How to start growing cannabis at home? The complete guide


Have you ever thought of growing cannabis at home? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’ve covered everything you would ever need to know about growing weed. 

The process of planting, nurturing and harvesting weed is fun and totally worth the effort it will take. The best thing about growing your own is the fact that you can get all your stuff for free! As we are now increasingly allowed to grow and consume cannabis legally (here is a list of where you can and cannot in the United States), more people have their own “grow operations”. 

How to legally grow weed at home?

Since this article is written from the perspective of the United States and Canada, w’ell be covering the specific rules governing domestic cannabis cultivation one by one.

Cannabis Plant life cycle

Growing pot legally in the United States

 Several rule changes at the federal and state level have made weed use increasingly decriminalized in a majority of the country. States that allow the cultivation of weed do it at two different levels: 

  • Growing for recreational as well as medical reasons.
  • Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Vermont      

  • Growing only for medical reasons
  • Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island,  Washington.

  •  Growing only for recreational reasons
    • Washington D.C.

    Locals laws and regulations vary by state, so do some research before planting.

    Growing pot legally in Canada

    The government passed the Cannabis Act in 2012. This Act, among other things, allows its citizens to grow 4 plants at home. That is limited to one per household, not per person. 

    Different provinces and different territories, however, have different policies. So check them before you start growing. The government has also devised policies for those wanting to grow cannabis at home.   

     

    Difference between indoor and outdoor weed

    The main difference between the indoor and the outdoor weed is the kind of cannabis strain you are interested in growing and the capacity of that cannabis strain to adapt in the given climate. 

    There are a couple of ways to do it: you can either grow your cannabis from seed, or you can clone a plant from a full-grown one. You can also choose between growing it indoor or outdoors. 

    The first thing to decide is not whether to grow your weed plant indoor or outdoors. The first step is to ensure you do some research, and figure out the right information about the strains of cannabis you want to grow, keeping in mind the climate in your area. Different strains grow better in different climate conditions.

    Indoor weed vs outdoor weed

     

    Growing weed from seed vs growing from a clone

    Growing from seed is better as you get to control the entire grow process. 

    How to clone weed

    If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go through the hassle of growing from seed, you can learn how to clone a weed plant. Here’s how it goes.

    1. You cut off a stem/stalk from a grown marijuana plant (commonly called the mother plant).
    2. Put the cut piece and place it in a rooting cube, or any small vessel with enough water.
    3. After putting the cloned weed plant into the root cube, growth hormones and fertilizer are added to encourage root growth. 
    4. Once root growth has taken place, gently take out the clone and place it in a growing pot.

     

    How to grow weeds from seeds?

    Growing marijuana from seed can be a little tricky, so make sure you follow the instructions to a T. The first question you may have is:, what do marijuana seeds look like? Since we want to have the best seeds, you should check them for the following;

    1. They should have a red-brown, black, dark brown, or gray color. 
    2. The marijuana seeds should be hard and should have a smooth texture.
    3. They should be oval. 
    4. On close inspection, your seeds should have dark spots or tiger stripes. 

    Now that we have the best quality seeds, let’s move onto the next part: germination. 

    1. Soak the seeds for 12 hours in a bowl.
    2. Place the soaked seeds between two moist towels. Make sure you place the seeds at a distance so that their roots do not get tangled. 
    3. The next part is a bit tricky: you need to make sure that the seeds are continuously stored at 21 to 29 °C for them to germinate properly. 
    4. Germination should take place within 48 hours, but make sure the towels are continuously moist.
    5. Voila! You now have germinated weed seeds.

    Now that we have a clone/germinated seeds, let’s go through the difference in approach between where you can grow this plant.


     

    How to grow a marijuana plant indoors

    Here are the step-by-step instructions:.

    1. Buy pots and fill them with 3/4th soil.
    2. With the help of a pencil, make some holes in the pot.
    3. Very carefully and systematically lay the seeds in the soil with the help of a tweezer.
    4. Cover the seeds with soil and make sure to keep the seeds out of direct sunlight in a moist area. 
    5. Wet the soil one to two times a day.
    6. Use cool white grow lights. 

    You can also follow these instructions to grow the plant in your bedroom.

    Cannabis growing at home stages

    How to grow a weed plant outdoors

    There are three key factors you need to consider before you plant your weed seed outdoors,

    Climate

    Cannabis can bear heat, but any sudden increase or decrease in temperature can ruin your chances of having a healthy plant. So make sure the climate is not very volatile. 

    Sunlight

    Cannabis is a short-day plant (meaning it needs less sunlight) so plant it where it has moderate access to sunlight.

    Soil

    The perfect quality soil to grow marijuana is dark, rich in nutrients, and has a light and fluffy texture. 

    If these three factors are suitable, just follow the instructions mentioned for an indoor grow, and you’re good to go.

    To stop your plants from growing excessively tall, simply trim and prune regularly. 

     

    Micronutrients in cannabis plant illustration on black background

    Best nutrients for growing weed

    While researching this piece, we also found some greatare top 10 best nutrients for pot prevailing in the market. You can choose one of these 10 best nutrients for weed that suffice your need and is pocket-friendly.

    These 10 best nutrients are as follows;

    1. Dyna-Gro 719010 Plant Food
    2.  Fox Farm Liquid Nutrient Trio Soil Formula FX14049 
    3. Advanced Nutrients Bloom, Micro & Grow
    4. General Hydroponics GH5100 General Organics Go Box
    5. Advanced Nutrients Big Bud Liquid Fertilizer
    6. General Hydroponics Flora Grow, Bloom,
    7. Advanced Nutrients 2320-14 Bud Candy Fertilizer
    8. Golden Tree: All-In-One Concentrated Organic Additive
    9. SUPERthrive VI30155 Plant Vitamin Solution
    10. Advanced Nutrients 5450-14 Voodoo Juice Fertilizer

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