Midwest 2009 Outdoor Grow-Operation Plans

[whiterain]

Hello fellow smoker enthusiasts! Well here we are in the year of 2009 entering another 2009 outdoor grow season. These are the plans for 2009:

# of Plants:60 plants with a 50% female success rate giving a grand total of 30 healthy female plants.
Expected Yield:I am going with conservative numbers and will hope for 150 grams per plant. Therefore, giving me a total of 10 pounds.
Strain Choices:

• Barney's Farm Utopia Haze - 10 qty.
• Greenhouse Co. Super Lemon Haze - 10 qty.
• Barney's Farm Morning Glory - 10 qty.
• Nirvana Purple Power - 10 qty.
• Nirvana Durban Poison - 10 qty.
• Nirvana Master Kush - 10 qty.

Basic Info:I live in the Midwest region. These will be started indoors around Mid-April and then brought outdoors at the end of May/Early June. They will then be harvested around Mid-September - Early October.

There will be 10 locations where I will grow in groups of 6 initially and then at time of determination of sex will by 50% success rate be reduced to groups of 3.

The areas of which I have chosen are all in suburban areas with large forest/swamp/meadow/empty field areas. They will be kept out of the public's eyes. Helicopters may be a problem for my main area as it is constantly flown over by commercial/private air crafts.

I guess my question is whether this plan looks solid or not?

Also, a few other questions:

1. Is Fox Farm Soil suitable?
2. Will simply dumping coyote pee around the area keep deer away?
3. What is the best bug repellant?
4. Is smell a real problem for outdoor grows the size of mine?
5. If a helicopter were to see 4 plants in a group growing would he report it to be investigated and eventually ripped down?
6. What is the most successful way of transporting your harvest when the time comes from your grow area to your "safe house?"

Thank you for taking the time to read about my 2009 Outdoor Gro-Operation. Please any feedback/advice is appreciated.

 

[whiterain]

Where are the outdoor growers here on RIU?

 

[thereallmikejones]

Where are the outdoor growers here on RIU?

i can answer your first two:
Yes fox farm is defiantly suitable
and i would do something more than coyote piss... its not worth the risk

 

[Skunk Baxter]

whiterain, just a quick question so we know where to start - is this your first big grow?

As for the questions, I don't know about #1. I just use the soil in my grow sites.

#2, no way is coyote urine going to keep deer away. wolf urine, maybe, but coyote urine is unlikely to impress a hungry deer. Coyote urine is for rabbits, and I even question the usefulness of that. I'd suggest doing a forum search using the search tag "deer". You can spend a week just studying the threads that have been done on that subject.

#3, again - just do a search. It really varies a lot. Different insects respond to different treatments, and the products I use depend on what bug happens to be infesting my plants.

#4, no - probably not. Not if you have them spread out as much as you seem to be planning to do. It's when you harvest them, and have them all in one spot, that the smell will be a problem. And believe me, with that many plants, smell will be a problem.

#5 - it really depends on the jurisdiction. There is no definite answer. On the one hand, generally speaking cops don't bother messing with 3 or 4 plants out in the woods, because they've just got too many other cop-things to do. But on the other hand.... you never know. There are no certainties, only likelihoods. The likelihood is they won't mess with you, but if by some chance they spot several of your sites in the same area, and start to suspect that maybe it's the same guy, well... suddenly it starts to look like a more attractive target.

#6 - it's hard to give details without knowing more about the area you're growing in, but what I generally do is go in on foot during the daytime, cut 'em and trim 'em in the woods, put the branches in garbage bags, walk them or boat them out somewhere close to a road or parking lot late in the afternoon, and come back after dark. Depending on the grow site.

One other thing - why so many strains? If this is your first big grow, I'd really recommend against it. Pick one, maybe two, and keep it simple. Each strain will behave differently, grow at different rates, mature at different times, look different, maybe have different water requirements and temperature tolerances, you name it. All your plants will look different from one another, and if you're an inexperienced grower, you'll have a much harder time figuring out if that's because there's something wrong with some of them or if it's just because, well... they look and act differently.

 

[MediMaryUser]

maybe cougar urine would work

 

[Skunk Baxter]

maybe cougar urine would work

Good point, and I've heard that it does. But I don't know if anything really works every time. You just have to accept that over the course of a season, you're going to lose some to the critters. I don't have much trouble with it, because I picked a site where there really aren't many deer or rabbits. Too rugged and hard for them to get around in.

 

[whiterain]

i can answer your first two:
Yes fox farm is defiantly suitable
and i would do something more than coyote piss... its not worth the risk

Sounds good I think I'm going to go with Fox Farm! Also, you recommend doing more than coyote piss...what do you recommend? Deer are going to be a potential problem as there are at least 6 deer that go through the area daily.

whiterain, just a quick question so we know where to start - is this your first big grow?

As for the questions, I don't know about #1. I just use the soil in my grow sites.

#2, no way is coyote urine going to keep deer away. wolf urine, maybe, but coyote urine is unlikely to impress a hungry deer. Coyote urine is for rabbits, and I even question the usefulness of that. I'd suggest doing a forum search using the search tag "deer". You can spend a week just studying the threads that have been done on that subject.

#3, again - just do a search. It really varies a lot. Different insects respond to different treatments, and the products I use depend on what bug happens to be infesting my plants.

#4, no - probably not. Not if you have them spread out as much as you seem to be planning to do. It's when you harvest them, and have them all in one spot, that the smell will be a problem. And believe me, with that many plants, smell will be a problem.

#5 - it really depends on the jurisdiction. There is no definite answer. On the one hand, generally speaking cops don't bother messing with 3 or 4 plants out in the woods, because they've just got too many other cop-things to do. But on the other hand.... you never know. There are no certainties, only likelihoods. The likelihood is they won't mess with you, but if by some chance they spot several of your sites in the same area, and start to suspect that maybe it's the same guy, well... suddenly it starts to look like a more attractive target.

#6 - it's hard to give details without knowing more about the area you're growing in, but what I generally do is go in on foot during the daytime, cut 'em and trim 'em in the woods, put the branches in garbage bags, walk them or boat them out somewhere close to a road or parking lot late in the afternoon, and come back after dark. Depending on the grow site.

One other thing - why so many strains? If this is your first big grow, I'd really recommend against it. Pick one, maybe two, and keep it simple. Each strain will behave differently, grow at different rates, mature at different times, look different, maybe have different water requirements and temperature tolerances, you name it. All your plants will look different from one another, and if you're an inexperienced grower, you'll have a much harder time figuring out if that's because there's something wrong with some of them or if it's just because, well... they look and act differently.

Thanks for the input. I will definitely do some more research on both insect control and deer control because those will be potential problems I can see happening.

As for harvesting the plants I think I will have to have them dispersed among a few homes/apartments for the drying/curing process.

maybe cougar urine would work

Is cougar urine available for purchase somewhere?

Good point, and I've heard that it does. But I don't know if anything really works every time. You just have to accept that over the course of a season, you're going to lose some to the critters. I don't have much trouble with it, because I picked a site where there really aren't many deer or rabbits. Too rugged and hard for them to get around in.

Thanks for the post, but the way I see it is if it can be stopped why not try and prevent it from happening rather than just accepting the loss. I want to smoke my crop not become a welfare system for the wild

 

[MediMaryUser]

use fishing string to make a fence and use bushes and trees as the fence post lol.ive never done it but read about it on here.

just put a string going like 6 inches above ground then 1 foot then 3 feet

 

[whiterain]

use fishing string to make a fence and use bushes and trees as the fence post lol.ive never done it but read about it on here.

just put a string going like 6 inches above ground then 1 foot then 3 feet

Interesting! I suppose fishing string would be less noticeable than chicken wire and such. I think I will use this as my method. However, from what I have been reading it seems as though outdoor growers only worry about animals such as deer and whatnot during the vegetative stage or when growth has reach only 1-2 feet in height.

As for the flowering stage would one have to worry about deer and such eating the actually buds or just the fan leaves?

 

[MediMaryUser]

Interesting! I suppose fishing string would be less noticeable than chicken wire and such. I think I will use this as my method. However, from what I have been reading it seems as though outdoor growers only worry about animals such as deer and whatnot during the vegetative stage or when growth has reach only 1-2 feet in height.

As for the flowering stage would one have to worry about deer and such eating the actually buds or just the fan leaves?

i would imagine that a deer would eat whatever was green .probably would eat the whole plant if the stem isnt big enough to be like hardened wood yet !

 

[whiterain]

Today I was reading a post where someone, I believe you call it "topping", where after the plant grew maybe two feet tall tied down the top part of the plant (where the cola would grow) to the side along with some branches and would continue doing this as it grew. It was helpful because it is more stealth and looks more bush like than a tall marijuana plant does and it also produced a lot of buds because branches began growing their own separate colas up towards the sun as they were being tied to the sides.

Has anyone ever tried this with success, or failure if so I'd like to hear about it and get some tips.

Thanks!

 

[CanadianGrowMan]

Hey Whiterain,
Actually what you described is known as LST (low stress training) what it does is it exposes lower branches to get more light and makes them grow just as fast as the top, pretty much giving it more bush-like.
Topping is when you take a razor blade or scissors (or anything sharp i guess... as long as its clean) and chop just above a new node. it causes the plant to grow two tops rather than one. Search up Topping and you'll see some examples.
Hope I helped

-CGM-

 

[whiterain]

Hey Whiterain,
Actually what you described is known as LST (low stress training) what it does is it exposes lower branches to get more light and makes them grow just as fast as the top, pretty much giving it more bush-like.
Topping is when you take a razor blade or scissors (or anything sharp i guess... as long as its clean) and chop just above a new node. it causes the plant to grow two tops rather than one. Search up Topping and you'll see some examples.
Hope I helped

-CGM-

Hey I appreciate your quick response. That makes more sense to me now. I think bush-like is more stealth for my area or at least I feel like it is safer. However, would you say that you yield more bud this way as it exposes more branches to light? Would it be reasonable to expect my current estimated yield?

Also, by topping by produce two big colas you are giving yourself a higher yield, correct?

Thanks!

 

[outdoor master]

Hey I appreciate your quick response. That makes more sense to me now. I think bush-like is more stealth for my area or at least I feel like it is safer. However, would you say that you yield more bud this way as it exposes more branches to light? Would it be reasonable to expect my current estimated yield?

Also, by topping by produce two big colas you are giving yourself a higher yield, correct?

Thanks!

well not from personal experience ive just read a ton of threads on this, ive heard that topping just gives you 2 nice size colas, and people have said that there yield didnt increase. This outdoor season im going to LST, what that does is it doesnt cut away new growth, all the bottom branches become top colas,your whole plant gets direct sunlight, thus increasing your yeild by alot, its also very good for stealth reasons, the only way youll get caught is if someone happens to walk threw briar patches and stumbles upon them, or they see you out there.

 

[arizona jim]

well not from personal experience ive just read a ton of threads on this, ive heard that topping just gives you 2 nice size colas, and people have said that there yield didnt increase. This outdoor season im going to LST, what that does is it doesnt cut away new growth, all the bottom branches become top colas,your whole plant gets direct sunlight, thus increasing your yeild by alot, its also very good for stealth reasons, the only way youll get caught is if someone happens to walk threw briar patches and stumbles upon them, or they see you out there.

I topped my month old outdoor plant about 3 weeks ago and its doing reallly well. PLant is a lot bushier than any of my plants that i didnt "top" i ecpect a higher yield too!

 

[Dr.WhiteWeed]

PICTURES! show me the money

 

[arizona jim]

PICTURES! show me the money

The plant to the right is topped one time soon to be a second and the other is not touched

 

[CanadianGrowMan]

Yeah, topping does help with bushiness and keeps height down, but from what I understand it doesn't affect yield THAT much, unless you have a plant that is known to have larger yields with using such techniques. I think i remember hearing that blueberry plants tend to yield more with topping, but I can't be certain. Anyways, keep us updated brah!

-CGM-

 

[stoopy]

I wish I had some living plants! The urge to germinate is killing me! Patience.... 2 more weeks till germination... I'm worried about a certain variety I have this year called Guerillas Gusto from Sensi, that's what it is, you're supposed to be able to leave it all season with little care as it is a very hardy strain, we'll see, the only problem is that it's a beast 7 to 9 footer at least, so I'm worried about them becoming top-heavy, I'm using them as an experiment for a plot that is very stealthy but I can only visit maybe 5/6 the whole year, topping may help me here... Now the Early Skunks will be at my other plot...

 

[whiterain]

I wish I had some living plants! The urge to germinate is killing me! Patience.... 2 more weeks till germination... I'm worried about a certain variety I have this year called Guerillas Gusto from Sensi, that's what it is, you're supposed to be able to leave it all season with little care as it is a very hardy strain, we'll see, the only problem is that it's a beast 7 to 9 footer at least, so I'm worried about them becoming top-heavy, I'm using them as an experiment for a plot that is very stealthy but I can only visit maybe 5/6 the whole year, topping may help me here... Now the Early Skunks will be at my other plot...

If you are scared about being top heavy and would want to be even more steal about your plants you can tie them down as they grow to the sides. There is a name for this technique I just have forgotten the name at the moment. However, some growers believe it helps yield too because light gets to lower branches as well as the top!