Well my first grow is coming to an end. It's been a hell of a lot of work, and learned a lot. The sad part is my yield will suck. I started late for my lat 33 degrees, southeast. I planted my seeds the first week of June. I started with 10 Fem, 5 none-fem thinking I could get several plants. Well, not so fast. First off I I only got 2 of the FEM going and 3 of the none-fem. So right off the track I was behind. I handled the germinated seeds wrong, and used the wrong soil....live and learn. The first causality came at week 2. One of the none-fem sprouts died (still not sure why) I kept my plants inside in a makeshift grow booth. All of them looked great by Mid July, beautiful in fact. I moved the four remaining plants at the end of July. By late August by two none-fem plants, that were absolutely the most beautiful of the four...turned out to male. I pulled them. So then I was down to two girls. One of which looked on deaths door, the other kind of stretchy. I nursed the sick female back (I think it was a case of over feeding) Of the two she kind of looks like a bonsai plant. The leaves are healthy but small. The larger female looks fine but thin. That's when I concluded my clearing in the jungle doesn't have a large enough window to the sky (direct light). I chose the site for security, and water near by. The site was a small clearing made by the natural death of relatively big oak. In the spring I calculated that the site got just around 5 hours direct sun with dappled on either side of that window of Sun. I thought it would be enough. But by late July the overhead canopy had grown in a bit reducing the the direct light to around 3 hours...still with dappled light. But not what I would have liked or planned for. The site is absolutely ideal for security and water, dirt is OK, but the light isn't great. I won't use tinfoil or reflective material to try to enhance the Sunlight because of my tax dollars funded aerial eradication programs. The tinfoil would be a great big look here sign. So now I'm thinking I need another site. I read that that worm casings are called "sunlight substitutes" is that true? My two remaining girls are going to give me an ounce or so...maybe. That isn't worth the work I did. I'd like to use this site again. Would starting earlier say the end of March improve my yield? Should I look into the worm casings as a Sunlight substitute. Or should I do something I don't want to do and kill a couple of large trees. First, I don't really want to kill the trees. Second, taken more trees gets more Sunlight but also more eye in the sky opportunity. What are your thoughts....thanks?
Sounds like my situation this year so I can share my ideas and maybe they'll work for you. It sounds like you're growing in a forest and the spot you chose doesn't get enough sunlight. I would look for a different spot and if possible somewhere out of the forest. Yes, a forest usually had great, healthy soil for plants, but if's in the wild and the plants are competing with native plants. Then there are the hungry insects and rodents that need green plants as part of their diet. Those three things, lack of direct sun, competition and pests is a set up for disappointment. I had some luck my first grow in the forest, but I found a very sunny spot and babied the plants every 2-3 days. Then the flood came and I nearly killed myself trying to get the top 4 feet of plants WAY too early. It sucked. This year, I started in the forest and at last check it's done. Not harvested, just done. I will be harvesting nothing from the forest. So I did a little wondering and found an open field with great cover. I was only able to plant 3-4 plants and only 2 survive to this day. The sunlight was great. I planted in the northeast so the plants would have south and west facing sun. While 2 died, one was munched by a dear and the other just didn't establish itself. This year's mistake was not digging a deep enough hole and giving the roots an easy time to grow. The holes I dug might have been a foot deep. Thus the 4 and 3 foot plants. So now that that's over, here are a few ideas that I think will help us out next summer. 1. Grow plants indoors for 30 days and then transplant outdoors in our fileds. 2. Scout the field and find a south and west facing area and dig some deep holes. 3. Back fill the holes with loose soils. Add nutrients if you like or if you're using sterile soil. 4. As the spring and summer progress, clear any brush that's competing with our plants. 5. Keep a good watering schedule. Like once a week or more. 6. Feed plants some flowering food in July or when all the males are gone. 7. Stop the nutrients 2-3 weeks before harvest 8. Harvest pounds of bud I hope this list helps or has at least one idea that brings you success next year. Just remember, winter will be over soon and the last day of frost is only 210 days away, and our next go at a great harvest will begin. Good Luck!
You want a south to south east facing plot its better to get the sun later in the morning/day,it gives the leaves a chance to dry before the sunlight hits directly .Go scout a site NOW and see what the surrounding foliage will be like this time next year.Use google earth to cut down on the tramping around aimlessly.When you find a perfect plot or 2 start digging asap and get the soil ready for a bumper crop for 2011. Good luck.
I actually had an alternative site. Much more of a hike, much further from water, and much poorer soil conditions. But absolutely great light. Packing in soil and equipment for site prep is going to be an absolute bitch. I might do my idea of moving in a 50 gallon plastic tank and setting up a cistern system to capture what rain I can get over the winter. There is is a large creek about 2 miles down in a valley but it is an absolutely rough hike. Then there is the security question. My current site isn't visited by people, the field....not so sure, but definitely more human friendly. My effort would go up by 500% and security would be compromised...There is also one other problem, lots and lots of deer sign (in fact I've never seen so much dear shit in one place, it looks like the bottom of a rabbit cage (not kidding). With all those negatives the light would be great (hell 8-13 hours direct light throughout the growing season). But I'd have to go for big yield to make it worth it (lbs not ounces). Next year I might try both locations. My current site I can visit every couple of days, and the ground is great. Somewhere I read that worm casings were "sun substitutes" one poster who claimed to be an experienced grower claimed that by amending the soil with them was the equivalent of 2 hours of sunlight. I don't understand that, but if it works I can still use my side in the jungle. Anyone have any knowledge on this?