Cannabis planting season starts with warm weather

It's time for drug growers to plant out cannabis in Northland.

Warm weather means it's time for shorts and jandals and of course for green-fingered cannabis growers in Northland it's time to think about cultivating your drug plot.

As night temperatures warm up and the threat of frosts decreases conditions for planting tomatoes, zucchini and cannabis becomes ideal.

November is a month when cannabis growers prepare their outdoor plots and plant out seedlings.

The man tasked with running Northland's annual drug recovery operation, Detective Senior Sergeant John Miller, said it would be those living in rural locations that would start to notice suspicious behaviour that might be linked to planting of cannabis crops.

Northland's expansive native bush is the ideal place for cannabis plots as it provided shelter and of course was partially hidden from the prying eyes of authorities.

And the region's climate is conducive to growing the illegal drug.

"If they have started the seedlings indoor they can put them outside and they will survive because of the warmer temperatures," Mr Miller said.

"Cannabis, like tomatoes don't like the cold weather. The growers are hoping the frosts have gone and the plants can flourish."

He urged anyone who might notice strange vehicles in their area of people claiming to be pig hunting but had no dogs to call police immediately.

"If we get information early on we stand a much greater chance of catching the people responsible instead of just spraying these crops. Ultimately we want to catch them because if we spray they will continue on the next year."

At this stage of the season of the cannabis growing cycle fertiliser was needed plus wire netting and electric fencing to stop possums and other animals raiding the plots while the plants are establishing themselves.

"Some of this activity could also be happening at night," Mr Miller said.

Police also stressed information given to them would be in strict confidence and if drug plots were discovered on private property in no way would it mean the land owner would be held legally responsible.

"It is a common tactic for growers to grow on a neighbouring property if they believe they will not be detected," Mr Miller said.

All information left on the Crimestoppers number could be done anonymously and was also treated confidentially.

Mr Miller said the demand for cannabis was as strong as it ever was, despite an increase in the use of methamphetamine.

"We are interested not just in the big guys but the little ones as well. So any activity that is unusual in rural areas will be of interest to us."

If you can help police combat the illegal cannabis trade call your local police station or Crimestoppers on 0800555111.