GratefulBud's Summer 2023 Outside Grow

[GratefulBud]

Weather is heating up!
Some would call me crazy for trying to grow outdoors where it can get over 100˚F - and they would be right.
Got up to 95˚ today. I filled both res this morning and at 5pm they were bone dry and let me know it.

Droopy Sips 7.11.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 11, 2023

The fabric pot girls got almost a gallon this morning and should be good until tomorrow am.

Girls 7.11.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 11, 2023

Fun fun fun!

 

[InTheShed]

Looks like you're already at 3x a day!

 

[BeezLuiz]

Fantastic grow so far this year, GB!

Honestly, I’m kinda scared they are gonna grow into monsters. And the harvest - holy crap it would take days to harvest and trim.

It would indeed take days to trim - I know from experience! Some of my plants have taken as much as 4 days to trim, and that's about 8 hrs trimming each day. I try to keep my plants smaller these days.

Got up to 95˚ today. I filled both res this morning and at 5pm they were bone dry and let me know it.

Getting pretty warm here too. I notice the SIP plant drinks a whole lot more water on hot days. I filled my 2.5 gallon reservoir yesterday morning, and by late afternoon I had to add another 2 gals.

 

[GratefulBud]

Looks like you're already at 3x a day!

Hey I was promised SIP would be set it and forget it. I'm spending more time watering and pruning!

Fantastic grow so far this year, GB!

Thanks Beez!

It would indeed take days to trim - I know from experience! Some of my plants have taken as much as 4 days to trim, and that's about 8 hrs trimming each day. I try to keep my plants smaller these days.

I'm OK with smaller. I don't need much.

Getting pretty warm here too. I notice the SIP plant drinks a whole lot more water on hot days. I filled my 2.5 gallon reservoir yesterday morning, and by late afternoon I had to add another 2 gals.

Gonna be over a hundred here in a few days. I'm thinking I may need a shade fabric to cover them, or I may just move them to where they get shade in the heat of the day.

Always something.

 

[InTheShed]

I may just move them to where they get shade in the heat of the day.

Might I suggest BL's plant trollies:

DIY Plant Trolley Guide

Hi Everyone. After posting some pics of these plant trollies in my journal this season, I've had a few requests for a guide to show how I built them. I've grown outdoors now for 3 seasons and utilize pots as large as 25 gallons. Occasionally I find it necessary to relocate my plants during the...

www.420magazine.com

 

[BeezLuiz]

They do, indeed make relocating the plants quite easy! I will probably relocate them to afternoon shade during this heat spell.

 

[GratefulBud]

Might I suggest BL's plant trollies:

DIY Plant Trolley Guide

Hi Everyone. After posting some pics of these plant trollies in my journal this season, I've had a few requests for a guide to show how I built them. I've grown outdoors now for 3 seasons and utilize pots as large as 25 gallons. Occasionally I find it necessary to relocate my plants during the...

www.420magazine.com

They do, indeed make relocating the plants quite easy! I will probably relocate them to afternoon shade during this heat spell.

Definitely been thinking about making a trolley.

 

[Trala]

A trolley sounds like a great idea. Are they too heavy to lift?

 

[Carcass]

I'm spending more time watering and pruning!

It's incredible how much they can drink...but all that extra watering and pruning means more weed to smoke in the long run..
You're going to have sooo much weed!

 

[GratefulBud]

A trolley sounds like a great idea. Are they too heavy to lift?

Not really. The SIP buckets are actually lighter than the 7 gallon pots. I think. But once the SIPS get full of heavy sticky buds I'll probably need help lifting those massive colas. I better start working out. LOL!

It's incredible how much they can drink...but all that extra watering and pruning means more weed to smoke in the long run..
You're going to have sooo much weed!

I counted the other day and The SIPs have about 40 colas each. Thats double what my previous plants had.
I'm gonna need a bigger fridge to dry in.

 

[GratefulBud]

I get the feeling it won't be long now . . .

Pistils on OG 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

I see pistils on the OG SIP!

Here are the rest of the plants.

Girls 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

White Widow 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

Mimosa 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

Watermelon Kush 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

Critical Kush 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

Gorilla OG 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

SFV OG 7.13.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 13, 2023

Looking good I think. I did have to smash another tiny grasshopper yesterday. Chomped a few holes into Mimosa. Weird they show up a few hours after I spray neem.

Getting warm here 97˚F today, and it will be over that each of the next ten days.
Buckle up.

 

[BeezLuiz]

I'm loving the looks of all your plants. Healthy green, and really nice shapes to them. Good luck with the heat. I know a few days of triple digit heat has not adversely affected my plants in the past... as long as they got plenty of water. Those SIP plants are really water hogs, though. Yesterday morning I filled my reservoir to overflow, and by mid afternoon I had to add 2 gallons!

 

[Danishoes21]

Very healthy and vigorous plants GB, the SIPs are crushing it.

Any difference in training from the SIPs to the non Sip’s??

The canopy’s look more abundant on the OGs

 

[InTheShed]

Your White Widow took one look at that cage and said "nah"!

 

[GratefulBud]

I'm loving the looks of all your plants. Healthy green, and really nice shapes to them. Good luck with the heat. I know a few days of triple digit heat has not adversely affected my plants in the past... as long as they got plenty of water. Those SIP plants are really water hogs, though. Yesterday morning I filled my reservoir to overflow, and by mid afternoon I had to add 2 gallons!

Thanks Beez!
All are drinking over a gallon per day. The sips closer to two gallons.

 

[GratefulBud]

Any difference in training from the SIPs to the non Sip’s??

The sips were topped twice and they got bushy real fast. The main stems are like tree trunks. I thinned out the lowers and the middle. Hard to tell though.
The other 4 were topped at least once. I super cropped Watermelon and Critical Kush to keep them low enough to put netting over the tomato cage.

Your White Widow took one look at that cage and said "nah"!

Yeah that one is sparse in the center.

The Critical Kush has huge dark green fan leaves. The others are thinner and lighter in color.

I’m rethinking my netting cage for the two sips. Was going to build a pvc cage 5ft tall and 3ft square. That will be too small I think. Needs to be at least six ft tall and 4ft square. I think I have enough netting.

 

[PlainOldGuy]

The sips were topped twice and they got bushy real fast. The main stems are like tree trunks. I thinned out the lowers and the middle. Hard to tell though.
The other 4 were topped at least once. I super cropped Watermelon and Critical Kush to keep them low enough to put netting over the tomato cage.

Yeah that one is sparse in the center.

The Critical Kush has huge dark green fan leaves. The others are thinner and lighter in color.

I’m rethinking my netting cage for the two sips. Was going to build a pvc cage 5ft tall and 3ft square. That will be too small I think. Needs to be at least six ft tall and 4ft square. I think I have enough netting.

Man those are some beautiful plants. You may have to hire a crew come harvest time! If you don't mind me asking, when do you start counting flowering time? Some folks say from the first sign of pistols, others say from the first budlets. I've never really counted before, but often wished that I had after it was to late.

 

[GratefulBud]

Man those are some beautiful plants. You may have to hire a crew come harvest time! If you don't mind me asking, when do you start counting flowering time? Some folks say from the first sign of pistols, others say from the first budlets. I've never really counted before, but often wished that I had after it was to late.

Thanks PlainOldGuy!

Gonna have to harvest in phases for sure I think.
I count flower when I definitely without a doubt see pistils and buds start to form, with dramatically reduced production of new fan leaves.

On my plants the heat affects them more than indoor plants. It messes up flower. I first saw pistils a week ago but very limited pistil growth since. I'm still seeing new fan leaves. So I'm hoping she'll go into flower for sure in the next week or so. That puts my harvest window sometime in late September / early October.

 

[GratefulBud]

Hotter than hades here the past few days. I finally broke down and moved them to where they get shade around 2pm. The SIPs were drinking 2 gallons per day. If I did not immediately give them water they got all dramatic and acted like they were gonna die. Finicky little bitches.

Group in the shade 7.19.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 19, 2023

Group 7.19.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 19, 2023

OG Stem 7.19.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 19, 2023

OG Top 7.19.23

• GratefulBud
• Jul 19, 2023

Grow in SIPs, they said.
It will be easy, they said.

Good thing I work from home and can check on them multiple times per day.

Gonna be over a hundred the next week or two. This heat is brutal but these ladies are still chugging along.

 

[PlainOldGuy]

Thanks PlainOldGuy!

Gonna have to harvest in phases for sure I think.
I count flower when I definitely without a doubt see pistils and buds start to form, with dramatically reduced production of new fan leaves.

On my plants the heat affects them more than indoor plants. It messes up flower. I first saw pistils a week ago but very limited pistil growth since. I'm still seeing new fan leaves. So I'm hoping she'll go into flower for sure in the next week or so. That puts my harvest window sometime in late September / early October.

Hey thanks, I guess I'm gonna start counting. I have to do one of those backyard/move it to the shed type grows. It's not ideal, but you do what ya can with what ya got. I make it work. Hey, best of luck with that heat beat'n. I'm stoked to see how your crop turns out. It'll be killer no doubt.