Lesson 1Scaling yields: per-plant and per-acre expectations, monitoring growth curves and adjusting crop loadDetails how to plan and track yields per plant and per acre, set realistic targets, monitor growth curves, adjust crop load, and use pruning, thinning, and harvest timing to balance quality, consistency, and total biomass output in Gambia.
Setting realistic per-plant and per-acre yield goalsTracking growth curves and canopy developmentAdjusting crop load through pruning and thinningLinking nutrition and irrigation to yield targetsPost-harvest data review for next season planningLesson 2Weather risk mitigation: shade cloth, windbreaks, canopy reinforcement, drainage solutions for heavy rainAddresses weather risks in outdoor cannabis, including heat, wind, storms, and heavy rain, and how to use shade cloth, windbreaks, canopy reinforcement, drainage improvements, and emergency response plans to protect plants and soil in Gambia.
Designing and installing windbreak systemsUsing shade cloth for heat and light controlCanopy reinforcement for storms and hailDrainage upgrades for heavy rain eventsEmergency response plans for extreme weatherLesson 3Plant spacing, training, and size management outdoors: row spacing, trellising, topping and selective pruningFocuses on outdoor plant spacing, training, and canopy control, including row spacing, in-row spacing, trellising systems, topping, selective pruning, and strategies to manage plant size for airflow, light use, and labour efficiency in Gambian fields.
Row and in-row spacing by variety and vigourTrellis types for wind support and bud spacingTopping strategies and timing outdoorsSelective pruning for airflow and light penetrationManaging plant height and lateral spreadLesson 4Organic soil management: building soil biology, microbial inoculants, compost tea principles and application timingExplores organic soil management for cannabis, focusing on building soil biology, using microbial inoculants, compost and vermicompost, compost tea principles, application timing, and monitoring indicators of soil health over seasons in Gambia.
Building soil organic matter and structureSelecting and applying microbial inoculantsUsing compost and vermicompost effectivelyCompost tea brewing, dilution, and timingField indicators of soil biological healthLesson 5Fertilisation programme for organic outdoor crops: baseline mineral amendments, side-dressing schedule, foliar feeds and timingDefines a season-long organic fertility plan for outdoor cannabis, including baseline mineral amendments, compost inputs, side-dressing by growth stage, foliar feeding strategies, and how to align timing with plant demand and soil tests in Gambia.
Interpreting soil tests for organic fertility needsDesigning baseline mineral and compost amendmentsSide-dressing by growth stage and plant vigourFoliar feed recipes, timing, and application safetyUsing tissue tests to fine-tune nutrient programmesLesson 6Pest and disease pressures unique to outdoors: soilborne pathogens, foliar fungal risks, and pollination considerationsExplores outdoor-specific pest and disease threats in cannabis, focusing on soilborne pathogens, foliar fungi, insect vectors, and unwanted pollination, plus monitoring tools, cultural controls, and organic treatment thresholds for intervention in Gambia.
Key soilborne pathogens in outdoor cannabis bedsManaging foliar fungal risks in humid conditionsMonitoring and controlling insect disease vectorsPreventing unwanted pollination and seed setScouting protocols and treatment thresholdsLesson 7Raised bed design and construction: dimensions, drainage, root depth, weed barriers and pathwaysExplains how to design and build durable raised beds for cannabis, including dimensions, bed orientation, drainage layers, root depth targets, weed barrier choices, and ergonomic pathways for equipment, irrigation, and worker access in Gambian fields.
Choosing bed dimensions, height, and orientationDesigning drainage layers and runoff pathwaysTarget root depth and soil profile structureWeed barriers, edging, and bed containmentPathway width, surfacing, and traffic planningLesson 8Planting calendar and phenology: seed/clone start dates, hardening off, transplant windows, expected flowering and harvest windows by cultivarDefines a full outdoor calendar for cannabis, from seed or clone start dates through hardening off, transplant windows, vegetative growth, flowering, and harvest, with adjustments by variety, latitude, and local frost dates in Gambia.
Scheduling seed and clone starts by regionHardening off plants for outdoor conditionsChoosing optimal transplant windowsTracking flowering onset by varietyPlanning staggered harvest windows and labourLesson 9Irrigation strategy for raised beds: drip layout, emitter selection, scheduling with soil moisture sensors and seasonal adjustmentsCovers irrigation design and management for raised beds, including drip line layout, emitter type and spacing, pressure regulation, soil moisture sensor placement, seasonal scheduling, and strategies to avoid overwatering or drought stress in Gambia.
Designing drip line layout for one-acre fieldsChoosing emitters, filters, and pressure regulatorsPlacing and calibrating soil moisture sensorsSeasonal irrigation scheduling and adjustmentsDiagnosing overwatering and drought symptomsLesson 10Site and bed preparation: soil testing, amendment planning, compost and green manure integrationCovers pre-plant site and bed preparation, including soil testing, amendment planning, compost and green manure integration, tillage or no-till choices, and timelines to allow biology to stabilise before transplanting cannabis in Gambian sites.
Field assessment and mapping microclimatesSoil sampling, testing, and interpretationPlanning mineral and organic amendmentsIncorporating compost and green manuresPre-plant tillage versus no-till strategies
