48.5° N in WA

[nicmo]

Hi everybody...

I'm planning an outdoor grow for next year, and I'm seeking some general advice from the seasoned outdoor vets and pros we have here. I am quite skilled and familiar with growing indoors, but have only read online about doing it in the wild.

The location I plan to use is 40 acres of private land.
It's in hill country, but there are some decent sized flat spots.

The area is pretty rocky and the soil doesn't look that great to me, so I've been planning to use 100 x 30gal smart pots. There will be either 20 or 25 plants per strain, depending on whether I go with 4 or 5 different strains. (I'm definitely leaning toward 5 strains, 20 plants each.) I figured I could do this very comfortably in an area that's approximately 50' x 120'.

I anticipate raising them indoors for a time (3-4 weeks?) before transplanting to the 30 gallon smart pots outside around this time next year.

For soil & nutes, I plan to go with what I've always used - Fox Farm Ocean Forest plus some added perlite, Pure Blend Pro grow & bloom, along with maybe another booster a couple of times during flower.
Water will be coming from a private well, which will be getting tested soon.

The strains will most likely be the following BOG genetics: Bogglegum, Lifesaver, Sour Strawberry Kush, Blue Moon Rocks, and either Sour Bubble or Sour LSD.

I've attached some pics of the land so you can have a better idea of the area I am working with. Any specific suggestions, advice, dos, don'ts, or anything like that will be greatly appreciated! If anyone has personal experience growing outside in northern WA, I'd love your advice!
I have a long time to plan and prepare for this, so please help me make the most of it!

 

[yortbogey]

really should consider a greenhouse... any fly overs and those green plants will stand out BIGTIME in that brown background....
either that.... or plant big trees to provide cover.... or acres of corn or sunflowers....

just sum food for thought....

 

[nicmo]

Hey yort,

Thanks for mentioning that. I totally forgot to include the greenhouse factor. It's definitely something I've had on my mind, but need to do more research on them. I know there are a lot of DIY options that seem to work really well for people, so it's something I'm open to, especially if deemed a necessity.

One greenhouse concern I have is that it can get pretty windy up there, and I dunno how well the DIY options stand to strong wind gusts. I'm sure they can be reinforced well enough to handle just about anything, so it's probably not an issue.

Another concern is that the area doesn't always have the most cloud-free of days, so I wonder how much a greenhouse would further cut down on direct lumens hitting the plants. I'm hoping this is just my naive ignorance of never using one before.

On the topic of fly overs, do you know if WA is doing them even with the legalization? If so, do you think it is to keep tabs and regulation on licensees and non-licensees or what?

 

[yortbogey]

legalization of recreational weed ...does NOT include the right to grow ones own.... only medical... and even then with specific requirements and still only a 15 plant count ... MAX
in order to grow for the rec. stores U must apply for a licenses with the state and that takes 2+ yrs and a 100k in cash.....

 

[nicmo]

The production license comes in 3 different tiers, giving a licensed grower up to 30,000 square feet of plant canopy in the top tier. (lowest tier gets up to 2,000 square feet of canopy) No max plant count is given.

The licenses only cost a $250 app fee and a $1,000 yearly renewal fee.

http://liq.wa.gov/marijuana/faqs_i-502

 

[nicmo]

The plant count comment brings up an important point, and that is that I am open to doing fewer plants in much larger pots... I'm just not fully convinced that a several hundred gallon pot will guarantee a harvest worth more than the costs of increased soil, water, nutes, etc...

I settled at 30 gallons for the time being because in my research, that seems to be around the point where BIG things are possible, but the pots are still relatively small and manageable. That being said, I'm open to changing my mind if it ultimately seems worthwhile.

 

[yortbogey]

have U looked at the back log of folks WAITING for a license...
have U contacted the county U will be in to find there input... many in E. Washington have banned all out gardens.... rec or not ....
and the exuberant fee ...IE 100k comes from greasing the wheels of bureaucracy... and filling the exaggerated loops and hoops one must cross and over come in the initial setup and inspection process..... let alone that only 25% of the weed grown even passed state lab test....

due be aware... 30gal filled is more than one man can move....

 

[nicmo]

Yeah, I've looked at pretty much all the info that is available...but I never said this wasn't an already licensed operation...or that it was...

I'm just looking for outdoor grow advice, considering the particular details and pics I've provided...ideally from someone using a similar setup and in the same region.

 

[Highcountry]

Your climate is very similar to where I am in BC. I'd expect to start seeing frost by early October, possibly earlier. If you were down near the bottom of that valley you might get a bit longer season. Hopefully bogs gear will finish around then at your lat.

 

[nicmo]

Your climate is very similar to where I am in BC. I'd expect to start seeing frost by early October, possibly earlier. If you were down near the bottom of that valley you might get a bit longer season. Hopefully bogs gear will finish around then at your lat.

Most of the weather data I've seen says the area usually doesn't hit freezing (32°F) until November-ish...give or take, of course. However, being the outdoor noob that I am, I'm not even really sure how well cannabis handles low temps that are approaching the freezing point, but still above.

Is there a specific temperature that's generally accepted as safe, or is it simply anything above the freezing point?