Northern California, 2021 indoor/outdoor grow

Starting my 2021 summer grow in Northern California.
I have done a journal like this for several years.

Currently have 4 strains from local clones:

Chocolate Tonic CBD
Gelato 33
Platinum OG
Knights Templar OG

These are clones from Dark Heart Nursery, and you can read a description of each strain on the Dark Heart website.

These started out in a grow closet with an 18 hour light cycle. I’m currently moving them outdoors every day and back under the grow lights when it gets dark.
On May 10 my day length will be 14 hours, and these plants move outdoors permanently.

I will be topping and fimming, and plan to cut 3 or 4 clones from the lower branches of each plant when they are big enough.

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The clones were purchased March 25 in rockwool cubes, barely any roots. I transplanted into 4 inch pots for 3 weeks until roots were circling the pot walls, now transplanted into 10 gallon pots. I’m using Fox Farm Ocean Forest, diluted with additional peat, dolomite lime, epsom salts, and Azomite minerals. Last year my soil mix was too hot, so I’m not adding worm casings or various organic poop at this time.

I grow outdoors in pots so I can measure runoff, and make adjustments.

Former nor cal native here! Living in the desert of az now. You’re looking to be off to a great start! I wish we had your climate down here.

Northern California will be (already is) in severe drought, so I expect it will be hot and dry. Last year I had over-watering problems that I hope to avoid. I will be wrapping aluminum foil around my pots to keep the sun from cooking the soil and roots.

Problems that I expect are spider mites (I have a massive spider mite population in my yard), moths = caterpillars = bud rot infestations are always fun, and I have had virus wilt in the past. I have Spinodsad and hydrogen peroxide ready.

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I use city water for watering. I fill 5 gallon buckets and let it sit a day for the chlorine to dissipate, I pH balance somewhere between 6.0 and 6.5. My pots will be in saucers so I can suck up some runoff and check pH.

I’m in organic soil, so not planning to add nutrients during veg unless the leaves want something. I have a big vegetable garden and use dry organic tomato food for most of it. Once it starts flowering, I’ll be adding nutrients to pump it up.

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I hear its been pretty dry as of late. My fam is in the Sacramento Valley and its definitely not the same as when I grew up there. A lot drier

Update at 6 weeks from rockwool cubes.

Early flowering, not enough light.
I have been moving these 4 ten gallon pots into a grow closet at night, had planned to go permanently outdoors this week, but might keep them coming indoors at night for more light therapy. These were not getting 18 hours per day. Much less due to cloudy days and shade. Plus I didn’t extend the indoor light cycle until I saw flower pistels(?).
My outdoor daylight cycle is almost 14 hours now, but I still will get shade and overcast skies.
My hope is that these will go back into veg cycle for another 8 to 10 weeks, and grow some side branches.

The first photo above is Chocolate Tonic CBD. It was not in rockwool when I purchased it, already was in a 4 inch pot of dirt and branching out (“teens”).