Seedlings

 Three of the seven Power Plant Autos have germinated and are transferred to the tent. I'm not sure the others will germinate but I have seven Sour Diesel Autos in plugs as backups, at least one will "pop" for the tent, the others if they germinate will go into 5 gal bags with Coco Coir for a outdoor grow. I'm not sure why germination has been so iffy, whatever I'll throw seeds at it until I get the needed number of viable plants.

Everything Is Set To Grow

 The RDWC system is working as advertised as are the tent fans and the California Light Works LED light controller, the water chiller is holding the water at 70F to 71F and the AC unit is keeping the tent in the correct range of temps for growing Cannabis. All systems are "go" except the seeds haven't popped after three days between wet paper towels. They are fresh seeds from a good source so I'll give them a couple more days before going to plan "B" seeds.

For me the two hardest times of a "grow" are waiting for the seeds to germinate and deciding when to harvest. When to harvest is kinda easy because there is no really wrong answer, just some are better than others but if you panic over seeds not germinating and start a new batch what do you do with the extra seedlings when they do pop.

Home For The Grow Season

 We are home in AZ for the '24-'25 grow season. Seven Dutch Passion "Auto Power Plant" seeds are in H2O and the tent is set up ready for this season's crop.

The tent set up:

 

Last season I used a DWC system and the grow was problematic, in other words the whole crop sucked with problems of water temp control, root rot, water and nute EC plus pH going wild. This season I will use a RDWC system with an added "water chiller", RO water v. tap water and a different AC unit. I hope and think this system will address all of last season's problems. If it doesn't I will go back to soil and forget Hydroponics. 

 This Artisun RDWC system is pretty neat. First heavy, no leak, plumbing connectors and pipes. It also allows an outside the tent water supply with a float valve to keep the water level constant and a stand pipe to keep water level constant in the "grow" pots. The only negative is it limits you to four plants in a 5'X5' tent and that might not be a negative. 

If all seven "pop" three will transfer to Coco Coir in fabric pots and eventually moved outside. At the end of January I will add several Barney's Farm "Sour Diesel Auto" plants to the outside grow. I haven't a clue how a outside grow will work here in Tucson over Winter and Spring but with using Auto Flower plants it is worth a try.

BTW, as much as I love Texas and Texas food it is good to be back in Tucson, AZ where weed is legal. 

New Hearing Aids

 I had a great life as a pilot but back in the day "real men" didn't wear hearing protection. It was not just ramp noise but airborne with a pair of TIO 540's next to your ears and a incanal ear piece for the radio, I'm now profoundly deaf to high frequencies. I other words I can't hear female voices, the left ear is worse than the right and the right is pretty bad.

I've had hearing aids for 5-6 years but they didn't help much other than making it sound like standing next to Niagara Falls when you pee. Anyway cut to the chase; New hearing aids from Hear.com today. First day so I don't want to be too quick but...these suckers may work. 

Monsoon Season Is Here/ Living In The Desert

 The Tucson Monsoon has arrived. A few years ago they changed Monsoon season to a calendar date but truth is Monsoon season happens when the RH gets to 25% or so and stays there.  For that to happen the desert has to get hot enough to form a low pressure area to draw moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and California. We have had the heat and RH for a couple of weeks and yesterday we had the first storm at the house. It was a good start, hard rain and wind for several hours and this morning outdoors feels like a Houston August morning. It will be the kind of day you are thankful for AC. That's the bad news, the good is it only lasts for a couple or three months and the desert needs the rain.

Being retired in the desert southwest is easy living but you need to adjust your day's schedule. As an example, from mid March thru September I'm usually up by 0300 and take care of work around the house and do my morning walk before 0900 or 1000. By late morning it is time to kick back and enjoy a drink and/or a toke by the pool followed by a nap till near sundown. After the sun goes down the desert (except during Monsoon) cools off very quickly. Early evening outdoors is usually perfect.

Bottom line: Up early, do your work, once it is hot enjoy the pool and/or AC and a nap. Once the sun is setting back outdoors. It is a good life.    

Happy Juneteenth

 Title says it all. 

Juneteenth

 Tomorrow is Juneteenth, our newest and most important yet overlooked holiday. I've been all over the reasons Juneteenth is important, no reason to revisit. 

Raise a glass of whatever to all the folks that have finally made the celebration a national holiday for all.

Happy Juneteenth,

ken and MsBubba