Growing Marijuana for Beginners

On the market, there are innumerable marijuana brands. That makes you wonder why you would bother producing your own marijuana. Cost is, of course, one factor that immediately comes to mind. You might be able to save some money by growing your own marijuana while also picking up a new interest.
Time is the issue. You would need to invest a lot of time if you grew your own marijuana to meet all of your smoking demands, especially if you enjoy blending different strains. The time required to manage a tiny grow operation explains why businesses can charge so much for their services.

In the end, if you put in the work, you can cultivate high-quality Marijuana with no problem. You will gain enough knowledge from doing this to hone your cultivation techniques and establish yourself as a self-sufficient professional grower.

Growing marijuana is enjoyable and gratifying whether it is done inside or outside, but it can also be difficult and expensive. From preparation to seed germination, plant growth, and harvest, we'll walk you through every phase of growing. We'll also go over best practices and how to solve typical issues. Because the plant was prohibited for such a long time, a lot of grow-related information has been passed down orally. It might be challenging to separate real advice from gossip because there are so many myths and customs around marijuana cultivation. A lot has been written on indoor gardening and how to make the most of a short space by maximizing harvests and training plants because it was forbidden.

A Step-by-Step Guide For Growing Marijuana:

These are all excellent resources, but not all growers want to invest that much time and energy to obtain a large quantity of marijuana; other producers only want to have fun, cultivate a small bit of marijuana, and use marijuana they have grown themselves.

Setting Up The Room:

For photosynthesis to occur, plants need fresh air. Your plants could choke to death without access to fresh air. Yet, before this occurs, the stagnant air will give way to a warm, humid atmosphere that can draw viruses and bugs that can completely destroy your crop. The natural essential oils, or terpenes, found in cannabis during the flowering cycle will also cause your plants to emit a distinct odor, so it's critical that the air has a way to escape. A crop room can be ventilated in a variety of ways. To lessen the smell of terpenes, you can use extractor fans, oscillating fans, exhaust systems, and carbon filters, the latter of which is used.

The ideal option for beginners is to simply pick a room with a window and set up a few common fans to chill the space and maintain a flow of fresh air. Consider buying natural pesticides because the area will be vulnerable to pests because of the exposed windows.

Setting Up The Lights:

A great harvest requires top-notch grow lights. The ideal lights for you will depend on a variety of factors, including your budget, but for novices, LED lights are typically advised. Full-spectrum, affordable, and relatively new to the market, LED lights emit light. Most, though, do not, and this will affect the yield when it comes time to harvest. They don't produce much heat, so you might not need to buy powerful cooling fans, which is a plus.

The most effective method for figuring out how much light your grow room needs is to use the watts per square foot formula. According to this strategy, LED grow lights should provide your canopy with 40 to 50 watts per square foot.

Cannabis Plant Growth Stages:

Choose The Seeds:

There is a lot to know about the equipment involved in indoor growing including different types of lights, fans, etc, but your chance of successfully growing cannabis goes up significantly simply by choosing the right seeds. Flowers are only produced by female plants (buds). Every seed that sprouts will produce bud-bearing plants thanks to feminized seeds. The trichrome count and terpene profile improve with strain quality. Although the cost of an average bag of 5 high-quality feminized seeds is roughly $80, selecting the appropriate seeds will ultimately make production simpler and more satisfying. Beginners might also wish to think about selecting auto-flowering seeds, which shift from the vegetative to the flowering phase after a predetermined amount of time without requiring the grower to alter the plants' light cycle.

Germinate The Seeds:

A seed sprouts its initial root during the germination phase. By facilitating the process with damp (but not wet) paper towels, you can guarantee germination. Seeds planted directly in the ground have a lower chance of sprouting than seeds that have been germinated. 
To make a sheet, stack a few damp paper towels on top of one another on a plate.
On top of the paper towels, scatter seeds at least one inch apart.
On top of the seeds, spread out a few additional paper towels on a sheet.
Keep the paper towels at room temperature in a dry, dark location.

Plant The Germinated Seeds:

The seed can be placed into a pot once it has sprouted. Your option will determine whether you put your germinated seeds in their final pots or move them to bigger pots as they mature. One benefit of starting small is that young plants will grow more quickly at first and it will be more difficult to overwater your seedlings. Because the growing material dries up more quickly in a smaller container, your seedling roots always have access to plenty of oxygen.

Choose The Soil:

An ideal balance of nutrients can be achieved by selecting soil that is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Cannabis plants do well on soil with a pH of 6-7. You can keep this equilibrium by having a pH meter on hand. There are soils on the market that have adequate nutrients for seed to harvest, however many commercial soils only have enough for 3–4 weeks of growth.

Growth Stage:

It's probable that during this phase of growth, your plants will become spindly and require the assistance of a trellis or pole to remain erect. Reduce the distance between the light and the plant if its growth is above its natural rate. You can control the shape and growth of the plant by pruning stems as you go. Although the vegetative stage can be kept going forever (auto-flowering plants are exempt), most producers don't wish to wait longer than 15 weeks. Before three weeks, it is not advised to switch the growth cycle to flowering. Keep in mind that stronger, healthier plants will produce a higher yield and a better harvest overall the longer you let them grow in the vegetative stage.

Induce Flowering Stage:

Change your light cycle to a 12/12 cycle, or 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, to bring on the blossoming stage. Cannabis's flowering stage typically lasts 7-9 weeks. The time may change based on the cannabis strain you select and the surrounding circumstances.
The flowering time for sativa strains is prolonged to 10–12 weeks.

In contrast, the average flowering time for indica strains is 8 weeks. Certain indica and sativa hybrids will carry over the indica strain's benefit of rapid growth, which includes a blooming time of only 6 to 10 weeks. Little white hairs, trichomes, and resin glands will start to appear between the leaves two weeks into the flowering period.

Harvesting Stage:

When the flowering phase comes to a conclusion, yellow leaves indicate that the plant is concentrating all of its energy on the flowers.
Late in the flowering stage, leaves start to turn yellow. This indicates that all resources are now going to the blooms. Moreover, trichomes will have a milky appearance and their white pistils will turn orange or crimson. The time has come to start the harvest. First, separate the root ball's stalk. Trim the stems into a V shape and remove any heavy branches.

Drying Stage:

A drying line or rack, a hygrometer (an instrument used to measure the amount of water vapor in air, soil, or in confined spaces), and a fan are required pieces of equipment. It's not required to use a humidifier or air conditioner. The hanging buds should be kept in a chamber that is completely dark, 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and 55 to 65% humidity.

Normally, drying takes two to three days. If a hygrometer is not accessible, check to see if the buds are dry to the touch before starting the curing process.

Curing:

Your buds' strength and terpene profile will rise after curing, and mold and bacteria won't grow. A well cured flower will also keep better for longer.

Although it takes at least two weeks, giving your flower more time to cure can yield a better finished product. Due to the lack of unnecessary plastic sealing mechanisms that could allow microorganisms to undermine the purity of the buds, many growers prefer using Mason jars as storage containers.

Enjoy Your Home Grown Marijuana:

Your perseverance and meticulousness have paid off. You can now get a harvest that is comparable to that of a premium dispensary for a fraction of the price. Celebrate your accomplishments with your 420-friendly group.

Although greenhouses can also be an excellent alternative, especially if you have prior experience growing other plants in a greenhouse environment, we advise starting with indoor grows. Some people go from indoor to outdoor growing as they gain more knowledge of the plant and desire to have a smaller environmental effect. The terpenes that form in the cannabis plant and the sun both have special effects.