Lessons from The Ghost…Site Preparation

Have you ever looked at a patch of wild forest or a remote hillside and thought, “Man, that would work! I could grow some plants there”? If you have, you’re speaking my language. In my 50-plus years of I have grown this plant, about ten of those were spent as a dedicated “guerrilla” grower. I’ve had to learn how to build a stealth guerrilla grow site that would stay hidden from hikers, hunters, and even helicopters. (until the helicopters…or more precisely the optics those in the helicopter had become pretty much impossible to hide from.)

When you’re growing out in the wild, you aren’t just a gardener—you need to be a ghost. You have to move without leaving a trace and blend into the natural landscape so perfectly that even someone standing five feet away won’t see you. I have had many people, hunters, fishermen, walk by very close and never know I was there. If you are a guerrilla grower the less you are seen the better.

I was once hanging finished buds under a tree to dry some, and had a Pheasant hunter walk by, his head went by an opening in the brush literally just a few feet from me. He was looking ahead, and did not notice me at all. Fortunately his dog was out ranging the other way and also never knew I was there.

From my own grows, I’ve learned that the difference between a successful harvest and a busted “spot” usually comes down to the work you do before the seeds even touch the soil. I remember one season where I got a bit lackadaisical and planted too close to an old logging trail. I thought the brush was thick, and tall enough, but beautiful Panama Red ladies stood out like a sore thumb. I had to harvest early just to beat hunting season. That was the year I realized that “stealth” is a 365-day-a-year commitment. Get a firm picture in your mind of your spot throughout the year.

Today, I’m going to share secrets of how to find, prep, and maintain a hidden garden that stays truly invisible.

Disclaimer: Always check local laws before growing cannabis, as legality varies by location. This guide is for educational purposes only for those in legal jurisdictions. We do not condone illegal activities, anywhere at any time.

Table of Contents

• The Golden Rule: Strategic Site Selection
• Using Natural Camouflage and “Indicator Plants”
• The Art of the Invisible Trail: Moving Like a Ghost
• Discreet Soil Prep and Stealth Fertilization
• Odor and Visual Management in the Wild
• Common Guerrilla Mistakes to Avoid
• Final Thoughts from The Ghost

The Golden Rule: Strategic Site Selection

To build a stealth guerrilla grow site, your goal is to find “marginal land”—areas that are difficult to reach, have no recreational value, and are thick with “deterrent” plants like stinging nettles, blackberries, or thorny brush. People are inherently lazy; if they have to crawl through a briar patch to see what’s on the other side, 99% of them won’t do it. That’s where your garden belongs. Think places people do not go.

From my experience, the best sites are often “tucked” into the middle of a dense thicket. I like to find a large patch of brambles and literally crawl into the center to clear out a small, 4×4 foot opening. This creates a natural “fence” that keeps out both humans and large animals like deer, although I have had more problem with them trampling the plants then eating them.

Additionally, you need to consider the sun. I always shoot for full southern exposure, and all day sun. You can do well with a little less of either, but not too much. More is better when it comes to cannabis and the sun.

Using Natural Camouflage and “Indicator Plants”

One of the biggest giveaways of a guerrilla site is a “wall” of bright green cannabis leaves against a background of dark forest greens or brown scrub. The plants above are my Jerusalem Artichoke patch. I share it simply to say…these plants get about 10-15 feet tall, I could easily put a few plants in a patch like this that would be hard to see for alot of folks.

I have seen this many, many times, with OPP…(other peoples pot). To build a stealth guerrilla grow site that truly disappears, find a thick spot where no one else would ever want to go. Thick heavy brush that you literally have to crawl through…no one else does that…except for some of the ever present thieves.

I also love using “indicator plants.” These are local plants that look somewhat similar to cannabis from a distance or at least share the same growth habit. If you can find a patch of wild nettles or even certain types of maple saplings, your cannabis can blend right in.

However, you also have to be careful about the “green-up” and “brown-down” times. If the surrounding forest turns brown in September but your cannabis stays vibrant green because you’ve been watering, and feeding it, you’ve just created a neon sign. That’s why I liked to surround my ladies with evergreens or hardy shrubs that stay green as long as the cannabis does.

The Art of the Invisible Trail: Moving Like a Ghost

You can have the most hidden spot in the world, but if there is a well-beaten path leading right to it, it can easily be found. Learning to move without leaving a trail is the “special forces” part of guerrilla growing. Never take the same route twice, is one technique that works pretty well. Basically every time you go there take a completely different route, even if it is a few feet away. You should also, very purposely try to tread very lightly leaving the smallest prints you can. Take advantage of rocks or logs to leave no trail.

Game trails are basically your friend, they are easy to walk on, and even though they also lead hunters directly to your area; you job is to find a way to leave them that no one can see. Most people on a trail will stay on the trail, give them no reason to think anyone left the trail where you did to access your grow. One easy way to leave a trail with no trail is when there is a big log across it, just go down the log, and then in the brush from there. Rocks work the same way, I have jumped rock to rock for 100 feet to leave no trail.

Discreet Soil Prep and Stealth Fertilization

Carrying 50-pound bags of store-bought soil into the woods is a great way to have a heart attack or get busted. Although potting soil is awesome if your grow is close.

To build a stealth guerrilla grow site out and about efficiently, you have to work with what you’ve got. I prefer in-situ soil building. I’ll dig a hole in the fall and fill it with local organic matter like rotted wood, leaf mold, and some bird guano or kelp meal (awesome stuff!) that I can carry in a small backpack. By the time spring rolls around, that hole has broken down ready and is ready for a seed. This is a huge time saver!

Also, just about anywhere you are in the world, you can go find some deciduous trees, or bushes scrape through the leaves under them, and find beautiful black compost….ready to use. I don’t pack in my soil most of the time, I create it onsite.

For fertilization, I am an organic guy. I do not want anything foreign on my plants nor my buds. So I use organics, like bat guano, bird guano (a favorite), fish fertilizers can work well…make sure there are no bears around. Hehe, here is a copy and paste of a bear story from another article…

“I once plant cannabis way up in the woods along a creek. I wanted to be in and out quickly so decide to use pelleted fish fertilizer from Alaska. So dug my planting hole, collected some beautiful natural compost from near by.

I mixed the fish ferts in the compost and put a good layer in the bottom of each planting hole. When I returned to care for my plants a few weeks later, every plant was dug neatly up, and the entire hole was emptied…by a very big black bear! He was of course looking for that damn fish he knew was there somewhere.”

In the fall I usually hit them just once with a store bought organic bloom formula.

Odor and Visual Management in the Wild

I know that smell is often what gives you away before sight does. In the late stages of flowering, a healthy plant in full bloom can be smelled from 100 yards away if the wind is right.

When you build a stealth guerrilla grow site, you have to consider the prevailing winds. I try to plant “downwind” of where people are likely to be. If there is a hiking trail to the north, I want my patch to be south of it so the wind carries the scent deeper into the wilderness. I have gone out more times then I want to admit, and could not find my patch, sometimes I would finally find it by the smell.

Visually, it is simply best to have your grow back in some kind of heavy cover that the plants will never get taller then. There are many ways to keep them down, such as LST, super-cropping ect. but truthfully you should not be there enough to use these methods. I generally always make sure my plants will not be seen because they got too tall.

And amazingly I have had plants sticking out of the brush like a sore thumb, with people driving, walking, or going by in boats, and no one notices at all. I once grew a big Sativa on a whim, in plain sight, right beside a busy freeway, thousands of people passed by every day….I harvested her.

Common Guerrilla Mistakes to Avoid

Even the best of us make mistakes, but in the guerrilla world, a mistake can be the end of your freedom or your crop. The biggest error I see is greed. Growers try to plant 100’s or even 1000’s of plants in one spot. Then they are always out there to guard it…I have run into them, packing and looking for trouble.

I prefer the “eggs in many baskets” approach. I’ll have five small sites with three plants each, spread out over a square mile. If you lose one no big deal, you still have three more patches producing. It’s more work, but it’s one way to guarantee a harvest in the unpredictable wild.

Other common pitfalls include:

• Using pots: Never use pots, too easy to see, and the plants will handle water scarcity in the ground.
• Visiting during the day: I prefer “civil twilight”—that hour just before sunrise or just after sunset. It’s enough light to see what you’re doing, but nobody else will be out there.
• Telling “one friend”: A secret isn’t a secret if two people know it. In the guerrilla world, silence is your best security system…Loose lips sink ships…
• Poor seed choice: Don’t plant a 12-week flowering Landrace Sativa in a climate where it frosts in October. Pick a faster finisher, or even an auto flower.
• Leaving a “trash” trail: I’ve seen so much garbage left by others, I have even taken a trash bag and cleaned up their trash. Pack it in, pack it out! Leave every spot better then you found it.

I’ve learned that the most successful guerrilla growers are the ones who are the most patient. Don’t rush into a spot just because you’re excited. Always take your time move methodically, be very watchful, try not to make mistakes.

Final Thoughts from The Ghost

Being a guerrilla grower is a lifestyle; and cannabis is a passion, and they combine well! It’s about the thrill of the hunt, the connection to the earth, and truthfully for me, to be in touch with the natural world that I love so much.

When you build a stealth guerrilla grow site correctly, you are creating a private sanctuary where you and your plants can thrive in peace. It takes effort, discipline, and a little bit of “Ghostly” intuition, but the rewards are some of the cleanest, and most “hard-earned” buds you will ever smoke. Just remember to respect the land, leave no trace, and keep your secrets close to your chest.

Have you ever found a “perfect” spot only to realize someone else had been there first?

Or maybe you have a clever way to hide your tracks that I haven’t tried yet? I’d love to hear your stories—send me a text or leave a comment below! Stay safe out there, and stay hidden, and as always, happy growing!