Indoor-Outdoor Desert Grow

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mojavemama

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1-24-09: Germinated 25 seeds, Paper Towel method.
1-29-09: 21 seeds sprouted, transplanted into Peat cups with OMRI Organic Soil. Put under 5 32-watt 6500K fluoros, 24/7 and put heating pads under containers.
2-06: Transplanted 9 seedlings into 16 oz cups.
2-08: Took seedlings outside in 70 degree sun for afternoon.

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Hi Stonedrone! Thanks for stopping by. I am just filling in my grow journal now, and have a ways to go. You caught me in the middle of two posts.

To answer your question, this is half top quality Mendocino bagseed and half medicinal seeds from Oregon. This is my first grow, and I didn't want to make all my mistakes on a seedbank order, plus I don't have an optimum grow room yet.
 
Plants were slow in growing, but have begun growing strong since the weather changed and it's now very sunny and in the 70's. Organic nutes & Tarantula 1/4 strength applied 3-28-09. Some nute burn. Tested and found PH was out of balanace and I had to change to de-ionized water. Flushed 3 times. 4-10-09: Added Ironite.

Pictures of three different strains.

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Ph finally nicely balanced, nutes given at 1/2 strength. Some aphids on plants yesterday, so I bought 100 ladybugs and put them on the plants last night during 6 hour dark period. Plants all looking healthy, supercropped plants nicely bent horizontal but top leaves all facing upwards to the sun.

Still keeping plants outside during daylight hours, and inside under 12 40 watt 6500K fluoros. So far 12 plants have shown female preflowers, and the one I thought might be male has not turned out to have nanners or balls. May have to wait until flowering to know for sure.

Plan to keep these plants all in veg until second week of May, then into forced flowering in the grow room once each transplanted into 3 gallon containers. Then no more outside sun.

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It was inevitable; it's the Mojave Desert, after all. The temps began soaring this morning and it's now over 80 degrees and it's still morning. The girls are basking in the morning sun outside, but the soil was getting very hot.

To be able to keep them outside until afternoon, I covered all the soil in each pot with layers of newspaper, leaving the leaves to gather more sun. Made sure each plant had adequate water, and put water on the pebbles in the bottom of the carts to keep the humidity up.

In this climate, it's not just the heat, the intensity of the sun (no marine layer to keep it from scorching!), but also the extreme dryness. Keeping enough humidity going is difficult. I have just been keeping a substrate of pebbles wet all the time, with a fan on the plants at night. But it's getting too dry for that now to do the trick. Tonight I'll put a humidifier on the plants.

There is certainly a challenge in trying to do this indoor-outdoor grow during a desert spring. Summer would be impossible. Fortunately, they are ready anytime now to go indoors for flowering, and only the unfinished state of my grow room has kept me scrambling for more vegetative time.

Ladybugs still on the plants--can't believe they didn't all fly away by now!
They must be finding something to eat.

SoilHeatBlanket.jpg
 
Those are pretty happy plants, MM..I'm glad the Ladybugs are stickin around :)

Nice work!
 
mojavemama said:
It was inevitable; it's the Mojave Desert, after all. The temps began soaring this morning and it's now over 80 degrees and it's still morning. The girls are basking in the morning sun outside, but the soil was getting very hot.

To be able to keep them outside until afternoon, I covered all the soil in each pot with layers of newspaper, leaving the leaves to gather more sun. Made sure each plant had adequate water, and put water on the pebbles in the bottom of the carts to keep the humidity up.

In this climate, it's not just the heat, the intensity of the sun (no marine layer to keep it from scorching!), but also the extreme dryness. Keeping enough humidity going is difficult. I have just been keeping a substrate of pebbles wet all the time, with a fan on the plants at night. But it's getting too dry for that now to do the trick. Tonight I'll put a humidifier on the plants.

There is certainly a challenge in trying to do this indoor-outdoor grow during a desert spring. Summer would be impossible. Fortunately, they are ready anytime now to go indoors for flowering, and only the unfinished state of my grow room has kept me scrambling for more vegetative time.

Ladybugs still on the plants--can't believe they didn't all fly away by now!
They must be finding something to eat.


So! Have you made a decision on what light to get for your grow room?

Im so happy for you--you're doing great.

Lass
 
:ciao: MM...just stopping by to have a look see...and i see you have your hands full..are you able to control the heat in th house? and those black pots do generate heat. hope all is well in the desert;;ill check back again Later:bolt::bong:
 
great journal so far
your plants are looking great ,,,heres some green mojo for more healthy ladies to appear ,,

goodluck with the desert heats ,:peace:
 
Thanks, 4u2sm0ke, for dropping by! And thanks for asking about the pots and indoor temps. We have AC, and normally keep it at about 70. Yes, those black pots sure DO soak up the heat. I knew that when I planted them, and just hoped I could get a bit of size on the plants outdoors before it got too hot for them.

It's getting too hot. Next week, temps will hit 100F degrees.

This afternoon, I kept them outside but under the new shade shelter I made for them. I left the newspapers on the soil, and spritzed the leaves every hour with water to help keep them cool. It was close to 90F today, so this is about the top temp I can see subjecting them to.

Again, I was really careful to wrap the pots in newspaper and load newspaper on the soil before putting them out. And then, only in the sun for 4 hours before going into the shade tent. Still bright in there, nice breeze to strengthen the stems, but no direct sun so no problem spritzing them with water every hour.

I should have no problem keeping the grow room (extra bedroom) at 70-75 constantly--that's about normal. And I'll be transplanting the plants out of their 1 gallon pots into 3 gallon pots.
 
Thanks, Lass, for stopping by and your nice comments! I owe you a PM, and got behind when I made my grow journal. Don't give up on me! PM tomorrow.

About the lights---I don't really have a choice, or much of a choice. My only option is between straight fluorescents and CFL's. I already have ballasts I've been saving to surround the room in fluoro tubes, so I'll probably put up whatever I can get, and end up with a mishmash of CFL's and 4 ft T8's.

Not optimal, but it should give me a bit of meds for the winter. Anything is better than paying $960 an ounce here for mids. I know I won't get big, tight buds, but anything I get is money I don't have to pay the robber....er, dealer.
 
Lookin really good Mohave... I had to laugh at your 1 post about buying 100 lady bugs... I am from the east coast and I don't know of anyplace where I cld go buy 100 lady bugs...:) Wish I did because I like lady bugs... I only see them in the wild and they are not abundant where I live near the ocean... Good luck with the grow...will be checkin in from time to time...
If you don't hve a problem keeping temps down indoors during the summer there you might want to look into Feminized auto seeds...you cld do a grow in 60 days or so and walk away with a cpl ounces depending on how many plants you grow...
 
Thanks for your comments, Hamster Lewis! Great to have you stop by and check out my first grow. So, on the East Coast, you can't buy ladybugs in the nurseries? They do fly away, but during March, April and May here, we can buy them easily. I end up getting a carton full every couple of weeks. Hope my neighbors appreciate all the ladybugs they get from my efforts! As long as a few stay here, I'm happy.

I don't have any problems with temps indoors during the summer--none of us could exist here without a/c! We have to put oven mitts on to touch our steering wheels in the summer. It's just that I want do do as much outside in natural light as possible, since I don't yet have a great light system.

Thanks for the advice on Feminized Auto Seeds! I have been checking into them for the next grow. I sure like the idea of a 60 day grow, but think I'd have to do better in the light department before investing in good seedbank seeds. Also, i was hoping to get a couple of clones, and I know you can't clone auto seeds.

Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your expertise!
 
Looking for ideas on what to use for drainage pans for the grow room. It does not have a water drain. I'll have to catch the run off water with something. Ideas?
 
:ciao: my Desert friend...I grow in a shed with wood floors so I know all about Catch pans...:rofl: I use a veriaty of thisngs from small Plastice containers that hold 2 one gallon containers..and small totes about 6 inches high..and 4U..in the chair..look at the ones with wheels..you slide under bed..They can be found at Home DePOT:aok: My concern with this grow is when you transfer to 3 gallon pots..do you still bring in and out? and if so..20 Ladies is an awefull lot of work when they are 3 plus feet high..Send me You Address I will help:giggle: J/K..and I am suppling a link for those that want lady bugs..they ship all over the world and all year long..and questions folks, please PM me..dont use Mojave thread or better yet read the web site:spit:..Take cvare and be safe desertmamma:lama:


ladybugs hXXp://gardeningzone.com/index_130.html?osCsid=5a92237236e1aa91a3ecad664d893877
 

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