As expected I am starting to run into many problems/questions/unknowns. If anyone has any advice or insights for me please let me know.
I had to call animal services on my neighbor for a completely out of code bird coop. I hinted multiple times to them that I believe they had a sanitation problem. I think they got slapped with multiple notices which can be construed as public nuisance (misdemeanor) violations. It's too bad that they seemingly do not respect me or have any regard for sanitation, as it did not need to come to this. They then decided that rather than getting rid of the birds sensibly that they would inhumanely release them, so what happened is they started roosting under my eves on my roof. I had to get up there with a ladder and started blasting them away with a hose and the neighbor started yelling at me. They said they accidentally got out and that I should stop spraying them so they could get them back into the coop. I have evidence that this was not the case. While dealing with the situation they decided to tell me how I should spend my time on my property and of course did not apologize or mention their multiple violations. Complete asshole negligent neighbors as far as I'm concerned.
Now I feel that my neighbors will potentially call the city on me. As I did to them, why not do the same to me? So I started looking deeply into legal medical cannabis cultivation county ordinances. Found out that a greenhouse is considered mixed-light and requires odor control. I rigged up a carbon scrubber with exhaust fan but I'm not sure it's going to make any difference. I wish I would not have to run electric out to the greenhouse, it just seems like a waste of money. I have found it quite difficult to determine legality of special cases in my county ordinances. My biggest concern is that if there were ever a smell problem how it would be handled, if police might give notice about a potential problem or bust down my gate with a warrant to search. Not really sure, but at the same time not really sure I care. Actually I would not be surprised if all of my adjacent neighbors have outdoor grows. But who is to say that the odor is coming from me as opposed to them? I am confused as how to potential odor problems are determined and enforced.
My compost bin has been plagued by cluster flies and tiny red mites. I think it has been a bit too moist, or has too many grass clippings, or is anaerobic despite me turning it just about every day. The red mites are not a problem but the cluster flies are. They were here long before I had a compost bin but now they appear to be breeding in it. While cluster flies are technically beneficial insects, they hover around very annoyingly and actually feed on flowers. I wish to eradicate them but I've been trying for months and it's basically impossible. Basically the flies lay parasites in soil which then enter worms to breed. I think they are attracted to the scent of worm castings. Luckily this is not a problem for my plants but it is a problem for my compost pile. Apparently beneficial nematodes can help kill the parasites before they enter the worm host, but these hover flies are everywhere and I'm trying not to spend money in the hope that something works, unless I know that it will work.
The greenhouse has been absurdly hot 120F+ with 25% humidity, no way would I think this is acceptable but the plants seem to love it (though I'm sure it's far from ideal). I was reading in another thread here that high temps can help keep the bugs away. The only bugs I've really seen in there day to day are dragonflies, mosquito eaters, and the odd trapped fly. I did however discover a black aphid outbreak on my overcrowded leek which was growing directly underneath one of my cannabis plants, but the aphids were purely on the leek so I just chopped it out and dumped it. I have not been spraying any insecticide or really doing anything. I do however have a ton of tomatoes growing which last year brought fair amounts of green aphids and white flies. Running out of space in the greenhouse as grow [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG] is stretching past 3 feet tall and beginning to flower. Would I be best off completely removing the tomatoes from the greenhouse? I feel like if there is ever an insect problem that I will spot it and treat it on the tomatoes first before it would be a problem for the cannabis.
I am really unhappy with the Growers Choice Seeds with both the Haze XL and Kush XL from grow [HASHTAG]#3[/HASHTAG] as half of my seeds failed to make it to the seedling stage. I cannot have 50% less plants/yield due to poor seeds. There has been a clear difference in seed quality from this provider in my eyes as when you initially soak the seeds, the big nice looking seeds sink beneath the water surface rather quickly whereas other seeds will hardly sink after 12-18 hours. I am growing purely in the outdoor season and do not have the time to waste hoping that my expensive seeds will start. Grow [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG] and [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG] were 100% success but grow [HASHTAG]#3[/HASHTAG] so far is 50% success using the same (if not better) starting methods. Their policy is that they will replace seeds as a one-time thing but to me that would just be a waste of time. I only want the best seeds because I have a fixed timeline and limited space to work with.
Here are pictures of grow [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG] after quite a hot day yesterday. They are fattening up slowly and finally looking more like buds. Pistils are maybe 20% turned orange at the most. According to the strain info these should be done anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but I'm not so sure because I blasted them with veg nutes all during pre-flowering stretch. Is there a trick to know when to stop giving them flowering nutes and just switch to water until harvest? Still just using Tiger Bloom and Big Bloom light feedings. If these plants don't really stink that much now, will they likely stay that way or will the final few weeks potentially be much more smelly?
Thanks for any and all advice. I am adding more information here than is necessary with the neighbor situation and all but I'm trying to do this 100% legally for medical reasons and am uninterested in battling either my neighbors or the law. I also have multiple other topics I'd like to get into regarding security, unrelated gardening strategies, etc but that will be for a later date. I may be new to growing cannabis but I have been planning this grow arrangement for over 10 years.
I had to call animal services on my neighbor for a completely out of code bird coop. I hinted multiple times to them that I believe they had a sanitation problem. I think they got slapped with multiple notices which can be construed as public nuisance (misdemeanor) violations. It's too bad that they seemingly do not respect me or have any regard for sanitation, as it did not need to come to this. They then decided that rather than getting rid of the birds sensibly that they would inhumanely release them, so what happened is they started roosting under my eves on my roof. I had to get up there with a ladder and started blasting them away with a hose and the neighbor started yelling at me. They said they accidentally got out and that I should stop spraying them so they could get them back into the coop. I have evidence that this was not the case. While dealing with the situation they decided to tell me how I should spend my time on my property and of course did not apologize or mention their multiple violations. Complete asshole negligent neighbors as far as I'm concerned.
Now I feel that my neighbors will potentially call the city on me. As I did to them, why not do the same to me? So I started looking deeply into legal medical cannabis cultivation county ordinances. Found out that a greenhouse is considered mixed-light and requires odor control. I rigged up a carbon scrubber with exhaust fan but I'm not sure it's going to make any difference. I wish I would not have to run electric out to the greenhouse, it just seems like a waste of money. I have found it quite difficult to determine legality of special cases in my county ordinances. My biggest concern is that if there were ever a smell problem how it would be handled, if police might give notice about a potential problem or bust down my gate with a warrant to search. Not really sure, but at the same time not really sure I care. Actually I would not be surprised if all of my adjacent neighbors have outdoor grows. But who is to say that the odor is coming from me as opposed to them? I am confused as how to potential odor problems are determined and enforced.
My compost bin has been plagued by cluster flies and tiny red mites. I think it has been a bit too moist, or has too many grass clippings, or is anaerobic despite me turning it just about every day. The red mites are not a problem but the cluster flies are. They were here long before I had a compost bin but now they appear to be breeding in it. While cluster flies are technically beneficial insects, they hover around very annoyingly and actually feed on flowers. I wish to eradicate them but I've been trying for months and it's basically impossible. Basically the flies lay parasites in soil which then enter worms to breed. I think they are attracted to the scent of worm castings. Luckily this is not a problem for my plants but it is a problem for my compost pile. Apparently beneficial nematodes can help kill the parasites before they enter the worm host, but these hover flies are everywhere and I'm trying not to spend money in the hope that something works, unless I know that it will work.
The greenhouse has been absurdly hot 120F+ with 25% humidity, no way would I think this is acceptable but the plants seem to love it (though I'm sure it's far from ideal). I was reading in another thread here that high temps can help keep the bugs away. The only bugs I've really seen in there day to day are dragonflies, mosquito eaters, and the odd trapped fly. I did however discover a black aphid outbreak on my overcrowded leek which was growing directly underneath one of my cannabis plants, but the aphids were purely on the leek so I just chopped it out and dumped it. I have not been spraying any insecticide or really doing anything. I do however have a ton of tomatoes growing which last year brought fair amounts of green aphids and white flies. Running out of space in the greenhouse as grow [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG] is stretching past 3 feet tall and beginning to flower. Would I be best off completely removing the tomatoes from the greenhouse? I feel like if there is ever an insect problem that I will spot it and treat it on the tomatoes first before it would be a problem for the cannabis.
I am really unhappy with the Growers Choice Seeds with both the Haze XL and Kush XL from grow [HASHTAG]#3[/HASHTAG] as half of my seeds failed to make it to the seedling stage. I cannot have 50% less plants/yield due to poor seeds. There has been a clear difference in seed quality from this provider in my eyes as when you initially soak the seeds, the big nice looking seeds sink beneath the water surface rather quickly whereas other seeds will hardly sink after 12-18 hours. I am growing purely in the outdoor season and do not have the time to waste hoping that my expensive seeds will start. Grow [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG] and [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG] were 100% success but grow [HASHTAG]#3[/HASHTAG] so far is 50% success using the same (if not better) starting methods. Their policy is that they will replace seeds as a one-time thing but to me that would just be a waste of time. I only want the best seeds because I have a fixed timeline and limited space to work with.
Here are pictures of grow [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG] after quite a hot day yesterday. They are fattening up slowly and finally looking more like buds. Pistils are maybe 20% turned orange at the most. According to the strain info these should be done anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but I'm not so sure because I blasted them with veg nutes all during pre-flowering stretch. Is there a trick to know when to stop giving them flowering nutes and just switch to water until harvest? Still just using Tiger Bloom and Big Bloom light feedings. If these plants don't really stink that much now, will they likely stay that way or will the final few weeks potentially be much more smelly?
Thanks for any and all advice. I am adding more information here than is necessary with the neighbor situation and all but I'm trying to do this 100% legally for medical reasons and am uninterested in battling either my neighbors or the law. I also have multiple other topics I'd like to get into regarding security, unrelated gardening strategies, etc but that will be for a later date. I may be new to growing cannabis but I have been planning this grow arrangement for over 10 years.
