I am a first timer looking to try my hand at herbal cultivation this spring / summer. I wanted to bounce this by you guys to hopefully get some ideas, suggestions and feedback.
My plans are to start seed this winter and raise the seedlings indoor under MH or fluorescent lights until transplanting this spring. I plan to purchase the following books as a source of information & reference:
 Grow Great Marijuana: An uncomplicated Guide To Growing The Worlds Finest Cannabis by Logan Edwards
 Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor / Outdoor Medical Growers Guide by Jorge Cervantes
I will, of course, continue to gleam the pages of this site for information and hints.
Geographical / Climatic summary:
Located near the geographical center of the continental United States on the 390 North Parallel between the 900 West and 1000 West Meridian. Or more precisely, approximately at the midpoint of a line of latitude that runs from a point 50 miles south of Denver, CO to a point 50 miles south of Springfield, IL. In the climatic (Growing / Hardiness) zone 5b / 6a. This makes for a continental climate with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot and cold. Summers can be very humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and July/August daytime highs reaching into the triple digits. Winters vary from mild days to bitterly cold, with lows reaching into the teens below zero a few times a year. Spring and Autumn are pleasant, and peppered with thunderstorms.
Month ...... Avg. High ... Avg. Low ... Avg Rainfall
January..... 38 F / 3 C ... 21 F / -6 C ... 1.13 / 28.7 mm
February... 44 F / 7 C ... 26 F / -3 C... 1.02 / 25.9 mm
March....... 56 F / 13 C ... 35 F / 2 C ... 2.38 / 60.5 mm
April.......... 67 F / 19 C ... 46 F / 8 C ... 3.27 / 83.1 mm
May.......... 76 F / 24 C ... 57 F / 14 C ... 4.55 / 115.6 mm
June......... 86 F / 30 C ... 67 F / 19 C ... 4.73 / 120.1 mm
July.......... 90 F / 32 C ... 72 F / 22 C ... 3.61 / 91.7 mm
August...... 89 F / 32 C ... 70 F / 21 C ... 3.62 / 91.9 mm
September..... 80 F / 27 C ... 61 F / 16 C ... 4.17 / 105.9 mm
October....... 69 F / 21 C ... 49 F / 9 C ... 3.28 / 83.3 mm
November...... 53 F / 12 C ... 36 F / 2 C ... 2.30 / 58.4 mm
December...... 42 F / 7 C ..... 25 F / -4 C ... 1.45 / 36.8 mm
I have access to some acreage and intend to plant several small plots. Potential location for plots are as follows:
 Fence row (runs north & south) with little other vegetative growth. Subject to continuous FULL sun.
 Medow setting with tall (2-3ft high) grass growth. Full to Mostly sunny.
 Steep hillside (old fill area with 4 foot + soil capping rock fill). One side face south and has mostly sunny exposure and One side faces east and has Full sun from sunup to late evening.
 Small clearing in a heavily forested woods setting. North facing slope adjacent to a creek where a LARGE (4-5 ft diameter) Oak tree was fallen during a storm last summer). Partial sun.
Strains I am considering include: (This is where I would truly appreciate your feedback as to which strain you think I would be best advised to pursue. My experience has been as a consumer and strain names were never known or cared about as part of my consumption habits.)
 Kali Mist (Serious Seed Co.)
 Thai Lights (Dr Atomic Seed Co.)
 Chronic (Serious Seed Co.)
 White Russian (Serious Seed Co.)
Criteria of prominence would be: ease of cultivation; compatibility / suitability with geograhical & climatic properties; quality (based on what I have read, I would prefer a Sativa buzz but understand that may be beyond my current botanical capabilities) and bountiful harvest.
Sorry this post has gotten so long . As a newcomer, I am a bit stoked on the whole journey ahead.
Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer a noobie.
Loki, Norse God of Mischief
My plans are to start seed this winter and raise the seedlings indoor under MH or fluorescent lights until transplanting this spring. I plan to purchase the following books as a source of information & reference:
 Grow Great Marijuana: An uncomplicated Guide To Growing The Worlds Finest Cannabis by Logan Edwards
 Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor / Outdoor Medical Growers Guide by Jorge Cervantes
I will, of course, continue to gleam the pages of this site for information and hints.
Geographical / Climatic summary:
Located near the geographical center of the continental United States on the 390 North Parallel between the 900 West and 1000 West Meridian. Or more precisely, approximately at the midpoint of a line of latitude that runs from a point 50 miles south of Denver, CO to a point 50 miles south of Springfield, IL. In the climatic (Growing / Hardiness) zone 5b / 6a. This makes for a continental climate with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot and cold. Summers can be very humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and July/August daytime highs reaching into the triple digits. Winters vary from mild days to bitterly cold, with lows reaching into the teens below zero a few times a year. Spring and Autumn are pleasant, and peppered with thunderstorms.
Month ...... Avg. High ... Avg. Low ... Avg Rainfall
January..... 38 F / 3 C ... 21 F / -6 C ... 1.13 / 28.7 mm
February... 44 F / 7 C ... 26 F / -3 C... 1.02 / 25.9 mm
March....... 56 F / 13 C ... 35 F / 2 C ... 2.38 / 60.5 mm
April.......... 67 F / 19 C ... 46 F / 8 C ... 3.27 / 83.1 mm
May.......... 76 F / 24 C ... 57 F / 14 C ... 4.55 / 115.6 mm
June......... 86 F / 30 C ... 67 F / 19 C ... 4.73 / 120.1 mm
July.......... 90 F / 32 C ... 72 F / 22 C ... 3.61 / 91.7 mm
August...... 89 F / 32 C ... 70 F / 21 C ... 3.62 / 91.9 mm
September..... 80 F / 27 C ... 61 F / 16 C ... 4.17 / 105.9 mm
October....... 69 F / 21 C ... 49 F / 9 C ... 3.28 / 83.3 mm
November...... 53 F / 12 C ... 36 F / 2 C ... 2.30 / 58.4 mm
December...... 42 F / 7 C ..... 25 F / -4 C ... 1.45 / 36.8 mm
I have access to some acreage and intend to plant several small plots. Potential location for plots are as follows:
 Fence row (runs north & south) with little other vegetative growth. Subject to continuous FULL sun.
 Medow setting with tall (2-3ft high) grass growth. Full to Mostly sunny.
 Steep hillside (old fill area with 4 foot + soil capping rock fill). One side face south and has mostly sunny exposure and One side faces east and has Full sun from sunup to late evening.
 Small clearing in a heavily forested woods setting. North facing slope adjacent to a creek where a LARGE (4-5 ft diameter) Oak tree was fallen during a storm last summer). Partial sun.
Strains I am considering include: (This is where I would truly appreciate your feedback as to which strain you think I would be best advised to pursue. My experience has been as a consumer and strain names were never known or cared about as part of my consumption habits.)
 Kali Mist (Serious Seed Co.)
 Thai Lights (Dr Atomic Seed Co.)
 Chronic (Serious Seed Co.)
 White Russian (Serious Seed Co.)
Criteria of prominence would be: ease of cultivation; compatibility / suitability with geograhical & climatic properties; quality (based on what I have read, I would prefer a Sativa buzz but understand that may be beyond my current botanical capabilities) and bountiful harvest.
Sorry this post has gotten so long . As a newcomer, I am a bit stoked on the whole journey ahead.
Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer a noobie.
Loki, Norse God of Mischief
. This isn't "always" true, if you are able to totally fence out critters and are able to secure your spots from random theives. But as a general rule, no fences, no security....you will lose a percentage to something.
