Growing marijuana has become very lucrative as it has continued to be legalized for recreational use in different states and jurisdictions. Growing marijuana should not be difficult, but the ease with which you can do so depends on the equipment you have and how prepared you are. This guide covers what you need to start growing your own marijuana.
Seeds
The first step in ensuring your venture is successful is to start with the right seeds. Marijuana plants vary a lot and so you should take time to research different strains and find ones that are suitable for you depending on your budget, skills, and space. You should also research different vendors to ensure you are getting seeds of the highest quality.
There are also different seed types which are photoperiodic, feminized and auto-flowering seeds. Photoperiodic seeds produce either female or male plants. Their flowering stage starts when the light schedule changes to a balanced light/dark schedule. If grown outdoors, they will flower as the days get shorter.
Feminized photoperiodic seeds produce female plants while auto-flowering seeds produce female plants that do not need a photoperiodic shift as they change from the vegetative to the flowering stage.
As for the strains, white widow automatic is great for beginners, royal cookies is great for intermediate grows and is a top-shelf strain while shining silver haze is great for experienced growers. There are many other strains to consider, and you can have a look at what ILGM has to offer to find seeds suited to your skill level and budget.
Growing Medium
A growing medium is a medium in which your marijuana grows. It provides support for the rolls, while also allowing their respiration, and holds water and nutrients for your plants. The growing mix should provide good aeration, enough water content, nutrients, and enough space for the roots to grow healthy and strong.
The most common growing medium is soil, although other mediums such as water and coco coir are used. Marijuana requires slightly acidic soil as well as a mix of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen when growing.
It also requires micronutrients like sulfur, copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and others. Doing the proper research before buying seeds will tell you what your plants require when growing so you can provide that in the growing medium.
Pots
You need something to hold the growing medium and this is typically pots. It doesn’t matter which pots you use as long as they hold enough soil and do not allow for its compaction as compaction reduces aeration which affects the plants. You also need to consider the size of the pot because having larger ones reduces the number of plants you can have in a given space.
Some marijuana pot options include:
- Fabric pots – These are for advanced growers who want their plants to have the strongest roots possible. These types of pots provide a great balance between moisture retention and aeration for the best grows
- Standard flowerpots.
- Homemade pots – For the budget-conscious grower who can use any container they have.
Lighting
Marijuana plants need light as soon as they germinate. Do not use incandescent lights for this, but instead use the right light for different growth stages. Seedlings do much better with low-wattage or LED lights. Blue spectrum or cold lights are also great as they promote vegetative growth.
CFL lights are great for after the seeds have sprouted. Once they reach the vegetative stage in about two weeks, you will need to grow lights. These include fluorescent, high-intensity discharge lights or LED lights.
These are the basics you need to start growing marijuana. However, you also need to ensure proper ventilation and room humidity for the best growth.
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