Nugs's Deeliteful DINAdventures 2017

[jadenugs]

Hello all,

it's time to get my outdoor diary off to a start  Running a little late as I've had other issues to deal with but all is good now so here goes.

First of all I'd like to thank @Dinafem-Mark and the Dinafem team for providing me with seeds for the diary which will be Bubba Kush auto and Blue Critical auto

 

 

I will be tending 2 plots of  hopefully 6 plants, including photoperiods and depending on females, so my plans are to plant one of each auto at each plot and they will be germinated either May 15 after my photo's have gone out or at the end of May, kept in 1L pots for 10 days before transplanting out. This will depend on the ambient temps at night but I'll more than likely germ them at the end of May so they go out 10 days later and run less risk of cold nights in early June. I don't have much experience with autos but my idea is for them to enjoy the usual wet June weather while they veg and then July, August for flowering. I have been pondering over different ideas for transplanting the autos without any stress. I thought of plastic bags inside the pots with drainage, or even hessian for the roots to grow through, intending to cut the bags when I lift them from the pots but had second thoughts about this in case the rootball is not strong enough and falls apart as I'm messing about with the bags like it would do when transplanting from a normal pot if the rootball wasn't firm enough. So the idea I've settled with (for now) is to plant them straight into the starter pots as normal, but cut the bottoms off and also cut the top part into two halves and then tape them back together before filling with compost. This way, when I transplant them to the ground I can dig the hole, remove the tape and carefully take the bottom off. Sit the plant in the hole, pulling the two sides straight outwards and then pushing the soil up to the rootball with minimum stress and handling of the rootball.

 

Onto the photo's. Clones will be a PO CBD and a Critical Jack at each plot. This will leave space for an Auto Cream Mandarine x Early Pink Kush and an S6 x Early Pink Kush (regulars) at each plot, hoping for a female of each. These were gifted by a friend and I believe the acm x epk to be fast flowering, not auto.  I hope it is ok to include these in this diary as I don't have the time to document them in a different thread.

 

So that's my intentions in a nutshell, now onto the plots and what I have done up until now.

 

Plot 1

 

This is a plot that I used for 7 or 8 years so has been well tilled and fed over time. I stopped using this plot as I noticed one winter that a pathway had been formed through the undergrowth passing very close to my plot so I never used it again. On returning this spring I couldn't see any signs of anyone being nearby for the past few years so I decided to use it again. The surrounding brambles have died down a bit so when I cleared spaces in the plot to dig holes I dug some brambles from the roots and replanted them in the gaps around the edge and also rerouted some of the existing bramble shoots. I also planted some nettle seeds but never did it properly, just scattered them around the edges. These probably haven't taken but the existing nettles are growing nicely so hopefully by mid May I should have a lot more cover. I know this plot is a little risky now, hence me doing two plots and not having all the eggs in one basket. All adds to the excitement. Because this plot has been well tilled in the past I have just cleared enough space for 6 holes about 2 and half feet diameter and a spades length deep instead of digging the whole plot over as I normally would. So this keeps most of the plot covered for now and if the roots want to travel further it shouldn't be that hard for them because of previous tilling. Once the plants are established and bushed out a bit I might dig the rest over inbetween them and remove other roots. But if not, I think the holes I've dug are more than enough to sustain them if I don't allow anything else to grow into them.

 

Here's the plot looking in from the entrance

 

 

Holes dug. This was done last weekend

 

 

Chicken shit and Calcified seaweed mixed in and holes covered over with moss and roots for camoflage.

 

 

Plot 2

 

This is a new plot I found a month or two back but I waited until there was enough cover grown around the access to it and I returned the weekend before last to prep it. No more bramble plots for me, took me 7 hours to get there, clear it and dig it over, removing all roots and stones. Getting too old for this shit

I also sowed some nettles around the edges here but they weren't needed as there have been plenty of local nettles grown up since. The only problem I find with using nettles for cover on the approach is the extra care you have to take tip toeing through them so not to flatten them but they are also a good indication of any unwanted visitors to your plot and it's handy to have a supply for nettle tea if needed.

 

Here's the pre prepped plot

 

 

Another approach to the plot which I was going to use for access but since made a better entrance under some bushes and through brambles.

 

 

3 and 1/4 hours later and the brambles are cleared for a space of roughly 3 x 3 metres. I took this pic from the entrance I made in but decided to replant some brambles to block this entrance off after I sussed out my new improved entrance.

 

 

Here she is dug over to a spade's depth and all roots, stones removed. Shows my new entrance.

 

 

Last pic for this post is a look in from the entrance. This pic was taken about half two in the afternoon and you can see where the shadow lies from the tall brambles on the South side of the plot. I stood next to the brambles and brought my hand down until it was just in the shade which was at a height of about 3 feet. The sun will be higher in the sky by the time I plant out and I will bring the front plants in about a yard from the edge so they shouldn't be too shaded when they are small. The 2 autos will be at the front and one photoperiod, then 3 photo's at the back, depending on what fems I get from the EPK strains. I scattered chicken shit across the whole plot when I'd finished this phase and then returned last weekend to mark where the plants will be and dig in some chicken shit and calcified seaweed into a circle of about 2 x 2 feet for each plant. Feed for the course of the grow will be FBB and kelp meal mixed into the holes at plant out, followed by Bonemeal for flowering, and anything else needed as a top dressing in between. Insect prevention will be Vitax 2 in 1 organic pest and disease control applied once every 3 or 4 weeks and see how it goes. If this is inadequate I will revert to using Provado ultimate bug killer once every 6 weeks as I know that it works well. I would prefer not to use chemicals though if I can get away with it.

 

 

Well that just about wraps up the introductary post. I think I've mentioned just about everything I've done so far but if anyone has any questions or suggestions, feel free to ask or say.

I'd like to add that I'm not mad on competition and I am doing this grow for the buzz as it's a few years since I did one and also to try some more tasty Dinafem strains. 

Best of luck to all participants in the competition and I hope you all have a great season and harvest some nice fat buds

 

Happy growing and keep it green.

 

 

[Openairbud]

Nice prep bud, have you had decent results in the past from your first plot? 

 

Good luck with the season ahead 

[Fragg]

Well that was a nice big first post mate and two nice strains to kick off with too, must get around to doing my Bubba Kush smoke report sometime this week.

 

Best of luck for the season mate, I'll be along for the ride and make sure you show that bong toting Beezee up  

[flighty]

Nice intro mate, that was a diary in one post!

You have a very good friend giving you top quality outdoor beans I hope they do well for you.

 

@Fragg I'm sure it'll be easy for him, I've got far too many diaries running

[jadenugs]

@Openairbud

Thanks mate. Yes I've had decent results from that plot. One particular passion #1 and purple#1 grow did quite well

 

@Fragg

 

Cheels dude, I'll watch for your smoke report on the Bubba. Got a few to do myself yet. Did a live one for the PO CBD, just need to make it readable before posting it. I think that Beezee doesn't need any more bongs

 

@beezee

 Not had a computer lately so couldn't start the diary earlier. Took me ages that first post Got another diary to start too, OG Kush indoor. Yes a top friend

[mokka]

Hi @jadenugs Nice start.

One method of giving autos a stress free plant out is to use 2 pots (no repot method??)

Get two pots of the same size, with one cut away large holes in the sides and bottom for the roots to eventually grow out of. Put this pot inside the other pot and plant your plant as normal. When it comes to planting out simply lift the cutaway pot out and plant the pot in the ground, sorted. Thanks to @912GreenSkell for that tip.

Atb Mokka

[jadenugs]

57 minutes ago, mokka said:

Hi @jadenugs Nice start.

One method of giving autos a stress free plant out is to use 2 pots (no repot method??)

Get two pots of the same size, with one cut away large holes in the sides and bottom for the roots to eventually grow out of. Put this pot inside the other pot and plant your plant as normal. When it comes to planting out simply lift the cutaway pot out and plant the pot in the ground, sorted. Thanks to @912GreenSkell for that tip.

Atb Mokka

Thanks for that tip mate. I did see something somewhere about that method with large slots cut out of the inner pots and I thought if the roots are hanging out of the inner pot then they'll still get disturbed when they're pulled from the outer pot. Now you've mentioned it and I've thought about it properly I need to use big enough pots so the roots aren't poking out the holes in 10 days so 1 litre pots should be about right. Cheers pal, mind's made up. Better than messing about with tape

[jadenugs]

Just looked mate and it was actually Greenskell's method I'd seen

In fact, I'm going to tape some black plastic over the slots before I put them in the outer pots, just to make sure no roots grow out and get disturbed

Edited April 19, 2017 by jadenugs

[Black Venus]

Nice plots and nice photography.  I hope everything goes well for you, it looks great so far.

 

I'm trying out the Bubba Kush photo version so you'll no doubt get to sample it before I do!

[mr_git]

Great looking plots mate and I'm also going to be trying the no stress potting method for my dina autos.

 

If you're going to tape up the slots/holes do you think it would be worth putting some kind of  paper over the holes before taping?  In case roots get bonded to the tape and damaged upon tapes removal?  I don't know I just thought it when reading your idea.

 

Good luck

[mokka]

Hi I just would like to add, try to start them in a bigger pot if possible. Whilst for a gg grow it might not be so practical, I noticed a big difference in final yields when I started in 9litre pots.

My best auto though was from a seed sown direct in the soil in the gh bed.

Atb Mokka

[jadenugs]

17 hours ago, Black Venus said:

Nice plots and nice photography.  I hope everything goes well for you, it looks great so far.

 

I'm trying out the Bubba Kush photo version so you'll no doubt get to sample it before I do!

Cheers mate   Great stuff I'll be along to watch your grow and good luck with it. Can't wait to taste the legendary Bubba.

 

15 hours ago, mr_git said:

Great looking plots mate and I'm also going to be trying the no stress potting method for my dina autos.

 

If you're going to tape up the slots/holes do you think it would be worth putting some kind of  paper over the holes before taping?  In case roots get bonded to the tape and damaged upon tapes removal?  I don't know I just thought it when reading your idea.

 

Good luck

Hi mate, thanks for looking in I'm going to cut some black bin liner bigger than the slots and tape over them so the roots don't come in contact with the sticky. Then just peel them off. I reckon it's a winner. All the best

[jadenugs]

20 minutes ago, mokka said:

Hi I just would like to add, try to start them in a bigger pot if possible. Whilst for a gg grow it might not be so practical, I noticed a big difference in final yields when I started in 9litre pots.

My best auto though was from a seed sown direct in the soil in the gh bed.

Atb Mokka

Thanks but I won't be able to do that, as much as I'd like to. The plants would be a fair size by the time they'd rooted 9 litres. I'll only have ten days to root out the pots, plus transporting them to the plots. I was wanting to do more autos but I'll only fit 4 x litre pots in my rucksack  so 2 at each plot in one trip. Thanks again for your advice

[Dinafem-Mark]

Firstly thank you for getting your outdoor Dinafem grow going and secondly thank you so much for your detailed first post

 

You certainly have some nice plotsm the plan moving forward seams sound and we are glad to be along for the ride

 

It is also fine to have other strains in the grow and will be interesting to see how the other strains fair compared to the Dinafem strains

 

This is going to be a great season and we will be watching with interest

 

Thank you for such a detailed intro and until the next update

 

All the best 

 

Mark. 

[jadenugs]

@Dinafem-Mark

Thanks mate, I was going to dedicate one plot to Dinafem but then if that plot got discovered all would be lost so I'm splitting them to hopefully bring some nice 'erb home