Growing Marijuana Outdoors
Tom, an American, is one of the most successful growers I have ever interviewed. His methods are extremely simple and easy. He is a smart, lazy man who pays attention to Mother Nature. Tom’s complete and simple understanding of plant growth makes him a very successful guerilla grower. These simple concepts are key to assimilating guerilla growing.
Wild marijuana plants are vigorous, aggressive, competitive weeds. Some varieties have a large root system which helps them survive moisture stress and poor soil. Plants spaced at least 10 feet apart will grow to a height of 3 - 5 feet in dry climates. Cannabis is a survivor. Given control of a growing area of 4 to 12 square feet, in poor soil, mature plants will grow to about 5 feet tall with a strong terminal main bud or cola. The yield is relatively heavy considering the amount of cultivation work. Add a little more effort during soil preparation and planting to grow several times more dope. Loosen the soil, amend it a little and throw in a handful of polymers*.
Cover the soil around the plant with a thick layer of
natural mulch to attract condensed water and to keep soil moisture from
evaporating. Just these simple measures may double the yield. *polymer
crystals are small crystals that expand to about 15 times their size when
moistened by water. They are added to soil to prolong time between watering.
Reasonable soil will grow a plant that is 7 – 8 feet tall with roots that
spread 5 feet across and 6 feet deep. This plant will yield 2 – 10 times
more marijuana than if planted in poor soil.
Polymer crystals hold water and gradually release it as the soil dries out.
Polymer crystals cut watering frequency dramatically. To prepare an outdoor
garden, remove the weeds in the fall, dig planting holes and prepare the
soil. The soil will absorb rainfall and be well mixed the next spring. Cover
each planting hole with a layer of mulch to protect it from winter rains and
temperatures. This layer of mulch is very important. Do not leave soil bare
all winter.
Transplant seedlings or clones in spring and grow marijuana plants as you
would tomatoes. If growing in poor soil, give each plant a hole that is 4
feet deep and 4 feet in diameter and refill with your best compost/potting
soil/planting mix. Break up the soil in a wide 6-foot radius, only 6 - 8
inches deep, because roots branch out. To water cheaply and effectively, cut
a 3/16th hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Mix an inexpensive all
purpose water-soluble fertilizer with 5-gallons of water in the bucket and
put the hole by the stem of the plant. Growing like this, only with 4 - 6
buckets of water will last all summer. Water with one bucket every 10 days
during hot weather. Watering with this regimen, the plants will grow as well
as if they had lots of water.
If plants receive no water, a small bud grows on top of plant. A 5 foot tall
plant may produce from 1 - 6 ounces of smokable bud. This same plant, given
just a little water, will grow much better and produce more high quality
smoke.
Grow a plant that takes 20 – 40 gallons of supplemental water per growing
season, or grow a plant that gets an infinite amount of water and achieve
very near the same weight at harvest. Why?
First the plant must use all water in the soil. The plant must get all the
nutrients it needs that naturally occur in the subsoil. If you slightly
increase the water and nutrient supply, you get a much stronger and robust
plant. How much water is there in the soil already?
Reasonable soil has one inch of water per foot of area. There are about 30
gallons of water already in the soil in 4 x 4 x 4-feet area of reasonable
soil. Look for big green stands of vegetation. Kill green vegetation in the
fall and grow the garden the following spring. One of the main things to
look for is an adequate water supply. Many parts of the US and different
parts of the world get rainfall in the summer growing season to support a
dry land crop. The rainfall you need is from ¼ to 1 inch per week. It is
very important that it rains regularly during the spring and summer months.
Dry fall weather is the best for harvests. Heavy rains and high humidity
will cause bud mold.
Site Preparation and Soil
Preparing three sites required three different strategies. The small
greenhouse needs a little bit of heat to speed growth. Easy ways to warm a
greenhouse include natural heat generated by the sun and artificial heat
from electricity or burning fossil fuel. To conserve the natural heat from
the sun, Vansterdan lined the bottom of the greenhouse with two inches of
Styrofoam. He also placed a one- inch-thick lining six inches high around
the bottom perimeter of the greenhouse. He constructed the greenhouse from
Filon, a corrugated, translucent fiberglass. The low-slung greenhouse looks
like a small storage area because you can’t see inside. Filon transmits
enough light for vegetative growth even when low levels of natural sunlight
are available. To add more heat, Vansterdan used duct tape to fasten heating
cable to the Styrofoam floor and covered it with a thin piece of sheet metal
to transmit the heat evenly.
Marijuana blends and is camouflaged by many different back yard plants. Look
for plants with similar leaf shapes that grow fast.
Vansterdan is an avid vegetable gardener and has been adding manure and
compost to the raised beds in his backyard garden for more than 10 years.
His neighbors are used to his fanatic gardening and do not suspect him of
growing marijuana. Every spring he spreads three cubic yards of finished
compost and manure over the garden. He adds dolomite lime to raise and
stabilize the acidic pH and rototills it into the soil. Once vegetables are
planted and growing well,
Vansterdan transplants hardened-off clones into the garden plot. “The soil
is so rich and fertile, I don’t even need a shovel to dig a planting hole. I
just open the soil with my hand, put the clone in and press soil around the
root ball before watering it in” said Vansterdan with the pride of a
confirmed organic gardener.
Raised Beds
The soil in cool coastal regions is heavy clay that warms slowly and drains
poorly. Raised beds turn both of these detriments into compliments. Beds
need to be raised 6 – 8 inches to provide the benefits of warmth and
improved drainage. Using raised beds, Vansterdan plants from two weeks to a
month earlier than other gardeners. If poor drainage is the only obstacle
and making raised beds too difficult because of a remote garden location,
smart growers loosen clay soils with a pick and shovel before cultivating in
granulated gypsum to break up clay soil.
Compost
The basics of composting are simple: collect organic matter: grass
clippings, chopped up branches and vegetative matter, pile it up and let it
rot. The pile must be at least one yard square to hold more heat than is
dissipated. “It’s easy to make compost,” said Vansterdan. “In the summer,
professional gardeners cut grass and other yard debris and haul it away. I
asked one of them to dump the debris at the end of my driveway. He gives me
about three cubic yards a week. By the end of the summer, I have more than
40 yards of grass clippings and garden debris. I mix it with wood chips to
provide carbon and air. The following year, I have 3 to 6 cubic yards of the
best compost in the world!”
“I know one hard core grower that plants spring crops on top of compost
piles. He piles the compost up two or three feet high, making a raised bed.
Next he throws 3 or 4 inches of good dirt on top and plants foot-tall
clones, aye. By the time the roots penetrate down into the compost, it has
cooled down and doesn’t burn. The compost keeps the clones warm and he puts
a greenhouse on top to protect the foliage. If he’s lucky and the weather
cooperates, he harvests a spring crop.” said Vansterdan with a bewildered
grin.
Mountain and Bog Soil.
“Most of the soil around here is full of Douglas fir needles and is very
acidic. The pH is around 5, which makes plants grow slowly, aye. I look for
patches where pasture grass grows. The soil is normally a little poor,
lacking nutrients, so I have two strategies. The first one, I use for low
lying areas. To plant in marshy, grassy areas, I cut a square yard of moist
sod from the ground with a shovel, turn it over, and plant in it. This way I
can transplant about 50 clones in a day. The marshy ground supplies enough
water and I just add a bit of time-release fertilizer when I transplant,
aye. I add another handful of flowering time-release fertilizer when I go
back and check them the first week in August. Sure, the plants don’t grow as
big as the ones in my back yard, but I don’t work too hard, aye.”
To plant in marshy, grassy areas, this grower cuts a square yard of moist
sod from the ground with a shovel, turns the entire piece over (180 degrees)
and plants in it.
Vansterdan has been planting in the mountains for 12 years in secret gardens
only accessible by foot or mountain bike. He harvests about half of the
clones he plants. The rest are lost to humans and other animals, insects,
fungus and weather. “Growing in BC is different than growing around Toronto,
aye. The weather here on the Lower Mainland is mild in the summer, with
occasional rain showers. The heavy rains start in September. If your crop
isn’t out of the ground by the middle of September, the buds get wet and
moldy, usually gray mold (botrytis), sometimes powdery mildew starts earlier
on leaves. Toronto is in the middle of the continent and a lot hotter and
more humid. Plants grow faster, but still need to be out of the ground
before the frost,” said Vansterdan, with a strong Canadian accent.
If the weather coperates and Vansterdan plants early in the year, clones
establish a dense root system and don’t need much water during the growing
season. A heavy layer of mulch helps conserve water and combat weeds.
Hardening-off Cuttings and Seedlings
After clones have rooted in rockwool cubes for three weeks, Vansterdan
transplants them into 4-inch pots full of organic soil mix. He handles root
cubes carefully and waters transplants heavily so roots grow into the new
soil. He leaves the cuttings under a 400- watt HP sodium lamp for two weeks
before moving them outdoors to harden-off in the greenhouse. He keeps clones
in trays (nursery flats) so they are easy to handle. Since there is not
enough room for all of the transplanted clones in the greenhouse, Vansterdan
fills the greenhouse three different times. The first crop of clones is
transplanted into the soil or 3-gallon pots and set out in the back yard
garden after they have hardened-off for two or three weeks. The second crop
of clones is moved in to harden-off and later transplanted to the local
mountain plots. The third set of clones is moved into the greenhouse and
grown until they are about 18 inches tall before he prompts flowering.
Vansterdan covers the greenhouse to induce flowering with 12 hours of
darkness.
Transplanting to the Mountain Site
The clones he transplants to the mountain site are grown in a tall container
to promote a strong deep root system. The containers Vansterdan uses to
clone the plants in are 6 inches tall and 3 inches square.
“I learned this trick when I worked for the Forrest Service, aye,” explained
Vansterdan, “They grow tree seedlings in tall containers so they will have a
deep strong root system. The deep, dense root system makes a strong plant,
aye. I won’t be able to water or give much care to these babies. A strong
root system makes up for the lack of care”.
Clones in tall containers with a deep root system have the best chance of
survival in remote, low maintenance gardens. A clone buried deep in ground
will grow roots along the stem in a few weeks. Planting the root ball a few
inches deeper makes plants easier to maintain.
Other growers transplant foot-tall clones with smaller root systems. They
remove the first few sets of leaves and bury the root ball deeper in the
ground, leaving only six inches of foliage above ground. The clone will grow
roots along the underground stem in the next few weeks.
“I try to go back and check on the clones two or three times after I plant
them. Every time I go back there I pee around the plants to scare the deer
and rabbits away. I also save urine in a bottle and sprinkle it around them,
because I run out,” said Vansterdan with a grin.
Seed Germination and Care
Cannabis seeds need only water, heat and air to germinate. Seeds, without
light, properly watered, will germinate in 2 – 10 days, in temperatures from
70 – 90 degrees F. Germination is faster at higher temperatures but declines
if temperatures climb above 90 degrees F. When the seed germinates, the
outside protective shell splits and a tiny, white sprout (tap root) pops
out. The seed leaves emerge from within the shell as they push upward in
search of light.
One popular way to germinate seeds is placing seeds in a moist paper towel
or cheesecloth, in a warm room, (70 – 90 degrees F.) and make sure they are
in darkness.
Germinating seeds between moist paper towels virtually ensures success.
At germination, a seed sprouts, sets roots, grows roundish cotoleydon leaves
and the first set of true leaves.
Water the cloth daily, keep it moist and let excess water drain away freely.
The seed germinates in a few days. The seed contains an adequate food supply
for germination and watering with a mild mix of liquid fertilizer will
hasten growth. In humid climates, water with a mild bleach or fungicide
solution (2 - 5 drops per gallon) to prevent fungus.
Plant seeds once the white sprout is visible. Do not expose the tender
rootlet to prolonged, intense light or wind. Plant the germinated seed ¼” to
½ " deep in planting medium with the white sprout tip (the root) pointing
down. Lay the seed on its side if confused about which end is up.
The second popular germination method is to sow the seed in a shallow
planter (flat), peat pellet or rooting cube and keep the planting medium
evenly moist. Transplant 2 – 4 weeks after the seedling emerges from the
soil. Use a spoon to remove the root ball and keep it intact when
transplanting.
A heat pad or heat tape under or in soil will accelerate germination without
drying the soil too fast. A common problem for novices when germinating
seeds is over-watering. Keep the soil uniformly moist, but not soggy. Plant
seeds in a nursery flat and put them in a warm (not hot) place like on top
of the refrigerator. Put a wet piece of paper on top of the soil to retain
the moisture. Remove the paper as soon as seeds sprout through soil. Leaving
the paper on the soil will inhibit growth. Often seeds only need one initial
watering when this method is used. A shallow flat or planter with a heat pad
underneath may require daily watering, while a deep, one gallon pot needs
water every 2 or 3 days. When the surface is dry (¼-inch deep) it is time to
water.
Remember, there are few roots to absorb the water early in life and they are
very delicate.
Seedling (cotyledon) leaves are the first to appear after the seed sprouts
above the soil. Within a few days, the first true leaves will grow. During
the seedling stage, a root system grows rapidly and green growth is slow.
The new root system is very small and requires a modest but constant supply
of water. Too much water drowns roots, causing root rot or damping-off. Lack
of water dries the infant root system. As the seedlings mature, some will
grow faster and stronger.
Others will be weak and leggy. Vansterdan thins out weak plants the third to
fifth week and transplants seedlings without any damage.
Soil Temperature
Root cubes, made from rockwool, peat or OasisTM, are convenient and
encourage a strong root system. Peat pots are small compressed peat moss
containers with an outside expandable wall. The flat pellets pop-up into a
seedling pot when watered. Place the seed or cutting in the wet root cube
and keep it evenly moist. For clones, make sure to crimp the top in around
the stem so firm contact is made between the stem and the growing medium.
When roots show through the sides of the cube it is time to transplant. Slit
the side and remove the expandable nylon shell of peat pots before
transplanting. When completed properly seedlings and clones suffer no
transplant shock. Check peat pots or root cubes daily. Keep them evenly
moist, but not soggy. Root cubes and peat pots contain no nutrients. Feed
seedlings after the first week and clones as soon as they are rooted with ¼
to ½ strength fertilizer.
Inexpensive heat cables double root growth and are easy to use.
The seed intensive method:
Planting many seeds in a small area is also an option. In loose fertile
soil, plant seeds from ¼ to ½- inch deep. Some growers set up small 3 x 3
square foot sites, planting three rows with a seed every few inches. Growers
with 4 or 5 small patches are virtually guaranteed a harvest. They grow 2 to
5 small plants in various sites. Infrared photography is less effective
against small patches. To make more space, growers cull out weak plants at 4
– 5 weeks and remove males as they appear. =========================
Site Selection
Big Steve is too smart to plant on his own land. He rents a country cabin
and always plants on public property or other people’s property. Each year
he plants in new locations. He likes to plant in low-traffic spaces among
small trees and bushes.
Steve also found two different farm fields that have been out of production
for a few years. He has had good crops along rivers and streams, but lost
crops to floods twice in the last 10 years. When he planted along rivers, he
made sure the plants were not visible from the river. Some years....
......Steve planted in buckets in rocky inaccessible terrain. He doesn’t
need to prepare the soil, he just brings in grow bags and fills them with
soil on the way. The plants don’t grow as big, but are seldom seen because
they are growing where nobody goes or would expect them to be. Plants
receive good sunlight on rocky hillsides in untillable soil. A site in
dense, short bush, like sticker bushes, is another favorite spot. The
sticker bushes grow high enough to prevent people from seeing through them
and also serve as a deterrent from people and large animals wandering into
the site.
“One of my favorite tricks is to plant where there are lots of mosquitoes,”
said Steve with a snicker,
“If I can find a place with wasps, too. That’s a double whammy. I think the
best site I ever found was next to a skunk’s den, around a skunk spray. I
had to smear the inside of my nose with Vicks Vapor Rub to keep from
smelling the skunk spray. Nobody went around there!”
“I plant deep inside patches of poison oak, poison ivy or my favorite:
stinging nettles. I save seeds and broadcast them. I just cover any exposed
skin with a slick rain suit and gloves to protect me. I wash the suit
afterward to get rid of the oils. It’s a great way to keep lightweights away
from the patch!” said Steve with a smirk, “if there’s a thief that wants my
plants, it will cost them!”
Ideal “trails” are “invisible,” have dense undergrowth and lots of sunlight.
Growers walk up river and creek beds to avoid detection. Rapid plant growth
will erase any damage to the vegetation between trips. Some growers lightly
fertilize their trail if they use it more than a few times, but are careful
– wild plants are easy to overfertilize. Other growers never take the same
path to their gardens and do everything possible to avoid damaging foliage.
In late summer and early fall, damaged foliage usually will not regrow. Big
Steve always asks himself: Can I see the trail I just made? If not, great,
if so hide it! The more difficult it is for you to get to the site, the less
likely someone else will try.
Growers who think ahead bring any supplies they need – lengths of PVC pipe,
gasoline-powered pumps, water tanks, soil, etc. – early in the spring before
underbrush has matured and hide the supplies until needed. Sheltering also
protects lightweight plastic from ultraviolet light damage.
Good soil can be in short supply on remote hillsides and is often the
richest where grassland vegetation is found. Grasslands recycle nutrients in
the soil and form rich fertile topsoil. (See “Soil” in Appendix).
“I order bricks of coconut fiber from out in California. Those bricks are
great. They are compact and easy to carry. When I break them up and add
water they expand to several times their size,” said Steve, showing me how
he loads them into his backpack.
A nearby water source makes a grower’s life easier and safer. Growers
trample foliage and risk being spotted when hauling water. The more trips,
the more noticeable the trail. Look for a summertime water source that does
not dry up. Water consumption is determined by the weather. Dry land crops
are possible if it rains once every one to four weeks.
Growers flower summer crops by covering small greenhouses to give plants 12
hours of darkness daily. Crops are ripe in 8-12 weeks. Sunlight is less
important yet essential. Five hours of direct midday sunlight per day is
necessary for acceptable growth, the more the better. Growers who scout
sites during winter months visualize how trees will shade the landscape and
the higher path the sun will make in the spring and summer.
Flowering females stand out like a neon sign if surrounding foliage dies
back before harvest.
If you can have exclusive access to your marijuana patch by boat, you can
cut potential traffic substantially.
Security
The police find hundreds of thousands of cannabis plants annually with
aerial surveillance and infrared photography. Large plots are easier to spot
than small gardens.
Many communities receive federal funds to eradicate marijuana crops. Some
police departments sell the property they confiscate and buy new high tech
surveillance equipment, firearms, vehicles and other toys to seek out and
destroy marijuana and grower’s lives. Marijuana laws in many states are
extremely severe. Law enforcement officials lie, cheat and steal to achieve
their means. Do not trust them under any circumstances.
“Report a marijuana grower” programs with a cash reward are common in the
USA. Six armed and dangerous narcs came to search my home on the word of a
snitch. The narcs would not tell me who squealed on me or why, or if the
weasel even existed. If anyone knows or even suspects you are growing
marijuana, they have tremendous authority over you. A vindictive enemy can
also turn you in with no evidence, even if you are not growing! Growers
avoid jealous lovers, family members or malicious “friends”. One of the
saddest cases I saw was a daughter that extorted money from her father. The
father grew marijuana to ease the pain of his glaucoma. His daughter
threatened to have him arrested if he did not sell some of the crop to pay
her off. When selecting a site, remember there might be hunters (archers,
black powder, rifle and shotgun) as well as mushroom and marijuana hunters
or other passers by. Check all the regulations if hunting is popular in your
area. The patch will have to be hidden from other wilderness users. There
also might be dirt bikers or four wheel vehicles lurking.
Site Preparation
Security is the number one concern in site preparation. Well concealed
gardens are harvested, detected plants are not. Prepare growing sites up to
6 months before planting. For best results, let your amended soil sit for at
least a month before planting. If the site is on an incline, planting holes
must be terraced into the hillside. Make sure the terrace is large enough to
catch any runoff water. Make extra gulleys to catch runoff water and channel
it to the growing plant. Make a dish around the planting hole to retain
water. In heavy brush, clear a few patches so plants get enough sunlight and
plant 3-6 plants in each location. When preparing the soil, I cut back all
roots from competing plants and till the planting holes 2 - 3 feet square.
Soil along a riverbank is almost always fertile sandy loam. Hide the
potential garden from river traffic as well as hikers and fishermen. More
sunlight is available near the tops of the trees in dense forest. Ingenious
growers use deer/elk hunting stands to grow in trees. They set up a pulley
system to lift a large container and potting soil up to sit on the plant
stand. Install an irrigation hose from the bottom of the tree directly to
the plant. The grower passes by weekly with water and manual or battery
operated pump to lift water to the plant high in the tree.
A partner is necessary to work on the ground while the other person works in
the tree. Smart growers use a safety line and belt and do not spend more
than 4 hours off the ground in one day. Accidents happen to tired climbers.
Please support Jorge Cervantes by visiting his website at :
http://www.marijuanagrowing.com OR Buy his books at Amazon.com. Thanks!
Indoor Marijuana Bible is a must-read! Copyright 2002 by Jorge Cervantes.
Bibliography - cannalogic.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2
