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Transplanted Blueberry out to my Hugelkultur.
Hugelkultur was made way back in Sept 2022 using a base layer of decayed wood (Cherry tree), compost, blood meal, then I alternated layers of shredded leaves, excess green matter (tons of last years trim), soil, and compost to a height of 4'. Mulched with wood chips over winter.
This week it was freshly topped with 6" of quality garden mix (soil, sand, compost), and Blueberry was transplanted without issue.
Weathers been crazy warm full sun 22, loving her new home.
I have NO idea how this Hugelkultur grow will go this year but I'm excited to find out!
Has anyone ever grown in a hugelkultur before? Any idea of nutrients I might need? Trying to keep things natural this year. I grew massive watermelons in a similar hugelkultur last year with no fertilizing at all.
I haven't done this personally - but I think it would work beautifully! And I don't think you'd need any particularly specialized nutrients... especially in the veg state... I would add some bonemeal (or other source of potassium) and some Langbeinite for your phosphorus (top-dressed since it's not easily soluable). Make sure you've got a good source of calcium (pulverised eggshells?) as well.
When I grow in soil, I top-dress the Langbeinite at the rate of 1 tablespoon per month per pot throughout the grow.... Since I use cannabis-specific nutes, I add a PK booster (0-10-10) and one dose of calmag per week from week 2 or 3 of flower....
Good luck... !!
Had a TON of rain (22mm) yesterday, cooling off a bit, but weather looks good rest of the week. I sourced some local sustainable liquid fish and liquid kelp from Sea Forest (https://seaforest.ca/shop/sea-farm-liquid-fish-fertilizer/), gave it a good root soak this morning, can't wait to see how she responds this week. Also added a light top dress of 70/30 All Purpose / Power Bloom Gaia Green.
I have some Dynomyco coming this week I plan to spike into the root zone as well. Starting my weekly foliar spray of Neem Oil + Aloe powder for Pest control, may start adding liquid kelp in if I think she needs it.
Has anyone ever done outdoor spikes of Gaia Green 444/284? Im worried about the size and depth of roots by flower that top dress won't be enough if it needs heavy P, K. Any harm of root burn with GG spike? Spike outside drip line say 2 feet down?
I don’t mix mine in at the depth of 2 feet. I work it into the top soil bout 2” and water in, as long as its being kept moist the microorganisms will break it down n make it available. Could add a layer of mulch to keep it from drying out. Hay or cut grass also works.
I do find Gaia green lacks Mg and needs more K, so they have green sand or a kelp extract thats high in K from the same brand, Epsom salts are an option for Mg thats dirt cheep,
As for burning, yea you can burn it, don’t give to much, and if you want to add more give it a week or two before adding more in.
Good Luck!
Super hot all week, 28c! No rain for a while! I haven't even watered this gal once since I planted it! Drip irrigation coming on tomorrow, but I don't think she needs it. This is a breeze compared to watering my old fabric pots EVERY day!
Broke every temperature record we had this weeknend, hit 35c on my weather station. Gave my weekly neam/Aloe spray added some liquid kelp, and then did my first Fim. Earlier then other years but she's going really strong with over 5 nodes already. Plan to FIM at least twice, maybe 3, weather's cooling off this week 23c, back to normal for a while.
Explosive growth this week! Must of doubled in size. Some kind of hungry insects, caterpillars maybe? Minor leaf damage, nothing major. Going to keep up with Neam/Aloe/Kelp spray. No rain in the foreseeable future, 26c every day, early summer for sure.
Doesnt appear to need any extra nutrients, will add some more Gaia Green next week.
I've had Lupins here for the past few years, which are Legumes and have great nitrogen fixing qualities, not to mention this entire patch of land had 20 years of old decaying blackberry bramble which were cleared 3 years ago when we bought the place, and the soil is some of the richest I've ever seen. No shortage of Nitrogen in there.
I'll be honest, this plant is twice the size this time of year then the last 2 years I've been growing outdoors. I'm a little concerned I'll need my ladder come Oct! I did FIM once earlier in the week, will FIM ever 2-3 weeks till July to try and keep the height under control.
Still not a drop of rain for the last 3 weeks, 26C daily, full sun, really exploding in growth these days. Gave her another soak of some local Kelp / Fish mix, also been spraying with Aloe / Neem / Kelp mix twice weekly. Responding well to very little nutes / water.
Catepillers seem to have peaced out, this warm weather caused their population to explode, lettuce and other veg was also hurt, not normal.
FIM recovery was very quick, I'll be fimming 3 top nodes this weekend, need to keep this height under control at this rate of growth.
Had 1mm of rain in the last month, responding well to very little water, drip irrigated a few hours once a week. I spent so much time hauling water jugs for feeding last year, this is a treat..
Still as hot and dry as I've ever seen and she loves every minute of it. All the fimming has lead to this beautiful bushy shape I've been going for. Did some light defoliating, which is crazy early for me. She's nearly 3 times the size I'm used to for this time of the year. I cannot wait to see how big she'll be by Oct.
Nothing but 2 hours of drip and my regular Neem/Aloe/Kelp/Epsom folar spray this week. She's been so incredibly easy to deal with, really love Blueberry. Had a MUCH welcome 6mm of rain one night as well.
Finally cooled down this week, maybe 5mm of rain, not much. Did some light defoliating, lollipoping, really doesn't need too much this early, especially with the height the Hugel gives me, keeps the bottom nice and clean with great light penetration. 2 hours of drip irrigation, and weekly foliar spray of Neem, Kelp, Aloe, Epsom is all she's had. Still top dressing Gaia Green mix every 3 weeks, but I really doubt she even needs it. I gather it might make a bigger difference during flower but we'll see.
Haven't fimmed or topped in 3 weeks, may just leave it, shape looks great to me. Will defoliate harder closer to flower or if it gets wet and rainy, but weather looks great.
The trunk is getting HUGE, going to need a chainsaw to take this bad girl down come Oct!
Hot and dry lately, she's getting big! Must of FIM'ed another 8 branches, topped the very top to try and keep the height under control!
She's already started showing preflowers which is crazy early to me?! So I'm using a 50:50 ratio of Gaia Green All Purpose to Power Bloom for transition every 3 weeks. Excited to see how much stretch I'll get into flower.
If she's starting flowering this early hopefully she'll be done by end of Sept!
This drought is wild, 300mm rain deficit around the island. Hot, dry, no clouds or rain in sight for the next month. While this is awful for everything else, this gal is living life to the fullest.
Irrigation up to 3hr of drip every 5 days and that is it for this week. Still amazed by the water retention with this Hugel.
Whats everyones thoughts on defoliation outdoors? I've kept it fairly light this year, loving the shape, and while canopy looks bushy from front, it's quite clean inside.
My topping from 2 weeks ago is barely noticeable, this stretch coming into flowering will easily get her past 9 feet. The combined fimming and topping has really helped this shape. Rain at the end of the season is always a problem, smaller buds is more desirable to me. Nearly always use my herb to make FECO for Gummies, so small is better.
I've ran a major support pole through the middle, and I end up using string to internally support all the branches to the center post. Gives me much better control over shape and support. I don't have a ton of room for a trellis so this is easier.
Still HOT and Sunny with no end in sight. Noticing that pre-flower stretch over the last week, she's towering over me now well over 7 feet tall. Nothing but drip every 5 days and she's thriving. Still amazed in this heat she can go that long without water. Raspberries are plentiful this year, watermelon's coming in beside her and my favorite Himalayan blackberry's are next in the back. Invasive maybe, but an absolute island favorite I've managed to tame.
Marking the first week of flower, early for this strain here which is a good thing. Growth has slowed other then a bit of stretch. Switching to 70/30 top dress of Gaia Green Power Bloom / All Purpose. Will continue with weekly foliar of Epsom/Aloe/Kelp for a while until buds develop more.
I spotted some ants hauling eggs across my mulched path, didn't think much off it. However yesterday I noticed a whole colony of winged ants making a nest right at the trunk of my plant! Quick sprinkle of diatomaceous earth over the mulch at the base and bye bye, sorry, but you've got to go. No idea what would of attracted them, nor what damage they would of cause? Thought it was cool none the less.
I've been spraying weekly with local organic kelp throughout veg, I've heard it's even better during flower. Any issues keeping up with kelp foliar spray right up until harvest?
foliar sprays are more about you than for the plant. i wouldn't spray anythign on developing buds, since i plant to ignite and inhale that plant material into my lungs. having a bunch of other random stuff in it is not my cup of tea. organic does not mean safe, LOL... plenty of organic things are incredibly poisonous or carcinogenic. it's a term that has no relevance to cause and effect of such things.
foliar sprays are a fart-sniffing activity :P bwahaha. (unless there's actually somethign wrong with your plant, i.e. just doing it as habit is not needed if providing a proper diet through the roots, which is the best way to feed the plant under healthy conditions. sometimes, with a few molecules that can fit through the stomata or absorb into the plant one way or another, which is not true of all of the nutrients nor their various variants that are plant available under normal circumstances, it can provide faster relief for a deficiency by applying a foliar spray. if fed properly, this should not be needed whatsoever. it will not provide any benefits if the plant is otherwise fed properly.
All this hot weather has been making her thirsty! After all this time this is the first week I've ever seen her slightly wilting. Upped the drip to every 3 days.
Ants are no more, DE worked a treat, rain expected tomorrow so may need to re-apply. Did some light super cropping on the tallest branches, keep her in check, will monitor and continue to do so into flower.
Uneventful week, hot, dry, defoliating a little inside, drip every 3 days, still doing foliar spray for pests. Flower sites are slowly developing, really just beginning. Should easily be finished be end of Sept.
Had a ton of rain and wind this week, she handled it like a champ, much needed for everything, short lived though. Back to hot and Sunny for at least the next 2 weeks. Flowering is sloooowly coming along, feels like a lot longer this year, or I'm just impatient. 70/30 top dress of Gaia Green PB to AP this week, not sure how much she needs it. Some very minor ant activity after all the rain washed away the DE, reapplied light application.
Haven't been doing any trimming or defoliating this week, barely even lost any leaves on its own, on 2 hrs of drip every 3 days still. She has to be the most maintenance free grow I've ever had. Already have tons of compost going to add to the Hugel next year. On that note, no idea how i'm going to remove that trunk and root system to replant in it next year, any suggestions? Wait till spring then try and dig it up?
This years flowering is SO slow any ideas / suggestions? I noted pistils on July 10th, which I thought was early! I've grown this same seed 15' away in fabric pots 2 years ago, no issue. This is MUCH larger, too much heat? Closer to neighbors porch light that is occasionally on?
Seeds from the same pack will be different. It could be neighbors light.
Showing pistils in early July is just a sign of sexual maturity- not necessarily that it is flowering. Keep that in mind.
I’ve got a lot of experience indoor but only about 4 years outdoor and I just don’t invest much money or time into it cuz you never know what’s gonna happen. There’s so many more factors outdoors. A few grey sky days and you plants can flip.
Finally feel like she's headed into flower, thickening of bud sights, growth has slowed, she must of shot up 2' over the last month that flower stretch is real. This will push her to mid October unless I have a miracle, I'm really banking on nice weather.
I did a heavy defoliation on the inside, clean it up for better airflow and to make it easier come harvest.
I have to battle mold and mildew in the fall, I used to just use a foliar spray of apple cider vinegar, which works great for mildew, but I need something stronger for mold.
As such I've started a Lactobacillus Serum, that with a few drops of organic food grade cinnamon oil in a foliar spray has said to reduce instances of botrytis by 90%, anyone have experience with Lactobacillus in battling mold /mildew?
Well, finally some progress on the flower front, looks to be heading into week 3 give or take. Weather's been great, but cooler temps and rain are in store for this week. Did a preemptive diluted milk spray for PM while my Lab Serum is finishing, should be ready tomorrow. Did one last heavy defoliation, looking nice and clean.
Have to say she looks absolutely gorgeous, healthy and vibrant. Should be well prepared for the upcoming rain and cold weather. May be pushing till mid October so fingers crossed!
Did a heavy 70/30 top dress of Gaia Green PB/AP (20 Tbsp), though no noticeable nutrient deficiencies at all that I can see.
Plan for the future is to just spray Lab Serum every few days between rainfall and hope mother nature's in my favor!
Weathers been great, cool nights, but not much rain. Lab Serum has been amazing, zero sign of PM. Did a quick addition of BT as well, did see some caterpillars, nothing major though. Probably still a week or 2 of neem before i'll stop entirely and rely only on lab serum. Her leaves look so shiny and healthy with that lab serum. Shes loosing virtually no leaves, well fed, super impressed with how well this Hugel has kept her happy!
Shes full into flower now, but will still be another 5-6 weeks. She's absolutely massive now, i need my ladder daily for inspections, must be nearly 9 feet.
Trichomes are coming along nicely.Weather has been great, no PM or pest problems. No more neem but ill continue with weekly foliar spray of Lab Serum / Cinnamon Oil. Also did a light soil drench of Lab Serum which has BSM in it, should help microbe development along. Really only feeding 14Tbsp/6Tbsp of Gaia Green PB / AP every 3 weeks top dress. May push the quantity up through late flower.
Also tossed on a quick net for support as buds gain some weight, doubt she'll need it, really loving this Blueberries self suppprt structure, but who knows what wind / rain is around thr corner.
Wow, coming along almost too good! Buds are fattening up, good trichomes, least a month left, but man will this month be intense. Mornings are 9c and 95% humidity, yet she's handling it like a champ.
Im spraying my Lab Serum / Cinnamon oil twice a week to keep PM at bay, once a week ill add BT, no more Neem though.
Tried my hand at compost tea as well! Worked really well! Easy to make, so ill keep doing that weekly and see if that helps bolster her defenses. The Hugel will REALLY help with excessive rain, the roots will never be water logged, always has good airflow, rain just slides off, that does mean you HAVE to do drip, watering any other way just wouldnt work.
Pray for me next week, some days of 20mm of rain expected, so im really worried. Ive seen so much rot from others this year, not a great year it seems! Just 4 weeks and counting!
Wow, what a storm! Its been dumping, cold and man that wind. Talk about some free LST, no damage but some branches are crooked for sure. I rigged a tarp so i could ride out this rain until harbest. 3 Days of warmth and sun on the way!
Bud development is great, shes getting really frosty. Still doing compost tea, Cinnamon oil and BT spray then soil drench compost tea (with some extra BSM) once a week, but that's it.
All these beneficial microbes have led to ZERO PM, unreal. Snipped a few buds quick with botrytis, nothing major, expected this far.
Figure 2 weeks if I'm lucky, but if the weather's good with my tarp may ride it out 3. Will see how the trichomes develo. That wild wind sure caused the hairs to dry up, for sure some wind burn, but she took it like a champ!
Well, sadly had to harvest a week early due to some bud rot. Gave everything a good wash with baking soda, lemon juice and double rinsed. Hang dried for 10 days, paper bag to sweat for 2 days, then straight to grove bags. Full weight dried, just over 1lb. I fimmed so much in anticipation of rot, so while the buds were smaller there was a LOT. Test smoke was amazing, shocked how smooth it was with zero cure, packed a punch to! I expect the humidity to rise a bit in the grove bags over a few days, hoping 60% range. I mostly make FECO for gummies with everclear extraction, so excuse the less then tight trim, trichomes are trichomes! Ended up snipping the second haul 10 days after first, still going strong, but very wet, dont expect it to last much longer.
Never going back to synthetic nutes, sticking with organic living soil from this point on! Got Gorilla Cookies Fast Flower on order for next year, plan on doing a 16 cola manifold with some LST.
Will cut the trunk and let the root mass decay over winter, will mulch leaves and compost over it all until next years plant is ready to go in around April. Another year down! Happy growing everyone!
Arcadium
