For those of us who are fortunate enough to grow outdoors, it is very important to keep a journal of your grow, the environment, and the results. This can be especially important to keep you from repeating mistakes from year to year, and for planning for the year to come. While recording information about an indoor grow is valuable, doing so for an outdoor grow is indispensable. When growing indoors, it is possible control most of the variables in your environment. However, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature when outdoors.
The first entry into this year’s grow journal had to do with the cool, wet spring we endured. I’m sure to note that the amount of precipitation we received this spring was more than the usual amount for my area. Temperatures were also a little cooler than normal with our first heat wave occurring a couple weeks later than normal as well. Most years don’t fall in line with the averages, this much is true. Averages are just that, climate can vary quite a lot and one of the last climate related entries in my log will have to do with the temperature and humidity experienced in the next/final month before harvest. This is a crucial time for cannabis attempting to finish in the field.
The remainder of my notes have mostly to do with the particular varieties I’m growing. Characteristics of each variety, and often each seed of a variety, can also vary as much as the weather itself. My goal this year was to find at least one variety that did well here in central Missouri. Some varieties will never grow and finish well in your region so it is important to take notes. What’s the point of growing the same cultivars repeatedly when they are sensitive to molds that come with cool fall weather? I’ll share the variety if I do have a winner, but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, here a number of questions I try to answer and record in my journal for each variety I grow.
- Did the seed tolerate low germination temperatures?
Important for cool spring planting directly in soil. - Is there tolerance to frost?
These varieties can usually be planted earlier and stay out longer if needed. - Is there a tolerance to placement outdoors?
Some varieties stunt badly when making this transition in the spring. - Is there tolerance to moist/soggy soil?
Some varieties will stand up to ‘wet feet’ better than others. This is especially important if not container planting. - Is there tolerance to drought?
This is especially important when attempting to ‘dry-farm’ (without irrigation) like me. - Is there pest tolerance? If not, which pests were noted?
This is most obvious when a plant is pest free when growing beside a variety that has become infected with pests. - Is there mold/mildew tolerance?
I look for this trait religiously. Missouri summers are humid and fall weather can be grueling for varieties that are susceptible. This is the top reason for crop-loss in Missouri (at least for me). - When does the variety finish? Was there a cold-spell in advance of the finish?
Some varieties finish quickly after the first cool-spell in September. I favor any variety that finishes before the month of October as this will increase your chances of avoiding bud-rot/mold/botrytis. - What is the quality of the finished medicine?
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s important to note because a variety can look and finish perfectly, but if there is a lack of potency, terpene profiles, or other desirable attributes, what is the point of growing it?
Bust out the notebooks folks! It’s exciting that we can actually keep notes for our legal grows and those notes will be very important for next year’s outdoor garden.
What do you think? Are there additional bits of information you record for your outdoor garden? How about the nutrients you use (if any)?
Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —
