2011, how are you planning your plots?

[:-(]

Whats up everyone. It's that time of year. Around here the farmers have already tilled the chicken shit into their fields and the weather is warming up.

Let's share ideas for our 2011 outdoor plots, let's talk about scouting new sites, and working out the details such as the distance to carry in soil and water, how to amend, making clearings, and so on.

Hopefully we've got our seeds ordered and figured out WHAT we're growing, now lets talk about WHERE and HOW we're growing!

What is your native soil type?
How do you plan to amend? How are you feeding?
How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops?
How far do you have to hike to your plot?

Let's get the stoner brain-trust going =) Maybe talking about it will make spring time come faster

 

[michael68]

What is your native soil type? Mostly a rocky and dry desert soil.
How do you plan to amend? How are you feeding? Gonna dig 5 or 10 gallon holes and fill with a nice potting soil, maybe add some manure and compost. I'll feed with a nice organic fertilizer occasionally.
How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops? Moisture retention naturally sucks, arid land. I'll have to haul water in, by dropping off jugs of water on the side of the road near the bushes. Hopefully mulch helps.
How far do you have to hike to your plot? 0.25 miles in.

 

[Bullfrog44]

What is your native soil type? very decent. I grow in smart pots however.
How do you plan to amend?1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolomite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp fritted trace elements
4 cups kelp meal.
9kg (25 lbs) bag pure worm castings

- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.

How are you feeding - Don't need to feed for a while, but tea's brewed in 50 gal drums.
Water retention and delivery? - Automatic sprinkler system, everyday.
Hike to plot - 10-25ft. My backyard.

 

[.clunk]

I'll be doing the same thing as last year, can't mess with success too much!

Dig 12 gallon holes into the native sandy hillside, add approx 25-30% peat moss, 10-15% perlite and a cup of dolomite lime per hole, then till. A week before planting I'll top dress with a bit of Advanced Nutrients Heavy Harvest then plant well rooted clones in HIKO trays when the weather is right. This year I might try mixing a little Alfalfa Meal into the holes before planting instead of the Heavy Harvest, but I'm still not decided on this yet - like I said, I don't like to mess with what I know works and last year my garden consistently produced 1/2lb plants in the 12 gallon holes I mentioned above.

I water using a gravity fed drip irrigation setup which diverts water from a stream around 1000' away, this way I can use a hose-end timer to control the amount of water my plants get every day, even if I'm not around. I still have to visit at least once a week to make sure everything is working as it should, but it still greatly reduces the amount of trips I need to make. I can also use an EZ-FLO injector system to add extra liquid nutrients through the drip irrigation system. This year I'll definately be trying some Alfalfa Meal tea in veg stage; in flower I usually use a mix of Big Bud, Mollasses, Liquid Gold and other P/K boosters.

I thought about digging bigger holes, but since the native sandy soil drains so well I think I won't bother; last year it was obvious that the plants pushed through the amended soil I added and put roots right into the sand...I had to water heavily; nearly two gallons/day for each plant but the sand acts like a hydro medium and works quite well when you have it fine tuned.

I will likely experiment with double-planting each hole to maximise my yields; I've talked to many other farmers who do this and although their yields don't double, they get an extra 2-3oz/hole which is pretty good return on doing nothing more than planting an extra clone and doing a little extra staking throughout the season.

 

[BotanicalBill]

Bullfrog, nice to see you using Vic's SS. By far one of the most reliable recipes I've used since 2000, it's been a staple around here forever..

 

[Truthbesaid]

What is your native soil type?/How do you plan to amend?
- mix between sunshine # 2, foxfarm light worrier, kelp meal, bone meal, guano, dolomite lime, mushroom compost, earthworm casting, vermiculite, Mycorrhizae, Epsom salt,
How are you feeding?
- When I need to feed I'll make teas with earth juice grow, bloom, catalyst, meta K, liquid karma, hygrozyme
How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops?
- moisture retention is great an I water out of a 5O gal res/ or 5 gal tea buckets depending on needs of the plant. I hand water everything with a 1 gallon watering can.
How far do you have to hike to your plot?
- not far..

 

[moondawg]

All of my planning is being dictated by watering. The need to water is so limiting that this year im only growing in sites that are close enough to civilization that i can get the plants watered without having to hike for 20 minutes.

I read a thread here by DS Toker about organic soils and moisture which inspired much reading about soil types and water retention. I m canning the organics and going with native soil which has considerably more clay content, and according to the experts, retains water much better than the organic soil. My soil here isnt that bad. It grows a good vegetable garden and crops are grown. I hope it requires less watering.

 

[:-(]

What is your native soil type? red clay / rocks and sand
How do you plan to amend? How are you feeding? espoma slow release organics, lime and teas
How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops? moisture retention is great, but I will haul water in as needed.
How far do you have to hike to your plot? 0.5 - 1.5 miles

Nice replies to this thread. I remember reading DS Tokers thread about native soils too, which put me in the mind-set of just amending without adding any soil or humus. After doing research on the native soil in my area, it seems I have no choice but to haul in some bags of composted top soil. I'm also considering using the pro-mix 3.8cuft bales, bc they are light weight and easy to carry. So much to consider in this pre-planning stage

 

[fortitude]

What is your native soil type? Nice rich brown/black soil to stagnant clay.
How do you plan to amend? How are you feeding? Lots of perlite, some peat, dolo lime, ocean forest, castings, high N guano, kelp. Ill go liquids for flower: high P and K, and carbos.
How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops? Ill try the water crystals if I can find a deal somewhere. I have year round creeks that I will carry 5 gal buckets and mil surp water cans.
How far do you have to hike to your plot? Not as far as in the past.

 

[angustotse]

What is your native soil type?
2-8" of topsoil, then
80% Rock
20% Red Clay

How do you plan to amend?
Holes area already dug down a couple feet wide and as deep as possible. All the "soil" has been completely removed and will be replaced with dank organic soil. The soil is compost-based, amended with castings and composted chicken manure..and all sorts of other goodies.

How are you feeding?
Most plants don't need any supplemental feeding through the year. Top dress w/ organic goodies if they need it.

How is the moisture retention and how are you planning to water your outdoor crops?
I dig my ass off during the winter and early spring to have deep holes. Last year it didn't rain for 27 days and we had temps between 85-100 for the same period. None of the plants in the ground showed any sign of stress. If the holes are deep enough you won't have to haul water.

How far do you have to hike to your plot?
They are both just over a mile from where I enter.