swamp growers
- Thread starter sherlockk
- Start date
Till Greens replies, here's my 2 cents. Mounds don't work too well in a swamp precisely because water levels vary so much. A mound one foot above the summer water level could well be flooded and disappear in the spring or even after a hard rain. Containers are the way to go, or very tall tubes if you must be stationary.
Greens
Active member
Alright, it's good to see all the interest in swamp growing.
bigbag, that' s the method I first learned about from Breederbrad. I don't know if there already is a Breederbrad "swamp tube" thread here. If so, I'm sure it's full of good info.
Collie man, I actually cut the bottom right off and jam it down a few inches into the muck. First, I break up the swampy ground with a spade shovel and then add a half cup of lime. Then, I jam the container in.
Sherlock, no, I haven't had mold issues. The main reason is because my plants are finished before the fall. GG is done end of August to early september. Along with that, our summers are quite dry. The strains I use also have some mold resistance as well.
thatguy, sounds good. You know what you are doing for this year! Yeah, I heard that about the CO2 as well.
stickynickyz, well, the key here is to use a swamp that is absolutely remote. The swamp should be well hidden and should be surrounded by thick forest. It takes about a half hour walk through the forest to get to my swamps. There are no roads or paths anywhere near it. So, yeah, I wouldn't suggest using containers in a swamp that is not far from a road. I've been using my main swamp for 5 years now without a problem.
boroboro and two heads, yeah you basically have to bring most of your soil in there unless you found a spot with some soft peat. I use COCO COIR because it is so much easier to transport in large quantities. I can fit 4 large blocks in my hiking backpack and that is enough to expand into up to 280 litres of soil (approx. 70 gallons). I've used the osmocote as well, but I found the taste better when I simply ammend the coco with organics such as worm castings and tropical bat guano. I always use earth juice catalyst and bloom as well.
hamstring, looks like you are getting ready!
Phish dude, I cut the bottoms right off and then I place them in a spot where there is about a half-inch of water on top of the muck. Because the containers sit above ground, they hold enough air to prevent rotting.
Dirtdevil, just make sure the top of the bags are 1.5 feet above the swamp water level and you'll be OK.
slowster, yeah the swamps are the key!
Thule, the biggest pitfall was that some of my plants were swamped early in the spring. It was my own fault because I did not bring enough coco coir to fill all of the containers, so I had a few under half full. During some spring flooding, some of those were fairly stunted. Other than that, it's the freaking mosquitos!
Phate, yes, you will have to experiment a little in your first year. Keep in mind that the swamps will likely rise between now and June 1st (that's about when I plant). Your best bet is to ensure that you have containers that are tall enough to take some flooding. It's got to be at least 1.5 feet tall. With the bottoms cut out, I have never had a problem with dry plants because the taproot will grow right into that swampy muck (and it has been crazy dry some summers).
Yes, two heads is right that mounds are not the way to go. Without a container (or swamp tube), the soil will wash away and the mound will shrink. With my containers, I can use them year after year!
bigbag, that' s the method I first learned about from Breederbrad. I don't know if there already is a Breederbrad "swamp tube" thread here. If so, I'm sure it's full of good info.
Collie man, I actually cut the bottom right off and jam it down a few inches into the muck. First, I break up the swampy ground with a spade shovel and then add a half cup of lime. Then, I jam the container in.
Sherlock, no, I haven't had mold issues. The main reason is because my plants are finished before the fall. GG is done end of August to early september. Along with that, our summers are quite dry. The strains I use also have some mold resistance as well.
thatguy, sounds good. You know what you are doing for this year! Yeah, I heard that about the CO2 as well.
stickynickyz, well, the key here is to use a swamp that is absolutely remote. The swamp should be well hidden and should be surrounded by thick forest. It takes about a half hour walk through the forest to get to my swamps. There are no roads or paths anywhere near it. So, yeah, I wouldn't suggest using containers in a swamp that is not far from a road. I've been using my main swamp for 5 years now without a problem.
boroboro and two heads, yeah you basically have to bring most of your soil in there unless you found a spot with some soft peat. I use COCO COIR because it is so much easier to transport in large quantities. I can fit 4 large blocks in my hiking backpack and that is enough to expand into up to 280 litres of soil (approx. 70 gallons). I've used the osmocote as well, but I found the taste better when I simply ammend the coco with organics such as worm castings and tropical bat guano. I always use earth juice catalyst and bloom as well.
hamstring, looks like you are getting ready!
Phish dude, I cut the bottoms right off and then I place them in a spot where there is about a half-inch of water on top of the muck. Because the containers sit above ground, they hold enough air to prevent rotting.
Dirtdevil, just make sure the top of the bags are 1.5 feet above the swamp water level and you'll be OK.
slowster, yeah the swamps are the key!
Thule, the biggest pitfall was that some of my plants were swamped early in the spring. It was my own fault because I did not bring enough coco coir to fill all of the containers, so I had a few under half full. During some spring flooding, some of those were fairly stunted. Other than that, it's the freaking mosquitos!
Phate, yes, you will have to experiment a little in your first year. Keep in mind that the swamps will likely rise between now and June 1st (that's about when I plant). Your best bet is to ensure that you have containers that are tall enough to take some flooding. It's got to be at least 1.5 feet tall. With the bottoms cut out, I have never had a problem with dry plants because the taproot will grow right into that swampy muck (and it has been crazy dry some summers).
Yes, two heads is right that mounds are not the way to go. Without a container (or swamp tube), the soil will wash away and the mound will shrink. With my containers, I can use them year after year!
Phish Dude
Member
thanks greens i feel 100% better about this now. is the lime you sprinkle in your holes hydrated lime or dolomitic?
im definitley going to be getting some of this for the ucoming season. sounds like it beats the hell out of hauling bales of sunshinemix through the bushGreens said:
i like the idea there hamstring. is it just eavestroughing cut and jammed into the soil in a rubbermaid so the roots dont tangle? hows transplanting out of those things?
As my name implies, swamp grows are all I ever do, and I say that with a tip of the hat to Breeder Brad , who coined the name "Swamp Tubes", and posted a how-to manual on their construction that gave me the keys to growing way more than I could ever use in the safest, most secure place ever - a rain forest tropical swamp I call The Labyrinth that is only accessible by canoe.
The idea of creating planters that seemed to "float" on water really captured my imagination. In high tide, I paddle right up to the grow. See my gallery
The idea of creating planters that seemed to "float" on water really captured my imagination. In high tide, I paddle right up to the grow. See my gallery
F
fisher
hey guys
ive been in the swamps for a few years,
lots of sun and water are good,
ive found to watch for ph swings, very low and
things like rats ,muskrats and later deer to chew on things..
i grow in garbage bins...
ive been in the swamps for a few years,
lots of sun and water are good,
ive found to watch for ph swings, very low and
things like rats ,muskrats and later deer to chew on things..
i grow in garbage bins...
buggsuperstar
Member
Hey Swamp Growers, I'm growing some GG and crosses in a swamp this year. I understand the basics that everyone is talking about but I have a few specific questions. I only have about 40 seeds and want to grow my females to the max. What is the best way to max my yeild but bring in minimal soil? I was thinking of starting them in smaller containers (1.5g) in the swamp and then only trasplanting the females once they sex to larger containers. This would cut down on my soil use but will it affect their growth? Anyone who has grown GG before how many gallons per plant should I be using to get close to the 4-8 ounce range. If I wait till they sex first and then transplant, will that change how much soil they will need for the final container? I could always use greens' SOG style but I would like to grow them out bigger. Any ideas? Good luck.
