How To Protect Your Outdoor Grow From Rain, Wind & People

When planning to grow marijuana, figuring out how to protect your outdoor grow should be a top priority. The legality of growing cannabis is the first detail you need to take into account, and you should also ensure that your plants have the best possible environment. 

Below we’ll discuss these aspects in detail and understand how to protect your outdoor grow. 

Let’s begin!

What are the local regulations concerning growing marijuana outdoors?

Before asking how to protect your outdoor grow, we need to understand local rules. The laws concerning cannabis cultivation vary depending on your location. 

Before starting your weed crop, be sure to check that you're compliant with state laws and regulations. These states have legalized marijuana:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Washington

Legal guidelines may advise that you use outdoor grow security such as fencing or coverings.

An important point to remember is that the laws differ from one state to the next, and you must be aware of the regulations in your region. There may be restrictions regarding where you can cultivate, the number of weed plants, and the type of crops you are growing.

Once satisfied that you're compliant, it's time to think about how you can protect your outdoor grow from pests and too much rain. The onus is on you to get informed of the specific requirements, so be sure to do thorough research. 

Identify all threats to your marijuana plants

You need to be aware of all the factors that could be detrimental to your crops. These include pests, thieves, and adverse weather conditions. Outdoor grow security, and outdoor plant protectors can be great for fending off unwanted visitors and animals. 

Let's look at a few potential solutions for how to protect your outdoor grow.

How can you protect your outdoor grow?

Understanding how to protect your crop is vital for successful cultivation. Safeguarding your outdoor grow from the elements is a large part of this, but there are other threats such as pests, thieves, and even your neighbors. 

To successfully cultivate cannabis outdoors, you'll need to learn how to protect plants from too much rain, wind, and other elements. 

Protect your plants from wind

The weather can always surprise us, whether it be a scorching hot day in the middle of winter or hail storms during the summer months. Due to this uncertainty, we must provide our plants with the proper support to flourish. Let’s discover how to protect plants from wind.

Branches can easily snap with strong winds. An ideal solution is to provide a trellis or mesh-like support structure for your plants. 

It may be better to completely cover your outdoor grow using a cardboard box or a tarp if the weather is extreme. This also camouflages your outdoor grow. 

If your plants are small, then covering them with a cloche will suffice. This is essentially a miniature greenhouse; it traps warmth from the sun and raises the temperature inside. 

You can make a homemade outdoor plant protector by cutting the bottom off a large water bottle, placing it over the plant, and pushing it into the ground for stability.

Protect your crop from excessive rain

A heavy downpour can be detrimental to your outdoor grow. Before taking precautionary measures, you have to know how to protect plants from too much rain. 

Excess water can stunt plant growth and lead to other problems such as mold or bud rot. Such issues could destroy your entire crop. 

You can avoid the outdoor grow getting too much rain by taking simple preventative measures. One of the options is to move your plants to a covered area. 

Depending on the size and potting of your plants, this may be easier said than done. 

If you want to know how to protect plants from too much rain, covering is one of the easiest methods. Once you have a trellis set up, you can attach a tarp or another material that will shed the water. 

Ensure that the protection is not directly weighing on the plants and that water has nowhere to pool.

How to protect your outdoor grow from pests

It’s a disheartening sight when you examine your crops and notice new occupants have arrived. Fortunately, all isn’t lost. It’s time to discover how to protect your outdoor grow from pests.

You have nothing to worry about if these bugs are praying mantises, parasitic wasps, or ladybugs. These insects are how to protect your outdoor grow from garden enemies such as crickets or caterpillars. The following critters are all harmful to your plants:

• Spider Mites
• Aphids
• Caterpillars
• Grasshoppers
• Slugs
• Snails
• Most kinds of flies

If any of your new arrivals are from the list above, you need to take immediate action.  You might be wondering how to protect your outdoor grow once pests are already present. 

Opt for organic remedies; eventually, this plant will probably end up in your lungs and system, and the last thing you want to intake is nasty pesticide chemicals. Neem oil is the grower's choice for natural pesticides.

If you haven’t had a pest infestation yet, consider yourself lucky. Be proactive and plant species like basil, peppermint, and lavender to help you avoid pest problems in the future. These plants attract some of the 420 friendly ladybugs and praying mantises.

How to protect your outdoor grow from thieves

It always pays to keep your cannabis cultivation hidden and away from sticky fingers that would like nothing more than to benefit from your hard work. Installing outdoor grow security such as alarms or surveillance cameras will offer protection. 

There are some general rules that will ensure you the utmost privacy:

• Keep it secret! Don't tell anyone about your outdoor grow.
• Use air filters to reduce the smell.
• Be careful what you throw in the garbage.
• Stay friendly 

Are you curious about how to protect your outdoor grow? Start by taking a general interest in gardening and introducing as many different plants as possible. A well-kept garden will allow you to camouflage the outdoor grow. 

If your cannabis plants are getting too tall to conceal, and you want to know how to protect your outdoor grow, low-stress training may be the answer. It’s advisable to use this option even if concealment isn’t an issue because it optimizes your yield.

How to protect your outdoor plants from your neighbors

Camouflaging the outdoor grow amongst other flowers and plants is a great way to disguise them. You may also consider sticking fake plants in your cannabis pots.

Be present in the garden. Let the neighbors see you spending time pruning and watering your plants. Become the best version of your gardening self so that prying eyes won’t question your continued presence among the bushes.

How to protect your outdoor grow from the police

Protecting your weed plants from the police is similar to protection from thieves. Hiding your crops in plain sight is how to protect your outdoor grow. Using companion plants and actively working your garden also helps. 

Give a lot of thought to what strain you’re going to grow. Certain cultivars grow much taller than others or have a stronger odor. 

It may be difficult to camouflage the outdoor grow if it reaches 10 feet tall. It’s best to know this about your selected strain before you have to deal with it. Do your research and pick an option that’s easy to conceal.

Avoid the police’s attention while you figure out how to protect your outdoor grow. Having your marijuana crops discovered can be a fluke, so eliminate any unnecessary encounters. Don't throw loud parties or be the subject of neighbor disputes that could lead to a police visit. 

Outdoor grow security

The best form of outdoor grow security would be surveillance cameras. With initial costs lower than you’d expect, outdoor cameras give you security and peace of mind that no one is interfering with your buds. There’s the added benefit of increased safety to your property as a whole. 

When choosing an outdoor grow security system, it’s worth considering a unit that can stream a live feed to your phone or tablet. Streaming means that you can monitor the safety of your garden wherever you have a data connection.

A slightly less expensive method of outdoor grow security is motion alarms. These simple but effective devices will emit an ear-deafening frequency when movement is detected. 

The noise created is usually enough to chase off any trespassers. Browse options with adjustable sensitivity, so it isn’t set off each time there’s a strong gust of wind.

Having a dog is another way to protect your outdoor grow. Anyone getting the notion of sniffing around your property will think twice about approaching if they hear a hound patrolling. 

Outdoor plant protectors

Are you curious about how to protect your outdoor grow from pets or other wild animals that pose a threat? Use a wire fence or any sturdy option to surround your crops both above and below the ground. 

Watch out for the roots and ensure that your chosen outdoor plant protector doesn't prevent sunlight from reaching the leaves. 

If space allows, building a greenhouse is an excellent way to offer the outdoor grow an improved level of protection. This is how to protect your outdoor grow from the harsh elements and is handy for keeping out any pesky pets or other animals. 

The structure also offers shade for your plants, and creating an automated watering system is easier. Putting up a wire fence is the easier choice, but the greenhouse is the superior outdoor plant protector and provides convenience for future tasks related to growing weed. 

A DIY project can be as easy as building a cube-like structure from PVC plumbing pipe and covering it in a garden netting or mesh material.

Camouflage outdoor grow

Using green fencing mesh is another solution to the problem of how to protect your outdoor grow. The material is cheap, effective, and it safeguards your weed plants from predators such as birds. 

By planting your marijuana plants in a fabric pot, you can easily sink the fencing mesh into the ground. This reduces the overall plant height and helps to camouflage your outdoor grow. 

Be in the know before you grow

There are many things to carefully plan and account for when asking how to protect your outdoor grow. Remember that taking preventative measures against potential threats will save you a lot of head and heartache down the line. 

When you decide on the best way to safeguard your crops, you need to consider your outdoor grow's exact location and sizing. You also need to check if anyone can see your plants and which outdoor grow security system is most feasible. 

Assess which wild animals or pests pose a threat and decide where you’ll camouflage the outdoor grow. You also need to establish which strain you’re going to use. Growing weed outdoors is a time-consuming activity that requires constant attention. 

You’ll have to adapt and become proficient in recognizing what your plants need. You have to decide how to protect your outdoor grow based on your unique circumstances. 

Lean on the experience of others. Your reward will be a continuous supply of cannabis and the satisfaction involved with cultivating your own outdoor grow.  Now that you are comfortable with how to protect your outdoor grow, visit Homegrown Cannabis Co. and browse the wide selection of seeds.

About the author: Parker Curtis

Parker Curtis has around a decade of cannabis-growing experience, specialising in soil-less and hydro grows. He’s mastering outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor grows.