A guest post by the Ghost…written by Jerry
Be sure to read the other articles written in this series…
Gorilla Growing 101…Introducing the Ghost
Choosing a Site for a Gorilla Grow…Exposure to Sunlight
Choosing a Site for a Gorilla Grow…Security
Choosing a Site for a Gorilla Grow…Availability of Water
Gorilla Growing…Bugs, Pests, and Other Animals
The Soil
When siting a cannabis gorilla grow, the soil you grow in is a very important consideration. Cannabis needs the correct PH, and a well drained soil its roots can penetrate easily. Soils, especially soil out and about in nature can vary dramatically.
Some soils, especially soil in say a river bottom, or places that just naturally have good soil can be perfect for your grow. There can be other places that could work well because of security, sunlight, or the availability of water, that can have substandard soil. Forest soils can be acidic, especially if the predominate trees are evergreens. You can add lime, but you need to be aware lime takes some time to effectively raise the PH.
One way to help neutralize any soil quality problems is to simply pack in your own potting soil. You can the either mix this with the natural soil, or replace it entirely. You can use other additives to loosen clay soils, such as perlite, or vermiculite, or simply mix in organic matter found onsite. Another method I have used extensively is to collect the natural compost you will find under well established deciduous trees or brush growing near by…
Just dig down under the covering of years of leaves to the black rich compost made for you by nature. You can also leave a few of the leaves in it for additional organic matter, and this will help the soil hold moisture as well. This soil tends to be the correct PH naturally (do not collect from under evergreen trees however, as it will likely be too acidic, as discussed above.)
If you are in a wet area, or you grow where there is abundant rainfall, it is generally a good thing to grow your plants on top of small mounds of soil you can create for drainage. If you grow in a dry environment, it is generally good to plant in a small depression, so any water you give the plants stays right there with them.
Another thing to keep in mind…
Say you find the perfect spot, you are there and looking for the perfect place to put the plants. It would seem logical to find a spot where the natural vegetation is thin and easier to clear. But, this is never a good idea. Rather, look for a spot where the natural vegetation is thick, healthy, and growing vigorously. Why? Because the reason the vegetation is thick, tall, and growing well is because of the soil, this will be the spot with the best soil, and your cannabis plants well thank you for the extra work of clearing that spot!
Feeding Your Cannabis Plants
There has been quite a bit of hype online about growing cannabis without any additional fertilizers. You will see pictures of their flowers, and they will boast that they needed no additional ferts. All this tells me is…the medium they grew their plants in had enough food already to support their growth. Nothing will grow without food. Plants included.
When I grew gorilla, I would usually visit a grow once a week, and I would generally fertilize the plants on every visit. When feeding plants you always error on not feeding quite enough, rather then too much…which can burn your plants.
And, when you feed your plants regularly, they will grow and reach their full potential. Bigger plants means bigger flowers….generally speaking.
Another thing to keep in mind, bigger, more mature plants are more forgiving when feeding, then small plants or seedlings. Think about it, if you over feed a small seedling, you have likely saturated it’s entire root zone with the fertilizer. If you over feed a large plant, with a large root zone, it will likely have roots that are outside the saturated zone, and able to give the plant water that has no ferts…effectively lessening the effect of too much fertilizer.
Basically I tended to not try to push the plants with fertilizers…giving smaller doses more often. I have grown cannabis plants that were a full 20 feet tall. And so can you.
Conclusion
Soil is something that cannot be ignored, make sure the soil you grow in will support the growth you want. ‘Fixing’ poor soil needs to be done before the plants are planted, and is very problematic to change afterwords.
