geurilla grow help

Hi there, so i am new to this as i have only ever grown a couple backyard plants. I have done extensive research but i still have many questions. Sorry for the amount of questions but if someone can answer them i would be very stoked. First of all i have found a spot, but of course it is secluded, so hauling in soil would be a bigtime pain.

1. Can i just dig holes and rough up the native soil and add 101010 plant food?
2. Could i dig up the native soil and put it in 5 gallon grow bags? if i did would i have to water way more than if i put them in the ground?
3. I wont be able to water much but im told if i use water chrystals and plant in the ground things should be okay.
4. I have to fit 22 plants in my spot, so would a 1 foot hole be adequate per plant?
5. Do the roots of the plants eventually take to the harder ground beside your hole that you didnt dig? example being if you dug a 1 foot by 1 foot hole would the roots expand past the hole size?
6. Here are pics of the spot and the soil. tell me what you think of the native soil...


thanks so much for the advice guys

http://s1033.photobucket.com/user/chrisc54/media/IMG_20151224_084116043.jpg.html


since the pictures dont seem to be working check my photobucket. thanks

here are 2 more

vancouver1234 said:

Hi there, so i am new to this as i have only ever grown a couple backyard plants. I have done extensive research but i still have many questions. Sorry for the amount of questions but if someone can answer them i would be very stoked. First of all i have found a spot, but of course it is secluded, so hauling in soil would be a bigtime pain.

Click to expand...

1. Can i just dig holes and rough up the native soil and add 101010 plant food
Yes, but it won't be as effective as going the extra step to do it right. You might have great soil or tough/weak soil at your spot. You should check out the thread on amending your soil. Easier to bring in 20 pounds of amendments than hundreds of pounds of soil.

If you don't want to research which amendments to use, just mix in 1/3 perlite or dried rice hulls to lighten up the soil. If you can't water and your holes don't reach the water table, mixing in crystals is fine. It can affect the taste, but I've never experienced that. Don't get overzealous with them, as too many will strain your roots when they expand.

2. Could i dig up the native soil and put it in 5 gallon grow bags? if i did would i have to water way more than if i put them in the ground?
'Yes, but unless trying to get above the water table or hide them better, I don't see why. Yes, you'd have to water more most likely.
3. I wont be able to water much but im told if i use water chrystals and plant in the ground things should be okay.
Depends what your climate is like. Polymer crystals will help hold over the plant for a couple extra weeks, but if you're in a very dry area, you'll still need to water sometimes, depending on the spot.
4. I have to fit 22 plants in my spot, so would a 1 foot hole be adequate per plant?
Why jam 22 into one spot? Hope you mean an area, and not so much a compact spot. Split into at least 3 spots if you ant to harvest something. 1 for the wildlife and mother nature, 1 for the cops/rippers, and 1 for you.]

I'd personally split into plots of 2-4 plants spread out over a few acres. Even better, put half the plants in a completely different zone.

1 cubic foot per plant, especially in non-amended soil or heavy soil, usually won't put out more than a few oz. Try about 4 cubic feet per plant. Top with some natural mulch for additional water retention and plant growth.


5. Do the roots of the plants eventually take to the harder ground beside your hole that you didnt dig? example being if you dug a 1 foot by 1 foot hole would the roots expand past the hole size?
They'll push a little or a lot into it depending on how compact the soil is. Don't depend on it too much.

You have been a huge help, thanks !!! splitting it up sounds good, and I will be using garden plastic fence to.protect from deer. I think I'll use the 101010 food and then amend the soil with the perlite like you said. Also how do I know how much 101010 food to use per hole/plant roughly?? Thanks so much

Also should I just mix the perlite into the native soil? How much per hole roughly? Thanks a ton for taking time.to answer these questions

FirstTracks did an excellent job of answering your questions so I don't have much to add.
If you use perlite bury it deep because it will wash to the top and is easily seen from the air. Or use vermiculite instead, close to the same thing but blends in better.
Follow the instructions on the 10-10-10 for shrubs and small trees and you should be fine.
You should check your soil with a cheap soil kit and it will tell you if or what you should add to the soil.
Check out the native vegetation around your spot. It can tell you a lot. If the plants are lush,deep green you can probably get away without any extra watering. Certain native plants prefer certain soil conditions like acidic or a more neutral PH. Some plants and trees grow in moist or wet soil while others will grow in less than ideal conditions. Do a little research on the native plants in your area they really can tell you everything you need to know about the spots you pick.
And above all pick the right strains for your area and latitude.
check out my thread below, I try and take a minimalist approach and you can also see what happens when the wrong strains are picked.
Best of luck and remember it doesn't have to be to complicated.
Peace GG

P.S. If there is a Natural clearing in nature there is usually a reason for that. I would rather hack and slash through thick native vegetation to clear an spot than plant in an area that mother nature doesn't want to grow in.

I would guess that forest is very fungal dominated ( judging by the trees and autum leaves covering the ground) and will mainly support trees due to there diet of ammonium. Anuals prefer there nitrogen in nitrate form ( just an oxidized version of ammonium). Like first tracks said you will have to do you research on amending the soil but it could take a long time to achieve a full plot out there bacterial dominated when you constantly have dead fall and autum leaves both full of carbon reversing your goal. I would consider bringing in soil but who knows why not try the native soil with first tracks mix, top dress earthworm castings.

Better to try small "test" plot first...learn from successes and failures than whole hog and loose it all because of mistakes made....or due to environment.

In ground is better than containers for almost all situations guerrilla. Hopefully you live in an area where plants grow well. Look for stinging nettles and thistles that get to 5ft or larger during the summer, if there is little weed growth or short grasses, odds are your soil isnt great. 1cf holes would be good for autos, like stated above, 4cf is a good idea for photos in northern areas, if you live farther south, larger might be even better. Id try to split plants up, no more than 5 fem photo plants / spot, better if you can spread them apart a little, 10 to 15 yards or so between plants make them a lot harder to spot than if they are all grouped in one bunch. If the soil is decent you should be fine to amend it with some espoma or similar and throw some crystals in. Id use about 2 tbsp crystals / plant and prefer peat or a good potting mix like pro-mix BX to adding perlite or vermiculite. Ive had good luck with 1 cup espoma, 1 gallon of manure/compost/ewc (rabbit is my fav) and 2 tbsp crystals and 2-3 gallons of peat or pro-mix per well dug hole. If you can, take a 20 gallon tote along, fill the tote with native soil, dump half the native soil out and mix your amendments with the remaining soil in the tote. dump that in the hole and then refill the hole with the remainder of native soil, then dig the hole a bit to mix it up, you probably wont need to add a lot of native soil cuz it will fluff quite a bit from its original state but I try to add some right were the plant/seed is placed to protect it from too much nutes early in its life, let it grow into the stronger stuff as it matures.

You didn't ask, but since epsoma was mentioned....
I'd leave the dug/mixed/amended holes for a good month before planting if using organics of any sort, 1-2 weeks if using synthetics. Animals will check out/dig up fresh holes either way, but if it smells like there are dead fish and whatever else in there, they'll be all over it longer.

Careful on the plastic fence shininess. sometimes blacked out chicken wire can be less visible. I'd encourage rusting off the stainless coating with muriatic acid or a fire, but make sure you have some heavy gloves to work with it if you go that route.

If dumping out soil, and not into the hole, be careful where you put it. dried out soil is very visible against a lush green background. On that note, if you have just alittle extra cash, get a 5kg pack of high Nitrogen pelletized ferts and scatter all around your grow area, away from the plants, in order to reduce how much your fertilized plants stand out in the fall.

aridbud said:

Better to try small "test" plot first...learn from successes and failures than whole hog and loose it all because of mistakes made....or due to environment.

Click to expand...

isn't 22 plants a test plot?