Hash plots: Is this a easier way to do dry country Guerrilla?

[BACKCOUNTRY]

SilverSurfer_OG- I'd basicly just stick my shovel in, pull the dirt aside enough to pop a seedling in, push the dirt back(carefully) against the roots.
From prior experience, I doubt direct seeding would work that great for me, lots of nasty bugs seem to be waiting for my tender young babies. I'll transplant seedlings that have some woodiness too them, they seem more resistant to attacks.


PazVerdeRadical- I'm not sure if you saw the pics earlier in the thread, but I have had some luck with this type of growing.

I do realize that my yields in plots with a minimum of sunshine will be low, this is the reason for mass plantings, I probably won't bother planting unless I do at least 20 per plot, and many plots.

And who knows? Maybe burried way out there, there are some sweet sunny and damp spots where I will yield my normal weight, part of the goal here is a excuse to go out and find these places.

I will be establishing a regular set of plots with provided irrigation for normal bud production, as many as I can tend to comfortably over the Summer. Establishing more irrigation plots means more work and time spent down the road checking on and tending to these extra plots, more of my precious summer time spent walking the hills insted of with my family.

Lets compare the time investment:

For plots with irrigation:
If I am going to go to the time and expense of putting a irrigation system in, then I only want female plants, this means clones or sexed seedlings.
I will need to also prescout the plots, and find a magical spot with a year round stream nearby so I can pump water to my resivours.
Several trips will be needed to take equipment, fertilisers, etc etc to the plot.
Also I will need to make a trip to the plots at least once every 2-3 weeks, to ensure that the systems are functioning.

^This is getting to be alot of time, setting up and scouting one of these plots would take me about 3-4 weekends if I am lucky enough to find good plots easy, not to mention I will need to visit more through the summer.


For my low investment plots:

Starting mass seedlings is easy, as is taking a walk on a early Summer morning. I figure it will take me about 4 hours total to plant about 40 seedlings, and I could probably plant way more than 100 in a day if I wanted to.
And to top it off, I won't have to visit again until harvest! Leaving me more time to spend with my Sinse crop and my family.

No, I see the bud that comes from this venture as nearly free, and well worth the hassel. Keep in mind that I spent a ton of time hiking around taking care of plants last year, and I will stop at nothing to find a way to avoid all that time spent walking here and there.

 

[HOVAH]

I still think clones would be worth the time, and it wouldnt nessarally take too much time, atleast you know everythings going out is female.

 

[supermanlives]

backeast i had lots of almost self watering spots. generally on a slope by a swamp but a few times by a stream. i tried to dig 2 feet down and let hole fill in with water ,then backfill 2 inches over water level with pure perlite then back fill with soil mix.my goal was 2 feet to the perlite layer. only lost like 6 plants in many years.this year i aint got a clue as its new area. DAVESNOTHERE

 

[Trancerdancer]

You might consider using Purplemaxx on your seedlings when you plant. The manufacturers claim "it has a strong tendency to make males sterile." I tried this out on some surplus plants (2) that ended up male. I put them outside in the bush, watered them with PM at about 5 weeks veg then did a foliar with it maybe 2 weeks later.

I let them flower for 9 weeks and they produced a lot of pollen sacs but none opened. When I cut a few open there was no pollen, just green plant matter. I'm not sure if giving them a watering or spraying as a seedling would give the same results, but it might be worth a try. You may end up with some sensi yet!

I'm looking forward to seeing how your hash plots work out. I love your posts BC, I live in a similar area with similar issues. You've been very helpful! Peace

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I still think clones would be worth the time, and it wouldnt nessarally take too much time, atleast you know everythings going out is female.

Don't take offence, but why does everyone think having all female plants is so important? Whats the deal? I will be giving no care to the plants after planting, so I'm not wasting time watering males.

To make the hash I will be seperating the seeds out, so thats not a problem, a matter of fact its good to have lots of seeds because I'll use them next year.

These plants will be small when they go out, they will be so easy to haul out in mass that the trouble handling the males will not be a problem, its a minor inconvienence.
The idea is to keep things as simple as possible, start and forget, plant massive quanities to compensate for the lack of care and preparation.

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

BC, let us know how it works out, take pics. much good luck!
peace

 

[sunnydog]

Hmmm, I guess at very least, if the plants are not discovered, could be a way to find places for the next year.

 

[SoEx]

Good thread, by the way.

It has inspired me to think about doing some guerrilla growing. I am thinking about buying a bunch and putting out a bunch of fem. seeds, forgetting about them, then coming back and hoping whatever comes out is okay. Obviously not going for an ideal circumstance, but I really can't find a place in which I could grow that I'd be able to visit, and I have no desire to visit a place regularly for waterings/feedings.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

PazVerdeRadical & sunnydog- I'll be sure to document the sucess and or failures of my adventures, no worries there! Part of the reason is just to get out and look around the hills, and at the same time exploit any promising areas while I am at it, but all low investment so that if plants are lost its not a super bad deal.

Its possible that while I am exploring some isolated valley, I may come across a area where I will bring several loads of plants, or its possible I may find a place just aching for a automated watering system, either this year or next.

And no one should think I am going to plant in any totally shaded areas, I am looking for locations with at least some level of sunshine, either heavy filtered or at least a short period of direct sunshine, basicly I just won't be holding myself to the 7 hour direct sunshine minimum I usually do.

Thanks SoEx!

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Until it is time to start seeds for this venture, I'll be thinking about ways to haul lots of month old seedlings(anything younger would nearly be a waste of time in my experience, bugs love really young ones). I've seen examples where growers have "barerooted" seedlings, to eliminate the weight and bulk of the soil and planters, by washing the soil from the roots, and packing the plants carefully in pantyhose. By using this method it is claimed that 100-200 plants could be hauled at once.

I'd like to avoid "barerooting", I'm sure it works great, but I'd like to take a little less chance of shocking my plants, so I will be trying to find a way to haul 30-50 at once with planters still in place.
I'm thinking I'll start the seedlings in planters made from 16.9oz(500ml) water bottles(if they get root bound, oh well), and pack them in 5 gallon buckets, I could stuff 3 buckets in my largest external frame pack, and could carry one more in my hands.
It looks like I could stuff 13 of these mini planters in a 5 gallon bucket- 4x13=52.

I bet I could improve this number by building my own custom made carry rig, since the buckets shape wastes horizontal space inside the rectangular shaped backpack.
I'm sure the weight of the soil in the planters could limit the number of plants I could take, but I think the basic therory is sound.

 

[chubbynugs]

Very interesting read BC. You always got that outdoor mind working thats for sure. I have been reading about hash lately and it seems in a lot of hash producing countries they do just as you are talking about. Plant massive crops and barely take care of them nutrition wise you will still pull tons of trichomes. All they really need is water and they should reward you with bucket loads of bubble. I will definitely be in your outdoor thread and would love to see what kind of results you get off your guerilla tactics this year.

 

[Gantz]

The treeplanters that replant the forests in Canada use planting bags with silvicool inserts. the roots of the seedlings (is that even correct for a tree? even if it's really young and small?) have some soil on them, but they are wet so i guess they don't dry out. but they can carry at least a hundred with them at a time.

Planting Bags

To carry seedlings, the planter wears a set of planting bags. The number of pouches on this set of bags can vary, but it is almost always three pouches in recent years. Essentially, the bags serve as a storage area for the seedlings, so the planter can carry a large number of trees at a time, and not have to go back to the cache as frequently to grab more trees.

When buying your bags, make sure that the waist belt fits comfortably and tightly, since it carries most of the weight. I believe that BushPro sells an add-on thicker waist belt for their bags which I would recommend highly. If you buy used bags, make sure they aren’t ripped or frayed, and make sure the buckles close and the belt and straps adjust properly (plastic clip-on buckles are preferable to the much older cloth/stitched bags with metal clasps). New bags are around $80, while used bags (if available) will go for $40 to $50. Avoid stiff-bottomed (tray-bottom) bags. Make sure that the part of the side pouches that will rub against your thighs does not have seams and protruding material that will irritate your skin and ruin pants.

Silvicool Inserts

Insert bags are used in the planting bags to protect the seedling from heating up. They are made out of reflective material and must be closed at the top when full of trees, with the exception of your feeder bag/drawbag (the one currently in use). Wet moss or sponges must be kept in the bottom of these bags to keep the trees moist. Most contracts specify that you must use your inserts, even when it is raining. Typically, the drawbag has an insert with the top rolled back, for easy access to your loose trees, and the other two pouches contain closed inserts.

Some planters also use an extra insert to carry their lunch and/or water, to keep it cool.

info taken from www.replant.ca

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Hey Gantz! As you may notice I live in south-west Oregon(A area known for its logging industries), the family ranch I live on includes many acres of mostly Douglas fir timber lands. Every few years we have about 20 acres selectively logged, and each time we do this we replant up to 4000 trees by hand, we actualy own one of the bags you have mentioned. If it would stop snowing, I'd be out there right now planting insted of surfing ICmag, as it is prime planting season.

Now that you know where I am comming from here, I need to point out that tree seedlings are much tougher than Cannabis seedlings. Tree seedlings have very woody roots that can put up with a reasonable amount of "rough" treatment without breaking or bruising.
They arive to us in 500 seedling bundles, and can be stored in these bundles for weeks if the temps are low enough.

Cannabis seedlings are very delicate by comparession, and would not travel well in these tree planting bags, I can assure you. Cannabis roots, stems, and branches need more care in packing bare rooted.

Thankyou very much for the thought though!!

 

[facelift]

I had some hash made from the last harvest. But first, I never thought I would smoke 5 ounces a month. I have less than a bowl left.

So anyway, I like the outdoor idea, and there is a way to carry hundreds of seedlings into the forest without too much trouble. I have this seedling tray. It's about 1.5 feet long and maybe 8 inches wide. Each tray has 80 sites to germinate seeds. They cost about 3 bucks. Less than a gallon of gas.

There are several ways. Germinate seeds in these little terrariums, out in the field, or under lights. If you germinate at home, the trays come with a clear cover and are stackable. 3 trays would hold 240 seedlings. Germinating in the trays out in the field would require less work. You could find your areas, and leave trays of germinating seeds at each one. Go back a week later and transplant.

You can conserve some water by using wood chips, or mulch. The forest is covered with stuff like that for free. Plant your seedling soak the area, and protect the wet areas with a few inches of bark, leaves and other mulch directly from the forest floor.

http://www.plantelnurseries.com/resources/432.jpg

 

[WAMEN]

im gonna build rainwater collectors this time BC! stay tuned!

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

......., and there is a way to carry hundreds of seedlings into the forest without too much trouble. I have this seedling tray. It's about 1.5 feet long and maybe 8 inches wide. Each tray has 80 sites to germinate seeds. They cost about 3 bucks. Less than a gallon of gas.

There are several ways. Germinate seeds in these little terrariums, out in the field, or under lights. If you germinate at home, the trays come with a clear cover and are stackable. 3 trays would hold 240 seedlings. Germinating in the trays out in the field would require less work. You could find your areas, and leave trays of germinating seeds at each one. Go back a week later and transplant.

Germinating in the field is not a option for me, I will be only making two trips, one to plant, one to harvest. Also if these are the seedling starter kits I think they are, they will not be big enough to handle month old seedlings.

You can conserve some water by using wood chips, or mulch. The forest is covered with stuff like that for free. Plant your seedling soak the area, and protect the wet areas with a few inches of bark, leaves and other mulch directly from the forest floor.......

This would only work for about 2 weeks in my climate, once the plants deplete the provided water there will be no rainwater to replenish it and I will be back to square one. This is why I am willing to sacrifice optimum sunshine in exchange for planting near natural sources of ground water like springs and creeks.
Check my 2007 grow thread for some insight into how I grow my normal plots. Thanks for dropping by!

Good deal WAMEN!!

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I've been looking for info on yields on Bubble hash, so far one report says 10 grams of popcorn/ Sugar trim makes 1 gram of Bubble.
Another report says 6-9 grams of Sugar trim makes 1 gram of Bubble.

I'm still looking for more info but so far I am optimistic, I anticipate that my bud quality would be more than equal to high grade trim in Trichrome content. I'd be happy to get 1 gram of hash from a 20 grams of bud, or even less really.

 

[Guest]

Why not just take cuttings and put them in peat plugs? They will be female and well established cuttings that are easy to carry. Seedlings are just just too weak and may be male. IMO. You can take alot of cuttings in the time it takes to sprout plant.

However if you do use seeds then you will always have a plot at that spot if you let some seeds fall for the following year. Your call boss!! Thanks for all the great input you got.

 

[WAMEN]

1 to 10 is the report if you using some extra frosted material.. in other cases the rate is lower.. still worth it imho.

 

[PazVerdeRadical]

... I need to point out that tree seedlings are much tougher than Cannabis seedlings. Tree seedlings have very woody roots that can put up with a reasonable amount of "rough" treatment without breaking or bruising.
...Cannabis seedlings are very delicate by comparession, and would not travel well in these tree planting bags, I can assure you. Cannabis roots, stems, and branches need more care in packing bare rooted.

true that. i did tree replanting as well as little-trees recollection (for lack of a better term), one goes into the woods and digs up all the little tree-seedlings that have a very low chance of survival due to lack of space/light to grow. these become the new trees for other areas. they are very resistent for sure, and take a lot longer to properly root than cannabis too, there is a relation there.
those planting bags look bad ass though Gantz.
peace

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Why not just take cuttings and put them in peat plugs? They will be female and well established cuttings that are easy to carry. Seedlings are just just too weak and may be male. IMO. You can take alot of cuttings in the time it takes to sprout plant.

First, I think you have it backwards, I actually find clones to be the weak ones, seedlings are usually much more vigorous, and seem to grow taller faster, and thusly better at competing with weeds.
And as I explained earlier, males are no problem at all!

For one(for clones), I would have to find known females to use for moms, thats going to take at least a basic indoor set up(that I can't do) and about 2 months start seeds and find females(at least), then its going to take a month at least to get the clones rooted and strong enough to go out. This is alot more trouble than simply starting seeds, and letting them grow in the sunshine for a month. And when I loose plants to the elements(bugs, Deer, etc), I won't cry over a lost seedling as much as a clone that had to be kept warm, and handled multiple times before finally hitting the dirt.

The next consideration is that this will be a low investment grow, I'm not banking on much more that 1oz per plant, I'm sure I'll get twice that or even more in some spots, but 1oz is what I am banking on. 1oz per plant is not enough return for the trouble of cloning.

If I went to the trouble of cloning, then I would feel obligated to provide more care in selecting plots, then I would feel obligated to prepare the soil, etc, etc. After I start spending time finding females, cloning, and putting more care into selecting and preparing plots, this would no longer be a low-investment grow.

This thread is kind of a lesson in "Guerrilla economics". For the purpose of making hash on a large scale all you need is bud, and it doesn't need to be super dense buds, it doesn't need to be seedless, it doesn't need to be super potent smoke either(withen reason).
If you are doing things you would do to make good bowl ready buds to create your hash making materials, you are basicly investing too much time and effort. Things like providing optimum sunshine, water, protection from predetors, fertilisers, or cloning/sexing seedlings, are too much trouble for making bud you are just going to rip the trichromes from.

All I'm going to do is create and plant as many seedlings as possible, because it is easy to do, its cheap, and doesn't take much of my time.