L.A. is one of the best places on the planet to grow weed outdoors. Here’s how

If you’ve ever considered growing your own pot plant at home in Southern California but found the whole tents-and-timers-in-a-closet thing impossibly confusing or prohibitively intimidating, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be either. “And basically, when you grow cannabis for flower, you want them to be the female plants, so we’d encourage you to purchase female seeds — they’re called ‘feminized’ seeds.” Another seed term to be on the lookout for, especially if you want to make the most of the SoCal sunlight, is “photoperiod,” which means the resulting plant will start to flower when the amount of light drops below 12 hours each day. “Even if it’s not in the ground.” Gogol concurred, adding that “it’s better to grow in a container with full sun — eight to 12 hours a day — than in the ground in a shade situation.” If you’re going the container route, Gogol suggested using one in the 10- to 15-gallon range and to use a high-quality potting soil. “It’s what you would buy if you were going to grow a couple of tomatoes and maybe a miniature eggplant on a trellis on your patio.” Whether you’re growing in the ground or using a container, Barthel said, “You can’t go wrong by using compost.” If it gets full sun and the right amount of water, this bit of legal-to-grow backyard greenery could be up to 5 feet tall by fall, according to workshop organizers. Plant between 4/20 and Father’s Day “When to start your seeds or get your is about controlling the size of the plant,” Gogol told workshop attendees.