No-Till No-Dig Outdoor Medical Grow 2025

[Cannabaebae]

Hey guys! I’m an outdoor medical grower in BC, Canada. I’ve been a no-till gardener for 8 years now, starting with veggies and cut flowers. Cannabis was always a tricky plant so to learn, I entered the legal growing industry 2 years ago as a Cultivation Technician at a smaller 10,000 square ft facility and worked my way up to Propagation Manager of a cloning facility. This is my first ever outdoor grow and I’m excited to share my progress.

On the left I have Cactus Breath and on the right a mix of White Widow and Afghan Kush - all grown from seed. I’m growing in a well aged mix of cow, horse, sheep, pig and llama manure from my rancher neighbour. I use a broadfork for soil aeration and have other crops mixed in the beds such as garlic, radish, kale, tobacco and mint, although the girls are kinda taking over!

I’ve topped and trained a few times to make a sort of SCROG and already these ladies are stretching so high! (I am 5’10” for reference).

Inputs include worm casting tea, nettle tea and Super B for high-stress days. I also used diluted Hypochlourous Acid as a preventative foliar in the seedling stage to keep disease at bay.

For IPM, I’ve introduced Swirski Mites but I find that the beneficials such as parasitic wasps and minute pirate bugs in my garden take care of the thrips and whiteflies. Even the robins and magpies like to hang out and eat the leaf hoppers for me.

Soon I will top dress with more manure and mulch with spent hay, as we are about to get some hot days. I will also remove any large fan leaves that impede airflow/light and clean up the insides of the canopy before flower really ramps up.

This is all a big experiment, and I am constantly learning. I believe that sharing knowledge is key. Thank you for reading and stopping by! I’ll be sure to update here on my progress.

 

[Greenadian]

Beautiful you have there!! Im a few provinces over.....our dream is to move out that way to retire

 

[Cannabaebae]

Beautiful you have there!! Im a few provinces over.....our dream is to move out that way to retire

Do it!! It’s a beautiful place.

 

[Cannabaebae]

August 4th update:

First photo is a comparison of 12 days. I have pruned and deleafed a bit to open up the canopy and create airflow and the plants are responding well! Top dressed with more composted manure. Gave them a foliar of Super B last week after their prune, and a Super B drench this week to give them extra P and K before flower really ramps up. We have had a bit of a heatwave recently with temps getting up to 37 degrees Celsius and all but one plant made it without a single wilt (There’s one really thirsty White Widow!). They are all drinking lots of water… On average, giving them about 15L every three days without rain.

Second photo is Afghan Kush showing her beautiful hairs.

Third photo shows the trunk of the Cactus Breath queen.

Today I found what looks like signs of powdery mildew on one singular leaf so I will give a foliar of Hypochlourous Acid as a preventative in the next few days. Likely won’t prune again but will deleaf as needed.

 

[Cannabaebae]

All the girls standing in a row. From left: White Widow, Afghan Kush and a whole bed of Cactus Breath. It’s cool to see the different strain expressions.

Garlic that was planted way too late growing in the front. It will be used for seed and also acts as a vole deterrent.

Nicotina rustica tobacco growing in the middle of the beds, quickly getting shaded out by the height of the girls.

Volunteer wild mint that needs to be hacked back.

Decided I’m going to try KNF Fermented Plant Juice using a recipe of marigold flowers, mint flowers, catnip, mallow, chickweed and lambs quarter. Might add some eggshell in there too. Will post more about that here later.

 

[dankstranger]

Love this setup. Beautiful, healthy plants and solid no-till approach. You're right on track as stretch hits.

Here's what I'd focus on moving into flower. I've been growing for 30 years, and this transition is where you dial things in.

For powdery mildew prevention, scout daily and remove any affected leaves immediately. Use hypochlorous acid (HOCl) at 50-100 ppm, full coverage tops and undersides, mornings every 3-7 days. Tighten interval if you see active PM. For knockdown, potassium bicarbonate at 0.5-1% (5-10g/L) with wetting agent during cool temps. Skip sulfur after 2 weeks into flower since residues affect flavor.

Your Amblyseius swirskii beneficials like 20-32°C (68-90°F) and 60%+ humidity. Keep banker plants going and avoid spraying HOCl on those areas. Add sachets if prey gets scarce.

Mulch looks good. Keep it 3-6" thick but leave a ring around stems for airflow. Straw beats hay for fewer weeds. Water slow and deep mornings during heat spells. Your 15L every 3 days is solid, just bump frequency during heat spikes.

For nutrition, ease off raw manures as flowers set. Stick to finished compost, vermicompost, and light minerals like kelp. Raw manures need long lead times before harvest.

Do light interior cleanup before buds get heavy for airflow. Get final trellis and ties up now. Late-season winds plus heavy colas equals heartbreak.

For KNF, harvest vigorous tips early morning for FPJ. Mix 1:1 with brown sugar, ferment 5-7 days until syrupy, strain, use at 1:500-1:1000. Save eggshells for calcium with vinegar. Dose lightly in stretch/early flower, don't mix with FPJ.

Keep 30-40% shade cloth ready for hot afternoons. Time watering so plants don't go to bed wet when dew starts.

Plants look happy and well-loved. Keep the updates coming!

 

[Cannabaebae]

Love this setup. Beautiful, healthy plants and solid no-till approach. You're right on track as stretch hits.

Here's what I'd focus on moving into flower. I've been growing for 30 years, and this transition is where you dial things in.

For powdery mildew prevention, scout daily and remove any affected leaves immediately. Use hypochlorous acid (HOCl) at 50-100 ppm, full coverage tops and undersides, mornings every 3-7 days. Tighten interval if you see active PM. For knockdown, potassium bicarbonate at 0.5-1% (5-10g/L) with wetting agent during cool temps. Skip sulfur after 2 weeks into flower since residues affect flavor.

Your Amblyseius swirskii beneficials like 20-32°C (68-90°F) and 60%+ humidity. Keep banker plants going and avoid spraying HOCl on those areas. Add sachets if prey gets scarce.

Mulch looks good. Keep it 3-6" thick but leave a ring around stems for airflow. Straw beats hay for fewer weeds. Water slow and deep mornings during heat spells. Your 15L every 3 days is solid, just bump frequency during heat spikes.

For nutrition, ease off raw manures as flowers set. Stick to finished compost, vermicompost, and light minerals like kelp. Raw manures need long lead times before harvest.

Do light interior cleanup before buds get heavy for airflow. Get final trellis and ties up now. Late-season winds plus heavy colas equals heartbreak.

For KNF, harvest vigorous tips early morning for FPJ. Mix 1:1 with brown sugar, ferment 5-7 days until syrupy, strain, use at 1:500-1:1000. Save eggshells for calcium with vinegar. Dose lightly in stretch/early flower, don't mix with FPJ.

Keep 30-40% shade cloth ready for hot afternoons. Time watering so plants don't go to bed wet when dew starts.

Plants look happy and well-loved. Keep the updates coming!

Thank you so much! These are great tips and I will absolutely put them into practice.

I’ll be adding some spent hay as mulch over the next few days before we get a big heat wave. Need to order fresh batch of Swirskis and get that trellis on as soon as possible.

I was debating whether or not I should clean up the interior some more but after your comment and having a look today, I think it’s necessary. Especially with the Cactus Breath… they are vigourous growers and seem to respond really well to a prune.

I’ll be sure to update more here as things progress. Gratitude and happy growing!

 

[defective]

Wow what a view from your garden! Plants look great too.

 

[Cannabaebae]

Wow what a view from your garden! Plants look great too.

Yes the land here is so beautiful. Thank you so much!

 

[Bigalmoby]

Hey guys! I’m an outdoor medical grower in BC, Canada. I’ve been a no-till gardener for 8 years now, starting with veggies and cut flowers. Cannabis was always a tricky plant so to learn, I entered the legal growing industry 2 years ago as a Cultivation Technician at a smaller 10,000 square ft facility and worked my way up to Propagation Manager of a cloning facility. This is my first ever outdoor grow and I’m excited to share my progress.

On the left I have Cactus Breath and on the right a mix of White Widow and Afghan Kush - all grown from seed. I’m growing in a well aged mix of cow, horse, sheep, pig and llama manure from my rancher neighbour. I use a broadfork for soil aeration and have other crops mixed in the beds such as garlic, radish, kale, tobacco and mint, although the girls are kinda taking over!

I’ve topped and trained a few times to make a sort of SCROG and already these ladies are stretching so high! (I am 5’10” for reference).

Inputs include worm casting tea, nettle tea and Super B for high-stress days. I also used diluted Hypochlourous Acid as a preventative foliar in the seedling stage to keep disease at bay.

For IPM, I’ve introduced Swirski Mites but I find that the beneficials such as parasitic wasps and minute pirate bugs in my garden take care of the thrips and whiteflies. Even the robins and magpies like to hang out and eat the leaf hoppers for me.

Soon I will top dress with more manure and mulch with spent hay, as we are about to get some hot days. I will also remove any large fan leaves that impede airflow/light and clean up the insides of the canopy before flower really ramps up.

This is all a big experiment, and I am constantly learning. I believe that sharing knowledge is key. Thank you for reading and stopping by! I’ll be sure to update here on my progress.


View attachment 2482595

What a view

 

[Leste]

I just lost three plants to voles. After reading your thread, ground up a bunch of garlic and sprayed around my garden. I just want to eat a fucking tomato that’s not eating. My weed is protected with bronze screen now, I think I’m safe. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Mikedin]

Hey guys! I’m an outdoor medical grower in BC, Canada. I’ve been a no-till gardener for 8 years now, starting with veggies and cut flowers. Cannabis was always a tricky plant so to learn, I entered the legal growing industry 2 years ago as a Cultivation Technician at a smaller 10,000 square ft facility and worked my way up to Propagation Manager of a cloning facility. This is my first ever outdoor grow and I’m excited to share my progress.

On the left I have Cactus Breath and on the right a mix of White Widow and Afghan Kush - all grown from seed. I’m growing in a well aged mix of cow, horse, sheep, pig and llama manure from my rancher neighbour. I use a broadfork for soil aeration and have other crops mixed in the beds such as garlic, radish, kale, tobacco and mint, although the girls are kinda taking over!

I’ve topped and trained a few times to make a sort of SCROG and already these ladies are stretching so high! (I am 5’10” for reference).

Inputs include worm casting tea, nettle tea and Super B for high-stress days. I also used diluted Hypochlourous Acid as a preventative foliar in the seedling stage to keep disease at bay.

For IPM, I’ve introduced Swirski Mites but I find that the beneficials such as parasitic wasps and minute pirate bugs in my garden take care of the thrips and whiteflies. Even the robins and magpies like to hang out and eat the leaf hoppers for me.

Soon I will top dress with more manure and mulch with spent hay, as we are about to get some hot days. I will also remove any large fan leaves that impede airflow/light and clean up the insides of the canopy before flower really ramps up.

This is all a big experiment, and I am constantly learning. I believe that sharing knowledge is key. Thank you for reading and stopping by! I’ll be sure to update here on my progress.


View attachment 2482595

just saw your topic! been super busy, ya got me at no till! Plants look great!

 

[Mikedin]

View attachment 2496242

All the girls standing in a row. From left: White Widow, Afghan Kush and a whole bed of Cactus Breath. It’s cool to see the different strain expressions.

Garlic that was planted way too late growing in the front. It will be used for seed and also acts as a vole deterrent.

Nicotina rustica tobacco growing in the middle of the beds, quickly getting shaded out by the height of the girls.

Volunteer wild mint that needs to be hacked back.

Decided I’m going to try KNF Fermented Plant Juice using a recipe of marigold flowers, mint flowers, catnip, mallow, chickweed and lambs quarter. Might add some eggshell in there too. Will post more about that here later.

just made some FPJ a few weeks ago and my plant out in the garden plot loved it, gunna feed it to em all this week i think! i used banana peels and a whole mango, after straining i stored it in mason jars and put in the fridge. just picked up a gallon of blackstrap molasses to use in the next mix

 

[Cannabaebae]

just made some FPJ a few weeks ago and my plant out in the garden plot loved it, gunna feed it to em all this week i think! i used banana peels and a whole mango, after straining i stored it in mason jars and put in the fridge. just picked up a gallon of blackstrap molasses to use in the next mix

Sounds great! I’m going to use banana peels too. I find it fascinating that flowering/fruiting plants as ingredients work best for flowering stage. Nature is amazing

 

[Cannabaebae]

I just lost three plants to voles. After reading your thread, ground up a bunch of garlic and sprayed around my garden. I just want to eat a fucking tomato that’s not eating. My weed is protected with bronze screen now, I think I’m safe. Thanks for the advice.

Voles are the worst! I watched one try and take one of my hollyhock plants by the whole from the roots. Destructive little creatures.

 

[Cannabaebae]

just saw your topic! been super busy, ya got me at no till! Plants look great!

Thanks so much! It’s amazing to see how well the plants are responding to the no-till method.

 

[Cannabaebae]

What a view

I’m pretty damn lucky.

 

[Cannabaebae]

My new security guard. He’s just been hanging out all day, mean muggin. I left him a bin with a few inches of water under the plant so I hope he sticks around.

 

[Cannabaebae]

Hey guys… a little end of August update.

The girls are getting huge and I am seeing now why they need so much space. Next year I will be sure to give them their own bed so they really have room to stretch out and go wild. I was not anticipating monsters. The way I have them set up in a sort of SCROG definitely requires some maintenance and training.

Said I wouldn’t prune and I know I’ll hear some moans and groans from a lot of outdoor growers… but I went a little crazy a few weeks ago with the prune and clean up. Hacked them back hard. Before and after:

I was seeing signs of Powdery Mildew (a leaf here and there in the dense spots) so I kept telling myself that it’s better to have a harvest than no harvest at all, so I took out all the larf, the nodes that won’t amount to anything and even some lower branches that weren’t getting much sun. Not quite as extreme as an indoor prune but definitely took quite a bit off. Giving them a weekly foliar Hypochlorous Acid as a preventative.

Went away for 5 days and it’s like I didn’t prune at all. Just as bushy, coming back with a vengeance, and flowers starting to form:

10 days after a prune. Welcome to the jungle:

August 9th to August 23rd - two weeks of growth:

Contemplating my forest. 6-10 feet tall all around:

It’s been a weird summer here. Cooler than normal with lots of rain. Only now are we getting a week straight of 35 degrees Celsius weather and the girls are loving it.

Before I left for a quick vacation, I gave them a shot of tea made from worm castings, egg shell powder and wood ash. The intention with that mix was to make something quick out of what I had. A little boost. I’ve also been mulching them with their own leaves and that has definitely contributed to a less hydrophobic soil, feeding the myco and microbes.

Now that I’m back, I’ll brew up a Fermented Plant Juice and start them on their flower feed in a week or so. I’ve been watering them more frequently with the heat, and get the vibe that they need water at shorter intervals now, rather than the intense dry/wet cycle I had them on in veg (I like to push the dry down!)

New roll of trellis finally arrived so I’ll be installing that tonight once it cools down. That will be tricky as the plants are SO tall but I’m determined to make it work and will maybe employ the help of my son.

Now I am contemplating the harvest - testing out different drying areas, gathering hardware and supplies for hanging, considering constructing a bamboo greenhouse “structure” to loosely cover the plants once the temperatures drop. We’ve got a long way to go, and a short growing season, so it’s going to be a test of the resilience of these plants when the temperatures drop and a challenge for me to keep moisture out of the buds.

I just defoliated a bunch and might clean up some more larf, but it’s getting to the point where I want them to focus their energy on their flowers rather than stressed from a prune, so I’ll have to be careful to balance this.

Either way, I am SO grateful for the opportunity to grow beautiful plants such as these. I’ll be sure to post about the FPJ I brew up this week.

Happy growing, y’all!

 

[Appalachian]

Hey guys! I’m an outdoor medical grower in BC, Canada. I’ve been a no-till gardener for 8 years now, starting with veggies and cut flowers. Cannabis was always a tricky plant so to learn, I entered the legal growing industry 2 years ago as a Cultivation Technician at a smaller 10,000 square ft facility and worked my way up to Propagation Manager of a cloning facility. This is my first ever outdoor grow and I’m excited to share my progress.

On the left I have Cactus Breath and on the right a mix of White Widow and Afghan Kush - all grown from seed. I’m growing in a well aged mix of cow, horse, sheep, pig and llama manure from my rancher neighbour. I use a broadfork for soil aeration and have other crops mixed in the beds such as garlic, radish, kale, tobacco and mint, although the girls are kinda taking over!

I’ve topped and trained a few times to make a sort of SCROG and already these ladies are stretching so high! (I am 5’10” for reference).

Inputs include worm casting tea, nettle tea and Super B for high-stress days. I also used diluted Hypochlourous Acid as a preventative foliar in the seedling stage to keep disease at bay.

For IPM, I’ve introduced Swirski Mites but I find that the beneficials such as parasitic wasps and minute pirate bugs in my garden take care of the thrips and whiteflies. Even the robins and magpies like to hang out and eat the leaf hoppers for me.

Soon I will top dress with more manure and mulch with spent hay, as we are about to get some hot days. I will also remove any large fan leaves that impede airflow/light and clean up the insides of the canopy before flower really ramps up.

This is all a big experiment, and I am constantly learning. I believe that sharing knowledge is key. Thank you for reading and stopping by! I’ll be sure to update here on my progress.


View attachment 2482595

I'm just an old Appalachian here in the states, but they look good! I have a Skunk plant that is finishing up in a week or two!