# Stealth up in the trees?



## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

Hey all... 
New to this site, but have been readin' for a while-- so I finally decided to join and post my most pressing Q.

I'm thinking about doing some outdoor growing this year (first OD crop  ), and I want to keep it small. I live in a pretty darned rural place, with minimal bush-walkers, but I'm afraid of one main thing: thieves! We've got lots of those here.

Anyway, I'm one of the Macgyver grower/smokers (aren't most of us?  ) and I thought this might be a good/fun idea, and I hear that others have done it, but I can't find posts on it anywhere really!

Here it is: Growing up in the trees... Pine trees, that is. My idea was to put pots up near the canopy, maybe trim the canopy a little if required, and voila-- stealth grow! I figured a pot with some silkscreen up there to catch h20 & not bugs, etc. would help with watering, etc.  I figure just one pot per tree, with trees spread apart & minimal thinning of tree canopy, it could work...

So I have 3 questions: Has anyone ever done this? Aside from being kinda quirky & more complicated, does it sound like a feasible idea? And do you think that I would be just begging for helicopters to see me? (you see, we do have those late summer/early fall from time to time around here)

Anyhow, thanks for any response & for all the other posts I've been reading!! Happy growing!!


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## Mutt (Feb 9, 2006)

All I got to say is you got some huge balls dude. freakin 20 feet in the air? wow. If you do it you better post some pics dude. That'll be wild as hell.

Watering will be a *****, maintenece, and pretty hard to explain to a fisherman/hunter why your ass is up in a tree with a bucket full of dirt and a plant.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

Lol... ya. I know, it's a lil' nuts, but I think that's what I like about it... 
Some people try new strains, others try climbing trees.   

As for hunters they'd have some 'splainin to do-- out of season!! And I figure leave water and nutes up there in the tree & start indoors & just lug a big pot up once... I know it's nuts, but I may try it! We'll see what everyone thinks. Thanks for your thoughts!


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## Stoney Bud (Feb 9, 2006)

mountain rambler said:
			
		

> Growing up in the trees... Pine trees, that is. My idea was to put pots up near the canopy, maybe trim the canopy a little if required, and voila-- stealth grow! I figured a pot with some silkscreen up there to catch h20 & not bugs, etc. would help with watering, etc. I figure just one pot per tree, with trees spread apart & minimal thinning of tree canopy, it could work...


Theoretically, it would work, but some factors should be considered; 

1. MJ has a fast growth signature when viewed from the air by the people who look for MJ plants with infrared. In the trees, it would be even more visible to them if your area is one they look at.

2. Maintenance would be a *****.

3. Pests that are in the trees would be all over the plant. Ticks, worms, ants, whatever. May present a problem later.

4. Indoors is the best method if possible. Much better control.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

Hey Stoney Bud

Thanks for the tips about helicopters-- and bugs. Hadn't really thought about the bugs & have no clue about copters, as I've always been an indoor grower. 

I'd really like to do outdoor, but man! I remember when I first started & all the lights, etc. seemed so complicated... Now I have to worry about random people I can't control!

Cheers!


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## Stoney Bud (Feb 9, 2006)

mountain rambler said:
			
		

> Hey Stoney Bud
> 
> Thanks for the tips about helicopters-- and bugs. Hadn't really thought about the bugs & have no clue about copters, as I've always been an indoor grower.


The technology used for spotting MJ from the air is pretty simple. Plants give off heat signatures. The faster a plant grows, the more heat it gives off. New growth gives off the most. When infrared detectors are used in this manner, they see the fastest growing and the newest growth. If they see a large patch of it, they send someone to look closer. If they find weed, sometimes they sit on it and wait for the grower. They can really **** up your day. I'd stay indoors. Way too much leo outside, man. They're budget has been dramatically increased since 9-11. BTW, if they fly over a residential area and see a house that's lit up like a Christmas tree with heat signatures that are nice little square boxes, they might take a closer look at the address. Lots go down that way too. It's not enough to use for a search warrant, but if they watch the house and get more information to submit to a judge, they can get a search warrant that way. It's how they work. Put a heat shield above your light that is much bigger than the light and keep the heat down in the grow space for your plants and you won't have any problems.

Most indoor grows that are busted are the result of LOSE LIPS. Lots of braggarts in prison man. I've heard people in a bar say "You ought to see my grow room man!" Geezzzzzzz.


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## Mutt (Feb 9, 2006)

Hey man, if your worried about theives, do the ole, johny potseed. plant sporatically, they may get a few, but not all of em. cover about mile or so off the beaten path. most of those theives will hit and run. Just top em so they are not so tall and easy to spot.

Indoor I like, but man I miss the outdoor days. Can't do it anymore, too much stress @ harvest for me now a days. nothing like a huge ass sativa with freakin huge ass colas come harvest. I was happy with 1 or 2 plants (I ussually got more but I always forgot where I planted few haha. I didn't like to hang out at the scene lookin for them). I would plant about 10 or so makes me water at the mouth thinkin about it.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

Wow. Thanks for the info! Damn.

Yea, I get the whole heat indoor thing, but I've got that pretty well covered. 

Not to be a royal pain, but I have a few more questions-- IF you don't mind.   You never should have offered so much knowledge! lol   

Let me explain why I'm hung up on this though... The state I live in is pretty small and poor (not a lot of 'copters, but they do seem anxious), but what we do have is a lot of growers & a lot of teenage thieves. I've been growing inside for many years, but I want to try outdoor for two reasons: fun, and less restrictions on strain. For safety's sake, I'm mostly into scrog, and that limits me somewhat on some strains... I mean, you can do it, but it's just not the same.   

So.... my question is this: if I were to put just one plant per say... every square mile, would that be spread out enough for them to just ignore, you think? The reason I'm so hung up on this is that while people rarely venture into the woods, it's like a festival of high school thieves out there come harvest time.

I'm sorry to pester you, I just really appreciate that you get these guys in their helicopters who look for plants. Thanks again!!!!


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## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

See... Mutt gets it! Indoor is great, it's what gets me up in the morning, but I just hafta' try the outdoor


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## Mutt (Feb 9, 2006)

I lived up north when I did my outdoor grows. Mountains. I would plant near water. A lot of new growth pops up ferns, everything you can think of. Water brings ferts yadda yadda yadda. Plant close (not too close) to streams/water. You won't have to lug water all over the place and attract attention to yourself.

one every square mile. you don't want to do that. that is a little too much. imagine 10 plants you do the math. you'll hate it come harvest (unless you live in the woods or something). your legs will hate you and your map will too. Trust me make a map showing huge ass trees like oaks, those woods change a whole hell of a lot during the seasons. (why I am even telling you this your a country boy, you know this already).

here is a great link for you. After that link I got some more links to help you with animals and pests too.

http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_cultivation1.shtml

Have fun man, outdoor grows are wild.


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## Stoney Bud (Feb 9, 2006)

mountain rambler said:
			
		

> Wow. Thanks for the info! Damn.
> 
> Yea, I get the whole heat indoor thing, but I've got that pretty well covered.
> 
> ...


The guys in the choppers and planes are federal. Coastguard planes mostly. Choppers cost too much to operate. Don't let the name fool you tho'. They have em in Kansas. The planes fly over at 5 thousand feet and take infrared photos at 250 mph. Then a techie examines the prints under magnification and looks for suspicious locations. Those are passed on to the locals who work with the feds. It's a very high tech operation man. Do yourself a favor and just stay indoors with your grow.

If you already know that a problem exists with thieves, why in the world would you do it? My advice, stay indoors. You can manipulate the grow room environment to mimic any outdoor conditions. Any.


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## GanjaGuru (Feb 9, 2006)

If it's rippers you're concerned about, tree growing won't help.
-You'll need some way to get up the tree and they can spot those.
-Have you considered how you would get water to them?  You'd need to do it twice a week.
-How about building platforms?  They would have to support up to 75 lbs per plant.
-When you water a plant, you need to water until water drips out the bottom.  That would be noticable.  Plus water weighs 8.5 lbs/gal, and pot needs up to 1 gal at least 2x/week.

I've seen threads like this before.  People considering it.  But when it started getting to the nitty gritty, logistics reared it's ugly head and every one of them was abondoned.
In my 38 years of guerilla growing, I've only seed 1 successful tree grow, and that's only because the tree was in his back yard.

Much better "hiding" the plants on the ground.  Read my thread "Hidden In Plain Sight" in this section.


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## Mutt (Feb 9, 2006)

Just to add, what if you fell out of the tree? broken leg or neck can't move and a freakin pot plant stuck over head and you debating whether or not to call for help. not good.

Ganja nailed it.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 9, 2006)

Thanks guys

I think y'all have brought me back down to earth (catch the witty pun?). I'm not too worried about trekkin' around, 'nor about maps 'cuz yes, I do live out in the woods & trekkin' is about the only thing my pups and I do... all day, most days.

But you're right about the logistics with the weight and the h20... No matter how much "fun" the idea sounds like, it's just too much of a pain for someone even so Macgyver as I am... Ahh.. oh well. 

But I will have to figure out something outdoors, despite my fear of thieves & cops... I live in a very small house (off the grid, luckily enough though), and I just don't have the space or electric to support grows other than the way I do it now & have been for the last 10 yrs.

So, thanks for all the advice!! I'm sure I'll need s'more help with my first outdoor grow, so you'll hear from me again. Should be fun to be a newb & learn something again!

Oh, and I've been debating whether or not to clarify this, but I think I will... Country girl, not country boy


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## alaskabud (Feb 10, 2006)

mountain rambler said:
			
		

> Thanks guys
> 
> Oh, and I've been debating whether or not to clarify this, but I think I will... Country girl, not country boy


 
Who cares? It's not like you're going to post piks of you nude next to yer plants. Huh, are ya? Don't forget a bag over yer head for security reasons


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## mountain rambler (Feb 12, 2006)

I care... I get all weirded out when people call me a guy & talk about my "nuts."  lol... But, I guess I shouldn't.


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## Stoney Bud (Feb 12, 2006)

mountain rambler said:
			
		

> I care... I get all weirded out when people call me a guy & talk about my "nuts."  lol... But, I guess I shouldn't.


Mutt! You stop that now! This here's a young lady! No more talkin about dudes and nuts!

No offence MR, these kids don't know how to treat a proper lady. 

I think I've got em under control now....


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## El Diablo Verde (Feb 12, 2006)

I used to grow in swamps in cypress trees but it was only to protect the plants from deers. If you can't grow outdoors without fear of the feds and such, theres no point in it. And growing in trees is ridiculously hard unless you are very athletic and can stand the strain on your back. And if you have serious heat issues indoors, I would vent the air out of the room and into your attic to deperse the heat evenly over your entire house. Choppers just think you have the heat on.


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## Your Moms Box (Feb 13, 2006)

Back at home we own several hundred acres of hunting land. And when I started to consider really getting into growing i thought "what the hell" grow it here. Yeah well, thank god I didnt. That was well before I understood the penalties for being caught growing on your own land. As a kid hunting I always wondered why those black helicopters would swarm our area in the Oct-Dec months. Now I know. Sometime those bastards would fly so low they would come only feet from the tops of pine trees and run the deer out of my food plot. 

And that was years ago. After 911 those yahoos have gone nuts with all this nonsense. Recently they busted a poor guy with a 2000+ plant operation less than 10 miles away from my place. And you think a pro like that would be smarter. Yeah? Well no.

911 is partly to blame not to mention the sudden spike in the meth labs around the south east, every time one of those redneck infested labs blows up, the county is swarmed with more traffic. This all just adds up to more risk for an outdoor grower of any kind. 

So unless your house is locked down by someone you fear greater than the cops, beefy mean women with rolling pins and frying pans for instance, be a hermit and keep it in the house. "and thats all I gots to say... about that" Forrest G.   
-WSA-


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## Hick (Feb 13, 2006)

WoW!!! a "mountain Ramblin'" lady, willing to climb trees and pack water
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





...almost "too good to be true".  Do you own a fishin' boat or hounds?
  OMG..I may be falling..
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





heee hee ..J/K rambler. I'm prolly old enuff to be your "Poppa" at least. Great to have a lady or two aboard. 
  OD grows and stealth are rewarded with wonderfull yeilds and absolutely _unsurpassed_ quality. I don't care who you are or what your setup is, you cannot _improve_ on Mother Nature's natural growing environment. "IMHO"...

Simply put, if you're getting ripped off, you aren't hiding them well enough, or you been talking too much. 
Never "put all your eggs into one basket" inother words, don't rely on a single spot for all your plants. I never had more than 4 that could be seen from a single spot. Spread them out, a couple here, a couple over there. Move a 100 yds. or so, a couple more. Never in open sight of any trails and always do what you can to leave things undisturbed, in the area.(no huge pruning projects or torn up turf)
  Bending them over, tieing them down, topping, all aid in disguising the "classical" x-mas tree shape associated with mj.
One of the very best pest deterrants(both numan and critters) that I have discovered is a huge pile of human feces. A li'l gross, I know. BUT...have you ever been strolling throughh the woods and come up on a big pile of crap with a couple li'l tuffs of TP stuck on top?..What was your first reaction?..


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## mountain rambler (Feb 13, 2006)

Hick said:
			
		

> WoW!!! a "mountain Ramblin'" lady, willing to climb trees and pack water
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Too funny! If only I could find someone within a million miles of here who thought like you... Apparantly we mountain mamas scare most of the papas off or something...   

So, seems as though my crazy idea has spurned a lovely indoor/outdoor debate. Those always are our fave debates aren't they? So I spent the weekend walkin around my woods (well, not technically mine-- but no one else seems to ever come in 'em!) and I've found some real prime spots, I think. I'm real excited for all this snow to melt now, as I've decided to finally add outdoor to my repertoire.   

I'm sure I'll still be an indoor lady for the most part, but I've always kind of thought the more natural, the better (hence always organic), so I'm excited to set my girls free outdoors!!

By the way, hope I didn't offend anyone by bringing up the "nuts" comment... I really don't care, I just always feel a lil' funny keeping something so basic from people  

And yes, I do have a fishing boat, but it's a kayak (all the better for trout around here), and I do have dogs-- 3 to be precise-- and 1 is a hound mix.   

But I'm rambling about nothing. Just appreciating all the great people here-- it gets kinda' lonely out in these woods some days...


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## Hick (Feb 13, 2006)

Dang girl. You sound jus' 'bout perfect.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



 Can you "skun" a possum? Will your _dogs hunt?_?  Do ya' _cut bait_?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  heee hee. 

Now is the time to be preppin' for that OD guerrilla op. Getting either seedlings or clones vegging under a 16/8 lite regime. .."dingy-mau"!


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## Mutt (Feb 13, 2006)

Figured a mountain girl like you would like this read.

I always check the farmer's Almanac for best dates and stuff. I know old-fashioned, but its been around since 1818 must be doing something right. http://www.farmersalmanac.com/gardening/gardening.html

Good luck with you first outdoor grow. I would listen to Hick and GanjaGuru they know their OD growing. I'll be stepping out of this one. It makes me too jealous not to be able to grow OD anymore.  They are right nothing compares to Mother Nature's way of doing it.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 13, 2006)

Don't you worry about preppin' my friend, I was born ready 

Ok, well that's a lie. I gotta' get the soil prepped-- not much dirt in our dirt around here. 

Don't know about possum, but I've got a coon hangin' up over my chicken coop right now. To be honest, not much of a hunter myself. Don't have anything against it, and I'll do it from time to time, but (sigh) I was born female & it does still get to me from time to time...

But that coon was retribution killing, and I'm not above that at all. What I mean by that is that damn coon was asking for it!! You eat 5 of my best hens and let me catch you sleeping on the roost come morning, and I'm going to string you up as a warning!!

Okay, hope I haven't really offended anyone or scared anyone off. I know to most it pro'lly sounds disgusting, cruel, and awful... But if so, then you've pro'lly never kept livestock, and i just won't be able to explain it. 

But I gotta stop draggin every thread I enter off track. sorry!!


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## Hick (Feb 13, 2006)

This only gets better and better... 
 I had chicken problems this winter myself. A bobcat almost cleaned me out.Packed off and ate26 of 31, before I found his hole and snared his sorry butt. Hens didn't lay for a week. I detest those pale yellow, yolks on those store bought eggs. 

Shot a coyote packin' off one of the 'barn cats', this winter, too. It's our _duty_ to protect our animals.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 13, 2006)

Mutt said:
			
		

> Figured a mountain girl like you would like this read.
> 
> I always check the farmer's Almanac for best dates and stuff. I know old-fashioned, but its been around since 1818 must be doing something right. http://www.farmersalmanac.com/gardening/gardening.html
> .



Too funny Mutt!! You might not believe this, but I fell asleep reading that thing last night! (and visions of sugared-buds danced in my head.)

I'm a home-steader myself so I live by that thing. I know I'm home now. THIS is the place.


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## mountain rambler (Feb 13, 2006)

And here! here! Hick!!! Thanks for backing me on that one. Just goes to prove why I never got along with any of the girls in school or at work, but hey... at least someone knows what I'm talking about


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