Outdoor Cannabis Growers Guide
December, 1992


About the Authors
We have been outdoor growers since 1980 and have had relatively small yearly 
harvests every year since l983. We have grown Indica and Sativa strains and also 
hybrids (mixing the two together). Our horticulture has taken place largely in 
fields in New York and New Jersey. The goal of this paper is to allow others to 
produce their own, and to reduce the amount of marijuana traded on the street. 
As more individuals become divorced from having to sell and purchase fine erb, 
then we as consumers will become self- sufficient and will also be able to 
minimize the risk of being caught. Unfortunately, the ignorant powers that be 
continue to persecute marijuana smokers for political reasons. We should take 
responsibility for our habits and grow for our own consumption thereby 
eliminating the "buy and sell game". Although the marijuana trade is not known 
for attracting ruthless people, it none the less is a "black market" activity 
that many wish to avoid.
Some people may read this paper with the hope that they can grow acres of reefer 
that will bring them riches. Unfortunately the gold rush as it pertains to weed 
has come and gone. The police confiscate patches of pot annually through the use 
of aerial infrared photography, and large plots are spotted much more frequently 
than small plots. This guide is not designed to be the erb growers bible, but to 
provide easy steps on how to cultivate small amounts of marijuana for personal 
consumption. There are people who know more about growing weed than we do, but 
the marijuana growing literature still lacks a brief explanation of how to 
produce outdoor kind bud in easy steps. Our hope is that this paper can serve 
that purpose.
We want to thank the many people who helped us acquire skill in this realm (our 
assumption is that they want to remain anonymous). Any error or omission is our 
doing and we take full responsibility.
All rights of this publication are not reserved. Anyone may duplicate this 
document in full or part. Please distribute liberally! 



Table of Contents
Acquiring Good Seeds 
Finding a Site 
Making a Trail 
The Mechanics of Growing 
a. Preparing the Soil 
b. Planting 
c. Weeding 
d. Removing Males 
e. The Fungus 
f. Emergency Visits 
The Harvest 
When to Harvest 




Acquiring Good Seeds Quality seed strains are often difficult to obtain. This is 
especially true for people who hang in a predominantly straight crowd and know 
few people who partake in the fine erb. The rule of thumb is if the weed gets 
you pretty high then the seed is usually good to grow. Seeds coming from green 
bud are often better to grow because the strain is frequently acclimated to the 
growing season of northern latitudes. Jamaican and Colombian varieties can not 
be easily produced in northern latitudes because the strains produce bud too 
late in the season. The results of growing these varieties in most of the U.S. 
will be little or no bud growth before the first frost hits. Sativa strains 
usually grow taller than the indica or indica-sativa hybrids. This can be a 
major drawback especially in the fall when other plants are dying off and trees 
are losing leaves. Some growers have success crossing sativa varieties from 
southern climates with Indica, and creating an offspring that will bud more 
timely.
When at parties, concerts, or other social events, keep an eye out for people 
breaking up bud and discarding seeds. The best time to look for seeds is from 
October to January because this is when most of the locally grown outdoor erb 
hits the market. Acquiring and maintaining a quality seed stock is the most 
fundamental task of a successful grower.
Finding a Site Aside from acquiring good seed, picking a prime location to grow 
is probably the most important task a grower is faced with. One of the best 
locations is in areas of grasslands that have small trees and bushes 
interspersed. Often a farmers field that has been out of production for ten 
years is ideal. Flood plains along rivers and streams are another good location, 
but the risk of losing seeds in the Spring or the harvest in the Fall due to 
flooding should be considered. Growers have also been known to plant in buckets 
in more rocky or mountainous terrain. This enables them to grow in areas that 
receive good sunlight but have rocky, untillable soil. Digging a site in areas 
of dense but short plant growth, like sticker bushes, is another suitable spot. 
The sticker bushes grow high enough to prevent people from seeing through them 
and also serve as a direct deterrence from people and large animals wandering 
into the site.
A grower can often use animal and insect life to his advantage. Bees, tics, 
green flies and the like can discourage people from wandering through fields so 
areas having an abundant insect population are prime locations. The most 
important criteria for an excellent growing site are good soil, available water, 
sunlight, and suitable cover. Other factors are secondary. 
Good soil is sometimes hard to find but without it you won't get much of a 
harvest. So, if you find a site that is perfect for all other factors but has 
poor soil , you may want to consider bringing soil to the site. Soil is often 
the richest in areas where grassland vegetation has existed for a series of 
years. Grasslands recycle nutrients in the soil and form a thick layer of 
organic matter. Grassland biospheres require very little preparation to start 
growing, while other soil conditions require more work. Sandy soils often need 
potting soil or top soil along with a small amount of lime to make them more 
fertile. Soils with high amounts of clay need material, like peat moss, added to 
break up the clay and make the soil more porous. I'm a naturalist and disagree 
with some erb growing professionals who believe that planting along road sides 
can be productive. The lead and other toxic chemicals found in some of these 
soils is enough to discourage many vegetable growers from producing consumable 
or smokable plant material. If you live in a city, and lack your own means of 
transportation then use roadsides as your last resort.
A close water source is also very important. A site close to the water table 
would be ideal since bringing water into the site can get tiresome an d also 
dangerous. It can get very tiresome if you have many sites or even a few big 
sites. If you choose a site much higher than the water table or grow in buckets, 
you will quickly find that the amount of water needed during a dry summer will 
be enormous and will give you great incentive to find a site closer to the water 
table. The dangers in having to bring water to the sites are numerous. The 
greatest of these would be the chance of someone spotting you, possibly a cop. 
The second greatest would be the destruction of the foliage you have to walk 
through to get from the water source to the site. If you have to make more than 
one trip you run a big risk that a trail will become noticeable. Finding a 
stable water source in the summer can be another obstacle since small streams 
often dry up at this time. How often you will need to water is determined by the 
weather and that could require you to make unexpected trips to the sites. Each 
trip puts you at risk. Your goal is to minimize these trips.
Sunlight is less important than the previous two components but is still 
essential. Plants should be in areas that receive at least five hours of direct 
sunlight per day. Morning sunlight is preferable since plants tend to respond 
better to it than to the afternoon sunlight. Growers who scout sites during the 
winter months must be able to visualize how the landscape will be shaded by 
trees, and the path the sun will take come Spring. Of course, the greater the 
amount of sunlight the better, but when choosing a site sunlight is just one of 
many factors that must be considered. 
The last criteria has nothing to do with plant biology, but rather focuses on 
minimizing the threat of unwanted attention from people wandering by. The cover 
should be both tall enough to keep people from spotting it and thick enough to 
discourage them from wandering too close to it. The best foliage to accomplish 
this is a large patch of big sticker bushes. If that's not available, look for 
foliage that grows to a height of six to eight feet by the fall and is far 
enough away from where someone might stray.
The Ability to hide plants amongst the flora in fields is an art and skill 
improved upon through practice. One favorite technique is to hide plants on the 
south side of bushes so that passers by will have difficulty spotting the 
plant(s). Plants still get adequate light in spite of the appearance of being 
crowded by the larger bush. The best hiding spot for erb is where people have 
their view blocked from all sides and has the appearance of being impenetrable. 
In areas where the vegetation growth is less than three feet the erb may need to 
be trimmed back or tied to the ground in order to create smaller bushier plants. 
Fields with small vegetation growth may have poor soil or can be dry upland 
environments where the soil frequently becomes too dry so use caution. Making 
erb junior blend in with the other plants in the field will minimize risk. In 
order to grow plants efficiently, an outdoor grower must use the natural 
landscape to his or her advantage.
Making a Trail One of the ways to ensure success is by creating trails that are 
not visible to passers by. This is easier in some places than in others. Areas 
having dense undergrowth with lots of sunlight can be ideal because plant growth 
is so rapid it will erase any damage to the vegetation between trips during the 
Spring and Summer. If you are growing plants in areas easy to spot trails then 
make the path weave back and forth so it becomes difficult for people to see a 
trail. Making a hidden trail to the site(s) is important because it allows the 
grower to minimize getting ripped off or worse, caught. People wander through 
undeveloped areas and follow trails to nowhere all the time. Their access can be 
limited through thoughtful planning of pathways and proper care in using them. 
When you walk through your entrance, do everything possible not to damage any of 
the foliage, especially toward the late Summer and early Fall. At this time of 
the year, damaged foliage usually will not regrow and this is when the plants 
need as much cover as possible. There are two things to keep in mind when making 
a trail to your site(s): 1) Can you see the trail you just made, if not that's 
great, if so look for ways to cover areas that look like a trail; 2) The more 
difficult it is for you to get to the site, the less likely someone else will 
try.
The Mechanics of Growing Your cousin Louie and his friend Sam are in town from 
Oklahoma and they have smoked a lot of grass and grown some in their backyards. 
Sam has a good rap, and appears knowledgeable about fine erb. Taking these two 
gentlemen for a walk in the fields might appear to be a good idea. Shit, they 
could offer some insightful pointers. I must caution against these excursions. 
Even if these men are the erb experts they appear, taking a walk with them may 
not be in your best interest. They are unfamiliar with the area and may not know 
where to run if the need arises. Walking with more than two people through a 
field can attract attention (the greater the number of people, the greater 
chance of being seen). The more people walking on a trail the larger the trail 
becomes and thus the greater the chance your trail can be followed by others. 
Every time you visit the site(s) you are putting the harvest and for that matter 
yourself at risk. This may be a small or large risk depending on the particular 
place but remember that no place is 100% safe. Unless it is an emergency 
situation where the buggy fly has infested your crop, and you are bringing in a 
specialist to offer expert advice, the site(s) should not be visited by 
strangers. Having a growing partner is recommended regardless of his or her 
competence, and even then the site(s) should only be visited to accomplish 
specific tasks. Trips to the site should occur at the following times. 
A. Preparing The Soil: (early March - Mid April depending on climate)
I suggest buying 40lb. bags of organic potting soil and mixing this in with the 
existing soil. This soil is not often found at your local all-purpose store so 
some searching may be required. Potting soil is richer soil than commercial top 
soil so it goes a little bit farther when mixed with the existing soil. Lime may 
be necessary in areas with acidic soil and peat moss is a good additive for 
soils with a clay type consistency. I avoid chemical fertilizers, not just 
because I believe that organic farming is the best way, but also because toxic 
waste is produced from the manufacture of fertilizers. 
It's also a good idea to put up a two foot high fence at this time. This will 
keep small animals out and the use of dried blood and/or human hair will fend 
off deer. Purchase a wire fence with small gaps, 2 inches or less between the 
metal strands. Collect enough sticks in the area to provide stakes that will 
support the fence about every 2 feet. Outline the site with the sticks and tie 
the fence to the sticks with string or wire. Cut the fence endstrand and bend 
the strands that protrude from the top of the fence out and down the outside to 
discourage animals from trying to jump over it. Camouflage the fence and site 
with normal ground debris as necessary before leaving.
B. Planting: (early April - early May)
There are different ways to go about planting:
1) The seed intensive method:
This method should only be used if you have an abundance of seeds. The seed 
intensive method entails planting many seeds in a small area. Its strength is 
that it can limit risk. When you journey to your newly prepared site(s), the 
seeds and trowels are hidden in your pockets. Plant the seeds about one half 
inch deep, unless the soil contains high amounts of clay then only plant seeds 
one quarter inch in the soil. If you setup small sites 3ft x 3ft square, put in 
three rows with a seed every one and a half inches. If you work out the Math 
this is roughly 72 seeds per site. Unfortunately, many growers, especially 
beginners, do not posses this many good seeds. If a grower creates four sites 
with this many seeds he or she is almost guaranteed a harvest. Yes, there will 
be some crowding and this is one of the drawbacks of using many seeds in a small 
area. Also, figure around 50% of the plants are going to be male so you must 
return to the site to cut out the males toward the end of Summer. Once the males 
are removed from the site, the females get more light and aren't as crowded. The 
seed intensive strategy tends to produce smaller plants because of crowding, but 
at the same time it helps ensure a harvest every season. In the present day of 
infrared photography, I believe it is important to have small sites to avoid 
detection from the air. This of course means growers may have to create a series 
of small plots in order to garner a year's supply of erb. If you grow merely for 
hobby, sport, or experimental purposes, than one site may suit you fine.
2) Planting small seedlings:
The strongest argument for this method of planting is that you get the 
opportunity to select for planting the strongest of the seedlings you've 
started. The strongest argument against this method is the risk of transporting 
the seedlings to their intended site(s). Transporting them requires you to find 
a method of concealing them, usually a box. The problem that then arises is that 
the size box needed to transport many plants may make this method too risky or 
totally impractical. The other concern with this method is that there is also 
the risk of shocking the seedlings when you put them outside in the site where 
they will be exposed to the harsh Spring weather. Before planting seedlings or 
sexed females they should be put outside and closely monitored at least three 
days before planting to become acclimated to the wind and change in temperature. 

This method works best when you can set up a small shelter near your sites that 
is enclosed but not insulated. This shelter can be as small as the site and 18 
inches tall or big enough to walk in, providing you have a safe location for 
such a structure. Starting seeds in this shelter gives the benefit of 
acclimating seedlings to a temperature much closer to that which they will face 
when they are planted in the site and it will also protect them from any late 
Spring snows and/or frosts.
3) Planting sexed females:
The advantage of planting sexed females is obvious; every plant will produce 
buds. The sex of plants can be determined by growing them until they're four 
inches high, and then decreasing the amount of light they receive to eight 
hours. The males are then identified and removed in one to two weeks. This 
method requires being able to control the amount of light the plants receive 
each day, and also requires that plants be started indoors earlier than you 
would normally start (late February - early March). This method allows growers 
to spread their plants across a wide area in smaller sites and also to hide 
plants amongst small trees and shrubs. By spreading two dozen female plants 
throughout a ten acre area in individual sites, a harvest is almost guaranteed, 
providing that you remember where all the sites are. Growers are encouraged to 
create a map of their sites to insure against memory loss. Just remember to 
guard that map closely. Putting anything about your operations in writing puts 
you at risk.
C. Weeding:

Three weeks after the plants or seeds are in the ground return to remove weeds 
that are crowding out the kind erb. Three weeks after the first weeding a second 
weeding should take place. A third weeding is optional, by this time the plants 
should be large enough to compete with the weeds, however, if you are in a site 
that has strong weeds around it you may have to cut the weeds back at additional 
times throughout the year. Remember, weeding does not mean destroying all 
vegetation within three feet of a plant. Weeds can help hide your crop and 
protect your crop from hungry animals. Nearby vegetation can also help keep 
water in the soil from evaporating in the hot sun. So don't go overboard and be 
very careful, it's very easy to accidently injure small plants or their roots 
trying to get rid of weeds.
D. Removing Males:
(If you are growing sexed females these trips can be omitted) Male plants will 
begin to produce their flowers and pollen as early as mid July for varieties 
acclimated to this climate. Varieties from more southern climates, may not start 
until mid September. This difference depends on the budding cycle of your 
variety, some plants start to bud earlier than others, so the exact time to cut 
the males will vary with the strain. If you are using a variety of different 
seeds it may be necessary to visit once a week from July 21 through September 
15. The timely identification of a male plant is crucial to the success of the 
harvest. If the weather is exceptional during the time a male starts producing 
its flowers and you missed seeing the first signs during your last visit, you 
could wind up with a lot of seeds and little of the fine erb. A female can 
either generate a large seedless bud, a large bud with a few seeds, or a large 
bud that is almost totally seeds. The first case is achieved by removing all the 
male plants before any of their flowers open. The second case occurs when a few 
male flowers have opened but you remove them before any more open. The third 
case occurs when you miss-time the flowering of the male. This can be 
devastating if you have big female plants because you could loose 90% of the 
smokable erb to seed production. This last scenario may not always be bad 
though. If you are short on seeds for the next growing season, it may be prudent 
to let one or two males stand and fertilize a portion of the females. Good seeds 
are hard to come by, so if you have a strain you like, make sure to plan ahead 
and have at least a few hundred seeds for the future. The spotting of males is 
one of the most difficult of things to explain to a person that's never grown 
since it really takes careful attention to how the tops of male plants look at 
this stage of development. Even experienced growers will be unsure at times and 
will have to wait till the next visit to be sure. When a male enters the stage 
of flower development, the tips of the branches where a bud would develop will 
start to grow what looks like a little bud but it will have no white hairs 
coming out of it.
E. The Fungus:
Along with cops, thieves, animals, and insects, "the fungus" is another obstacle 
in the path of a successful growing season. When the buds are roughly half 
developed they become susceptible to a fungus or bud rot. It appears that 
growing conditions for the fungus are best when temperatures are between 60 and 
80 degrees and the humidity is high. The fungus is very destructive and spreads 
quickly. It is a spore type of fungus that travels to other buds via the wind so 
it is impossible to prevent or stop if weather conditions permit it to grow. If 
things should go badly and the fungus starts to attack your plants, you must 
remove it immediately or it will spread to other areas of the plant or plants. 
Some growers will remove just the section of the bud that is infected whereas 
other growers will remove the entire branch. Removal of the entire branch better 
insures that the fungus is totally removed, and also enables the grower to 
sample the crop a few weeks ahead of time. The main point in removing the fungus 
is to be very careful. Since it is a spore type of fungus, the accidental 
jerking of an infected bud will release some of the spores and they could fall 
onto a lower bud so by the next visit, you might have to pull that bud too. Also 
be careful in touching the fungus with your fingers because your fingers could 
pick up the spores and then when you touch the next bud, the spores could cling 
to it and start eating away at that bud.
F. Emergency Visits:
The Real Estate and Construction Industries have conspired to develop housing 
near your crop and their "progress" must be monitored. A hurricane or tropical 
storm with winds over 50 miles per hour has visited your area. A drought takes 
place. etc. One of the drawbacks of growing outdoors is that you can not control 
for interference by outside forces. Emergency visits may be necessary but don't 
go crazy every time there's a bad storm. These plants are strong and can take 
some punishment.
The Harvest
Performed at night if possible. A nighttime run will limit the chances of 
someone seeing you. Do the most risky parts, such as carrying freshly cut erb 
where you could easily be spotted by a passing car, when the police jurisdiction 
changes shift. This can help ensure that officials do not spot you, and if a 
nosey nearby resident or passerby calls the police, it may take time before a 
car is dispatched to investigate. If harvesting at night, use flashlights 
sparingly so as not to attract attention, and bring extra batteries just in 
case(the rechargeable kind are recommended). When harvesting more than a couple 
of plants remember a small pocket knife because it makes the night move quicker. 
Unless you are planning to use the large fan leaves for cooking, remove them in 
the field so they don't take up a lot of space. If you have more than one 
variety of erb that you are harvesting bring various bags to put the different 
strains of buds in, and I would suggest using backpacks for travel to avoid 
suspicion and for easy handling.
When to Harvest
The time to harvest depends on several factors: bud development, weather, 
fungus, and thieves. Some pot strains mature earlier in the fall than others, 
depending on the latitude of the globe where the strain originated. You will 
need to pull Indica varieties in late September and Columbian varieties in late 
October. The weather may also force you to pull early. If there is a severe 
freeze heading your way, you are better off not chancing that the weathermen are 
wrong and pull at least a majority of what you have. Another case for pulling 
early is if weather conditions are perfect for the fungus to run wild. This will 
also force you to pull early. And of course if your site has been found or is in 
great danger of being found, you must pull everything to avoid loosing out on 
what would otherwise have been a great year. For instance, if you have a site in 
a corn field or other temporary situation, the harvest must occur at a point in 
time relatively independent of weather. Also try to find out if and when hunters 
start to roam the fields.
One other thing to watch for is frost. Even a mild frost can damage plants so 
watching the weather closely in late September and throughout October is 
important. If your plants do get damaged by frost the erb is still harvestable 
so don't give up entirely if you fail to chop before the first frost. If by some 
freak chance there is a frost in early September and the buds are still very 
small you may want to allow the damage to occur and then let the buds finish 
maturing rather than harvesting a small quantity of premature buddage. This type 
of situation is an on the spot call and you must consider many factors, such as 
bud size, weather predictions for the following weeks, strain of weed, location 
of site, etc., before deciding. Indica varieties usually mature sooner than 
sativa varieties, and the best time to harvest varieties acclimated to the 
Northeast is from late September to mid October. Those varieties not acclimated 
to the Northeast, such as Columbian or Jamaican, are best left to late October 
or even mid November if the weather permits. One other thing you want to avoid 
is harvesting in the rain. Moisture can lead to problems in the drying process 
such as molds and fungi. The dryer the plants at the harvest date the better.
As mentioned before, it is important to acquire seeds from strains that can be 
grown at the latitude you are at, some Mexican or Colombian varieties may not 
develop mature buds until November and by then the weather becomes harsh. 
Knowing when your plants will mature is difficult for beginners or growers using 
new seeds for the first season.
Planning and getting to a good drying location quickly is important so the 
buddage is not left in bags for longer than a few hours. If the freshly 
harvested bud remains in bags for too long (12 hours or more), molds and fungus 
will begin to destroy the erb. Once you get to your drying location you need to 
prepare the erb for drying. This entails removing excess fan leaves and other 
larger leaves. However, if the drying spot has a temperature higher than 85 
degrees it may be beneficial to leave a few large leaves to keep the buds from 
drying too quickly. Typical places to dry are attics, closets, dresser drawers, 
and basements. The best position for a bud to dry in is hanging upside down in a 
location where air can circulate all around it. If you are fortunate to have a 
location that you can do this in, great, otherwise use a dresser drawer or some 
other concealed place. If you dry the buds in dresser drawers remember not to 
double stack the buds or the weight of the upper layer of buds will cause a flat 
spot on the buds underneath. Also remember to rotate the buds every day so the 
erb dries uniformly and you can check for any signs of mold or fungus. If space 
permits and you are able to retrieve the whole plant, roots and all, you can 
hang them upside down by the roots, but don't expect this drying procedure to 
yield higher quality bud. THC does not drain from the roots down into the buds, 
the THC forms in the resin on the buds. The entire drying process should take 
place over four to six days depending on the size and variety of bud, the 
temperature, and the relative humidity of the drying area. If the buds are dried 
too quickly, the flavor of the erb will become more harsh and the THC level may 
not reach its potential. If the pot is dried too slowly then molds and fungi may 
develop and have a similar effect. With any method of drying, the process must 
be monitored on a day-to-day basis. Room temperature is fine for drying as long 
as the humidity is kept low. If drying must take place in a cool damp place then 
a fan and possibly a heater should be installed to compensate.