2 Questions on my first outdoor grow.

[angusbeefpatty]

I have a couple questions on my first outdoor grow.

1) I plan on planting one here and one there along a creek to lessen the chances of someone stumbling upon my grow. I've dug a dozen 3x3x3 holes and now I just need to fill them. The soil is extremely rocky, as in 80% rock so it went in the creek and I obviously must completely replace, not just amend it. I've seen a few mix suggestions but most of them have some things I don't have. Worm castings, for instance aren't sold anywhere around here and it wouldn't be economical to have some shipped. I'm limited by what my garden center sells, peat moss/verm potting mix, compost and manure (which is peat moss too) composted chicken shit, bone meal, fish emulsion, miracle gro, hydrated lime, etc. Can someone suggest a good mix, by parts please? I'd like to go organic if I can to start, but I plan on using non-organic ferts so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

2) As much $ as I spent on seeds for my first grow I'm a little wary of starting outside, especially since it's 45 degrees today and was 80 yesterday. I plan on using a heated mini greenhouse type seed germinator to start the seeds but I'm confused as to how long I have to wait before transplanting, and what my light source should be until that time. I was going to build a box to house the light and starting plants, but I had a couple old pentium 486 towers lying around, so I ripped the insides out and figured I'd use them. What kind of light source would I need, to get the plants to an age safe for translpant if I had four or five in each case? Would they be able to grow to a safe transplant age in the same medium they are germinated in?

I guess that's actually more than a couple questions, sorry if the numbering is a little misleading.

Thanks in advance
-Angus

Edit: Also, I bought a PH tester that also measures P N and K levels by parts per million (PPM) It lists acceptable rates on the back so I'd know if something was way out of wack, but if anyone knows what the plants would like in their veg and flowering stage, in PPM that would be amazing. Probably a long shot, it was only a couple bucks more than a regular digital PH tester so if I don't get any use out of it its not a huge loss

[OldSkool1010]

Originally Posted by angusbeefpatty

I have a couple questions on my first outdoor grow.

1) I plan on planting one here and one there along a creek to lessen the chances of someone stumbling upon my grow. I've dug a dozen 3x3x3 holes and now I just need to fill them.

Them's some big-ass holes! You will need 1 cubic yard of soil to fill them with. I'd say the most economical mix that will grow good plants would be equal parts of topsoil, composted cow manure and peatmoss. You could substitute coco coir for the peat if you can find it. It is lightweight, very compact and doesn't break down. Great water retention, and aeration.

The manure will provide plenty of nitrogen and many trace minerals so your main focus for fertilizer should be on phosphorus and potassium. I have read where a crude analysis of cow manure is something like 11-6-9.

2) As much $ as I spent on seeds for my first grow I'm a little wary of starting outside, especially since it's 45 degrees today and was 80 yesterday. I plan on using a heated mini greenhouse type seed germinator to start the seeds but I'm confused as to how long I have to wait before transplanting, and what my light source should be until that time. I was going to build a box to house the light and starting plants, but I had a couple old pentium 486 towers lying around, so I ripped the insides out and figured I'd use them. What kind of light source would I need, to get the plants to an age safe for translpant if I had four or five in each case? Would they be able to grow to a safe transplant age in the same medium they are germinated in?

Start your seeds in solo cups that have holes bored in the bottom. You can let them grow in there for a month if needed.

Compact florescent lamps (CFL) are great for small spaces. 3-4 ea. 27W Daylight bulbs will support 3-4 small plants.

[FrostAie]

yeah until it is very warm out i suggest doing what oldschool said start indoors and build up there stem strength and then move outside. It can be done for pretty cheap probably less than 15 dollars

[Dport]

If this is a guerilla grow where you won't be going back to the plants often then you need to worry about the soils nutritional properties. If you will be hand watering /feeding them and checking them often then all you will need is the cheapest soil-less mix you can find (not real soil, that shit turns to mud) Mix it with perlite and fill up the holes.

[angusbeefpatty]

No, its not really a guerilla grow, I will be feeding the plants myself. Thanks for the replies so far, OldSkool, does 3-4 ea. mean I would need three lights in each case? I hope I can find fittings that allow that in the space.

One other question I have is about the labeling of fertilizers. I know what the #-#-# stand for, but when you see one that is 20-10-10 and then another that is 4-2-1 does that mean that the second is delivering less food, or simply that the first is more concentrated and you physically use more of the second product.

The reason I ask is because I was looking into Fox Farms ferts as they came recomended and I'm seeing stuff like .01-.4-.7 and its getting a tad confusing.

Thanks ya'll

-Angus