Larry {the} Gardener
Well-Known Member
I've sprayed my BST2's with neem a couple of times. They are on week 2 or 3, according to how you count. I haven't seen anymore worms, so I'm likely through spraying on them.
I like the over under w/the hoops @Humanrob The market farmers down here do a rope X on the top of their hoop houses - you can kind of see it in this pic. Might not hurt to double down.
Your structures look good and sturdy and all that air flow will be good. My plan is to not cover and keep my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that the rain holds off until the crop is in. I went with OGS's seeds for the early finish. Seeing how far along my Swiss Strawberry was, I would guess she would have been finished before mid September.
I collected the last of the DK pollen from the colas I cut. The plan now (assuming successful seed development this year) is to pollinate more {I want more, I want more} and earlier next year. Seven weeks is almost October... That's about a 1/4 teaspoon. Anyone have any over-winter storage tips?
View attachment 3768099
The Bag Seed Testers are a couple of weeks ahead of my Sidetracked: strain, so they have got pollen, but only one {the Slo2 in the BP patch} of my strain have been dusted. But they are ready now, and I have some pollen to chunk. So very soon I will be making lots of Sidetracked: seeds.So I did the deed... it was like a drunk teenager who'd never even seen a naked woman before losing his virginity... quick, sloppy, inept, awkward... and I still had a smile on my face when I was done. I hope it was good for them too! Quite the little the orgy in my garden, almost everyone got some.
This year was just for fun, next year I'll plan ahead and up my odds of success.
I read a beginners tutorial and then watched a couple of YouTube videos on the subject, so I'm sure I'm ready to pass the Pollination Certification section of the Master Horticulturist's Exam. Yah. I'm a pro now.I can just imagine the yellow clouds billowing up around you, HR! Did your hands get all sticky?
Many people wet the rest of the plant when you are only doing one branch. Water does kill the pollen, so it's an effective way to keep from picking up stray pollen.I read a beginners tutorial and then watched a couple of YouTube videos on the subject, so I'm sure I'm ready to pass the Pollination Certification section of the Master Horticulturist's Exam. Yah. I'm a pro now.
Back in reality... no clouds of pollen... thank god. I think/hope I kept it under control LOL. Of course having rushed the research I was left with a bunch of conflicting internet "wisdom". I averaged the various methods I came across, and for this year that's as good as it gets. As things could go wrong, I'd be happier to have no seeds rather than too many... but its up to nature to do what it can with my unscheduled and irregular interference.
I think I read that I should know within a day or two if it took? The flowers will start to turn brownish? I also read -- but only once, and anything read only once on the Internet is suspect -- that I should wet down the plants because that will sterilize any unused pollen before the wind spreads it? Fact or fiction?
Thanks Larry! good to know.Many people wet the rest of the plant when you are only doing one branch. Water does kill the pollen, so it's an effective way to keep from picking up stray pollen.
And the white hairs will turn brown in a day or two. But you will be seeing seeds grow soon.
That's cool...where's the pellet gun?Yeah, you'll be able to tell shortly if the pollination was successful (and how could it not ) My dusted buds are pistil bare now; having done their job they've withered away...
I had company in the garden a few nights ago
View attachment 3769887