MASSIVE OUTDOOR GROW

[Julian]

Was wondering about cha lately.

Hope all is well with everything........

I work alone. Thats the only way...

Well, last run or two was far from alone, yes my friend?

That is another HUGE factor in determining my numbers, and base line.....Lets say that we had a really wet year out here in the desert, and I was able to get thousands out to the hills, and actually was faced with harvesting big boy numbers, trying to aproach that alone wouldnt be theasable

Well, I would think prep and watering issues would outweigh harvest, you know...10-1.......

....therefore I haveto keep in mind to target the right growing styles that accomodate my approach.....like minis...If I was to do large numbers, it would be minis, so that I could harvest mostly top nuggs..

Even with machines, it took me and my crew weeeeeks to harvest 25lbs, even with a trimpro(granted that was with alot of popcorn)...

Well, hold on here ......couple weeks for 25? ...you sure about that?

Note the popcorn though my friend......I can do a p+ of best in hour or so myself by hand.........(I did 25 myself this season...had pics earlier finished...5 days...but, that was purely solid stuff, which is usually a pleasure to do.....) That same p popcorn?...could take me 8hrs+/- by hand....That's why I toss it usually....or, do other things with it......

Having a trusty harvest crew is the only way for a solo guerilla grower like me to run things at harvest time. IMHO....Acuiring this team of professionals, is not a easy task....Lots of trust must be brought to the table, along with a sizeable ammount of skill, and balls,,,,,I guess thats why I hear of trimm crews getting payed hundreds of dollars an hour...

Well, as I am sure you are starting to see my friend...........op after op....season after season...year after year.......like anything else....people come and go......some stay, and, all develops from there......

Lot also depends on your work style......you know man....I can sometimes get a lot done , but, make no mistake man, I am no stranger to 24/7 working...literally (longest ever was 2 weeks without sleep.....I started to become well aware I was not 100% ...noticed it myself and figured was time to call it a day

You know man.......c'mon......single person can easily pull down a huge number (harvest) themselves........you separate large and nice from stuff that's not...you focus on that, you toss everything else into bubble piles.....all about efficiency man.....key ingredient to numbers man....key ingredient..(to anything...anywhere, anytime....a "system" if you will, ya know? ...gotta have a system if you want to step it up a notch......

You know......I would say your main issue is maintenance.....irrigation/watering...most time consuming, followed by holes and prep, THEN followed by harvest issues (knowing what I do ....)

Don't forget man....while your rainfall may be lacking, your favorite spots (of mine ) might very well have some good groundwater there (You know which spots I mean).....and, then some other spots which I think you ran the mini's last year looked good as far as water and such.........

That's the other aspect, is, how could you get the same or greater yield from less work....

That's what you want to focus on.......the same or more with less work.......(maybe possible, maybe not....I think though you know the angles ....I'm sure of it ....)

So .whats up Jules, spring approaches, huh?.....U gettin the itch yet??....

like poison fuckin ivy

Have a lot on plate right now, in and out, here and there, etc .....

Sure about some things, not even close about others.....eh, we'll see how it all turns out

I think there's still a little left from last season ......maybe I'll put up a shot when I get a chance to get over there



Just a little

 

[Julian]

Just stopping in, not really around (maybe a pic or two soon ).......sorry if I missed some...just stopping in.......working on a couple things here and there ...

 

[tripples]

were doing friday meetings now too julian see ya there

 

[GroBoy2000]

Julian, I have a question, if you could find the time to answer

We know you dont 'harden off' your seedlings, but I dont think you mentioned what you sprout under, MH or HPS? maybe i missed it, i know height of light and all that hit

 

[Julian]

Julian, I have a question, if you could find the time to answer

Not a matter of time as much of a matter of here in general....(and depends about answering pm's, as I see it flashing right now )

We know you dont 'harden off' your seedlings, but I dont think you mentioned what you sprout under, MH or HPS? maybe i missed it, i know height of light and all that hit

Hmmmm......funny you mention that because, was just talking to someone this week about that (indirectly ....)

I have germed as long as I can remember under 1k's, as close as possible (MH of course..) and, one of last rounds, was doing it different place, temp place, so, figured just use the T-5's and domes......why not..large number in tray or two........

In short......

Mannnnnnnnn you get no fuckin growth with those things Fuck.... Now I know why idiots were giving me shit about the pics I had at 6 days.........(and others at 2 weeks...) Fuck......if I stuck with the florous.....could take over a month to get there .....

I do 1k's as close as possible....(lot of people say you can't...where that comes from I have no idea....only issue is heat, not light........far from it...Can't even say difference in growth rates...(especially that close).could be 5-10x more.....

(Edit: As earlier.......May?...overcast?....June?, depending on season?....nah....it's not that bad (sun, out)...I know people 41 or so......maybe 40....they go from florous to out in July..(which surprised me actually...), so....Sometimes, depending on location, if I am there doing work and right angles, etc, will move trays into sun.....(large trays, roll them)...I figure why not, can do nothing but help/beneficial....but, that's not all the time and just if I happen to be at places right time...etc.......

Plus, as above....don't forget objective is also timed with rains.....which again typically brings cooler temps, overcast, cloudy, etc........(which as you see actually serves several purposes........one water issue, getting them in right, other sun issue, during overcast, etc......)

(Not all the time is it possible to plant (for me, with rains...so....have planted also full sun, and 90 degrees many times......so...but, yeah, preferably before rains..(last time or so, only larger out had to be when it was....so...plant, water, enough wwater and some crystals to get it to next rain, etc......)

 

[Tropical]

Wow, that is interesting. How close are the lights to the plant tops? How many square feet of garden canopy are covered by the one light? Thanks!

 

[Julian]

Adjusted for coverage.

When germing, as elsewhere, I get up to 500 to about a sq. meter (or more)........so.....a 1k as low as 12"....(maybe 14"-16".....) as low as possible still maintaining coverage of target area. (trays,plants) One of recent was about 300, which was 3 10" x 20" trays....so...in that case would be less than 6 sq. ft....thinking now......maybe 16" +/-......basically, extremely close yet still adequate coverage...large the footprint, higher it has to be for even coverage,etc.

 

[tripples]

julian when your doing clones do you run them under 24/0 then put them out as early as early mid may? you dont have too many problems with em going into flower in may?

 

[BritishColumbia]

Julian is that echo auger easy to use for 1 person or do you need 2 people to operate it?

 

[Tropical]

Adjusted for coverage.

When germing, as elsewhere, I get up to 500 to about a sq. meter (or more)........so.....a 1k as low as 12"....(maybe 14"-16".....) as low as possible still maintaining coverage of target area. (trays,plants) One of recent was about 300, which was 3 10" x 20" trays....so...in that case would be less than 6 sq. ft....thinking now......maybe 16" +/-......basically, extremely close yet still adequate coverage...large the footprint, higher it has to be for even coverage,etc.

OK, here are the numbers.

3 trays at 10"x20"=300"square
one square foot = 144"square
300"square= 2.1 square feet
1000watts by 2.1 feet= 480watts/sq.ft.

Man! That sounds high to an indoor grower. That is about ten times as much light as the indoor growers use (40-75watts/sq.ft.).

 

[Julian]

julian when your doing clones do you run them under 24/0 then put them out as early as early mid may? you dont have too many problems with em going into flower in may?

As earlier, 24/0, a rare 18/6 when the urge to cut draw hits me. (not often for veg centers, because not hi power to start)

Strain dependent. The majority of the time no. ( I do seed more than clones, and, lot of each. )

Julian is that echo auger easy to use for 1 person or do you need 2 people to operate it?

If adult, fairly good shape, fairly easy. It is a one man model. (They have 2 man models ), handles on each side, sure larger bits....never looked at them really cause wanted a one man.

Depends on what kind of soil your working with. I've done fairly heavy clay stuff and was still under a minute per hole.....great soil as little as 15 seconds.....

(Remember users... don't use your back...don't have to)

OK, here are the numbers.
3 trays at 10"x20"=300"square
one square foot = 144"square
300"square= 2.1 square feet
1000watts by 2.1 feet= 480watts/sq.ft.

Man! That sounds high to an indoor grower. That is about ten times as much light as the indoor growers use (40-75watts/sq.ft.).

While that would certainly be nice....(and still not come close to sun), it's probably far to high, as while the space it may be targeting is minimal, you will still have light dispersed as typical...ie: that coverage would have to be in a 2.1 cube.....while dispersion may be upwards to 5 feet on sides..(I use parabolic's for germing/starts/veg.)

As they grow, light is raised, and, even more lost to the sides.....(50% loss to sides?...I'm sure they have feet and distance tables for reflectors somewhere available...sure you know what I mean...(but I'd be glad to get 480.....don't see how possible...sure some use 600's and 1,000's in 4 x 4 closets (cooled), that would still only hit like...as above...75? (16 sq. feet in a 4 x 4)

Edit: Or of course the ones closest may very well have the highest intensity, which might come out at higher lumens, but, don't think the breakdown of wattage would apply, as above, due to light dispersed in all directions....

 

[Julian]

True frostynugs!

This thread is freakin genius.

Maybe the truth is I just helped you see your a genius....

(Personally, I thought what you deleted was fuckin genius.......)

ive got some seeds germing right now to try to get a spring crop..its been real cold around my way.

ive never done early harvest and i dont even know if it will be possible at 40N, ill get it working somehow...

anyway, if a plant was in full flower, what would happen if the days started getting longer? would it reveg, or do they usually just finish flowering?

I'd have to check map but assuming one can't get a spring one in at 40...last frost April?......

Plant can reveg if in flower...people do it all the time to keep specific individuals, etc....

the 10,000 plants on 3 acres, a mere few hundred feet from a school, not even 30 minutes outside downtown (dallas again), 10k, said 6-9ft i think, found in june.july on a tip....10k, on 3 acres, barely outside the city....spot probably could have done 1000 3-6 footers and been fine, who knows, anyone can find the articles, a lot on it

I can almost guarantee if they were put in late and 2 footers might have even brought em in.......

They probably smelled it........

I never understand why people put so much effort into such things......why even bother...(at a 50/50 chance of it getting cracked.....seems more logical to me to put in a little more work to have 10x more chance of actually bringing them in.......I always think those kind of crops are just decoys.....do a large one, draw the attention from the 10 smaller ones that get brought home.....)

 

[Fast_Pine]

You know......I would say your main issue is maintenance.....irrigation/watering...most time consuming, followed by holes and prep, THEN followed by harvest issues (knowing what I do ....)

Don't forget man....while your rainfall may be lacking, your favorite spots (of mine ) might very well have some good groundwater there (You know which spots I mean).....and, then some other spots which I think you ran the mini's last year looked good as far as water and such.........

That's the other aspect, is, how could you get the same or greater yield from less work....

That's what you want to focus on.......the same or more with less work.......(maybe possible, maybe not....I think though you know the angles ....I'm sure of it ....)

The issue with those spots is,,,,,people/animals round here gravitate toard any water source avalible..The mini spots got washed out buy a flash flood. Cant use that spot again. Gonna use the same stream to draw water from, but I will plant in elevated areas off the bank, to avoid a washout, ya know?

You know about the mudd splater problems I have....That shit kills me...In short, the only places with enough grass and vegitation to provode good cover, and keep the mud splatter down,,are usualy fiew and far between, very rare to find those spots at the right altitude....Plenty of grass and vegitition at 10-11,000 feet alt , but the season is suuuuuuuuper short, were talkin July 1- Aug 25 short....Lots of good moisture and cover up there, and with the right strain, would be the PERFECT environment for waves, and waves of minis, blended in to the surounding vegitation all monty style!!....In fact, that will be a big focus of mine this year....Testing super high altitude plots, strains that will be hearty, and early enough to run in them, moisture levels, frost dates, and the different microclimates I can find and use year after year........After knowing you man,,,,Ive got such a hankerin for some low matenance shit....It would be amazing for me to be able to find a way to run compleetly low to no matenance plots out here in the dry ass desert...

Purchased some rain maps online...says that from June to August some places in round here (10,000+ feet altitude, mountainous areas) get close to 20inches!!..An thats not counting all the snow melt...Compared that on my rain maps, to some places out east that I am guessing one can do low/no matenance grows..Places like Ten got just a little more than that!....

Another goal of this year is to use strains that i KNOW will finnish in time.....Seems every year i have stuff that could have gone for 2-3 more weeks....So, Im sticking to my Mendocino Madness, my tride and true September girl....Gonna test alot of shit, but my bulk will be the madness.....

Crossing some Northernlights-trainwreck with some wallyduck's webbed indica.....
Should be good....

Gonna run alot of these as testers in probable low matenance plots...

Laaaaaayta man.

 

[NPK]

....lemme find out I can successfully drop and crop an 8 week strain every mar-may, lets just say I'd be a lot closer to massive

Hey man, if your climate permits it, this is totally possible. I did it myself for the first time last year--put a few short-flowering clones in the back yard in the first week of March. The weather had been amazing, so I decided to take advantage. I ended up with six three-footers (and several full jars ) in early May. (Two of a longer-flowering strain did reveg, though.) My only regret was not putting out more plants!

I've got a bunch of a 6-8 week strain out now in the early stages of flowering. It's been chilly (low 60s) but sunny and generally nice. They're flowering kind of slowly because of the low temps, but they ARE flowering. You can make global warming work for you, no doubt about it. :wink:

 

[NPK]

Hey guys, here's a topic I haven't seen raised here: for those of you in relationships, how do your wives/girlfriends feel about your outdoor adventures? Have any of you mentioned your plans to them?

I'd love to get some feedback on this one.

 

[Tropical]

I always hear growers worry about choppers, but I've seen far more guys get busted because of pissed off girlfriends and wives than by choppers, high electric bills, and buying hydro equipment on-line. In fact, I've never heard of anybody getting busted by any of those three ways.

It is the ex gf, a customer looking for a plea bargain, odor, or stealing electric that will get you busted. And if you grow in your backyard, then don't piss off your neighbors either. That's all I have to say about wives and gf's.

 

[vod]

I just don't piss off my wife.
She used to grow more than I do now. And yet she laughs at my excitement and level of commitment. So she knows. But doesn't do it with me. She doesn't even smoke.

 

[3BM]

Whats up J ... and a hardy hello to all the other MOC folks!

Spring is here at last. Im already prepping spots, about to drop a test batch early. Im at 36N, and its been in the mid 60's around here. Not ideal, but it gets better every day. Things are full on by mid April. Get in early, and keep running late. Speaking of working alone ... I try to space it all out. I know I cant get it all in at once, but who cares? Planting from Apr - Aug it all seems to get done. I suppose we can only take what nature gives us.

Man I'll be glad to get outside a bit. Indoor just doesnt hold the same magic for me. I keep pluggin away at it, but my plants never look as nice with as little effort.

Many thanks to J and all you others for the inspiration. This is a hard life at times, and it just helps to know that Im not the only one.

NPK: my wife hates it. I try to keep it all in perspective, she has to be first on my list. Without her none of this would be possible. She keeps my children safe, and lets me take the risks I do. Keep legitimate employment on the forefront and work this on the side. That seems to help.

 

[NPK]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm not worried about my wife incriminating me; it's really the other way around. She's worried that I'll get caught and busted, and that she'll also get into trouble by association even though she doesn't participate. She's risk-averse by nature. Me? I'm very open to a calculated risk. We're just different that way.

She knew about my passion/addiction well before we got married, but shortly after that happened (late last year) we had an episode that really shook her up and changed her feelings about the growing. Someone burglarized our house and stole her laptop. It was unrelated to my growing (thank god there were no signs of that anywhere); just some random punk with the chutzpah to break in in the middle of the afternoon--while I was home, no less. Still, it freaked both of us out, especially her. She's a fearful person. It made my growing a very touchy subject for a while there. And it still kind of is.

 

[Tropical]

My wife is a lot like that too. She can tolerate a couple plants vegging in the house that nobody knows about, but she would be very uncomfortable with a larger grow or one that also finishes indoors, or even me going out and buying it instead of growing. My plants finish at a friends backyard.

But, this thread is about massive outdoor commercial grows. So, is your wife afraid of you doing that? Doing business with mj trafficers involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash? That would scare me too, as much for my safety as my freedom.