9 Simple Steps on How to Grow Cannabis at Home

Are you interested in growing cannabis? Well, growing your own cannabis has several benefits. They include avoiding the instance of meeting shady characters along dark alleys to buy your supply, having the ability to grow your green stuff according to your expertise and finally, you will get to save money and not have to leave the house!

Before you flex your green thumb, it is important to learn the required steps. By doing so, you will get to grow cannabis at home. You will also overcome any challenges that come with growing weed.

Grow Cannabis at Home – Step by Step Guide

In this guide, you will learn that growing weed is pretty much straightforward. To help you understand the whole process of growing weed at home, we have divided the guide into sections.

Want to know how to grow cannabis at home?

What You Need:

● Light – HID Grow Lights, LED Grow lights or T5 Fluorescent Lights
● Growing Medium – soil, coco and hydroponics
● Nutrients
● Water (for soil – ph 6 or 7 and for hydroponics – ph 5.5 to 6.5)
● Temperature – (20 degrees to 26 degrees C)
● Fresh air
● Seeds or Clones
● Greenhouse, growing room or tent
● Tools – hygrometer, shears, microscope, Heat thermometer and Ph/PPM meters.

Step One – Selecting your strain

This is a vital step and it helps to dictate the end result. As a beginner, you need to know that different strains require different growing needs. For instance, Cookie and Kush strains are bushier and result in fatter buds while Sativa grows tall and results in smaller buds at the time of harvest.

Your strain is going to hold a lot of different characteristics. Knowing what type of characteristics it has along with the way you should grow it will give you different potency and personality of the bud. This is the genotype and phenotype of the plant.

To help you make the right decision when selecting the best strain, consider the factors below:

● Garden size – how much would you like to grow?
● Lighting – how strong should your lights be to ensure proper growth of the plants?
● Yield – would you like small or fat buds during harvest time? How much would you like to harvest?
● Flowering duration – how long does it take for a certain strain to flower?

Step Two – Seeds vs. clones

As a beginner, you have the option of using seeds or clones. Seeds are great for beginners like you. Why? For starters, it makes you a better grower since seeds require more patience than clones. Secondly, seeds allow you to learn how to create your own strains. In addition, you will learn the skills necessary to grow a particular strain to perfection. Lastly, growing seeds results in resilient plants.

Beginners also have the option of using clones. Unlike seeds, you will not experience any wastage, as you don’t have to pop the clones like with seeds. Secondly, clones can tell you the sex of the plant much easier compared to seeds. Lastly, clones are suitable for growers, as one will get a quick turn-around compared to seeds.

Our recommendation, start with clones.

Step Three – Selecting your growing space

There are three options available to you when it comes to growing cannabis at home. They include grow tents, grow room and greenhouse. Let’s expand on each option. Grow tents is one of the most popular options especially for beginners. Not only is it easy to set up but it’s easier to maintain too. To get started, you need a tent the size of the room.

Grow room is another option for beginners and is suitable for homeowners with extra room, for instance, a bedroom, garage or shed. Choosing this option means you don’t have to purchase a whole new tent. All you need is some fans and reflective material. In addition, you can utilize what is already present – power outlets and windows.

A greenhouse is another option suitable for beginners and experts. Unlike the options above, a greenhouse must be set up outdoors. By choosing this option, you will enjoy the following benefits – an abundance of natural light, temperature, and fresh air.

Step Four – Choosing the right medium

The right medium not only provides the plants with nutrients but support too. There are three options you can choose from – hydroponics, soil, and coco. Hydroponics is a soilless way of growing cannabis. Simply put, your plants will rely on water enriched with nutrients. This method is beneficial in that plants absorb nutrients quicker finally growing faster. Problem is this method is suitable for professional growers.

The soil is another popular medium preferred by both beginners and professional growers too. Here is why. It retains the best nutrients, provides better support to the plants and nutrients can be infused with the soil to provide better nourishment. Problem is plants take longer to grow in the soil. In addition, it attracts burrowing insects and ants.

Lastly, we have a coco. Unlike hydroponics, it retains nutrients much better but not when compared to soil. Plants usually take longer to grow in coco compared to hydroponics but faster than soil. Lastly, it is suitable for professional growers.

Our recommendation, start with the soil.

Step Five – Prep your medium and nutrients

Now that you have chosen your growing space and medium, it’s time to prep the medium and nutrients. By prepping your medium, you won’t shock the plants. Since you will be working with soil, prepping it is very easy. When it comes to prepping nutrients, start by testing the PPM and pH levels of your water. If your water is hard, start by running it through a reverse osmosis machine. Don’t have an RO machine? Allow the water to sit in the open air. Doing this will aerate the water.

When it comes to nutrients, it is important to follow the instructions as indicated by the manufacturer. By following the recommended dosage, your plants will benefit from the nutrients. As a result, they will grow taller and stronger.

Don’t forget to measure the pH of your nutrient-rich water before feeding the plants.

Step Six – Transplanting your seeds and clones

To get started with seeds, you need to pop them on moist paper towels. Once you are done popping the seeds, it’s time to plant them. Two options are available – starter cells or plastic cups filled with cocoa or soil.

If you choose to start with clones, much of the work will have been cut out for you. To successfully transplant your seedlings and clones, follow the tips below:

● Don’t shake or disturb the root ball – keep it intact
● Never mess with the roots- to avoid disturbing the roots, move the entire medium around the seedling to the new location
● Water your plants after transplanting – this will allow the seedlings to recover fast in the new environment. Just remember not to overwater.

Step Seven – Prune your plants

After 10 days of growing, it’s time to prune your plants. There are several advantages of doing so and they include:

● Helps to train the plants by controlling their height and shape. This maximizes the growing area.
● Helps to create more foliage. This allows the plants to capture more light.
● Helps to direct growth towards the buds especially during the flowering stage.

There are two methods of pruning your plants:

● FIM’ing – this process requires you to remove 2/3’s of the tallest growing shoot of a plant. As a result, it helps to create 4x main bud sites.

● Topping – helps to stimulate more shoots and growth. As a result, the plant will have more bud sites.

When it comes to training, the best method is Low-Stress Training. To get started, simply tie the branches of the plant gently with a string. Alternatively, you can tie the main stem especially if the plant is bent. Tie the string to the plastic pot or another support mechanism. By doing so, you will help your plants to grow stronger.

Step Eight – Check for pests

It is important to know that your cannabis garden is a grocery store for pests. As a grower, you must keep checking your plants on a daily basis to ensure your plants are not eaten. Start by checking the top and bottom of the leaves. Proceed to inspect the walls, floors, medium, and bucket. You should also check for fungal or mold build up especially if you are growing your cannabis in a greenhouse or outdoors.

One solution for getting rid of pests is using natural pesticides. Another option is to use neem oil which helps to kill spider mites. When it comes to bacterial and fungal infections, give your plants vitamins. You can also remove infected plants and discard them.

Step Nine – Harvesting your plants

The time has come for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Harvest time is usually done on week 8 and you can start by chopping the plants down – branch by branch. Next, remove excess fan leaves from the buds and branches. This should be followed by drying your buds in a room to remove water. Ensure the room has the following conditions present – 50% humidity and 70°F.

You can opt to use a drying rack but make sure the buds are not close together or sticking to the branches. To hang your buds properly, use hangers or clothespins. Make sure your plants are hanged upside down. Allow for the plants to dry for 3 to 7 days and afterward, cure the cannabis.

Conclusion

There you have it, an informative guide on how to grow cannabis at home. Now that you know how to grow cannabis, it’s time to implement what you have read and actualized your dream. Remember, your plants require constant attention and maintenance for you to realize a bumper harvest.