Swampin' West Coast style

[Hybrid]

Swamp growing has proved itself a very viable method for outdoor cannabis cultivation,and has been used by west coast growers for years.It provides perhaps the easist and most prolific site for outdoor stealth growing.It is also one of the least problematic methods,requiring the fewest visits,both self fertilising and self watering....stealth to the max.
In this first artical I will explain exactly what swamp growing is,where you want to plant in a swamp and the preseason prep.
A word of warning: For our friends in Florida and southern Louisiana,don't try this at home kids,mosquitoes and black-flies are one thing...Crocs and venomous snakes..quite another.
Location:The type of swamp you are looking for,may be called a bog,or marsh,depending on where you are from,but what you need is a lake that has a "floating" bog at one end or side.Aproaching from land,the surface should be springy and damp,to the point where if you walk out further you will sink in water.You want to ensure you are out on the floating bog,and not still on shore.
Preperation:It's first or second week of March.(asap after last frost).This is when you want to prep your spots.
Firstig a 3ftx3ft chunk of the bog out deep enough to reach open water below.Pile the material you take out of the hole in a mound beside the hole.It is this mound your girls will live in.Treat this mound of moss/soil with dolomite lime as swamps tend to be very acidic.At this time,a couple of cups of Texas(insect eating) bat guano,and worm castings can be tilled in.Leave this mess for two weeks to stabilise and thats it,your site is prepped.
Thats it for the first artical,more to come....next,time to plant.

[Hybrid]

It's two weeks later,the mosquito bites have healed,time to get back at er!
It's time to get your girls into the bush where they belong.Now I wear full camo gear in the bush,right down to the spandofluage face mask,not an absolute neccessity,but at least be dressed for stealth and of course warm and dry,it is after all the Ides of march,likley raining and surley cold.Your comfort level is directly proportionate to how well and how long you can work effectivly in the bush,as any ex-military group would tell you.
Show up early:You are going to be moving some non-stealthable items into the bush(box of babies) so get dropped off at your entry point at the crack of dawn.No one must see you hit the bush at this point,what you are doing is too obvious.
Things to bring:Clones,preferrably about a foot tall,couple good weeks of veg on them already.Beer cases work great for carriers,as they have handles,and can be tucked under the arm if you need your hands to climb over logs etc.(and you will).A can of Corey's slug bait,a bottle of scoot concentrate,pre diluted, for beastie repellents,a small shovel or gardeners trowel and a goodly bag of prerolled dubes.
Moving in the bush:Always try and use a bear or deer trail to get you as close as possible to your show.If there are non convienent never use the same route in and out or you will leave a trail....not stealthy!Here is a bit of a trick for finding trails.Face forward and scan away and towards you focusing at a point just about center of the undergrowth(focus is the most difficult part of "seeing in the bush).Take a step left or right and repeat the scan.Do this 3-4 steps in both directions.If there is any trails,even older less used ones this method works.
Always spend as much time looking behind you,as you do looking ahead.The easiest way to get confused in the bush is if you get turned around.If you havent been looking,you won't recognise anything,no point of referance,then people get lost.
Planting:Back at the mound,you will notice the color of your mound has gone from brown/red to nice dark black.Your dolomite has dispersed into the soil and done it's job.Take your shovel or trowel jam it into the mound and open a wide gap,take your clone out of it's pot,set it in the gap.Then gently squeeze the gap shut around the roots.Pour a ring of slug bait about 10 inches out from the plant's stalk.Give a light misting of scoot.Take out your bag of pre-rolls,and have a little park n spark.Repeat this process untill you run out of holes and babies.
Thats it: With the same concern for stealth make your way back to your rendevous point,and get the hell out of the bush for 3 months.
This ends part two,next time is the second last visit to your girls.Getting them ready for flowering.

[Hybrid]

It's the middle of june,sun is shining and it's time to get off the beach and into the bush.You do remember where you put those plants right?
When: Once again try to arrange for dropoff at first light,and of course a prearranged extraction time.
What you need: Watering can.Either Phillipine Bat guano(fruit eaters) or a good composted tea bloom blend.Prediluted scoot and slug bait.
By this time you will find that your plants root systems have worked their way through the mound,and are drawing water direct from the lake.If you are using Bat guano,sprinkle about 1/4 cup onto the surface of the soil around your plants,then use your water bucket to scoop water out of the hole beside the mound,and flush it into the soil.If you are using organic tea,mix it at about double the label rate,and pour it on.
Refresh your ring of slugbait,although they cannot kill your plants at this stage they will climb them and leave slime,which can promote mold.Give a light spray with the scoot,once they start producing trichomes rabbits and deer will leave them alone.Any dead leaf material etc. can be removed as well at this time.
And thats it untill fall,when it will be time to reap the fruits of your labors.
Next:Take it down,trim it up.

[Hybrid]

Early to mid october in my part of the world,may vary in yours,but it is time to reap the benifits.Although in some parts of the world it is possible to trim and cure in the outdoors,this section of writing will apply more for those that can't.
Same procedure to get in and out of the bush,it is the stealthiest method to just not have a vehicle present anywhere near your entry point.Give yourself lots of time.Depending on how many plants you have out there you may have to take it bag by bag to a spot near your extraction point.Or it may well take more than one day.
What to bring: Industrial or contractor grade garbage bags and lots of them.
A large sharp knlfe/bayonet/machete to hack stalks and branches.
A couple of good trimming scissors for leaf.
A small bottle of TKO orange for cleaning and odor removal from skin.
A roll of string/twine as well as a good lunch and the required large baggie of prerolls and a couple of good absorbant towels.
Rather than hack the entire plant down,we have found it more efficient to do the following.Remove all yellowing leaf,and as much remaining green leaf from the plant(not the buds).Then cut all the branches off individually.Then cut the main stalk off just below where you cut off the last off the branches.Stack all of these together and tie the bases of the stems together with your string.
If you plan on processing the leaf,then put it into a seperate garbage bag.Don't put the bud branches into a bag untill you have a full bags worth.The less you rub the plants together or against the inside of the bag,the less trichomes you will smear off.Once the bag is filled to the point where you can still comfortably carry it out of the bush,smoke a fat one,and repeat the process untill all your girls are done.
Once you get them home take them out of the bags,and get them hung asap.Again remove them as a complete bundle to lessen handling.All that is left is curing,
That covers the west coast swamp growing seminar,and thank you all for attending we now return you to yor regularly scheduled programming.

A quick pic of the results...

[Wake-n-Bake]

Thanks Hybrid, that was interesting reading.

[Gettinkrunkd]

thats some good looking fire their....what strain?