Hi, I recently moved to New Mexico and was looking for advice on timing my outdoor grow. I moved from the Pacific Northwest which is a lot different. With almost zero humidity here in the high desert then Monsoons in the summer, I’m curious how people grow outdoors here. I’m at almost 7000 feet in the mountains.
Thanks!
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I’m in AZ at 5000ft I start my plants indoors in April then move them outside at the beginning of June I grow in a home made greenhouse and a store bought greenhouse. This monsoon season was crazy. I had caterpillars and mold destroy a lot of bud. You’re probably in a similar climate but a little colder in the fall I would think.
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Don’t start until late March, or April even. The frost will still come and go until then. I know @CoyoteCody is south of me - I’m near the Sandias. @KikiGee is also in NM - I think she’s East of here, weather a little more like west Texas than mountain proper. Also @JaneQP is North - not New Mexico but I know she deals with arid mountain weather too.
I don’t grow outdoors (yet) but the reality of outdoor growing is you’re not gonna be able to manage the humidity. It’s going to be hot and dry. You’ll be watering heavy to account for the lack of moisture in the air. A greenhouse or even just clear plastic to be able to trap moisture into the environment will probably be a tremendous help.
Personally, I don’t trust my neighbors. So I’ll be trying a few low-stakes autoflowers but I’m not sure I’m ready to put the labor of love into growing a photoperiod outside just to have her ruined by any number of possible males in a two mile radius. 
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@Graysin I’ve learned in 20 years to never plant before Mother’s Day! Stuck in a weird micro climate here. A break in the mountains with gusting winds and a creek behind us that drops the temp.
My neighbors on either sides are cool but I do but not trust anyone that frequents the open space/walking path/park behind us. Let’s just say even though legal, it is an uptight neighborhood where cops are called over every little thing instead of just talking to your neighbor. My child had a flat tire and the cops were called because of a junked/abandoned car of course in the middle of a blizzard!
I have vegetable and flower gardens that covered my dried bag seed and first real outdoor grow. This next year they are going the unused side yard.
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78 here tomorrow, supposed to be a very mild winter here we will see.
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Oh and next season i plan on growing a tree in the backyard, we will see how that goes lmao.
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If it weren’t for the nighttime lows I’d still be trying outdoors. 30 now and 21 tomorrow night.
yikes.
I’m here in NM just moved down into the valley with all the yahoo’s but it’s still the desert 4sure
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I’m in the Cibola National Forest. The days are beautiful mid 40’s, but the lows are in the teens. I’m wondering how outdoor growers get through Monsoon season? I can see a greenhouse in my future. I’m thinking a Indica would work here.
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Monsoon normally ends about the time the buds are just fattening up (didn’t this year) and the air starts to cool. I grew some weed up there around a little town I think Cedro was the name it on the other side of the mountain from Albuquerque but the snow was there to long. I drove and looked all over those mountains and just never could get much out of there a couple plants here n there. That was 30+ years ago when only devils smoked and grew weed you really had to stay hidden back then. I found a game reserve down south of Albuquerque that was damn near a swamp and wow I grew the biggest plants of my life.
You mentioned Cibola and it brought back some good memories of playing in the snow up there with my kids.
Anyways my point is that if you are up against the mountain on that east side because there’s no afternoon sun it stays cold up there til like May since you live up there you could start inside earlier and you can grow in raised beds or pots instead of the frozen ground. You’ll definitely fare better than I could having to hide and take care of em from Albuquerque
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Hi Chrispy, I am also in New Mexico. The mountains where you seem to have quite a few growing friends in it. There is a FB group, called “Cannabis growers in the East Mountains, Albuquerque.” There is quite a lot of good local advice coming from that group. I am deeper in the more arid desert (I won’t say where) but the major problem here is humidity. I am growing only short auto bud varieties so I can keep them in a greenhouse situation but outside. (plus I like the sativas more than indicas and to keep them small you need that ruderalis.) That means covered with a plastic “lid” to keep humidity from evaporating too quickly. I have done this with epiphytes and orchids grown outside in the past. I actually think a greenhouse is a good idea either way, even for tomatoes (which can “hide” the plot). Apparently, people think nothing of going into someone’s yard and grabbing a few plants in NM (probably every state) so security should be a major concern also.
Yeah, that level of bold stupidity is kind of New Mexico specific. I grew up here, and get out to go live somewhere else every chance I get.
I think it is everywhere.
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I’m in between you all and @JaneQP: Colorado Springs. Our house is set at 7,100 feet but chose based on all factors to keep everything indoors. I grew outdoors in SoCal and fought bud rot and pests constantly.
I will say the low RH helps indoor growing as plants adapt to 45% RH and that’s low enough to keep WPM off of the plant. I did 2 nice grows last Year, shut it all down in July (too much cannabis lol) and just started up on New Year’s Day.
Some kind of cover during monsoon is wise, if in a neighborhood be aware that street lights and neighbor’s automatic porch light will affect plants.
It’s challenging for sure but rather have low humidity than too high. We’ve got a grower here in Costa Rica fighting all of those issues.
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I am at ~5400.
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Hi, I’m in New Mexico as well. Just further south from you guys. New to the forums and starting my third grow soon. The heat in southern NM has been a bear to deal with in the summer so my water schedule has to be on point. I would assume in the mountains it’s a little less stressful?
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I dunno about that. At 5,300 feet we still get insane Summer heat. I’m planning to do maybe one photoperiod and a few autos throughout the summer to give it a shot and I’m expecting a watering every day or twice a day for peak temperatures once late July hits.
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I hear ya. Summers in this state are brutal. I’m at 3900’ and it feels like the devil is creeping up in late July.
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Thanks for the advice, I’m way up here at 7651 ft. Still having a hard time deciding to grow outdoor or greenhouse. Think I’ll try both.
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I’m in NM, in the “Further South” part of it.
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