Backyard boogie

[Icculus]

Hi all. Here are my two girls for the season. This is actually my first time growing in the ground, which is exciting. Wish I had a third plant but it’s probably too late. I received these two plants from a good friend a week ago and put them in to my raised bed.
I planted with one bag of Ocean Forest for each plant. I dug deep enough so that I could get some ocean forest under the 3 gallon plants. No supplements in the soil, maybe next time.

Please ignore the irrigation mess that’s from a previous occupant and not being used. I’m hand watering. So far I am watering with half tap and half collected rain water. About a gallon per plant every other day. It may not rain again for this grow and I will run out of rain water soon so it may be all tap pretty soon.

Right now the plants are only getting direct sun between 10am and 3pm but that should improve as the sun moves south.

Wondering it I should buy something to feed them with. I was looking at some organic kellogs fish and kelp at home depot but wasn’t sure if it would do much good. Im looking for bang for buck because I don’t have a ton to invest in these ladies besides TLC.

Anyways, I’ve been gone awhile, I used to have an account here but can’t find it. Glad to be back.

[dequilo]

Nice backyard !!!

cannot wait to see you boogie

all the best

Dequilo

[Old-Ron]

Welcome back. Nice looking plants. Looking forward to seeing the end results. Thanks for sharing.

[Gpaw]

Hi @Icculus, welcome to Over Grow !!

Good to see you are getting a grow log together.
Your plants are looking reasonably happy for being transplanted a week ago, I’d let them settle in another week before deciding about feeding. That OF can take a little adjusting to (for the plant) as it can be a little ‘hot’ sometimes but your big girls will sort it out.

Cheers
G.

[Tinytuttle]

Looking good @Icculus maybe try tying down the longer branches for the others to catch up and you’ll get a nice uniform bushy plant with more usable bud sites

[MidwestMover]

Plants look good!

We have a month til flower starts. Maybe the soil will be good till then and you can just buy bloom fertilizer.

If it doesn’t make it urine can be used for nitrogen. Just saying!

I think Home Depot has some Kellogg tomato feed. An all purpose fertilizer should be fine also!

Be ready for caterpillars also.

[BarefootAndBlazed]

@MidwestMover

We have a month til flower starts. Maybe the soil will be good till then and you can just buy bloom fertilizer.

Agreed. FFOF already contains nutrients that could carry your plants through until flowering. At that point you’d want to feed them something with lower nitrogen and higher P & K.

Love the name, btw. You wrote the fucking book!!!

[Icculus]

Thanks for all of your replies!

The plants are growing. I think it’s a little tough on them that they get no direct sunlight until 10am and then it’s full-on for 5 hours. Though they seem to be adapting ok. I’m trying to watch carefully to be sure that they get enough water for the heat. Still watering a gallon per plant every other day. Kind of wish I had some mulch.

Definitely caterpillars will be my biggest threat. I’ve grown here in San Diego outside several times but always in containers and always the worms got em for 30-60% bud destruction. I’ve never tried BT. Is that my best defense?

Seemingly don’t need any nutes for veg with the fresh OF. I am thinking what to give them for flower. My best experience in combination with OF has been floranova bloom every other watering. I’d love to do something organic. I’m not too worried about yield but want the best smell and flavor possible. Any suggestions?

I’ve also included a pic of a 3 year old thai chili plant that just won’t die. Never really water it but now since Im there every day Im going to see if I can get it growing. Think I should pick all of the peppers it has now to help it focus on growing?

[MidwestMover]

I use cardboard as my mulch right now.

BT is your best defense against caterpillars. Get the concentrate and it should last a couple years.

I would go with what’s easiest for you for a fertilizer.

Organics great but it’s just a label!

[Icculus]

How do you figure is best to use the BT? Wait until flowering? Spray how often? Spray the flowers even? I assume not to spray in the sun.

[TheShowMeHomie]

Welcome to Overgrow @Icculus you will love the outdoors other than some natural pests the outdoors have a great way of making plants happy

[MidwestMover]

You can wait or rotate your sprays. I do neem/silica and some dr bronners. Separate days.

I spray the BT up til the end maybe stop a week before if I think I’m ok.

Aphids seem to get me at the end and I’m not sure what I can spray for them in flower. Maybe potassium hydroxide.

[TheShowMeHomie]

Try some dish soap water

[Tinytuttle]

It should be a castle like soap will be much gentler on you plants biodegrade in less than a week plus potassium boost

[MidwestMover]

Have you sprayed the Castile soap or the potassium hydroxide into late flower. The aphids get me at the end and I feel there’s not much I can do.

[MidwestMover]

Is it cool in late flower still?

[Tinytuttle]

I have sprayed right up to harvest Aphids were real bad last year for me I used a Vaseline cover 5 gallon bucket to Help trap also worked really good .my soap is made with a potassium hydroxide and canola oil

[MidwestMover]

I remember the trap you made. I just saw your new thread and the soap mixture.

I’m glad I can use that up til harvest. I had them bad also last year, and this years auto flower.

Thanks for the good info!

[Tinytuttle]

Ya hopefully I don’t have to resort to that again this year a few are in the plants now it’s manageable now but will resort to warfare if I have to .

[MidwestMover]

Do you rinse it off? I was looking and for the dr bronners that I’m using some say to rinse it off.

Idk if soap is harsh to the leaves or what? I’m using 2 tbsp to 1 gallon.