Many growers like to start out their seeds in rows created in the soil. You don’t really need to bury the seeds very deep in the soil. In fact, some growers simply scatter their seeds on top of the soil to get them to germinate. This random seeding is called broadcast seeding.
Sowing the Seeds
A more effective way to sow your seeds is by using hills or mounds. For this method, the seeds go on top of the small mounds of soil. With this technique, you can plant outdoors even when the ground is somewhat wet. This is because the water is naturally going to drain off of the mound so the seed (and, later, the plant) won’t be inundated. In either the hill or row option, try to ensure that the seeds have adequate soil coverage so that they can stay moist
Most guerilla farmers use broadcast seeding to limit any suspicion and because it’s a lot easier. If you spend hours building rows or mounds, there is a strong likelihood that someone could happen to notice you. It’s also rare to see any uniformity in nature.
If your plants are ordered in perfect rows, or they are all sitting atop a small mound of some kind, then any passersby (whether on the ground or in the air) is probably going to take notice of the anomaly.
Scattering the seeds around definitely gives the area a look of complete arbitrariness, the way nature might have intended. The plants will blend in with all of the other scattered trees and/or shrubs and won’t be easily noticed by anyone else. Here you can see sowing in rows and broadcast seeding.
Unfortunately, broadcast seeding isn’t the best way to ensure that your plants will germinate. If you place a layer of soil over your seeds and gently press them down into the soil with your foot, there’s a better chance that the seeds will germinate. Many seeds, however, will never germinate or will simply die after becoming seedlings if you try to grow in this fashion. That’s why using a large amount of seeds for broadcast seeding is crucial so that you are at least guaranteed some growth by the time they start germinating.
1. Germination
Just like with indoor germination, outdoor seeds require moisture to germinate properly. Adding too much water can be detrimental, but as long as the seeds are surrounded by at least some moisture they should start to germinate. Of course, this is easier if you built mounds or rows for the seeds, as they naturally maintain moisture.
Sometimes, the conditions outside are not conducive to germination or the subsequent seedling stage. If you live in an area where the temperatures remain relatively low well into spring then you may need to germinate the seeds indoors.
To do this, just follow the instructions laid out in the indoor growing section on germination above. Then you can transplant the seedlings when the weather starts to improve.
Again, transplanting to a secluded location on public land is pointless at best and dangerous at worst. There’s a strong likelihood that the plants won’t survive the transplant because of all the stress they would be put under. There is also a strong likelihood that you could be caught because it would probably take more than one trip to get all of your plants in the right position.
The whole germination process is difficult for guerrilla farmers, especially if there isn’t a reliable source of water nearby. Hauling in your own water is challenging, but the soil needs to be moist for the seeds to germinate so it may be vital.
2. Weeding
As your plants start to germinate, it’s essential to keep the area free of weeds. Avoid using any weed killers like Round-Up that might also affect your marijuana plants. Weeds are dangerous because they will end up taking a lot of the water and nutrients meant for your plants if you don’t stamp them out quickly.
The best way to get rid of weeds is by merely pulling them out by hand. Trying to kill them with any chemicals will only be bad for the plants that you are trying to grow to be big and strong. Naturally, before planting in an area you should pull out any weeds that happen to be there.
