Greetings Outdoor Growers -
I wanted to create a thread that discusses all of the wonderful advantages that Google Earth gives the grower during the search for new grow sites, because there are many hidden tricks to this program that when used as a whole, can really narrow down potential locations that will be ideal for growing plants.
*Note that I chose to use New York State as an example for this thread to protect my location, that's why you'll find the longitude and latitude showing on these screen shots I take. This was intentional, as these examples are not actual grow sites.
Finding remote areas is easy, as well as dirt roads leading into the wilderness that can be used to haul payloads/supplies in and out. It's often that well-placed grows out in the sticks go unnoticed. There's simply too much terrain for a heli to cover every mile of Wild Forest out there, that's why this is where most big grows are located.
Here you can see some potentially good locations. Old logging roads are sometimes out of commission and great routes into the forest. Personally, I would go for something like the upland of one of these swamps.
Here's a street view of a large parcel of wetland that has potential for some set & forget patches
Wait a second... is that a school I see off the right hand side of the screen? This just went from a potential go to a definite no-go. Sentences are dramatically increased for grows popped near schools, I highly suggest looking into the laws for your state and where the lines are that you should never cross. It could be the difference between a misdemeanor and a prison sentence in some states.
It's all about taking advantage of technology, and working smarter - not harder. When the boots hit the ground come spring time, it's best to know exactly where the best potential lies for grow locations within your designated area. Sometimes there are great patches right in your backyard even, but we just don't know they're until we utilize some aerial points of view.
I'm also curious how everyone else is using Google Earth, what add ons you may have found and any other tips/tricks that could benefit the rest of us... please contribute your 2 cents!
I wanted to create a thread that discusses all of the wonderful advantages that Google Earth gives the grower during the search for new grow sites, because there are many hidden tricks to this program that when used as a whole, can really narrow down potential locations that will be ideal for growing plants.
*Note that I chose to use New York State as an example for this thread to protect my location, that's why you'll find the longitude and latitude showing on these screen shots I take. This was intentional, as these examples are not actual grow sites.
Finding remote areas is easy, as well as dirt roads leading into the wilderness that can be used to haul payloads/supplies in and out. It's often that well-placed grows out in the sticks go unnoticed. There's simply too much terrain for a heli to cover every mile of Wild Forest out there, that's why this is where most big grows are located.
Here you can see some potentially good locations. Old logging roads are sometimes out of commission and great routes into the forest. Personally, I would go for something like the upland of one of these swamps.
Here's a street view of a large parcel of wetland that has potential for some set & forget patches
Wait a second... is that a school I see off the right hand side of the screen? This just went from a potential go to a definite no-go. Sentences are dramatically increased for grows popped near schools, I highly suggest looking into the laws for your state and where the lines are that you should never cross. It could be the difference between a misdemeanor and a prison sentence in some states.
It's all about taking advantage of technology, and working smarter - not harder. When the boots hit the ground come spring time, it's best to know exactly where the best potential lies for grow locations within your designated area. Sometimes there are great patches right in your backyard even, but we just don't know they're until we utilize some aerial points of view.
I'm also curious how everyone else is using Google Earth, what add ons you may have found and any other tips/tricks that could benefit the rest of us... please contribute your 2 cents!