Tuesday, July 5, 2011

KidBotanical's Personal Backyard Grow-Entry 2

**Please note, the first few entries of Personal Backyard Grow take place between April and June 2011. Once I am up to date, entries will be weekly with current pictures and video**



     In Entry 1, my primary purpose was to show you all the backyard setup in which I grow. Now it's time to see the garden in action, starting from the smallest step: the cutting, or clone. Most clones are sold between 2 and 3 weeks of age (meaning between 2 and 3 weeks since they were cut from their mother plant), and many will have grown by the time you put them in the ground. However, not all clones are equal, and some may perish by the time they are planted. For this reason, I recommend purchasing extra clones, as an insurance policy against misfortune or personal error. That is my usual process, and as you can see below I ended up with quite a few extras:

Extra clones! I had enough dirt leftover to fill 3 more bags, but that left 6 clones without homes.

 

     Once your garden space is completely prepared (with properly mixed soil, sun protection if neccessary, and plans for water and insect management), its time to bring it to life. If you wish to take the clone/cutting route, I recommend browsing nearby dispensaries to compare, as you'll want only the highest quality genetics in your garden. If you have no access to a dispensary or clones, the only other option is seeds. Seeds ship internationally from all over the world, but they are still federally illegal to posses, and you always run the risk of losing your seeds if you import them from another country. A little over 4 years ago, I tried to have $300 in award-winning seeds shipped from The Netherlands, only to receive a message from the government informing me that my package had been seized. Needless to say I was a little upset. Today seeds can be shipped from the continental U.S (mainly from Colorado and British Columbia), and combining that with a more lax Cannabis regulation allows seeds to reach growers with much less hassle than in previous years

     Once planted, you will need to observe your green babies very carefully. It's helpful to have an idea of each week's weather during the infantile stage of the grow season, as adverse weather may even kill some of your crop. Wind, rain, and even a late frost will punish your crop the same way they affect large scale produce. At their youngest stage, Cannabis specimens are quite delicate, and therefore must be watered and fertilized carefully. For this reason, I used a watering can rather than a hose for initial watering, as it has a much gentler touch. As for fertilizing, follow the special instructions on the container for seedlings and cuttings/clones, and consider reducing the amount if the plants have been in the ground for less than 3 weeks. As you can see, the dilution scale calls for only a small amount of fertilizer per gallon of water:


Fox Farm Big Bloom: 1 Tablespoon (0.5 fluid oz) per gallon of water for seedlings and clones



     Some clones or seedlings may show signs of nutrition burn (excess of 1 or more nutrients in the plant system) despite all the caution you have taken. Do not be alarmed. When cut from their mother plant, the clones were likely given too much fertilizer, causing some of the leaves to look a little funky and burned, such as the OG Kush clone below:

Some leaves are canoeing (folding upwards) and look dry and unhealthy, despite having a dark green color.



     There wasn't a whole lot happening in the early weeks of the grow season, especially when you have quality genetics, and monitor the watering as well as possible insect activity. Initially, some specimens may require more water than others, so be very careful not to overwater any of your baby plants. Once the season is underway, and all specimens begin to develop quicker, the amount of water required will be much closer.  For more specifics on insects in your area, look up insects + your climate or geographical location.

7 comments:

  1. nice info, i haven´t a garden, but we have a bed.
    nice post, interesting blog, i following and went on your advertisement

    ReplyDelete
  2. You really put a lot of effort in to this. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Best of luck on your harvest I keep reading.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really interesting. Really hope you have a good harvest.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks guys! This year's harvest looks promising so far, I'll be uploading more pictures to document the garden from all angles. If anyone has any personal garden pics, I'll be more than happy to upload those as well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. thanks for the info. but i prefer growing inside :>

    ReplyDelete