My First Grow - Outdoor Frank's Gift - CBD Skunk Haze Pheno

[CBDkid]

Hi everyone

Since it's now legal to do so here in Oregon I thought it would be a good idea to start growing cannabis. For the first grow I'm doing outdoor so I don't have to buy any lights (and also because there's something nice about buds that have been grown in the sunshine).

I figure it's best to keep things simple so I haven't done anything too crazy yet. I got two clones a few weeks ago, the strain is Frank's Gift, which is a particularly strong cutting of CBD Skunk Haze that is making the rounds around here (more on that here). I transplanted them to 9 gallon pots with Ocean Forest on June 14th. Since then I've just watered them every 3-4 days with water left out for the chlorine to evaporate, and move them around the yard throughout the day so they get a lot of direct light. I haven't started feeding yet since there are a lot of nutrients in the soil, but I probably will in a couple weeks or so. Beyond that I'm not too sure what I'll end up doing - I'm looking into LST and topping, but I wanna keep things simple and just try to get the basics down for my first grow. So far so good, they are looking pretty healthy to me and growing fast.

The first pictures are a little rough since I've just got my webcam, but I'll get a better camera soon and put up some clearer ones. Just wanted to get started with the journal so I can document the process and hopefully get some advice from this very knowledgeable community. The first picture is from 6/23, and other two are from today. It's been really warm and sunny here and they're just taking off

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[CBDkid]

Update: 7/18/15

The ladies still seem to be doing pretty well. They're getting a lot bigger and using a lot of water - it's been a pretty hot summer too so I'm sure that's a factor as well. I started out watering every 3-4 days but now they usually start to droop 2 days after being watered, so I'm on every other day. I started feeding them on the 13th, starting slowly. In a 5 gallon bucket of water split between the two plants I used two Tbsp Big Bloom and 1 Tsp Grow Big the first feeding. Second feeding was yesterday, which I upped to 4 Tbsp of Big Bloom and 3 Tsp Grow Big. Still way below the recommended amounts but those seem high to me. They perked up a lot today so I'll probably keep the feeding at about that level for now. Should be time to switch to flowering nutes soon.

Here's a few pics of them taking in the first few rays of morning sunshine today. Sorry again for the low quality, I finally got a digital camera for the journal, but need a memory card. I'll get that when I get my paycheck on Monday and put up some better ones.

Today I'll be working on cleaning out my closet. I want to get a basic CFL setup going and take a couple cuttings from one of these plants to get a mother plant going for indoor grows. My plan is to keep running this strain and hopefully ACDC or something similar with very low THC if I can find a cutting, so I will always have a good supply of CBD meds

 

[Radogast]

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Nice grow you have going. Your girls look happy

I would continue to take it slow on the nutrients (nutes,) you will know if they need more than your soil provides.

You may want to develop a pest management plan. Indoors I use SNS217 which is Rosemary Oil and water and Neem cake in the soil as a preventative.

If you have local grow stores you can wait to purchase, but will be less prone to panic and worry if you have an idea of what products you like and understand how and when to use them. Indoor is different than outside. I set some indoor plants with spider mites outside and nature killed off their mites within 2 days! Inside I had to spray the others plants where the mites had spread.



I'm not an outdoor grower, but I suggest you purchase a T5 Compact Flourescent (CFL) lamp for your mother plant and indoor vegging.

I use one 4 ft 4 tube T5 CFL for clones and seedlings (up to about 20 1-gal pots)and a second one to veg 6 plants in 7-10 gal pots. At 54W per tube, each light is inexpensive to operate, four tubes cover a 4x3' area, and CFL is gentle enough and strong enough to raise plants from seed through veg.

You will want a stronger light for flowering.

I approve of you getting your closet and lights ready, because you will probably prefer starting your mother plant BEFORE flower while the branches are still parallel. You have more training options when the branches are parallel than when they start alternating during pre-flower.


Some good indoor/outdoor growers I follow are:
Mr Teddy Mr Teddy Grows Indoors & Out In 2015
and SoilGirl SoilGirl's Organic In & Out Journal 2015

Welcome to

 

[moss1310]

Thanks for sharing CBDkid. I'm in the same boat.Trying my first outdoor grow in Oregon. I started late with my clones, not until 7/1. I look forward to seeing more updates.

 

[CBDkid]

Rad - thanks so much for the advice! I've also been thinking it would be good to start some pest management. I'm noticing there are a few leaves on each plant with some small holes in them. It's probably normal to some degree on outdoor plants, but I want to make sure a few bugs hanging out on the plants doesn't turn into a full blown infestation.

The idea is definitely to get the clones before flowering. Maybe I'll just try cutting this week and set them up inside under a light before I get the full setup going, since there's not much time left. Will have to do some research on cloning techniques.




moss - Cool! It's awesome to be able to just grow in your backyard. The way it should be. What strains are you growing?

 

[moss1310]

I have a Platinum Kush, Blue Magoo, and Sapphire Star. I'll post some pics soon.

 

[SweetLeef]

CBD,

Welcome to

I am really excited to follow this grow as I have been very interested to see this Franks Gift. I have a couple of high cbd stains growing right now to battle my sisters ALS. Harlequin and HarleSin. My sister and I are attempting to make feminized seeds from the HarleSin and will will actually attempt to knock up a branch of the harlequin as well making a HarleHarleSin or something like that.

Your's plants look real happy right now. Rado is right, keep it low on the nutes and watch the plants They'll tell you when they need more.

As far as pest management outside, I would add a little neem cake and some preying mantis. They will stay in the area you put them and they eat everything! I cannot say enough how awesome mantis are.

I'm along for the ride! Can's wait to see what they do!

 

[StevePratt]

Those are some Happy Plants

 

[Radogast]

I'm doing a horrible job picking high CBD strains.

Every time I go virtual seed shopping, I select 2-3 strains, agonize over my choices(Shark Shock, Night Nurse, Night Queen, Where is Cannatonic?) Eventually I feel uncertain, decide to sleep on it, then forget about it for days until I later discover my browser has refreshed and I lost all my choices.

I think I want a near 50 /50 strain, but I seem to be waiting for someone to say 'Buy this one.'

Part of the reason I'm watching this grow, hoping to find that special healing herb

 

[SweetLeef]

I'd like to get my hands on some Cannatonic, as well as some Charlottes Web.

But I am super impressed with the HarleSin. It's got a real nice high, and the taste and smell are out of this world. SUPER citrusy sweet. I'm excited to make some feminized seeds so these genetics will be available to my sister and I for a long time.

 

[Radogast]

I'd like to get my hands on some Cannatonic, as well as some Charlottes Web.

But I am super impressed with the HarleSin. It's got a real nice high, and the taste and smell are out of this world. SUPER citrusy sweet. I'm excited to make some feminized seeds so these genetics will be available to my sister and I for a long time.

AC/DC cross Harlequin, what's not to like.
The AC/DC we've had seems a lot like the band - a racy, hard driving, kick a** experience.

 

[CBDkid]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Glad I have a few others on board. I've been pretty bad about keeping up with this whoops. So many other grows I'd like to check out, and I'd like to update the journal more but I've been super busy lately.


Anyway onto the ladies: I haven't been changing much - still feeding pretty lightly. I sprinkled some neem meal on the soil last weekend and it seems like they liked that.

The good news is they're getting big! My roommate thinks I should transplant into something bigger, so I'm thinking about putting them in 15 or 20 gallon smart pots - they're in 9 gallons now. Probably would help with a bunch of things - more room for roots to grow, keep the soil temp down a bit (it's been HOT here lately), and provide more nutrients directly from the soil, since they've probably gone through most of what was in the pots they're in now.

The not-so-good news is I'm getting a lot of yellow leaves towards the bottom and some of the inner fan leaves. I think maybe a sign to up the nitrogen a bit? I think some leaves were also damaged when I let them get too dehydrated a few days ago. It's been over 100 degrees for the last few days, and a few days ago I checked them in the morning and the pots were still fairly heavy, but I came back from work and they were completely wilted and the soil was bone dry. Being careful to keep them very well hydrated until this heat wave passes now.

Looks to me like I should keep them well hydrated and go heavier on the nitrogen? Any advice is VERY welcome!



Last weekend I was working on starting my indoor setup. I got a small used grow tent for cheap and put some CFLs in it. I have it in my closet right now, but I think the plan is to take it out and use the tent for Mothers/Vegging and then set up a space in the closet for flowering.

I took a few clones from the Frank's Gift plants that are rooting and got a couple Lucy's Lion (I believe the same Cannatonic pheno as ACDC) and a NYC Diesel clone. I hope to keep mothers of the Frank's Gift and Lucy's Lion running perpetually.

 

[Radogast]

You know what I would do about those leaves, ABSolutely NOThing !

This looks like sunlight not reaching through a dense canopy, if it were nutritional there would be many, many more leave effected.

EDIT: Your soil has enough to feed your plants until harvest. No need to do a lot of adding things until at least flowering. EDIT: It seems I don't know anything about your soil mix. I was thinking of another thread. I retract my uninformed opinion.

 

[CBDkid]

Well that's definitely some advice I'm happy to hear I guess us newbies tend to freak out about any little thing that happens to the plant.

The soil is just Ocean Forest - so pretty nutrient dense. They've been in the 9 gallon pots for about a month and a half. I am thinking I'll transfer to 15 gallon smart pots. Still got 2+ months to go and I wanna give them plenty of room to grow, and it would give them plenty of nutes from the soil so I won't really have to add fertilizers.

 

[Radogast]

Well that's definitely some advice I'm happy to hear I guess us newbies tend to freak out about any little thing that happens to the plant.

The soil is just Ocean Forest - so pretty nutrient dense. They've been in the 9 gallon pots for about a month and a half. I am thinking I'll transfer to 15 gallon smart pots. Still got 2+ months to go and I wanna give them plenty of room to grow, and it would give them plenty of nutes from the soil so I won't really have to add fertilizers.

Less is more with good soil.

You may have to add some fertilizers, once you meet a grower who grows well with Ocean Forest you will get a better idea. You may use some fertilizer while flowering, but probably 1/2 strength half as often as the fertilizer company recommends. You are off to a good start here.

 

[SweetLeef]

Beautiful plants Kid.

Don't worry too much about not updating too often. I haven't updated in over a week. It's summer you should be outside playing, not inside on the interwebs.

I agree with Rado about the leaves. It could also be from letting them get too dry. I've lost leaves every time It's happened to me NBD.

 

[Radogast]

Don't worry too much about not updating too often. I haven't updated in over a week. It's summer you should be outside playing, not inside on the interwebs.

Timely advice. I am working from home today. I just took a lunch break and logged on to

It is 80 degees with fair skies after a magnificent afternoon hailstorm yesterday. I'm taking a walk in the forest !

See you later

 

[steff]

Hey
I am not far from you, and had the same issue with my bottom fan leafs. I think this weather is to blame, however I did make a higher concentrate worm casting tea with some blood meal which seems to have helped. I am so psyched to find out 12 hour nights are creeping upon us!!
You've done an amazing job!

 

[CBDkid]

Yeah, I think the weather is definitely a factor - it gets a bit hotter here in Eugene than a lot of other parts of western OR since we're in the valley. They're getting tons of great sunlight though, and still growing really fast. Makes sense that they'd want to take some energy from the lower leaves to keep the tops healthy, which they certainly are.

It actually looks like they are starting to go into flowering! I'm not sure what exactly to look for but I see some little pistils and hairs forming. Will post some pictures soon.

I agree with Rad and Sweetleaf, I should be playing outside But instead I'm working all the damn time. Oh well, gotta pay for all these new grow supplies somehow. Pretty soon once I get to where the harvests start rolling in I'll be saving tons of money

 

[steff]

Mine is also showing signs, yay!