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Growing marijuana outdoors can save you a lot of money on indoor-growing utilities. Plus, if you grow your stash outside, you’ll discover several benefits beyond saving money on equipment.
So if you want to know how to make sure your cannabis plants thrive, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve put together a guide to outdoor marijuana growing below. You’ll learn all the steps you must follow and troubleshoot common outdoor growing problems so that you can look forward to a healthy harvest of this fantastic herb every time!
You can grow marijuana plants indoors or outdoors, with both methods capable of producing a great yield. Indoor growing offers the benefit of controlling environmental factors like humidity and temperature, allowing you to cultivate your crop all year round.
On the other hand, if you have sufficient space, there are some convincing reasons to consider growing your weed outside. Outdoor growing provides increased exposure to natural sunlight, lowers energy costs, and has the potential to produce larger yields.
Indoor weed growing needs grow lights and fans and adequate space, which can limit your available space for relaxing indoors at home. If you already have a smallish apartment, you’ll probably need every square inch of space for your furnishings and storage of essentials.
Growing weed outdoors means maximizing your indoor spaces for your lifestyle needs. You don’t necessarily need a big garden, although, of course, that would be ideal. Growing your weed in pots in a yard or even a balcony can work just as well.
Why spend lots of money on electricity to grow lights when rays of sunshine and breezes are free? Although affordable grow lights and fans are available, you’ll still need to spend money running them continuously. Those costs can add up quickly.
You can put your money to better use, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Taking advantage of nature’s free resources is financially savvy and eco-friendly. So, if you can grow your weed outdoors, do so!
No matter how wide or tall your cannabis plants get, maintaining and caring for them outdoors will be much easier. Rather than be confined to the available space indoors, you can choose how big a harvest you want.
You must, of course, consider the natural elements, which can vary dramatically depending on where you live. But there are ways of dealing with limited sunshine, too much sun exposure, or windy conditions. Usually, it’s just a matter of careful seasonal planning and optimal positioning of your plants outdoors.
Growing weed outdoors comes down to five easy steps. Pay attention to these, and you’ll give your marijuana plants the best chance for survival.
First, you’ll need to choose the spot. Consider the climate and typical weather in your area. Does the weather change dramatically from one season to the next? Is your climate a dry or humid one? Can you put up a lean-to or erect a shade net if it gets too hot outdoors?
Marijuana plants don’t only need sunlight but also the correct temperatures. A spot in the garden or on your patio with at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight and 5 to 6 hours of indirect sunlight is ideal.
Areas with daytime temperatures of 70-85°F, cooling to about 45°F, usually yield better outdoor growing results.
A constant, gentle breeze is excellent for outdoor marijuana plants. It promotes robust root systems and hardy plants as they learn to withstand the wind’s gentle pressure.
However, if the wind gets a bit crazy where you live, you may want to establish a windbreak. You can do this easily with a well-placed awning or by planting your weed behind a low wall.
Once you’ve determined that your outdoor conditions are suitable for marijuana growing, there’s another thing to consider. Will you be growing your cannabis in garden beds or pots?
This will depend mainly on whether or not you have a garden or just a yard or balcony. If your garden is not in great shape or has poor soil quality, get some large plant pots and soil at your local gardening center.
Location and climate are not the only important factors, though. Like any other plant, the marijuana plant needs the right foundation for growth, meaning the right seeds in the best soil.
The optimal soil for growing marijuana plants outdoors is light and loamy. You can create the ideal loamy conditions with a ratio of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. This mixture provides good drainage, moisture retention, and nutrient-holding capacity. Loamy soil allows for healthy root development and optimal nutrient absorption.
Commercial potting mixes designed for cannabis or other high-value crops can be convenient. These mixes are often pre-blended with the right balance of nutrients and amendments for cannabis plants.
Some growers prefer cultivating cannabis in raised beds with a custom soil mix. Raised beds can improve drainage and aeration and be especially useful for outdoor cultivation.
Choosing the right cannabis seeds is crucial for successful cultivation. But for outdoor growing, pay special attention to which ones are resistant to pests and mold.
Consider your experience level, growing space, local climate, and desired effects. If you’re a beginner, start with strains known for their resilience and forgiving nature.
Choose a size appropriate for your grow area and desired yield. Some strains are naturally smaller and more compact, while others can grow quite tall and bushy. Lastly, choose between regular, feminized, or auto-flowering seeds.
Cannabis cultivars are often called strains, and there are hundreds of different ones. Many may still be out there, unknown as yet. Decide whether you want indica-dominant, sativa-dominant, or hybrid strains.
Identifying the ideal location, prepping the soil, and choosing the best seeds will lay the foundation for success. However, the hard work is not over yet. You still have to plant those seeds and nurture the emerging young plants.
Remove any weeds or plant debris from the topsoil of your garden beds or the surface soil of your growing pots. Poke small holes into the ground, evenly spaced. Place a seed in each hole, and gently cover up with the soil. Layer the surface with wood chip mulch to retain moisture.
Your cannabis plants must be spaced at least three to five feet apart. This ensures that they get plenty of sunshine and air movement around them. It also allows plants to grow to their maximum size without overcrowding.
Water regularly, daily if possible, even once seedlings first appear. Keep the soil consistently moist, but take care not to overwater. This can cause even more problems as your cannabis plant develops and grows.
After about a month or two, you can cut back on the watering, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between watering sessions. As a general rule of thumb, it’s time to water your cannabis plant again when the top inch of soil is dry.
Ongoing care is essential with any growing, but especially outdoor marijuana growing, which comes with its own set of challenges. Almost all marijuana growers who prefer the outdoors testify to bigger yields. However, there are a few things to keep an eye out for when growing your plants outside:
Pruning plants is often recommended for stimulating more vigorous growth. In marijuana plants, this is most effective during the vegetative or early flowering stages. It entails cutting away leggy, unproductive, or damaged parts of your plant.
Cutting away dead, decaying, or infested plant sections is also essential. Always sterilize your shears after doing this so as not to spread any pests or diseases to healthy parts of the plant or neighboring plants.
Cannabis plants are harvested after their blooming period. Generally, indica strains are ready to harvest after eight weeks, while sativa is ready after ten weeks.
Trim your outdoor cannabis plants once the resin on the tips of the buds turns amber or a cloudy white. Trimming involves cutting away the large, iconic five-pointed fan leaves. You can also trim the smaller sugar leaves around the buds if they don’t contain resin.
If your space for hanging plants up to dry is limited, trim the plant before hanging it. This is called wet trimming.
Alternatively, you can trim after drying, which is called dry trimming.
To dry your marijuana buds, hang the plant material from a string in a well-ventilated area. The drying process can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months.
Dry trimming is a longer process than wet trimming as there is more plant material on each bunch that needs to dry out before you can trim them. It can produce more flavorsome buds, though, so it can be worth being patient!
You may want to wear disposable, non-powdered latex gloves when harvesting and trimming, as marijuana resins can be sticky and messy.
What you’re after when you harvest a marijuana crop is actually the buds. But that doesn’t mean the leaves and other parts are useless. They still contain cannabinoids and terpenes. And while these may offer a lower THC or CBD content, they can still be processed into hash, concentrates, and edibles.
You can also use the trimmings as a natural fertilizer for the rest of your garden. This will maximize the use of every cannabis crop!
Most problems experienced by outdoor marijuana growers fall into two categories: unsuitable growing conditions or pests and diseases.
Creating the correct growing conditions is relatively easy when you follow the above guidelines. If you’re growing your weed plants in pots, you can move them indoors under growth lamps and fans when necessary in adverse weather.
Pests and diseases are a little harder to control in the outdoor environment, but pest control is crucial for the health and growth of your weed crop. Insecticides and poisons on plants intended for consumption are always a no-no. Fortunately, there are natural pest control methods you can use instead.
Practicing natural pest control right from the start will reduce the chances of pests getting a foothold in your cannabis garden. It’s also the safest way to eradicate pests and diseases without impacting the health and vitality of your plants.
Sterilizing the soil you intend to use for planting helps eliminate many problems. Many lurking bacteria and fungi, which are invisible to the naked eye, may exist in the soil.
It’s easier to keep bacteria at bay if you grow your plants in pots on a patio, balcony, or yard. You can buy sterilized soil from a plant nursery and fill new or clean plant pots before sowing your seeds. But remember to observe the right soil type (see above) for optimal germination and growth results.
Before you plant your seeds in garden beds (or if you transplant them to larger areas after germinating), get your cannabis plants some buddies to keep the pests at bay.
Planting the right companion plants close to your marijuana plants will naturally repel pests. Basil, garlic, mint, and other strongly scented herbs and marigolds are excellent for keeping common garden pests away.
Cannabis plants are most susceptible to pest issues in the early stages. As they mature, their THC content offers some natural protection. However, although cannabis plants are naturally insecticidal, this is not always enough to do the job.
An organic fungicide and insecticide used nearby will help to reduce pests and diseases. Neem oil is perfectly natural and safe for marijuana plant leaves. It is effective against spider mites and their eggs.
The healthier your cannabis plant is, the more its natural pest control properties will come to the fore.
Organic growing techniques are practices that rely on natural products. Organic fertilizers, composts, and companion planting are all facets of organic growing.
You can improve soil quality through companion plants that rectify nutrient levels. This is important because insufficient nutrients, like poor nitrogen levels, can cause wilting and yellowing leaves.
Nitrogen deficiency in garden soil is a common problem but can have disastrous results. Plants must engage in photosynthesis, converting sun or light energy to food for growth. Nitrogen is an essential factor in chlorophyll, the green substance in plants necessary for photosynthesis.
But it’s easily fixed naturally by planting beans and legumes alongside your marijuana plants in the same soil. These are efficient nitrogen fixers for your garden. Take care to leave enough space around the plants, though.
Enough space between plants is crucial for proper air circulation. Good airflow helps to prevent the buildup of humidity, which can cause mold and mildew growth on the leaves and buds. It also helps maintain a stable microclimate and reduces the risk of pests and diseases.
Giving each plant enough space also ensures that they all receive equal amounts of light, which promotes uniform growth and maximizes the development of potent buds.
When cannabis plants are too close together, they compete for essential resources such as nutrients, water, and root space. This competition can result in stunted growth and lower yields. Providing adequate spacing allows each plant to access the necessary resources.
Growing marijuana outdoors is easy with the right growing conditions and equipment. But your success will depend on the climate, weather, seasons, and available space. It will also require time and effort that you may be unable to give now.
Fortunately, you can access top-quality cannabis products at Embarc. No matter how you like using cannabis, you’ll find products that suit your needs.
Browse our range of flowers, prerolls, vapes, concentrates, topicals, and edibles today and enjoy premium cannabis products your way.
