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plants per spot

tommy1984

Member
Just wondering how many plants you guys feel safe putting per spot on order to keep them hidden from the eye in the sky? I normally do 4-5 per spot then the next spot will be about half a mile a way.. How do you guys feel safe doing it?
 
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GoodyTwoShoes

If you are doing it for personal then you will need enough in each spot so that if all of them but one get ripped then you will still have enough pot from that one spot to last the whole year.
And depends how much chopper activity you have in your area; some well known growing areas have active chopper searches every year; and some they don't go there to actively search, but they might fly by occasionally en route to somewhere else.
If they are actively lookiing then they might find even five plants; but if they are jast passing by overhead they are probably not actively scanning the forest for plants, and in that case it would take a biggish grow to jump out of them.
Also depends if they are hidden in among the natural vegetation; I have come across some grows that are out in the middle of a clearing with no vegetation around them; these would stand out way more than if they are blended in with the natural vegetation.
I would go ten plants per spot minimum; If yu are going to hike a fair distance to get to your plants then might as well make the hike worthwhile.
 

tommy1984

Member
well in my situation I grow just off my proberty line, I own about 60 acres and ill take my atv to with in a couple hundred yards of the plots then hike the water in from there, then go to the other side of the property where I do the same thing always making sure that the plants arnt on MY property but old coal mine land. My issue with going 10 plants is that if there seen from the air and the dea agents repeal down, they will be able to track the foot traffic back to my atv trail witch will lead to my house.. Now I know we should never use the same trail enough to leave tracks but here in the mountains its so steep that there is normally only 1 path that is usable.. How often is it that they would expend time and resources on a 10 plant grow if it was spotted?
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
In my experience plots being found is happenstance.

I dont live in a med state and its not a heavily used guerrilla state. So I can see putting 20 - 30 plants in a football field size area. It would consist of 3-4 smaller plots of 8-10 plants each. That wouldn't be my only plot though.

What I would be afraid of in your position is the fact its your land and you have ATV tracks in the area. If the plants are found, especially in the fall, your tracks to and from your ATV trail will be much more visible. I am no way saying your method is flawed but be very careful.
 

tommy1984

Member
In my experience plots being found is happenstance.

I dont live in a med state and its not a heavily used guerrilla state. So I can see putting 20 - 30 plants in a football field size area. It would consist of 3-4 smaller plots of 8-10 plants each. That wouldn't be my only plot though.

What I would be afraid of in your position is the fact its your land and you have ATV tracks in the area. If the plants are found, especially in the fall, your tracks to and from your ATV trail will be much more visible. I am no way saying your method is flawed but be very careful.

I agree with you man.. Thats why ive been keeping my plot size down to like 4 plants, that way its not so easy to see from the air.. I would love to be able to go 10 plants per spot, I have an uncle that starts off with 20 and my the time he culls the males and loses a few to not caring for them right, he ends up with 5 or 6 at harvest time per spot.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
I agree with you man.. Thats why ive been keeping my plot size down to like 4 plants, that way its not so easy to see from the air.. I would love to be able to go 10 plants per spot, I have an uncle that starts off with 20 and my the time he culls the males and loses a few to not caring for them right, he ends up with 5 or 6 at harvest time per spot.

Your Uncle is a wise man and not much more to be said . Many guerrillas don't realize that 10 gets you 4 in a true guerrilla, let me rephrase that, in minimalist style grow .

If you start off with 10 plants (non-fem) you end up with 6 females(if your lucky). Out of that 6 maybe 5 make it 1 is a runt so you end up with 4 plants with true yield. Many times its less.

This is true in all plant and animal species. Most young plants and animals don't make it that's why MJ and most other plants that propagate by seed produce so many seeds.

We are helping their odds by caring for them but you cant beat mother nature she wants her cut. Sorry a little off topic.:tiphat:


Back on topic: I guess you have to analyze it a bit. Does it take more work and leave a bigger trail for rippers or LEO to find your plants if you grow 10 vs 5 at a plot. I cant say for sure but I really don't think so.

Most people don't take the time to figure that out.

In my mind the biggest trail is formed carrying water. It weighs 8lbs/gallon. so even 5 gallons is a 40lbs every carry.

Think about the amount of soil compaction you are making. Why do you think farmers have spent millions actually I'm sure its billions coming up with these tractors with the rubber tank tracks. Less soil compaction. Every time you carry water your trail is increasing 10 fold (not a scientific statement) in my opinion.

How many times do you carry water per season? Would you have more times or just larger amounts and the same amount of carries?

Once I stopped carrying water my soil compaction i.e. trails went way down. Just some food for thought.
 

tommy1984

Member
Hey Hamstring, depending on the weather I carry water an average of 3 days a week, about 3 gallon per plant and I like to visit them 5 days a week to make sure no branches need tied up and nothing else major is wrong.. My trails are probably larger than most but no more than a heavy used deer trail.. What really bothers me is the disability from the air increases with more plants.
 
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GoodyTwoShoes

Well obviously you shouldn't plant out male plants; they could be all females for the same amount of work, and you will be carting water all summer to the male plants only to have to pull them up in autumn and throw them away.
If you can start them off indoors, in beer cups with a 400W MH will do fine. Sex them and then give them 24 hours of light a day for a week to send them back into veg and then plant them out.
This also means they are are big enough to survive insect and bird and rodent attacks when you plant them out; a one inch high sprout can be easily eaten by critters, where a one foot or so plant can be attacked and still survive.
If you can't start them indoors under a light and then sex them indoors, then start them in your backyard or on your porch or somewhere, if you start them early enough in spring then they will get a few pre-flowers but remain in veg. This will allow you to find the males.
 
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GoodyTwoShoes

I wouldn't worry too much about choppers; unless you are in an area where there are a lot of communes and alternative lifestylers, or in an area with a history of big outdoor grows, I think you will find that you never see a chopper.
Your biggest problem is if you leave a trail to your grow; hikers and other people, including rippers, will follow a trail if they come across one, partly out of curiosity to see where it leads and partly because most people take the route of least resistance.
Going to your spot 5 times a week is way too much. Once a week at the most, preferably once every two weeks.
Say you have a seven month growing period, then going there 5 times a week will mean you visit your spot 140 times during the season. You will have a well worn highway to your grow by the end of the season!
What about a couple of 200 litre plastic barrels next to your grow, camaflauged of course; if you put them out at the start of winter they will be full of rainwater by planting time. Thats 400 litres of water you don't have to cart right there.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Thats not everyones eqperience though :ying:

I got nothing but respect for you guerrilla but I feel these type of statements are misleading.

These are such open ended statements that they hold no value unless you give specific details. In my post I made sure let others who come here to learn exactly why I called out those survival rates.

"Your Uncle is a wise man and not much more to be said . Many guerrillas don't realize that 10 gets you 4 in a true guerrilla, let me rephrase that, in minimalist style grow" .

I absolutely believe they can be different using a different method. Just give the peeps more info on how you grow and your environment.
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Exactly, Tho I may not be as guerrilla as some of you. I planted 5 female plants last year and there were still 5 plants the day they got ripped...

Ok, you brought out some interesting details here. Number one you either have a indoor show or you are using fem seeds.

I like fem seeds but in my experience if they are stressed, which can happen very easily outdoors, they can hermie. Dont get me wrong I still use them but not exclusively. I like to plan for worst and hope for the best.

Second you got ripped. So I have I at least 3 times in my career. Each time I try and change something I do to help my odds next time. I'm sure that's why you are here.

I don't know your environment but unless it was super dry no way in hell I am visiting my plants 5 times a week. WHY????

Dude they were meant to handle the outdoors. You shouldn't have to visit more than 1 once a week once every two weeks is fine.

UNLESS they are they in containers??? If they are consider putting them in the ground. Better security and less water needed, a whole lot less.

In my mind your trails are a problem for the rippers. I cant see it any other way. I know you can't help it if you live in a arid environment so I'm not knocking you just providing advice.

If you are planting directly in the ground whats your soil like?? It would be a hell of a lot easier and better security to put some water crystals in each hole than carry water that much.

You also said you like to tie up branches during visits. Not needed unless they are in flower its just the truth.

Is it better to loose a branch than get ripped because of trails? Its a decision you have to consider and make.

Hey brother I promise I not here poking holes in your gig for fun I'm just providing my experiences. I have had more failures than you have probably grown. Dude i learned the hard way before the internet existed.

I was so happy to find the net and have someone throw curve balls at me. Just stay over the plate and keep fixing your swing.
 

Ajunta Pall

Member
If you can start them off indoors, in beer cups with a 400W MH will do fine. Sex them and then give them 24 hours of light a day for a week to send them back into veg and then plant them out.

Absolutely do NOT do this! The stress from this will cause your plants to hermie. Wait until you can take some clones, then flower the clones. This will allow you to sex your plants with the least amount of stress, if you can't wait for preflowering.

Even if your plants don't hermie, their internal clocks will be all screwed up and will not grow properly for several weeks. I would stick with buying fem beans and avoid sexing all together.

Watering an issue use water crystals. Conserve moisture by using mulch. Can always cover mulch with surrounding veg. You could always put stuff out a little later, reducing the time spent carrying water and and the amount you have to lug around. Smaller plants= less water.

Tommy, stop bugging your plants so much, they know what they are doing. Do You?
 

hamstring

Well-known member
Veteran
Absolutely do NOT do this! The stress from this will cause your plants to hermie. Wait until you can take some clones, then flower the clones. This will allow you to sex your plants with the least amount of stress, if you can't wait for preflowering.

Even if your plants don't hermie, their internal clocks will be all screwed up and will not grow properly for several weeks. I would stick with buying fem beans and avoid sexing all together.

Watering an issue use water crystals. Conserve moisture by using mulch. Can always cover mulch with surrounding veg.
You could always put stuff out a little later, reducing the time spent carrying water and and the amount you have to lug around. Smaller plants= less water.

Awesome point. Please consider what Ajunta Pall said.

So many reasons to plant later and maybe with more smaller plants so you get same yield.

Smaller plants = better security too from rippers and LEO from the air.
Smaller plants = less worry about branches braking.

Starting later eQuals warmer weather and Quicker start when the plants are transplanted. May not apply if you already live in a warm climate.

Thanks for the knowledge Ajunta Pall!
 
G

GoodyTwoShoes

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoodyTwoShoes View Post
If you can start them off indoors, in beer cups with a 400W MH will do fine. Sex them and then give them 24 hours of light a day for a week to send them back into veg and then plant them out.

Absolutely do NOT do this! The stress from this will cause your plants to hermie.


ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT! I have been doing this for twenty years, literally hundreds of plants, maybe even one thousand plants.
Not one hermie!
A scientist would say your case is disproven.
Hermies are caused by bad breeding, and yet I read on here time and again, oh, hermies are caused by light leaks, the full moon, stressing the plant, too much fertilizer, re-veging etc. And yet no-one wants to blame the breeder!
It's like when someone gets a packet of seeds and they don't germinate, there is always heaps of people who jump aboard and are quick to say the poster doesn't know how to germinate the seeds, and yet they don't blame the breeder for selling old or immature seeds. Oh no, it must be the person who has germinated hundreds of seed previously with success, it must be their fault.
 
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