What a Long Strange Trip it's Been!

Hello my friend, I too started a long time ago (first grow high desert Ca. summer 1968).We didnt even know any thing except for 4 finger lids (lol) of 10.00 mexican dirt weed. So when the plants got to be about three feet tall, we cut the tops, put them in the oven to dry and proceded to laugh so hard while eating milk and cookies we spit milk out our noses. Ive grown every year except for two sence. Like you said these kids are getting to start with so superior knowledge then we had. thats why there producing this crazy bud you see now. By the way I dont like most of the bud they have at the clubs.To me its not what I concider pot to be. It seems it all looks smells and tastes the same and they go out of there way to make it like that. I grow drifferent strains because of the drifferent taste smells and effects. Granted club bud gets you high as shit but its the same every time.Ive got strains that you can work on, I crossed M.K. Ultra X The late 90s O.G. Kush X Aurora Indica =Aruora Ultra that will flat knock your dick in the dirt. Seriously three hits and you have no chose but to lay down. They all taste , smell,grow and get you high drifferently and thats what I like.Any way Im going on and on when all I wanted to say was I FEEL YA BROTHER.All growers have to find there own way and what works for them.But it is realy awsom the amount of information on the Internet for the newbies . We had to figure that shit out by our selves with a little help from High Times Magazine.All in all I think the bud us old guys ( Im 60 ) grow 100% organic in dirt is the best.One more do lie about what strain it is let what you grow stand on its own merit.I realy liked your post. Keep on truckin( lol) TOAST

Last line-One more thing dont lie about the strain it is let what you grow stand on its own merit. I for got how to type for a second.

lembatoast;bt7507 said:

Hello my friend, I too started a long time ago (first grow high desert Ca. summer 1968).We didnt even know any thing except for 4 finger lids (lol) of 10.00 mexican dirt weed. So when the plants got to be about three feet tall, we cut the tops, put them in the oven to dry and proceded to laugh so hard while eating milk and cookies we spit milk out our noses. Ive grown every year except for two sence. Like you said these kids are getting to start with so superior knowledge then we had. thats why there producing this crazy bud you see now. By the way I dont like most of the bud they have at the clubs.To me its not what I concider pot to be. It seems it all looks smells and tastes the same and they go out of there way to make it like that. I grow drifferent strains because of the drifferent taste smells and effects. Granted club bud gets you high as shit but its the same every time.Ive got strains that you can work on, I crossed M.K. Ultra X The late 90s O.G. Kush X Aurora Indica =Aruora Ultra that will flat knock your dick in the dirt. Seriously three hits and you have no chose but to lay down. They all taste , smell,grow and get you high drifferently and thats what I like.Any way Im going on and on when all I wanted to say was I FEEL YA BROTHER.All growers have to find there own way and what works for them.But it is realy awsom the amount of information on the Internet for the newbies . We had to figure that shit out by our selves with a little help from High Times Magazine.All in all I think the bud us old guys ( Im 60 ) grow 100% organic in dirt is the best.One more do lie about what strain it is let what you grow stand on its own merit.I realy liked your post. Keep on truckin( lol) TOAST

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Hey Lembatoast my new friend! Some of the names crack me up. Back in the 70's all I was ever asked was does this stuff work? I'd say crap like, " Man this stuff will get you high enough to hunt ducks with a rake." or "Make sure your Mom is home when you smoke this because your gonna need her!" Back in the old days in Indiana you could let them stand out- knock down corn -and those old Mexican crosses would stretch to the sky. Let em get 7-8 feet. Of course there would only be smoke on the top 3 feet but you didn't care it was free! Then we had to go low profile the stocky affy genetics helped with that. Finally it got so bad you had to pin em down and weave them into fence rows or in the raspberries or sunflowers. But you know what....we had fun didn't we? I wouldn't trade it for any thing! Oh by the way a buddy of mine did give one of those fancy names to one variety I grow. He calls it Double Dog Dare Ya because he says , Double dog dare ya to try to hold a hit of this while I count to 5! Ha!

Ralph Del Mon;bt7510 said:

Ha ha aha, cough, gasping for breath. Brother your post took me back for a minute to 1973 in Indiana. The Legislature reclassified MJ from a DANGEROUS DRUG to a "controlled substance". Do you hear George Carlin in here anyplace? Well the upright and holy kids in the government forgot to include to mention "controlled substance" in their reclassification and just plain out dropped the ball or bong, whatever. From the spring recess until they resumed business in the fall the only thing law enforcement could get ya' on was maybe public intox if you were being a real wanker. Or.... the county police would tail your ass. Back into a farm lane down the road from your house and tail ya'. Knowing eventually, they'd get that flippin' hippie. I sold most of my belongings grabbed my guitar, harmonicas and backpack and hitched to Colorado. Ah well. That was a long time ago. Had a bang up time of it all at the time. Since then I've held jobs in local government and whenever I hear some of these twits talk about testing employees for reefer I ask if they will submit to the same criteria and the response is "Well hell no!" Don't piss down my neck and try to tell me it's raining because that doesn't work. So Uptheholler, thanks for reminding us all what this gig is about. Take good care. Ralph

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Ralph Buddy Glad to have you as a friend on here! I too grew up in Indiana where we have great sunsets, hot hay fields and damn good watermelon. I remeber when most of the sheriffs were local guys who probably graduated high school with your sister! Most of the time if you got pulled over they would make you pour out the 3/2 beer that you drove to Ohio to buy. Ask you if any weed was in the car and if you said yes they would make you dump the bag in the ditch and tell you to get your ass back home. The problem back then was boredom. you would drive around town run into people and agree to meet at some country crossroad intersection or bridge on some creek and have a road party. You know pop the trunks and crank some Allmand Brothers! I envy you guys in Colorado right now. Must be great! I do hydro in the off season and still a few low profile grows in season. Mainly because I can't afford these insane prices. I'd be happy with a 15 dollar oz of Oxacan or a 25 dollar oz of Gold Columbian buds hard as rocks and full of seeds! Still made us laugh our asses off!
Happy to count you among the tribe!

Ralph for us it was Blue River bridge then a run to the White Castle or the Steak and Shake to watch and laugh at all of the lae night drunks come stumbling in. Ah how i miss those quaint old days in Indiana! Ha!

One of the techniques that I am really excited about is the use of low tunnels or cloches over plastic rows.
I make these by first making a raised bed 6-8 inches high and then covering it with 4 foot wide black plastic. I then plant my clones about 18 to 24 inches apart down the row. I then bend spring wire or 1/2 inch pvc pipe over the row leaving about 2 to 2 .5 feet of head space. Next cover the rows with white ventilated plastic which is available from any produce growing seed source or hort supply source.
Shovel soil down on the edges of the plastic and you have buttoned up the girls. As they grow basically I pin them down LST style with the same spring metal pieces or coat hanger pieces that i have cut about 12 inches in length and then bend double. By doing this the plants have a perfect amount of humidity. They get optimal diffused light similar to a greenhouse grow and they really thrive. The buds produced are very tight with greenhouse type trych development. Also it totally protects your plants from critters.
The only thing you need to keep on top of is watering which is easily done by lifting the plastic edges and trimming the giant fan leaves that will be pressing against the plastic and stand out like a sore thumb if you don't either trim them or pin your plants down more so they dont press against the plastic.
What you essentially have is a totally stealthy sea of green outdoor/greenhouse grow for a miniscule amount of money. Total investment for one row 60 feet long is less than 100 bucks and you will not believe the results. Incredible! Let me know if you have any questions but I only have one. Why doesn't every one do this ???

Good ol Indiana!
he, he, he, 76-83 in Oakland city, Ind. he, he, he.
YUP! one year a buddy & me put 100 plants on the far side of the "new lake" water resivore, in the woods. Had to drop a few trees, but there weren't any "ghetto birds" back then so we didn't care.
Put them in rows like a cash crop.
Harvest was a TRIP. So many people saw us pulling bundles of pot out to the road & loading it into our trunks it was rediculas. We must have made 10 or more trips. TOO funny.
Everything has changed there now. No more public land it seems in that area.

Hey Gloman, Glad to have you here! I don't want to sound too nostalgic because I have always said that nostalgia and scenery makes a thin soup!! But there was alot to be said for days when a buddy and I with a cooler full of plants a couple of bulb planters and our fishing poles could go out to the creek, (i.e. crick)
park the truck right next to the bridge and haul it all down to the edge. Wade on out towing the floating cooler behind us as we cast for smallies or googleyes and when we came to a good southern edge or corn field jump out and plant a patch and then move on down to the next place. Damn life was good and I didn't even realize it! Ha!

Ralph I wouldn't be surprised if I passed you something once back in the day! Ha!

The Story of Dr. Frankenpot or What We Could Learn From The Lowly Tomato

Ok does everybody have their footy PJ's on? Do you have a glass of milk and some chocolate chip cookies, or maybe some popcorn and a beer for the lactose intolerant out there?

Once upon a time in a land far far away, where this kind of thing would be legal, because I never would want you to do anything illegal. There lived a misunderstood doctor and his little assistant Igor.
(pronounced EYE-GORE) he's sensitive about that. They had learned that today the latest thing in commercial tomato production was the grafting of old heirloom tomato varieties onto hybrid tomato rootstocks. You see old varieties of tomatoes had great flavor that everybody loved but they were very susceptible to diseases, prone to fruit cracking and generally had poor yields when compared to the new hybrid varieties. The new vigorous hybrid varieties had tremendous growth potential remarkable resistance to diseases and even some insect pests but they lacked the succulent old time flavor of the heirloom varieties. what commercial producers did was they grafted the old time heirloom varieties onto hybrid rootstocks and in the immortal words of Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" the developed a plant that produced the great old time tomatoes with all of the hybrid vigor and disease resistance of the the rootstock.

Dr. Frankenpot wondered what if some enterprising pot grower,( where this sort of thing is legal of course because he would never want to encourage someone to do something illegal) were to try the following experiments. Wait a minute... Dr. Frankenpots ehrlenmyer flask of Costa Rican coffee is over flowing and he has to turn down the bunsen burner....... Ok He's back! What if someone.....

-Tried grafting lower yielding but very high potentcy pot onto extremely high yielding rootstocks?
OR
-Tried grafting low yielding low potency Auto flowering varieties onto high potency rootstocks?
OR
-Tried grafting two, three or four different strains onto the top of a single high yielding variety rootstock. Of course these different strains would all have to be from a similar photoperiod flowering varieties. With releatively balanced amounts of sative and indica genetics. Think of a patient with a very small growing space being able to harvest 3 or 4 varieties off of a single plant. They already do this as a conversation starter curiosity tree with apples.
OR
- Like tomatoes grafting disease prone potent hard to grow varieties onto vigorous easy to grow rootstocks!

The possibilities boogle the mind! It's like trying to try every possible combination at your local pizza joint!!

The tomatoes that I spoke of are already available to commercial growers and are going to have a big impact in the future. What combinations can you come up with?

Ok apparently I have to go. Igor ( that's pronounced EYE-GORE) He's sensitive about that...just came down into my laboratory (That's pronounced LAB-BORE- AH- TOREE) and told me that those pesky townspeople are knocking on my castle walls with thrier pitchforks and torches demanding that I quit my experiments. Man I really gotta get some new neighbors. I hope you've been inspired by what could be but remember I'd never want to encourage you to do anything illegal! Now get to bed!

Best regards
Dr. Frankenpot

I copied this from one of my other entries on a thread. It is my gameplan for my first auto grow. As always, any other input from all of you folks would be sincerely appreciated!

I am getting ready to grow my first autos.Dinafem Critical Cheese. Here are the basics of what I have learned by researching the crop.

Autos are a hybrid cross with either cannabis sativa and/or Indicas and Cannabis ruderalis. Ruderalis is a landrace species which was native in short season cooler climates. So nothing mystical or different than regular hybrids there.

Culturally the important points that I have learned so far are:

-Most seed companies agree that the seed should be germinated in the same container that you plan on growing the plant out in. Or at the very least transplanted into that container very shortly after germination.You do not want to waste your vegetative growth time period with the plant under going transplant shock.

-From what I have read the plant seems to trigger directly into flowering as soon as root growth is restricted. Therefore the container that you plant into should be from 3-5 gallons for optimal yieldif you are doing a soil grow. Many hydro setups would work well also

-Most breeders suggest using a lighter more airy potting mix in soil grows for the same reason. To allow the roots to have unrestricted quick growth.

-Most breeders agree that the best photo period is 16-18/24 during the entire growing cycle for best yield.

-From what I have learned it doesn't seem to me that other than maybe one light application of a higher nitrogen vegetating fertilizer that vegging fertilization is of much use. I plan on lightly feeding a diluted flowering fertilizer mix including my micro's early in the growth period. Alot of phosphate based fertilizers take a while for them to be available and utilized by the plant. As always i will include Surperthrive in every other feeding. Other than that I plan a very light feeding schedule and in all honesty the plant could easily go without one based upon what is available in most commercial potting mixes.

-I plan on growing mine on a light watering schedule in a effort to make the roots constantly grow in their search for water.

Ok, that's my game plan I have never grown autos before but that's my best suggestions. I am sure others on here would have some additional input if I left anything out.

I just thought that I would mention that although the weather right now is crappy in most of the USA it is a perfect time for an important part of your outdoor stealth grow. During this time of the year very few people are in the woods and fields. Most are snuggled close to the fire watching the boob tube.
That makes this a great time to scope out locations for a few hidden plants. Here is what I do.

- Take a walk of your location and find those west, south ,southwest or southeastern exposures. It's much easier to do now without leaves on the trees. Also since March 21st is the spring equinox the sun will be rising all month at very close to true east and true west. This allows you to visualize where the sun will be during the autumnal equinox and more easily track how it will filter down to your locations.

-It's a great time to prune surrounding branches or vines to make your new growing locations. You can also move or cut branches to increase the stealth of your grow without tipping anyone else off. Doing any cutting at this time doesn't raise a red flag in my area because folks are always cutting wood around here. It also gives time for cut ends to brown over so they don't stand out to any spring mushroom hunters.Over head branches can be trimmed or carefully broken and leaned down to the ground to further shield your plants. If done carefully the branches will still leaf out fully and grow a nice vegetative shield. Then you can come in after leaf out and trim individual brancheds for light penetration.

-It's the perfect time to carry bags of growing medium or soil amnedments to your sites and stash them in the woods or fields where they won't be found and it allows you to just carry plants or seeds in the spring.

-You can even go ahead and dig a few holes now if you'd like. It's less likely to be heard by anyone and it allows water to percolate farther into the soil.

-For those who may grow along seasonal streams it is the perfect time to get into the streambeds and dig yourself a few deeper holes. Some of the best grow spots are along what appears to be dry creek beds. They make perfect paths that you can walk without leaving paths. If you dig a few deep holes they will hold water from the spring and summer rains that you can use for your plants all year long.

-It's the time to start sterilizing your containers if you grow that way so that you kill any soil or air borne pathogens on your containers. I use a tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water and a good scrub brush. I follow that with a good rinse.

-It's also a good time to prepare your starting rooms or make greenhouse space for the plants that you maybe starting.

So that's just a few hints that I have come up with over the years that I thought that Iwould share with you. What other tips might you have?

Hey man I love this. The knowledge and the way you write is really good I enjoyed reading it and all the comments. I love reading personal stories like that and the way things used to be. If you ever need my help and I can be of assistance then please feel free to ask. I have a feeling there are a few things you can teach me such as grafting how does that even work? Im confounded. Thanks for your stories everyone. You even turned me on to a new song Ive not listened to before. I listen to so much music that sometimes some of it escapes my listening to. Ive never created a blog because to me the journal is a blog so I never knew what to fill the blog with but now I do. Thanks

Hey Smoker Joe thanks again for the kind words. I don't know how others write a blog but I plan on using mine for some old stories on different topics and some of the things that I have tried in almost 40 years of growing pot and 46 years of growing produce. Some of it is a little unusual. I am glad to count you amongst my friends and if there is ever anything that I can help you out with just let me know.

OK so you've decided this is the year! You are going to try to grow your own outside. Maybe you do this every year and you're saying to yourself right now, "Come on Holler I could do this in my sleep, you didn't invent the art of the stealth grow!" To that I would say...you are absolutely correct ! But I've learned from alot of people that kind of did. And boy I am not too proud to say I've stolen alot of ideas from them and adjusted many more since times have changed. In the early and mid 70's we could do things that are tough today. We used to take backhoes into creeks to redirect streams to move where we needed them. As I suggested earlier digging deep holes in seasonal streams now is still doable and will offer you great locations to get water and allow you paths in where they won't be detected. I am going to throw out a couple to start with and then add some more in the next few days.

- The first rule of a successful outdoor stealth grow is this ...go to visit the girls as little as possible.You want to give them the best site with as much as what they will need to grow then go away. Fight the urge to go visit as much as possible. I could drive roads every year and find plants if I was that kind of person. By that I mean thieves or the fuzz! If you go in once you are OK .Twice and an old ridge runner like me could notice it. Three times and I WILL notice it. I've spent my whole life in the woods hunting , trapping and fishing. I can spot a trail driving 45 miles an hour down any road. There are a ton of other folks that can too. Don't take the same route more than twice and cover your trail. I am so adamant about this that I even wear mocs and watch every step on my way in or out.

-Do your home work first. Get on line and cruise the local papers and their reporting of the local field finds each year that you can. What you are going to see is a pattern. Our friends in the sky schedule their fily overs about the same time every year. They follow the ripening of the corn and the turning of the leaves. They will start at the farthes northern part of your state and then work their way south. Check me out on this in my county they will be here fromSept 10 through the 15th. It's a good time to move plants in buckets into more heavily shade hidden areas during that time. It's also a good time to set up an early warning system amongst fellow growers letting each other in on who is where.

My next section will be about the where, when and how of a successful outdoor stealth grow. I will also give you some specific ideas that you can turn to your advantage. Don't hesitate to let me know your feed back and ideas I welcome the opportunity for us all to learn together!

Thw "where" and the "when" of a successful grow are often times somewhat linked. My grows have always been in the midwest and midsouth and I have seen agricultural practices change alot during that time. It used to be that you would start your plants and geyt them into the fields as soon as you could. But if you are a crop field grower you really can't do that any more. Because of the use of "Roundup Ready" corn and soybeans you now have to wait until these crops get higher than a highboy sprayer of all you will get for your trouble is a bunch of dead plants. Many folks have quit growing in corn fields because of both the spraying practices and the amount of chemicals farmers use now days and because corn fields are helicopter magnets. Soybean fields offer an attractive alternative. Todays soybeans often now get as hih as 4 feet tall. Offering good cover for a well topped plant to thrive. Bean fields are often planted later in the season meaning that you plants are not as exposed to severe spring storms. Before you plant though just like corn, you have to wait until after that over the top Roundup application to be applied this is often when the plant reaches 12-14 inches . Watch the weeds in a field when you see them begin to die you know it's been done. You can also look for tire tracks indicating that a sprayer has gone through. Don't plant in a sprayed field until you have had a couple of rains on it as roundup residue on the leaves can splash off and damage your plants.
I don't often plant in crop fields anymore, if they are available I prefer fencerows especially with nice over hanging trees to help shield and conceal my girls. But, the same thing applies with regard to waiting until the herbicide spraying has been done. Often times as they spray crop field they will over lap and knock down what they can reach in a fence row as well. Fence rows offer much better concealment opportunities with fences to weave plants into or tie down to as well as a mix of vegetation that will provide you better concealment opportunities.

Next time I will be offering ideas on specific palces that are tried and true that you might want to consider planting this year..... Stay tuned!

Wow, I have a lot of reading to do today. Your blog posts are all very well written and interesting to read.
I was in Indiana for quite a few years myself, I can relate to what you wrote about your history there. LOL
I'll be lurking and reading.