The Basics of Outdoor Cannabis Growing

For what it’s worth, growing cannabis outdoors is a cultivation method that many growers consider as the best approach. It is the most traditional and natural way of producing marijuana plants. Growing cannabis outdoors has withstood the tests of time. It has proven that people who cultivate marijuana plants, regardless of experience or the climates, can successfully produce their batch of weed buds during harvests! 

While it is quite easy to imagine how a setup for cannabis outdoors would look like, there are actually quite several different factors and considerations to take note of. From all the pieces of equipment that you are going to have to input in your setup to the strict timeline and scheduling of your growing operation. Growing cannabis outdoors isn’t exactly a walk in the park! It is, however, not all that hard to do as long as you take the necessary steps to know what you’re getting yourself into! 

Let us take a deeper dive into growing cannabis outdoors and see how you can improve on your chosen setups!

What Separates Outdoor Growing From Indoor Growing?

Because using an indoor setup for cultivating weed seeds came much more recently than growing outdoors, there are a lot of stark contrasts between the two. There is no doubt that cannabis plants prefer a more natural and outdoor environment. This is why indoor setups emulate these conditions in their cultivation spaces. But while this is one similarity that they share, you will notice a lot more differences if you have actually used both methods of growing.

Here, We Take A Look At The Specific Areas Where An Indoor Grow Room Will Prove To Be Different From A Setup For Cannabis Outdoors:

• Control Over The Growing Environment – The most distinguishable contrast between the two growing methods is the degree of control given over the climates and weather. Normally, an indoor garden is designed to give growers complete control over their setups whereas this is a lot less possible in an outdoor garden. Obviously, it will be easier to control the humidity and temperature levels with equipment compared to the natural climates outdoors.
• Timeline of Growing – Another main difference to consider for growing cannabis outdoors or indoors is the timeline. Normally, you will need to schedule and plan your outdoor growing operations based on the different seasons of the year. Since these timeframes will be bringing different temperatures and hours of daylight. These can greatly affect the overall growth of your weed crops! On the other hand, you can practically grow cannabis plants at any time of the year. In an indoor setup. Because you will have full control over the climates, simply adjusting them at different stages of the cannabis plants’ lives will suffice. 
• Different Marijuana Strains – Marijuana strains are also usually classified as to whether they grow better in an indoor or outdoor environment. While cannabis plants, in general, are known for their durable structures and capability to withstand any growing condition that they are grown in, keeping them under their desired environments will undoubtedly maximize their growth potential and ability to produce high yields. Indica strains are known to withstand cooler temperatures better whereas Sativa strains will need wide spaces and long hours of sunlight to thrive. Basing your weed seed choices on these characteristics can give you a general idea of what strain to grow. 
• The Deal-Breaker
  • Costs of Setup – This factor might be the main deal-breaker for a lot of you guys out there. Outdoor growing makes use of the natural elements present around the growing area. This means free sunlight, air circulation, inherent temperatures and humidity levels, and rainwater. Indoor gardens, on the other hand, will mainly rely on a set of tools and equipment to emulate such an environment! These machines can come at an expensive price. While you can still use equipment in your outdoor growing operations, it will be nowhere nearly as costly as operating an indoor garden! This also makes operating an outdoor garden much easier for beginners and amateur growers. 
  • Protection Over the Plants – When you are exposed to the organic and natural elements of Mother Earth, then you will surely be more exposed to the dangers of it as well. Things such as earth rodents, pests, insect infestations, and even calamities can put your marijuana plants in danger. This is especially true in an outdoor garden. While it is also possible for indoor setups to experience this, it is a lot less likely due to being kept in a secure and well-regulated environment.

Why Do People Grow Cannabis Outdoors?

While indoor setups seem to give more value to your cannabis plants as opposed to outdoor setups, there are quite several benefits to get from growing cannabis outdoors. You might not have full control over your gardens but you can still feel pretty good about the outcomes of a properly maintained outdoor setup! 

When growing your cannabis outdoors, you can get:

• Bigger yields due to the natural environments that your plants are exposed to.
• Bigger plants due to having no restrictions in the ceiling space for your plants.
• Free and natural sunlight and air in addition to having to worry less about controlling the temperatures. Living in a place with long hours of sunlight is a perfect setup for outdoor growing. 
• Growing cannabis outdoors promotes a much more organic and sustainable growing operation. Not only will this be healthy for your plants, but you also won’t be damaging the Earth when doing so!
• It is a much more viable option for beginner growers due to the ease and convenience of having to rely less on artificial sources of sunlight, air, and temperature control. 

With the right mindset and dedication to keeping your plants healthy and fresh, outdoor growing can be just as productive and beneficial as any other growing method out there! It is no wonder why a lot of experienced cannabis cultivators will instead opt for growing cannabis outdoors. With it being done for many years now, you can definitely get buds of the highest quality for this! 

Tips And Tricks For Growing Cannabis Outdoors:

While we won’t dwell too much on the details of a complete outdoor setup, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to improve your growing operations outdoors! In an outdoor garden, you are going to have to do a lot more than just hope for the best outcome. It will require some pretty fundamental processes that will keep you busy for many hours to come.

But with the help of these tips to guide you through the whole growing operation, there is definitely a reward while growing cannabis outdoors!

Advanced planning is crucial outdoors

There is what is known as the outdoor cannabis growing calendar and, depending on where your gardens are located, is the main basis of when to properly start your outdoor growing operations. You see, growing cannabis outdoors brings the luxury of having to consider the different seasons occurring in a given year. 

Having a proper timeline of when to buy, germinate, maintain, and harvest the plants of your marijuana seeds is crucial for outdoor growing. Because a slight difference or delay in the schedule can cause some fluctuations in the way your plants grow. Keep in mind, the seasons will bring different temperatures and hours of daylight for a certain period of time. Timeframes of the Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox, and Winter Solstice are all dates that you will need to keep in mind! 

Learn How To Properly Time Your Harvests

Leaving the marijuana buds on their branches for too long can cause them to develop an unenjoyable concentration of THC and terpene profiles. This will cause them to become overripe. This could lead to even the most experienced smokers, a tough time consuming these buds. 

On the other hand, an immature harvest can lead to the underdevelopment of your buds. These will turn out to be much less potent and stale than what they are capable of being. Without many flavors and smells going on, your smoking experiences might not be as enjoyable as they should be.

The perfect timing of harvests outdoors will also require you to consider the weather. You will want to anticipate whether a rainstorm might hit your crops or if winter starts coming around the corner. While you will be able to cure and dry your buds right after harvests, having fewer amounts of water content built up in them will make the whole process easier. 

Choose The Right Genetics For Outdoor Growing

As we have said, the ability of marijuana seeds to thrive in an outdoor environment will differ with each strain. There are  bunch of cannabis genetics that thrive and prosper in more natural climates and organic setups! If you live in a place with hot and sunny days, then these certain strains will give you a lot of value for your money. Moreover, growing them in wet and damp climates will also be no problem for these bad boys!

These will typically be mold-resistant strains that display a high durability level. Some premium strains that are great for outdoor growing include Blue Dream, Granddaddy Purple, Super Lemon Haze, and Bubble Gum. There are also loads of other strains out there that can bring you enormous yields when cultivated outdoors! 

Spacing, Area Location, And Soil

Don’t just go ahead and stick your seeds into any patch of dirt found in your backyards. Try considering the location and accessibility of this area to see if it is viable for outdoor growing. Some questions to ask yourself would be: Where does the sun hit the most? Are my plants getting enough shade? If I do decide to use lighting and ventilation systems, where do I place them? Is this a stealthy location? Are my plants too close to neighboring houses?

Taking all of this into account will definitely help increase the convenience and comfortability of growing cannabis outdoors. Also, you will be able to fully take advantage of how and when the natural elements around you will be acting!

One other thing, do not ignore your growing medium. Whether you use pots or plant directly into the soil, you will need to use some nutrient-filled soils. This will help improve the performance of your weed crops. The dirt in your backyards may already have nutrients in them. However, it probably won’t be enough to sustain the proper growth of your plants. Regularly check the pH levels to make sure that your plants are capable of absorbing the nutrients that you give them!

Make Full Use Of Your Environment!

Let’s be honest here: One major reason for growing cannabis outdoors is the cheap costs that come with it. And it is not something to be ashamed of! With the use of natural lighting, airflow, and temperatures, you will be saving up a lot of money.

Use the natural environment to your advantage and use artificial sources only when you deem the organic elements to be insufficient for your setups. Not only will this be more cost-efficient, but you will also have the advantage of keeping your cannabis under conditions that they like!

There aren’t enough nice things to say about having an outdoor setup for your cannabis gardens! It is widely used as the norm for cannabis cultivation. You can bet that you will be ending up with healthy and fresh marijuana plants every time!

All it takes is a little getting used to. The climates and growing calendars are things that you will generally master over time. As you continue harvesting crops from your outdoor gardens, you can constantly improve the way you approach your operations! Good luck!