To grow weed outdoors, you need a sunny spot, good soil with a pH around 6, daytime temps around 24-25 °C (75-77 °F) and the right timing: plant in spring and harvest in fall, letting the shrinking days trigger flowering. Growing outside means taking what nature gives you and making the most of it, and sunlight produces a wider range of cannabinoids and terpenes than grow lights, which is why plenty of growers prefer it. No yard? You can still grow outdoors in containers.

Mother Nature knows what she's doing, but it pays to know a few things up front to avoid outdoor grow problems like pests and mold, and above all to get bigger, better yields out of your plants. So how do you grow weed outdoors, step by step?

Outdoor Growing for Beginners

At a minimum, an outdoor weed plant needs basic gardening tools, soil, water and a spot in your yard or garden that gets lots of direct sun.

Cannabis is a tough plant that has adapted to climates all over the world, and over time it's evolved defenses against a whole range of problems. Still, it's vulnerable to extreme weather. Whether it's strong winds snapping branches or too much rain bringing on mold, an outdoor grow can throw challenges at you that a little planning can head off.

Getting to know your local climate and seasons is one of the most important steps to growing high-quality weed outdoors. So when people ask us when to plant cannabis outdoors (in our case, in Argentina), our answer is to keep these points in mind:

 

Temperature

Daytime temperatures of 24-25 °C (75-77 °F) are ideal for cannabis, while temps above 31 °C (88 °F) or below 15 °C (59 °F) can slow growth. Cannabis is considered heat-tolerant, but extreme highs and lows can cause serious problems.

 

If you're just getting started, check out our Successful Grow online course (in Spanish).

Good training is key!

Season

In the Southern Hemisphere, cannabis can be planted in early to mid spring and harvested in mid-fall, so September through April is the sweet spot. In the Northern Hemisphere, shift that six months: roughly March through October.

 

Light

Light is what gets a lot of people asking how many hours of sun an outdoor plant needs.

During the first half of the season, the days keep getting longer until the summer solstice. In this vegetative stage, the plant builds the roots and stems that will later support its growth all the way into flower.

After the solstice, daylight hours shrink, which naturally pushes the plant into flowering. Cannabis is a short-day plant, meaning it starts to flower as the nights get longer and the hours of sunlight drop.

Most plants start flowering once they get less than 15 hours of sunlight a day. That's why you need to plan where your plants go with the temperature and light where you live in mind, so they have time to finish flowering before the cold, rainy weather rolls in.

 

Soil

Good soil is dark, rich in nutrients and light and fluffy in texture. It needs to hold water but also let any excess drain away. The soil itself should be slightly acidic, with a pH of around 6. You can check it with a pH meter.

 

How to Grow Weed Outdoors, Step by Step

Genetics: Picking Your Strain

Once you've picked your spot, it's time to choose a strain. To do that, think about your growing environment and the effect you want from your weed.

If you live somewhere with a short growing season (farther from the equator: farther north in the Northern Hemisphere, farther south in Argentina), go with tough, fast-flowering genetics like autoflowers. If you live somewhere warmer with a long season, closer to the equator, tall sativas that take longer to flower, and the hybrids that thrive in those conditions, are your best bet.

If you're after a particular flavor in your outdoor weed, dig into the terpene profile of the strains you're considering.

Last but not least, use the seed bank's info to get a sense of the size, flowering time and yield of the strain you like best.

How to Germinate Cannabis Seeds Outdoors

During germination, when the seed puts out its taproot and becomes a seedling, three things need to be in place: darkness, humidity and moisture. Together, they wake your seed up. And soil is the ideal place for that to happen as naturally as possible. Depending on where you live, keep the following in mind:

Warm climates:

You could germinate your seeds straight into outdoor containers or garden beds. But, as we said above, cannabis needs plenty of humidity during the seedling stage, so consider doing it in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Cold climates:

Growers can germinate seedlings indoors while the last spring frosts pass. Once the weather warms up, transplant them straight into the ground or into big containers outdoors.

Before germinating your seeds, find good-quality soil for your outdoor grow. Organic soils give your plants everything they need to get going: nutrients plus beneficial bacteria and fungi. The right outdoor soil makes a huge difference in how well your plants grow and thrive.

 

With your soil ready, it's time to germinate the seeds. Poke a small hole in the top layer of soil in your bed or container. Drop the seed in and gently cover it with soil. Add a little water. The first sprout should pop up within 2 to 7 days.

The seedling stage lasts about two weeks. During that time, give it steady light, humidity of around 70% and a little water.

 

The Vegetative Stage Outdoors

The vegetative stage comes after the seedling stage. During this time, your plants photosynthesize and start building energy for growth, and big fan leaves start popping up everywhere. To keep your plants in good shape, especially outdoors, keep these things in mind:

Watering:

The big rookie question is how often to water outdoor weed. Our advice: water only when the top 3-5 cm (1-2 in) of soil is dry. If you don't wait long enough, your plants could get root rot and other problems.

Test your soil:

Outdoor grows, just like indoor ones, need a soil check now and then to make sure the pH stays at 6.0-7.0 (the sweet spot for nutrient uptake).

 

Containers vs. In-Ground

Growing weed in containers can be handy, since you can move plants around the yard to catch more sun or protect them from rough conditions like rain, strong winds or extreme temperatures.

 

Nutrients

Good soil should have enough organic nutrients to kick off the growing cycle, but as your cannabis plant grows and moves into flower, it can burn through what's available and need extra fertilizer.

The three main nutrients for growing weed are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In veg, plants need more nitrogen to build the roots and leaves that set them up for flowering. Early in flower, they need more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. Toward the end of flower, once most of the nitrogen is used up, plants focus on using whatever nutrients are left.

Ideally, pick a cannabis-specific nutrient line and stick to the suggested doses to avoid over- or underfeeding. Organic nutrient sources are the best, since they carry beneficial microbes, but they can take longer to break down and become available to the plant.

 

Water

How often to water an outdoor weed plant is easier to answer than it sounds: wilting plants in dry soil are a clear sign they need water. Droopy leaves in wet soil are a sign of overwatering. Both are common rookie mistakes, and a little practice takes care of them.

 

That's our outdoor grow guide. Here's to big plants, killer buds and everything this beautiful process has to teach you.

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