Totally stoked for my first grow this year! I finally decided to go with guerilla gusto. As its a tough self sufficient plant being great as a first grow and learning experience. I plan to start the plants in cups, on my back patio, making it easy to keep an eye on them. Around the beginning of may I plan to our the plants out. How early should I prep the area, as in digging the holes, and add the new soil(6.5 ph) As far as the brand goes I plan to buy cheap organic soil an nutrients. The strain really doesn't require much nutrients, and I think name brands like fox farms your paying for the name. After establishing plants I plan to starting adding very little nutrients on week two. I will add nutrients once a week, and up it a little more each week. I know to add veg nutrients during growing and blooming nutrients nutrients during flowering. I also have a small stream running along my site for fresh water. I plan on putting a chicken wire fence around my plants. Hate to loose my crops to deer and rabbits. I also plan to use the garlic/water mixture once a week to repeal bugs. When harvest time comes I plan to chop them and let them hang outside under a tarp or in a tent to keep them dry for about 4-5 days. (people I'm staying with do not want house stunk up) from there I will put them in glass jars for 3 weeks. I will open the jars twice a week for 5 minutes. Does my plan look promising? Feel free to criticize any errors I have in my plan. I have no experience with growing other then the count less hours or research I have done. thanks for your input guys!
[quote name="Farmer Alex" post="19420673" timestamp="1390889819"]Totally stoked for my first grow this year! I finally decided to go with guerilla gusto. As its a tough self sufficient plant being great as a first grow and learning experience. I plan to start the plants in cups, on my back patio, making it easy to keep an eye on them. Around the beginning of may I plan to our the plants out.How early should I prep the area, as in digging the holes, and add the new soil(6.5 ph) As far as the brand goes I plan to buy cheap organic soil an nutrients. The strain really doesn't require much nutrients, and I think name brands like fox farms your paying for the name. After establishing plants I plan to starting adding very little nutrients on week two. I will add nutrients once a week, and up it a little more each week. I know to add veg nutrients during growing and blooming nutrients nutrients during flowering. I also have a small stream running along my site for fresh water.I plan on putting a chicken wire fence around my plants. Hate to loose my crops to deer and rabbits. I also plan to use the garlic/water mixture once a week to repeal bugs. When harvest time comes I plan to chop them and let them hang outside under a tarp or in a tent to keep them dry for about 4-5 days. (people I'm staying with do not want house stunk up) from there I will put them in glass jars for 3 weeks. I will open the jars twice a week for 5 minutes.Does my plan look promising? Feel free to criticize any errors I have in my plan. I have no experience with growing other then the count less hours or research I have done. thanks for your input guys![/quote]sounds good to me!Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
hey buddy, welcome to GC. You have the basics right, but if I can add my 2bob... You want to be prepping the area 3 weeks before you transplant from your cups to in-ground. As you've mentioned its a good idea and much easier for control to have the seedlings started in small pots/cups. You should have them in there for a few weeks before you transplant. If you can get the seedlings to around 6-12 inches that's perfect. Remember, the smaller they are the more susceptible to bugs and all things like that. When making your soil mix, put in some perlite/vermiculite to lighten the mix and add aeration. You'll really notice a difference. You didnt exactly say if you were growing in big pots/bags, or going straight in the ground. Pots are pretty self explanatory, but soil requires a touch more prep work. You want to dig a nice big hole (2ft x 2ft minimum... the bigger the better), replace the existing soil/dirt with your own mix and pretty much done. I would add a nitrogen rich fertiliser like chicken manure, and then some seaweed extract too. Honestly, thats all you need for a while. The thing about the chicken manure is its high in ammonia so it is important it has at least 2-3 weeks to settle into the soil. That said, its the best manure you can use imo. That'll be sufficient until you get to flowering, but if you want to give it a boost later on you can just get a liquid fertiliser (fish) mix it up with your water and give it a squirt. No need for adding the hundreds of items that people tell you that you need. Seriously. And then when you start flowering, give it a potassium boost by either adding a liquid potash or granulised form. Again, you only need to do that once at the start of flowering, and no more. In terms of pests, im not familiar with the exact bugs in your area (im in australia) but water&garlic is good, also water and chilli. Additionally, spraying your plants with neem oil works a treat too, its natural/organic and pretty cheap. The main thing is, pick your spots with as much sun as possible, and don't crowd your plants too close together. If you want big berthas with huge colas, give them a few sq metres each if thats possible. And dig nice big, deep holes, making sure its got good drainage and plenty of airy soil. You can always add fertiliser later, but you cant dig up the soil once she's in. Happy planting.
That's a good rundown. Great advice. I would add to learn as much as possible about growing outdoors before the season starts. Spend a few bucks and purchase a grow bible it two. Read them front to Back. Thus will give you a great idea on what to find and will be a reference to go back to if you face issues. Ed Rothensal and Jorge Cervantes both write great guilds. The money spent on the books will be well worth it and get you started of growing the correct way. You will experience large yields and better quality bud if you read the books. Beside animals remember that people are the biggest threat to your plants. Make sure they get plenty if sun and are hidden well enough.
Thanks for all the replies guys very informative. I'll be sure to pick up a grow bible so I will have something as reference when I'm growing. Where will I be able to buy the fertilizers you named? I have never heard of them, will lowes have them or will I need to go to a garden center? I was initially planning on putting them into the ground with with 2x2 ft room for each plant, and then fence it all in. Which in turn would give them even more room when I have to pull the males comes July. Or do you think putting them all in big pots would be easier to grow, plus I could relocate if need be. As far as my plants not being found that is not a problem. I am planting them on a 200 acre deserted Christmas tree farm that I grew up next to. I know the place like the back of my head. The center is has so many jaggers and stuff like that makes it near impossible to walk through. Two older guys (70s) hunt there, but they ride a four wheeler straight to there ground blinds, which are not far from the road. So no worries on people just animals, which is why I will have a fence and spray twice a week.
Sounds good, although no nutrients are required until there at least a month old, and once a week is a little to frequent, depends on the mix but it's just not that necessary, nutrients give the plant the building blocks to photosynthitise there like vitimins to much and it's no good. Make sure you find a nice sunny spot it's all about light, soil quality. Also might want to keep them in pots unless your treating the soil, christmas tree's are acidic. and don't grow in very rich soil generally.
I was about to add this, I usually don't start nutes until they are in the ground a month or later. I like to start inside because they iffy when they are young, A box and a couple cfls works perfectly fine, they get more light and grown faster for the start period Once they are any where from half a ft. to a ft tall it's time to move them out, make sure you use decent size starting pots that can easily be transplanted. Two ways to transplant, cut the pot up on each side carefully, water about an hour before in both cases. Reach in and scoop it out. The better way is to flip the pot upside down while you have your hand around the stalk near the base and it should pop right out, make sure to water AN HOUR BERFORE HAND, it makes the soil hold together better clear your spots out, remove grass and trim plants around the are if needed. I like to dig my holes a day or two before transplant so if it rains they don't fill up. Just makes it messier, you can cover them though. Get all your soil needed to the site and all your tools to the site when you go dig the holes, hide everything around the area. Never leave anything that doesn't belong out in the open After you transplant, water alittle and wrap the fencing and paint it green or or brown. Nothing metallic After that it's pretty much a wating game, go back once a week to water and check on them. During veg you can go 2-3 weeks without seeing them as long as your getting some rain Once they start to flower it's important to keep an eye on them for mold or anything else. When they are over 7 weeks into flowering I go back to check on mine a few times a week just incase I need to takean last minute cuttings if something looks wrong As for drying, I don't have a house to do in it in either. This year I am looking into drying with rice for the first week, then paper bags, then jars. Most importantly, never bring ANYONE back to your spots to show off your plants. I know it's temping but don't do it, even your best friends will go back and take cuttings. TRUST ME ON THAT Also I like to work at night, but if your confident in the area and you know 100% that know one will see you back their. If so go for early mornings or sunset. Goodluck!
Now that you mention that growing around Christmas trees is rather acidic maybe I would be better of to choose to grow them in pots. It just seams the better way to go. You can move if needed and you can control the soil, and most of all there up off the ground from rabbits and other little animals that would chew at the stems. What size pot would you recommend, 10-12 gallon good? Looks like I planned on over feeding my plants, I am glad to find out that I can go some time without having to worry about my plants. When flowering time comes how often would you recommend adding nutrients? Yeah I already told myself I am not telling anyone I am growing even my best of friends, that the last thing I need getting around. Or having people out hunting for my plants come September. Living next to the farm, I can easily walk from my woods into these woods, and then its about a quarter mile walk or so to the site. So I will never be seen going to my site. But I will be sure to never leave a trail to raise any suspicion or to catch someone's eye.
I'd suggest try camping or something like that to make sure the location will not be bothered. Getting some systemics for your plants might be a good way to fight bugs and disease without too much ahssle.
I have had plants flooded out from being in pots so make sure you use some real dirt in the mix. anything over 10 should be good, 12-15 I would say, cut some inch round holes in the bottems I do once a week once flowering starts, make sure you're using the right nutes to. The last 2 weeks don't use any nutes, just water a few times a week no matter how much rain you've had Take a different way in each time to not leave perminate tracks Watch them closely a few weeks after flowering, they will show their sex a month or so in. Keep up withe veg nutes until you see the colas start flowering I hope you're taking my advice to start them inside, they will grow much quicker! A few weeks to a month should be good Look for spots with good cover and large growing plants around to camo it. Don't just stick them out in the open, be smart where you pick. They will be their for a long time.
I'll be sure to make several inch round holes in my pots and use a mixture with real soil so I do not have flooding issues. I will be starting them inside around beginning of April so I can monitor them and give them best chance for survivablity.
