Fools Rush In: Newbie's Adventures In Suboptimal Conditions

[syenite]

In other news... gear complaints

Gear is a biatch. Made the rookie mistake of buying a couple of cheap items and already regretting it.

$10 pH meter for the soil? DUD!

$10 pH pen? DUD!

I've got a soil slurry test kit for the soil - much more robust. New soil is coming in at around 6.5 ph, while the crappy stuff is around 7.

I'm gonna get a Bluelab pH pen for water/solutions when I can afford it.

What's the world coming to?

I've been able to handle reading only so much news before I have to avert my gaze...

And here, in New Zealand, we are lucky enough to be down to our single remaining active case. Not a brag, simply pointing out how surreal it is to watch the rest of the world, from here. We were/are very lucky.

Work sucks

I just want to do this all day, all days.

 

[syenite]

Ow, ow , ow... ahh, kiaora au. My ears were burning. Have you seen the size of these things?! I wish I could’ve seen it. I must’ve looked like that guy you see in the distsnce sometimes. The one who suddenly starts dancing to music only he can hear. And you’re too far away to see the bees.
to your new whare from whare.
Some of the best people i’ve (n)ever met right here. Tena koe.
Here to help if you need it cuz

Tell me more about your growing vibe! Indoor, outdoor? What's on the menu right now?

 

[Stunger]

Can I ask how long you have been working with living soil? Was it an easy or difficult thing to get into?

I really hope legalisation goes through. It would fit this country perfectly. The national brand can easily accommodate it! Lol.

I don't know how people are gonna vote though - no obvious indicators yet.

Only really 3 years. I loosely followed some recipes of super soil and put together a mix that I could obtain local amendments for, and over time added other stuff. I run a worm farm too and have found that worms or their eggs from the worm castings have gone on to populate my containers so I consider the soil as living!

 

[syenite]

Only really 3 years. I loosely followed some recipes of super soil and put together a mix that I could obtain local amendments for, and over time added other stuff. I run a worm farm too and have found that worms or their eggs from the worm castings have gone on to populate my containers so I consider the soil as living!

Very cool man! Really impressed with your balcony growing. I guess I can't complain about space after all

I'm gonna try a proper outdoor grow come spring...

 

[syenite]

Reflecting on the ongoing tension between giving your plants what they want/need and intentionally withholding things from them and making things harder for them in order to make them stronger and yield more.

All the forms of HST obviously fall into the latter category. But I'm also thinking in terms of something like root development, where the ideal is to make the roots work, staying active in their search for water, as opposed to "spoiling" them by saturating the container too early. I don't want a lazy plant! (thanks @Emilya lol)

Right now I'm also intentionally putting my seedlings outside in pretty yucky conditions, so that their stems get tougher, when I know they could otherwise be at the spa (on their heat mat).

It makes me think about raising kids and how impossible parenting must be. I don't have any and don't intend to have any...

 

[FelipeBlu]

I abuse my plants all the time - they thrive! If you can get it, silica is a great amendment. It makes them tough - right now, my Berry Bombs have stems that feel like fine-grit sandpaper, and leaves like leather. They are left relatively unmolested by bugs. I imagine them sitting on the leaf going WTF?

 

[syenite]

I abuse my plants all the time - they thrive! If you can get it, silica is a great amendment. It makes them tough - right now, my Berry Bombs have stems that feel like fine-grit sandpaper, and leaves like leather. They are left relatively unmolested by bugs. I imagine them sitting on the leaf going WTF?

Haha!! Maybe I should look into some diatomaceous earth?

 

[FelipeBlu]

That might work. I was talking about something like ProteKt.

 

[syenite]

That might work. I was talking about something like ProteKt.

Ah yes! I believe DE also provides silica. Will do some homework

 

[syenite]

While doing research, I was shocked by the degree of competitiveness and toxicity in some of the other forums.

Glad I'm here instead!

 

[syenite]

Alright fam, I've come up with a truly awful experiment.

As mentioned, I will be getting some indoor gear but my place is tiny and I will probably only be able to accommodate 2 plants max. This leaves me with one that has to struggle in the winter, outdoors, during the day, but which I will bring in at night. Assuming they are all female, of course!

For the plant that doesn't make it indoors - I want to let it go 12-12 almost right away and go for a single cola grow, i.e. lollipopping any side branching. From what I can tell this is extremely unpopular unless in a SOG context. But I want to do it for fun, also considering I have to deal with winter hours outside anyway.

Has anyone done this??

 

[Stunger]

This leaves me with one that has to struggle in the winter, outdoors, during the day, but which I will bring in at night.

I presume the plant growing outdoors during the day is a photo plant, you've probably said already but are you ultimately looking to flower that plant under lights, or planning a super long veg period until January when it'll probably start flowering naturally under the NZ sun?

 

[syenite]

I presume the plant growing outdoors during the day is a photo plant, you've probably said already but are you ultimately looking to flower that plant under lights, or planning a super long veg period until January when it'll probably start flowering naturally under the NZ sun?

These plants are all bagseed but from the same source. Based on the first one of these I grew I believe they are photos. Hatty had a significant veg period before flower.

Yeah, my house is tiny and my setup won't be able to properly fit 3 plants. So I think if I actually did end up with a "spare" female that I couldn't house indoors, I would just let her do her thing and flower and finish in the winter light cycle - that's what I assumed would happen? And also of course assuming that she copes with being outside in the day during winter!

This is the predicament I put myself in

 

[syenite]

Off-topic but..
Hope our friends in the States are safe in this time

 

[Stunger]

So I think if I actually did end up with a "spare" female that I couldn't house indoors, I would just let her do her thing and flower and finish in the winter light cycle - that's what I assumed would happen? And also of course assuming that she copes with being outside in the day during winter!

It will be interesting firstly if it copes with the outdoor winter experience, but as it is a weed there must be a good chance it'll cope. And if so, what part of that light cycle will it choose to flower - it'd build quite a base if it lasted until Summer.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Welcome!

 

[syenite]

It will be interesting firstly if it copes with the outdoor winter experience, but as it is a weed there must be a good chance it'll cope. And if so, what part of that light cycle will it choose to flower - it'd build quite a base if it lasted until Summer.

Yes, I think I will have to just see how things go and make decisions along the way.

I'll try and get 'em through veg first eh and then see!

 

[syenite]

Welcome!

Hello Doctor Trevor! And thank you, very happy to be here

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Hello Doctor Trevor! And thank you, very happy to be here

Thank you very much.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Highya syenite!

I’ve done a couple 12/12 from seed plants that ended up as one cola. I started them outside in May though, not in the winter. But since I never took them out of solo cups, and kinda neglected them, they only got as big as plants grown in the winter probably would.