First time grow in zone 9b, lets learn from my mistakes

[Fishybass]

I feel ya on this. I built a greenhouse because the law in our state (mn) says locked and away from kids. My first test grow started last October and was finally killed in February when I couldn’t pump enough heat to overcome -20F weather. Started again in March and all was perfect for like two weeks and then on a 70F day my greenhouse hit 125F. Freakout! Had to totally reconstruct all of my ventilation and add in fogging lines for summer. I probably have to upgrade my exhaust fan too. Sized my fan to online calculators and learned there’s no such thing as too large a fan. The dynamics of getting a greenhouse to work well are way complicated. In your weather… holy hell… seems like fall-spring is the only chance.

I really thought… greenhouse will be easy. I can keep things cheap. It’s like a grow tent for your backyard. Nope - it’s a pest, mold, and heat collector for your backyard if you’re not careful.

 

[cbrians]

I feel ya on this. I built a greenhouse because the law in our state (mn) says locked and away from kids. My first test grow started last October and was finally killed in February when I couldn’t pump enough heat to overcome -20F weather. Started again in March and all was perfect for like two weeks and then on a 70F day my greenhouse hit 125F. Freakout! Had to totally reconstruct all of my ventilation and add in fogging lines for summer. I probably have to upgrade my exhaust fan too. Sized my fan to online calculators and learned there’s no such thing as too large a fan. The dynamics of getting a greenhouse to work well are way complicated. In your weather… holy hell… seems like fall-spring is the only chance.

RIGHT. Like I understand keeping the grow away from prying eyes, but what’s the point of trying to grow outside, if it has to be inside while it’s out there…

I expected the green house to get a bit hotter, 20-30 degrees or whatever. Got me fucked up. I also don’t think it’s gonna be tall enough for these plants either way gotta make it work, already bought it and set it up lol

 

[Fishybass]

RIGHT. Like I understand keeping the grow away from prying eyes, but what’s the point of trying to grow outside, if it has to be inside while it’s out there…

I expected the green house to get a bit hotter, 20-30 degrees or whatever. Got me fucked up. I also don’t think it’s gonna be tall enough for these plants either way gotta make it work, already bought it and set it up lol

Tell me about it. I originally planned on 6’ and non-autoflowers. Didnt consider that the sun might not be bright enough or provide long enough days to grow outside of summer. Got supplemental lighting and managed to give my 4’ plants light burn when they got too close. Now my lights are maxed to the ceiling and I have two test non-autoflowers that are still vegging that are sure to over grow the space and the only way to get them to flower will be blackout curtains that are sure to fuck up the climate control again. Another thing learned for me… autoflowers only because it’s too hard to control light in a greenhouse. the good news is that after almost a year of edits to the greenhouse I think I finally have all of my controls dialed in for good growth on all but the hottest and coldest days and it’s looking like I’ll get a reasonable harvest in a few weeks from two autoflowers that have been stressed too many times to count. Keep on it, you’ll get it. Bootstrap Farmer has a ton of good guidance, and black shade cloth is your friend.

 

[cbrians]

Tell me about it. I originally planned on 6’ and non-autoflowers. Didnt consider that the sun might not be bright enough or provide long enough days to grow outside of summer. Got supplemental lighting and managed to give my 4’ plants light burn when they got too close. Now my lights are maxed to the ceiling and I have two test non-autoflowers that are still vegging that are sure to over grow the space and the only way to get them to flower will be blackout curtains that are sure to fuck up the climate control again. Another thing learned for me… autoflowers only because it’s too hard to control light in a greenhouse. the good news is that after almost a year of edits to the greenhouse I think I finally have all of my controls dialed in for good growth on all but the hottest and coldest days and it’s looking like I’ll get a reasonable harvest in a few weeks from two autoflowers that have been stressed too many times to count. Keep on it, you’ll get it. Bootstrap Farmer has a ton of good guidance, and black shade cloth is your friend.

Thanks man. I live in california so lighting isn’t too much of an issue, but the six kids are haha. I have some exhaust fans for my green house I’ve yet to commit to putting in. Don’t wanna cut the polycarbonate if I can avoid it. It’s also my first grow so I’m kinda getting a feel for it.

After my greenhouse got too hot I ordered some 40% shade cloth and fashioned an old ez up into a grow space. Then I got nervous they weren’t getting enough sun and they’re just hanging out behind the green house.

This grow has been brought to you by impatience and anxiety

 

[cbrians]

Thanks man. I live in california so lighting isn’t too much of an issue, but the six kids are haha. I have some exhaust fans for my green house I’ve yet to commit to putting in. Don’t wanna cut the polycarbonate if I can avoid it. It’s also my first grow so I’m kinda getting a feel for it.

After my greenhouse got too hot I ordered some 40% shade cloth and fashioned an old ez up into a grow space. Then I got nervous they weren’t getting enough sun and they’re just hanging out behind the green house.

This grow has been brought to you by impatience and anxiety

Like I’ve been taking a ton of pictures and the amount of growth these plants have had since march is insane. I am not prepared for how much more they’re gonna grow in the next few months. Hella excited yes. But I don’t know how I’m gonna handle it yet.

 

[Thatoneguyyouknow_]

Is it a boy…again

Starting to think I messed with these plants and hermied them. or it’s my guilty conscience, I didn’t know what the seeds were when I started. sendhelp

www.thcfarmer.com

this is the one where I learned about plant balls and the perks of having feminized seeds

There's a very real pro/con relationship between fem and reg seeds. With every pro in life comes some degree of con ime. Im struggling to get the male plants im after this season. Everything's female. Hermie % tends to be a lot higher with fem seed too even though it all but guarantees quality, smokable end flower even on the ones that hermie. Breeding practice with producing fem seeds is a lot more transparent and reliable than it what 15-20+ years ago now too though. Back then half the fem seed available at a low price would produce fully formed male flowers down low like 4 weeks into flower and seed out entire grow rooms quite heavily no matter what you did and breeders would take no responsibility at all, and just say "you must've had light leaks" lol. (especially some of the euro breeders who were willing to send to the USA, you were pretty likely to get boned by seeds in the end that you couldnt even grow or the same thing would happen even worse every generation) You would even run across flower on the street that would seal your sinus shut at first hit because of how much pollen and male stamen were in the flower and half the weight was seed. (im actually curious if any older cats around here remember seeing flower like that around before, started showing up right after high times started letting euro breeders run ads in the back in the USA and was still pretty common when i started growing. Im seeing very little of this today, just those tiny late bare stamen here and there)


i digress lol.


Will be watching this one. Got the popcorn popping. It wont take many grows for that "is what it is/c'est la vie" perspective starts rolling in. It'll take a pretty solid load off of you impatience and anxiety wise lmao. My best advice for growing outside in a rough climate, is always clone the plants you like if you can, take excessively paranoid pest prevention steps if you do, and dont ever let yourself fall in love with any one particular outdoor plant unless you have clones of it hanging out elsewhere lol.


Enjoy the season!

 

[Sunin]

Any suggestions?

Waiting game now they look alright- they are full of water now on transplant shock so unfortunately not attractive. Would add mycorrhizae if you didn't yet to that big pots with next watering greets

 

[cbrians]

There's a very real pro/con relationship between fem and reg seeds. With every pro in life comes some degree of con ime. Im struggling to get the male plants im after this season. Everything's female. Hermie % tends to be a lot higher with fem seed too even though it all but guarantees quality, smokable end flower even on the ones that hermie. Breeding practice with producing fem seeds is a lot more transparent and reliable than it what 15-20+ years ago now too though. Back then half the fem seed available at a low price would produce fully formed male flowers down low like 4 weeks into flower and seed out entire grow rooms quite heavily no matter what you did and breeders would take no responsibility at all, and just say "you must've had light leaks" lol. (especially some of the euro breeders who were willing to send to the USA, you were pretty likely to get boned by seeds in the end that you couldnt even grow or the same thing would happen even worse every generation) You would even run across flower on the street that would seal your sinus shut at first hit because of how much pollen and male stamen were in the flower and half the weight was seed. (im actually curious if any older cats around here remember seeing flower like that around before, started showing up right after high times started letting euro breeders run ads in the back in the USA and was still pretty common when i started growing. Im seeing very little of this today, just those tiny late bare stamen here and there)


i digress lol.


Will be watching this one. Got the popcorn popping. It wont take many grows for that "is what it is/c'est la vie" perspective starts rolling in. It'll take a pretty solid load off of you impatience and anxiety wise lmao. My best advice for growing outside in a rough climate, is always clone the plants you like if you can, take excessively paranoid pest prevention steps if you do, and dont ever let yourself fall in love with any one particular outdoor plant unless you have clones of it hanging out elsewhere lol.


Enjoy the season!

I appreciate the advice from an og I fell in love with them as soon as they popped which has been working against me lmao. I honestly think my obsessing has been my worst enemy at this point. I worried about not enough sun, about them being leggy, about the wind, steady running around in my backyard trying to control nature. It’s all part of the adventure, if I had started growing and it was easy I probably would have forgotten about them by now.

I would have to clone any I like however, as I don’t know how old any of these seeds are or where they came from. I had been keeping bag seed for nearly 10 years and felt this was the year to take a whack at it.

 

[cbrians]

Todays update. This morning they looked great but the sun hit and they’re a little sad. I know, I gotta wait, and not fuck with them…

Also ignore my six year old in the background, who was super offended I left tree branches on top of his dirt pile. Now he has to use his remote control excavator in the leaves. Someone call cps and save this poor boy

 

[cbrians]

Waiting game now they look alright- they are full of water now on transplant shock so unfortunately not attractive. Would add mycorrhizae if you didn't yet to that big pots with next watering greets

I saw someone post a picture of a like herb container with a shark on it? might get some.

 

[Thatoneguyyouknow_]

Todays update. This morning they looked great but the sun hit and they’re a little sad. I know, I gotta wait, and not fuck with them…

Also ignore my six year old in the background, who was super offended I left tree branches on top of his dirt pile. Now he has to use his remote control excavator in the leaves. Someone call cps and save this poor boy

I have a couple friends around phoenix that use 40% shade cloth on their outdoor cannabis from around 3-6/4-6pm. I know you mentioned that before.

Here in Tennessee i intentionally left a tree that shades my plot roughly 4-6pm because 95f at 75% humidity can be as hard or harder on plants then 105 with low humidity so long as they have moist roots. Cannabis is a great transpirer. One of the best around really.

Out near phoenix some days they unroll the shade cloth, some days they dont. If the monsoons come through late, they roll plastic over the hoops instead of shade cloth etc.

 

[Mothman]

I saw someone post a picture of a like herb container with a shark on it? might get some.

That’s Great White, I believe.

 

[cbrians]

Okay 7 days after transplant and they’re still very…flacid.

When do I freak out

 

[BearWater]

RIGHT. Like I understand keeping the grow away from prying eyes, but what’s the point of trying to grow outside, if it has to be inside while it’s out there…

I expected the green house to get a bit hotter, 20-30 degrees or whatever. Got me fucked up. I also don’t think it’s gonna be tall enough for these plants either way gotta make it work, already bought it and set it up lol

You can use the shit out of that thing this fall and winter and spring! : ) take some breaths and it seams you got the “make it work” attitude. Keep up the good fight man!!! If you get discouraged just come on here and we’ll tell you to knock it off! lol im just kidding! Vent and let us hear it! A lot of folks have been through what you are going through and can either offer up some advice in the growing dept or just give you some reassuring words. Keep it fun is what I have been reminded a few times here : )

 

[BearWater]

I have a couple friends around phoenix that use 40% shade cloth on their outdoor cannabis from around 3-6/4-6pm. I know you mentioned that before.

Here in Tennessee i intentionally left a tree that shades my plot roughly 4-6pm because 95f at 75% humidity can be as hard or harder on plants then 105 with low humidity so long as they have moist roots. Cannabis is a great transpirer. One of the best around really.

Out near phoenix some days they unroll the shade cloth, some days they dont. If the monsoons come through late, they roll plastic over the hoops instead of shade cloth etc.

I know a cat who only uses a shade room (he made outside) for his plants : ) keeps the dust, hair, flying type critters and even the crawly ones at bay.

 

[BearWater]

Okay 7 days after transplant and they’re still very…flacid.

When do I freak out

Whats the last time you watered them?

 

[cbrians]

Whats the last time you watered them?

About five minutes ago.

Before that I watered thursday. When they were in the green house I was watering every day but now I’m trying to let them dry out a bit.

 

[cbrians]

Post in thread 'Rookie outdoor grow in hollister ca'
https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/rookie-outdoor-grow-in-hollister-ca.159654/post-3125639

I also went from using black gold soil for my two transplants to using my own frankendirt, which might have something to do with it?

 

[BearWater]

Going to be completely honest! Your situation is way over my expertise, you got a lot of “moving parts” at the moment and im just not there yet in the way of offering advice. It sounds like the temps are a big part of the problem I know what I would try, but im not trying to send you on a wild goose chase lol. Let someone with some greenhouse experience chime in. (It could be a simple fix). Im starting to see the “common sense” aspect of growing but when you add all the variables the common sense gets kind of lost lol! (I just did this with my grow, was completely upside down. Got some great advice here, things are turning around)

As far as the watering goes I think you’re doing the right thing by letting them dry back a bit (as long as that’s what the plants need). Good luck man! You’re doing good work, there are just some missing pieces : )

 

[cbrians]

Going to be completely honest! Your situation is way over my expertise, you got a lot of “moving parts” at the moment and im just not there yet in the way of offering advice. It sounds like the temps are a big part of the problem I know what I would try, but im not trying to send you on a wild goose chase lol. Let someone with some greenhouse experience chime in. (It could be a simple fix). Im starting to see the “common sense” aspect of growing but when you add all the variables the common sense gets kind of lost lol! (I just did this with my grow, was completely upside down. Got some great advice here, things are turning around)

As far as the watering goes I think you’re doing the right thing by letting them dry back a bit (as long as that’s what the plants need). Good luck man! You’re doing good work, there are just some missing pieces : )

Hey man it’s outside of my expertise too! I appreciate you trying, everyone on here knows something I don’t.

I’m pretty sure they’ll come back, as I’ve almost killed then when they were much younger and more vulnerable, I just wanna know for sure, which I can’t do without waiting.

I’m bad at waiting