My garden bed is filled w old horse manure and a couple generations of mushroom compost supplemented w compost I make from yard and table scraps. I broad fork it but have never tilled or added anything besides last summer’s nutrients. Last summer, I ph’d the top, and it came out right around 6.5. Did not measure deeper, though. I have some test strips, so I’ll do that and learn something. Will report back here and hit you up for some advice. A couple weeks ago, I filled up another great big outdoor box, so I won’t have so much “riding on” my original garden. That’ll make it easier for me to mess around w amendments! 
5 Likes
You’re doing great, hell I even have a hard time planting seedlings in a big pot like that and I’ve doing this a long time. I never start them in the final pot anymore, not even autos. I don’t know where that got started but in my opinion it is bad advice. I always start mine in solo cups. Everything. Keep the light close and turn it down, not too close but close enough to keep them from streaching and getting spindly.
I just got some little biodegradable little bags that @happilyretired and @PreyBird1 have been using, it keeps you from disturbing the roots as you just pull them out of a solo cup all in one piece and bury them. You learn something new every day here if you read and pay attention.
Looking forward to watching this grow.
Marty
7 Likes
Don’t know where you are at, but here in MO in the summertime you can’t hardly water enough, it gets close to 100 lots of days. And I have been composting my garden for 20 plus years, the soil is great, but if you don’t water your garden is a goner lol. But I also have a raised bed garden, so it naturally drains down a lot more than at earth level.
Marty
6 Likes
I planted my very first seeds in super-small plastic pots last spring. They grew so slowly, and transplanting eventually messed them up even more. The seed I sowed directly in the garden ended up being the healthiest, biggest plant. But I am super new and don’t know what I am doing. For instance, I used straight seedling mix, which probably didn’t drain well. I also didn’t know about mycorrhizal fungi at that time.
What’s the advantage to starting in small containers?
4 Likes
I’m in southeast VA. Summers are hot and humid here, but the proximity to coast moderates temps, and we generally get plenty of rain. Very long growing season here. Lots of pests, though, especially July and later. My garden is raised beds, but the soil is relatively dense (operator error) and still doesn’t drain enough.
4 Likes
It is much eaiser to control the moisture, and I use a small 50 watt seedling light to start them. The transplant shock is not nearly enough to hurt anything as long as you let them get a good root system on them so the rootmass doesn’t fall apart when you transplant them. That’s why I mentioned the non woven bags inside the solo cups, virtually eliminates the transplant shock. Those little bags are cheap and all over Amazon in a ton of different sizes.
Marty
7 Likes
Boom! In the cart!
7 Likes
Really getting a lot of happiness from my first tent grow during this cold winter. It’s exciting to watch the buds develop, and it’s so gratifying to produce something so useful from a seed.
I started feeding pretty light nutes last week. I’ve fed again with light bloom nutes, kool bloom, and cal mag. I may be fooling myself, but it seems that the plants are enjoying the extra food. This is experience makes me very curious about the timing at which nutes become helpful when growing in hot mix like Ocean Forest.
My light is still about 10 inches above the top of the canopy. I think it’s too close, but just right for the vast majority of buds that aren’t the top kolas. I see why people train, and I’m thinking hard about how I’ll train my next round of plants.
Here are a few pics! I’d love to know any thoughts you’re willing to share.
Strawberry Pie Auto — Fast Buds
I think the nutes were too strong for this one. Check out the burned leaf tips. In brighter news, it looks like this baby is going to end up as one solid bud. Lol. The smell is very unique—like pie crust. I really like it and am so excited to sample when the time comes.
Sour Kush Auto — Growers Choice
This one seems to have really liked the nutes. Developing frost, and buds are finally growing a bit.
Northern Lights Auto — Seedsman
This one is about 8 weeks older than the others. She’s doing great, I think. Buds are swelling. This plant is unique compared to the others I’ve grown, in that this one’s pistils are very fuzzy! It’s pretty and makes me feel confident the plant is generally healthy. I’m not checking trichomes yet, but I guess this one has several weeks to go.
We got a little snow in my part of Virginia. It’s rare for us. On Sunday night, as the snow was melting, we got a very beautiful sunset.
I hope you’re all doing well! Have a great day.
13 Likes
Looking good to me! 
.
You might get some foxtailing with the lights so close, but that’s no big deal.
I’m especially loving the Northern Lights auto!
Beautiful!
3 Likes
Received an order of BBP! @TheMadFlascher
Am going to use this product on several autos I’ll grow in my 2x4 tent. For this grow, I’m going to re-do my tent setup a little bit, so I’ll post pics of that once the babies are inside. For today, I’ll just include some pics to document Day 1.
Lemon Auto (Seedsman freebie)
Purple Haze (Seedsman freebie)
Gorilla Cookies (Fast Buds)
I placed these seeds in rain water this morning and will put them in a wet paper towel in a Tupperware container in a dark cabinet this evening.
Will be ready to place these babies into some Black Gold seedling mix and mycorrhizae in my fancy new non-woven seedling bags! In the past, I feel that my seedlings have grown too slowly. Would you all share any tips you have to help ensure these babies get off to a strong start?
6 Likes
Starting them in those seedling pots should help a lot. If you start in a large pot you’ll have all kinds of problems that keep seedlings small. So you’re off to a good start with that already! .
5 Likes
Yes, for me it was when I purchased a low wattage LED Durolux light from Amazon. I always had a hard time when I was germinating seeds in large pots. the small non woven bags inside a dixie cup to keep the roots dark and this light will get you going great.
I have had it for about 3 years now still works perfect, it is real high in the blue spectrum which gives you good strong short growth with big leaves, I have grown plants all the way to about 18" under it inside a small seedling box I built. It’s not a flower light, just for seed starting and seedlings. That’s what I use. And it’s inexpensive at $39 bucks.
Marty
9 Likes
Marty, thanks! I’ve been wondering about this. I have a very small LED light for these babies’ first few days, before they go into the tent. Not sure mine is sufficient…. Will post a pic later.
5 Likes
Each of the new beans popped in the damp paper towel. I have potted them in some Black Gold with some mycorrhizae. Got the soil damp with some of my “magic” rain water. (I use that rain water in all my gardening stuff. Might be silly, but I take a lot of pride in using the rain water and making my own compost.) I potted the seeds inside fancy mesh bags that I’ll transplant into the final pots in a couple of weeks.
Right now, I have the babies under a very small LED. I guess I’ll let them grow a leaf or two before placing them inside the tent.
Nothin’ to see here, folks. No, really. It’s pretty much just dirt. Lol.
Lemon Auto — Seedsman freebie
Purple Haze Auto — Seedsman freebie
Gorilla Cookies Auto — Fast Buds
This GC is from the same pack as the plant that turned hermie on me last time. I will be interested to see whether this new plant does any better. Before herming, that other one was going so well…
I hope you all are having a good day!
7 Likes
I have moved my tent to an interior wall in my garage. I also placed it on top of a pallet I stuffed w insulation. Those two steps were designed to keep the tent better protected from the cold garage. Even before I moved the tent, I was pointing a small electric heater at it during lights-out and sometimes even when the lights were on. Am hoping to be able to get away from this practice a bit, now.
My big plants are all coming along.
A few milky trichomes showing up on top of Strawberry Pie.
Sour Kush side buds starting to fill out.
Northern Lights getting chunky (and stinky) but still pushing lots of white pistils. Playing hard to get! Lol!
I had my three baby plants outside the tent under my tiny 33w LED, but they were all getting too leggy, so I placed them inside the tent.
These babies are about 20-24 inches from the light, and they’re shaded a bit by the big plants, but the light is running at 100%. Do you think I’ll be able to keep the babies at the “right” distance so they’ll grow without burning while they’re tender? Would love your perspective!
Hope you all have a great week!
9 Likes
I’d keep a close eye on how much they stretch.
Plants look amazing! .
3 Likes
Chavez, I agree about the stretching! I have some little chunks of 2x4 to make a li’l table for the babes if they grow any taller this week. I feel like my approach is pretty bush league, but I’m having a great time!
4 Likes
Yes, it is quite addictive! 
.
4 Likes
Growing cannabis is exciting… and challenging! I have some changes to report, and I’d love some advice from you.
My N Lights Auto (Seedsman freebie) is in week 10 of flower. It’s growing lots and lots of white pistils still, and the lower buds still have a long way to go. Trichomes are all clear. Here’s the problem: I found some bananas on this plant last night. I did a thorough inspection and removed all the bananas. They were on only two branches, a total of 6 nanners, all told.
Here’s my question: should I chop this plant down early or let it go and run the risk of pollenating the other plant in the tent?
In other fun news, I harvested the tiny, stunted Fast Buds Auto. I thought all along it was Strawberry Pie, but when I read the tag, I realized it’s actually Gorilla Cookies Auto. Lol, I am such a newb.
I doubt I’ll get more than a half-ounce from this little plant, but it’ll be a frosty, stinky half-ounce!
In one final update, the three baby seedlings are doing just fine. No more stretching. Seems like vigorous growth to me. I will apply BBP for the first time within the next few days.
Happy growing from Virginia.
11 Likes
Getting Nanners this late in flowering isn’t gonna hurt you unless you have some younger plants flowering. From what I understand it takes somewhere around five weeks to produce seeds so by the looks of things you don’t have long to go so I wouldn’t worry about it. Unless there’s something in there that I’m not seeing…
6 Likes