Security
Marijuana Horticulture
by Jorge Cervantes
A secure location is the number ne concern for most guerilla growers. Indoor growers can rent an apartment, house, or warehouse in the name of another person to avoid discovery. Guerilla gardens planted on public land risk detection by hikers, fishermen, or other outdoor enthusiasts. Remember, they are interested in specific spots and recreation. They will not go out of their way t find your patch unless you lead them t it.
Choose a site that does not make your plants the focal point of the garden. Make everything blend into surroundings so there is virtually no trace of a grow show. hide cannabis among other plants that are of similar size and foliage. Stinging nettles camouflage cannabis well, and if you are unlucky enough to brush up against them, they seem to reach out and bite you, giving a burning sensation for about 20 minutes.
Park your vehicle in a discreet place away from the trailhead to your guerilla patch.
Be prepared with a believable story about why you are hiking around. Some possible ideas include bird watching, fishing, wildflower photography, etc. Make sure to have some props: fishing pole, camera, bird identification book, etc, to corroborate your story. Stay alert; this is risky business!
Some growers prefer to visit their patch late in the afternoon when the bulk of visitors are most likely to be in the forest. Now you will have plenty of time to complete tasks, and when the sun sets, you can return under the secure veil of twilight.
If you prefer to visit your grow show in the early morning when it is dark, a flashlight with a red or green lens helps your eyes adjust.
Always carry a cell phone t call for help or to communicate with a partner while at the patch. Turn the ringer off!
Prevent making a distinguishable path to the patch by taking a different route every visit. Walk on logs, rocks, and up stream beds to avoid detection. Rapid growth of native plants will erase any obvious trail. You can fertilize to assist in repair, but be careful with application as wild plants are easily over-fertilized. Remember in late summer and early fall, most native plants in dry climates will not regrow.
Bring growing supplies to the patch and stockpile them over time – PVC pipe, gasoline-powered pumps, water tanks, soil, bricks of coconut fiber, compost, etc. – and hide them discreetly. You can take a few things to the patch each time. Make these trips count; plan ahead.
Prevent the style, size, and sole pattern of your shoes from leaving discernible tracks that could lead thieves and cops to your patch. Your shoe print could be used as evidence against you if your patch is busted!
Camouflage plants by bending, pruning, or splitting the stem down the middle. Bending branches is the least traumatic and has more subtle effects on hormones, liquid flow, and physical shape. You can split the main stem down the middle and stretch the halves horizontally t create an espalier. Pruning produces the strongest effect because it removes the high concentrations of the hormones in the terminal buds and stimulates lateral growth. Pruning several main stems may make the plants less obvious but does not improve harvest. Think carefully about desired outcome before cutting.
Grow in sticker bushes or other unpleasant foliage such as poison oak, poison ivy, stinging nettles, etc, to discourage intruders. Look for bushes that are dense and high enough to shelter the patch from view. This deters large animals or people from wandering in to the site. Protect yourself from these plants with a slick rain suit and gloves. Wash after each visit to remove irritating toxic oils and thorns.
Some growers plant where there are a lot of mosquitos or wasps, and at least one grower I know plants near a skunk den. The pungent spray keep people and animals at bay.
Some growers climb 30 feet or higher up into the tress to plant on stands in the canopy or use deer and elk stands as growing platforms.
Set up a pulley system to lift large containers and potting soil up to the platform. Install an irrigation hose from the base of the tree up to the planting area and arrange around the pots so you can perform weekly watering with a battery powered pump rather than climbing the tree. Find a partner to stand lookout when you are working in the canopy, and be sure to use safety lines. Do not overextend yourself. I used to climb trees for a living, and my hard and fast rule was to spend no more than four hours climbing per day. When you get tired, accidents happens. If you hurt yourself, you will not be able to care for your plants!