# Hardening Plants



## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 30, 2017)

I am wanting to start hardening my plants off to get them outdoors.  They are currently under a 1000W HPS 18 hour a day.  How do you all do it--how many hours a day, how many days?  I am in eastern Oregon.  Any advise?


----------



## Rosebud (Apr 30, 2017)

On a real nice day, like 70 degrees,  I put them under the patio cover for a few hours increasing time each day for a week.  Then i let them meet the sunshine same thing.. ready to go out in around 2 weeks.  Are you excited THG?  WOO HOO, I am excited. My other advice is using sns209 before they go out and continue the 5 waterings as a precaution to the blankity blank thrip.  You got this, i can't wait to see and hopefully taste the fruits of your labor.


----------



## orangesunshine (May 1, 2017)

sometimes my clones clones go from 24 hr T5 to 14 hr T5 for a few days---other times  they just get booted OD soon as we get a Waxing Moon---i like to get them out at sun rise and transplant to larger pots during the Waning Moon---party on THG :joint4:


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 1, 2017)

Thanks guys.  We have just a bit over 14 hours of daylight now--sunrise at 6:38, sunset at 8:51. I might kick the vegging lights back again in preparation to go outside.  It sounds like a good day to get them out on the deck for a few hours--it doesn't get direct sun until afternoon.  I AM excited Rosebud.  Super soil seems to be cooking nicely. I've got a bunch of Satori this year, Buck-eye purple cross (result of my neighbor having a male in his garden), and some Shark Shock CBD (I am liking this strain for nighttime).  I'm sure we can figure out some way for you to get a taste  :giggle:.  Still haven't got much done in the backyard--seems like we have had bad wind or rain most days, but this week is supposed to be nice.  Ordered a bunch of really heavy landscape fabric to get down where the garden is going to be--will put bark mulch on top of the fabric.  Orange, I'll watch the moon cycles as I get ready to put outdoors and transplant.


----------



## grass hopper (May 3, 2017)

hi thg, hope to be outdoor grow friends this summer. hope all goes well!!


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 4, 2017)

Grasshopper, being outdoor grow buddies sounds great!  I am really excited for this growing season.  

Decided to run some PVC underground to the garden area so I am not pulling hoses around all the time.  We got the trench dug yesterday, will put water line in today and get covered so I can lay the landscape fabric down.  Most of the garden is going to have a drip system or soaker hoses.  This is going to be fun!


----------



## grass hopper (May 4, 2017)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Grasshopper, being outdoor grow buddies sounds great!  I am really excited for this growing season.
> 
> Decided to run some PVC underground to the garden area so I am not pulling hoses around all the time.  We got the trench dug yesterday, will put water line in today and get covered so I can lay the landscape fabric down.  Most of the garden is going to have a drip system or soaker hoses.  This is going to be fun!



wow! you are serious about this. very cool... being from N.E., We need water July and August. The best year i had outdoors, everything  was rototilled. also dug 30 inch or larger sq. holes, 30 inches deep. a 2 sq ft bag of potting soil in each hole. miracle grow (blue bags). 6 months food in ea. bag. i get almost all day direct sun. a few branches have encroached in my sun/ grow area. i just purchased a doubled sided rope chain saw. $50.. only limited to how high you can throw. tomorrow will test. i am excited too thg. i can't grow monsters indoors...  i have used lots of weed stop fabric with good luck. although have yet to try it in the grow area.


----------



## orangesunshine (May 5, 2017)

thg sounds like she is all in---soaker hoses and drip irrigation---all you need now is a chair---lmao


----------



## grass hopper (May 5, 2017)

thg, can you explain what the hardening off is about?? see others are doing that also. thanks!  :48:


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 5, 2017)

Hardening off is basically just acclimating your plants to the outdoor elements gradually.  Our indoor lights and fans are not nearly the intensity that the sun and wind can be.  So, the plants are exposed to the outdoors in short increments at first, with the periods lengthening every day.

Yes, I am serious about this--I do love gardening.  Last year I had so much going on that the outdoor garden kind of took a back seat to everything else (hard to think about much else when you have a kitchen completely gutted).  This year, the yard is getting all my attention and energy (which I need way more of).  I made up a batch of NV's super soil, which is still cooking.  I am going to use 20 and 25 gal smart pots in an area about 24 x 14 in the back yard. Veggies are going in raised garden boxes I made up.  I have also used a lot of landscape in my day, but this time, I looked for the heaviest fabric I could find as I am covering with bark and there is going to be a lot of foot traffic on it.  LOL--I can just barely lift the roll by myself, so hopes it holds up.



Here in eastern Oregon, as in much of the west, it is high desert.  We depend on irrigation all season long.  I had retired farmer friends from Wisconsin out one time--they marveled at all the irrigation systems we used.  I marveled that they depended on nature to water their crops.  So, as watering is pretty much an everyday thing, I want to make it efficient and easy.


----------



## Rosebud (May 5, 2017)

grass hopper, does your miracle grow have water crystals? IF so, don't use it. marijuana likes a dry cycle and miracle grow doesn't do that, plus it can burn plants as the NPK isn't really for marijuana.  Sorry to tell you that now, if you already got it.


----------



## grass hopper (May 5, 2017)

thanks rose, i have used the m.g. light blue bag for several years with good luck.. have always put a 2 sq. foot blue bag in each hole.. years ago i added a 14 yard dump truck of the blackest loam around. then rototilled it in with the existing 8 to 10 inches of loam. soil also has carcases of bass, deer, coyotes, grass and leaves. pulled up old bones in half my holes last week. lol. the soil is very alive and everything grows big out there.

really cool thg, do u use the 6 inch contractor fabric staples? last week i noticed they have them in 4 and 10 inch as well. helps hold everything in place as you probably know. outdoor growing in my area is very easy. little watering or feeding req'd...    stalking is by far my biggest concern here. followed by mold near harvest. i lost my whole crop to mold last o.d. grow, several years ago.  i tried strains that were not mold resistant. big mistake around here. like to see nvs super soil recipe. can u point me where?   sounds like you are gonna have a blast this summer!! California has the ideal outdoor grow weather. But still fun!!


----------



## pcduck (May 6, 2017)

THG, they sell drip line that has copper at the drip points. This keeps weeds from clogging the drip ports.


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 6, 2017)

Grasshopper, this is NV's super soil recipe:  http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72551  There is another thread somewhere where some of the people who used the recipe discuss their results.  I will see if I can find it. 

I don't use MG products...or Scott's or Monsanto.  The Home Depot in my area carries organic products from a smaller family-owned company called Kellogg's that I am very happy with.  This is what I use for my base soil.  I believe that this is the same company that makes the Gardner and Bloom soil that The Rev uses and recommends.

Yeah, I do use the contractor fabric staples--we get a lot of wind here.  Even with bark mulch over the top, I would worry about the wind catching the fabric.  Duck, I will check out the drip lines with the copper--didn't realize that this would keep the weeds from clogging the ports.  I've used copper for years to deter slugs.

I'm in eastern Oregon, but it is also a great place to grow.  I am surrounded by farmland.  It is nice to have a growing season that is longer than 90 days

Horrible weather yesterday and today.  Wind and rain have kept me inside.  Got a sick chicken--bumblefoot.  Hoping I can save her.  My buddy and I are going to tackle this later--just got back from D & B.  Spent $50 on supplies, trying to save a $15 chicken.

Thanks for your comments and recommendations.


----------



## grass hopper (May 6, 2017)

thank you thg!!


----------



## DG1959 (May 13, 2017)

Hemp goddess ....another Oregon grower here, but on the West side mid valley. My girls are under a small hoop house for now until I finish the greenhouse. Had some very bad weather on this side the last couple days, glad I housed them.
 Strains this year.... Elephant, Chernobyl, 9 pound hammer, Mango kush.
 Last year .... Icebreaker, Honeysuckle, and 2 Mojave OG kush.
 Good to see another Oregonian.


----------



## grass hopper (May 14, 2017)

thg, i had to order the soy bean meal but should have all ingredients in 7 days. looking forward to a hot mix. thank you!


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 15, 2017)

Grasshopper, be sure to cook it--it will fry the plants otherwise.  Also, I cut this at least 50/50 with plain soil and for plants sensitive to nutes, like Satori, I take it to 30% mix, 70% soil.

DG1959, welcome to MP!  Just moved to Oregon a little over a year ago after a lifetime (almost) in Idaho.  I am so glad to be here.  I am in my mid 60s and have smoked cannabis since the late 60s.  All that time I risked incarceration.  The freedom to imbibe and grow your own is so nice.  Sounds like you have a great lineup of strains.


----------



## grass hopper (May 22, 2017)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Grasshopper, be sure to cook it--it will fry the plants otherwise.  Also, I cut this at least 50/50 with plain soil and for plants sensitive to nutes, like Satori, I take it to 30% mix, 70% soil.
> 
> DG1959, welcome to MP!  Just moved to Oregon a little over a year ago after a lifetime (almost) in Idaho.  I am so glad to be here.  I am in my mid 60s and have smoked cannabis since the late 60s.  All that time I risked incarceration.  The freedom to imbibe and grow your own is so nice.  Sounds like you have a great lineup of strains.



the mix was completed yesterday. it was hot (pretty warm),to the touch today. even dry. i separated the mix into 2 giant wheel barrows today and spread the leftover bottom couple of inches evenly over the bottom of the 5 foot diameter pool. i watered (sprinkled) in 4 gallons of water adding a few inches of hot mix each sprinkle until complete. the goal was to get a little moisture evenly through out the whole mix.  i also added in 8 cups of composted chicken manure. now i own it!! it will be a 50/50 mix in a few weeks. also the plants going in will be being transplanted into 5 gallon sacks. will be 5 or 6 weeks old. pretty hardy. i am looking forward to this.


----------



## zem (May 23, 2017)

Hey THG it's great to hear that your plan is going along nicely. A handy shading method as well as a simple fencing will prevent a lot of the outdoor elements. Good luck!


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (May 25, 2017)

Culled a male today.  It was a Buckeye Purple cross (my neighbor had a male he didnt get out of his garden before it dropped pollen).  It looks like the cross may keep the beautiful purple color. 

View attachment 20170525_173156.jpg


----------



## Rosebud (May 25, 2017)

Well isn't that a pretty boy.. Very nice THG.


----------



## orangesunshine (May 25, 2017)

wow---if those ain't blue balls---what is :rofl:


----------



## grass hopper (May 30, 2017)

grass hopper said:


> the mix was completed yesterday. it was hot (pretty warm),to the touch today. even dry. i separated the mix into 2 giant wheel barrows today and spread the leftover bottom couple of inches evenly over the bottom of the 5 foot diameter pool. i watered (sprinkled) in 4 gallons of water adding a few inches of hot mix each sprinkle until complete. the goal was to get a little moisture evenly through out the whole mix.  i also added in 8 cups of composted chicken manure. now i own it!! it will be a 50/50 mix in a few weeks. also the plants going in will be being transplanted into 5 gallon sacks. will be 5 or 6 weeks old. pretty hardy. i am looking forward to this.



today, again i separated the mix back into 2 xtra large wheelbarrows. adding back into the 5 foot dia. pool from toys"R"us. a couple inches at a time sprinkling enough water to get more damp again. the mix is no longer hot or even warm. it was getting dryer though.  today i added another 4 gallons of water.  it's nice and evenly damp again. pool was under $20. but because i was worried on accidental puncture, i bought two and stacked them. couple more weeks. excited.


----------



## tcbud (May 31, 2017)

Looking out for males here too, with a magnify glass. Those purple flowers are both lovely and terrifying. At first I thot I was looking at a new style bug.


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 1, 2017)

TCbud and orangesunshine,  you crack me up.  

Looking again, it does look like some kind of bug.  Went to the neighbors after I pulled my male plant to "help" him sex his.  We found 2 males and he destroyed them.  Now that he knows what he is looking for, I don't think he will let another one get to the pollen stage (like he did last year).

Grass hopper, sounds like your soil  is cooking like its supposed to.  I will be repotting my plants into the 20 and 25 gal smart pots weekend after next when I have help coming.


----------



## grass hopper (Jun 8, 2017)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> TCbud and orangesunshine,  you crack me up.
> 
> Looking again, it does look like some kind of bug.  Went to the neighbors after I pulled my male plant to "help" him sex his.  We found 2 males and he destroyed them.  Now that he knows what he is looking for, I don't think he will let another one get to the pollen stage (like he did last year).
> 
> Grass hopper, sounds like your soil  is cooking like its supposed to.  I will be repotting my plants into the 20 and 25 gal smart pots weekend after next when I have help coming.



sounds like fun thg. have you considered spending a few hundred bucks to have a dump truck come and spread a thick layer of black loam in your garden area, at some point.. i did that and since have added compost, all of my used soils and rotoed it all in. got a super garden area now where roots travel 12 feet to steal feed from each other. it's alive out there. just a thought mam.
i have got some males i need to i.d. soon. they are about 3 or 4 weeks old. at about what age do i have to worry about pollen???  thanks!!


----------



## grass hopper (Jun 23, 2017)

grass hopper said:


> today, again i separated the mix back into 2 xtra large wheelbarrows. adding back into the 5 foot dia. pool from toys"R"us. a couple inches at a time sprinkling enough water to get more damp again. the mix is no longer hot or even warm. it was getting dryer though.  today i added another 4 gallons of water.  it's nice and evenly damp again. pool was under $20. but because i was worried on accidental puncture, i bought two and stacked them. couple more weeks. excited.



thg, i used a 50/50 mix of ocean forest/ green light and the hot mix. i also added 6 cups of chicken **** and 6 cups of worm castings in each large wheel barrow. it was a real hot mix.... 
 the 18 inch high plants drooped the first day and a half. some of the lower leaves turned yellow. tip burn signs as well, which i never get. after the second water, about a week after transplant the plants now are all dark green and growing like crazy. so far i am really impressed with the mix. i will be doing a second tent with the identical mix in the next two days. will post pics when i get caught up. thanks!!


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 24, 2017)

Grasshopper, glad the mix seems to be working out for you.  I looked at a lot of super soil recipes this year, but stayed with NV's.  Even though I mixed my mix mellower than you did, I still ended up with some burn on the plants.  I have a bunch of Satori this year and they are such light eaters.  They are looking happy now though.


----------



## grass hopper (Jun 25, 2017)

The Hemp Goddess said:


> Grasshopper, glad the mix seems to be working out for you.  I looked at a lot of super soil recipes this year, but stayed with NV's.  Even though I mixed my mix mellower than you did, I still ended up with some burn on the plants.  I have a bunch of Satori this year and they are such light eaters.  They are looking happy now though.



someone had said they had tried the mix(nvs), and had deficiencies. so i maDE it hotter. VERY healthy gals now. said they used promix for other 50%. i used O.F. and green light 

View attachment IMG_2776.jpg


----------



## 2RedEyes (Jun 26, 2017)

That's really nice GH, I don't have nearly that much grow space so I'm hoping to do a couple nice outdoor plants disguised in my flower bed. Hoping to get started this week if it's not too late...


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 26, 2017)

Grasshopper, they look great.  What a sweet space!  It is funny, because I mixed mine a little mellower because I read that someone fried their plants with it.  I figured that I will supplement with teas and top dressing.  I can add stuff, but if I fry my Satoris, they are gone.  I kind of think we have to use our best judgement as to whether our girls are light eaters or heavy eaters.

2RedEyes, you should still have time.  But, I would get on it.


----------



## grass hopper (Jun 26, 2017)

thg, it was jaam i think that said deficiencies. but with a 50/50 mix with promix. i think if i used my hotter mix with 1 week old babies, i woulda  fried em forsure. but at 5 or 6 weeks they are pretty tough and take feed well. i have read on light feeders as you say. but not experienced enough to notice. thank you ma'am, for posting nvs soil mix!!  :aok:


----------

