Experienced, But New To Outdoor. Lotsa Questions (plant Veg, Watering, Etc)

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LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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Hey Gents,

We are new to the outdoor setup. We have been inside many years. Included is a photo of our outside space, its about 4-5 acres.

Was hoping for some help on a few questions.

1. How big to veg? We need about 1 LB per plant and are hoping to do 2,000 lbs. We are pondering vegging under 6, 1000w hps, dimmed down to 600w, for 10-12 weeks.

2. Can natural water in soil be enough or do we need to water them periodically? (Outdoor farmers don't irrigate their crops in our state)

3. Would Organic Bacterial Tea with bat & bird guano and worm castings, be enough fertilizer for the first season? The soil here is very nutrient rich and hoping to keep costs down.

4. Is Deer a big problem and should we have an 8 ft fence around the grow?

I think all for now, Cheers!

Experienced but new to outdoor lotsa questions plant veg watering etc
 
4plant

4plant

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Looks like a good space. Google a mendo dope outdoor grow, that’s what you aiming for.
1. If you haven’t bought the lights yet go for cmh or even mh, veg growth will be much better. If you can plant 2 foot plants that have 4-6 main tops should work well.
2. Yes, if their growing well you will def need to water and feed them regularly.
3. Mixing a super soil and adding teas periodically would work.
4. Deer might be a problem, can use a repellent, some guys up here use wolf piss.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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Looks like a good space. Google a mendo dope outdoor grow, that’s what you aiming for.
1. If you haven’t bought the lights yet go for cmh or even mh, veg growth will be much better. If you can plant 2 foot plants that have 4-6 main tops should work well.
2. Yes, if their growing well you will def need to water and feed them regularly.
3. Mixing a super soil and adding teas periodically would work.
4. Deer might be a problem, can use a repellent, some guys up here use wolf piss.


Thank you boss! Appreciate the info!

With growing outside, can you just use ground soil and weekly brewed Teas? like 10/1 water to tea mix and hit them with a gallon or two each? I am pondering doing this as my only fertilizer if it would work....?
 
4plant

4plant

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I would recommend using big smart pots and filling them with an organic soil mix. I guess you could use the soil that’s there depending on the quality of it. It’s probably very compacted and would need to be tilled and amended.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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I would recommend using big smart pots and filling them with an organic soil mix. I guess you could use the soil that’s there depending on the quality of it. It’s probably very compacted and would need to be tilled and amended.

To keep costs down, going to try plowing, then tilling the ground instead of using smart pots.
There is a good youtube video of Leap Farms, where the owner puts them right in the ground and they are probably 20 LB yield plants.. huge. So I think it can work just fine.
 
BudBogart

BudBogart

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To keep costs down, going to try plowing, then tilling the ground instead of using smart pots.
There is a good youtube video of Leap Farms, where the owner puts them right in the ground and they are probably 20 LB yield plants.. huge. So I think it can work just fine.

I can’t imagine an area that contains enough ground water to self sustain a season of cannabis without being so wet as to be swampy and unsuitable.
My garden sits just above a small artesian pond, but each of my plants sitting in tractor dug holes receive 50 gallons of water from the well every few days, depending on heat, etc.
Plowing and tilling is awesome as long as you don’t plan on bringing in soil from the outside. I brought in soil and have the plants 8 feet separation, filling holes is cheaper than filling trenches.
You can have your soil tested for cheap enough to tell you the type, amount of nutes, etc. to help with knowing what you may need to add to accomplish your goal.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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I can’t imagine an area that contains enough ground water to self sustain a season of cannabis without being so wet as to be swampy and unsuitable.
My garden sits just above a small artesian pond, but each of my plants sitting in tractor dug holes receive 50 gallons of water from the well every few days, depending on heat, etc.
Plowing and tilling is awesome as long as you don’t plan on bringing in soil from the outside. I brought in soil and have the plants 8 feet separation, filling holes is cheaper than filling trenches.
You can have your soil tested for cheap enough to tell you the type, amount of nutes, etc. to help with knowing what you may need to add to accomplish your goal.


Hey Man, So could you share a bit of how many plants, what size and is that 50 G of water total each week?
The water here is pretty affordable, so using 5-10 G per week, per plant, wouldn't be too bad if needed.

I wouldn't bring in outside dirt, just till and use what we have, with Teas added every week or 10 days.

Thank you,
 
BudBogart

BudBogart

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Hey Man, So could you share a bit of how many plants, what size and is that 50 G of water total each week?
The water here is pretty affordable, so using 5-10 G per week, per plant, wouldn't be too bad if needed.

I wouldn't bring in outside dirt, just till and use what we have, with Teas added every week or 10 days.

Thank you,
Sure, I give each plant 50 gallons of water, maybe 2-3 times per week. Twice a week would get me by. Each hole is 1 1/2 cubic yards of soil. Each plant goes 8 feet tall, eight feet wide max at harvest. I took 30 pounds of COLAS off 22 plants. I didn’t weigh the rest. Documented on the grow journal on my signature. Feel free. Have you considered site security and drying, curing, trimming in place?
 
PlumberSoCal

PlumberSoCal

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Sure, I give each plant 50 gallons of water, maybe 2-3 times per week. Twice a week would get me by. Each hole is 1 1/2 cubic yards of soil. Each plant goes 8 feet tall, eight feet wide max at harvest. I took 30 pounds of COLAS off 22 plants. I didn’t weigh the rest. Documented on the grow journal on my signature. Feel free. Have you considered site security and drying, curing, trimming in place?

Yeah, all that work at the end is the worst. Hour after hour of trimming, hanging, controling temp and humidity and then filling buckets and daily burping the buckets for weeks. Worth every second!
 
Natureboy43

Natureboy43

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Maybe I missed it, but I did not see where you were growing. Climate has everything to do with the most of your questions. Most outdoor growers in mild climates have their plants in the ground now. March was better for many of us. Are you organic or will you be using synthetic fertilizer?

I would do several soil samples and send them to Logan labs for testing. If you are going to be organic, i would take those results to grow abundant.com to get their fertilizing recommendations.

Outdoor plants are really big, a little thirsty and a lot hungry. I do not measure but i think i use 100-150gl a week per big plant in the summer, less well into flowering.

Deer will likely be an issue. Ask tree farmers as in produce, near you what they do.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

323
63
Maybe I missed it, but I did not see where you were growing. Climate has everything to do with the most of your questions. Most outdoor growers in mild climates have their plants in the ground now. March was better for many of us. Are you organic or will you be using synthetic fertilizer?

I would do several soil samples and send them to Logan labs for testing. If you are going to be organic, i would take those results to grow abundant.com to get their fertilizing recommendations.

Outdoor plants are really big, a little thirsty and a lot hungry. I do not measure but i think i use 100-150gl a week per big plant in the summer, less well into flowering.

Deer will likely be an issue. Ask tree farmers as in produce, near you what they do.


Thanks man.

We are in Iowa and we can be pretty dry in late summer.
Would be organic and considering drip irrigation to make it easier to water and feed.

Could a person have a nice crop on only organic teas with worm castings and bat guano added along with the micro nutrients? Or does there always need to be some true fertilizers?
 
BudBogart

BudBogart

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Thanks man.

We are in Iowa and we can be pretty dry in late summer.
Would be organic and considering drip irrigation to make it easier to water and feed.

Could a person have a nice crop on only organic teas with worm castings and bat guano added along with the micro nutrients? Or does there always need to be some true fertilizers?

Those are great fertilizers for adding nitrogen to your soil, but how can you provide tea for 2000 plants without a huge amount of water? Those ARE true fertilizers.
Once your plants are flowering they will want more phosphorus and less nitrogen. And of course, you need potassium. A soil test will tell you what you have and what you need.

The best advice I can give you is to start with far fewer plants. Dial in what it takes to make them thrive before you try and grow 2000 plants.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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Those are great fertilizers for adding nitrogen to your soil, but how can you provide tea for 2000 plants without a huge amount of water? Those ARE true fertilizers.
Once your plants are flowering they will want more phosphorus and less nitrogen. And of course, you need potassium. A soil test will tell you what you have and what you need.

The best advice I can give you is to start with far fewer plants. Dial in what it takes to make them thrive before you try and grow 2000 plants.
Thanks, so how would you add chem fert to the plants, mix in water and dump on right? Just wondering how much different this would be than adding 10 gallons of tea a week or something like that.

What does Iowa climate do to my grow? Anything to worry about?

You think I need a large surround fence for deer? Like 8-10 foot?
 
FrankieG

FrankieG

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I'm in Cali, so we've definitely got different conditions. But if you're on acreage, put 'em in the ground. I don't usually bust seeds until mid april, early may, under a t-5, by the time I've sexed them (phylos bioscience) and put them into the ground first week of June they've been topped and are being transplanted from a 3" cup, to a hole 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep. You don't want to feed plants every week in smart pots, at some point in the season, you'll nutrient lock those plants, and you'll be fucked. Build your soil, add amendments, get it right...if you do, you shouldn't have to worry about feeding for a month. I haven't grown a plant under 3 lbs in 20 years...If you're set on growing 2k plants, you may want to get a few loads of horse manure, top dress and water that shit in...they love it. There's all kinds of ways to spend your money, I'd start with a really solid, nutrient rich soil and get it on, less is more. Also, once the roots are established and growing, and if you're growing in the ground, you won't be watering as much. My girls have been in the ground a little over 2 weeks, currently they go 3 full days with zero droop(and it's been hot here)...most of the time, they look their absolute best on that 4th day. Good luck and Happy Farming.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

323
63
I'm in Cali, so we've definitely got different conditions. But if you're on acreage, put 'em in the ground. I don't usually bust seeds until mid april, early may, under a t-5, by the time I've sexed them (phylos bioscience) and put them into the ground first week of June they've been topped and are being transplanted from a 3" cup, to a hole 3 feet wide by 3 feet deep. You don't want to feed plants every week in smart pots, at some point in the season, you'll nutrient lock those plants, and you'll be fucked. Build your soil, add amendments, get it right...if you do, you shouldn't have to worry about feeding for a month. I haven't grown a plant under 3 lbs in 20 years...If you're set on growing 2k plants, you may want to get a few loads of horse manure, top dress and water that shit in...they love it. There's all kinds of ways to spend your money, I'd start with a really solid, nutrient rich soil and get it on, less is more. Also, once the roots are established and growing, and if you're growing in the ground, you won't be watering as much. My girls have been in the ground a little over 2 weeks, currently they go 3 full days with zero droop(and it's been hot here)...most of the time, they look their absolute best on that 4th day. Good luck and Happy Farming.
Thanks man. That makes sense. Could you share a little about row and plant spacing and what you think is best? Also how often would they need water outside? Just weekly when we don't get rain?
 
WhiteBoyWill

WhiteBoyWill

12
3
IMO in the ground with the dirt that is already there is fine. The plants I have been in the ground since around May 20th,(in Michigan) now are about 3.5 feet tall with no nutes added after being put outside. I have yet needed to water them yet since it's been raining 2-3 times a week so far this grow season.
 
FrankieG

FrankieG

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Yeah, like I mentioned, we're in completely different climates, the best thing a farmer can do is be in his garden. I don't know what kind of soil you have out there, but here, it's rock and clay and hot AF damn near all summer long. Spacing is important, you don't want them tight, I'll take a picture of a few small garden sites I have here and show you how they're spaced. And if I'm right, they'll be a little tight by season's end. I'll get back to you tomorrow with a few pics.
 
FrankieG

FrankieG

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Topside garden pic


This is a topside picture taken just before 6am I'm a small farmer these days, and although it's legal here and I've got a medical card that allows 99 plants, I have a total of 12 on our 2.5 acres. Old habits die hard, and I still like putting plants in a row, in the ground to look like a hedge from the air. I've had people standing on my deck with these plants kind of within view, but nobody notices, unless they're specifically looking for them. This garden is south facing and will start getting direct sun around 630am and ending sometime around 730-8pm at certain times of the year. You can see the red dirt and rocks, lots of fucking rocks, lot's of hard digging. I've grown in bags, indoors, you name it,..but nothing compares to growing outdoors here. At 56 years old, I'm still chasing strains. I'm on two lines of genetics, one that I've been working with for the last few years. She's a 2nd generation breeder from Mendo and has been a godsend to my garden. Anyway, here's another pic of 4 OG/Urkle crosses that look like they have lots of room to grow, but by season's end, if I were to let them go, they'd be crowding each other. Two years ago I had a skunkberry in one of those holes that was 8 feet tall and 12ft wide, and put out 8+lbs. It was a logistical nightmare to keep tied up and I've since learned that sometimes the bigger doesn't always make better.
Ogurkle2


This pic was taken around 6am this morning, they're still asleep, I'll try to post a pic or two once the sun is on them for an hour or so...I love the structure of these plants and they're a new seed I got from my girl in Mendo, it's an OG/Urkle cross that as of now I'm in love with. We've been working together for the last few years and she's actively involved in my garden. She and her family have been in the business since the early 70's out here, but they're also in a different climate by the coast, I'm in the foothills. So we've been looking for strains that are not only fire, but strains that really love it up here, this cross may just be it. So, I really have no idea if these have enough space or not, I'll be finding out soon enough lol. Good rule of thumb, when you think you've given them enough space, give them a little more. Best of luck!
 
FrankieG

FrankieG

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Garden from the floor


These will be tight at season's end.

4 in a row
Ogrows
Lemon ghost saluting the sun


Lemon Ghost OG saluting the sun. Has been in the ground since June 1, has had zero feedings. The plant is healthy and growing, so I just leave her alone,it's been in the mid 90's to low 100's, but they easily now go 3 full days between watering...It all starts with good genetics. No clones in this garden, everything from regular seed.
 
LegalGrow

LegalGrow

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Dropped in about 80 plants a month ago. Some are doing amazing and done are rough, but I'm happy with it. I may at get 20-50 units from the harvest if everything keeps going well.
 

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