ZELIENOPLE — Turns out, Jed Beachem has a really green thumb.

Bummer.

Beachem, with just a few seeds provided by a friend, some pots and soil from a hardware store and a how-to book, is accused of sprouting 62 marijuana plants.

Accordingly, Zelienople police on Tuesday charged the 21-year-old borough man with 62 counts each of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance.

Employees at Universal Scaffolding on West New Castle Street in August came across the suspected illegal plants in 14 separate planters in back of the business.

Seeking to unearth the unknown grower's identity, police reviewed video by a surveillance camera at the side of the building at the business.

On video taken Aug. 2, officers recognized Beachem as the man tending to the plants, according to court documents. He was also seen on video July 27, 28, 31 and Aug. 1.

His home is just a block away from Universal Scaffolding.

Investigators spoke with Beachem at the police station. He admitted he planted the marijuana seeds just a few weeks earlier, police said.

He got the seeds from a buddy and he got a book from another buddy on how to grow marijuana.

"Beachem would walk to Universal every other day," according to a police affidavit, "to water the plants and put them in the sun."

Police Chief Jim Miller said the defendant apparently picked the location for its convenience to his home and to keep his identity secret in case someone found the plants.

Beachem said he was aware of the security camera on the side of the building, "but did not think it was pointing in the direction he was at," the affidavit said.

The suspect, meanwhile, took the officers to nearby railroad tracks, where he was allegedly growing another marijuana plant.

In addition to the drug charges, Beachem is charged with trespass for being on the business property.