PDA

View Full Version : Love The Outdoors


GanjaGuru
12-09-2005, 04:47 AM
Although I grow indoors too, my 1st love is outdoor growing.
Been doing it since '67.

I've always been an outdoor type of guy--hiking, fishing, camping.
And growing pot in the woods fits right in with that.

Now that winter is almost upon us, most outdoor forums are quiet.
But now is an ideal time to prepare for the spring.
Like:
-reading up on all aspects of growing. Even though I have been growing pot of 38 years, I still read grow guides.
-getting a hiking guide and making a list of area's to check out when the weather is nice. In certain area's like the southwest you can backpack year-round.
-if you have a place picked out, nows a good time to prep the spot (work the ground digging holes. transporting containers or potting soil)

This is also a good time to surf seed banks. Wear a bib because you may drool*.

If you're a rookie at outdoor growing, I recommend asking your CLOSEST BEST smoking friend to become a partner.
This goes against the hard and fast rule of Telling No One, but outdoor growing in the woods is time consuming (since you want to choose a remote location). Having a partner means you'll be able to alternate trips or have company when you go, and it means you can grow twice as many plants (whoo-hoo!!).
Also it's a good idea to have mutiple spots with maybe 8--10 plants eac h. That means they'll have less chance of being detected, and if someone finds 1 site, you have another 1 or more still safe and sound.

Keep in mind that the plants will need water at LEAST twice a week, for 6 months (that's at least 50 trips if you include site prep). If it doesn't rain YOU must supply it. Water weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon and a 6' tall plant in full veg drinks a gal. every 2 days.
Supplying water means hiking when everyone else is partying out at the beach in the summer.
Ah but the reward--boxfulls of phat sticky buds!!! Done just right you can get over 1/2 pound per plant (my record is 2 lbs. per plant but I have friends who have gotten up to 3 lbs per). So 10 plants can mean over 5 POUNDS OF BUD.
I'm not advocating selling, but top-quality pot sells for $4K/lb. in many parts of the U.S.
If you don't sell, think of all the extra $$ you'll have to spend on strippers when you no longer have to spend it on pot.

SO
get a grow guide & hiking book and curl up in front of a virtual fire and read.
And if everything goes just right, by this time next year you can, like me, be sitting on a few pounds.

*When surfing seed banks, keep in mind their business is selling you stuff. When they talk about possible yield they are NOT speaking in terms of how much per plant but how much per sq/meter (3' x 3'), under ideal conditions by experienced growers.

In 2 weeks the days will start getting longer, and as the weeks tick by I will be back to provide more tips.

Cranky
12-09-2005, 09:08 AM
well bro,i'll be doing abit outdoors myself next year;) first time for me so i'll be about to pic up on some of those tips as i will probably need a few;)

stay cool

cranky

Fillabong
12-09-2005, 10:59 AM
Good call:D Let's make this thread on tips and tricks.

Even I who had a failure of an outdoor crop can share some advice.
Hey! It was frost!

Anyhoo... These tips and tricks are from a canadian grower who has a very dry climate.

Tip number one... You don't need to be a zealot with the fertilizer!!! Plants grown outside in rich loamy soil will have roots and root hairs that extend many feet. Some little grain plants have roots that stretch thousands of miles. They can find food;)

#2. Only use organic fertilizer. If you can't find any nearby don't use any nutes then. Organic is the only way to go. Using chemical fertilizers are poisonous in EVERY aspect and should be avoided at all costs. I'm not going to rant here. I'll need a new thread for that;) A bag of bloodmeal, a tub of bonemeal and some fireplace ashes are all you need:D

#3 It's tough to overwater. I'd think a 6ft plant in mid summer would consume much more than 2 quarts a day but again, the roots go a loooong way. If it's a really intense summer day and your plants look wilted, feel them. Sometimes in really hot conditions a plant will lower it's leaves to reduce the direct surface area against the sun. So feel them. If they feel turgid and healthy then leave them be. If they're actually wilting the top will fall over.

#4. For God's sake don't spray them with water in mid sun! You might think you're adding humidity, which you are, but you're also taking air out of the soil. Trust me. It happens!

#5. Water deeply. Don't give them a trickle everyday. This will make them develop a shallow root system. We want a deep, powerful root network. So water only when needed and water thoroughly!

#6 Look around you. Is there moss? Are there trees? What types of flora? Animal poop? Acid rain, fallen logs etc... All these are indicators of the health of your site as well as what you'll find in the soil. Tell us about the location.

#7. On the tail of number six about location... don't take the same path all the time. If someone else comes along and sees a beaten path (God help them they're only human) they'll be more willing to explore. Bushwhack a bit and keep your route fresh.

Well Kent my fingers are sore. Live for HGB news in Canada, I'm Fillabong.

:D

GanjaGuru
12-09-2005, 04:05 PM
I'll disagree with you on one point:
I recommend avoiding using bone and blood meal as fertilizer on outdoor plants, as animals (coyote's/wolves/dogs, bears, coons) tend to dig them up.
I start with Fox Farms Ocean & Forest, a potting soil that is rich in organic nutrients such as bat poop, worm castings, and kelp. I don't add any nutrients for the first 2 months and for the rest of veg I add chicken shit tea.
Then 2--3 weeks into flowering I switch to 1-10-5 bat shit, and the last 2 weeks just water with a bit of pineapple juice mixed in.

There are 2 kinds of outdoor growing--back yard and "the woods".
Chem. nutrients are especially bad for the environment when used in the woods--they get into the water table & screw up streams.
Chem's can be used in backyards, but organics are so much better.

FreedaWeed
12-10-2005, 06:46 AM
I gotta' "co-sign" ganga's comment on blood and bone. They will attract carnivours/omnivours, but have found by ammending the sites a few months in advance, less likely to have damage once plants are there. Early ammending also give the soil the oppurtunity to compost. Getting that good microbial action going.

Fillabong
12-10-2005, 08:57 AM
Goood thinking. Amend in the fall and let it have a little fallow. Spring is when all the soil critters begin to move anyways.

elzz
03-02-2006, 09:48 AM
Can i add a few....

1 - BLACK SOIL gets dug up super fast by skunks and other animals digging for insects. DUnno what it is about the rich black soil, but the animals dig it. Use some rocks as mulch to help prevent digging, or use a different type of potting soil.

2 - Prep ur spots BEFORE the mosquitos come out. This means get out ther as soon as the snow melts ;)

3 - bird book and binoculars (50$). Its a good excuse if u get approached. Plus, why not look up the birds as u see em and learn somethin.

4 - Fertilizer... I dont like blood and bonemeal, too easy to make the mix hot. Stick to one of the organic lines, like pure blend pro or advanced nutrient's iguana. Always good results.

5 - Bug spray... buy some! I have a mosquito jacket too.

6 - bug dust... early season ur plants can get munched by bugs. i use regular garden insecticide dust. Usually only have to apply 1 time. sometimes late season if the bugs are still bad i will reapply.

7 - deer and rabbits.... they will mess u around bad! either use a chicken wire fence around your spots, or use a combination of repellents. I use critter ridder around the base of my plants, skoot on the vegitation around my plants, and chunks of zest soap around the base of my plants, and sometimes i put cat hair around the place. If you still have problems after all that, use a gun. ;)

8 - Get a healthy start before putting them outside. I used to just plant seeds directly outside, but this just doesnt work well at all. Now i like to have atleast a 5 inch plant started before it goes outside, preferablly an 8 inch clone.

thats all for now... good luck.