GAMBLING ON GROWING OUTDOORS

Story & photos by David Strange

Ahhh, the things that dreams are made of. The final moments as you caress your ticket and watch the balls fall in the Super Lotto; the breeze as it flows through your hair while riding Gary Busey-style on that new motorcycle; or your own island in paradise where no one will ever build an office.

I’ve been around enough pot growers to know that dreams are also made of four-inch clones and holes full of dirt. Once the often backbreaking labor of planting is completed, those dreams morph into almost pre-emptive “fish tales” of gigantic colas and the tacky, resin-covered goodness of the years of harvests to come.

Unfortunately, those dreams can sometimes turn into nightmares. However, there are ways to wake up and rescue that dream.

When growing outdoors, the final product can be some of the most sensuous-smelling, tantalizingly tasty and smoothest-smoking herb around. But as with any grow in any environment, there is always a point of diminishing returns—the quintessential “know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em” scenario. Sure, there may be an abundance of space to grow in that field, but you can’t just draw the curtains to hide it, and you can’t control the environment. This article shares some of the tidbits passed on to me by those who have had things go astray and still managed to beat the house.

Rain
This is usually environmental enemy numero uno come season’s end. Those buds are often big and juicy, yet they’re susceptible to mold at just about the same time as the autumn rains start to fall. If the plants are readily accessible, something as simple as shaking them to remove excess water will allow them to dry off that much more quickly and help to keep them from developing mold. Removing surrounding growth and unnecessary fan leaves improves air movement around the buds so they can dry faster, too.

While harvesting in a downpour is neither pleasurable nor suggested, sometimes the forecast calls for several days of rain, and mold becomes a concern. This is likely one of those “fold ’em” situations, and certain measures are taken by many growers to ensure their harvest doesn’t rot.

Plastic garbage bags are one of the preferred packaging products for getting that shit home, but they’re not always the best choice. Especially if it’s still hot and humid, those buds aren’t going to take kindly to being sealed up in plastic for too long. If you’re not worried about smell, something that breathes is great—but basically, just make sure not to leave wet weed in bags for more than an hour or two. It may sound harsh, but when you get your weed to the drying area, going over it with a hair dryer on the coolest setting for a few minutes will help remove some of the initial water, and it’s unlikely to make it crispy.