Preparing for my first outdoor grow - in Ohio. I have some questions about how to begin...

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Smokeshow

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Hello everyone! I am in the middle of my first ever grow indoor, but I am planning an attempt at outdoor growing next spring and I wanted to start preparing. I have a handful of friends that are planning to do the same and of course it immediately turned into a friendly competition, even though none of us have done it before. I am hoping that my indoor growing gives me enough experience to be dangerous! So far, the criteria of our competition is the overall size of the plant and then the final yield.

Question #1. Does anyone have any recommendations on strains for outdoor growing in Ohio? I am about 20 miles south of Columbus. For sheer size, it sounds like a Sativa strain is the way to go, but I would like it to be a good match for the central Ohio climate.

Question #2. Location. I have plenty of space to grow here at the house, but my primary concerns are the amount of sunlight and then the other concern is wind. Since the front yard is out of the question, I have about 2 acres of back yard that I can pretty much plant anywhere. The rest of my property is woods, so that ain't gonna work. :-) Do I want to approach this to grow where they pretty much are getting sunlight all day, or am I looking for some morning and/or evening shade before sundown? I've got some white pines that would be a good wind block, planting in those spots will take away several hours of full sun. I think I want to stay closer to the house vs the woods to hopefully avoid the local wildlife from bogarting my refer!

Question #3. Do I want to go with large pots, or is it better to plant directly into the the ground (with amending/conditioning the soil). Reading a lot of the weather woes during flowering actually made me think about buying a smallish tunnel type of greenhouse to keep rain and wind at bay.

I know this is quite early, but I am sitting around waiting to be able to put my first indoor grow into flower and it is a nice (BUT WINDY) Sunday afternoon, so it got me thinking about what I need to prepare for an attempt at outdoor growing next spring!

Thank you,
Smoke
 
dent1218

dent1218

42
18
Hello everyone! I am in the middle of my first ever grow indoor, but I am planning an attempt at outdoor growing next spring and I wanted to start preparing. I have a handful of friends that are planning to do the same and of course it immediately turned into a friendly competition, even though none of us have done it before. I am hoping that my indoor growing gives me enough experience to be dangerous! So far, the criteria of our competition is the overall size of the plant and then the final yield.

Question #1. Does anyone have any recommendations on strains for outdoor growing in Ohio? I am about 20 miles south of Columbus. For sheer size, it sounds like a Sativa strain is the way to go, but I would like it to be a good match for the central Ohio climate.

Question #2. Location. I have plenty of space to grow here at the house, but my primary concerns are the amount of sunlight and then the other concern is wind. Since the front yard is out of the question, I have about 2 acres of back yard that I can pretty much plant anywhere. The rest of my property is woods, so that ain't gonna work. :-) Do I want to approach this to grow where they pretty much are getting sunlight all day, or am I looking for some morning and/or evening shade before sundown? I've got some white pines that would be a good wind block, planting in those spots will take away several hours of full sun. I think I want to stay closer to the house vs the woods to hopefully avoid the local wildlife from bogarting my refer!

Question #3. Do I want to go with large pots, or is it better to plant directly into the the ground (with amending/conditioning the soil). Reading a lot of the weather woes during flowering actually made me think about buying a smallish tunnel type of greenhouse to keep rain and wind at bay.

I know this is quite early, but I am sitting around waiting to be able to put my first indoor grow into flower and it is a nice (BUT WINDY) Sunday afternoon, so it got me thinking about what I need to prepare for an attempt at outdoor growing next spring!

Thank you,
Smoke
Springboro Ohio here. Hope all goes well for your grow.
 
TheGoldenRoad

TheGoldenRoad

740
243
Welcome! I'm from California but I know that there are a bunch of Ohio growers that have a thread going too. Drop in and say hi:


Happy growing! ✌️
 
O

OldSalty

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I was blessed to have brought in a successful Ohio harvest. Many were not so fortunate. Bums me out.

I have tended vegetable gardens in the Buckeye State for years, so I knew what to anticipate. I left my plants in pots and brought them inside to finish. It's not ideal. But I would have lost ol' Moby to insects and bud rot had I planted her in the ground. Luckily I have 10 foot ceilings in my garage.

I selected Moby Dick just to see how large of a plant I could grow. There are some Goliath strains out there. Be sure to select one that is acclimated to Ohio weather and resistant to blights. I will warn you that there is a lot of work involved in harvesting a plant with so much leaf mass. Next year I'm going to focus on strains that are a little more squat.

Next year I'm also going to use a bigger pot. Planting in the ground reduces watering frequency and provides better anchoring. But I have those deficiencies covered and I like the flexibility of being able to move them. I also like to goose my plants and it's easier to control/correct in a pot.

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In terms of location, I tried to find an area with the largest amount of sunlight. But I had to compromise. If you have to give up one or the other, I would suggest that you set up so your plants can catch morning sun. That way the sun drives moisture off of the plant earlier in the day.

As far as the treeline is concerned, you might want to ask what others think. I have all kinds nasties in my spruce trees. I worry about getting too close to mine.

I use bird netting to cut the wind. My property is on the top of the hill. It's like a wind tunnel! I would have lost my plants had I not used this fabric. But be aware of the fact that those buds need strong airflow to produce big colas. I keep the tops exposed.

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I hope this helps. Let us know what strain(s) you select next year!
 
S

Smokeshow

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@OldSalty Thank you for sharing and for the detailed response! That is quite a tree that you have there! AWESOME!!!
 
O

OldSalty

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@OldSalty Thank you for sharing and for the detailed response! That is quite a tree that you have there! AWESOME!!!
Thanks. It’s hard to get a sense of scale in a photograph. This is how my friends harvested their colas.

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Wet trimmed, the uppermost buds weighed between 50 and 70 grams each. I estimate a 1/3 pound dry. The second tier and 3rd tiers will yield about a 1/4 pound each.
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There were a total of 36 nice branches. The bud smalls should yield a couple of ounces but it’s getting used for edibles. All told, my friends and I are very happy!
 
O

OldSalty

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When are you planning on starting your beans next year? I started mine indoors on March 15 and started hardening them off as soon as weather permitted. This was late April. I also topped and LST'd them.

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B

BlueSkiesAhead

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3
When growing outdoors always prepare for the worst because it is a very cruel and unforgiving environment to grow in. Wind damage is the biggest threat to your plants you will encounter especially later in the season when your plants are budding and they get rain and wind. This will cause the branches to break off the stem because of the added weight. The tropical storm that came through Ohio literally leveled my plants right to the ground. Before you plant outside drive a metal fence post into the ground where you decide to grow and then plant your plant right next to the post and tie your plant to it as it grows. This will keep your plant from blowing down in heavy winds which will happen if growing in loose soil. You will also want to wrap the entire outside of the plant with netting which will keep the branches from breaking away from the stem. From my experience, wind and rain are the biggest threats your plants will encounter when growing outside.
 

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