It is hard to generalise about details of guerilla farming, since much depends on the specific circumstances, which can vary greatly. For instance, a grower who plants along the fertile bank of a midwestern stream may not need to do more than pull out weeds and till the actual planting area. But a grower planting on a mountain slope may have to "build a soil," since soil and nutrients are washed from the slopes and down to the valleys by rainfall. For this reason, we will cover several situations separately: forest; washed-out steep areas; swamps and marshes; stream banks; grasslands and fields; and arid soils.

Forest Clearings

Clearings in forests have always been popular places to plant because they offer security from detection. They vary greatly in drainage qualities, fertility, and pH. The drainage qualities of forest soils depend on the depth of the humus layer and the structure of the underlying subsoil. But most of the forest remaining in the U.S. is sloped, and water that is not absorbed by the soil runs off.

Soils are created in forests from the leaves, branches, animal droppings, etc., which accumulate on the forest floor. The first trees to grow are long-leaf pines, such as jack pines, which can grow in relatively infertile soils. Their roots penetrate deep into the subsoil to obtain some nutrients. Short-leaf pines, conifers, and firs appear as the humus accumulates, since they require a more fertile soil than long-leaf pines. Pine-forest soils vary in fertility from poor to fair, and are usually quite acidic. In the Northeast their pH may be as low as 3.5, but generally the pH ranges from 5.0 to 6.0. In order to support a high-energy, lime loving crop like marijuana, they require fertilisation and liming. Long-leaf pines sometimes grow in compacted clay soils, which also requires tilling.

As the soil evolves, deciduous trees (tree that drop their leaves each winter), such as oak and maple, may begin to grow. Deciduous forests, sometimes called broad-leaf or hardwood forests, have the best soils. These forest floors are covered with bushes, grasses, mosses, and other small plants. They have an adequate rainfall and a humus-rich soil, which is porous, holds water well, and can support a healthy marijuana crop, although additions of nitrogen fertilisers would probably spur growth. Hardwood forest soils have a pH range from 6.0 to 7.5. The soil in timbered forest land has a much smaller humus content, especially if it has been clearcut.

Mountain Soils and Washed-Out Steep Areas

Mountain slops characteristically have little soil matter; their surface is composed largely of rocks, gravel, and sand. For longterm use they could be terraced so the newly formed soil in not washed away, but most growers are interested in more immediate results. These "soils" do not provide much of an anchor for marijuana's taproot and do not permit a network of lateral roots to form. Many of these soils also suffer from a low water table, since they drain rapidly. But there may be some sand and a bit of organic matter built up along gullies or in depressions or other natural traps. Such soil has usually had most of its nutrients leached out, but may contain some phosphates and potassium and considerable amounts of trace elements. The easiest way to adjust these soils is to use a well-balanced, slow-release, concentrated fertiliser. Bloodmeal, with its high N, works well with these soils.

One grower in the badlands of North Dakota used a timed-release 32-9-26 fertiliser in his "rock garden." He spread it just below the surface at the beginning of the growing season. Every time that it rained, his plants received nutrient-rich water. Toward the middle of the season, he noticed the lower leaves begin to pale, so he fertilised them periodically with urea. Heavy rains leach soluble fertilisers away, and in rainy areas they need to be applied three to four times during growth.

Containers can also be used in this environment. Growers use plastic bags or folded milk cartons instead of backpacking with a column of containers. When they get to the site, they fill the bags with a mixture of sand, as much as they can find, and gravel. The greater the ratio of sand to gravel, the longer the container will hold water.

One grower doublelayers heavy-duty polyethylene bags, and lines them with heavy-duty paper cement sacks or burlap bags. He fills the bag with gravel, then pours in sand and shakes it. He says that the mix is just about right when it looks like a can filled with gravel with sand in the spaces. He carries on a watering and feeding program much as he would for any hydroponic system.

Swamps, Marshes, or Bogs

These soils are very high in fibrous organic material, but are low in calcium and in available N, P, K, and Mg, which are leached from the soil or are insoluble because of the low soil pH. Since these soils are constantly wet, Cannabis roots cannot come in contact with air; as a result, the plant's growth is stunted, and the lower stem becomes susceptible to stem rot. These soils need to be adjusted to support a healthy crop of marijuana; they must be drained, fertilised, and limed. On a small scale, the easiest way to modify them is by constructing raised mounds, hills, or rows, at least one foot wide at the top and two feet high. The raised areas drain well, leaving relatively dry soil. Wood chips, chopped brush, sawdust, or perlite may be added to keep the mound light and the soil loose and aerated.

Wet soils are usually highly acid and should be limed. Once the lime interacts with the soil, nutrients which were locked up become available to the plants. Since these soils are rich in organic matter and have a high rate of microbial action after they are loosened and limes, they may need little fertilisation.

Grasslands and Fields

These soils are usually fairly fertile and can support a worthwhile crop with little effort. They are usually well-drained, although they may be a little too dry or too wet. (If they have unusually large numbers of earthworms, they are probably a little too wet.) Their pH is usually between 5.5 and 6.5, although it may range up to 7.0. These soils are usually loams, which need only tilling in a two-foot radius, three or four inches deep, around each plant. All weeds and grass should be pulled from the area. Some growers mulch the cultivated area with newspapers, leaves, or dead grass. A grower in the Midwest adds crushed eggshells and a commercial timed-release fertiliser when he plants. He feels that this "extra boost" makes the difference between an adequate crop and a bountiful crop. Other growers periodically fertilise with soluble mixes. Some of these soils have to be irrigates during the long summer droughts. If they aren't, the plants won't die, but they will not grow to full size.

Stream Banks and Canal Ditches

These are some of the most convenient areas for growers to plant, since they provide an ample supply of water, which may contain fertiliser runoff. Stream banks are an area that marijuana naturally colonises, and the planter usually needs only to cultivate the area to be sown, and cut surrounding bush so that the young plants can compete with established plants. It the surrounding vegetation looks pale and stunted rather than lush green and vigorous, the soil should be fertilised. These soils are sometimes low in calcium, which dissolves readily in water. Lime should be added to correct for acidity.

Sometimes the ground is a little too wet early in the growing season, although it dries out later on. Planting on hills or mounds is often used to solve this problem.

Arid Areas

Soils which have a low water table and dry out by June or July need to be irrigated to grow marijuana successfully. When irrigation is not feasible, growers plant along drainage ditches, streams, and canals, or look for green spots which indicate springs or underground reservoirs. Other growers use containers to minimise water loss. One grower in Arizona dug holes two feet wide and three feet deep, and lined the sides with thin polyethylene. He said that when he watered during the summer drought, he did not lose much water to the surrounding soil.

Arid soils usually have little organic matter, and drain quickly with extensive runoff. Some of them have a subsurface layer of clay, and therefore hold water on the surface until it evaporates. In any case their texture can be improved greatly by working in organic matter. The soil should be loosened at least two feet down. This loosening allows the taproot to develop deeply so that it can reach underground water during the drought.

Arid soils more often drain well, are alkaline, and contain P, K, and trace elements, but are low in N. Fish meal, cottonseed meal, blood meal, or manure may be the only additive the soil needs.

There are several factors to consider when deciding where to plant, including sunlight, microclimate, availability of water, and condition of the soil. But the garden's security should be your first consideration. No matter what size your garden, rip-offs and confiscation are constant threats. But these risks can be minimised by careful planning and common senses.

In some countries, law-enforcement agencies take a tolerant attitude toward small gardens, and people grow Cannabis in their backyards. In other areas, police are not as enlightened and place an emphasis on cultivation busts. In either case, the larger the garden, the greater the potential danger.

In Hawaii and California, where marijuana growing has become a booming business, helicopters have been a problem for commercial growers. Aircraft outfitted with visual or infrared equipment, dogs, and finks have all been used to seek out illicit plots. Aircraft equipment is least effective on steep slopes and where the vegetation is lush and varied. Where aircraft are a problem, growers prune marijuana to obscure its distinctive shape. The plants are difficult to detect from a distance when intercropped with bamboo, sunflowers, sugar cane, soybeans, or tall weeds . Commercial growers often plant several small dispersed stands or many single marijuana plants, which are more difficult to detect and serve as insurance against total loss.

But rip-offs rather than the law are more of a problem for marijuana growers. From every section of the United States, reports confirm that marijuana theft has reached epidemic proportions, and even well-hidden plant fall prey to unscrupulous people. These lowlifes often search near hippie communities and popular planting areas. Their best ally is a loose lip; so keep your garden on a "need to know" basis.

The potency of Santa Maria x Lowryder will vary because of many factors other then the variety. Many of these have to do with the natural development of the plants and their resin glands. Environmental factors do affect potency but there are large differences in any variety. These inherent factors must be explained before we can talk of factors outside the plant that affect relative potency. There are noticeable differences in THC concentrations between plants of the same variety. Differences are large enough so that you can tall (by smoking) that certain plants are better. This is no news to homegrowers, who often find a particular plant to be outstanding. Five-fold differences in THC concentration have also shown up in research. However, when you consider a whole group of plants of the same variety, they're relatively similar in cannabinoid concentrations.