How to Hide a Marijuana Grow Outdoors

Hiding a marijuana grow outdoors is something that usually concerns rookie growers that are only starting  to grow cannabis outdoors. Even experts are interested in new ways to increase their crops’ discretion. All growers are generally interested in growing marijuana plants and enjoying their properties without risking them getting stolen by heartless thieves.

Outdoor marijuana grows have been increasing over the past few years.  Unfortunately, their robbery has also increased, therefore, outdoor growers have to prepare themselves to protect their plants from being stolen.

As a general rule, when growing marijuana plants outside, whether in a balcony, terrace or garden, it’s best to choose strains that don’t get too big. It’s best to germinate seeds for a longer period of time in order to shorten their growth cycle; or even opt for autoflowering strains, which normally don’t get past 1 m tall.

It’s advisable to use pruning techniques that promote lateral growth rather than vertical growth, such as  SCRoG or Supercropping. Hereunder, we are going to mention different techniques aimed to hide marijuana in a discreet and efficient way.

Camouflage Nets

Camouflage nets are a very popular item to hide marijuana plants outside as they are suitable for balconies, fields or chalets and conceal plants very efficiently. These nets were initially used to separate fields or perform agricultural or gardening tasks, but over the years, they’ve become very popular to increase the privacy of fences and short walls as they offer great intimacy and sunshade.

Nowadays, it’s very easy to see them being used in residential areas, chalets or gardens. Placed behind a wall with bushes it will camouflage all the posterior plants; giving the impression that the bushes are the ones stopping the visibility.

White nets offer similar characteristics; but are more frequently used for shadow purposes rather than for concealing because their coloring doesn’t camouflage plants as much as their green counterpart. However, they are especially effective for building terraces as they block the vision of higher floors.

Their white color facilitates sunlight going through, which will be less intense but enough to successfully grow any strain. Neighbors will be able to see that there is some sort of plant underneath, but they won’t be able to tell what type of plant as the net will stop them from figuring it out.

Scrog to Hide Marijuana

If your balcony has a wall instead of railings but it receives proper sunlight, then the best option for you would be to set up SCRoG nets all around the wall. This way plants will grow huge and very productive, but not one leaf will be perceptible from the street. All you need is a Scrog net and some patience to place the branches around the net; making sure the plants’ growth isn’t forestalled without growing past the desired height.

These types of grows need apical pruning. This technique provokes a sudden development slowdown of the plants’ stem, promoting only branching growth; which is perfect for this cultivation system.

LST

If there isn’t enough lateral space to perform apical prunes, you can fold and tie plants’ branches to obtain a wider structure that favors lighting. This cultivation method, known as LST, is very productive and occupies minimum space; therefore perfect to fit more plants in the same space.

Training branches with strings makes them more homogeneous and promotes light absorption throughout the entire plant, improving their yield and compacting their flowers.

Fabric Pots to Hide Marijuana Plants

Although it might seem odd to think that fabric pots are going to be of any help concealing marijuana plants; the truth is that their great transpiration capabilities and the little resistance they offer towards roots development make them perfect to bury them straight into the ground. This means that at least 50 cm of the plant will be hiding, and that along shadow nets and LST techniques, will make it really easy to camouflage the grow from prying eyes.

These fabric pots are also a great option for guerrilla grows. Their coloring helps them go unnoticed between bushes. This facilitates the task of starting to grow on the surface, and once marijuana plants reach a certain height, bury the pot as deep as possible into the ground, thus considerably reducing the plant’s total height.

Other Forms of Hiding Marijuana Grows Outdoors

Apart from the methods already mentioned throughout this article; there are efficient systems to hide marijuana grows in open spaces. A very popular system is to grow other types of plants to help conceal the crop. Bamboo, tomato plants, corn, ambrosia and other ornamental plants will serve this purpose successfully.

Of course, the aroma that emanates from marijuana plants is very characteristic and also needs concealing. Growing aromatic plants near the crop such as jasmine, lavender, mint, rosemary, basil, peppermint or thyme will help disguise the scents. Another good option is to use manure during the flowering period, as its nasty smell is very dissuasive.

As obvious as it might seem, one of the most common reasons why plants are stolen is due to word of mouth. Avoid telling people that you are planning on growing cannabis plants outdoors. Even if you really trust your family and friends: there is still the possibility of someone telling someone else. Eventually, the information can reach somebody who wants to make bad use out of it. If you don’t tell anyone, the risk of someone finding out about it is nearly non-existent.

It’s very important to keep the grow area neat, clean and tidy during the entire process. Bits and pieces, like leaves, roots or pruning leftovers can call the attention of thieves and nosy neighbors.

The Art of Hiding Marijuana Outdoors

With a bit of imagination, any place with enough sunlight is perfect to grow marijuana. All you need to do is think of ways to camouflage your strains. Sometimes they’ll need to be hidden from the surroundings; other times it might be enough to just train them a bit in order for them to be less voluminous.