Specifics of Growing in Australia

[Guest]

I actually didnt bother with the cfls. I've had them outside since they came up. Ive just put the humidy dome on over night and in the bad weather patches.

A new moon is a good time for germing seeds mate

 

[Passenger]

A new moon is a good time for germing seeds mate

How do you check that?

 

[Guest]

Same spot for the sun table. At the top you can just switch it to Moon.

 

[I.O.G]

hey all great information goin around here this is my first post been here i used to be a member of o.g for a few yrs my name was ionlygrow but yeh to the point

wer i live on the coastline i find the soil to prety much clay every where the best places i find to grow is where the lantana is ver gud fo guerila growing and the soil there is ok to dig up

first what i tr to do is dig my site or holes and add sum clay breaker u can find this at ure local bunnings then i like to bring sum of my own soil in just organic potting mix blood and bone and a few fish guts i try to let that sit for as long as i can about a month or so the it should be pretty write to plnt in the longer left the betta


now the best time i find to put my plants outdoors here is indicas about late october sativas september

i hop ths helps someone plz ask questions on other soil methods cause i have been growing in clay areas 4 a long time happy O.G

 

[Parallel]

Rock and roll folks. Mid September to Oct for South Australian styles. have a few seedling @ the moment. May post some pics in the future. any1 got any Aussie pics to post should do it. Peace out!!!

 

[Parallel]

Some pics folks

Some pics folks

@the moment outdoors



@the moment indoors



Some Australian pics for you'll.

 

[Brushtail]

Hey,
I have been gone for a while and before i left i neglected to accumulate all the information into my initial post. Well as i am back now, this thread will be put into gear, and i hope the initial enthusiasm shown by you fellow Australians is still there.

The reason Australia should have detail specific information of every region is because of the unique geology, bio-geography and geomorphic history of Australia. Australia is located in the middle of a tectonic plate, with little volcanic or tectonic activity, Australia has undergone little geological change but has experienced mass weathering both mechanical and chemical . This situation has created a comparably flat continent, with deeply weathered and infertile soils. The majority of Australias population is found close to the coast, and in some instances such as the south-west region of western Australia , population centers are on coastal plains. It is critical to understand the geology of such areas, as it allows growers to fully understand the soil complexity and characteristics, and how it can be altered for grower utilization. Coastal plains are created by the elluvial movement of weathered bedrock, such bedrock as the yilgarn craton in WA, and the transgressional movements of the ocean, causing succession of dune systems. This changing landscape creates sandy soils, that are infertile and nearly void of any organic horizon . Further away from coastal plains , are large shields of bedrock(this is the original coast-line of Australia as it split from Gondwana) soils in these areas are caused by direct weathering of bedrock and present a different set of soil characteristics.

This is just a general overview, but in time ill get everyones contributions together. Please for academic authenticity reference where you can! Im going to dig up my references later! lets get the ball rolling....

b

 

[jesusprice]

GREAT THREAD/IDEA

What brand of potting mixes and fertilizers (aussie ones of course) are we all using?
Im using a lot of Searles products for the first time at the moment
Blood and Bone, Sulfate of Potash, Dolomite,
also got some Gypsum by them as well but I have talked to a few people and they reckon don't bother with the gypsum since it takes to long to take effect as a clay breaker, but I do intend to use several plots for as long as I can, and that could mean 3-5years+ if I play my cards right ,
so what you think? I know the dolomite is a clay breaker as well but you think i should throw some Gypsum in the mix or waste of time?

For Potting Mix I been using Amgrow Premium Potting Mix or there Pot'n'Peat Black Label, I like the pot'n'peat stuff
Thinking of trying Searles Potting mix and there 5 in 1 mix,,

Thank you for the Soil Maps!

the season is ccreeping up, Im gonna start making some mothers soonish to get a few cuts sorted by november (mid starts)
but atm just got a fair few little ones outside now, mid winter but they doing fine, I just hope I get some nice colours outta them
PRAYING FOR RAIN BUT THEN NOT SURE IF THE PLANTS WILL COPE WITH THE HUMIDITY AFTER IT!!! hmmm,

 

[madb]

I am using the Searles vegetable & herb potting mix with a few other ferts, seems alright. My tried and true fertiliser is filterpress damn that shit makes for some good big buds.

 

[EeJay]

After a disappointing grow last year, I will be taking a simpler approach to my grow this year.

The main problem I had was actually out of my control. I have a very limited grow space, so can only grow a maximum of three plants at a time. I start my plants indoors while they're seedlings, then move them outside 'till harvest. If they all turn out to be male, like last year, it means I lose quite a bit of time and valuable seasonal conditions, resulting in a vastly reduced harvest.

The other factors that led to my disappointing grow were within my control. I believe I dug too much cow manure into my site. Not that it led to burn, but that it supplied my plants with too much nitrogen in flower, which resulted in loose and leafy buds, with too much stem. I also used Seasol religiously for the first time, which I believe may have led to my plants using the available nitrogen too efficiently. I will be leaving both supplements out of my grow this season.

I will also be disregarding mulch for my site, after deciding it is actually detrimental rather than beneficial for my particular situation. Two seasons back, I mulched heavily around my plants after experiencing trouble in keeping my plants adequately hydrated in seasons prior. The mulch, together with the highest amount of rainfall i've ever seen in Sydney (in my 25 years), led to a serious case of mould and I lost my entire harvest.

So as i've indicated, i'm going into Season '09/'10 with the "less is more" approach. I will be trying to mimic what I did in Season '06/'07 as much as possible, as it was by far my most successful harvest to date. Though, a concern of mine is that I may have too much organic matter mixed through my site from seasons past. That may sound like an odd thing to say, but seeing as though I am available attend to my site every day, I can water and feed my plants well enough, without needing organic matter to improve WHC (Water Holding Capacity) and CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity).

One more thing I will be going back to is using a premium potting mix for my seedlings. I tried using a regular potting mix last year as I always experienced a bit of nutrient burn in previous years when my plants were young. I thought I could prevent that with a regular potting mix, and I did, but in turn I then experienced significantly slower growth. Fear of overfertilising via manual feeding resulted in insufficient and uneven nutrient uptake. Now i'm of the mindset that 2 or 3 slightly burnt leaves and otherwise great growth is better than slow and stunted growth.

As for my products of choice, I will stick with Martins Premium Potting Mix. Martins Fertilizers is a Yass based company, who supply many Southern Highland/Tableland and ACT nurseries, as well as a growing number of Sydney nurseries. I don't know if they supply any other states, and would be interested to hear of any other interstate posters who have seen their brand in their local areas. They do not supply Bunnings, as Bunnings is already heavily affiliated with Richgro and Yates.

As i've stated, I will not be using any soil amendments for my outside site this year, but if I were living in a particularly dry area and/or couldn't attend to my site regularly, I would still use a combination of Martins Premium Garden Mix and their Cow Manure. Their cow manure is particularly rich when compared to another brand I am familiar with in Greenlife, which is the bagged product department of ANL (Australian Native Landscapes).

As for fertilisers, I will mostly be sticking to Hortico's Aquasol (during vegetation), which is now under the Yates/Orica umbrella of consumer products. Formula wise, it is fairly similar to Yates Thrive All Purpose, but I started using Aquasol first, so will stick with it. Miracle Gro ain't a bad one either, but we're sticking to Australian made, right? Technically, I guess Yates has foundation in New Zealand, but it's been a brand in Australia longer than we've even had a Prime Minister, so that has to be respected.

While i'll mostly use Aquasol for veg, i'll also alternate it with Charlie Carp fish emulsion. Though, one thing I don't like about Charlie Carp is how diluted it is compared with other fish emulsions on the market. I'll stick with it nonetheless.

During flower, i'll use a few products, including Manutec Bloom Booster (mostly during the stretch stages), Manutec Potassium Sulphate, Richlea Better Bloom (liquid solution of potassium and phosphorous, no nitrogen), and either Yates or Richgro Super Phosphate. I prefer to use liquid/soluble fertilisers over granular or slow release forms because it allows for a higher degree of control, which, I believe, when growing cannabis (i.e. heavy feeder and short life span) is most ideal.

jesusprice, I would personally use gypsum over dolomite as a clay breaker any day of the week. Gypsum is also much cheaper. I know you can buy a 25kg bag for $12.95, and I bet it can be found even cheaper than that, perhaps even under $10.

 

[shroomyshroom]

well this year i will be doing pots as well as ground growing...

first time ground growing, grow will be kept it simple as possible.. ill be using a super sauce recipe that a good friend on another board came up with... and haven't decided if i need to bring in and amend the soil or not... most prob just mix in some ausmacote with the soil as it is quite dark and rich the area is almost in a swamp like area in one of the areas so hoping i wont have to water that area kinda a set and forget

the rest will be pots and ground that will need to be amended

ferts for the ground are just local stuff at the local coles or safeway... i don't buy into you need this and that to grow good weed... but for my pots i am using canna coco and will be using coco nutes

aiming for big poundage this year i want to smash last years numbers put out 50 plants last year and only 10 made it to harvest so this year i want a min of %50 to make it

ohhhh yeah i do not like water crystals... IMO they rob water from the roots and cause root rot

 

[jesusprice]

I'm liking the sound of you guys and your plans, always interesting to know the specifics and then results ect,
thanks for the suggestion Eejay

and shroomy I have bought Yates potting mixes from Coles or Woolies or something cant remember but the soil was not good at all,
I'm not sure if it was because it was from the supermarket or if it was Yates soil..
either way I stay far away from both now heh. it might of also been the type of Yates soil as well tho,
I sent someone else to get it and they got some bloom one and another one with slow release (which was prolly chem and veeeery strong fucked my plants up bad)
What type of Yates soil is recommended?

either way I like to think getting ya soil from a nursery is the go

and shroomy I hope ya spot goes well it is prolly good source of nutrients and nice water source,
Now I use a mix of coco, potting mix & some native soil (depending on the spot) and I mix water crystals in, and I gotta say I like what they do!.
have u had problems with root rot or something? either way you prolly don't need em at your spot,

anyway im just chatting shit heheh!
ugh still gotta buy my seeds and start some mothers!!!!
peace.

 

[Technique]

How shit was lastyear for everyone on the Mid east coast

i had a bumper crop 06-07 and 07-08..

I usually grow in pots since i can move them around easier, and for other reasons i wont bother going into.. still am yet to get soil for them, will prob grab some shit from bunnings.

I used products from http://www.growthag.com.au for the two years i had bumper crops.. lastyear i killed my babies with miracle grow.. tho the genetics of the plants would have been rubbish and a poor choice from me..

This year i plan to put out around October.. i will be away for most of feb so i'll have to sort something out there to keep them alive.. I'm going to choose some plants that finish a bit earlier than the ones i chose lastyear..

Plants will be from green house seeds and serious seeds.. and some scummy seeds from dutch passion.. (worst seeds i've ever bought just going to germ them and plant and forget..)

Serious seeds - The chronic.. (can anyone advise against this for outdoor??)
Greenhouse - White widow, white rhino, and i may do another later on from them.. yet to decide..
Dutch passion - power plant (going to get rid of this shit as the beans are microsize and i doubt will be any good)

So best of luck to everyone in the coming months

 

[pinkskunk]

i will be potting and repotting til i get sex,in soil dynamic lifter and lime,then in the ground with same mix in 1.5-2mtr sq holes 1 plant per hole, then during pistil production spread a handful of phospherus round each one, pound per plant min. i start my seeds in searls seed raising mix i also add peat to my soil during potting cause temps get in the 40s and it helps keep a bit of moisture.

 

[pinkskunk]

il also be running a few in 5gal bags as back up plan.

 

[rexamus616]

Info on Australian conditions.

Info on Australian conditions.

This info is from Cannabis Culture mag #58, in an article called "Australian Bush Paradise" By Joe Walsh.
(copyrighted, sorry joe.)
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PESTS & PROBLEMS

When growing pot there are literally one thousand and one things that will go wrong in the season. Nasty little critters are a big proportion of that. This is a list of the more common pests and problems that I have encountered in the bush.


Kangaroos

The worst offender would have to be kangaroos. They eat the baby leaves, which stops the plants from growing. Last season the kangaroos and wallabies cost me about $50,000 in losses. There is only one way to deal with these bastards: leave some dead meat throughout the patch. Roos are herbivores, so the rotting meat keeps them away; blood and bone sometimes works, but every time it rains you have to put it out again. Usually what you have to do is shoot a roo and stake it to the ground in the patch. The problem then is that it attracts the goannas, six foot long lizards that are fierce meat-eaters, and dangerous. Goannas fight over the carcass, and flatten the pot plants, so it is a bit of a catch-22 situation. I've got a scar from a vicious bite from a goanna; bled for hours! I ended up just leaving an 'offering patch' for the kangaroos, isolating them in one area. Hurts a bit to do so; but alas, they were there first.


Parrots

Parrots are an unlikely pest, but they are terrible. They will not bother you if you have managed to keep the crop sensimilla, but if there is just one plant with just one seed in it, they will find it and strip that plant back to the stalk looking for more seeds, and once that's finished they will systematically move through the plantation looking for more. It makes you cry to get into the patch and watch 40-50 birds alight from the crop, and see colas and buds scattered all over the ground.


Frogs

Cute little frogs really pull in the snakes, so although they don't directly attack you they certainly attract their fair share of trouble underfoot.


Snakes

The snakes can catch you unawares sometimes. They get into the patch looking for all those juicy frogs, hoppers, birds and other snake prey, so you can accidentally stand on a Death Adder while quietly doing your own thing. Death Adders wiggle their tail to attract birds, and they don't move until the bird actually touches them, then – wham! – they strike, up to eight times a second. So, as you walk around always look where you are going! They're not quite as bad as Funnel Web Spiders, but in the end, you are just as dead.


Pigs

The pigs are the most destructive animal. Pigs root up the soil to get to the moisture under the plants; they go looking for the bugs in the soil, and they are so strong that they pull everything down. Once downed, the plants are eaten for good measure! Those pigs are aggressive too; if you disturb them there is actually a good chance they will turn on you. The only solution is to lay dog traps or use the trusty 12-gauge. Shotguns are not discreet however, and the gun sound echoes over a wide area, which can bring unwanted attention.


Pig Hunters

Known as 'piggers', these tough fellows are pulling in good money for wild pig. They send them off to Germany, as there is no more wild boar there and our pigs are boar descendants. If you leave the area for a while, quite often you can find that the piggers have been illegally hunting on the property. You see them at night with their spotlights on, and driving wildly all over the place, shots occasionally ringing out; they are a rough lot – death is a way of life for them, and they don't think twice about it.



Goats

Where there are pigs, there are goats. These buggers are not nearly as aggressive as the pigs, but just as destructive. They want the soft shoots at the top of the plants, so they trample them down. To stop the goats you must put up a heavy-duty fence, or stake a dead dog to the bush nearby. Both have problems, but I have found the dog solution works better. However, you've got to check that the pigs haven't eaten the bloody dog.




Professional Pot Hunters

Come April every year, heaps of guys hit the forest trails looking for patches to rob. These guys are there for one thing and that is your pot. They are always armed, and they shoot. The best way to avoid these guys is to not leave tracks. This problem can be minimized using proper stealth and security. Rippers are lazy and are only looking for a quick buck, so do your job properly and you will have nothing to worry about. Never grow within a kilometre of any road; always walk a different route; never mark trees; and at all times be quiet.



Funnel Web Spiders

Funnel web spiders are not really a threat to the crop, but if they bite you, they can certainly threaten your wellbeing – I guess it takes around 40 minutes, and you end up stone cold dead! Considering that the walk to the nearest road on a good day can take an hour, and the drive to the nearest hospital is 3 hours, you really want to keep these little critters away. Funnel Web Spiders like living in the roots of the plants, so you have to be careful when pulling those males out.



Police Helicopters

These guys are by far the biggest pests to come from the air, and when they land they take the whole lot! Fortunately they can be a little predictable. They are a bit lazy which is good for the rest of us. They stick to the spots where they have made a kill before, so DO NOT GROW IN AREAS WHERE POT IS KNOWN TO BE GROWN. Get as far away from the traditional places as possible, don't look like a pot grower, get a story, and look the part.



Walking

At first it seems all ok, but as time goes by, you begin to realize that if you actually slip over and twist your ankle, or put your back out, then you are in very serious trouble, especially if you have a 40kg bag of fertilizer on your back. You soon learn to walk by watching exactly where you put your feet. You do not take stupid risks like jumping onto rocks or over logs and you never, EVER run in the bush.



Grasshoppers

These bastards have the most appropriate name of all the pests. They hop from plant to plant nipping the tips, very effectively stunting growth. In turn, hoppers attract the birds that feed on them. Little birds are ok; but the hoppers can get quite big, so the larger birds like the currawongs and magpies attack, breaking the delicate plant tips even more.



Termites

Termites are the hidden fucker; they will creep into the plants and tunnel right up through the stalk. Pot is such a quick growing plant you never know that it is infested until it is too late. Telltale signs of termites are a yellowing of the leaves when all the rest of the crop is fine, or plants will suddenly become wilted. Often the first sign is that a plant is laying on the ground when a breeze knocks it over, and you notice it was holding on just by one little root.

You can lay insecticide to kill the little buggers, but it tends to kill the beneficial insects funnel web spider too. When sweating in the very hot sun every day, and breathing heavily, I don't trust the chemicals on my skin or in my lungs. Also, I'm not really a sentimental person, but there are a variety of endangered species in this area, and if they feed on insect sites laced with chemicals, they too will perish. I am not a big fan of using chemicals on the plants, so I just let them be. At the end of the day it is just a few out of the lot, but combined they can add up!



Storms and Trees

I have had some of my scariest experiences during the summer storms. The humidity is 90% for days on end. The heat is 35-40 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees F) for weeks on end. Then the storms roll in. If it is a bad storm there will be hail. That's fortunately only once or twice a season, but what you will get are really strong winds, which drop trees and branches everywhere. Then you get the lightning; that is scary, and virtually every tree has lightning scars. Often you find bits of wood that have exploded from the trees after a lightning strike!



Caterpillars

A mate of mine explained how one day he was in his patch with his girlfriend, when this big group of butterflies flew about them. She said, "Oh look at the beautiful butterflies!" He told me that that was the end of the patch as far as he was concerned. She didn't understand until three weeks later, when they found dozens of the colas dead; the "beautiful" butterflies had been caterpillars, and ringbarked the buds, killing them!



Mold

When the wet weather sets in the mold will appear; if there has been an attack of the caterpillars you will find a large amount of mold in the buds. It appears where they have eaten and killed the bud. It also appears where they have shat, since manure is the perfect place for the mold to grow on. Once it starts to spread in the wet weather it can rapidly consume the whole bud!

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I've got the whole article, plus the second one as well, if someone would like to tell me how, I would gladly upload them both. They have pictures.

I looked on their site earlier, but they'd taken the articles down. Lucky I saved them when I did.


Also, there was lots of info in that post by wally in the outdoor thread. Or somewhere like that. It was relevant to Australia.


enjoy.

 

[rexamus616]

Someone was asking about the phosphorus and it being locked up?

Mel Lynch, Soil Scientist, explains the problem and offers a solution.... Thankyou Mel.

The major issues confronting agriculture today are increasing soil acidity, salinity and the reduction of organic matter. Australian soil scientist, Mel Lynch, refers to the end result as “Ground Zero!”

Mel says, "the continuing application of high analysis chemical fertiliser is systematically and rapidly acidifying our soils, reducing the soil’s ability to produce crops of consistently high quality in a sustainable, cost-effective manner."

Mel has conducted extensive trials across Australia – often to highly sceptical farmers – and has conclusively demonstrated the outstanding benefits of using mineral-based, as opposed to high analysis chemical fertiliser, on soils. “The application of mineral-based fertiliser will dramatically increase productivity, improve nutritional value, flavour and extend the shelf life of produce,” says Mel.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
"There has been a serious decrease in soil pH which means a dramatic increase in acidity over the past two decades," says Mel.

"I'm conducting trials on farms almost everyday and the shifting tide towards increased soil acidity is adversely impacting upon the farmer’s bottom line and seriously decreasing the quality of produce. About 92% of Australian soil suffers from mineral deficiency!”

Soil acidity increases as pH declines over time. Data from Australian farmers nation-wide shows the trend of decreasing pH and increasing soil acidity over the past 20 years. In 1980 a pH of 5.85 was considered “normal” but in 2000 a value of 4.9 was considered “normal” but not ideal.

“When pH falls below 5.6 the acidification becomes significant and yield-limiting,” Mel points out.

The CSIRO and a number of universities have conducted studies revealing the extent of this problem. (CSIRO Media Release - Ref 98/38 - Feb 19, 1998; CSIRO Technical Report No 17/97)

“The CSIRO has determined that over $10 billion of phosphorus fertiliser is locked up in Australian soils because of soil acidification. $10 billion of phosphorus, which under current modern technology cannot be accessed! However there is a way of tapping into this enormous phosphorus reserve and thereby reducing input costs!”

Mel states emphatically, “Just because a fertiliser label reads 18-23-0 it doesn’t mean that the crop receives that quantity!”

CSIRO research, commercial trials and tests have shown that due to acidic soils, 85% of any phosphorus applied in the form of fertiliser such as single super, is locked up and inaccessible to any crop or pasture. To overcome this problem the application of lime is essential, on average 2 – 3 tonnes/ha to try and increase soil pH.

"85% lock-up! This is due to toxic levels of aluminium being released at low soil pH and this is then free to react with and bind-up the freshly applied phosphorus fertiliser."

HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM
The use of mineral fertilisers enables you to unlock and access this bound-up phosphorus and this equates to considerable savings.

"The best solution to this problem is to use silicate-based mineral fertiliser. This puts minerals, trace elements and Rare Earth Elements (REE) back into the soil. It will remineralise the depleted soil and re-invigorate soil vitality,” says Mel.

Silicate based mineral fertiliser is coated with microbes. And unlike chemical fertiliser, mineral fertiliser dramatically increases productivity, digestibility, palatability and nutritional value of plants and plant products.

from http://www.iomat.com.au/page7.htm

 

[Brushtail]

Rexamus616 now that's the sort of information that is invaluable. Schlossi, geology varies area to area. It can help to have some understanding of your local area, in terms of what to expect from the soil profile!
We live in a heavily weathered land scape that has been heavily leeched, soil amendments are a must in some areas.
happy gardening everyone, spring is here!
b

 

[pinkskunk]

who do you mean by they,as for peice of piss,what are you talkin bout 5 plants or somethin? try pullin off 10p + year in year out like majority of aussie growers have to just to get by! its one thing to grow to smoke but when its your livelyhood its no stroll in the park. considder all the factors listed and then add up the odds of any1 of them things happening to you or your plants,the biggest thing you can hope for growing sticky is pure luck! be it lucky enough to check your plants the same day the that first spot of moul appears rather than 2 days later when its fucked every ounce of pot in its path, or lucky enough not to have 2 weeks solid rain in final weeks of flower or lucky enough not ton have some **** sniff out your buds and chop em! you can know all you want,without luck your fucked! so good luck all!

 

[EeJay]

Thanks for that article, rex.

A reminder for all, test your soils.