Proposed New Faq

[O.G.]

Below is a new proposed FAQ for the Guerilla Grow section that has been very kindly put together by Archangel.

What we would like is for the members of the GG section to have a read through it and suggest areas that may need further improvement or more information or even to say that it's fine as it stands.

It has been put together for the newbie/first timer to the guerilla growing scene so please bear that in mind when making recommendations and is by no means complete.

I shall leave it open for a couple of weeks so that the more infrequent visitors will have a chance to see it and have some input if they want and after that the FAQ will either be updated or left as it is and then pinned and closed.

Where it says see so and so thread...these are all areas that we hope to develop into separate pinned topics in their own right.

Thanks for looking and once again thanks to Archie for taking the time to compile it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it worth growing outdoors in the UK?

Yes. Sun grown marijuana is more potent and tastes better, however your results will depend on the weather, latitude and strain.

What's a strain?

A strain is a genetic variant of a plant. Strains will have been specially bred for strengths in potency, yield, flowering times, mold resistance etc...

What's latitude?

Latitude gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. The further south you are to the equator the better the climate for growing marijuana. The UK's latitude ranges from 49 in England to 59 in Scotland.

What's the best strain for Outdoors UK?

Best is a very loose term but Passion no.1 has had the most consistent results in our climate. There are hundreds to choose from though and many outdoor growers will try multiple strains every year looking for one that performs to their liking.

See Outdoor strain thread for more info.

When can i grow?

You can only grow once a year (excluding auto-flowering).

April is widely considered the best month to start as winter is over and the sun begins to rise creating enough heat and light for the plants to thrive. The growing season lasts from April till November. October is when your plants (buds) should be ready to harvest.

There are four stages. Germination, Seedling, Vegetative and Flowering.

See link for more info...

What's auto-flowering?

Auto flowering plants do not need a light cycle. They will flower from April through to November taking about 2-3 months. This means you can harvest in the summer and the autumn. However yield and potency are generally considered to be lower.

When Can I Sow Seeds For Outdoors?

Anytime from late March through to early June. Planting out on the first of the month when there is a new moon is greatly beneficial.

The moon plays a irreplaceable part of the life cycle of this planet.

Early April is a good time to start germinating seeds, you can grow in a greenhouse/garden/windowsill, gradually acclimatising plants to outdoors and finally plant out in mid-to-late May or early June. This normally gives a clear 6 months from start to finish.

The longer your plants are outside the bigger they will get, the more nutrients they will need and the possibility of them being found will be greater.

What Location Makes For A Good Site Outdoors?

Within reason, you can grow almost anywhere outdoors in U.K, the further south the better.

A good site should be southerly facing, be exposed to direct sunlight for at least 5 or 6 hrs (preferably through the early to middle part of the day when the suns strongest) and most importantly be secure. A flat open field is the best location you can get, however they will also be the least secure unless you own it.

Watch the suns position, it should light the area all day for best results.

Woodland, scrubland, wasteland, heaths can all provide the above and your site does not have to be large, a 6'x6' clearing can readily accommodate 10 big plants.

Time should be spent in determining who/what frequents the general area over the period that your plants would be there, ie. from May to October, this is best achieved the year prior to planting. Get to know the area, its wildlife and most importantly its human activity.

Remember sites can differ radically with new growth in the summer and dying leaves/plants in the autumn.

How Do I Prepare The Soil For An Outdoor Grow?

Starting from the autumn to the spring prior to planting, having found your secluded site, firstly check to ensure no major root systems will obstruct your plot (minor roots can be severed or removed). Establish the sites pH with a readily-available kit from garden centres and adjust as required, (garden lime to raise, ground sulphur to lower). Perfection is not required, simply pH within reasonable parameters. pH should be between 6-7.

See Soil section for more details.

What Nutrients/feeds should i use?

None during germination/seedling stage.

Plants will let you know when they're hungry by showing deficiency's. (see section)

There are two main types. Grow and Bloom and dozens of different makes. They all do the same thing. Grow for improved growth and bloom for improved Bud/resin/yield in general.

Its optional to feed during the vegetative stage as long as the plants green and healthy its fine. A Grow feed with a high nitrogen content can be used at this stage or a slow release ferts like bat guano or blood fish and bone mix to add extra vigour.

These are all easy available, read their instructions.

When the plants start flowering feed once every 2 weeks at least with a Bloom fert. Its completely grower discretion but once a plant gets to 6 weeks of flowering its gonna have all the nutrients it needs.

Or leave it to nature, but by feeding it you will improve yield and potency.

Its best to under feed than over...

When should i water?

In the UK you shouldn't have to unless we have a 2-3 week drought.

How Often Should I Visit My Plants?

Only as much as is absolutely required (however if your site is secure, it becomes your special place and a weekly visit is fun).

Once to plant and feed, say mid-May. Second visit to feed again, say end of June. Third visit to feed for last time before flowering, say mid-August and more if you feel it needs it.

This is on basis of 6wks between feeds, no watering and average 8wk flowering outdoor strain.

It may be tempting to 'just stop by and see how they're doing', but every visit you make will only draw attention to your site, hence, less is best.

How can I protect my plants

Rabbits, slugs and deer are the biggest threats in this country (bar humans). Some kind of protection will be needed for most growers.

For slugs, pellets and copper work well, and rabbits a foot or two high barrier will stop them.. Deer will be deterred by unusual smells.

See protection thread for detailed info.

How big will my plants grow and how can I control them outdoors?

If left un-checked cannabis plants can grow very tall, even indica strains can grow happily to twice the size of you.

In many cases outdoors, height should be restricted to avoid plants becoming ridicously obvious. This can be achieved in stages through topping, bending and tying down.

Topping is by far and away the easiest method and can be started during the plants early stages whilst still in the garden and repeated once per visit to your site. Simply pinch out the main growing tip at the top of the main stem at any time from a couple of internodes onwards. This will slow upward growth and encourage side growth.

Over a week or so, the stem immediately below the pinched part will produce two new shoots and after some time has passed, these in turn can have their growing tips removed. And so on, and so forth. One stem becomes two, two become four etc. Same can be done with side shoots if they are becoming too tall.

Planting later will reduce size and yield though...

When will my plants flower outdoors?

The large majority of outdoor strains are triggered into flowering around the end of July and the end of the first week in August.

This is also when they should be sexed, determining males from females (see picture guide).

Those triggered at end of July should be ready late September and those triggered in early August should be ready early-mid October.

Most strains mid-October as average.

When or how is the best way To harvest my outdoor plants ?

Ideally, for THC content, first thing in the morning. However here in the UK, certainly come Autumn, I prefer to harvest later in the day. The buds are drier and considering this is the pinnacle of a seasons efforts, you want to enjoy the experience to it's full. Don't hang around though, efficiency and a planned approach should ensure a healthy harvest, and yourself, making it back home!

Do not harvest in the rain, wait till a dry sunny day.

As a plant grows and develops it’s potency will increase, reaching a peak before degenerative processes begin. This is the time to harvest, and should be judged on the following signs and not by its chronological age. A basic 30X microscope is useful for studying these changes.

As the bud matures the Pistils will start dying off and turning a golden/orange/brown colour.

As a general rule the plant is ready to harvest when 70% - 80% of the pistils have changed colour.

The resin glands ripen and change from being transparent to milky in colour.

The bracts swell up and the smaller bud leaves may change colour and wither.

After its peak a plant will continue to flower as it will not mature equally over the whole plant and the lower buds can be left to mature further.

I would simply, starting at the top of each stem, take off the top cola then cut with secateurs/snippers above and below each bud thereafter, ending up with a mix of full colas and a mix of buds with small sections of stem in the backpack. This can be done quite quickly per plant, a matter of minutes if need be. Chop plants at ground level, cut into short lengths and leave hidden under vegetation.

Pack up protection, nutrients etc and leave the site clean.

Walk slowly away, try not to smile too much and relax. Job done.

Manicuring

Remove all the big shade leaves. This can be done at the grow site.

Using a pair of small scissors (preferably long nosed type) or a mechanical cutting machine trim off all the excess leaf from the bud.

Save these trimmings for hash.

See hash section.

Drying

75% of the bud is water, vapour and gases which need to evaporate correctly and evenly. The buds/branches should be hung upside down on lengths of string or laid onto a drying screen in a well ventilated area. This area also needs to be dry (50% humidity or less), warm (50°F— 60°F) and dark. The drying process takes around 1-2 weeks.

Check the buds everyday for mold and if found remove or spray with fungicide.

Enjoy your harvest and more importantly the whole experience of cultivating such a beautiful life-form and contributing to this planets eco-system.

Edited February 22, 2010 by O.G.

[Mr Frisian]

Very good guys all bases covered i think Will make this section easy to use without looking through loads of diarys And repeated questions

[Fat Charlie]

Great stuff, covers everything as far as I can see.

Well done

[Hughie Green]

From a post elsewhere

"Hi TT, I think the best way to do it is by looking at the vegetation at the sites you are interested in, the type of plants there and their growth and condition should

show you roughly the soil type,

Name of Weed Soil Condition(s) Indicated

Bindweed

Convulvulus arvensis Hardpan soil with a crusty surface. Often a light sand soil texture.

Bracken, Eastern

Pteridium aquilinum Low Potassium in the soil as well as low phosphorus. Acidic soil.

Buttercups

Ranunculus Tilled or cultivated soil. Creeping Buttercups indicative of wet and poorly drained garden soil.

Campion, bladder

Silene cucbalus Neutral or alkaline soil pH

Chickweed

Stellaria media Tilled or cultivated soil with very good fertility. If these weeds are pale in colour or stunted in growth then soil fertility is low. This is one weed that you can generally be happy to see in place you intend to plant.

Chicory

Cichorium intybus Heavy textured soil such as clay. Like chickweed this weed indicates a good soil fertility unless plants are pale or stunted.

Coltsfoot

Tussilago farfara Heavy clay soil that is waterlogged or drains very poorly.

Daisy, oxeye

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum Waterlogged or poorly drained soil which has been left uncultivated or worked. Low lime and low soil fertility.

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale Heavy clay soil. Especially on lawns. Acidic or low lime.

Docks

Rumex Waterlogged or poorly drained soil most often clay. Often acidic soil.

Hawkweeds

Hieracium Acidic or low lime soil.

Horsetail, field

Equisetum arvense Sandy and light soil with low lime / high acidity.

Joe-Pye weed

Eupatorium purpureum Wet or waterlogged soil.

Knapweeds

Centaurea High potassium soil with low lime

Knotweed, prostrate

Polygonum aviculare Tilled or cultivated acidic soil.

Lamb's Quarters

Chenopodium album Tilled or cultivated soil with high fertility unless weeds are pale in which case soil fertility is low and lacking in humus.

Lettuce, prickly

Lactuca serriola Cultivated soil

Meadowsweet

Spirea latifolia Wet or waterlogged soil.

Mosses

Musci class Poorly drained, waterlogged soil with high acidity.

Mullein, common

Verbascum thapsis Neglected uncultivated soil with acidic pH and low fertility.

Mustard, white

Brassica hirta Neutral soil pH.

Nettles

Urtica dioica Tilled or cultivated soil with acidic pH."

[synack]

Great stuff, covers everything as far as I can see.

Well done

Nice, GJ Arch.

Edited February 11, 2010 by synack

[Archangel]

Cheers guys im by no means an expert so input is needed. For amateurs nutrients and the life cycle are the biggest probs i think (part from what strain! ) and im putting together a step by step picture guide to help show what to do... A biology chart of the plants parts like fan leaves, stripes, pistils, nodes etc would be cool too.

could do with this maybe

Sativa - Indica - Ruderalis

and how to germinate...and storage i missed but again they could be linked to KBase...

Nice Hughie, the soil section needs some in-depth stuff like that, pictures of them would be useful as well...all depends how far we want to take this...

Edited February 11, 2010 by Archangel

[O.G.]

For amateurs nutrients and the life cycle are the biggest probs i think (part from what strain! )

Hopefully we will be adding a separate nutrient pinned topic that can be linked to in this beginners guide.

I think we are trying to deal with the strain issue by having a pinned topic that deals with strains that have already been successfully grown in the UK.

could do with this maybe

Sativa - Indica - Ruderalis

A link to it in the FAQ?

and how to germinate...

Would be very useful for beginners and could also be pinned in other sections of the site?

Nice Hughie, the soil section needs some in-depth stuff like that, pictures of them would be useful as well...

Good find Hughie.

We also want to develop a separate pinned topic that covers soil types etc so that would be ideal for that.

all depends how far we want to take this...

As far as the members are willing to go.

[smeagol]

good stuff .. gg'ing has become very popular over the last few years and its become a pain to see the same questions over and over .. lets hope it works .. i doubt it tho .. peeps are lazy ..

edit to add .. mr cleans' pinned protection thread is a case in question .. loads of info there and yet peeps still start threads asking bout pro

Edited February 11, 2010 by smeagol

[Hughie Green]

"An indicator plant is a usually weedy plant that grows in some specific environment, allowing an assessment of soil and other conditions in a place by simple observation of vegetation.

Much useful knowledge can be obtained about our land by observation of the wild plants and cover crops that are growing, and their condition. These include indicating fertility levels and potential nutrient deficiencies, waterlogging or compaction problems, pH levels and so on. When assessing land by observation of indicator species however it is good practice to observe plant communities or consistent populations of indicator species rather than individual specimens which may not be typical. Perennial weeds which may have colonised an area for some time are also a more reliable form of indicator than annual weeds which may have only been there for that year and thus indicate a temporary condition.

Examples

* Fertile soil supports plants such as nettles, chickweed, groundsel and fat hen.

* Nitrogen-deficient conditions are indicated by the presence of nitrogen fixing legumes such as clovers or vetches.

* Bracken, plantains, sorrel, knapweeds, rhododendron and cranberries are amongst the plants that favour acidic conditions, while alkaline conditions tend to support populations of perennial sow thistle, bladder campion, henbane and mustard.

* Waterlogged or poorly drained land is indicated by the presence of species such as mosses, creeping buttercup and horsetail, or bog loving plants including sedges, rushes, marsh marigold, marsh orchid or flag iris.

See also: Organic gardening"

Some pics on wiki page links

hxxp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator_plant

[treeofsatta]

Thanks guys, hopefully this will reduce the amount of random postings we are getting. Spread the knowledge!

[vapours]

Excellent idea, everything in one place, will save time reading through diaries etc. Well done great for the newbie and experienced alike

[O.G.]

*BUMP*... for the weekend users.

[Indicaderek]

NPK/NUTES 101 and why organics can be preferable for growing outdoors.

Going to start this with new growers in mind assuming they know nothing about ferts or NPK, this is by no means a comprehensive guide but a rough all round introduction that will help new and aspiring growers to understand them a little better with links to the knowledge base etc for further understanding and information.

What is NPK? Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium are the three main elements most needed by any plant in varying amounts at any given stage of growth.

Broadly speaking Nitrogen is for vegging plants (leaf/stem) growth, Phosphorous for roots in veg with more being required in flowering, Potassium is once again mostly required in flower and much less so in veg growth. This can be roughly summarised as N for Veg and P-K for Flowering and is one thing you should be looking to achieve regardless of the ferts you use.

A good standard veg/grow fert usually being around NPK 6-6-6 where the numbers represent the relative % amount of these elements. There are other nutrients required by plants and a lack of any them AKA deficiencies will cause problems, for a more in-depth explanation see the fertiliser and nutrient pages in the knowledge base here: http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...o&showcat=2

A good flowering/bloom fert usually being around 5-20-20 NPK or so.

The next thing you may wonder is how do we get these elements in our soil and into our plants. The easiest thing to do would be to get a bottle of hydro or chemical feed and mix with water as stated on the bottle then apply to the soil/plants, miracle grow will work along with tomato feed as tomatoes and canna have very similar nutrient requirements. I would not however recommend any chemical fertiliser to anyone even though they do work very well when applied properly and are easy to use for various reasons being the cheap and lazy option in some cases but they just aren’t for me anymore.

Organic or chemical is a personal choice with my preference now being to use organic fertilisers for the following reasons:

Organic fertilisers can be cheap and easily purchased on the high street from most Diy or gardening stores.

They are less likely to 'Taint' the flavour where some cheap ferts like miracle grow can even after a good 'flush' with water to wash away the chemicals from the soil/plant ime.

Organic ferts also feed the soil and micro organisms which are beneficial to plants and present in good soil where regular use of chemical ferts can reduce them.

Chemical nutes can be carcinogenic-poisonous in some cases IF they are present in the final product and may build up in your body.

Chemical nutes are sometimes obtained from mass manufacturing by-products which aren’t always environmentally friendly and the processing of them can cause other nasty by-products too.

Down sides of organic ferts:

They can be slow release and not immediately available as they feed the soil instead of the plants directly, this is usually because organics must be rotted/digested, often over several weeks-months by the micro-organisms to make the NPK elements available to the plant, they aren’t however pure elements before or after being rotted but complex oxide, nitrate and phosphate compounds along with various other naturally created chemical types that plants readily absorb.

They can be hard work to apply sometimes when digging them in at the start of the season though outdoors requires some digging at some stage anyway, they can also be bulky compared to chemical nutes.

See the below charts for approx NPK values of many and various organic ferts you may come across, all of them aren’t available on the high street but you may be able to source them cheap locally or even free in some cases. The NPK of any organic fert will vary somewhat due to the different sources, retail brands and methods of preparation etc.

Two common ferts that are missing from that list are comfrey and rockdust, the latter is cheap and used for trace elements such as Iron, Manganese, Zinc and Sulphur along with many others, these are required in much smaller amounts than NPK but are essential to maintain a nice healthy plant. Rockdust breaks down over several years so it lasts too. Seaweed meal is also used to supply these trace elements and micro nutes.

Comfrey tea is a 'Homemade' fert that is roughly 4-1-6 NPK, this will vary depending on how its brewed and googling will find you many methods, Bocking 14 is the particular variety of the comfrey plant (clone only) you need but it does spread vigorously given the chance despite being a sterile plant that does not produce seed, a large pot/planter is preferred to stop it spreading all over. Take roughly a pound of comfrey leaves-stems and drop it in a gallon of water for 4-6 weeks, it will then begin to smell foul but that’s exactly what you need, dilute to 1/10-1/20 and apply to plants/soil, you can make it stronger by allowing a pile of leaves to rot in minimal water but this may need diluting more.

The following is not the only way to go but my general theory for comprehensive feeding with readily available, cheap organic ferts for my plants and is as follows:

Fish Blood and Bone, around 6-6-6 npk, this will be used as per packet instructions and I will be digging in plenty around Feb-Mar to get a good base for Vegetative growth.

Nitrogen will be supplemented at veg stage with Chicken manure pellets and plain/pure blood meal as both are a good source of Nitrogen and some trace elements, care must be taken to keep them away from direct contact from stems/roots as they can 'Burn' (see last section below) them as they rot, digging them in well before planting is usually preferred because of this but topdressing also works. Both of these are sometimes called 'Hot' fertilisers due to the possibility of burning the plants and many other ferts can do the same so check if unsure.

Plain/pure bone meal, 5-20-0.5 NPK approx, will be top dressed and/or added to the water a month or so before flowering around Jul/Aug continuing this application throughout flowering until the last 2-3wks.

Sulphate of potash (naturally sourced), 0-0-40 approx NPK will also be applied as above.

Dead fish, fish offal etc breaks down quickly and can be dumped in the bottom of holes or beds but must be kept away from roots if applied at planting ime, it can also be applied several months in advance and allowed to break down a little as this is another hot fert. Last year I used half a chopped fish well below the roots at planting, I believe this gave various nutes all through the grow as this broke down and no deficiencies were apparent, even well into flower the plants had very few of the yellow dead leaves that can plague plants well into flower. THIS WILL NOT MAKE FISHY BUDS!!!!

BENEFICIAL MICROFLORA, BACTERIA, FUNGI AND MYCORIZZAE.

Compost/Worm tea aka AACT is another little booster that really helps plants in many and various ways, understanding what they actually do is quiet complex and in short it is basically an aerated/aerobic brew containing DE-CHLORINATED water, Worm casts/compost, Molasses/treacle and Seaweed/Kelp liquid to which you can add almost any organic fertiliser. De-chlorinated water is essential as chlorine kills the bacteria etc. This mix is usually bubbled with an air stone for between 1-4days, I prefer to use a cheap fish tank pump with no stone though you can make a brew in an open container and just shake it vigorously on a twice daily basis and it will brew but takes a little longer ime. What you include in a brew is your choice but adding blood or bone meal will make a very smelly brew that is unpleasant and I have never added these two for that reason. One thing I will say is the quality of your worm casts/compost is key with AACT's, worm casts should be a dark shade of black and preferably have live worms still in it when purchased/delivered, this is a long way from some of the 'poor quality-grey coloured' worm cast sold in some hydro shops which I guess is lacking in the micro flora and bacterial aspects which we are actually trying to increase/breed in this case. Applying an AACT will accelerate the breakdown of slow release nutes due to the active bacteria and fungi it contains.

Check the links below for more info on AACT's and save me yet more typing!!!

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=101822

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=140530

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES, NUTRIENT BURN AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS.

Nutrient Deficiency is a lack of particular elements or trace elements with Nitrogen, Calcium and Magnesium being some of the most common deficiencies we meet regularly here on 420, the reasons for this happening aren’t always easily identifiable due to the many and various causes. Nutrient or 'nute burn' is when you have too much of a particular element/s etc causing leaves to become yellow and die in advanced cases. Deficiencies are a problem you may come across with any type of fert; usually yellowing/dying leaves etc. Should you come across nutrient deficiencies or any problem with your plants identifying the particular problem, nutrient or deficiency is essential in order to correct the problem, photos identifying most of these particular problems are here:

Epsom salts (look for naturally sourced if poss.) will address a Calcium or Magnesium deficiency quickly with a root drench or foliar spray, use a level desert spoon per gallon of feed when you have positively identified this issue: http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?show...;hl=epsom+salts

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...&showcat=77

And here:

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...showarticle=440

What appear to be nutrient/fertiliser problems initially may also be caused by diseases, pests or possible PH problems and once again identifying the exact problem is essential. Should your plants look sick I would recommend looking in the knowledge base for PH, pest/infection issues as well.

Pests etc: http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...&showcat=83

Ph problems: http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...showarticle=224

Sick plants: http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?auto...&showcat=18

The links above are just a sample of the information available here in relation to the problems specifically mentioned, there is a lot more info on the above and other problems/solutions and general growing info, the knowledge base is there to help you and people have spent a great deal of time and effort to make it for all our benefit. Should you have problems growing canna or need some info then do a search or look in the knowledge base first, take pics of the problems in good detail and then post asking for help in positive identification of the problem and possible remedy.

How that guys? I think that covers all the basics with a good few ideas for further investigation, any additions, mistakes or omissions please post/comment and I will sort the edits.

Can anyone post up the best temp/time for foliar sprays as I can’t recall the exact temp when the stomata are open to accept nutes etc or if this is even the case?

[vapours]

top draw derek good stuff

[yossman]

Great stuff folks, indeed needed,would just like to add the importance of stealth(not to be seen going in or out of plots,avoid path making etc)

Cover(fishing rod,gear,birdwatching etc)i thing this area could do with some attention on the list.Its my number one priorty on any outside grow,no matter how much prep,love you give your plants,if this side is not taken seriously,there will be a great chance that your plants now belong to your local ripper or worse still officer dibble.

Stealth,Stealth,Stealth

Great work Arcangel

peace yossman