How to Grow Cannabis Outdoors

Nothing beats cannabis grown in full sun. And preferably in the open soil. Cannabis grown outdoors is more balanced. It often has a more extensive terpene profile and contains multiple cannabinoids. As a result, the effect of outdoor weed is usually less intense and more manageable than the same strain that is grown indoors. But that doesn't make it any less tasty. On the contrary, for me personally nothing beats smoking well-grown outdoor weed. Hemp has been grown outdoors for thousands of years. Due to the ban, the plant is illegal and is therefore often grown indoors.

Suzy's cannabis seeds for outdoor cultivation

Suzy Seeds has a wide range of seeds for indoor growing that you can also use for an outdoor grow. The seeds are feminized, so you don't have to wait and see if it is a female or male plant. Some outdoor strains have a short flowering time and others take a little longer to reach the end of the flowering phase.

So pay attention when purchasing seeds which outdoor genetics best suits your climate and which growing method you want to use. However, it is also advisable to start planting early in the spring to ensure a good yield and not suffer from mold in your plants.

If you live in the north of Europe, choose a variety with a fast and short flowering time. If you live in a warm southern area, you can also opt for a variety with a longer flowering time.

It's very important to choose the right strain / variety of cannabis. 

In case you are growing weed in an area where it is cold and wet. For example, like the Dutch climate in September and October. Then it is advisable to choose varieties with shorter flowering time and that are resistant to fungi and diseases.   Such as Critical Jack, Hollands Super Bud or Lemon Juice OG. Keep a close eye on the plant, so that you can see what happens in the flowering phase.

Growing cannabis outdoors is the easiest cultivation method, because nature does most of the work. A cannabis plant grown outside, has bigger yield as cultivated indoors.

Suzy Seeds outdoor Autoflowering seeds

The autoflowering seeds are ideal for growing cannabis outdoors. These cannabis plants do not wait for the days to get shorter, but will flower automatically when they are mature. If you start germinating the seed, you will be able to harvest the plant after about three months, depending on which variety.

The autoflowering cannabis plant grows smaller and has a lower yield. But their size makes them less noticeable and the fast life cycle allows you to grow several rounds in one season. When you germinate autoflower cannabis seeds in May, the growth and flowering phases will be in the sunniest part of the year. Also read why you should consider autoflowering cannabis seeds?

Tips & Tricks for Growing Cannabis Outdoors

• Don't start sprouting too early. When you start depends on what you want with the cannabis plant. When the days are still short, the young seedling will look for as much light as possible. The plant will then quickly grow in height, this is called stretching. This makes her unstable and fragile. It can snap or break, with dire consequences. There is also a chance that the plant will flower, which creates extra stress for further growth. The chance of night frost has passed by about mid-May. So if you already have your cannabis plants outside before then, put them inside during the night.
• If you do want to start growing outdoors early, you will have to help the plant with some extra light and heat. A heated greenhouse with lighting is ideal. But you can also pre-grow in a grow tent or partly outside and then inside under a lamp for the necessary hours of light. The pre-growing or pre-cultivation is done to grow large cannabis plants with high yields. Another reason is to make cuttings.
• If you start pre-growing early and the cannabis plant is large enough, you can make cuttings from your plant in April and May. However, you can keep taking cuttings until the second week of flowering. But these cuttings won't grow back unless they move indoors. Cuttings are a way to propagate your favorite cannabis strain and each cutting has an identical phenotype to each other and that of their mother. Hence they are also called clones.
• To allow your outdoor weed to bloom optimally, you can darken the cannabis plants. This means that you give the plant 12 hours of sunlight and put it in the dark for 12 hours. You do have to grow in pots to be able to put them in a dark shed. Or you will have to put a dark tent or box over the plant. Mind you, it must be completely dark. If you do this in mid-June, the outdoor cultivation will flower in July and August. So ideal. You have to keep it dark until the end of flowering, otherwise she will go into stress. If you start darkening in the 3rd week of July, you only need to darken up to and including the 2nd week of August. After that, the days are short enough.
• Place your cannabis plant in a sunny spot with plenty of ventilation to prevent mould.
• Give the plant rainwater with organic nutrients.

Growing your own cannabis outside is a pleasant activity. Gardening gives peace of mind and has a proven therapeutic effect. With a somewhat normal summer, an outdoor cultivation is always a success. Because you know what you are consuming for every bud that you grow yourself and you do not have to buy it for a high price in the coffee shop / despensary.

Advantages of an outdoor grow

• Cannabis grown outdoors has a longer growing period and will grow a lot taller than growing indoors. As a result, the yield per plant is a lot higher. With a single plant you can get just as much yield as from a 1m² grow tent with a 600 Watt HPS lamp.
• Outdoor weed grows and blooms gradually. This gives the plant more time to develop terpenes and cannabinoids, making it more suitable for medicinal use.
• With an outdoor grow you don't have to buy an expensive grow installation and you have no energy costs. Light, ventilation, heating and rainwater are free. Even on a cloudy day, the light intensity is just as high as an average grow light.
• Nature offers the plant natural protection against pests, vermin, insects, etc.

Disadvantages of growing cannabis outdoors

• The time in our outdoor growing season is limited. So you can't harvest all year round. You have to see that in one season you grow your stock of weed for the rest of the year. Keep a close eye on your calendar.
• You have to take into account the climate in which you live. Not all cannabis strains are suitable for outdoor cultivation in every climate. If it is early autumn, then a plant with a long flowering period will not be of much use. Without darkening or flowering indoors, the buds will not mature enough and the yield will be disappointing.
• If you are going to grow weed outdoors, you do not have full control over all factors. You may have the perfect spot in your garden, but you have no influence on the sun, wind, humidity and temperature and you have to leave everything to mother nature.