What Do You Need to Grow Cannabis Outdoors?

If you are new to growing outdoor cannabis plants, then I will explain everything you need to know about growing cannabis outdoors. You’ll learn what equipment and materials are required, how to water and feed your plants, which growing mediums work best, when to plant and a guide to kick-starting your outdoor adventure in 2026!

What Do You Need to Grow Cannabis Outdoors?

Outdoor cannabis plants have the potential to grow extremely large and produce impressive yields. However, the success of an outdoor grow depends on several variables, including climate, sunlight, soil quality, and proper care. 

If you want to create a successful outdoor cannabis garden, you’ll need the right setup from the start. Below are the key elements required for growing cannabis outdoors, and as long as you have the following list ticked off, you will be ready to get germinating your favourite seeds.

Cannabis Seeds

The most important thing that you will need is a pack of cannabis seeds. I would recommend using femenized seeds either.photoperiods or autoflowering. Regular seeds require sexing which means you may be wasting time, nutrients and space on male plants, which is why femenized seeds are advantageous and allow you to grow as many female plants as you wish.

Growing Medium

The growing medium is where your seeds will be planted and where your plants will develop their root systems. Pots are filled with either soil, compost, peat moss, coco coir, or a combination of these. Many growers add perlite or vermiculite to improve drainage and root aeration. If the soil in your garden is healthy, pathogen free and shows all the traits of good quality soil, then be prepared to use the soil.

Pots for Planting

Outdoor growers commonly use either plastic containers or fabric pots. Fabric pots are often preferred because they encourage natural root pruning and better airflow within the root zone. It is a good idea to start your seedlings off in small sized pots. Doing so will give the young plant time to fill the pot before repotting is required. Also, small pots are more practical space wise and allow you to monitor the root zone easily. 

Water Source

Watering is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy outdoor garden. Cannabis plants require consistent watering so they can transport moisture through their leaves and absorb nutrients through their roots. Once your outdoor plants are large, they will drink a lot of water. Using soft water or bottled water works best, and if you are using reverse osmosis, make sure you add calcium and magnesium.

Organic Nutrients

Organic nutrients can come in many forms, including bottled liquid fertilizers, compost, worm castings, or other natural soil amendments. These help ensure plants receive the essential nutrients needed throughout their growth cycle. Many growers enjoy creating a custom mix of super soil that contains many organic inputs, and slow release nutrients.

A Sunny Location

Sunlight is crucial for outdoor cannabis plants. The more direct sunlight they receive, the larger and healthier they will grow. Ideally, choose a spot in your garden that receives sunlight from sunrise until sunset. If your outdoor space does not have sun all day, then be prepared to move the small pots and plants into the sunshine.

What Are The Different Outdoor Cannabis Growing Mediums?

Choosing the right growing medium is essential when cultivating cannabis outdoors. Your plants require a medium that provides nutrients, allows proper airflow to the roots, drains excess water effectively, and retains enough moisture to support healthy growth. Below is a list of all the different growing mediums that can be used, highlighting the pros and cons of each.

Soil

Growing cannabis plants outdoors using soil is an easy, low maintenance and stress free way to cultivate weed. You have many options when buying soil, from the cheap and low grade store bought soil, or the well known cannabis brands that create a cannabis specific product, covering the plants every need.

Coco coir

Coco coir is a light, airy medium made from coconut husks. It contains no nutrients, but it provides excellent aeration and water retention when combined with nutrient feeding. An excellent way to turn soil into a spongy, absorbent and oxygen rich medium is to mix 50% coco coir with soil. Roots love coco coir and it is not easy to overwater either. 

Compost

Compost is rich in organic matter, easy to work with, and contains beneficial mycorrhizal fungi along with slow-release nutrients such as magnesium. You can find organic compost in most garden centres and works superb when used as a top dressing.

Peat moss

This organic medium retains a large amount of water and has a naturally acidic pH, making it useful when mixed with other substrates. You do need to be careful when using peat moss as the pH can become acidic and need increasing. Peat moss works well when mixed with coco coir and soil and improves water retention.

Worm Casting

Worm castings are basically the waste product left behind by worms after they have consumed organic matter. The worms produce a beneficial bacteria rich product that releases nutrients back to the soil. Worm castings are also recommended as a top dressing during the vegetative and flowering stage.

What Date Do I Plant Outdoors?

.You will need to wait for the right time of the year before you can think about germinating cannabis seeds. Luckily, Spring time is only a month away, which means you have 4-5 weeks of preparation time before you can plant outdoors. Below is a breakdown of the different stages of a cannabis plant’s lifecycle. 

April – May: Germinate seeds and plant seedlings outdoors.

May – Mid-July: Plants remain in the vegetative growth stage.

Mid-July – Early August: Flowering begins as daylight hours shorten.

September – November: Most outdoor cannabis plants are ready for harvest.

Starting Cannabis Seeds Indoors

Depedning on where you are, you may need to give your seedlings the best start in life, by germinating them and then keeping them under a grow light. Seedlings do not need much light or nutrients during the first 2 weeks of their lifecycle. Once your seedlings are well established, you can place the outside and let them climatise to their new surroundings.

• A low powered LED will be ideal for starting off seeds indoors
• A CFL bulb or T5 strip light will also work well
• The seedlings will be kept warm indoors and out of the cold
• Seedlings will not be exposed to insects, slugs, snails or birds

Why You Should Consider Autos

I am a big fan of autoflowering cannabis plants, and if you need a fast flowering, reliable and sturdy plant then I would strongly recommend giving autos a try. You can still grow them alongside your photoperiod plants from June onwards, and will be able to harvest every 11-12 weeks from seed until harvest. Below is a list of reasons why you should consider growing autos outdoors.

• Autos are sturdy and tough plants well adapted to colder climates
• They are low profile and stealthy plants perfect for any garden
• They do not require 12/12 to flower so can planted during Summer
• You can grow autos alongside the photoperiods so you have two harvests
• Autos planted in a SOG from June until August will produce great yields
• Autos are easy to hide especially when using companion plants