Hey everyone! Thinking of starting my 2nd project to an outdoor grow, but the ‘what ifs’ have me doubting. Any tips from experienced outdoor growers on handling challenges like pests, weather, or plant behavior? Thanks for your tips.
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Look at what you have to grow (genetics) and pic stuff that has a strong mould/pathogen resistance if possible.
Match genetics that have a favourable flowering time.
Assume things will go wrong and pre-plan for them such as:
- Keeping your favoured pest control solutions on hand (my pref = Safers End All). Additionally if you supplement your plants with either insect frass or other items rich in Chitosan you’ll unlock your plants natural insect resistance as supplementing with Chitosan makes the plant thing it’s under insect attack (without the attack) setting off it’s own built in defence systems.
- Keep your plants clear enough for good airflow penetration and defoliate as needed, and more-so when the fall humidity kicks in.
- Be prepared for mid/late august through sept/oct fuckery with powdery mildew and bud rot. Milk spray will help later in flower but you can treat everything and the surrounding areas of your growing space with sulphur which will really fuck up those pathogens. I (and many other OGer’s here as well) invested in a H0Cl generator and soak my plants in the stuff during the humid season and unless it’s perpetual rain soaking the buds to their core… (which was the case this year for me).
- Regarding “mammal control”, a top dressing of composted chicken manure (pellets) will deter squirrels and other such diggers from messing in and around your plants.
- WEATHER: know your area and plant appropriately. I love the oversized tomato cages which go around my plants right away so they grow into them. I can never see the cage by end of july and that’s when I start adding stakes. Wind and rain can ruin your season if you don’t stake appropriately early. Additionally if you supplement with silica from the very start it’ll increase the strength of your greenery.
This is just a tip of a very large perpetually rotating iceburg of info. Keep reading and asking away up here @twintalkers and you’ll gain that XP faster than a grinder task in an open world game. 
Also, I highly recommend starting a grow journal here on OG when you get to your grow. Share what you are doing and keep asking those questions and us “growmies” will chime in as you require.
OG is as safe of an online space that you can get in a forum of this kind. We don’t tolerate bullshit so any question (as long as it’s respectful) will be responded in kind.
Best of success with your adventures!
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I was just wondering where you were at that you were gonna start growing outdoors atm.
Guess it could be pre-planning for spring, duh.
Im an idiot.
Anyways…
It appears that Pigeonman has bout covered it!
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In my neck of the woods, when I used to grow outside, BT is a must for Borers and moth larvae. I definitely use it for my fall crops (Broccoli, Cabbage, etc) they will destroy your leaves FAST.
"Assume things will go wrong " Gold right there and definitely don’t go wild with 10 or 11 week strains, stick to 8-9 if possible(I prefer fem seeds or clones), unless it’s something you really want, but 10 weeks is the most I would go outside. Otherwise, you are waiting for Halloween or longer(been there with a weird freak pheno) and that invites mold from rain usually… rippers, you name it, just isn’t worth it.
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I`m in the Northeast and I use Purecrop1 and Monterey BT. It has kept the problems minimal over the past few years since using them.
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