OldHippie here Long time grower, late 70s just found this. live in portland OR area seeking nearby growers for trade and sampling our wares. can never have too many friends
21 Likes
Welcome to OG @oldhippy , you certainly came to the right place. Make yourself at home. I am sure you will find plenty folks to chat and trade with.
5 Likes
Welcome to OG oldhippy 
1 Like
I am new to OG also and it is good to see an @oldhippy landed at OG.
I cant wait to see what great ideas and experiences you have to contribute 
Welcome to the OG Family, Brother!..
5 Likes
I understand that for some you see a work of art ready to be made, but I keep staring at a blank canvas. This is just before they went into 3 gal pots while I waited on this recent rain. That hill is SE facing, and at peak summer, will have light from 0730-2000, 12.5hr. I would describe my climate as ideal for Afghans, as the temps will get high during the day, low in the evening. I was planning long term on terrace layout, with a water tank tucked away on the edge of the hill. I am trying to grow for personal supply as well as education and mental health. Strawberry cough that I had up in coastal OR in 2017 seemed to be the best I’ve ever had at keeping me upbeat and anxiety free. I welcome any strain advice for SC or anything else you’d recommend.
I love staying mentally active with my hobbies, and can tell that growing will be a worthy candidate for my love of tinkering. I also try and look at the fun side of my disappointments in life. All culled plants will become sexless bonsai for example. Best way I can teach myself some of these techniques is with practice, and it seems the bending and pruning of bonsai can help with that a bit. As I am so new to growing, I welcome any and ALL advice. I’m excited for the improving weather, but I know there is work to be done as well.
21 Likes
U def got lots of space out there! Gonna be tough keeping most strains in veg with those short days, really gonna have to be chasing a lot of equatorial varieties that are used to those conditions or figure out a way to add supplemental lighting to keep them awake for those few extra hours each night. I see all that land and it just screams get some nice hoop houses installed and run some power to have some led lights hanging, doesn’t need to be super intensity, just enough to keep the house awake the full 16-18 hrs a day. Other option if you got lots of indoor space is just run your veg cycles indoors under 18-24 hr lighting and then simply put the plants outside to initiate flowering and letting nature do the rest.
5 Likes
Awesome, thank you for the info. Had a felling those times were a little bit on the short side. Hoop houses was the other thought, I just like the outdoors…well, when its nice out.
2 Likes
Outdoors your def gonna have the bigger huge yield plants as long as you can accomplish keeping em in veg long enough. Our biggest challenge in my area is heat and wind. Not sure what yours are there but a solid hoop house should protect from most the elements stressing your plants and some environmental controls without beating u up to bad financially. I built my greenhouse out of wood and corrugated plastic panels and my 12 x 16 prob cost about $2500 for the build, hoop house would have been a lot cheaper but prob would be changing the plastic by now with the heat and wind
4 Likes
Welcome to OG. I read your thread and am glad you found us.
3 Likes
Happy to be here seems like a great community lets grow together
4 Likes
how did you plan out the build for your greenhouse? i know you’ve been farming for many moons now, so i’m sure you had many ideas for how best to maximize your space and make it work for you.
2 Likes
http://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/diy-greenhouse
Scaled up off these plans, went 4 foot sides instead of 3, only went 2 feet up with osb instead of metal and mine was 12x16 and those plans are for 10x12. Didn’t have a table saw, only a hand saw so had to lay 2x4 flat instead of ideal up and down, left a 1x2 panel out above the door and threw a swamp cooler on the back. Loft was just a throw together with scrap pieces cuz the first grow I was running lighting under it at night and blanketing off around it
If I were to do it again id go at least another 4 ft longer keeping the same width
Since I have built mine I noticed she came out with another set of plans for a diff style
https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/categories/outdoor-projects/buildings/greenhouse-plans
5 Likes
amazing. thanks as always for the info!
2 Likes
I just hopped over to that site, love it! I think I’ll head in that direction of her initial build, but it might get scaled up a little 
I also think as long as I’m going indoors-ish that I’ll be going aquaponic or hydroponic too. Mostly due to seeing the family members perk up at the mention at potential of tilapia being an on request menu item 
Also, with the lack of rain over here, there’s not many “free” natural resources to go around, aside from the sun.
4 Likes
Well even though mine didn’t turn out perfect, unless I told u those imperfections the build is def visually appealing and has made things turn key, just gotta have a good method for airflow and dispersing the heat once out door temps pass about 80-90, I’ll likely be putting on a second swamper this year to have a failsafe against our 115-120 summers that I’m challenging mother nature on. If ur in a dry climate hydro or aquaponics prob not a bad thing to consider which ultimately should help u with humidity in the grow, as for me I love my organics paired with the greenhouse, intense flavors and full terp profiles shining without the harsh elements of wind and rain
3 Likes
I also have a handful of guinea pigs, and their poo is around 6.5ph from what I’ve heard. Have to figure out how to do some proper tests to see if its worth using as a fertilizer. I’m planning on growing veggies as well, for the family and for the critters. The grocery store prices are crazy.
2 Likes
Your sitting on some good shit there, pun def intended. Rabbit poop and guinea pig poop are pretty close to the same as far as pelleted, can’t burn ur plants and safe for the garden straight from the booty without composting, some would argue they are the best manure u can get for a garden next to fresh worm castings, once I find someone with rabbits I’ll be testing in my garden too
5 Likes
I’ll vacuum seal a bunch and mail it if you want, lol. I’d be interested in how it turns out in the hands of a grower.
2 Likes