France enjoys one of Europe’s best climates for outdoor cannabis growers. There are significant variations from region to region which affects the length of the grow season and will steer choice of cannabis seeds accordingly.
How to grow cannabis outdoors in France
Outdoor cannabis growing calendar in France
Indoor cannabis growing is extremely popular in France, but the mild climate and (generally) good growing conditions allow fine quality outdoor growing too. However, conditions and temperatures/climate do vary widely from north to south.
In addition, there are mountainous regions that place specific genetic demands on plants as well as coastal climates to consider. One difficulty experienced across France, especially in recent summers, is punishing summer heatwaves. Our guide to cannabis heat stress is useful reading for those facing temperatures around 40ºC/100F and above.
With so many different climate types in France it’s important for the grower to plan accordingly. The grow season starts and finishes at different times from region to region. Growers in cooler areas, more northern areas and mountain areas will need to consider the best strains for their circumstances. The recommendations above should offer great results.
Growers in Southern France will enjoy warm weather throughout October, whereas growers in the north will face similar challenges to some UK growers. The UK guide to outdoor cannabis growing contains lots of useful tips and ideas for growers in borderline climates.
Below we list the most suitable Dutch Passion cannabis seeds for the different French grow climates. Note that all French growers should be able to get 1-2 successive autoflower crops each season. Growers near the southern Mediterranean coast may even manage 3 successive crops using autoflower seeds with some good weather.
Best outdoor cannabis seeds to grow in France
French outdoor growers need to consider their local climate. Knowing when the last frost has passed in your region is critical info, signalling the time when it is normally safe to take your plants outdoors. Of course, it is always recommended (where possible) to give your plants a few weeks of indoor growth prior to planting them outside. This gives them a head-start and should result in bigger yields.
All the Dutch Passion autoflower seed varieties should grow well in France, needing around 3 months to grow from auto seed to harvest. Those with longer, milder southern climates may be able to get 2-3 successive outdoor auto crops per year. And the Dutch Outdoor seed collection should also do well in France. But the following strains come with our particular recommendations.
Top 5 outdoor seeds for Northern France
Northern France climate: From Elzas to Brittany have roughly similar cool and variable conditions to Belgium and the Netherlands. The following strains will all deliver great results.
Top 5 outdoor seeds for Central France
Central France climate: Including the Bordeaux to Dijon areas. With warmer weather than the north coast and often-hot continental summer temperatures, some tempting Dutch Passion classics can be grown with great results.
Top 5 outdoor seeds for Southern France
Southern France climate: Including Bayonne to Nice (apart from the Pyrenees). The hot southern French climate allows growers to start their growing season earlier than elsewhere in France. The warm weather allows a late finish and the possibility of multiple successive outdoor harvests with autoflower seeds. The long outdoor grow seasons means that spectacular XL yields can be achieved, especially from the best outdoor genetics. Plants 3m tall/wide can be expected from the best cannabis seeds, with multi-Kg dry harvests if you can hide them from your neighbours!
Top 5 outdoor seeds for French mountain areas
Special French mountain areas, Pyrenees & Alps. The most challenging type of French outdoor growing! Without doubt the two speciality high altitude cannabis seeds, Snow Bud & Pamir Gold are highly recommended since they were selectively bred over many seasons in the Swiss Alps. This allows them to deliver where non-adapted strains would fail spectacularly.
Autoflower seeds are also a great choice for mountain growers. Just select a sunny south-facing spot and give your autos the best 3 months to grow in. The astute mountain grower will also give their plants a few weeks of indoor growth under 20 (or so) hours of daily light to give them a head-start before planting them outdoors.
Photoperiod vs autoflower cannabis: what is best for outdoor growers in France?
The two main choices facing French outdoor cannabis growers are whether to grow photoperiod feminised seeds or autoflower seeds. Increasingly growers use both types alongside each other.
The autoflower seeds ensure a mid-summer (or even early-summer) crop of medium/large proportions. The outdoor feminised seeds may not be ready to harvest until late September/early October but will often offer XXL yield potential.
Dry harvests of over 1Kg per plant are quite possible with proven outdoor cannabis varieties such as Frisian Dew and Passion #1 when rooted directly into quality, moist earth.
Growing autoflower seeds outdoors in France
Autoflower seeds may be the best choice for those with particularly short grow seasons, caused perhaps by altitude or proximity to mountain weather. But autoflower seeds are also a great choice for the urban grower wanting a discreet waist-high plant to grow on their south facing balcony.
Many urban growers hide an auto or two in a sunny corner of a garden or in a greenhouse/poly tunnel. Their low height and fast growth cycle (autoflower seed to harvest in around 3 months) makes them an obvious choice for many growers.
Quality levels & THC levels from the best autoflower varieties has increased significantly in recent years, especially from the leading top-tier breeders. Expect potency levels similar to those available from photoperiod feminised cannabis strains.
Those that have spent decades growing photoperiod feminised seeds now also tend to have a few autoflowers in their outdoor plots. This gives them a harvest as early as July. That can be followed up with a second or even a third crop.
Autoflower plants can act as insurance in case your feminised strains are adversely affected by severe late season weather. Autoflower seeds produce quality on a par with the best feminised strains in less time though typically with lower yields. They are valuable to French outdoor growers of all types.
Growing feminised seeds outdoors in France
Other than extreme mountainous regions, feminised seeds can be grown just about anywhere in France. But some of the longer blooming varieties are less suited to cooler northern regions with their shorter grow seasons. If in doubt, our recommended cannabis seeds listed above may be useful guidance.
Outdoor feminised seeds can be grown in a range of places. Most commonly on private land, gardens, greenhouses and poly tunnels. Feminised strains can be trained, tied down, topped etc if the 3m+ height potential is of concern. Many guerrilla growers find that unused urban land, empty field corners, riverbanks and hills are also popular places to hide a plant or two.
It’s always good advice to germinate feminised seeds (and indeed, autoflower seeds) indoors and give them a few weeks indoor growth with 18-24 hours of daily light prior to gradually hardening them off by exposing them to steadily increasing amounts of time outdoors. Finally, the plants can be placed permanently outdoors once the last frost has gone.
Rooting your plants directly into the earth will give them the chance to reach their largest potential but planting them in containers will offer you flexibility in the event of extreme weather or security concerns. However, container-grown plants may eventually require daily watering meaning that containers are considered a better choice when growing on your own property.
Tips for growing cannabis outdoors in France
With a generally warm & sunny grow season, many French growers routinely enjoy great quality harvests with quality levels on a par with indoor grown cannabis. Growers in more southern/central regions enjoy longer grow seasons allowing them to start growing earlier and finish later.
This longer grow season will mean outdoor cannabis growers in warmer parts of France have a wider choice of later-finishing photoperiod strains than those on the cooler northern coast. But plenty of great quality photoperiod outdoor feminised seeds will grow well throughout France.
All Dutch Passion autoflower seeds will grow well in the French climate, offering plenty of options for growers no matter what their local weather is like.
The following tips may be useful:
You will find that cannabis will grow easily outdoors in France, it’s the cheapest way to be self-sufficient in your cannabis requirements. All you need is a pack or two of cannabis seeds, research your options first, choose them wisely and enjoy your next outdoor grow!
