Space Man's 12 seed grow

[Howard.Crane]

My go to defenses to get rid of the larvae are BTi, nematodes, and OG Biowar. Of those, the BTi is most convenient. I usually use Gnatrol WDG because it’s a powder and I can mix it stronger than mosquito bits. Nematodes are awesome, but it’s hard to get them alive here, at least not reliably. OG Biowar works okay, but it’s not as good as claimed and is expensive for what you get.

Gnat Nix! on the surface and sticky traps on pot edges keep the flyers at bay.

I can usually completely eliminate an infestation of I do those things immediately.

YMMV. Good luck, I hate those bastards! I hope they stay away this time!

[spaceman]

Thanks Howard and welcome!

Gnatrol, that was one I forgot, I’m sure there’s a couple others.
Diluted 30% H2O2 is another … you can burn roots if you go too strong as well as your skin.

They always make a reappearance, with this mulch and coffee filter as membranes protecting the drain holes I want to block there access to the honeypot, my babies roots.

I have to make a correction to the above post but I don’t want to edit.
The bag linked is to Grani-Grit starter size, my example is grower size.

Grower

Not sure if tractor supply carries this but most grain elevators do.

[spaceman]

With a bit of dexterity and planning you can insert coffee filters in even small pots to block drain holes from fg’s.

Here’s one way I use with these very versatile 4x4x5 pots:

Snip two or three down some

Prefill before careful insertion

[spaceman]

Quick update.
A new yellow, stickem up trap was set 4 days ago, first night 12 were caught; next night 7; last night 2.

plus 12 plants won’t fit in one tent so I segregated them by size into both.
Original tent,

Light setup,

Second tent,

Light setup,

That big light is this beauty,

$7 sale price Menards.
I’ll do a follow up post about that light later.

[Misolo313]

Menards…ill be back this weekend. 7 bucks??? Wild.

[spaceman]

Better check their web page first, they run out of stuff quick.

[Misolo313]

I always do. Almost everything in my room came from Menards.

[vernal]

If you want to get ride of fungus gnats, and if you insist on using “organic” methods, try tobacco tea.

Soak a pouch of beech nut or red man chew in a gallon of warm water. Drench the soil with it. The nicotine in it will kill gnats. Follow up with a second drench a week later to kill any eggs that hatched.

Nicotine, spinosad, and pyrethrin are the only “organic” pesticides that have any real infestation knockdown capability. Everything else just discourages bugs from infesting in the first place.

[spaceman]

lol
Totally forgot about tobacco! Thanks.

I have grown Sacred Aztec Tobacco, nicotiana rustica before and have about a pound of cured leaf left.
Just got up now, dug it out and cracked the jar for a sniff. Wonderful.
Probably in 3rd place for favorite smells, opium poppy flowers at #2 and, of course, #1 crushed, fresh hops cones. Heaven must smell like hops!
Never once considered it for indoor use.I grew it mainly for topical spray in my outdoor garden…
This tobacco is extremely potent and can kill you if not cured properly.
Actually try getting rid of it, it self sows even at 45°N.
(Edit)
The leaves of this plant are sticky with resin and you need rubber or nitrile gloves to handle it.
Nicotine and other tobacco alkaloids can be absorbed through the skin, again with sometimes fatal results.

https://www.worldseedsupply.com/product/nicotiana-rustica-sacred-aztec-tobacco-seeds/

[spaceman]

Just an update on the fg problem.
Yesterday I poured out the granigrit from each pot separately and reintroduced fresh nematodes because of two developments.

First, I employ your run of the mill rubber heating mat 11x19 or so, 17 watt.
They are not supposed to get over 20F than the surrounding airtemp but I have seen wild oscillations in temps over the years using these things. So this year I invested in two heating mat regulators, ones that have sensors that attach to the mat with suction cups.
As extra insurance I tape it down and place a pot over it to keep it in place.
Set at 74F for about 4 days the temp at the mat was 105F!!! Not sure if nematodes could’ve survived that.

I haven’t time atm to figure wtf happened to the regulator but the second thing was the original pack of 'todes was 1/2 full of liquid and the others were merely moist, so I’m replacing those with a drier pack.

I rinsed additional granigrit and packed it somewhat more firmly than before.
Getting 2 or 3 each on the sticky traps/day.

If this fails it’s hello terbaccy dunk.
Thanks again @vernal…

[spaceman]

Update with pics

Here is tent one after taking the kids out to stretch their legs a bit,

Both groups average about 15" tall minus pots.
Now I’m not planning on topping, I want as many as possible, to get an understanding how far you can take the whole “12 plant limit” practically.
For a super small grower that is.
The side branches will either be donated as clones or into the extract bag.

Tent one,

A little manicure here and there.

---

Here’s tent two,

Both rooms got a clean up and both trays are elevated by 10" - 12".
New sticky traps in place to monitor fg population.
Also numbered them 1 - 10 with the single seed I sprouted first as 11 and the Afghani Gold in the gallon pot as 12.
I’m getting the feeling she’s a he.
No sex showing on any plant though.

[spaceman]

Quick update.
The sex showed on most Tuesday and I guessed at the others.

Totals 6 fem 5 males including Afghani gold and one “Pat” can’t tell what it is.
Culled 2 males that were slightly smaller than the other two.

All square pots upgraded to 1 gal rounds light duty mix with 20% EWC.
Added additional nematodes on all pots with deeper additional granigrit mulch.
This one two punch has me FG free for a week now, I’m liking it!
Also 1/2 tsp mycorrhizal fungi (Rooters) at root level.

Male tent right side w/Afghani Gold at right.
Plants are droopy after Joy soap/rubbing alcohol80%/h2o spray down and complete rinse down.

Female tent

Pat

All plants are well except Afghani which shows some def.
A very twisted thing it is with wider branch sections higher up the plant

[spaceman]

Forgot to add, the males are back under 24/0.
I’m calling it the cold shower treatment.
I’ve never tried this before with males, any chance they’ll quit blooming?

[Misolo313]

They will for sure. Id give them 24/0 for 3/4 days to a week and then switch to 20 or 18. Or gradually.
Trial and error has shown this to be best for me.
I skipped the 24/0 on my youngest clone and she still hasnt rooted.

[spaceman]

Thanks.
I was hoping that’d be the case, zero chance they’ll hermie?
The Afghan Gold is pretty randy atm, had to clip a few down, …down boy.

[Tinytuttle]

FWIW I think the easiest thing is getting a up and established worm bed don’t know how it does it but beneficial mites seem to find there way in some way I have an outdoor two pot sytem even with fruit rinds and wet bedding right in top FG don’t fuck with it! It I see them In indoor pots I top dress with this worm casting compost mix and they are gone in 2 days or <

[Tinytuttle]

Not sure if these mites in the soil eat the larve or if they just notice them when trying to set up shop and they go elsewhere in short time!

[spaceman]

I’m incredibly cramped in my basement furnace room, but as soon as I typed this it became apparent that I could design and build a bin incorporated into a stand to support my tents.
Looks like another thread in the making.

[Tinytuttle]

Do it outside in a shady corner somewhere when winter hits move them into a garage I suspend mine up off the floor in the winter on heavy styrofoam boards if it gets damn cold like in the teens I throw a heavy blanket over them pretty hardy little creatures !

[Misolo313]

@spaceman

Thanks.
I was hoping that’d be the case, zero chance they’ll hermie?
The Afghan Gold is pretty randy atm, had to clip a few down, …down boy.

Strain dependent. Id just keep that in mind as a general thought.