outdoor 2021

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 5, 2021

When is your first frost free day? when are you starting your outdoor? lets talk prep for the outdoors in 2021!
I'm in Oklahoma so my first frost free day is around April 21 but I'm prepping seedlings now to finish outside. I will try a little tester outdoors on march 27th to see what I can get but I'm itching for the outdoors to be open season again

Funkentelechy · Feb 6, 2021

It usually stops freezing around the middle of May for me, and I will start my seedlings in about a month. My grow spot is still covered in about 8 inches of hard-packed snow with more on the way. Always hard to believe, this time of year, how different things will look in a few months time.
I can't wait to get started either, do you grow in the ground, or in pots?

wonder6977 · Feb 6, 2021

I'm in Michigan, we don't put ours out till 2 week of May to be sure there is no frost. The 27th should be good to put them out. I would just put them in a small DIY greenhouse till the second week of April, just to be safe. remember thought that Indicas cant take the cold as well as a Sativa. with a well developed root system I've had Indicas survive in as low as 32 degrees at night and Sativas as low as 29. I started my girls about a month ago and if all goes well, they should be monsters when done. are you using a super soil, or liquid fertilizer?

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 6, 2021

Funkentelechy said:
It usually stops freezing around the middle of May for me, and I will start my seedlings in about a month. My grow spot is still covered in about 8 inches of hard-packed snow with more on the way. Always hard to believe, this time of year, how different things will look in a few months time.
I can't wait to get started either, do you grow in the ground, or in pots?

Funkentelechy said:

It usually stops freezing around the middle of May for me, and I will start my seedlings in about a month. My grow spot is still covered in about 8 inches of hard-packed snow with more on the way. Always hard to believe, this time of year, how different things will look in a few months time.
I can't wait to get started either, do you grow in the ground, or in pots?

Click to expand...

I'm a mixture of both. Last year I went all ground and it sucked digging holes, Oklahoma's got rocks and clay for soil so it's a bitch but it's a part of the journey I love the most. The hard work turning into beautiful babies

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 6, 2021

wonder6977 said:
I'm in Michigan, we don't put ours out till 2 week of May to be sure there is no frost. The 27th should be good to put them out. I would just put them in a small DIY greenhouse till the second week of April, just to be safe. remember thought that Indicas cant take the cold as well as a Sativa. with a well developed root system I've had Indicas survive in as low as 32 degrees at night and Sativas as low as 29. I started my girls about a month ago and if all goes well, they should be monsters when done. are you using a super soil, or liquid fertilizer?

gonna put 'em in a makeshift greenhouse during daytime then tent 'em overnight with my indoor stuff if i can get both the timing and lighting right. I'm an organic guy but this grow I started here I wen bottled so I'm in the middle of transitioning out of the last of my bottled goods and moving more organic. Wbu? What are you gonna run outdoors and what strains seem to work best for you further up north

garybo · Feb 6, 2021

Here in the Florida panhandle, I germinate the first week of April and by the 14th they are in their permanent 10 gal fabric pots sucking up the sunshine.

Funkentelechy · Feb 7, 2021

Tht_Blk_Guy27 said:
I'm a mixture of both. Last year I went all ground and it sucked digging holes, Oklahoma's got rocks and clay for soil so it's a bitch but it's a part of the journey I love the most. The hard work turning into beautiful babies

I hear ya, it's a labor of love. How is the drainage? I know clay doesn't drain very well but if it has enough rocks in it, then sometimes it can have decent drainage. You could rent a posthole auger and dig a bunch of holes right next to each other, then use a shovel to pull the loose stuff out.
What do you have in that jar in your avatar? Honey, compost tea, whisky? (I like all three)

TurboTokes · Feb 7, 2021

Last day of frost here is usually very end of April, to cold here to be outside until June 1st though.

I germ inside around the time I intend to plant and grow them at 15/9 until they are ready to go outside

wonder6977 · Feb 7, 2021

========

Tht_Blk_Guy27 said:
gonna put 'em in a makeshift greenhouse during daytime then tent 'em overnight with my indoor stuff if i can get both the timing and lighting right. I'm an organic guy but this grow I started here I wen bottled so I'm in the middle of transitioning out of the last of my bottled goods and moving more organic. Wbu? What are you gonna run outdoors and what strains seem to work best for you further up north

I do consulting for small home growers in my area with hydroponics and aquaponics, but I will always grow TLO outdoors! I order compost by the cubic yard (just over 202gal) and use a modified soil recipe from subcool. I use 200 gal cloth pots that I make out of landscaping fabric and pit a layer of coco coir over the lop 3-4 inches to help water retention. I supply them with teas and PH to 6.5 and use a above ground pool with a cover on it as a water reservoir. top twice and cage them. In your makeshift greenhouse, you can always put down foam insulation on the ground and a heating blanket over it to help with the tempters to get your girls in there faster.

GrownAtHighAltitude · Feb 7, 2021

Last year, first frost free day was July 1st. Last frost free day was September 1st.

It was bad. Very bad. The worst I've seen here at 2500 meters (> 8000 ft)

It drove me to build out a more functional indoor setup for flowering.

Usually I'm aiming to get stuff in the ground by mid to late May, and then I've harvested after a snowfall in mid-October plenty of times.

Funkentelechy · Feb 7, 2021

GrownAtHighAltitude said:
Last year, first frost free day was July 1st. Last frost free day was September 1st.

It was bad. Very bad. The worst I've seen here at 2500 meters (> 8000 ft)

It drove me to build out a more functional indoor setup for flowering.

Usually I'm aiming to get stuff in the ground by mid to late May, and then I've harvested after a snowfall in mid-October plenty of times.

Wow yeah, that's cold! Last year, my last frost was June 6th, the first frost was October 7th. Grown in the ground(no pots) with a thick layer of mulch, my plants get down to 26 f(-3 c) in the fall without issue. As long as there aren't multiple days that cold, if it freezes that hard for several days then I have to harvest, otherwise they will start to get damaged.

I've been thinking of building an undersoil heating system using a wood stove to heat water in pipes that are routed into a 50-gallon barrel that is buried underground and coiled around inside(using Pex pipe possibly) in a closed-loop type system.

The water in the barrel would act as a thermal battery in a sense storing thermal energy. Using another closed-loop section of pipe coiled inside the barrel, water would then circulate from the barrel through pipes buried under the soil in my grow area.

The only issue I am having is that I don't really want the wood stove to be very close to the plants as I am not very keen on having wood smoke drifting over my buds. I could use electric heat but heating water with electricity pulls a lot of amps, more than is safe for an extension cord. So I would have to run some Romex underground to bring power out to the grow spot, and wire in a new breaker box which would be kinda a pain in the ass. Plus wood heat is cool!

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 7, 2021

garybo said:
Here in the Florida panhandle, I germinate the first week of April and by the 14th they are in their permanent 10 gal fabric pots sucking up the sunshine.

That sounds like veggin is some serious stuff for you growers down south! Is managing the growth hard? How is your grow environment when it comes to the Florida weather? I always love hearing about different grows in different climates.

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 7, 2021

Funkentelechy said:
I hear ya, it's a labor of love. How is the drainage? I know clay doesn't drain very well but if it has enough rocks in it, then sometimes it can have decent drainage. You could rent a posthole auger and dig a bunch of holes right next to each other, then use a shovel to pull the loose stuff out.
What do you have in that jar in your avatar? Honey, compost tea, whisky? (I like all three)

I obtained help from a buddy who is now going to let me use his auger when it's time. Was thinkin about renting a bobcat out to take some topsoil off to see if that helps. I'm currently working on learning different soil conditioning techniques so I can learn to harness more of the land I have instead of being forced to buying inert growing media every time I need soil. Drainage ain't too bad in most areas but my home is located right off of a main road with both sides being drainage ditches. So I have a empty lot directly next to my property that I use that doesn't overflood when the 'Nader weather comes through. as for my jar i used her to store that there nug of deliciousness. my first auto, some Dinafem CBD and she was 39g wet, 23.5g dry. i am working o super soil here soon so i may go the route of using my own topsoil instead of buying soil

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 7, 2021

wonder6977 said:
========

I do consulting for small home growers in my area with hydroponics and aquaponics, but I will always grow TLO outdoors! I order compost by the cubic yard (just over 202gal) and use a modified soil recipe from subcool. I use 200 gal cloth pots that I make out of landscaping fabric and pit a layer of coco coir over the lop 3-4 inches to help water retention. I supply them with teas and PH to 6.5 and use a above ground pool with a cover on it as a water reservoir. top twice and cage them. In your makeshift greenhouse, you can always put down foam insulation on the ground and a heating blanket over it to help with the tempters to get your girls in there faster.

that's primo work there man! I'm definitely intimidated by hydro for sure but it's my hope to run a hydro set up along with my soil grows for consistency. Let me know if you ever get a spare minute to talk hydro with a beginner please and thank you ! I could always benefit from learning more before I start. I was actually going to run that subcool recipe myself but I'm between buying the soil for it or just amending my local topsoil. You just blew my mind with the electric blanket hack, you may have saved a brother some much needed time :clap:

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 7, 2021

GrownAtHighAltitude said:
Last year, first frost free day was July 1st. Last frost free day was September 1st.

It was bad. Very bad. The worst I've seen here at 2500 meters (> 8000 ft)

It drove me to build out a more functional indoor setup for flowering.

Usually I'm aiming to get stuff in the ground by mid to late May, and then I've harvested after a snowfall in mid-October plenty of times.

Tbh the weather sounds mad disrespectful where you're at lol. I'm sure you get some amazing color expressions in your work though. Besides the weather not cooperating 100% what other challenges come with growing at your altitude? Did you lose any from last year due to weather?

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 7, 2021

Funkentelechy said:
Wow yeah, that's cold! Last year, my last frost was June 6th, the first frost was October 7th. Grown in the ground(no pots) with a thick layer of mulch, my plants get down to 26 f(-3 c) in the fall without issue. As long as there aren't multiple days that cold, if it freezes that hard for several days then I have to harvest, otherwise they will start to get damaged.

I've been thinking of building an undersoil heating system using a wood stove to heat water in pipes that are routed into a 50-gallon barrel that is buried underground and coiled around inside(using Pex pipe possibly) in a closed-loop type system.

The water in the barrel would act as a thermal battery in a sense storing thermal energy. Using another closed-loop section of pipe coiled inside the barrel, water would then circulate from the barrel through pipes buried under the soil in my grow area.

The only issue I am having is that I don't really want the wood stove to be very close to the plants as I am not very keen on having wood smoke drifting over my buds. I could use electric heat but heating water with electricity pulls a lot of amps, more than is safe for an extension cord. So I would have to run some Romex underground to bring power out to the grow spot, and wire in a new breaker box which would be kinda a pain in the ass. Plus wood heat is cool!

I kept an Afghan Kush in the ground out here until November 22 if im not mistaken. I had to pull her because we kept having mad rainstorms and i was experiencing a deficiency which was going to cost me yield and overall health so i pulled her early

Funkentelechy · Feb 8, 2021

Tht_Blk_Guy27 said:
I'm currently working on learning different soil conditioning techniques so I can learn to harness more of the land I have instead of being forced to buying inert growing media every time I need soil.

I 100% agree with that approach. I am trying to produce as many amendments as I can from my own land, I'm working to reduce the amount of stuff that I have to buy.

I use composted chicken manure from my chickens, I have a big patch of comfrey going that I use for mulch and teas, and I do a lot of composting. The compost piles provide most of what I use on my plants. This year I'm planning on starting a worm farm.

It would be great to hear your experiences, I love learning new techniques.

GrownAtHighAltitude · Feb 8, 2021

Tht_Blk_Guy27 said:
Tbh the weather sounds mad disrespectful where you're at lol. I'm sure you get some amazing color expressions in your work though. Besides the weather not cooperating 100% what other challenges come with growing at your altitude? Did you lose any from last year due to weather?

It's mostly cold snaps that cause problems. They delay/retard flower growth at the wrong time. I tried covering everything with tarps last year when the weather turned and it hit 26F but it just knocks them so far down that it's almost impossible to get them to finish out like they should. I ended up harvesting less than half of what I would've expected.

I don't deal with humidity issues here, so no problems with mold, etc. That is a benefit. Colors do come through more readily, for sure.

I'm lower in latitude than most but at high altitude and the UV here is intense. I think that definitely helps make good medicine when the temperatures cooperate.

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 8, 2021

Funkentelechy said:
I 100% agree with that approach. I am trying to produce as many amendments as I can from my own land, I'm working to reduce the amount of stuff that I have to buy.

I use composted chicken manure from my chickens, I have a big patch of comfrey going that I use for mulch and teas, and I do a lot of composting. The compost piles provide most of what I use on my plants. This year I'm planning on starting a worm farm.

It would be great to hear your experiences, I love learning new techniques.

That's the goal, reduce, reuse, recycle as much as possible. If I do purchase its always organically as possible and in bulk if possible. I've been very intrigued by the idea of using homemade composted manure but I'm not sure if I want chickens or if there are alternatives to chicken as I own a dog who I love to death but just don't trust around anything other than humans and dogs. As for the comfrey, I was thinking of growing a patch of that and some alfalfa out this year. Have you grown either outside? I love your insight on the subject if possible. I've found plenty of kooky new grow techniques I plan on utilizing for my grows. I don't know if you've seen a topsy turvy tomato grower but i plan on running 2 plants in a little baby tent this year as a challenge from a friend so im excited to start that. Anything new you looking forward to popping?

Tht_Blk_Guy27 · Feb 8, 2021

GrownAtHighAltitude said:
It's mostly cold snaps that cause problems. They delay/retard flower growth at the wrong time. I tried covering everything with tarps last year when the weather turned and it hit 26F but it just knocks them so far down that it's almost impossible to get them to finish out like they should. I ended up harvesting less than half of what I would've expected.

I don't deal with humidity issues here, so no problems with mold, etc. That is a benefit. Colors do come through more readily, for sure.

I'm lower in latitude than most but at high altitude and the UV here is intense. I think that definitely helps make good medicine when the temperatures cooperate.

That must be rough as hell, my first indoor grow I suffered from the same problem except on the heat side of things. I struggled early to maintain adequate temps in beginning flower and I could see the gaps and spaces where it half assed and tried to fill but wouldn't. It's always a bummer when you know that you could've gotten more but you environment said "f%#$ you and you feelings". Thank you for telling me more about your grow, I've been thinking about using shade netting this year for my outdoor as it could've benefitted greatly from it and your story has helped me come to that conclusion. The UV must make for killer terpene profiles and superior taste on a regular basis. Are you able to tell a discernable difference from homegrown from other places and your homegrown?

outdoor 2021

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