thinking about growing outdoors, a few questions

[icough2getoff]

So I've only really grown indoors, with hydro but I think that's over for a while so I'm thinking of finding a few plots to plant some clones in this year. There's a few things I'm having a tough time finding info on though.

1. I keep seeing people who dig giant holes and fill it with their own mix. Is this a standard for outdoor growing? Can I just plant 4-5 clones per site and just dig small holes to fill with my own mix just to help them get started?

2. What about watering them? It's not very realisitc for me to visit them more than once every week or two so I can't water them regularly. Will they do ok, or do I need to find a spot near a stream? If I need to plant near water, how close do I plant to the water and is there anything else I need to look for?

sorry if these are really noob questions but they've really been bothering me

 

[jaykush]

hey,

1. you could just dig a smaller hole and start it off but the plant wont yield no where near as much if you give it a lof of space to grow. your mix will always be better for the plant too.

2.find a spot with a stream at least near by, then read this

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=21195

 

[Skunkenstein]

Find a spot that you cn go in and out of undetected..or have a legit reason for being there...the reason you dig a big hole is two-fold.Rootmass=biggerplant..and also keeps the plant from drying out.But as the growth rate increases,so do the watering reqirements.Also if you're going to spend alot of time doing this thing..give em the right soil to begin with..very few area's have all the nutrient requirements to grow decent weed. Ya gotta help em out..You reap what you sow. Having h20 nearby is the best..either way, you'll be haulin water from somewhere,the closer the better!! Ciao!!

 

[icough2getoff]

right on guys, makes sense.

So for watering them are my options basically to either water them regularely, (every few days) or to hook up some kind of irrigation on a timer from a nearby stream?

Also about how big of a hole is sufficient for a healthy plant? I haven't decided what size I would want my plants to grow but probably around 2-3 feet

 

[Skunkenstein]

They say a good rule of thumb is 1gal. of soil for every month you intend to grow...but any decent outdoor strain can chew that up and spit that out..Some strains can really freak out if their root system is too confined..they start showing signs of deficiencies..and most people see those signs and over fertalize..When they just needed more space.I personally would shoot for a 10 gal.hole or container..with agood organic mix. But guarentee you're plant will get bigger than 2-4ft..SO...CHOICES,CHOICES. Smaller holes containers=more frequent watering. But here's a little ditty..If you know the strain, and time it right, you can get the flowering to speed-up by keeping it in just the right size container..rootbound plants will usually flowers sooner than plants in real earth. But that also leads to male bannanas at the end of the flowering...but if it's just for personal...who cares?

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Number 1 and 2 depend on your soil condition and your climate.

Do you know how fertile your native soil is? Do you live in a area with lots of dirt farming(Corn, etc)? If you know it is in good shape, you won't have to do a lot, but how are you sure? If you are not sure, if you do not know how to tell, then it will be easier to just add some of your own soil, it could just be a bag of cheap potting soil, and some basic ferts.

As for watering, does it rain much in the summer where you live? What are the temps like through the warmest part of yopur summer? In my area we get no rain from July to Sept, so I have to provide water twice a week through most of the summer. If it rains every week where you are at, or almost as often, you could probably get away with watering once a week, or once every couple of weeks, or maybe not at all. It just depends.

 

[icough2getoff]

Hey backcountry, thanks for stopping by.

I dont really know how fertile my soil is, but I live in wine country. The weather is always really nice warmest temps getting maybe around 90 in the summertime but it doesn't rain much, so it sounds like I'd have to figure something out kind of like your outdoor res because I dont think hiking twice a week would be very realistic for me.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

So you are in western California I assume? Yes, your summer climate will be similar to mine, dry and hot. Your soil is probably not too great either, unless you are in or near a major river bottom(Sacremento/San Joquien sp? valleys).

 

[icough2getoff]

You're right, western cali is where I'm at. Looking at satellite photos, and from what I remember last summer things get fairly dried up in the summertime so it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what I'm dealing with. I'm not near any river bottoms, I'm more torwards the coast. Well I'll probably have more questions along the way but i think that covers most of it for now. Thanks for all the help everyone

 

[lester gas]

Cough! If you have good soil ( black or brown and crumbly with organic matter) then you can just fertilize with little digging. You can find self-watered places by locating big willows, alders, or maple trees(any kind). These show year round underground water even though water might not show on the surface. It's profoundly cool to let them water themselves because you can leave town without worrying about the plants drying out; and you dont have to visit alot and make trails for rippers and leo to follow. Good luck!