Intro To Cannabis: How To Grow Cannabis At Home
It’s about that time! Time to supply our loyal customers with some amazing information regarding that glorious plant that we all know and love so much — cannabis! In the past we’ve covered what THC is, how edibles make you high, and even what to do when you get too high!
Today, we’re looking to switch it up a little bit. Although we’re a cannabis growing company, we figured our readers would appreciate some information on the aspect of cannabis that we know and love the most. Cultivation. In California, residents are allowed to be in possession of up to six cannabis plants at a time. This means that, if you do it right, you can grow some amazing buds in the comfort of your own home.
In this blog, we’ll be covering the basics that you need to know if you’re planning on growing your own cannabis.
Review The Laws
First and foremost, when you’re growing cannabis you want to be sure that you’re following the laws that are in place. Some general rules are as follows: make sure you and any parties involved are at least 21 years of age, don’t grow more than 6 plants at a time, only use the cannabis you grow for personal purposes (no selling!), and finally, growing your own cannabis means you’re going to have a lot of cannabis (again, if you do it right) so remember that you can only have an ounce on your person outside of your home! Looking for more information on the legality of growing your own ganj? Check out this legal resource.
Let’s Get Ready
Before we even think about caring for a cannabis plant, we need to properly prepare for our adventure. This means selecting a lighting source and the medium of growing.
Grow Lights
Grow lights are extremely important to the growing process, as cannabis plants need quite a lot of light exposure to grow. There are three different types of lighting you can use when growing cannabis. We’ll cover each below.
The first type of light, and the most widely used in commercial operations are called high intensity discharge lights or HID lights. While these lights cost the most to acquire, they’re actually the most efficient once you start using them. Plus, they’re intended for growing plants, specifically cannabis. HID lights additionally come in two different formats, each intended for a different stage of the cannabis growing process. MH or metal halide lights encourage vegatative growth, so they’re intended to be used during the beginning of the process. HPS or high pressure sodium lights encourage flower growth, making them great for the later stages of the growing process.
The only real downside of these lights is that they produce a lot of heat, meaning that you’ll need to have one of two systems in place. First, you could be set up in a large, well ventilated room or building, allowing air to circulate and prevent overheating. If this is not a possibility, you’ll need a ballast or hood to accomplish the same task.
While HID lights are great for cannabis growing, they can be expensive. There are different types of HID lights, hoods, and ballasts that you can use to lower the cost, but each lower cost alternative may come with some downsides.
The next type of light that you can use when growing cannabis is a fluorescent grow light. These do the job quite well, cost less than HID lights, and usually come with a hood and ballast system. The main downside is that they do not produce as much light as an HID light does, meaning that you’ll need more bulbs and space to use fluorescent than you would need with an HID set up.
In addition to HID and fluorescent grow lighting, you can also invest in induction lamps or LED grow lights. Although this is a possibility, the price points for the lights and operating costs make these options not worth the cost to a person growing cannabis as a hobby.
How Are You Going To Grow?
Next you need to choose what method of growing you’re going to use. In this arena, you have two options: hydroponic growth or soil based growth. Starting with hydroponics, this is a great efficient method to use, however, it’s quite scientific and more or less requires a machine designed to grow cannabis hydroponically. This method uses water and a blend of minerals and nutrients to promote cannabis growth. The benefit of using hydroponics as your method is that you’ll likely be using a machine that’s intended for hydroponic growth.
This means that you’ll have a system where you simply need to follow the directions in order to yield your desired results. The downside? Most often, hydroponics systems only allow for one plant to grow at a time. That being said, it’s an emerging market. So if you shop around, you may be able to find a system that accommodates your needs!
The other option is the classic method, where you grow your plants in soil. This requires you to plant your seed or clone into the soil, provide it nutrients, and water it. It’s more intensive, but decades of practice have made the process just about as efficient as it can be.
You can use standard soil, and add recommended nutrients based on your strain, or you can invest in what’s called super soil. This is just soil designed to grow cannabis. These soils allow you to grow your plant without needing to fertilize and add other nutrients, as all of the nutrients are already in the soil. When using soil, you’ll need a vessel to house the plants. This can be a standard, large flowerpot. Or, you can purchase specialty pots that are specifically designed to grow cannabis.
Set Up
Now that you’ve chosen your medium of growth and your lights, we can set up our grow zone. The key to setting up a grow zone is having the proper amount of space, ventilation, and cleanliness to ensure the optimal environment for your plants. Keep in mind that the cost of your operation will vary depending on the amount you’re trying to grow. Additionally, cannabis plants get quite large so be sure that low ceilings or a cramped room won’t inhibit growth.
Once your space is chosen, set up your grow area. Give each plant and it’s home an adequate amount of space that allows for you to have room to work on them. You’ll need to water and potentially fertilize your plants during the grow process, so you need to be able to access them. Make sure the lights are set up above your plants, and that each plant gets exposure to the lights.
On the topic of lighting, your grow area needs to be light tight. This means that when the grow lights are turned off there is no light sneaking in through cracks in a door, holes in your tent, or anywhere else. If the plants don’t have a consistent lighting cycle, they’ll produce male flowers, and we want female flowers.
Finally, make sure you have the proper exhaust and ventilation. Cannabis plants thrive when in the 70-85 degree range, so your ventilation system must be able to facilitate this. The size and intensity of your ventilation system will depend on the amount of heat your grow lights give off.
It’s Grow Time!
Now that you’re set up, it’s time for growing. When growing, it’s important to remember three things: your lighting cycle, the PH of your soil, and your watering schedule.
When it comes to the lighting cycle, there are two stages. When the plant is growing, not flowering, you’ll have the grow lights on for 16-20 hours per day. Once your plants start flowering, it switches to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark.
In terms of pH, keep your soil between six and seven pH level. This ensures that the plant absorbs the necessary nutrients to grow and thrive. Additionally, fertilizers and nutrient systems can help correct an incorrect pH.
Finally with water, it’s like any other plant. Keep your soil moist, but don’t over water the plants. A good rule of thumb is to press a finger into the soil. If there is soil sticking to it when you remove your finger, it doesn’t need water. If your finger is sans-dirt, then it’s time for some more water!
Genesis Grow Corp
While this wasn’t the most comprehensive guide to cannabis growing, we made sure to include the essentials. If you consider and implement the aspects of cannabis growing we’ve discussed today, you’ll get some great bud!
And if you’d rather not wait, and want cannabis now be sure to find our amazing Genesis Grow Corp. luxury cannabis in a dispensary near you!