Fisherman's grow blog; Port Lavaca Texas ,Gulf coast

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Time to trim those leaves. Will help with the weak stalk and will open up light to the smaller plants. See Deluxestogie's 2012 Grow Blog post 31. Don't cut the growth bud.

 

[BarG]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

You can collect rainwater in an barrel and screen the top for mosquito wriglers. just add a spout for watering, drinking or whatever.

 

[BarG]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Those plants look good. Must be a Texan thang.

 

[leverhead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Those plants look good. Must be a Texan thang.

It does the same thing to the women too!

 

[Chicken]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

those young plants do look good, your off to a nice start

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I just checked mine, the leaves are flexible but not what I would call floppy. The sun is setting, so the leaves are stating to lift up for the night.

Thank leverhead. I got a video on uploading to Youtube that I just now took.

I was blowing on the plants while filming and like I said they are like a mouse ear softness

PS: the bandaid comes from the hole saw I was using to cut the holes in the buckets AND a chuckless drill which had "almost enuff" clearance for my hand to hold it and the really wicked saw itself.. Took 3 times to learn fully that my finger was not as tuff as that tool steel and that it wouldnt ever become scared of said finger and move.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Time to trim those leaves. Will help with the weak stalk and will open up light to the smaller plants. See Deluxestogie's 2012 Grow Blog post 31. Don't cut the growth bud.

Well I did read on the clipping and was wanting pristine plants to put in the ground and make yall proud of me. But dam the lil bastids tore easy! I treated them with kid gloves... even more gentler too

But they tore and all... So I guess clipping is not gonna hurt them then the accidental tearing shouldnt either... I really should have repotted before the flats became entertwined

We are already 7 days past our last frost date for here but dont have plants hardened off enuff to put out... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

You can collect rainwater in an barrel and screen the top for mosquito wriglers. just add a spout for watering, drinking or whatever.

I hear some use fish in their hydrophonic setups... That would take care of the wigglers and algea in the gutter system itself as well.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

But they tore and all... So I guess clipping is not gonna hurt them then the accidental tearing shouldnt either... I really should have repotted before the flats became entertwined

Clipping will make repotting unnecessary.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Many many thanks for those last words Knucklehead! I really dont have desire and room and time to repot
Im hoping next week to have all hardened off and ready to put in. That is if my paycheck will be enuff for 1500 gallons of potting mix. @ .6 cubic feet per bucket that is 300 5 gallon buckets worth. The vermiculite seems to be the most expensive part of the mix. Im thinking 2 parts peat, 1 part compost and 1 part vermiculite/pearlite along with lime and epsom salts [which i will read up on again].
I am hoping a lot of things and mainly that the mix will work in the wicking system and that I can learn enuff to know when to quit the nitrogen at blooming time.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I guess this is a question for those experienced in bucket growing, but can't you use regular topsoil in the buckets as opposed to a purchased potting mix? If it's good enough for field planted tobacco, wouldn't it be good enough for buckets? I have no idea, that's why I'm asking.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I guess this is a question for those experienced in bucket growing, but can't you use regular topsoil in the buckets as opposed to a purchased potting mix? If it's good enough for field planted tobacco, wouldn't it be good enough for buckets? I have no idea, that's why I'm asking.

The idea of the gutter self watering system is that it "wicks" up water and to do this it needs a light water retaining mixture that the peat/vermiculite mix offers. Topsoil also will compact in a container and will cause root boundness over time... Also Im renting so i cant use topsoil here but I guess I could get some delivered and ammend with lots of peat.... The cost of 300 buckets of mix is gonna be almost 3$ a bucket Im figuring. Add that to the cost of the bucket and the gutter system I will have about 8$ per bucket... 3 buckets to a carton of smokes...... Well still lots less than the $55 I am paying now for smokes. And the cost of kiln building and operating will for sure drive cost to 50% of ready made smokes but with a little dignity
Of course the cost will be less next year ..Also if the grow bags work it will be lots less.

Back on the subject of the topsoil vs potting mix...... I would agree with you that maybe topsoil and peat mix would suffice. Maybe even a 50/50 mix may allow proper wicking. I will run a few experiments and see so we can have information for next year anyway.

I saw one video where a fella used a few strips of a terrycloth towel knotted thru a hole in the bucket [know made the lower end of strips stay in liquid in gutter and let him stretch the other ends as stated below] and then the loose ends stretched to top of bucket and held in place with dirt he added while planting his plant that really looked nice and would work more directly than the system I am using. Might try that as well.

I am really hoping the grow bags work as they were $120 for 400 and 5 gallon size. They wouldnt work in gutter system but will work Im sure in the trough system Im making. Again maybe 50/50 peat and topsoil may work. The dam vermiculite is pretty steep priced.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Wow. Sounds like you've done your homework. I hadn't thought of the requirements of a wick type system for the buckets. I guess top watering would have different requirements. Thanks for the info. Your plants are looking great.

 

[Seanz]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

The vid is not working for me?

 

[Webby]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Try right click, copy url, and paste into search bar or straight into you tube search bar bro.

 

[Seanz]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Tru far out too early in the day for thinking bro lol

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-23-13:

Ok..................... we went ahead and transplanted the rest of the 2 first flats. Main reason was we needed to try the potting mix for the main buckets and bags.

We used 2 gallon vermiculite 5 gallons peat moss and 5 gallons cotton compost for this mix..
It worked totally awesome! Flowed around the transplants like water but yes being dry when potted it will be a mutha to wet I'm sure.
Concerns will be if the compost will be to rich for the plants in nitrogen and if the mix will wick in our gutter system.

Here is small videos to show the mixture and ingredients and another to show the wetting progress in the system. System is totally flooded to compensate for the totally dry potting mix. We did top water the new pots a little which as you can see are clear solo cups variety with 1/2" hole drilled in bottom. We will cover them with a solid colored one later but wanted to see what was happening in pots for a while. Also they were cheaper and we hadnt made our mind up weather to transplant or clip the starts.

Chit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From makers of the cotton burr compost we used.............

Cotton Burr Compost : Cotton Burr Compost is a valuable addition to the soils used in container planting, provided there is some soil or sand in the mix. We do not recommend it in a soil-less mix such as peat or peat-bark mixtures due to its tendency to migrate and layer in the bottom of the container.

Well............... it wont be there long enuff to hurt in the transplant pots but some reconcidering mite be in order for the bucket and growbag mix. dammmmmmmmm

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Mixing the mix and video showing ease and fluidity of mixture around transplant:

Right after we finished the 144 transplants and moved to the gutter system which we filled with miraclegro transplant shock juice at 1/2" strength.......... we went in side for a break... Sheila had to go get a sweater while doing this video and you will not guess what the day was like 2-3 hours later!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-23-13: Later that day in South Texas>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Scenario: Finished planting first 2 plants in solo cups... Skys overcast. Sheila had to get sweater to be comfortable doing last video. She mentioned the fellas at breakfast saying that temps were to be in 30's tonight. ETC>>>>

We took break to post the last 2 videos........

Went back outside to make a last one to record wicking of the new potting mix .............................

AND >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yes it was really hot and bright sunny! Plants wilted like salad in a low-grade diner!
Next video shows how a pair of rednecks should and do respond to an emergency

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-23-13: The Cure!!!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Scenario:Walked outside after taking a break from planting and were greated with bright direct sunlight on all our newly transplanted crop! Crops barely able to fend for themselves!! Only 4 days of hardening and this ! OMG!!!!!>>>

We , me and Sheila, both being from redneck stock took quick assesment of situation and available resources and . well cured the problem... Actually 2! The palms in the background used the slab where the gutter system is set up in to drop their leaves which will terribly destroy a young or even full grown tobacco plant. Had figured for later to use some over size fishermans webbing to stop that onslaught............

Yes it was really hot and bright sunny! Plants wilted like salad at a Sahara picnic.

At any rate it all went well as you will see.

Would it be possible to start plants under total shade like this? I mean without lights and all???????