No Vegetable Garden Here, This is How to Grow Weed

First thing’s first: are you looking to grow your plants indoors or outdoors? There are pros and cons to both. Indoors you have privacy and the ability to control the conditions, but it’s also a lot more work because you’re responsible for everything—including lighting and air flow. That means you’ll want to invest in the proper equipment, which ranges from the DIY low-end to the grow cupboard high-end. If you decide to grow your plants outdoors, you could save a few bucks thanks to the natural light and temperature, but then you also have to deal with potential pollination, bugs, and dried out plants. Weigh your options and costs to decide what’s best for you.

In order for cannabis plants to truly thrive, they need a warm temperature (20-30 degrees Celsius when they’re young), fresh air, plenty of water, and lots and lots of light. If your plants are outdoors, they’ll need at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day, and more when they’re starting out. If your plants are indoors you’ll need to invest in some bulbs. And since the quality of light in your grow space really does matter, you’ll want to grab the best that you can afford. High-intensity discharge lights are less expensive than LED lighting, but they tend to heat up so you’ll need air-cooled reflector hoods to go with them. Florescent grow lights typically come with all of the accessories you’ll need and they don’t heat up as fast, but they don’t produce as much light. LED lighting is one of the best options in terms of light emission and low-heat, but it can also be quite pricy. There’s a world of information and options out there, but whatever you do decide, just make sure that your plants are well lit and ventilated.

Once your space is set up, it’s time to choose your soil. Depending on where you live it can be a good idea to speak with experts at a local nursery, as some ready-to-grow soils are too high in nutrients for cannabis seedlings to thrive. In general, look for soil that’s dark and rich, with a loose texture that will hold water but drain. When in doubt, organic pre-fertilized soil is a good pick for first-time growers. So long as the roots are getting water and oxygen, you should be okay. As for the container in which you’re growing your plants? There are a ton of options out there, but if you’re going the pot route it’s best to pick some well-draining containers and space out your plants according to the variety you’re growing.

As cannabis plants grow their nutrient requirements change. So even if you start with a basic soil you’ll want to add the proper additives to make sure that the plants produce to the best of their ability—especially when they reach the flowering stage. There are plenty of cannabis-specific nutrient mixes out there that combine the proper macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, iron, copper) that your plants need. Follow the directions on the label and remember that slow and steady is always the way to go. Add nutrients a little bit at a time to avoid nutrient burn, and raise the dosage if your plants look like they’re starting to turn.

Is tap water okay to hydrate those budding blooms? Well that depends on how many minerals and impurities it contains. Get a hold of a municipal water report or test the parts per million (PPM) with an at-home kit, keeping in mind that H2O containing less than 200 PPM should be fine. (However 100-150 PPM is the ideal range, so you may want to consider filtered water instead.) Meanwhile as your plants grow, it’s important to continue to test the pH of your soil so that your plants don’t die out during the flowering stage. Invest in test kits made specifically for this purpose, and be sure to use them each time you water the soil. Also important to note? Don’t overwater cannabis plants, as they’re susceptible to fungal root disease. It may be a good idea to wait until the lower leaves begin to droop before watering.

If you’re starting from scratch (rather than using a clone or acquiring a teen plant), you can either germinate the seeds directly in a specialized starter cube, or you can save a few bucks and use the paper towel method. To do the latter, wet and wring out a paper towel, place it on a plate, sprinkle the seeds overtop, cover them with another moist paper towel and top that with a flipped-over plate to create a dome. Keep the seeds somewhere warm and check the towels daily to make sure they’re still wet. After the seed splits and a stem begins to emerge, you’re ready to transplant.

Now comes the waiting part. As your seedlings begin to get their first set of real leaves, it’s important to continue watering, checking the soil, and showering the plants with ample light (at least 18 hours a day if they’re indoors) so that they can get big and strong. If you’re adding any extra nutrients be sure to start with small doses, and adjust accordingly. As the plants begin to grow in this vegetative state you’ll also discover which ones are male and female, aka the plants that eventually flower into buds. Female plants grow white hairs, while their male counterparts (which should be discarded) grow pollen sacs.

You’ll know your plants are ready to be flipped from the vegetative to flowering state by paying attention to the age of the plant, the type of strain, and the growing method. Many growers agree that after 60 days most plants started from seedlings are ready to make the switch. To do so, change indoor plants to a 12-hour a day light cycle and lower the temperature to 18-26 degrees Celsius. It’s also worth noting this is when plants can have the biggest nutrient problems, so continue monitoring them daily.

As your plants stop growing those new white hairs and the buds start to take on that distinct smell, you know that you’re getting down to business. When roughly 50-70 per cent of those white hairs have darkened and started curling in, the buds can be harvested for their highest THC levels. If you wait even longer until nearly 90 per cent of the buds have darkened, you’ll produce a harvest with a higher level of cannabinol. So how do you harvest? Just take some scissors and get snipping—it’s as simple as that.

To dry out all of that hard work, hang the buds upside down in a cool, dark place with lots of ventilation. Check them continuously for mold and be sure not to over-dry them—they’re ready when they have a bit of spring (like pinching a marshmallow) and should never crumble or turn into a powder. Then it’s time to cure the buds. To do so, place them in sealed containers like a mason jar, and check them several times a day to give them fresh air and check that the moisture isn’t too high (if it is, leave the lid off for a bit). Once the buds have been consistently dry for about a week you’re good to go. For best results, the pros recommend waiting at least 30 days or more after that point, but really it’s all just a personal preference.