First Solo Grow Journal

Well. It’s a little late now but I could use some input as a first-time solo grower. Last year, I grew with a slightly more experienced grower and we split the crop. I traded my yard for his expertise and seeds. This year, I’ve been working alone.

Background: bought seed from ilgm and started them 2/28. Started in fox farms starter, transferred into larger buckets around Memorial Day. The strains I ordered were: White Widow, Gold Leaf, AK-47, and Bubblegum. Growing outdoors in the Northeast US, near Lake Ontario.

8/10 seeds germinated, and I burned a third one up with my light (but my bulbs from last year caused stretch so I’ve yet to find a happy medium for starting seeds). Kept one of each strain and made a back up clone of each “in case” after we hit the 5 node point and did our first chop. Gave the rest to friends.

Once things warmed up, my neighbor turned out to have made too many clones of his own and offered me several sour orange cookie clones. I tried to give three away but I believe I still have three out of the four, not that I’m complaining! I’m glad we lucked out to live next to a second-gen cultivator.

The SOCs got transplanted way late due to other responsibilities (and they had homes lined up that just fell through), but I put them into larger containers anyway, even if it’s too late. I’ve been trying fimming this year, and I have to say I feel way more confident about these plants’ ability to withstand high winds (unlike our 8ft tall guys last year) but less sure about the harvest I’ll get.

I’ll post some recent pics, I’m not sure where we should be, but everything seems similar to last year (two of the same strains). One seems like it might be further along than it should be which is my main concern, but figured getting input from more experienced growers can’t hurt.

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Welcome to the community! Let’s see those pics! Any questions, post away!! This is a great community with awesome growers who have endless knowledge on the subject. Always love to help! Good luck and happy growing!!!

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My posts might be a bit here and there, lots going on!

Here’s the gold leaf. I think we are starting to flower?

Next step is to have the ability to build them a temp shelter for the cold and windy times. We did a tarp setup last year but still got bud rot.

I could just move them into the barn before rain but worried they will get pretty much no light if we have an extended period like that. Already have had trouble feeding them due to rainfall.





AK-47, a new strain for me:





The Bubblegum, also new to me! I ordered one of those deal packs and a 10/10. Possible I got a couple tags mixed up with these guys but I figure I’ll be able to tell by harvest.





Last of my ilgm order, and my favorite strain to date, white widow! These are all feminized. Haven’t tried autoflowers yet!





And finally, the sour orange cookies from my neighbor - I was immediately out of town on vacation pretty much as soon as he sent them over, so I didn’t get much of a chance to work with them. Considering keeping a clone/reveg over winter to try next season.

I’ve got a few clones I just left out in the pots. The husband is allergic so any cannabis odor wafting through the house would not be workable. Set up a tent in the barn? I saw some posts about hibernation but it doesn’t seem applicable to overwintering. Lucky I still have some time to figure it out.

I would have been mad at myself if I had paid for these guys then wasted them, but he overplanted and they were about to go on the compost pile, so any life is better than no life. He’s got a jungle back there!





I’ve got the structure ready and covered so we are hopefully prepared for the awful extended cold rains we may get down to the finish line. I’m waiting for the girls to dry out to feed them (again). Moving forward I should be able to control the liquid at all times. Maybe next year I should just keep them under cover all season!


They seem to be in stretch phase atm.

I tried to leave as much as possible open for air flow, but when we get storms I’ll just move them in closer. Have to watch it to make sure nothing pools.

Latest update for the girls. I think they are in fat phase now, at least ww is as her buds are filling out. This is me moving the girls into the barn in anticipation of the pest control guy’s visit tomorrow. Hope he comes early!




Here’s AK-47 as of today:



Realized my white widow is in the White bucket…the first post from today is the gold leaf! Here’s ww:




Bubblegum coming along




Sour orange cookies giving me issues posting…




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