Three Essential Things to Consider for Missouri Growers

Outdoor cannabis cultivation is all about balance

By Kaycee Barry

Growing healthy and thriving cannabis is all about finding balance between climate, genetics, and soil. Balancing these three essential aspects is the key to a successful yield.

Climate

Climates can be wet or dry, hot or cold, humid or arid, and all of these variations can affect the growth of your plants. Missouri often experiences huge temperature swings, hot and humid summers, and unexpected fall frosts, all of which can decimate your harvest. Getting to know your regional climate is the first step to a healthy crop.

An important relationship between your harvest and your regional climate is the length of day. Knowing your exact longitude and latitude can help you predict the length of day throughout the seasons. Cannabis bud formation has an intimate connection with the length of day. As the season begins to shift in the fall, the days shorten, and as the day shortens, the plant knows winter is coming and begins to flower. Knowing your regional day length throughout the seasons is vital when deciding when to plant, and when to expect harvest.

In Missouri, early frosts are an imminent threat. Some strains have longer flowering periods, making them more susceptible to damage if there happens to be an early frost. Therefore, knowing your climate’s frost period, and choosing a strain that will quickly flower long before then, will help protect your crop from widespread damage.

Another thing for Missouri growers to consider about their climate is the frequent high humidity coupled with huge temperature swings. High humidity allows mold and diseases to thrive, and large temperature swings build up a lot of stress that inhibits growth. Therefore, sourcing more resilient genetics is your recipe for success.

Genetics

Image by: Royalqueenseeds.com

Cannabis genetics are typically broken down into three categories – indica, sativa, and ruderalis. These three genetic varieties all thrived in differing climates and soil chemistries. Indicas evolved in the mountainous region of the Middle East in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Sativas evolved in Eastern Asia. Ruderalis evolved in the colder regions of Eastern Europe and Russia. As the cannabis industry began to grow, the different strains were all mixed and crossbred for different characteristics creating thousands of hybrid lineages. The ancient genetics slowly faded from existence. Now, genetics have been so crossbred that the indica vs sativa distinction is no longer a steadfast rule, but it still can sometimes give you an idea of what characteristics you can expect.

Choosing the right genetics for your climate is one of the most important considerations when cultivating outdoors. The goal is to try to source specific strain types that are known to be best for your climate. Missouri’s hot and humid summers and mold susceptibility make it very important to choose a resilient strain. Indica dominant strains tend to hold up better for climates like Missouri. Indica strains also typically have quicker flowering periods, making it less susceptible to damage from an early frost. Again, the indica sativa distinction is no longer a steadfast rule, so communication with your seed or clone company to obtain the characteristics of the specific strains you are considering is the best way to ensure you are choosing the right strains for your region.

Choosing the right strain can be hard since Missouri is still very new to cannabis cultivation. Therefore, your first couple years of cultivation you should try growing different genetic types and run a little trial for yourself. Constant experimentation is a great way to find which genetics work best for your specific climate and soil chemistry. Keeping a biodiverse crop of varying genetics will also help your harvest be protected from whatever life throws at you. You can even crossbreed your most successful strains to create your own strains that work best for you.

Soil Chemistry

Soil is not just dirt. Soil is the heart and soul to properly feeding and cultivating a healthy plant. If you want your harvest to thrive, you must ensure your soil has all the proper micro and macro nutrients.

There are many different soil types. Some soils have higher concentrations of clay which hold more water and nutrients, but risk root rot and disease. Some soils have more sand, and therefore will have better drainage but less nutrient retention. Knowing your soil type will help determine how many nutrients you will need to add of any particular variety, and it will also tell you how much, and how often, you will need to water. Certain genetics are better for certain soil types, so not only should you consider climate when choosing your genetics, but also consider your soil type when picking that perfect strain.

Water is a vital aspect to soil chemistry that is often overlooked. Water in different regions can have varying PH levels and mineral content. Testing your water, and making appropriate adjustments, is extremely important for soil chemistry and healthy cultivation.

Missouri soils can vary vastly region to region, and even acre to acre. If your property has been farmed the past 50 years using the mainstream agricultural techniques, chances are your soil has been used and abused, draining it of every nutrient necessary. Testing your soil is the best way you can ensure you have the right chemistry for proper growth. If you are missing certain nutrients, there are dozens of companies you can buy nutrients from. If you are missing several key nutrient profiles, buying soil might be your best option.

With the right strain for your climate, and healthy soil, outdoor cannabis cultivation in Missouri is possible for only a fraction of the cost of an indoor growing operation, without sacrificing quality. It just takes a healthy balance of climate, genetics, and soil chemistry.