Growing Outdoors

Outdoor cultivation is the cheapest way to grow a crop. If you look at the chapter in this book, "Building an Indoor Grow Room", you will read that a lot of gadgets are required to grow a proper garden. But, outdoors, Mother Nature gives you a climate to grow plants. And, the costs are much less, unless you decide to use a greenhouse to give you what Mother Nature can't, a controlled climate.
Many people may be deterred from indoor cultivation for obvious reasons, such as the expense, unknown variables, and the work effort that is involved in such a project.
This chapter explains the various factors you need to know in order to reach the quality, yield, and workload you are looking for; whether you got money to burn, or, whether you are rubbing your last two nickels together.
If you decide to grow an outdoor garden, here is a list of the important variables that will be discussed in this chapter in greater detail;
1) Light quality (i.e.lots of sunshine). In general more light is better, but, some breeds can grow well in lower light levels. Also, pruning and bending plants can add more usable light to the plant. Smart outdoor growers design their gardens so that they can maximize sunlight hours for the entire growing season.
2) The right plant. The strain will make or break a crop. With all other variables perfect, you can produce a failed garden if the plant is not suited for the climate, or if it is unproductive. Certain strains may prove more resistant to problems that are beyond your control such as frost, excessive rainfall, fluctuating root temperatures, hailstorms, heavy winds, inadequate nutrients, etc.
3) Proper feeding and watering. A good medium is necessary for the plants to reach their full potential. The plant's diet will effect yield and quality. Under-watering plants can give you bad news.
4) Ideal root temperature. If the root temperature is good, plant growth can be maximized. Plant roots that are under the ground can be cooled or heated, depending upon the climate where the plants are grown.
5) Ideal air temperature. These factors are beyond your control if you grow under the sun, but, they can be controlled in a greenhouse. Use the most productive calendar months for growing.
6) Predator control. You must do your homework here, or, you could end up no plants at any given time.
7) Care. Plants grow better if you love them, rather than just look at them with dollar signs in your eyes.
8) The proper gardening system. It is critical to use a system that leads to maximum productivity, with minimal waste. It is also critical to use a system that caters to your needs. For example, do you want to maintain a garden, or, do you want a system that requires very little work? This chapter gives all the details you need to know in order to build a custom gardening system that will fulfill your needs; such as soilless mix gardens, and, hydroponic systems that use more complicated irrigation techniques. Using soilless mix is the easiest and most forgiving medium for the novice, even though pros use that medium too.

A. GROWING MEDIUM OPTIONS

I.Soilless Mix, Forest Compost
and Peat moss STEP 1
Figure out the garden dimensions or container size..
Matching the right plant to the right place is the secret to success.
Option A: the traditional underground garden.
Dig a hole 1-2 feet deep in spring or up to a month before transplanting. The hole's diameter should fall between 1 and 4 feet. One - two foot holes may be preferred for smaller plants or non-bumper-crop years. The four-footer used in a hot summer in full sun would be a high-yielding, low-maintenance choice.
Or, dig a 1-2 feet deep trench that is 1 foot wide, or more.
Where should the digging take place?
" In sandy soil if it is possible to water frequently in hot summer months. Excellent for regular feedings. Sand helps warm the soil.
" In clay soil if decent water and nutrient retention is wanted so that only a few visits are needed. Clay soil is cooler than sandy soil.
" In bog soil if it is not mucky, but compacts when squeezed and crumbles when broken up. Watering is eliminated in a good bog. But be careful, because a good bog one year can be next year's flood-out. Develop a relationship with the water table for a higher understanding of the natural setting.
" On a rock cliff. Here, instead of a hole, the site is made 2-4 feet high with mix. This is the best bet for a wet season because of drainage, electromagnetism possibilities, and the possibilities of altering root temperature for proper warmth.

Option B: Container garden
Decide what size container to use. In other words, how big should the plants be grown? All things being equal in the mix, the larger the container, the larger the plant. However, to grow the larger plants, capitalizing on a full growing season is a must.
Late-starting plants have a limited growth potential, so in this case growers often use more plants to grow big flowers on the smaller plants.
For the highest possible yield when putting plants out in the early spring after the last threat of frost, it is recommended to use at least 15-20 gallons of mix per plant in a garbage bag, garbage can, or a box 3' square x 2' high (all well-draining). For smaller plants and late starts, using less mix is less wasteful.
A 1-3 inch layer of mushroom manure or steer manure in the bottom of the containers will provide nutritional fuel for the feeder roots that will bunch up at the bottom. Forgetting to feed the bottom roots is probably the biggest mistake in the diet.
If transplanting late, use anything from a 2-gallon to a 5-gallon container, depending on how much of the season will be dedicated to vegetative growth. For example, in northwest Washington State, a female clone transplanted in July may begin to flower soon after the transplant, leaving only a top flower. Therefore a 2-gallon container will be sufficient.
Lining up all the containers side by side and growing a sea of green anywhere is a possibility. An earlier-finishing strain would be necessary to achieve this effect. Get to know strains inside and out to learn how to match the right plant with the right container.
The advantage of container plants is that they can always be brought indoors to finish the flowering process under lights. Sometimes when you grow plants, making a quick decision is part of the program; such as picking flowers or crop failure.
STEP 2
Making a top quality mix for the plants
Now, make a homemade mix with peat or forest compost, or, prepare a soilless mix that is from the store. Store bought goods are easier to work with because the ph is at the desired level and it is mixed with perlite and / or vermiculite, lime, and other goodies. On the other hand, homemade mixes are a lot cheaper, often less than half price.
When you buy soilless mix, it is sterilized and has a ph that needs no further adjusting. However, forest compost and peat moss can be substituted with soilless mix. The key is to get the ph right (5.5-7.0). Most forest compost has a ph of 5.2-5.5, while peat moss has a ph 4.0-5.5, depending upon the source. When perlite and lime is added to peat moss, you get a basic soilless mix.
Here is a formula to raise the ph and prepare a quality mix; using forest compost or peat moss.
A. Fill a 20 gallon garbage can (like the cheap Rubbermaid®), two-thirds full with rich, black forest compost or peat moss.
B. Add perlite to the top, then mix thoroughly (or empty the garbage can and mix on the ground with a pitchfork or gloves). Wear a respirator or good dust mask for all mixing.
C. Add 5-6 cups of fine dolomite lime. ¾-1 cup of hydrated lime can be added too.
Forest Compost and peat moss are good mediums for affordable do-it-yourselfer recipes.Add fertilizer when the ph is higher than 5.5, and less than 7.0.
Forest compost comes from a mature forest. It exists in a mature forest under a layer of sticks and needles. Some stores sell forest compost mixtures. It is usually free of stones, has a pH greater than 5, and should contain beneficial mycorrhizae. Pull out any loose roots before it is used.
Peat moss comes from peat bogs. Peat bogs exist in areas of poor drainage, and, stay wet all year long.
Fertilizers are added to the soilless mix (i.e. Sunshine Mix #2) after it is bought. Or, fertilizer is added to a homemade mix.

ORGANIC FERTILIZING RECIPES FOR SOILLESS MIX / FOREST COMPOST / PEAT MOSS
Note: quarts and litres are about equal; 4 quarts = approximately 1 gallon.
1. Four 3.8-4 cu. ft. bales of Sunshine® #2 Mix, Jiffy Mix™, Pro Mix™, or other soilless mix.
Four bags of composted steer manure (20-30 quarts each bag).
1 gallon of blood meal.
1 gallon of steamed bone meal.
1 gallon of greensand.
2 quarts of kelp meal.
0-50 quarts of perlite and/or 0-50 quarts of vermiculite.
Up to one-third parts soil.
Note: mix without soil is classed as organic hydroponic.

STEP 3
Putting the mix in the desired spot
For an underground garden, put the mix back in the hole. Building a 6"- to 2-foot raised bed above the hole allows for extra drainage, warmer roots, and more predator control. An option is to put a manure layer on the bottom of the hole, followed by the soilless mix and fertilizers. For a container garden, fill up the containers and moisten the mix before transplanting. See transplanting on page 171.
Step 4
Supplemental Fertilization / Watering
Additional liquid, or water soluble powder fertilizers fertilizers used at half strength to full strength is a safe additive every week or two. If organic fertilizers are used you will keep the organic hydroponic classification.

Chemical Cheatsheet
Organic fertilizers work well on their own, but they can be used in conjunction with chemical fertilizers.
Many growers use dried and water-soluble organic fertilizers throughout vegetative growth, then switch to chemical fertilizers during bloom.
Another approach is to use a synthetic blend of water soluble chemical fertilizers during vegetative growth as well. Often, a single application of a cheap chemical fertilizer during vegetative growth will push a plant further than no application at all.
All formulas from Chapter 5 will work. Or, any company's recommended rate will do.

WATERING
Plants should never reach the wilting stage. This is a sign of neglect. The neglect can stress a to the point of losing leaves and a lower yield.
There are many possibilities for dealing with the water supply, for example, a gravity feeding unit, a portable electric pump, black poly plastic water traps, water drums, a solar pump, a gas water-pumping system, or a well. Another approach is to cover a plant site with a thick layer of straw, bark, weed-free hay, sphagnum peat moss (if available at the site), black plastic, or wood chips, all of which help retain moisture in the mix. A 45-gallon drum in a flowing body of water and connected a series of tubing that becomes gradually narrower, resulting in a lot of pressure build-up in the line, which forced the water uphill to the site.
Burying buckets and garbage bags instead of exposing them will cut back dramatically on watering maintenance, especially in moist areas.
Placing a myco-pak under each plant at transplanting time seems to lower watering needs.
Placing the garden in a moist location is the easist and cheapest way to grow a low maintenance garden.
STEP 5
Flushing out fertilizer
When procedures are followed in this manual, the final product should be of top quality. However, flushing plants with lots of plain water two weeks before harvest, and upwards until harvest can remove lots of salts. This flushing will improve the final product. In general, these formulas with organic mixes should be fine, unless you added many supplemental feedings. A major benefit of organic fertilizer usage, is that salts are not a by-product of organic fertilizers, unlike chemical fertilizers, especially the cheap ones. Flushing is often more necessary for chemically grown techniques, so that the outcome is produce of a higher quality. In most cases, using too many chemical fertilizers will affect the quality if they are not flushed out of the mix. If making one to five applications of chemical fertilizer in a single season during vegetative growth and the flowering process, the mix will not deal with the detrimental levels of salt build-up, even without doing a serious flush.
Nevertheless, adding a few doses of chemical fertilizer during cultivation can increase the volume, without sacrifice to quality. If flushing is necessary, or desired, use large amounts of plain water, or use one of the many flushing formulas available in the market today. These attach to the fertilizer salts and unused elements in the growing medium, so they will be removed. Some, even come in flavors like piña colada and strawberry. Some flushing formulas should be followed up with a dose of plain water in order to remove the clearing solution from the mix.

STEP 6
Re-using Soilless Mix / Forest Compost
When the indoor or outdoor crop is finished, the mix can be reused, meaning that the grow medium can be used over and over again. This is beneficial, because after each crop is done, the grow mix retains its investment value, since it can be reused indefinitely.