by Greg Green
General outdoor growing and guerilla farming
Outdoor growing is growing on your own property outdoors. Guerrilla farming is growing away from your property in public areas or on someone else’s property. For this part we will talk a bit about both.
The biggest problem with outdoor growing is keeping your grow area secure and private. Some people will rip-off your plant in a second if they see what you have. Others will just call the cops. Security is vital. I once heard about a small hippy community who lived near a forest here and grew their marijuana near a stream. They eventually had to stop growing as their plants where being ripped-off by the locals in the town near by. It also must be understood that the thieves where not just teenagers either. Adults will do this too. In some cases where the cannabis industry is booming, rippers are professionals and this is their main source of financial income.
The best way to conceal an outdoor garden is to grow the Cannabis plants among other plants that will mask the cannabis. The other way is too grow the plants is inside a brick cubicle with a sheet of glass on top. Some of you may have the advantage of living out of town and have gardens in which this kind of stuff can be constructed. Hide your crop well. Everybody does not easily spot marijuana but someone who is trained to watch out for this plant will see it right away for what it is. If you feel that unwanted people may see your grow area then you might want to invest in some form of a greenhouse that has the windows painted white but the top glass left clear. The white walls will help reflect the direct sunlight coming down around your plants.
Guerrilla growing is hard work and most often prone to rip-offs. By planting in a forest or in someone else’s field you are not in any danger of being caught with the plants ON YOUR PROPERTY. Having said that the person’s property that you planted on is at risk. Be a nice grower and do NOT plant on someone else’s property. It is not a nice thing to do and looks bad on the cannabis growing community. Find a public area such as a forest or a hill slope. Look for an area that is away from the public eye. Look for an area that will receive plenty of light. There are lots of places for this sort of thing. You have just got to spend time finding them. This is the key to guerrilla growing. Find a good patch and you will have good bud.
Your grow patch, whether on your own property or public property, must be treated. Leaving seeds in the soil and coming back four months later is generally not going to get you good results. Two main things must be done to the patch to begin the grow, weeding and digging.
Some guerrilla farmers keep it simple. What they do is start their seedlings in small plastic pots indoors. When the seedlings have developed the grower cuts the bottom of the pot away. A small piece of cardboard is taped to the bottom of the pot. The plants, in their pots, are then taken to the grow patch. A hole is dug in the ground and the pot and plant is placed in the earth. The cardboard is removed and the hole is filled in with soil. That way you have germinated your plant and only need to worry about secondary factors such as light, security and pests. The roots will find their way out of the bottom of the pot and into the soil below. Don’t worry about the roots not finding a way out of the pot. They always do, that is their job.
Most outdoor growers favour this method. A patch near a river is ideal. Easy access to water helps if there is a short draught.