Outdoor Cannabis
Growers Guide
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!
Table of
Contents
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 an d 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.
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.
There are different ways
to go about planting:
1) 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.
2) 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.
3) 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.
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.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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