(Type Complete Cost Bulb Cost Bulb Life Lumens)
HPS 400 $219 $40 18k hours 50k
MH 400 $175 $37 10k hours 36k
Son Agro400 $235 $55 15k hours 53k
Super MH400 $190 $45 ?? 40k
MH 250 $149 $32 ?? 21k
HPS 250 $165 $36 ?? 27k
HPS agro250 $180 $53 ?? 30k
MH 150 $139 $25 ?? 14k
HPS 175 $150 $30 ?? 17k
If your looking for these types of lamps, look in the Yellow Pages under gardening, nurseries,
and lighting for indoor gardening stores in your area.
SEA OF GREEN
Sea of Green (SOG) is the theory of harvesting lots of small plants, matured early to get the
fastest production of buds available. Instead of growing a few plants for a longer period of
time, in the same space many smaller plants are grown that mature faster and in less time.
Thus, less time is required between crops. This is important to you when the electricity bill
comes each month. One crop can be started while another is maturing, and a continuous
harvest, year round can be maintained. 4 plants per square foot will be a good start for
seedlings. 1 plant per square foot will allow plenty of room for each plant to grow a large top
cola, but will not allow for much bottom branching. This is OK since indoors, these bottom
branches are always shaded anyway, and will not grow very well unless given additional light
and space. The indoor grower quickly realizes that plants that are too tall do not produce
enough at the bottom to make the extra growing time used worth while. An exception to this
rule would be if it is intended the plants are to go outside at some point, and it is expected that
the light/shading issue will not be a factor at that point.
The plants, if started at the same time, should create what is called a "green canopy" that traps
most of the light at the top level of the plants. Little light will penetrate below this level, since
the plants are so close together. The gardener is attempting to concentrate on the top of the
plant, and use the light and space to the best advantage, in as little time as possible. Use of
nylon poultry fence or similar trellising laid out over the green canopy will support the plants
as they start to droop under the weight of heavy fruiting tops. Stakes can be used too, but are
not as easy to install for plants in the middle and back of the room, where reach is more
difficult.
It's easy to want big plants, since they will produce more yield per plant, but it's usually better
with limited space to grow smaller plants that mature faster and pack into smaller spaces. Sea
of Green was developed in Holland. Instead of fitting 4 large plants in that small room, fit 12
small ones on a shelf above 12 other small plants. These plants take only 3-4 months to
mature from germination to ripe buds, and harvesting takes place constantly, since there is
both a vegetative and flowering area devoted to each, with harvests every 45-60 days.
It's not the size of the plant, but the maturity and quality of the product that counts. Twice as
many plants grown half as big will fill the grow space twice as fast, so harvests take place
almost twice as often. Get good at picking early flowering plants, and propagate only those
that are of the best quality.
6" square containers will allow for 4 plants per square foot. You may also gauge by the size of
your growing tray (for passive hydroponics); I like kitty litter boxes. ($3 each at Target)
Planted 4 per square foot, (for vegetative seedlings) a 12 sq. ft. closet will hold 48 seedlings
on one shelf. In my case, I use 4" rockwool cubes that fit into kitty litter pans @ 12 cubes per
pan. I can get 5 pans onto a 12 sq. ft. closet upper shelf, so that is 60 seedlings on one small
shelf!
For flowering indoors, 1 plant per sq. ft. is a good rule of thumb for SOG. If less plants are
grown in this size space, it will take them longer to fill the space, thus more electricity and
time will be used to create the same amount of product. If more than one plant p.s.f. is
attempted, the grower will soon find that plants thus crowded tend to be more stem than bud,
and the total harvest may be reduced, so be cautious.
It's good to avoid "topping" your plants if you want them to grow as fast as possible. It's better
just to grow 2 or 4 times more plants, since they will produce more, faster, in the same space.
Also, "training" plants with twist-ties is a great way to get them to bush out a bit. Just take
any type of plastic or paper twist tie and wrap it around the top of the plant, then pull it over
until the top is bent over 90-180 degrees and then attach this to the main stem lower on the
plant. Do this for one week and then release the plant from it's bond. The plant can be trained
in this fashion to take less vertical space and to grow bushier, to fill the grow space and force
lower limbs to grow upward and join the green canopy. This technique takes advantage of the
fact that if the top is pulled over, it creates a hormonal condition in the plant that makes it
bush out at all lower internodes.
Sea of Green entails growing to harvest the main cola (top) of the plant. Bottom branches are
trimmed to increase air flow under the "blanket" of growing tops. Use these cuttings for
clones, as they are the easiest part of the plant to root. It's also the fastest part of the plant to
regenerate after flowering has occurred.
GERMINATION
Germinate seeds in sterile soil (for planting outdoors) or a hydroponic medium of rockwool or
vermiculite. DO NOT (!) use a Jiffy cube #7 to germinate seeds. Informal tests and
experience show these peat cubes do not work well and stunt the plants growth. Planting in
vermiculite gives the seedling so much oxygen, and are so easy for roots to grow in, that the
plants look large 1 week after germination!
Keep them moist at all times, by placing seeds in vermiculite filled 16oz cups with holes in
the bottom, placed in a tray of weak nutrient solution, high in P. Rockwool cubes also work
extremely well. When the seed sprouts, place the rockwool cubes into larger rockwool cubes.
No repotting or transplanting, and no soil mixing!
You can germinate seeds in a paper towel. This method is tricky; it's easy to ruin roots if they
dry out, or are planted too late after germinating. Paper towels dry out REAL FAST! Place
paper towel in a bowl, saturated with weak nutrient solution (not too much!), and cover with
plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Put bowl in a warm area; top of the gas stove, water
heater closet, or above warm lamps. Cover with black paper to keep out light. Check every 12
hours and plant germinated seeds with the grow tip up (if possible) in a growing medium as
soon as the root coming out of the seed is 1/16" or longer. Use tweezers, and don't touch the
root tip.
Transplant as little as possible by germinating in the same container you intend to grow the
plant in for a significant period of time. Just plant in vermiculite or rockwool. You will be
amazed at the results! 90% germination is common with this method, as compared to 50% or
less with Jiffy Cubes. (Your mileage may vary.)
5-55-17 plant food such as Peter's Professional will stimulate root growth of the germinating
seed and the new seedlings. Use a very dilute solution, in distilled water, about 1/3 normal
strength, and keep temperatures between 72-80 degrees. Warm temperatures are very
important. Many growers experience low germination rate if the temperatures are out of this
range. A heating pad set to low or medium may be necessary, or a shelf constantly warmed by
a light may do, but test it with a few seeds first, before devoting next years crop to it. No light
is necessary and may slow germination. Cover germinating seeds with black paper to keep out
light. Place seedlings in the light once they sprout.
Plan on transplanting only once or twice before harvest. Use the biggest containers possible
for the space and number of seedlings you plan to start. Plants will suffer if continuously
transplanted and delay harvesting. You will suffer too, from too much work! 13 2-liter plastic
soda bottles filled with vermiculite/pearlite will fit in a cat box tray, and will not require
transplanting for the first harvest, if you intend to grow hydroponically. Transplant them for a
second regenerated harvest.
Cut holes in the bottom of containers and fill the last few inches at the top with vermiculite
only, to start seeds or accept seedling transplants. Since vermiculite holds water well, wicks
water well, but does not hold too much water, roots always have lots of oxygen, even if they
are sitting in a tray full of water. A hydrogen peroxide based plant food is used to get extra
oxygen to the plants when the pans are kept continuously full. The water can be allowed to
recede each time after watering, before new solution is added. This allows the plants roots to
dry somewhat, and make sure they are getting enough oxygen.
Use SuperSoil brand potting soil, as it is excellent and sterilized. If you insist on using dirt
from the yard, sterilize it in the microwave or oven until it gets steamy.(NOT
RECOMMENDED) Sterilize the containers with a bleach solution, especially if they have
been used a previous season for another plant.
VEGETATIVE GROWTH
Once sprouted, the plant starts vegetative growth. This means the plant will be
photosynthesizing as much as possible to grow tall and start many grow tips at each pair of
leaves. A grow tip is the part that can be cloned or propagated asexually. They are located at
the top of the plant, and every major internode. If you "top" the plant, it then has two grow
tips at the top. If you top each of these, you will have 4 grow tips at the top of the plant.
(Since it takes time for the plant to heal and recover from the trauma of being pruned, it faster
to grow 4 smaller plants and not top them at all. Or grow 2 plants, and "train" them to fill the
same space. Most growers find)
All plants have a vegetative stage where they are growing as fast as possible after the plant
first germinates from seed. It is possible to grow plants with no dark period, and increase the
speed at which they grow by 15-30&. Plants can be grown vegetatively indefinitely. It is up to
the gardener to decide when to force the plant to flower. A plant can grow from 12" to 12'
before being forced to flower, so there is a lot of latitude here for each gardener to manage the
garden based on goals and space available.
A solution of 20-20-20 with trace minerals is used for both hydroponic and soil gardening
when growing continuously under lights. Miracle Grow Patio or RapidGrow plant food is
good for this. A high P plant food such as Peter's 5-50-17 food is used for blooming and
fruiting plants when beginning 12 hour days. Epsom salts (1tsp) should be used in the solution
for magnesium and sulfur minerals. Trace minerals are needed too, if your food does not
include them. Miracle Grow Patio includes these trace elements, and is highly recommended.
Keep lights on continuously for sprouts, since they require no darkness period like older
plants. You will not need a timer unless you want to keep the lamps off during a certain time
each day. Try to light the plants for 18 or more hours, or continuously at this point.
Bend a young plant's stem back and forth to force it to be very thick and strong. Spindly stems
can not support heavy flowering growth. An internal oscillating fan will reduce humidity on
the leave's stomata and improve the stem strength as well. The importance of internal air
circulation can not be stressed enough. It will excerize the plants and make them grow
stronger, while reducing many hazards that could ruin your crop.
HYDROPONIC VEGETATIVE SOLUTION, per gallon:
Miracle Grow Patio (contains trace elements) 1 teaspoon
Epsom salts 1/2 teaspoon
Human Urine (OPTIONAL - may create odors indoors.) 1/4 cup
Oxygen Plus Plant Food (OPTIONAL) 1 teaspoon
This mixture will insure your plants are getting all major and minor nutrients in solution, and
will also be treating your plants with oxygen for good root growth, and potassium nitrate for
good burning qualities. Another good GROWTH PHASE mix is 1/4 tsp. Peter's 20/20/20
fertilizer per gallon of water, with trace elements and oxygen added, or fish emulsion. Fish
emulsion is great in the green-house or outdoors, where smells are not an issue, but is not
recommended for indoors, due to its strong odor.
FLOWERING
The the plant will be induced to fruit or flower with dark cycles of 11-13 hours that simulate
the oncoming winter in the fall as the days grow shorter. As a consequence, it works out well
indoors to have two separate areas; one that is used for the initial vegetative state and one that
is used for flowering and fruiting. There is no other requirement other than to keep the dark
cycle for flowering very dark with no light interruptions, as this can stall flowering by days or
weeks.
Once a plant is big enough to mature (12" or over), dark periods are required for most plants
to flower and bear fruit. This will require putting the lamp on a timer, to create regular and
strict dark periods of uninterrupted light. In the greenhouse, the same effect can be created in
the Summer (long days) by covering it with a blanket to make longer night periods. A strict
schedule of covering the plants at 8pm and uncovering them at 8am for 2 weeks will start
your plants to flowering. After the first 2 weeks, the schedule can be relaxed a little, but it will
still be necessary to continue this routine for the plants to completely flower without reverting
back to vegetative growth.
Outdoors, Spring and Fall, the nights are sufficiently long to induce flowering at all times.
Merely bring the plants from indoors to the outside at these times, and the plants will flower
naturally. In late Summer, with Fall approaching, it may be necessary only to force flowering
the first two weeks, then the rapidly lengthening nights will do the rest.
Give flowering plants high P plant food and keep them on a strict light regimen of 12 hours,
with no light, or no more than a full moon during the dark cycle. 13 hours light, 11 dark may
increase flower size while still allowing the plant to go into the flowering mode. Use longer
dark periods to speed maturity toward the end of the flowering cycle if speed is of the
essence. (8-10 days) This will however, reduce total yield.
Two shelves can be used, one identical to the other, if strictly indoor gardening is desired.
One shelf's lights are set for 12-13 hours, and one is lit continuously. Plants are started in
continuous light, and are moved to the other shelf to flower to maturity after several weeks.
This flowering shelf should be bigger than the "starting" or "vegetative" shelf, so that it can
accommodate larger plants. Or, some plants can be taken outside if there is not enough space
on the flowering shelf for all of them near harvesting.
A light tight curtain can be made from black vinyl, or other opaque material, with a reflective
material on the other side to reflect light back to the plants. This curtain can be tied with cord
when rolled up to work on the garden, and can be velcroed down in place to make sure no
light leaks in or out. If the shelf is placed up high, it will not be very noticeable, and will fit in
any room. Visitors will never notice it unless you point it out to them, since it is above eye
level, and no light is being emitted from it.
Flowering plants like very high P level foods, such as 5-50-17, but 10-20-10 should be
adequate. Nutrients should be provided with each watering when first flowering.
Trace elements are necessary too; try to find foods that include these, so you don't have to use
a separate trace element food too. Home improvement centers sell trace element solutions rich
in iron for lawn deficiencies, and these can be adapted for use in cultivating the herb. Prices
for these mass produced fertilizers are significantly cheaper than the specialized hydroponic
fertilizers sold in indoor gardening shops, and seem to work just fine.
HYDROPONIC FLOWERING SOLUTION, per gallon:
1 tsp. high P plant food, such as 15-30-15, or 5-50-17, etc.
1/2 tsp. epsom salts
1 tsp. Oxygen Plus Plant Food (Optional)
1 tsp. Trace Element food
I cannot stress enough that during the FLOWERING PHASE, the dark period should not be
violated by normal light. It delays flower development due to hormones in the plant that react
to light. If you must work on the plants during this time, allow only as much light as a VERY
pale moon can provide for less than 5 minutes. Keep pruning to a minimum during the entire
FLOWERING PHASE.
A green light can be used to work on the garden during the dark period with no negative
reactions from the plants. These are sold as nursery safety lights, but any green bulb should be
OK. It is best to keep the dark hours a time when you would normally not wish to visit the
garden. Personally, I like my garden lit from 7pm to 7am, since it allows me to visit the
garden at night after work and in the morning before work, and all day long, while I'm too
busy to worry about it, it lies unlit and undisturbed, flowering away...
Flowering plants should not be sprayed often as this will promote mold and rot. Keep
humidity levels down indoors when flowering, as this is the most delicate time for the plants
in this regard.
Early flowering is noticed 1-2 weeks after turning back the lights to 12 hour days. Look for 2
white hairs emerging from a small bulbous area at every internode. This is the easiest way to
verify females early on. You can not tell a male from a female by height, or bushiness.
3-6 weeks after turning back the lights, your plants will be covered with these white pistils
emerging from every growtip on the plant. It will literally be covered with them. These are the
mature flowers, as they continue to grow and cover the plant. Some plants will do this
indefinitely until the lights are turned back yet again. At the point you feel your ready to see
the existing flowers become ripe ( you feel the plant has enough flowers), turn the lights back
to 8-10 hours. Now the plant will start to ripen quickly, and should be ready to harvest in 2-3
weeks. The alternative, is to allow the plant to ripen with whatever natural day length is
available outside, or keep the plants on a constant 12 hour regimen for the entire flowering
process, which may increase yield, but takes longer.
Plants can be flowered in the final stages outdoors, even if the days are too long for normal
flowering to occur. Once the plant has almost reached peak floral development, it is too far
gone to revert quickly to vegetative growth, and final flowering will occur regardless. This
will free up precious indoor space sooner, for the next batch of clones to be flowered.
Look for the white hairs to turn red, orange or brown, and the false seed pods ( you did pull
the males, right?) to swell with resins. When most of the pistils have turned color (~80%), the
flowers are ripe to harvest.
Don't touch those buds! Touch only the large fan leaves if you want to inspect the buds, as the
THC will come off on your fingers and reduce the overall yield if mishandled.
HYDROPONICS
Most growers report that a hydroponic system will grow plants faster than a soil medium,
given the same genetics and environmental conditions. This may be due to closer attention
and more control of nutrients, and more access to oxygen. The plants can breath easier, and
therefor, take less time to grow. One report has it that plants started in soil matured after
hydroponic plants started 2 weeks later!
Fast growth allows for earlier maturation and shorter total growing time per crop. Also, with
soil mixtures, plant growth tends to slow when the plants become root-bound. Hydroponics
provides even, rapid growth with no pauses for transplant shock and eliminates the
labor/materials of repotting if rockwool is used. (Highly recommended!)
By far the easiest hydroponic systems to use are the wick and reservoir systems. These are
referred to as Passive Hydroponic methods, because they require no water distribution system
on an active scale (pump, drain, flow meter and path). The basis of these systems is that water
will wick to where you want it if the medium and conditions are correct.
The wick system is more involved than the reservoir system, since the wicks must be cut and
placed in the pots, correct holes must be cut in the pots, and a spacer must be created to place
the plants up above the water reservoir below. This can be as simple as two buckets, one fit
inside the other, or a kiddie pool with bricks in it that the pots rest on, elevating them out of
the nutrient solution.
I find the wick setup to be more work than the reservoir system. Initial setup is a pain with
wicks, and the plants sit higher in the room, taking up precious vertical space. The base the
pot sits on may not be very stable compared to a reservoir system, and a knocked over plant
will never be the same as an untouched plant, due to stress and shock in recovery.
The reservoir system needs only a good medium suited to the task, and a pan to sit a pot in. If
rockwool slabs are used, a half slab of 12" rockwool fits perfectly into a kitty litter pan. The
roots spread out in very desirable horizontal fashion and have a lot of room to grow. Plants
grown in this manner are very robust because they get a great deal of oxygen at the roots.
Plants grown with reservoir hydroponics grow at about the same rate as wicks or other active
hydroponic methods, with much less effort required, since it is by far the simplest of
hydroponic methods. Plants can be watered and feed by merely pouring solution into the
reservoir every few days. The pans take up very little vertical space and are easy to handle
and move around.
In a traditional hydroponic method, pots are filled with lava/ vermiculite mix of 4 to 1. Dolite
Lime is added, one Tbs. per gallon of growing medium. This medium will wick and store
water, but has excellent drainage and air storage capacity as well. It is however, not very
reusable, as it is difficult to recapture and sterilize after harvest. Use small size lava, 3/8" pea
size, and rinse the dust off it, over and over, until most of it is gone. Wet the vermiculite
(dangerous dry, wear a mask) and mix into pots. Square pots hold more than round.
Vermiculite will settle to bottom after repeated watering from the top, so only water from the
top occasionally to leach any mineral deposits, and put more vermiculite on the top than the
bottom. Punch holes in the bottom of the pots, and add water to the pan. It will be wicked up
to the roots and the plants will have all they need to flourish.
The reservoir is filled with 1 1/2 - 3 inches of water and allowed to recede between waterings.
When possible, use less solution and water more often, to pull more oxygen to the roots faster
over time. If you go away on vacation, simply fill the reservoirs full to the top, and the plants
will be watered for 2 weeks at least.
One really great hydroponic medium is Oasis floral foam. Stick lots of holes into it to open it
up a little, and start plants/clones in it, moving the cube of foam to rockwool later for larger
growth stages. Many prefer floral foam, as it is inert, and adds no PH factors. It's expensive
though, and tends to crumble easily. I'm also not sure it's very reusable, but it seems to be a
popular item at the indoor gardening centers.
Planting can be made easier with hydroponic mediums that require little setup such as
rockwool. Rockwool cubes can be reused several times, and are premade to use for
hydroponics. Some advantages of rockwool are that it is impossible to over water and there is
no transplanting. Just place the plant's cube on top of a larger rockwool cube and enjoy your
extra leisure time.
Some find it best to save money by not buying rockwool and spending time planting in soil or
hydroponic mediums such as vermiculite/lava mix. Pearlite is nice, since it is so light. Pearlite
can be used instead of or in addition to lava, which must be rinsed and is much heavier.
But rockwool has many advantages that are not appreciated until you spend hours repotting;
take a second look. It is not very expensive, and it is reusable. It's more stable than floral
foam, which crunches and powders easily. Rockwool holds 10 times more water than soil, yet
is impossible to over-water, because it always retains a high percentage of air. Best of all,
there is no transplanting; just place a starter cube into a rockwool grow cube, and when the
plant gets very large, place that cube on a rockwool slab. Since rockwool is easily reused over
and over, the cost is divided by 3 or 4 crops, and ends up costing no more than vermiculite
and lava, which is much more difficult to reclaim, sterilize and reuse (repot) when compared
to rockwool. Vermiculite is also very dangerous when dry, and ends up getting in the carpet
and into the air when you touch it (even wet), since it drys on the fingers and becomes
airborne. For this reason, I do not recommend vermiculite indoors.
Rockwool's disadvantages are relatively few. It is alkaline PH, so you must use something in
the nutrient solution to make it acidic (5.5) so that it brings the rockwool down from 7.7, to
6.5 (vinegar works great.) And it is irritating to the skin when dry, but is not a problem when
wet.
To pre-treat rockwool for planting, soak it in a solution of fish emulsion, trace mineral
solution and phosphoresic acid (PH Down) for 24 hours, then rinse. This will decrease the
need for PH worries later on, as it buffers the rockwool PH to be fairly neutral.
Hydroponics should be used indoors or in greenhouses to speed the growth of plants, so you
have more bud in less time. Hydroponics allows you to water the plants daily, and this will
speed growth. The main difference between hydroponics and soil growing is that the
hydroponic soil or "medium"is made to hold moisture, but drain well, so that there are no
over-watering problems associated with continuous watering. Also, hydroponically grown
plants do not derive nutrients from soil, but from the solution used to water the plants.
Hydroponics reduces worries about mineral buildup in soil, and lack of oxygen to suffocating
roots, so leaching is usually not necessary with hydroponics.
Hydroponics allows you to use smaller containers for the same given size plant, when
compared to growing in soil. A 3/4 gallon pot can easily take a small hydroponically grown
plant to maturity. This would be difficult to do in soil, since nutrients are soon used up and
roots become cut-off from oxygen as they become root-bound in soil. This problem does not
seem to occur nearly as quickly for hydroponic plants, since the roots can still take up
nutrients from the constant solution feedings, and the medium passes on oxygen much more
readily when the roots become bound in the small container.
Plant food is administered with most waterings, and allows the gardener to strictly control
what nutrients are available to the plants at the different stages of plant growth. Watering can
be automated to some degree with simple and cheap drip system apparatus, so take advantage
of this when possible.
Hydroponics will hasten growing time, so it takes less time to harvest after planting. It makes
sense to use simple passive hydroponic techniques when possible. Hydroponics may not be
desirable if your growing outdoors, unless you have a greenhouse.
CAUTION: it is necessary keep close watch of plants to be sure they are never allowed to dry
too much when growing hydroponically, or roots will be damaged. If you will not be able to
tend to the garden every day, be sure the pans are filled enough to last until next time you
return, or you can easily lose your crop.
More traditional hydroponic methods (active) are not discussed here. I don't see any point in
making it more difficult than it needs to be. It is necessary to change the solution every month
if your circulating it with a pump, but the reservoir system does away with this problem. Just
rinse the medium once a month or so to prevent salts build up by watering from the top of the
pot or rockwool cube with pure water. Change plant foods often to avoid deficiencies in the
plants. I recommend using 2 different plant foods for each phase of growth, or 4 foods total,
to lessen chances of any type of deficiency.
Change the solution more often if you notice the PH is going down quickly (too acid). Due to
cationic exchange, solution will tend to get too acid over time, and this will cause nutrients to
become unavailable to the plants. Check PH of the medium every time you water to be sure
no PH issues are occurring.
Algae will tend to grow on the medium with higher humidities in hydroponics. It will turn a
slab of rockwool dark green. To prevent this, use the plastic cover the rockwool came in to
cover rockwool slab tops, with holes cut for the plants to stick out of it. It's easy to cut a
packaged slab of rockwool into two pieces, then cut the end of the plastic off each piece. You
now have two pieces of slab, each covered with plastic except on the very ends. Now cut 2 or
3 4" square holes in the top to place cubes on it, and place each piece in a clean litter pan.
Now your ready to treat the rockwool as described above in anticipation of planting.
If growing in pots, a layer of gravel at the top of a pot may help reduce algae growth, since it
will dry very quickly. Algae is merely messy and unsightly; it will not actually cause any
complications with the plants.
RECYCLING
Use pots made from squarish containers such as plastic water jugs, etc. More plants will fit in
less space and have more rooting area if square containers are used. This makes your garden a
recycling center, and saves you tons of money.
2-liter soda bottles work great, but are not square. 13 will fit in a kitty litter box, and these
will take a 3 foot plant to maturity hydroponically. If you can get 4 litter boxes in a closet,
you can grow 52 plants like this vegetatively. Spread them out more for flowering.
Old buckets, plastic 3-5 gallon containers (food and paint industries, try painters' and
restaurant dumpsters), paper paint buckets, old plastic garbage cans of all sizes, and garbage
bags have all been used successfully by growers.
Do not use paper milk cartons and juice cartons for reservoir hydroponics, since these are
difficult to sterilize, and they introduce fungus into your reservoir trays. Inert materials, such
as plastic is best.
Be sure to sterilize all containers before each planting with a clorine bleach solution of 2 tbsp.
of bleach to one gallon of water. Let container and medium such as rockwool soak for several
hours in the solution before rinsing thoroughly.
PLANTING OUTDOORS
Outdoor growing is the best. Outdoor pot by far is the strongest, since it gets more light, it's
naturally more robust. No light leak problems. No dark periods that keep you out of your
grow room. No electricity bills. Sunlight tends to reach more of the plant, if your growing in
the direct sun. Unlike growing indoors, the bottom of the plant will be almost as developed as
the top.
Outdoors, outside of a greenhouse, there are many factors that can kill your crop. Deer will
try to eat them. Chipmunks and rodents too. Bugs will inhabit them, and the wind and rain can
whip your little buds to pieces if they are exposed to strong storms. For this reason, indoor pot
can be better than outdoor, but the best smoke I ever tasted was outdoor pot, so that tells you
something; nothing beats the sun.
Put up a fence and make sure it stays up. Visit your plot at least once every two weeks, and
preferably more often if water needs demand.
It's a good idea to use soil if you don't have a green house, since hydroponics will be less
reliable outside in the open air, due mostly to evaporation.
Light exposure is all important when locating a site for a greenhouse or outdoor plot. A
backyard grower will need to know where the sun shines for the longest period; privacy and
other factors will enter in as well. Try to find an innocuous spot that gets full winter sun from
mid morning to mid afternoon, at least from 10-4, preferably 8-5. This will be really asking
for a lot if you live north of 30 degrees latitude since days are short in winter. Since most
gardeners will not want to use the greenhouse in the middle of the winter, you can still use
winter sun as an indicator of good spring and fall lighting exposures. Usually the south side of
a hill gets the most sun. Also, large areas open to the sun on the north side of the property will
get good southern exposures. East and West exposures can be good if they get the full
morning/afternoon sun and mid-day sun as well. Some books say the plants respond better to
morning-only sun, verses afternoon-only sun, so if you have to choose between the two,
morning sun may be better.
Disguise your greenhouse as a tool shed, or similar structure, by using only one wall and a
roof of white opaqued plastic, PVC, Filon, or glass, and using a similar colored material for
the rest of the shed, or painting it white or silvery, to look like metal. Try to make it appear as
if it has always been there, with plants and trees that grow around it and mask it from view
while allowing sun to reach it.
Filon (corrugated fiberglass)or PVC plastic sheets can be used outside to cover young plants
grown together in a garden. Buy the clear greenhouse sheets, and opaque them with white
wash (made from lime) or epoxy resin tinted white or grey and painted on in a thin layer. This
will pass more sun than white PVC or Filon, and still hide the plants. Epoxy resin coats will
preserve the Filon for many more seasons than it would otherwise last. It will also allow you
to disguise the shed as metal, if you paint the clear filon sheets with a thin layer of resin tinted
light grey. Paint will work as well, but may not protect as much. Be careful to use only as
much as needed, to reduce sun blockage to a minimum.
Dig a big hole, don't depend on the plant to be able to penetrate the clay and rubble unless
your sure of the quality of topsoil in the area. Grassy fields would have good top soil, but your
back yard may not. This alone can make the difference between an average 5' tall plant, and a
10' monster by harvest time. Growing in the ground will always beat a pot, since the plant will
never become root bound in the ground. Plants grown in the ground should grow much larger,
but will need more space for each plant, so plan accordingly, you can't move them once
they're in!
You may want to keep outdoor plants in pots so they can be easily moved. A big hole will
allow the pot to be place in it, thus reducing the height of the plant, if fence level is an issue.
Many growers find pots have saved a crop that had to be moved for some unexpected reason
(repairman, appraiser, fire, etc.).
It's always best to put a roof over your plants outdoors. When I was a lad, we had plants
growing over the fence line in the back yard. We started to build a greenhouse roof for them,
and a cop saw us hauling wood, thought we were stealing it (which we were not) and looked
over the fence at us and our lovely plants. We were busted, because he saw them. If he had
seen a shed roof instead, there would never have been a problem. Moral of the Story: build
the roof BEFORE the plants are sticking over the fence! Or train them to stay well below it.
Live and learn...
When growing away from the house, in the wild, water is the biggest determining factor, after
security. Water must be close by, or close to the soil surface, or you will have to pack water
in. Water is heavy and this is very hard work. Try to find an area close to a source of water if
possible, and keep a bucket nearby to carry water to your plot.
A novel idea in this regard is to find high water in the mountains, at altitude, and then route it
down to a lower spot close by. It is possible to create water pressure in a hose this way, and
route it to a drip system that feeds water to your plants continuously. Take a 5 gallon gas can,
and punch small holes in it. Run a hose out of the main orifice and secure it somehow. Bury
the can in a river or stream under rocks, so that it is hidden and submerged. Bury the hose
coming out of it, and run it down hill to your garden area. A little engineering can save you a
lot of work, and this rig can be used year after year.
GUERRILLA FARMING
Guerrilla farming refers to farming away from your own property, or in a remote location of
your property where people seldom roam around. It is possible to find locations that for one
reason or another are not easily accessible or are privately owned.
Try to grow off your property, on adjacent property, so that if your plot is found, it will not be
traceable back to you. If it's not on your property, nobody has witnessed you there, and there
is no physical evidence of your presence (footprints, fingerprints, trails, hair, etc.), then it is
virtually impossible to prosecute you for it, even if the cops think they know who it belongs
to.
Never admit to growing, to anyone. Your best defense is that your just passing through the
area, and noticed something you decided to take a look at, or carry a fishing pole or
binoculars and claim fishing or bird watching.
Never tell anyone but a partner where the plants are located. Do not bring visitors to see them,
unless it is harvest time, and the plants will be pulled the same or following day.
Make sure your plants are out of sight. Take a different route to get to them if they are not in a
secure part of your property, and cover the trail to make it look as if there is no trail. Make cut
backs in the trail, so that people on the main trail will tend to miss the cut-back to the grow
area. Don't park on the main road, always find a place to park that will not arouse suspicion
by people that pass on the road. Have a safe house in the area if you are not planting close to
home. Always have a good reason for being in the area and have the necessary items to make
your claim believable.
Briar and poison oak patches are perfect if you can cut through it. Poison Oak must be washed
away before an allergic reaction takes place. Teknu is a special soap solution that will
deactivate poison oak before it has time to create a reaction. Apply Teknu immediately after
contact and take a shower 30 mins. later.
Try to plant under trees, next to bushes and keep only a few plants in any one spot. Train or
top the plants to grow sideways, or do something to prevent the classic Christmas tree look of
most plants left to grow untrained. Tying the top down to the ground will make the plants
branches grow up toward the sun, and increase yield, given a long enough growing season.
Plants can be grown under trees if the sun comes in at an angle and lights the area for several
hours every day. Plants should get at least 5 hours of direct sun every day, and 5 more hours
of indirect light. Use shoes that you can dispose of later and cover your foot prints. Use
surgical gloves and leave no fingerprints on pots and other items that might ID you to the
fuzz...in case your plot is discovered by passers by.
Put up a fence, or the chipmunks, squirrels and deer will nibble on your babies until there is
nothing left. Green wire mesh and nylon chicken fencing net work great and can be wrapped
around trees to create a strong barrier. Always check it and repair every visit you make to the
garden. A barrier of fishing line, one at 18" and another at 3' will keep most deer away from
your crop.
Gopher Granola is available for areas such as the N. CA mountains, where wood rats and
gophers will eat your crop if given any opportunity to do so. The best fence in the world will
not keep rats away from your plants! Do not use soap to keep dear away, it will attract rats!
(The fat in the soap is edible for them.) Put the poison grain in a feeder than only small
rodents can enter, so that birds and deer can't eat it. Set out poison early, before actual
planting. The rats must eat the grain for several days before it will have any effect on them.
Ultimately, you may find it's easier to grow in a greenhouse shed in your own backyard rather
than try to keep the rats from eating your outdoor plot.
When growing away from the house, in the wild, water is the biggest determining factor, after
security. The amount you can grow is directly proportional to the water available. If you must
pack-in water, carry it in a backpack in case your seen in-route to your garden; you will
appear to be merely a hiker, not a grower.
Transporting vegetative starts to the growing area is a most tricky aspect of growing outdoors.
Usually, you will want to start plant indoors, or outside in your garden, then transport them to
the grow site once they are firmly established. It may be desirable to first detect and separate
males from females so that no effort of transporting/transplanting/watering males is incurred.
One suggestion is to use 3" rockwool cubes to start seedlings in, then put 20 of them in a litter
pan, cover it with another pan, and transport this to the grow site. The cubes can be planted
directly into soil. If spotted inroute to the grow area, burying a dead cat may be a good excuse
for being in the area. Few people would demand to see the rotting corpse!
One outdoor grower we know has given up on seeds. He has several strains he likes to clone,
so he starts 200 clones in his closet, then transports them outdoors in boxes to the grow site.
No males, no differentiation, no weeding, no germinating seeds, no genetic uncertainties, no
crops grown for seed, no transporting/transplanting/watering plants your just going to pull up
later, no pollination nightmares, no wasted effort!
SOIL GROWING
Use Super Soil brand in California, as this is the only known soil on the West Coast that is
guaranteed to be good. Many other brands are mostly wood products and have very few
nutrients, are too moist, etc. Add vermiculite, pearlite or sand to Super Soil to increase it's
drainage and aeration.
Organic gardeners use their own compost prepared from a mixture of chicken, cow or other
manure and household food waste, leaves, lawn clippings, dog hair and other waste products
including urine, which is high in nitrogen. Dog hair is not recommended for guerilla
gardeners planting off their property where police could find it. DNA tests could prove it was
YOUR dog's hair!
Use P4 water crystals in the soil to give the plants a few days worth of emergency water
reserves. This substance swells up with water and holds it like a sponge, so that roots will
have a reserve if harsh drought makes constant watering necessary. Go real easy on this stuff
though, it tends to sink to the bottom of the pot and suffocate bottom roots (new growth roots)
and stunts the plant. Use in extreme moderation, let it swell up for at least an hour before
mixing with other soil.
Plant size in soil is directly related to pot size. If you want the plant to grow bigger, put it in a
bigger pot. Usually, 1/2 gallon per foot of plant is sufficient. A six foot plant would require a
minimum of a 3 gallon pot. Remember, square containers have more volume in a square
space (like a closet).
Planting in the ground is always preferable when growing in soil. The plants can then grow to
any size, unlimited by pot size.
Bat Guano, chicken manure, or worm castings can all be used to fertilize organically in soil.
Manures can burn, so they should be composted with the soil first, before planting, over
several weeks. Sea weed is available to provide a rich trace mineral source that breaks down
slowly and constantly feeds the plants.
If growing outdoors in available soil, look around for leaves and other natural sources of
nitrogen and work them into the soil, along with some dolomite lime and composted organic
fertilizer. Even small amounts of plant food such as Miracle Grow can be added to soil at this
time. (Organic gardeners frown upon this practice, however. Toxic wastes are produced by
commercial fertilizer production.) Mulch can be made from leaves and spread out over the
garden area to hold in moisture and keep down weeds near the plants.
SECURITY
Its interesting that pot plants really do blend in with other plants to the point that they are
unidentifiable by all but the most observant. I remember a relative of the family on a visit to
Texas showed me his corn in the garden and I was standing 3' away from several pot plants
before I recognized them for what they were.
Plants started outdoors late in the season never get very big and never attract the least bit of
attention when placed next to plants of similar or taller stature. Even tall plants grown among
several trees will be almost invisible in their camouflage.
Outdoors the object is to control access to an area, and not to arouse suspicion. Tuck them
here and there, never in a recognizable pattern. Space them out, and fit them in to the existing
landscape such that they get full sun, but they're hidden or blend in. Fence lines and groups of
several together are best. Try to find strains that seem to match the surrounding plants. Feed
nitrogen to your plants if they need to be greener to blend in. Some growers even use plastic
red flowers, pinned to a plant, disguising it as a flower bush.
Visit the plants at night on full moons, and if your visible to neighbors, appear to be pruning a
tree, mowing the lawn, or doing something in the yard that makes you invisible.
Dig a hole and put a potted plant in it. The plant's height will be reduced by at least a foot.
Some growers top the plant when it is 12" high, and grow the 2 tops horizontally along a
trellis. The plant will never be over 3 feet tall, and never arouses suspicion from neighbors.
This type of plant can even be grown in your yard in full view. Many stories abound of
having the neighbors over for a BBQ and nobody ever noticed the nice plants over by the
fence...
PLANT FOOD AND NUTRIENTS
Plant foods have 3 main ingredients that will be the mainstay of the garden, Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, and Potassium. These 3 ingredients are usually listed on the front label of the
plant food in the order of N-P-K. A 20-20-20 plant food has a Nitrogen level of 20%.
Secondary nutrients are Calcium, Sulfur and Magnesium. In trace quantities, boron, copper,
molybdenum, zinc, iron, and manganese.
Depending on stage of growth, different nutrients are needed at different times. For rooting
and germination, levels of high P nutrients with less N/K are needed. Vegetative growth needs
lots of N, and human urine is one of the better sources, (mix 8 ounces to 1 gallon water),
although it is not a complete fertilizer unto itself. 20-20-20 with trace elements should do it; I
like Miracle Grow Patio food. Watch for calcium, magnesium, sulfur and iron levels too.
These are important. One tablespoon of dolomite or hydrated lime is used per gallon of
growing medium when a hydroponic medium is first brought on-line, to provide nitrogen,
calcium and magnesium. Epsom salts are used to enhance magnesium and sulfur levels in
solution.
Tobacco grown with potassium nitrate burns better. Plant foods with PN (P2N3) are foods
such as Miracle Grow. This is an excellent fertilizer for vegetative growth, or through the
flowering cycle as well. Consider however, potassium nitrate is also known as Salt Peter, and
is used to make men have less sexual desire or impotent, such as in mental institutions. So if
certain plants are destined for cooking, you might use Fish Emulsion or some other totally
organic fertilizer on these plants, at least in the last weeks of flowering.
Most hydroponic solutions should be in the range of 150-600 parts per million in dissolved
solids. 300-400 PPM is optimum. It is possible to test your solution or soil with a electrical
conductivity meter if your unsure of what your giving your plants.
Keep in mind most dissolved solids readings are usually on the low side, and actual nutrient
levels are usually higher. It is possible with passive hydroponics, to get nutrient build-up over
several feedings, to the point the medium is over saturated in nutrients. Just feed straight
water now and again, until you notice the plants are not as green (slightly), then resume
normal feeding.
"Pumping" is when you use more waterings to make the plants grow faster. This is dangerous
if you proceed in a reckless manner, due to potential over-watering problems. You must go
slowly and watch the plants daily and even hourly at first to be sure your not over-watering
the plants. Use weaker plant food mixtures than normal, maybe 25%, and be sure your
leaching once a month and running straight water through the plants at least every other time
you water. This applies mainly to plants grown in soil mediums.
Use of light strength Oxygen Plus plant food (or Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide) allows the
roots to breath better and prevents problems with over-watering. Check soil to be sure there
are no PH anomalies that might be due to Hydrogen Peroxide in the solution. (One
experienced grower told me he would not use H2O2 (HP) due to possible PH problems. This
should not be a problem if your checking PH and correcting for it in watering solutions.)
Be sure your medium has good drainage. At this point, if your watering soil based plants once
a week, you can water every 3-5 days instead if you plant them in a medium with better
drainage. Pearlite or lava rock will greatly increase the drainage of the medium and make
watering necessary more often. This will pump the plants; they will tend to grow faster
because of the enhanced oxygen to the roots. Make sure the plant medium is almost dry
before watering again, as the plant grows faster this way.
An alternative is to use a standard plant food mixture (stronger) once every 3 waterings. The
nutrients are suspended in the medium and stored in the soil for later use. The nutrients are
washed out by 2 straight waterings afterward and there is no salts build up in the soil. (Does
not apply to hydroponics.)
Stop all plant food 2 weeks before harvesting, so that the plants don't taste like plant food.
(This applies to hydroponics as well.)