OUTDOOR GROW IN COLORADO

Discussion in 'Growing Marijuana Outdoors' started by littlegreentreez710, Mar 20, 2015.

  1. What's up GC, first legal outdoor grow and I'm looking for all the advice I can get. So here's the run down on what's happening and some questions I have..

    Well today Is the first day of spring and I've been told to plant around may. I have seeds from an indoor grow, had some plants hermie do to stress. But i have clones to use no problem. I'm not trying to spend a ton of money on some crazy super soil or even get into making it just yet. I'd like to use the ground in my yard but is there anyway I can tell if it's worth using? Seems a little muddy or slushy and weird when wet. But i originally planned on using like 3 gal pots or 5 gal pots to start then transplant once I feel the need. I'd much rather use the ground instead of paying for a fuck load of soil lol. Any suggestions? So here's my questions for you guys.

    1- should I use the ground and dig holes or use let's say 10 to or 20 gal plus pots?

    2- how can I test my ground to see if it will be safe to use and not suffocate my plants roots.?

    3 - (not a super soil) but where can I get a basic cheap soil already ready to go ? And i can add nutes throughout vegg and flower?

    4- would it be safer to wait tell mid may before planting and vegg inside ? Or should I just keep em outside in pots ?

    5- and when I do decide to use pots or dig holes and use the yard what nutes would be the best ? (My yard is a mix of small rocks like maybe medium sized perlite and also like sandy or something but I'm not forsure lol. It digs easy tho)

    I have more questions but I'll just wait to ask. Please all info would be great and also if you have a suggestion from me please let me know . Thanks everyone
     
  2. Also would like to add that I'm not necessarily asking just colorado growers. I'm asking everyone who's experienced woth outdoor growing . I just am curious of the ground I'm in lol. Thanks again everyone
     
  3. #3 waktoo, Mar 21, 2015
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2015
    Are you new to Colorado?  Where do you live?  I live in the mountains of SW Colorado, outside of Durango.
     
    There are a lot of factors that need to be thought about to accurately answer your initial post, number one being this if you want to grow on your own property and have neighbors.  Consider the implications of the wording in bold (my emphasis).  From Colorado's Amendment 64... 
     
    ([​IMG] POSSESSING, GROWING, PROCESSING, OR TRANSPORTING NO MORE
    THAN SIX MARIJUANA PLANTS, WITH THREE OR FEWER BEING MATURE,
    FLOWERING PLANTS, AND POSSESSION OF THE MARIJUANA PRODUCED BY THE
    PLANTS ON THE PREMISES WHERE THE PLANTS WERE GROWN, PROVIDED THAT
    THE GROWING TAKES PLACE IN AN ENCLOSED, LOCKED SPACE, IS NOT
    CONDUCTED OPENLY OR PUBLICLY, AND IS NOT MADE AVAILABLE FOR SALE.
     
    View attachment Colorado Amendment 64.pdf
     
    Weird, I did not put the smiley face there, nor can I edit it.  It should read "(b)".
     
  4. #4 littlegreentreez710, Mar 21, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 21, 2015
    Wow I just typed a fucking book and Idk if it went through. Lol fuck it I'm to buzzed to type that all again. But I'll give u the basics haha.

    Pueblo
    Have a red card up to 24 plants plus the 3 I can have. And I'm goin to try and get my buddy's .
    Looking for the best way and easiest way to crop a nice yield.
    I've grown indoor for about 7 months and have 3 completed runs currently on my 4th. But I'm just looking to put about 20 plants maybe 25 depending if I can use my ground and just dig holes. I will be tilling the ground all around the area I plan to use . Also plan to dig holes and transplant a 3 or something gal into that spot if I can. But what do u suggest

    It's all there lol just mixed into what u sent lol sorry
     
  5. I should have mentioned that although I've grown indoors for several years, this is going to be my first attempt at an outdoor hoophouse grow.  I live at 7800'.  But I have been in touch with an experienced CO outdoor grower that actually lives very close to Pueblo, a bit further east.
     
    I asked about growing in pots in my own hand crafted soil, so that is the information that I'm going to share.  Here's what he told me...
     
    20's will be plenty big for an all summer grow.  My plants are transplanted in June to the final pots and grow for 6 months or more without additional feeding.  At the start of flowering I add a handful of meal mix, but the plants are not showing any deficiency signs and would probably be fine without it.  10's and 15's also will go all summer if the soil is well made.  I always top at the 5th node to get multiple colas and control height.  In my back yard one or two toppings keep the plant under 6' for hybrid cultivars. The sativa plants, I top multiple times until the phylotaxy changes from opposite to alternate to keep them under my 12' height limits in the GH.  A pure high country early indica would be your best choice and should stay under 6' with a little training.
     
     
    I would start collecting dark barrels or buckets for a thromb wall for fall.  You can gain a few degrees in colder weather  with this setup.  I use 30g feed tubs for my water and as a heat sink in the cold.  When the water in the tubs starts to skim up with ice. I know harvest must begin soon.  If you are still growing when the GH temps start getting into the 30's, the plants will start their natural senescence regardless of available nutrients, so dont try to green them up at this time, it is perfectly normal and no amount of fertilizer will turn them around this late.
     
    You are more than a thousand feet higher than me, so your freeze date may be a little sooner than here.  My polycarbonate house holds temps about 20-25 degrees above the outside ambient temps, so the plants will stay alive until the outdoor temps drop lower than 5 degrees if hardened off gradually to the cold.  I have an oil radiator to use for those early cold snaps that only last a day or two, but a long artic front of 0-5 for a few days will require harvesting. 
     
    What you and I are building are "polyvinyl" houses.  They will not retain as much heat for as much time as the polycarb' (clear rigid insulation) houses do.
     
  6. Growing at that altitude even in hoop houses your going to have a very short season before it gets to cold.. A damn short season all in all in fact.. Pick very fast Indicas.. Get started now and veg them up as large as you can for setting out around June 1st.. Later if it's still getting frosty nights.. The tricky part of that is trying to time match close enough to the real world that they don't pre-flower from light shock on you.. About 16-8 seems to do the trick for most of us to set out mid May to early June..
     
    Your other option is to ignore time matching at all and run 24-0 vegging till setout.. They will flower instantly from the light shock and might beat the early winter you'll have at high altitude..
     
    A fast low cost soil is just add aged horse manure to your current soil.. If it's on the sandy side that's all you need.. If it's like clay add some perlite to aerate or pumice..
     
    Growing outside means bugs at least in So Cal it does so here is my IPM..
     
    ---------------------------------------
     
    Since it's that time of year I've been fine tuning this bit of text I paste where and when needed.. Got tired of typing it out time after time..
    Let me know if it needs corrected or added to.. any constructive criticism is welcome..
     
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    If your growing outside your going to need an IPM ( integrated pest management ) routine.. This one is mine..
    BT bacillus thuringiensis.. Caterpillar control..  sold under several names
    Safer = http://www.hydroponics.net/i/132569
    Bonide = http://www.territori...CFQaBfgodk0UAug
    Garden Safe = http://www.gardensaf...2845931900.ashx
    Monterey = http://www.domyownpe...-bt-p-2821.html?
    Green Light = https://www.google.c...=2&ved=0CHkQuiQ
     
    Green Cure.. For Powdery Mildew control.. https://www.1000bulb...earchButton.y=0
     
    Neem oil.. For spider mites, thrip, helps with the caterpillars too but don't use once you start to flower..
    http://www.homedepot...googleads-_-pla
    http://www.gardensaf...2845931795.ashx
     
    Spinosad as my change up hitter.. So things don't get resistant.. https://www.1000bulb...SUN-704606.html?
    Captian Jacks = http://www.hydrogala...CFQphfgodNUsADw
     
    BT-I as mosquito dunks and bits for Fungal Gnats... http://www.pondbiz.c...ges/Sum1156.jpg
     
    To avoid the sprayer contamination issue I had last year I simply bought 4 sprayers 
    http://www.lowes.com...ayers=
     
    Most all of this can be found at Home Depot or Lowes except the Green Cure.. Hydro shop for that..
    Buy a new sprayer and rinse really well between solutions or buy multiple sprayers like I did..
    I do my treatments like any good farmer.. up well before dawn
    Spray BT on Monday..
    Green Cure on Tuesday
    Neem on Wednesday.. Only in veg
    Spinosad Thursday 
    \tAttached Thumbnails
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    • [​IMG]
    Hope that is of some use.. BNW
     
  7. Hell yea man thanks. I'm in like a desert area but in the city. I hope that the temps will be ok, I think they should be. So yea that sounds like my plan. The ground I have seems to have grass all in my front yard just not in back due to a lot of moving and cars. But all my neighbors have plants and shrubs and flowers in theirs. It's like small rock like perlite and kinda dark maybe gray and also it breaks up easy once loosened. I will be tryin maybe both. I will till the ground completely around my area I plan to use so the roots won't have to fight as much. I will rake all those rock away till add some manure you said ? I'll look again but where is the best place to get that stuff ? And also will add perlite. So do u suggest big chunky perlite? Or just any kind ? And should I mix It all where I tilled or just in the pot ? And same ? For the manure? Thanks for the pesticides that was extremely helpful. I will forsure be getting those and start my treatments early. Unfortunately I think my yard only gets about 8 to 10 hours of light. Sun comes up early but is shaded by a house tell around 9 am. And then is shaded again at around 6 or 7 and then it's dark. I thought about vegging em inside as long as possible and plant sometime in may. But now I'm worried about these hail storms people keep talking about. If I plant in the ground and it hails I'll be in trouble lol. Prolly will be standing over em with a tarp and a buddy of mine if that'll even help haha. I just Wana make the right decision on pot or ground. Even if I do pots won't it be a bitch to drag a 30 gal pot or even a 20 gal pot filled with soil and a freaking monster haha?
     
  8. Yea man idk about the temps out here. Last time I was here during the end to cut and trim and it was even raining and super cold in October to Nov and nothing bad , maybe some bud rot on a few plants he had. But they stayed alive. The strains I have to run but haven't decide yet are Cadillac kush master kush also SweetTooth, mammoth , hurricane , I even have chem dawg and rug burn og. Also blurple
     
  9. Home Depot carries Perlite in 2 cubic foot bags for about 16 bucks.. Medium sized it's good stuff.. 8 to 10 hours of direct sun is fine.. You have what you have and just work with it.. I have some plants in near full shade all day but for just a 2 or 3 hour window and they still produce.. Not great but hey..
      While most any manure will do horse or dairy cow is preferred over beef manure.. Chicken manure from Lowes or HD is fine too but will need about 3 weeks lead time to cook off.. Another good choice in soil amendments is Alfalfa pellet horse chow.. Rabbit chow works fine too.. What ever you can find local is best as it's stupid to pay shipping for bulk items like that.. I can get rabbit chow from the discount pet store for about a buck a pound.. A 50 lb sack of horse chow from the feed and tack store is an even better deal at 15 bucks..
      In ground is usually your best choice as they don't dry out as fast as a potted plant.. Unless you make up some Self Irrigating Pots.. SIPs.. Some assorted sizes I cranked out..
     
    [​IMG]
     
    [​IMG]
     
    [​IMG]
     
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Ok nice things you have goin sir. Like that idea your doing with the watering. Ok so I'd prefer to get everything I can at my local hardware store. Lowes also Big R. And anything else I cam get at hydro shop. What soil would you recommend if I decide to not plant into the ground. Something cheap and something that won't burn my plants.. should I use nutes if I don't have a soil that's already filled with them? And also I'd like to keep it simple and just use the manure perlite and whatever nutes I give it. I don't have the money to buy all these mixes. I mean I can but I can't afford to fuck it up if I burn the shit out of them and what not. So an easy clean soil not loaded with nutes already or even if it is should I just use it and add flower nutes when that time comes around? Also I know we get hail here and if I use the ground it'll be a pain trying to keep em from getting beat. But so you recommend if I use the ground, till the ground , add some aged horse manure?
    (What if I can't find aged exactly that?) You said chicken right ? Works the same? Also how much should I put into the ground and should I till it into the ground or just let it sit after I till? I'm planning on having a size of I'm guessing atm ( 20 ft x 30 ft ) maybe bigger just don't know atm. Also with the perlite should I till then add and re till? Even with the manure and together? I figured I'll need to till the perlite.
    Here are my main concerns honestly.
    1. What soil to use and do I use nutes throughout vegg and flower? (In pots)
    2. What manure to get that's best ? And how much to add a long with the perlite and do I use nutes if I plant in the ground since there will be none ? I Wana be in pots and transplant in the ground . What soil would be best ?
    3. What nutes would be the best for outdoor? Or is it about the same between indoor and out? Also I plan to have a big res with some air stones going should I keep it heated as well? Or depends what nutes I'm using ?

    Appreciate all your help you've been great man really. I'm a beginner with outdoor and Wana do it right. Indoor still learning as well but I figured It's a whole different world in and out. Also another question. Cal mag ? Use it outdoor as well? I'm assuming yea haha. But indoor I run gh flora duo a and b. And fox farms beastie bloom and use rootbastic , bloom bastic , I have blossom builder as well. But I'm sure I'll be switching nutes cause this won't be a coco grow. Lol again thanks for all your input it's been good and getting better . Thank youuuu. Ahah
     
  11. #11 littlegreentreez710, Mar 23, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2015
    [What about bennies? I have sub culture m and b? Use it in outdoor as well?
     
  12. #12 BrassNwood, Mar 23, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2015
      Here is the Organic Soil thread a lot of growers myself included base our mixes on.. A lot of this you don't need to add on this first go round outside for you unless you have coin to spend and want to go the whole route.. About a 1/4 some kind of manure.. Steer is the lowest grade and try and find a step or 2 up from that.. Composted Chicken Manure can usually be found at Lowes or Home Depot if you hunt a bit.. Fresh Horse, Goat, Rabbit manures will work as well but need composting time as they will heat the soil up the first week or two.. Most anything that eats grasses or hay is a suitable source..
    http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1116550-easy-organic-soil-mix-beginners.html/page-1..
      Peat Moss is the prime ingredient of most of the soils if your building and both big box stores have Pro Mix by the compressed bale..
    EWC (earth worm castings) is a really good amendment but very pricy and can be hard to run down a quality source.. I get mine from the hydro store for now but pay dearly for it and dole it out like a cheap skate..
      Compost is one of the more vital parts and good quality can again be hard to find.. As a city dweller I'm stuck with box stores and they all suck at compost.. It's all just chipped wood for the most part and not worth dragging home.. If you have to used bagged find an open bag and look before you buy.. It should be very dark near black and smell rich and earthy.. If it's a bag of dry odorless wood chips don't bother..
      The nice part of building a good soil up front is I don't have to add much but hose water.. A Malted Barley Tea once a week if I feel like it but It's not really necessary..
      My native soil here is hard clay that holds a nice shape if you dig a hole in it so that is my form and then filled with a blend of used FoxFarmOceanForest bagged .. Some Promix Peat.. EcoScraps compost, Perlite and Chicken manure.. Let cook for 3 weeks or so and your good to go..
     Most of my holes are just 12x12x12.. A few I got more ambitious and got up to 18 inches square.. Some of the spots got even less treatment just digging the basic hole and using about half the original soil and a 1/4 each of perlite and manure mixing and tossing back in the hole.. Leave set about 30 days before planting into..
     
  13. Ok will be trying the ffof along with the peat moss and I will look for the manure asap. Also will add some ewc and will look for a compost. So I Wana have atleast a 5 gal hole to transplant into. So I'll keep all my other plants into smaller containers untill. I mix the ffof , peat moss, Perlite , idk what
    Compost I'll be using yet.. prolly horse manure but not sure
    Either. Whatever is Easier to find. Do I water after I mix and
    And put into the hole? Or mix fill and let sit?
     
  14. I'm goin to try and follow that link you sent me. Seems like an easy way to go for me haha. I'm worried about adding to much of something and it burning.
     
  15.   I just used FFOF because I had a bunch of it left after my 1st outdoor run and didn't want to just toss it.. That was the start of my slide to the organic side of reusing my soils and just adding some amendments.. It's not rocket science and if your off some one way or another it doesn't matter all that much.. Missing one amendment just make up with more of this one.. So much on the list is either impossible to find local or stupidly costly to ship that I just go with what I can run down local to me..
    Check out www.buildasoil.com for a fair price on most of the amendments..
    Alfalfa pellets are the one thing most all of us can find local as either horse feed, rabbit or guinea pig chow.. A cup or so per cubic foot is my ratio and I'll add an additional cup between runs as a booster to the mix..
      The only time you risk burning is putting a plant in a mix that is to nitrogen rich to soon.. You have a couple of choices either mix a seedling batch with mostly peat, perlite and EWC for right now use.. Or mix a rich batch with plenty of high nitrogen materials but that will have to cook off so to speak for 3 weeks or better..
      Damp soil but not muddy wet.. You can either water it every few days to keep it moist or cover with a layer of mulch, grass or newspaper to help keep it damp.. Most of the cooking action is microbes doing their job but it doesn't hurt to give them a hand.. If it's still cold out some of this can be done in bins or trashcans in the garage to keep temps at least in the 40s or better.. Kids plastic pools work great for mixing batches of soil inside in..
     
  16. #16 Bob Barker, Mar 23, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2015
    I'm starting my first outdoor shot. I have 2 auto's in 1 gallon pots that are a couple weeks old. I bring them inside at night and put them in a closet. Going to run a few more autos then start a couple photoperiod seeds. I keep my plant numbers low b/c I'm waiting for a neighbor to complain and I grow plenty for my needs. Make sure you know where underground lines like gas are before you dig. Also 20+ plants are a lot and would raise eyebrows. Most red card doctors will sign off on a raised plant count but wont testify in court if need be, so be prepared for that.
     
     
     
     
     
     
    If you have a chain link fence I would look into buying a privacy screen like this. I have a 6 foot wood privacy fence and I'm putting a privacy screen behind that. Even a wall of sunflowers would be a good screen to keep eyes out.
     
    [​IMG]
     
     
    Also your asking a lot of noob questions with 3-4 indoor grow under your belt. How do you grow inside?
     
  17. Yea I am asking a lot of noob questions lol . I have been doin pretty good on indoor. First 2 runs were ok not good lol. My 3rd was decent . Ran 4 lights and got almost 5 bos. I'm using coco loco in 5 gal. I use flora dua a and b also using in flower beastie bloom , blossom builder and bloombastic. I have my humic acids I use with a little bit of molasses. And yea your right on That haha
     
  18. Yea I prolly will just use it maybe something else but seems easy enough. Still gotta figure out exactly how I plan to do things. I'll prolly run a few plants but huge lol . Vegg now haha
     

Share This Page