Outdoor Thailand

Growing outdoors in Thailand

Outdoor growing here is free light and difficult weather. Thailand gets strong, consistent sun all year, which cannabis loves. It also gets a monsoon, sustained humidity above 70%, and a day length that never really lengthens — and each of those needs planning around.

The six strains in this category are the ones robust enough to be worth the attempt.

The three problems, and what to do about them

Day length. Thailand is close to the equator, so nights are long enough to trigger flowering almost year-round. A photoperiod plant put outside will often flower straight away, while it is still small, and yield accordingly. Two ways around this: give it a long vegetative period under supplementary light before moving it out, or grow autoflowers, which ignore photoperiod entirely. Auto Mimosa Punch and Auto Ultimate are here for that reason.

Rain. The monsoon runs roughly May to October. Dense flowers plus sustained rain equals bud rot. The reliable approach is to time the run so flowering lands in the cool dry season — November to February is the best outdoor window in Thailand, and a plant started around September will use it well. Failing that, grow under a simple rain shelter that still allows airflow.

Humidity. Airflow is the answer, and it is mostly about spacing. Plants that touch do not dry out. Thinning the interior of the canopy in weeks four and five matters more here than in a dry climate.

The six strains

• Frisian Dew — hybrid, high THC, eight weeks, XXL yield. Bred specifically for wet outdoor climates and the most mould-resistant variety Dutch Passion offers. The sensible first choice for an unprotected grow.
• Durban Poison — sativa, high THC, eight weeks, XXL yield. A landrace-derived African sativa, tough, and fast for a sativa.
• Siam’s Smile — sativa, very high THC, nine weeks, XXL yield. Thai-heritage genetics, at home in this climate.
• Skywalker Haze — sativa, very high THC, nine weeks, XXL yield. Tall and vigorous; give it room.
• Auto Mimosa Punch — hybrid autoflower, ten to twelve weeks from seed, L yield. Compact.
• Auto Ultimate — hybrid autoflower, twelve to fifteen weeks, XXL yield. The longest run in the catalogue.

Pots rather than open ground are usually the better choice, because they can be moved under cover when a storm is forecast.

Fabric pots also help in this climate: they let the rootball breathe and dry faster after heavy rain than a solid plastic container does.