More people than ever are growing a cannabis plant or two on their balcony, especially as energy prices make indoor growing increasingly expensive. Balcony growing is easy if you choose the right cannabis seeds. Grow autoflower seeds and you can expect a harvest around 3 months after seed germination, with yields anywhere from 0.9-3.5 ounces+ from each plant, depending on conditions. Balcony growing is also cheap. In addition to your seeds, you will only need grow containers, soil and some basic nutrients. Here’s our top-5 cannabis seed recommendations for a fast, simple balcony grow.
The basics of a cannabis balcony grow
In its simplest and cheapest form, a balcony grower has a few plants growing outdoors in containers on a small balcony. Those lucky enough to have an apartment with a sunny balcony are ideally positioned to make a low-cost balcony grow.
Most balcony growers prefer short, bushy productive plants which will be easy to hide. They want cannabis seeds which will produce plants that are tough enough to cope with outdoor conditions and temperatures. Balcony growers ideally need premium cannabis genetics which will deliver potent buds in generous quantities with THC levels on a par with their favorite indoor strains.
Your only costs will be your cannabis seeds (around $5-10 each), a grow container and a bag or two of quality soil from the garden center. Perhaps a bottle of general-purpose bloom nutrient too. Home growing doesn’t get much cheaper than that!
Most cannabis strains tend not to suit the needs of the average balcony grower for resilience, potency, stature and speed. But some do. Here are Dutch Passion’s top-5 cannabis seeds for growing outdoors on a balcony.
Best cannabis seed to grow on a balcony
None of the recommended strains will surprise you with uncontrollable vertical growth, making them convenient and compact/discreet enough for growing on a small terrace or balcony. These are compact, tough strains that are resilient enough to cope with outdoor temperature swings and occasional storms. But they are all also noted for top quality results, with generous yields, flavorsome terpene profiles and assured potency levels.
Think Fast, a fast photoperiod feminized seed variety with proven outdoor performance and 20% THC levels
Think Fast is a ‘fast photoperiod’ feminized strain. This means she has recessive autoflower genetics. This allows Think Fast to complete her life cycle a few weeks faster than many traditional feminized strains.
Think Fast is consistently rated as Dutch Passion’s most potent strain for growing outdoors. She is the perfect selection for any quality conscious balcony grower seeking the most potent buds. She is ready to harvest around mid/late-September/early-October in the northern hemisphere.
Perfect for those that want to harvest before the worst of the late-season weather arrives. She responds well to being tied down or topped. Heavy yields, very highly recommended with thousands of satisfied outdoor/balcony repeat growers.
Auto Blueberry, proven resilience for outdoor/balcony growing, legendary taste/effects and small, bushy stature
Auto Blueberry takes her cannabis genetics from the legendary photoperiod Blueberry and is a repeat autoflower seed choice for thousands of outdoor/balcony growers. Her tough, compact indica genetics produce short multi-bloomed plants with one of the sweetest, fruitiest tastes you can find. The blue/purple hues often seen in outdoor-grown Auto Blueberry buds contrast deliciously with the dense white resin frosting, delivering maximum jar-appeal and connoisseur levels of dankness.
Auto Blueberry is also one of the fastest autoflowers in the Dutch Passion collection. Some phenotypes take just 8-9 weeks indoors to grow from autoflower seed to harvest. If you’re looking for a heavy yielding, but short and super-fast balcony strain Auto Blueberry ticks all the right boxes.
On a balcony in warm/sunny conditions you may be able to complete a balcony grow in little over 2 months! The other ultra-fast Dutch Passion autoflower strain is Auto Blackberry Kush, also highly recommended for balcony growers, with a similar growth speed to Auto Blueberry.
Auto Night Queen, heavy yielding Afghani indica autoflower. Short and potent with a knockout old-school effect
Auto Night Queen is an autoflowering Afghani Kush indica - tough resilient and naturally low-riding. She produces a short, bushy plant with ample side-branching and heavy yields. Her durable, fuss-free growth style makes her a favorite with outdoor growers seeking easy-to-hide plants without sacrificing THC levels.
The potent Afghani parentage makes for THC levels that are up to and around 20% in good conditions. If you’re looking for a fully proven, stable cannabis cup winning Kush auto (1st Prize, Highlife Cup 2016) then Auto Night Queen ought to be very high on your list. Her classical earthy Kush aroma is rich and unmistakable.
The effects are powerful, direct and deeply enjoyable. Like the other Dutch Passion autoflower strains mentioned in this review, her height is likely to remain around 20-30 inches or less in a 1.3-2.6 gallon grow container. Perfect for the discreet balcony grower!
Related:
Auto Night Queen week-by-week grow guide
Auto Blackberry Kush, dark colored autoflowering hash plant with powerful euphoric effects
Auto Blackberry Kush is another Dutch Passion top-rated autoflower strain for balcony growing. Often ready to harvest in 8-10 weeks, she is fast enough to allow multiple balcony crops each year. The durable indica genetics offer low stretch but heavy yields from the frosty central and side blooms. The buds (and foliage) can turn very dark, almost black in some outdoor grown examples and are both delicious and powerful.
Auto Blackberry Kush uses particularly solid genetics from a rare gene bank Hash Plant line that produces dark colors, a full-bodied fruity Afghani taste, very high THC levels, fast/low growth and branch-breaking yields. With top-shelf jar-appeal and solid outdoor growth performance Auto Blackberry Kush is a top recommendation for balcony growers, especially those with a strong focus on potency.
Auto Mimosa Punch, epic taste and THC levels around 20%
One of Dutch Passion’s more recent high performance autos, Auto Mimosa Punch boasts the highest terpene levels ever seen by the Dutch Passion team, 50-100% higher than average. If you want a reliable, resilient, and short balcony plant with epic taste and THC levels around 20% then Auto Mimosa Punch autoflower seeds are the perfect choice.
Bred with genetics from the original Mimosa mother plant, Auto Mimosa Punch delivers a fruity pungency that will satisfy from the first vape. Indoors she takes 10-12 weeks to grow, on a balcony perhaps a couple of weeks longer. But the wait will be rewarded with some really special, aromatic and resin-soaked buds of the highest quality.
Top tips for growing cannabis on a balcony
Growing cannabis on a balcony is a great way to get a quality stash for minimal cost and effort. The most important advice is to buy the best cannabis seeds you can, but the following tips may also be useful.
• If you're growing autoflower seeds, you may wish to plan your grow for the 3 months with the most suitable temperatures and best sun. Some balcony growers may be able to get two, or even 3, successive autoflower crops each year. That’s potentially several hundred grams+ of almost-free weed for very little effort. No wonder so many of those with a sunny balcony are planting a cannabis seed or two.
• Some balcony growers cover their plants with a transparent plastic ‘greenhouse-style’ cover. This can protect plants from the worst of the windy, rainy weather.
• Starting your freshly germinated seedlings indoors for a week or two under a low-power LED/fluorescent seedling light gives them the ideal conditions for the best start. Indoor germination and onward indoor growth for the first couple of weeks protects your seedlings while they are at their most vulnerable and allows faster plant growth for heavier final yields. Don’t worry too much about odor, small indoor seedings produce little scent.
• Stealth tips include attaching fake plastic/silk ornamental flowers to your balcony cannabis plants to give your plants a more-innocent appearance. Many balcony growers also use strategically positioned traditional garden shrubs on their balcony to add camouflage. Some also use hanging baskets of tumbling flowers to great tactical advantage.
• If your balcony weed does stretch a little more than you would like you can always use cannabis training techniques such as low stress training, or high stress training to tame vertical growth. Some balcony growers also use the SCROG method to grow their plants discreetly and out-of-view.
• Most balcony growers use good quality, nutritious soil. But some use alternative grow media such as coco fibre.
• If growing in large containers of enriched soil your only nutrient requirements may be a general-purpose bloom nutrient.
Pick from the best outdoor cannabis genetics
These staff-picks for balcony growing should all deliver great results. But the experienced balcony grower who doesn’t mind tying down the taller branches will find success with many photoperiod feminized strains - assuming the grow season is long enough.
Note: In theory many varieties can be grown on a sunny balcony, including the more stretchy, larger, and longer flowering strains - with or without the use of growing techniques. Make sure that you don’t use a big container when growing such strains naturally, otherwise you risk growing a monster on the balcony!
Most balcony growers will also find that most quality autoflower strains in general will also deliver excellent results. Their fast life cycle, naturally short height and bushy growth are all well suited to the demands of a balcony grow.
Growing cannabis on a sunny balcony really is easy. Get it right and you can enjoy quality levels on a par with indoor grown weed, and all for little more than the cost of some cannabis seeds and soil!