Cannabis is being legalized in most of the developed countries like the US, Canada, and other countries around the world. People are even allowed to grow their cannabis at home legally.
Although growing cannabis at home may seem to be quite complicated, with the right source of information and guidance you can get the job done in just a few easy steps. Growing cannabis is quite straightforward and doesn’t require any professional help or expertise in the field. Anyone who can devote a few extra minutes a day and have a garden area in the backyard or a spare closet can grow their own best quality cannabis at home.
Before you start growing cannabis at your home just consider a few important points as discussed below.
Light
Cannabis can be grown both in sunlight or grow light. But you need to understand the light needs of the cannabis plant. By doing so, you can grow the best quality buds from the plant.
Medium of growth
Remember that soil is not the only medium you have to grow cannabis plant
Air
The place where you want to grow cannabis should have sufficient airflow and also a slight breeze. This helps easy growth of the plant
Temperature
One thing you must know about cannabis plants is that it feels hot the same way you do. If the temperature is too hot for you, then it’s the same for your plant too. Hence you must not expose the plants to extreme temperature as it may cause the plants to die.
Nutrients
Growing cannabis plants requires nutrients. You can either buy pre-formulated nutrients and then mix them with some water. Or you may also compost your soil in a way that includes all the necessary nutrients in it.
Water
Like any other plant cannabis also requires sufficient water for growth. Be sure that you are supplying enough water to your garden space where you have planted the trees.
Step 1: Choose your growing light
Before you move further with growing cannabis plants, make sure what type of light is required to grow cannabis successfully. The types of light that you may use to grow cannabis plants are:
- The sunlight
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs
- LED grow lights
- High-pressure sodium(HPS) or metal halide (MH)
Although you can successfully grow cannabis using any of the above-mentioned lights, using sunlight can be the most efficient and cost-effective way to grow cannabis at your home. For best results, you must ensure that your cannabis plants are getting at least 8 hours of direct sunlight. The best time for your plants to get direct sunlight is between 10 is-4 pm.
Step 2: Choose your growing medium
Planting and growing cannabis are not limited to the soil as the only growing medium. There are different mediums to grow cannabis plants. But choose the one that is most suitable for you as different mediums have different watering and caring requirements.
- Soil
- Soilless mix
- Hydroponics
Step 3: Choosing your plant nutrients
Unless you are using super soil to grow cannabis at your home, you will require cannabis nutrients for the healthy growth of your plants. Besides, even if you have used enough nutrients to your soil or have used soil like FFOF, you will still be required to add additional nutrients by the time the plants reach their budding stage. This is because cannabis being a heavy feeder has already used the available nutrients before the bussing time begins.
Step 4: Germinate cannabis seeds
The next step to growing cannabis at home is germinating the cannabis seeds. Although there are many ways to germinate cannabis seeds, the easiest one is by placing them in a specialized starter cube. Make sure that the rapid roots are moist and warm although you are not soaking them in water. The seeding should pop out within a few days or a week.
Step 5: Vegetative and flowering stage
Once you notice that your cannabis seeds have grown a regular set of leaves, it is in its vegetative stage. With more days the cannabis plants start getting bigger and bigger and also start making buds. The cannabis plants tend to grow fast when it is placed in a temperature that is a bit warmer than the normal room temperature.
Step 6: Harvesting
You should not be harvesting your cannabis until the buds have stopped growing new white hairs. You can identify it with the fragrance of your buds. You will feel a strong smell of cannabis filling your room. Also, wait until at least 40% of the white hairs have darkened. To acquire the highest THC levels, harvest only when at least 50-70% of the hairs have darkened.
Step 7: Dry and cure the harvested buds
After harvesting the buds, hang them upside down in a cool and dark place with sufficient ventilation. To get the best results, dry your buds slowly. Also, check for overdrying and mold. Once the drying process is done, start curing them so that it tastes and smells good and you can get the best result.