Outdoor Cannabis cultivation
This article is about the method of cultivating Cannabis outdoors traditionally. Cannabis grown outdoors can be just as potent as its indoor counterpart if tended to properly.
Process
When cultivated outdoors, the chosen areas are those which receive twelve hours or more of sunlight in a given day. In North America, northern locations are preferred (Humboldt County, California, Québec and British Columbia being particularly notable), but southern locations (such as Maui, Hawaii) are also known to be good producers.
In instances where the local laws do not permit growing cannabis, cultivators may choose to grow in forests or rugged and rural areas where the local population are not likely to find the crop. Another technique is to grow cannabis in a crop that is larger and obscures the plants, such as maize. This is reported by the United States government to be common in the midwestern states. Bamboo and elderberry are also used as camouflage companion plants.
Some government organizations have claimed that in state and national parks, people have been injured by these “rebel farmers” protecting their crops, including a well documented developing problem with Mexican cartels growing cannabis in US national parks and forests.
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Cultivating Cannabis indoors
This article is about the normally illegal method of cultivating Cannabis indoors traditionally, growing the plants in a soil-like medium and adding fertilizer when the plants are given water. Cultivating marijuana indoors is more complicated and expensive than growing outdoors, but it allows the cultivator complete control over the growing environment. Cannabis grown outdoors can be just as potent as its indoor counterpart if tended to properly.
Lighting
Cannabis being cultivated under metal halide lamps. Depicted is vegetative growth and an extensive hydroponics setup.
The single most important factor for the indoor cultivator to consider is lighting. Since cultivation of cannabis is harshly punished in some areas, many cultivators must set up a hidden indoor grow room and provide artificial light. Additionally, outdoor cultivators usually start their clones or seedlings indoors, under artificial light. Lighting types include fluorescent, high-intensity discharge (HID) including metal halide (MH), high pressure sodium (HPS), and LED. Fluorescent lights have the advantage of coolness, and are gentle enough to use on seedlings and rooting clones. HID lamps are the most efficient, and are usually used between 250-1000 watts.
Training Methods For Cannabis
LIGHT BENDING
Light bending occurs when a plant grows at an angle toward the light. You may have noticed plants on the perimeter of your grow area bending toward the light to try and get their share. If your plants bend too much they will eventually grow toward or even into another plant and block other plants from the light. Also, during flowering the buds will become heavy and may cause plants to fall over.
A simple way to avoid light bending in an indoor grow environment, is to simply switch your plants around. If a plant leans too much in one direction, then move it toward the middle of the grow space or turn the plant around. It only takes a day or two for the plant to straighten. If your plants can’t be easily moved, as is the case with hydroponic setups and outdoor gardens, then you may have to tie your plants so they don’t bend.
If you are growing outdoors and have a major problem with light bending you may have to cut away surrounding foliage to allow more light to reach your plants. If this is not possible, try using thread and small stakes, such as bamboo, to keep your plants upright. Remember: if your plants are bending they are trying to tell you that they need more direct light.
PRUNING FOR YIELD
Pruning is the action of manipulating the number of node regions (potential bud sites) that your plant creates and has nothing to do with the thinning process. Cutting a plant at the stem will automatically result in Hopping’. For this reason, plants that are thinned via cutting will end up growing more than one top cola. Topping is discussed in the next section. This section covers pruning to increase yield.
By using stakes you can also control and separate branch growth after pruning.
Cloning from cuttings
Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of something. In biology, it collectively refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. The term also encompasses situations whereby organisms reproduce asexually.
Like many plants, cloning of cannabis is possible through a relatively simple process. The process itself is quite similar to the cloning of most other plants and involves rooting branch cuttings from donor (”mother”) plants.
First and foremost all substances coming into contact with the internal tissues of the plant should be sterilized to prevent infection. Cutting tools can be sterilized using bleach and growth mediums using an oven (most come sterilized).
Alternative Cannabis cultivation
There are many alternative cannabis cultivation techniques. This article focuses on several types: hydroponics, organic, Sinsemilla, and “Sea of Green.”
Hydroponic cultivation
Hydroponic cultivation generally occurs indoors, although there is no practical obstacle to growing outdoors. In general, it consists of a non-soil medium which is exposed to a nutrient and water flow.
There are many types of hydroponic systems. If the nutrient solution floods the loose growing medium and recedes for aeration, this is an ebb and flow or flood and drain system. Systems that gradually drip solution onto the medium are drip systems. Systems that intermittently spray roots floating in air are called aeroponic systems. If aerated water runs down a channel lined with a film of rooting medium, this is a nutrient film technique system. A series of tubes intermittently running high flow nutrient solution into the tops of growing containers use a top feed system.
