If you live in a legal state and enjoy the occasional toke, growing marijuana at home is something you should seriously consider. If you’ve never tried it before, learn more about beginner-friendly options like OG Kush seeds and make the process simple and fun
Keep reading to learn about the benefits of home growing and how to do it yourself.
Why grow marijuana at home?
Widespread legalization means the availability of cannabis has never been higher. With this in mind, some may question the point of doing it themselves. While it might not be for everyone, some reasons for cultivating your own cannabis still make sense.
Savings
Growing your own buds saves you lots of money if you’re a regular user.
Innovation in lighting technology means the formerly high power cost associated with indoor cultivation is much less of a concern. With no energy bills to pay, outdoor growers benefit even more.
Quality
While traceability is improving amongst registered dispensaries, it’s non-existent elsewhere. If you want to know exactly what’s in your bud, the only guaranteed way is to grow it yourself.
Home gardeners have complete quality control over their produce, allowing them to cultivate organically if they wish. As with many things, home grown marijuana always tastes better than store-bought.
Educational and fun
Taking up cannabis cultivation is immense fun, and you also learn a lot about plant science. Watching your seedlings develop into tall, healthy specimens is a joy. Once you learn how to grow marijuana at home, nothing stops you from applying your newfound skill set elsewhere. Why not try producing your own fruit and vegetables?
How to grow marijuana at home
Now that you’re convinced, it’s time to learn how to grow weed at home. Let’s jump straight in.
Things to know before you grow
Before planting your first seeds, there are some things to consider and decisions to be made about the following:
- Growing medium: The two main options are hydroponics and soil-based setups. Hydroponics is usually used indoors, where they boost the growth rate of your plants. Soil is simple, cheap, and ideal for beginners. Using a rich organic mix also improves the flavor of your weed.
- Pots: Stay away from heavy plastic or earthen pots. Aerated or fabric ones keep your roots cool and oxygenated while draining better. A volume of 5–10 gallons is sufficient for most setups. Remember, bigger pots hold more liquid, making it easier to overfeed and waterlog your crops.
- Indoor vs. Outdoor: Indoor growing is more reliable, as you’re out of the elements. On the other hand, it’s more expensive and requires more maintenance. Outdoor cultivation is cheaper and produces excellent results in the right conditions.
- Seed variant: When choosing a suitable strain to raise, you must also select the type of seeds to plant.
Regular seeds are ideal for more experienced growers interested in breeding. Feminized seeds give you an excellent return on your investment, thanks to their lack of male chromosomes. Autoflowers are a speedy, low-maintenance option that requires no photoperiod management but produces lower yields.
Plant care
Before moving on, take a few minutes and learn how to germinate cannabis seeds, as this is the first step to cultivating a crop of marijuana. Once your seeds germinate, plant them an inch deep with the taproot pointing down into the soil. Within a day or two, cotyledons appear above the ground. The seedling stage begins with this first pair of “baby” leaves.
Over the next few weeks, more leaves and branches form. The transition to the vegetative phase is loosely defined but usually takes around three weeks.
At this point, true vegetative growth begins. With more leaves to absorb energy and an established root system taking in nutrients, plants develop rapidly, increasing in size almost daily. The length of this stage is generally 8–10 weeks
Unless you raise an autoflowering strain, vegetative growth continues until plants experience 12 uninterrupted hours of darkness each day. Next comes flowering, when the plants produce buds. This phase usually lasts 8–12 weeks, varying by strain.
Your plants’ needs change as they grow, and every garden is a little different, so adaptability is crucial. With this in mind, here are five main areas to focus on as you grow marijuana at home.
- Lighting and photoperiod: Providing adequate light coverage is key to a productive harvest. Use sufficiently powerful bulbs of at least 600 watts indoors, while those outdoors should aim to plant in an area that receives plenty of sunlight.
- Environmental control: Provide cannabis with a consistent, accommodating environment, and it thrives. Keep temperatures between 69–79°F and limit relative humidity inside for healthy, flourishing crops.
- Nutrition: Cannabis requires differing amounts of nutrients as it matures. Use a proven nutrient set from a reputable company to give your plants exactly what they need at each growth stage.
- Pest control: Protect your investment and hard work against pests and pathogens using root protectants and foliar sprays. Keep the base of your plants free from dead, fallen leaves, or other decaying plant matter.
- Growth management: Pruning is an essential part of your plant care routine. Cutting away unnecessary fan leaves or underdeveloped limbs redirects energy to other parts of your crops, increasing productivity.
Pruning increases light exposure and airflow to the interior of your plants, boosting growth and reducing moisture retention. Outdoor farmers must take extra care to ensure their plants are well-pruned.
Harvest time
As those last couple of weeks slow to a crawl, be patient and allow your plants to fully mature before harvesting. How can you tell when they’re ready? The easiest way to determine is by examining the pistils.
Pistils are the tiny hairlike filaments protruding from each ovule of a bud. As the trichome-covered nugs mature, the pistils change color.
Wait until around 50% of the pistils change from a clear, milky color to a reddish, amber, or brown color. Chop your plants into manageable sections, remove the leaves and hang them in a cool, dark place to dry.
A highly rewarding hobby
With the above tips in your arsenal, nothing stops you from growing marijuana at home. Get some high-quality seeds and get started today.
Also read: 10 countries where Weed and Joint are Legal
