Water Table Underground Issues?

[Sweetleaf927]

Hi guys, I am trying to start a guerrilla grow this year out in the woods. The spot is probably a quarter mile off of a horse trail and the area is completely surrounded with sticker bushes. I dug a few holes underneath hay that has been laying there for decades (used to be where my dad and his friends got messed up lol) and found pretty black soil that had many worms in it and crumbled apart pretty easily (pic below). It is slightly acidic. However, there seems to be a waterbed about a foot down into the soil, and I am wondering if this will cause problems for me. Also, can anyone tell me if the soil is good? I figured I could mix in perlite and top dress with all purpose.

 

[BeastLebanese]

Depends on how well you know the area. Is it prone to seasonal flooding and/or drying out? With the right strain and planting techniques you could have some killer buds. Bonus points if you learn to ride and use a horse to help haul out the harvest, you just might need it!! Lol

 

[Sweetleaf927]

Depends on how well you know the area. Is it prone to seasonal flooding and/or drying out? With the right strain and planting techniques you could have some killer buds. Bonus points if you learn to ride and use a horse to help haul out the harvest, you just might need it!! Lol

I wouldn't think so, I just think all the hay prevented it from evaporating. I went to dig another spot away from it to see if there was water and the soil was bone dry and poor quality. You don't think the water below will be an issue for the roots? I am in Southern Wisconsin, we get rainfall I'd say once a week on average and maybe one or two nasty storms a year.

 

[Fruity420]

I’d make a nice big mound, plenty of organic composted material. Should assist drainage, and will allow some control on feeding by replenishing the top layer with more compost / top dressing while the continual decomposition feeds the site. Sprinkle some dolomite lime, will correct the ph while adding some Ca and Mg

 

[sirtalis]

Definitely will need some aeration. Since it's a guerilla grow I don't know if you can lug in anything, but your roots could choke if continually damp.

 

[Sweetleaf927]

I’d make a nice big mound, plenty of organic composted material. Should assist drainage, and will allow some control on feeding by replenishing the top layer with more compost / top dressing while the continual decomposition feeds the site. Sprinkle some dolomite lime, will correct the ph while adding some Ca and Mg

How far above the ground should the mound be? I was gonna start seedlings about 1.5 weeks indoor before transplanting out there. Not sure if the dolomite lime is necessary since the pH rests about 6.5 and rich soil contains lots of Ca and Mg

 

[Sweetleaf927]

Definitely will need some aeration. Since it's a guerilla grow I don't know if you can lug in anything, but your roots could choke if continually damp.

I was thinking of digging out 10 gallon size holes, using big hefty bags and then repotting the soil I dug out plus adding a good amount of perlite?

 

[sirtalis]

I was thinking of digging out 10 gallon size holes, using big hefty bags and then repotting the soil I dug out plus adding a good amount of perlite?

I'd do the same but also add compost or composted manure. The amount of perlite would depend on your weather across the growing season. I'd probably error on the side of 40% so that the roots don't get waterlogged. Depends on how often it rains.

 

[sirtalis]

If you want an easy test, next time you go out bring a canning jar and place some soil in there. Fill it with water, shake, and then let it sit for a day. Based on how the particles settle you can see what you're working with: sand/silt/clay vs. organic matter percentages.

 

[natureboygrower]

Use the water to your advantage. It's spring, so more than likely the ground is as saturated as it will get, unless you get some torrential rain in the summer months. I did the same thing in my woods with some planters i built. Sunk them a good 18"-24" into the ground and hardly had to water all summer.

 

[sirtalis]

I was thinking of digging out 10 gallon size holes, using big hefty bags and then repotting the soil I dug out plus adding a good amount of perlite?

Wait what are the bags for?

 

[Sweetleaf927]

Use the water to your advantage. It's spring, so more than likely the ground is as saturated as it will get, unless you get some torrential rain in the summer months. I did the same thing in my woods with some planters i built. Sunk them a good 18"-24" into the ground and hardly had to water all summer.

You think with all the water retained under the ground I wouldn't have to go out as much to water? I was gonna lay out a few bins to collect rain, and there is also a creek about an 50 yards from the spot.

 

[Sweetleaf927]

Wait what are the bags for?

The bags are for preventing other roots from competing to get the fertilizer in the root zone. I was gonna cut out the bottom to allow drainage. I also collected some soil samples, what am I looking for after one day?

 

[BeastLebanese]

More rain = less going out there to water the plants

Prepare for animals and bugs that will come around to eat or destroy your plants. Use chemical and physical barriers, the sticker bushes are a good start.

Don't go out often, the less evidence you leave the better. Always try to take a different way in and out.

Tell no one.

 

[sirtalis]

The bags are for preventing other roots from competing to get the fertilizer in the root zone. I was gonna cut out the bottom to allow drainage. I also collected some soil samples, what am I looking for after one day?

It will layer like this:

Organic Matter (top)
Clay
Silt
Sand (bottom)

If it's high in clay and silt + low in organic matter you'll have drainage problems. Should help with figuring out how much compost + perlite to add.

I'd skip the bags and just plant straight in the 10 gal holes.

 

[natureboygrower]

You think with all the water retained under the ground I wouldn't have to go out as much to water? I was gonna lay out a few bins to collect rain, and there is also a creek about an 50 yards from the spot.

It should. A Foot is not very deep to find water, so a little rain should help. If you're worried about overwatering, do like someone else mentioned and mound dirt up before you plant. Probably a good idea anyways since we can't predict rainfall. Worse case scenario there is you'd just have to hand water if you dont get any rain.

 

[natureboygrower]

Gypsum is great for clay soils and very cheap.

 

[Sweetleaf927]

More rain = less going out there to water the plants

Prepare for animals and bugs that will come around to eat or destroy your plants. Use chemical and physical barriers, the sticker bushes are a good start.

Don't go out often, the less evidence you leave the better. Always try to take a different way in and out.

Tell no one.

Wanted to use chicken wire for small animals and then either get some piss or grab some stuff from the outdoor wilderness store as well as some stakes for later. Had a confrontation with a coyote out there today, he ran away like a little bitch lmao.

 

[Sweetleaf927]

It should. A Foot is not very deep to find water, so a little rain should help. If you're worried about overwatering, do like someone else mentioned and mound dirt up before you plant. Probably a good idea anyways since we can't predict rainfall. Worse case scenario there is you'd just have to hand water if you dont get any rain.

Thanks for your input, do you recommend any training techniques for outdoor? strains I am using are super skunk, White widow x Northern Lights, and Jack Herer. I've also never grown outside so I have no clue how big they are gonna get, the spot i chose will get about 10 hours of direct light at the summer solstice.

 

[BeastLebanese]

Wanted to use chicken wire for small animals and then either get some piss or grab some stuff from the outdoor wilderness store as well as some stakes for later. Had a confrontation with a coyote out there today, he ran away like a little bitch lmao.

Haha nice, always a good sign when you see predators like that. Hopefully he scares away /eats any pests before they even come close to the plot. If a rabbit or any small animal steps foot in my backyard, my husky is on it quicker than you can chug a cold beer on a hot day!! Lol