On Schedule

[SmokingWings]

How about thrips, work on them too?

Rosemary plants are showing up in a list of plants that repel or deter thrips but there are about 9 or 10 plants ahead of it. There are always some of the targeted pest insect that will not be repelled by a herb but having to deal with one or two is a whole lot better than 50 or a 100 of them.

A good thing to do is a web search using:
plants that deter thrips
or
companion plants that deter thrips
which is a bit different than the first suggestion since 'companion' plants are often a specialized and narrower type of gardening.
Check out the lists to see if anything is a plant you have another use for.

Example is Basil which is handy as a kitchen herb or for making Pesto.

 

[SmokingWings]

And, the other August 11th photos show that the two plants are On Schedule and flowering has started.

Sorted through the rest of the photos taken on August 11 and selected what I hope are the best two. These pictures are of the main top stem which should produce the best looking stacks of buds come harvest time.

The Papaya is first. It is not showing any pistils yet, at least not that I noticed that day or can see in the photo. What I do see is a change in the nodes that often shows up a few days before the plant starts developing the pistils. It is that "dog-leg" look to many of the top nodes on the stems. As if by being angled off to the side, once the bud starts to form will have more room to grow, and therefore it can be larger and out to the side where there is a better chance of pollen being able to get to the pistils.

The second photo, below, is of the Peanut Butter Cup. It has already started to flower and the pistil covered buds are visible at just about every node. Judging by the size and appearance the start was about the 7th of August, or on schedule.

 

[SmokingWings]

Of all the August 13th pictures I was only happy with one of them. It is of the PBC. In the last two days not much has changed.

After doing basic cropping and resizing to1280 or less on any side I did select the Auto-Adjust Colors option. Liked what it looked like which was making the greens pop just a tad bit. It also brightened up the photo so I kept the change.

 

[SmokingWings]

A good thing to do is a web search using:
plants that deter thrips
or
companion plants that deter thrips
which is a bit different than the first suggestion since 'companion' plants are often a specialized and narrower type of gardening.

@Azimuth, the topic of companion plants came up just a couple of days ago in a msg by @Lovie. When working with companions the thing to consider is trying to be sure that all the plants involved will not only do the pest deterring but will be able to grow properly when close by other plants that are also being used to deter the same pest or even a different pest.

Example is that Basil will deter thrips. Chrysanthemums will attract thrips. Put several Mum plants 15 to 20 feet away from the outdoor Cannabis plant and then put several small patches of Basil between the Mums and the Cannabis plant. The Basil will repel most of the Mites that did not move on to the Mums and push them back towards the Mums or some other plant. Add to this, the same Chrysanthemums will repel Spider Mites.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks, SW. Mine are indoor plants so I think I'll try growing basil and rosemary in containers next to the canna. But, being a closed environment, there's not much place for the bugs to go, but if those plants can deter them from the cabinet itself then we'd really have something.

 

[Roy Growin]

@Azimuth, the topic of companion plants came up just a couple of days ago in a msg by @Lovie. When working with companions the thing to consider is trying to be sure that all the plants involved will not only do the pest deterring but will be able to grow properly when close by other plants that are also being used to deter the same pest or even a different pest.

Example is that Basil will deter thrips. Chrysanthemums will attract thrips. Put several Mum plants 15 to 20 feet away from the outdoor Cannabis plant and then put several small patches of Basil between the Mums and the Cannabis plant. The Basil will repel most of the Mites that did not move on to the Mums and push them back towards the Mums or some other plant. Add to this, the same Chrysanthemums will repel Spider Mites.

Likewise, planting Nasturtium amongst peas and beans attracts aphids and slugs rather than your crops
Then, once they are infested, you can just pull em up and chuck them in the compost bin early summer

 

[SmokingWings]

... I think I'll try growing basil and rosemary in containers next to the canna.

Bonus is that if the basil grows then you can pick some of the leaves to put on a home-made pizza. And sprigs can be cut from the rosemary and added to some chicken recipes.

And on to several updates.....

This photo from August 22 show that PBC is starting to stack up nicely. Even the lower branches are showing that they will be covered with nice sized stacks of buds come harvest time. My current target harvest date is Oct 8th through the 15th, depending on weather and and if I see any signs of Bud Rot. The Papaya plant has started to produce pistil covered buds but instead of stacking up like this plant I am planning on strings of pearls with that one. Target date on the Papaya is the 15th to the 22nd.

Speaking of the Papaya, it is stretching taller and taller. It is sticking up higher than the plants being used to hide it from public view so I have to get the energy to lower it down. My usual way of doing that is to dig a hole and put the pot in which should drop the visible height by about a foot. It will also let me separate the plants from each other. The photo below shows the two plants and their pots side by side with the Pap on the left.

 

[Lovie]

@Azimuth, the topic of companion plants came up just a couple of days ago in a msg by @Lovie. When working with companions the thing to consider is trying to be sure that all the plants involved will not only do the pest deterring but will be able to grow properly when close by other plants that are also being used to deter the same pest or even a different pest.

Example is that Basil will deter thrips. Chrysanthemums will attract thrips. Put several Mum plants 15 to 20 feet away from the outdoor Cannabis plant and then put several small patches of Basil between the Mums and the Cannabis plant. The Basil will repel most of the Mites that did not move on to the Mums and push them back towards the Mums or some other plant. Add to this, the same Chrysanthemums will repel Spider Mites.

Here is a link to a good article about cannabis companion planting. Not only can companion plants be used for attracting good pests and deterring bad ones but some help with terpene production others help with nitrogen. Toward the end of this article, there is a table of companion plants that do not do well when planted together.

Companion Plants for Cannabis Growing | Fast Buds

Companion plants are all plants that can be grown near cannabis and will result in a symbiotic relationship that will benefit both of them.

2fast4buds.com

 

[SmokingWings]

Likewise, planting Nasturtium amongst peas and beans attracts aphids and slugs rather than your crops
Then, once they are infested, you can just pull em up and chuck them in the compost bin early summer

Some growers have said that they experience slug problems on their outdoor Cannabis plants. They have a win-win solution with the Nasturtium. Put patches of it near their plants and hope the slugs go there instead.

Bonus is that if there are no slugs the Nasturtium is edible. The leaves and the flowers are tasty with a mild pepper taste. It can go well in a mixed greens salad. Also with some fish recipes if I remember right.

 

[SmokingWings]

Here is a link to a good article about cannabis companion planting. Not only can companion plants be used for attracting good pests and deterring bad ones but some help with terpene production others help with nitrogen. Toward the end of this article, there is a table of companion plants that do not do well when planted together.

Good find on the article and I have already bookmarked it for reference.

https://2fast4buds.com/news/companion-plants-for-cannabis-growing

 

[SmokingWings]

Going to play catch-up. Even though it is only 3 days since the last photo session here are a couple of photos from August 25th.

The first one is of the Papaya. In a matter of just a few days the developing buds have started to fill in with more stigma/pistils and are now easier to see.

This second photo is of the main stack of buds on the Peanut Butter Cup. Definitely looks like it will bulk up nicely by harvest time approx mid-October.

One little thing, there is something happening to the top bud on the branch to the far right of this photo. If anyone is looking back or remembers to look in any upcoming photos it will be the bud & stem that is closest to the metal wire fence.

 

[SmokingWings]

Two photos from September 3rd..

The first one shows the height difference between the two plants. That Papaya on the left is looking about12 inches higher than the PBC right. Also, it was a tad bit more noticeable from a distance. I was kicking around doing some pinching and bending to keep that main stack of buds but get the overall height down a touch.

Decided that I would be better off lowering the pot of soil. I started to plan for some excavation and making a hole to lower the pot into. Most of my gardening area is topsoil and compost sitting on top of clay. Where I had the two plants there is only a couple of inches of top-soil and then a clay layer. On top of that it is a really cramped area what with the wire fence and the Rosemary plants in the way. Trying to use a shovel was not easy. But I got the hole started.

 

[SmokingWings]

Plants are growing right along like they should. Seems like they are getting noticeably taller bit by bit, day by day. The Papaya looks like it it definitely stretching faster than the Peanut Butter Cup. Maybe because it was grown from seed and had a tap root which the PBC did not since it is a clone.

If I am standing in the right spots over by the organization's driveway I can see the Papaya above the Rosemary and the flowers that are intended to block the view and distract anyone driving or walking on that driveway.

Finished up digging the hole for the Papaya plant on September 9th. In the photo below it shows that I placed a 12"X12" patio block in the bottom before lowering the pot with plant onto it. Found out over the past few years that putting a flat stone, bricks, or even a piece of a board reduces the chance of the plant sending out roots into the nearby soil.

Backed up a bit before taking the photo below shows that the tip of the main stack on the Papaya is just a bit higher than the PBC. Moving over by the fence and now it would be hard for anyone on that other driveway to notice either of the plants.

I see that I caught a bit of my vegetable garden and the new butterfly garden off to the side. The idea though is to get the plants to all blend in with each other making the two important ones harder to notice. It helps a lot if the plants are the same height.

Did a bit of cropping and then resizing from the photo above in order to get the photo below. Kind of a zooming in on the tops of the main stacks to show just how even the two of them now look. Placing the one in the hole really helps in these situations.

A few yellow leaves showing up, especially on the Papaya. I am not taking any off; just going to let nature do its thing with them.

I still will be doing the planned feeding schedules. Using a light dose of a fish fertilizer and also a Kelp/Seaweed fertilizer does seem to be working.

 

[Lovie]

Plants are growing right along like they should. Seems like they are getting noticeably taller bit by bit, day by day. The Papaya looks like it it definitely stretching faster than the Peanut Butter Cup. Maybe because it was grown from seed and had a tap root which the PBC did not since it is a clone.

If I am standing in the right spots over by the organization's driveway I can see the Papaya above the Rosemary and the flowers that are intended to block the view and distract anyone driving or walking on that driveway.

Finished up digging the hole for the Papaya plant on September 9th. In the photo below it shows that I placed a 12"X12" patio block in the bottom before lowering the pot with plant onto it. Found out over the past few years that putting a flat stone, bricks, or even a piece of a board reduces the chance of the plant sending out roots into the nearby soil.

Backed up a bit before taking the photo below shows that the tip of the main stack on the Papaya is just a bit higher than the PBC. Moving over by the fence and now it would be hard for anyone on that other driveway to notice either of the plants.

I see that I caught a bit of my vegetable garden and the new butterfly garden off to the side. The idea though is to get the plants to all blend in with each other making the two important ones harder to notice. It helps a lot if the plants are the same height.

Did a bit of cropping and then resizing from the photo above in order to get the photo below. Kind of a zooming in on the tops of the main stacks to show just how even the two of them now look. Placing the one in the hole really helps in these situations.

A few yellow leaves showing up, especially on the Papaya. I am not taking any off; just going to let nature do its thing with them.

I still will be doing the planned feeding schedules. Using a light dose of a fish fertilizer and also a Kelp/Seaweed fertilizer does seem to be working.

Very nice garden! I can't wait until we move so I can start my own.

 

[SmokingWings]

A photo of the two taken September 13th, a "Friday the 13th". It does do a decent job of showing the two with the Papaya not being so much taller than the PBC that it sticks out. Putting the pot & plant into the hole does make a difference.