Backyard bud boom sweeps L.A. as gardeners learn to grow weed

Let's be real – the idea of growing your own weed plant outdoors at home in Los Angeles always seemed way too complicated, right? Well, a new wave of workshops popping up at nurseries all over the city is shedding light on an unexpected truth: cultivating the sticky icky al fresco in your SoCal backyard or patio can actually be as simple as tending to a tomato plant.

These hands-on learning sessions are the brainchild of two herb experts on a demystifying mission – Emily Gogol, a seasoned grow master from Oregon, and author Penny Barthel, who literally penned the beginner's bible "The Cannabis Gardener." With some funding from the USDA, they've been hitting up local gardening hotspots inspiring total greenhorns to try their hand at backyard marijuana gardening since earlier this year.

Taking up outdoor cannabis cultivation does require understanding the legal landscape first. Under current California law, any adult 21+ can grow up to six plants per private residence. The key distinction for going the outdoor route is ensuring your green babies are properly locked away from public view in an enclosed backyard, patio, or other discreet spot.

Local city or county rules can introduce additional restrictions too, so be sure to look up specifics for your neighborhood. In LA County areas for example, regulations get into the weeds on things like keeping plants set back from property lines and height maximums.

Once you've got the compliance boxes checked though, it's smooth sailing into seed selection and planting. Gogol and Barthel are big advocates of going with "feminized" seeds specifically designed to sprout fun-only female plants. They also recommend "photoperiod" variety strains meaning the plants will transition to budding when daylight exposure drops below a certain level – perfectly suited to leverage SoCal's abundant sunshine.

At a C&S workshop, attendees were stoked to score some of those coveted seeds right from Gogol's Oregon farm, neatly packaged up in charming branded pouches proudly displaying names like "Afternoon Punch." No more sneaking around sketchy dispensaries or dealing with shady online vendors – nowadays it's as easy as stopping by the local nursery.   

From there, it's all about nailing the sweet setup spot. "Where you get the most sun exposure is where you'll want to grow," advised Barthel. Containers get Gogol's full endorsement too – a 10-15 gallon fabric or plastic pot filled with quality potting mix like Ocean Forest can actually yield better results than planting directly in the ground, especially if you've only got so-so lighting.

Timing-wise, Bart and Em both preach getting those seeds or starter plants in the ground anytime between 4/20 and Father's Day for a perfect balance of manageable size yet maximum flower output. And don't stress about it being too late in the season – I caught their sage wisdom in late April and still had weeks to work with.  

The biggest rookie mistake to avoid? Overwatering. Just let the plant's soil dry out down to your knuckle between waterings, maybe one to two times per week depending on heat levels. Kinda like you would for tomatoes or any other sun-loving veggie crop.

That's really all there is to it, according to the dynamic cannabis cultivating duo. With just a few basic tips and techniques, you'll be well on your way to a fresh, sticky, locally-grown stash of herbal bliss right from your very own LA cannabis garden. 

Dreaming of tending to your very own little backyard bud oasis? You've still got time to get schooled - Barthel and Gogol are continuing to host virtual and in-person workshops across LA County in the run-up to Father's Day, even doing a special cannabis bouquet giveaway class on the holiday itself. The perfect blooming gift for a green thumb dad!

So don't sleep on the chance to tap into your inner cannabis cultivator this growing season. With the region's unbeatable climate and those smelly experts to guide you, an al fresco LA weed garden could be just a couple months away from reality.