Need help outdoor growing!
- Thread starter JC711
- Start date
Da420Monkey
Active Member
way easier!!! go check out strains and what suits you best for your area
SableZen
Well-Known Member
JC - The weather/seasonal changes where you are will allow you to grow just about any strain that can handle a little humidity. I'd take advantage of the long growing season and plant sativas though (just my personal preference to smoke).
Just be aware that almost EVERYTHING will decide to munch on your plants if you aren't proactive with protecting them outdoors. Wascally wabbits, deer, spider mites, caterpillars, boar, etc...
About the yield - Way to many variables to even guess. You could end up with nothing (likely), a few ounces (unlikely) or into the pounds (extremely very unlikely). But with just five plants and being new to growing - I honestly wouldn't expect any to make it unless you have an ideal location to grow outdoors and you do a lot of homework first. Not saying this to dissuade you, just have reasonable expectations until you learn the basics of growing.
Just be aware that almost EVERYTHING will decide to munch on your plants if you aren't proactive with protecting them outdoors. Wascally wabbits, deer, spider mites, caterpillars, boar, etc...
About the yield - Way to many variables to even guess. You could end up with nothing (likely), a few ounces (unlikely) or into the pounds (extremely very unlikely). But with just five plants and being new to growing - I honestly wouldn't expect any to make it unless you have an ideal location to grow outdoors and you do a lot of homework first. Not saying this to dissuade you, just have reasonable expectations until you learn the basics of growing.
Da420Monkey
Active Member
if your using indica plants they have a bigger yeild then a sativa, but as stated above you really do need to do some research, if you want good buds .take the time to learn all about them and how to make the best you can. 5 plants can get you a great turn out depending if they are all female and you have all the right setting, but as a noob you have alot to learn. you came to the right place and dont ever be afraid to ask!! make a thread when you start your babies and shoot me the link ill give ya a hand
SableZen
Well-Known Member
Hey man, I tried to answer your questions back by PM but it said it was too long... so I'll just post it up here instead.
Honestly, I would just use good bagseed for your first season (think of it as a learning season) - unless money is no object or you have a way of getting feminized seeds cheap... feminized seeds are just too expensive for most people to use while learning.
On my first attempt growing outdoors I probably went through 20-30 seedlings (maybe more) before I started getting the hang of preventing everything from drought to flooding to animals to insects to people from destroying the plants. And even then a lot didn't make it to harvest thanks to a tropical storm.
It's one of those things where you just have to jump in and learn the hard way. But just concentrate on the basics at first: plants need food/nutrients in good soil, water, sun... and to be hidden. So before germinating anything jump on the outdoors section of the forum and read/ask about soil preparation, nutrients and feeding outdoors. Soil preparation and feeding is important - it's not as simple as just putting the seeds in the ground and waiting if you want a decent harvest... definitely have to research and plan what will work for you and your plants, get a shovel, buy your amendments and nutrients, and start preparing a grow site (covertly).
Speaking of grow sites - when picking a spot, safety and security is concern number one. Make sure it's off the beaten path and hidden well. Short of law enforcement - most people that stumble upon a pot plant will rip it or report it and waste all your work. Don't leave trails/tracks to it, don't leave trash around it... be like a ninja of the swamp and leave no trace.
Second concern is making sure the area isn't flood prone (like most of FL is), there is a clean water source near-by (but not too close), and the area gets direct sunlight for most of the day. Rain (almost like clock-work in the FL summertime) will naturally water your plants most of the time, but be prepared to head out to supplement if drought conditions come about. Otherwise, flooding from the frequent rains/tropical systems are usually a bigger threat than drought here. You won't need to water every day - that's too often even indoors. The plants will develop deep root structures in FL sand and gain access to the shallow water table here. So it's unlikely you'll need to water them much once they are mature, depending on your spot, drainage of you soil, and local weather. There's no hard and fast rule with how often to water unfortunately - too many variables. But my advice is just to watch the varied plants near your home - if they start drooping from a dry period, your plants at the grow site will likely need help as well.
Random other tidbits:
Get green chicken wire (or equivalent fencing) and use it to put around your plants (or entire grow site). Work it in to local vegetation to camouflage it from both the ground and air. This will deter smaller animals like rabbits and rats from munching. Buy/make deer deterrent and use it from day one at the site.
Insect repellent/killer - A small amount of dish soap diluted into water and sprayed onto the plant will tend to drown any present insects without harming the plant. There are also quite a few home-made repellent recipes you can find here in the outdoor forums. Generally, you'll only be able to use insecticides/sprays during the vegetative period. Once flowering begins, your options become limited unless you like buds with bad chemicals on them. Research Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), get some, and start using it before your plants start flowering... caterpillars will literally be waiting for buds to start forming so they can eat them. Kill them with BT before that happens.
Anyway, this is getting longer than I planned so will cut it short.
Just one more thing though - if your spot is near a lake or any body of water, people will be in the area at some point no matter how remote. So make sure to keep that in mind and be double sure you cover your tracks/trails/presence in the area well. Consider what everything would look like from a helicopter as well as from a hunters point of view on the ground and camouflage accordingly. Be safe!
Honestly, I would just use good bagseed for your first season (think of it as a learning season) - unless money is no object or you have a way of getting feminized seeds cheap... feminized seeds are just too expensive for most people to use while learning.
On my first attempt growing outdoors I probably went through 20-30 seedlings (maybe more) before I started getting the hang of preventing everything from drought to flooding to animals to insects to people from destroying the plants. And even then a lot didn't make it to harvest thanks to a tropical storm.
It's one of those things where you just have to jump in and learn the hard way. But just concentrate on the basics at first: plants need food/nutrients in good soil, water, sun... and to be hidden. So before germinating anything jump on the outdoors section of the forum and read/ask about soil preparation, nutrients and feeding outdoors. Soil preparation and feeding is important - it's not as simple as just putting the seeds in the ground and waiting if you want a decent harvest... definitely have to research and plan what will work for you and your plants, get a shovel, buy your amendments and nutrients, and start preparing a grow site (covertly).
Speaking of grow sites - when picking a spot, safety and security is concern number one. Make sure it's off the beaten path and hidden well. Short of law enforcement - most people that stumble upon a pot plant will rip it or report it and waste all your work. Don't leave trails/tracks to it, don't leave trash around it... be like a ninja of the swamp and leave no trace.
Second concern is making sure the area isn't flood prone (like most of FL is), there is a clean water source near-by (but not too close), and the area gets direct sunlight for most of the day. Rain (almost like clock-work in the FL summertime) will naturally water your plants most of the time, but be prepared to head out to supplement if drought conditions come about. Otherwise, flooding from the frequent rains/tropical systems are usually a bigger threat than drought here. You won't need to water every day - that's too often even indoors. The plants will develop deep root structures in FL sand and gain access to the shallow water table here. So it's unlikely you'll need to water them much once they are mature, depending on your spot, drainage of you soil, and local weather. There's no hard and fast rule with how often to water unfortunately - too many variables. But my advice is just to watch the varied plants near your home - if they start drooping from a dry period, your plants at the grow site will likely need help as well.
Random other tidbits:
Get green chicken wire (or equivalent fencing) and use it to put around your plants (or entire grow site). Work it in to local vegetation to camouflage it from both the ground and air. This will deter smaller animals like rabbits and rats from munching. Buy/make deer deterrent and use it from day one at the site.
Insect repellent/killer - A small amount of dish soap diluted into water and sprayed onto the plant will tend to drown any present insects without harming the plant. There are also quite a few home-made repellent recipes you can find here in the outdoor forums. Generally, you'll only be able to use insecticides/sprays during the vegetative period. Once flowering begins, your options become limited unless you like buds with bad chemicals on them. Research Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), get some, and start using it before your plants start flowering... caterpillars will literally be waiting for buds to start forming so they can eat them. Kill them with BT before that happens.
Anyway, this is getting longer than I planned so will cut it short.
Just one more thing though - if your spot is near a lake or any body of water, people will be in the area at some point no matter how remote. So make sure to keep that in mind and be double sure you cover your tracks/trails/presence in the area well. Consider what everything would look like from a helicopter as well as from a hunters point of view on the ground and camouflage accordingly. Be safe!
Alright i have been researching sweet mary for a real long time now. i have figured out that growing bud is not a quick and easy project it takes time patience and really just experience from what i see. im still gonna go through with it i have to try. theirs a strain of bud called ruderalisn and im planning on growing that its ideal for unexperienced growers because they flower at any place but having second thoughts because of the lack of yield and thc concentration.
Cali chronic
Well-Known Member
Buy this book cannibus medical growers bible by jorge cervantes. You will save yourself much time and money for a mere 15 bucks used. Then you can grow big for the risk. Plus Gorilla Grow In door out door etc..
SableZen
Well-Known Member
Sorry again, but it won't let me respond my pm.
It works like this outdoors with regular cannabis plants (non-autos):
Spring comes - Temperatures warm up enough to initiate germination and plants start growing. The days start getting longer and the nights start getting shorter. The plants recognize this pattern of increasing daylight and decreasing of night - and concentrate on gaining height, foliage, and a root system.
Summer comes - the daylight hours are the longest they'll be all year. The plants concentrate on growing height/foliage/roots to be ready to flower in the fall.
Fall comes - the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. The plants recognize this as a sign that summer is ending and winter is coming soon. The plants begin concentrating on putting out flowers/buds before they freeze and die. We harvest them before a freeze comes and as the plant is ending its natural life cycle.
Winter comes - The days are short and the nights long + freezing temperatures. Marijuana plants that haven't died, will usually do so at the first good frost. Pollinated seeds from flowering will drop and wait until spring - and start the cycle over.
You will not need to do a thing about light schedules outdoors if you want a fall harvest (besides making sure your grow spot gets direct sunlight throughout the day). Only in indoor growing with artificial lighting does one have to worry about artificial light schedules (usually) and how it impacts flowering.
However:
Autoflowering plants don't pay attention to night/day light patterns when it comes to flowering. They grow, mature, and produce flowers/bud as soon as they are able. This is good if you don't want to wait until fall for a harvest or if you grow during the winter season - the trade-off is they are going to be smaller plants (less yield).
I'd say autoflowering strains are great for the impatient, for people that live in areas with short growing seasons, for off-season growing, for the paranoid/safe (small/squat plants are easier to hide or even move), or indoor growers with space issues.
On the downside, feminized autoflowering seeds are expensive - especially when you factor in the smaller potential yields.
So it just depends on your goals when it comes to whether to use auto-flowering plants... or not. I don't have anything against them, just would rather put my time and effort into a full season grow with regularly flowering plants outdoors if possible.
It works like this outdoors with regular cannabis plants (non-autos):
Spring comes - Temperatures warm up enough to initiate germination and plants start growing. The days start getting longer and the nights start getting shorter. The plants recognize this pattern of increasing daylight and decreasing of night - and concentrate on gaining height, foliage, and a root system.
Summer comes - the daylight hours are the longest they'll be all year. The plants concentrate on growing height/foliage/roots to be ready to flower in the fall.
Fall comes - the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. The plants recognize this as a sign that summer is ending and winter is coming soon. The plants begin concentrating on putting out flowers/buds before they freeze and die. We harvest them before a freeze comes and as the plant is ending its natural life cycle.
Winter comes - The days are short and the nights long + freezing temperatures. Marijuana plants that haven't died, will usually do so at the first good frost. Pollinated seeds from flowering will drop and wait until spring - and start the cycle over.
You will not need to do a thing about light schedules outdoors if you want a fall harvest (besides making sure your grow spot gets direct sunlight throughout the day). Only in indoor growing with artificial lighting does one have to worry about artificial light schedules (usually) and how it impacts flowering.
However:
Autoflowering plants don't pay attention to night/day light patterns when it comes to flowering. They grow, mature, and produce flowers/bud as soon as they are able. This is good if you don't want to wait until fall for a harvest or if you grow during the winter season - the trade-off is they are going to be smaller plants (less yield).
I'd say autoflowering strains are great for the impatient, for people that live in areas with short growing seasons, for off-season growing, for the paranoid/safe (small/squat plants are easier to hide or even move), or indoor growers with space issues.
On the downside, feminized autoflowering seeds are expensive - especially when you factor in the smaller potential yields.
So it just depends on your goals when it comes to whether to use auto-flowering plants... or not. I don't have anything against them, just would rather put my time and effort into a full season grow with regularly flowering plants outdoors if possible.