First High Desert outdoor grow

schoolie

schoolie

Batman
Howdy Rollitup! It's been many years since I've posted here but it's good to be back.

I moved to the high desert of southern CA, been out here a few years and finally this year am giving an outdoor grow a shot.

I unfortunately am growing from clones simply because my buddy had a handful he gave me. Starting with one mother that is called dream walker and one clone from that mother, one Skittles, two FY, and four hells angels. Most of these strains are from local Los Angels growers.

The mother started flowering even though I had lights on them from 11pm-2am overnight but reverted back to veg, we will see if she stress hermaphrodites on me.

All the clones are nothing to write home about, next year I go seeds only.

It's in the high 90's/low 100's pretty much everyday. I am watering every other day and feeding them every other watering using about 2-3 gallons each watering. I worry I should water more frequently but they seem to be okay. I started using dyna grow veg i had left over from a few years back but once that ran out (last week) I just got Fox Farm grow, bloom, and tiger and that stuff really seemed to kick em into gear as they seem tone growing about an inch a day for the last week but maybe that's more to do with the early stages of bloom.

Any tips or help would be welcomed since I am new to growing outside and in the desert.

Ill have much better photos but right now here are some cellphone pictures

Dream walker front left, Skittles back left, FY two center, Hells Angels right
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Three hells angels
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Mother dream walker
IMG_20180716_105722718_HDR.jpg IMG_20180716_105741541_HDR.jpg
 
Dmannn

Dmannn

Well-Known Member
Do you want to continue to grow in the ground? So Cal has great minerals in the soil, but sometimes the soil can be hard..nice plants!
 
schoolie

schoolie

Batman
Thanks!! Yeah I am going to grow in the ground again next year. The last owner of my property clearly grew in the same area I am now, I found patches of dirt when digging the holes for these plants and well as I can see where he hung shade cloth.

The soil here is basically sand and is very very hard, I'm in the Mojave desert. My plan for next year will be to dig bigger holes with better dirt and start from seeds inside early in the year to plant in May.

This time I used organic soil from home Depot but couldn't get any perlite (the joys of living out in the middle of the desert) so the soil doesn't have as much drainage as it should although that maybe is good since it's so dang hot out.
 
Dmannn

Dmannn

Well-Known Member
I would advise breaking up the soil 3x3 around the plants and then soaking the areas next time you water. During the off season i would dig and fill your soil holes. Try focusing on composted manures and Earthworm castings..Focus on building your soil by adding about 2 inches of compost and then planting a cover crop in winter. This will encourage your soil to break up and drain better.
 
schoolie

schoolie

Batman
Dmannn said:
I would advise breaking up the soil 3x3 around the plants and then soaking the areas next time you water. During the off season i would dig and fill your soil holes. Try focusing on composted manures and Earthworm castings..Focus on building your soil by adding about 2 inches of compost and then planting a cover crop in winter. This will encourage your soil to break up and drain better.
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I should break up around my plants now and the rest of that stuff applies to prep for next year correct? Really appreciate the info, I have grown many times indoors but am totally new to growing outside and did not prepare at all for this grow so anything i can do to help for this and next I would like to do.
 
Dmannn

Dmannn

Well-Known Member
schoolie said:
I should break up around my plants now and the rest of that stuff applies to prep for next year correct? Really appreciate the info, I have grown many times indoors but am totally new to growing outside and did not prepare at all for this grow so anything i can do to help for this and next I would like to do.
Click to expand...
Yes break it up now about 2-3 inches deep and throw down some straw or other non wood mulch. Get the cover crop in as soon as the weather changes, You don't have to do the whole yard if you are concerned about water use. Eventually you soil will need less water over time..Socal has lots of sun but not a whole lot of water. Getting your soil to accept a no-till would greatly benefit you, in my opinion.

Your fence is your first line of defense from the law and curious people.
 
schoolie

schoolie

Batman
Dmannn said:
Yes break it up now about 2-3 inches deep and throw down some straw or other non wood mulch. Get the cover crop in as soon as the weather changes, You don't have to do the whole yard if you are concerned about water use. Eventually you soil will need less water over time..Socal has lots of sun but not a whole lot of water. Getting your soil to accept a no-till would greatly benefit you, in my opinion.

Your fence is your first line of defense from the law and curious people.
Click to expand...
I have a fence with barbed wire around my whole property which is my first line of defense. My neighbor caught a guy taking somebody's plants last year so it's important for sure.

What would be a good cover crop? I don't mind doing that whole yard if that is beneficial.
 
Dmannn

Dmannn

Well-Known Member
Grasses tend to do well in sandy soils. Rye grasses and wheat grasses don't use much nutrient or water and do well in high mineral soils. Because they have stalks it is easy to apply compost mulch while they are growing, increasing root activity. They can only be cut once after they seed. After you cut them down it provides good cover from weeds and evaporation. After your initial winter cover crop you will need to replant another spring cover crop. Flowering plants or clover works best. The cover crop will also give you lots of high nutrient content compost scraps once cut and collected.

Look into no-till cover crop rotation. There are tons of videos on youtube.
 
eddy600

eddy600

Well-Known Member
I live in the southern Antelope Valley and use seeds for outdoors. I pop them in the beginning of April. I use solo cups on heat mats in my greenhouse and move them up to 2 gallon pots for sexing. I never worry about preflower and reveg starting at this time. The clone people that I know veg indoors until the 4th of july shade them for a week and let them go. the weed looks nicer i'm not sure if it is any better. The late flowering plants seem to do fine until late november.
 
schoolie

schoolie

Batman
IMG_20180720_134605_018.jpg Howdy friends. Was just out checking the plants in the crazy wind and 104 degrees and found these little bugs on one of my plants. Never seen em before on my indoor grows. Anybody know what these buggers are?
 
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schoolie

schoolie

Batman
Dmannn said:
They look like they are laying eggs..Have you looked into DE or Neem yet?
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I do have some neem although it's probable 5 years old. I pulled all the leafs that had those black dots, it was only about 6 leafs at the bottom of one plant.
 
Dmannn

Dmannn

Well-Known Member
schoolie said:
I do have some neem although it's probable 5 years old. I pulled all the leafs that had those black dots, it was only about 6 leafs at the bottom of one plant.
Click to expand...

They seem to be crawling insects. DE around the base, and removing lower foliage may work.
 
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