I have a question about concealing plants. I am going to start a garden on my patio of various plants; tomato, strawberry, cleome, mint, sage, etc. and I want to be able to grow a single plant. I have learned a little about topping to keep it shorter, but my questions is...can I cut the tips of the leaves, maybe round them so they don't look so...pot like...without hurting the plant itself? I live in an apartment complex and I don't want to run the risk of making the plant obvious, or go through the electric and set up problems of in door, so outdoor growth is essential. I just want to know ways to conceal the plant more so that it doesnt stand out with my other plants on my greenhouse shelves. Thanks
The plant will stand out. It sounds like you are not in a good situation for growing, you need to wait until you have your own, secure place.
mechanics wire and silk flowers? I get the flowers but the wire? you have pics to elaborate more? I was recently in China and started to grow 2 plants, 1 inside that started to grow a mold and died, and several outside seeds that sprouted 1 plant. When it was about 4 weeks old I was leaving China so I left it with a friend, whos Spanish friend then over watered it and killed it. But it was in plain sight, in my garden and noone noticed it, it was small anyways, but I doubt the Chinese would have even known what it was...they aren't very keen on marijuana plants as a whole populous. I wanted the plant, not to harvest, but just so have a plant. I was smoking keif or whatever that powdery crap was that I got...the I doubted any of those seeds would grow anyways.
mechanics wire and silk flowers? I get the flowers but the wire? you have pics to elaborate more? I was recently in China and started to grow 2 plants, 1 inside that started to grow a mold and died, and several outside seeds that sprouted 1 plant. When it was about 4 weeks old I was leaving China so I left it with a friend, whos Spanish friend then over watered it and killed it. But it was in plain sight, in my garden and noone noticed it, it was small anyways, but I doubt the Chinese would have even known what it was...they aren't very keen on marijuana plants as a whole populous. I wanted the plant, not to harvest, but just so have a plant. I was smoking keif or whatever that powdery crap was that I got...the I doubted any of those seeds would grow anyways.
Mechanics wire is just a very thin gauge wire that's great for attatching silk flowers to your MJ plant to make it "blend" with other plants in your patio garden. Be VERY careful in China- you do not want to get arrested.
I might have confused you, I WAS in China. I AM in Arizona now. I was just saying, in China I was able to grow a plant with no problems. Disguising a plant in the US seems like a tough ordeal, but necessary when energy companies scrutinize bills now.
IMHO energy companies should be happy about an increase in your bill; more money in their (fat) pockets. Unfotunately things don't always work this way. If you're not set on outdoors, anything under 1000 watts per room and the power company won't raise an eyelid-- and one plant would love a 400w HID in a cab
Dude, an indoor op in 2 stacked rubbermaid storage bins with 100 watts of CFLs isn't going to move your electric bill much. I'd say go for that, since then you can conceal it much better.
hahaha! This is a joke, right? I vote for folding the leaves a few times, and then cutting triangles into the edges so that the leaves look like big green snowflakes.
Thats what I was thinking, since the plant would be next to sage, mint, and cleome plants I am hoping to blend it in. I am going to garden anyways, the single weed plant I hope to grow is just to grow, if it turns out male I'll have it for as long as I can hide it...if it is female...well then I can top it, keep it short, harvest it and use what I can.
Frankly, it's silly at best and irresponsible at worst to grow a MJ plant "just to grow it." Cultivation is a crime in most places, including AZ (where it is potentially not just a crime but a felony). If you rob a bank, it better be because you really need the money or you are mentally ill, not just for the heck of it -- the potential punishment is not worth the risk for a brief joy ride. Same with growing MJ -- if it's not to smoke then channel your horticultural desires to something legal, it's not worth the risk of growing MJ for no real reason. A pot plant with trimmed leaves or silk flowers attached to it will not look like something else, no other plant looks like MJ. And we haven't even discussed odor, which can be a real problem. Any MJ plant you grow outdoors will be detectable even to a blind man downwind.
Ok I have done more research and figure some more stuff out. Before I said I was going to grow a plant just to grow it, I kind of didnt say what I meant to say, I want to grow for myself. I don't have the income to go and buy every time I am out so growing would give myself a supply. I figure some concealment stuff out and looking for feedback. I read about topping, splitting the center stem to grow 2 separate stems and in turn grow outwards instead of up. Question...if it gets to a height I don't like can I clip the top completely without harming the plant? I also read that clipping the leaves during the vegetative stage, either by clipping off a few leaves to eliminate the noticeable pot leaf or by trimming them shorter that it can aid in concealing amongst neighboring plants. Question...would this add stress to the plant due to less photosynthesis or will it be ok? My plan is to plant 4 seeds, in hopes that all 4 do sprout, but I have to find out at what week after planting I can determine the sex (still researching) but these 4 seeds won't be alone. I am also growing other plants, as I am in need of a project, so I will have a tomato plant, sage, cleome, jasmine, strawberries, possibly another berry, 2 flower types, and possible a small tree. Right now my apartment is on the first floor and unless people decide to peer right into my patio they won't see what is growing, but that is only for another month and that is well inside my window where anyone will notice the plants growing. After March 1st I move into a 2nd floor apartment and noone can see into my patio at all. Anyone have suggestions for outdoor growing? At what point should I start to worry about smell if at all (I am in a valley and the winds here are pretty decent at times to waft away the smell, I believe) or is there something I should do? I am looking for advice. I prefer the outdoor approach over the indoor, I have a toddler running around and he gets into everything.
The smell will be an issue for sure. You're in a bad situation for growing, and with a toddler around it's even worse. If you are caught, having a minor around can be considered an aggravating factor and get you some serious time. You could also potentially risk losing custody of the child. I would encourage you to read the stories of some of the victims in the war on drugs over at the Marijuana Policy Project's web site (mpp.org) it is terrifying and heartbreaking what has happened to some of these families. If you do decide to go forward with a grow you should consider doing it inside as you'll have much better control over your security. Make a stealth cabinet and put a lock on it so the kid can't get in. Be on top of your mail every day, know the maintenance and inspection schedule and you should be able to grow more securely than on the patio.
I don't work so I am home all day. Maintenance is only when I ask for it and the patio in my apartment now and the new one is nothing but patio and storage closet, no utilities. Thanks for the mpp.org link, I have been there before and follow their site closely. Either way, indoor or out, what do I do about the smell issue? At what week in growth does the smell start to begin? I understand with indoor I would need an air filter from the box to outside the box, but what exactly do I do about the smell when opening the box?
The smell will vary depending on strain. Usually I start getting that plant smell late in veg, and then a few weeks into flower it starts to smell heavily like marijuana. You're right about the carbon filter, that will take care of the smell issue in the box. If you just have the box open for a minute to check on them it shouldn't be too intense though. When I take mine out to water I keep an ONA block open and that is usually enough to take care of any lingering odors.
What about during harvest? I know that during harvest I will have to deal with the smell. Scented candles? Popourie? Suggestions? How much do carbon filters generally go for?