catkins
420 Member
Hi! I'm making this thread to document my first growing experience. Around 3 weeks ago I was unexpectedly offered a clone from a local outdoor grower, by someone without much other information about it - so I assume it's suited to the local climate, but that's all I know for now. I have little to no gardening experience, but I got attached and I really want to keep her alive! So with that in mind, I thought it would be wise to get some more eyes on her.
I'm in Atlantic Canada, which means this grow is legal, but the weather can be rocky (there were still overnight frosts at the end of May, and we can get some very strong storms in late summer/early fall). I don't have a lot of funds or space, so I wanted to take a relatively laid-back approach to this one, but obviously without being neglectful. I plan to keep her potted, but leave her outside as much as the weather allows.
Here's a summary of events so far:
June 7
I received the clone in a small plastic pot. Beautiful dark leaves, a bit dry and damaged in places, I'm guessing from transportation/storage. Also, flowers! I wasn't sure why or what to do about it, it's very early, but I researched and came to the conclusion that with enough light, they should reveg on their own time. So I decided to basically ignore that part for the time being and let the sun do its thing.
June 8
I felt like I should get her into a better container ASAP, so after some research I went and picked up what I could get at my local Canadian Tire: a 2.5-litre-ish "eco pot" (recycled/biodegradable materials, seemed like the most breathable option available); this potting soil (promix was sold out, and the only other option was miracle gro); and a few basic tools. I also grabbed this nutrient mix, because I felt like it was a good idea to have something nutritious on hand.
When I pulled away the lining, I saw roots poking out everywhere! I chose not to disturb the existing soil, and basically buried the whole clump, then watered thoroughly.
The first proper picture I have. (There's a cast where I accidentally broke a branch, I took it off the next day though as it was clearly lifeless.)
In hindsight, I should have bought some perlite separately and mixed it with the soil, as the mix contained a much lower concentration of it than I expected. I tried not to pack it too tightly, but it was still pretty dense. But since I was planning on up-potting soonish anyway, I didn't feel like it was worth it to replace all the soil again unless I saw signs of struggle.
June 10
Just a cute little sprout I started tracking the progress of. (I've since read that you should avoid encouraging ones from too low on the stem... oh well)
June 13
Day 5 without watering. I'd been reading Emilya's guides on watering and I appreciate her slow and relaxed approach, so I'm trying my best to chill out and listen to the plant rather than my own expectations. And honestly, the soil just didn't feel dry yet. (perhaps because of the aforementioned density? lol) By this time though, I could see it pulling away from the edges of the pot, and I thought I noticed the leaves drooping slightly.
And here's the same sprout. Something is happening!
June 15
I finally watered! I also tied down the branches as an attempt to let more light in.
June 22
Exciting day =p I had been watching the leaf growth, which consisted mostly of weird 1- or 3-fingered leaves popping up everywhere, and felt pretty good about its progress. So I decided to snip off a few inches from the top, where most of the buds were concentrated, and not much new growth was happening. I was a bit nervous, but also pretty certain it would not be fatal.
I got some worm castings, so I sprinkled some on top of the soil. I then busted out the "easy grow" nutes and watered using half of the lowest recommended dose. I also redid the ties.
I took the chopped-off buds inside and trimmed them (just to try it really, they clearly weren't "ripe"). While doing so, I discovered that some weird-looking buds I had noticed were actually seed pods... =o I inspected the plant all over and found 5 seeds total underneath the early flowers. Still not sure what to make of this, it wasn't very many, so I guess it's fine?
June 24
Comparison photo, 2 days later. The sprout in the back (center-right of the photo) is the same one from the beginning - today it's actually taller than the main stem! I also noticed the beginnings of some 5-fingered leaves, which makes me feel like everything is on track.
And that brings us to now... I feel like she might be outgrowing the pot? Unfortunately we are in the midst of a forecasted week+ of rain. I have been moving her under shelter or inside the porch if there's significant rain/wind, but I worry about the lack of sunlight, as well as mold and pests. I'm thinking of picking up an LED grow bulb and putting it in a lamp or overhead fixture in my porch, just as a bit of supplemental light (in addition to daylight through a big window).
That's all for now, I think. If you got this far, I welcome any advice or corrections of my various assumptions. Thanks for reading!
I'm in Atlantic Canada, which means this grow is legal, but the weather can be rocky (there were still overnight frosts at the end of May, and we can get some very strong storms in late summer/early fall). I don't have a lot of funds or space, so I wanted to take a relatively laid-back approach to this one, but obviously without being neglectful. I plan to keep her potted, but leave her outside as much as the weather allows.
Here's a summary of events so far:
June 7
I received the clone in a small plastic pot. Beautiful dark leaves, a bit dry and damaged in places, I'm guessing from transportation/storage. Also, flowers! I wasn't sure why or what to do about it, it's very early, but I researched and came to the conclusion that with enough light, they should reveg on their own time. So I decided to basically ignore that part for the time being and let the sun do its thing.
June 8
I felt like I should get her into a better container ASAP, so after some research I went and picked up what I could get at my local Canadian Tire: a 2.5-litre-ish "eco pot" (recycled/biodegradable materials, seemed like the most breathable option available); this potting soil (promix was sold out, and the only other option was miracle gro); and a few basic tools. I also grabbed this nutrient mix, because I felt like it was a good idea to have something nutritious on hand.
When I pulled away the lining, I saw roots poking out everywhere! I chose not to disturb the existing soil, and basically buried the whole clump, then watered thoroughly.
The first proper picture I have. (There's a cast where I accidentally broke a branch, I took it off the next day though as it was clearly lifeless.)
In hindsight, I should have bought some perlite separately and mixed it with the soil, as the mix contained a much lower concentration of it than I expected. I tried not to pack it too tightly, but it was still pretty dense. But since I was planning on up-potting soonish anyway, I didn't feel like it was worth it to replace all the soil again unless I saw signs of struggle.
June 10
Just a cute little sprout I started tracking the progress of. (I've since read that you should avoid encouraging ones from too low on the stem... oh well)
June 13
Day 5 without watering. I'd been reading Emilya's guides on watering and I appreciate her slow and relaxed approach, so I'm trying my best to chill out and listen to the plant rather than my own expectations. And honestly, the soil just didn't feel dry yet. (perhaps because of the aforementioned density? lol) By this time though, I could see it pulling away from the edges of the pot, and I thought I noticed the leaves drooping slightly.
And here's the same sprout. Something is happening!
June 15
I finally watered! I also tied down the branches as an attempt to let more light in.
June 22
Exciting day =p I had been watching the leaf growth, which consisted mostly of weird 1- or 3-fingered leaves popping up everywhere, and felt pretty good about its progress. So I decided to snip off a few inches from the top, where most of the buds were concentrated, and not much new growth was happening. I was a bit nervous, but also pretty certain it would not be fatal.
I got some worm castings, so I sprinkled some on top of the soil. I then busted out the "easy grow" nutes and watered using half of the lowest recommended dose. I also redid the ties.
I took the chopped-off buds inside and trimmed them (just to try it really, they clearly weren't "ripe"). While doing so, I discovered that some weird-looking buds I had noticed were actually seed pods... =o I inspected the plant all over and found 5 seeds total underneath the early flowers. Still not sure what to make of this, it wasn't very many, so I guess it's fine?
June 24
Comparison photo, 2 days later. The sprout in the back (center-right of the photo) is the same one from the beginning - today it's actually taller than the main stem! I also noticed the beginnings of some 5-fingered leaves, which makes me feel like everything is on track.
And that brings us to now... I feel like she might be outgrowing the pot? Unfortunately we are in the midst of a forecasted week+ of rain. I have been moving her under shelter or inside the porch if there's significant rain/wind, but I worry about the lack of sunlight, as well as mold and pests. I'm thinking of picking up an LED grow bulb and putting it in a lamp or overhead fixture in my porch, just as a bit of supplemental light (in addition to daylight through a big window).
That's all for now, I think. If you got this far, I welcome any advice or corrections of my various assumptions. Thanks for reading!
So I repotted that evening. I don't think I needed to panic though - the roots were 'pooling' somewhat at the bottom, but the sides were not grown over yet. Made a better mix this time, around half and half soil and perlite, plus a helping of worm castings.
Possibly earwigs? It's so oddly localized to individual leaves, and I've seen spots that look like they could be droppings, but no slime or anything that appeared alive, even with a loupe. Hmmm... I'll spray neem again and check things out tonight after it gets dark, I guess.
