Meesta's Grow

[MeestaFeesha]

Hey all, new here, have not grown for close to ten years. Helped people along the way at interesting levels, but this I would say is my first real grow. I educated myself a long time ago when I had done a CFL Rubbermaid grow, that one taught me what not to do. I guess I'll give the storyboard background until we get caught up to current date.

We'll go back to April, and that's where this grow story begins. Started off with 3 White Widow seeds, each germinated well and sprouted. I actually underestimated the germination time, and threw this cabinet together and then up on the wall in a day. Still hasn't got any paint.

300w Vispar LED in a 24"x36"x44" cab.

[April 9] Started the White Widow (3) seedlings in solo cups, with some pretty old soil I had lying around, they didn't like it much. I let them go for two weeks [April 24] and up potted to 1gal fabric pots using 'Happy Frog' to relieve them from their troubles. Around that time my three new seeds arrived, with a bunch of free ones as well. Once again, quick germination and they took to their new homes well [May 3].

Will add more later this evening, trying to get caught up to date sooner rather than later. Thanks for stopping by 😁
-Meesta

[MeestaFeesha]

Picking up where we had left off...where were we again?...🤷♂️

[May 5] Took the opportunity to go ahead and FIM the first three (WW). Well, I didn't exactly miss, so I had ended up topping them. They responded okay to it, slowed down a little as expected but came back with some vigor.

I had left to the east coast for about three days, came back and they had been over and underwatered with tap [May 17]...Unhappy little babies, but they came back after a proper watering with nutes. [May 22] I transplanted the 3 newer seedlings into 1gal pots. The grow box was looking like it should. Nice and full!

However, I also up-potted my older WW into 7gal. I had been doing a fair amount of LST to them, and recognized their growth was slowing down, they wanted more room! Too bad though, couldn't fit everything in the box, so 1 WW was moved outside [May 25].

For the outdoor plant, I had also previously planted (in pots and planters) marigolds, basil, mint and lavender. The idea of having companion plants and eventually having it all move to a sunnier area before the end of July.

Speaking of, gotta go get on that! Hope you enjoy my ramblings with pictures, there's another month to be caught up on 😅. Cheers all, thanks for stopping by.
-Meesta

[MeestaFeesha]

Eh, one more add. [May 26] Dumped ladybugs in garden corner, it was overcast and rained a little, these critters hung around a few days that time.

[Canuck147]

Best guardian you can have.

[MeestaFeesha]

Canuck147 This a tease from a time closer to the present

[Canuck147]

Don't need to tease me - I have plenty to gaze at here at home.

[alltatup]

PRAYING MANTIS!!!!! They are so fantastic in the cannabis garden. One guy on the forum had his praying mantis come down and drink water out of a bottle cap he set out for him. Wonderful creatures.

[MeestaFeesha]

Here we goooooooooo. Uhh June, let's see what I can bring up...ah, got it.

[June 1] When watering in the morning I decided to get some LST going, I had let the seedlings stretch a bit..had been and was at the time dealing with some, things. What a therapy watching and helping these beauties to grow.

They took their training and kept on trucking, the issue in the box was space shared with the two 7gal WW that I had decided to keep inside a little longer. It caused my three younger plants to stretch a bit, I'd have to look it up but I believe they are more sativa dominant as well. (It seems beyond this point I was not documenting the younger plants). Well, they grew. By [June 9] I had moved the two older WW to be outdoors with their sister.

These more recent updates I'll break down post by post to confine the pictures to dates. They will focus on the three outdoor plants and what I've done around and with them. Still leading towards the current date where the smaller plants have made it outside.

As always, thanks for stopping by, looking forward to finishing this trip down memory lane and getting to the present.
-Meesta

[alltatup]

Nice training, Meesta!! They look quite well!

[MeestaFeesha]

alltatup thank you, almost up to date! Haha

[MeestaFeesha]

[June 12]Was probably a watering day, and I had taken the opportunity to take some pictures some before and after LST as well as some HST in the form of supercropping. I tend to pinch my stems as time goes on, only to a bending point when necessary. The first three pictures here are the 12th, the following three are the 16th. [June16] The plants keep accepting their training, to a degree, but always return with a thrive to grow after being manipulated.

[MeestaFeesha]

alltatup I agree full heartedly! Right now, I'm just promoting more sites, they've become a little unhappy in their 7gal, so I'm trying to space training out..but I would be unhappy too if I was ~4' round in a ~1' pot!

All living things feel and react, pets people, plants, yea? They just have different ways of showing it.

[alltatup]

Amen to that. I believe that plants totally pick up on our feelings and intentions towards them. There is a lot of intelligence all around me: praying mantises are so smart, as are spiders--not to mention cats and dogs. We cannot compare other living things' modes of being/thinking to human ones: it's so self-centered.

Do you mean the plant is too small for the 7 gal pot? Can you re-pot? Give those roots some wiggle room? ;-}

[MeestaFeesha]

Yes, repotting everything next weekend. Well, the hardware store told me they'd have my order the 12th! Only place nearby that carries Happy Frog, just happens to be the warehouse ran outta stock, so I ordered from them direct a few weeks ago. Going into 25gal fabric pots from the 7's(3), the little tykes will upgrade to their 7's(3)...and maybe to 25's if they show enough growth before August and I lose my mind

[MeestaFeesha]

[June 21] The day of the Summer Solstice if I'm not mistaken. Longest day of the year, and a happy one for the plants. Found evidence that the small plants existed in a few photos! At this point they were(and are) still in 1 gal fabric pots, but they had the grow box to themselves and were enjoying it!

Whenever I've got plants on the patio, it means LST time. I use garden twist ties, and having a fabric pot it's easy to create anchor points. Just poke a little hole! I try to not tie down aggressively, you don't want to tear into your baby by having too much tension. Instead, over time, I will shorten the twist tie distance and in doing so lower my canopy. Doing this slowly has only slightly affected my plants. The only area that has perhaps received more stress has been the main cola, as I have it growing in a circle. I only adjust or train the main after there has been sufficient growth, and it has caught back up to the canopy.

[June 22] Another beautiful day, happens to be my birthday as well, 🍻! Nice Saturday, I cruised down to the hardware store and picked me up some ladybugs. The reason for having them, as well as praying mantis, is that they will eat the small critters such as aphids and mites.

I've also planted(bought/potted?) pest/critter deterrents. Marigolds, lemon balm (I believe it is), citronella geraniums, they all help with the critters. I have quite a bit of mint to keep rodents away. Then there's basil which is said to increase resin production in nearby plants. I may have a catnip plant, which I feel is turning my huntress into a stoner! (But it's nice, cuddles all the time).

Well, feel like I went on a rant there! 😅. Looking forward to being caught up! Hope y'all are enjoying stopping by, thank you for taking the time 😎.
-Meesta

[MeestaFeesha]

😎 Good humor, and you're not wrong! I think, I honestly don't know, it's dependent on where you're at on the globe as well. When I had looked up the longest day for where I am, it had given my ~14.5hrs on June 16 and then decreasing from there. 🤓🤦♂️😂 , not as vigilant in learning about these things as I had been...gotta have a refresher. Are there many other outdoor people?

[alltatup]

Outdoor growers you mean? On this forum? Yes, but I think more indoor than outdoor growers here.

[MeestaFeesha]

Ah, well everyone can teach me proper ventilation with a scrubber when the time comes 😁

[MeestaFeesha]

Recent photos of LST on one of the WW..I can't help myself but share the current stuff here and there, it's what's on my mind! 😋

[MeestaFeesha]

From the time of [June 22] until [July 1] I did not do much aside from watering w/ nutes every other time (Don't believe I'd mentioned that before). Letting the plants take their course. I did move the three younger plants outside. (Larry OG, Strawberry Diesel, Sugar Black Rose). On the 2nd, the mantis who had been hatching, were starting to show themselves more. I had also released ladybugs yet again, as they do tend to leave in order to find a more suitable location. Fun times in the garden corner.

[alltatup]

I wish I had some of those mantises!!! They are so awesome.

[MeestaFeesha]

We're getting there! [July 3] Took a picture of the nutrient line-up, as well as some photos of the FIMing that occurred. I do not FIM the entire plant, I use it as a means to spread growth (as well as slow it) on healthy areas that have the space. This gives time for lower branches to catch up too. It's hard to tell, but in some spots it is a proper FIM, others it's more Topped. I had gone around with my fingertips, in some cases taking more care, but also keeping in mind the volume (density?) of the plant structure. There's a praying mantis on duty as well in the photos...I keep throwing that Dahlia in there, flowers are fun y'all!

Gonna get a quick post from the 4th to present, things are about to get moving here! As always, thank you for stopping by and taking a gander!
-Meesta

[MeestaFeesha]

[July 4] Ohhh me ohhh my. I adjusted the twist wire for LST on the three WW, taking the canopy down a little so that I could train the main. In the process, I saw a lot of open areas towards the center of the plants. This is where I apply super cropping to a point where stems bend.

For super cropping, I do not use my fingernail, or immediately squeeze til I hear 'snap'. I gently squeeze (pinch) where I would like the branch to bend, and then also go above and below, not creating too much pressure. Once it's softened up a bit, reapply pressure where you would like your bend, and gently work the branch back and forth (a rocking motion) until it bends slightly. Gravity and wind will do the rest of the work for you. Keep in mind, you may still end up with tears in your stem wall. Apply tape as a band-aid, we all make mistakes, best to give your precious a better chance at healing.

Also measured these for the first time, smallest is ~40" round before most recent LST, largest is about ~46" round. Getting wider still.

I added some pictures as well, that show the LST of the larger WW and how I've worked branches around it's growth. Been trying to do the same on all, the opportunity for a photo does not always present itself.

[MeestaFeesha]

Finally!! [July 6] Gonna be a fun day. 7:45ish and I've got a busy schedule. Supposed to go on a date to a Jazz festival, but something wonderful has happened. My over abundance of soil at the hardware store has shown up! Gonna go pick it up at 8 and get some transplants going. I'll try to take pictures but I'm a one man operation, and theory is easier than practice.

On another note, took some pictures as I watered the younger ladies this morning...they will be much happier in their new pots. I'm not sure it's visible in the pictures but they're pretty stressed in their tiny pots.

Will get some updates going through out the day, I'm excited and will be wanting to share. Been waiting to up-pot for a little while now.

[SoOrbudgal]

Meesta your are killin it and your gardening skills are great. My WW photo in the garden outdoors has been spead with bamboo poles. She is not as full as yours but she is nearing 5ft. not including 10gal container. I'm so happy seeing all these out door grows doing well, you got the "green thumb" for sure.

[MeestaFeesha]

Haha! Gotta give credit to my mother. I was her laborer (the only one) for her landscape staging business for some time while she still lived here in California. All about the thirst for knowledge and experience, lots of new things out there! Many more mistakes to make and learn from 😎

[MeestaFeesha]

And so it begins. I hate it when people give excuses to get out of things they had planned, hope my date today doesn't feel that way when I let her know I'm not gonna make it! 😂🤘🌳

[alltatup]

Sacrifices must be made to the goddess Cannabis.

[MeestaFeesha]

I've been working here, 2 transplants down, 4 to go...will type up a whole thing once I'm finished. Just wanted to show an unwatered plant if people need a visual. Droopy, leaves slightly curling at the tips, can also be symptoms of being root bound (not 100% on that last tidbit)