DISCLAIMER: The following article describes some of the tips and techniques used in the outdoor cultivation of cannabis. With this in mind, the team at Pacific Northwest Garden Supply in no way condones or promotes the illegal cultivation of cannabis. Before cultivating cannabis at home, review the regulations in your province, or read Canada's Cannabis Act for more information.
It’s easy to say you meet a lot of interesting characters working in a hydroponic shop. The culture is fun and inviting, and the people are often open to sharing their experiences, life stories, and challenges; and they love to exchange growing tales, tips, and techniques. After only a few short months of casually visiting a hydroponic store, your mind will be packed full of interesting and humorous growing tales. I especially appreciated the stories of growers from the “old school”. To me, these people were from a different world; I could hardly believe some of the techniques they used “back in the day”. One of the more captivating topics I encountered was the soon-to-be-lost practice of “guerrilla” growing.
These cultivators acted like explorers, surveying the wilderness in search of the perfect and most strategic location to plant their crop. Keep in mind, however, that the art of guerrilla growing is more than just finding the perfect spot to drop cannabis plants – there are countless fundamentals that need to be mastered before the perfect guerilla crop is achieved. Lucky for us, the “old school” growers are quick to share their expertise. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the history and practice of guerrilla farming, read the following article to learn about the techniques that growers have used for decades in the production of guerrilla crops.
Guerrilla growing is the process of cultivating cannabis in a hidden area, for example in the wilderness or in the mountains, where the crop is unlikely to be discovered. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of being able to cultivate cannabis at home. For all those in highly populated urban areas, a guerrilla crop may be the only option to gain experience. Cannabis prohibition was also a factor in the number of growers who chose to leave the city and head into the bush in order to cultivate a summer crop. It could be said that guerrilla farming has become a tradition in the pacific northwest, with hundreds of growers each year heading into the coastal mountains to cultivate cannabis.
Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of a guerrilla crop is to remain secret. Some of the tips below aren’t as conventional as you might think; however, all the following techniques help to ensure that a guerilla grower’s crop remains hidden until harvest.
Before hiking into the bush with seeds or plants, guerilla growers will often scout a hidden location by venturing into the woods, onto the side of a mountain, or along a stretch of the coast to find a suitable place for their crop. An ideal location would be off of a foot trail in a large, protected area with lots of trees and other vegetation to be used as cover. Choosing a hidden location is perhaps the most important characteristic of a true guerrilla garden – some growers even go so far as to duck tape the tread patterns on their boots to remain untracked and anonymous.
For the best outcome, guerilla growers will choose a low-growing strain with an early harvest time. Stout, low-growing strains will be less likely to detect in the wild, and they are often more hardy and tough than tall-growing Sativa dominant varieties of cannabis. Also, strains with an early harvest time will put guerilla growers at an extreme advantage. An early harvest is ideal because the more time that plants spend in the wild the more potential there is for plant damaging issues like pests, and poor weather. Autoflowering varieties of cannabis or classic strains like Northern Lights are a great pick for first-time guerrilla growers.
Planting near a source of fresh water is a great way to ensure a crop will not suffer in the event of a drought. Water from a stream or a lake can be pumped up or siphoned down to plants once or twice a week during the driest periods of the summer months. Guerilla gardeners can always carry water to their crop, but depending on the amount of water needed and the location of the garden, this can easily prove to be an annoying and challenging task.
Fields or glades inside densely packed forests give plants lots of natural camouflage. These areas get great sunlight and are naturally insulated from harsh weather and strong winds. Growers will sometimes take this tip to the next level and plant their cannabis crops in the center of cornfields! Corn grows much taller than most varieties of cannabis and is often harvested in the late summer or early fall. Also, corn is sown in fertile soil and is automatically irrigated by industrial water guns. So, by the time old McDonald is ready to harvest his field, guerrilla growers will have already ventured into the corn and made off with their freshly cut crop.
Most guerilla growers will agree, it’s not ideal to be lugging around large totes of liquid fertilizer. Not only is that action a total eyesore, but it’s also a total waste of time and energy. This isn’t to downplay the effectiveness of liquid fertilizer, however, guerrilla gardeners aren’t interested in the same goals as the classiest and most well-equipped indoor growing operations. For the guerrilla grower, function and utility are the most important aspects of an outdoor fertilizer. Powdered and slow-release fertilizers are perfect for guerrilla operations, because they are light, relatively inexpensive, and require minimal maintenance throughout the summer months.
It’s well known that animals such as rabbits and deer will eat almost anything green and growing – cannabis plants are no exception. Deer are often unattracted to the intense odors of flowering cannabis plants; however, guerrilla crops are still at major risk for animal damage during the long vegetative period. To protect their crop from animals, guerilla growers often set up barriers made out of wood and chicken wire to create a perimeter around your plants.
Frost can be extremely damaging to the root zone of your plant. At freezing temperatures, the water within the delicate root ends of your plants can crystalize and expand. This can quickly devastate underdeveloped plants that have not been insulated properly from the early autumn frost. To protect their plants from freezing ground temperatures, growers can wrap their planting containers with thick towels, blankets, or fabrics. Or, if you’ve planted your plants directly into the ground, mulch, straw or other plant material can be laid on top of the soil to provide your crop with some basic insulation.
Remember, the tips and techniques above have been collected over years of conversations with seasoned guerilla growers. Even though guerilla gardening is largely a thing of the past, these techniques can still be implemented during the summer months in your own backyard. Whether you’re growing fruits, vegetables or legal amounts of cannabis, the tips brought to us by outdoor legacy growers continue to have real and practical uses in the garden.
Want more growing tales? Ask the staff at your local PNW Garden Supply for more tips and techniques that will help with your outdoor garden. Also, reach out to us for more information on products and gardening supplies available at one of our local centers.
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Lock Down Pads
$4.75 – $12.99
Grower's Edge® Digital Thermometer & Hygrometer
$39.99
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