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Outdoor plot preparation


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Hi,

 

I'm seeking advice on my outdoor site preparation for spring 2019

I have access to a property, however for privacy reasons , the best grow location is on the side of a hill that faces north. Its a steep hill that gets full sun, so its very dry

The soil there is very very heavy clay.  In preparation for spring I have started manually digging 5 individual holes. Soil PH there is around 6.5.  

Each hole is roughly 1 metre x 1 metre across, but only about 1 foot deep, as digging any deeper ( at this stage) is backbreaking work.

Ive applied liquid clay breaker in the holes about a month ago, but it hasnt really helped soften the clay.

I have access to unlimited free bags of fresh horse manure, mixed in bags with oaten chaffe (from the local racetrack, so the mix is roughly 70% chaffe and 30% horse poo).

Ive started a 200 litre compost at home(a few months ago), and I'd like to use the manure/chaffe  and compost ( at the most appropriate stages) for soil preparation - because its free !!!

Happy to add other ingredients into the soil at the most appropriate time(s) as advised

 

At this stage, I'm after advice on the best way to continue preparing the site all the way through to spring ? 

Also, given the specific site Im dealing with, and importantly to assist with water retention, am i better off aiming for raised beds or to keep digging down - aiming for grow areas of about 1m cubed each?  

Its a 2 hour round trip drive from my house, so will only be able to water every 2 to 3 days

 

Thanks in advance for any helpful input

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Getting in good and early, thats great.

 

North facing is exactly what you want. Weed loves sun, lots of it too. The fact that that is your best location because of privacy is a hill facing North is a blessing from god.

 

I'm not great with soil stuff, so I'll leave that alone, except to say that I think youd be better with a 60 x 60 x 90 hole.

 

I'm way to lazy to dig like that but I could show you how to set up a nice outdoor hyro setup that could operate for a week or so without attention (doesn't require power). It requires less work but larger capital.

 

thanks Cooper.  Being a private property with house on site I have good access to water supply at location. Limiting factor is simply the driving distance from my place.

 

I apppreciate any other members advice on soil preparation (specific to this site) 6 months in advance - I already suspect it could involve countless more hours of digging, as I think( ?) a steep location may have too much water run off if i try and build up too high.

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No idea, but i would loosen up the clay at the bottom of the hole, crow bar/garden fork, put shit loads of horse shit 3 ft either side of ya hole

what are ya putting in the hole? if ya plan on amending the clay, get some gypsum and worm castings, dynamic lifter, you can get it with potash and blood and bone added

or buy separately, 2 cups per m, 10% potash in one of them, mix it up, may as well add some horse shit, plant something on top to slash down later, some sort of legume

repeat the dynamic lifter a month before ya plant 

 

get some stakes 

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probably better off just covering the whole lot with horse shit, 4-6 inch thick over the hole, it will grow something you can cover with mulch/horse shit after the 2nd lot of DL, BB, and K

 

Compost is good, use lots 

raised beds would be better, at least on the down side, rail way sleepers are cheap, or red-gum sleepers 

Edited by pedro de pacas
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No idea, but i would loosen up the clay at the bottom of the hole, crow bar/garden fork, put shit loads of horse shit 3 ft either side of ya hole

what are ya putting in the hole? if ya plan on amending the clay, get some gypsum and worm castings, dynamic lifter, you can get it with potash and blood and bone added

or buy separately, 2 cups per m, 10% potash in one of them, mix it up, may as well add some horse shit, plant something on top to slash down later, some sort of legume

repeat the dynamic lifter a month before ya plant 

 

get some stakes 

 

Thanks Pedro - Ive already applied a heavy dose of liquid gypsum - didnt do much to the clay at all.  Ive literally got hundred of free litres of horse poo from the local horse racetrack. This is bagged ( by the racetrack) with oaten chaff ( approx 70% chaffe, and 30% poo). 

Im assuming much deeper digging is in order for now ?  then add the poo/chaffe mix, along with other things you've advised

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thanks for replies to date

i did more digging last weekend, and backfilled holes with horse manure + dynamic lifter. Added a few handfuls of: blood and bone, potash and dolomite.

Covered surface with soil and raised beds about 30cms. I'll now leave for a few weeks before I plant a cover crop of broad beans.

 

In spring I'll be raising regular seeds from Southern Star

I'll start grows in pots. After raising in seed raising mixture, I'll trial two initial grow options> I'm looking at potting 50% of plants in Cann Terra pro(using their nutes), and the  other 50% in home made potting mix.

After about 8 weeks - or, sooner if I'm certain they are female, I'll move all plants into inground plots.

Fot the plants raised in Canne Terra Pro(CTP), can I then move these seeds into outdoor plots?  Or, is it a bad idea to move from CTP into an outdoor plot (i.e if I start in CTP, I should finish grow in CTP)?

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Canna terra is pricey isn't it, why cant you just blend your potting mix, with 30 of perlite and vermiculite ? Then just transplant into plot after the 5-8th node of growth you'll see the sex of the plant. Sounds good so far though. Subbed in

 

Posted from the OZ Stoners mobile app

 

Thanks kloud9,

 

I'm not totally confident of getting my mix correct, AND the right amount of nutrients specific for my mix. I could easily stuff this part up, and stunt/kill these plants.     

SO, 

am looking at hedging my bets, by starting half the plants in CTP.   From my reading of CTP, nutrients are all prescribed, so harder to stuff up if I follow the instructions.

I'll have 5 x  pots with CTP/perlite mix - about 10 litres size each , so I wont need much CTP medium. 

 

So, can I switch over plants  to outdoor plot after starting in CTP, or do is it best to complete the grow in CTP pots ?

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