Who's going guerrilla this year?

[Team Microbe]

I'd like to make this a platform for people to share not only their experiences in the bush, but their farming methods, soil mixes, watering systems, security measures, site searching tips, mistakes, and everything in between...
​

I guess I'll start by sharing what my buddy and I have been up to lately:

Location #1 - "Terrapin Station"

This railroad borders a swamp and has great security, however it's high in clay so we needed to bring in a few loads of peat moss to mix into the native soil (to complete a new Hugelkultur bed). Everything is dropped off in the shadow of the moon - near the front of the entrance, then hauled back into the swamp around 1 a.m. - we work until it begins to get bright then leave. The rail cart is stashed nearby under a tree and guarded by a few Terrapin Turtles. Nobody fucks.

Location #2 - "Crane's Nest"

Blow up kayaks are super handy (and lightweight) to carry around after a hard day's work. We travel by water to prevent having to travel through civilization to get to this patch, and it also cuts down on our to & from trails

Location #3 - "Down South"

One of our locations freshly cleared and planted. We scattered around 40 cuttings all along these banks for a set & forget type-deal. We're hoping the plants will be able to send a tap-root down into the water table here pretty much.

We use clone shippers and empty tennis ball cans to transfer cuts outside, and pack them into big hiking backpacks for the transport. We fit about 33 ready-to-go cuts in this one pack I think

9 lb Hammer

 

[_tessarecting]

Nope

 

[Eletrile DeMaid]

swamp tubes

 

[Team Microbe]

Hugelkultur down in the swamp

Hugelkultur down in the swamp

My partner and I decided to give Hugelkultur a try this season, I have high hopes for this bed for years to come...

The trench - this was a very shallow feeder stream at one time and dried up over the past 4 years. The soil left behind is still high in clay, but it's much richer than the native surrounding it. We followed the curve of the depression when digging the bed in hopes to blend it into the landscape better.

We fill it with dead wood to break down over time, which not only feeds the soil but it will retain more moisture during the dry season (since organic matter soaks water up so well). The roots will have a nice, moist, cool place to be when the top layer begins to heat up.

We backfilled with half native soil, and half peat moss/perlite/lime to fluff up the density of the bed. Now we just have to work in a light nutrient kit and some cover crop...

Holy Rhodi (Purple Rhodi by RedyeGenetics x Church by Greenhouse Seeds) a few weeks after transplant. This strain was bred about 300 yards up the hill from here so she's acclimated to the area fairly well. It's amazing what acclimation can do... this strain towers over every other strain I have in every location. I'm one proud papa!

Does anyone else breed out in the bush? If so, share your creations!

 

[Team Microbe]

swamp tubes

Nice man, what's your medium look like for those tubes?

 

[corky1968]

The cool thing is that if you maintain those spots.

Next year, will be really easy sailing.

 

[Team Microbe]

"Just goes to show, you don't ever know..."

"Just goes to show, you don't ever know..."

The cool thing is that if you maintain those spots.

Next year, will be really easy sailing.

I agree, I've had Terrapin Station going for 3 years in a row now without being compromised - the other three are new locations so that should be interesting.

It's so funny... I heard a story about a guy that had 8 seasons under his belt at this one overgrown spot behind a supermarket. Then one day he went back to harvest and they were bulldozing the entire parcel for a new parking lot. He couldn't believe it...

 

[corky1968]

My partner and I decided to give Hugelkultur a try this season

Hugelkultur, now that's cool way to do things. I was looking at a swampy spot
and was wondering how to grow there next year. This method looks pretty good.

Hugelkultur: the ultimate raised garden beds

 

[Team Microbe]

Hugelkultur, now that's cool way to do things. I was looking at a swampy spot
and was wondering how to grow there next year. This method looks pretty good.

Hugelkultur: the ultimate raised garden beds

That link is golden my friend!

Here are a few shots of the bed in action:

The One (1976 Highland Thai x 1971 Kandahar Afghani)

Bad angle, but we sprinkled a little crimson clover after building the bed... turns out a little bit goes a long way

 

[redlaser]

looks like a really nice effort, interested to see the hugekulture beds in the future. Do you post on IG? the railroad cart looks familiar, although I'm sure more than one grower has thought of that.
I use to have a few plants along the railroad tracks next to my house and would visit at night to water. It wasn't an active track maybe eight times a year a train would go by. One night though a R.R. worker in one of those pickups that can ride the rails flew past me in the ditch almost before I could get out of site.

 

[Capitan Crunch]

Awesome method. New one for me to ingest!

 

[Team Microbe]

looks like a really nice effort, interested to see the hugekulture beds in the future. Do you post on IG? the railroad cart looks familiar, although I'm sure more than one grower has thought of that.
I use to have a few plants along the railroad tracks next to my house and would visit at night to water. It wasn't an active track maybe eight times a year a train would go by. One night though a R.R. worker in one of those pickups that can ride the rails flew past me in the ditch almost before I could get out of site.

I do frequent other platforms so yes, it may be the same cart.

that's too funny man... those guys honestly come out of NOWHERE sometimes!

I had some R.R. workers find my cart on the tracks loaded with peat moss bales wrapped in a black contractor bags late one night. It was like 11pm and they randomly pulled up for a check-up on the track. I darted out into the woods when they drove through the skinny side road parallel to the tracks, with no time to derail the cart/bales. They looked at it for a second, then casually just unloaded the bales and the cart itself just after saying, "Hmmmm, haha well that's something new."

They saw my car parked on the side about 10 ft into a clearing in the woods and turned their flashlights on to search for me. I kept jogging deeper and deeper into the bush, the only thing that saved me really was my red headlamp - it let me get away without really giving away my location. I had to get new plates and a new car before driving back to the same location, but in my eyes those guys didn't really give a shit what was going on. Even if they did, they would never be able to connect me to the said patches off of the tracks because we enter from the opposite side of town with a legitimate alibi. I bet they just wanted to get work over with, go home and drink a beer

 

[Team Microbe]

Awesome method. New one for me to ingest!

Thanks man, it's an old one dating back to the late 70's


This one applies well for this area, however it's pretty labor intensive and would be difficult to carry out for every patch. Different locations call for different methods I've learned, if you don't go with the flow nature bites you right in the ass

 

[Eletrile DeMaid]

what's your medium look like for those tubes?

The medium is compost with equal parts perlite to save weight. Tubes are fence wire rolled about 10" across and 3' tall. Half the tube is filled with 5 gallons of compost/perlite mix and sits in 3"- 6" of standing water. Once established, in 3 - 4 weeks, the plants are self watering.

 

[Punisher 421]

I built my compost pile with the hooglekulture method. It worked out great but I ended up building a bin for it to keep animals out but still put the rotted logs in the bottom

 

[Team Microbe]

The medium is compost with equal parts perlite to save weight. Tubes are fence wire rolled about 10" across and 3' tall. Half the tube is filled with 5 gallons of compost/perlite mix and sits in 3"- 6" of standing water. Once established, in 3 - 4 weeks, the plants are self watering.

Nice man!

I built my compost pile with the hooglekulture method. It worked out great but I ended up building a bin for it to keep animals out but still put the rotted logs in the bottom

Very cool

 

[Punisher 421]

Thanks microbe. It seems to be working very well indeed!!

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

My partner and I decided to give Hugelkultur a try this season, I have high hopes for this bed for years to come...

View Image
The trench - this was a very shallow feeder stream at one time and dried up over the past 4 years. The soil left behind is still high in clay, but it's much richer than the native surrounding it. We followed the curve of the depression when digging the bed in hopes to blend it into the landscape better.


View Image
We fill it with dead wood to break down over time, which not only feeds the soil but it will retain more moisture during the dry season (since organic matter soaks water up so well). The roots will have a nice, moist, cool place to be when the top layer begins to heat up.


View Image
We backfilled with half native soil, and half peat moss/perlite/lime to fluff up the density of the bed. Now we just have to work in a light nutrient kit and some cover crop...


View Image
Holy Rhodi (Purple Rhodi by RedyeGenetics x Church by Greenhouse Seeds) a few weeks after transplant. This strain was bred about 300 yards up the hill from here so she's acclimated to the area fairly well. It's amazing what acclimation can do... this strain towers over every other strain I have in every location. I'm one proud papa!

Does anyone else breed out in the bush? If so, share your creations!

love the huglekulture bed. i got high hopes for mine as well next year. the 2nd year is when they suppose to perform at their best from what i have read. its suppose to be self watering and self feeding.

 

[cannaisok]

nice, project you have!
I did guerilla outdoor many years ago and when i see your grow i remember the good times
i living at 50°N, is it too late to start guerilla now?
what if somebody had a 2 week old plant in a pot and would put this 12inch girl outside in a nice hidden place? only heard of people starting in april or may, june.
Still about 3-4weeks of veg before time goes under 13,5h and they start to flower... but raptors and replantshock...
what would you experienced guys say? let it under a 400w or put outside
thanks

 

[Team Microbe]

nice, project you have!
I did guerilla outdoor many years ago and when i see your grow i remember the good times
i living at 50°N, is it too late to start guerilla now?
what if somebody had a 2 week old plant in a pot and would put this 12inch girl outside in a nice hidden place? only heard of people starting in april or may, june.
Still about 3-4weeks of veg before time goes under 13,5h and they start to flower... but raptors and replantshock...
what would you experienced guys say? let it under a 400w or put outside
thanks

Outside! Better late than never I always say...

I've put girls that big outside on August 1st before, so that probably eqautes to this time at your latitude I'm guessing. They didn't get too tall, maybe 4'-5' but they still gave me a few ounces each. This is a great time to start late crops for areas that won't allow for big plants usually due to being in a suburban environment)