There is more to growing weed than just sticking a seed into some dirt and adding water, but it doesn't have to be super complicated. This overview describes what to expect so you can begin your journey in learning how to grow your own weed at home. Depending on state laws, marijuana can be grown indoors or outdoors. For the purpose of this article, we will just be discussing indoor growing.
Growing your own marijuana is a rewarding experience, but it will take some research, planning, patience, time, and money. I'll go over the phases of marijuana growing and briefly talk about some problems you may run into.
It is still pretty recent that states have begun to legalize cannabis, and not all of them have done so. Many of the growing techniques being used today are traditions of the past. Some of these techniques are tried and true methods known to increase yields, while others, dubbed "bro-science," may or may not have a positive effect when growing marijuana.
Choosing the right technique will depend on your growing conditions. Certain methods require more time and work, but also pays off with higher yields.
These techniques will be discussed in future articles, but for now, I'll just cover the basics to get you started on growing. Once you complete your first grow and you have enjoyed the fruits of your labor, you can decide if you want to move on to a more skilled grow.
Can I grow cannabis in my home?
Before diving right in and starting your own home grow, you should make sure that it is legal in your state to do so. Note how many plants you are allowed to grow, and whether or not you are required to have a medical license to do so. There are other laws that states may require, such as keeping your grow in an area that has a lock or security device.
What do cannabis plants need to grow?
• Light: Cannabis plants have different light requirements depending on the phase of growth. During the seedling and vegetative phases, they require at least 18 hours of light a day. While in the flowering phase, they need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of complete darkness. There are many options available for choosing a light. If you are in the market for a new grow light, check out Spider Farmer, and use coupon code kksf420.
• Water: Like all plants, cannabis also needs water. The amount of water needed will depend on the environment the plants are being grown in. Deciding what type of water is important to consider as well. Options include tap water, distilled, reverse osmosis, rain water, and bottled spring water. Check out my article about water sources for growing cannabis. After deciding which water source to use, you will also need to make sure your water has the proper ph.
• Nutrients: Marijuana plants need nutrients to grow. The most important nutrients that cannabis needs are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Nitrogen is more important during the vegetative stages. During flowering, less nitrogen is required, but more phosphorous and potassium is needed.
• Temperature/Humidity: Cannabis plants can not survive if it is too cold or too hot. I find that keeping temperatures between 65-80°F is best. Humidity is also important. If humidity is too low, plants will need more water and can be more susceptible to pests. If humidity is too high, plants are at risk of getting mold/mildew problems. 40-70% relative humidity is best for growing marijuana. 70% when germinating or growing seedlings, 50-60% during vegetative growth, and 40-50% during flowering.
• Ventilation: Airflow is also important in your growing setup. Fans are used to give plants a light breeze that provides fresh air and helps to strengthen stems.
Choose what medium to grow in
Soil: Soil is a traditional method for growing marijuana and one of the easiest methods to learn. This is a great choice for growing organically and provides the best taste.
Coco Coir/Perlite: This provides a sterile base to grow in and provides roots with better access to air and nutrients and gives the grower more control over PH and nutrients.
Rockwool: Rockwool is made from spinning basalt rock into fine fibers. It does not contain any nutrients, but provides a sterile environment that allows for full control over of PH and nutrient levels.
Hydroponic: This method requires thorough research and planning. It uses a medium such as clay pebbles, perlite, rockwool, starter plugs, etc. and uses drippers, flood tables, or suspends the roots in a reservoir of nutrient water. Depending on your setup, this could get costly. This method provides for fast growing and great yields, but some claim that the weed tastes more unnatural.
Choose your seeds
It is important for you to decide what is the right seed type and strain for your grow. You can buy regular, feminized, and auto-flower seeds.
Regular seeds: These have a 50/50 chance of being male or female. If you are trying to grow potent buds then you'll want to avoid males unless you are trying to breed plants and make seeds.
Feminized seeds: These tend to be a little more expensive, but are guaranteed to be female and worth the extra cost.
Auto-flower seeds: These seeds produce plants that are able to switch from vegetative growth to flowering automatically without having to change the light cycle.
After deciding what type of seed you want, you'll have to choose a strain. The strain you choose should be based on your experience level of growing, the space/environment you are growing in, and your taste preference (terpenes, indica/sativa, etc.).
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