Gallery – Apical Greens

A new definition of hard work.

May 8, 2020/0 Comments/in The Hive Progress /by apicalgreens

The new facility requires a fence around it. We figured we would save here and do that ourselves.

68 poles each 12 feet long for a total of 544 feet. We have a post hole auger on our tractor so it shouldn’t be a problem. Wrong. Most of it wasn’t a problem but about 12 of our holes couldn’t be dug because of thick rock that we kept hitting. The auger just wouldn’t cut it. Days went by trying to crack this nut! So finally, we got out the backhoe and figured we would get them at least started through the rock. That worked for about 4 of our last 12 holes but then even the backhoe couldn’t get through!

We had to run to the hardware store and rent a hammer drill and bit set so we could drill it out, then jackhammer the rock out! Finally, we got all the poles set! What should have been a three-day project turned into 2 weeks!

A big vein of this went right down the fence line. After broken up it looked pretty cool with a bluish color but it was sure hard to get through!

Finally, after many long days, we have all the posts set! Well, most of them.

Starting to see something familiar!

May 3, 2020/0 Comments/in Growing /by apicalgreens

It grows like a weed! Very quickly these plants go from little seedlings to branching out into big plants. The iconic 5 blade leaves are already on most of the plants and some are even starting to push 9.

It got a little too hot over the weekend so some started to curl their leaves. These plants will communicate with you though if you listen and fix things before they get too distressed.

Some strains starting to push out 9 leaves.

Not all water is created equal!

April 30, 2020/0 Comments/in Growing /by apicalgreens

Not all water is created equal! Well maybe it’s created equal but that doesn’t mean that it stays that way.

Simple tap water has things added to it to help in water treatment and to help maintain the cities pipes etc.

So we bring in our own water from the farm. At the farm, we have a well that we test yearly for heavy metals etc.

Our well water has the right PH levels for the plants as well so we don’t have to add any modifiers.

The farm is about 20 minutes away though so we truck it in in big tanks.

Stage 2

April 29, 2020/0 Comments/in Growing /by apicalgreens

The babies are now toddlers! After not much time they needed to be transplanted into their temporary housing.

When we have the space in the future they will germinate in these 3qt planters but for now, we have to start them in pete pellets because without the germination rate being 100% we just don’t have space.

At this rate, they are a little easier to take care of and can make it through the weekend without constant care.

They can start to get into their cycle of soil drying out and watering drying out and watering.

Super Soil!

April 28, 2020/0 Comments/in Growing /by apicalgreens

We get organic soil custom made from a local nursery. Custom made? Mixed I guess. We require a certain PH level and certain types of nutrients and compost. They mix it up for us and we run some tests before they deliver. They have always been awesome to work with!

The secret ingredient? Mushroom compost.

It helps with lots of things but here in West Virginia we have lots of clay that doesn’t drain very well so one benefit is that the mushroom compost helps create a loom soil that has great drainage.

You can learn more about why it’s so awesome here.

Germination week!

April 23, 2020/0 Comments/in Growing /by apicalgreens

Germination week!

We got sprouts coming up like crazy! Our germination rate has been great this year too! We are really excited to get these babies turning into teens!

In their little planter pellets, they grow really fast but are incredibly sensitive to drying out so they take lots of care, even coming in on the weekends to water and check room temperatures and humidity levels.

Chris checking on the babies.

Excavating is done.

April 22, 2020/0 Comments/in The Hive Progress /by apicalgreens

The excavator guys finished up their work and we now have an empty canvas to work with.

With ditches cut for drainage and some of the trees removed, we are ready to turn up the heat!

We really hated to cut down this sycamore tree but it was leaning the wrong way and also cast a lot of shade across the lot where the greenhouses will go. We have some cool plans with it though, we are going to drill out the stump and put a hemp plant inside. It will be right near the front door of the new packaging facility.

Seeing what the land looks like underneath and official groundbreaking!

April 20, 2020/0 Comments/in The Hive Progress /by apicalgreens

We aren’t big on formalities but we did want to celebrate the start of this massive project and what better day to celebrate than 4/20?

So after the post office closed we all got together at 4:20 on 4/20 to turn over the first shovel-full of dirt!

The excavator guys beat us there though and they already had peeled back all the topsoil with the grass.

In fact, they were already leveling the building site! It made such a difference to see the ground without the grass to really see the grade of the land and where everything would be.

Brad and Mara were the only ones that followed directions and wore their Apical Greens shirts that day. 🤦‍♂️

Overall it was a big moment to mark. It was the beginning of A LOT of work to be done!

The Apical Greens Family!

Interesting side note, we have 10 kids between all of us! It can get loud fast when we have a family get-together! And is there anything better than a big dirt pile and cousins when you’re a kid?