What size hole to dig?

[Gimpy23]

Just doing some planning on my next Spring dig.. and was wondering what size hole should I dig for outside planting in order to make sure that the roots don't go into fairly acidic soil outside of the hole? (4-5 ph) What could I use to buffer the soil adjacent to the holes I dig to make sure also.?

Any help would be great!

 

[pmumbry]

dolomite lime will neutralize the ph at about 7. you will need to make a pretty big hole if you plan on growing it from beginning of spring in the ground. imagine the size of the plant when it is finished, your root system can be as much material as what you see growing above ground. the edges of the diameter of the plant above ground is refered to as the drip line, the roots usually extend from the base of the stem outward to the drip line... work lots of dolomite lime into the acidic soil in the area you expect the plant to cover and you should be fine.

 

[Randm]

If the ground is acidic, use lime to bring the acid ph down. When I dig for my crop I see no reason to go deaper than around 2 ft. but I do make the hole at least 3 ft. in diameter. Wider is better as the roots tend to travel outward in their search for water rather than downward. I also line the inside of the hole with hardware cloth ( welded wire with 1/2 in. spacing ) to keep the gophers and moles away. I place the hardware cloth in the ground so as it protrudes above ground at least 6 inches to make a barriar to keep ground squirrels and bunnys from getting to the young plants as well.

Hope this helps

 

[scroglodyte]

grow in a container.............like a cut-down trash can.

 

[scroglodyte]

the acid surrounding soil will react with your lime in a big way and ph will plummet at end of grow, imo. use a big container, and fill it with proper soil for cannabis.

 

[Gimpy23]

thanks for the ideas! How much lime should I use?

 

[pmumbry]

thanks for the ideas! How much lime should I use?

it depends on your soil type, sandy loam or clay, for your starting ph of 4 and average loamy soil i would use at least 10 - 15 or more pounds of dolomite lime for a hole 6 feet wide by 6 feet long, and i would dig down at least 3 feet. i would dig the hole right now and add the lime to the soil you pull out of the hole to give it time to work for next springs planting.... i would also add more lime to the soil at planting time....

 

[Gimpy23]

this is mainly loamy and I plan on digging 3' diameter holes.3' deep. How much lime would you suggest for that size? Thanks for the help!

 

[pmumbry]

5 pounds this year and another 5 pounds in spring is what i would put if it were my grow. mix it in thoroughly.

 

[scroglodyte]

yes.......a lot of lime. i still say tubs will be better.

 

[Laney]

this is mainly loamy and I plan on digging 3' diameter holes.3' deep. How much lime would you suggest for that size? Thanks for the help!

I can't believe the holes that you guys dig. Some of my biggest plants were put straight into the ground with no soil amendments and a hole slightly larger than the 4 inch starter pot (they were unsexed, so I didn't want to do too much, lol). Dug out with a hand spade.

The best way to treat your ground is to mulch it heavily (I use several inches of alfalfa hay year round on my grow spots). After you do that for a year or two, all of the ground under the mulch will be black and crumbly. Lots of earthworms. If you are worried about the ph, test your soil. Cannabis is one of the easiest plants to grow!

 

[pmumbry]

for sure putting the plants in a 55 gallon drum cut in half or something similar filled with good soil mix would be best...