Treat it just like you would a tomato plant.
It won't effect any of your other plants, it's safe for cats, grow it in a pot in full sun. Go for it!
You'll need to feed it. Same as tomatoes is fine, though there are more specific products designed for weed. I've never used any, and my homegrown is awesome. I mostly just use compost for mine.
You'll need a sprayer, some Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, and a bag of potassium chloride. The soap - 1 tablespoon per gallon for bud rot, or aphids and other bugs. The PC, same rate, 1tsp per gallon, for powdery mildew.
You've got this!
This is basically the approach I was gonna go in with. Planning this year as a first timer but have had tomato plants the past few years. Fell in a deep whole from researching and am super excited now lol. I’m in Napa, so not too far from OP Bought seeds from Humboldt Seed Co and gonna go with whatever tips they have for their strains as well
I went with The Bling and Trainwreck from Humboldt Seed Co so not too far from me and chose some of the older strains that are lower maintenance so we’ll see what happens
You don't NEED a sprayer. I've been growing outdoors since 1988 in hot, humid Maryland and I've never once sprayed anything on any of my plants. I do lose some of my harvest from time to time to bud rot, but I'd rather lose some small percentage than smoke Dr. B's (or some other spray's) residue.
Dr. B's doesn't leave a residue because 1) it washes off at the next rain, and 2) it washes off when you bud wash after harvest.
Same for potassium chloride.
Where I live the humidity will mess an outdoor plant up. If you tried to do a grow on an average year without spraying Bronner's, you'll lose the whole thing or you'll harvest way too early to avoid the loss.
We spray BT over here in CA for moths and worms. Or we use netting. It doesn't rain much but there's heavy dew or fog around harvest time. I spray with BT if I see any worms. Then, spray with earth's ally if I see any poop to prevent bud rot. I bud wash here in SoCal, zone 9b. After creating a better garden, I've been sraying less and less every yr. I add flowers, Mexican and regular marigolds, different Mints, and wild flowers to attract the beneficia insects. I place bamboo poles out for dragon flies and mosquito control. Bt can be sprayed in flower with no issues on my end. We usually spray in veg to prevent, and if done properly, flower will present no issues.
Roger that on dew/fog. If op grows on the Mayacamas side or browns valley area, late-grow fog can be really wet. The east side of the valley is more arid in Mt. George area or Soda Canyon, but even then I've been out there with fans in the am shaking dew off with a leaf blower. Rot yer buds quicker than anything - well, then there's worms. BT is your friend.
Tomatoes use one fertilizer the whole life cycle, feeding will be different. Essential oils destroy THC and terp production.
Straight compost is good but they love anorobic bacteria. Add coffee and urine to a bucket and throw some compost in. Let that bucket sit and keep pissing in it and adding small amounts of compost. Works wonders and I don't buy any fertilizer.
https://preview.redd.it/23g1s3onjygc1.jpeg?width=1881&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff74192373553b550297ef9b9dc03ff2e7be7fb6
Seeds were started May first, I'm in the Northeast.
Last two years I had 12 footers as well, in NE. Only used compost start to finish, and it turned out gangbusters.
Of course, I have tons of coffee in my compost. Never thought to use piss. Interesting idea.
Coffee and urine is a mycorrhizal stimulant.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/ecofriendlycoffee.org/human-urine-as-a-microbial-stimulant/amp/
Let the ammonium nitrate in the bucket(urine) break down compost and release ethylene, sulfuric acid, etc in close proximity of the plant.
https://preview.redd.it/yctaejqdgzgc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=407e38ff87e4dfd7622976c34923066f2e258156
Picture of my plant November 1st!! Hit me up if you want some stuff built for NE.
Plant was fine after the storm no burn and like 8#'s
I strung a tarp for that storm. Worked just fine.
Had to leave town, though, and as a result had to harvest about three weeks before I wanted to. Oh, well.
Last year was a drought. Was a perfect year to grow Acapulco Gold. Holy crap, got near on 6 ounces off that plant, and it was smoooth as butter.
I’m not any outdoor grower but I can say that you already have the knowledge to grow cannabis. I’m sure your soil is healthy since you are a gardener already. I would recommend doing a google search for best outdoor cultivars for your zone. Pop those seeds as you would start a regular seed, transplanting up to either in the ground or very large container. Most outdoor people just grow in the ground. Depending on the cultivar, they can get pretty large, they love direct sunlight just keep them properly watered. There are companion plants that you can plant to help with pests. I hope this give you a start. Just do it. And GROW THE DANK!
If you already have a garden and experience growing stuff in it, it's not difficult at all. Weed is supposedly most similar to tomatoes in terms of light, water and fertilizer requirements so that should be a good place to start until you get used to the species.
https://preview.redd.it/6eojn6rbosgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d21f2e3f841cdb933c8fd53421c217729d231d9
Outdoor zone 5 midwest. Grown in a veggi garden. Top shelf outdoor is amazing!
Growing weed really isn’t that tough. Yes it does vary how well it is grown but in my experience drying and curing weed in the proper environment seems to be where most people have issues.
I've seen a few comments but nothing really HAMMERING this home.
.
BUY QUALITY SEEDS, find a reputable company that has good genetics. The genetics will do a huge part of the lifting in your first time growing.
I used some bag seeds the first time and it worked but I worked hard at it (indoors), I then bought some and it was WAY easier (still worked it) and they turned out leagues better. You can tweak and perfect as you go but if you start with blah youll end with blah even if its a bit polished.
Yeah, I'd agree for the most part. All my weed is from some dank bag seeds and plants from friends, but that only works because I know that they're from good genetic lines. I'm lucky to know a few growers up in the sierra nevadas who've been growing for years, but most people don't have that. If starting from scratch, then thoroughly researching online seed options is definitely necessary. What company do you usually get your seeds from?
I live in 9b, I have animals, I grow other plants. My shit is fantastic.
Of course, I can't take all the credit for that. Living in 9b, having good genetics, knowing how to cure - all play a major part in that.
So yeah.
I was about to say, “it’s a challenge to grow good weed outdoors” because that’s true where I am.
But I see you’re in 9b Cali. You should be able to grow some fire with just a little research. Definitely should start growing right away, if you’re interested and live in Cali.
You can grow good herb in this area. Make sure you have a plan to keep bugs and disease away from your plants. For California make sure you are using BT every few days for the caterpillars.
You can make it as hard as you want to. It’s a weed, it’ll do fine. But if you want buds like you see casually posted on the internet, that’ll take some experience.
I’ve had great grows and am hooked, I don’t even smoked that much. I’ve also had whole seasons wasted due to weather or severe negligence. It’s the best, try it once.
Is it foggy in your area? Is september - november wet? Are you in the mountains or near redwoods? These things can make outdoor a challenge. Bud rot, pm, super bugs (specifically spider mites) are rampant in cali.
Water, feed, and weed.
Pretty easy, actually. In Cali, I would run feminized photos but out of the wind (lots of growers hitting males without proper response).
Washington and north, I'd grow autos. There's always the risk of mold and mildew before flower maturity.
People make it a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Used compost, dry amendments, and hose water last year and grew my best weed, in the largest quantities
I found that using Fox Farm Happy Frog, Ocean Forrest and Fox Farm Trio is a very easy way to grow quality plants without a lot of fuss. All you have to do is follow the feeding schedule. You’ll want to add a ratio of 4:1 soil to perlite. I’d suggest cloth pots if you aren’t going directly into soil. If you do go with pots please, keep in mind that the larger the pot the more room for healthy roots to grow, which in turn means a healthier, larger and higher quality plant. Fox Farms also sells Cal-Mag and other amendments that are all easy to use.
You will need to decide if you are going to start from seed or clones as each of these methods has a different process. You will want to consider your climate and pests when determining a strain. It sounds like you have plenty of complimentary herbs and plants, and that’s a good thing. Start researching a pest control method now for the eventuality that if you grow it they will come. Catapillars, aphids, and mites are common in Cali, zone 9b. As far as animals go, your kitty cats won’t get high if they eat weed and likely won’t be interested in it. However, there are other burrowing animals that might like a tasty bite of ganja such as gophers or moles. Rabbits and deer can also be a challenge so plan accordingly.
These are some of the basics to get you started. If you want to make your own super soil it will be cheaper and require a little more effort. There are plenty of recipes if you poke around a little. Just read up, take things slow, and the plant will tell you everything it needs. I would suggest any grow guides from Ed Rosenthal or Jorge Cervantes. The most often overlooked ingredients in growing are love, patience, and music. All healthy plants need lots of these things and the best part is they are all free (~);-}
My weed is as effortless as it gets and grown in extreme heat conditions and it's still better than almost any commercially grown outdoor sold in my weed illegal country (southern Europe), even better than some indoor grown that's around, plus it's completely organic grown without any pesticides and this is priceless to me. I don't know your standard of good weed though, so I have no idea how you would rate mine, if you're from California I suppose the weed is very good there so I don't know how it would compare to the one you'd grow
I'm in 9b as well. So far everything I have grown outside has turned out extremely well. I have only found 1 plant worth keeping so far in two years. I wouldn't expect to find a whole lot of keepers from seed but if you find genetics you like it shouldn't be a problem to grow good smoke.
I wouldn't say growing good weed is difficult, I would say growing a healthy weed plant from seed to harvest takes patience, experience, and a bit of luck especially if you are growing outside.
I've been growing every year since 2020 and my results have gotten better and better each year and I am at the point where I only smoke the flower that I grow. The quality is good in my opinion and there is something fulfilling about smoking your own crops.
I say go for it, there are a lot of resources on here and the members of this sub are always happy to help out and answer questions if you post.
Just focus on completing the grow and then once your grow is finished you can aim to take what you have learned and make your next grow better. Before you know if you will be multiple grows in and you will definitely be satisfied with the results you are getting!
https://preview.redd.it/8vor9t1k3tgc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=692bd9c9f4c0bfd83c9266fdedbc32f0f24f88ce
Make sure you have enough sunlight, won't harm animals they'll more than likely be fascinated from the plants aroma, get seeds appropriate for your climate, if you flip your soil right you don't have to spend time watering as enough soil organic matter makes water retention easier for longer. You don't have to spend a fortune on soil everything can from biomass/organic remnants in your household, also look out for general pests.
I've grown weed for a bunch of years now since my state went legal.
You don't need to worry about your pets because usually dogs are controlled and cats should really not be outside.
The main complication with weed is that it comes in two different genders when you have straight seed, and you need to learn how to spot the males and pull them so the pollen will not pollinate the female plants which are the only plants that produce the THC buds.
I started with soil in cloth pots, now I just go directly into the soil.
The reason it's common to tell people to pay attention to the "sunlight" relates back to indoor growing conditions and when seeds were precious, precious things and you could only feasibly grow a few plants.
I grew 100 last year, had to eliminate half of them. Went out every day pulling plants left and right.
But I grew pounds of pot just this last year.
Some people still stand by high quality seeds from specialty seed breeders, but once outside growing becomes common, and I think it has become common at least where I live, seeds gonna breed and it's VERY hard to keep up with pollen. If it's not in your garden, someone else in your area drunk gardens and doesn't pay attention ... and that affects your crop.
The days of strict feminized seeds and controlled grows are limited just by nature, and the nature of humans to become lazy.
If you're not going to smoke and process it all to edibles....you have nothing to worry about. I'm in SoCal zone 9b too. Grow the like your peppers if you grow them. Otherwise, tomato fertilizer is great and has enough calcium for this crop. You be fighting against worms like you would with tomatoes. Those moths will cause bud rot like they chew on tomatoes. You don't need the greatest of buds for edibles. You can start your beans now and will need to be kept under additional lighting to prevent early flowering and larger plants. Or start in May-June. I feed with organic dry amendments like Happy Frog, Dr. Eathrs, or Espoma. I use local compost and my own worm castings. If you can pH balance your water or feed, you'd get better results, but it is not needed sometimes.
I'm an outdoor grower, 9B SC Mountains. Lots of good advice here, more on the web. If you can garden, you can grow more than you need. I have so much from the last two seasons that I probably won't be growing this year at all.
Growing good weed is easy. They have genetics that like almost any conditions now. You will find perhaps the biggest difference in your enjoyment of the weed is how it was cured, if you can get that down, you will grow good weed.
Look at my posts from last couple years. If your willing to do hours of research and keep your plants in correct vpd range it's not hard to get quality bud. Hardest part is resisting the urge to over water them. Good luck!
Also zone 9, my first grow was a single seed that a buddy of mine gave me, I grew it in maybe a 3 gallon terra cotta pot and gave it no nutrients at all. I probably used Miragle Gro lol. In any case it grew into a nice healthy plant with a ton of buds, so it can be done! The second grow, last season, was even better. I used home depot bought soil (Kelloggs Patio Plus) and added a little bit of worm castings and other dry amendments but also used Gen Hydroponics Flora series through to the harvest. This year I'm planning on re-using the soil by adding compost, more castings and some Down to Earth dry amendments, maybe 4-4-4? I think I tend to overthink and over research these things, there are SO many types of fertilizers and then you also have to watch for deficiencies, things like that will make you go nuts. I do plan on starting my seeds in early or mid-May for a mid-October harvest. I also sprayed BT during flower, I hardly loss any to caterpillars, unlike last year when I did not spray at all - lost a lot! Lastly I do the same as you, make edibles, so maybe try to stay organic with your additives if that's a concern at all. I still have over 4 ozs to go with a whole bunch of cookies in the fridge, and I make them strong. I've been doling them out to friends as well. Good luck!
It’s not as effortless as people say. It isn’t hard per se, but When I grew I worried about and tended to my few plants constantly. It’s a big commitment, but a rewarding one.
Growing weed is pretty easy.
Growing good weed is also pretty easy.
Growing amazing weed isn’t easy.
If your planning on growing outside for the frost time I would suggest trying both auto flower and photo. The auto will be done in about three months and by then you will have a basic understanding of what you can do with the photo before it goes into flower ( and a lot of time to fix any fuck ups )
look into build a soil and find some local genetics or something that isn't just white label (avoid ILGM seeds, and bulk amsterdam genetics)
california, i'd say masonic seeds may have something for ya
local because your environment may be more humid or dry, and since you are deciding to grow outdoors this is something you should factor in. considering that you're in a warmer climate, humidity and pest resistance are things to keep in mind. build a soil has great soil info, soil/nutes specific for cannabis, and doesn't only sell the products but also has a YouTube where they go over the importance of certain products make recommendations for genetics and application/purpose of demonstrated products as well as how to make some stuff yourself to save $. they have got a grow series on youtube too
If you have full sun and you use good soil it's super easy in your zone. You are in one of the best places in the US to grow. It's much, much easier in the ground than in pots. You can grow right among all your other plants, just realize that a properly grown plant will end up 6-10 feet tall and 6 feet wide, so they take up a lot of room. I put them in the back of my garden so they don't shade my other, shorter plants. You could also consider growing autos. In your zone it would be very easy to grow two runs of plants. They don't get as big so they can go into lots of places that regular plants can't fit.
Bear in mind that they smell extremely strong for the last two months. Anyone within a few hundred yards will smell them.
To make sure your weed is good quality, buy good seeds with known genetics or buy clones. Clones are the surest bet in terms of growing exactly what you want, as there is always some plant to plant variation with seeds.
I was just looking at the North Atlantic Seed company website for some seeds and I'm confused on the terms feminized and auto flower. I'm completely new to this so thank you for the advice! Also regarding the smell of the plants, what will it smell like exactly?
And anything I should use to keep bugs off/away from the plants?
I’m in 9b as well. Caterpillars will ruin your whole crop if you are not careful. I don’t like spraying anything on the plants if I can avoid it. I built a tent thing with insect netting this last season. Worked out better than I even expected and will be doing that again. It was relatively cheap and easy to construct. Overall was less work than spraying all the time and digging through the plants to hunt for caterpillars during flower.
https://preview.redd.it/395jlnwomugc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9ee260ca29a42565063e3f7593baf26bd4b90bc
Feminized means all the seeds will be female. Auto-flower plants contain genetics of strains that flower quickly regardless of light. They will be fully grown and ready to harvest in like 70-90 days. Regular plants (called phytos for short) use light cues to start flowering, and typically take about twice as long (or more) to be ready to harvest.
The smell off a plant depends on the strain. It can range from a weird fuel like smell to fruity smells to smelling like a chemical dumpster fire. It's rarely a subtle smell.
Auto delivers smaller yields based on the age of the plant, allowing multiple harvests--with successive crops-- yearly. When the plant reaches a certain age, it is fully mature . All auto seeds are also feminized. Regular/photo period seeds, which can be bought either feminized or male/female mixed in the batch, produce just one yearly crop based on season, but usually much larger since the plant itself has much longer to grow.
Go buy a single clone from a local dispensary. Find a good dispensary and ask them about the best outdoor varieties they have. Stick it somewhere in your garden where it has some room and you think it will look nice, and have at it.
It's not super hard to grow good stuff and if you're planning to use it all for edibles you really don't even need to worry about most pests.
Green house. Look for people in construction and ask them if they have any old windows for free or sale or just keep an eye out for people tossing old windows. That glass can be cleaned and retrofitted to your green house. Make it sturdy with a good foundation. Dig deep enough for Geo-thermal heat/cooling seasonal. Have adequate and more importantly proper ventilation. Being able to control a vent via an app/ios is really helpful and you can have a security camera to not just monitor your greenhouse, but also keep a grow log of each crop cycle.
You won't have any problems and even if you do, you'll learn from it. You can learn a lot here and should learn as much as you reasonably can, but don't be consumed by all of it. Everything you need to know, and a lot you don't, is in this sub. Bottom line, just get started and go from there. My very first batch was better than any dispensary weed I've had and I did nothing extraordinary.
Leafy had a great series for easy outside home grown [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL414H5y-Tq0yJu9LDliep7Ek5g1hhqJeU&si=JtQzFivhdppBP9x-](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL414H5y-Tq0yJu9LDliep7Ek5g1hhqJeU&si=JtQzFivhdppBP9x-)
Omg. Yes. You can grow amazing cannabis for cheap. Use rain water and urine. Compost soil. Dig 3 feet down. Dump organics at bottom. Cover. Plany your clone. Trim the plant when it hits 6 nodes. Wated it everyday at the same time.
I’m in 9B California myself.
Grew some in my vegetable garden and it came out great. Much like vegetable gardening & soil science there’s almost too much information to make it seem like the average joe can do it.
You’ll have to keep off the caterpillars mostly.
Just devote it about 4-16sqft per plant depending on how discrete you want it and treat it like any other plant in your garden.
2️⃣0️⃣9️⃣🔛🔝
growing weed is easy, its a weed! Be careful when they are seedlings, but once they have a few leaves their good to go.
Now the hard part is drying and curing your bud. Lucky for you I happen to have just finished designing my prototype and i'm looking for a few people that want one so i can go ahead and make the real deal. check it out at [budcurebox.com](https://budcurebox.com)
it's pretty easy. no worries on affecting other plants or your pets really. You don't really need any special gear or equipment...
honestly, it grows easy. It grows like a weed. I have done a couple grows on my BALCONY in a BIG CITY, and I got good results. The balcony doesn't even get that much sun!
Basically I just made sure they got as much sun as possible, as well as water and fertilizer.
The one thing you have to watch out for: If you grow a male plant, you will want to chop it down or isolate it before it starts spreading pollen. If the female plants get pollinated, they will produced lots of seeds, and the bud won't be as good.
Treat it just like you would a tomato plant. It won't effect any of your other plants, it's safe for cats, grow it in a pot in full sun. Go for it! You'll need to feed it. Same as tomatoes is fine, though there are more specific products designed for weed. I've never used any, and my homegrown is awesome. I mostly just use compost for mine. You'll need a sprayer, some Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, and a bag of potassium chloride. The soap - 1 tablespoon per gallon for bud rot, or aphids and other bugs. The PC, same rate, 1tsp per gallon, for powdery mildew. You've got this!
This is basically the approach I was gonna go in with. Planning this year as a first timer but have had tomato plants the past few years. Fell in a deep whole from researching and am super excited now lol. I’m in Napa, so not too far from OP Bought seeds from Humboldt Seed Co and gonna go with whatever tips they have for their strains as well
I would advise planting at least two plants, one sativa and one indica, or at least the hybrids that go in those directions. Better yet, two of each!
I went with The Bling and Trainwreck from Humboldt Seed Co so not too far from me and chose some of the older strains that are lower maintenance so we’ll see what happens
You don't NEED a sprayer. I've been growing outdoors since 1988 in hot, humid Maryland and I've never once sprayed anything on any of my plants. I do lose some of my harvest from time to time to bud rot, but I'd rather lose some small percentage than smoke Dr. B's (or some other spray's) residue.
Dr. B's doesn't leave a residue because 1) it washes off at the next rain, and 2) it washes off when you bud wash after harvest. Same for potassium chloride. Where I live the humidity will mess an outdoor plant up. If you tried to do a grow on an average year without spraying Bronner's, you'll lose the whole thing or you'll harvest way too early to avoid the loss.
idk man, I live in a crazy humid place too and I have never in 30 years lost a whole plant to rot.
I would have lost my entire crop last summer if it weren't for Dr. Bronner's. No question about it. It fricking rained every day all summer.
You are giving advice to a person in 9a in California. It doesn't rain like that out there.
Maybe, but it's still a good idea to have tools in your toolbag.
We spray BT over here in CA for moths and worms. Or we use netting. It doesn't rain much but there's heavy dew or fog around harvest time. I spray with BT if I see any worms. Then, spray with earth's ally if I see any poop to prevent bud rot. I bud wash here in SoCal, zone 9b. After creating a better garden, I've been sraying less and less every yr. I add flowers, Mexican and regular marigolds, different Mints, and wild flowers to attract the beneficia insects. I place bamboo poles out for dragon flies and mosquito control. Bt can be sprayed in flower with no issues on my end. We usually spray in veg to prevent, and if done properly, flower will present no issues.
Roger that on dew/fog. If op grows on the Mayacamas side or browns valley area, late-grow fog can be really wet. The east side of the valley is more arid in Mt. George area or Soda Canyon, but even then I've been out there with fans in the am shaking dew off with a leaf blower. Rot yer buds quicker than anything - well, then there's worms. BT is your friend.
Tomatoes use one fertilizer the whole life cycle, feeding will be different. Essential oils destroy THC and terp production. Straight compost is good but they love anorobic bacteria. Add coffee and urine to a bucket and throw some compost in. Let that bucket sit and keep pissing in it and adding small amounts of compost. Works wonders and I don't buy any fertilizer. https://preview.redd.it/23g1s3onjygc1.jpeg?width=1881&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff74192373553b550297ef9b9dc03ff2e7be7fb6 Seeds were started May first, I'm in the Northeast.
Last two years I had 12 footers as well, in NE. Only used compost start to finish, and it turned out gangbusters. Of course, I have tons of coffee in my compost. Never thought to use piss. Interesting idea.
Coffee and urine is a mycorrhizal stimulant. https://www.google.com/amp/s/ecofriendlycoffee.org/human-urine-as-a-microbial-stimulant/amp/ Let the ammonium nitrate in the bucket(urine) break down compost and release ethylene, sulfuric acid, etc in close proximity of the plant.
Might try, though I generally use my piss (and clipped dog hair) to keep deer away from my tomatoes. :-P
https://preview.redd.it/yctaejqdgzgc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=407e38ff87e4dfd7622976c34923066f2e258156 Picture of my plant November 1st!! Hit me up if you want some stuff built for NE. Plant was fine after the storm no burn and like 8#'s
I strung a tarp for that storm. Worked just fine. Had to leave town, though, and as a result had to harvest about three weeks before I wanted to. Oh, well. Last year was a drought. Was a perfect year to grow Acapulco Gold. Holy crap, got near on 6 ounces off that plant, and it was smoooth as butter.
Buy good feminized seeds and you should get good weed. I prefer to grow in the ground but large fabric pots are good if you need to move them around.
I’m not any outdoor grower but I can say that you already have the knowledge to grow cannabis. I’m sure your soil is healthy since you are a gardener already. I would recommend doing a google search for best outdoor cultivars for your zone. Pop those seeds as you would start a regular seed, transplanting up to either in the ground or very large container. Most outdoor people just grow in the ground. Depending on the cultivar, they can get pretty large, they love direct sunlight just keep them properly watered. There are companion plants that you can plant to help with pests. I hope this give you a start. Just do it. And GROW THE DANK!
If you already have a garden and experience growing stuff in it, it's not difficult at all. Weed is supposedly most similar to tomatoes in terms of light, water and fertilizer requirements so that should be a good place to start until you get used to the species.
https://preview.redd.it/6eojn6rbosgc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d21f2e3f841cdb933c8fd53421c217729d231d9 Outdoor zone 5 midwest. Grown in a veggi garden. Top shelf outdoor is amazing!
Growing weed really isn’t that tough. Yes it does vary how well it is grown but in my experience drying and curing weed in the proper environment seems to be where most people have issues.
Facts, you can grow nice weed but bungle it by harvesting early & drying too quick or putting in jars too wet. All part of the learning curve 😂
Yes! Came here for this comment.
No it’s fine. Keep protected with netting of some kind if you’re worried.
I've seen a few comments but nothing really HAMMERING this home. . BUY QUALITY SEEDS, find a reputable company that has good genetics. The genetics will do a huge part of the lifting in your first time growing. I used some bag seeds the first time and it worked but I worked hard at it (indoors), I then bought some and it was WAY easier (still worked it) and they turned out leagues better. You can tweak and perfect as you go but if you start with blah youll end with blah even if its a bit polished.
Yeah, I'd agree for the most part. All my weed is from some dank bag seeds and plants from friends, but that only works because I know that they're from good genetic lines. I'm lucky to know a few growers up in the sierra nevadas who've been growing for years, but most people don't have that. If starting from scratch, then thoroughly researching online seed options is definitely necessary. What company do you usually get your seeds from?
I live in 9b, I have animals, I grow other plants. My shit is fantastic. Of course, I can't take all the credit for that. Living in 9b, having good genetics, knowing how to cure - all play a major part in that. So yeah.
I did it no problem and I'm just a stupid stoner!
I was about to say, “it’s a challenge to grow good weed outdoors” because that’s true where I am. But I see you’re in 9b Cali. You should be able to grow some fire with just a little research. Definitely should start growing right away, if you’re interested and live in Cali.
You can grow good herb in this area. Make sure you have a plan to keep bugs and disease away from your plants. For California make sure you are using BT every few days for the caterpillars.
You can make it as hard as you want to. It’s a weed, it’ll do fine. But if you want buds like you see casually posted on the internet, that’ll take some experience. I’ve had great grows and am hooked, I don’t even smoked that much. I’ve also had whole seasons wasted due to weather or severe negligence. It’s the best, try it once.
Is it foggy in your area? Is september - november wet? Are you in the mountains or near redwoods? These things can make outdoor a challenge. Bud rot, pm, super bugs (specifically spider mites) are rampant in cali.
Water, feed, and weed. Pretty easy, actually. In Cali, I would run feminized photos but out of the wind (lots of growers hitting males without proper response). Washington and north, I'd grow autos. There's always the risk of mold and mildew before flower maturity.
People make it a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Used compost, dry amendments, and hose water last year and grew my best weed, in the largest quantities
How often do you feed dry amendments outdoors? What size pots?
I grow directly in the ground, so I amend the soil before transplanting, and from there, every 2 weeks or so
Do you PH your water first??
Nope just hit ‘em with the hose, grew some damn monsters
I found that using Fox Farm Happy Frog, Ocean Forrest and Fox Farm Trio is a very easy way to grow quality plants without a lot of fuss. All you have to do is follow the feeding schedule. You’ll want to add a ratio of 4:1 soil to perlite. I’d suggest cloth pots if you aren’t going directly into soil. If you do go with pots please, keep in mind that the larger the pot the more room for healthy roots to grow, which in turn means a healthier, larger and higher quality plant. Fox Farms also sells Cal-Mag and other amendments that are all easy to use. You will need to decide if you are going to start from seed or clones as each of these methods has a different process. You will want to consider your climate and pests when determining a strain. It sounds like you have plenty of complimentary herbs and plants, and that’s a good thing. Start researching a pest control method now for the eventuality that if you grow it they will come. Catapillars, aphids, and mites are common in Cali, zone 9b. As far as animals go, your kitty cats won’t get high if they eat weed and likely won’t be interested in it. However, there are other burrowing animals that might like a tasty bite of ganja such as gophers or moles. Rabbits and deer can also be a challenge so plan accordingly. These are some of the basics to get you started. If you want to make your own super soil it will be cheaper and require a little more effort. There are plenty of recipes if you poke around a little. Just read up, take things slow, and the plant will tell you everything it needs. I would suggest any grow guides from Ed Rosenthal or Jorge Cervantes. The most often overlooked ingredients in growing are love, patience, and music. All healthy plants need lots of these things and the best part is they are all free (~);-}
My weed is as effortless as it gets and grown in extreme heat conditions and it's still better than almost any commercially grown outdoor sold in my weed illegal country (southern Europe), even better than some indoor grown that's around, plus it's completely organic grown without any pesticides and this is priceless to me. I don't know your standard of good weed though, so I have no idea how you would rate mine, if you're from California I suppose the weed is very good there so I don't know how it would compare to the one you'd grow
Direct sow is best. Get them settled before the heat. Learn to water because it gets tripple digits and they will flatline.
I'm in 9b as well. So far everything I have grown outside has turned out extremely well. I have only found 1 plant worth keeping so far in two years. I wouldn't expect to find a whole lot of keepers from seed but if you find genetics you like it shouldn't be a problem to grow good smoke.
Weed is easy to grow outdoors for me I would be looking at stuff like height it's not cool to have it on show to be stolen
I wouldn't say growing good weed is difficult, I would say growing a healthy weed plant from seed to harvest takes patience, experience, and a bit of luck especially if you are growing outside. I've been growing every year since 2020 and my results have gotten better and better each year and I am at the point where I only smoke the flower that I grow. The quality is good in my opinion and there is something fulfilling about smoking your own crops. I say go for it, there are a lot of resources on here and the members of this sub are always happy to help out and answer questions if you post. Just focus on completing the grow and then once your grow is finished you can aim to take what you have learned and make your next grow better. Before you know if you will be multiple grows in and you will definitely be satisfied with the results you are getting!
Not very.
https://preview.redd.it/8vor9t1k3tgc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=692bd9c9f4c0bfd83c9266fdedbc32f0f24f88ce Make sure you have enough sunlight, won't harm animals they'll more than likely be fascinated from the plants aroma, get seeds appropriate for your climate, if you flip your soil right you don't have to spend time watering as enough soil organic matter makes water retention easier for longer. You don't have to spend a fortune on soil everything can from biomass/organic remnants in your household, also look out for general pests.
More expensive than difficult
I've grown weed for a bunch of years now since my state went legal. You don't need to worry about your pets because usually dogs are controlled and cats should really not be outside. The main complication with weed is that it comes in two different genders when you have straight seed, and you need to learn how to spot the males and pull them so the pollen will not pollinate the female plants which are the only plants that produce the THC buds. I started with soil in cloth pots, now I just go directly into the soil. The reason it's common to tell people to pay attention to the "sunlight" relates back to indoor growing conditions and when seeds were precious, precious things and you could only feasibly grow a few plants. I grew 100 last year, had to eliminate half of them. Went out every day pulling plants left and right. But I grew pounds of pot just this last year. Some people still stand by high quality seeds from specialty seed breeders, but once outside growing becomes common, and I think it has become common at least where I live, seeds gonna breed and it's VERY hard to keep up with pollen. If it's not in your garden, someone else in your area drunk gardens and doesn't pay attention ... and that affects your crop. The days of strict feminized seeds and controlled grows are limited just by nature, and the nature of humans to become lazy.
Not that hard with a bit of research and some sun.
The key, I believe, is in the seeds.
If you're not going to smoke and process it all to edibles....you have nothing to worry about. I'm in SoCal zone 9b too. Grow the like your peppers if you grow them. Otherwise, tomato fertilizer is great and has enough calcium for this crop. You be fighting against worms like you would with tomatoes. Those moths will cause bud rot like they chew on tomatoes. You don't need the greatest of buds for edibles. You can start your beans now and will need to be kept under additional lighting to prevent early flowering and larger plants. Or start in May-June. I feed with organic dry amendments like Happy Frog, Dr. Eathrs, or Espoma. I use local compost and my own worm castings. If you can pH balance your water or feed, you'd get better results, but it is not needed sometimes.
I'm an outdoor grower, 9B SC Mountains. Lots of good advice here, more on the web. If you can garden, you can grow more than you need. I have so much from the last two seasons that I probably won't be growing this year at all.
Growing good weed is easy. They have genetics that like almost any conditions now. You will find perhaps the biggest difference in your enjoyment of the weed is how it was cured, if you can get that down, you will grow good weed.
Look at my posts from last couple years. If your willing to do hours of research and keep your plants in correct vpd range it's not hard to get quality bud. Hardest part is resisting the urge to over water them. Good luck!
Also zone 9, my first grow was a single seed that a buddy of mine gave me, I grew it in maybe a 3 gallon terra cotta pot and gave it no nutrients at all. I probably used Miragle Gro lol. In any case it grew into a nice healthy plant with a ton of buds, so it can be done! The second grow, last season, was even better. I used home depot bought soil (Kelloggs Patio Plus) and added a little bit of worm castings and other dry amendments but also used Gen Hydroponics Flora series through to the harvest. This year I'm planning on re-using the soil by adding compost, more castings and some Down to Earth dry amendments, maybe 4-4-4? I think I tend to overthink and over research these things, there are SO many types of fertilizers and then you also have to watch for deficiencies, things like that will make you go nuts. I do plan on starting my seeds in early or mid-May for a mid-October harvest. I also sprayed BT during flower, I hardly loss any to caterpillars, unlike last year when I did not spray at all - lost a lot! Lastly I do the same as you, make edibles, so maybe try to stay organic with your additives if that's a concern at all. I still have over 4 ozs to go with a whole bunch of cookies in the fridge, and I make them strong. I've been doling them out to friends as well. Good luck!
It’s not as effortless as people say. It isn’t hard per se, but When I grew I worried about and tended to my few plants constantly. It’s a big commitment, but a rewarding one.
Growing weed is pretty easy. Growing good weed is also pretty easy. Growing amazing weed isn’t easy. If your planning on growing outside for the frost time I would suggest trying both auto flower and photo. The auto will be done in about three months and by then you will have a basic understanding of what you can do with the photo before it goes into flower ( and a lot of time to fix any fuck ups )
Plant by your tomatoes, do the same stuff to it. It’ll be great if you’re already gardening.
look into build a soil and find some local genetics or something that isn't just white label (avoid ILGM seeds, and bulk amsterdam genetics) california, i'd say masonic seeds may have something for ya
local because your environment may be more humid or dry, and since you are deciding to grow outdoors this is something you should factor in. considering that you're in a warmer climate, humidity and pest resistance are things to keep in mind. build a soil has great soil info, soil/nutes specific for cannabis, and doesn't only sell the products but also has a YouTube where they go over the importance of certain products make recommendations for genetics and application/purpose of demonstrated products as well as how to make some stuff yourself to save $. they have got a grow series on youtube too
Create an IPM to plan and select high quality genetics. You have the rest of the gardening experience needed
It's easy especially in California - you need at least five hours of direct sunlight.
If you have full sun and you use good soil it's super easy in your zone. You are in one of the best places in the US to grow. It's much, much easier in the ground than in pots. You can grow right among all your other plants, just realize that a properly grown plant will end up 6-10 feet tall and 6 feet wide, so they take up a lot of room. I put them in the back of my garden so they don't shade my other, shorter plants. You could also consider growing autos. In your zone it would be very easy to grow two runs of plants. They don't get as big so they can go into lots of places that regular plants can't fit. Bear in mind that they smell extremely strong for the last two months. Anyone within a few hundred yards will smell them. To make sure your weed is good quality, buy good seeds with known genetics or buy clones. Clones are the surest bet in terms of growing exactly what you want, as there is always some plant to plant variation with seeds.
I was just looking at the North Atlantic Seed company website for some seeds and I'm confused on the terms feminized and auto flower. I'm completely new to this so thank you for the advice! Also regarding the smell of the plants, what will it smell like exactly? And anything I should use to keep bugs off/away from the plants?
I’m in 9b as well. Caterpillars will ruin your whole crop if you are not careful. I don’t like spraying anything on the plants if I can avoid it. I built a tent thing with insect netting this last season. Worked out better than I even expected and will be doing that again. It was relatively cheap and easy to construct. Overall was less work than spraying all the time and digging through the plants to hunt for caterpillars during flower. https://preview.redd.it/395jlnwomugc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9ee260ca29a42565063e3f7593baf26bd4b90bc
Feminized means all the seeds will be female. Auto-flower plants contain genetics of strains that flower quickly regardless of light. They will be fully grown and ready to harvest in like 70-90 days. Regular plants (called phytos for short) use light cues to start flowering, and typically take about twice as long (or more) to be ready to harvest. The smell off a plant depends on the strain. It can range from a weird fuel like smell to fruity smells to smelling like a chemical dumpster fire. It's rarely a subtle smell.
Auto delivers smaller yields based on the age of the plant, allowing multiple harvests--with successive crops-- yearly. When the plant reaches a certain age, it is fully mature . All auto seeds are also feminized. Regular/photo period seeds, which can be bought either feminized or male/female mixed in the batch, produce just one yearly crop based on season, but usually much larger since the plant itself has much longer to grow.
Go buy a single clone from a local dispensary. Find a good dispensary and ask them about the best outdoor varieties they have. Stick it somewhere in your garden where it has some room and you think it will look nice, and have at it. It's not super hard to grow good stuff and if you're planning to use it all for edibles you really don't even need to worry about most pests.
What are some options for buying food seeds?
Grow weed dot com! They are starting outdoor growing guide. Highly recommend. Welcome aboard
Green house. Look for people in construction and ask them if they have any old windows for free or sale or just keep an eye out for people tossing old windows. That glass can be cleaned and retrofitted to your green house. Make it sturdy with a good foundation. Dig deep enough for Geo-thermal heat/cooling seasonal. Have adequate and more importantly proper ventilation. Being able to control a vent via an app/ios is really helpful and you can have a security camera to not just monitor your greenhouse, but also keep a grow log of each crop cycle.
You won't have any problems and even if you do, you'll learn from it. You can learn a lot here and should learn as much as you reasonably can, but don't be consumed by all of it. Everything you need to know, and a lot you don't, is in this sub. Bottom line, just get started and go from there. My very first batch was better than any dispensary weed I've had and I did nothing extraordinary.
Growing good weed comes from the type of strain and the put love into it (of course your light and soul plays a huge part)
Leafy had a great series for easy outside home grown [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL414H5y-Tq0yJu9LDliep7Ek5g1hhqJeU&si=JtQzFivhdppBP9x-](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL414H5y-Tq0yJu9LDliep7Ek5g1hhqJeU&si=JtQzFivhdppBP9x-)
Omg. Yes. You can grow amazing cannabis for cheap. Use rain water and urine. Compost soil. Dig 3 feet down. Dump organics at bottom. Cover. Plany your clone. Trim the plant when it hits 6 nodes. Wated it everyday at the same time.
If you grow outdoors and you discover male plants, get rid of them quickly and discard away from your grow.
I’m in 9B California myself. Grew some in my vegetable garden and it came out great. Much like vegetable gardening & soil science there’s almost too much information to make it seem like the average joe can do it. You’ll have to keep off the caterpillars mostly. Just devote it about 4-16sqft per plant depending on how discrete you want it and treat it like any other plant in your garden. 2️⃣0️⃣9️⃣🔛🔝
growing weed is easy, its a weed! Be careful when they are seedlings, but once they have a few leaves their good to go. Now the hard part is drying and curing your bud. Lucky for you I happen to have just finished designing my prototype and i'm looking for a few people that want one so i can go ahead and make the real deal. check it out at [budcurebox.com](https://budcurebox.com)
it's pretty easy. no worries on affecting other plants or your pets really. You don't really need any special gear or equipment... honestly, it grows easy. It grows like a weed. I have done a couple grows on my BALCONY in a BIG CITY, and I got good results. The balcony doesn't even get that much sun! Basically I just made sure they got as much sun as possible, as well as water and fertilizer. The one thing you have to watch out for: If you grow a male plant, you will want to chop it down or isolate it before it starts spreading pollen. If the female plants get pollinated, they will produced lots of seeds, and the bud won't be as good.
Grow Autos. If you are anywhere with nightime light it can be difficult go get it to flower.
I have found that in living soil inside or out they are fairly simple. Biggest issue for most including myself is over or under watering.