Rocky soil? Read this

[Duago29]

Hey all. Just a cool tip i found for anyone out there like me with very bad natural soil for growing.

So I was prepping my patch for the season this weekend, bringing back pots and soil, and thought something I've thought alot of times before: I really wish I could just plant in the ground.

But see where I live, solid rock is literally less than 2 inches under the surface in most spots, making it impossible to plant in the ground unless you blast a hole with dynamite or something lol..
So I got thinking. There must be soil here because there are massive trees around my patch. So I took the small crowbar off my belt and walked over to a large fallen tree, the kind where the tree just ripped right out of the ground, and shoved it into the ground where the root ball of this huge tree once was. Sure enough there was more dirt here than any other spots in the area. So I started digging there and I beat the shit out of the tree's old rotted root ball that was sticking up, turns out almost all the wood near the base of this tree had essentially turned to dirt. What hadn't was like mulch and it turned more dirt like the more I tilled it around.

So if your area is really crappy for growing in the ground but you want to have huge root balls without massive smart pots, find a fallen tree and simply let your little girls take the tree's spot in the ground. It is easier if the tree has rotted a few years since it fell.

I was amazed when I found this out. I'm not kidding you guys the most dirt you can find in my area naturally is 2 inches TOPS, yet I have a 3 foot deep by 3 foot wide hole that I'm going to be able to plant one of my girls in this year instead of 5 gallon buckets plus less soil to buy so it works out super!

What do you guys suggest adding to the soil for nutrients? I added used coffee grinds to my small pots for when the plants are taken out of solo cups, this supposedly adds nitrogen. I was thinking I'm gonna have to go out and get some bone and blood meal to add as well, and maybe some fertilizer but I don't like the idea of buying shit. I see deer pellets in the woods EVERYWHERE and honestly I could probably fill a garbage bag with them lol what if I put on gloves and use that? I know it's kind of weird but I know rabbit droppings are the best for fertilizer and deer eat the same things as rabbits and their droppings look the same pretty much.. Would it work? I dont see why any type of shit wouldn't work... Just maybe pig shit i know to steer clear of that

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

I don't have rocks at all, but I always look for downed trees. With me it's the light the hole in the canopy provides, so you want to get it in the first couple of years before the hole is filled in by other trees.

 

[thumper60]

Hey all. Just a cool tip i found for anyone out there like me with very bad natural soil for growing.

So I was prepping my patch for the season this weekend, bringing back pots and soil, and thought something I've thought alot of times before: I really wish I could just plant in the ground.

But see where I live, solid rock is literally less than 2 inches under the surface in most spots, making it impossible to plant in the ground unless you blast a hole with dynamite or something lol..
So I got thinking. There must be soil here because there are massive trees around my patch. So I took the small crowbar off my belt and walked over to a large fallen tree, the kind where the tree just ripped right out of the ground, and shoved it into the ground where the root ball of this huge tree once was. Sure enough there was more dirt here than any other spots in the area. So I started digging there and I beat the shit out of the tree's old rotted root ball that was sticking up, turns out almost all the wood near the base of this tree had essentially turned to dirt. What hadn't was like mulch and it turned more dirt like the more I tilled it around.

So if your area is really crappy for growing in the ground but you want to have huge root balls without massive smart pots, find a fallen tree and simply let your little girls take the tree's spot in the ground. It is easier if the tree has rotted a few years since it fell.

I was amazed when I found this out. I'm not kidding you guys the most dirt you can find in my area naturally is 2 inches TOPS, yet I have a 3 foot deep by 3 foot wide hole that I'm going to be able to plant one of my girls in this year instead of 5 gallon buckets plus less soil to buy so it works out super!

What do you guys suggest adding to the soil for nutrients? I added used coffee grinds to my small pots for when the plants are taken out of solo cups, this supposedly adds nitrogen. I was thinking I'm gonna have to go out and get some bone and blood meal to add as well, and maybe some fertilizer but I don't like the idea of buying shit. I see deer pellets in the woods EVERYWHERE and honestly I could probably fill a garbage bag with them lol what if I put on gloves and use that? I know it's kind of weird but I know rabbit droppings are the best for fertilizer and deer eat the same things as rabbits and their droppings look the same pretty much.. Would it work? I dont see why any type of shit wouldn't work... Just maybe pig shit i know to steer clear of that

I have been using deer-moose turd for years best amendment free an I agree dowed tree's all kinds of soil I love rotten wood.i have grown plants in rotten stumps before hard to find the right ones but whet u do look out

 

[Duago29]

I guess everyone has to adjust for their own circumstances, my patch is a nice little hill with small cedars and pines spready out everywhere. They provide nice cover from ground level view while still giving them enough light and the plants were barely noticeable here last year except for the pots

My only problem here was the soil, there was none of it.

I have been using deer-moose turd for years best amendment free an I agree dowed tree's all kinds of soil I love rotten wood.i have grown plants in rotten stumps before hard to find the right ones but whet u do look out

Yeah they can be hard to find ones rotted enough to be able to use as soil. Most of the dirt in my hole right now actually was from beating dirt out of the rotten stump right behind the hole lol it doesn't look too bad but I want to give it a boost. I'm going to have to buy soil anyways because the area doesn't have enough downed trees like that to plant in, so I'll be using pots for most of them and some holes where I can find a good tree for them. But I think I'm going to add potting soil to the holes, along with dry coffee grounds for nitrogen and water retention, dry deer crap and some bone and blood meal. Any other things you think I should add to the holes or my pots? I want to keep it organic nutrients and I'm in Canada and have never in my life seen any of the brand name soils or nutrients you guys talk about on here, so if you could tell me what the product or thing I need to get is and no brand names cus I will have different names at my store
I really wanted to get fox farms but can't find it ANYWHERE here. And I'm not gonna order bags of dirt online aha so I gotta stay local.
Also I dont know if this is reasonable but I sketch when I'm buying growing supplies. Like even soil, because I'm 17 and people give me weird ass looks when I'm looking around at gardening equipment and cloning powder and get some soil and buckets because I'm 17, and no 17 year old around here would be growing a flower garden, and everyone in the area I'm pretty sure knows I'm a stoner... It's a small town... Some guy at a corner store asked my dad if I was his son and told him the police have a list of all the minors in town that smoke weed... First off I think that's fucked but second it makes me sketch idk why. Is there a way I can get my growing stuff less sketchy cus I'm pretty sure everyone knows why the "stoner kid" would be buying bags of dirt and buckets and nutrients wouldn't you think. Should I just not worry about it or do u think I have a reason to be sneaky about getting stuff

Sorry if it's a stupid question..

 

[Duago29]

Bump?

 

[caveman117]

I'd go for a light peat based mix for the soil your going to add, should mix.nicely with the decaying wood.

As for the nutes you will be fine with any well balanced organic fertilizer. I would suggest the espoma line for its ease of use. Honestly you'd probably be fine with just a bag of.the espoma garden fertilizer (10-10-10) I've never used it.on buds (The garden feet) but I used to do A lot of landscaping and I always just used that stuff on everything j planted and it.worked out great.

As for the paranoia, just start a big potted veggie garden outside your house. Then anyone who recognized you in the garden store and said something you'd have a legitimate reply and reason to be there.

 

[Larry {the} Gardener]

As for the paranoia, just start a big potted veggie garden outside your house. Then anyone who recognized you in the garden store and said something you'd have a legitimate reply and reason to be there.

This works for me. All of my wife's friends {who have no idea about the weed} save me their coffee grounds to go in the garden. I get chicken, turkey and horse manure compost from folks who would never knowingly help an herb grower, but they are happy to help a gardener.

The general public see what you show them.

 

[Iwannagethigh780]

I have been using deer-moose turd for years best amendment free an I agree dowed tree's all kinds of soil I love rotten wood.i have grown plants in rotten stumps before hard to find the right ones but whet u do look out

Lmao I have moose shit and deer shit all over the damn place . So do you just throw the shit in as is or do u grind it up abit first? I was thinking about taking a few home n giving them to people as large glossets lol

 

[Iwannagethigh780]

I guess everyone has to adjust for their own circumstances, my patch is a nice little hill with small cedars and pines spready out everywhere. They provide nice cover from ground level view while still giving them enough light and the plants were barely noticeable here last year except for the pots

My only problem here was the soil, there was none of it.

Yeah they can be hard to find ones rotted enough to be able to use as soil. Most of the dirt in my hole right now actually was from beating dirt out of the rotten stump right behind the hole lol it doesn't look too bad but I want to give it a boost. I'm going to have to buy soil anyways because the area doesn't have enough downed trees like that to plant in, so I'll be using pots for most of them and some holes where I can find a good tree for them. But I think I'm going to add potting soil to the holes, along with dry coffee grounds for nitrogen and water retention, dry deer crap and some bone and blood meal. Any other things you think I should add to the holes or my pots? I want to keep it organic nutrients and I'm in Canada and have never in my life seen any of the brand name soils or nutrients you guys talk about on here, so if you could tell me what the product or thing I need to get is and no brand names cus I will have different names at my store
I really wanted to get fox farms but can't find it ANYWHERE here. And I'm not gonna order bags of dirt online aha so I gotta stay local.
Also I dont know if this is reasonable but I sketch when I'm buying growing supplies. Like even soil, because I'm 17 and people give me weird ass looks when I'm looking around at gardening equipment and cloning powder and get some soil and buckets because I'm 17, and no 17 year old around here would be growing a flower garden, and everyone in the area I'm pretty sure knows I'm a stoner... It's a small town... Some guy at a corner store asked my dad if I was his son and told him the police have a list of all the minors in town that smoke weed... First off I think that's fucked but second it makes me sketch idk why. Is there a way I can get my growing stuff less sketchy cus I'm pretty sure everyone knows why the "stoner kid" would be buying bags of dirt and buckets and nutrients wouldn't you think. Should I just not worry about it or do u think I have a reason to be sneaky about getting stuff

Sorry if it's a stupid question..

Obviously there is no hydro stores around you then? That is the only place I can find ffof. (Canada) I wouldn't use it anyways to much money and bs to haul

 

[Iwannagethigh780]

Lowes has 2kg of blood meal and bone meal for like 17$ mabe it was canadian tire one of those anyways u can get a big bale of promix from there for 35$ that bale is like 40 gallons I believe. If you need dirt that's probably the cheapest best shit to buy then just amend it with whatever
Imo

 

[Iwannagethigh780]

Try find a farmer on kijiji selling top soil and manure if your worried about Leo watching the stores.lol I am high af made 3 posts should have been one

 

[caveman117]

I got some stuff last year that was basically pro mix from a different brand. Agro-something. It was a product of.Canada so I.would think you'd be able.to get it. It was 11.99$ a 60# bale where as pro mix was 35.99$.... it worked pretty much exactly the.same as pro mix, not sure if it had.mycos mixed in (I add them to pro mix though anyway).

I'd go around to farm stands and farms and see if they can point you in the direction of a good cost effective peat mix. If your sketched out tell em its for an auto watering tomato box. I made a 7x6 tomato box with logs as the borders and.dug it 5 feet down. Filled it with pro mix and.coco and fish (and.amendments) and I haven't had to water it ever... and it produces nice healthy tomatoes every.year (this will be the 4th year).

 

[Duago29]

So this guy has a huge pile of top soil and a sign saying take what u need... So I'm gonna do that what should I add to it?

I'm going to mix with the native soil and I was thinking bone and blood meal, does it have instructions for dosing?

I also saw a bag of 8-8-8 fertilizer pellets from home hardware, will those be good to add aswell?

What do you think of the blue tomato fertilizer crystals? I think you mix them with your water and feed throughout the grow right? Do those work good or would it make bad bud?

 

[MjMama]

I wouldn't do blood and bone meal in an outdoor plot. The critters will go nuts digging up your plants looking for the goodies in your soil. Manure, compost, kelp, alfalfa, and guano are all safe alternatives for a guerrila grow.

The fallen tree is a great idea. So many beneficial microbes will be accumulated in that spot.

A good rule of thumb is to add 2-3 cups of dry ammendments for every cubic foot of soil. Then let it sit and break for a few weeks before planting anything in it. At least 2-3 weeks. 4 is best.

 

[Duago29]

Which ones do I use though? Is it not really specific like you just throw in a bunch of crap for your plants?

Also what about the tomato nutrients and the 8-8-8 fertilizer pellets? Or what if I mix in some bagged manure fertilizer at the start of the grow and water with tomato nutrients or something and add some 8-8-8 to the new soil whenever I do transplants so they have readily available nutrients to get them going again you know? Does that sound good? If not what should I do if no blood or bone meal

 

[MrRoboto]

Keep it simple. Water and sun, most important. Ferts are just extra. That will take research and decisions on what you want to try. Every spot I ammended has been dug around by the curious crittters for the first couple weeks and I only used cheap granular ferts like 10-10-10. The next post is gonna say "don't use that shit". Use what YOU feel good about. Give your spot some time to settle. Keep this in mind, the tendency is to do too much and kill the plants in the process. That tree had a happy life there without your help so mj should do well with just a little. Experiment. Less is more until you get a feel. You'll do fine. It's a weed ,)

 

[Duago29]

I think marijuana in nature didn't do better than it does now to be honest...

If a seed just drops into random dirt, it won't do as well as a seed you start inside and gve it nutrients and fertilizers... I know it's not as simple as water and sunlight, thats how u end up with shitty weed

 

[MrRoboto]

Okay. Did I say drop in random dirt and walk away? No. I said be careful and don't burn your crop with love. There's a lil diddy goes something like this..."hold on loosely"... Just enough is just right.

 

[Duago29]

What are you talking about honestly.. Your saying just give itsun and water, and now that u should give it justenough.

U need to maybe think that u aren't explaining what people should use or anything like that u are just saying not to "use too much"
Use too much of what.? What do I add to it bc if there wasn't a reason for it people wouldn't do it and I am obviously gonna get better results fertilizing than just putting it in the ground with nothing added at the start or throughout the grow. Yes I know I could burn them but that doesn't mean you just give them nothing for fear you will burn them. They will be starved

 

[MrRoboto]

What are you so pissed off about? I have offered sound advice in a kind way.

MjMama told you a recipe. Fox farms, manure, compost, miracle grow, it all works for somebody somewhere. Make a decision for yourself and your environment and your research. There's plenty of info out there. Get to it. You can pencil whip this thing all you want. In the end you just have to do it.

We agree on the same principles. I'm not sure why you insist on twisting the translation of my written words.