While growing outdoors is relatively easy, there are a few things you need to consider. All the below mention factors play a role in the overall turnout of your plants. Assess these factors before going ahead with your outdoor planting.
Climate
If you’re prone to cold weather or natural disasters, you will want to consider rather growing in a greenhouse or indoors. While marijuana is able to adapt to its climate, it’s a very sensitive plant. As you know a hot airy climate is where cannabis excels best. This is why it’s important to plant your outdoor crops coming into the summer months as that’s when the sun is at its strongest and your plants will get the sun they need.
When deciding on a spot to plant your outdoor your climate directly affects your choice. So if you’re in a province such as Johannesburg that doesn’t have excruciating heat all day or humidity, its best to get your plants into direct sun as early as possible as that’s when the rays are not at their strongest, but are able to give your plant the nutrients it needs. Ensure you watch her as she can quickly dry up in dry provinces, ensure she stays hydrated and if you happy with sun intake for the day, more her into a shadier spot. If your planting straight into the ground, we suggest a spot that gets direct morning sun while the afternoon sun is filtered. We suggest at least 5 hours of direct sun daily, for optimal results outdoors.
If your planting in a Durban climate, which is a lot hotter and more humid ensure it gets as much direct sun through the day as possible. Because Durban’s has more humid air, your plant wont dry out as quickly as appose to those planned in dryer provinces. You will find plants planted in a more humid atmosphere require less watering as they absorb the water from the air. Marijuana is known to grow at its best in these conditions, if grown correctly.
If you’re in a province prone to high winds and unpredictable weather changes, we suggest planting in a pot. This way your able to move your plant around and ensure its not getting damaged by the harsh natural elements. So you can move it to a protective wall, when the winds get out of control etc. Using a pot is viable if you don’t plan on having huge outdoor plants. From a 25L pot plant you could roughly get a plant to size of 1.5m
Soil assessment
In South Africa when it comes to our soils, you really don’t know what you getting. Any enthusiastic gardener will try out different soils in their own garden before being able to make an informed decision. Your able to test your soils using pH testers, if you have one on hand make use of it. If not you will need a soil that is slightly acidic. If your still not sure, go to your local gardening shop and ask them for a soil that is slightly acidic. We suggest giving your own soil a shot first, as we might not know what we are getting, we have some very good soil in SA. Make use of compost before you plant to ensure your soil is packed with nutrients before you plant.
Once you have your soil, you have your spot or pot, now what?
Well you have 2 choices, you either go straight in there and plant or you add some nutrients to your soil mix. If you are an experienced grower you won’t need much help here, if you’re not then we suggest sticking to the organic outdoor growing method, by making use of compost to feed your plants.
Some growers only give their plants nutrients when a nutrients deficiency is visible. This is the best approach for outdoor, because your control on the grow is less compared to indoor. Make use of EC testing and pH testing should you wish to go deeper into this. Remember outdoor growing has all the elements and nutrients needed to grow a stealthy outdoor plant.
Maintenance
Maintaining your outdoor grow is less stressful than indoor. While there are plenty of things that could go wrong, there is plenty that could go right. Watering your grow is essential, ensuring it receives the right amount ensures the photosynthesis that occurs is effective. Keep in mind that if you have planted straight into the ground, you plant is receiving water that is not visible to us via the roots in the soil. This and the odd prune now and then is what yields for good results. 
If you have planted in a pot don’t be afraid to gently move your plant around. If you see the elements in the chosen spot are not on par with what the plant needs move it. If you have planted into the ground, you might want to consider investing in netting and wire, or some kind of dome, so that it’s got assistance against the elements when needed. There are a few options here from cloches to cold frames. Many of these you can conveniently make with goods from your local hardware.
Keeping pests off your plant is no easy task. The healthier your grow the less chance you have of outside pests coming in and destroying your plant. A healthy plant is able to resist these pests, making getting an infestation under control 100x easier. Checking your plants daily to ensure you catch an infestation before it really starts is important when it comes to clearing it up. The earlier you catch it the better. There are many different ways to illuminate pest problems, from nutrients, to water and soup. You will need to assess and read up on it as it arises.
If you’re having no luck with your outdoor grow, you should consider your seeds and their genetics. Like all plants certain strains of marijuana grow better in certain climates. Make use of online sources to ensure your growing the best possible strain for your climate.
Send us some of your outdoor grows?
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