It’s important to know that although growing weed can be a rewarding and fun activity, it also comes with a few challenges. Many variables will come into play when you’re trying to outdoor grown weed, like the right weather conditions and sustainable growing methods. To give you an idea of how to start, I’ve made this blog post which covers all the steps on how someone might learn to grow outdoor weed successfully!
When wanting to learn how to outdoor grown weed one first needs to understand what equipment and principles one needs to succeed. The steps below are from my personal experience and information gathered from other blogs. This can be of use to you!
#1: Find Out What You Need To Start
You will need a few things before planting or cutting your first seed. Some of these may include:
A bag of soil that contains enough nutrients for the plant to sustain itself until harvest time. You’ll also need some pot/container to plant your seed in, like a plastic soda bottle, a mason jar, or something similar. A regular kitchen knife can do the trick. Just ensure to sterilize it properly before use (boil it in clean water for 10 minutes). Also, ensure you have a wet piece of cloth or paper towel to wipe with. A regular pen or pencil (not a sharpened one). Something to wear, like a t-shirt you’re planning to wait to wash.
#2: Choosing Your Seed
Many types of seeds can be used when outdoor grown weed. The most common and recommended seeds include:
A seed pack from the local gardening store – This is the cheapest way for beginners, but it’s also the most difficult to care for. It’s also the hardest to find, but it’s a great way to start learning how to outdoor grown weed. It’s recommended that you take a look at the packaging before purchasing! The company will usually have an expiration date on their package, and upon close inspection, it will usually say “Keep Refrigerated.” This can help keep your seed alive longer, but you may need to look for other ways of helping your seeds “stick,” too.
Seed from other sources: These may include friends or family members with seeds they’re not using. Look up online forums and see what others are using before buying seeds from other sources. Some seeds might be too old. Some might carry disease. Make sure you know what you’re buying!
If you’re looking to grow a more in-depth strain, look up forums and find out what other people use for indoor growing needs. There’s always a way of getting the seed from somebody!
#3: Finding A Suitable Container for Planting your Seed or Cutting
The first step is finding a container to plant or cut your seed. You can use milk bottle caps, glass jars, or plastic bottles. Many people use these containers and other creative ways to plant their weeds as it’s much easier and requires less maintenance than using soil pots or soil mixes.
Some of these containers include:
Plastic soda bottles:
- Cut the bottom of the bottle off and place your seed inside.
- Cut as straight as possible to minimize drainage issues.
- Seal it using a hot needle or glue gun.
- Make sure you have enough space for your cutting to grow!
Plastic Jar: For outdoor grown weed You’ll need a refrigerated milk bottle, then you’ll need to cut off the top (the funnel) part of the milk bottle, leaving about 3-4 inches of the milk bottle (i.e., where the liquid would be). Just make a few cuts around the top, and you should be able to bring it off easily. Place your cutting inside and seal it by applying pressure with your hands. Note that this can be more difficult to sterilize, so you may need an alcohol wipe before sealing it up.
Glass jars: Another method is to use things like glass jars that have their labels removed. These are usually round or oval-shaped objects that are easy to cut out at the bottom. They’re also easy to sterilize in boiling water for a few minutes, so don’t worry about having the jar break! Just place your cutting inside and seal it with some tape or a glue gun.
Other containers: There are many other growing containers that you can try, but remember that you’ll need to find something that has a lot of space for the plant to grow into. I recommend trying milk or juice bottles first, as they’re relatively inexpensive and offer enough space for your cutting to grow into.
#4: Choosing Your Planting Spot
When choosing a planting spot, you’ll want to find somewhere in your house that’s away from direct sunlight. As an ideal location, I like to use my windowsill as it gets plenty of light (especially during the spring!) but not too much. It can also be easily acquired by purchasing a cheap grow tent.
Ideally, you also want to find somewhere that has air circulation because this will help prevent mould and disease from attacking your plant. You could purchase an AC unit for this purpose, or make sure you put your container somewhere that can receive a lot of airflows.
#5: Sterilizing your Planting Container
This is the most important step you should do as perfectly as possible. Sterilize your container in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until the water turns brown. This will minimize any bacteria or disease carried outside your container, which could be transferred onto your cutting as it grows. You can also use household bleach if needed. As a rule of thumb, bleach and boiling water should NEVER be combined lest you want an explosion! You’ll also want to let it air dry (which can take a while!) before planting any cutting or seed there.
#6: Planting Your Seed or Cutting
Now that you’ve prepared your container with the correct soil, water it well and add some nutrients to give your cutting a good start. Plant your seed by making sure it is planted directly into the soil (don’t press down on it!), and then put a very thin layer of soil over the top of that. I usually make a small hole for my seed, then fill it with soil.
After you have watered and placed your seed in the soil, give it some time and keep the area moist. After about an hour, check on your seed or cutting to see how it’s doing. You’ll want to ensure some growth by looking for new leaves sprouting out of them, as this means your seed is healthy!
#7: Plant Care and Maintaining Your Weed
After the first week:
- Give your plant a small number of nutrients each day (2-3 drops per plant), and water the soil regularly. If not much sunlight hits your plant, you can give it an additional dose of nutrients each day to help feed it so it doesn’t get stunted or too weak.
- Ensure you don’t over-water your plants, as this will cause root rot and mould to grow on the soil.
- Ensure that no dirt gets into the drainage hole, which can also damage it.
After the first week, you can remove any dead leaves or stems that show signs of decay using scissors to cut them off. Leaving these dying leaves on your plant can harm it in the future! Regarding nutrients, most people use liquid fish fertilizer because it’s easy to carry around, and most household brands run for about $10 (or less). Any garden supply store will have some for sale too. While adding actual nutrients has a high chance of causing algae in your container. It’s worth noting that certain strains are known for producing large amounts of resin. If adding too many nutrients causes algae growth, you should avoid growing this strain in your container.
Conclusion
So that’s about it for the basics of growing marijuana in a soil container. Now you know how to prepare your potting soil, grow your cutting, and take care of your weed once it’s grown. If you want to outdoor grown weed in a water bottle, I’d recommend making sure that it has room for the plant to grow into and removing plastic wrap before planting it. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below!
Hopefully, with all this information, you’ll have no trouble growing your own weed in a soil container! Remember that if you need any help, or have any questions about this process, don’t hesitate to contact my secret growing guide for help.