PeeJay's Perpetual Organic Homebrewed Soil - Stealth Cabinet And Greenhouse Grow

[GardenFaerie]

High brix readings come from HEALTHY plants............how you achieve this health is negotiable. I am very familiar with the brix system.........and this is the first place I have heard of it being used as a barometer for determining plant health. We use the brix measurement for determining SUGAR content. The canneries and fruit buyers tell us when they want the fruit........all determined by the desired sugar content. Do I want sugar in my weed?....no....do I want higher brix levels at harvest...no.....not on my weed. I understand the point of using the brix meter.......and it's based on theory.....I would like to see a brix grow outdoors comparable to mine and see what the quality and yield are, we don't play around with our work.....we absolutely max everything out....and funny thing, I know at least ten....what are referred to as "master growers"..........and why has none of them even contemplated these brix systems? I am skeptical as to the benefit......I believe I can get at least comparable results at close to 5% of the cost of using the high brix amendments, with good old fashioned fundamental growing techniques....just my opinion.

I believe the way I worded my statement was incorrect, but I do know what a BRIX measurement measures, it measures sugars. But that is in the fruit. I was interested in why someone would take a BRIX of foliage, but when growing hydroponically or in dead soil under lights it may make a difference, I have no evidence or knowledge.

I am not going to use any methods other than a few versions of training both in the ground and in containers. That IF I can get my seedlings to live. Geez. Lost em all but the Lemon Kush. I have seed germinated and I just popped a few more in to germinate.

Mcloadie, let me ask you (sorry if this is repeated) when to take cuttings to clone my plants? Does that occur prior to flower? Thanks.

 

[mcloadie]

I believe the way I worded my statement was incorrect, but I do know what a BRIX measurement measures, it measures sugars. But that is in the fruit. I was interested in why someone would take a BRIX of foliage, but when growing hydroponically or in dead soil under lights it may make a difference, I have no evidence or knowledge.

I am not going to use any methods other than a few versions of training both in the ground and in containers. That IF I can get my seedlings to live. Geez. Lost em all but the Lemon Kush. I have seed germinated and I just popped a few more in to germinate.

Mcloadie, let me ask you (sorry if this is repeated) when to take cuttings to clone my plants? Does that occur prior to flower? Thanks.

Preferably you should take cuttings when the plant is vegging, but circumstances require them to be taken in flower somtimes....or just after they show sex.

 

[Graytail]

High brix readings come from HEALTHY plants............how you achieve this health is negotiable. I am very familiar with the brix system.........and this is the first place I have heard of it being used as a barometer for determining plant health. We use the brix measurement for determining SUGAR content. The canneries and fruit buyers tell us when they want the fruit........all determined by the desired sugar content. Do I want sugar in my weed?....no....do I want higher brix levels at harvest...no.....not on my weed. I understand the point of using the brix meter.......and it's based on theory.....I would like to see a brix grow outdoors comparable to mine and see what the quality and yield are, we don't play around with our work.....we absolutely max everything out....and funny thing, I know at least ten....what are referred to as "master growers"..........and why has none of them even contemplated these brix systems? I am skeptical as to the benefit......I believe I can get at least comparable results at close to 5% of the cost of using the high brix amendments, with good old fashioned fundamental growing techniques....just my opinion.

I like that first bolded statement - there are many ways to boost brix. But I'd like to know why a master grower would have decided that mineralized soil isn't good for cannabis. My own experience with it has been uniformly positive, and I don't recall a 420 grower who didn't have the same experience. Amending soil to get high brix mineral ratios isn't expensive at all - in the range of $200 per 1000 sqft - and the foliars and drenches that go with it are silly cheap. You just get your soil tested and buy the recommended amendment.

My father was a home builder, and back in the 1960s I thought homes should be super insulated and have energy saving features. He explained to me that no one would actually buy one. When you're building spec homes, you build them to suit the masses. I suspect growing pot for a living is like that. There isn't a lot of incentive to change the successful way you're already doing things. I'd be surprised if any of these growers have even considered, or heard of, balancing mineral ratios in their soil in order to produce less cannabis of much higher quality.

Good old-fashioned as you say. I'm a man without a cell phone, and 2 cars over 20 years old - I understand old-fashioned. But high brix produce IS better.

 

[mcloadie]

I like that first bolded statement - there are many ways to boost brix. But I'd like to know why a master grower would have decided that mineralized soil isn't good for cannabis. My own experience with it has been uniformly positive, and I don't recall a 420 grower who didn't have the same experience. Amending soil to get high brix mineral ratios isn't expensive at all - in the range of $200 per 1000 sqft - and the foliars and drenches that go with it are silly cheap. You just get your soil tested and buy the recommended amendment.

My father was a home builder, and back in the 1960s I thought homes should be super insulated and have energy saving features. He explained to me that no one would actually buy one. When you're building spec homes, you build them to suit the masses. I suspect growing pot for a living is like that. There isn't a lot of incentive to change the successful way you're already doing things. I'd be surprised if any of these growers have even considered, or heard of, balancing mineral ratios in their soil in order to produce less cannabis of much higher quality.

Good old-fashioned as you say. I'm a man without a cell phone, and 2 cars over 20 years old - I understand old-fashioned. But high brix produce IS better.[/QUOT

Ya gray, at some point I'll do a brix grow......at least to experience the process first hand. If the cannabis is not highest of quality.....all is lost anyway....right?

 

[Graytail]

Ya gray, at some point I'll do a brix grow......at least to experience the process first hand. If the cannabis is not highest of quality.....all is lost anyway....right?

If legalization continues, mediocre weed won't be worth much. Why would I pay much for it if I can legally grow it myself? I'd pay for it because it's better than mine or my friend's stuff. And which stuff would I pay the most for?

I think there are going to be some very strange effects on distribution in Colorado when everyone figures out how easy and cheap it is to grow your own or to get it from a guy who grows more than he can smoke.

 

[mcloadie]

If legalization continues, mediocre weed won't be worth much. Why would I pay much for it if I can legally grow it myself? I'd pay for it because it's better than mine or my friend's stuff. And which stuff would I pay the most for?

I think there are going to be some very strange effects on distribution in Colorado when everyone figures out how easy and cheap it is to grow your own or to get it from a guy who grows more than he can smoke.

The market has hella changed here already........it's 75% off in ten years. Some will adapt......some won't make it. It's really interesting, I figure at least as stunning as the polio vaccine. Things look to be headed to a split....above and below ground...which is interesting in itself......while the above ground could be made accessible.....they could make the below ground less accessible through legislation. Above ground products would probably become more standardized....below ground more exotic.

 

[Graytail]

Maybe if we chat enough PeeJay will get a tickle or sumpin. Do I vaguely recall he was planning for a vacation coming up, or was that someone else? ...

Yeah, legal and not - has interesting incentives. In order to grow legally, you have to be registered and snooped on, and you aren't legit anymore if you screw up any rules. Illegally, you can do whatever you want and no one is ever likely to know, especially if everything else is legal.

*shrug* Seems to me that illegal production and sale still wins, not on a large scale, but ... who wouldn't grow their own or buy it from someone who does? So, you'll have a few big-business, high-volume, low-margin, taxed legal grows and countless small illegal grows. I suspect most the production will stay underground for a very long time.

 

[mcloadie]

maybe if we chat enough peejay will get a tickle or sumpin. Do i vaguely recall he was planning for a vacation coming up, or was that someone else? ...

Yeah, legal and not - has interesting incentives. In order to grow legally, you have to be registered and snooped on, and you aren't legit anymore if you screw up any rules. Illegally, you can do whatever you want and no one is ever likely to know, especially if everything else is legal.

*shrug* seems to me that illegal production and sale still wins, not on a large scale, but ... Who wouldn't grow their own or buy it from someone who does? So, you'll have a few big-business, high-volume, low-margin, taxed legal grows and countless small illegal grows. I suspect most the production will stay underground for a very long time.

exactly!

 

[GardenFaerie]

If legalization continues, mediocre weed won't be worth much. Why would I pay much for it if I can legally grow it myself? I'd pay for it because it's better than mine or my friend's stuff. And which stuff would I pay the most for?

I think there are going to be some very strange effects on distribution in Colorado when everyone figures out how easy and cheap it is to grow your own or to get it from a guy who grows more than he can smoke.

Gardening is the number one pass time in American home life. How many people do you know who start their own seed for the masses of bedding plants they use annually? Not many. I think the market is going to drop out for a while, but will definitely find a very specific market with a demographic in my age range and people in my age range do not want to grow pot. So, while I agree legalization will definitely nip out cash flow, it will force the growers to get creative. I don't necessarily mean methods of growing, but hybrids and stable strains. I wouldn't want to become a grower right now. Growers already in place should be okay, but all the upstarts are going to tank if they don't pay close attention to the successful cannabis business model.

 

[Graytail]

Gardening is the number one pass time in American home life. How many people do you know who start their own seed for the masses of bedding plants they use annually? Not many. I think the market is going to drop out for a while, but will definitely find a very specific market with a demographic in my age range and people in my age range do not want to grow pot. So, while I agree legalization will definitely nip out cash flow, it will force the growers to get creative. I don't necessarily mean methods of growing, but hybrids and stable strains. I wouldn't want to become a grower right now. Growers already in place should be okay, but all the upstarts are going to tank if they don't pay close attention to the successful cannabis business model.

Miles of irony in that statement, eh? The first thing that popped into my head is that the successful model is the current person to person MLM structure, illegal though it may be. I have no experience with MMJ though, so maybe that's the model.

I've crunched some numbers, trying to see how hard it might be to retire to Colorado and grow commercially. It's a pretty interesting exercise. There's a very high entry barrier, because as far as I know, they won't be licensing thousands of growers, so good luck competing with the locals with connections, when it comes time for all the paperwork and background checks and business plans and meetings and summaries and certificates, etc. And then, how much are the stores going to be able to pay when they have all the regulatory structure and retail tax?

Or you know a guy who grows it, who is perfectly willing to sell you some for less than the stores ...

Eventually, sure, you end up with some sort of liquor store thing. Who makes their own booze? But if I can get or grow better pot than I can buy in the stores, for less money, it's a no-brainer. The commercial operations had better start thinking in terms of premium certified weed, or plan on slim margins at high volume like cigarettes.

 

[GardenFaerie]

Miles of irony in that statement, eh? The first thing that popped into my head is that the successful model is the current person to person MLM structure, illegal though it may be. I have no experience with MMJ though, so maybe that's the model.

I've crunched some numbers, trying to see how hard it might be to retire to Colorado and grow commercially. It's a pretty interesting exercise. There's a very high entry barrier, because as far as I know, they won't be licensing thousands of growers, so good luck competing with the locals with connections, when it comes time for all the paperwork and background checks and business plans and meetings and summaries and certificates, etc. And then, how much are the stores going to be able to pay when they have all the regulatory structure and retail tax?

Or you know a guy who grows it, who is perfectly willing to sell you some for less than the stores ...

Eventually, sure, you end up with some sort of liquor store thing. Who makes their own booze? But if I can get or grow better pot than I can buy in the stores, for less money, it's a no-brainer. The commercial operations had better start thinking in terms of premium certified weed, or plan on slim margins at high volume like cigarettes.

There IS a lot of irony. I think there are several business models out there right now. Dispensaries may be ahead of the margin in this regard, but growers certainly do have to grow using high standards. MMJ is serious and the growers who grow for medicine are serious as a heart attack. These are multimillion dollar operations; people who are earning 50 million dollars a year growing MMJ.

Getting a license is not only going to be a lot of red tape, it is also very expensive. I read on one site the license is 20k USD. It's still a very dangerous business. I think the best model for business which sells MMJ would be non-profit. I don't mean the owners don't earn money or a decent living. I mean after all is said and done, it is not corporate. All people get paid decently, the budtenders, growers, etc. Anything left goes back into selling cheaper so everybody can afford to buy it. We are probably decades from insurance paying for it. A lot to consider. I do not think it is a good option for retirement unless the person doing it is very healthy, strong and prepared to lose everything. One crop with mold and you could get wiped out.

 

[PeeJay]

I'm an MMJ patient in a state where the supply chain is screwed up. That's why I grow my own - I have more control over what I want growing than I did getting product from the dispensary. I think the retail side will go well if the smoke is good and there is variety in legal states. Consistently good quality and a variety of choices will trump one-on-one black market transactions - even if it costs a few bucks more.

Over the decades I've known numerous growers and dealers. They come and go. Quality has been good overall yet true consistency is hard to find on the black market. I've known folks that may have a couple or three strains available at a time on the BM but shopping for medication that is "good for me" has been problematic. Small scale growers, in my experience, have the best weed. But, they also have harvest gaps for many reasons - move, get squirrely, extended vacation, etc.

Like I said, where I live the MMJ supply chain is a mess. It would be really nice to be able to walk into a place of business and look over several strains, purchase and sample small quantities of ones that are attractive, and then buy a larger amount if I like it - without feeling like a pain in the ass. I'm willing to pay well for service, convenience, consistency and quality.

It will be fascinating to watch how things play out with the Washington and Colorado "experiments." I enjoy good wine. I hope the market turns out so I enjoy the same satisfaction which accompanies finding the good grape when shopping for good MJ in my life time. It doesn't have to cost $150 a bottle to be good... With luck the legitimate market will retain some character.

How many folks have retired and started small wineries? Most of them are not counting on getting by on wine sales and the SS check...

Retirement dreaming is one of my favorite pastimes. Farming ganga is a pleasant thought. On the other hand it would tie one down in the same way as a big RV does. How can you justify going to Patagonia for a couple of months if you have a huge rapidly depreciating RV parked on the slab next to the house?

For my selfish part, I'm rooting for an MJ industry that mimics the wine industry - where motivated folks can go into business for themselves and where esthetic satisfaction is as (or more) important than financial reward. Where people can appreciate a sweeter white with a nice acid backbone as much or more than a balls-out chewy cabernet.

 

[GardenFaerie]

Nice to see you, Peejay! Eloquently put. I do actually picture in my mind a whole industry much like the wine industry in America. I believe in the years to come entire resorts will be dedicated to people who want to vacation, relax, medicate, recreate, etc. I think there will be more money in the hospitality aspect in the future than the cash crop. It has already started. Cannacations. I am not thrilled with the cartoonish nature of pot, still, in this day and age, but I fear it will always be associated with Mr. Natural.

 

[PeeJay]

I dunno about resorts, GF. I do think it would be fun to shop for MJ at a farmer's market! Artisan bread, fresh greens, nice tomatoes, local cheese, freshly laid eggs, crisp fall apples, and some thick organically grown colas.... Wouldn't that be nice?

Do you have any cash? We can start-up a cannabis and meditation resort near Crestone, CO. I would love to build one, just wouldn't want to run it. LOL!

 

[Jay233]

I dunno about resorts, GF. I do think it would be fun to shop for MJ at a farmer's market! Artisan bread, fresh greens, nice tomatoes, local cheese, freshly laid eggs, crisp fall apples, and some thick organically grown colas.... Wouldn't that be nice?

Do you have any cash? We can start-up a cannabis and meditation resort near Crestone, CO. I would love to build one, just wouldn't want to run it. LOL!

I have business acumen...I'll run it ...you pay for it

 

[GardenFaerie]

Very funny! I have money to buy a big house for a B&B somewhere near the slopes and shops. I've been looking online regularly. When I see it, I'll know it. Not to say that is the way we'll go. When my husband retires, I don't want him to have to do any work unless he wants to. And he won't! Heh. I don't like him working now!

No resort ownership will be happening for me. I may go to one, though!

 

[trichomes]

I have business acumen...I'll run it ...you pay for it

Best chuckle of the day, so far

 

[trichomes]

Graet journal PJay, thanks for the laughs, very nice plants & buds

 

[PeeJay]

Jimmy, BAR and Denise have all popped OG beans this week. I haven't updated my Dinafem OG in a while. I figured I'd post an a retrospective of the plant so they can have a look-see. The OG has been easy to get along with and is as pretty plant. It is currently on day 68 - 15 days since the flip to 12/12. She was a little slow to start kicking serious flower action after the flip. I'm calling today day 7 of flower.

The plant was kept short and squat from the get-go. Here it is at day 10 in a 1qt pot with seedling mix.

On day 15 it was moved to a 1 gallon pot with veg soil.

On day 26 it was moved to a 3 gallon pot with veg soil.

On day 46 it was transplanted into 10 gallons of flowering soil. She hung out under 18/6 for nine days before flipping to 12/12. Here she is on transplant day.

The only real training was the plant got topped between the 6th and 7th nodes. The two lowest sets of branches were removed - so there are 8 branches working, a nice fit in the cabinet. The plant is 26" high from the top of the soil and she is slowing down on the stretch and just starting to pump up bud production.

 

[Graytail]

Hot Damn, PeeJay!

That plant is the very picture of health! Heheh, it looks like inset photos for growth stages in a technical manual for growing cannabis.



+reps for dat!