Guerilla growing on the hot and dry eastern Colorado plains?

[hush]

I'm just curious. I've never done any guerilla growing outside of the swamps of Florida. But as I travel around the high plains, from the panhandle of Texas to eastern plains of Colorado, I can't help but notice how in the middle of nowhere I am, and how guerilla grows would be relatively secure out here. Yet, of course, the growing season is kind of short, there's a serious amount of strong winds, and the humidity is VERY low. So I'm just wondering if it can be done?

I'd like to do a few small plots, just to see if it can be successful or not. I think I could use some of the tricks I used in the swamps for watering purposes, such as wicking water from streams that don't go dry, using moisture crystals, etc. But the strains I used to grow in Florida definitely wouldn't work out here, lol.

So if I were to do this, what sort of genetics would I look to, that would be dry-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and possibly even freeze-tolerant? Do such genetics exist?

Thank you, anyone who responds.

 

[CowboyTed]

I can't speak to what strains might put up with the neglect that is a part of guerilla growing, but I can at least give you some strains that have been grown outdoors in Colorado with fantastic success. This guy documented a couple grows a few years back. He grew:


Sour OG
Blue Dream
Bubba Kush
Golden Goat
California Orange
Grape Crush



He appears to be growing in a former feedlot, judging by the sturdy fencing. I'm guessing by the surroundings in the video that he's on the eastern plains, near an interstate highway (judging by the traffic volume) and a river (judging by the trees in the distance) That would mean he's along Interstate 76, likely. There aren't many stretches of I-70 with rivers nearby.



I've grown a couple plants outdoors with at least the success any first-time grower could ask for. Unfortunately, they are not well-known strains, just a couple crosses that were available at a local dispensary when I decided to start growing.


I grew a cross between Shark Shock and G-Shock. I got a late start, but it seems to be growing happily, and is probably a contender to be a good producer if you get an earlier start. It's putting on beautiful colas, and it's still in the ground, finishing up for a few more weeks, I suspect. I'm on the far west edge of the eastern plains, where the Palmer Divide starts to rise. I suspect the eastern plains have a bit more heat than I do, and a lot more wind, so you might want to make an effort to keep your plants low, so they aren't so susceptible to wind damage.


I also grew a cross between Jack LaMota and Humphrey Blues (whatever that is) and it has remained healthy all summer, like the other plant, but its buds are not nearly as impressive.

 

[CowboyTed]

If you search youtube for "Colorado outdoor grow" you'll find references to a bunch of other varieties that we know can handle the low humidity, at least. You'll face low humidity where ever you grow in Colorado.

 

[CowboyTed]

I would guess that water will dictate where you can have a successful grow on the eastern plains. You'll need a water source nearby, since rainfall is simply not reliable here. Water crystals will help, of course.



Unfortunately, the river and creekbottom land in Colorado is pretty heavily settled, so you'll have to search for a suitable site near water with safe access so that you won't get caught trespassing. On the eastern plains, there's almost no public land, so any unattended car will be notable if the landowner drives past. I wonder if there are any wildlife preserves with public access that might provide some remote locations where a parked car wouldn't be suspicious. It might be easier to hide a motorcycle, if you can fit your supplies into panniers or a backpack.

 

[MJPassion]

You can do it!
Shouldn't be too difficult, as long as you can find moisture within a few inches of the surface.
It's super dry here in the western 1/3 of the state.


As far as strains go, You may consider grabbing some Ace Lebanese or some Moroccan crosses. Both are desert grown.


Leb I did finished Mid Sept to beginning of Oct.

 

[hush]

Unfortunately, the river and creekbottom land in Colorado is pretty heavily settled, so you'll have to search for a suitable site near water with safe access so that you won't get caught trespassing. On the eastern plains, there's almost no public land, so any unattended car will be notable if the landowner drives past. I wonder if there are any wildlife preserves with public access that might provide some remote locations where a parked car wouldn't be suspicious. It might be easier to hide a motorcycle, if you can fit your supplies into panniers or a backpack.

There are wildlife preserves with NO public access that I think I can do this on. I would more than likely be able to drive a car to within hikeable distance, and then hoof it from there with a backpack. I will have a camera and field-recording equipment so that I can have the alibi of "I'm just a podcast producer, and I'm doing a story on wildlife of the high plains."

There are also lands that are owned by public utilities that I wouldn't have an ethical problem growing on.

Thanks for chiming in, brother.

You can do it!
Shouldn't be too difficult, as long as you can find moisture within a few inches of the surface.
It's super dry here in the western 1/3 of the state.


As far as strains go, You may consider grabbing some Ace Lebanese or some Moroccan crosses. Both are desert grown.


Leb I did finished Mid Sept to beginning of Oct.

Man I want to grow their Lebanese out so bad. That's definitely on my upcoming order. I just might have to divert a few cuttings from my grow room to the great outdoors when this happens. Yeah, I have found some areas that have some streams and brooks that don't seem to go dry, and I keep stopping in the same places throughout the year to keep checking for this. I get the impression that not many know about these areas I've found, and so I won't get specific, but let's just say that when you know where to look, you can find public and federal land where others don't think there is any.

 

[green404]

Most people grow on "dry islands" in the rivers. the "islands" or dry areas the river flows around are only a couple of feet higher then water and have lots of thick brush to hide things in.

It seems rather worthless to grow much outdoor here in Colorado. Outdoor pot is worth nothing here, seriously nothing. you cannot sell it, trade it and it is even hard to give away.

A year or two some Mexicans got busted with a massive grow on dry islands.
9,200 marijuana plants found growing on islands in the Colorado River https://www.thecannabist.co/2017/09/08/colorado-river-illegal-marijuana-grow/87594/

 

[Teddybrae]

"I can't help notice how out in the middle of nowhere I am ..." Just quietly you're probably not as isolated as first impressions indicate.


Secondly, any change where it looks like nothing ever changes is going to be spotted by a local.


But I understand your drive to do this! Good Luck!

 

[therevverend]

I'd be looking for spots now because it'll look very different in the spring. Now's the time to find the year-round springs. Even a few drops of water squirting out of some rock is enough if you catch and store it.

To me growing guerrilla is kind of silly in a legal state. I know the drive to do it but it's a lot easier to get a medical license and home grow. Of course with the combination of elevation, low humidity, and long season as long as you can bring in water and nutrients you could have one hell of a grow.

And remember on Federal Land if you get caught they'll be looking to nail your ass. Be sure to use maps and pinpoint your location. In all the country it'll be hard to get caught and hard to show the plants were actually yours.

 

[hush]

Most people grow on "dry islands" in the rivers. the "islands" or dry areas the river flows around are only a couple of feet higher then water and have lots of thick brush to hide things in.

It seems rather worthless to grow much outdoor here in Colorado. Outdoor pot is worth nothing here, seriously nothing. you cannot sell it, trade it and it is even hard to give away.

A year or two some Mexicans got busted with a massive grow on dry islands.
9,200 marijuana plants found growing on islands in the Colorado River https://www.thecannabist.co/2017/09/08/colorado-river-illegal-marijuana-grow/87594/

I appreciate all of that, thank you. I'm not trying to sell it or anything. I grow enough in my indoor garden to take care of me and my wife. I just want to do this for fun, for curiosity, for the challenge, and just for the fuck of it. Plus, if anything ever came of it I could use it for concentrates or something.

Thanks for the link to that article, too. That's crazy that they did it so close to a highway! Dumbasses.

"I can't help notice how out in the middle of nowhere I am ..." Just quietly you're probably not as isolated as first impressions indicate.


Secondly, any change where it looks like nothing ever changes is going to be spotted by a local.


But I understand your drive to do this! Good Luck!

Thank you! Good points. I swear though that I know of places out in the middle of nowhere, and they're not all in Colorado either. I've spotted a few potential locations in Kansas and Texas too. My job has me traveling a lot through these areas, and it blows my mind how isolated it is out there. But still, good points, and I'm honestly one of the most cautious people I know, so I'm taking advice like that seriously, and already aware of stuff like that. So I'm going to start scoping places out and going back several times over the course of an entire year, so I can get a sense for what things look like in all seasons. Then, I might try this in 2020.

I'd be looking for spots now because it'll look very different in the spring. Now's the time to find the year-round springs. Even a few drops of water squirting out of some rock is enough if you catch and store it.

To me growing guerrilla is kind of silly in a legal state. I know the drive to do it but it's a lot easier to get a medical license and home grow. Of course with the combination of elevation, low humidity, and long season as long as you can bring in water and nutrients you could have one hell of a grow.

And remember on Federal Land if you get caught they'll be looking to nail your ass. Be sure to use maps and pinpoint your location. In all the country it'll be hard to get caught and hard to show the plants were actually yours.

Excellent advice, thank you to you as well. Like I said above, I really am cautious and play things safe. I just want to do this to see if I can. I don't need the extra bud or anything (though I wouldn't be opposed to having some extra around for experimentation and stuff ).

I hear you on finding springs. That's exactly what I'm doing.

So thanks for the advice, y'all. I'm just gonna do a very small plot or two, whenever this happens. Just to see if it works and what the end result could be. It seems like I could use strains that have Afghani or Pakistani genetics too, right? Since those are cold mountainous arid places?

 

[MJPassion]

I'm not so sure the Paki genetics will finish early.
The PTK I'm currently running is looking like an early to mid Oct. finish.
They'll handle the weather though. They're thick leaved and I'm betting they'll handle an icing or two.
I've had stuff under 3 inches of snow a few years back. By mid day the snow had melted and the plants looked like crap but by that afternoon they were loving life again.