Some questions for next years grow

outdoorgrowingnoob

outdoorgrowingnoob

Member
Hello!
So I am planning on growing 5x AK-48's next year. I already picked out a grow spot that gets lots of sunlight and I don't think anyone goes there (it's pretty hard to get to) The only issue here is that that ground is all clay. What I've done is dug 4 holes that are each 2x2 feet long and 5 feet deep and I plan on putting some rocks at the bottom to help with drainage (since its all clay it's gonna have a hard time draining) and then fill it with a mix of 1/3 soil from my backyard, 1/3 sand from a stream in the woods behind my house, and 1/3 store bought soil. Is this a good idea? And should I fill the holes now and let them settle over the winter? My biggest concern is that if I let it settle, it will just fill up with water, will that happen? I'm also gonna use osmocote smart release plant food (14-14-14) is this stuff any good?

Thanks
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
My first suggestion would be to get a better fertilizer. Or maybe mix some super soil for the plants. Failing that, a good organic soil.
 
OrganicGorilla

OrganicGorilla

Well-Known Member
outdoorgrowingnoob said:
Hello!
So I am planning on growing 5x AK-48's next year. I already picked out a grow spot that gets lots of sunlight and I don't think anyone goes there (it's pretty hard to get to) The only issue here is that that ground is all clay. What I've done is dug 4 holes that are each 2x2 feet long and 5 feet deep and I plan on putting some rocks at the bottom to help with drainage (since its all clay it's gonna have a hard time draining) and then fill it with a mix of 1/3 soil from my backyard, 1/3 sand from a stream in the woods behind my house, and 1/3 store bought soil. Is this a good idea? And should I fill the holes now and let them settle over the winter? My biggest concern is that if I let it settle, it will just fill up with water, will that happen? I'm also gonna use osmocote smart release plant food (14-14-14) is this stuff any good?

Thanks
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I also recommend mixing up some organic super soil. Forget about using soil from your backyard and sand from a stream.
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
That depends on what you are going to grow. Personally the smallest size container I use is 5 gallon buckets. I prefer even larger to be quite honest. I am looking for 30 gallon tubs that cow mineral licks come in. The ones I used this year had larger healthier plants than the 5 gallon buckets. Not talking about the temporary pot that I transplant to/from, but the final pot.

If you go with super soil, you won't have to worry about anything but water. Just use a good source and if it is chlorinated allow 24-48 hours for the chlorine to evaporate.

You seem to have a bunch of basic grow questions. Not trying to be rude, but perhaps you need to do more research. I have found that growing depends on several things that just can't be answered in a post or even a day. Most of which really depend on you. How do you like growing? How much experience do you have. What kind of end product are you wanting? What do you have access to, tools, and other resources.

Most of the questions are something that you will have to answer.
 
too larry

too larry

Well-Known Member
With the 5 foot deep holes, you can use some of the rocks, sand and dirt for the bottom three feet of that. Mix you up some good soil for the top 2 feet. If you know a cow or horse farmer, hit them up for free manure compost. If not buy Black Kow or some other sort of manure compost. Mix peat moss, vermiculite, and a good potting soil with the manure compost. Add Epson salts, lime and a whole variety of other possible goodies. Do some reading on soil mixes, and get it done by the 1st of the year. When I mix hot, I like to get it out early.
 
outdoorgrowingnoob

outdoorgrowingnoob

Member
too larry said:
With the 5 foot deep holes, you can use some of the rocks, sand and dirt for the bottom three feet of that. Mix you up some good soil for the top 2 feet. If you know a cow or horse farmer, hit them up for free manure compost. If not buy Black Kow or some other sort of manure compost. Mix peat moss, vermiculite, and a good potting soil with the manure compost. Add Epson salts, lime and a whole variety of other possible goodies. Do some reading on soil mixes, and get it done by the 1st of the year. When I mix hot, I like to get it out early.
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Thank you :) I'll start working on it
 
D

Dr_Whitethumb

Member
In my experience clay soils are terrible for growing, it simply does not drain.
When it rains the holes will fill with water and your plants will die.
Your best bet is to find a high spot and grow in raised beds or just use containers.
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
Dr_Whitethumb said:
In my experience clay soils are terrible for growing, it simply does not drain.
When it rains the holes will fill with water and your plants will die.
Your best bet is to find a high spot and grow in raised beds or just use containers.
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I concur. I use pots because of the clay soil that is everywhere around me. Just way too much work to insure good drainage.
 
evergreengardener

evergreengardener

Well-Known Member
outdoorgrowingnoob said:
Hello!
So I am planning on growing 5x AK-48's next year. I already picked out a grow spot that gets lots of sunlight and I don't think anyone goes there (it's pretty hard to get to) The only issue here is that that ground is all clay. What I've done is dug 4 holes that are each 2x2 feet long and 5 feet deep and I plan on putting some rocks at the bottom to help with drainage (since its all clay it's gonna have a hard time draining) and then fill it with a mix of 1/3 soil from my backyard, 1/3 sand from a stream in the woods behind my house, and 1/3 store bought soil. Is this a good idea? And should I fill the holes now and let them settle over the winter? My biggest concern is that if I let it settle, it will just fill up with water, will that happen? I'm also gonna use osmocote smart release plant food (14-14-14) is this stuff any good?

Thanks
Click to expand...
And remember if you got in there others probably have to. Set up a trail cam or hangout around the area but not at it just close by and stay all day do it a few times to see if you spot anyone
 
outdoorgrowingnoob

outdoorgrowingnoob

Member
Thanks guys, I decided that I'm going to grow in pots instead of in the ground because it just seems easier and I might have to move my plants. Today I went hiking for a couple hours along a stream WAY back in the woods and I found a couple spots that got a lot of sunlight and looked like a good place to grow the pic below is where 2 small streams connected (one right in from of me and another on the right side, most of the path I took to get there had a lot of plants and was hard to navigate unlike what it looks like in the picture) and I was thinking of planting 1 or 2 plants there (I'm growing 10 total). I am going to get a hunting camera and set it up for about a week at every location just to see if anyone goes there but I really doubt it since it is so far back and there are a lot of obstacles that wouldn't make it appealing to hikers. The funny thing is, at the beginning of my hike (maybe a quarter mile from the closest road)I found 3 empty pots so maybe someone else was already growing there ;)
 

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outdoorgrowingnoob

outdoorgrowingnoob

Member
I've also made my own soil with 1 part organic compost, 1 part store bought top soil, 1 part top soil that I dug, and 1 part perlite. This should be good right? (I've only made about half of what I'll need so I can change amounts of needed)
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
outdoorgrowingnoob said:
I've also made my own soil with 1 part organic compost, 1 part store bought top soil, 1 part top soil that I dug, and 1 part perlite. This should be good right? (I've only made about half of what I'll need so I can change amounts of needed)
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Without knowing what the composition of the "native" soil is, it's kinda hard to say for sure. I would still suggest that you look at the "super soil " and adapt it to your particular situation as much as possible. You don't have to adhere to it verbatim, from what I have read, even Subcool switches it up, still trying to find the "perfect" recipe depending on what he is growing. Even among strains nutrient requirements can be different. Girl Scout cookies, for example, are said to like a higher nutrient than most other strains. There are many variables to consider when you look at the broader picture. I am going to try to grow the GSC next year, so I have been reading quite a bit about that particular strain. Even the different pheno's are different. Crazy, isn't it?
There's plenty of good information out there, just takes some looking. Use as much of it as you can.

I would also suggest that you look for as large of a pot as you can reasonably manage. I grew 2 White widows this year. 1 in a 5 gallon bucket, 1 in @30 gallon bucket. The difference was quite stark. The 5 gallon bucket plants roots were so tight that when I tried to pull it up, all of the soil came with it. Almost root bound honestly, and it was (IMO) stunted. Half the size of the plant in the bigger pot easily.

I am still learning myself, but I wanted to share that with you for your consideration. I have a lot to learn still.

Good luck and share what you learn please.
 
I

indicas4me

Well-Known Member
I did Nirvana AK48 outdoors and they were the worse ones for mold,actually got hardly anything out of them.Nirvana aura indica was another waste of time,but did better than the AK48.
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
This is my "end of season" video and you can see why I say that a 5 gallon bucket is too small for growing pot plants.

 
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