How to grow outdoors?

Today we have several practical tips for effective outdoor plant growing, that is, in the sun outdoors. After a long winter, the gardening season is in full swing, so it would be a shame not to give the plants in your beds much more this year than just what they absolutely need under the open sky. Even in outdoor conditions, it is possible to achieve fantastic yields!

Quality soil and rich soil life

Pests, dangerous pathogens or heavy metals. All of these work against us and our plants when growing in open ground. It is therefore a good idea to get to know the soil you have available and work with it accordingly.

A high content or, conversely, a lack of specific nutrients contained in your soil can make it unsuitable for growing certain plant species. The same applies to the pH value, which you measure using a pH meter. Of course, a laboratory analysis is one option, but it is considerably easier to rely straight away on a proven soil substrate. Today, it is no longer a problem to obtain a large quantity of high-quality soil at a reasonable price. One example is BioNova Bio Soilmix, a first-class soil that is also 100% natural, making it suitable for organic outdoor plant growing.

When purchasing 55 pieces or more, delivery within the Czech Republic by pallet carrier is free.

Our customers have long favoured, for example, the soil mixes from Plagron - Growmix and Lightmix. These provide an excellent foundation for fast and high yields in your garden! In addition to three types of high-quality peat (white, black and fibrous), they also contain a blend of biohumus, vermicompost or perlite. Biohumus and vermicompost support healthy “micro-life”, or beneficial microorganisms living in the soil, whose activity has a positive effect on the stable development of plants in soil, which are also more resistant to stress or any pest pressure that we simply have to expect when outdoor cultivating plants, so that we can enjoy a proper harvest. (This is also why some of our other tips for outdoor gardening will concern precisely the prevention and protection of plants against pests and diseases.) The perlite blend, in turn, ensures perfect aeration of these soil substrates, which significantly improves the effects of watering, as nutrients are absorbed better by the root system. Both of these pre-fertilised and aerated soil mixes contain mineral nutrients. So what is the difference between them? It is mainly about how long there is no need to use additional fertilisers. Lightmix contains all the nutrients plants need during the first week of the growing cycle. And the composition of Growmix is a proven source of health and strength for plants during the first three weeks of the growing cycle. Therefore, if you have less experience with outdoor growing so far, you can make use of it. By contrast, Lightmix is used more by experienced growers and gardeners who want to move on to applying selected fertilisers according to their own plans as early as possible from the start of the growing cycle. 

As already mentioned, supporting the life of soil microorganisms is clearly worthwhile. And it is precisely for this purpose that so-called mycorrhizal fungi are used in cultivation, especially Trichoderma Harzianum. We devoted a separate article to this fungus and plant nutrition products that use its symbiotic relationship with the plant root system: Trichoderma, or the natural way to a rich and healthy harvest.

Our TIP: Organics Nutrients MYKORIZA premium contains a fully organic concentrated powder of Endo&Ecto mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial bacteria, microorganisms and Trichoderma. It increases root system growth by up to 400%, which allows your plants better nutrient supply and strengthens their immunity, as already mentioned. Plants will be more productive, healthier and the yield will be of better quality. We recommend it!

Nutrition for plants grown in soil

Deficit or excess nutrients in open ground are addressed by applying basic and supplementary fertilisers designed directly for use in soil or soil substrates. They therefore fully meet the needs of outdoor growers when cultivating all kinds of plants.

When growing outdoors, where purely natural conditions and influences prevail, there is an opportunity to grow fruit, vegetables or herbs in organic quality, that is, by 100% natural means. This is made possible by purely organic fertilisers. If the idea of organic growing appeals to you, be sure to read the article: BioNova Veganics – fertilisers not only for vegans.

Our TIP: Bat guano, worm castings or fish mix containing fish bone meal – all of these are other organic fertilisers commonly used when growing plants outdoors!

Plagron Alga fertilisers contain seaweed extract.

The problem with mineral fertilisers when growing in open ground lies in soil degradation. At the same time, there is no point in supporting soil life, because mineral-based fertilisers largely destroy beneficial microbial life, which in outdoor growing ultimately also results in a higher incidence of pests or plant diseases.

However, if you combine outdoor and irrigation systems, you will need mineral-based nutrition (see below). The Dutch brand BioNova also produces our best-selling single-component mineral fertiliser for soil, namely BioNova Soil Supermix. We will also be happy to advise you on the selection of other mineral fertilisers. You will often recognise them by the TERRA designation, for example Shogun Samurai Terra Grow as the best British fertilisers, combining a perfect balance of nutrients with an advanced understanding of the complex chemistry involved in nutrient availability in soil.

From the information above, it is clear that, just like the composition of the substrate, the composition of plant nutrition for plants grown in the sun is also important for healthy and rich microbial life. In addition to basic fertilisers, you can support the life of beneficial microorganisms in the soil with several products. The composition of these products is based on the effects that various organic substances have on plants:

• We discussed fulvic acids and humic acids, including tips on the best products, in detail in the article: Fulvic and humic acids: their importance and use in plant nutrition.
• The article Enzymes also deals with the composition of products based on complex sets of living microorganisms that can convert dead plant residues into valuable organic material and support plant development in many ways. For example, the unique enzyme preparation Cannazym, which many experienced and environmentally minded growers swear by, speeds up the breakdown of dead root material and activates beneficial microorganisms, while helping to maintain optimal aeration of the soil. As you may already know, excessive soil moisture and dead plant residues are often an invitation for mould spores. Cannazym therefore also serves as effective prevention against these problems. 

All of the products mentioned above share a common goal: optimal nutrient uptake and healthy plant development. At the end of the growing cycle, do not forget to flush the plants during the last week before harvest. Growers call this stage flushing, and it ensures that the harvested plants or their fruits are as clean as possible (without fertiliser residues) and taste as they should. Flushing products, such as Canna Flush, gently remove all excess salts from the plants so that they do not destroy beneficial fungi or bacteria, thereby guaranteeing excellent taste.

However, do not forget that water alone does not actually flush anything, because plants only begin to consume nutrients stored in the leaves on the tenth day of flushing. For this reason, it is important to use dedicated agents that speed up this process so that the desired and real flushing takes place immediately. In addition to Canna Flush, we also recommend, for example, T.A. Flashclean (G.H. FloraKleen).

Growing outdoors, managing water

Outdoor growers sometimes do not initially realise that hydroponic and aeroponic systems, which allow significantly more efficient management of water and fertilisers, can be used just as well for outdoor gardening as indoors. They are admittedly associated with a certain initial investment, but the benefits are worth it. Judge for yourself from the list:

• Higher yields and better-quality harvests
• A great deal of time saved and, in the long term, money saved on water and fertilisers
• A lifespan of several years

For outdoor gardening, you can also build your own DRIP irrigation system (drip irrigation) in any scale. On this topic, we recommend a detailed article entitled Hydroponics made easy: drip irrigation drip. 

However, bear in mind that irrigation systems do not go together with organic fertilisers, because bio nutrient solution must usually be used within 24 hours! This means that watering solution prepared from purely natural plant nutrition would spoil in a hydroponic system and clog it.

Do you have space in the garden and are you interested in growing tomatoes, peppers and similar plant species? Then you will also be interested in Autopot self-watering systems, which, compared with other hydroponic systems such as NFT or Aeroflo, allow much simpler and less time-consuming operation. Autopot is the perfect solution for all urban growers. In an urban environment, it is excellent for balconies, terraces, back gardens or greenhouses. If you have a sufficiently large space for “catching rainwater”, get a practical FlexiTank.

Automatic solar irrigation

Growing various plant species outdoors in combination with an irrigation system can be so economical that you can manage entirely without a source of electrical energy. Do not believe it? Proof is provided by the automatic solar irrigation from the Irrigatia brand. You can also use it in gardens or plots where there is insufficient water pressure, or where there is no electricity connection. The rules are simple. The more the sun shines, the more IRRIGATIA waters! At night, the system switches off. Right now the sun is starting to shine outside and we have some six or seven relatively sunny months ahead of us, including the hot summer. So why not provide plants outdoors with automatic irrigation at minimal cost, even if you head somewhere by the sea for even stronger sunshine. From our point of view, Irrigatia is simply a very smart investment in spring and later at the turn of spring and summer for outdoor growing.

How can plants be protected in outdoor conditions?

Unlike the ideal microclimate inside a grow tent, natural conditions cannot be influenced.  It is therefore important to start protecting plants already when choosing the place where they will grow. Of course, it should be sufficiently sunny, but at the same time it should not accumulate overly humid or hot air. It should also be protected in some way from strong wind. In the unequal battle with possible strong wind, especially for larger plant species and shrubs, bamboo canes and support nets can help you win, as they not only prevent stems from breaking, but also ensure straight plant growth. Continuous and rather gentle air movement is what plants will reward you for. With regard to the natural conditions when growing plants outdoors, which can often expose them to stress and thus negatively affect their development, we recommend a separate article: Stress also harms plants, or abiotic plant stress. Before we know it, the spring sun will be replaced by intense summer sun, which can be accompanied by heat and drought. These factors already represent considerable stress for plants. In addition to regular watering, it is therefore advisable to give plants products that can significantly revive and revitalise plants weakened by the effects of these abiotic stress factors. Among other things, they contain silicon, which helps plants with their overall revitalisation.

Our customers particularly praise the following products:

• BioNova Silution
• Shogun Silicon
• T.A. Silicate (G.H. Mineral Magic)
• Biotabs Silicium Flash
• Atami B’cuzz Silic Boost
• Grotek Pro-Silicate
• Mills Vitalize

Effective prevention is also related to the protection of plants grown outdoors, and it can literally mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful season. Therefore, never underestimate it when outdoor gardening. You need to start with the basics:

• clean substrate free of harmful germs
• healthy seedlings
• regular monitoring of the growing environment

You can monitor the presence of insects in the growing environment with sticky arrows.

Prevention and bio protection of plants is always much better than chemical solutions in the form of insecticides or fungicides. We therefore recommend to every outdoor grower Canna CURE pest spray. Excellent results in protecting against chewing insects and easy to use! In addition, it has no negative effect on harvest quality. The same can be said of other products on a purely natural basis, such as BioBizz LeafCoat, Terra Aquatica Protect, Atami B’cuzz Bio-Defence or the Czech product AGRO CS Rock Effect.

Do not hesitate to ask us anything you would like to know about outdoor plant cultivation. We will also be happy to advise you on the selection of specific products. We believe that after reading this article you have plenty of inspiration for outdoor gardening, not only for the coming season. We look forward to your questions at the well-known email address info@higarden.cz. 

We also recommend these products:

• Garden tools and accessories
• Shogun fertilisers
• Vermiculite - substrate additive

What to read next:

• What is vermiculite and how to use it?
• SHOGUN: the best British fertilisers with an emphasis on research
• Indoor vs. Outdoor – is it better to garden at home or outdoors?