Last year did really suck. The rain was bad. I was still going to pull off a good grow though. The helicopter boys took me completely by surprise. I still think they would have missed me but there were other growers that I was not aware of making huge cornfield plots. That made them search all the cornfields with a fine tooth comb. No corn this year.
I crisscross my bamboo sticks across the opening to keep deer from sticking their head in.
You are a seed hound by the looks of that nice collection. I love having the genetic security of a big seed collection. 500 plants is a big job. It does break down a bit easier with 3 people at 185 or so per person. I am going to play it by ear on the finale number. I might put in a few clever mini sogs in late August. It is a highly controversial method that I am the only person I know that does it. I have done it a few years now. I wrote about it one year and some people thought it was cool but many thought I was the devil reincarnated. LOL!
I never thought of the sticks, nice one. Too obvious for me to have thought of it. I used to use moth balls, but they melt in the rain, and that defeats the purpose. Then I went to the cages.
I'll only put in fifty or so with the one guy, its the other guy that I'll get the rest in with. He's getting older, and can't put out what he used to. So, he asked me to lend a hand. I'll actually be stepping in on a very old set up, and it's spread out over four counties. We don't get the choppers like we used to, I think tight budgets have killed it. But, there's no public land or corn fields on our list, so maybe that helps. He is out there every year until the fourth of july, I guess that'll be me this year. Still, you hit it on the head, I'll play by ear also, since five hundred might be a little ambitious. I'm just trying not to HAVE to grow every year if I don't want to. My buddy getting cancer last year drove the point home that none of us are spring chickens anymore, and I might not be able to get out there next year.
I LOVE seeds. Clones are limiting in their use. You can't shut your room down and hide your clones in the rafters. But, you could hide fifty seeds almost anywhere.