Western Europe 1st outdoor grow, how to prepare?

Outdoor Growing
#1

Hello friendly people,
It is so nice to see everyone connected and working together.
I just joined OG, and I actually could use some help.
I’m about to harvest my 1st grow in over 10 Years indoor and I am thinking of going on a guerrilla grow this summer.

I wonder if someone can help me prep for this.
I already choose some spots, 3 spots in total where I will plant 2 plants on each local.
I’m from Portugal so Iberic Climate.

My wonders are:
How do I calculate the right time when to germinate the seeds?

My guess is that after germination I will need at least 3 weeks before I can transplant the laydies to their final spots. Am I right?

Where I live I don’t have any stream nerby so I wonder if one watering a week with 5L of water plus BioBizz nutrients would be egnouf for the plants to grow healthy.

My 1st spot is the nearest from me and is soil with weeds and grass, some Eukaliptus arround.
The 2nd and 3th spots will be in the middle of eukaliptus florest with one or 2 years of growth since lumberjacks cut this trees every 7-12 Years, I should be fine I think.

I’m going to go with RQS Critical Feminised strain and because this is my first outdoor growth I really need some advices.

Everything you can tell me about how to prep the calendar, or even tips so I don’t get caught are welcome.

Thank you!

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#2

Awesome gusto! Hope this helps you on your way:

Use this to figure out your average hours of light per day. I’m in Toronto, Canada, so if I need to wait until end of May in my area for the plants to stay in veg. For end of season, I am looking at Sept-Oct; which dictates WHAT will finish before it’s to harsh outside to grow.

I’ve hear of folks tossing seeds in the ground and coming back later to folks growing out seedlings at home and then getting them into their in ground spots around 3-4weeks old so they know they’re worth growing.

That sounds like a very low amount of water. In most non daily monitored growing systems i’ve read about gravity based feeding from streams, especially when it gets into flower. Creating a gravity fed system with a collapsable jug hung in a tree could work, but that’s a lot of labour for the water. :thinking:

So long as you got a lot of light and ammend if required sounds like a solid plan. I love gumtrees. I used to have a Traditional Eucalyptus and a Honey Eucalyptus. I miss the later one with the passionate fury of a 1000x burning suns… it was always covered in pollinators when it bloomed!

SMART! I was gonna ask you about sexing.

Your def on your way to awesome. Over-plan, come up with A/B/C plans and you’ll be able to permutate towards success.

I ALWAYS plan for the very best, and the very worst… cause then you can mix inbetween the two easy as you go to stop any fuckery a foot. :fist:

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#3

I don’t think growing near eucalyptus might be a good idea, they drink a lot of water and dry all the soil around, their leaves have a substance that blocks any other plant to grow near them and they’re normally planted to make money for them so perhaps they will be regularly visited for maintenance.

If they’re just wild and isolated no problem, wait for good weather to come and good luck … beer3|nullxnull

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#4

Thank you Pigeonman,
Yeah, I still need to carefully plan and make 2 or 3 plans just in case.
I will have my indoor grow at the same time so it will be my first experience outdoors and if all is loose, still have that backup.
Kind of 10 Years ago some friends made this right in the middle of a field with 2meter eukaliptus crop and things did great but back then they took 5L to each plant every 3 days but I have a job and the spots are hard to get there, more with so much water on the bagpack.
I would love to see things go nice this time too and that is why I am asking for help, but maybe the best is to try and see the outcome, supervisioning the laydies every 2 or 3 days in the beginning just to be shure.
This area has a lot of dirt roads used by bikers so I cannot use any watering system or it may draw unwanted attention.

Regarding germination, I prefer to grow the laydies @home so they have a minimum size before take them out, the bigger they go, more resistance against animals and any hard winds.

#5

In portugal you can start in february or march, when you feel it’s getting warm in your area. I’ve grown last year in Leiria, the plants did alright. It was near a small water stream, I just transplanted them there and left them. Came back after some months and I found there 2,5 meter plants…

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sadly they were sativa and we had a lot of rain in october and they caught mold. RIP. I only smoked one but it was amazing. The strain was moby dick. Wish more buds did survive… Careful in portugal, you have a lot of curious people and seems everyone hates cannabis here… make sure your spot has a really hard access and prioritize security over your plants. For the watering, if you don’t have a small water stream nearby, try to water more. 5L isn’t enough, even for only 1 plant for my experience. maybe try what your friends did, 5L 3 in 3 days. Seems way better. In portugal, especially during summer months you have to water a lot and make sure to use mulch, otherwise the soil will dry instantly. Make sure to choose a great soil, otherwise try to add some biobizz all mix for example. I have used the native soil with no problems when it was good. About the strain critical, I think it’s a good variety to grow in Portugal and iberic climate in general. Good choice. If you are germinating indoor you can for sure start in february, you won’t have any problems. I have already done that. Beware, guerrilla can be extremely exhausting. I prefer leaving the plants nearby small water streams. If they survive, it’s jackpot, otherwise I didn’t waste time neither. Good luck.

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#6

So, on the guerrilla front, you will probably need to water 2x per week if no local water source. Be mindful of your paths into and out of your areas. Try not to create an obvious trail. I usually visited my plots in the dead of night, and minimize the use of headlamp or flashlight. The regenerating Eucalyptus forest and weedy areas sound good to me, but make sure to work and amend your soil and dig your holes well before planting, as some amendments and freshly disturbed soil can bring in some animals that could dig up or otherwise mangle a young plant, In your climate mulch will be key to keeping moisture from evaporating. In ground plantings will hold water better than containers. Binoculars are great too for checking what’s going on before you approach, also understand that there may be other people trying to guerrilla grow in the same areas. The other thing to think about is how to keep deer and other wildlife away from your plants. I have used a product called Liquid Fence (which is putrefied egg solids) worked well, could probably be diy. Also, predator urine can keep these hungry herbivores away. Approach and leave your spots stealthily. It is a lot of work to hike water in and out, but in my opinion worth it. Your plan of three plots of 2-3 female plants is definitely doable for one person. Most important thing about illegal grows on public, state, or private land that is not yours-“Tell no one”. Also, plant them randomly…nothing to see here folks, just another weed…

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#7

I would put water retension crystals in the bottom of your holes before adding the soil/compost, that will keep the roots moist for longer between watering. Make sure your gardens get all the morning sun if possible. Start seedlings a month before planting out and if you propagate them indoors harden them off outside.
Good luck mate and I hope you get a good season.

1 Like
#8

Jango, Thank you for your input, I didn’t know the existence of such product to retain water but as there are some chances some get caught and destroyed, I want to keep minimal costs.

Sasquatch, amazing points given. Thank you, now I’m not shure what to do!!! Haha!!!

SpikPT I’m near Figueira da Foz, and your help is very welcome once we are in the same climate and country.
I was wondering if April rains damage our babyes, but if you say February or March, that will be the calendar to follow.

Now my problem regards with placement very nice points and would make my live much easier if I had a stream nearby, may compensate consider going a little further to try because the only spot I can think of is a pond but many rabbits there because of the water.

About animals, well Deears not an issue, some wild hogs, some rabbits but is a wide area with a lot of vegettation.

My initial spots was at least 200m from the nearest dirt road, and I would go by BTT bike with a bagpack plain water on the container just in case and the nutrient solution rady to poor and shake just before watering.

But do that twice a week is exausting and very time consuming, so bigger risk.
I’m a family guy and I last thing I want is anything to go wrong to me.

I wonder if I can find a spot where the water drains and could be more moisture under the soil.

Now I’m far behind casual to make clones and each baby will com from a seed so I really need to set my spots asap. Shure I will do some terrain exploration this weekend so I can examine the soil on some spots and maybe come with some questions abouth that specific soil.

Yep, because if everything else grows the laydies should grow too, and my plan was to bring the plants with two or 3 set of true leaves in a small container like 1 or 2 L with the usual all-mix I use, clean 1m arround the base, dig a hole and place it there.

Well… going to google maps…lol

Talk to you later!

And thank you for your inputs, this is really making me overthink what was supposed to be inicially, meaning progress!!!

1 Like
#9

Dont over think it mate, you’ve got a great climate to grow in so relax and let mother nature do her stuff, you got this👍

#10

I agree with Jango, you have a great climate. If you want to go minimal, just work the soil the size of a 20 liter pot or so and after, dig the hole for your size pot. You can understand how much natural rain they get by watching your local weather, monitoring it online, and/or setting a rain gauge up at your residence and monitoring it. No need to visit if they are getting adequate water. You can create your mulch from local vegetation near your girls. Rabbits will make short work of a young plant, so maybe the pond not so good…Oh those moisture retention crystals work well, just make sure to put them near the bottom of your 20 liter worked soil hole.

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#11

@Sasquatch owns. he’s told all!

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#12

Yep, overthinking and trying to get a propper layout but you are right, keep calm and just do it already! :smiley:

#13

Your plants will absolutely love the april rains, atleast mine always did. for sure they won’t be thirsty during april, less work for you :wink: If the rain is too strong, just try to give them some cover, for example cut in half a 5L bottle of water and put them under it. Guerrilla growing is really stressful regarding your own security. Sadly I’ve already had many bad experiences, that’s why I kinda stay away from it nowadays and try to have the lowest effort / contact time with the plants possible. Your best bet is to know really well your area, maybe one day you can find the “perfect” spot and stay there for many years until we are blessed with legalization. Figueira da Foz is a good place and if you see a shit ton of plants in a area that’s probably a good place, it depends on the species.
Good luck with your grow and don’t forget, a little bit of paranoia regarding security is always necessary. This was what saved me honestly.

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#14

I remember going south from there kilometers and kilometers of beach Sun surrounded by a continuous forest, indeed a good place. You’ve got a beautiful country :portugal: , glad to see you back … beer3|nullxnull

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#15

Coco peat blocks are fantastic for soil improvement when you are guerrilla growing if the soil is iffy, If you take a backpack you can fit 2 blocks of 90l of compressed coir. They are super cheap. Then just unpack it and leave it on the ground for it to swell and when you come back next time you can use it, no need to add water. Also I always take a small tarpaulin, 1.5 x 3 m say, because then when you dig your holes, you lay the tarp down and shovel all the dirt on to it, add the coco peat/soil amendments and then grab opposite corners and if you work them back and forwards it will perfectly mix your soil, and then using the tarp you can tip it back in the whole without wasting any and more importantly without leaving a big obvious mess where you have been.
Also use mulch to help maintain soil moisture and don’t use blood and bone because it attracts animals like nothing else.
And you will be fine in a eucalyptus forest, otherwise none of us could grow down in oz :laughing:

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