Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

square yards (32 kg/251 m 2 ) loam
    80 pounds/ 300 square yards (36 kg/251 m 2 ) heavy clay soil
    *1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet (1 m 3 = 106 cm 3 ) (1 cubic yard = 105 cm 3 )
    * rule of thumb: add 1-2 pounds (0.5-0.9 kg) of dolomite lime to each cubic foot (0.03 cm 3 ) of soil
    Raising alkaline levels is somewhat easier than raising the acid level. If your soil is too alkaline, 1.2 oz (34 gm) of finely ground rock sulfur per square yard (90 cm 2 ) of sandy soil will reduce soil pH by one point. Other types of soil will need 3.6 oz (100 gm) per square yard (90 cm 2 ). Well-decomposed sawdust, composted leaves, and peat moss also help to acidify soil and lower pH.
Hardpan
    Hardpan is a condition whereby a layer of soil beneath the soil surface is hard and impermeable to both water and roots. Caliche is a hardpan common in the southwest USA. It consists of a layer of calcium carbonate (lime) located below the topsoil. The texture of caliche varies from granular to solid cement-like rock and can be from a few inches to many feet thick.
    To plant in any hardpan area, you must bore through it to provide drainage. An auger will work to bore a hole, but a pick and shovel are practical, too. All other planting techniques remain the same. Discard the hardpan bored out of the hole and replace with compost or high-quality garden soil.
Prepare Soil
    Help reduce the stress by growing seedlings in tall containers (three-inch square by six-inch tall) (8 cm 2 × 15 cm) which will produce astrong root system and a plant that has a better chance of surviving in tough conditions. Adding water-absorbing polymers in the plant mix is an excellent defense against desiccation, too. The crystals expand up to 15 times when watered, making moisture available to the roots for longer periods of time. Slow-release crystals will allow an extended period between watering. This is very helpful if your patch is in a remote location that you cannot visit often.
    Mountain areas can have poor soil and will need to be improved before planting for best results. Dig holes at least 18 inches (46 cm) wide by 18 inches (46 cm) deep for each plant. Place a handful of blood meal (see warnings in Chapter Eleven ) on the bottom and three to four inches (8-10 cm) of soil on top of it before transplanting the cuttings or seedlings, then water heavily. A little effort preparing the planting holes will result in healthier plants and a heavier harvest.
    On an incline, planting holes must be terraced into the hillside and be large enough to catch runoff water. Dig extra gullies to channel runoff to growing plants, and make a “dish” around the plants to hold water.
    Plants remain smaller in rocky terrain but often go unseen because they are grown where no one expects to see them.
    Clay forms an excellent underground planting container. After a good rain, dig large planting holes. Fill holes with lots of good dirt and compost. Backfill in layers; for example, fill a three-foot (90 cm) deep hole with an eight-inch (20 cm) layer of steamed bone-meal (see warnings in Chapter Eleven ) and soil. The balance is made up of a thin layer of topsoil mixed with a rich compost-manure-straw mixture, rock phosphate, and seaweed meal. Mound compost and soil about a foot above ground level. It will settle during growing season. See “Organic Fertilizers” in Chapter Eleven for more information.
    Prepare to plant by digging a big hole and placing boards at the bottom to stop downward water flow. Add compost, peat moss, coco peat, good soil, organic nutrients, polymers, and dolomite lime–all will help soil hold water–then top with a concave bowl of soil that will catch rain and irrigation water.

Cut through hardpan so water can drain.
Raised beds
    Raised beds are wonderful for growing in the backyard. Cultivation and weed control are easier, and soil quality is simpler to maintain.
    Build a raised bed on top of clay soils. Planting in a bed raised six to eight inches (15-20 cm) eliminates the necessity of trying to dig in clay while providing the early warmth and good drainage clay lacks. Plants can be put into the ground two weeks to a month early and may even produce an early spring crop.
    One friend plants on top of the compost pile. He plants six, 12-inch-tall (30 cm) clones into three to four inches (8-10 cm) of good soil that is on top of a two- to three-foot (60-90 cm) high compost heap. By the time the roots penetrate into the compost, it has cooled enoughthat the roots