When most people think about growing cannabis, they normally only consider doing it indoors for obvious reasons. There are, however, two other options you might like to consider, particularly if you have the space, and that’s outdoor cultivation or using a greenhouse.

The benefits people say about indoor growing is that you have greater control over the lighting, temperature and humidity. Outdoor cannabis growing, however, shouldn’t be completely ignored and the rise of easy to plant and mange, feminised seeds with good yields has led mean growers to move to this method.

There are many who also believe that if you have the right location, outdoor growing produces healthier plants with better yields.

Outdoor Growing is Natural

Cannabis is a pretty hardy plant that can grow in a wide variety of outdoor conditions. In the past, many people did this rather than growing indoors, mixing their plants with their normal garden ones to hide them away. While the big issue is always about safety, you can’t get away from the fact that growing outdoors is the more natural approach.

Even when you have the control of indoor cultivation, outdoor plants, assuming they aren’t attacked by bugs or disease, are likely to grow healthier and tend to be taller and stronger. There’s a lot less effort needed because nature takes its course and delivers the water and sunshine that you really need. The trick is to germinate your plants in pots first and then transfer them outside, making sure you leave enough space between each so that they can grow properly.

It’s Cheaper

There’s one undeniable truth about cultivating cannabis outside and that is it’s cheaper. You don’t have to find space in your home or worry about getting in extra lighting and maintaining the temperature. All you really need to spend money on is your seeds, a little fertiliser and the pots to start the germination before you plant. Those natural resources do all the rest.

There are also numerous cannabis plants that thrive in the outdoors as well, including:

• Power Africa Fast Feminised Seeds: Giving a yield of up to 550 grams per square metre, the crop is usually ready to harvest as early as six weeks.
• Auto Lemon OG Haze: A mainly Sativa strains that has a lovely lemon aroma when growing, it is perfect for the garden.
• Golden Berry: A hybrid strain which is great for producing concentrates, again it works well in natural conditions.

Higher Yield

Most people who grow outdoors talk of the higher yield they get from individual plants and this is what drives them to this method rather than cultivating indoors. Many also say that the taste and flavour, as well as the strength, are much better when you opt for the natural approach – that could be because of the greater exposure to direct sunshine than you get with indoor growth

Tips for Growing Outdoors

The first thing that you need to consider is where you are going to plant outdoors. Obviously, with many regions of the world, finding a safe location is imperative. Many will make sure that they mix their plants in with their existing vegetation. Others find a space well away from their home that they feel is secure and safe from prying eyes. You want to make sure that your crop has as much sun as possible, so a south facing location is ideal.

A lot will depend on the quality of your soil whether you get a good crop or not. While many cannabis plants will grow in a variety of mediums, health and quality still depends on nutrients to a certain extent. You can change the nature of a soil that has too high a pH or too low with compounds such as lime or sulphur. In general, cannabis prefers a loamy soil.

You also want your location to be sheltered. You don’t want your plants to be buffeted by the wind, especially when they are really beginning to grow in height. You’ll also want an area that has good drainage so that water doesn’t pool around the roots and cause rotting.

When you are choosing a strain to plant outdoors, be sure to do your homework and find out how well it grows under natural conditions and whether your soil and climate meets these.

Finally, you really need to germinate your plants and put them in the ground at the right time. In many northern locations, this entails planting at around June time so that the crop can reach flowering point in the Autumn.

While it might take a bit more thought and selection, growing cannabis outdoors has a lot to recommend it. If you want bigger and healthier looking plants, and you have the right location, it can be a lot better than taking up space indoors.