they would with easy access to the soil. Burning the fuck out of the leaves in the way that I did, seems to have put the mites off breeding, as I have trouble finding one now. Even though I fucked the whole process up, I am glad I did it now, as it seems to have really helped me out. Its even something I would do again if mites move in again, although I'd order the propper type of vinegar next time. Fighting bugs with bugs though doubles my nightmares, I'm a sissy when it comes to bugs, I know it and accept it about myself. Not something that I would normally advertise about myself, but since you raise the issue, I guess I need to come clean. I'm bugophobic. Thanks for the thought though mate.

 

[packn2puff]

Holy arachnophobia Miteman..well I didn't work that in..poisonous spiders get me a little nervous..but the non-poison ones don't bother me one bit..
I'll let them crawl on me while I move um..

flying spiders is something that I dare not contemplate or acknowledge exist.

LMAO..hehe..

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

GMT - thanks for the disclosure - I hear ya and understand. Used to have a problem with bugs too, until I had to live in MX for 3 years - I think it was like desensitization therapy. I still don't like 'em though...

I knew you'd be a good candidate for MGJ Diatomaceous Earth products . Have you found any yet? If you dust a bit over the topsoil or mix a cup or so of it in per gal soil a lot of those nasties that like to put a leg or two on solid soil will bite the dust - and bring the stuff back to their friends and burn 'em up too!

My name is MGJ and I used to be a bugophobic - now I'm just plain buggy.

 

[GMT]

Yeah ya gotto watch those poisonous spiders Pack, before you know it you'll be working on a newspaper, climbing walls, spinning webs and battling Goblins, or is that radio active spiders?
Lol MGJ,
No I havent looked into it yet to be honest. It does sound like a good solution for me though. Last time I ran low on compost, I just called the local garden centre, and later that day 200 litres of soil was delivered. Spring time is great, but I dont like to do it that way at any other time of year, looks far more suspicious. So next time I'm topping up, I'll be going in person and paying cash, that's the time I get to browse around to see if anything catches my eye. While I'm there I'll ask the saturday girl/boy if they know anything about it or have it in stock. Let me just make a note here so I can find this part of the thread again in a search.
"Add to soil for nasty things - see MGJ above" I need to do that as I'll never remember how to spell diato thingy m-jiggy and at 50 pages it'll take ages to re-read through.

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

>... as I'll never remember how to spell diato thingy m-jiggy and at 50 pages it'll take ages to re-read through. <

ROTFLOL... Whew - gmt - well I'm sure if you asked for diato thingy m-jiggy that kills ants they'd still give you the right stuff

Sure is nice you have a garden center so close by, man that is convenient!

 

[GMT]

Yeah right, the staff over there must be more interested in their work than they are in this area. If I asked for diato stuff that ants dont like here, they'd send me to the supermarket for sacarin tablets thinking I wanted a replacement for sugar.
I have now removed and peeled most of the seed pods from the smokey girl. I have around 400 nice seeds and have thrown about the same away as immature. The bud areas that are now left are starting to produce buds now, although there is so little nice leaf material left that I may reduce the buds a little further, although that naturally also removes some of the healthy leaves, so I'm not sure what to do yet. I'll leave that decision to a little later on. I reckon around another 4 weeks left on them as the seeds and alkaline shower (that kiled most of the leaves off) really slowed the plant down alot. Here she is now

The nicest looking bud
Now the first of the next round of plants is this standard bruised nuts. Mother was a bruised berry (can't remember if she was a tri I should read back at some point), and the father was reefermans nutcruncher. I've not tried these yet as the only example I kept was a male tri, who then died during reveg due to mildew, I couldnt save him. I need to keep this around though as I'm not sure how much bud, if any the plant above will provide, and with no other girls on the go, I need to see if this is a girl to (a)try her and (b)get as early a replacement smoke as I can. The E plants are popping out of their shells as we speek, but they will be around 3 months to harvest. The above will be about 2.5 months if female, so I get a smoke 2 weeks earlier hopefully.

 

[GMT]

starting to fill in a little now

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

Hiya GMT!
Fill in a little!!! Understatement! Considering they were nuked and survived they look very good, quite a bit of bud already. Do you think flowering period might be a bit delayed by the mite adventure? If so they still may yield pretty well...

Baby tri looks beautiful as always!

 

[GMT]

Hi MGJ, That trainwreck must be a good smoke mate, No baby tris going at the moment. The baby above is just a standard bruised nuts, unsexed . But yes, I do think that the combination of mites, seeds, heavy solutions desolving the leaves, and some deforestation has resulted in putting back the clock on the flowering thing. Quite relieved it has to be honest, otherwise I'd have been left with next to no smoke. On original timings, it should have been pulled in the next couple of days, but it will need around 2-3 weeks yet to finish up. The clone isnt looking so great at the mo, so I may need to take another. Early tester and taster cuts have been fun already. Can't wait till she's done. I am looking forward to testing a few of the 400+ seeds I pulled off her too. I'm hoping they will be the last of the crosses in this line for finetuning the plant/smoke.

 

[Guvnor]

Heya GMT- Great thread you got here farmer. Filled with top info and even better shots of some nice buddage.
I'm going to have a proper butchers over the whole thread later, ive just scanned over it looking for the good pictures-Like what you do with the 'daily star newspaper' just hunt out the nice pictures

Be back later to check updates
All The Best
Guv'nor

 

[Mr GreenJeans]

GMT wrote: That trainwreck must be a good smoke mate, No baby tris going at the moment.

In the words of the comic Carlos Mencia - dee deedee - had one of those moments. Plus needed another 16 oz of high octane java

Guess I must have a mental block about bruised nuts - trifol sounds so much less - hmmm - ouchie

Glad to see you'll get some smokeables from this batch - keeping my fingers crossed your hopes on this last cross come true.

 

[GMT]

Hi Guvnor, thanks man, yeah I know what you mean about the nice pics in some papers, though I think the sport is filled with more than the star.
Hehe MGJ, the bruised nuts name does bring a tear to the minds eye. Think I'll start the tri program again in the winter. I have a few more important things to do first.

 

[packn2puff]

They seem to be rebounding nicely..
Well I found some info..while I was surfing the net..you may have already read it..It was a report on spider mites..done at Ohio State University..
It has some pics..identifies species..and test results on pesticides and preditors..not a huge report one page with pic links..
Anyway I found it after someone wrote in to the urban grower about spider mites and said they wanted to stay organic..
he was saying you could maintain the situation and end up with webbing, mite dander, etc
He suggested out of Rotells Handbook use Avid..get in, get out, move on..so that's when I found the report..they back up that Avid is effective..
now they are testing greenhouse ornimental crops but it's good info..just info
http://floriculture.osu.edu/archive/may98/smites.html
Video I saw on Urban Grower..Volume 15, last Tek Mike Video.. www.urbangrower.com ..
you may want to pause it for awhile so it can buffer the video ahead good..that site isn't very dial-up friendly..

 

[GMT]

Thanks Packn, but what is this Avid stuff?

 

[packn2puff]

Here's the product PDF on Avid http://www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com/PDF/Labels/2166_avid.pdf