organic guerilla growing??

[Guest]

i am planting guerilla style this year meaning i will plant and come back only when its time to harvest. Ive got the water situation under control as i plant near a river, but in terms of organics, is there an alternative to chemical time release fertilizer? Last year i put oscomote in the bottom of the holes and they did fine but i want to go organic this year. Which ammendments should i use and how much will carry me from mid-may to the end of september?

btw i use native soil so i only want to bring ammendments/nutrients to site. last year i just dug like 1 footX 1 footX2feet deep holes and added about 7 TBSP of oscomote at the bottom and put all the soil back in. i want to do the same things with organics.

 

[3BM]

Hey Fresh:

I grow guerilla organics every year. Watch out for osmocote it will continue to prevent microbial development years after applicaton (that stuff is poison!). Avoid that spot like the plague, but if you have to use it try digging out the osmocote layer. If not, then it will still be there to feed the plants somewhat. Try adding rock phosphate (0-3-0+trace) for late season flowering help, or indonesian bat guano/bone meal (aprox 0-10-0). All will become available over many monthes, but more so if decay organisms are at work in the soil. Adding organic matter, such as compost, will ensure the soil is active and rich. Alfalfa meal is a great lasting source of NPK+trace+horm etc, it will help throughout veg and even into flower(NPK= 2.5-1-1). Kelp meal is a great lasting source of K+trace at about 1-0-2. All of these products should be available from a grow store, garden center, feed store, organic retailer, or online.

Another useful trick is for "some visitation but not much" grows. Just plug in good soil then top dress with High N (I like Mexican guano 10-2-1 or alfalfa top). The rain will fertilize plants over time. Then when flowering begins come back to top dress with a high P source (I like Budswell 0-7-0 or Indonesian guano ). A visit at mid veg and then again at the beginning of flower can make a big difference. The no visit strategy may require building a nutrient base year after year to really get it singing, but working these slow release elements into soil rich with microbial life will do your work well. Hope that helps, and good luck!

3bm

PS - add some "Stay Moist" polymers to help water when you are away too, or do the plants get ground water from the nearby watersource?

 

[WV Rastafari]

This is what I would like to do this year, thanks for some great ideas. Do you take your soil amendments and plants at the same time or different trips?

A 3/4 sucess rate would be more than enough in my book. One plant outdoors might yield more than my whole small growbox.

peace

 

[3BM]

Hey Fresh:

Sounds like you have a well thought out methodology there. Your experience will serve you better than my advice in most cases. Getting 1/4 - 3/4 lb per plant with little or no visitation is a great pull, even with some plant loss. Its innevitable that a few plants are lost throughout the 5-6 month growing season. Getting into organics will benefit you in many ways hopefully. I wont preach to the choir since you are already interested in making the switch.

Organics will provide season long fertilization without any effort or investment in "time release" products. Most organics start in an insoluble form, which means that they will become available only as decay organisms break them down. This process takes place over many months, so whamo perfect time release. Osmocote contains slow to break down layers which are designed to last, too well in my opinion. The chemical fertilizers in osmocote will inhibit development of beneficial microorganisms, and without those microbes insoluble ferts will not suffice. A thriving herd should already exist in the outdoor environment, just locate a new spot untreated with chemicals.

Start by digging a larger hole. To save work, dont remove the soil just turn it over. Now sprinkle the soil with organic sources of NPK+trace. The best source of N I can recommend is Alfalfa meal available from organic garden retailers and feed stores (it is sold as horse feed sometimes). Mexican bat guano is another excellent (and highly concentrated) source of N. Combine both for great results. Avoid using bone meal and blood meal outside as they may attract animals. I like Rock Phosphate as a long term source of P+trace; Indo/Jam guano is another excellent source of P. I get great results topdressing with Budswell 0-7-0 at the start of flowering. Finally, use your kelp as a great source of K+trace. Greensand is another excellent source of K+trace which can be found at specialty organic retailers. Well those are the ferts I use to good effect.

What sort of soil are you working with? It sounds like you have good soil, since the plants you harvested sound larger than the hole size would support. If the soil color is dark and the texture loose than you are in business. Just turn all the dirt over in a large circle to about 24", then dump your amendments into the soil. Mix the amendments in as thoroughly as possible, avoiding any hot spots. Plug your girls and leave it to nature. One final tip involves mulching. Covering the top of your holes with a 6-10" layer of mulch will help conserve moisture and mask the tilled soil. In addition, if you mulch with a nutritive layer (like compost) it will help to feed the plants over time. I put down 6" of compost and then another 4-6" of dried leaves and grass from the area, making it look as natural as possible. This will help attract and conserve moisture as well as providing nutes for a few months. I repeat the process at the beginning of flowering, top dressing with guano, then compost, then leaves again. This post is running long, so I will shut up. I hope this helps, and wish you the best of luck this season!

3lb

 

[Dkgrower]

hey Fresh, if it is in the same area you are growing in the, you can this year make compost pile, fore use next year.

You can also take grass or nettel and cut them fresh and put them in a thick layer on the grow spot. It holds down weeds and make a good microenviroment in the top soil -- also keeps down evaporation.

Where I live they sell pellets made of eco chicken manure, that you can mix in your soil, they work very good fore me.

Happy grow season.

Dkgrower

 

[jaykush]

ill be doing some organic gurilla this season. hopefully it doesnt get over 120 like last year or ill be fucked. although i should be bringing my own soil as most of the area is rocks and little soil. using all the native plants to my benefit tons of nettles and other beneficial weeds for me to use.

 

[Guest]

hey everyone thanks for the responses but you guys are missing my whole theory; STEALTH! I like to walk in with nothing more than fertilizer, plants, shovel and water, all which fit into a backpack so if i meet anybody i will look very casual. Mulching is a great idea but again youd have to bring more stuff out which im not perpared to do, but i will consider doing it with leaves and grass i find on the floor. My soil is pretty much plant ready and has a ph of about 6 around my plots.The more you visit your plot the more risk your putting into getting caught. Plus on top of that most of my plots are over 200kms away from my house so visiting is not something i can do let alone hauling jugs of water.

This year im thinking of making a homemade 30-30-30 fertilizer with all my favourite organic ingredients and adding one cup of it instead of 7TBSP of oscomote. You think one cup of 30-30-30 is enough to replace 7TBSP of oscomote?

 

[3BM]

Sorry to miss your interest Fresh. It sounds like you know what you want. Try 4c/50gal. A 1x1x2 hole is about 13 gal of soil, so a cup/hole sounds about right. Also, compost can be found on site. Search the site for partially composted forest litter and top soil. Gather up as much as you need to create a 4-6" layer on your holes. Top that layer with dried leaves and grass from the site. I do this for stealth, as much as moisture retention and nutrition. Any plant material you gather to mulch is well worth the effort. Moving to organics is more than replacing one fertilizer with another, but you should do well with your experience.