Backyard Growing

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

Lucky growers who live in countries that tolerate cannabis can safely plant a crop in their backyard and give their garden the tender loving care it deserves. You can pay close attention to your plants’ soil, water, and nutrient needs. Growing cannabis in your flower and vegetable garden is ideal because you can care for all your plants at the same time.

Prepare soil in the fall; remove weeds and dig planting holes or garden beds. Turn it over and make sure it has plenty of amendments. Always put a heavy layer of mulch on any soil that will be planted! A 12-inch-plus layer of mulch will keep soil elements intact as well as attract moisture. Bare soil loses most of its valuable topsoil to erosion during winter months.

In the spring, mulched amended soil should be well-mixed and ready for planting. You can transplant cannabis seedlings r clones in the garden just like you would tomatoes. If your soil is poor, or you didn’t begin cultivation in fall, dig large holes, three feet in diameter by three feet deep, and fill with your best compost, potting soil, or planting mix. Otherwise, break up the top six to eight inches of soil in a six-foot radius to provide room for root branching.

Bury containers in a garden bed so they do not stick out too much. They can be easily moved indoors at night or to a remote location.