# new grower questions



## mmeellooww (Aug 18, 2006)

Hi, everybody. I hope you dont mind a forum newbie just jumping in with a bunch of questions.

Before I ask the questions, I want to run my situation and plan by you - get any input you old pros might have. Ive been a gardener for years (veggies & flowers). Im also big into herbal medicine, so I have a section of a shed I already use for hanging and drying herbs.

I live in the sticks on 20 acres of field and forest. Im bordered by national forest, a couple of "camps" (like vacation cabins but not as nice, with 40-80 acres of land each) bordering my property, and theres a permanent home kitty-corner from me (about 1/4 mile away). The camp owners arent the most upstanding citizens, therefore DNR officers drive by frequently to make sure theyre not hunting out of season or anything like that. 

Ive got this garden. Its about an acre. Every year, I enhance the soil with chicken manure, till it under, plant it with clover and sunflowers, pumpkins, throw in a few handfuls of seeds to see what they do, but mostly just let it grow wild so I can harvest wild medicinal plants. 
Im thinking that, with my wild garden and my drying shed, I already have a perfect set-up and growing a little pot wouldnt change my routine much at all.

My tentative plan is to start some plants with the rest of the stuff that I usually start in the windows in the spring, then plant everything outside together and let it grow - making sure that there are lots of tall sunflowers and thick weeds camouflaging the pot. Then I could harvest it in the fall and hang it right in my shed with the rest of the stuff that will already be hanging there drying.
So - here come the questions.

1. I have a 16-year-old son. Hes kind of a geek (but a very loveable, wonderful geek). He most likely wouldnt recognize a marijuana plant if he saw one, but you never know. If I start these seedlings in the window with the rest of my plants, are they going to stand out like a sore thumb - so badly hell say "hey, Mom, what are these?" If he does ask that question, is there another plant that looks similar? I think theres something called Mosquito weed that I could say it is.

I truly do hope that he enjoys the benefits of pot one day, but I dont think his mother should be introducing him to it. You know?

2. When the DNR officers drive by in their trucks and sometimes on 4-wheelers, they get maybe 700 feet from the garden. Mostly there are lots of trees in between, but there are some areas where the garden is clearly visible. Occasionally (not often at all) well get a visitor. Our driveway is about 100 feet from the close edge of the 1 acre square plot. The plants will be in the center or towards the back. Planted in with very tall sunflowers, with lots of weeds overtaking everything (except the plants hehe) how much are those plants going to blend in? Will the smell carry that far? Ive never smelled it while it was growing - is it very recognizeable?

3. Approximately how much will I harvest from an average plant - treated like a garden plant (well-watered, good soil, fertilized once or twice).

4. Why is it bad to let my girls get fertilized? Id kind of like to have some seeds to save for the next season.

5. If the shed is well-ventilated and the pot hidden with other plants which are drying from the ceiling, how noticeable will the smell be? 

Thats about it for now. Id sure appreciate it if youd take the time to answer!!

Thanks.


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## KADE (Aug 18, 2006)

I don't know of the mosquitoweed ur speaking of. There are some plants that look like blooming males.. the only other thing that camos them really well is blackberry plants. Those things look like fields of MJ sometimes. Same color leaves as well.
700 feet is a pretty far distance, I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you LST or top your plants to keep them down under the height of the sunflowers I'd think you would be fine.
I'd guess, even that you don't think so... you have smelled it growing. The amount of times I've stopped in my car after getting a whiff of ''skunk'' and find a few in the ditch or a local swamp.
If the plants are in well tilled rich earth they should grow very well and very quickly... like a weed even. Easy potentials of ounces up to pounds. I have a older (55yr) friend that only grows 2 plants a year... and gets 2 pounds off of each, every year... consistantly. I have no idea what he does or how he does it... but I've seen them after just being cut down.
If you have a male plant you should cut it down or have it miles away from ur girls.... if you are looking for some seeds take a bag.. put it over the males balls.. shake the pollen off. Go to say, one branch on a female.. put the bag over it and only pollenate one branch. Don't wanna ruin the whole thing!
Drying will create the worst smell most likely. If the shed is well ventilated there shouldn't be too noticeable a smell with a reasonable personal amount of plants. On a foggy or overcast day it might smell a little dank out tho. When you open the door of the shed you WILL notice it.. probably hit u in the face =)


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## Hick (Aug 19, 2006)

mmeellooww said:
			
		

> Hi, everybody. I hope you dont mind a forum newbie just jumping in with a bunch of questions.
> 
> Before I ask the questions, I want to run my situation and plan by you - get any input you old pros might have. Ive been a gardener for years (veggies & flowers). Im also big into herbal medicine, so I have a section of a shed I already use for hanging and drying herbs.
> 
> ...



It sounds like a very feasable plan to me mmeellooww. Some reading  on methods of keeping your plants "low profile" should have you ready to rock.  I suggest spreading a few around the plot, not all in one spot, tieing them down and or topping them will help in "stealthing" them by eliminating the "classic" x-mas tree form. Where you are going to find the mj is going to be most noticable, is fall. When everything else is changing color, dieing off, the mj remains a pretty lucious green right up to harvest.(late sept.-mid oct.) Good reason for keeping them somewhat shorter than the surrounding sunflowers, weeds, ect. 
Some strains are more aromatic than others, both growing and drying. Luck o' the draw unless you order a low odor strain. Some aromatic flowers/plants might serve to mask the mj somewhat. But unless you have a pretty good sized plot, "IMHO" not a huge risk from the odor, in most cases.
I would be surprised to find a 16 yr old that *doesn't* know what a mj plant looks like. Even the most loveable geek has been exposed to everything from clothing to billboards with pictures of pot leaves displayed on them. 
Yeild is impossible to guesse. You could get anywhere from 1 ounce to 1 lb.+, per plant depending on strain, care, length of veg', ect.  Just too many factors to consider.
"Pollination"...KADE said it well. If you wish to make your own seeds for future propogation, "selectively" pollinating a single branch or two, will supply you with far more than enough seeds.  Open pollination of the entire plant will yeild "thousands" of seeds, and diminishes the quality/potency substantially. 
best o' luck..


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## mmeellooww (Aug 19, 2006)

KADE said:
			
		

> I'd guess, even that you don't think so... you have smelled it growing. The amount of times I've stopped in my car after getting a whiff of ''skunk'' and find a few in the ditch or a local swamp.


 
Well - driving down the road, I have thought I've smelled it a few times.  Usually in the same area.  I just think "That smells like weed," and then can't wait to smoke some.

I didn't realize it would grow in a swamp.  If that's the case I might have an even better place to grow it.  But wouldn't it get root rot?

Are the seedlings recognizeable?  Because my son hopefully won't be seeing the mature plants.

Maybe the woods or the swamp would be a better place - my son has some friends who might recognize it and steal it.


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## KADE (Aug 19, 2006)

Haha well if ''it smells like weed'' for a month or more... then it is... unless something keeps dying in the same place or a skunk lives there.
They will grow in a swamp.. BUT!  where ever the plant is growing needs to be built up... so all the roots would not be in the water. I know a lot of ppl get a big bag of soil. Cut a few Xs in the bottom and plop them in a lil water.


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## Mutt (Aug 19, 2006)

Swamp grows are very difficult. High Acidic levels in the "standing" water and rotting leaves could pose a huge PH problem. 
What I would do in those kind of situations is plant in a five or six gallon bucket. good drainage holes a must. 
Also the thick tree canopy can make it so light is hard to get to the plant.
Swamp grows are all about location.


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## KADE (Aug 19, 2006)

Yeah, I'm not talking commercial stuff here... I'm talking cheeeaaap plant n forget, come back in 4 months type growing.


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## Hick (Aug 19, 2006)

"





> I&#8217;m bordered by national forest,


"
you might consider a guerilla grow. 4 or 5 plants in a couple of strategic spots could give you a nice stash.


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## Max8max9 (Aug 19, 2006)

I live in Northish California, and i was wondering if chopping down 3-4 redwoods for a planting spot would be a horrible idea? There would be absolutly NO traffic, but i was wondering how effective are the air planes at spotting just 5-7 small plants? What is the standard form of rain cover for a discrete operation?


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## SuperNoob (Aug 20, 2006)

> I live in Northish California, and i was wondering if chopping down 3-4 redwoods for a planting spot would be a horrible idea? There would be absolutly NO traffic, but i was wondering how effective are the air planes at spotting just 5-7 small plants? What is the standard form of rain cover for a discrete operation?



have you ever flown an in an airplane, or even out of a window of a tall building cars appear to be about the size of matchbox cars.  I can't imagine that they would be able to tell the diffrence between weed plants and small evergreen.  thats my uneducated opinion.


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## greenear (Aug 21, 2006)

In northish cali, u can find plenty of nice spots without the cutting any redwoods. the airplanes are not a big concern as long as u keep it small. i mean with the budget problems theses days, the cops are not willing to mount an effort for a few plants. but u should still be careful where u plant.


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## sombro (Aug 21, 2006)

if you've got 20 acres there must be plenty of places that you could plant the seedlings without anyone seeing them, even your boy.

as for the smell, they only really get pungent during the flowering phase (late aug-sept-oct for outdoor) with so much space and other stuff growing I doubt that smell will be a problem as long as you don't plant it next to the road. Also you could order a low odour strain (northern lights is one I think)  

sounds to me like you've got all you need at home to get going.

good luck.


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## mmeellooww (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks, everybody, for allof your answers!  this is a GREAT forum!

It sounds like weed is actually one of the easiest things you can grow - it can be in full sun or partial shade and doesn't seem to complain too much from what I'm hearing.  Keeping it hidden sounds like the major challenge.  I'm thinking of spots, spots, and more spots!

I've got this great wetland on my property.  It's got cat tails and some wetland bushes, but it's pretty much full sun.  I'm thinking a 10-gallon bucket wrapped in burlap, planted down there, would not be found.  Nobody goes back there because it's so wet.  A couple of holes in the bottom, and it would be self-watering!  Oh, the possibilities . . . . .


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## tcooper1 (Apr 24, 2008)

mmeellooww said:
			
		

> Hi, everybody. I hope you dont mind a forum newbie just jumping in with a bunch of questions.
> 
> Before I ask the questions, I want to run my situation and plan by you - get any input you old pros might have. Ive been a gardener for years (veggies & flowers). Im also big into herbal medicine, so I have a section of a shed I already use for hanging and drying herbs.
> 
> ...


I SAY BE HONEST WITH YOUR SON...:48: You never know he just might be ok with it and if he isnt well then you are related you have to work it out LOL....I was honest with all 4 of my kids and they are all ok with it.Even my geek.


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## gcr6bk (Apr 24, 2008)

Sorry to just jump into the thread but it seems like you and me are on TOTALLY different levels... You have tons of land, ur an adult attempting to hide plants from your son, etc. As too where i live with my dad, have a house that he loves too snoop through, supposedly hates drugs, and i have the worst neighbors in the world. Be glad with what ya got and grow some pot! =) LoL! Im tryin too be very sneaky... until I move out.


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