The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[*Journeyman*]

Going back to the cloud passing thing and hair trigger flowering I remember a few years back with all the fires in NorCal many complained about early flowering and/or poor yields. A buddy did not complain about the early flower thing but for sure saw his plants lag in growth that year.

Tom...on a project I'm researching started looking at things like brix and that led me to sap pH. Are you testing either? I remember you mentioning Lubkes(?) and his work and always hoped you would explain that a little more and started thinking brix would be a great way to monitor general nutrient uptake after waterings that were plain and those that were ORP adjusted to see if what you're doing is really working or not...eh? Brix is cool and read about 'water activity' and it's importance in general growth rates for one. Guess this would apply to a plant at any stage of growth.

 

[*Journeyman*]

I think a heat mat would take care of a lot of root heating. Do they make a 12v heat mat or tape? You could always run an inverter to 120V.

One time I thought about doing something like running PVC piping just under ground in the plant area so when temps really dropped at the least could kick up soil temps a bit. Use something like daytime solar collectors and start running that water underground very early morning to give the plants a jump start. I live up around 4,000' way NorCal and saw issues that people dealt with very late in the year and seemed to lose a lot of potential later on.

 

[bergerbuddy]

This is a kind of special nitch, one I am particularly familiar with. I will be growing big ones this year, many of you folks will as well. There are many things to consider. Let's explore these many things together in this thread.

I'd like to start by asking what genetics you folks feel are particularly suitable to large plants outdoors?

Let's just dig right in and crush this horribly uneducated belief that "indicas" are what we want for yield and ask ourselves.. Well, what are some attributes we might want in a plant in this situation? Let's talk about big plants outside, let's build them in our minds, let's dissect it all together. Anything goes here, all thoughts will be well considered and appreciated. -T

Well bro.. The two most important things I have had to consider is..

#1. When will they finish? (I live in Seattle Wa. and have got to have them out of the ground by the latest.. LATEST Nov..1 which leads to..
#2. How mold resistant are these gonna be.... as I said.. I live .. ugh.. in rainsville and blah blah blah...

If you have found ways to enhance your chances with these topics I would REALLY be interested... I am aware of and have fooled around with.. Putting plants into bud inside for a few weeks then moving em out.. and also taking garbage bags and putting em over the plants.. both are not pratical for THE BIG BEAST I"VE SEEN IN YOUR GALLERY hehehehe...

That being said I have a SATIVA strain that finishs quite early and is mostly sativa... a Purple Ice crossed with an Eds superbud male that was a horrible late flowerer.. didn't have useable pollen till nearly end oct however the progeny is done outside by the middle of sept.. go figure..

Have a pak of the X-18 and the Deep Chunk i'm gonna run outside... this year... will probably either take the nicest in to finish or??? how do these two strains.. well mainly the X-18 finish in my area and size capability?? being mostly indica?

How practical is growin the Tom Haze outside in my region?? I assume its not for my area?

 

[danimal7]

if I remember correctly ...white widow is one that will get FUBAR if planted too early..

 

[somebody041]

this is the best thread on icmag!

 

[g0vnaa]

You you really should bring more photos for us members to view {;
Maybe from your flowering rooms, your mothers etc. [;

And especially some pics of your keeper phenos (;;

 

[MedGuy510]

Just grabbing a seat for this one. If all goes well I'll have my own place by April 1 and am going to give growing a monster from a clone a try, with outdoor lighting that matches the solstice as mentioned by TomHill/Butte.

About the outdoor lighting for preventing spring flowering, how should a good setup work? Should I put a couple of 15w flourescent bulbs on stakes near the tree trunks or should the light be placed so that it lights the plants from the top (like the sun).

 

[Aeroguerilla]

AK47 is the best for mold resistant imo

 

[Tom Hill]

Hi all,

EG,

I'll not worry about soil heat until we got there, and believe 10f+ due solely to the (well vented) gpad would make things mo betta without any doubt. When I turn my holes, they light up to no less than about 125f due to composting, then settle down to 80f 2 weeks later (I've run these tests). I have heard that this is undesirable but only from tomato farmers who grow smaller plants than me, hehe. Timed right, the bio thermal energy is ample, providing we give up some heat by properly venting toxic gasses from the greenhouse too.

Planty,

Those bulbs will work very well on 8-12 foot centers.

smurfin'herb,

The cloud passing was a facetious comment, folks know what I meant I hope, clones that dive into flower with the least encouragement should likely be avoided in this scenario. This is very often -strongly- though not always correlated to harvest date.

Bergerbuddy,

Nov 1rst is as far as I'd plan to take anything @ 39n. If you are comfortable with that date then you should be shooting for the same moon as me - where 10 #'s and if not what happened. Take advantage of a hybrid bud structure and buy yourself some extra time in regards to the mold digging in, take other precautions against it as well (high Calcium etc). When I say take advantage of a Sativa, I mean only the best parts ... The part that takes you to the end of the season is key, that it doesn't charge into flowering at the first cloudy day, the part that defends a bit against mold via structure etc. If a Sativa comes in early, its usually not worth looking at re the more important factors ime regarding yield. Both the DC and X18 will have no probs where you are, but the Haze will be a mid/Nov plant at best, and better take that into account.

gOvnaa,

my brother Fair enough indeed. The short version is that I agree and then some, and am taking this into my own hands from this point forward.

Medguy,

Butte seems to be placing lights inbetween plants and this seems to be working very well. I, during the greenhouse start have always placed 2x40=80 watt fluorescents 10 feet on center, and this has been more than ample too.-T

 

[localhero]

Whats up tom!


Thanks for taking the time and posting your soil recipe. I really really apreciate the invaluable info on calcium and pm. Had a terrible time last summer on my first outdoor grow with it. Here are my questions for you:

1) What recipe would you sub for the black gold? I mean as far as making my own peat/compost/perlite base. Currently I've been using the lucas mix #1 and feeding with guano teas. I dont have a 100 gallon brewer or plan on getting one so for this summer im only planning on using my teas as a supplemental addition to my organic grow.

2) Any experience in puting out pre vegged ogs in may (34 lat) and premature flowering issues?

3) There must be a thread somewhere about sup lighting. Crap I know I read something somewhere before I knew it would be important. My plot is @20x40, not massive. I do have neighbors, but could wrangle a timer to a flood to come on early in the morning. Not sure if running a string of lights would be too obvious. Would 2 or three flood lights not be enough to prevent early flower?

3.5) As far as planting during moon cycles to aid in stopping early flowering, would that be at a full moon, or the first quarter when the moon is increasing each night?

4) Any indicators besides sat/ind that show a bad tendency to early flower with light changes? My Julius Ceasar (sfvogxmaster) throws insane preflowers, almost like shes begging to do her her thing. This has me wondering if that is a bad sign for taking her cuttings out in may after 2 months vegging in 16/8.

Thanks again for putting your recipe out there, I know theres alot of people who would rather keep it a secret than add to the community.

 

[Raco]

Colombians started late in the season @ 43ºN.Typical cold oligotrophic ground .. thin layer on a slate cradle
Some commercial soil was added and fistfuls of worm castings...these plants thrive on nothing lol!
They reached 4 meters..easily

 

[Dkgrower]

What a nice tread, so nice to see more pictures from Butte and Tom you guys are really making me smile with those huge plants.

More on plant structure, support and pruning techniques later...

This is something i really would like to hear about.

 

[outdoordreams]

Outdoordreams is dreaming of plants like BUTTE and TOM grow!

 

[theJointedOne]

Uhhhh...biggest plant I've ever seen was 12+ lbs back about '06. Not only did I see it but smoked it. Been saying that for years. The grower was Guano Tea with an NL#5 x Haze. Pics/posts/etc. are online in another forum. Difficult to see someone pulling that off from seed. I do think there's no way to grow a Big Dog any way other than organic.

He grew that girl up the Feather River off to the side a bit.

hey thats my mentor and best friend your talking about. Taught me how to grow for many years under his wing. Now I can FLY!!!!

Lot's of skilled gardeners up that way...

More on plant structure, support and pruning techniques later...

yes yes we are the best kept secret in the state (no mold/pests, wet spring/hot dry summer). Im not saying anymore, i want it that way forever hahahhahaa

 

[danimal7]

hey guys , so these are what im going long and hopefully huge \

original haze x skunk 1 (3 good phenos, GH freebies)
love potion 1
jack the ripper
shanti mr nice ssh x jack the ripper
alaskan ice ....one good sativa pheno

any thoughts?

 

[*Journeyman*]

hey thats my mentor and best friend your talking about.

I still chat with the dude pretty regularly. If we're talking bout the same person then you know what happened...unfortunately...and was there that Summer but man I think his blood runs green instead of red or something...LOL. Was very fortunate to rub elbows on the farm. Stellar grower and peep. I look forward to the day I have some space to grow freely outside. I'll start vegging my plant late August to put out the next Spring and see what I get...heh heh.

 

[Dr_Tre]

A dumb question bothering my sleepless nights

How far north could these monsters be grown?

 

[kopite]

Outdoordreams is dreaming of plants like BUTTE and TOM grow!

As I recall your threads at another site, yours weren't too bad.

 

[outdoordreams]

Thanks Kopite. Ive enjoyed a few summers, but 19oz was my biggest yeilder (Blockhead), and 9 feet was my tallest plant (TimeBomb). Dude one year my whole harvest didnt match ONE of their plants! Only so much we can do in BC.


Not only are these peeps growing monsters, they are healthy monsters.

Peace outdoordreams

 

[ElRubio]

hey all:
impressive and awe-inspiring thread...
Thank you very much for the show, keep it coming