Growing in 50 gal. drums.

[GwarDirt]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I work at a sawmill, and we use mean green to clean saws and equipment. This comes in 50 gallon drums. If I cleaned these drums well would they be big enough to grow cannabis? I plan growing on some rocky terrain that would allow for plenty of sunlight, but is too rocky to grow in the soil itself. What would be a good soil mix for these drums and what would be an ideal time to plant. Thank you. :rastasmoke:

GwarDirt Reviewed by GwarDirt on 12-22-2007. Growing in 50 gal. drums. Hello everyone, this is my first post. I work at a sawmill, and we use mean green to clean saws and equipment. This comes in 50 gallon drums. If I cleaned these drums well would they be big enough to grow cannabis? I plan growing on some rocky terrain that would allow for plenty of sunlight, but is too rocky to grow in the soil itself. What would be a good soil mix for these drums and what would be an ideal time to plant. Thank you. :rastasmoke: Rating: 5

[GwarDirt]

Also another question, I was also thinking about planting in the woods next to my house, but the soil is not really full of rocks and roots, but has a fair number of both> would this present a problem to my plants? I plan on digging the soil about 2 feet down and replacing with topsoil with a lot of organic fertilizer. Could I expect a harvest if I take care of my plants using the method (s) above?

[wesley willis]

well, if clean, they SHOULD work. expect monster plants though.
when i grow outdoors i don't really use pots though. i've had plenty of success with the method described above.

[Kye17]

You're going to want an organic rich medium that will support plant growth. Firstly, find out what mean green might do to a plant, some things are dangerous , even in trace amounts.
So, back to the soil. You're gonna want 50-80 percent organic material (compost, composted manure, etc) and then fillers like perlite and or sand and or peat moss for drainage/ water absorption purposes. I like to add native soil in some proportion, so as to make it truly native. Besides theres trace minerals and bacteria that benefit plants in any healthy soil. SO find some organic material and add some other stuff, and a little bit of lime to buffer.
You can grow 4 medium plants in that. Keep in mind you might get males.
Dispose of you're chemicals legally and safely.

[stinkyattic]

Dispose of you're chemicals legally and safely.

Great post all around but ++rep for this statement! ^^

If the drums are metal, be aware that you could potentially end up with undesirable interactions between the steel and the acidic fertilizer solution. Plastic is far preferable, and you will need LOTS of drainage- a plastic 50 gal barrel sliced in half and drilled full of holes is a good container. A 25 gallon container is more than enough to grow a freakin' MONSTER if you decide to go that route, or slice it the long way, again with holes, and grow a couple per half-barrel.

[xcrispi]

I know ppl. in N.O.L.A that grow outdoors and are using 55 gal. fruit juice and bio D drums burried fulla good soil / compost because they're afraid to grow in the natural ground yet because of all the sewage , human decomp . , silt etc... from Katrina .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

[smokealot123]

someone i know did this in a plastic drum and he used a pexi glass to cover the top of the drum with holes in it, just be sure to drill a good drainage source into the bottem of the drums:jointsmile: you might want to even grow the plant into a pot and transplant it into the drum.. my bro is a fan of overwatering but it seems to work wonders because his plant looked amazing. good luck and dont get nailed:thumbsup:

[valtrip]

I would definately grow wherever you get the best sunlight. The drum idea sounds really cool and it seems like a really good sunlit area. keep us posted on how it goes and good luck :thumbsup: