How to grow weed at home
Grow Location: Indoor or Outdoor?
The glorious nature of green-growing and healthy marijuana plant is a beauty to behold. Grow weed at home is arguably the best majestic grandeur that can graze the eyes of any marijuana enthusiast, and this feeling is heightened when weed is left to thrive in the outdoor sunlight, where it enjoys the summer bliss!
The ability of cannabis to flourish in both outdoor and indoor setting is an added perk a marijuana lover gets. For growers who live in an environment endowed with fertile soil and on open ground, it is easy to grow weed since all you need is to have nutrients at hand and water, all as added extras. Cannabis plants are tenacious and would survive beautifully even in an extensive pot soil outside your home. To grow weed indoor is readily achievable, although some implementations and provisions would need to be considered to grow weed at home; hence, more work to be done.
Merely replicating the environmental conditions that aid cannabis growth in a natural setting is all that is needed to grow weed at home. A closed room is imperative and should be outfitted with the appropriate level of fresh air, humidity, temperature, and a source of photo-energy. Exceptional light setup in the form of high-intensity discharge lights or LED lights would serve as a source of photo-energy that is required to replicate the effect of sunlight, and a carbon filter laced onto the exhaust system will prove useful for eliminating the smell.
You may be wondering, ‘why not just grow weed outdoors, near your home?’ although this is a great route to follow since it eliminates the need for electrical energy to power bulbs and even saves you real cash (not buying bulbs at all). It may be hampered by your local laws, hence the need to check the laws of your country to know where it stands on growing weeds outdoor.
Another colossal no-no that needs consideration is the problem of pests, adverse seasonal conditions, and peeping neighbors. On a side note, growing just a couple of plants is possible in a small grow space and can quickly trim down the costs of setting up a grow space, and this may be good for beginners.
To save time you can read short guide:
How to grow cannabis in 11 simple steps?
Prepare Growing Supplies
Indoor or outdoor? Big or small grow area? Once you’ve decided, the next salient step is to gather the supplies and all needful.
Weed Seeds or Clone?
Cannabis seeds
When it comes down to choosing between seeds or clones, there are factors to consider. As a general practice, a newbie grower should visit a reputable seed bank to get weed seeds. Generally, using clones is a bit complicated and requires experience to nurture since clones are susceptible to infections and disease. Hence, newbies are better off starting with seeds and may then work their way up into using clones.
Nonetheless, experienced growers can kickstart grow with clones. Also, using auto-flowering seed is an easier route to grow since it circumvents the issue of understanding and synching light cycles. Nonetheless, for weed to flourish, you’d still need to cater to environmental needs already describe, be it an auto-flowering or photoperiod one.
Seeds that are of great quality are very achievable and the odds of getting outstanding grow seed increases if you visit an online bank. Experienced growers can opt for clones by visiting cannabis dispensaries, and a unique perk is being sure of getting female plants rather than males. Your experience as a grower count, this will determine what route to follow.
Organic Potting Soil
Some innovative growers have been implementing hydroponic for a while now, but growing weed at home is more straightforward and perhaps best suited for inexperienced growers. Growers who look to use potting soil need to stay clear of soils that have been infused with artificial extended-release fertilizers and, instead, embrace natural pre-fertilized earth, saving on long term cost.
Despite location (outdoor or indoor), mode (pot or ground), and tactics of your grow, water is most important after accounting for quality soil. Keeping plants well-watered and appropriately cared for is imperative, and the frequency and water amount are dependent on plant size, genetics, and a couple of other conditional factors.
Plant Containers
When growing weed at home, there is a need to have two distinct container sizes – seedling and latter growing pot. Pot with an approximate size of 2 inches is ideal for seedling and 3-gallon capacity container for the rest of its life. Pot breathability and drainage is necessary to grow weed properly by using fabric-kind containers or pots that have holes drilled into them.
Lights to Grow Weed at Home
All life on earth makes use of light at a different level; more intriguingly, plants are capable of growing, undergoing biochemical conversions, and absorbing nutrients when acted upon by sunlight. In a nutshell, light is the source of energy for all plants, and weed is no different.
Cannabis growers unanimously assert that more light equates more buds, this is true and has been extensively researched to valid. Lighting provision is by far the most cost-intensive part of growing weed at home. When growing just a few plants, any grow light type can get the job done, and options to pick from include fluorescent, HID, and all-in-one grow lights.
Fluorescent lights are cheaper when compared to other light types, but less effective since the light wavelength produced is far off from full incandescence. On the other hand, high-intensity discharge lights are highly effective, and the most used light type for growing weed at home. Performance aside, HID lights are costly and require fixtures that further increases its cost. All-in-one light packages implement both HID and LED lights, fashioned uniquely for indoor grow.
Nutrients to Grow Weed
One marijuana plant in four growing phase
Marijuana, like any other plant, requires nutrients to have a healthy and flourishing growth and visiting a grow shop to get nutrients is pretty straight forward. All-in-one nutrient cans contain N-P-K, which stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, respectively. NPK are the macronutrient marijuana plants require, and you may also need a micronutrient package that contains Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, and Copper.
Growth Phase and Corresponding Care
Marijuana plants take an average of three to five months till they are harvestable, plus it is vital to care for them in ways tailored for every stage of their growth cycle. These stages include:
Germination Stage
Matured cannabis seed can be sourced at seed banks and can be used to kickstart the germination stage, which may take 7 – 14 days. After maturity is confirmed, four paper towels can be dampened in purified water. Two of these dampened papers should be lined on a plate, and seeds positioned an inch apart on the sheet, afterward, cover with the remaining two.
Furthermore, cover the first plate with another to keep it warm and to prevent light that may get to the covered seeds. Towel should be kept moist as often as needed to maintain proper saturation. Keep checking for taproots and transfer into the small pot when taproots are visible. The timeframe before sprout is seen, can take a long time or pretty fast, and some will not.
Seedling Stage
Should you choose to grow outdoors in this phase, your plant ought to be exposed to approximately 18 hours of light, and you require more light if you followed the ‘indoor’ route. More than eighteen hours.
At this stage, your plant will start producing more fingers and becomes ready to be transferred into a bigger 3-gallon pot, done as soon as the plant produces 5 to 7 fingers. Watering should be done sparingly as the cannabis plant doesn’t require much water in this stage since they don’t possess elaborate roots yet.
Vegetative Stage
Ah yes! You are about to witness the majestic green glory of your green-marijuana. The leaves multiply at a speedy pace, which can last for three to five months. The roots will keep growing, and it is the ideal time to water frequently but should not be done in excess as cannabis is accountable for easily getting fungal root disease. Outward increase of root could be encouraged when crops have been watered from stalks because follicles often grow.
Be watchful to quickly identify male plants to relocate them so females don’t get fertilized since they can become week and generate seeds instead.
Light is equally important, but the quantity of exposure decreases afterward. In the first level of this stage, plants will need to be subjected to 24 hours of light and slowly reduce light exposure weekly until you reach 13 hours of exposure. Employ nutrients to a cannabis plant per week if pre-fertilized organic soil wasn’t used. Stage lasts three to five weeks.
Flowering Stage
Lasts anywhere between six to eight weeks, in this stage, female cannabis develop buds, used as a cannabis flower. Plant can become heavy during this stage because of the buds and should, therefore, be supported. Plant should be exposed to light for less than 12 hours daily to promote flowering.
Harvest Time
Marijuana flowering buds ( cannabis), hemp plant. Indoor garden. Harvest time.
When should you harvest your precious weed? When half of the trichs are amber and the other half cloudy. Use a magnifying glass to spot the trich change. Some growers happen to examine the plant pistil to ascertain if they are due for harvest, but this is less accurate.
This process is validated, and cannabis is likely due for harvest by a 60% to 70% darkening of the pistils and inward curl. Some experienced growers flush their plant a maximum of 2 weeks before harvesting, and many have advised that this be done to keep the flavor of the cannabis intact since most of the nutrients in the plant parts are used up during the flushing period.
Again, drying should be done to ensure the taste and effectiveness after trimming and the buds removed. Using a glove, remove excess leaves from the plant; gloves are necessary due to the resins of the buds that can get your hands very sticky. A common practice is to dry the buds hanging downward, preferably on a coat, and get them to dry out in an environment with 50 percent humidity till they are dry to the human touch.
You don’t need to be reminded that there is ‘plain ok’ cannabis, and there are ‘outstanding’ ones!. What deprives many cannabis from not being outstanding is because many are not left to undergo a good curing session. It makes the difference!. Allowing buds to stay in the appropriate humid condition within the range of 60 to 65% is advised as at this condition, buds feel dry, yet not breaking into parts upon touch.
Container must accommodate about 30g of dried bud to occasionally open lid and permit air inflow as needed for humidity. Experienced growers advise that lid should be opened once each day for the first 7 to 14 days, and the curing process may prolong anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months.
Remember, the longer the curing period, the better the aroma and the more ‘excellent’ of a weed you get. So cure as needed.
Where To Smoke Weed At Home?
There is no best location to get lit, as many of us have varying tastes and inclinations, whether it be as a group, in a shed, in a sound blasting living room, or wherever we all have our preferences.
Patio or Garden
Who doesn’t like to get stoned on a mountain top? Or in a vast open field where a cool breeze sweeps through your face?. Outdoor smoking is a priceless experience. Have you smoked in a garden before? Once you do, you’d never want to leave that beautiful surround. Smoking in your garden, under the blue sky at an excellent spot, is all you need to live the dream!.
As a plus, you may even get inspiration on how to better your garden, keep it greener and make improvements that better helps you to blast away at that precious wrap in elegant sprawl while enjoying every draw.
Your Room
Smoking your weed shouldn’t be work! In our opinion, you need to relax and enjoy your weed. You’ve earned it!. Be a lazy guy for the day, and stay in your room, perhaps with the speakers blasting off your favorite song (Reggae?). Enjoy every draw in your standard and complementary space, make sure you don’t end up smoking weed all day; we bet you may be tempted to do so, get out and enjoy the breeze too!
Couch
Perhaps you’re looking for a lazy-awesome way to smoke your weed? The couch is one of the best spots to enjoy weed in front of your favorite electronic; television, Xbox, controller, or whatever it may be. We believe you will enjoy it so much that you may not want to move from your couch, so prepare some snacks, chewable, and beverages by your side.
Roof
Enjoying your weed on a mountain top may not be possible, but a rooftop is. Since you are alone and to yourself under a clear sky, a roof is a dream come through. Still, be safe, as it can be dangerous getting lit on a rooftop that is not safely constructed or easily accessible. Stay safe, and enjoy the beauty your weed has to offer, a priceless one.
Nice layed out article. If someone was completely new to cannabis, this would be the article I give them! haha Next time I would source your photos, just to make sure that people know that you wrote this, :)
thx!
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