Plan Your Outdoor Cannabis Garden

For many folks, growing outdoors will provide the easiest option. You can take advantage of Mother Nature’s free bounty of sun and water to help your plants grow. Also, growing outside means you won’t have to invest in building or buying an appropriate structure. To help you achieve success, we here at DripWorks are happy to provide this primer on how to grow marijuana outdoors. Your first and most important decision will be deciding where exactly to grow your plants. Cannabis plants like lots of sun and prefer temperatures in the 70s or low 80s Fahrenheit. Try to plant them in a sunny spot where they won’t be shaded by trees, buildings and other sun-blockers. Too much wind can damage plants, but a gentle breeze can help aerate them and prevent disease, mold and fungus.

Water, Soil & More

Water is a crucial component to growing healthy cannabis plants, so plan accordingly. Low-lying spots can hold excessive amounts of water, especially if the soil is clay, while high spots may lose most of their water to runoff. Mother Nature won’t always cooperate with a suitable amount of rain. You can ensure the right amount with maximum efficiency by watering with a drip irrigation kit. Soil is important too. As mentioned above, clay soils don’t drain well, so you will need to add compost and other organic matter if clay is a problem. Sandy soils drain well but don’t hold fertilizer efficiently. If your soil has lots of sand, you should also augment it with organic matter. Before planting, you will need to decide between using seeds and clones. If you do opt for seeds, try to get feminized seeds, which will produce the flowers and buds’ folks want to smoke. Whatever you decide to plant, go for the best genetics possible. A little extra paid for the best stock in the beginning will produce big dividends in growth and quality bud in the long run. Plant your seeds or clones when the weather is sufficiently warm. This will depend on where you live, of course, but cannabis plants will generally thrive when other annual vegetables and flowers do in your region.

Fertilizing & Setting a Schedule

In addition to regularly watering your pot plants when they need it, make sure to fertilize them properly. Marijuana plants need the proper mix of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to thrive. Many fertilizers premixed for cannabis are on the market. If you prefer, you can mix your own with fertilizers you purchase or have on hand. Feed and water your plants throughout the growing season, making sure not to overdo it. With drip irrigation in particular, fertilizer injectors will help you with this. How long does it take to grow marijuana outdoors? That will vary depending on climate, genetics and many other factors. Generally, you should expect to wait for three to four months before your beautiful, bountiful buds are ready for harvest. We hope this information on how to grow a marijuana plant outdoors has been helpful. For answers to any questions, feel free to contact us on the phone or by email. When spring rolls around, cannabis growers start germinating their seeds to prep their garden for delicious aromas. In this section you can read about the best tips for how to grow cannabis outdoors.

Essential Care for Growing Cannabis Outdoors

When it comes time for sewing your seeds, everything’s usually planned out in the garden and all that’s left is to give life to the strains you’ve chosen. Depending on the choice, your grow will have certain strong and weak points – either way, there are still outdoor dangers to deal with and protect plants from. Nowadays, there are many strains that adapt to pretty much any needs; in the US, they’ve advanced quite a lot in the field of genetic research and other fields related to cannabis, and Europe is now a veteran when it comes to creating and stabilizing new strains. All of this makes for an incredibly wide range of possibilities. The specific care given to plants will depend mainly on the chosen strain and the particular dangers of the area its grown in.

How to Grow Cannabis Clones Outdoors

Clones are branches from cannabis plants that are cut off and then rooted in order to obtain a replica (clone) from the mother plant. As a result, the plant grown has the exact same traits as the mother plant. This allows for a balanced grow, as well as high yields as you can grow the same exact plant over different grows. In this post we’ll talk about how to grow cannabis clones outdoors, its benefits, and tricks to get the best results. Advantages of Growing Clones Outdoors Growing cannabis outdoors can produce great results but it also needs quite a lot of care; generally speaking, growing clones outdoors can save you quite a lot of issues and can provide plenty of benefits. You can replicate your favourite plant; you can clone a plant that’s growing indoors or outdoors in order to have smaller clones, allowing you to either share strains or multiply the size of your grow in no time.
If you’ve planted outdoors in the ground, you can take cuttings and place them out alongside it or even preserve the strain.
You can take clones from one strain and preserve them inside in order to plant them again next season. You can keep your clones indoors using a small grow tent and a low light such as an 2x55w fluorescent system to cover half a square meter, or a 4x55w in order to cover one meter. You can also use an extractor designed to get rid of excess heat and renew air in the grow. Cannabis clone growing outdoors[/caption] How to Grow your Own Cannabis Clones

How to Grow Feminized Cannabis Seeds Outdoors

Most seed Banks have a selection of feminized cannabis seeds and many of them can be grown outdoors unless the manufacturer indicates otherwise. Feminized cannabis seeds allow you to guarantee female plants, which are the ones that produce buds and the most planted type of cannabis seed. On the other hand, regular seeds produce both male and female cannabis plants and growing them takes more work. How to Choose Feminized Cannabis Seeds for Outdoors Nowadays it’s possible to buy high quality feminized cannabis seeds that are easy to grow. These seeds can guarantee a decent harvest at affordable prices, considering the extra expenses involved in obtaining high quality cannabis in a dispensary or by other means.

How to Grow Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds Outdoors

Autoflowering cannabis seeds or automatic seeds are obtained when light-dependent cannabis plants are crossed with Ruderalis strains. Growing auto seeds is a specific job, and you’ll need to understand where they come from and how to grow autoflowering cannabis seeds if you want to make the most out of them. Ruderalis Cannabis is a subspecies of hemp that grows originally in colder areas such as Eastern Europe, Central Asia and other areas with climates that aren’t right for normal cannabis. It’s known for its small stature, and low RHC content, although its mainly known for flowering automatically, regardless of the amount of light they receive. When crossing these plants with normal ones, autoflowering seeds are obtained, which generally start flowering towards the second/fourth growth week, regardless of the amount of light they receive. These plants have similar qualities to light-dependent plants, such as a larger amount of THC, yield and aroma and flavour (compared to Ruderalis).

When to Plant Cannabis Seeds Outdoors

Cannabis in its natural state is a yearly plant; seeds germinate during spring when the conditions are right and it grows until the end of summer. When they days get short enough, it starts to flower, reproduces, grows seeds and dies. During the winter, seeds stay in the ground waiting for the right conditions, and only some seeds actually survive. When growing outdoors, you should right for the right moment to be as efficient as possible. When can Cannabis be Harvested Outdoors? Cannabis, just like all plants, needs a series of conditions in order to grow properly. If you’d like to know when to harvest outdoors, you’ll have to keep in mind two conditions: Temperature: cannabis plants stop growing when the temperatures drop. Don’t start your grow until the outdoor minimum temperatures are above 10°C; winter isn’t the same in all regions of the planet, and temperatures can differ also. Get used to seeing low temperatures in spring; you can check the weather online or using an app.
Light hours: feminized and regular seeds need a certain amount of hours in order to grow and flower. In the northern hemisphere, most strains have the right amount of hours to grow from may onwards, and start flowering during august. The only strains that grow regardless of the light they get are autoflowering seeds. Even then, they still need a lot of light to start flowering properly. The pro here is that you don’t have to wait for the light to change for them to flower.

The 10 Most Common Mistakes When Growing Cannabis Outdoors

Every year we see how people repeat the same mistakes when it comes to growing outdoors, and we’ve decided to put them all together in one post to help others out and prevent them from making the same mistakes. Pay attention to these 10 common mistakes when growing cannabis outdoors and get ready to fill up your pantry this season! Germinating seeds wrong One of the most common and most deadly mistakes happens at the very start, during the germination. Germinating incorrectly or not taking care of the saplings can be lethal during this stage, so to avoid this you can follow these steps: Germinate the seeds between moistened kitchen towel; if you plant the seed in soil and water, you’ll most likely end up sinking the seed in deeper and making germination take much longer. Plus, when germinating in soil it’s much harder to keep stable temperatures between 20 and 24°C.
Take care of your saplings. Cannabis plants are never as weak as they are at this exact time; a soaked flowerpot can cause growth to stunt and even kill the plant. If you plant during spring when nights are still cold, growth can be slow; we recommend using a greenhouse or propagator to keep them safe. A propagator can also help to protect recently germinated cannabis seeds from birds. If you want more information about how to germinate your seeds, check out our post on germinating cannabis seeds.

Gardening Tools for Cannabis Outdoors

If you’re planning on getting started in outdoor growing, keep in mind that although it may be cheaper than setting up an indoor grow, you’ll have to deal with all of the problems that come along with an unpredictable climate. In order to do this, you’ll need to choose your growing material depending on your needs, choosing the right gardening tools that will help you to have a successful outdoor growing experience. Propagators and Flowerpots The first thing that your plants are going to need is a home where they can root and hold on to their substrate. The size of the flowerpot is super important, especial for photoperiodic plants.

Fastest Outdoor Cannabis Strains

At La Huerta Grow Shop we don’t want rain or bad weather to end up ruining your harvest. That’s why we’re here to help you to find the strain that fits best with your tastes and also allows you to harvest successfully; let’s have a look at some of the fastest feminized strains for outdoor growing. Fastest Photoperiodic Cannabis Plants for Outdoor Growing Photoperiodic cannabis plants can be either feminized or regular plants that grow and flower depending on the amount of light received. The difference in flowering times in these strains can make or break the quality of your yield when growing outdoors. Let’s go through a list of the 10 fastest feminized strains on the market. Jamaican Dream by Eva Seeds At the top of the list we have Jamaican Dream by Eva Seeds, the fastest sativa strain in the world and definitely one of La Huerta Grow Shop’s best-selling seeds for years now. This amazing strain fell into the hands of Eva Seeds in 2007.

There’s Still Time to Plant Cannabis Outdoors

When it comes to growing cannabis, you need to keep in mind that most cannabis plants need a specific photoperiod (light period) in order to grow and produce the flowers that we’re all after. This means that if you’re growing outdoors you’ll need to do so within the right season in order to obtain the best possible results. When Does Cannabis Flower Outdoors? As a general rule of thumb, the flowering period of photoperiodic cannabis plants starts once they begin to receive less light and more hours of darkness. This can be done indoors whenever you want by simply flipping your light schedule to 12h light and 12h dark. However, outdoors this happens naturally over summer at different moments depending on the latitude at which you grow your plant. If you want to understand when you can still germinate and if you’re in time to plant this year, first you’ll need to differentiate between three different types of cannabis plant: Photoperiodic cannabis plants: feminized or regular.
Automatic or autoflowering cannabis plants.
Fast version photoperiodic plants.
Photoperiodic Strains Growing cannabis outdoors is as much art as it is science. Many cannabis cultivators swear by indoor growing. You can control your indoor environment a lot more easily than an outdoor plot, and pests are less of a problem. Also, many states that allow growing require a person to grow in an enclosed area. Indoor grows are more practical. Yet, outdoor grows have a number of advantages. The taste and effects that come from sungrown cannabis are often deemed superior. Some growers claim that natural sunlight develops the full range of cannabinoids and terpenes (sunlight has various wavelengths, whereas indoor grow lights are often tuned to a specific spectrum, which can limit which cannabinoids are expressed in the final product). Other advantages include potentially massive yields and the natural environment’s soil and water (although some cannabis gardeners use coco coir and nutrients or a preferred organic potted soil).

Download Free Beginner’s Guide to Growing Cannabis

The only downside is that, due to the elements, outdoor growing is fraught with the possibility of failure. Here’s how best to ensure a decent outdoor cannabis grow, barring any major environmental changes or acts of God!. If you want more precise details with regards to germination, growth cycles and nutrients, check out our post on growing cannabis for beginners. Our friends at Homegrown Cannabis Co. also have an excellent article on growing cannabis outdoors, which we highly recommend reading for an even greater understanding of growing outdoors, and the knowledge being passed on by Swami Select.

What’s Your Latitude – How Much Light Do You Get?

Latitude is key to growing cannabis outdoors successfully. Where you’re located geographically will determine what time of year you plant and how much light you get everyday. Choosing an ideal cannabis seed suited to growing in that environment is also crucial. Here’s a rough guide: The Northern Hemisphere, 25°N – 50°N: Most cultivators start their grow by the end of March to the beginning of June, which is when the plant vegetates and forms preflowers that you can separate into males and females. The longest day in the year occurs between 20 and 23 June (summer solstice), which is when the plant starts flowering. The shortest day (winter solstice) is between 20 and 23 December. Most outdoor grows are harvested between September and November. Mediterranean climates are ideal for growing in this region. It is often possible to grow two large crops per year in such environments when done right, including long-flowering sativas. Outdoor varietals like Taängie (California Orange x Skunk #1) or Chocolope x Kush do extremely well in such regions.
Further North, and you may want to go for more indica-leaning and autoflowering varieties like Hawaii x Purple Skunk, Critical x No Name or Early Skunk x Northern Lights may be better choices. The Southern Hemisphere, 25°S – 50°S: The growing season starts between September and October, although some growers plant as late as December. Harvest time is between March and May. Outdoor growers can harvest up to two large yields per year in a good growing season. You can grow similar strains to the ones mentioned above, just mirror-flipped for the South.
If you go too far North or South, outdoor growing becomes extremely difficult if not outright impossible, as there’s not enough light and temperatures are too low. With that in mind, there are some hardy strains that may do well in climates that are a little further than the 50°N or 50°S borderline, like Hindu Kush, which can withstand harsh, windswept mountainside regions. Master Kush may also do well, but has a slightly longer vegetative period. Autoflowering varietals mixed with such Kush genetics could be ideal. Intertropical Zones & Equator: Lies between Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and receives an even 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark per day. These regions are perfect for large equatorial sativa varieties. Cannabis can be grown year-round. Cannabis ruderalis (autoflowering cannabis strains): Native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, this type of cannabis is dependent upon age rather than the light cycle to mature and flower. Autoflowering varieties can be grown from seed from June in the Northern Hemisphere and January in the Southern Hemisphere. A long vegetative period is not needed. Yields are usually lower, but is an excellent introduction to outdoor growing for beginners. Even experienced cultivators grow autoflowering varieties alongside their Cannabis sativa counterparts, due to their reliability and high CBD content.

Best Soil for Growing Cannabis

The best type of soil is loamy soil, which is a combination of sand, silt and clay soils, with a slightly acidic pH of between 5.5 and 7.0. Loamy soil is ideal for water retention, drainage and nutrient content. Some growers add bat guano as a natural fertilizer, fungicide and compost activator, speeding up the decomposition process. Many states have pockets of loam soil, including Ohio, Illinois, California, Oregon and Wisconsin. Many cannabis gardeners tend to buy their loam soil. If you are fortunate to have plenty of earthworms in your natural soil, then count your blessings and grow away – earthworms are a sign that your soil is healthy and nutrient-rich!

Growing Cannabis in Coco Coir

Coco coir is a natural fiber extracted from the outer husk of coconut, and is an alternative medium to growing in soil. Coco Coir is mixed with sand, compost and fertilizer to make good quality potting soil, and has an acidic pH of 5.5 – 6.5. Coco coir is also inert; it contains no nutrients. All needed fertilizer must be added.

Watering a Cannabis Grow

Too much water can drown plants. Too little can dehydrate them. Any rain will water outdoor cannabis plants naturally, but you may still need to water your plants. A good standard is one gallon of water per day for each pound of processed flower you expect to harvest from each plant. Water accordingly.

Best Temperature Range for Cannabis Grows

Ideally, temperatures shouldn’t fall below 12℃ or above 30℃. Some form of shelter from excessive heat or torrential downpour can be helpful; a temporary tarpaulin or a greenhouse is ideal.

Wind and your Cannabis Plants

Limited wind can provide a cannabis plant with beneficial stress, helping it grow stronger. Too much wind, however, can knock plants down. You may need to erect barriers or fences. If you plan on mulching, go for heavier substrates pinned down with rocks, as opposed to straw and sawdust. Mulch is a thick layer of material placed over the soil and around plants, used to suppress weeds and lock moisture into the soil, while acting as a physical barrier to drying winds and direct sun.

Consider Other Light Sources

Can you ensure that your cannabis plants will receive the appropriate 12 hours of dark time during the flowering period, and that there won’t be other light sources (e.g. street lights, light pollution from buildings and cars) that prevent your crop from flowering, or cause your female seeds to hermie (produce male parts and self-pollinate)? Appropriate dark time is essential for growing cannabis successfully and getting a bumper yield.

Cannabis Plant Genetics

Choosing the appropriate type of seed for the environment you are growing in is the best way to ensure you get the best out of your plant. Equatorial sativas are not ideal for growing in cooler climates, where indicas and autoflowering strains may be a better bet. A landrace variety of cannabis from, say, Brazil may not be ideal to grow outdoors in the middle of Massachusetts! There are many examples of great, vigorous outdoor cannabis varieties available here. For most people wanting to grow something sturdy and reliable, a well-established hybrid like Skunk #1, Blue Dream or Gorilla Glue could be better choices. Leave the rarer and unique cannabis strains for the more advanced growers, who may end up making a seed stock that’s more reliable in a few years’ time! Check out our post on where to buy cannabis seeds if you want to find the genetics right for you.

In What Sort of Outdoor Spaces Can I Grow Cannabis?

There are many locations where you can grow cannabis outdoors (except perhaps the front lawn!). These include: The Balcony: If south-facing, can receive plenty of sunlight. The fresh air and breeze can provide some stress training. However, growing on an extremely high balcony may prove too windy, and you cannot grow well on a north-facing balcony. Rooftop or Terrace: Receive sunlight all day long, plenty of rainwater, and much easier to conceal than balcony grows. However, rooftop grows are exposed to lots of heat and wind, and plants can be susceptible to being blown away or drowned during storms. Rooftop cannabis cultivation is more exposed to the view of any police helicopter cameras (the «eye in the sky»); so using other plants and camouflage is important for open sky grows. The Garden: Growing naturally outdoors in your own garden can provide one of the most satisfying feelings. If there’s plenty of space, you can grow many different plants together in a polyculture, which can improve the soil and control pests, weeds, and disease without major chemical inputs. However, garden grows are also more susceptible to pests and mold. You can grow in pots in the garden, or a garden bed with loamy soil. Greenhouses: Greenhouses can provide the best aspects of both indoor and outdoor growing, with natural light provided by the sun and protection from some pests and the more extreme elements. However, greenhouses must be properly ventilated in order to prevent stale air and humidity buildup. Plants may also become stressed and overheated during heatwaves. Guerilla Growing: This is growing outside of a person’s own property, ideally somewhere concealed and out-of-the-way. Guerilla Growing is one of the cheapest ways of cultivating cannabis. You are letting nature do most of the work. You also don’t have to worry about being caught with cannabis on your own property, which can be an issue. However, in states where it is legal to grow cannabis, it is probably more of a legal risk to grow in a place not your own. You also run the chance of someone else stumbling upon your crop and co-opting or destroying your efforts.

Why Grow Cannabis Outdoors?

Growing cannabis outdoors can be a bit of a challenge. We certainly advise most beginners to grow their first cannabis indoors in order to develop a greater understanding of the plant’s growth cycle. Still, few cannabis related activities are more satisfying than harvesting a large, sungrown crop that produces a yield large enough to ensure you will probably not need to grow again for another year, let alone go to a dispensary or other vendor.

Download Free Beginner’s Guide to Growing Cannabis

Well-planned outdoor cannabis grows may also reduce your carbon footprint, reduce or eliminate any non-organic pesticide or fertilizer use and save you cash, making it the better choice for cannabis consumers who are more environmentally conscious. And for anyone who is finding it difficult to get their outdoor setup running, enlisting some advisors and an outdoor grow kit will make your work simpler!

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