Many strains thrive well outdoors and are very likely to produce large yields. In addition, letting your plants grow under the natural sun will save you money on expensive grow lights and other indoor garden equipment. However, outdoor cultivation can be challenging for many breeders.
What does it take to make sure your cannabis plants give you large yields of quality strains? We answer this question with our guide on how to grow bigger buds outdoors in your Canadian home.
Pick The Right Strain
Bear in mind that many strains are not suitable for the cool Canadian climate because of their long flowering time. These include cannabis seeds from the middle or south of the equator such as Hawaii and California. You run the risk of your plants die because of the cold before they can produce any high inducing buds.
Pick a strain that is suitable for outdoor growth in Canada. This includes Vanilla Ice and Skunk XL, both of which are tolerant against the cold. You can also ask a budtender at your local dispensary which seeds grow best outdoors.
Another rule of thumb to consider are strains with a flowering period of fewer than nine weeks. These strains are less likely to end their flowering period in the middle of December. Auto-flowering seeds are also a good strain to cultivate because of their extremely fast growth development.
Allow The Plants to Receive Full Light Exposure
Cannabis plants need plenty of light to produce quality buds. They need to be in a place that gets full exposure to the sun with less shade. Your cannabis plants required around four to seven hours of natural light each day.
It is also important to give your plants a slight gap between each other. Crowding them together will create a shade to the lower foliage. Tall plants, including Sativa strains, need plenty of space to allow all of their leaves to bask in the sun.
Place Your Plants in Pots
Directly planting your cannabis plants onto the soil of your yard will limit your options to their placement. While there is an economic advantage of utilizing the earth for your plants, you will be investing so much on the spot where your plants will be growing throughout its growth phase.
Having your plants in an immobile spot can be a problem if there is a major storm coming your way or the neighbors are becoming wary of what you are growing in your yard. This means that you will need to build a fence or a protective structure for your plants.
Placing your cannabis plants in pots lets you move them when needed. With pots, you can put your plants indoors during days of heavy rains. Pots also allow you to hide your plants if your neighbors will invite a large group of people for a certain day.
Germinate the Seeds Indoors
Planting the seeds outdoors can be risky for any growers. These are essentially a delicacy among pests and even birds. The seedlings also have a high chance of dying from the elements such as the frost.
Before your plants start producing high-quality buds, they will need proper care during their seedling life. One way of doing this is to germinate the seeds in your home. You can easily monitor your strains indoors while being able to protect them from outdoor threats.
To germinate the seeds, place them on a wet paper towel on any kind of dinner plate. In addition, store the seeds in a warm place that is out of direct natural light. The ideal temperature for the seeds should be around 70°F to 85°F.
Always keep the towels moist as possible. Use a spray bottle to apply a spritz of water on the seeds. Avoid touching the seeds at any point in time. They are sensitive when the plant’s taproots break away from the seed shells. When the taproots are a quarter or half an inch, you can transfer the seedlings to starter pots.
The ideal pots should be around two to three inches deep. Fill the starter pot with soil until it is about ¾ full. Use a pencil or a pen to make a quarter of an inch hole in the soil. This will be deep enough for the seeds to spread its roots and not have a hard time to sprout. When transferring your seeds to the pots, use a tweezer to pick them up gently. It is a good idea to spritz the towel with water if the seeds are stuck to the tissue.
Like before, place the pots with the seeds in a warm place that is out of direct sunlight. This area should have a temperature of around 75°F to 85°F to give your seedlings a thriving environment.
Provide Support to Tall Cannabis Plants
Keep watch on the structure of your plants, this includes pure Sativa strains and Sativa dominant hybrids. If their branches seem heavy or are dropping during the flowering period, they will not focus their energy on producing their buds. This will translate into lower yields.
Use a string to provide support for the branches. Tie the drooping branch with the spring onto the central stem of the plant. You may need to do this two to three times during the plant’s flowering cycle.
Prevent Fungi From Infecting Your Plants
Fungi diseases can destroy your plants if you do not prevent it from happening. Your plants are at risk of being infected if they are in a moist or humid environment.
Fortunately, plenty of fungi preventive sprays or products will work on your cannabis plants. You can find them in most gardening stores. Apply the anti-fungi product to your plants once every 20 days to stop the disease dead on their track.
Conclusion
After going through our guide on how to grow bigger buds outdoors, you will note that the key to large buds is plenty of light exposure and proper germination of your seeds. If you are a new breeder, consider strains that are easy to grow. These seeds are highly resilient against diseases and boast a shorter flowering time.
