The nights are getting longer and the temperatures are getting colder. That’s why we’re taking a brief interlude away from my series on hydroponics gardening systems to help our brothers and sisters who are gardening in the great outdoors.
The drought, extreme heat and fires of summer 2011 are creating crazy problems for hydroponics and remote outdoor gardeners. People try to argue about global warming and climate change, who or what is causing it…but who argues that this isn’t one hell of a hot summer? Let’s take a look at how to keep hydroponics and outdoor gardens healthy this sizzling summer…
This week brings an end to our outdoor series for beginner growers. We’re going to close with one of the most exciting times in the grow cycle – harvest time. This is when you get to see the fruits of your labor. For best results, you need to properly cut down, trim, and cure your outdoor crop. This can be a bit of a different process than what you’ve gotten used to indoors, so here are some tips.
Last week we introduced all you new growers to the idea that you can cultivate your crop of choice outdoors. Of course, it depends on your location and the time of year, but outdoor gardening can be a lot of fun and viable a way to grow. In some cases, it can even turn out better than indoor hydroponic growing. Of course, there are trade offs either way, but a lot of growers I know enjoy getting outdoors when the season is right.
In the previous outdoor growing article in this series, we talked about site security and plant security. You found out how to use security cameras, fences, predator repellent, sprays, foggers and other tactics so you protect your valuable outdoor plants.
Outdoor growing offers you many benefits, including the blazing sun, oceans of CO2-laden fresh air, cost savings, and the potential for your plants to grow as big as trees! But you also have to fight outdoor pests and predators that want to harm your plants. So read this article and its follow-up articles so you get the most from the great outdoors this year and every year.
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.
Q:
I want to use sunlight to grow this summer. A problem I want to avoid is harvesting at the same time as all of the other growers, which is usually mid-September where I live. I prefer to harvest earlier. Growing auto-flowering strains is an option, but they don’t yield as much and I would need to start all the plants from seed. Also, I would need much higher plant numbers, which is something else that I am trying to avoid. I realize I might be asking for miracles here but is there anything that you can suggest to help bring my crop to maturity earlier using natural sunlight?
Been thinking of giving your indoor hydroponics grow room a rest and growing outdoors? Then come on a journey with me as I continue my series of articles about outdoor growing. After all, spring has sprung, the birds are singing, and I’m sliding down a hill head over heels, reveling in the joys of outdoor gardening as I tumble.
The last time I took clones, I gave one to my neighbor who refuses to grow his plants in a hydroponics garden. He’s like a lot of people I see posting on hydroponics cultivation forums. The kind who think that you don’t need hydroponics nutrients, HID lights, or a controlled environment to produce big, fat harvests. The kind who say all you have to do is use Miracle Gro or a similarly generic plant food.