First Time Outdoor Grower in Portland - Advice?

M

moss1310

New Member
Hi Everyone-

Completely new here and would appreciate any helpful advice. I'm in Portland, OR and growing in pots outdoors. I purchased 3 clones that I planted on July 1st. I'm not expecting killer results given my lateness and inexperience, but naturally would like to grow the best, most enjoyable buds I can.

I have the plants in 10-25 gallon pots. Planted in Fox Farms Ocean Forest Potting Soil. I have the pots in direct sunlight, I am watering every other day, and I have fertilized with Fox Farms Big Bloom and Grow Big 2 x per week. I have also been spraying the plant leaves with carbonated water every day, and just started spraying with Fox Farms Flowers Kiss, maybe 2 x per week??

First Question - What should a be doing differently, or in addition to all of this to have better results?

Second Question- Since it stays light pretty late here, it seems like i will start to flower later and may risk entering the beginning of rainy season before my flowers are ready. Should I then bring the plants inside, or will that shock them. Will it be good enough to bring them under a canopy outside so they avoid the rain. Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

David
 
Do exactly that, start force flowering them when it's the time.
 
Anyone care to elaborate on force flowering plants in pots that are grown outdoors? I also am taking advantage of legally being able to grow a few plants and have 3 in five gallon buckets further along than the op, but worry when the rains come that putting them under the eaves won't be enough protection and mold will get them. I'd be interested to know how to get them to start early, but have no grow room. I could rig something up in the garage with leds possibly.
 
nwpassage said:
Anyone care to elaborate on force flowering plants in pots that are grown outdoors? I also am taking advantage of legally being able to grow a few plants and have 3 in five gallon buckets further along than the op, but worry when the rains come that putting them under the eaves won't be enough protection and mold will get them. I'd be interested to know how to get them to start early, but have no grow room. I could rig something up in the garage with leds possibly.
Click to expand...

12 hrs. in outdoor light, then 12 hrs. in dark area....inside or cover to create darkness outside. How/where is up to you. 12/12 will initiate flowering. Plants start flowering based on length of dark period.:Namaste:
 
Hey moss. If you force flower, then you can use natural outdoor light to finish them up. Use your room to maintain the 12 hr. dark period. Maybe consider starting the forced flowering now/soon so you can finish up before your weather gets lousy. For comparison I'm at 37º N. & my early girls have just started flowering. I generally harvest outdoors from late Sept. into mid Oct.
 
Moss have you read through this section? How to Grow Marijuana Everything You Need to Know. Lots of great info. It sounds to me like you are probably watering too often. Maybe not, but in any case, pay attention to that wet- dry cycle you should find info in that in the link. The 'lift-the-pot method' As for nutrients, 2 times a week sounds often but not if it's a weak dose.
I live in a wet area too. Growing outside is damn near hopeless. If you can get the plants out of direct rain will be a start. After that- airflow. Remove all undergrowth and any excess foliage in the area and if possible get a couple oscillating floor fans to blow air on the plants. That will help a lot.
No you won't shock the plants by bringing them inside. In spite of people's fears, there's near nothing that will shock those plants. Possibly pouring gasoline on them and lighting it. That will shock them, don't do that, but regular rough treatment won't. Light cycles are important to follow strictly during flowering though. They aren't evolved to expect too many sudden changes in daylight hours.
 
Hey neighbor. I'm also a first time outdoor Portland grower. I have two plants in 15 gallon pots on my back deck. They are vegging very well and are showing a calyx on almost every node now. I, too, water every other day and add nutes at every other watering. Everything looks really good so far, healthy and pest free. I had not thought about the flowering stage entering the rainy season, but I suppose it's possible. I'm expecting to switch over to a bloom formula around mid-August and hopefully everything is ready to harvest by the end of Sept or early October. I'm mostly taking a "let nature take it's course" approach on this first go-around and will probably advance my process next year. In my 22 years here, I've always equated the onset of the rainy season with Halloween. Hopefully that holds true and Sept/Oct stay relatively dry. Good luck with your grow! Hit me up if you ever want to compare notes.
 
Hey jddrews- thanks for sharing. Keep me updated on your progress. I'll be interested to compare notes. My girls seem to be doing ok right now too. In any case, it's a first, so I'll learn from my mistakes. I'm also hoping for the same weather pattern and harvesting as you. I just wasn't sure about when they will begin to flower outside. If they start mid-August, we should be in the clear. Ive been here 5 years so my knowledge of our weather patterns and the onset of rain isn't that great, but In my mind I also think of Halloween as the turning point. Fingers crossed.
 
Hey moss1310 - What's your pest situation in general? I haven't had many problems at all. No spider mites or anything. All I ever see are leaf hoppers and they don't do much damage. If you happen to notice a lot of fungus gnats on your plants (the tiny flies that hover around the soil) I highly recommend the sand trick. It's very effective. Just remove the top half-inch or so of top soil in your pots and replace with normal playground sand.

Fungus Gnat Problem

Still growing like gang-busters and showing more calyx everyday!

Cheers.
 
Jddrews- thanks for the tip. I have been lucky so far. No pests of any sort. I did find a spider but removed it. I don't know if the do any damage but thought I would be safe.

Are you giving your plants more shade with this heat? I moved mine yo a more shaded area where they get much less direct sunlight over the last 3 days. I don't know if it's better to get the, more uv light in the direct sun, or have lower temps in the shade.

2 out of my 3 plants are doing well, the 3rd continues to stay very small, but I'll be ok with that.
 
The main thing I worry about is direct sun on the containers. Mine are black plastic and they'll get crazy hot if they're not shaded. It's only a problem towards the end of the day, though. The plants get direct sun all day but the containers stay shaded next to the house until late afternoon. I use a screen to supply the late day shade. It all works pretty well. I notice more yellowing of the fan leaves and some drooping after hot days like this, but otherwise, they seem to enjoy it. I also rotate them a quarter or half turn everyday.

Regular spiders aren't so bad as they'll eat the plant eating bugs. The spider mites I mentioned are the tiny little red guys that hang out on the undersides of the leaves. They can multiply quickly and do lots of damage. Neem oil spray is a simple step to keep them away. Works well for aphids, too.

What does your carbonated water spray do?
 
Full sun is fine. Down my way I water close to every other day outside, & during this week's 105º range hot spell, I'll water everyday. Healthy plants can take the heat, but much above 90º, photosynthesis grinds to a stop. If you're a little worried about heat, apply a little potassium silicate, which helps with heat stress. Sounds like you guys are doing just fine. Keep up the good work. No pictures?!?
:Namaste:
 
Here are the ladies...

Hortense is about 5' tall now. Started from seed. She's either a Sour Diesel, Super Lemon Haze, or Cinex. Not sure which, though. Healthy and happy!

Big Ethel is about 7' tall. Started from seed. Most likely a Blue Dream or Alaska Thunder Fuck. Either way, it's gonna be good.

I'm really enjoying the process, and the info on this site is indispensable.

Hortense_close_up.jpg
Hortense.jpg
Big_Ethel_close_up.jpg
Big_Ethel.jpg
 
Thanks, man! I germinated the seeds in February and transplanted them into their pots in April. They were only about 6 inches tall at that point. I didn't expect them to get this big, to be honest. Just using a basic soil mixture with a little perlite mixed in. I add nutrients at every other watering using Buddah Grow and add some Brix molasses once a month. Not sure what part of town you're in, but the "garden center" that's attached to the Hardware store in Woodstock is really helpful. The guy immediately assumed I was growing weed when I walked in there which was funny. They really know their stuff, though, and he sent me in the right direction.
 
I live in Sourhwest PDX, but might have to check out the garden center. I want to get the most growth before flowering starts, which hopefully is soon. I'm not sure though, we are still getting long days. I just posted some pics of my plants in the grow journal section. They are doing well, but definitely need to start earlier next year. What about pruning? Are you doing any?
 

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