By Luke Sumpter


There are many reasons why you would want to use your balcony (or terrace) to grow a weed plant. First and foremost, the sun doesn’t send you bills at the end of each month. If it rains, you get the best quality water for free too. No need to invest in ventilation systems either, as the moving air will continuously replenish CO₂ levels.

Growing on a terrace is a great way for the novice grower to dip their feet into this highly rewarding hobby. You can even use a balcony to increase grow-op real-estate. Depending on the time of year, a terrace/balcony can be used as a veg room while your indoor room is in flowering mode. Advanced growers might also enjoy the longer seed-to-harvest cycle of a terrace, in favour of a more outdoorish grow.

No matter the case, there are some golden rules you should be aware of before you start a balcony grow. Some may seem evident to the more knowledgeable grower, while others might even surprise experienced green-thumbed guerrilla warriors.

The balcony basics

Does your balcony receive enough direct sunlight? Terraces are usually large enough that they will have more than enough sun throughout the day, but some balconies may be on the opposite side of a building, receiving only morning light.

For that, there is a perfect solution. Autoflowers. Using photoperiod varieties in this low light situation will render you puny little plants that will not produce any significant smokable bud.

Autoflowers will perform significantly better in this situation, given that their flowering phase is not contingent on a change in photoperiod. It is also highly recommended that the novice grower use autoflowers as their level of complexity is much lower, yet achieve comparable yields to some photoperiod cultivars.

How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace

Safety first part 1: Hide your plants

Regardless of whether you live in a cannabis-friendly or unfriendly zone, you should always treat your crop like the world’s most valuable treasure. Do you really want prying eyes overlooking your plantation?

Do your best to conceal your pants from a direct line of sight. Instead of letting your weed grow up to its full glory, perhaps it would be wise to employ some training techniques to your grow. There are many to choose from, but any of them done correctly will tame plant growth, promote side growth, and when done proficiently, potentially increase your yields considerably. So the question is, why not train your plant?

Here are some potential options:

  • FIM – which stands for “Fuck, I Missed”, basically involves pinching the apically dominant shoots to promote the formation of several new dominant colas.
  • Supercropping involves pinching the stem and bending it 90º, causing a lesion to occur. If done early on before flowering, this stressful lesion will turn into a big and strong knuckle, providing extra support.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • ScrOG (Screen of Green) employs the use of a horizontal net to bend and weave shoots through, forcing the plant to grow sideways. This maximises light penetration and controls growth.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • SOG (Sea of Green) is a more advanced technique that isn’t very suitable for balcony/terrace cultivation. This involves growing numerous small plants together in close proximity.
  • Mainlining is a similar approach to ScrOG, but without the net. Only possible to do with seeds and not clones, as the latter grow asymmetrically. Pinch the apically dominant shoot to multiply the main cola into 2. Then, those 2 into 4, and so on, until you are satisfied. It will create a manifold of stems you can tie to the side of the container to promote an even canopy.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • Topping is similar to fimming, but instead of pinching the top growth, it involves cutting it off entirely. This stimulates the production of two new dominant colas.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • LST (Low Stress Training) is where you gently bend and tie branches to promote lateral growth and support optimal light exposure.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace

Safety first part 2: Cover the smell of weed

Cannabis is renowned for its pungent smell that can travel a considerable distance. While this may only be a significant concern once flowering is in full throttle, it is nonetheless a high-risk factor. While you cannot use carbon filters or ozone generators to cover the smell, you can do the exact opposite—increase the smell coming out of your garden.

Confused?

Fill your terrace or balcony with high-fragrance herbs, plants, and flowers known as “companion plants”. Gardenias, stargazer lilies, jasmine, honeysuckle, freesia, roses—these are but a few of the pungent flower options at your disposal. Even the tomato plant emits a strong odour, and you have the benefit of eating the fruits of your labour once they’re ripe. This will increase the garden’s fun factor for sure.

Use the right genetics

This is geared more toward the inexperienced grower. Some genetics (think sativa-dominant) are prone to massive vertical growth, while others (indica-dominant) become small, fat bushes. And then, there’s everything in between.

Avoid sativa landraces at all costs. You will most likely not be able to tame them. Royal Moby, Mother Gorilla, Royal AK, and other super-performing plants will be too much. Some Haze strains grow massively too. They will also take much longer to mature.

Select strong indica-dominant varieties, especially with Kush genetics in them. Bubble Kush, Pineapple Kush, OG Kush, and BubbleGum XL are a great starting point.

The Benefits of Growing Small Cannabis Plants

Growing cannabis on a balcony might mean you can only grow a small weed plant or two. Far from a problem, this actually offers growers a lot of advantages.

  • Much Easier To Care For

Smaller plants mean smaller problems. Growers will have a much easier time correcting nutrient deficiencies, insect invasions, and other plights when growing a small weed plant. Instead of attending to a giant canopy, growers only have to focus on a small surface area—vastly increasing their chances of success.

  • Neighbours Won’t See Small Cannabis Plants As Easily

Whether you grow in an area of decriminalisation of prohibition, it always helps to keep your horticultural hobby as private as possible. Small cannabis plants will help to minimise any neighbours or would-be thieves from getting eyes on your plants.

  • Small Buds Are Easier To Dry

Drying serves as one of the most critical stages of the post-growing process. Done properly, it will prepare your buds for curing and eliminate the chance of mould formation—a ghastly occurrence with the potential to ruin an entire harvest. Small cannabis plants produce small buds. They hold much less water, are less prone to mould, and are generally easier to dry.

How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • It Costs Less To Grow A Small Weed Plant

Small cannabis plants require fewer resources. You won’t need to spend as much on nutrients, containers, supplements, or stash jars. They’ll also do less damage to your water bill during a dry spell on the balcony.

  • You Can Experiment With Different Varieties

Growing just a few small cannabis plants means you can cultivate several different varieties if you have the wiggle room. Grow a selection of small cannabis strains to see which ones you like best. Observe their traits while they grow, experience their effects, and decide which genetics to bring forth into the next growing season.

Go with autoflowering cannabis

Autoflowering cannabis is particularly well-suited for growing on a balcony, terrace, or other small spaces. Here are some of the reasons why:

  • Autos usually grow to a much smaller size than photoperiod cannabis, with some only reaching 40–60cm in height.
  • The smaller size of many autoflowers keeps your grow more discreet and reduces the risk of detection.
  • Autoflowers don’t rely on a change in light cycle to start and maintain flowering. You can plant and harvest them at any time of year.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace

Here is a small selection of autoflowering strains that are great to grow on a balcony:

Royal Dwarf

Royal Dwarf is a super compact strain that normally won’t get taller than 40–60cm. The little “bonsai cannabis” as some call her isn’t just great when space is scarce; she is also super easy to grow, so even beginners can see good results.

Royal Dwarf

Royal Dwarf
23_genetic background_1 Skunk x Ruderalis
33_Yield indoors_1 150 - 200 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 40 - 70 cm
25_flowering time_1 6 - 7 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 13%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 10% Indica 60% Ruderalis 30%
34_yield outdoor_1 30 - 80 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 50 - 90 cm
27_harvest period_1 9 - 10 weeks after sprouting
22_Effect_1 Creative, Motivating

Buy Royal Dwarf

Royal Bluematic

Royal Bluematic is RQS’ autoflowering version of the famous Blueberry. The strain’s buds please with a delightfully sweet Blueberry taste and a smooth smoke that gives a nice, relaxing stone. A height of only 60–75cm makes the strain a good variety for balconies and terraces.

Royal Bluematic

Royal Bluematic
23_genetic background_1 Blueberry x Ruderalis
33_Yield indoors_1 425 - 475 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 60 - 75 cm
25_flowering time_1 7 - 8 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 14%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 10% Indica 60% Ruderalis 30%
34_yield outdoor_1 70 - 120 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 70 - 100 cm
27_harvest period_1 11 - 12 weeks after sprouting
22_Effect_1 Powerful , Stoned

Buy Royal Bluematic

Purplematic CBD

Purplematic CBD is a balcony favourite for those who want to grow cannabis with ample amounts of CBD and essentially no THC. A whopping 17% CBD and less than 0.5% THC means users can enjoy a dose of CBD any time, without worrying about getting high. She isn't the smallest auto around (140cm max), but will still fit on most balconies.

Purplematic CBD

Purplematic CBD
23_genetic background_1 Kush Rose Auto CBD x Afghan Rose Auto CBD
33_Yield indoors_1 375 - 450 gr/m2
31_plant height outdoor_1 70 - 120 cm
25_flowering time_1 7 - 8 weeks
29_THC_1 THC: 0,5%
28_Type Blend_1 Sativa 5% Indica 90% Ruderalis 5%
34_yield outdoor_1 110 - 150 gr/plant
32_plant height outdoors_1 100 - 140 cm
27_harvest period_1 8 - 9 weeks after sprouting
22_Effect_1 Calming, Clear

Buy Purplematic CBD

Use the right pot size

The pot size you choose for your weed plays a big role in how your plants will grow: a small container means a small plant! As such, to reduce the height of your balcony-grown cannabis, you can simply scale down your container size.

Growing smaller plants doesn’t mean you need to make sacrifices when it comes to your yields. For example, rather than growing fewer larger plants, you can just grow several smaller ones.

There’s only one thing to keep in mind: in some regions, there may be legal limits on how many plants one is allowed to have, rather than how much bud one is growing. Even if this doesn’t make too much sense, it’s nevertheless smart to consult your local laws. Keep it safe!

What kinds of pots are best?

You can find various types of pots that differ in size and in the materials they are made from.

While your cannabis may be okay growing in simple plastic containers, for best results we do recommend fabric pots. These are containers made from a geotextile fabric that allows roots to breathe for optimal results.

If you have a desired plant size in mind, which is likely when growing in a restricted space, you can control how tall your plants get by choosing the appropriate pot size. So, choose a small pot to ensure your cannabis won’t grow taller than you really want. Of course, if you have the space, you can go with larger pots so you can grow bigger plants.

Here is a rough guide to help you find the right pot size for your cannabis:

  • ½ litre: Seedlings and vegetative phase plants up to ~15cm
  • 2–3 litres: Plant size up to ~25cm
  • 5 litres: Plant size up to 60cm
  • 11 litres and more: Average plant height

Protect your plants

If a storm approaches, beware of strong winds, especially if you live on the higher floors of a building. Gale force winds can easily break stems or topple over a vase. Long periods of rain can stunt plant growth as the soil becomes supersaturated with water. Furthermore, very high humidity for too long can cause bud rot and destroy your flowers.

The same goes for peak-of-the-summer heat. Plants can drink water very fast, and cannabis is a very thirsty lady. If you go out for the weekend and forget to water your plants before, you could very well return to a bone-dry plant. They are very resilient, but not immortal.

Always be on the lookout for pests. Growing outdoors involves regular plant inspection. The best method is prevention, and there are dozens of bug-repellent companion plants you can add to your garden that will help tremendously in keeping your crop clean from infestation:

  • Basil – repels thrips, beetles, aphids, and flies in general
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • Garlic – pest-repellent, but also a strong fungicide
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • Marigolds – preferred over weed by bugs, so planting them around your cannabis will distract them
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace
  • Petunias – great against squash bugs, beetles, and aphids.
How To Grow Great Weed On A Balcony Or Terrace

Do not use chemical pesticides. They are harmful to the environment and a potential risk to your health if smoked. Regular use (every other week or once a month) of neem oil and pyrethrum-based insecticide mixed with propolis will do a great job against spider mites, whiteflies, aphids, and even fungal disease.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: