How to Grow Cannabis in Malta

September - October - November (Autoflowers)

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This period is known to produce the best smelling and most flavorful buds possible. This is mainly due to the temperature experienced during late flowering of this cycle (November). The final yield of flower will be less than April - June growing cycle because the light intensity is not as powerful during flowering. In November, when the plant would be in flowering mode, the sun won’t be as strong as June thus resulting in less overall yield. However since November is much cooler, the buds usually turn out of better quality and a stronger terpene profile.

During this period, sprouting the seeds will be exceptionally easy since the outdoor climate will be hot and humid, exactly the 2 perfect conditions for successful germination. One thing to keep in mind though is the possibility of excessive rain and bad weather, so ideally the plants are in a movable pot so if things get too crazy outside you can place them inside temporarily.

Pests are also possible especially during the earlier period of September, when humidity is a it's highest. Keep a good eye on the plant and if any pests are noticed you can implement some of the strategies I'll explain further below.
Given the colder climate the plants will be growing in, it is important to choose a well suited strain. Below are my all time favorites to grow during this season!

Cannabis strains suggested to grow for this season:

• Northern Lights Auto

• Cali Haze Auto

• Wedding Cake Auto

How to Grow Weed in Malta's Climate

Pioneering the legalization of Cannabis in Europe, the island of Malta legalized the cultivation of up to 4 Cannabis plants per household. This gives Maltese residents a way to safely grow and enjoy Cannabis.

In this guide we will go over the key points when growing this magical plant in Malta and how to benefit from the different seasons and climates we experience locally. I will be skipping all the basic generic information that is available all over the internet on how to sprout, water, transplant etc... and will solely focus on the specifics of growing the plant in Malta’s climate and conditions.

I have been cultivating weed in Malta for more years than I can legally confess to, and have decades of experience from which I will be sharing knowledge from. I am one of the experienced growers getting featured on one of the island's most popular growing tips channel 'Bidwi tal-Ħaxixa'. So let’s get started!

When is the best time to grow Cannabis outdoors in Malta?

April – May – June (Autoflowers)

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Possibly the easiest season to grow Marijuana outdoors in Malta is between the month of April and June. This is because the outdoor environment resembles the changes you would be doing artificially indoors, such as increasing the light intensity as the plant gets bigger.
Sprouting the autoflowering seeds is usually done indoors due to outdoor temperature still being a bit too cold for optimal germination.
During this period the pot can be left behind a glass door/window to receive sunlight but stay protected from the harsher outdoor conditions until the seed germinates and turns into seedling.

After the first true leaves form, the plant can be taken outside. Just make sure it is well covered from harsh winds that will still be present during this month. A wooden stick can be used to support the delicate stem. The plant/s is to be positioned in a place to absorb the maximum amount of direct sunlight.

The nice thing about growing during this period of the year it that Malta experiences many sunny days so your plant will grow very rapidly. The sunlight intensity will also gradually increase as weeks go by, thus providing more light intensity as the plant gets bigger and eventually starts to flower. This way by late flowering time the plant receives the super intense sun during the month of June, yielding A TON of flower and THC resin because of this exposure to intense light. In June, UV will also be at it’s highest, contributing to the huge buds thick layer of trichomes.

The only down sides of growing during this period is that the intense heat experienced in Malta during June will marginally degrade the terpene profile of the flowers, which results in a less than optimal smell & taste of the final product. This may be mitigated by starting the grow a bit earlier during March so the process is finished by not later than mid June, hence preventing the harshest sun exposure.

Considering all factors, this period is my absolute favorite to grow Cannabis outdoors in Malta, and is by far the most hands off growing period of the year, where almost anyone can grow 40-80g of Cannabis per plant with minimum effort. Having said that it is also worth to note that some strains perform better than others. Below is a list of my favorite strains to grow during this season, to guarantee a successful cycle!

Cannabis strains suggested to grow for this season:

• Tropicana Auto

• Cali Haze Auto

• Wedding Cake Auto

Dealing with Cannabis Pests in Summer

The Summer photoperiod grow cycle is my absolute least favourite time to grow because of the challenges experienced, especially parasites. I really don’t like and would never advise the use of traditional chemical insecticide spray, although this is the only way to get rid of the parasites/bugs completely.
We can instead use other less harmful methods to control the damage/pupulation of plant damaging organisms.

Let’s start with the basics:

· Water properly and not too frequently to avoid root rot.

· Water with cool water and never with hot water

· Set up yellow sticky fly traps around your plant to catch flying insects

· Use a layer of diatomaceous earth powder to cover the soil

· Put trays of water in the shade close to the plants so small birds have water to drink instead of nibbing at the leaves

· Introduce lady bugs if possible

If all steps are followed any unwanted insects are unlikely to get to a population size which is problematic to your plants.

My Top Picks for Pest Resistant Cannabis Strains

• OG Kush, One of my personal go to strains for Summer, heavy hitting Indica with 26% THC. Heat & pest resistant.

• Wedding Sherbert, Bred locally specifically to withstand heat and local pests. Very easy to grow, ideal for beginners.

• Gelato Cookies, Bred locally and can withstand many local pests as well as Summer heat.

May – October (Photoperiods)

EASE OF GROWING: ⭐ ⭐

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QUALITY OF FLOWER: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This season is by far the hardest time to grow outdoors. Some troublesome factors which you'll be encountering include; very hot weather and heat waves, an array of disease, parasites and pests, soil drying too quickly, hot wind burning leaves, and also the time where your female plant is most likely to get pollinated (Because everyone is trying to grow at this time of the year and Malta being a small country gets pollinated very easily as soon as a hermie or a male plant is on someone's roof top or terrace).

But this is also the time when if done right will reward you with the biggest yield you could possibly imagine. Long time veteran growers like myself easily pull 800-1200 grams of dried flower per plant when using the right strain, right environment and growing directly in earth’s soil. This means that a successful grow cycle of 4 plants could leave you with around 3.2 – 4.8Kg of dried and cured Cannabis in November. That amount is enough to send you straight to prison because law makers didn’t have a clue about Cannabis cultivation (50grams per household is the current legal limit, LOL), but more importantly is surely enough to satisfy you and all your friends and family for the whole year. This means that you only have to pull this grow cycle successfully once every 1-2 years.

This is the season when most Cannabis strains regardless of their popularity will not survive the harsh conditions experienced. For this period, we need the toughest genetics we can get, something to withstand the heat of the desert and the never ending pests attacking the plant. Below are my trusted toughest Cannabis genetics, the absolute warriors, that will give you your best chance of pulling a kilogram of tasty Cannabis per plant in October!

Cannabis strains suggested to grow for this season:

• Super Lemon Haze, A potent heat resistant Sativa with THC of 21%+.

• Acapulco Gold, A tough mold resistant land race from the Mexican desert, packing THC levels exceeding 23%.

• OG Kush, One of my personal go to strains for Summer, heavy hitting Indica with 26% THC levels possible with optimal growing.

• Wedding Sherbert, Bred locally specifically to withstand the harsh Summer conditions. Very easy to grow, ideal for beginners.

• Durban Poison: Another potent Sativa which is surprisingly easy to grow in Summer, THC level of 28% possible.

Conclusion

If you followed all of the above you should be swimming in Cannabis buds in a couple months time. Now your only problem will be to smoke the flower fast enough to not let any go to waste! Vacuum sealing excess flower with a humidity pack and freezing the packet will make sure your hard earned harvest stays fresh for months if not years.

Happy Growing – Happy Smoking!

Dealing with Heat in Summer

Heat is the #1 killer of plants outdoor in Summer. If you don’t follow most of the guidelines below I can assure you that you will kill the plant/s. Sometimes, even doing everything right might not be enough to support the plant during this harsh period.

Crucial tips:

• The pot must be white to reflect heat and must be placed on a non-heat conductive insulator such as wood. If you place the plant pot directly on concrete the roots of the plant will get burnt.

• Watering should be daily in the peak heat hours of the sun. Use cold water, as long as the roots are cool the whole plant will be fine.

• Cover the surface of the soil with a white cloth or white pebbles

• Only use heat resistant cannabis strains

• During strong wind, use a wind breaker to shield the plant from the hot wind otherwise it will get burnt extremely fast

• Ideally you want to grow the plant directly in Earth’s soil, if not I suggest a double pot and use Jablo to fill in-between pots to create insulation.

My Top Picks for Heat Resistant Cannabis Strains

• Wedding Sherbert

• Super Lemon Haze

What about indoor Cannabis growing in Malta?

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Growing indoors allows you to set the exact conditions needed by the plant so you can grow almost all year round. However, there is still a season which I do not recommend growing indoors, and that is from June to September. This is due to the high heat we experience, unless you fork out the extra money and invest in an AC system, the temperatures that you will experience inside the tent will be crazy high. The grow light already emits a lot of heat on it’s own. In winter this might be a beneficial thing but in Summer it will cook the whole tent and if you’re unlucky enough it could also cause a fire like some cases we’ve seen locally. To grow indoors aim for October to May and you will be completely fine!

The added advantage of growing indoors is that you can really provide the exact conditions the plant needs. This allows you to achieve absolutely insane quality when you do everything perfectly. In my experience, the quality achieved under optimal indoor conditions is unmatched by any outdoor grow. For some people this added quality is worth the extra money needed for an indoor setup. For me personally I prefer to grow outdoors and save on electricity and space while enjoying the view of cannabis in my terrace!

When choosing a strain for indoor growing, most strains will do alright. But since we're talking about having absolute environment control I would personally go for the strongest and best flavor strains. Find my all-time top picks below!

Highest THC % Strains (Photoperiods)

• Kush Mints (28% THC - Indica)

• GMO (33% THC - Sativa Hybrid)

• Gorilla Glue #4 (32% THC - Indica Hybrid)

• Godfather OG (34% THC - Indica)

• Chemdawg (26% THC - 50/50 Hybrid)

• Amnesia Haze (22 - 29% THC - Sativa)

Highest THC % Strains (Autoflowers)

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Best Flavor Strains (Photoperiods)

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Best Flavor Strains (Autoflowers)

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