Learning how to grow cannabis outdoors in pots is an important thing to do. This is because some strains of cannabis love the daily exposure to sunlight which leaves them looking good and healthy. More and more growers are loving the outdoors setup especially when they are located on warm continents.
Not most people feel but growing cannabis outdoors is an enjoyable task you should encounter as a grow. Not only does it helps you get out of your bed but simply bask yourself under the heat of the sun. Just like your plants, a little sunlight won’t hurt! That’s why we’ll be teaching you the basics on how to grow cannabis outdoors!
Before we delve ourselves into the basic methods on how to grow cannabis outdoors, it is important to know why we are growing in an outdoor environment. Shall we start?
Benefits of Growing Cannabis Outdoors
- Cost-effective – relying on the power of the heat of the sun is a cost-effective way to grow cannabis. When trying to grow outdoors, this is the key ingredient to having a successful yield. All you need when trying to grow outdoors is a soil, plenty of fertilizers to keep soil nutritious, and your cannabis seeds. Growing outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to splurge money. This is highly-recommended in continents wherein the sun is constant.
- Big yields – when planting outdoors, the sky is the limit for everyone. You can let them be large and tall as you want. Plants that are constantly exposed to sunlight tends to stretch a bit. When they get big, they are still highly manageable. A plant that is outdoor planted could generate a pound of weed in one sitting. One good thing about growing outdoors is the amount of space you have whereas growing indoors may restrict the space entirely.
- Eco-friendly – growing indoors requires plenty of hours due to light and other electricity-operated equipment. The wind and sun are free! Let your cannabis be grown under natural circumstances. In this way, you won’t be paying hundreds of dollars of electricity bills.
- Very fun and relaxing – as I’ve mentioned earlier, growing outdoors is fun and exciting, to say the least. It is a good way to flush all those stresses away by simply going to your beloved garden. The therapeutic value in gardening shouldn’t be scoffed at. Plus, you can kill time just be roaming around your garden securing every plant at your disposal.
Basic Guide on How to Grow Cannabis Outdoors in Pots
While growing marijuana outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean spending too much cash, it is important to know that there are certain guidelines to follow when trying to grow cannabis outdoors. here are all the things you need to know about growing cannabis plants outdoors!
Choose the Right Cannabis Plant for Your Area
Just like any other crop, cannabis plants grow best in certain conditions. In this case, we’re talking about outdoors. Different kinds of strains will fare differently with certain climates. Sativa dominant plants are an ideal choice for countries near the equator, Sativa’s plant and bud structure are airier compared to other strains. As a result, Sativa dominant plants can handle high levels of humidity and rainfall, which makes them an ideal strain to be cultivated outdoors or in tropical regions. The only negative thing about Sativa plants is how long they take to flower, it usually takes around 14 weeks before they are ready for harvest.
On the other hand, Indica is quite stock and short. Because of their structure, they grow well under colder climates. However, they don’t fare well in a humid or wet environment that outdoors environment offers. The other good thing about Indica dominant plants is how quick their flowering cycle is, they will usually flower around 7 to 8 weeks.
This is a trial and error method in most cases. No matter what type of genes you choose, it is important to try it out first. Indica and Sativa plants can adapt to the outdoors environment as long as they are in favorable conditions.
Think About the Climate
It’s crucial to know how the climate in your area works. Although cannabis is highly adaptable to certain conditions, they are highly susceptible to extreme conditions. Temperatures above 86°F will stop the growth of your plants, whereas continued temperatures below 55°F can stunt and cause damage to your cannabis plants leading to death.
High winds and heavy rains can cause severe damage to your plants, this will ultimately lead to reduced yields and affect the overall quality of your harvest. It can also lead to powdery mildews and molds which can easily spread throughout from plants to plants when high winds are a common occurrence in your place.
Pick the Right Outdoor Spot
By far, it would be the most important decision you are going to make especially if you are planting them directly on the ground or in pots. Young cannabis plants should have an abundant source of light, the best quality of sunlight is during midday. As the season changes, your plants will ultimately have less and less sunlight that will trigger the flowering phase.
Especially in warm and hot climates, having a constant breeze is good for your plants. But if you live in an area where high winds are constant, you might want to consider planting your cannabis plants within a wall, or large shrubbery to minimize high winds.
Lastly, you may want to consider privacy and security among your plants. A lot of people tend to hide their cannabis gardens from neighbors who are judgmental and potential thieves. Tall fences or large shrubs of trees are the ideal options when planting outdoors, these type of setting makes your cannabis plants invisible to your neighbor.
For some, growers tend to grow their marijuana plants on rooftops and balconies. Whichever you decide, always remember that cannabis plants that are grown outdoors have the potential to reach 12 feet in height, depending on how much you care for them.
Acquire Some Soil
Soil is usually made up of three components that have varying ratios, clay, silt, and sand. You can plant right through the ground or provide soil for pots. Cannabis plants mainly thrive in the soil where nutrients are abundant. One of the best types of soil is the silt soil, it tends to hold moisture, warms quickly and is very easy to work with. If you want to get the best out of your plants and want good results, it is important to have your soil tested. There should be a soil testing service in your town.
Fertilizers, Fertilizers, and more Fertilizers.
Although it is not necessary as they grow naturally, cannabis plants thrive on nutrient-rich soil, in the form of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Commercial fertilizers can be used if you have a deep understanding of how these fertilizers work and the composition of your soil.
The best advice is trying to buy nutrient solutions from your local grow shop, luckily they are highly available and doesn’t cost that much. Also, trying with some cheap fertilizers won’t hurt too, some of these have nutrients the can be quickly absorbed by the plant, while others may take weeks or even months just to absorb the entire thing.
Choosing the Right Pots
If you want to grow cannabis outdoors in pots, expect that your cannabis plants will likely be smaller than those planted on the ground because pots restrict the growth of roots. In a wide sense, the size of the pot plays an important role in how these plants grow and offer root growth.
In general, a 5-gallon sized pot is more than enough to accommodate small to medium-sized plants, and for larger ones, it is advisable to have 10-gallon pots. Regardless of size, the next thing you want your plants to have is protection for overheating when temperatures get high, as pots can rapidly get hot under direct sunlight. When this occurs, it will strictly limit the growth of your plants, so be extra careful when the sun is high in the sky, keep them shaded whenever possible.
Give Your Plants the Appropriate Amount of Water
Although the cannabis garden can simply enjoy the rainfall brings, your plants need to get sufficient water rather than relying on rain alone. Large plants may even require 10 gallons of water during summer.
Plants grown in hot or windy climates may need more frequent watering as winds and high temperatures tend to dry out plants rather quickly. Also, remember that over-watering may drown your plants, the rule of thumb is to water it deeply and wait until an inch or two at the topsoil is dry, before trying to water it down again.
Always protect your Cannabis Plants
Without the capacity to control the setting as simply as you can indoors, you are more likely to protect your cannabis plants from outdoor hard environments such as rainfall, typhoons, and other known calamities.
High winds easily break the branches and overly stress your cannabis plants. Rain might be helpful at time but heavy rainfall might cause molds and mildews to form within your cannabis garden. Lastly, the most challenging part will always be protecting your plants from pests, depending on where you live, your plants need to have the proper fences to protect them from wild animals.
However, the difficult part is not the wild animals, but the pests like crawling and flying insects that can attack your plants. The best way to deal with these flying insects is to provide adequate nutrients to keep them healthy at all times, keeping your plants strong, vigorous can increase their resistance to these known pests. So, if you are planning to have a cannabis garden, keep them separate from your backyard garden as pests can easily jump next to the other.
Conclusion
Learning how to grow outdoor cannabis seeds in pots is a good thing especially if you are planning to grow cannabis plants. Although growing outdoors has its advantages, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be left alone and wait for them to flower. Growers should emphasize to take good care of them from the moment they are planted onto the last day of harvest.
Providing them security, plenty of nutrients, and allowing them to thrive in favorable conditions is the ultimate goal. The time it takes for these plants to flower may lose your patience a bit, but always remember that the day of the harvest is the day where your plants reciprocate all your hard work.
