O.p,
You are better of choosing a strain that finishes in mid august, that is you main problem, you need a strain that will finish before the shit weather kicks in.
Selecting the right strains for your climate is
just as important as finding the perfect location.
This section on strains is adapted from a thread
started by Leaf, a member of
www.overgrow.com and an expert outdoor
grower with tons of experience. One of the Case
Studies is also adapted from posts by Leaf.
Much more information is also available on the
site.
This is a quick rundown on some popular outdoor
strains. The strains are grouped in five different
categories distinguished by their finishing
times. For more information on strains, hit the
"StrainGuide" on
www.overgrow.com,
It is a good idea to grow several different
strains with different finishing times to spread
out the work and drying over the course of time.
If you grow a spring crop, you can harvest much
of the season.
'Hash Plant1, 'Afghani', 'Hindu Kush', etc., are
great varieties that finish mid- to late-August.
The yield and potency are quite high, but the
fragrance is high, too! These strains are for
experienced growers. They need lots of
intense sunlight and must be watered from
below, not from above with rain. These varieties
start to bud when the days are long and
the sunlight is intense. The buds fatten up
quickly on plants with a short, squat growth
habit. Rain followed by hot sunny days can
foster mold, which could decimate the crop in
a short time. Leaf has seen dried, cured buds
the size of softballs that were packed with
mold. They were thrown away. To avoid mold
problems, he suggests harvesting when about
10 percent of the pistils have died back. Even
heavy dew can cause a moldy disaster! Leaf
loves 'Hash Plant'.
2. 'Early Pearl', 'Early Queen', 'Early Riser', etc.,
"Manitoba Poison', and similar strains finish
from late-August to early-September at latitude
49° north. They are potent and yield a little
better than the plants listed above. They
grow from six to nine feet (1.8-2.7 m) tall and
are quite bushy. Most of these strains are
mold resistant and easy to grow-excellent
choices for novices or growers with little time
to look after their plants.
3. 'Mighty Mite', 'Durban Poison', 'Jack Herer',
etc., finish mid- to late-September. The yield
and potency are very good, and the odor is
not too intense. All the plants grow a huge,
dominant main cola with several large terminal
buds on main branches. They may need
trellising to avoid broken branches. Topping
appears to increase yield. These strains are
fairly low-maintenance, but the more love you
give, the more they return. These plants grow
well if left alone until mid-September and
have a good harvest as long as they do not dry
out or fall over. 'Mighty Mite1 is another
favorite.
4. 'Blueberry', 'White Widow', "White Rhino',
'Super Silver Haze', 'Pure Power Plant', etc.,
'Jack Hcrcr' finishes from mid- to fate-September. tend to finish mid- to late-October. Yields and
potency are very high! They do not smell a lot
while growing, but that changes when they
are cut! They grow seven- to ten-feet (2-3 m)
tall and yield heavily. They require some attention
to get the best crop. 'Super Silver Haze1
and 'Pure Power Plant' can be a bitch to grow
because they often develop mold near harvest
when the weather is damp. However, a mild
to moderate frost tends to bring out some
nice (purple) colors. They all do well outdoors
but grow even better indoors.
5. 'Skunk # 1 ' , 'Northern Lights #5', 'Big Bud',
and pure or nearly pure sativas finish from
late-October to early-November. Sometimes
sativas do not finish if the weather cools too
much and snow comes. One year, on
November 15th, the first snowfall had to be
shaken off at harvest! About 50 percent of the
pistils had died back. 'Skunk # 1 ' is extremely
smelly; the wind can literally carry the skunk
scent for a mile. All of the plants in this group
have a large to huge yield capable of producing
several pounds each. 'Big Bud' yields an
enormous amount; the bottom branches
must be tied or staked to avoid breaking from
bud weight. Potency is superb in all plants in
this category except for 'Big Bud.1
All plants grow tall. 'Big Bud1 and 'Skunk #Tgrow 10-14 feet (3-4 m) tall. 'Northern Lights'
are often taller! A few sativas can grow to 20
feet (6 m)!
Fungus can become a problem with these
late-flowering plants. They withstand rain and
light frost well; many can take a few light snowfalls.
After all, they grow like weeds!
Climate
Outdoor grow shows are dominated by climate,
soil, and water supply whether you are
planting in a remote mountain patch, a cozy
garden in your backyard, or on your balcony.
Microclimates are mini climates that exist
within larger climates. Maps are available of
these areas. Many maps such as the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Hardiness Zone map,
www.tisna.tisda.gov
Hardzone/ushzmap.html, detail limited climatic
boundaries. The map divides North America
into ten zones plus zone 11 to represent areas
that have average annual minimum temperatures
above 40°F (4.4°C) and are frost free. Look
into detailed microclimate maps for your grow
zone. One of the most detailed climate maps
can be found in Sunset's Western Garden Book,
Sunset Publishing. The map details 26 distinct
climate zones in 13 Western States and British
Colombia and Alberta, Canada. This is the best
climatic map available for the area.
Europe and other countries have much climatic
information available via the Internet. Check
out rainfall, temperature, and humidity charts
for virtually all large cities in the world and most
geographic regions. Visit
www.weather.com for
specific information on your local weather.
Temperature, rainfall, and sunlight vary widely
across the globe, providing unique growing
environments and countless microclimates.
Look for specific information for your climate at
local nurseries and in regional gardening books
and magazines or through the department of
agriculture (County Extension Agents) in your
area. Here is a brief rundown on the qualities of
different climates.
Coastal climates like those found in the
Northwestern United States, British Columbia,
Canada, Northern Coastal Europe, and the
United Kingdom, etc., are cool and rainy. Annual
rainfall most often exceeds 40 inches (103 liters
per m'1) and can be as high as 100 inches (253
per m*)! Winter blows in early in these areas
bringing a chilling rain and low light levels. The
more northern zones experience shorter days
and wet cold weather earlier than the southern
zones. Growing outdoors here is challenging
because the temperature seldom drops below
freezing, which contributes to larger insect populations.
Some of these cold coastal rainforests
are packed with lush but invasive foliage and
fungal growth brought on by the cold and
damp.