Outdoor 6 x Mandala Safari Mix (Photo, Reg)

[trailanimal]

Day 33 - Mandala Safari

It's actually Day 35 today, I think, but these photos are from two days ago.

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This is the male, that had some water sensitivity.
Have since removed the lower couple of yellow leaves.
And also removed some of his early pollen sacks.
He's about 28cm = 11" high only.

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She started putting out pre-flowers on the 7th node.
Also about 28cm = 11" tall. That's +18cm in 11 days, so 1.5cm / day.
Wonder how far she'll stretch.

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This lady is the healthiest and strongest looking.
No signs of water stress or yellowing.
Also a bit more branching at the lowest nodes.
Has put out a couple of 9-pointer leaves, most are 7- though.
Also about 28cm = 11" tall. That's +18cm in 11 days, so 1.5cm / day.
Still not sure if I should take 2 cuts from her lowest branches.
But I won't have the time to grow them out.....

Since then they've had another day of pretty good sunlight.
A bit cloudier today, and maybe midday showers.
But otherwise pretty good growing weather for up in these mountains.

Love and hugs,
MJS

Looking good considering the wild environment. Thinking about the light cycle, seems some Central American strains would be a good place to start. Strain finder field trip, hehe. and hoping the gardeners stay busy elsewhere. Now I'm worried, lol. Cheers Maria, you're a brave and hardy canna warrior!

 

[trailanimal]

Guatemalan highlands, smoked some good weed from there in late 60's

 

[Exotic Flower]

Looking good considering the wild environment. Thinking about the light cycle, seems some Central American strains would be a good place to start. Strain finder field trip, hehe. and hoping the gardeners stay busy elsewhere. Now I'm worried, lol. Cheers Maria, you're a brave and hardy canna warrior!

Yes. And no. Equatorial or tropical / sub-tropical sativas tend to be long flowering.
And around here, once we're into July, let alone August and September, it's monsoon / cyclone / hurricane season.
That's serious, serious badass. I don't think even the toughest, most flexible plants could withstand those winds.

Guatemalan highlands, smoked some good weed from there in late 60's

Oh, don't I wish for some nice latina maria juanita!

 

[trailanimal]

farmers always at the mercy of the Great Weather!

 

[Anglo Automatics]

Looking good so far Maria!

But how do you get away with not using wire mesh/cages? I have 6 different types of deer, as well as rabbits, badgers, goats, alpacas and various rodents all trying to get at my plants. Not using a cage is simply not an option for me haha. Are you in a mammal free zone?

 

[Exotic Flower]

Looking good so far Maria!

But how do you get away with not using wire mesh/cages? I have 6 different types of deer, as well as rabbits, badgers, goats, alpacas and various rodents all trying to get at my plants. Not using a cage is simply not an option for me haha. Are you in a mammal free zone?

Hey there @English Archer Robin Hood!!!

No deer around here, or rabbits. As far as I know, our mammals include:
monkeys, squirrels, pangolins, and some local skunk-weasel critter, feral cats and dogs.
Luckily none of those grazing types, like cows, sheep, goats, etc. domesticated animals.

There is so much growth everywhere, they have plenty to eat as far as I can see.
Like I said, the garden area now also has some recently planted lettuces, cabbages, cauliflower,
just put in by the gardeners. Hopefully they'll eat the restaurant greens, and not the herbs....

You have wild alpacas in the south UK? That's crazy!!!!

 

[Exotic Flower]

farmers always at the mercy of the Great Weather!

I got so many weather apps on my phone that I'm checking all day everyday. It's a bit crazy.

Toughest thing is planning between natural rain watering and manual nutrient feeding
-- how to avoid over watering on one hand, and having nutrients washed away / diluted by rain water on the other.
Present thinging is to do a strong(ish) manual watering just before rain, to wash it down, and then leave a dry spell.
Otherwise, manual watering strong after rain will mean no or little dry spell at all.
And it's very humid / wet here, want to avoid mold / fungus problems.

 

[Anglo Automatics]

Hey there @English Archer Robin Hood!!!

No deer around here, or rabbits. As far as I know, our mammals include:
monkeys, squirrels, pangolins, and some local skunk-weasel critter, feral cats and dogs.
Luckily none of those grazing types, like cows, sheep, goats, etc. domesticated animals.

There is so much growth everywhere, they have plenty to eat as far as I can see.
Like I said, the garden area now also has some recently planted lettuces, cabbages, cauliflower,
just put in by the gardeners. Hopefully they'll eat the restaurant greens, and not the herbs....

You have wild alpacas in the south UK? That's crazy!!!!

Oh you've got squirrels. We have millions of them in the forests around here. You know squirrel was a popular dish in medieval England. People around here still catch the grey ones, skin them and eat them (in a stew). Not me though haha.

And the Alpacas haven't always been here. They are not native but were imported here from South America in the 2000s for farming, wool, trekking etc and I think a bunch escaped or were set free into the wild, so now there are quite a few established alpaca populations in England. I think there are 1,500 wild alpacas in the UK and another 10,000 on farms or ranches. There is a bunch around here and they move in herds/packs like the deer. There are two separate herds of about 10 alpacas, which are in the vicinity of where my main growing area is. I'll try and get some pics of them haha.

All the best.

 

[Exotic Flower]

Oh you've got squirrels. We have millions of them in the forests around here. You know squirrel was a popular dish in medieval England. People around here still catch the grey ones, skin them and eat them (in a stew). Not me though haha.

I've only seen a couple of squirrels here over the years, very few.
I'm sure medieval people pretty much eat anything...................
Don't eat meat myself, am vego.

And the Alpacas haven't always been here. They are not native but were imported here from South America in the 2000s for farming, wool, trekking etc and I think a bunch escaped or were set free into the wild, so now there are quite a few established alpaca populations in England. I think there are 1,500 wild alpacas in the UK and another 10,000 on farms or ranches. There is a bunch around here and they move in herds/packs like the deer. There are two separate herds of about 10 alpacas, which are in the vicinity of where my main growing area is. I'll try and get some pics of them haha.

All the best.

It's kind of funny. But, environmentally, it sounds like a freakin disaster....
At least nobody decided to release some pumas to catch the alpacas....

 

[Exotic Flower]

Day 36 - Mandala Safari

The remaining three at dusk.
They're all starting to stretch up a little more now.
A little nibbled by bugs here and there, but not much.

The tall boy. He's up to about 40cm = 16" tall.
That's almost 15cm = 6" in the last week! Nice!
Before his leaves were droopy down, now they're pointing up.
The pollen sacks are starting to form a nice head up on the top cola.
As the girls have very few pistils at this point, am just leaving the pollen sacks.

Lady on the left. She's about 35cm = 14" tall.
About 10-12cm = 4"-5" in the last week. Also good!
Down low, her leaves are a bit yellow, some kind of deficiency or pH issue.

Lady on the right. Also about 35cm = 14" tall.
Also about 10-12cm = 4"-5" in the last week.
But unlike her sister, she's still a nice green.
Her lower branches have stretched out a lot too.
I definitely could take cuttings from her now, they're about 7-10cm = 3"-4" long.

I think that the next feed I'm going to up the strength somewhat.
They are just kicking into the stretch phase, shooting up tall, so need some help.
No signs at all of any nutrient burn from last feedings, which have been rather weak.
Then let's see then put out a nice stem and branch framework before they fill out with buds.

So far so good!!!

Love and hugs,
MJS