[Julian]

Originally Posted by pakalolo420

Hmmm... I actually use the plants already growing on site as the primary means of determining the suitability of a site from a cultural perspective. After enough years of sticking plants everywhere, one inevitably begins to notice a correlation between what existing plants are growing in a spot and how well your plantings perform. Sumac, Giant Ragweed, Asiatic Blackberries, big nettles (nettles are more shade tolerant than cannabis so bear this in mind), thistles or lambsquarters ... really any fast growing, vigorous- particularly annual- plants will tell you everything you need to know about groundwater, sun, soil fertility even soil pH. If you have a dry grow season where you are, look for green spots not in the spring but during the previous growing season when green areas will tell you where there is groundwater.

Well, I mean, I go by the plots in general (as compared to being able to identify everything in the plot...), you know.....good lush well performing spots usually obvious.....and, then I usually simply confirm by seeing how a handful feels like (the thicker blackberry spot above I could probably dig a hole literally just with my hand, ya know?.....

Also, as stated, I'm a firm believer of getting them in because in a lot of places, even with less than ideal conditions...if you can get them in deep enough early..(roots, grab, penetration)....a marginal spot several feet down might be fine once they penetrate to those levels, and, of course, the deeper and faster they penetrate, the more then they will be able to carry the time between waterings (rain or otherwise....)

Especially in hilly terrain there will almost inevitably be areas, even in arid places, where there will be groundwater seeping towards the surface.

Ahhh....I know this to be true...., and that many things in passing are indicators of such spots.....(often indicated by occasional heavy growth of certain plants and weeds....)

I can't let this go without mentioning that pots will require regular watering, which means frequently hauling heavy containers, trampling a highway to your spot. This might be OK in your backyard where you feel relatively safe, but for geurilla growing it is bad practice. The idea is NOT to need to visit your spots rather than creating a situation where you constantly need to. Growing in containers is almost never a good idea for the geurilla grower. The only exception I've seen are swamp and marsh grows where the containers are set to be self watering.

I'm also firmly against container growing (pots/bags) for actually the reasons above and several others....

Containers will of course heat up fairly quickly and rather easily, or course leading to extremely high root temps and also evaporation.....more watering necessary......(Worse the conditions, the more often needed, but still wouldn't affect temp issues to any significant degree.....)

Containers will of course limit plant due to medium/mass available as a base...(yield is of course in your hole as much as other conditions such as genetics, sun, nutes, etc...without the hole those factors really are limited....ie: think 5 gallon vs. unlimited medium in ground..)

Larger plants might have tipping issues, support issues,(even with less yield), and, of course, with all of the above if doing any volume, you are actually creating more work for yourself down the line multiplied by however many you are running....

None of the above also even address any kind of visual aspects involved.......makes it more obvious in many cases as compared to in the ground and blended the best that you can.....

In ground, if they're in well.......they can handle many conditions containers can't........for greater durations than containers can......and, of course, containers raise the profile by whatever height it is....(1ft-2ft higher, etc...)

In ground way to go unless in specific circumstances....

[pumpkin2006]

Thing is, the area, this year is very "boggy" and the ground water stays very wet all summer, they would just drown if planted in that area. Area dictates plan of attack. The fact that they are in the middle of a blackberry patch, negates any visual cues to the grow bags. The possibilities of someone going here are extremely remote, if they did, the grow bags have a lot of brush around them and the plants are scattered; no actual pattern to it. The only problem is the garbage cans; mind you they are covered by brush as well, but still could be found... if they were really looking; all of the irrigation lines are buried.

Another spot is on a hillside with a year round stream going down it... so no need to visit them; haven't been there since April. Just hope nobody rips them, but doubt it.

I see this thread is the meeting place for the big chatters.

good luck

NG

[pumpkin2006]

Originally Posted by New Grower

I see this thread is the meeting place for the big chatters.

good luck

NG

You too, wanna chat? I don't think you have to be big, to chat. Any of these "techniques" can be applied to a person that grows one plant a year outdoors.

Thanks Bro'

Yes I wanna but I can't cause I travel to fishing for the weekend :-> later meet ya here

..the best technique is using peat substrate. 250 l (around 50 kg) mix it with water and you shouldn't water your plants just fert them if ya want but not necessary!

I still don't water my plants since I planted them in the ground.

This substrate contains 5% grind clay and makes wonder! opposite to soil growin'

I highly recommend it! Pix when I arrive from the trip!

peace

NG

[Pimpslapped]

Originally Posted by New Grower

I see this thread is the meeting place for the big chatters.

good luck

NG

Good to see you here. Pull up a chair, grab a spliff and lets talk.

I'll claim to be a 'Big Chatter', but on grow scale/experience I'm at the bottom of the barrel. My MASSIVE indoor 150w grow has thus far produced 2 finished plants and working on the last bit of the 3rd (Later start, 12/12 from seed, nice little baby girl). No outdoor experience. I can talk big though, or at least at great length about random things.

I find it fascinating to look into the massive grow idea. Seems to be much like anything else in life.. a lot of problems aren't realized until you look VERY close... but you scale up and those little problems become big ones. I'm trying to take all the information I can milk out of the big brains here and use it to my advantage. Seems like it's much easier to scale things DOWN in the planning stages than up, at least for someone lacking in experience.

Don't mind me, I tend to ramble on.

Looking forward to seeing those pics and learning what you have to teach.

Question for you regarding the peat substrate, you say mix it with water. Do you normaly do that on site at the grow location or prior to hauling it out? Also, peat substrate sounds like something other than 'Peat/sphagnum moss', is that right? I've not seen anything labeled as 'Peat Substrate' in any of the garden shops I peruse, but it could be a more specialized item that I'm not familiar with.

[Pimpslapped]

Damn man, you post up these long deals in 5 mins? I could do that probably, but I tend to try and think things through a little before typing and since I'm usually playing with the bong while reading the forums here, I have to go back and reread things or remember where I left off. Ahh well, I can't quite keep up with your pace, but at least I can compete on sheer volume of text spewed out into the digital ether.

Originally Posted by Julian

Well, and, maybe it's not that they are dense....maybe it's just we are not explaining it in the correct way

Very true. But it still FEELS like they're dense, until I find the way around to being able to make myself clearly understood. The ones I really think are dense are the ones who seem to make no real effort to bridge the gap themselves. Why should I have to do ALL the work of finding that middle ground of communication? Damnit, I'm lazy. I don't wanna have to do all the thinking.

Okay, maybe I'm not really, but it can be extremely frustrating.

Originally Posted by Julian

Well, I prefer in such a medium (informal, casual) to basically deliver as I would speak...which would include my amusement, pauses, etc. To me, it seems most effective...

It is very effective. Plus it's the way you are comfortable 'speaking' (I'll use speaking to refer to typing here, simpler). Similar to 'stream of consciousness' in a way. When someone is relaxed and talking about something they enjoy passionately, it helps a lot with generating interest and enthusiasm all around. Interest=focus=comprehension in a lot of cases, at least for me I find it so. I have a hard time making myself do reasearch, slogging through pages and pages hunting for those little tidbits, it's just not my forte.

Originally Posted by Julian

Lot of people view things in different ways (and approach)...To me?.....we are right now essentially having a drink chatting (and, I truly view this site and conversations as such....it's a bar...."we're just talkin"

(annnnndd, occasionally...someone whose had too much to drink will wander by, interrupt, maybe a brief scuffle and, eventually leave and the conversation continues )....

I'm really not much of a bar person and I don't drink (Too many alcoholics in life/family, don't trust myself to control a hereditary addiction.. and smoking suits my needs/desires anyway). I've got more of a mental picture of sitting on a patio, some drinks set out on the BIG table (Gotta have room for everyone).. maybe fire up the grill and make some snacks. Pass some J's around, sample everyone's best... and enjoy the view while talking.

Pass me some smoke and I'll take a round, otherwise... I'll take a tea.

Originally Posted by Julian

The most important being those less experienced, whom, of course, are really the ones who draw the most.....I think more should take the above into consideration when they pen info....They attempt to share info, but, in doing so, they are completely overlooking exactly who they are doing it for

Well, I think one aspect of the problem is that many people aren't penning info for the uneducated/inexperienced. They may assume that since they're talking to their 'peers' that detailed explanations are not necessary and are a waste of time. Or they're just answering a specific question, giving only that one piece of info and nothing more of use. Maybe it's in part because I realize how little I truly know when it comes to growing, but I'm keenly aware of my ignorance. One of the main reasons I am here is to learn. If I can help others out along the way, especially those in the silently lurking throngs, then that makes me happy.

I would say that we are trying to maintain a community, that implies give and take. But like any society, there will be those that contribute more than others. I only hope that my contributions are useful even one person. (Mind you, I should work on separating things in my posts more, so that skimmers have an easier time finding key points. Something to keep in mind..

Originally Posted by Julian

People should remember you truly can't say anything....

That's what I hate. It's so hard at times to keep my mouth shut. Any mention of anything grow related is a breach of security... I just wish that it wasn't necessary. I know that I'm a small fish in a big ocean... but the hooks are out there, the lures.. traps. I'm not paranoid, because they ARE out to get me. They're out to get all of us, have been for too many years.

The worst part is it's not just the LEO you have to fear. I'm less intimidated by them than I am by the other players in The Game. Especially as I watch the levels of violence around me escalate. I remember when getting into a fight at a bar would maybe put you in jail for the night, get you beat up.. whatever. These days, it's as likely to get you shot as it is to get you arrested. Is it just me, or do kids these days have no respect for life or other people? The guns aren't the problem, it's the fuckheads carrying them.

Originally Posted by Julian

I think would be more interesting and content rich if people also left petty things at the door and enjoyed the discussions.....

AMEN!

I honestly can't think of one valid reason to bring petty BS in. We're all here for the same or similar reasons. We share a common ground in our love of Growing and/or smoking, you would think that would be enough to keep things civil, but it's not.

Originally Posted by Julian

Many seem to be either deathly afraid to face who they actually are, or maybe it's taking admitting their shortcomings as anything more than that....

We all have them....no ones perfect, never will be....You are who you are and nothing more.....

Couldn't have put it better myself. We strive to improve ourselves, but I do not believe that anyone living can truly attain perfection. I'm just trying to be the best 'Me' that I can.

Originally Posted by Julian

I have a little lecture I have developed, which I call "The 4 senses of self". Anyone wants to hear it, let me know.....(it's all mine)...I think it's fairly interesting, and, world would be a different place if more understood it.....

I, for one, would be interested in hearing it. If you don't wanna drop it in the thread (due to length, or nobody else is interested) feel free to toss off a PM anytime.

Giving it a little thought, I think one contributing factor is the speed/size of our society and the speed with which we communicate, the 'global village' per se. I could be wrong, but... the world is a BIG place. The ease with which we can talk to those across the globe, the sheer glut of information pouring out of TVs, Internet, etc... I think it's damaging the smaller 'communities'. People are not as tight knit, they don't develop the same sorts of interpersonal relationships with those in their immediate area, which creates a feeling of distance.. making things more impersonal, less relevant. At least, that's my current working theory. It's still under development and subject to change at a moments notice.

Originally Posted by Julian

Instincts are usually always correct....lot of people tend to second guess that which they already know to be true......

You're right there. I know I do it all the time, probably will my whole life. Just part of being human, eh? I tend to overanalyze, overthink and underobserve when dealing with people. It's a handicap, but at least it's one that I'm aware of and so can compensate for to a degree.

Originally Posted by Julian

Split problems have always got me rabid......

You want more??? No problem, we'll just make more!

Simple as that.....

Yep. Very true. It's sad how two mature adults can't keep that in mind, yet it happens every day. I have a hard time understanding why it's such a difficult concept to grasp.

Originally Posted by Julian

The other problem as mentioned before in other thread is people tend to start the "Well, what does it matter to you, it's all free to you anyway"....

Yeah, I can easily see where that comes in. Nevermind the time and effort put into growing, or the risks involved. I guess ignorance is bliss....

There's no reason to NOT be generous, within reason. Always have to look out for those that will try to take advantage of generosity. It only makes sense to ensure that everyone down the chain is happy and gets good value.

Hell, that's true in any partnership/relationship, really. Any business, any interractions with people. No reason in most cases that we can't coexist in an amicable manner, except for those in the minds of the problem folks.

Originally Posted by Julian

You start growing outdoors and you'll be more well versed on the weather (yesterday, current, tomorrow) than most weathermen Trust me

I have no doubt about that, but since the weather is something that I rarely paid attention to in the past I'm curious to see what sort of weather patterns pass through here historically. That should give me a bit more of an idea what sort of prep work will be needed when I move outdoors. I'll keep poking around, I'm sure I'll come across it somewhere. My best bet will probably be asking around locally, need to get around to doing that.

C'est la vie say the old folks.

Okay, now that I've covered most of the responses here...

This one's for everyone, the more the merrier.
Little things: I'm curious, what are the little things that you forget/forgot to take with you to the grow and wished you had? None of us are perfect, no plan is completely flawless... Especially early on when experience is lacking.

If you're feeling ambitious, break it down into 'Scouting', 'prep', 'maintenance' and 'harvest'. Anythings fair game, from a dry pair of socks to a 6kw generator.

Good luck and green thumbs to all

[GorillaGrower]

hey jules.. how would you classify the sites posted?? suburban or country?? or am I all thrown off and its city? just trying to get an idea of site, spacing timing.. ie are those minis or are those midds ?? I figured I would notice if it was the auger ones... no?

[InjectTruth]

Here's a HUGE question Im glad I remembered about your city spots and such, as I visited my lot last night. How do you deal with street lights and ambient lighting from businesses? I saw a plant in HT that was flowering on one side but not the other.

The last thing I want to do is plant where they won't flower.

[Julian]

Originally Posted by pumpkin2006

You too, wanna chat? I don't think you have to be big, to chat. Any of these "techniques" can be applied to a person that grows one plant a year outdoors.

Well, and, I've said it before many times......(in both threads)....

People don't just run out all of a sudden and run a larger indoor or outdoor....

The "smaller" grower today is the larger of tomorrow.....that's how it is......that's how it's always been.....

80%+ of all larger are probably people who have been growing for 5-10-20 years, and, gradually grew (no pun intended ) as they proceeded......

I have no doubt there are people running 2-4k's that will be running tomorrow's 10-20-40's, and, the people running 10-20-50 outside are the ones who tomorrow will be running 2000-5000+, etc....

Gradual progression, so....

And, let's be realistic.........If one bigger guy gets an idea out of everything that makes him more safe, efficient, etc......or......if even one smaller draws something out of it that enables the same......it was all worth the time....

From comments, PM's, etc, I know this already to be the case from both threads, so.....Glad I could help, and, I've formulated some fairly beneficial things myself...(ie: Now completely sold on the AF and planning future runs for example......) I try to draw something out of everything,.....