Greenhouse Perpetual Grow In The Tropics

[CBDMed]

UPDATE: The 5 really tall plants have maxed out their 15 gal pots. I just watered yesterday, and we got lots of sun and heat (around 80°). Today they were already wanting more water. I'm not going to be able to keep this up, because we are on rainwater catchment and our supply won't be enough. This is also an indication that I'm past time to move these plants to the flower house. My first time growing these, so I didn't know they'd be so big and fast-growing. So... gonna have to figure out a solution. I think my plan will be to take clone cuttings asap, and then prepare to move the 2 Blue Dream cross plants to the flower house, staggered in time by 1 week. Those plants turned out to be a lot less bushy than the Gelato cross. The Gelato is a very healthy, dense X-mas tree shape, while the BD is leggy and with very sparse branching. Both would have been good candidates for topping, so I'll keep that in mind with the clones. This plan still won't eliminate the water shortage problem, but it will help, and I am also thinking of putting gutters on the veg house and catching the water in a spare 60 gal tank that I have.

Rainwater collection sounds like a good idea.
I hope that comes together for you.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Good morning cbdh hope you are well my friend.
Love the greenhouse and the girls.
Just curious how tall is your flower house.
Because you have 10' tall at leat maby more when you flip.
Double original size is not uncommon.
You may need to top and Lst them.
Depending on height availability?
Fantastic grow my friend nice work.

Thanks, Bill!

It's gonna be a squeeze for sure, but oddly, when I flower my plants they don't grow much vertically anymore, and they tend to complete flowering very quickly – like 5-7 weeks. Yes, I may need to top them... we'll see very soon, 'cuz I'm gonna move them to the flower house either today or tomorrow.

Another oddity: it doesn't matter what time of year I flower plants, meaning when I move them out of the veg house (lighting) and into the flower house (no lighting), they go into flower fairly quickly, regardless of the fact that for about 6 months out of the year, night length isn't at least 12 hours. I just moved those other 3 plants recently (10 days ago), and they are already showing early signs of going into flower. Our night length right now is around 10 hrs 20 min.

 

[Azimuth]

I think the 'real' trigger is around 10 hours but most of us do 12 just to be safe. I wonder if your locale, being close to the equator, is another influencing factor. There's probably more to it than a simple "x" number of uninterrupted dark hours.

 

[cbdhemp808]

I think the 'real' trigger is around 10 hours but most of us do 12 just to be safe. I wonder if your locale, being close to the equator, is another influencing factor. There's probably more to it than a simple "x" number of uninterrupted dark hours.

Thanks for that – yes, this article among others confirms it... 10-10.5 hours. The thing about Hawaii, and even closer to the equator, is that outdoor-grown photoperiod cannabis will flower year round – we don't have the "normal" spring-to-fall growing period. For example, Denver, Colorado has less than 10 hours of night starting early May, through June, July, until around mid August. After that, plants start to flower, and will usually (?) finish in Sept. or Oct. This is why some 80% of the first outdoor hemp crops in Hawaii failed in the first season, because they flowered early and went over the THC limit. The farmers didn't understand the photoperiod cycle.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks for posting that article!

 

[cbdhemp808]

The harvest went well – it's the best harvest I've had yet, with lots of fat, dense buds. And from a 6 gal. plastic pot! I would say these buds are about twice as big as what I usually get from this CBD pheno.
•••

It came out to around 6 oz. dried bud. super dry crispy style.

 

[cbdhemp808]

The 2 Blue Dream plants in veg have reached 7.5 ft. Taking cuttings and moving them to flower tomorrow. They will likely need to be topped a little. The 3 plants in the flower house have started flowering. 2 of those are GSC x Kush, and looking very good. The bugs are mostly gone for now. Will repeat neem spray as needed, but avoid the flower sites. The bugs tend to be in the lower 1/2 of the plant anyway.

 

[cbdhemp808]

I just noticed today possible root disease in one of the plants in the veg house – first I've seen of this, if that's indeed what it is. Yesterday the plant was looking awesome, today... totally droopy and more yellowing leaves. It is not responding to water. I've decided to leave it be and see what's up tomorrow. I did notice some white mycelium-looking stuff at the base of the stem, just into the soil. Other than that, the stem looks fine. This is one of my favorite CBD phenos, in a 7 gal plastic pot. Possibly root bound at this point. Fortunately, I have a couple new clones of this plant.

I also just noticed another plant, the Godzilla, with possible root problems. The stem is looking funky, and older leaves have been yellowing... will post a photo soon.

Soooo... some possible nasties in the grow... putting off moving the Blue Dreams until tomorrow.

 

[Azimuth]

Is it possible you have some kind of root pest like root aphids or something? Maybe a soil drench of some sort to knock them down? Probably should narrow down the issue a bit so you don't inadvertently make it worse.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Is it possible you have some kind of root pest like root aphids or something? Maybe a soil drench of some sort to knock them down? Probably should narrow down the issue a bit so you don't inadvertently make it worse.

Thanks. I highly doubt it's any insect in the soil. I suppose it could be a funky water-related issue, but I doubt it.

This is new territory for me... never had a plant do this. I've never had to deal with root disease. I am reading about it in Rosenthal and it boils down to Fusarium, Verticillium, and Pythium – all types of fungi. At this point, since I'm outdoor in soil (pots), the best course of action appears to be to destroy the plant and get rid of the soil, like it's the plague. But I'm going to leave that plant alone until tomorrow. I'll post some photos later... gotta run.

 

[Azimuth]

Maybe an H2O2 flush would help reset the table?

 

[cbdhemp808]

[ EDIT: Is this just a case of overwatering, or overwatering that caused root rot? Now I'm praying that it's just overwatering and/or a clogged up pot. ]

Maybe an H2O2 flush would help reset the table?

I thought about that, but if the fungus is advanced enough to do this in one day, I have a hunch it's all too far gone. I actually don't really need this plant – I was growing it specifically to produce more clones, in order to preserve the genetics in my collection. I think the two clones were successful – I'll check their roots tomorrow.

Here are some pics of the CBD plant.

CBD pheno suddenly limp today w/ yellow leaves and not responding to water

stem looking fairly normal

false color image of stem just under soil, showing possible white mycelium

Here are some pics of the Godzilla plant... a bit different... no droop, but abnormal looking stem and some leaf yellowing.

Godzilla is showing some leaf yellowing

Godzilla's lower stem is wrinkled

Godzilla stem close-up #1

Godzilla stem close-up #2

the upper part of the stem is also looking abnormal (sorry, bad photo)

 

[Chuckeye]

Root aphids or soil mites ?

Have a good look at the soil...

Cheers

 

[cbdhemp808]

Root aphids or soil mites ?

Have a good look at the soil...

Cheers

Thanks. I'm leaning toward an overwatering situation, and possibly the pot is clogged up with roots. There's also a possibility of root rot, so if I open up that pot, I need to be careful. I'll check the plant in the morning to see if there's any improvement. I'm thinking of drilling some decent size holes in the side at the bottom. I may need to move it to a 15 gal smart pot, which would be double the pot size.

This happened very suddenly... yesterday the plant was looking great, today it looks like the pictures above. Since the droop remained after adding some more water, that tells me it's an overwatering situation, and possible root rot situation. But, if it was root rot causing the droop and yellowing leaves, it doesn't seem like it would happen in one day – the symptoms would be more gradual. So I am praying it's just overwatering.

 

[Azimuth]

Well, if you've already got clones of it, you could treat it like a science experiment and try some things you wouldn't normally do and see what you can learn.

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey @cbdhemp808, I read through this thread and have a few questions if you don’t mind. I am thinking of growing a CDB or CBG strain in the future. After talking with the wife she is interested in something to help her sleep.

I see you mentioned Harle-Tsu as a good strain for this and am wondering if you have a seed source?

Any suggestions for a CBG strain with good pain relief and clear focus? My son had back surgery and looking for a strain that can help in those areas. Again a seed source would be appreciated.

It looks like CBG and CBG strain buds are not as dense as their cousins. Is that typically the case?

SG

 

[cbdhemp808]

Well, if you've already got clones of it, you could treat it like a science experiment and try some things you wouldn't normally do and see what you can learn.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've got enough science today just making sure those clones are OK, and then carefully disposing of the plant and the soil. I'm going to cut the stem and hang the plant to dry, then burn it. I'll take the rest far away and dump it, and definitely check out what's going on with the roots and take some photos. I noticed late last night that mycelium is now literally blooming right at the base of the stem, in the soil. I'm going to use strong peroxide solution in my sprayer to spray down the area under the pot, and wash the pot thoroughly and also spray it down.

This has been an interesting lesson for me about what can happen if you grow a plant in a large plastic container, and then overgrow it in veg instead of flowering it asap. I'm guessing it's root bound... we'll see. Fabric pots are way better.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Hey @cbdhemp808, I read through this thread and have a few questions if you don’t mind. I am thinking of growing a CDB or CBG strain in the future. After talking with the wife she is interested in something to help her sleep.

I see you mentioned Harle-Tsu as a good strain for this and am wondering if you have a seed source?

Howdy, SG! Yes, Harle-Tsu looks like a very good CBD strain. I haven't ordered any seeds yet, and the source I was going to order from has recently revealed their bad reputation. By the way, if you are ever wondering if a seed seller has a good reputation or not, you can check the BBB website and EU Seedfinder website.

Any suggestions for a CBG strain with good pain relief and clear focus? My son had back surgery and looking for a strain that can help in those areas. Again a seed source would be appreciated.

The CBG strain I have was from seed I got from a guy in Colorado, and it doesn't really have a strain name. It's about a 13-15% CBG variety. I think there are better strains, and I am looking into getting seed from Old Country Hemp. They have CBGenius, which is supposed to reach over 20% CBG.

It looks like CBG and CBG strain buds are not as dense as their cousins. Is that typically the case?

CBD buds can be as big and dense as THC buds, depending on the strain. The CBG buds I've grown are small and less dense, and also not as resinous and aromatic. The photos I've seen of the CBGenius buds look pretty impressive.

As for CBD strains, this is mainly divided into two groups: 10-12% varieties, and 20+% varieties. In terms of CBD to THC ratio, these are known as 10:1 and 20:1. There are some exceptions. In both cases, THC is around 1%. If you are looking for zero or near zero THC, then you can either harvest early, or use CBG instead. My CBG plant produces zero THC. CBGenius is supposed to come in around 0.4% THC.

Here are some 20+% CBD varieties: Ringo's Gift, Harle-Tsu, Suzy Q, Valentine X. I've had trouble acquiring any of these, but I do have one going that's supposed to be Ringo's Gift... time will tell, and I'll have the buds tested. Humboldt Seed Company is selling a trio of CBD seeds called CBD Trifecta, and I am inquiring about CBD content in those varieties. It looks very promising. I have bought seed from HSC... so far, so good!

 

[cbdhemp808]

Big day for the greenhouse grow!

The deed is done... I chopped the CBD pheno, sprayed the ground underneath the pot with strong peroxide solution with some orange oil & soap in it. I've got the pot in my car, in a big plastic trash bag, and will dump it tomorrow, and take some postmortem photos. I can tell you that just below the surface of the soil there was mycelium going off. The pot was heavy as hell... soaked and all clogged up. But I'm happy to say the two clones of that pheno are doing well (photo below). I will not be using that pot again! Too big, too tapered, not enough drain holes (I think it was actually at least 10 gal). I have some 6 gal pots that are plenty big, have vertical sides, and much better drainage. I may even add some holes to them. But my best pots are the 15 gal smart pots. It's just that sometimes I need a smaller pot.

The Godzilla plant is definitely sick, and I made some clone cuttings of it today. I topped it and noticed some bad looking coloration in the very tip, so I chucked that. I'll be treating the mother plant and those clones with some neem spray, since neem is also anti-fungal and will go systemic. I'll also try to help the mom with a peroxide flush. But first, I need to make some more drain holes in that pot and let it dry out. Also probably will top dress with dolomite, greensand, and some potassium sulfate. (photo below)

Lastly, I moved the 2 big Blue Dream plants to the flower house. I had to top them at the 6' 10" mark on the stem, in order to fit in the flower house. I was able to start clones of those top cuttings, and also took a number of cuttings lower down on both plants. The pots were nice and dry and lightweight for the move, and once moved I gave them a full watering with high-N liquid fert. I love those plants... so robust, drought tolerant, disease resistant. I was going to stagger the move by a week, but decided to just move them both today. (pics below)

2 Blue Dreams moved to the flower house (foreground); behind are 2 GSC x Kush and in the far corner a small Maui Wowie

the flower house is now full... 5 plants

the veg house is opened up a lot. here are the 3 Gelato plants, one is hidden in the back

I have activated the 2nd clone chamber and added a grow light. the foreground clones are mostly done... I am just letting the roots grow some more

here's a closeup of the older clones; the 2 at the bottom are from the CBD pheno that died.

here's the sad Godzilla that I took cuttings from today... I'll see if I can rehabilitate her.

A new CBD strain that should produce 20+% CBD... lookin' good, no problems. I will probably up pot to 6 gallons soon... maybe even 15 gal smart pot.

 

[Azimuth]

Looking good there, cbdh!

It looks like your "greenhouse" is really more of a rain covering with open sides? You probably have nearly the perfect climate otherwise without much need to increase heat and humidity.