Dear Dan, Is it possible to grow buds outdoors that are as good as the indoor stuff I get from my delivery service? They’re charging me an arm and a leg ($75 eighths!) and I’d like to break free of their grip, but the quality of their nugs is so good. I have a private backyard with plenty of sunshine. Any advice is greatly appreciated. – Scooter
Dear Scooter,
You surely can grow buds outdoors that could rival those you’ve been purchasing and you’ll be doing it for pennies on the dollar using the free power of the sun! You simply have to abide by a few simple rules. Plant in Spring or early Summer using seeds or clones. If using regular (non-feminized) seeds, check your plants closely as they begin to flower in late July or early August. Discard the males and let the females flourish until you harvest in late Fall.
Keep your plants in full sun and well watered. Provide organic plant food if you see them start to yellow or show other signs of deficiencies. Flush them with plain water for two weeks prior to cutting them down. When you harvest, take care to trim them properly and dry full branches hanging until the stems snap instead of bending.
The next step is curing and it’s highly underrated. This is the process that separates connoisseur quality buds from average pot. Snip the buds off the dry branches and put them into opaque sealed jars. Open the jars once or twice a day to release the remaining liquid. This “sweats” out the moisture until buds are perfectly cured and ready to smoke.
