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SIMPLE STEPS FOR OUTDOOR GROWERS
About the Authors
We have been outdoor growers since 1980 and have had
relatively small yearly harvests every year since l983. We have
grown Indica and Sativa strains and also hybrids (mixing the two
together). Our horticulture has taken place largely in fields in
New York and New Jersey. The goal of this paper is to allow others
to produce their own, and to reduce the amount of marijuana traded
on the street. As more individuals become divorced from having to
sell and purchase fine erb, then we as consumers will become self-
sufficient and will also be able to minimize the risk of being
caught. Unfortunately, the ignorant powers that be continue to
persecute marijuana smokers for political reasons. We should take
responsibility for our habits and grow for our own consumption
thereby eliminating the "buy and sell game". Although the
marijuana trade is not known for attracting ruthless people, it
none the less is a "black market" activity that many wish to avoid.
Some people may read this paper with the hope that they can
grow acres of reefer that will bring them riches. Unfortunately
the gold rush as it pertains to weed has come and gone. The police
confiscate patches of pot annually through the use of aerial
infrared photography, and large plots are spotted much more
frequently than small plots. This guide is not designed to be the
erb growers bible, but to provide easy steps on how to cultivate
small amounts of marijuana for personal consumption. There are
people who know more about growing weed than we do, but the
marijuana growing literature still lacks a brief explanation of how
to produce outdoor kind bud in easy steps. Our hope is that this
paper can serve that purpose.
We want to thank the many people who helped us acquire skill
in this realm (our assumption is that they want to remain
anonymous). Any error or omission is our doing and we take full
responsibility.
All rights of this publication are not reserved. Anyone may
duplicate this document in full or part. Please distribute
liberally!
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Table of Contents
Acquiring Good Seeds
Finding a Site
Making a Trail
The Mechanics of Growing
a. Preparing the Soil
b. Planting
c. Weeding
d. Removing Males
e. The Fungus
f. Emergency Visits
The Harvest
When to Harvest
Acquiring Good Seeds
Quality seed strains are often difficult to obtain. This is
especially true for people who hang in a predominantly straight
crowd and know few people who partake in the fine erb. The rule of
thumb is if the weed gets you pretty high then the seed is usually
good to grow. Seeds coming from green bud are often better to grow
because the strain is frequently acclimated to the growing season
of northern latitudes. Jamaican and Colombian varieties can not be
easily produced in northern latitudes because the strains produce
bud too late in the season. The results of growing these varieties
in most of the U.S. will be little or no bud growth before the
first frost hits. Sativa strains usually grow taller than the
indica or indica-sativa hybrids. This can be a major drawback
especially in the fall when other plants are dying off and trees
are losing leaves. Some growers have success crossing sativa
varieties from southern climates with Indica, and creating an
offspring that will bud more timely.
When at parties, concerts, or other social events, keep an eye
out for people breaking up bud and discarding seeds. The best time
to look for seeds is from October to January because this is when
most of the locally grown outdoor erb hits the market. Acquiring
and maintaining a quality seed stock is the most fundamental task
of a successful grower.
Finding a Site
Aside from acquiring good seed, picking a prime location to
grow is probably the most important task a grower is faced with.
One of the best locations is in areas of grasslands that have small
trees and bushes interspersed. Often a farmers field that has been
out of production for ten years is ideal. Flood plains along
rivers and streams are another good location, but the risk of
losing seeds in the Spring or the harvest in the Fall due to
flooding should be considered. Growers have also been known to
plant in buckets in more rocky or mountainous terrain. This
enables them to grow in areas that receive good sunlight but have
rocky, untillable soil. Digging a site in areas of dense but short
plant growth, like sticker bushes, is another suitable spot. The
sticker bushes grow high enough to prevent people from seeing
through them and also serve as a direct deterrence from people and
large animals wandering into the site.
A grower can often use animal and insect life to his
advantage. Bees, tics, green flies and the like can discourage
people from wandering through fields so areas having an abundant
insect population are prime locations. The most important criteria
for an excellent growing site are good soil, available water,
sunlight, and suitable cover. Other factors are secondary.
Good soil is sometimes hard to find but without it you won't
get much of a harvest. So, if you find a site that is perfect for
all other factors but has poor soil , you may want to consider
bringing soil to the site. Soil is often the richest in areas
where grassland vegetation has existed for a series of years.
Grasslands recycle nutrients in the soil and form a thick layer of
organic matter. Grassland biospheres require very little
preparation to start growing, while other soil conditions require
more work. Sandy soils often need potting soil or top soil along
with a small amount of lime to make them more fertile. Soils with
high amounts of clay need material, like peat moss, added to break
up the clay and make the soil more porous. I'm a naturalist and
disagree with some erb growing professionals who believe that
planting along road sides can be productive. The lead and other
toxic chemicals found in some of these soils is enough to
discourage many vegetable growers from producing consumable or
smokable plant material. If you live in a city, and lack your own
means of transportation then use roadsides as your last resort.
A close water source is also very important. A site close to
the water table would be ideal since bringing water into the site
can get tiresome and also dangerous. It can get very tiresome if
you have many sites or even a few big sites. If you choose a site
much higher than the water table or grow in buckets, you will
quickly find that the amount of water needed during a dry summer
will be enormous and will give you great incentive to find a site
closer to the water table. The dangers in having to bring water to
the sites are numerous. The greatest of these would be the chance
of someone spotting you, possibly a cop. The second greatest would
be the destruction of the foliage you have to walk through to get
from the water source to the site. If you have to make more than
one trip you run a big risk that a trail will become noticeable.
Finding a stable water source in the summer can be another obstacle
since small streams often dry up at this time. How often you will
need to water is determined by the weather and that could require
you to make unexpected trips to the sites. Each trip puts you at
risk. Your goal is to minimize these trips.
Sunlight is less important than the previous two components
but is still essential. Plants should be in areas that receive at
least five hours of direct sunlight per day. Morning sunlight is
preferable since plants tend to respond better to it than to the
afternoon sunlight. Growers who scout sites during the winter
months must be able to visualize how the landscape will be shaded
by trees, and the path the sun will take come Spring. Of course,
the greater the amount of sunlight the better, but when choosing a
site sunlight is just one of many factors that must be considered.
The last criteria has nothing to do with plant biology, but
rather focuses on minimizing the threat of unwanted attention from
people wandering by. The cover should be both tall enough to keep
people from spotting it and thick enough to discourage them from
wandering too close to it. The best foliage to accomplish this is
a large patch of big sticker bushes. If that's not available, look
for foliage that grows to a height of six to eight feet by the fall
and is far enough away from where someone might stray.
The Ability to hide plants amongst the flora in fields is an
art and skill improved upon through practice. One favorite
technique is to hide plants on the south side of bushes so that
passers by will have difficulty spotting the plant(s). Plants
still get adequate light in spite of the appearance of being
crowded by the larger bush. The best hiding spot for erb is where
people have their view blocked from all sides and has the
appearance of being impenetrable. In areas where the vegetation
growth is less than three feet the erb may need to be trimmed back
or tied to the ground in order to create smaller bushier plants.
Fields with small vegetation growth may have poor soil or can be
dry upland environments where the soil frequently becomes too dry
so use caution. Making erb junior blend in with the other plants
in the field will minimize risk. In order to grow plants
efficiently, an outdoor grower must use the natural landscape to
his or her advantage.
Making a Trail
One of the ways to ensure success is by creating trails that
are not visible to passers by. This is easier in some places than
in others. Areas having dense undergrowth with lots of sunlight
can be ideal because plant growth is so rapid it will erase any
damage to the vegetation between trips during the Spring and
Summer. If you are growing plants in areas easy to spot trails
then make the path weave back and forth so it becomes difficult for
people to see a trail. Making a hidden trail to the site(s) is
important because it allows the grower to minimize getting ripped
off or worse, caught. People wander through undeveloped areas and
follow trails to nowhere all the time. Their access can be limited
through thoughtful planning of pathways and proper care in using
them. When you walk through your entrance, do everything possible
not to damage any of the foliage, especially toward the late Summer
and early Fall. At this time of the year, damaged foliage usually
will not regrow and this is when the plants need as much cover as
possible. There are two things to keep in mind when making a trail
to your site(s): 1) Can you see the trail you just made, if not
that's great, if so look for ways to cover areas that look like a
trail; 2) The more difficult it is for you to get to the site, the
less likely someone else will try.
The Mechanics of Growing
Your cousin Louie and his friend Sam are in town from Oklahoma
and they have smoked a lot of grass and grown some in their
backyards. Sam has a good rap, and appears knowledgeable about
fine erb. Taking these two gentlemen for a walk in the fields
might appear to be a good idea. Shit, they could offer some
insightful pointers. I must caution against these excursions.
Even if these men are the erb experts they appear, taking a walk
with them may not be in your best interest. They are unfamiliar
with the area and may not know where to run if the need arises.
Walking with more than two people through a field can attract
attention (the greater the number of people, the greater chance of
being seen). The more people walking on a trail the larger the
trail becomes and thus the greater the chance your trail can be
followed by others. Every time you visit the site(s) you are
putting the harvest and for that matter yourself at risk. This may
be a small or large risk depending on the particular place but
remember that no place is 100% safe. Unless it is an emergency
situation where the buggy fly has infested your crop, and you are
bringing in a specialist to offer expert advice, the site(s) should
not be visited by strangers. Having a growing partner is
recommended regardless of his or her competence, and even then the
site(s) should only be visited to accomplish specific tasks. Trips
to the site should occur at the following times.
1. Preparing The Soil:
(early March - Mid April depending on climate)
I suggest buying 40lb. bags of organic potting soil and mixing
this in with the existing soil. This soil is not often found at
your local all-purpose store so some searching may be required.
Potting soil is richer soil than commercial top soil so it goes a
little bit farther when mixed with the existing soil. Lime may be
necessary in areas with acidic soil and peat moss is a good
additive for soils with a clay type consistency. I avoid chemical
fertilizers, not just because I believe that organic farming is the
best way, but also because toxic waste is produced from the
manufacture of fertilizers.
It's also a good idea to put up a two foot high fence at this
time. This will keep small animals out and the use of dried blood
and/or human hair will fend off deer. Purchase a wire fence with
small gaps, 2 inches or less between the metal strands. Collect
enough sticks in the area to provide stakes that will support the
fence about every 2 feet. Outline the site with the sticks and tie
the fence to the sticks with string or wire. Cut the fence
endstrand and bend the strands that protrude from the top of the
fence out and down the outside to discourage animals from trying to
jump over it. Camouflage the fence and site with normal ground
debris as necessary before leaving.
2. Planting: (early April - early May)
There are different ways to go about planting:
A) The seed intensive method:
This method should only be used if you have an abundance of
seeds. The seed intensive method entails planting many seeds in a
small area. Its strength is that it can limit risk. When you
journey to your newly prepared site(s), the seeds and trowels are
hidden in your pockets. Plant the seeds about one half inch deep,
unless the soil contains high amounts of clay then only plant seeds
one quarter inch in the soil. If you setup small sites 3ft x 3ft
square, put in three rows with a seed every one and a half inches.
If you work out the Math this is roughly 72 seeds per site.
Unfortunately, many growers, especially beginners, do not posses
this many good seeds. If a grower creates four sites with this
many seeds he or she is almost guaranteed a harvest. Yes, there
will be some crowding and this is one of the drawbacks of using
many seeds in a small area. Also, figure around 50% of the plants
are going to be male so you must return to the site to cut out the
males toward the end of Summer. Once the males are removed from
the site, the females get more light and aren't as crowded. The
seed intensive strategy tends to produce smaller plants because of
crowding, but at the same time it helps ensure a harvest every
season. In the present day of infrared photography, I believe it
is important to have small sites to avoid detection from the air.
This of course means growers may have to create a series of small
plots in order to garner a year's supply of erb. If you grow
merely for hobby, sport, or experimental purposes, than one site
may suit you fine.
B) Planting small seedlings:
The strongest argument for this method of planting is that you
get the opportunity to select for planting the strongest of the
seedlings you've started. The strongest argument against this
method is the risk of transporting the seedlings to their intended
site(s). Transporting them requires you to find a method of
concealing them, usually a box. The problem that then arises is
that the size box needed to transport many plants may make this
method too risky or totally impractical. The other concern with
this method is that there is also the risk of shocking the
seedlings when you put them outside in the site where they will be
exposed to the harsh Spring weather. Before planting seedlings or
sexed females they should be put outside and closely monitored at
least three days before planting to become acclimated to the wind
and change in temperature.
This method works best when you can set up a small shelter
near your sites that is enclosed but not insulated. This shelter
can be as small as the site and 18 inches tall or big enough to
walk in, providing you have a safe location for such a structure.
Starting seeds in this shelter gives the benefit of acclimating
seedlings to a temperature much closer to that which they will face
when they are planted in the site and it will also protect them
from any late Spring snows and/or frosts.
C) Planting sexed females:
The advantage of planting sexed females is obvious; every
plant will produce buds. The sex of plants can be determined by
growing them until they're four inches high, and then decreasing
the amount of light they receive to eight hours. The males are
then identified and removed in one to two weeks. This method
requires being able to control the amount of light the plants
receive each day, and also requires that plants be started indoors
earlier than you would normally start (late February - early
March). This method allows growers to spread their plants across
a wide area in smaller sites and also to hide plants amongst small
trees and shrubs. By spreading two dozen female plants throughout
a ten acre area in individual sites, a harvest is almost
guaranteed, providing that you remember where all the sites are.
Growers are encouraged to create a map of their sites to insure
against memory loss. Just remember to guard that map closely.
Putting anything about your operations in writing puts you at risk.
3. Weeding:
Three weeks after the plants or seeds are in the ground return
to remove weeds that are crowding out the kind erb. Three weeks
after the first weeding a second weeding should take place. A
third weeding is optional, by this time the plants should be large
enough to compete with the weeds, however, if you are in a site
that has strong weeds around it you may have to cut the weeds back
at additional times throughout the year. Remember, weeding does
not mean destroying all vegetation within three feet of a plant.
Weeds can help hide your crop and protect your crop from hungry
animals. Nearby vegetation can also help keep water in the soil
from evaporating in the hot sun. So don't go overboard and be very
careful, it's very easy to accidently injure small plants or their
roots trying to get rid of weeds.
4. Removing Males:
(If you are growing sexed females these trips can be omitted)
Male plants will begin to produce their flowers and pollen as
early as mid July for varieties acclimated to this climate.
Varieties from more southern climates, may not start until mid
September. This difference depends on the budding cycle of your
variety, some plants start to bud earlier than others, so the exact
time to cut the males will vary with the strain. If you are using
a variety of different seeds it may be necessary to visit once a
week from July 21 through September 15. The timely identification
of a male plant is crucial to the success of the harvest. If the
weather is exceptional during the time a male starts producing its
flowers and you missed seeing the first signs during your last
visit, you could wind up with a lot of seeds and little of the fine
erb. A female can either generate a large seedless bud, a large
bud with a few seeds, or a large bud that is almost totally seeds.
The first case is achieved by removing all the male plants before
any of their flowers open. The second case occurs when a few male
flowers have opened but you remove them before any more open. The
third case occurs when you miss-time the flowering of the male.
This can be devastating if you have big female plants because you
could loose 90% of the smokable erb to seed production. This last
scenario may not always be bad though. If you are short on seeds
for the next growing season, it may be prudent to let one or two
males stand and fertilize a portion of the females. Good seeds are
hard to come by, so if you have a strain you like, make sure to
plan ahead and have at least a few hundred seeds for the future.
The spotting of males is one of the most difficult of things to
explain to a person that's never grown since it really takes
careful attention to how the tops of male plants look at this stage
of development. Even experienced growers will be unsure at times
and will have to wait till the next visit to be sure. When a male
enters the stage of flower development, the tips of the branches
where a bud would develop will start to grow what looks like a
little bud but it will have no white hairs coming out of it.
5. The Fungus:
Along with cops, thieves, animals, and insects, "the fungus"
is another obstacle in the path of a successful growing season.
When the buds are roughly half developed they become susceptible to
a fungus or bud rot. It appears that growing conditions for the
fungus are best when temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees and
the humidity is high. The fungus is very destructive and spreads
quickly. It is a spore type of fungus that travels to other buds
via the wind so it is impossible to prevent or stop if weather
conditions permit it to grow. If things should go badly and the
fungus starts to attack your plants, you must remove it immediately
or it will spread to other areas of the plant or plants. Some
growers will remove just the section of the bud that is infected
whereas other growers will remove the entire branch. Removal of
the entire branch better insures that the fungus is totally
removed, and also enables the grower to sample the crop a few weeks
ahead of time. The main point in removing the fungus is to be very
careful. Since it is a spore type of fungus, the accidental
jerking of an infected bud will release some of the spores and they
could fall onto a lower bud so by the next visit, you might have to
pull that bud too. Also be careful in touching the fungus with
your fingers because your fingers could pick up the spores and then
when you touch the next bud, the spores could cling to it and start
eating away at that bud.
6. Emergency Visits:
The Real Estate and Construction Industries have conspired to
develop housing near your crop and their "progress" must be
monitored. A hurricane or tropical storm with winds over 50 miles
per hour has visited your area. A drought takes place. etc. One
of the drawbacks of growing outdoors is that you can not control
for interference by outside forces. Emergency visits may be
necessary but don't go crazy every time there's a bad storm. These
plants are strong and can take some punishment.
The Harvest
Performed at night if possible. A nighttime run will limit
the chances of someone seeing you. Do the most risky parts, such
as carrying freshly cut erb where you could easily be spotted by a
passing car, when the police jurisdiction changes shift. This can
help ensure that officials do not spot you, and if a nosey nearby
resident or passerby calls the police, it may take time before a
car is dispatched to investigate. If harvesting at night, use
flashlights sparingly so as not to attract attention, and bring
extra batteries just in case(the rechargeable kind are
recommended). When harvesting more than a couple of plants
remember a small pocket knife because it makes the night move
quicker. Unless you are planning to use the large fan leaves for
cooking, remove them in the field so they don't take up a lot of
space. If you have more than one variety of erb that you are
harvesting bring various bags to put the different strains of buds
in, and I would suggest using backpacks for travel to avoid
suspicion and for easy handling.
When to Harvest
The time to harvest depends on several factors: bud
development, weather, fungus, and thieves. Some pot strains mature
earlier in the fall than others, depending on the latitude of the
globe where the strain originated. You will need to pull Indica
varieties in late September and Columbian varieties in late
October. The weather may also force you to pull early. If there
is a severe freeze heading your way, you are better off not
chancing that the weathermen are wrong and pull at least a majority
of what you have. Another case for pulling early is if weather
conditions are perfect for the fungus to run wild. This will also
force you to pull early. And of course if your site has been found
or is in great danger of being found, you must pull everything to
avoid loosing out on what would otherwise have been a great year.
For instance, if you have a site in a corn field or other temporary
situation, the harvest must occur at a point in time relatively
independent of weather. Also try to find out if and when hunters
start to roam the fields.
One other thing to watch for is frost. Even a mild frost can
damage plants so watching the weather closely in late September and
throughout October is important. If your plants do get damaged by
frost the erb is still harvestable so don't give up entirely if you
fail to chop before the first frost. If by some freak chance there
is a frost in early September and the buds are still very small you
may want to allow the damage to occur and then let the buds finish
maturing rather than harvesting a small quantity of premature
buddage. This type of situation is an on the spot call and you
must consider many factors, such as bud size, weather predictions
for the following weeks, strain of weed, location of site, etc.,
before deciding. Indica varieties usually mature sooner than
sativa varieties, and the best time to harvest varieties acclimated
to the Northeast is from late September to mid October. Those
varieties not acclimated to the Northeast, such as Columbian or
Jamaican, are best left to late October or even mid November if the
weather permits. One other thing you want to avoid is harvesting
in the rain. Moisture can lead to problems in the drying process
such as molds and fungi. The dryer the plants at the harvest date
the better.
As mentioned before, it is important to acquire seeds from
strains that can be grown at the latitude you are at, some Mexican
or Colombian varieties may not develop mature buds until November
and by then the weather becomes harsh. Knowing when your plants
will mature is difficult for beginners or growers using new seeds
for the first season.
Planning and getting to a good drying location quickly is
important so the buddage is not left in bags for longer than a few
hours. If the freshly harvested bud remains in bags for too long
(12 hours or more), molds and fungus will begin to destroy the erb.
Once you get to your drying location you need to prepare the erb
for drying. This entails removing excess fan leaves and other
larger leaves. However, if the drying spot has a temperature
higher than 85 degrees it may be beneficial to leave a few large
leaves to keep the buds from drying too quickly. Typical places to
dry are attics, closets, dresser drawers, and basements. The best
position for a bud to dry in is hanging upside down in a location
where air can circulate all around it. If you are fortunate to
have a location that you can do this in, great, otherwise use a
dresser drawer or some other concealed place. If you dry the buds
in dresser drawers remember not to double stack the buds or the
weight of the upper layer of buds will cause a flat spot on the
buds underneath. Also remember to rotate the buds every day so the
erb dries uniformly and you can check for any signs of mold or
fungus. If space permits and you are able to retrieve the whole
plant, roots and all, you can hang them upside down by the roots,
but don't expect this drying procedure to yield higher quality bud.
THC does not drain from the roots down into the buds, the THC forms
in the resin on the buds. The entire drying process should take
place over four to six days depending on the size and variety of
bud, the temperature, and the relative humidity of the drying area.
If the buds are dried too quickly, the flavor of the erb will
become more harsh and the THC level may not reach its potential.
If the pot is dried too slowly then molds and fungi may develop and
have a similar effect. With any method of drying, the process must
be monitored on a day-to-day basis. Room temperature is fine for
drying as long as the humidity is kept low. If drying must take
place in a cool damp place then a fan and possibly a heater should
be installed to compensate.