So You Want to Grow Your Own Weed

With the laws around marijuana use loosening up many smokers are attempting to grow their own plants at home. Although cannabis is a weed, and therefore grows in most environments, producing high quality buds for medical use is quite difficult and labor intensive. Whether you’re looking into taking up farming as a hobby or you’re looking to try and make some extra cash, there is a lot to consider when trying to get your own operation up and running. After you you decide where you’re gonna grow your plants, you’ll need to outfit your space with some special equipment. You can find starter kits online, but generally it’s best to get what you need from separate companies that specialize in the specific item you’re looking for. So here’s what you’ll need:

First you’ll need a set of lights. Not only do lights help your plants grow larger than they normally would, but they are necessary in controlling the flowering process. When still in their vegetative state lights should be kept on for a minimum of 20 hrs so that the plants can grow large, but in a controlled environment you’ll have to force flowering by cutting light time down to 12 hrs. Without forced flowering, the plants will continue to grow without producing the buds we all love to smoked and you’ll be left with lots of leaves fibrous stalks.

Next you’ll need a tent, which is crucial in controlling the environment in which your plants are growing. Tents will have reflective material on the inside to help expose all parts of your plants to light. Most will also have holes built in for ventilation. The value of ventilation and climate control for your plants can’t be overstated—humidity and temperature have huge effects on your plants, not the least of which in preventing mold and mildew. Also make sure and keep in mind that even a single male plant can ruin your entire grow, so move and males out as soon as you notice them! (For new growers it’s easiest to start by purchasing clones that are almost certain to remain females.)

Once you have your grow space set up you’ll need to decide what grow medium you’ll want to use. Soil has the benefit of being organic, but it poses difficulties when it comes to indoor growing. Fully hydroponic set ups—where the roots are exposed to water directly—are difficult to maintain and require near constant attention. A good way to start is with soilless potting mix (such as PRO-MIX), which are usually made up primarily of peat moss vermiculite and pearlite. Even though this medium looks like earth and has some dirt in it, it is technically considered hydroponic because the ‘soil’ is stocked with very little nutrients of its own and is, for all intents and purposes, just used to retain water and supplemental nutrients. In this style set-up you’ll need to add in nutrients—the three main nutrients cannabis needs are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK), but keep in mind that other nutrients and microbes are required if you want to grow quality cannabis. Bottled nutrients can be bought at most gardening stores or online, just keep in mind that if you’re using ones that are salt based it will effect how much water your plants need.

As I mentioned above, the easiest way to start out is by finding clones, but ambitious beginners can order feminized seeds from seed banks online. It’s always best to order from reputable companies such as Oregon Elite Seeds or Neptune Seed Bank to reduce the risk of getting non-feminized seeds or poor genetics. Strains that have been around for a while are going to be easier to grow because they have a longer history of selective breeding. Good genetics grown in the shittiest conditions will come out better than poor genetics grown in the best of environments, so make sure the distributor you’re going through knows what they’re doing!