Lil Roach has returned.

Over 10 years ago I started my growing journey here on RIU. I posted in my journal for years before straying into a private grow site and was inactive here for a good length of time.....long enough to lose my journal.

Well that site shut down. I was bummed as it was the second website I lost years of posts and pictures. Other members started a replacement site about 2 years ago....and it too seems to be fizzling out.

Fool me once....

So....here I am....and will become once again active here. The need for a private site has gone away since my state has approved rec weed. While I'm not going to share details of my private life, I'll be posting much about my grow experiences....both good and bad.

lilroach said:

Over 10 years ago I started my growing journey here on RIU. I posted in my journal for years before straying into a private grow site and was inactive here for a good length of time.....long enough to lose my journal.

Well that site shut down. I was bummed as it was the second website I lost years of posts and pictures. Other members started a replacement site about 2 years ago....and it too seems to be fizzling out.

Fool me once....

So....here I am....and will become once again active here. The need for a private site has gone away since my state has approved rec weed. While I'm not going to share details of my private life, I'll be posting much about my grow experiences....both good and bad.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a sweet plan
Congrats on legalization
And WELCOME BACK TO RIU

It's too hot and humid to sleep.....so I'll babble on here for a bit.

As I said before, I've been growing for about 10 years. Like everyone here when they first started and came to a site like RIU, I suffered from informational overload. So many "experts" giving often contradictory advice. I realized there's really no one way to grow weed, and to try all the suggestions would end up badly.

So I searched for someone that seemed to have numerous grows under their belt and ask them to mentor me. I was so fortunate that he held my hand from beginning to end. He didn't suggest any advance growing techniques or fancy gear to end up with a nice grow. I have since labelled his technique "K.I.S.S" as it is the most basic way of growing good weed. Soil, nutrients, and lights.

Here I am 10 years later growing almost exactly the same way as I did that first grow. My grow room is a tribute to the 90's with my four 600w HPS's and two 315w CMH's. I use Happy Frog soil, Jacks Classic Blossom Booster (along with a little calmag), and #3 pots.

Don't get me wrong, I've tried numerous other growing techniques....but none really fit my lazy-ass attitude of doing the very least and still get a good grow. I've done closet grows, bought a mobile home and did a bigger grow, and several other grow rooms in between.

Here's a video of a grow room I had about five years ago.



As you can see even doing the least can give me some very nice plants.

I've scaled down since then.....I try not to grow more than demand requires....I am not a pot collector.

Ok.....I think I can sleep now....it's still fucking hot....but I'm stoned and tired.

I really have started to not only dislike growing from seeds......I dread it.

Most of the strains I started from seed in April....yeah...over 4 months ago.....time, soil, nutrients, space in my rooms.....turned out to be males. Of the rest...two were females...cool huh?

No.

FUCKING NANNERS!

My Colombian strain was pretty sneaky in herming on me.....lower branches, towards the wall....just didn't see them till this morning. The only clue I had was when I took a close look at the buds and notice seed pods forming. SHIT SHIT SHIT! Then I found the tell-tale nanners. There's zero doubt in my mind that this fucker has pollinated it's neighbors too.

I don't need this shit!

Columbian always was a seed magnet
It didn’t make the weed bad it just wasn’t a desirable trait in home grown

I realized that I haven't shown pictures of my recent grows. Keep in mind I let them grow out naturally and do no pruning, defoliating, or even yanking dead leaves off a plant.

I am a lazy grower that is not focused on maximum yield....but more about minimal work.

Please understand I have a cheap-ass phone/camera and the quality of the photos prove that.

First, I want to introduce my plant supervisor....."Buzz". He keeps an eye on things.



Purple Sugar Bunch



Not sure of the strain.



Blue Dream



I think this is Crystal Gelato.



Banana Bomb.



Girl Scout Cookies.



Group photo.



I'll share more when I have time.

Looking good Roach..

Back in the late '70's NORML had an annual "Smoke-in" in Washington DC. It was a protest against marijuana laws at a time where people where going to prison for minor possession. I personally had to deal with that shit along with too many friends along the way.

NORML got permits to hold it at the mall, and we marched to Lafayette Park across from the White House. I went four years in a row....include when I was in the Navy.

Yep...that's me smoking a bowl....in front of a few cops. I had balls back then.



Over those years I got tear gassed 4 times.

You can't see the Lincoln Memorial due to the tear gas.



And you can see the gas behind the crowd being "ushered" back to the mall.



My buddy with big balls too. Apparently he pissed off the wrong cop as he was chased by one on a moped swinging his night stick and saying "I'll get you nigger!" My buddy had some moves and ran back into the crowd.





Ah...fun times. You young people have no idea of how bad it was for pot smokers. We had "the toughest drug laws" where mandatory sentences was harsh and ruined so many lives for as little as having a joint.

Knowing how DC security was back then......my mind was boggled at the lack of it January 6th. This was a peaceful protest....and look at what they brought.

lilroach said:

Over those years I got tear gassed 4 times.

Click to expand...

That got a laugh out of me..

Ah.....Fungus Gnats.

I've been dealing with these fuckers since I started growing. I honestly feel they come in with the bags of Happy Frog....I mean....very first grow in a new grow room......fungus gnats.

I've learn to live with them by controlling their numbers with mosquito bits and sticky boards. They never seem to go away totally.

In July I decided I had enough.....I wanted to send someone some clones and I refuse to send him critters with the package. I did the hydrogen peroxide drench thing several weeks in a row....and that dropped their numbers down drastically....but didn't finish 'em.

Someone suggested going with No-Pest strips and after doing some research found that they'd be OK with budding plants.

It's been about 2 weeks of the strips hanging in my veg and flower rooms and by God....I think they may have done it.

One weird thing I've seen is the Fungus Gnats dying on my ceiling in front of my oscillating fan. Gnats really don't like wind.....they can't fly for shit it it....and here they are....dead in front of the breeziest spot in the room.



Now I'm sure some got sucked through the fan and blasted into the ceiling....but that doesn't explain the ones above and along side of the fan. My theory is that the gnats were looking for some "clean air" to avoid suffocating caused by the No-Pest strips.

Anyway....it is weird. In 10 years I never have seen the gnats act like this. I'll be taking the strips down once I'm convinced I am bug free.

Well.....it's obvious that I'm a irregular poster here.

I'll try to be more regular.

During the summer heat I have challenges in the flower room. I love my HPS's about 9 months of the year....but in the summer....not so much. It can get to almost 100 degrees in there and both the plants and I do not like that a bit. Before someone tries to give me a suggestion....there's high odds that I've tried it.

So.....I'm giving in and doing something I have not had to do....stock pile weed and pretty much shut down for the summer months. I've always said "I'm not a pot collector" as I don't have a ton of weed sitting around. My yields have pretty much matched the demand and has worked well for me for years.

The downside of that is that I've never even attempted to cure my weed. It just never stuck around that long. So after 12 years of growing, I'm having to learn something new for me. The last thing I want is a bunch of dried-out weed, and I like the thought of bettering the taste and smell of my product.

So.....Humidity packs, RH meters, and bigger jars are now my norm. I sort of like it....something new for this old dog.