Prepping my Site

I found me a good spot for my first grow by a stream. Its up off the bank so unless we get a crapload of rain, I shouldn't have to worry about flooding. I have some questions about getting my site ready so I don't make my first grow a big flop.

So, already I've dug up some good looking natural soil (seperated and removed the clay-type stuff) in a three foot long patch. I'm gonna make one more patch and plant two plants in each. Here's where I am at with questions:

- How deep should I dig and break up the soil into fine dirt? So far I've gotten about 6 - 8 inches deep and all the soil is broken down real fine. Is this deep enough for the roots? Will they push through packed soil underneath?

- My natural soil I dug up has some sticks, grass, roots from other plants, and worms in it. Is this okay? Or should I remove all that stuff and just keep the soil in the hole?

- Should I go ahead use some MiracleGrow potting soil and mix it in with the natural soil? And if so, should I go about 50/50 on potting soil to natural?

- What else should I pick up tomorrow at Ace to mix into my soil?

I dig 1.1/2 to 2 feet deep. Every thing else seems fine. Pick up lots of potting soil, the better you mix the richer the soil.

Alright. So I need to dig deeper and thats about it. Cool.

What should I look at in terms of fertilizers? I'm gonna pick up some potting soil and some chicken wire to make a small fence tomorrow so while I'm there I can get everything I need. And do I just mix in fertilizer with the soil or add it later in different amounts at different times?

BTW, thanks Shaman you've been a big help to me.

Depends do you plan on visiting your site often to water? If so then buy some thing that mixes with water high in "N" like 30.15.15 or something along those lines. If you don't plan on visiting often then get something with time released "fert" and loaded with peat,And mix with natural soil.

Is the stuff that mixes with water a chemical fertilizer? I think I could water my plants once a day sometimes having to skip a day...theres a stream right next to my site.

As for time-released fertilizers, they are solids right? And how much do I mix into the soil ratio-wise?

miracle grow p:soil has time released fert right in it. And if watering is that easy for you. I would get some Concentrated water soluble fertilizer with micro nutrients like MIRACLE GROW or PLANT PROD something along those lines.{the blue crystal's}

you're gonna wanna mulch. It will keep the soil cooler and make them like the sun more. you might be able to get away with using old leafs, pine needles, and stuff but you want the top of the mulch to be covered in stuff thats around the plants. rip it lightly over a bit of area if you have to. not near your plants too. you don't want them to stick out.

Pine needles are bad. acid's ever notice nothing grows under pine.

fredlnoakes said:

you're gonna wanna mulch. It will keep the soil cooler and make them like the sun more. you might be able to get away with using old leafs, pine needles, and stuff but you want the top of the mulch to be covered in stuff thats around the plants. rip it lightly over a bit of area if you have to. not near your plants too. you don't want them to stick out.

Click to expand...

Mulching won't be a problem...we have a ton of extra bags from our flowerbeds.

SHAMAN said:

miracle grow p:soil has time released fert right in it. And if watering is that easy for you. I would get some Concentrated water soluble fertilizer with micro nutrients like MIRACLE GROW or PLANT PROD something along those lines.{the blue crystal's}

Click to expand...

Okay thanks. I'll look at Ace today and see what i can find.

Does the water soluble fertilizer get dissolved in the water first and then put on the plants or does it go right into the soil? (just mixed in?)

yes dissolve in water first.

i hate to say this, but the bigger you dig the hole to plant in the bigger your plant will be. i've done side by side comparisons, Shaman prob has too. one hole the size of a 5 gal bucket and one twice as big, the plant in the bigger hole gets more than twice as big... just something to think about. if you throw in a 50lb bag of composted cow manure, lime and some perlite, well, more power to you.

Jack's Classic is great stuff, 1/4 strength. Jack's Classic Plant Food from J.R. Peters, Inc., Fertilizer Manufacturer - Jacks Classic







.

It is true the bigger the area you have for root growth the bigger your plant will be.
Like I always say: The better you treat your plant's The better they are to you.

Legalize Red Eye's

Alright. Thanks guys. I'll keep that in mind.

Here's something for you: I've got my seed planted in party cups right now (you know the size im talking about.) When should I look to transplant and how should I do it? Should I go from the cups to a big pot? Or should I go from the cups straight into the ground?

I go cup to ground/burlap sac's.

Awesome. I don't want the hassle of trying to hide big pots around the yard just for them to get some sun.

Too bad though. Today it was damn windy and one of my cups blew over and all my soil blew away. So now I'm down to two plants...should've been prepared for that.

i grew some dank in pine trees be fo. had a big ass stick in my hand and couldn't touch the top of one of them. the pine trees were planted in a weedy field and not real old but like 15 feet tall. the trees weren't packed in really tightly but had many plants/ mostly weeds growing in between. I did not change the ph at all during the grow and was fine. I don't think using some old pine needles mixed in with old leafs will hurt too much for mulch.