Maine Outdoor 2020 (first timer)

Very little rain until this past weekend. I think it was a combo of humidity and my plants crowding each other a bit. I pruned a bit more and spaced them out to help with airflow.

I just spray once a week or so, rain or shine. I’ll spray more if I notice the PM showing up but so far so good. I will stop about a week before harvest. I don’t like spraying anything on flowering plants but the GC doesn’t seem to have any negative affect. If there’s any PM when I chop then I’ll wash them in an H202 bath. It works great but you need to be diligent about getting the extra moisture off the buds. I dry in my garage and use a dehumidifier. The shed might work?...you’ll probably need a space heater and a fan for sure if you go this route. Controlling humidity may be a challenge if the weather turns and drying with temperatures in the 40s/50s isn’t ideal. I’m sure you can make it work.

Oh, and don’t mistake me for a “pro”...the only reason I know what I do is because I’ve spent the last few years screwing up so bad. Didn’t really have any mentors so I spent a ridiculous amount of time on RIU and took the school of hard knocks approach. Lol

Seawood said:

The shed might work?...you’ll probably need a space heater and a fan for sure if you go this route. Controlling humidity may be a challenge if the weather turns and drying with temperatures in the 40s/50s isn’t ideal.

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Yeah, everything I read says you need to control temp. and humidity. My wife would file divorce papers if I brought the stuff in the house...unless there's some way I could use the attic (it's finished) and keep the smell from permeating the house. But I have a feeling these buds are going to absolutely reek. She's already complaining about the smell and they're just in early flower--plus a good 400 feet from the house!

Seawood said:

Oh, and don’t mistake me for a “pro”...the only reason I know what I do is because I’ve spent the last few years screwing up so bad. Didn’t really have any mentors so I spent a ridiculous amount of time on RIU and took the school of hard knocks approach. Lol

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Exactly what I'm doing right now. And I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience with me. I hope to do the same for others one day...hopefully I can make it through this fall with at least partial success!

Seawood said:

Eating Plantain? Really...had no idea. Do you steam it or throw in a salad?

The plant in the pic is chemdawg. Not sure on the breeder as I got a cutting a couple years ago from a friend. It threw out just a few seeds and I grew one last year and another this year. No idea if that cut was pollinated or maybe had a bit of hermie going on. The one this year is one I had a light screw up on and flowered back in June. Took FOREVER to reveg so the yield won’t be what I had hoped for but better than nothing!

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either way those seed pods are nice deep fried

NewEnglandFarmer said:

Yeah, everything I read says you need to control temp. and humidity. My wife would file divorce papers if I brought the stuff in the house...unless there's some way I could use the attic (it's finished) and keep the smell from permeating the house. But I have a feeling these buds are going to absolutely reek. She's already complaining about the smell and they're just in early flower--plus a good 400 feet from the house!


Exactly what I'm doing right now. And I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience with me. I hope to do the same for others one day...hopefully I can make it through this fall with at least partial success!

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You’ll be fine. With the plants you have going, even worst case scenario, you’ll have more than enough bud. My first year was a disaster with pests, problems and mold and I still only lost maybe 15-20%. I went away for the last week of September and we had a ridiculous amount of rain, wind and 2 hard frosts. Plants blew over, got soaked, weather beaten and they still came through. Contrary to what we all think at times, weed is very resilient. Just keep doing what you’re doing.

thumper60 said:

either way those seed pods are nice deep fried

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I had an explosion of plantain on my lawn this June, shortly after topdressing with compost. Wonder if the seed came in on the compost or if it just fed existing plants and enabled them to flourish. Been pulling them all summer. Will have to try cooking one sometime...

Seawood said:

You’ll be fine. With the plants you have going, even worst case scenario, you’ll have more than enough bud. My first year was a disaster with pests, problems and mold and I still only lost maybe 15-20%. I went away for the last week of September and we had a ridiculous amount of rain, wind and 2 hard frosts. Plants blew over, got soaked, weather beaten and they still came through. Contrary to what we all think at times, weed is very resilient. Just keep doing what you’re doing.

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Thanks, that's encouraging to hear. I'm nervous about caterpillars and/or bud rot devastating my crop. Or the fact that the folks who say you can't really grow sativa-dominant plants successfully outdoors in Maine will be proven correct. The Chinook Haze is going to be a real challenge getting such a late start.

NewEnglandFarmer said:

I had an explosion of plantain on my lawn this June, shortly after topdressing with compost. Wonder if the seed came in on the compost or if it just fed existing plants and enabled them to flourish. Been pulling them all summer. Will have to try cooking one sometime...

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Yes try steaming some best to harvest may- june .

NewEnglandFarmer said:

Thanks, that's encouraging to hear. I'm nervous about caterpillars and/or bud rot devastating my crop. Or the fact that the folks who say you can't really grow sativa-dominant plants successfully outdoors in Maine will be proven correct. The Chinook Haze is going to be a real challenge getting such a late start.

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I hear ya....one of my Moby Dicks will be touch and go.

I think I may have my first case of botrytis. Is that what this is?


Just saw it this morning. This is the oddball Orange Blossom Special in a 7g smart pot. It was living in another location but the wind knocked it down twice so I moved it to a more secure spot closer to home. Both times it lay on the ground for a day and a night before I discovered what happened. Wonder if that was a factor?

Not seeing anything like this on any of the plants in the garden.

I removed that bud and threw it away. It has been a little damp the past couple days--rain last night and pretty muggy today. But am still a little surprised to see this crop up when the buds are so small yet. Need to get vigilant, and start spraying the potassium bicarbonate--I didn't start that this week when I applied the Bt but I guess it's time.

Maybe I should start moving this plant inside the shed whenever it rains.

Did you look for bud worms on that plant? It’s very early to see moisture related rot. Also, not sure if potassium bicarbonate will reduce incidents of bud rot...the plant I sprayed deep into flower last year with Greencure to control PM had more rot than any other plant.

Haven't seen a single worm on that plant all season. But it's possible I missed some--I was only checking it every couple days to water during the summer. And it missed the first two rounds of Bt so just had its first spray this week. I may try and move it into the shed when it rains (if my wife doesn't throw a fit over it!).

Yikes, sounds like your "cure" just compounded the problem. I've read in several places that botrytis likes a slightly acidic environment, and some experienced growers seem to think a compound like potassium bicarbonate helps make the leaf and bud surfaces more alkaline and therefore less hospitable to botrytis, but maybe that's all just hogwash.

The issue with outdoors is the environment simply won’t allow that alkaline or high ph surface to stay that way. Botrytis starts from within...typically close to the main stem the infected bud is growing on. After rain, dew, whatever reduces the ph by washing away your potassium bicarb, you’re back to square one. It is impossible to get any product in to where the rot starts late into flower due to the density of the buds. The only real way to reduce the incidents of rot is to control the moisture and humidity levels outside. Without a greenhouse or even makeshift tarp for rainy days, you just have to cross your fingers and treat the infected buds as they occur.

If someone could come up with a systemic treatment that was also organic, they’d be very wealthy. A similar product used for PM prevention is Regalia...OMRI certified and apparently it works. Never used it so no idea if the claims are true. A similar product for Botrytis would be a very good thing and maybe Regalia does help with prevention of bud rot...not sure on that.

Seawood said:

The issue with outdoors is the environment simply won’t allow that alkaline or high ph surface to stay that way. Botrytis starts from within...typically close to the main stem the infected bud is growing on. After rain, dew, whatever reduces the ph by washing away your potassium bicarb, you’re back to square one. It is impossible to get any product in to where the rot starts late into flower due to the density of the buds. The only real way to reduce the incidents of rot is to control the moisture and humidity levels outside. Without a greenhouse or even makeshift tarp for rainy days, you just have to cross your fingers and treat the infected buds as they occur.

If someone could come up with a systemic treatment that was also organic, they’d be very wealthy. A similar product used for PM prevention is Regalia...OMRI certified and apparently it works. Never used it so no idea if the claims are true. A similar product for Botrytis would be a very good thing and maybe Regalia does help with prevention of bud rot...not sure on that.

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Ya bud rot from moisture in the bud is a tuff one to beat! An i know where opp is growing gets lots of fog.

NewEnglandFarmer said:

I think I may have my first case of botrytis. Is that what this is?
View attachment 4673078

Just saw it this morning. This is the oddball Orange Blossom Special in a 7g smart pot. It was living in another location but the wind knocked it down twice so I moved it to a more secure spot closer to home. Both times it lay on the ground for a day and a night before I discovered what happened. Wonder if that was a factor?

Not seeing anything like this on any of the plants in the garden.

I removed that bud and threw it away. It has been a little damp the past couple days--rain last night and pretty muggy today. But am still a little surprised to see this crop up when the buds are so small yet. Need to get vigilant, and start spraying the potassium bicarbonate--I didn't start that this week when I applied the Bt but I guess it's time.

Maybe I should start moving this plant inside the shed whenever it rains.

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Cut that top right off watch the rest of the plant burn it if you see any more.

NewEnglandFarmer said:

Haven't seen a single worm on that plant all season. But it's possible I missed some--I was only checking it every couple days to water during the summer. And it missed the first two rounds of Bt so just had its first spray this week. I may try and move it into the shed when it rains (if my wife doesn't throw a fit over it!).

Yikes, sounds like your "cure" just compounded the problem. I've read in several places that botrytis likes a slightly acidic environment, and some experienced growers seem to think a compound like potassium bicarbonate helps make the leaf and bud surfaces more alkaline and therefore less hospitable to botrytis, but maybe that's all just hogwash.

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I have told you before get some 3% peroxide.amazon 24 bucks a case at ya door couple days. kicks ass on PM an bud rot!!!

Peroxide is pretty much a necessity. Once you start finding bud rot...and you will...spray the rot with it, cut away the infected material and spray the area that you just cut. It’ll kill any remaining spores and prevent further spread in that spot.

OK--peroxide it is. Weather here is supposed to dry out tomorrow and be dry though the holiday weekend.

NewEnglandFarmer said:

OK--peroxide it is. Weather here is supposed to dry out tomorrow and be dry though the holiday weekend.

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Its hard to find right now local, I just got a case of qts dropped to the front door 24 bucks amazon.

NewEnglandFarmer said:

Thanks, that's encouraging to hear. I'm nervous about caterpillars and/or bud rot devastating my crop. Or the fact that the folks who say you can't really grow sativa-dominant plants successfully outdoors in Maine will be proven correct. The Chinook Haze is going to be a real challenge getting such a late start.

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50/50 sativa hybrids supposedly? Look at the long bladed leafs lol, semi auto lemonade OG x freezelands and DFG’s from realgorillaseeds.. harvested bout 30grams wet after that two day rain tho, with probly 3-4g wet being actual botrytis bud , no chancing it with monster cola’s like this boys! From New Brunswick Canada and these strains are highly resistant obviously but two rainy days like that + super fat cola’s = a disaster outcheaaaaa

I’m from NB as well...nice looking plants! Yours are quite a ways into flower. Are yours quick versions/shorter flowering times? I’ll be into mid October with a couple of mine. Getting materials for a small hoop house so I can get them to the finish line. You know how October weather can be here...roll the dice.