Outdoor cannabis cultivation guide | Outdoor Grow-Guide
Growing cannabis outdoors: Outdoor growing has significant advantages, such as high yields at comparatively low cultivation costs.
In any case, Mother Sun will not charge for the energy she provides. Conversely, when growing cannabis outdoors, you are exposed to all the whims of nature. Good knowledge of the local climatic conditions is therefore just as important as being prepared for possible capricious weather conditions.
As the weather is also decisive for the start and end of the outdoor grow, we will come back to this in more detail.
This step-by-step guide to growing cannabis outdoors is full of tips for the perfect grow process with high yields and good quality!
Growing cannabis outdoors – what do you need?
1. The right place for outdoor growing – The requirements
Logically, the entire project depends on a suitable location. We’d like to briefly outline the conditions the site should meet for the expansion.
1.
Seclusion is extremely important, as we don’t want to attract the attention of others. It’s important to keep in mind that not only should we grow our plants away from prying eyes, but also that the scents produced during flowering don’t reach the noses of bystanders. A rule of thumb is to maintain a 300-meter radius from potential passersby to be safe.
2.
Since plant yields increase with increasing sunlight, the plants should be able to receive unrestricted sunlight from sunrise to sunset.
3.
A regular breeze is good for the plants, as light winds encourage stable growth and also protect them from mold. Even without water, the plants don’t grow very old. However, if Mother Nature should ever be too kind to us, we should be prepared.
Nearby trees or shrubs offer protection from environmental influences such as strong winds or rain. Of course, this protective function must not conflict with maximum sunlight. Adequate protection without shade is essential here!
4.
A fenced area not only offers protection from thieving plant lovers, but also keeps greedy pets away. This is especially important on balconies or terraces, for example, where adequate privacy is essential.
2. Growing in the ground or growing in pots
Depending on the location you choose to grow your cannabis plants, you’ll decide whether you want to grow them in soil or in pots. We’ll briefly describe the process for both scenarios, up to and including planting the seeds.
Cannabis plants grow and thrive best in nutrient-rich topsoil, which can be enriched with lava rock, worm castings, or guano, . For this reason, this article will focus exclusively on growing in soil.
You can read more about the quality standards we have for the soil we use to grow cannabis in our article on indoor cultivation. You can find the full excerpt here!
Outdoor Grow | Growing Cannabis Plants in Soil
The soil in which the plant will later grow majestically must be prepared accordingly. In detail, this means the following:
1.
A hole of appropriate size must be dug. Similar to growing in pots, the size and depth of the hole determine the plant’s growth potential. As a general rule, one-third of a plant grows underground and two-thirds above ground. Therefore, the deeper the root system can grow, the larger the plant can grow.
2.
Now the hole must be filled with nutrient-rich soil. Depending on the quality of the existing soil, the excavated soil can be enriched with nutrients and reused for filling. If the excavated soil is of poor quality, it’s advisable to spend a few euros and visit a trusted grow shop. There, you can obtain the appropriate substrate with which to fill the hole.
3.
It’s especially important to ensure good drainage when filling the hole. This means ensuring loose soil during filling to avoid overcompacting the soil. Additionally, perlite can be used to loosen the soil. To ensure good drainage, professionals use a gravel bed or drainage pipes, among other things.
Outdoor Grow | Growing cannabis plants in pots
If you only have a balcony or terrace available for outdoor cannabis cultivation, the plants will obviously have to be grown in pots. Each plant will need a small pot for growing and a large pot for the entire growing process.
For the small pot, a capacity of less than one liter is completely sufficient, as the plant will only spend the first 14 days in it.
When it comes to large pots, the motto “size matters” applies: the larger the pot, the larger the plant will be. If your goal is to grow the largest possible plant, you can even go for a 150-liter pot. There’s no upper limit here.
On the other hand, with the right pot size, the plant’s growth can also be adapted to the spatial conditions. After all, you don’t want a plant like this to grow several meters beyond the balcony or the privacy screen of a terrace.
Once you have the right pots, you need to fill them with nutrient-rich soil. This is best obtained from your local grow shop.
3. Fertilizers and nutrients for outdoor cannabis cultivation
When it comes to fertilizers, we distinguish between organic and mineral fertilizers. For outdoor cannabis cultivation, organic fertilizers, such as algae or liquid humus, are preferred. Due to their shorter shelf life, these should be stored in a cool place after opening.
The topic of plant fertilization is generally very broad, so we’ll first focus on the basics. The following nutrients and vitamins belong in the fertilizer aisle:
- Root stimulator
- NPK fertilizer (growth)
- NPK fertilizer (flowering)
- PK Booster
These four basic fertilizers alone enable a bountiful harvest!
Most fertilizer manufacturers offer starter kits that contain all the fertilizers needed for complete outdoor cultivation.
The following applies to fertilizing cannabis plants in general: If the foliage becomes lighter, the fertilizer dosage must be increased. If it turns dark, the fertilizer dosage should be reduced. The erecting of the leaf edges is also a clear sign of overfertilization.
The applied fertilizer quantities should always be recorded in a fertilization plan. This allows each grower to individually determine their optimal fertilizer quantities.
Step 1 – Growing Cannabis Outdoors | When to Plant?
In order to determine the optimal time to plant the seeds, it is important to be familiar with the climate and seasons of your region.
In our Outdoor Grow Calendar for Europe you will find schedules and monthly tips for different regions of Europe!
For a cannabis plant to grow well outdoors, the soil temperature should not fall below 12°C, and the outside temperature should be at least 16°C. To ensure optimal growth conditions, the plant should not be exposed to excessive temperature fluctuations.
Therefore, it is better to plant a little later than accidentally planting too early.
While here in Mallorca you can plant the first plants as early as mid-April, in more northern regions it’s especially important to accurately estimate the climatic changes of the seasons. The farther you are from the equator, the later you can plant the seeds.
As the days begin to get shorter in autumn, the plants begin to enter the flowering phase.
For best possible yields, the period between planting and the onset of flowering should be as long as possible.
Step 2 – Growing Cannabis Outdoors | Germinating & Growing the Plants
If you are working with seeds rather than cuttings, they must first be germinated. We have described in detail and with pictures how this works best in this article.
If you’ve decided to germinate your seeds in soil, as we recommend, your cannabis seeds should now be in the small pots. Now all you have to do is decide where the pots should be placed.
The best place to grow the plants is a mini greenhouse, as it maintains an ideal humidity of 80-90%. Under these conditions, the young shoots can develop optimally.
Even if you do not have such a mini-greenhouse at your disposal, the plants should always be grown indoors, safe from insects or other predators.
This is where the plants will spend the next 10 to 14 days until they are stable and healthy. At this point, they have usually developed the second to third pair of leaves.
Optimal watering requires daily monitoring. The soil should always be moist, but not too wet. We have written a few valuable lines about the quality of the water in our indoor grow article, you can find the relevant section here!
Plant fertilization is not absolutely necessary during this period. Only a root stimulator should be added to the plants as a liquid fertilizer or as a spray. For less experienced growers, we recommend using the manufacturer’s instructions as a guide.
As soon as the plants are stable, they can be transplanted into the large pots or into the soil.
Step 3 – Outdoor cannabis cultivation | The growth phase
The plants have been successfully transplanted and are now in their final destination.
1. Making plants weatherproof
At this stage, the plants are still quite fragile and could therefore be easily overwhelmed by certain weather conditions. To protect them from wind and heavy rain, they should be supported with plant stakes right from the start.
The length of the plant stakes should be adapted to the potential growth height of the plants. In most cases, 1.5 m to 1.8 m works very well.
As you can imagine, the plant stakes are inserted into the soil close to the plant stem. You can find various products for tying the plant stem in the garden center, but if necessary, you can also use a simple piece of wire.
2. Protection against pest infestation
As soon as the plants are weatherproof, they still need to be protected against pest infestation as a precaution. There are general insecticides that can be applied as a spray or added to the soil, for example.
We always recommend the use of organic insecticides before using chemical products!
Niembaum oil or nettle extract can be used in the form of a spray, for example. Diatomaceous earth (a mineral made from microscopic algae) or MealFrass is recommended as an addition to the soil. This is also an organic product that works like a pest inoculation.
Certain preparations can also be added to the fertilizer line to strengthen the cellulose walls of the plants and thus make them more resistant to pests.
Silicates, for example, are used for this purpose, which, in addition to their fertilizing effect, also help the plants to achieve a firmer cell structure.
3. Protection against fungal and mold infestation
Outdoor cannabis cultivation can also be affected by mold or fungi under certain weather conditions. Here too, the plants should be treated with organic products as a precaution.
You should obtain the appropriate products, including advice, from your trusted grow store.
4. Plant fertilization
Until Mother Nature initiates the flowering phase, the plants are fertilized for growth. Which individual products are used here is a question of faith. The grower’s own experience and the recommendations of the specialist are the basis for the choice of fertilizer.
Grow forums can also be used to incorporate the experience of other growers when compiling the fertilizer line.
As far as fertilizer quantities are concerned, the manufacturer’s instructions should be taken as a guideline. As your own experience is the be-all and end-all when fertilizing, it is advisable to keep a fertilization log.
Logically, the plant image must be checked regularly for over- or under-fertilization. We have already described the most important information on this under point 3.
5. Trimming the cannabis plants
There are common pruning techniques that help to promote flower production.
There is no fixed time at which the plants should be pruned. Every grower has their own recipe for success.
In our article Trimming cannabis plants correctly, we go into detail about different methods & techniques of pruning plants, their effect and the appropriate timing.
Step 4 – Outdoor grow | The flowering phase
Thick and healthy cannabis flowers are the prerequisite for a high-yielding harvest.
First of all, it is important to distinguish between seasonal plants and auto-plants!
While seasonal plants initiate the flowering phase as soon as the days shorten in the late summer months, automatic plants flower automatically after a few weeks, regardless of the time of year.
For both types of plants, it is equally important to adapt the fertilization to the flowering period. In general, it can be said that the nitrogen content is reduced during flowering, and the PK content (phosphorus/potassium) is increased.
As far as the selection of products and fertilizer quantities is concerned, your own experience should again guide you, recommendations from professionals, and the information provided by the product manufacturers.
Step 5 – Harvesting cannabis
It’s as good as done! If everything has gone well so far, the plants will have some thick, fragrant flowers covered in resin glands. To make sure nothing goes wrong as the plants approach their ideal ripening point for harvesting, we will list all the important steps for a successful harvest here.
Determine harvest time
When is cannabis harvested? Determining the exact time is probably the most important aspect of the entire harvesting process.
In most cases, the grower wants to harvest at the time when the THC content in the flowers of his plant is at its highest.
In some cases, however, growers forgo a few percent THC and harvest their plants a little later in order to control the effect, i.e. the high, as they wish. If the harvest time is delayed a little, the effect is more narcotic.
Regardless of when a grower prefers to harvest their cannabis plants, the right time can only be determined by good and accurate observation of the flowers. More precisely, the trichomes (resin glands of the plant) need to be observed.
Um diese Trichome und deren optische Veränderungen besser verstehen zu können, empfiehlt es sich unbedingt unseren Beitrag Trichome bei Cannabis Pflanzen zu lesen!
The coloration of the trichomes provides information about the current maturity status of the cannabis flower. If you are now wondering how best to observe a cannabis flower, you are advised to buy a suitable microscope, which is available for little money in specialist shops. No need to get too scientific now, only regular observation counts!
The harvesting process
Once the optimum harvest time has been determined, the harvest can begin. The first step is to cut the plant off at the bottom of the stem, or saw it off if it has done well.
Now it’s time to dry the cannabis flowers.
On the one hand, there is the classic Dutch version, in which the entire plant is simply hung upside down on a washing line like a wet slip.
However, if you are not under time pressure, remove the larger leaves from the plant first, as there is no resin on them anyway.
Another very common method is drying the blossoms in stacked nets. In contrast to the Dutch method, all branches and leaves are removed from the plant before drying. Logically, you need the appropriate nets here, which are also available in specialist shops.
Before we start talking shop about which option is better, we would like to briefly discuss the ideal room for drying flowers. The drying chamber should have the following properties:
1.
The drying chamber should be dark, as a lack of sunlight triggers the degradation of chlorophyll. This process is especially important, as no one wants to end up wheezing their lungs out while vaping later.
2.
Here, the guideline states: not below 15° and not above 30°.
3.
Humidity must be regulated either by ventilation or a dehumidifier and should not exceed 50%.
4.
Odor development should also be considered. To ensure that the project doesn’t blow up in our faces in the final stages, it’s advisable to protect curious third parties from the intense scent of the magic herb. We recommend a carbon or ozone filter for this purpose. The use of industrial odor blockers, such as incense sticks, is strongly discouraged. The flowers would absorb the aromatic substances, and it probably doesn’t need to be explained why that would be awful.
Let us now briefly return to the two common types of drying. The classic Dutch method offers the advantage of saving time and is therefore particularly suitable for commercial cultivation.
Drying in nets, on the other hand, reduces the risk of mold, as the removal of organic material improves air circulation around the flowers.
Drying takes 7 – 14 days on average. As soon as the flowers feel as you would expect from a perfect flower, drying is complete, and we move on to ideal storage.
The ideal storage of cannabis flowers generally corresponds to the storage of cigars.
