planting in the ground
- Thread starter sofly
- Start date
jackinthebox
Well-Known Member
I would try and get a PH to test the soil, if ph is good then yeh just add some vermic, and perlite, and call it a day. Also if you can get some good organics to mix in with the ground you will plant it that would be a super good bonus. Such as Worm castings, or some sort of compost manure, not cats or dogs though. Also make sure the soil isnt to moist, if it is always moist then you will get some root rot, especially when it rains. Try to plant in a spot that is not totally dry, but not wet. Perlite should help with drainage.
Good luck buddy : )
Good luck buddy : )
jackinthebox
Well-Known Member
its not so much how far away from the river but how high above the river you are planting. Find where you want to plant, and dig a hole about 3 ft deep. If you dont hit water in that 3 ft then just throw your store bought dirt, compost dirt, and dirt in the ground, and mix it up and plant. If you hit water in the first foot, I wouldnt plant there. If you hit water after when its about 3 ft deep it will still be good. You just dont want to roots to be constantly wet, this leads to root rot, which leads to you not smoking : )
mogie
Well-Known Member
How do I prepare the site?
I unfold a small tarp on the ground at the spot that I want to amend. Then I dig a 2' x 2' (minimum) hole, placing all the material I remove onto the tarp. I keep digging down until I reach the clay layer. I will remove the clay separately, in a 5 gallon bucket, and move it into a secluded location near by (Try to fill a natural depression with the clay, then cover with leaves and twigs).
I usually dig the hole to a depth of about 2.5 – 3’ feet; little if any material needs to be removed from the hole once I have removed the clay. Once completed, I loosen and break up the clay layer to a loose consistency so the roots can penetrate deeper.
I mix the soil layers on the tarp together, breaking up large chunks with my shovel. I then return about one third of the soil from the tarp back into the hole. Then the remaining soil is mixing in with some soil conditioners, depending on how fertile the original soil is and what I feel the soil needs.
Once I have added all the ingredients I feel the particular area requires, I then blend this material on the tarp and fill the hole with the mix. Loosely compact the mix by patting it down with a shovel, stepping on it, etc. A slight depression usually remains, naturally trapping water when it rains or when watering/feeding.
Soil conditioners: (A list of some of the components I add).
Perlite and vermiculite (sometimes I use Sunshine Mix #1 or #4 instead, if I feel the original dirt it is lacking in rich topsoil)
dolomite or hydrated lime
green sand
wood ash
blood meal / bone meal
glacial rock dust
worm castings
compost
pre-composted manure (chicken, rabbit, cow, bat guano, seabird, etc)
fish (Dice the entire fish into 2” cubes so it will decompose at a quicker rate)
I feel the lime and compost are important ingredients because they react together, rapidly breaking down the nutrients to an available form to the roots, as well as creating heat while decomposing.
Blood meal and bone meal are excellent additions; ensure that you also use lime to mask the smell from bears and other animals.
Perlite and vermiculite plots stand out in the wilderness, especially if you’ve prepared your spot(s) the previous fall. Make sure you have 3”+ inches of soil covering these little white pebbles. Watering tends to make these little white buggers float and settle to the top, so make sure they are buried good.
An alternative to Perlite, vermiculite, or Sunshine Mix soils is coco-fibers. These fibers are shredded coco husks, and are excellent for providing aeration and water absorption. These fibers also seem to promote vigorous root growth, as the roots shoot along the fibers as opposed to grinding through dirt. Coco fibers are brown, so the plots look natural.
Dry/remote area tips:
Polymer crystals can be added to the mixture; they are great for absorbing and slowly releasing water. I recommend pre-expanding the crystals overnight in a bucket of water before using them at your site. They work great in grow bags too.
Another tip is to line the outside edges and bottom of your hole with plastic. This will trap all the moisture inside your hole. Just ensure to perforate the plastic at the bottom of the hole, because your plants will drown if the roots are left in water.
The site has been prepared! Now pack up everything and leave without making a trace. How much site prep and what conditioners to add depends on how remote your area is, how much enrichment is needed, and whether or not you are willing to pack all these ingredients to the area(s).
I unfold a small tarp on the ground at the spot that I want to amend. Then I dig a 2' x 2' (minimum) hole, placing all the material I remove onto the tarp. I keep digging down until I reach the clay layer. I will remove the clay separately, in a 5 gallon bucket, and move it into a secluded location near by (Try to fill a natural depression with the clay, then cover with leaves and twigs).
I usually dig the hole to a depth of about 2.5 – 3’ feet; little if any material needs to be removed from the hole once I have removed the clay. Once completed, I loosen and break up the clay layer to a loose consistency so the roots can penetrate deeper.
I mix the soil layers on the tarp together, breaking up large chunks with my shovel. I then return about one third of the soil from the tarp back into the hole. Then the remaining soil is mixing in with some soil conditioners, depending on how fertile the original soil is and what I feel the soil needs.
Once I have added all the ingredients I feel the particular area requires, I then blend this material on the tarp and fill the hole with the mix. Loosely compact the mix by patting it down with a shovel, stepping on it, etc. A slight depression usually remains, naturally trapping water when it rains or when watering/feeding.
Soil conditioners: (A list of some of the components I add).
Perlite and vermiculite (sometimes I use Sunshine Mix #1 or #4 instead, if I feel the original dirt it is lacking in rich topsoil)
dolomite or hydrated lime
green sand
wood ash
blood meal / bone meal
glacial rock dust
worm castings
compost
pre-composted manure (chicken, rabbit, cow, bat guano, seabird, etc)
fish (Dice the entire fish into 2” cubes so it will decompose at a quicker rate)
I feel the lime and compost are important ingredients because they react together, rapidly breaking down the nutrients to an available form to the roots, as well as creating heat while decomposing.
Blood meal and bone meal are excellent additions; ensure that you also use lime to mask the smell from bears and other animals.
Perlite and vermiculite plots stand out in the wilderness, especially if you’ve prepared your spot(s) the previous fall. Make sure you have 3”+ inches of soil covering these little white pebbles. Watering tends to make these little white buggers float and settle to the top, so make sure they are buried good.
An alternative to Perlite, vermiculite, or Sunshine Mix soils is coco-fibers. These fibers are shredded coco husks, and are excellent for providing aeration and water absorption. These fibers also seem to promote vigorous root growth, as the roots shoot along the fibers as opposed to grinding through dirt. Coco fibers are brown, so the plots look natural.
Dry/remote area tips:
Polymer crystals can be added to the mixture; they are great for absorbing and slowly releasing water. I recommend pre-expanding the crystals overnight in a bucket of water before using them at your site. They work great in grow bags too.
Another tip is to line the outside edges and bottom of your hole with plastic. This will trap all the moisture inside your hole. Just ensure to perforate the plastic at the bottom of the hole, because your plants will drown if the roots are left in water.
The site has been prepared! Now pack up everything and leave without making a trace. How much site prep and what conditioners to add depends on how remote your area is, how much enrichment is needed, and whether or not you are willing to pack all these ingredients to the area(s).
