Bugs, Bugs and more bugs they are the biggest downside of growing outdoors. Caterpillars have been munching away (till I find them and they have their last ever meal), most likely leaf miners causing leaf damage but nothing too much. and that little green thing, what the !@#$ even is that? Oh and i forgot to mention the spiders, dozens of little 8 legged shit curling up leaves and making a home for themselves… I suppose I can’t blame them, who wouldn’t want to live there!
Other than countless bugs, not quite 3 months in and a long 5ish months to go. Unfortunately pics off my shit iPhone 5 camera don’t do them justice… (lost my good phone after a few too many overseas)
Pre flowering has really started to switch over to flowering which I always find weird this early in the season, as the days are still getting longer and will keep at it for a bit less than a month. From a couple years of experience growing out here I’ve noticed they keep up a strange veg/flower phase for quite a while before flowering fully kicks in, but what I’m wondering is when should I start to introduce full flower nutes? and why is it that they start to flower so early, when the days are still getting longer? tagging a few of you guys, hopefully get a couple opinions, cheers! @Paranorman @kabongster @ktreez420 @latewood @garrigan62 @Donaldj @Hammer and anyone else I’ve forgotten, all opinions are welcome
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Not sure where you are growing but if I grow a plant indoors under 12/12 it won’t flower until it is mature so if you are saying you planted and days are still getting longer I assume you have them getting under 14hr’s of light since your light is increasing they stay in preflower and revert to veg until light cycle is back to correct to flower? I have had plants show sex at 3-4months without entering flower in the past under 18/6 so it doesn’t seem that odd to me I wouldn’t add flowering nutes unless they are in flower I would just feed them normal veg nutes unless they show me they want higher PK
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I can’t be positive, but I believe that little green bug is a recently emerged moth waiting for its wings to fully develop.
I would give them a good dusting of DE and reapply as needed until flowering truly starts. My grow next season will be getting a rotation of DE dusting and Neem oil spraying throughout the veg cycle.
I’ll spray one week and dust the next. Now that I know about autos, the bugs are really the only bad thing about outdoor growing. If I can get a better handle on them, my only reason for indoor is node spacing and bud density.
Damned pests…
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It could well be some kind of moth, wouldn’t surprise me with everything else thats there!
Ive been spraying with a neem/pyrethrin and i think cinnamite spray weekly for a while now, thats just run out but i have straight neem oil to mix up and start spraying with now. Im under the impression that you could probably spray neem for the first part of flowering as it would probably degrade after a few weeks? And I’ve never tried using DE but everyone here seems to use it, I’m guessing you just dust tops and bottoms of all leaves and let it be, and just a light coating?
Yep id have to agree with you there, bugs are the only real downfall, growing in nature is a great thing… Especially when they become 8ft monsters! just takes a long time…
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Im in australia, at this point from sunset to sundown is just over 14hrs, by december 20 it’ll be 14 and a half and then gradually decline from there. Yeah okay that makes sense, previous grows they’ve showed strong pre flower around now but put on a massive stretch from now through to januart-feb and started full flower around late jan. Right now I’m feeding with sensi cal-mag and Advanced nutrients grow micro and bloom trio as it recommends using all 3 together throughout the whole grow. Once flowering hits I’m switching to the sensi bloom A and B with bud ignitor for early bloom, big bud for middle and overdrive for late. got humboldt golden tree also and have m,mammoth p coming in the mail. Only problem is, micro is almost out and thats the biggest source on N in the trio, so i might have to head to the hydro store and see if i can find a good N supplement for the time being. I picked up a cheapo from the gardening store but realised that all its nitrogen was sourced from urea, which is the last thing i want to start feeding them regularly.
Below pic is of the one plant thats showing it wants to kicking into flower more than the others
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This was my first time using Neem oil. After reading the potential of fouling the taste, I decided to stop using it as soon as the little buds started to form.
Taste is extremely important for me so I wasn’t willing to push it.
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2 things.
When you advise growers to use DE; Spell it out for them! Food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Most newbies will have no idea what DE is. Pool grade DE is toxic and needs to be clarified as unfit for use in a grow room.
2nd. If you use “D.E.”, then you do not need Neem oil. (I personally do not use Neem oil because it leaves a foul taste on the buds)
Happy growing.
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You sure bought into Advanced Nutrients didn’t toy? Too many additives you are using IMO. I wish you luck, though. 
DonaldJ is right on. Under 14 hours of light is low enough photo period to show flowers. After the Winter solstice is when actual flowering will begin. Days will continue to get shorter until June. The answer to your question is that you are growing under 14 hours of light per day and your plant is reacting to the short photo period.
I am starting a new grow using 14/10 from the start. Auto’s and Gold Leaf Fem. 14/10 down to 10-14 over 4 months dropping 15 minutes per week “lights on” photo periods. Should be a hoot.
Happy day to you, lw
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Thank you. I will remember to clarify from now on.
Seems as if the need for clarification is becoming a thing for me lately. I may step back for a while to regroup.
I added Neem oil for pest control because the D. E. didn’t seem to be having enough of an effect for me with the white flies. Perhaps it was lack of patience, but I had a serious infestation going. I stopped using it after I was able to see the pre-buds forming.
Thanks again for pointing out the flaw in my advice…
It is not about pointing out flaws. It is about making sure the advice we post that others read is safe complete advice.
White flies are a pain. I can see why you used Neem. Do you also hang white or yellow sticky paper? I find that works great, too
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I didn’t think you were pointing out flaws. It’s all good. I almost always take criticism as constructive. It’s the best way for me to improve. I grew up when everyone didn’t get a trophy, just like you. 
Part of learning is accepting that you’ve made a mistake and correcting it. I would have a hard time getting past bringing harm to someone by the advice I gave to help them.
Some of my issue is getting so comfortable with those that know what is meant. It’s why I have respect for what you have going on with selecting moderators and mentors. Not an easy job for y’all to manage this passion of ours.
I never even tried the sticky tape. Didn’t think it would be very effective outdoor, but I will incorporate it into my grow next season. I had already planned on using it once I’m able to go indoors.
Would it be more effective nearer to the soil, above the canopy or both? Initially, this question will apply to outdoor grows.
Im a sucker for some nutrients unfortunately! All up during flower ill have no more than 5 different bottles of nutes mixed in the one solution. Does seem like a lot now i think of it 
Ive recently started to water in-between feeds now to back off the nutes a bit.
Okay that makes a lot of sense, didn’t quite think of it like that. Cheers latewood and donaldj for the info!
Sounds like its gonna be an interesting grow, be sure to make a journal of it if you get the time!
Cheers once again 
I wouldn’t worry too much in this case, i may not have used it before but i know to get the food grade de. Would have to be not thinking straight to put pool grade de on your plants but latewood makes a good point, you never know how people are gonna take your advice so the simpler the better i guess! Now since i haven’t used de before i may aswell find out a bit more about it. How far through the grow can you use it. Can it be used through flowering at all as an alternative to neem/other pesticides?
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I’m weird about my buds. I have never put anything on them once they form. Probably why I just found some spider mites on two of them.
This was my first year using it, so I wasn’t confident enough to trust it wouldn’t be a problem for smoking.
After reading a little about washing your buds, that may eliminate the concern of residual dust.
I’m sure someone more familiar with its use will chime in. There’s no lack of people here wanting to help.
I had a spider mite infestation a few years ago, they are absolute PRICKS of things! How far along are the plants?
Ive seen a bit on people washing there buds lately, looks like it could be a good option especially for outdoors growers
And not putting anything on your buds isn’t weird, its how it should be!
The two I will be taking are just about where I like my wake and bake. The last one is a couple more weeks away. She’s the one I have to wash.
This grow was started late in the season, but it’s given me the chance to learn a little about growing conditions on my new property.
I thought my privacy fence would block enough dust from the road, but limerock dust is something else! So she was already expecting a bath. After clearly seeing spider mites, I’m pretty sure the other two will be taking a dip as well.
I would love to have a property secluded enough (as long as its within 5minutes from the local beach still) to be able to grow on, not an easy task with the laws we have here unfortunately. I could grow tons where i am now, if i had no neighbours… Until then its trekking through the bush with 24L of water in 35’C heat, the things we do hey…
Sounds like they could all use a bit of a swim then, nothing wrong with that. How bad is the mite problem? If they’re only minor you could pretty easily let them go a week?
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I had the same response you did @FloridaSon when I gave advice on using hydrogen peroxide a while back…I didn’t mention the concentration in my response and using the wrong one, 28% as opposed to 3% , would have fried the plant.
None of us want to harm other people’s plants!
The devil is in the details
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