Overgrowing 2018: Year In Review 📆

[cannabissequoia]

Overgrowing 2018: Year In Review

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Hey OG family,

Now that the calendar year closes for most of us and the Northern-hemispherians are mostly stoned & out of trim jail , the alcohol & fireworks are being readied, the seeds have been popping for the next growaround, I’d like to ask you to reflect & hear what’s next in 2019.

In the past year have you learned or experienced things that have changed your growing or will in the near future?

• Different styles, techniques to try or quit?
• Products you’ve found or decided to abandon?
• Strains/cultivars you’ve changed your opinion of?
• Plant behavior or ecological phenomena newly observed?
• Personal Cannabis philosophy changed or evolved?

For the few very senior Overgrowers, I suspect this to be a “No, sir” answer, the decade+ folks a bit of change, and the younger & less experienced of us making the most & greater modifications.

Wishing you all a sticky-icky New Year!

[toastyjakes]

I’ve learned the joys of topdressing, the hate of ph issues, and how to try new things like coco…

My views are always changing but I dig it here… hence, why I’m here hahaha

We all learn new things daily (at least i do) and the game keeps switching up, but we all stick with it and continue to get better and better!

@cannabissequoia this is quite the post sir… makes people think and reply… you’ve been a staple to this sites binding and I hope you keep it up

[Tinytuttle]

Sounds like a great topic @cannabissequoia I’m going to start 2019 by doing some side by side comparing of what I’v done in the past with some Jadam organic farming methods been reading Jadams book I’d received as a Christmas gift . Although very similar to KNF techniques Jadam differs in how things are prepared but end results are same.

I’m going to invest in a refractometer to help aide in determining health of plants.

Plans are also to maybe get into soil conductivity and learn about that as outlined in some of Dan Kittriddge’s videos

Blumats are going to be used this year in the outdoor beds as well as fabric pots I’m real excited about using these in 2019!

[Hashtree]

I learned about this kick ass forum and great community! I got a lot of inspiration from you guys and moved back indoors this fall. A little indoor gardening keeps you much happier on those cold and short winter days! Even got into s new hobby learning how to program those Arduino controllers for my grow. Now I’m making stuff all over the house.

Looking forward to running some new strains, learning more about intentional breeding, making femmed seeds, and sharing them.

Thanks again for the pollen @cannabissequoia

[cannabissequoia]

Thanks, people

The past year in growing for me has been personally transformative and I
have learned a lot here at OG and in my growing. This place has become a second home and a vital primary social connection. “A lot” is an
understatement & oversimplification too. The magnificence of Overgrow is a subject unto itself for me to regale in another post.

I have tried various new-to-me things over the past year:

• photoperiod control

• Extremely porous/free-draining containers

• BOG “double-potting”

• Using soil bags as grow-bags

• SOMA-style bed w/vent tubes

• Using insecticide(before I did zero); Neem-pyrethrin, Spinosad, BT,
  essential oil mix.

• Light-deprivation plastic DIY greenhouse

• First pollination(s)/“chucks”

• SOMA-style traing/bending/breaking to create “knuckles” and reduce
  pre-floral stretching

• Got more & better bubble-bags

• LITFA

Things I have abandoned or ceased doing:

• fabric pots - my climate is very arid and I hand-water & suffer
  anxiety so they do not maintain moisture evenly for me. They are also a pain to transplant from without split “seams”.

• mammothP - while I feel it helps yields I can not justify it’s expense
  & hope that their PSBs are resident in my compost & vermi-compost. They ackowledge that in a natural environment mammothP tends to either die off or overtake & ruin native microbes.

• overwatering. embarassingly enough it took 3 years to tame this
  tendency and the anxious desire remains. @ReikoX’s LITFA genius is truly a gem for the over-zealous beginner.

Things that I would like to try:

• BRIX readings
• a cheap pH pen
• this crazy Sonoff thingamabob… thanks @anon58740919!
• growing in the ground outdoor
• SCROG outdoor

This was the first year I determined what caterpillar species was the
culrpit in ruining 80+% of my 2017 crop: corn earworm. The Colorado Hemp Pest indentification website is VERY useful-- search for it or find it
here on OG somewhere. BT spraying seemed to be the cure this year but I also endured some 4-5oz loss from Botrytis/budrot and can not help but
hold suspicion about a relationship there.

Overall, the insecticide treatment was probably a bit excessive (by me)
but my caterpillar disaster the previous year necessitated it for me.
This new year I intend to minimize it but still be vigilant and use the
same products, with emphassis on reducing the Spinosad. It is apparently a systemic agent & I feel it’s relatively new, historically speaking.

MegaCrop seems like a great product from the sample I used off-and-on
but it really seems to be excessive in Nitrogen. I still have some &
will continue to trial it on Cannabis & ornamentals/etc.

More spectacular has been the Nectar For The Gods liquid sample pack.
Using bottled nutrients is basically anathaema to me & to be avoided…
the dark side! So I’d really like to find a DIY alternative but am
considering a less-expensive, locally-made analog from groworganic.com.

Inducing sexual trait expression through long-dark-period for 2-3 days
in early vegetative growth, reverting to 18/6 is a new method I am in
the midst of experiencing. It has been 2 weeks and I can nearly ID some
of the males but feel they need another week to clearly indicate.

The variety of homegrown OG crosses & personal stashes is astounding. I began the year a frustrated seed-beggar, having 35 of 40 bagseed plants turn out male. But now I’m complete convert to seed-making and have shown it here on OG with my giveaway. Now my frustration is trying to figure out how to run all my new gear from you guys in a home MMJ space. What a difference!

This year I discovered “The Potcast” - a truly great resource for us. I
can’t thank Potty McPotface enough. The passion he shares about the
plant & hours put into the shows are so welcome. Thanks for doing his
show @BOGseeds!

If anything my views on the plant have hardened into dogma, to be
honest. A friend once said “I don’t trust people who don’t smoke weed”
and I have to basically concur with that, even if being hyperbolic.

The relatively rapid legal & regulatory changes happening worldwide
truly demonstrate the hypocritical vaccuousness & malevolent terror
imposed on Cannabis (use). As mentioned elsewhere on OG & by others, I do feel that the collective guard can NEVER be let down and our shared
mission is as definite as ever; Home/personal cultivation remains a
conflict to the modern regulatory models & propositions just as personal
distillation & brewing & will likewise be suppressed, minimally
tolerated, and even outright prohibited. The war is NOT over, Mr.
Morrison.

There is sure to be stuff I have forgotten to note here.

So to 2019 I look outward & strive to sharpen what is already forged.

1.0.1

[Calyxander]

@cannabissequoia

For the few very senior Overgrowers, I suspect this to be a “No, sir”

Hahaha…I most certainly resemble that remark.
I am a fossilized fogey indeed!
I basically stick to what works for me. I have been sorely disappointed with some of my past
“experiments” trying new techniques or products. I have embraced the KISS method, and everything is routine and reflexive.
My primary objective is to produce a nice variety of the very highest quality buds I can…yield is not really a consideration. I grow mostly for my own head and palate

However, I find the diversity of methods and techniques on display here at OG fascinating. An abundance of expert specialists eager to share and assist virtually any new member become proficient at this great hobby.
Most of the other cannabis websites I have frequented seem to be not as open and welcoming to new growers as OG. (If not downright harsh.)
OG actively embraces, and nurtures newcomers.
2018 was a watershed year for cannabis, and I think that OG is well positioned to become the preeminent (nice, friendly) provider of cannabis cultivation advice and information.

ETA

Oops, I neglected to mention the one new grow effort I will make in the upcoming year; my first ever crop of autos. I had been skeptical of autos ability to produce the desired euphoria…
But, having read loads of great information here on OG, I am going to grow some autos, which I think, may very well be worth my time. I am curious to see how they grow.

Happy New Year to all.

[ReikoX]

Wow, what a year 2018 has been. Lots of new stuff happened this year, lots of changes.

First off, I started mixing my own soil and went from KNF to no-till organics. Definitely loving it and will likely stick to it for the foreseeable future. I also gave hand watered coco with GH 3-part a go. Decent results, but ended up getting thrips, so I will have to try that again.

This year was also the year of SolStrips and automation for me. I’ve built myself three lights, my brother a light, and my dad a light. I’m loving these things! I also installed Sonoff automation gear, a Blufish lighting controller, and some Zmodo wifi cameras. Now I can check my girls, the temp, and change lighting schedules right from my couch.

Finally, this year has been a year of @LED_Seedz gear. I grew out Grass Monkey, Creme Brulee (twice), Diamonds and Pearls, and finally Cherry Tart.

[MikeM]

I’m going to invest in a refractometer to help aide in determining health of plants.

Ooooh, got any links to this being used on cannabis? Found a bunch of vids being used for other crops.

I’m mighty tempted!! Really cool idea!

[Tinytuttle]

I haven’t seen such vids but all plants work the same so I can’t see cannabis being any different ya I got a taste of it in some Kittridge vids on the LIVINGWEBFARMS vids

[oleskool830]

Yes. What @Calyxander so eloquently said. I’m old, often very high, and I love my OG Fam! My goal for the coming year is to make it to the end! Lol

[Meesh]

What a great topic! 2018 was an amazing year for me in so many ways! Honestly one of my best so far.
I have learned so much about growing not only cannabis but everything and you all have been here as my love affair with plants has grown. 2019 is going to be all about learning about organic gardening. I’m even digging out exclusive mj beds in my backyard and building a living soil for them. I’m gonna grow plants, nurture them and kill some of them even, but most of all I am going to have fun and keep trying! Happy New Year, OG Fam!

[Katz]

I am just glad I checked to see if the site was up and running again. The odd time I would google to see or just type it in the address bar to see if it took me anywhere. I guess i gave up after having my first child thinking there would be no time or money to have a little grow on the side. Well after having two more and not making anymore money I figured it may help the pocket book to bite the bullet and get a little grow going. Anyways I am thankful as hell the site is back up and running. I have learned so much id be here all day. If there’s anything I want to change in the tent would be to get more organic. Don’t get me wrong I love my nutrients. But the more I talk to my buddy that does a variation of KNF and reading about no till beds it sounds like something I would like to try.

[99PerCent]

I almost overgrew enough.

99

[oleskool830]

Never enough at Casa oleskool!!

[Morgwar]

I’ve learned that 99 Percent of the problems I get with plants can be fixed by, ph’ing my water to 5.5 and letting the soil almost completely dry out between waterings.
Oh and there is definitely such thing as too much light.

[argo945]

I change like the wind trying new methods and such but in the end it is like another year of growing in the books 36 years now .I’m in a relationship with our beloved plant and it makes us both happy. Less greed would be nice but it is only my pipe dream.

[cannabissequoia]

bump.

i finally got my ass in gear(see 4th post for my YIR)