Cannabis is called weed for a reason. It is simple to grow and grows at a fast rate. Here is a checklist to help you start growing cannabis from your home. Once you have all of these things, you can grow weed, even if you are a complete beginner.
- Seeds or Clones
- Grow Area
- Container
- Soil
- Lights
- Ventilation Fan
- Oscillating
- Temperature & Humidity
- pH Meter
- Nutrition Solution
Cannabis Seeds
Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds can be bought from your local cannabis seed bank. Autoflowering cannabis seeds produce female plants which do not need a photoperiodic switch from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage. These seeds are designed to start flowering at a fixed period of time, whatever the environment.
Autoflowering cannabis seeds are a fantastic choice for beginners as you do not need to worry about guessing if the plant is male or female. These seeds have fixed and shorter life cycles so they will develop faster. A good option for beginners are the sought-after Sensi Seeds from Zamnesia, as they are one of the most easy and fast to grow strains available.
Autoflowers on average take around 30% less time to grow than traditional cannabis plants, which saves the grower about a month of their time. If you live in a warmer climate you could harvest outdoors up to 4 times a year. They are extremely popular and make growing and maximising your yield a lot easier.
Photoperiodic seeds can produce either male or female plants. During the flowering stage of photoperiodic seeds, the lighting schedule will change from 18/6 to 12/12 of light/darkness. If you are planting these outside, they will usually flourish better in the Autumn.
Finally, you could choose feminized photoperiodic cannabis seeds that produce female plants that start the flowering stage when the lighting schedule switches from 18/6 to 12/12 hours of light/darkness. If you are planting these outside, they will usually flourish better in the Autumn.
Lights
We do not recommend using incandescent light bulbs for growing weed at any stage. Your plant will need light as soon as it pops out from the soil. Young seedlings don’t need high-intensity light so LED or lower wattage lights are better at this stage.
After the first week or two after the seeds have sprouted, you will be able to light your seedlings with CFL lights. By the time your plant has reached the vegetative stage which is in week 1 / 2, make sure your environment is ready to go with all your lights included. Some of the lights you could consider include:
• LED Lights
LED lights are very popular when it comes to growing cannabis. LED lights come with a full spectrum of light which is what the plants need for the whole cycle. LED panels produce a huge amount of yields and do not produce a lot of noise and are extremely durable.
• Fluorescent Lights
This is one of the cheapest options, however, some of the most effective for growing cannabis. They consume less electricity than other options. They have a fantastic light spectrum and are suitable for younger plants as they won’t burn them.
• High Intensity Discharge Grow Lights
These lights are the most popular for cannabis home growing. They are perfect for both vegetative and flowering stages and they produce a huge yield.
Next, you will have to think about your growing environment which will need to be clean and have a constant airflow. The easiest way to do this is to put an exhaustion fan or cooler on top of the tent to let the air enter from the bottom of your environment.
Your Container
First of all, you need a container that can vary from a cup, a pot or a bucket. The choice is completely yours. Make sure your pots have proper drainage holes at the bottom of the container so that excess water can drain.
You will need to make sure as well that your plant is a reasonable distance from the lights as if they are too close they could burn. You also need to make sure that the plants don’t outgrow their pots and this can also cause issues too.
Growing Mediums
The main functions and requirements of soil are to provide physical support to the plant, allow root respiration and hold water and nutrients for the plants which are very important. If your roots have space, a good amount of water and available nutrients. If you have all of these your plants will be healthy and grow steadily. For a good seed starter, check out Coast of Maine Soil.
What Nutrients Are Needed For Growing Cannabis
There is a huge range of fertilisers and kits which will provide you with the perfect amount of nutrients for each stage of the growing process. We would recommend starting with small amounts and gradually increase the amounts until achieving the best results.
Of course, you will need to think about the water too. The tap will be fine as long as the water isn’t hard. You will need to make sure the pH level of the water is around 6-7 as this is perfect for growing in soil. If you are using tap water with high levels of chlorine, let the water sit in a bucket or a bottle to let the chlorine evaporate. Using water with chlorine in it may be harmful to your plants.
Environmental Control
Cannabis plants like a certain temperature and humidity. Cannabis likes a temperature between 20 to 30 degrees celsius. The ideal relative humidity is 70% during the cloning stage and 40% to 60% during vegging. If the humidity is too low, you will need a humidifier and if it is too high, you will need a dehumidifier. If the temperature is too low, you will need a heater and if it is too high you will need air conditioning.
One thing you will always want is a fan. Cannabis like fresh air and like a constant flow of air over the plant which will help to prevent mold as well.
Something you may want to consider too is odor control. Even if you are able to grow cannabis legally in your area, it is still a good idea to let as few people as possible know that you’re growing. There are many ways you can get rid of the smell of weed including:
- Incense – If you would like to mask the smell of weed before you even start smoking it is a great idea to burn incense before smoking. Burning incense before you start smoking can help mask the smell before you even start.
- Opening a window – Ventilation is a fantastic way to remove the smell of cannabis from your home after smoking.
- Cooking a nice meal to mask the smell – If it’s close to a mealtime you should consider cooking with foods such as onion, garlic and other strong-smelling substances as this can help to mask the smell of cannabis.
- Air Fresheners – This one also sounds obvious but you could also invest in some air fresheners. Air fresheners can be used to combat obours.
- Scented Candles – If you do not have any air fresheners scented candles are also a fantastic choice. There is a huge variety which you can buy in any store or online too.
- Perfume – Scented body spray or perfume is really easy to come by and can also mask any smells which may be lingering on your clothes.
