As someone once said, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Perhaps you do not have the largest balcony or terrace? Do not worry. Here are some tips to help you turn that small space into a leafy garden where your plants can grow strong and healthy, without creating too much suspicion among neighbours, who do not tend to have the best intentions.
If we lived far from the madding crowd of the city, away from the blessed urban pollution and the continuous stress that everything there causes us, we would not have the slightest problem. We could plant however we liked in our gardens or in the patios of our home. We would not have to worry about neighbours reaching over to pilfer the odd bud or if the cat that likes to roam about the windowsills might spoil our cannabis crop with its urine.
However, we do not. Most of us end up living in cities, and whether we like it or not, we have to adapt to the space when it comes to cultivating marijuana, looking after and pampering our plants. Moreover, if we do not have the necessary budget to have a spare room at home to use as a hydroponic plantation, there is only one remaining option: grow on the balcony or in the terrace. In such small spaces, it is necessary to act with great expertise, to ensure nothing goes wrong and to be able to enjoy the fruits of our plants sooner or later. Therefore, we are offering some tips so that everything turns out just fine.
1. Do not make mistakes with calculations. Just as the laws of physics dictate, flowerpots have the capacity they have. If you make a mistake and go amiss when calculating the size that plants and their roots can grow to, you will discover how the pressure of the plants can end up destroying the container they are held in. Or, the plant may not grow correctly. You really have to take into account the possible size plants can grow to, depending on the measurements of the balcony and then opt for plant pots with a capacity of 7, 11, 25 or more litres. It is about making the most of your possible space, without getting too anxious about the situation.
2. The key is the soil. The soil mixture that your plants grow in is of crucial importance as it is what sustains them during the entire growing and flowering period. As a general rule, you can create a very effective substratum by mixing the 80% of recommended earth with about 20% of worm humus, then adding about half a kilogram of bat guano and finish by seasoning the earth with a little fertilizer in order to help growth.
3. The choice of seeds is a crucial step. In this regard, you need to pay attention to four main factors: the size the plant can reach, production, quality of the crop and resistance to mould and disease. Considering these requirements, which will give you greater security when it comes to harvest, we would suggest you opt for autoflowering feminized seeds. These seeds produce plants that are shorter and quicker to flower than other types, as they are less dependent on the availability of light. Furthermore, they can flower in the presence of street lamps and urban night lighting, which is a very common problem in areas largely built up with houses. You should also choose a variety that is mostly Indica, as they tend to be more compact and grow to smaller heights than Sativa plants.
4. Prune it when necessary in order to encourage it to grow outwards. That it how it works, a good apical pruning will allow the plant to grow outwards, and reduce its height. This is very important if you do not want your plant to grow higher than the terrace wall. When the plant has seven or eight pairs of real big leaves, cut the apex or the upper shoot, just above the fifth pair of leaves, as this will help new primary branches to emerge. These branches can then be directed with SCROG style meshing, in order to create a series of flat plants that produce a lot of nice buds, and have very discreet secondary tails.
5. Watch out for the water! One of the fundamental requirements when you begin to cultivate cannabis on your balcony is to ensure that the plants have plenty of water. It is very important to ensure that the substratum remains moist during the germination period to guarantee the roots grip well and avoid subsequent problems. Then, depending on the variety of plant chosen, it is necessary to adjust the watering level in order to prevent the roots from rotting due to excessive moistness. As a general rule, it is advisable to keep the substratum dry between watering. Also, watering a lot but with small amounts of water is better than subjecting the plants to water stress, with long periods of drought or moistness. Furthermore, you should always try to water in the morning if the temperature is low, and at night during the very hot months.
6. Automatic watering could be your best friend. Many people recommend automatic watering, in order to prevent a lack of attention spoiling some of your plants. Other people opt to do it manually in order to monitor the growth of their little plants in greater detail. Whatever option you choose, ensure that you plants have enough water at all times. Also make sure that they do not have too much water.
If you choose automatic watering, it is very useful to have a tap nearby to take the water from. However, you can also use a closed circuit with a sprinkling system with a container, an aquarium pump and a programmer. However, there are various watering systems on sale, and thanks to their simplicity and effectiveness, they will prevent you needing to carry out any improvised DIY work, and help you to obtain professional results.
7. Be careful with pests. One of the great dangers that plants are exposed to outdoors is the possibility of falling victim to any kind of parasite that could spoil all your efforts. These parasites could come from neighbouring plants, from trees in the area or from any other location. Consequently, we would recommend you to use biological treatments as a preventive measure in order to combat pests with natural resources. As such, you can avoid having to use products such as chemical insecticides when plants are already infected. Such products are more toxic and harmful for the people living at home, and they can also affect the taste and quality of the harvest.
8. Control the amount of sunlight that your plants are exposed to. Unlike with plants grown inside, on a balcony you cannot control the intensity and angle at which light hits the leaves of your plants by pressing a button or adjusting a lamp. Ideally, plants should get as much sun as possible. However; if sunlight directly hits your little ones, especially when they are only a few months old, you can try to cover them with other plants on your balcony (or plant some for that purpose). This will help to reduce the impact of sunlight and prevent the roots from overheating. Another possible option is to buy white flower pots that retain less heat than black ones. However, there are much more simple alternatives. You can simply put the plants inside when you think that a heatwave will do more harm than good to your plants.
It is worth noting what direction your terrace faces as well as taking into account your city’s weather conditions. However, you will have excellent results with between 6 and 9 hours of direct sun (sunshine). You just need to move the plants to the most appropriate position on the balcony to achieve this. As a minimum, direct sun light should reach the plants for at least 3 hours a day However, 3 hours of direct sunshine in Germany is not the same as 3 hours in Australia. In the north of Europe, it may not be enough, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be possible to get some very decent results due to the tilt of the earth’s axis.
9. Be careful with wind in high spots
If you have decided to plant on a raised terrace or on a small balcony, pay lots of attention to the wind, especially to spring and summer storms that can squander months of work, by breaking the stems of plants. If there is a lot of wind in your home, or you live in a windy corridor, during the growing period you can add stakes to the plants to strengthen them against possible mishaps. You can also set up plastic windbreakers that stop air currents or move the pots closer to walls so that they are more protected. It is said that marijuana loves the wind, as it makes it stronger. However, a bad day of wind can cause problems that are impossible to fix, so keep your eyes peeled and pay attention to weather forecasts for significant changes in air pressure.
10. Control the smell, in order to prevent your neighbours finding out about the existence of your plants. Aside from how the plant looks, and in order not to incite hostility in the neighbourhood and avoid the attentions of people who are not well-intentioned, it is necessary to keep the smell of the plants at bay. This is quite hard to do outside, as there is no ventilation, carbon filters or ionizers. However, you can avail of more traditional methods and place some aromatic plants on the balcony. In addition to repelling pests and camouflaging your special little plants from prying eyes, they will ensure that the delicious odour of the buds does not attract any unwelcome visitors. Basil and tomato plants do the job well, help to mask the smell, and at the end, you can make a salad seasoned with marijuana in order to celebrate the success of your crop. What more could you ask for?