Carcass' $150 Low Budget Grow 2019

[Trala]

Happy Saturday, everyone!
Not really an update, but today, I'm going to touch on a couple of things you can use to tie your plant down once it grows past the edge of the pot.
We do this to try and get the plant nice and wide, while trying to keep it fairly short so it doesn't outgrow our space...
First, the pool noodle method, which will work fine on fabric or plastic pots, although there's a better way to do it if you're using a plastic pot- but first ,noodle stuff...

Get yourself a pool noodle at the dollar store, then, cut it in half lengthwise....

Then, just wrap it around the pot, mark where to cut it (sorry, no pic of that )
Then cut it to length, wrap it around the pot so it's nice 'n tight, and tape it at the seam.
Then, you'll need to go around it with some type of wire, or even string- this will not only hold it tight, but if the tape comes loose, the noodle will stay put- we don't want this thing falling off halfway through the training...The wire/string also keeps it tight on the pot so the plant doesn't lift it up (yes, they will lift it)

The other way, which is what I recommend for plastic pots, is suction cups- they don't come loose, and they're infinitely adjustable. These came with the windshield shades that I lined my grow box with, but you can also get them on amazon- they're pretty cheap. I've used them a couple of times, and they do a great job...

Since the noodle and the suction cups are both pretty close to the pot, we may need to add some spacers to the tiedown wires so the tiedowns pull the plant down at the correct angle, which keeps the tiedown from sliding back down the stem toward the pot...

Use fairly stiff wire, and you can just poke it into the noodle to hold it....


That's about all I've got today-
To be honest, I don't feel that I've explained it very well, but I hope you get the general idea...Don't hesitate to ask questions if there's something you don't understand!
And, If you can think of another way to do it- give it a try- these are two ways I came up with, but that doesn't mean that it's the only way to do it

Sorry I got to this so late in the day- I've been doing some plumbing, roofing and electrical work at my mom's house, and I've still got weeks worth of crap to get done there...(I know, wah,wah,wah...)

Done

 

[Carmen Ray]

..but this training isn't for everyone- it takes more time than some folks want to spend, or have time for...

Just to make sure. Are you doing the canopies to autos or is it only photos? Sorry, so confused. I like the fancy modified watering can idea.

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

Thank you for the kind words, Trala- You made my day!

One might think so, but you're the only one that ever asked about it. ..but this training isn't for everyone- it takes more time than some folks want to spend, or have time for...
But if you grow a plant this way, ya can't help but be happy with the final result...

And while I'm here...

Here's another little trick that makes this process a bit easier...watering a plant when it's short and bushy can be a pain in the butt- It's almost impossible to water through all those leaves without a lot of the water ending up on the floor...so I came up with a simple way to avoid that mess...

You'll need a foot of 1/2" tubing, and something with a small hole in it that will fit inside the hose, to restrict the flow so you don't blast a bunch of holes in the soil while pouring the water on...
You'll need a watering can too, but I figure most people have one of those- if not, time to visit the dollar store and get one....

You don't really need to use a restrictor- I chose to because I had a habit of watering too fast, which seems to make more of the water just run right through the pot- you'll get less runoff watering slowly...

Just use it like a little water hose- hold the watering can in one hand, and direct the water where you want it to go with the other- you cant see the end of the hose when it's under all those leaves, but you know where the water is going, so you don't really have to see it get there....

And, that's about all there is to that!
As usual, any questions, don't be afraid to ask
And thanks for looking

I'll be back in here tomorrow with a plant(s) update,
and another training session (#6) hope to see you then

This would work too:

 

[Nine Toed Hippie]

This would work too:

That’s the GDB I know!

NTH

 

[Trala]

This would work too:

Is that a home made colonic irrigation kit?

 

[DeeBoy]

Looking goooood Carcass! That GSC is just gorgeous.

LOL! I was gonna do a smoke report on my Blueberry auto last night and I got so fucked up I forgot, and then fell asleep. She is VERY plain looking but she got a dangerous side.

That's a great smoke report!

 

[DeeBoy]

Is that a home made colonic irrigation kit?

The deluxe model with all the fancy attachments!

 

[Carcass]

Happy Monday! Time for a little Update on the happenings in the ol' grow box, and outside too!
(the training update will follow)

The GSC is 44 days old today, fed 4.5g/gal/mc (and loving it!) she's 7 inches tall & 18 inches wide...

The SaugaView®: (bottom of the pic-Wookiees left, DarkDevil right)

A different view- this plant is an amazing grower...

And then there's the little autos- both 21 days old, both showing pistils, although not fully flowering quite yet. They're enjoying 3g/gal/mc, and they both need water every day...in fact the Wookiees got watered twice yesterday- it's getting reeaal close to transplant time...
Wookiees:

Next up , the DDa- growing well- leaves are both variegated and a bit krinkly, but it's not slowing her down much...

Now on to the outdoor ladies-both 37 days old, both doing well, Wookiees still a runt, but a healthy runt- she's flowering, but it doesn't look like she's very good at it yet.
.They're being fed 50g of @Geoflora nutes every 12 days.

And the White Chem- I think she's trying to flower, but the tops look a little odd. This plant is not branching at all- she's going to look like a leafy stick when she's done...

White Chem tops- maybe flowering? (or just weird)

Last and probably least, there's the little Kalashnikov x Wookiees auto that sprouted right next to the White Chem: (she's 28 days old)

That's about it for today...
The plan was 3 plants, somehow I ended up with 6 - funny how that works, isn't it?

Thanks for looking, I really appreciate the support

Now the quotes...

Plenty of good tips in here. Thanks carcass.

Thank You. JJ!

Brilliant!

Done

Are you doing the canopies to autos or is it only photos?

Hi, Carmen! The one I'm doing now is a photo- I prefer photos for canopy training, because they give you as much time as you need- although, I have done an auto and it worked well- you just do everything a little sooner with an auto.

This would work too:

So it's not just a douchebag anymore...?

That’s the GDB I know!

Yep, he's still got it!

Is that a home made colonic irrigation kit?

See above ^^

That's a great smoke report!

Blueberry will do that to ya....

The deluxe model with all the fancy attachments!

Yes, that one comes with all the bells and whistles...

 

[Carcass]

And now for training Update#6...
My plant is 18" wide now, and that's about as wide as I want her to get - as she grows, she'll end up about 6" wider than she is right now, and I've got 24" in there, so she should fill the space pretty well by the time she's done...

So I won't be training her any wider, but we still need to guide the secondary branches to where we want them to end up...The 6 main branches will just be held where they are, and allowed to grow upward from now on.
At this point, I just watch for branches that are getting taller than the rest, and pull them back down to canopy level, while pointing them in the right direction.

For my particular application, the secondary branches that go past the edge of the pot only need to be trained out 3" past the pot edge , then they're allowed to grow upward...

The faster growing branches in the center of the plant will need to be guided into the open spaces- we don't want to pull them down much, just enough to get them to approximately the same height as the rest of the canopy ...

Look closely for little branches trying to make their way to the top- you may have to remove a few leaves to get good light to them- don't worry about removing the leaves- she should have plenty of them by now, so she's not gonna miss 'em...

If your space isn't limited, you can go as wide as you want to, but I'm kinda stuck at 18"
Right now, the 6 mains are shorter than the secondary branches-that won't be the case a few days from now

Here's a look at one of the main branches- I'll just hold it at this height from here on, and let it grow upward...the plan now is to give her a week more to get leveled out, then flip to 12/12 and hope she doesn't stretch like crazy- I never really know how much stretch there'll be. I've been lucky with the last 4, we'll see if my luck is gonna hold for this one

The next training update will have more info on tying stuff down to the noodle (or whatever you end up using)

I hope I explained stuff clearly- but don't be afriad to ask me questions if there's something you don't understand.

Thanks for looking!
I appreciate all of you, and I hope you all have an exceptional week!

 

[InTheShed]

More greatness! Thanks Carcass.

I wanted to mention that @newty posted from her Cannabis growing class that if you're taking off fans, take the leaf and leave the petiole rather than taking it off from the branch. Apparently the plant heals faster that way.

 

[Carcass]

Thanks, Shed!
I do leave the petiole- also, no danger of accidentally clipping the whole branch off that way ...I did that once, that was enough...

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

That was a really good job of explaining and illustrating your process, MrC!

I had never given much thought to how, given your box, you need to restrict both vertical and horizontal growth. Again, great explain!

Oh, and the plant looks lush!

 

[HashGirl]

And now for training Update#6..

The next training update will have more info on tying stuff down to the noodle (or whatever you end up using)

I hope I explained stuff clearly- but don't be afriad to ask me questions if there's something you don't understand.

Thanks for looking!
I appreciate all of you, and I hope you all have an exceptional week!

Thanks for another great update, Carcass! What is this "spacer" you speak of?

 

[Carcass]

Again, great explain!

Oh, and the plant looks lush!

Thank you, GDB!
Funny- 20 years ago, I was the lush... I think she's really going to test the limits of the ol' box...

What is this "spacer" you speak of?

Thanks, Hash Girl!
The spacer is just a piece of cardboard or similar material that holds the tiedown wire away from the pot, at an angle that keeps it from sliding down the branch- they can be any length you need to hold the wire where we want it- if the branches are close to horizontal, the spacer won't be needed, but if the branch is growing upward at an angle, say,30-45 degrees, then the wires tend to slide back down the branch without the spacer.


And now- not an update, just a few pics of the 2 autos that moved outside this morning...
Both got transplanted, topped and moved out into the sun today: DDa left, Wookiees auto, right.

Off with their heads! (Wookiees)

DDa:

And to help ease them into full sun, I borrowed a window screen off the house to tone the sun down a little: (I'll put it back when I'm done with it- Mrs.C. was "alarmed" when I took it off...)

And that's that!
The GSC now has the whole box to herself, and I'm pretty sure she's planning on using the whole thing...

That's about all for today-
Thanks for looking, I appreciate the support!

 

[Trala]

And now for training Update#6...
My plant is 18" wide now, and that's about as wide as I want her to get - as she grows, she'll end up about 6" wider than she is right now, and I've got 24" in there, so she should fill the space pretty well by the time she's done...

So I won't be training her any wider, but we still need to guide the secondary branches to where we want them to end up...The 6 main branches will just be held where they are, and allowed to grow upward from now on.
At this point, I just watch for branches that are getting taller than the rest, and pull them back down to canopy level, while pointing them in the right direction.

For my particular application, the secondary branches that go past the edge of the pot only need to be trained out 3" past the pot edge , then they're allowed to grow upward...

The faster growing branches in the center of the plant will need to be guided into the open spaces- we don't want to pull them down much, just enough to get them to approximately the same height as the rest of the canopy ...

Look closely for little branches trying to make their way to the top- you may have to remove a few leaves to get good light to them- don't worry about removing the leaves- she should have plenty of them by now, so she's not gonna miss 'em...

If your space isn't limited, you can go as wide as you want to, but I'm kinda stuck at 18"
Right now, the 6 mains are shorter than the secondary branches-that won't be the case a few days from now

Here's a look at one of the main branches- I'll just hold it at this height from here on, and let it grow upward...the plan now is to give her a week more to get leveled out, then flip to 12/12 and hope she doesn't stretch like crazy- I never really know how much stretch there'll be. I've been lucky with the last 4, we'll see if my luck is gonna hold for this one

The next training update will have more info on tying stuff down to the noodle (or whatever you end up using)

I hope I explained stuff clearly- but don't be afriad to ask me questions if there's something you don't understand.

Thanks for looking!
I appreciate all of you, and I hope you all have an exceptional week!

Good morning C Monster

I have bought a noodle and made my Carnoodle. I still have zero idea how it will be used.

Gear change, how stupid is my iPad. It will properly in writing but not in posting!

Like I read it but I don’t get it.

I’ll take some measurements today. While mine looks nothing like yours, I am seeing what I think is a canopy. Just a taller version. Unfortunately I have to use x2 skewers, and for the bigger branches metal skewers. It’s the only way I’ve found to stop her pulling them out.

The other thing is, I’ve sort of semi supercropped the bottom branches to make them grow up. Sort of giving them an L shape to try and incorporate them in my canopy. It’s a bit of a dogs breakfast but she’s okay. Her colour and growth are good. I kept her outside in the rain all day yesterday. I do love my plants to have clean hands and a washed face.

 

[Adora]

Hi Carcass! I'm loving the detailed tutorial. I've made a list of stuff to get the next time I'm at the dollar store. I'm also interested to see how much those two autos you moved outdoors will grow now that they've been topped and transplanted!
I can't remember if this is the final pot for the GSC, but how does uppotting work with all the hardware on there?

 

[Virgin Ground]

Just a little wonky.
Not nearly as bad as my DDA started out as and I'm sure that she'll be a looker when this is all over.
I can see how purple her petioles are already. Gonna have some really dark buds on her.

I saw the ones in WA yesterday.
Lookin' good!

 

[candycane]

Wow C! Your plants are looking fantabulous as always! Awesome tips on training too! Hope you have a great evening!

 

[Carcass]

I still have zero idea how it will be used.

Once you start using the noodle, you'll be using wires to hold things down, so you won't have to deal with the hooks pulling out- for the branches around the edges, anyway....

Hi Carcass! I'm loving the detailed tutorial

Cool! I'm glad it's working for you!

I can't remember if this is the final pot for the GSC, but how does uppotting work with all the hardware on there?

The GSC is in her final pot (5 gallon)- If you're in a 1 gallon, before the final, larger pot, just move the hooks & whatnot to the final pot...yes, it is a bit of a pain in the butt...
I usually just go from solo cup to final pot, but this time I uppotted to a 1 gallon first, then into the 5 gallon.(not sure why...)
I only left her in the 1 gallon for 4 or 5 days, because I decided a little too late to wait till the final pot before I started her training. I won't be doing the 1 gallon anymore, it just seems like a waste of time to me...they say watering a little plant in a big pot may be a problem, but I haven't found that to be the case, at least not yet.

Just a little wonky.

Just a little, but she gets more normal with every set of leaves- I think she's going to do very well out there...yep, that seed fairy knows how to pick the good ones...

I saw the ones in WA yesterday.

Yeah, that guy in WA. texted me a few pics on Sunday...

Wow C! Your plants are looking fantabulous as always!

Thanks so much,candy! we're getting to the fun part now...

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hi Carcass. The updates and info are brilliant, thank you. I'm interested in your observation about the up-potting. I won't have to make that decision for a couple of weeks but when I go up from solo cup, it sounds like you would advise going straight into the 20L with the autos? I'm going to want to do some training to keep them within the confines of my very limited space.