Time to Prep For the Spring?

I was just reading the GrowFAQ, and one outdoor article said prep sites a month before planting and another said the fall before planting. What do you guys think?

Also, how can I tell what I need to add to the soil?

One more question, in choosing a spot, I'm considering a few. The last thing I would like to know before I decide is how often I would have to check on my plants. Because I don't know if I'll have time to check on some of the farther areas I'm considering every day. I know it's probably best to check them every day, but I just want to know the maximum I can leave plants alone.

Thanks all

I would prep just before starting... I would check the soil using pH meters, and then give it veg nutes if you plan on bringing in clone. I would also dig out a fair amount of the ground and give it some more acceptable medium, like rockwool cubes and some water retention crystals to decrease the amount of time you need to spend on site.

In regard to checking on your plants. In depends on if you start the seedlings indoors or outdoors. If you start them indoors it will give them a much better chance of survival. They will be able to go longer without water. It also depends on if your putting them in the ground or pots. Tell me more about your plans and I might be able to help you out.

chimchalmers said:

In regard to checking on your plants. In depends on if you start the seedlings indoors or outdoors. If you start them indoors it will give them a much better chance of survival. They will be able to go longer without water. It also depends on if your putting them in the ground or pots. Tell me more about your plans and I might be able to help you out.

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I can't start the seedlings indoors. I was planning on germinating them with the paper towel method then planting. I'll probably be planting Big Bud and either some strain of White Widow or Northern Lights. I will be putting them in the ground (probably 2'x2' or 3'x3' holes). Can't give you much about site because I haven't decided on one yet, but the plants will be spread out not all in the same area.

GrowTech said:

I would prep just before starting... I would check the soil using pH meters, and then give it veg nutes if you plan on bringing in clone. I would also dig out a fair amount of the ground and give it some more acceptable medium, like rockwool cubes and some water retention crystals to decrease the amount of time you need to spend on site.

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The GrowFAQ suggested vermiculite or perlite or coco-fibers. Would rockwool pretty much have the same effect? Also, I'll be growing from seeds, and the only thing I can really do at home is germinate them. The GrowFAQ said compost and lime are two of the most important ingredients, but I have no idea how to figure out how much I need.

Perlite and vermiculite (sometimes I use Sunshine Mix #1 or #4 instead, if I feel the original dirt it is lacking in rich topsoil)
dolomite or hydrated lime
green sand
wood ash
blood meal / bone meal
glacial rock dust
worm castings
compost
pre-composted manure (chicken, rabbit, cow, bat guano, seabird, etc)
fish (Dice the entire fish into 2” cubes so it will decompose at a quicker rate)

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Here's the stuff listed in the GrowFAQ. How can I figure out what and how much I'll need? (I assume checking the pH would determine how much lime or pH Up or Down I would need, but nothing else really).

One last thing, the GrowFAQ suggested lining the holes with plastic. Is that a good idea, because I was thinking about it and that would mean that you would have to add more nutes manually (as opposed to letting nature work), right?

Growbags are easier to set up than digging holes, especially if the native soil is unsuitable for cannabis (clay or rock for example). I made a huge growbag (like a good 250 liters) out of landscape fabric, brought it to the place I'm gonna grow next year, and stuffed it full of plant material I found at the site. I am still planning on mixing in blended fish, woodchips, wormcastings (and worms to break down stuff) and maybe other organic stuff. All of this will decompose over winter. I will start some plants from clones in february or march, top them several times, then plant them in my growbag when it's warm enough outside. I expect that after planting, I wouldn't really have to go visit the plants at all, but I probably will for extra fertilizer and for training and pruning. I have high hopes for this setup because Im essentially making high quality organic soil on-site (and a shit-ton of it too...), and giving the plants all the space they could possibly need for their roots.

Growbags from landscape fabric work well, btw...I have a guerilla grow going now with one of those, and the plants are healthy and taller than me by now.

One important thing i forgot to mention: slugs LOVE MJ sprouts. If you have slugs in your area, they WILL eat your plants. I lost ALL my plants this year because I just stuck seeds in the soil, rather than start them at home. Had to restart from scratch... Get yourself some biodegradable slug poison, and as an extra measure, bury half a soda bottle up to the rim next to your plants, and fill it with beer. The slugs are attracted to the yeast, fall in and drown. This worked surprisingly well for me...after a week the slugtrap was completly full of rotting slugs, and there was no damage to my plants at all. I dumped the dead slugs out on that compost pile in the giant growbag I was talking about earlier...so they are recycled too

tehjugulator said:

I was just reading the GrowFAQ, and one outdoor article said prep sites a month before planting and another said the fall before planting. What do you guys think?

Also, how can I tell what I need to add to the soil?

One more question, in choosing a spot, I'm considering a few. The last thing I would like to know before I decide is how often I would have to check on my plants. Because I don't know if I'll have time to check on some of the farther areas I'm considering every day. I know it's probably best to check them every day, but I just want to know the maximum I can leave plants alone.

Thanks all

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I noticed when someone mentions a method of helping you refer to the "growfaq". The growfaq suggests alot but thats just a standard for growing. I dont believe anybody goes by the growfaq by the book. Just cause the growfaq says doesnt mean thats how ya have to do.

Perlite and vermiculite (sometimes I use Sunshine Mix #1 or #4 instead, if I feel the original dirt it is lacking in rich topsoil)
dolomite or hydrated lime
green sand
wood ash
blood meal / bone meal
glacial rock dust
worm castings
compost
pre-composted manure (chicken, rabbit, cow, bat guano, seabird, etc)
fish (Dice the entire fish into 2” cubes so it will decompose at a quicker rate)
Here's the stuff listed in the GrowFAQ. How can I figure out what and how much I'll need? (I assume checking the pH would determine how much lime or pH Up or Down I would need, but nothing else really).

Click to expand...

Looks like the growfaq is trying to get you to spend alot more money then you need to be lol..... You dont need to buy half that crap at the least lol.

Buy a pre-made potting soil from Home Depot. Don't make your first grow harder than it needs to be. Dig your hole 2X2 and mix the native soil (if it's decent) with your potting soil. Try to visit at least once a week (water if you get no rain).

I prep my grow area as soon as I get the fall grow harvested. Starting in Dec I get my soil and additives together and mix my soil to my specs. As I am adding manure to the mix I like to let it cook in the ground for several months, even though the manure is supposedly composted I just want to make sure it is all cooked down befor introducing my plants to it to prevent hot spots.

I use 45 gal smart pots as well as 'holes in the ground'. The best results I've had in my gardens was fairly shallow but wide holes . No need to go more than 18 inches deep, but around 3 ft. dia. or more works pretty good. I also try to keep my plants spaced at around 10 ft. from each other or more. I do have a planter where I put them around 6 ft. apart but they tend to grow together when they mature, which is not a good idea due to air flow being restricted. Also it makes them harder to check and work on.

For my soil, I am fortunate enough to live near a worm farm where I can get a 20% worm castings / 80 % compost mix for around $45.00 a yard. I use this as my base mix to which I add other amentments and manure to finish it up. For established beds I just mix in manure, blood and bone meal, azomite, diatamatious earth ( for bug control ) and some epsom salts.

This works for me, as having preped my holes early I can relax and take care of my other chores in spring knowing that I am ready for planting come May 15.