Grass, mow your own or pay someone?

[MILK]

I don't have a mower and have no desire to mow either. I have 2 acres. I can't decide which to do, suck it up and buy a mower or just pay someone?

How about you? Do you mow yourself, or pay?

What are the advantages of your choice? Time, expense, gas, etc..

[Dave]

mow my own with our modded to run WFO all the time push mower. It could eat a tree i swear

[tached1000rr]

I have an acre and I mow it myself....

[ontwo]

Taking care of my yard is something I truly enjoy. I mow, weedeat, and anything else that needs to be done. This afternoon I will be aerating it and overseeding.

If you have two acres to mow, I would suggest at least a 50" zero turn mower with at least a 22 hp motor.

[Trip]

do it myself, i have a small yard and a self propelled walk behind so I have more room for bikes in the garage

[Sean]

I have a patch of lawn about 10' x 10'. And I still hire someone :lol:

[azoomm]

I have teenagers.... they mow it.

[Looni2ns]

Decide how much you want to mow, then let the other part go "natural". For me, I only have a 1/3 of an acre, so I use a self-propelled mower. Just retired my 12 yo Scott's mower for a Honda. Wow, what a difference. Love it. Got it off craigslist. Paid $300 for a 2 yo Honda that retails for about $650.

It helps me lose weight, and stay in shape. The walking is good for ya, too. Or, in your case, riding with sunscreen on. ;-)

BTW, I've tried several difference lawn services. You'd think they know how to mow your yard w/o scalping the holy crap out of it, right? NOT. And, I was paying them $140/mo. on an annual contract. And, that didn't include fertilizer, sanding the bermuda, aerating, or anything else. Didn't even pull the weeds, just sprayed them and left them to die. Oh, that looked nice. So, it totally wasn't worth it for me.

Plus, if you're riding, put some tunes on the MP3, plug those ears, and enjoy the time alone.

[Cruzergirl]

My neighbor needs the cash (young married couple with 3 kids, they're both out of work) so I pay them $75 to mow my 3/4 of an acre 2X a month.

[Looni2ns]

I have teenagers.... they mow it.


Yea, those were the days. :-) Now, even the neighborhood kids think it's below them to mow for some extra cash. Dumb kids.

[racedoll]

We have about 2 acres and I mow it. I generally mow with the riding mower and Erik push mows the bank out front and weed eats. I have to push mow inside the fenced area near the pool.

I would come mow for you if I lived closer, but I doubt you could make it worth my while to come down there now. :(

[Sean]

Jebus christie you people have a lot of land.

[racedoll]

Jebus christie you people have a lot of land.

I wish we had MORE!

[t-homo]

My parents had 2 acres that I normally had to mow. My dad also owns a lawn spraying business so our lawn had to look perfect. I had to mow 3 times every two weeks just about.

[Kaneman]

I mow my own.

I heard Ed calls the Fire Dept to come mow his when it gets too high.

[Apoc]

Jebus christie you people have a lot of land.

:lol: My grandfather has 100 acres or so.

[azoomm]

Jebus christie you people have a lot of land.

Nope. Living out in the middle of no-where makes me twitch.

[dReWpY]

I perfer it when she has someone mow it professionally before I plow it

[Sean]

I have a 15,000 sq ft lot and that's considered huge here.

My uncle had 500 acres in rural Virginia but I shudder to think what he paid for it.

[Sixxxxer]

I just got done mowing so this thread is funny...I mow it myself, Last year me and The wifey to be re did the entire front lawn...I rented one of those Tillers from Home Depot, and We Sprayed the entire yard with round up to kill it all...It came out nice surprisingly for our first crack at it...This year we are touching up some spots that didnt quite fill in and she just laid down our first round of fertilizer/lime...In about 6 weeks we will Lay down some Scotts W Halts to help out for the summer months...Keeping up with the watering and mowing and it should be looking fairly fresh come next year.

The back yard is a whole nother animal...That i am not that motivated to attempt yet.

Oh, and we live on about 1/2 an Acre.

Just B/c I'm bored and relaxing, Before we Killed the Front Yard...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs154.snc1/5733_119370932896_674207896_2252123_1870268_n.jpg

And After....

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2785/4503371149_cc5b988a47_b.jpg

[KSGregman]

I don't own anywhere close to 2 acres (I'm from the Northeast and that concept seems like a virtual impossibility to me. :lol: ) and prefer to mow/landscape my own yard. I mean, I truly ENJOY doing it. I'm inside in an office all day and it feels great to come home and be outside putting some sweat equity into our home/yard.

[Porkchop]

I live on 2.5 acres.... 2 of it being grass. We have a john deere LX188 riding mower. The thing is bullet proof.

As far a mowing. I like the time to slow down and think. Soak up a little rays and listen to music. I'm weird, I like yard work.

[Bluestreak]

I just got done mowing about 4 acres with a 52" zero turn. Took me about 2 hours.

When I had a garden tractor, it took about 5 hours. The zero turn was the best investment I've ever made.

I'm too cheap to pay someone to do it for me.

[Porkchop]

I just got done mowing about 4 acres with a 52" zero turn. Took me about 2 hours.

When I had a garden tractor, it took about 5 hours. The zero turn was the best investment I've ever made.

I'm too cheap to pay someone to do it for me.

Our 2.5 acres takes 2 hours on ours. And that is quick compared to my brother. My mom is too cheap to buy a zero turn.

[racedoll]

I just got done mowing about 4 acres with a 52" zero turn. Took me about 2 hours.

When I had a garden tractor, it took about 5 hours. The zero turn was the best investment I've ever made.

I'm too cheap to pay someone to do it for me.

I know the feeling. We had a small garden tractor for our yard and it took nearly 4 hours. We ended up with a Kubota Glide Steer, it looks like a regular tractor and you can add attachments but it will turn circles around a 5 gallon bucket. Our time was cut to about 2 hours... more if I have to do all the work.

Best part is Erik paid the tractor off just a couple weeks ago - it is officially OURS! :rockwoot:

[smileyman]

We lived on 3 acres and i push mowed it for 7 yrs. Then I get a riding mower and 3 yrs later we move. I have 1/3rd acre now, cinch.

[RACER X]

I mow my own.

I heard Ed calls the Fire Dept to come mow his when it gets too high.

if they did it for free, i'd give em a ring.

i pay some dudes, $25

takes me 3 hrs to mow, edge adn clean up, dudes maybe 30 min, 3 of them that is.

[Rangerscott]

Stop being lazy. Do it yourself or get some goats.

[Cutty72]

.95 acres and I mow it myself with a push mower. Takes me about 1.5-2 hours, depending on how motivated I am.

I enjoy doing it, and the exercise is good, but I would like to get a rider for the speed factor.

Only hire it out if I'm not going to be around for an extended period of time.

[Rider]

I pay my son to do it every other week. I do it the rest of the time. He wants the money so I make him earn it.

[wildchild]

i put mow myself but really all i did was go buy a new riding tractor and the g/f took over from there. takes 4 hours or so to get done but she enjoys it.

[marko138]

Taking care of my yard is something I truly enjoy. I mow, weedeat, and anything else that needs to be done. This afternoon I will be aerating it and overseeding.

If you have two acres to mow, I would suggest at least a 50" zero turn mower with at least a 22 hp motor.

Same here, brother. I enjoy mowing the lawn. Need to do some seeding. I did some overseeding in the fall. Didn't seem to do much.

[z06boy]

I've always mowed my own until we bought our current home a little over 4 years ago. I hired a guy and used him for 3 years but he started getting too much in a hurry and getting sloppy and I finally said enough is enough and ended the agreement.

I went out and bought all the yard stuff and started doing it myself last year.

[Captain Morgan]

Mow it myself...for now. But allergies fuckin kill me, so after I get a raise this year, I'll likely hire out a neighborhood kid to mow my lawn next summer.

[MILK]

You with the 0 turns. I already bought one of those - and at the time it cost more than my car! $5,500. However that is residing somewhere else now.. ;) And I would sooner cut off my arm than ask my ex to mow my yard.

This is a rural area, most of my land was pasture immeditely prior to my moving in. It doesn't have to be pretty. I am not interested in the time involved in mowing. I would rather be playing with my kid, running, gardening, or riding my bike (which I guess I could sell for that 0 turn, right? :lol:)

Thanks for the replies! I have someone that's going to quote me a price today. I have been quoted one ($50) but I am not so sure about that guy so called a service. I may yet end up buying a mower too. When it comes to time vs money - well I like keeping my money too! :)

Wish I had a neighborhood kid to ask. I just don't have any neighbors! :lol Well I do have ONE neighbor.

[Particle Man]

I do my own. I do 2 acres with a walk-behind. I like the exercise and being outside.

[z06boy]

I do my own. I do 2 acres with a walk-behind. I like the exercise and being outside.

2 acres with a walk-behind...yep that is definitely exercise. :lol:

[ontwo]

Same here, brother. I enjoy mowing the lawn. Need to do some seeding. I did some overseeding in the fall. Didn't seem to do much.

I would offer my .02, but I have no idea about your zone. Down here we overseed with Rye in the fall. Give some color in winter and early spring. I'm currently fixing some bad spots with tall fescue. It's not a grass that will ever look like a golf course, but it is nice and green and very draught tolerant.

I do my own. I do 2 acres with a walk-behind. I like the exercise and being outside.

Holy hell!!!!!!!!

[marko138]

I would offer my .02, but I have no idea about your zone. Down here we overseed with Rye in the fall. Give some color in winter and early spring. I'm currently fixing some bad spots with tall fescue. It's not a grass that will ever look like a golf course, but it is nice and green and very draught tolerant.



Holy hell!!!!!!!!
My soil sucks. My front yard is the worst. I over fertilized a couple years ago and made it look real shitty...hasn't recovered.

[ontwo]

My soil sucks. My front yard is the worst. I over fertilized a couple years ago and made it look real shitty...hasn't recovered.

Shade or sun?

[marko138]

Shade or sun?
Shade in AM and full sun in PM. Opposite for backyard.

[ontwo]

Yeah, overfertilizing can burn it up. Around here, a lot of people have pine trees that drain the nutrients in the soil. Almost impossible to grow.

If you wanna spend some time on it, find a university up there that does soil testing. Around here, Auburn does it. They will send you out a kit to take plugs out of the ground. You send them off, and they will send you a recommendation on what your yard needs. It is much more customized than just going and buying some Scott's at Home Depot.

[marko138]

Yeah, overfertilizing can burn it up. Around here, a lot of people have pine trees that drain the nutrients in the soil. Almost impossible to grow.

If you wanna spend some time on it, find a university up there that does soil testing. Around here, Auburn does it. They will send you out a kit to take plugs out of the ground. You send them off, and they will send you a recommendation on what your yard needs. It is much more customized than just going and buying some Scott's at Home Depot.
I'm sure Penn State does that. I should look into it.

[Rider]

I need to have that done. My backyard id full shade all day long and the grass is very thin. I over seed and it grows for a little while but ends up dying out. The yard in mostly clay since I had the landscaper bring in 120 yards of fill dirt. He was supposed to uses a ton of top soil on top but I don't think he used any.

[MILK]

PM I was thinking of buying a manual mower. I figured it would be great exercise plus they are cheap. I would do what I wanted to do and then have the rest bush hogged. However I read a bunch of reviews on the Scotts Classic and changed my mind! :lol: I may very well get a push mower and use that in combo with a service. I really hate riding mowers.

Rider grass does not like shade. Despite the commercials there really isn't a grass that will flourish in full shade. You would do better laying down mulch and planting shade loving perennials that don't need much water..

BTW I think grass is de debil. I am a gardener and have no use for grass!! My goal with this property is just like my last - to cover all the property with plants that don't suck so many natural resourses.. I won't be fertilizing mine either. Good thing it goes with my cabin because I suspect it's going to be UGLY! :lol:

[marko138]

PM I was thinking of buying a manual mower. I figured it would be great exercise plus they are cheap. I would do what I wanted to do and then have the rest bush hogged. However I read a bunch of reviews on the Scotts Classic and changed my mind! :lol: I may very well get a push mower and use that in combo with a service. I really hate riding mowers.

Rider grass does not like shade. Despite the commercials there really isn't a grass that will flourish in full shade. You would do better laying down mulch and planting shade loving perennials that don't need much water..

BTW I think grass is de debil. I am a gardener and have no use for grass!! My goal with this property is just like my last - to cover all the property with plants that don't suck so many natural resourses.. I won't be fertilizing mine either. Good thing it goes with my cabin because I suspect it's going to be UGLY! :lol:
You could get the green outdoor carpet for your yard. :lol:

[MILK]

Oh I've already used up a big bottle of Roundup! :lmao: I bought the industrial sized container to spray it with too! Now I'm out!

[Kaneman]

Oh I've already used up a big bottle of Roundup! :lmao: I bought the industrial sized container to spray it with too! Now I'm out!

Congrats on finding and using a product more evil than corn. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[MILK]

Congrats on finding and using a product more evil than corn. :lol: :lol: :lol:

YESSS!! If you use it when temps are too cold it goes straight to the ground water!! :td:

It's not as bad as Miracle Grow though! :tremble:

[Apoc]

YESSS!! If you use it when temps are too cold it goes straight to the ground water!! :td:

It's not as bad as Miracle Grow though! :tremble:

Miracle Grow is for Pot plants!

[Rider]

YESSS!! If you use it when temps are too cold it goes straight to the ground water!! :td:

It's not as bad as Miracle Grow though! :tremble:

What is wrong with miracle grow?

[ontwo]

Like I said, I have no idea about you northerners, but my dad has a really shady yard. He found a Creeping Red Fescue that has turned out beautiful

[Kaneman]

YESSS!! If you use it when temps are too cold it goes straight to the ground water!! :td:

It's not as bad as Miracle Grow though! :tremble:

The company that developed Roundup, Monsanto, also developed genetically altered seeds for commercial plants that are impervious to Roundup, which is awesome.

Not so awesome is Monsanto building a monopoly and forcing farmers to use their seeds and Roundup through various bullshit lawsuits and so forth.

Miracle Grow is for Pot plants!

Uhh...no. Yuck! :lol:

[Apoc]

Uhh...no. Yuck! :lol:

Uhh... Yes... If your growing outdoors, you want Miracle Grow and plant food.

[Kaneman]

Uhh... Yes... If your growing outdoors, you want Miracle Grow and plant food.

If you're growing outdoors and you don't want nutrient burn on your plants you want something like Fox Farms Ocean Forest.

I mean, yea you can grow with Miracle Grow. But why take all that risk and not get the best quality product you can?

[MILK]

What is wrong with miracle grow?

It causes sodium buildup in the soil. If you are using it in pottED plants (not pot plants, lol) eventually the sodium buildup kills the plant. This can take years and is obviously not as much an issue on plants in the ground. It's still bad for the soil though!!

Good fertilizers are Fish Emulsion and Fescue pulp (nasty stuff though, you brew it into a tea and the mix it with water - smelly.) Of course fish emulsion is smelly too though! :lol: Cow manure is also good!

I do not consider myself an 'organic' gardener by any stretch but I do try to use composted cow manure, mushroom compost, and similar things rather than buying any pelleted or liquid fertilizer that is chemical based. I also only use pesticides if the plants life is in jeopardy. You can use household items like Dawn detergent to treat many pests too. :)

A wonderful alternative to RoundUP for example is newspaper. You put the newspaper on the soil, then cover the newspaper with mulch. I will use Roundup when I need it though. You can also just dig the weeds but that can be overwhelming when you have a bunch of them. You can't put newspaper down in the lawn either!

[Rider]

It causes sodium buildup in the soil. If you are using it in pottED plants (not pot plants, lol) eventually the sodium buildup kills the plant. This can take years and is obviously not as much an issue on plants in the ground. It's still bad for the soil though!!

Good fertilizers are Fish Emulsion and Fescue pulp (nasty stuff though, you brew it into a tea and the mix it with water - smelly.) Of course fish emulsion is smelly too though! :lol: Cow manure is also good!

I do not consider myself an 'organic' gardener by any stretch but I do try to use composted cow manure, mushroom compost, and similar things rather than buying any pelleted or liquid fertilizer that is chemical based. I also only use pesticides if the plants life is in jeopardy. You can use household items like Dawn detergent to treat many pests too. :)

A wonderful alternative to RoundUP for example is newspaper. You put the newspaper on the soil, then cover the newspaper with mulch. I will use Roundup when I need it though. You can also just dig the weeds but that can be overwhelming when you have a bunch of them. You can't put newspaper down in the lawn either!

Well it works great on my outdoor plants and trees.

[MILK]

OH yes it works good, but just like Roundup it is BAD.

I am loving this topic!! I never have anyone to talk gardening with!! :lol:

[Rider]

OH yes it works good, but just like Roundup it is BAD.

I am loving this topic!! I never have anyone to talk gardening with!! :lol:

Tell me how to thicken up my backyard grass. It's full shade all day long and the soil is mostly clay.

[MILK]

Tell me how to thicken up my backyard grass. It's full shade all day long and the soil is mostly clay.

Clay soil is very dense and little air gets in. Do you aerate? That is important. Do you use lime?

Getting the soil tested is the best route but I have never had that done anywhere. My previous house had clay and the backyard had shaded bits. I never worked the lawn but my ex was adament about lime and aeration. The grass on that lawn is in really good shape. He also fertilized in the Spring but I don't know what he used. It wasn't anything special though. The folks at Lowe's or Home Depot could suggest a good fertilizer.

If your backyard is shade all the time though you may never get the grass like you want it..

[Rider]

Clay soil is very dense and little air gets in. Do you aerate? That is important. Do you use lime?

Getting the soil tested is the best route but I have never had that done anywhere. My previous house had clay and the backyard had shaded bits. I never worked the lawn but my ex was adament about lime and aeration. The grass on that lawn is in really good shape. He also fertilized in the Spring but I don't know what he used. It wasn't anything special though. The folks at Lowe's or Home Depot could suggest a good fertilizer.

If your backyard is shade all the time though you may never get the grass like you want it..

I aerate once a year and I put down 100lbs of lime for the first time last year. I pay to have my yard fertilized but I have used 3 different services and the result was the same with every company I used. And yes the backyard, well 3/4 of it anyway, is 100% shade all day long.

[MILK]

is 100% shade all day long.

That's the problem. Can you get rid of some trees to let some light in?

Plants need light.. Sounds like you have done everything you can do. It's time to put in a patio and be done with it.

[Rider]

That's the problem. Can you get rid of some trees to let some light in?

Plants need light.. Sounds like you have done everything you can do. It's time to put in a patio and be done with it.

No the trees are not on my property. It's just a forest behind my house but that land belongs to the homeowners association and I can't cut any trees down. I already have a very large (18'x 36') patio back there but that is against the house and gets full sun.

[sherri_chickie]

I voted pay someone, but that;s only because I llive in a condo townhouse and it's automatically taken care of out of our condo fees.

If I had a large yard, and access to cheap labor, I would have someone else mow, for a smaller yard, I would do it myself.

[wildchild]

Milk how much land are you trying to mow. Ours is like yours, rural and was field until we moved in. Took our time with a very used rider (expendable) to mow everything down. Now we mow 3 acres with a new yet inexpensive lawn tractor. Got it at Tractor Supply for right around a grand. Definitely not a zero turn level mower but it does the job we need done. like you we're not going for yard of the neighborhood here. Just want it cut down so i don't lose the dogs or chickens.

paying someone to do it could get very pricey fast. even at $50, if they mow every week you have paid for a mower by summers end. TS will do 6 months zero interest on a CC. make $50 a week payments on that and your mower will be paid for in a couple months, next year the mower is "free"

[MILK]

Milk how much land are you trying to mow. Ours is like yours, rural and was field until we moved in. Took our time with a very used rider (expendable) to mow everything down. Now we mow 3 acres with a new yet inexpensive lawn tractor. Got it at Tractor Supply for right around a grand. Definitely not a zero turn level mower but it does the job we need done. like you we're not going for yard of the neighborhood here. Just want it cut down so i don't lose the dogs or chickens.

paying someone to do it could get very pricey fast. even at $50, if they mow every week you have paid for a mower by summers end. TS will do 6 months zero interest on a CC. make $50 a week payments on that and your mower will be paid for in a couple months, next year the mower is "free"

2 acres. What is the brand of tractor and how long have you had it? We do have a Tractor Supply. I didn't think of going there for a mower. I am going there anyway because I have some pasture fencing to put up. You are right about it adding up and that is part of what bothers me..

Ohh and I want chickens too!! :lol: I came very close to getting them for my son for his birthday but decided I just don't need anything else to take care of right now.

Hey Rider, something else I forgot to ask. How short do you keep your lawn? The shorter the harder it is on the grass. If you don't already, keep the blade at the highest level!

[Apoc]

If you're growing outdoors and you don't want nutrient burn on your plants you want something like Fox Farms Ocean Forest.

I mean, yea you can grow with Miracle Grow. But why take all that risk and not get the best quality product you can?

You dont do it for budding, just the first 9 weeks.

[Kaneman]

You dont do it for budding, just the first 9 weeks.

So you'd transplant them after the veg stage? Seems like too much of a pain.

[MILK]

You boys keep your drugs off my gardnening thread!! :lol:

[Kaneman]

You boys keep your drugs off my gardnening thread!! :lol:

We're not talking about drugs. :whosr:

[MILK]

We're not talking about drugs. :whosr:

Turnips then?

[Cutty72]

i don't consider your lawn gardening... :idk:

[Kaneman]

Turnips then?

Eww, gross.

Does this beautiful flower look like drugs to you?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g8/PsychoMedic/DSC_0611.jpg

[wildchild]

2 acres. What is the brand of tractor and how long have you had it? We do have a Tractor Supply. I didn't think of going there for a mower. I am going there anyway because I have some pasture fencing to put up. You are right about it adding up and that is part of what bothers me..

Ohh and I want chickens too!! :lol: I came very close to getting them for my son for his birthday but decided I just don't need anything else to take care of right now.

Hey Rider, something else I forgot to ask. How short do you keep your lawn? The shorter the harder it is on the grass. If you don't already, keep the blade at the highest level!


this is the one we have.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/outdoor-power-equipment/mowers-attachments-accessories-parts/riding-zero-turn-mowers/riding-mowers/huskee-reg-46-in-19-hp-lt-46-tractor-4500599

got it on sale, have had it for just over two years. no problems with it at all.

chickens are interesting but a bit of work. they are fun though. a word of caution, watch out for raccoons. we lost 4 hens to raccoons eating them.

[MILK]

this is the one we have.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/outdoor-power-equipment/mowers-attachments-accessories-parts/riding-zero-turn-mowers/riding-mowers/huskee-reg-46-in-19-hp-lt-46-tractor-4500599

got it on sale, have had it for just over two years. no problems with it at all.

chickens are interesting but a bit of work. they are fun though. a word of caution, watch out for raccoons. we lost 4 hens to eating them.


Oh my dogs would take care of the raccoons! Only problem is they would also take care of the chickens! :lol: That's another reason I decided to pass for now.. I could see all kinds of dead chicken drama in my future..

Cutty agreed, the lawn is not gardening but we were talking about fertilizer and gardening related things.. ;) I am on a gardening forum unfortunately they are mostly old ladies and I was always ticking them off so I stopped posting! :lol:

[Apoc]

So you'd transplant them after the veg stage? Seems like too much of a pain.

Always... To somewhere they get more light. They dont need as much for the first 8-9 weeks.

[Kaneman]

Always... To somewhere they get more light. They dont need as much for the first 8-9 weeks.

You guys do a bit more outdoor growing up there in your more friendly legal climate I imagine. Everything down south is done indoors, for the most part, and then outdoors again as you get into Mexico. Some indoor growers think that after plants take root they actually need equal or more light than they do when they flower. Their logic is that this is when the plants set up the infrastructure that will deliver the flowers later on, so they're going for very vigorous root systems that way. Most people still use more light to flower though.

MILF, this could apply to tomatoes or peppers too. =)

[wildchild]

Oh my dogs would take care of the raccoons! Only problem is they would also take care of the chickens! :lol: That's another reason I decided to pass for now.. I could see all kinds of dead chicken drama in my future..
:lol:

yeah that was what I thought but, dogs were inside when the masked bandito came around. they were going off but we didn't know why. getting the dogs used to the chickens is another thing altogether. LOL The little one was easy, the birds weigh more then her and are not friendly to dogs. the boxer has tried to play squeaky toy a couple times. the birds will go after her now and then but only one or two of them. It is funny sometimes. I use the boxer for rounding birds up and put them in the coop.

ours are more like pets then "farm" animals. they can be held, come when called (the chickens not the dogs LOL) they are funny.

[Apoc]

You guys do a bit more outdoor growing up there in your more friendly legal climate I imagine. Everything down south is done indoors, for the most part, and then outdoors again as you get into Mexico. Some indoor growers think that after plants take root they actually need equal or more light than they do when they flower. Their logic is that this is when the plants set up the infrastructure that will deliver the flowers later on, so they're going for very vigorous root systems that way. Most people still use more light to flower though.

MILF, this could apply to tomatoes or peppers too. =)

Canadian summers are perfect for outdoor growing, and we have perfect soil.

The ideal when outdoors is to put them somewhere where the sun gets to them only in the afternoon, till about sunset, until its time to flower. Then, before they flower, you want to move them into a space where they will get light from morning to night (preferably 16 hours)

Now, if your growing a huge crop (a la mexico), it would make no sense to do this, your better off just leaving them in constant light, because you can imagine the trouble to move thousands of plants. But for the average guy up here, who keeps 4-6 plants, its perfectly doable. In a large crop, too much light is deadly, because you dont want any males that may be in the crop to grow too fast and destroy your whole crop before you can single them out. With clones though, this isnt a problem.

Indoors is a different story. You have the advantage of high pressure sodium lights (preferably a 400, 600, and 1000watt for different stages). Then they get not only the light, but extreme heat. Add hydro rocks, pumps, and ph testers, and you can get the real good stuff. But a potted plant from a good strain with those three lights alone, make great weed. I wouldn't use Miracle Grow indoors, better off with a high end plant food.

[Particle Man]

2 acres with a walk-behind...yep that is definitely exercise. :lol:


Holy hell!!!!!!!!

there are times when this philosophy backfires, believe me :lol:

[101lifts2]

I use a gas mower with a converter and oxygen sensor.