Cannabis has become increasingly popular in recent years. Despite its illegality over much of the last century, more and more people began to use marijuana for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Nowadays, more governments are legalizing marijuana than ever before.
With this, many people have also seized the opportunity to begin growing their own cannabis plants. This article will explore some of the basic information for anybody interested in how to grow cannabis plants.
Following our simple guide of several steps to grow cannabis plants, you’ll be able to have your own marijuana flourishing in no time!
Indoor or Outdoor?
The biggest choice that many people face when deciding how to grow their marijuana is whether to grow their plants indoors or outside. If you’re going to grow your plants, then you should pick an option that is well-suited for your personal preferences.
Indoor Cannabis
There are a number of benefits and drawbacks to indoor cannabis growing.
One of the best things about indoor cannabis growing is that you have much more control over your plants. You’ll be able to regulate things like humidity, temperature, light, and so on — provided that you have the right gear.
This gear, however, can be somewhat expensive. If you’re not willing to shell out cash just to grow some marijuana, and if you don’t already have hydroponics set up, then you might want to stick to outdoor growing.
Indoor cannabis growing is also a lot more private. You won’t have pesky neighbors snooping around (or pilfering from) your plants if you’re growing them inside.
Lastly, indoor growing allows you to grow your marijuana any time of year instead of being limited just to the sunny seasons.
Outdoor Cannabis
Outdoor cannabis is much easier to grow. Marijuana is known as weed for a reason. Pretty much all that you need to do for it to grow is toss the seeds onto the ground.
Growing outdoors is cheaper, simpler, and gives your plants more freedom. However, you’re also more exposed and will have to be more concerned with issues like privacy, pests (like bugs and animals) or pollination.
That said, many people have no problem growing several cannabis plants in their backyards without arousing the suspicion of anyone, or anything, else.
Steps to Grow a Cannabis Plant
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to grow a cannabis plant.
1. Choose Your Seeds
You won’t be growing much of anything if you don’t pick your seeds first! Choose a strain that will provide you with the benefits and effects that you and those around you will most enjoy.
2. Get Your Cannabis Plant’s Basic Needs Met
Whether you’re going to be growing indoors or outdoors, your plant is going to need some basic things to stay healthy and flourish. These include:
- Light. Marijuana can soak up a lot of light, and does well with at least eighteen hours a day.
- Soil. It’s important to plant your weed in something healthy. Soil alternatives like coconut coir are also useful.
- Oxygen. Your cannabis is going to need plenty of free-flowing oxygen to be happy and healthy.
- Water. Make sure that your cannabis plant has an ample hydration system set up, lest it withers and dries up.
- Temperature. Marijuana is pretty tough and can survive in a wide range of temperatures, but it certainly has its preferences. Its favourite temperature is about 27 degrees celsius.
- Humidity. Outdoor growers can’t do much about humidity or temperature, but indoor growers can certainly help their plants by maintaining a balanced, mold-free environment.
3. Choosing Lights
If you’re going to be growing outdoors, you’ve already chosen your light: the sun! Make sure your plants get plenty of sunlight.
Indoor growers have a lot more options.
- Standard fluorescent light bulbs. These aren’t great for growing cannabis, but they can still do the job.
- High-power fluorescent lighting is a bit better than standard light bulbs.
- LEC grow lights, or light-emitting ceramics, are a bit more incognito than the somewhat-more-effective LED grow lights.
- LED grow lights are the best grow lights for anyone hoping to grow top-notch cannabis.
4. Germinate
Now that you’ve chosen your preferred lights, your soil or growing medium, and your seeds, it’s time to get these babies germinating.
There are different ways that you can germinate your seeds. These include:
- Seeding directly into your growing medium. This way, you won’t have to transplant your cannabis later. However, sometimes it can be more challenging to seed directly from soil.
- Seeding using a paper towel. This is an easy method that helps you ensure your seedlings sprout. Simply set your seeds on a moist paper towel and leave it in a warm, dark area for a few days.
- Germination stations. These are products designed to help with the germination process by providing a variety of different mechanisms to control the environment of your seeds. If you’re using expensive seeds or otherwise want to guarantee as much success as possible, a germination station is a great idea.
5. Growing & Flowering
As your plant grows, make sure that you continue to water it regularly and maintain its temperature. Generally, if your area’s temperatures don’t fluctuate below freezing or too far beyond scorching hot, your marijuana will be fine.
Keep as much light on your plant as possible when your plant is growing. Some experimental growers prefer to give their plants as much as 24 hours of light per day, although 18 is the recommended number.
As your plant begins to grow buds, or flowers, you can adjust the amount of light that you provide your plant to 12 hours daily if you’re growing indoors. (Plants grown outdoors will naturally flower as the seasons change).
During this stage you’ll also want to identify and get rid of any male cannabis plants to prevent any fertilization. When male plants pollinate the female plants, they produce fewer flowers and thus you’ll get a smaller return.
6. Harvesting
Once your buds have grown white hairs, you know you’re approaching harvest season. This season is marked by the delicious, fragrant aroma of your cannabis plants. Once just under half of the white hairs on your flowers begin to darken, you’ll be able to start harvesting.
- If you harvest immediately, you can expect your buds to have a very stimulating effect; they won’t be as potent as they could be if they were harvested later in the season.
- If you harvest after half to three-quarters of the hairs have grown dark, you’ll have very high THC content in your weed.
- If most of the hairs are dark, this is a sign that the THC is converting into CBN, which is more relaxing.
Conclusion
Growing a cannabis plant doesn’t have to be hard, but it can pay off to put some serious time and effort into it. Hopefully this guide has helped you understand the ins and outs of growing marijuana.
