Maine 4-Season Greenhouse Grow

Been busy with summer but the grow greenhouse grow continues! The smoke report from the 3-week cured Northern Light Auto was smooth and stoney. I'm out of practice so it knocked me a little sideways (first time) but second and third time was more pleasurable. Overall pleased.

April 15 I started two (2) more NLA, but this time I put them both in 7 gallon pots (versus 5 for the first one). The odd thing was that they were identical pots, soil, identical sun exposure, and topping (dates and technique) but they grew very different from one another. One was taller, stretchier, with skinnier/longer buds and the other one was lost the opposite. Both are @ day 95 today and I noticed the short, fat bud one had a little bud rot in one spot so I harvested it. Nice, sticky, dense buds that are currently drying/curing in my root cellar.

Greenhouse is PACKED and I might have an issue in a month or so. I have space to rotate them if i need to (front row gets better sun) but I am seeing the limit of plants:space....

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Seeds from same NLA order, same pot, same soil, same sun, same topping....but not the same, eh?

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Fat buds from the shorter NLA

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Skinny long buds from the taller NLA

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Blew Hiller said:
Been busy with summer but the grow greenhouse grow continues! The smoke report from the 3-week cured Northern Light Auto was smooth and stoney. I'm out of practice so it knocked me a little sideways (first time) but second and third time was more pleasurable. Overall pleased.

April 15 I started two (2) more NLA, but this time I put them both in 7 gallon pots (versus 5 for the first one). The odd thing was that they were identical pots, soil, identical sun exposure, and topping (dates and technique) but they grew very different from one another. One was taller, stretchier, with skinnier/longer buds and the other one was lost the opposite. Both are @ day 95 today and I noticed the short, fat bud one had a little bud rot in one spot so I harvested it. Nice, sticky, dense buds that are currently drying/curing in my root cellar.

Greenhouse is PACKED and I might have an issue in a month or so. I have space to rotate them if i need to (front row gets better sun) but I am seeing the limit of plants:space....

IMG_90583.jpg


Seeds from same NLA order, same pot, same soil, same sun, same topping....but not the same, eh?

IMG_90646.jpg



Fat buds from the shorter NLA

IMG_90666.jpg


Skinny long buds from the taller NLA

IMG_90714.jpg

IMG_90703.jpg

IMG_90653.jpg
Click to expand...

Happy to have you back Blew!!!!! Your plants look amazing!!!! Very healthy looking ladies.. .. Thank you again for all your help! I am having room issues also. .. Hoping they slow up soon. I topped mine twice along with lollipopped them all weeks ago. Slowly starting to show early stages of flowering so maybe this will stop them for getting so tall. Glad your bud came out well, if it works as good as it looks I bet it's real nice. ....
 
Sativasavvy said:
Happy to have you back Blew!!!!! Your plants look amazing!!!! Very healthy looking ladies.. .. Thank you again for all your help! I am having room issues also. .. Hoping they slow up soon. I topped mine twice along with lollipopped them all weeks ago. Slowly starting to show early stages of flowering so maybe this will stop them for getting so tall. Glad your bud came out well, if it works as good as it looks I bet it's real nice. ....
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Any photos of your grow? Did you start a journal?
 
Blew Hiller said:
Any photos of your grow? Did you start a journal?
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I am not certain exactly how you do a journal but I do have a thread going keeping track of my plants. I have not given too many details due to not many people ask me questions but I like storiing the pics and memories elsewhere besides my phone. It's called Small outdoor Michigan Greenhouse Grow. Here are some pics though and once again thank you Blew for the heat issue advice. ....
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Flowering is slowly beginning and I'm hoping they SLOW DOWN! ...
 
Sativasavvy said:
I am not certain exactly how you do a journal but I do have a thread going keeping track of my plants. I have not given too many details due to not many people ask me questions but I like storiing the pics and memories elsewhere besides my phone. It's called Small outdoor Michigan Greenhouse Grow. Here are some pics though and once again thank you Blew for the heat issue advice.
Click to expand...

BOOM! That is a nicely packed greenhouse! I found your thread Small Michigan Greenhouse Grow and sent a note to the moderator that you might want to convert it to a journal. You will get more feedback from others if it is a journal (imo) and also it would be a good addition to the archives here because 99% of the grows seem to be tent/stealth.
 
Blew Hiller said:
BOOM! That is a nicely packed greenhouse! I found your thread Small Michigan Greenhouse Grow and sent a note to the moderator that you might want to convert it to a journal. You will get more feedback from others if it is a journal (imo) and also it would be a good addition to the archives here because 99% of the grows seem to be tent/stealth.
Click to expand...

I really appreciate that! I'm excited. ... Looking forward to it. I was hoping to find more people like this to talk with and learn and you are one of the few in a greenhouse, it appealed to me so I hope to see others come out if I have a journal. I figured out weather was similar also. After I seen your white widow auto you had me hooked! .. I will get started as soon as I figure it out. Thanks for the compliments, it's a tough job. .
 
Yes, it has been a while but that is how summer goes, am I right? didn't want to be lame and join the rest of the "abandoned journals" so here is the closing chapter.

Fall Harvest began 10 days ago and I wrapped final harvest on Friday (Oct 20). Some plants were bigger than others (at least three were over 6 feet, 2 were about 7.5-8'...higher than my arm reaching up including the 20 gallon pot). Same procedure for all: cut, wash, air dry for the afternoon, stick in the root cellar for several days, final trim, mason jars with bovedas. Got a hanging "herb dryer" which I like a lot.

We also made some fresh oil from the CB Dream, CB Dutch Treat, and WW. Moving on to trying tinctures, salves, infused honey....all of it.

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Questions, comments..let me know.

Onward....
 
Hi Blew I followed your signature link in a post in one of Sues threads. I binge tv'd it and read from end to end.

It is very helpful to me because I'm 45 -76 so just west and north of you.

I need frost protection until end of June and after Mid September.

Thanks for sharing your work.
 
Oldbear said:
Hi Blew I followed your signature link in a post in one of Sues threads. I binge tv'd it and read from end to end.

It is very helpful to me because I'm 45 -76 so just west and north of you.

I need frost protection until end of June and after Mid September.

Thanks for sharing your work.
Click to expand...

I'm itching to keep growing through the winter now....

Thinking of walling in a grow space within my insulated greenhouse using R-13 foam board (with reflective covering). Cold temps are obviously my challenge but I think, if successful, it would be a great utilization of a space sitting idle. The idea is to run lights overnight to create additional heat and if it gets too hot in the day (it can reach 90F on a sunny 10F day) then allow for venting. But, cold is the major challenge. SweetSue steered me towards Timber lights so next thing is to figure approximate heat output and putting that beneficial use.

Stay tuned...
 
Oldbear said:
Blew I am very interested in your approach. I need a grow space that is isolated from the house totally.

I'll be a regular visitor
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Well, now I feel the pressure to deliver! I am definitely confident in the capability of my greenhouse for 8-9 months of the year, at least in regard to temps. Those remaining months have me a little frightened. I ordered some new digital thermometers and will be taking some overnight readings with the lights to see if the generate enough heat. I am torn, because I have never done an "indoor" grow with artificial lighting and, as usual, I am trying to do 2 new things at once! Stay tuned.
 
Hi

my timber lights only generate a little heat. (Maybe plus 5-7 degrees F when they first come on?). The COB lights and heat sinks only warm a little in comparison to what I get from a CFL. I do have the COB ballast outside my tent, it heats up more than I expected.

Just 2 cents from me. I grow in a tiny tent. My environment can b a struggle. In any event, I do get heat from my lights, enough for a tiny space. But not that much.



Cheers!
 
kelticBlue said:
Hi

my timber lights only generate a little heat. (Maybe plus 5-7 degrees F when they first come on?). The COB lights and heat sinks only warm a little in comparison to what I get from a CFL. I do have the COB ballast outside my tent, it heats up more than I expected.

Just 2 cents from me. I grow in a tiny tent. My environment can b a struggle. In any event, I do get heat from my lights, enough for a tiny space. But not that much.
Click to expand...

No way to know until I have them and running in a confined space, but good to know the ballast heats up. All the gear would be in the same insulated space.
 
Oldbear said:
Ive been thinking the same thing. The costs of building it and running it from December through March is significant compared to an 8 month operation.
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A high tunnel (hoop house) works well for the 8-month operation at about 1/3 the cost. I built the insulated GH more as an experiment and a project, and I like having it but the high tunnel went up in a week and cost $4k (for a 48'x21' structure). You can probably get a 12x20 for $2k. However, anyone with a box cutter can be inside within 10 seconds, so I do like the security of my insulated GH which has a locking door and hard triple wall poly versus 6mm poly!
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We store other things in it over winter, thus the bigger size is helpful/practical. I got mine from Ledgwood Farms in NH (they deliver) and I dug up the pricing:

1.66”OD bows Double poly
21x48’ frames===================$2275.00(1008 sf) 6 crossties/trusses================$240.00
1 sets 48’ rollup sides==============$320.00
1 roll 36x52’ 4 year IR poly==========$225.00
1 roll 36x52’ 4 year CL poly==========$206.00
1 small inflation kit=================$125.00
Total==========================$3391.00

Lumber list
96’-2”x10” baseboard
96’-2”x4” hipboard
36-12’-2”x4” endwall studs
14 sheets-4’x8’-3/8” CDX plywood
300’-5/4 x 1-1/2” decking for strapping cleats 40-50 man-hours

Costs (physical and $) for me growing cannabis over winter (inside) are higher because of the lighting factor. Add heating issues, outside the house, and it gets exponentially difficult. We have a rental property that is close and vacant from Jan-April 1 and is kept @ 60F. This is my fallback for this winter. I wanted some lights to learn the process and it will help me get a head start for my summer crop seedlings.
 
Thanks so much for this detail :thumb:

Blew Hiller said:
A high tunnel (hoop house) works well for the 8-month operation at about 1/3 the cost. I built the insulated GH more as an experiment and a project, and I like having it but the high tunnel went up in a week and cost $4k (for a 48'x21' structure). You can probably get a 12x20 for $2k. However, anyone with a box cutter can be inside within 10 seconds, so I do like the security of my insulated GH which has a locking door and hard triple wall poly versus 6mm poly!
20171004_101916_resized.jpg

We store other things in it over winter, thus the bigger size is helpful/practical. I got mine from Ledgwood Farms in NH (they deliver) and I dug up the pricing:

1.66"OD bows Double poly
21x48' frames===================$2275.00(1008 sf) 6 crossties/trusses================$240.00
1 sets 48' rollup sides==============$320.00
1 roll 36x52' 4 year IR poly==========$225.00
1 roll 36x52' 4 year CL poly==========$206.00
1 small inflation kit=================$125.00
Total==========================$3391.00

Lumber list
96'-2"x10" baseboard
96'-2"x4" hipboard
36-12'-2"x4" endwall studs
14 sheets-4'x8'-3/8" CDX plywood
300'-5/4 x 1-1/2" decking for strapping cleats 40-50 man-hours

Costs (physical and $) for me growing cannabis over winter (inside) are higher because of the lighting factor. Add heating issues, outside the house, and it gets exponentially difficult. We have a rental property that is close and vacant from Jan-April 1 and is kept @ 60F. This is my fallback for this winter. I wanted some lights to learn the process and it will help me get a head start for my summer crop seedlings.
Click to expand...
 
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