Hi Everyone, Well its that time of the year again to start the New Grow, but first I would like to thank all of you Northern Hemisphere outdoor growers for sharing your summer grow pics, they have been a inspiration and it just goes to show what a fantastic plant MJ is and if you put your heart into it what can be achieved.....my hat is off to you all.
Ok this year I will take the time to take you through the grow from start to and all goes well the finish.
First off I get a few people asking how big do I do the holes, well as I always say the bigger the better and with long flowering Sativa's this is a must. But although big holes help, it is what you put in them that counts.
All of the plants you saw that were grown last year were grown in first season holes, in other words they were freshly dug and composted for the first time and not long before the plant were put in the ground.
The reason they got so big is I believe in compost and lots of it and well broken down......You do this right and apart from a bit of a boost during the season with foilar feeding you should not have to add to the soil.
Ok making my compost.....Manures, cow, horse, chicken, these are all fantastic to add to your mix. Cow is mostly to get your soil nice, it is not to hot and can be used just about fresh. Horse is hotter and should be dried or broken down. Chicken, well this is HOT and should be well broken down before going anywhere near the plants.
Blood and Bone....I like to use this in my compost as it helps break it down faster, if I use it in the holes I make sure it goes in at least 2 months before planting as this alows it to break down and animals will stop digging by then if they are a problem.
Wood Ash....Again add it to the pile, being alkaline it keeps the acidity down.
Soft Rock Phosphate.....This again I add to the pile. If put in the ground add it 2 months in advance as that is how long it is availible to the plants. It will stay in the soil for up to 3 yrs so use sparingly.
Leaves and mulch.....again I add to the pile and the holes.
When preparing a heap I first put down the leaves and mulch, then the manures and wood ash, followed by a sprinkling of the B & B and RP then layer again until you run out or cant get it any higher. With the Cow and horse manure it is good if it is wet to help breakdown quicker, but not a problem if its not.
I then let this break down at least 6 months before using. When weeds start coming out the top and worms are in it then it is ready You can use as much as you like in the holes, it wont be hot and will have everything your Plants need for a healthy and long life.
Ok I have done some pics of the holes I have cleared and dug and some compost pics, some of you will reconize the spot where the Space shuttle and MM grew last year, as you will see this has been prepared and mulched all winter.
Next post will be starting the seeds and the mix I use for that and of course what I will be growing this season
The good thing about this season is I will have MNS strains to show
.....Thanx Shanti.
all good though.
