Frost and havesting my buds, need advice!

[Lusi]

Hi,

I have a week or two before the first frost and need to know if my buds are ready and how front will effect them. I've already brought 2 of the young plants inside and have one left outside that is already blooming. My last 4 flowering plants are too large to dig up and bring in. They are in full bloom and have no amber colored trichs yet. I can't tell the difference between opaque and clear trichs and if they are ready for harvest. I've read that you're supposed to flush the plants 10 days prior to harvest, then not feed and water them. It's a bit hard to do for the ones in the clay soil... They are in 3 gallon grow bags and can be dug up if need be. If they are ready to pick or at least stop watering and feeding, please let me know!!

Can someone look at my bud photos and tell me if they are near harvest? If frost comes before I harvest, will it do any damage to the buds, or the plants? I had planned on harvesting the large buds first and letting the small ones grow more. Will the plants and buds keep growing after a frost? I could cover them with some boxes if it's worth it. This is my first grow and I don't know what I'm doing!

BBG is just in flower and is small enough to bring inside with the other two plants. I only have three freshly sprouted seedlings in my veggy room and can put them in another room in case bugs come in with the plants. I was debating on filling a huge tub full of organic dish soap and putting all 3 small plants, like BBG, in here to soak a while, pots, soil, and plants. Would this harm the plants or work to kill off any missed critters?

Here's pics from all 5 plants. I hope they will give you an idea of how much longer the plants have to flower!

Curly lives on my porch with the flowers and is trained in a circle:

Grumpy lives in partial shade, 3/4 shade and is trained flat across the ground:

Rootsy was the first to bloom and the healthiest... until a neighbor tossed a tree branch on her, then I dug her up and moved her by the other fence in a 5gallon cloth bag, then she had dying leaves with caterpillars and was moved to my porch to pick off the eggs, then spray or nutes fried every single pistil to a brown crisp, some came back in after I transplanted her to a 8 gallon pot and flushed her, then last week a wind/ rain storm blew her over. I left her leaning like this and tilted the pot sideways so all the buds could get more light. She's there dangling from a clothes line. This was after I tired my best to kill her while she was vegging!

Corny was living in my corn until I harvested it. She also never recovered after I fried her pistils to a crisp. I'd say 50% grew back. She had/ has a whitefly problem and being out of reach from the hose was neglected a bit:

This is BBG who is 2 months behind the others. I can still bring her inside to finish if she's as far from being done as I think she is:

 

[RPsmoke]

this late in the game, you are most likely going to have to harvest what you got. The cold weather will bring growth to a crawl. Wet weather will bring the molds and fungus. I was forced to harvest a couple plants earlier then I would have liked. We never really got a full summer, and had early cold and rain.

If you can bring them inside, do it. You will not regret the extra work, and the plants will thank you. Any plants that cannot come inside, may need to be harvested. Some of the nugs look a little early to me, but should be very tasty! Corny, curly, and grumpy all look like some good smoke. The BBG looks nice and small, and she still needs time to fill out and swell up. She wont grow much more, but she'll fill out.

Frost is bad, so it's time to plan on what you can do to avoid it. I have lost plants due to rain, high winds, frost, or all the above. It's a heartbreak.

Inside grow space? Set up even CFL's or fluorescent lights (read more about CFL lights before going this route). I brought some of my Pepino Melon Pears inside due to a late bloom and early frost/rain. Just do what you have to do. Or set up near a window or skylight? The sun is going to showing itself less and less though.

and for what it's worth... your first time looks to be much better then mine! Don't lose heart. Lots of trial and error. Live and learn! Keep it up Lusi.

 

[Lusi]

Thanks for the tips RP! Next time I grow outside I'll use pots and cover the plants in netting. Dang bugs!!
At what temp do MJ plants stop or drastically slow their growth? It looks like the next 10 days will not drop below 45. I'm not sure how cold it has to get to front. I thought it was above freezing... Know what temps to look for would help. What state are you in?

How did you debug your plants you brought in? I'm getting tired of trying to figure out what to get and how to set up a grow area in an open room. A grow tent is starting to look pretty darn good! What do you think of this package? GrowLab GL120 w/ Accessory Kit | BGH
If I add up the items separately, they come out $509. Shipping is $48 and tax will be nasty. I got $500 for my birthday (mother in law) and can afford this now. For lights, I could try my 150W HPS and 250W of CFLs. I could always get a 400W later. 600W would be better, but it's never below 80 degrees inside with the AC on. My veggy room with CFLs and T5s is at 88 degrees. How much more heat does a 600W kick out than a 400W. How many Ws of CFLs would be needed for a 3x3 grow area like in this tent? These decisions are maddening!

Since it started to rain here, finally, the bugs are having a party. I've found my first spider mites on two of the flowering plants, and the medium sized female and male I brought in a month ago to save pollen.

Is there a way to spray at this stage? What happens if I harvest and mites hatch on the drying buds? Any ideas to try?

I soaked the male in a tub of dish soap. He still looks healthy afterwords, so I did the same with a unhealthy clone and she's OK. I'll do the two females next. I don't see any more mites on the male, so far. How long do I need to soak a plant to kill the adults? Will it dry up eggs too?

What happens if I harvest some of these buds and the eggs hatch while they are drying? I can dig up the larger flowering plants if I need to. They are in the ground, but cheap plastic bags keep them from rooting in the clay. Should I dig them up and try soaking them in soapy water or harvest?

I have one large plant in a pot already. Since my landlord doesn't pay the pool dude, I'm letting it turn very green (5 weeks now) so I can call the board of health. ) There's also a useless icky spa next to the pool. I turned the filter and jets on to clear the water a bit, the carried over the plant (rootsy) in an 8 gallon terracotta pot. I'm bored enough to do crazy things now. ))) So, I tried to set her in the 58 degree hot tub rot and dirt included. It was too difficult, so I stripped down to nothing and carried her to the deep part where I had to go completely underwater to set her down. BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I then added some biodegradable dish soap and watched the jets foam it up and left her there for 15 minutes before fighting the soaking wet 8 gallon pot out of the tub. I think I should have added more soap and waited longer, but this was an experiment on the plant with no mites... that I can see.

Well, if she's alive tomorrow, I'll consider digging up the others 2 that I found mites on. Mites are all over my flowers and veggies too. There was not a single mite until the rains started. :-( Rootsy didn't have mites, so it's hard to tell if this worked.

 

[Lusi]

Well, I've soaked two plants in here now. Both are 100% recovered and there are no bugs whatsoever on them! I bent a few buds over, but with spider mites I would have had to harvest them anyway.

The second plant is one I dug up from the corn. She was terrible root bound in the 3 gallon grow bag and looked terrible! I repotted her into a 5 gallon and fed her a bit, then put her in a more sunny location. Now she looks better! I could also look at the trichs better here. They are a mixture of clear and cloudy. I'll see if she now grows a bit better, spider mite and caterpillar free! Both plants had dead caterpillars I missed. ))

NO time for pics, not that anyone has even looked at these. Just because it's a weird idea and has never been done before doesn't mean it won't work!

 

[basementdwell]

i would have tried letting her freeze during the first frost . After it hits 60 the bugs will jump off adn seek the warmer soil. then squeeze in and snag the plant and sneek her inside before the sun comes out and wakes the bugs up.

 

[RPsmoke]

Well, I've soaked two plants in here now. Both are 100% recovered and there are no bugs whatsoever on them! I bent a few buds over, but with spider mites I would have had to harvest them anyway.

The second plant is one I dug up from the corn. She was terrible root bound in the 3 gallon grow bag and looked terrible! I repotted her into a 5 gallon and fed her a bit, then put her in a more sunny location. Now she looks better! I could also look at the trichs better here. They are a mixture of clear and cloudy. I'll see if she now grows a bit better, spider mite and caterpillar free! Both plants had dead caterpillars I missed. ))

NO time for pics, not that anyone has even looked at these. Just because it's a weird idea and has never been done before doesn't mean it won't work!

Sounds like things are looking up for you! I am happy for that.

Sorry I haven't been quick to respond. Busy with harvest and now clean up. Rain snuck up on me, and I still have a mess in the garden.

See the pics of the plant in the hot tub freaked me out at first... just being honest with you. I have lost bud to mold and fungus from high humidity and rain... so wet bud always worries me. If it's working for you, I am the last person who will knock it. Do what you have to.

You asked a few questions, I'll try and answer. If I skipped or missed one, just ask again. Just be aware I don't post as often as I'd like.

I am located in California. I believe you are too?

De-Bugging... through out the grow I try and keep bugs to a minimum with a multi-prong approach. Neem, azamax, compost tea mixes, sticky traps, and anything else that is 100% safe for me, my pets, and any patients with less then stellar immune systems. That said, I still get bugs. I hand pick ones I see. When I harvest I trim wet. This lets me get up and close and inpect every inch of bud. I pick any bugs out then too. I also use lady bugs and other natural predator bugs during the grow. I pick up whatever the local nursery has. I know the owners and am willing to go with some of their organic and natural ideas.

All that done, and hours and hours spent... I still get bugs. Went into the drying room maybe a week ago. Saw a moth fluttering around in a corner of the room. I assume he came in as a caterpillar, then bloomed into that flying monster. I let him out (try not to kill if I can) and then went back through everything. Handling every bud again, just getting my eyes on it. So far, no more.

Grow Tent - mixed reviews. Make sure the material inside is safe for plants. I remember awhile back some having a toxic chemical coating on the poles. With the heat from the lamps the chemical was released into the air. I think it would kill the plants, and god knows what to the patient. This might be old news and fixed... just a word of warning. The other issue is heat. Small space = quick heat build up. If you can manage it with either A/C in the room, or great air circulation, then they should work. Many people LOVE the grow tents.

As for what lights and how many... hard to say.

Here is a CFL light tutorial:
CFL Light Tutorial

Google should help turn up more links from other forums.

Thing to keep in mind... 3 600w bulbs is better then 2 1000w bulbs even with less wattage. The 3 lights will spread the light more evenly and effectively then the 2 1000w bulbs. Does that make sense?

Do what you can. Once harvested, I don't think the bugs will hang around. The plant will no longer be alive. Bugs will die off. Adults will leave. Some eggs and webbing may hang around, but no worries. You wont even notice it. You have probably smoked more bugs and bug "stuff" then you'd ever want to think about.

Another option would be vacuum seal, and/or freeze the buds after drying.


and might I suggest some reading? You may already have these, but if not, I would HIGHLY (lol) suggest getting them. I use them almost daily.

Amazon: Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible: Jorge Cervantes

Amazon: Marijuana Garden Saver: Handbook for Healthy Plants: J. C. Stitch, Ed Rosenthal

there are tons more of GREAT books. I have many, and read them frequently. Plus, it's fun!

Best of luck Lusi.

 

[Lusi]

Hi RPS, TY for the helpful reply!

What part of CA are you in? I'm in Solano county, hot and dry until recently. The rain also caught me off guard the last 2 weeks. It's been strange to have no rain for the entire summer, then it hits hard and windy with little warning.

I haven't had any moisture to cause bud rot until recently. Is this caused by a fungus, like the powdery mildew that covered my veggy garden? Have you had rain all summer to cause this,or just now? I thought about it before dunking those plants. I figured the idea was worth it if I got a couple more weeks out of the grow by killing the mites without sprays. The buds are very loose and spongy and seemed to be completely dry, to me. Is it the tight compact buds that are more prone to this? I don't know how to get buds like that, but perhaps it's good they aren't. I have to read up on this more... I'm new to this climate. It has been hot and sunny this week, which is why I tried this. The rain will return Sunday. Is the rain bad on the buds? Should I put my movable plants under cover?

"De-Bugging... through out the grow I try and keep bugs to a minimum with a multi-prong approach. Neem, azamax, compost tea mixes, sticky traps, and anything else that is 100% safe for me, my pets, and any patients with less then stellar immune systems. "

I can understand that! I ran out of neem, but it turns out i can't use it on the flowering plants anyway. I had neem and AZO, plus sticky traps that were covered in more dust then bugs. The bugs didn't get the plants too bad until I stopped spraying. They had the rest of the garden to eat. LOL!

That dang white butterfly was at it again today, laying scattered white eggs on my freshly cleaned plants. I just don't have enough hours in a day to search every leaf and bud before those hatch. :-( They won't die from spray since they don't appear to be eating anything, just laying hundreds of eggs a day. How in the world to you hand pick bugs off of so many plants?!! Do you have this butterfly problem where you are at? The newly hatched caterpillars are a light brown with black heads. They go right to the buds.

I didn't know you get predators locally. I didn't get started until late spring, but did save every lady beetle and mantis I found. Now that I know how terrible the bugs are here in CA, I'll be better prepared next summer. Have you had any luck with BT? I want to try a version that is not toxic to bees. I have seen only a few bees all summer! Everything I had left over from Europe was organic. I tried "Seven" since I had never heard of it. It didn't last long or do much. Pyrethrum might be better and still organic. I didn't find any locally.

"When I harvest I trim wet. This lets me get up and close and inspect every inch of bud. I pick any bugs out then too. "

Don't most people clip off the leaves before they dry?! I thought you had to to prevent mold. The again, I've read so many different methods, I can't keep them straight. So you snip the bud, bring it in and cut the leaves while looking for bugs? I can just see one of those eggs hatching on my drying buds and the little monster eating them up while they are still green! I'll tr your suggestion, it makes sense to me!

Since you're in CA, to you just harvest the large buds and leave the others to grow? How late does it frost in your area? That would at least kill all of those bugs. LOL It I have enough, I thing the freezer is the way to store the MJ. The hard part will be telling when all the moisture is gone and keeping it from getting in the bags.

"Saw a moth fluttering around in a corner of the room. I assume he came in as a caterpillar, then bloomed into that flying monster."

Good heavens!! How long had those buds been drying?! I thought these caterpillars had to over winter in a cocoon then hatch next year. Are there some that don't? I'll rip every last flower up to avoid more of these monsters. Yuck!! I found one a month ago on a curled MJ leaf.

"Grow Tent - mixed reviews. Make sure the material inside is safe for plants. I remember awhile back some having a toxic chemical coating on the poles. "

This tent claims to be safe. GrowLab GL80L w/ Accessory Kit | BGH I wonder how many people became seriously ill from MJ and veggies grown in these toxic tents? The law suits could have wiped that company out if so. That one hell of a screw up!!

"The other issue is heat. Small space = quick heat build up. If you can manage it with either A/C in the room, or great air circulation, then they should work. "

Heat is my main concern for growing inside with or without a tent. The AC in this place runs 24/7 and it's in the 80s still inside. I'm taking the landlord to court for my electric bills since she still hasn't fixed the AC or anything else, like the green pool. If I live here next year, it will be fixed. Hopefully I can find a better house.

My area I plan for the tent is at the bottom of this page:
Help! figuring out what lights I need!
I'm hoping with the tent, I can leave the window and doors open since there is no light or smell issue. If it gets too hot, I can grow outside for the summer. The HPS lights are a concern, even with my CFLs. I'm trying to decide to go with a 400W and CFLs or a 600W which is more efficient. I wish there was a way to find out how much heat these two sizes kick out. Meanwhile, after I order the tent, I'll try the CFLs in it and maybe the 150HPS too. I hope these will help me make a better decision for the big lights. 8 CFLS and 2 4'T-5s had the larger room pretty warn in the summer. :-( The AC works better in the smaller room, at least.

"Here is a CFL light tutorial:
CFL Light Tutorial"

I've already read this one. It's the best info I've found on CFLs!! Combining them with a 150HPS or 400HPS is not covered. If the 400W ran a lot cooler than the 600, it could be worth using those CFLs and the 400W in the tent. Otherwise, I can use them in the veggy room and move them where needed.

Google should help turn up more links from other forums.

I'm on three forums right now. This one seems the most diverse with tons of info. My narcotics make it very difficult to think, focus, and remember. There are so many things to read.... I feel lost!

"Thing to keep in mind... 3 600w bulbs is better then 2 1000w bulbs even with less wattage. The 3 lights will spread the light more evenly and effectively then the 2 1000w bulbs. Does that make sense?"

That one's right out of my book. :-D I just want to grow for me, a max of 12 ounces a year. The 600 looks the most efficient over all, but do I need to grow that much at a time?! I'd like a continual harvest, eventually.

"Another option would be vacuum seal, and/or freeze the buds after drying."

Is it worth buying one of those little vacuum seal gadgets? I have my extra beds in the freezer in zip locks. I hope I haven't ruined them!!? It seems the potency is less as weeks pass. Is this true or my imagination? I'd like to store my seeds in the freezer too... I have too many to use in 6 months. There was a seed deal I couldn't pass up! I'm not finding much info on that.

"Amazon.com: Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible (9781878823236): Jorge Cervantes: Books"

I have this book and have read the whole thing. I find it's almost too much info (especially the light section) and is geared for the larger grower, details and diagrams of huge growing rooms and nurseries. I've tried all of their home made bug sprays. They didn't work, not even for a day. ;-( I ended up getting most of my info online. I think I need a simpler book... one less overwhelming! I do like having a book I can drag out to the garden and flip through. It's much easier than online info, to me.

Amazon.com: Marijuana Garden Saver: Handbook for Healthy Plants (9780932551917): J. C. Stitch, Ed Rosenthal: Books

Is this one a bit simpler? Like growing MJ for dummies? LOL! I need bare basics and many pics, with a huge section on bugs. For instance my book didn't say not to spray bug killer on buds, only the last 2 weeks. I hope mine don't taste like neem!

My problems outside are bugs and nutes. How in the world do you flush out the old nutes and salts when your plant in buried in CA clay?! I gave up on the nutes for this harvest. I'd feed more and more and still my meter said it wasn't enough. They clay kept each feeding wet for 2 weeks or more. It was like chasing my tail. Next time, they're all going in pots! LOL

Thanks for all of your info! I definitely have a lot of things to try out now.,, very much!!

Lusi

 

[FoolsParadise]

Lusi, your garden is very cute. Corny made me laugh. What's that plant in front of Curly called? It's shaped like lemon verburnum but the coloration looks like sage.

You can give your plants a shower once they come in from outside to keep the spider mites under control. I do it with tropicals that overwinter in doors. Wrap a towel around the base of the stem to keep the soil from spilling all over. Tip the plant sideways and be sure to blast the bottom of the leaves. If you do it often enough you can eliminate them completely or at least keep them under control. Be sure to let the plant dry completely if you use a high pressure light (Bulb can explode if exposed to water).

Best of luck getting a good harvest.

 

[Lusi]

Hi FP and basement, TY for replying!!

BasementD... I'm not sure what you mean by letting them freeze, then moving them before the bugs jump about at 60. Can you explain this for me? I have one plant left that I haven't soaked. If you have another way, I'd certainly try it!!! LMK in more details.

Since this is my first grow (the 4 in full bloom), I'm still looking to learn as much as I can and experiment on these plants. My second grow is the two smaller flowering plants. One I tried to veg again now that I have enough indoor lights for 1 or 2. My 3rd grow is the 3 seedlings, one is 100% dead, one is going to make it and the last looks grim. I did everything exactly as I did on the second grow and this time it didn't work??!!!

FP, I have more info in here for you. I have been hosing my plants off all summer, at least once a week. Once them temps dropped out of the 90's and 100's, the mites woke up and attacked. Hosing did nothing and neither did home made sprays or organics. I tried anyway, despite I'm not supposed to spray them with bug killer while in full bloom. All failed... Even the white flies loved the home made sprays! Next was the dunk with no soap, then hose off. Worked for most of the mites and pillars, but not all. Only the bath tub full of soap worked. Next day, the cursed white butterfly was laying more eggs!! Argh!!!

How often did you hose down or spray your plants with water? None of my plants had very many mites. I had to hunt for them. Grumpy and BBG had the most. They are gone. Only curly remains and she has a few. I know they reproduce fast and that a few mites can take over quickly.

Should i leave curly alone and let the mites go at it a few more weeks then harvest, or try and dig her up too to soak in the tub?

I've written this reply a bit at a time over they day. Sorry if I repeat myself!!

It's great to know I'm not insane for dunking my plants. ) I've brought flowers back in and white flies with them before I ever even thought of growing MJ.

My big question is... do I have to soak the soil too? I slipped a grow bag with holes over my cloth pots, then taped the top tight around the plant so soil would not float out. I figured I needed to soak the soil if bringing them inside. Who knows what lives in there!? Did i need to do this? It certainly was more work!!

I've now soaked every plant but Curly, which is my favorite. I just found my first mite on her today. I guess I'll have to consider digging her up too. :-(

I don't know the plant in with her, the purple one. It's a perennial herb I took a cutting of (to practice cloning) from near the doctor's office. I have 7 herbs I sampled from them, none i recognize. LOL I'm new to this state and am renting. I refuse to waste my own $$ on plants since i want to move. LOL If you want me to take some pics of that plant for you, LMK! I'd like to know what it is and if it's useful to dry!

Corny and Rootsy, the two lanky plants with smaller buds, were both soaked in the cold tub with little soap. Too big to add soap and they are too big to bring inside. So far, I've not found any mites on them. Poor Corny had yellow fan leaves before I dug her up. I clipped them off, but others turned yellow after her bath.

Now Grumpy was also soaked in the Spa. However, I found two very agitated spider mites on her the next day and one very agitated looper. Since she is more compact like Curly, I brought her inside (was due to rain today so no chance for her to dry) and soaked her in the soap filled bath tub along with BBG and WS, both with spider mites. OMG, the mite damage and caterpillar damage is horrible! This plant was low to the ground and I didn't spray her much because what I saw looked OK. Now I must look at Curly more closely too! The fellow at the local nursery said we have a lot worse mites than spider mites around here and they are not visible to the human eye. I've had all of my flowers and veggies with most leaves looking like mite damage, but no mites. Sprays did nothing. Thank heavens my MJ plants were not chowed upon by many of these local critters!

I've checked all three of these plants with my scope and in good indoor light. No more bugs!!! Despite the huge buds on grumpy, they are very loose and light and the trichs are still clear and small. They are a bit damaged from the dunking and hosing, but just look bent and a bit rugged. Very few have broken heads. The pistules died off long ago from bug spray, but the buds are still no ready according to my book.

I'm hoping that by soaking this plant that looked ready for harvest, I can buy a few more weeks for the buds to mature rather than have to harvest now to avoid the mites. If I had enough light, I'd keep this plant inside, but my 150WHPS and 250W of CFLS are barely enough for the two smaller younger plants in flower. Poor grumpy has to fend for herself again outside. I read the mites in this area have been dormant for the hot summer, but when the wind and rain started, they came out in full force, blowing about to other plants. That explains why I didn't have any until a few weeks back! Ugh!

This is frustrating!! I hope I can again grow outside for the summer if the fencing is as good at the next place. I've learned a lot and am already armed and ready for the bugs again next year. LOL Time to start learning to grow inside...

Looks lime I'm writing another book. I was a teacher and have long habits of going into long details. Too much to read is difficult, but not enough info is also frustrating.... Another Lusi book!

I'm working on updated pics. Will put them up when done. :-D\

TY for the advice fellas!

Lusi the book meister

 

[FoolsParadise]

Sorry for a slow reply. If the mite damage isn't too bad on Curly I'd leave her in the ground. I showered my plants once or twice a day but they weren't cannabis so your buds may suffer if showered that often. Sounds like you're doing a good job of keeping the population under control. I'm not sure if you have to soak the soil to get rid of mites. My guess would be no. I've never soaked mine for fear of over watering. Funny that you don't know what the other plant is. I know what you mean about not wasting money on plants. I grow veggies/flowers from seeds acquired in exchanges. The first mary jane I grew were bags seeds. This year I bought seeds - some cheap and a few feminized that were $30 each! I thought that was insane until later in the growing season. Those grown from good genetics were the healthiest and finished on time for my latitude. Even though the price makes a penny pincher like me cringe, I'll definitely order quality seeds next year. Best regards, FP

 

[Lusi]

FP, Man I am so sorry!!! I have replied to to your info several times yet each time I look back here, my reply isn't there. I wonder just where all of these went?!

This time, I'll type it somewhere else and save it first. I'm in a crunch now about this harvest and the landlord coming, I don't know what to do! No one has replied to my harvest questions and my girls have now been inside for 4 weeks, just waiting for someone to tell me what to do. None of my books and all of the photos online help. My buds just look WEIRD with no pistils. The trichs are all sorts of colors. Ack!

I'll make sure to see my reply show up next time, especially this one. Sorry!!!! (

 

[SeanMace54]

Thanks for the tips RP! Next time I grow outside I'll use pots and cover the plants in netting. Dang bugs!!
At what temp do MJ plants stop or drastically slow their growth? It looks like the next 10 days will not drop below 45. I'm not sure how cold it has to get to front. I thought it was above freezing... Know what temps to look for would help. What state are you in?

How did you debug your plants you brought in? I'm getting tired of trying to figure out what to get and how to set up a grow area in an open room. A grow tent is starting to look pretty darn good! What do you think of this package? GrowLab GL120 w/ Accessory Kit | BGH
If I add up the items separately, they come out $509. Shipping is $48 and tax will be nasty. I got $500 for my birthday (mother in law) and can afford this now. For lights, I could try my 150W HPS and 250W of CFLs. I could always get a 400W later. 600W would be better, but it's never below 80 degrees inside with the AC on. My veggy room with CFLs and T5s is at 88 degrees. How much more heat does a 600W kick out than a 400W. How many Ws of CFLs would be needed for a 3x3 grow area like in this tent? These decisions are maddening!

Since it started to rain here, finally, the bugs are having a party. I've found my first spider mites on two of the flowering plants, and the medium sized female and male I brought in a month ago to save pollen.

Is there a way to spray at this stage? What happens if I harvest and mites hatch on the drying buds? Any ideas to try?

I soaked the male in a tub of dish soap. He still looks healthy afterwords, so I did the same with a unhealthy clone and she's OK. I'll do the two females next. I don't see any more mites on the male, so far. How long do I need to soak a plant to kill the adults? Will it dry up eggs too?

What happens if I harvest some of these buds and the eggs hatch while they are drying? I can dig up the larger flowering plants if I need to. They are in the ground, but cheap plastic bags keep them from rooting in the clay. Should I dig them up and try soaking them in soapy water or harvest?

I have one large plant in a pot already. Since my landlord doesn't pay the pool dude, I'm letting it turn very green (5 weeks now) so I can call the board of health. ) There's also a useless icky spa next to the pool. I turned the filter and jets on to clear the water a bit, the carried over the plant (rootsy) in an 8 gallon terracotta pot. I'm bored enough to do crazy things now. ))) So, I tried to set her in the 58 degree hot tub rot and dirt included. It was too difficult, so I stripped down to nothing and carried her to the deep part where I had to go completely underwater to set her down. BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I then added some biodegradable dish soap and watched the jets foam it up and left her there for 15 minutes before fighting the soaking wet 8 gallon pot out of the tub. I think I should have added more soap and waited longer, but this was an experiment on the plant with no mites... that I can see.

Well, if she's alive tomorrow, I'll consider digging up the others 2 that I found mites on. Mites are all over my flowers and veggies too. There was not a single mite until the rains started. :-( Rootsy didn't have mites, so it's hard to tell if this worked.

Heyyyy..Not trying to sound dumb, but is this a joke? My parents thought building a 15x15x15 wood frame to wrap a heavy duty tarp over was reason to be evaluated..haha. I told her I'd sell that one to make the work worth it, and give her 1000 bucks of the profit. at that point she was ready to make a call..lol. I thought I was just doing what I had to, to get the most and best results. Never thought of giving her a bath though. This is the result of 20-22 hours of straight below freezing weather with winds gusting up to 50. I came home from work to this. last night when I struggled to get the tarp on without hurting the 80" plant it didn't have a damaged leaf on it...unfortunately it had another week or two. Does anyone have advice on this? leaves have wilted, and curled, discoloration. was this caused by being pretty tightly enclosed for that 22 straight hours with no sun. the tarp was heavy duty. Or was it that cold? The strong winds did not affect it due to the shelter. Do I want to cover it back up for tonights freeze (29F) or do I want to cut it down as soon as possible before rot sets in? tomorrow-saturday its suppose to be near 60 for highs and 45 at night. The last 3-4 weeks it has been highs from the high 60s quickly dropping to average highs in the low 50s and lows in the high 30s. It has show substanstial bud growth thoughout this. Ill include a before and after the tarp deal. first photo is when the tarp was halfway up...see in perfect health. then today afterwork after being enclosed since 11 last night are the last 3 photos. There are orange trics and white ones...I could see the difference between clear and white/milky.