For Canadians, the outdoor growing season usually begins on Victoria Day long
weekend (May “Two-Four”). You’re aiming to plant just after the last frost occurs. Canadians are allowed to grow up to four plants per household; for personal use only. There’s a lot to consider when growing outdoors. Here are some tips for maintaining a successful grow in Ontario, Canada.
One of the first decisions you will have to make when setting up your grow is whether you will be starting with seeds or a clone. A clone may be helpful for beginners as the plant has the same traits as the mother plant, it will be fast but does run the risk of being weak and susceptible to disease. However, with seeds a tap root is created where more support, nutrient and water uptake is provided, yielding more rooted plants, and a lower chance of passing on disease, but you will get a crop with a wide range of female-to-male plants.
Transport your seedlings or clones into pots or directly into the soil. Using a pot will allow for more control over soil quality and can be moved around based on sunlight and other potential environmental hazards. However, planting directly into the ground allows for better root expansion and increased benefits from natural microbes, but lacks control when it comes to the environment. Like many other species of plants, cannabis requires specific environmental components to help it flourish. You’ll want to consider:
Sunlight: Cannabis plants love sunlight. When choosing a location consider that your plants will require at least 6 hours of direct and 6 hours of indirect sunlight per day. Be cautious of placing your plants near any artificial night light sources that may trick the plant into thinking it is daytime.
Water: Rainwater will take care of some of the watering when you grow outdoors, but you will still want to monitor the soil and provide water when needed. When checking for dryness of the soil, you’ll want to ensure that at least 5cm of soil is dry before watering again.
Temperature: Ideally, the cannabis plant will thrive in temperatures between 12°C and 30°C.
Shelter: When choosing the location, you’ll want to choose a spot that will provide shelter from temperamental weather such as rain and wind storms. One benefit of planting in a pot is the ability to move inside when needed.
Growing cannabis can be a truly rewarding experience. Not only do you get to connect with nature, but you also gain an understanding of the work that goes into growing quality cannabis. Do your best to have fun with growing and remember that at the beginning it’s always a bit of an experiment, so if something fails one year, you’ll be better prepared for the next. Happy growing buds!
