I was thinking this morning I better update my procedure with exactly that info.
Initially I went from seed to big pot (no up-potting). I wasn’t totally impressed with the results growth-wise.
Then, I got hold of BOG’s “Bonanza of Green” and studied his process of multiple up-pots and started taking stock of other folks’ here that were doing similar and decided to give it a go… and I like the results.
I see folks using mixed legumes for their cover crop, some types can get to a significant size!
I went with ‘micro clover’ which is a shorter white clover but it’s shorter than most options even when it gets ‘leggy’ when mature.
I think adding the clover at the first up-pot (solo cup to 5.5) is the right point. The goal is to have it ‘operational’ by the third week (after up-potting). That might vary a little depending on the size of container and strain.
Clover seed is tiny, you really only need a pinch distributed in a circle about an inch or two away from the stem. The smallest package of seed will last a long time.
Managing it is simple, if you see the leaves starting to go a darker green, ‘weed wack’ 1/4 of the clover. Now if you wait too long (like I did the 1st time) you get into a Catch 22 situation where killing the clover increases the nitrogen, at least initially. That’s why I said “less is more”.
I like to have some all through flower, that way when the leaves start to fade at the end you know it’s the plant, not something else.
Thanks for the detailed answer! I’ve actually ordered borage for my cover crop, so I’ll do some comparison of N fixing vs. clover, and, if you don’t mind, I’ll tag you when I start that grow!
I think it’s a winner, I just need to get more proficient with it.
I was fooling around with it on my headstash grows, this is the first time applying it to a seed run. When I get the timing dialed in I think it will go a long way to producing lots of healthy seed.
Also you might find that at flowering time the cannabis plant is much bigger and takes so much light away from the cover crop, it dies off, realeasing all the N just when you don’t want it.
Alfalfa is worse, I won’t use that as a cover crop anymore, but at least it gets taller than clover and doesn’t get killed off from lack of light
That’s probably the most helpful thing I’ve read about cover cropping yet. I’ve got theee packs of clover seed in the fridge that I haven’t implemented yet because I wasn’t sure on the details. Ready to break em out now I think
I’m gonna watch this all the way through, and when you’re about to chop her I’m gonna show up and posts “BULLWINKLE!”
That’s also how I will announce chop time on my own grows going forward.
It was one of the best lines from Murphy Brown… “With accent like that, she should be hatching plots for Moose and Squirrrrel”
she said it in her best Boris Badenov voice.
It’s been one of those reoccurring jokes in the family…
Here is a before, just a standard 10 inch 3 speed. This pulled 20 watts on low and was a ‘Work Horse’ for three years, then the oscillating function packed up.
The last ‘victim’ of the cull has been ‘harvested’
Here are the two best males (front - left and right)
The center is also a male (a good one) but his morphology falls outside the desired shape and structure for OG Kush. I’m collecting his pollen for a side project.
Here’s the final cut. front left is the Critical Plus (fem) back left & front right are ‘BF 1 & 2’ (1st & 2nd pick females) back right is MB4, the third female
{edit} the ‘best’ assignment for the ladies is preliminary, based on plant morphology. That will be reviewed and possibly changed based on the preliminary smoke report…
(smoke report is 50% of the final grade… )
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