Homer's Legal 4-Plant Max Perpetual Minimalist Garden In Ontario

[Homer Simpson]

Hey hey! I’ll pull up and sit down! Off to a good start homer excited to see how the new grow goes!

Welcome Dutchie, it wouldn't be the same without you.

 

[Dutchman1990]

Welcome Dutchie, it wouldn't be the same without you.

Cheers fella! Glad to be here for sure!

 

[Homer Simpson]

I thought I should take a minute to explain the method behind the madness of my minimalist approach to growing. I certainly understand why people go to the tent method the way you can control your micro environment so well with temps and humidities. If I was still working and had more money than time I could definitely see going that route especially if I needed a lot of quantity but being retired I have more time than money and I don’t need much quantity so I am going a different route.

Also I think a lot of people may be interested in starting to grow their own cannabis but hesitate because they don’t know how and find all the equipment and options from nutes to soil overwhelming so I am thinking if I develop the simplest cheapest system that needs the least maintenance and start-up costs and equipment it may help a lot of people get involved.

I think most agree that the biggest influence on your plans besides genetics is environment so if I don’t have a tent to control my environment what will I do. I know from charts I have read the temperatures and humidities that plants like during the different stages of their lives and I’m sure if that is adhered to exactly it would definitely benefit the plants but if you don’t have to get a tent and a humidifier and a dehumidifier you would save a lot upfront.

So my approach is to basically expose my plants to the same environment I live in at home. I know this isn’t ideal but my more hope than theory is that if I can keep the humidity between 30 to 50% and the temperatures between 70 and 80°F they will be fine in all stages of growth. I spend most of my time in my recreation room in the finished half of my basement and my plants are in the unfinished other half so the environment is the same. This winter I managed to keep the humidity between 30 and 40% with my little homemade humidifier and as soon as it gets close to 50% humidity down here I will turn and a dehumidifier like I always do.

So that’s my system. No tent but my plants share my environment that I try to keep moderate and only Mega Crop for nutes. Let the games begin!! Oh, and I do like fans so all plants have fans blowing on them. Don’t want to be the kind of person who grows in their closet and gets black mold!!

 

[Pennywise]

I think a room is easier to control environment than in a tent. It's more stable in a room sized space.

 

[Homer Simpson]

I think a room is easier to control environment than in a tent. It's more stable in a room sized space.

That is what I am thinking that more size means more stable and I found even my little bedroom limiting so I can’t imagine how they make it work in those small tents but apparently, they do to great success.

One thing I imagine I may find a nuisance is just trying to tend to them in a small space like a tent. With my new setup, I made sure I have lots of space to work on them all. Sometimes it's nice to just sit with them.

 

[Old Salt]

One thing I imagine I may find a nuisance is just trying to tend to them in a small space like a tent. With my new setup, I made sure I have lots of space to work on them all. Sometimes it's nice to just sit with them.

This is a problem I've often brought to new member's attention. Height often becomes an issue with tents 5' (160cm) or less in height. These are generally only useful from seed to veg unless you grow a SCRoG. Tents deeper than 30" force you to position the tent so you can access your plants from both the front and rear, or move your plants for maintenance.

That is what I am thinking that more size means more stable and I found even my little bedroom limiting so I can’t imagine how they make it work in those small tents but apparently, they do to great success.

I think a room is easier to control environment than in a tent. It's more stable in a room sized space.

I grow in a 60cm X 120cm (2' X 4') tent. I live in an older home that's roof tight, but leaks air like a sieve. The environment in my house in summer is not so hot, but very humid. In winter the air is very dry, and cool to downright cold. This is the air source used for my tent. The small tent makes it next to impossible to control the environment in the tent. My tent is located against an outside wall that gets down to about 10°C (50°F) in winter. This caused condensation on the side of the tent, despite the low humidity. That was solved by slipping a sheet of Styrofoam insulation between the wall and the tent.

I'm starting to learn that timing your grow(s) is key to making the best of the situation. Starting a grow mid to late summer should give me lots of humidity, and the higher temperatures the plants like from seed through veg; as well as the lower temperatures and humidity they like for flowering.

In a more modern, air-tight home controlling the source air for your tent is much easier. This probably makes it much like growing in a room. A small heater and humidifier will likely give you all the control you need.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

If you don't mind I think I will follow along. The four plant legal grow in Canada opens up the opportunity for a new way for this old guy to keep busy and have fun at the same time. Always learning how to max growth the simplest ways. Lots of knowledge here so gonna keep my eyes and ears wide open.

 

[Homer Simpson]

This is a problem I've often brought to new member's attention. Height often becomes an issue with tents 5' (160cm) or less in height. These are generally only useful from seed to veg unless you grow a SCRoG. Tents deeper than 30" force you to position the tent so you can access your plants from both the front and rear, or move your plants for maintenance.



I grow in a 60cm X 120cm (2' X 4') tent. I live in an older home that's roof tight, but leaks air like a sieve. The environment in my house in summer is not so hot, but very humid. In winter the air is very dry, and cool to downright cold. This is the air source used for my tent. The small tent makes it next to impossible to control the environment in the tent. My tent is located against an outside wall that gets down to about 10°C (50°F) in winter. This caused condensation on the side of the tent, despite the low humidity. That was solved by slipping a sheet of Styrofoam insulation between the wall and the tent.

I'm starting to learn that timing your grow(s) is key to making the best of the situation. Starting a grow mid to late summer should give me lots of humidity, and the higher temperatures the plants like from seed through veg; as well as the lower temperatures and humidity they like for flowering.

In a more modern, air-tight home controlling the source air for your tent is much easier. This probably makes it much like growing in a room. A small heater and humidifier will likely give you all the control you need.

Good point Old Salt, I never thought about the height restriction with tents. Sounds like you have your challenges with the environment in your house but you are handling them. So far I have only grown in the winter so I am curious how they fare in the summer myself. I do have an older home myself a little over 50 years old but luckily I do have newer windows so it is pretty well insulated from the outside.

 

[Homer Simpson]

If you don't mind I think I will follow along. The four plant legal grow in Canada opens up the opportunity for a new way for this old guy to keep busy and have fun at the same time. Always learning how to max growth the simplest ways. Lots of knowledge here so gonna keep my eyes and ears wide open.

Welcome aboard Blue Noser Joe; glad to have you along. I just retired recently myself and I find growing does keep me busy and is a lot of fun. And yes I think you summed it up perfectly for my journal; maximum growth the simplest ways!

 

[Homer Simpson]

Not a lot of excitement in the veg room today. Just repositioned my hold down wires a little to keep the little ladies from going vertical. At this stage, I am only watering about once a week or less to develop a good root.

My Cannatonic clone is really getting bushy but my WW seedling is not so much. I am debating if I should start topping my four main branches because this sucker has to cover an area of about 1-1/2 x 3 feet or the area I used to cover with 2 plants?

 

[Pennywise]

Wouldn't hurt but she's not stretching out any yet.

 

[Homer Simpson]

Wouldn't hurt but she's not stretching out any yet.

I was thinking of topping my four branches of my WW because it will have the canopy surface area that used to take 2 plants to cover so I was thinking I could use twice as many colas per plant. Maybe I will let her go a while to see how she fills out.

 

[Pennywise]

You could top but might not see anything until she's stretching good.

 

[Homer Simpson]

You could top but might not see anything until she's stretching good.

Hmmmm.... decisions, decisions... I was thinking of letting this one go as just a quad and see how she does so maybe I won't then.

 

[Pennywise]

Those bushy indicas are always tough to train.

 

[Homer Simpson]

Those bushy indicas are always tough to train.

That is interesting; I have never heard that before. I will try and stay on top of her.

 

[Pennywise]

They start out like a head of cabbage.

 

[Homer Simpson]

They start out like a head of cabbage.

Hopefully, I can turn that head of cabbage into coleslaw!!

 

[Pennywise]

Just takes time and patience

 

[Homer Simpson]

Just takes time and patience

Well, that is not a problem because being retired I have the time and since I have most of my last crop left I am not in a hurry. And having a four plant system with two in veg and two in bud it doesn’t take a lot of effort to train just two plants at a time. Hopefully, it should work out fine.