Growing Cannabis By The Sea

By design, weed is a hardy and resilient plant that grows in various climates worldwide. Of course, to push yields to the limit, you need to keep factors such as light exposure, temperature, and humidity tightly controlled. However, even with minor fluctuations, cannabis still produces more than enough flowers for most home growers.

This innate resilience makes growing cannabis by the sea not only feasible, but a great way to learn more about the intricacies of cultivation. Plus, what could be better than waking up to the sound of crashing waves alongside the dank aroma of flowering plants? If that sounds like a dream come true, let's dive into what you can expect from seaside grow-ops.

Growing cannabis by the sea: What to expect

At its core, growing cannabis by the sea is just like any other outdoor grow-op. You'll need to pick a nice spot with plenty of midday sun, give your plants ample water, and administer nutrients in the correct amounts and at the correct times. However, coastal areas come with the caveat of unique micro-climates. Moreover, these vary depending on geographical location, so it can be a lot to take in, especially for novice growers. To help you make sense of coastal cultivation, let's outline the challenges that await.

Potential problems

If you've got a good grasp on growing fundamentals, you're already halfway to a successful harvest. However, there are several unique challenges linked to coastal grow-ops. These include:

• Excessive levels of sodium chloride, both in the air and from salt-water spray
• Strong winds and rapidly fluctuating weather patterns
• Influx of tourists during summer months, increasing the risk of exposure

We'll discuss some essential tips and tricks shortly, but knowing what to expect is crucial before you start planning your outdoor project. Strong winds, for example, are easily managed by installing windbreakers and bracing plants from the get-go. So, while it may require extra effort and some forward planning, your dreams of coastal cultivation are still very much alive.

Tips for growing cannabis by the sea

The key to seaside success is getting ahead of the game. With that in mind, we've compiled several tips for growing cannabis by the ocean.

Picking a location

Your first hurdle with seaside grow-ops is location. Not only will the right location prevent those pesky tourists from getting eyes on your horticultural project, but it'll also help protect your plants from erratic weather conditions such as heavy rain and wind.

Natural sunlight exposure remains paramount, but ensure your cannabis garden has windbreakers or other natural barriers to protect crops from harsh winds. Trellised fencing and netting can also keep your plants hidden, which is crucial when growing by the sea.

Remember, during the summer months, many coastal towns experience unprecedented footfall, so what was once a secluded spot can become very exposed. You can also consider companion planting as a means of protecting your plants from the elements and the prying eyes of tourists.

Managing the environment

While you'll always be at the mercy of the elements with outdoor cultivation, you can still take a proactive approach to factors such as humidity, watering, and feeding. The latter is especially important, as cannabis plants need a balanced feeding regime to thrive. Unfortunately, being by the sea means dealing with excessive levels of sodium chloride, aka sea salt. Even if you're set back from the ocean, wind can easily carry salt-water spray inland.

The first step to protecting your cannabis from salt is using containers rather than planting directly in the ground. This also means you can move plants around should weather conditions take a turn for the worse. Second, when watering or feeding, you'll need to check that you're not adding more salt to an already salty medium. The easiest way to check dissolved salts in your substrate is with an EC and PPM meter. Optimal conditions are around 1.2–2.0 mS/cm EC and 700–1400 ppm.

Strain choice

You've chosen the perfect location, accounted for the increased salt content, and are almost ready to germinate. However, a crucial and often overlooked aspect of coastal cultivation is strain choice. Picking a cultivar that is better at coping with environmental fluctuations or has a faster flowering period than most dramatically increases your chances of success. The good news is we've scoured hundreds of potential candidates and narrowed it down to five excellent examples below.

5 coastal cultivars to try

With thousands of strains to choose from, how do you know which ones are suitable for growing by the sea? By checking out the list below, that's how! Each of the five strains outlined has characteristics that make them suitable for seaside grow-ops.

White Widow

If there's one strain you can rely on for a fast turnaround and excellent resilience, it's one of the world's most popular hybrids—White Widow. Not only does she flower in 9–10 weeks, but she can handle warmer coastal climates with ease. If you're entirely new to growing weed, White Widow is an excellent pick.

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White Widow (Zamnesia Seeds) feminized

(214)

Parents: White Widow

Genetics: 50% Indica / 50% Sativa

Flowering Time: 8-9 weeks

THC: 18%

CBD: 3%

Flowering Type: Photoperiod

Black Orchid Automatic

Thanks to a healthy injection of ruderalis genetics, Black Orchid Automatic is not only ready to harvest just nine weeks after sprouting, but she rarely exceeds heights of 150 cm—perfect for when you need to keep your grow-op hidden from passing tourists.

Critical Kush

If your local climate is somewhat temperamental and you only have a limited window of opportunity, then Critical Kush is an obvious choice. Easy to work with, she not only handles various training methods but actually prefers them—especially if you want to maximise yields. Speaking of which, expect bumper hauls of up to 150 grams of bud per plant.

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Critical Kush (Royal Queen Seeds) feminized

(20)

Parents: Critical x OG Kush

Genetics: 80% Indica / 20% Sativa

Flowering Time: 7-8 weeks

THC: 20%

CBD: Medium

Flowering Type: Photoperiod

Auto Skywalker Haze

While she might take slightly longer to reach harvest than the other autos in our list, Auto Skywalker Haze makes up for the marginal delay with fantastic outdoor performance. You will need to provide plenty of bracing, but as long as you keep a close eye on plants, there's little reason your seaside grow-op won't return an excellent harvest.

Purple Queen Automatic

Infused with Critical Auto genetics, Purple Queen Auto is not only an excellent yielder but also stays nice and compact. Her small stature is great if you're tight on space, but it also makes it easier to move plants around should strong wind or rain start causing problems. Plus, her intensely sweet and earthy flavour profile is the icing on the cake.

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Purple Queen Automatic (Royal Queen Seeds) feminized

(51)

Genetics: Ruderalis/Indica/Sativa

Flowering Time: 9-10 weeks from seed to harvest

THC: 16%

Flowering Type: Autoflowering

Growing cannabis by the sea: A shore thing!

No matter the circumstances, successful grow-ops all have one factor in common—a well-prepared grower. Even by the sea, where tourists could spot your grow or rapidly changing weather conditions could damage plants, you can still harvest multiple outdoor plants. The key, of course, is knowing the common pitfalls and taking steps to address them before they become an issue. That's where this handy guide can save you a lot of heartache and help you move one step closer to your dream of not only living by the sea, but growing there, too.

Luke Sholl

Luke Sholl has been writing about cannabis, the wellness potential of cannabinoids, and the positive influence of nature for over a decade. Working with several cannabinoid-centric publications, he publishes a variety of digital content, supported by strong technical knowledge and thorough research.

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