striking your seedlings at the patch !!!

guest123 · May 11, 2007

someone suggested i share what i know about this method ...
as i mentioned in another thread , one really needs to grow their plants without and setbacks , growing seedlings onsite is the only way to go ...

it took me a few years to work out a method that worked how i needed , with many losses along the way , lets try and avoid that for some folks here ...
ill just roll something up and get on with it ,,, 2 tics ...

guest123 · May 11, 2007

ok ,, creative juices flowing n ow ,, lol ....

growing in the woods/bush/jungle is harsh territory for your seedlings , and its the time they really need some tlc ..
i strike my seeds at home 48 hrs before heading to the patch , in paper towel , inside a plastic bag ..
this lessens the risks of loosing them to drying out just after they strike , one of the things i used to loose many too ...
i plant them into polystyrene boxes , around a hundred per box , cover with wire , i think they call it snake wire , very small squares barely 1 cm square ,, theres some small mice than get into nearly any other wire ...

next its time to do some preventative measures for the ants , they will take the seeds as they are coming up ,, i think its the sugar they crave , and they can smell it a ways off , some sort of ant rid from the hardware shop works fine...

guest123 · May 11, 2007

im assuming you would all know to put the seedling cage in full sun , however i keep them covered with shade cloth the first few day;s , and or plastic to create some humidity , this all depends on the weather at the time ...
with the seed trays soaked and planted , i only leave them for 3-4 days before checking , again this will depend on the weather ...

as the trays are too small and overcrowded to grow strong seedlings , i transplant them into 3 inch tubes , at around a week old, i use the soil onsite to get them used to where they will grow , and fertalize regularly with seaweed or fish emulsion ...
the tubes are around 12 inches long , and within 3-4 weeks ,, the plants have several sets of leaves , and are already growing roots from the bottoms of the pots ... its time to plant .....

i make sure i wet the plants well in their tubes before planting into pre dug , and fertalized holes ,, the wetting allows the plants to slip straight out of the tubes with no damage whatever to the root systems , they dont even know its happened , and as soon as in the ground ,, they go crazy .. hehe
ill try round up a few pix of seed cages etc ive had out there ....

Berry_Coughin' · May 11, 2007

Thanks Wally.... I grabbed some ducksfoot to put out this year.....

You are spot on, when you assert to place paper towels in a plastic bag. I have lost some that look nice to start, then dry as a bone... almost hard.... :badday:

again great postings.....

peace....

guest123 · May 11, 2007

thanks berry , yes its the crucial time of the plants life , the beginning , at its most vulnerable ... cannabis can be a very tough plant and put up with a lot of harsh conditions , and still thrive ,, but those early stages are critical where the final outcome is concerned ...

BACKCOUNTRY · May 11, 2007

Great thread Wally!

I'd love to start my plants in the bush, but I have found that too many bugs in my area love Cannabis seedlings, anything that doesn't have a hard stem seems to bite the dust quick.

I do need to work on more methods to make it work for me though, it would be nice to avoid starting at home for security/legal reasons.
Pipeline has some pretty good insite into these methods as well.

Dignan · May 11, 2007

Nice thread, Wally. :wave:

Thanks for taking the time to do it. I love the idea of starting from a seed in the ground... I could do it back in the midwest but here in the high desert, forget it. Like Backcountry's locale, seedlings don't last more than a couple days before they're some grasshopper's lunch. :pointlaug

h:

I've owned a book for years, Kiss of the Sun, that always make me daydream about being able to do it the simple way, in tiny pots, putting 2 week old seedlings right into the ground.

guest123 · May 11, 2007

mmm not a great shot of it , but u can build anything u like onsite that can work to prevent attacks from both vermin and insect , just takes a bit of fussing around to see what is attacking , and how to stop it ....

i also suffer the same fate out in the patch ,, think theres more insects out there than ive ever seen ...

i use dipel to keep the caterpillers etc at bay until the plants can do it for themselves .. even then i will spray once a month at least to keep the pests down and try to avoid where they have been munching etc turning into possible mould ....

BACKCOUNTRY · May 11, 2007

Well Wally, you have inspired me to give this a try with a plot or two this season, I've got tons of seeds that aren't getting any younger, so what the hell!

Here is my idea-

This could be made to any scale, and ways of poviding even more ventilation without blocking sunshine could be found I'm sure.

guest123 · May 12, 2007

sounds like a plan there bc , i just watch out when i have plastic on them that they dont get too hot also ,, i guess your weather is a bit cooler and more predictable .... nice to have plenty of water in the hothouse for humidity and keep them ladies alive in the sun ..

Smurf · May 12, 2007

Thanks for sharing that wally,.... I swear by the shadecloth method,....hardens the seedlings up nicely.
Just thinking about the color of shadecloth,,,,,, the 2 I'm thinking of is green & black, and that one of them is more effective than the other but I just can't remember.
I'm guessing here but..... I thought it had some think to do with UV light or possibly color spectrum?
I'll come back after a session and try again :pointlaug

BACKCOUNTRY · May 12, 2007

My spring weather is definately not tropical(although its not unlike Hawaii on days like today), but its anything but predictable this time of year, temps can range to 80F.

I realize that the plastic could cook the babies fast, but thats why I would use fine mesh on the non-sunny side for maximum ventilation, and along the bottom, my hope being that warm air will rise and escape fast.

But I do agree with you concerning the danger of overheating, I suppose using a cap that is made from fiberglass window screen only would be even better, it would ventilate easy and fast, and would also provide some shade protection for the delicate seedlings.

My problem is I grow all my plants a good journey from home, getting to them on a daily basis could be a problem, so I need to figure out ways to keep the bugs off without using alot of pesticides, without cooking the babies inside protective covers.
I suppose I could use tanglefoot type stuff to surround the seedlings, and keep the crawling bugs off, Millipeds are my main enemy here.

I'll experiment a bit this spring and summer, and see what I can rig up!

guest123 · May 12, 2007

Smurf said:
Thanks for sharing that wally,.... I swear by the shadecloth method,....hardens the seedlings up nicely.
Just thinking about the color of shadecloth,,,,,, the 2 I'm thinking of is green & black, and that one of them is more effective than the other but I just can't remember.
I'm guessing here but..... I thought it had some think to do with UV light or possibly color spectrum?
I'll come back after a session and try again

hey smurf , have u seen the red shadecloth ,, i guess i can get a pic ,, was a bit stunned to see it at first , but im told has improved the produce remarkably , red spectrum and all ... ill get a shot , and realise its not the same crop as we do , but its gardening that works , so can be utilized by us somehow ...

guest123 · May 12, 2007

BACKCOUNTRY said:
My spring weather is definately not tropical(although its not unlike Hawaii on days like today), but its anything but predictable this time of year, temps can range to 80F.

I realize that the plastic could cook the babies fast, but thats why I would use fine mesh on the non-sunny side for maximum ventilation, and along the bottom, my hope being that warm air will rise and escape fast.

But I do agree with you concerning the danger of overheating, I suppose using a cap that is made from fiberglass window screen only would be even better, it would ventilate easy and fast, and would also provide some shade protection for the delicate seedlings.

My problem is I grow all my plants a good journey from home, getting to them on a daily basis could be a problem, so I need to figure out ways to keep the bugs off without using alot of pesticides, without cooking the babies inside protective covers.
I suppose I could use tanglefoot type stuff to surround the seedlings, and keep the crawling bugs off, Millipeds are my main enemy here.

I'll experiment a bit this spring and summer, and see what I can rig up!

hey bc , millapedes hey ,, mmm wonder if its something to do with the soil that attracts them ...perhaps the sam e detterant that works for ants will also impede the millapedes , kinda smells a bit kerosene , am sure itd turn most pests off ...
also , if u use shade cloth , wire etc ,, dig it into the ground a few inches ,, around 6 seems fine ,, give the enemy no chances to ruin your hard work ...

as for baking in the sun ,, its a prob , but with the same techniques as indoor , where ventilation etc is concerned , and a good idea of the extremes ,, ive been able to avoid most bad situations ,, luckily my soil is quite clay based and keeps it s moisture for a few days when packed a bit tightly ...

Smurf · May 12, 2007

Millipeds are my main enemy here.

Hey BC,,,,,

Millipedes normally live in and feed on rotting leaves and wood and other kinds of moist decaying plant matter. Generally, their role is a beneficial one in helping to break down dead plant matter. They’re actually part of the arthropod group along with earthworms (part of the soil foodweb), but when they become numerous, they may damage sprouting seeds, seedlings, and other ripening fruits that are in contact with the ground. Have you tried elevating your seedlings off the ground?

wally,,,,I've seen all the pastel colored shadecloth but the red one could be a winner. :woohoo:

elevate · May 13, 2007

ya, I dont even strike them, although maybe I should, but I don't. I get my soil (custom hand mixed, fox farm ocean forest base) and put it in the desired pots with some hydro balls at the bottom for drainage. i stick my finger in the soil where I want the plant to grow. I plant the seed, cover it, and dampen the soil generously. It's not THAT hot here yet so I can keep the soil damp no problem. I check everyday to make sure

. So far I have 6/8 sprouted, with 2 of them that just might not have sprouted yet, we will see. Two have been eaten by pests (improper prevention techniques or lack there of).

Im glad to hear people using similar techniques!

BACKCOUNTRY · May 13, 2007

Smurf said:
...Have you tried elevating your seedlings off the ground?.....

How would they grow into the ground if they were up off of it?

I just don't try to put out delicate seedlings anymore, I just grow them indoors indoors or in greenhouses until they have a hard stem or bigger, at that point only Deer seem to be able to stop them.

I just have not tried again since the first time, mostly because I have safer places to start plants , but I'd like to try starting onsite again because I don't like to grow Cannabis at my home, basicly cuz i don't want to involve my family any more than I have to if I get caught.

Because of this concern for my family home, I'd like to develop methods that allow me to go from seed to dry bud 100% in the bush, never having large ammounts of bud, or plants at home(under a ounce is only a $500 fine in Oregon).

Smurf · May 13, 2007

How would they grow into the ground if they were up off of it?

LOL

... sorry I should have explained myself better,... I was refering to elevating a seedling tray full of planted 'tubes' in it, or what ever the seedlings have been potted in,...... all of which would be inside your constructed frame covered in shadecloth and/or fibreglass sheeting, hardening off before they go into the ground. :canabis:

Gantz · May 13, 2007

BACKCOUNTRY said:
Because of this concern for my family home, I'd like to develop methods that allow me to go from seed to dry bud 100% in the bush, never having large ammounts of bud, or plants at home.

I'd also like that. if i could do that simple, fast and stealthly...

so let's see if we can find 100% ratio on site germination method that does not require us to stick around for more than a few minutes.
we have all kinds of watering devices....but some people (ok...ME) don't have access to the technology or it's really expensive. so a diy inexpensive but effective watering system would be a godsend.
and drying in the brush while avoiding rain and detection method would be the cherry on the top for me.

if anyone knows all that stuff PLEASE SHARE!!!!!

guest123 · May 14, 2007

ahhhh ,,,, i can also tell u how to dry it in the jungle , or onsite , its not that hard once u play a little , ideally u can just take seeds to the jungle ,, organise folks to pick up the dried herb and it reduces your risks ten fold ....

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striking your seedlings at the patch !!!

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