Inhoudsopave

Table of contents

Table des matières

Índice

Inhaltsübersicht

Outdoors is the natural environment for plants to grow. While it can be exciting to relocate your grow, there are external factors to consider that impact the growing experience.

So, what exactly are external factors when growing weed outdoors? These are things that impact your grow outside of your control. Growing weed indoors gives ultimate control over the environment and the resources your plant receives. Outside, you have less control over these factors and several others that may arise at any stage of the grow cycle.

If you’re considering outdoor growing cannabis, here are six external factors to be mindful of during your cultivation.

Weather

Weather is one of the most important external factors to consider when growing weed outdoors. Your local climate has a major impact on when and how often you can grow outdoors every year.

In Amsterdam, we’re used to grey skies and dry spells due to patterns caused by El Niño. Weather in your corner of the world has its own characteristics that make it suitable for growing cannabis at different times of the year.

If you live in northern regions with temperate climates, you can expect a single season for growing cannabis starting in April/May, right before summer. Growers in Mediterranean climate zones (think California) have longer grow seasons to accommodate two harvests every year. Those lucky enough to live in warm tropical climates can grow cannabis outdoors all year long.

Understanding weather patterns in your area will help you decide when the optimal time is to plant your cannabis seeds and harvest them before the weather changes.

Sunlight

Nothing is better for your plant than natural sunlight. We try to recreate the effects of sunlight using artificial lights for indoor grow setups. However, cannabis plants are quite savvy and always know when they’re bathing in the real thing.

Although you can achieve better quality sunlight outdoors, the amount of sunlight is often unpredictable. Timing your outdoor grow season is essential to ensure it enters the flowering stage when there is plenty of sunlight overhead. For regions with short summers and fewer sunny days, we recommend autoflower cannabis seeds, which grow faster.

Be mindful of where you’re planting your cannabis seeds to ensure they get enough direct sunlight. Also, watch the daily weather because too many cloudy days can deprive your plant of one of its most important resources for healthy growth.

Soil

There are tons of microorganisms lurking in natural soil that can harm your plant. Great soil is the foundation of a successful outdoor grow. However, it’s also an external factor standing in your way of achieving a bountiful harvest.

If you’re using natural soil, avoid using anything contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, unbalanced pH levels, bacteria, and poor drainage. The best soil for growing your plant has great drainage, natural nutrients, and aeration to allow your plant’s roots to ‘breathe.’ Sometimes, you may not even know you’re growing in unfavourable soil until your plant has already sprouted but falls ill during the grow. You’d hate to get halfway through your grow to discover bad soil, and you miss out on an entire season run of growing cannabis.

One solution is planting your seeds in potted soil that you leave outdoors. Even this solution requires monitoring because keeping it in a location prone to contamination can still affect the soil.

Pests

If you think your nosy neighbours are annoying when growing cannabis indoors, just wait till you have to deal with nature’s pests. These pests come in all sizes and love inviting their friends to interfere with your grow.

The fragrant terpenes on cannabis plants attract everything from bugs to deer and everything in between. Microscopic bugs love eating your plant and often go unnoticed until after they’ve done substantial damage—they may even be on the roots! If you’ve concealed a small grow in a natural outdoor setting, don’t be surprised to find deer nibbling on your cannabis leaves.

Monitor your outdoor cannabis grow for pests. Be careful with how you manage pest issues. Chemicals in pest control can harm your plant, and wild animals may exhibit unpredictable behaviour that may not be worth attempting to save your cultivation!

Legal regulations

Growing cannabis outdoors exposes you to potential legal implications if you’re not careful. Amsterdam Genetics ships worldwide, but it’s important to note the current laws for cultivation in your country. People located in countries where it is illegal are strictly purchasing cannabis seeds online as souvenirs and shouldn’t be planted.

Even countries that legalise cultivation can restrict where you can grow. Follow the rules about growing outdoors and the number of plants you’re allowed to have. Laws regulate the visibility of your plant when growing outdoors or prohibit the act altogether.

Accessibility to the growing area

Not everybody has access to an indoor grow space. Growing outdoors is an option for getting into cannabis cultivation. Before growing, you should always consider where you’re growing your plant. Visible plants run the risk of human interference, which can result in damage or theft.

A small outdoor cultivation for personal use seems discrete enough, but don’t be quick to let your guard down. If you live in a city like Amsterdam, avoid growing in places easily accessible to other people, like a rooftop garden in your building. If you’re closer to nature, avoid planting in high-traffic areas.

The more accessible your grow location, the riskier it is. Read our tips on choosing the best spot to grow weed outdoors.

Weigh all external factors when considering outdoor growing cannabis. There are several advantages to growing cannabis outdoors. While external factors are outside of your control, learning to work around them will help you achieve a successful outdoor grow. And always, starting with our premium cannabis seeds that grow best outdoors will help you yield the best results.