Outdoor Grow Guide

[Corto Malteze]

No problem. It is kind of tricky!

When they're babies, you don't want to burn them with manures or meals or a rich store bought soil. So in the their first home, the cups or smaller pots, you only put peat (or pro mix) which doesn't burn and some good potting soil to get a good mix. After 1 month, either you have feminized seeds and you can put them in the hole directly or you have non feminized seeds and maybe you'll want to put them in 3 gallon pots until they show sex, discard the males, and only put the females in the holes.
Worm castings is worm shit (doesn't burn), very important for drainage and airing out and food for plants/micro organisms.
Sphagnum Peat moss serves to lighten (air out) the soil as opposed to having all potting soil (heavy on the roots), and serves to retain water. That way you have a godd "water-air" ratio.
Do not mix 1/2 peat and 1/2 clay soil in your holes (bring other 1/2 of soil if the native dirt is clayey or argilleous).

PS:
Add vermiculite to retain water if needed. Add perlite (expensive) or sand (cheap,free) to drain.
To get peat+vermi+perlite+trace elements+fungi: Promix-Bx or same type. The peat (or promix) does not need to be added in winter as it doesn't hurt the plants and can be used from the bag.
You can add a rich potting soil/old compost for the other half.
And the worm castings
The manure and meals are already in the hole since Dec-Jan-Feb.

[jrblades20]

Thanks for the help if i have any other questions ill be sure to come to u because it sounds like u know what u r doing lol. I will be starting a grow journal in the next few week to let u guys know who they r doing. One more quick question. I am getting 10 seeds. Should i start all 10 of them or just a few so i can learn what i am doin

[Corto Malteze]

If they get 4-5 hours of direct sun (as babies, 5-6 as adult plants), and they're protected from frost, animals and slugs (and people), they'll all do fine. Just don't over water them (wait until the soil dries out a little) and don't use too many nutes on them. It's better to get all 10 going, that way it's not complicated and done with. The main thing is keeping a low profile while your plants have plenty of good food, water and sun. The nute thing may sound a little complicated but stealth, water, sun, a good soil mix, a few nutes (N, P, K) at the right time and some trace elements will work just fine.

Important: you MUST have prepared your passage way to the plot before starting.
During the day, (if this is a place without houses : your spot can be lost before you even dig the hole if people see you crawling in some bushes or you wreck it just checking the spot the 1st time). Discretely find a passage way you'll be using the night (imo) you bring in the pick ax and horse manure/meals... I bring in the soil (if nec.) and the plants on other nights. I use my car to get closer only on the nights I transport the soil mix and the pick ax.

The passage way or access MUST be invisible in broad daylight so if there's a nice hedge or branches hiding the place, don't just go through it and destroy the spot. Go around and find a natural or artificially made discrete entry you'll use (use rocks and existing paths to get close, go around before getting too close). Rippers follow paths. Don't invite them in!

That's why I choose this entry route carefully during the day. I mark my digging spots with some rope/thread I'll recognize at night and I make sure to remember the way in. I don't want to be lost and wrecking veg. on the night I dig and fill up the holes.

I mark my parking spot with Google Earth, where the containers/wheel barrow are (hidden on the way to the water springs), where the spots are, and what road is better to get there. I calculate the distances between grow spots and water springs, is it possible or is that too many plants for 1 person (before digging). I'll have under 10 going (means 2 nights of digging and enough work hauling water considering the distances -hence the wheel barrow I'll hide well). I really prefer using water springs (even a little far off: one spot has 30 minutes minimum walk with full wheelbarrow to a nice spring I know will stay all summer). Some spots are closer to the water springs luckily, and I won't need the wheel barrow and can also quickly drop off water (very remote place anyway), in case the springs dry out during the summer.

After parking/hiding the car, the plan is to ride my bike for 10 minutes (or walk 30 mins) to the water source and hidden containers, WITHOUT the car. It'll probably be just me and the wild boar anyway: this place is infested with them. They scare the shit out of me with their grunting and running away but they never charged me or bothered my mj. Plus I don't want to wreck my car (ok dirt routes but still some rocks) so I prefer doing it at night and on foot. Even if it takes more time, it's safer. I just can't work peacefully during the day.

There may be some military training some nights in the summer here. Anyway, don't keep your car related to the op for long, or at all. The night you dig has to go smoothly without breaking any veg. If the path is well chosen, it is possible to hardly break any vegetaion around until the end of the season and stay discrete. But sneaking in is part of the plan, right?

Good luck to everybody.

[stagger lee]

just a few tips.also thanx 4 awesome thread!I steal netting the golf courses use its very stealth and stops small rodents too! not to mention cheap!!!fuk golf courses!and I also use a post hole digger(auger) to spread plants out for short hike!

[Corto Malteze]

A few more explanations:

Hole prep: dig a hole (leave a mound at the bottom if it rains a lot where you are) in Jan-Feb. Take half of the native soil out (or all of it if it's very clayey; replace with potting soil/peat now or later when you plant). Put horse manure, blood meal, bone meal (I'll be adding rinced sea weed too -half or same proportions as horse manure: 1/4 or 1/2 shovel) and some saw dust. You can add a little peat/potting soil too (peat/potting soil doesn't need to decompose though) in winter to mix things in.

Worm castings, peat, fish (just don't put the fish or the manures directly under the root ball but a few inches under) are added when you put the plants in April-May--->July depending on if you wait to put only females in the holes.

Protect the babies (animals walking on them, heavy rains, slugs) until they're 2 ft tall (and even after: keep the copper ring around the stems, put smelly repellants for eventual animals). You can put the plants in the hole when they're very small but they'll be on their own in the woods (can be fine if untouched by exterior). You can put them all in the hole before they show sex but you'll have to cut the males who will have taken up holes you worked hard to dig (work for nothing).

Ferts: Nettle tea is excellent for N and other stuff (protects plant). Use also worm castings tea, compost tea, fish emulsion , seaweed tea (K, trace elements). Sprinkle bat guano on top for P during flowering (can also be found in liquid form) (August --->). Use unsulphured molasses tea only in last 3 weeks.

Tea making: Place what you want in some stockings. Place in water (make it hang from the bottle opening or place at the bottom), for 1- 2 weeks (mix every day or use a stone bubbler) until it gets foamy and smells like yeast (place net on top against unwanted bugs). Use 1 liter for 5 liters. Also see recipe for fish/seaweed/sawdust tea (link at the bottom). Use the teas within a few days of making them.


I find the best spots I have are surrounded by bushes everywhere so animals (and humans who can't see) aren't likely to get in there. Animals stay away from human smell in general. I don't add anything like fences or chicken wire around my plants (no deer here) but lots of wild boar, foxes, wild cats... who mind their own business and didn't enter my spots (prickers etc...). Pepper and smelly deterrents (etc...) are good to avoid this risk if your plants aren't protected but are close to animal walk ways. A big fence can be very visible (and maybe useless) but chicken wire can be good in the first months for small plants so they aren't knocked over, eaten or crushed to death.

For the ferts, I don't fert at all in the 1st month. Then, gradually start with some fish emulsion or nettle tea. The teas are made just like you make your own tea (mix every day though). Just wait until it's foamy and smells of yeast and use it (diluted). Bring some along and mix it with the wild water on your spot. Some solid ferts (like bat guano or horn and hoof...) are added in the first inch of soil (not close to the stem -may burn roots-) and then you water with plain water over that. Solid ferts aren't easily soluble in water, that's why you put them on top.

N teas reduce the pH (make it more acidic)
P teas increase the pH (make it more basic)

So alternate between the two to avoid pH problems and nute lock (too much salt build up). However, if this is outdoor organics, the humates (compost, manure) will act as a natural buffer to any pH fluctuation. Don't use a lot of native dirt without testing the pH though. Add lime (pH+) for acidic soils, or garden Sulphur (pH-) for alkaline soils.

Don't forget the epsom salts ( important for Sulphur, Magnesium) twice in the season, some sea weed (K potassium + calcium) or molasses, or greensand for K. Russian comfrey also has lots of K (and high N)

Don't forget the mulch over winter AND during the whole grow (use hay, straw, lava rock, grass clippings.... Pine bark is acidic). This is imortant to prtotect the micro herd and worms while they break down the meals and manures you placed a few months earlier. Plant and add more mulch.


Some growth hormones if needed (Russian comfrey already has these for example).

Mycorrhyza (for poor soils): a mycorrhza is the association of a fungus and a plants' roots. The plant makes more carbohydrates in the roots (usually, they are mostly in the leaves). The fungi eat the carbohydrates. As they grow on the roots, they become a large mushroom web around the root which is in fact an extended root system for the plant. The plant can take in nutrients and keep water better. In base soils, plants can't absorb some phosphate ions (and phosphorous) and this association prevents this problem. Wikipedia explains that mycorrhyza are added especially to poor nutrient soils. I bet that it's full of those associations once you've put in all the goodies. Can be important to add if you don't have a rich, organic mix. Used in indoor grows.

That's about it. If your plants droop (and the tips of the leaves start yellowing after watering them with ferts, that means there is too much nutes for them). Rince (flush) the soil with plain water and wait several weeks.They can also droop by lack of water. Mj eats the ferts in 2-3 weeks so fert them every 3 weeks. Plain water the rest of the time.


Summary: How to find and prepare your outdoor spot by Corto Maltese.
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...door-spot.html

Corto's Winter-Spring easy soil preparation:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...eparation.html

16 elements needed by plants:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...-elements.html

Homemade cheap Veg. and Flow. organic tea:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...ertilizer.html

Corto's easy Homemade nettles/comfrey slurry (for making teas) and other organic tea recipes:
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-g...-recipe-2.html

Corto's Free amendments (seaweed, manures...):
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...ndments-3.html

Rock dust and greensand (trace elements and water retention for greensand):
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-g...important.html

OldPork's GHS White Widow Outdoor 2008 Grow:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...mpilation.html

Dierwolf's Topping and Fimming: Macro Pics.
http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...made-easy.html

Dierwolf's LSTing (for guerilla, let it grow tall / medium tall, bend and tie to the ground in 2-3 times).
http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...-training.html

Corto's How to amend soils with what's near your spot:
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-g...amendment.html

Corto's Choosing your soil mix/your region:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...l-recipes.html

Corto's Warning about using Peat Moss:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...s-warning.html

Corto's Warning about using Lime:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...s-warning.html

OldPork's Homemade Wormcasting bin:
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-g...-castings.html

OldPork's Auto watering machine:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...g-machine.html

CannabisBlunt's Auto watering machine:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...a-farming.html

Backcountry's A.w.m. and Peat wick auto pots:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.p...=88022&userid=

Corto's Natural insecticides and fungicides:
http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-g...ungicides.html

[ElDiablo]

Corto, are you a librarian by chance? Lol

[Corto Malteze]

Haha ElDiablo! No!

[abnormldood]

Very Thorough, Corto. Bravo!
+Rep

[masterofthebong]

would it work if i grow ware a fire went through

[Poverty Flats]

Just wanted to be clear, am I to understand that I need to prepare the soil at my grow spot around now or within a month?

[Corto Malteze]

Originally Posted by masterofthebong

would it work if i grow ware a fire went through

No idea! I never grew there because no vegetation to hide the plants. Plus all the wood cinders would make the soil very (too) alkaline for mj.

[Corto Malteze]

Originally Posted by Poverty Flats

Just wanted to be clear, am I to understand that I need to prepare the soil at my grow spot around now or within a month?

Yes exactly. During winter, everything is still so it's still good as we "speak". Starting in March, as it warms up, you want to have the holes ready so the manures and meals have time to warm up and to attract bugs/worms that will decompose them by the time summer comes (June). Keep the plants in pots with a less hot mix until then. Compost takes 1 year to be made. Horse manure, seaweed and meals take less (4-5 months is good). Some manures like chicken and cow take 1 year: careful! I'd say mid March/beg. April is the latest to add manures and meals (Feb is good enough). If you do the holes later, just use older store bought and less manures but more peat, worm castings and potting soil/sand/old dirt. You can always feed them with organic teas as long as you have some micro organisms in there (worm castings, fish, compost....). You can find less hot equivalents (alfalfa for blood meal for example...) if needed. Or add lime/cinders (after the manures) if it's too acidic (test the pH before putting plants in if nec.).

[element12345745]

would an aqua globe work?
for water,
water water,

[.:JaY:.]

+rep for this thread. If I was growing in an area with an abundance of pine trees what type of prepping should I give the holes? I was thinking of to 80% For Farm Ocean Forest and 20% perlite but this will get expensive with 10 fem plants, correct?

[Corto Malteze]

Originally Posted by .:JaY:.

+rep for this thread. If I was growing in an area with an abundance of pine trees what type of prepping should I give the holes? I was thinking of to 80% For Farm Ocean Forest and 20% perlite but this will get expensive with 10 fem plants, correct?

Yeah tha's a great soil mix recommended by experienced growers. I'm not in the Us so don't know about the prices. I'm sure someone used this already and will guide you well. Good luck.

Corto's Link on Indoor/Outdoor grow if your season is short:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...door-soil.html

Corto's How to find your spot at night without making any paths. During the day, choose the most discrete way into the patch (thick). Once in the patch:
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-o...-scouting.html