Mountain Growing in Central America

shiman51 · Jun 25, 2007

Presently I have two different stages of plants not counting some clones I am trying for the first time. My largest babies are over 7ft tall now and one is in what I would call the 7th day of flowering and the other is just starting to show signs that it is ready to start. I have not kept a very good journal on the older plants and am interested in starting one for the younger ones.
the younger babies are 5weeks old today sprouted on the 21st of May. They are of two different strains and are just out of a bag purchased in Panama. I topped one plant when it had reached the forth set of branches, after several days of stunted growth she quickly started growing again and got very bushy. The non topped plant is growing well and is only a couple of inches taller than the topped one.

shiman51 · Jun 25, 2007

Due to the size of most of the photos please look at the gallery pics to see my plants. I will be posting them throughout the week, being in rural Central America I only have dial up and it takes a long time to load.

shiman51 · Jun 26, 2007

Well the babies are entering their 6th week now and they stand, topped at 16 inches and non topped at 17 inches. Having opened up the topped baby yeterday the inner leaves have turned a much darker green and showing signs of faster growth. the top two branches after the minor trimming yeterday slowed their growth.

shiman51 · Jun 29, 2007

Well its Friday and the little babies have been a bit slower this week than last. I figure that there could be two reasons for this; 1. I might have been a bit heavy on the nutrients this week 2. The weather has been cooler and rainy. Since Monday's measurements the bush baby has gone from 16 to 18 inches in height and gained gerth of 6 inches to finish at 24 inches. the second baby has gone from 17 inches to 22 inches and the gerth is still 14 inches.
They are both looking like they will be females although it is still too early to be sure. This week they will get some Peters 20-20-20 but in a much weaker soulution than last week. the aroma of these babies is strong and can be smelled outside a good 20 feet away........hope it keeps up.

The big babies have grown well this week until I sprayed a nuterient mix that was 26-55-10. First time I used this mix and I certainly stunned and burnt the tips some. The babies are showing signs of recovering nicely, although the new growth is a light yellow and turns dark green evening. The new growth of over night then again is light yellow in the morning.
Anyone with any suggestions or ideas of a cause? I have never had any babies this light colored and then revert back to dark green before. Seems to have started with the spraying of the mix.

The flowering of one is progessing ok, I am like an anxious father though wanting it to go quicker. The tallest is now showing good signs of entering the flower stage. Both of the babies are well over 7 feet now with the tallest close to 8. both have slowed growth like the smaller babies this past week.

shiman51 · Jul 1, 2007

Well the 1st of July and I have made a major pruning on the littlest of the babies. I took 8 clones off of Pretty Girl and 1 topping of Dreams which I am attemptin g to clone. I will force flower this girls on the 14th of July, I have to come back to the States on the 5th. Pretty Girl was 20 inches tall and 25 inches in girth when pruned. She now has 14 available branches to grow which have been pruned.
Pictures to follow tomorrow, I was too much in shock at having done this to my baby to take pics today. Sorry just an old hippie that doesn't smell badly.

JonnyBlunt88 · Jul 1, 2007

How are the feds on growing over there. I heard that they mostly target large scale ops. and will make deals with the growers. Anyway, nice plants man, keep us posted.

shiman51 · Jul 2, 2007

I am off the beaten path here, I have never seen a plane or helicopter. Since I have moved here I have heard of 2 large 5 acre plus operations busted. I simply am 2 to 4 plants and a few clones I am working on. I have been told that as long as I keep 3 or fewer babies no one will bother me, but after years in the states growing my old habits are hard to break.

shiman51 · Jul 2, 2007

Dang, I never get use to it, lol, yesterday when I was finished pruning and cloning I just could not bring myself to take pictures of the girls ( I'm pretty sure at this point they are). This morning, fresh cup of coffee to get the smoke and beer from behind my eyes I set out to take the pics from yesterday's deed.
They looked really good to me this morning and I happily clicked a few shots and took measurements again to make sure I was correct yesterday. Pretty Girl came out of the pruning at 20 inches tall and 24 to 25 across. I also trimmed most of the fan leaves of the primary branches to let more light in. Pretty Girl is a very compact growing plant or maybe the better description is a very full bodied plant. The growth has been dense and full, lots of secondary growth now.

All comments are welcomed along with any suggestions.

TheJollyBrother · Jul 2, 2007

they are looking great man nice be in the country must be easy to grow there, no one to bother you.

shiman51 · Jul 2, 2007

Well, after getting over the shock of cutting up Pretty Girl yesterday and seeing the nice growth she put on last night and today, I couldn't wait. Pretty Girl is now inside an old refrige, cutting her daylight from 12+ hours a day to alittle over 8. Since I am leaving for the states for a week on Thrusday I decided that I would go ahead and start the flower cycle.

shiman51 · Jul 3, 2007

Well Pretty Girl had her first day of light change yesterday and looks really good. The growth seems to be starting to pick back up just a tad, even after such a full bodied pruning. Her sister also is looking good after her topping and fan leaf trimming, although her fan leaf trimming consisted of I believe 5 leaves....... I thought that from the growth pattern that the branches underneath would do better. The clones are looking good and I will be glad to get my little greenhouse finished, that is another entry though. anyone with suggestions?

shiman51 · Jul 3, 2007

Well I have been working hard at my next project as I prepare to come back to the States for a week, whew. I guess I should have put this off or planned better but I just wanted to try my hand at cloning or rooting some babies. I reckon I should explain that I am at about 6,000 ft and the climate is rainy season now and temps from 76 to 56 F. the winds can be chilly and always damp.
I started my clones 18 of them, some hard stem and some soft, the soft certainly did better. I feel that the temp has had lots of effect on my success, therefor the little greenhouse. I plan on using this to keep a good temp and it will be easy to shade the babies from direct sunlight. the doors are made now and one has plastic, the other will be ready first thing in the morning. Since I leave on Thursday morning I guess I just came in under the wire.
All of this prep work is for the fact that I just ordered my first seeds today. Wow, an old boy from the 60's who just had to go forward and try some of this stuff I have read so much about. I have stored and saved bag seed for years from good smoke and always grew a nice smoke, now I am anxious to try the real thing.
I also have laid the ground work for a greenhouse of growing size for my veggies and one or two girls. I am talking about 30 feet by 15 and 12 ft tall. Thanks to all that have read my journal, I am enjoying sharing my adventures.

shiman51 · Jul 5, 2007

Well I am back in the states, shit this sucks. Big day coming back to the States, I got up this morning and looked at the babies before I left and told them good bye. The girls the big ones that is are each 250cm by 150 cm for the big one and 250 by 140 for the small one. Mary is in her 16th day of flower and looking very good, sorry pic won't be available for another week. But they are both looking good, the babies meaning the small ones are coming along. Pretty girl is showing signs of going into flower. Stretch is recovering from the greenhouse door. i went to answer the phone and a gust of wind caught the door and took 4 branches off of one side, fuck me, but she is looking ok today. The next up date on these babies will be on the 14th when I return home to Central America. Thank you for all of you who have read my journal and those who have taken time to write. Great Growing to you ya'll.

shiman51 · Jul 6, 2007

Well, I guess after complaining yesterday about being in the States again, my wife gave me a present ( she let me order seeds online). I know this is not a big deal to lots of people these days but I am an old hippie type that just never did that, always just bag seeds or in years past some breeding.
Well I got the HawiiX Skunk, HawaiiX maui Wowie(sp), Norhtern Lights, Super Skunk, Kola Mist and Jamacian Pearl and hell trying to remember off hand Hindu Kush. These will be grown over a period of 2 or 3 years both greenhouse and outside in Central America.
I would really love to hear from ya'll about growing some of these in a greenhouse or outside.

MRbudsmoker · Jul 6, 2007

congrats so far. looking lovely. lucky to be livin out there man!

JonnyBlunt88 · Jul 6, 2007

You went all out with the seeds. It is addicting isnt it. You get one strain, then you see all the others and its over. I want to see the mowie wowie and the Northern lights, so whenever you get your op. up and running, keep us updated. You got a camera right? That would help too.

shiman51 · Jul 6, 2007

Yeah once you start buying you think, damn I want this and I read this was good........lol. I probably won't buy seeds again for a couple of years, well that is a lie right off there are 2 that I didn't order I really want still, Skunk #1 and the Thai. I will only be growing a couple of plants at a time, which will be outside. I also will grow one at a time in a greenhouse. I do have a camera and will keep everyone updated, if you look at my gallery you can see the present babies growing.

bigbudeddie · Jul 6, 2007

Those plants are nice man. Any chance of some 7ft pics?

shiman51 · Jul 8, 2007

Bigbudeddie........yeah man I have some older pics in my gallery of the girls at 7 and 1/2 feet. I am in the States now and I will be getting home Friday........you can count on new pics being posted on Saturday. I have only been gone for 4 days now and I am anxious to see them and talk to them. Today I got some SuperThrive which is impossible to find in the country in Central America I am at.
The best news so far this trip is that all the seed I ordered ar in the mail and should be here before I return. I have 70 seeds coming and I just grin everytime I think of it.
Once again all the people that have taken the time to read my journals and those that comment I really appreciate it makes me feel good.

Ralphie · Jul 10, 2007

Shiman what part of costa rica are you in? I was just in Nosara near nicoya

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