Rural Buddha's amazing adventure in the maize

[Rural Buddha]

It will be @Revive - when I find maize fields! I think the cold in late April and early May delayed any sowing. Today I had another look around some of the fields I found that might have maize in them, main problem is there's no sign of what's growing in these fields. Some I can see are beet or other root crop, others are dressed and probably sown but nothing popping up as yet. I didn't stop and dig around to see what seeds might be sown

 

Getting slightly twitchy but we'll see what happens in the next week or three. I might have plants 1 or 2 foot tall to transport and plant out at this rate

[Revive]

1 hour ago, Rural Buddha said:

It will be @Revive - when I find maize fields! I think the cold in late April and early May delayed any sowing. Today I had another look around some of the fields I found that might have maize in them, main problem is there's no sign of what's growing in these fields. Some I can see are beet or other root crop, others are dressed and probably sown but nothing popping up as yet. I didn't stop and dig around to see what seeds might be sown

 

Getting slightly twitchy but we'll see what happens in the next week or three. I might have plants 1 or 2 foot tall to transport and plant out at this rate

Fuker that is mate.. big plants don't make good for stealth plant out missions.. hope you find something soon bud..

[Rural Buddha]

Further to my hunt for maize fields. On Sunday I took a spin around an area that I thought might be good for a maize field or three. All I saw was a sea of green - 95% wheat and barley, a few beet, a few onions, zero maize. Yesterday (BH Monday) I took another look at fields I'm waiting to see what's in them - still no crop, signs that a tractor has been doing something in the fields but no sign of what's going to grow. Went on to scout out another system of lanes and fields, found one field that was growing recently sown wheat, barley or whatever. In amongst the crop were a few maize plants that maybe a left over from last year, perhaps an indication that I might find fields with a maize crop eventually.

 

2 each of the Freezland and GSC have germinated and are growing. One GSC was a couple of days late appearing. 1 of each strain (smaller beans) still to produce tails, I'll give them a few more days to pop before germinating replacements.

Medium is ~70% coco coir, 10% used 'all veg compost' and ~20% Perlite, moistened with rested tap water, not sure I pHd that. Mornings and up to mid-afternoon they reside in the conservatory with the blinds down (~28 C) and propagator cover on, mid/late afternoon I'll pop them outside for some sun and fresh air - cover off. Nights are spent indoors in the spare room that has my grow tent in at ~20 C. So far only one light spray of pHd rain water with 1:250 Rhizotonic on Sunday, I'll give them another this evening.

 

Put in kitchen paper Wed. 26th May

4 put in pots Friday 28th

These photos today - 1st June.

[Rural Buddha]

At last! 4 out of 6 fields I'd earmarked are showing maize, the other two look like onions. 1 of the 4 is not ideal being too close to houses/farm. The maize is only at the two node stage so perhaps a couple of weeks away before I'll fly the buzzard looking for holes in the crop. The maize is a whole month behind where it should be, perhaps the farmers are hoping that October is going to have good weather to extend the growing season. It's going to be a lottery when harvest happens - theirs and mine 

 

I've put another 2 beans in to soak as the smaller ones have not germinated in the kitchen roll - dropped those in to soak again too, we'll see if they come to life or not.

[Rural Buddha]

Here are the 4 girls out on the patio. They now spend their days out in the sun and are bought in to the conservatory at night.

 

The two non-germinators have been soaked again and then popped in small pots to see if they'll do anything. Soaked two other beans and put in kitchen paper, I think I might have killed them though as they got a bit dry. Wetted them out and put them in pots too - they have two chances.

 

Tried to save the bumble bee yesterday but I think it was already in it's death throws - it didn't look a happy bee

[Rural Buddha]

I've made the decision to bail from this comp. There are several reasons, the main one being that I'm just not brave enough to do guerilla growing. Other reasons are, apart from being a pussy : I'm old and tired, having Crohn's Disease doesn't help - coming up for 50 years since I was diagnosed with it. The maize is well behind and I feel that any plants I put out wouldn't get to maturity before the maize was harvested.

 

I'm glad I didn't get any free seeds from @panik so I don't feel guilty in not going through with the grow. The plants are now in my grow tent so may appear in another post in the hydro section - hoping to go R-DWC soon.

 

I'll keep checking out the other grows here as they progress - oh to be younger, fitter and braver .....

 

I went out and flew my buzzard camera model last week (23rd June), the first field I had lined up the camera didn't function (I think I turned it on!). Here are a few screen grabs from the video I got from two other fields I flew over, plus two normal photos of the first field.

 

 

 

Bare area around electricity pole. (I changed the time and day & month but forgot the year)

 

Clever sowing around trees, a good looking area arrowed but would have had the tree shading the spot as north of tree.

 

The seed drill was amazingly consistent, no missed areas anywhere in the two fields I got video from. That's me by the red spot The buzzard is at around 200ft I would think.

[panik]

No dramas mate sometime life throws you a curve ball i hope your indoor goes well  

[Revive]

@Rural Buddha shame to hear this dude.. glad I got to see some shots of the flying bird.. pretty cool .. im sure you have thought it through before pulling the plug.. its work this game but guess its not for everyone.. best of luck with your indoor grow dude 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Revive

[Rural Buddha]

Thanks @Revive - seeing the effort you and others put in to your plots is amaizing I did give my decision a good deal of thought, it was exciting just doing the scouting out for fields to grow in but I have to be realistic and realised I'm really just not up to doing guerilla growing - even in relatively easy field settings.

 

I'll stick with my indoor grows - not far to travel to that 'plot'

 

The 'buzzard/eagle' will get launched off cliffs and hills (slope soaring) to wind up the local gulls (cliffs) and other birds. If an aerial search is required, e.g. other model lost in crops the eagle + camera can usually locate it.

 

I'll keep looking in - ATB with your escapades.

 

Slope soaring - no motor required. Not me, my 'eagle' is not that pretty

A proper model glider, I have one similar but half the wing span.

 

[Revive]

12 minutes ago, Rural Buddha said:

I'll keep looking in - ATB with your escapades.

 

Cool bro.. you never know you may dip your toe in the water oneday for some sun grown bud.. even if its only in a garden.. geat vids, wasbang into anything the flew when I was younger..  I used to watch planes for days on end just laying on my back in the field..  not sure what happ there but I clearly still have an interest.. built a few balsa wood ones years back from scratch..  funny I remember the chemical stuff that you used to coat the tissue paper with was called dope good luck mate and be lucky 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Revive