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Hydro 101 with Deonna Marie: Outdoor Growing, Part 1

Written by Deonna Marie
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If you have a secure location, then growing in a greenhouse during outdoor season can be a lot of fun.

New indoor growers are sometimes surprised to find out that they can cultivate outdoors as well. There’s a lot to consider, from preparation to location and privacy, but done right, growing outdoors is much easier than growing indoors. You don't have to create the perfect environment like you do indoors because Mother Nature does that part for you. Also you don't have to pay an electric bill for your outdoor garden because the sun does the work for you. For those of you interested, outdoor season has already begun in many parts of North America, but it’s not too late to get started.

If you’re not planting in a green house, you may need to line your garden with chicken wire or some type of netting to keep animals away.

But even if you’re brand new to growing and not ready to head outdoors yet, that’s cool. Get your indoor cultivation chops down, and take note of this series for next outdoor season. Outdoor growing can be a very fun and lucrative venture, so let’s explore it a little.

First of all, you need a safe secure location for your outdoor garden. You can grow in your back yard as long as your crop is obscured from the view of your neighbors. You can also grow in a secure greenhouse. The main goal is to keep your crop from public view, away from nosey neighbors and thieves. You can also head into the wilderness to find a safe place to grow.

Wherever you decide to plant, make sure the area gets a good amount of sunlight throughout the day. And no matter what location you choose, try to keep your plants out of reach of animals, like dogs, cats, and deer, who might nibble on or otherwise spoil your crop. If you’re not planting in a green house, you may need to line your garden with chicken wire or some type of netting to keep animals away.

If you choose to plant in a remote location like in the hills or country somewhere, remember that you are more likely to get robbed, and you will have a lot more work packing in supplies like nutrients and water. There’s a right way and a wrong way to grow in the wilderness, so make sure you’re well educated about the difference. Once you have your location set, it’s time to plant.

You may choose to plant seeds or clones, either one will work just fine. I like to plant clones as they already have roots and are guaranteed to be female because they are cuttings taken from a female mother plant (I’ll write more on selecting seeds and clones in a future Hydro 101). When starting with clones, do not plant them in direct sunlight or they may die. The best is to plant them in small pint-size cups, and put those in a shaded area so that they don't get direct sunlight for a couple of days. This will allow your plants to get used to intense sunlight. Once you have completed this process you can go ahead and plant them.

It’s best to water for the first couple times with pH balanced water mixed with a well-proven B vitamin formula. You don't want to shock your young clones by adding nutrients right away. Just give your plants a couple of days to start rooting before adding a high-quality nutrient regimen.

That’s it for this week, growers. But stay tuned to RosebudMag.com, as I continue my series on outdoor growing. We’ll talk more of the pros and cons of heading outdoors in upcoming articles. In the meantime, drop me a note in the comments section below and let me know your thoughts on indoor vs. outdoor gardening.