The Question of Transport on game day

So here's how I'm thinkin it'll go:

I get a backpack, put a small shovel, fresh water, fresh soil all in that, and carry one suitcase in each hand. Some sunglasses and fresh water (to drink) for good measure, a compass and some fishing line.

The suitcase would have to be one that's fairly wide so as to allow for 4-5 small pots with the plants each, so that's 8-10 total. I find two sites at least 250 meters apart, mark the boundaries with domestic cat hair (will this keep out predators or attract them???), line the immediate boundaries with fishing line at two levels, about shin and knee-high. Dig holes about 10 inches deep, removing roots and such, make a fair circle of cleared area, and plant 4 here.

Move to the other site, and repeat.

The site should be near the stream (I have one in mind), but not obvious to someone who FOLLOWS the stream up or down to find.. that would be stupid.

It needs mostly early daylight.

I should plant around April 10-20th, after the frost.

Any other suggestions?

why dont you just take the soil and dig the holes now and then when you come back in april you will only have plants and can probably fit them in your backpack.
fishing line,a compass? if you think you might get lost a compass might be a good idea I guess, and it might help you determine east, west, south and how much light a potential spot might get not sure why you would need fishing line.
the more light they receive the better, dont be to concerned with early or late light as there is usually something in the way of one of the other if the plants are not in direct sunlight for most of the day its probably not a very good spot and the plants will not grow or yield very well.

I prepare my sites before I put my seedlings out so that I don't have to return very often and have great success come harvest time. A few suggestions if i may...
1)The deeper the cup or pot the better for root development
2)Place the seedlings into as much wet moisture retaining potting soil as you can haul out to the site. This will insure them a great start.
3)your plants will thank you for a scattering of a slow release nitrogen fertilizer
4)Pay close attention to the existing vegetation. Steer clear of areas of one species of plant or areas that flood in the spring.
5)To prevent sun shock either give your indoor grown seedlings a litttle real sun everyday or cut off a branch and place it just south of your seedling. It will wilt in a day or two giving your plant a steady increase of real sun just like it needs.
6)If you can start with female seeds or female clones, If this is your first year then practice with Nirvana seeds, they are pretty good and very cheap

hope it helps

OK heres a couple more suggestions:

The first and most crucial one has already been mentioned, but it's so very important I will say it again. Get out and prepare your plant sites right away and do not wait until you bring out the plants. It will take much longer than you think, and you do not want to be hanging around that long when you are transporting something illegal like weed seedlings. Also you do not want to be in a rush because thorough preparation is critical in getting good results. Remember that it takes time for these amendments to start to rot / compost in the soil. Next I suggest a fold up type camping shovel if bringing in a full size shovel is not practical. Personally, I would skip the fishing line, the cat hair, and all that kind of stuff. You should not need any of it. I suggest starting seedlings in very large size deep plastic cups. Then tape over the top around the stem to keep the dirt from falling out if they get tiped in transport. Then take another cup the same size, put it on top and tape around the spot where the two cups join and make it like a self contained unit. This works if your plant height is not higher than the depth of the cup and thats why I say large DEEP cups. You can pack a half dozen of these in a small duffel bad or medium napsack. You also need to bring in enough water to water them about 16 oz or .5 liter each. You should bring in some high grade plant mix to go right around each one too. This is why I would only do three each trip. You can then return to the car or home or wherever and get another 3 , etc. For tips on the original preparing of the beds look at some other recent posts of mine. I would not rely on a compass, but I do highly recomend gettting a cheap hand held GPS to mark your spots. Things will look a whole lot different when everything around the area starts to grow, and its easy to get confused. Other suggestions:
timed release ferts, water crystals (crucial), lime if soil is acidic (low PH). A fert meter and a PH meter are great tools also.

Good luck

bob

Thanks all.

I guess I won't bother with the cat hair/fishing line, as those were only to deter rodents and pests. I'm not even sure that's much a problem in the forest I'm planting in.

When exactly should I begin to prepare a site? I suppose in theory I could go shovel away snow in an area and shove some ferts into the ground but it's frozen now for sure and covered in about 3 feet of snow.

I like the idea of taping upside-down pots over pots to carry them, I could for sure then carry them in another backpack much more easily.

I forgot to mention, I do have a PH/nute test system (for N/P/K) which I will for sure be bringing along to test various sites.

I'll scout out more areas with more open canopies when some of the snow melts more towards spring, and yes I'm working with clones I plan to take from my babies which are sitting under CFLs right now. They're blueberry/c99 hybrids, which as far as I've heard can tend to be picky about environment so I am a little anxious about that.

I'll also have to verify which of my 3 current plants are potentially females (and males - I'd actually like to do some indoor breeding and outdoor fem-growing) when I'm able to take pictures this weekend I'll post and see if you guys can tell from that.

As for materials this is the revised list:

backpack carrying:
-camping shovel (or would a beefy trowel work?)
-water crystals
-slow-release nitrogen
-moist potting soil
-PH/N/P/K test kit
-jug for water - I could actually use stream water and carry a smaller bottle

other bag:
-for plants

anything else essential? GPS isn't really a possibility unfortunately, and instead I was thinking of using landmarks and drawing out a map to the site (this forest is pretty damn big, but manageable).

I also heard ideal sites are on a bit of a slope, is this true?

In my first few years I had a lot of sites that were flops, the plants just didn't thrive there. I picked great spots in terms of privacy but because they took forever to get there so I couldn't bring in much. What I found out the hard way was how to find the good spots with preexisting great soil.
1)Stay away from acidic soil, usually pine trees and swampy areas are an indication of that
2)Marijuana needs soil that has good drainage, loose soil with a bit of sand in it is what it prefers
3)It is a bit late now but the vegetation growing there will tell you if its a good site. I've got two great sites, I can barely walk through the thick rich overgrowth that sourrounds the place mid summer

there is a learning curve in all this, don't expect to be greatly successful your first year, you will get better and better. spread them out to different locations, never put your eggs all in one basket

I agree with Nitepharmer that staying away from real acidic soil is the very best option. However, in some places like most of GA and AL, almost all of the soil is quite acidic and finding sites that are not can be real difficult. A possibly less suitable but secondary solution is to raise the PH with pulverized lime and lots of good plant mix. A batt type PH meter can be a help. This should be done a minimum of one month prior to plant time, and ideally it should be done in the fall, re-tested a couple times over the winter, and adjusted further if needed.

good luck

bob

thanks unclebob for that tip on taping one cup over the top to protect the little plants in transport, I never thought of that and sometimes damage the little girls in the trip to the great outdoors. Next year when I go to a local 7-11 to buy my big gulp cups, that's what I grow in, I'll double the order.

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Originally Posted by tybeet

I get a backpack, put a small shovel, fresh water, fresh soil all in that, and carry one suitcase in each hand.

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Suitcases? Sketch. No friggin way. A big backpack with a cardboard box inside it to keep the plants from getting crushed. Seriously. Who goes hiking wiht a fucking suitcase? lol!!!!
And instead of a shovel, get yourself a hand mattock. They have them at any garden store, walmart, etc. It's like a hatchet but the blade is turned 90 dgrees, and there's a fork on the other side. You can use it like a shovel, keep it sharp to cut through roots (a major issue with prepping an outdoor spot) and the fork for breaking up clumps.

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Originally Posted by tybeet

line the immediate boundaries with fishing line at two levels, about shin and knee-high. Dig holes about 10 inches deep, removing roots and such, make a fair circle of cleared area, and plant 4 here.

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This fishing line isn't a BAD idea but that netting that they sell to protect berry crops from birds is great... just put it over the plants. Do all your prep this winter. If I were you I'd take soil samples home and test them for pH. You might also consider taking vermiculite with you to lighten the soil. Perlite is too obvious, and not really something I'd feel comfortable leavig in the woods.
Move to the other site, and repeat. [/QUOTE]

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Originally Posted by tybeet

The site should be near the stream

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That will save you watering trouble.

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Originally Posted by tybeet

It needs mostly early daylight.

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True! Like roses, which are also prone to mold diseases, early morning light to dry the dew will make your life easier.

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Originally Posted by tybeet

I should plant around April 10-20th, after the frost.

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Don't forget to 'harden off' your plants like tomatoes.
Also, the earlier you plant, the bigger the trees... you may have to train them a couple times to not grow up and be all huge and obvious