[JJScorpio]

Looking around this forum, I see a lot of new people that will be sharing their grows with us this year. I welcome all of you, and look forward to your grows. There are many people that are here to help you, so all you have to do is ask.

There are a few things that I have learned to follow over the years, and I would like to share them with you. If anyone has anything to add, please do so.

1. Be respectful of the land. The land that you are growing on should not be damaged by growers. Never destroy vegetation that you do not have to. Take the time to climb a tree to trim the branches. Do not drop the tree because it is easier for you. Even a small tree has taken 30 years to grow. It's not our rights to destroy them. There is also no need to cut down bushes because it may be easier to get to your plot. That could be home to an animal, birds or insects.

2. Pick up your garbage. It may be as little as a fertilizer bag or a plastic water jug. Make sure you take out anything you bring in. Also don't be afraid to pick up something that is not yours. Karma will thank you for the time you have taken.

3. Never maim or kill an animal. This is their homes that we are going into. Most animals are curious of what you are doing, and if they do hurt your plants, it is not on purpose. A deer may chew one up or step on one accidentally or a skunk/coon/fox will always be curious of fresh, bare soil and may dig in it. This does not give you the right to kill them. Normally if you do not add things to the soil to make an animal dig, and you cage your plants when they are young, you will lose very few. Use these animals to your advantage. A group of birds that all of a sudden lift off, or a deer bolting tells you someone or something is around. Heed the warning. The same applies to a grazing deer or a fox hunting rodents. This tells you no one is around and you are safe.

4. Never booby trap your grow. If a human gets a fishhook stuck into them or broken bones, Leo will be around to investigate. On top of that, every outdoor grower will be labeled as a violent, money hungry thug. The good things that you do will always go unnoticed, but the bad things that you do will always be magnified by the press and the next person busted for growing will be treated as an example. We do not have the right to hurt people. There will always be thieves, and Karma will get them in its own time.

5. Leave the quality of the ground you use equal to or better than you found it. At the end of the season, remove your old roots, turn it over and add some dried manure, peat or a handful of fertilizer. This will not only bring back up nutrition levels for future growth, but if you decide to use it next year, you have a good start preparing the soil. Always remove your screens and pull up all stakes you use. An animal can be injured by either of these and it tips people off to someone growing.

I hope people will at the least follow some of what I have said. I am not preaching nor pretending to be perfect. Its just something I was taught and wanted to pass along. I can also tell you that it doesn't hurt to have Karma on your side, and by doing this, mother nature will shine on you......

[kush07]

I completely agree with you JJ.

One thing I would like to add is to not grow on another person's property. At times this is unavoidable cause there is no visible line to say that this is their land but we should to try and avoid this.

Show love to the land and the land will show you love.

Happy Toking

[DirtDevil]

One time I was digging my holes and accidently chopped through a rabbit sized toad.. opps...

good post jj, i couldnt agree with you more. "leave nothing but footprints..." restore the land to the previous conditions.

[bongasaurus]

Originally Posted by DirtDevil

One time I was digging my holes and accidently chopped through a rabbit sized toad.. opps...

hahaha. that made me laugh. mustve been a hell of a toad. did you at least use it for fertilized at the bottom of the hole? ive heard good things about fish. other than the animal attracting factor

but yeah JJ your right man. good to get the info out there. a new sticky perhaps...?

i wouldnt worry too much about pulling my stake though. i mean, theres a lot of branches in a forrest which are very similar to the stake i use. in fact thats usually what i use. but make sure to get rid of any chicken wire or fencing. especially fishing line. that shit can be a disater if left out for the animals

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Great thread JJScorpio!

Originally Posted by JJScorpio

5. Leave the quality of the ground you use equal to or better than you found it. At the end of the season, remove your old roots, turn it over and add some dried manure, peat or a handful of fertilizer. This will not only bring back up nutrition levels for future growth, but if you decide to use it next year, you have a good start preparing the soil.

Being a wilderness hiker myself, I would also point out that in many wild locations the soil is naturally poor(like in deserts, many mountain locations), introducing any more fertiliser than you absolutly need could actually be very bad for the local eco-system. Excessive fertilisers could upset the local balance.
Hell, in some areas they encourage you to pack your feces(shit) back out of the wilderness with you.

Another problem in many wild areas is the spread of non-native noxious weeds(not the good kind ). Seeds of unwanted weeds can be introduced into wilderness enviroments easily by growers using soils, composts, and manures that contain noxious weeds, made in the city/low lands.
These unwanted weeds can quickly spread and upset the local eco-system balance.

Leave the wilderness as much like you found it as possible.

[pipeline]

Great points guys! Good idea!

Another important point......

Do not dam up a creek and dump in fertilizer for use in fertigation....... terrible....

Booby traps are not the answer..... they will raise more attention and could possibly injure someone....

[Dkgrower]

Good points JJ, it is very important subject fore us guerilla growers, we are living of the big mother so we sould be mild and thoughtfull.

BAckcountry, you are so right, another thing is pH level that also govens what types of plants that will grow there.

I always make one plant spots and when i dig the hole i make a 30cm raidus round hold and work into the sides of the hole, making the volume of the hole bigger.

I realy like this way of digging one´s hole, the reason is alot of the exsisting plant´s growing there are not destroyed and there is a minimum of bare soil around the stem it looks more natural and keep evaporation down. Also if one drops that spot is goes quick before nature have erased one doings

Also making on site composting Is a good thing insted of bringing in soil, there are a wealth of organic material to get in hold of.

[quadracer]

Very good post JJScorpio. The only thing I would add is make sure you sex your plants and pull the males. The wind can easily carry pollen for miles and miles, ruining someone else's crop by sexing up their females.

I'm reminded of an old boy scout motto, "always leave the place cleaner than when you found it." That and "grow organic."

[GentlemanFarmer]

.... so many new growers have yet to learn/be told the ethics that suround our hobby. I would like to add that ALL that the woods have created, MUST stay in the woods... this mean not pulling up saplings that would be of great bonsia use, skulls or other "cool" artifacts and remains that all will surely find. Remeber with remains and bones, The animal, if natural non preditor death pertook it. chose that spot to lay and surcome to death. be respectful of the cycle of life. the woods will respect you as you respect them.... grow for all the right reasons. GF