You may select to learn ways to grow weed outdoors instead of indoors if you are given an option. Several growers may prefer to grow marijuana outdoors for several reasons. Preparing a garden in places like the backyard is quite different compared to setting them indoors. Our post today focuses mainly on growing Island Twist feminized seed strains outdoors.
Understanding how the process works is vital before placing the seeds in the ground. You can search online or even the local communities of growers to get some advice. Our post today serves as a guide to growing cannabis outdoors for dummies!
Perks of Growing Marijuana Outdoors
One of the significant benefits of knowing how to grow weeds outdoors is that it can be cheaper than growing them indoors. You may not need indoor supplies like carbon fiber. The sunlight here is the central or prime energy source; therefore, you need not buy any growing lights for this purpose. The lack of light bulbs saves a lot on the cost of energy.
The other benefit is that the cannabis plants have the space to reach out to their complete potential. A few growers may prefer the outdoors since the crops have their distinctive aroma or flavor. Overall, growers can avail of bigger weed plants and avail greater yields. They can even grow about six feet in height since they are long and healthy.
Outdoor Cannabis Grow Preparations
You may have to prepare the garden before planting the seeds, similar to indoor growing. There are a few things to understand about growing weed outdoors:
- Plan Your Grow
It is a requisite action at planning when you are growing your plants. Every region of the country is different, and factors like the levels of altitude and precipitation influence when the seeds enter the ground. In the entirety, the ideal time for growing marijuana outdoors is anywhere between late April and mid-May.
Due to cold temperatures, planning too early in the year affects the plant's health. If you are starting late, the crops may not get sufficient time. The right amount of sunlight in a day can change with the seasons, while a few strains depend on the life cycle to flower.
The Cannabis plants generally take about three to eight months to grow. Therefore, you may wish for a reasonable amount of time for them to go through the entire growing stages. You can also expect harvesting at any time between September and November. Indeed, you can buy and germinate the weed seeds several weeks before the planting period.
- Seeds or Clones
When it comes to the right time to purchase cannabis seeds, you can check out numerous options available in the market today. You can select between growing weeds from the clones or seeds. Among the seed variants involved are feminized, regular, and autoflower strains. Overall, plants coming from these seeds are robust and highly resistant to diseases.
The autoflower seeds are more likely to increase than the rest however are more diminutive. The feminized plants are growing bigger by eliminating the risk of pollination. A few people even select the regular seeds for creating their unique strains. One of the negatives involved here is the plant from seeds becoming more fragile during the seedling stage that needs more excellent care to stay alive.
Otherwise, you can select the clones, mainly the branches cut out from the primary marijuana plant. They even have their own established rooting systems that grow into plants. Clones work flawlessly under the sun and are an excellent choice for beginners to learn how they can grow the weed outdoors. But, they even require planting them immediately due to the limited choices.
Picking the Best Place for Growing Weed Outdoors
The temperature needs to be above 60 degrees but below 85 degrees. It should not be highly windy as you need a place with plenty of breezes that comes out of the leaves. Discovering the spot is a challenge in itself. However, marijuana is quite decent to adapt to various locations. Plants need not get exposed to excessive rains. The soils used here have a pH range between 5.5 and 6.5.
Taller barriers can safeguard against heavier winds offering the best security. When deciding where to plant this cannabis, locate the spot facing south or under the sun's archways, and it can make sure that plants get the direct sunlight possible.
You can choose multiple locations whenever you learn how to grow the weed outdoors, including places in your backyards. Placing the plant in a pot can help them grow on a balcony. There are a few growers placing plants on the roof terrace getting a good amount of sunlight. You can also plant the seeds in the forest. Bring the premade soil whenever the soil is acidic.
Get the Best Soil
You can buy some soil from the store or use the native soil. There are a few fundamental consistencies, each of which varies: clay, silt, and sand.
The effective growing medium is soil with a greater level of silt in it. Silt consists of plenty of nutrients that retain water. But, the issue here is with the drainage. Sandy soil has a lower level of pH and higher oxygen levels. The higher levels of sand would mean that nutrients get washed off easily.
The clay soil can help stabilize the plants and retain water. However, it still does not hold oxygen well in it with higher levels of pH. People often select a mixture of clay, sand, and silt. The mix is considered a loan, with the most effective ratio being 20% clay, 40% silt, and 40% sand.
Loam brings about several benefits of retaining water, drainage, and higher levels of oxygen. But, the mixture is expensive.
Select the Right Container or Bag
Some growers select to plant their seeds directly in the ground. You must test the soil to ensure it is optimal for growing cannabis. But, people often dig a hole using a growing medium out of the store. Whenever in-ground, the plants have the freedom to grow more significantly as possible.
When learning ways to grow weeds outdoors, always know you have options for using the pots. Pots are convenient since you move the plants around, protecting them against rain or heavy winds. Clay pots are expensive, trapping enough heat for drying out the soil. Fabric and plastic pots are famous for being cheaper and having decent drainage.
The other kind of container you can use is a bag. Growing the bags are highly cost-effective compared to other pots used, and they are longer lasting. They even reuse the bags to grow marijuana outdoors several times before they need to buy the new ones.
Offering better Protection From Bad Weather, Animals, and Pests
When growing cannabis outdoors, people encounter challenges with lousy weather, pests, and animals. One step you can take for rough weather conditions is to tie the plants sticking or posting. The method safeguards the leaves from stronger winds, and storms cause moisture issues and break branches. Whenever the forecast predicts rain, start placing a plastic or canvas cover over the plants. If the crops are exposed to rain, simply shake the water off them, separating the plants at drying faster.
Try placing traps or nets underground whenever the issue is with the moles. A few people who grow cannabis outdoors may have to deal with the gophers. You can pour castor oil down holes repealing the creatures or using the underground cages. Try spraying castor oil, preventing raccoons too.
Bugs are the other problems with growing cannabis outdoors. One significant method to use is keeping the natural predators around. The ladybugs can feed off the larvae harming the plants. Indeed, several bird species are trying to get rid of the pests. However, you may wish to keep them away during the germination phase.
A few growers are building a robust fence to keep these bugs out and others to deter insects with the repellents. Oil-based insecticides also exist to destroy the bugs.
Final Thoughts
The world outside has quite a few perks of growing Island Twist feminized cannabis seeds outdoors. You can start your preparations to plant them now while you know how to grow the weed seeds outdoors. Cannabis requires ample care; however, it does not get complicated. Various supplies help first-time growers to get started!