2010 Outdoor Grow, advice?

Hello all, I'm planning on a 2010 Outdoor Grow, which will be my first. I've never attempted an outdoor grow, so my experience is very limited. And I would greatly appreciate any advice or knowledge givin!

I have a nice secluded location picked out, but the area is very difficult to dig in, and the base soil is sub par, this has become a problem.

I've done some research and I've read that roots can reach 6 feet in depth and 5 feet in width. I have been considering using grow bags due to the difficulty of the soil and its poor quality.

My question is, when you guys dig for a single plant, whats the depth/width of the hole?

And what size grow bag would I have to use to compensate for digging that hole? I know alot of people frown on grow bags, so I'm assuming they effect the yield tremendously, is this true?

Thanks to anyone who took the time out to read my post, any and all positive advice is appreciated!

I am a newb, and I also am looking to do my first outdoor grow.
But with the bits of reading I've done, I believe a 2 foot by 2 foot hole should be good. You could dig bigger yes, but it sounds like digging might be difficult(hard soil?) If you're digging a hole, is there a point to a grow bag? or just fill the hole with soil! good luck man

Hey Jnuggs, thanks for the response, its appreciated.

Basically the location I've found is great, very secluded, lots of direct sunlight in this particular nook, and a water supply about a football field off.

The soil has alot of rocks, roots and very compact, its hard to work with even with a pick axe, so I was considering grow bags, but want to know what size, and the downfalls.

Good Luck on your information search for your Outdoor Grow, any information I come accross on the way, I'll be happy to share!

nothing wrong with growbags, I use em. I prefer to put the plants in the ground but sometimes it just isn't practical. been getting good results from the grow bags.the size of growbag you use depends on how big you want the plant to get.

Thanks for the reply Dr. I appreciate it!

What size grow bags do you use? And how much do the grow bags hinder yield compared to planting in ground?

I'm willing to use whatever size grow bags are best for maximum growth.

Insects.. Do some research on insects in your area. Last year i had a few plants about a foot tall that i just transplanted outdoors just to find out that they were eaten by slugs in 2 days!

Hey, thanks Growingbuddy!

Wow 2 days, thats crazy stuff!

Yeah, slugs are a huge problem in my area, deer also, damn pests!

GoldenGloves said:

Hey, thanks Growingbuddy!

Wow 2 days, thats crazy stuff!

Yeah, slugs are a huge problem in my area, deer also, damn pests!

Click to expand...

Deer are the biggest problem here also!!

digging is a waste of time im just gonna get trash bags fill them wit dirt a transplant its simple cheap and requires very little work just what i like....Blazed

I got alot of advice make sure theres a close water supply make sure you plant more then you want to harvest half are going to be male. grow indoors and transplant outdoors during late april early may good time here in norcal. dont plant in rows dig a 4x4 foot deep hole fill it with ocean mix potting soil buy foxfarms nutes grow big and tiger bloom. use a hutning camera for security that way you can tell if anyone has entered or use fish line if its broke someone has spotted your field plant a few plots not just one. make sure your not making a trail weave a path or take multiple paths. were a mask or something to conceal your idenity trust me it sucks running when someone finds you lol. listen to nature if you hear birds and wildlife near by thats a good idication that there is little to no humans around. and last of all dont fuck up tell nobody loose lips sink ships remeber that and keep the number of plants below 50 in one field at least good luck and be smart its your future your looking at you can either be smart and live or get greedy and fuck up remeber that the best of luck for you.

Good advice Norcal, but the hunting cameras are only needed if your somewhere near people. The first thing in outdoor growing you have to accept is non-attachment. If somebody steals your crop you can't hunt them down or let the anger kill you. Accept the fact that there is a high possibility of people, pests, herbaceous animals and disease. Obviously, you want to go where nobody would ever expect. Go through thickets and rivers and mountains and make sure your not on some farmers property. look for signs of people such as cow poop, beaten trails, rope, trash, cigarette butts, structures, treehouses, etc. Next, you must listen to the birds. heres a little background:
birds are always communicating with everything and always reporting disturbance. short and rapid high pitch calls and an explosion of birds is an indication that people are coming. if you see birds explode and land like 10 feet away from where they exploded, its probably a predator such as a cat or coyote. long song like calls are indicators of natural, baseline life. Don't get confused when you set off a bird alarm though. Everything puts off rings of disturbance, and if your not trained in the field of non disturbance, your ring will go out very far. You'll never really get to listen to the animals, always to the birds. birds will alarm at least 2 minutes before danger arrives. Obviously, if a bunch of deer come charging out of the woods, that means hunters or predators.
after your location is secure, keep it secure. Put fishing line at around chest height around your crop. deer and other animals related have a natural fear of things they feel but cannot see. next, if you dont want to use a fence, look up on google certain mixtures that you can spray on and around your crop to keep rodents away, as well as pests. keep a small cage around them when the plants are small, as this is the most vulnerable time. mark your territory with urine, hair, nail clippings, shoes, anything. keep buckets and fertilizer bags out of the view of helicopters, and if there is some other sort of thicket in your area, plant the plants in it or on the very circumference. Im not sure where you live, but if there are any plants that are a nitrogen fixer or some sort of cover crop, plant in them, as the soil will be rich. My current outdoor location is within a MASSIVE French Broom thicket. a tall, sun loving nitrogen fixer which grows where much groundwater is available, and its green as hell! Can't wait to put plants there. Make sure whatever ground your on has lots of open sky toward the south, as south hills get the most sun.
try to deliver things to your crop at obscure hours. not mid day, but more like a little after dusk or before the sun comes up. if your comfortable, 2-4 am are the best hours, as this is when even the insomniacs rest.
Just keep everything on the downlow and dont attract any kind of attention. blend in and hope for the best. good luck!

Good advice GPD!

Thanks for the reply John, Norcal, an GPD, your advice is very much appreciated.

Its hard to find advice on the subject at hand.

I'm pretty sure I'll try both methods, dig a few holes and use a few grow bags, see if theres a huge difference in yield or potency, and replicate the
method the year after. I feel if I go with grow bags, I'm cutting corners, not only is it easier, it will save alot of time, sounds too good to be true, right?
Only one way to find out! =)

I think a little cows blood and a little human urine will keep the deer away, a little slug bait for them little bastards, and hope for the best.

ya grow bags are good look at the yield browdirtwarrior got i say go for it

Check this out http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc08/growing/ggo.html

good points everyone! good luck