As soon as the pandemic hit, everyone was stuck at home. Everyone looked for things other than working from home and waiting for home deliveries.
It was a dream for everyone for a long time until the novelty of the idea wore off, and everyone wanted to look for new hobbies.
You can find stores to buy weed online legally, but with growing your own weed, you will be able to learn many additional skills in gardening and farming during this process.
You cannot grow weed plants at home in some states. When growing a cannabis plant, you must ensure your respective state allows you to grow weed at home. You can find how to pass a drug test for weed on the internet.
Step 1 - Deciding the Best Cannabis Seeds or Clones
The cannabis plant can be a male plant or a female plant. Like any other plant, you need to be specific about a cannabis plant. This decision is important to determine what you want from your cannabis plants and what are the best weed strains.
Look for Female Plants
Hence, if you buy cannabis seeds from your local seed bank, you should look for a label for “Feminized Seeds.”
When you grow weed from female cannabis seeds, you will get plump pungent flowers that are the primary source of THC.
Clones are a Better Growth Option
Clones are essentially cuttings from mother plants or female plants. You can obtain these cuttings at your local nurseries.
Just as they are easier to obtain, they are much easier to plant, grow, and yield in less time. You only need to plant some cuttings in the soil, and you should get most of them to grow.
You also need to plant each clone in a separate pot. Planting these clothes directly in your garden soil can make them run rampant like wild shrubs.
Step 2 - Creating the Perfect Cannabis Grow Room
No matter how enthusiastic you are about growing marijuana, you do not need a massive grow space. If you are growing weed indoors, you can use small kitchen top trays for a handful of plants.
You can also use empty cabinets, unused rooms, or an attic to grow cannabis.
Start With a Small Pot and Work Your Way Up
You only need a few plants to start and gradually work your way up to dozens of marijuana plants. Growing marijuana indoors is a skillful process, and a mandatory learning curve is involved.
A Clean Grow Space is Mandatory
You must ensure that your grow space for growing weed is hygienic and free of any outside pollutants.
If you grow weed indoors only, the dedicated grow room must have an air filtration system for fresh air.
It is to ensure that there are no airborne contaminants or insects. Hence, you will be growing cannabis just as lab-grown cannabis. You should make a weekly schedule to clean the place thoroughly and monitor the plant leaves.
Furthermore, you can also protect your weed plant by spraying them with any homemade organic insecticide.
Only use organic pesticides or fertilizers since marijuana can absorb toxic metals.
Moreover, never use chemical fertilizers or growers as weed plants accumulate these substances in their bodies. Hence, it would be best to test the soil and its pH levels before planting.
Create a Sunlight Schedule
Direct sunlight is the most important factor for a weed plant during the growing stage. Growing cannabis can be a nightmare if the lighting conditions are not properly regulated.
You need to create a check and balance for how much light they experience and for how long. If you grow weed indoors, they need 12 hours of uninterrupted sunlight.
After that, the weed plants need to rest in complete darkness, where they produce flowers that transform into buds.
Like every other living thing, the marijuana plant needs to rest. If any ambient light is seeping in from anywhere, the flowers that develop are full of seeds.
These flowers do not yield smokable buds; hence it is important to create a schedule. Sativa plants are photoperiod plants that require a strict schedule for sunlight exposure.
Thus, it would be best to create a light cycle during the seed germination and growing stage. They must face both extremes of the spectrum to produce optimal results during the vegetative stage.
Additional Measures to Grow Weed
To grow cannabis at home, you must ensure that the growing environment is free of pests.
You also need to ensure that no airborne invaders are involved, like bacteria, fungus, or anything else. Another important factor to monitor is the humidity and temperature of the grow tent.
To grow cannabis optimally, you need to be very specific with the temperature and humidity settings.
You must ensure that you cultivate cannabis in trays or pots that are easily accessible and manageable at any time.
You can convert them into your own cannabis garden with a little more care and effort.
Step 3 - Install Cannabis Grow Lights
The primary light source is the sun itself. But no one wants to have the extra responsibility of putting your plants in and out twice a day. It is when artificial grow lights come into play.
Once the whole system starts working on its own, you will reap good fruits with your weed crop. It is a long-term investment to ensure the best possible weed buds. Here are some of the best lighting options to choose from.
LED Grow Lights are Ideal for Growth
If you are an avid weed enthusiast, money might not be a concern for you. If you can, choose the best possible option on the market right now.
Right now, LED lights are the most preferred option among weed growers. Marijuana grows ideally in perfect lighting conditions that are optimized according to the growing stage of the plant.
LED lamps can be the most effective and energy-efficient lighting solution for your indoor weed plants.
LED lamps produce a wide array of wavelengths across the light spectrum. They use very little energy and are practically cool lights.
The only drawback is that they can cost you many times more than any other lighting system. However, they are a worth-it investment in the long run.
Moreover, if you decide to go for one, you should not save money on subpar, low-quality LED lamps.
Install Induction Lamp Grow Lights
Induction lamps are another option for home growers. It is quite unconventional, but many companies are now adopting them for the commercial production of cannabis.
They have proved to be very energy efficient and decently effective compared to more conventional grow lights.
These lamps produce high-intensity lights and can be compared to HID (high-intensity discharge) lamps but are way more energy efficient. Although they produce heat, you need to turn your ventilation on more often.
Install HID Grow Lights
Most people use high-intensity discharge lights that can effectively optimize indoor growth. These can give you rapid results and be the most value-for-money appliance to install.
However, there are some drawbacks to using it. The first one is that they need more components to run alongside them. Hence the total cost for a HID light package can be expensive.
If you are willing to spend some extra money, they can prove to be useful for growing weed at home. You can choose between two types of HID bulbs.
It depends on what growth stage your marijuana is in. You can choose between a metal halide (MH) bulb or you can get a high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulb. MH bulbs are mostly used during the growing stages.
HPS bulbs are mostly used when plants are in the flowering stages and have developed the tap root. HPS bulbs can cost more, but you should be able to get better efficiency.
HID bulbs can produce a lot of heat, so they are not energy efficient in any way. Thus, it would be best if you also kept your circulation active most of the time when using HID lamps. But if you can spend extra money, you can use air conditioning in certain areas to alleviate heat rapidly.
Install Fluorescent Grow Lights
Fluorescent lights are available at any local electrical store. They are also easier to use than the other options discussed above.
They are high propagating lights and can be ideal for young plants with less yield. These lights are also low wattage, so they do not produce any heat.
Further, they do not require a lot of power to run. They will not affect the internal temperature of your growing area while still doing the job.
They might not be too effective for bigger plants. However, for a home project, they should be more than sufficient. They are the most economical option for home growers.
Step 4 - Marijuana Grow Ideally in Fresh Air
When setting up a system to grow marijuana, you need to have a good ventilation system. It is to make sure that the airflow is consistent but also that it is not too windy. It is to ensure the flowers can pollinate easily without any outside help.
Create a Ventilation System
You can create a ventilation system yourself. Just make sure that you place the exhausts strategically. You do not need to place too many fans. Just enough to create a gentle airflow. For this purpose, you can use box fans, bracket fans, wall-mounted oscillating fans, etc. Place them strategically so that they work effectively with each other. It is to ensure that the temperature does not rise due to CO2 buildup.
We all know that warm air is lighter and rises. A good ventilation system helps by pushing out hot air and pumping in fresh cool air. You can achieve this by mounting your outtake exhaust a little higher. Your intake valve should be a couple of feet higher than the ground.
Regulate Temperature
It will ensure that your indoor grow room has a fresh supply of CO2 and oxygen at all times. Further, this also regulates temperatures for your young plant growing indoors. Indoor growers need to maintain the optimal temperature range for their cannabis indoors during the vegetative stage.
Most cannabis varieties flourish in cool temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit when in sunlight. But most strains like indica grow best at night in temperatures around 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This optimal temperature happens when you switch off the lights and leave them to rest.
Step 5 - Create a Monitoring and Control System
The next step in how to grow weed is to create a closed monitoring system where you can control everything. The system needs to be automated if you cannot tend to your plants for a few days. The system also needs a backup power supply to keep the alarms and sensors running in case of power outages.
Install a Thermostat
You need to install five basic apparatus to keep your plants growing at the best temperature. You need a thermostat, outlet exhaust, inlet fan, light sensors, and LED grow lights. A thermostat is installed to monitor the temperature inside the grow room continuously.
This thermostat is set to turn on the ventilation system to bring in the fresh cool air. It helps you create a stable temperature zone inside your designated grow space. It also helps you control the humidity as well. Further, when you automate the ventilation system, you are essentially saving energy and reducing the cost of production.
Automate a Watering System
You also need to set timers for your watering systems, especially when the cannabis plants are in vegetative growth. The watering system needs to be optimized to water during optimal hours when the plants need it most. Over watering can cause the yellowing of dark green leaves.
Install Light Radars or Sensors
You cannot possibly be always there to put the plant in the dark and bring them out in the sun every day. For this, it would be best to install a self-sliding roof to let in sunlight when it’s time. You can automate the roof with a timer to automate and strictly monitor the sunlight exposure for the plants.
Usually, when you grow marijuana indoors, they need sunlight for at least 15 to 18 hours a day during the growing age. When they are mature enough and reach the flowering stage, they need 12 hours of darkness. Hence, it is important to regulate the sunlight exposure when growing cannabis indoors.
Monitor Soil pH
Cannabis plants are very pH sensitive and need constant pH control. For this, you need to ensure the quality of the water. If you are using ordinary soil, you should try to maintain the pH between 6 and 7. If you use a pH meter, look for the sweet spots of 6.2 and 6.5. Further, if you use hydroponic systems, you should aim between 5.8 and 6. Hence, these pH ranges can guarantee optimal growth and yields. Still, you should install a pH monitor for ease.
Step 6 - Be Creative and Know How to Grow Weed
You can grow cannabis indoors as well as outdoors. If you grow indoors, you can use ordinary soil, or you can use a hydroponic system. It mostly depends on your personal preference and ease of maintenance.
You should be confident and stick with your decision. Any process can be effective. But, if you want to save money and are just starting, it is better to use organic soil.
Hydroponic solutions can be very hard to manage and have more associated risks.
Organic Soil vs. Hydroponic System
Soil is abundant and is always inexpensive. You can easily acquire good nutrient-rich soil from your nearest river bank or freshwater pond.
You can get better results with high-quality coco peat, which is airy and less dense than your traditional soil.
However, it would be best to fertilize them more frequently than when you plant them in regular soil. If you use animal manure for fertilizer, beware of the chances of adding unnecessary bacteria and harmful organisms. However, there is another more advanced growing system called a hydroponic setup.
Hydroponic solutions can give you a much more reliable delivery system for nutrients, but the chances of error in it are also very slim.
You can get ideal growth and yield if everything is done according to the book. But there is no room for an error contrary to the soil.
Step 7 - Choose Appropriate Containers to Grow Marijuana Plants
Whenever you plan to grow your marijuana, you should be very cautious about the location and vessel of planting.
Cannabis can be rampant if left to grow in the wild with unlimited land. It is why you must decide how many plants you want to grow. You can start with five plants since that would be enough for personal use.
Choose Containers Carefully
It would help if you also decided on how much you want your plants to grow. You can start with small cups and work up to half-foot pots. You also need to limit your plant growth every time they grow twice their size.
It would help if you used a wet paper towel for germinating your seeds. Afterward, you can put them in organic peat in a small pot.
It would be best if you were very considerate of your final growing station. You need one-gallon soil per foot length of your plant.
Step 8 - Love Your Cannabis Plants by Giving Them Organic Nutrients
Every plant needs its fair share of proper nutrients to grow effectively.
Weed needs some extra attention when it comes to nutrients. It is the most important growth factor for cannabis after good lighting conditions.
You can get premium-quality cannabis buds if you provide them with proper nutrients that help develop flowers.
Important Macronutrients
The most important macronutrients include nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper, and iron. You can get these nutrients pre-packaged.
You can also buy a pre-packaged super soil mix fortified with all these nutrients. You can always replenish the soil afterward. However, it would help if you did your homework about the nutritional needs of your specific weed strain.
Step 9 - Cannabis Plants Loves Water
Every amateur home botanist thinks that every plant needs a lot of water. But, in reality, plants do not consume water as humans do.
Hence, you must be very vigilant when watering your plants. It would be best if you were extra careful when watering weed plants.
Avoid Watering Too Much
Cannabis is very sensitive to air circulation, and too much water can affect that circulation around the roots.
They show stunted growth if they do not get enough air circulation or if the humidity is too much. It can also affect flower production. You need to measure your plants’ water intake. It depends on several factors.
You also need to ensure that the growing vessels have enough holes to allow extra water drainage.
It prevents any pest or germ culture growths. You must also install RO (reverse osmosis) filters to distill your water and avoid excess chlorine or harmful inorganic chemicals.
It would be best to synchronize your watering cycle with the internal temperature and humidity meters.
Step 10 - Take Care of Your Home-Grown Cannabis
No matter how much of an enthusiast you are, you cannot keep an eye on your weed plants every time.
There are many ways you can ensure you do every step of automation to keep the process in check. But how do you grow weed ideally in a home DIY situation?
Invest in Automated Monitoring Appliances
If you have spent a considerable budget on alarms, meters, and thermostats, you would only need to maintain them.
You only need to re-calibrate or reconfigure your thermostats. Moreover, it would help if you ensured that the backup power supply is always available.
You can also automate the power supply and save money by installing several solar panels.
These can save your power expense substantially. Likewise, you must ensure that the water reservoir has a fresh water supply and is purified.
Eliminate Male Plants
You also need to know what plant sex you are growing and what yield you expect.
Let go of any males and grow more females to get premium buds. You must also learn to differentiate between the two and eliminate male growths.
You can use a pre-feminized seed for germination. But if you want to know the basic difference, males have banana cluster-like pollen sacs. The females have calyxes, which have a white hair-like structure.
Another thing to learn is when to transplant a seedling into a bigger pot. Additionally, you also need to learn the proper light cycles of every plant, especially around the flowering season.
Bonus Step - Avoid Stressing Your Cannabis Plants
Cannabis plants can get stressed easily, so you must acclimate them to different climate conditions, including rain and sunlight.
Once your clones develop roots, you can take them for bright shade in the sun. Furthermore, it would help if you gradually put them out in the sun for a limited time before trying direct sunlight.
Ideal Sprouting Season
The ideal season for growing marijuana outdoors is from April to October. Hence, starting with seeds in the fall, you will not get enough flowers for a good yield. The flowering cycle would be short.
Thus, you can start by planting a healthy clone with multiple solid branches. It will induce flowering in the blooming season, and you will have enough buds to enjoy.
What Do We Think About Cannabis Growing?
Marijuana has been a part of many cultures throughout human history. Every culture has its own way of harvesting and using this wonder plant. But in the last century, doing and growing weed has been considered taboo.
Growing weed has been illegalized and regulated so much that even amateur growers worry about getting caught.
Many states are legalizing its harvesting at small scales and domestic sales. But still, the superstitions about weed’s adverse or addictive properties should be crushed.
This plant has existed and survived among many civilizations. But no one ever thought of banning it, burning it, or confiscating it then.
If you live in specific states, you can get a small-scale license easily and start growing your own cannabis. If you want to grow weed in the back of your garage, you will surely need to get a license.
If you already grow weed as a hobby, you would most probably have some knowledge about this special plant.
For all newbies, you must love the care and hard work that goes into harvesting and growing these plants.
You have to be patient as indoor cannabis plants need lots of care and maintenance.
Growing cannabis or any plants at home is a very indulging experience. You always learn new things with every new harvest. You develop a certain affection and empathy for the farmers who grow weed on a large scale every day.
If you grow weed as a hobby, you learn a lot about botany in general. Also, you develop a relationship with these plants just like a pet. The more love and care you give these plants, the better yield you can get from cannabis grown indoors.
Surely the process of germination to harvesting is a long and tedious one. But believe me, it will be worth it once you go through the curing process. Once you create your first joint with these potent buds, it will all be worth it. Above all, this is a fun hobby and should not be pushed too much. Growing great weed at home is a trial and error process. If you are not one of those professional growers, you only need a few plants to rely on.
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