Growing Weed Guide for Beginners

Do you live in one of the several states that have legalized marijuana? If you answer yes, then this summer will bring you a new crop to cultivate in your garden. Even experienced gardeners may find it difficult to grow a new crop, but with the assistance of Impello’s friends, you can avoid some common blunders that result in a poor harvest.

Pick Reliable Cannabis Seed Banks

When you’re looking for cannabis seeds, you may frequently pick the cheapest ones to save money. However, the quality of the seeds may be jeopardized, and you’ll end up spending more than necessary. That’s why you should buy cannabis seeds with the greatest genetics. Do your homework so that you can purchase from respected cannabis seed banks. Cloning is also a wonderful option; just make sure they’re from reliable sources.

Provide Enough Lighting

Proper lighting is an important element for cannabis growth. It isn’t just the quality that will be affected; it’s also the speed and size. Indoor cannabis requires special attention because to the fact that it gets artificial light. This implies that even though there are no outside lights, your regular lightbulbs are insufficient.

Invest in more expensive lights, hoods, and reflectors. Get high-intensity (HID) lights, such as high-pressure sodium (HPS) or T5 fluorescent bulbs. LEDs may also help you save money on your energy bill. Just make sure to get full-spectrum LED bulbs that allow you to change the wavelength as needed for the marijuana plant’s development throughout its life span.

Enhance Water Quality

Water may have dissolved solids in it, which can harm your marijuana plant. Domestic water, for example, includes chlorine and fluoride. They won’t kill the plant, but yield cannot be expected to reach its maximum level. So consider utilizing a reverse osmosis system or filtering to minimize any potential problems. Make sure to change the filters on a regular basis to maintain optimum efficiency. It’s also beneficial to test the water on a regular basis to ensure that the parts per million (PPM) of dissolved solids remains consistent.)

Secure Enough Spacing and Ventilation

Do you want to know how to grow high-quality marijuana? Allow adequate space between the cannabis buds. Make sure no leaves or limbs obstruct the airflow. You may use low stress training (LST) to tie down the plants while they’re still young to ensure that the light is well-dispersed and improving the plant’s overall health. Using other methods such as filters and fans may also help you keep the air moving.

 Provide Sufficient Amount of Nutrients

One of the ten stages to marijuana development is maintaining the correct amount of nutrients for each growth stage.

Tribus Original is a great seedling for harvesting cannabis-related goods since it’s highly versatile. Usage rates are 1 ml per gallon, and with a price tag under $60 for a 250 ml bottle, less goes a long way. Because it contains probiotics, you can’t overdose your cannabis plants with it, and it builds stronger plants from the inside out. Apply it to your grow media at least once a week for optimum results. Tribus is effective in all types of hydroponics as well as on the ground.

In addition to Tribus, these nutrients are necessary when feeding cannabis plants.

Nitrogen: Marijuana plants in the vegetative stage require a lot of nitrogen. However, in the flowering stage, it must be decreased. Otherwise, it may impact bud development and yield. Guano, worm castings, and crustacean meal are some of the best soil amendments for increasing nutrient absorption.

Potassium: A sufficient quantity of potassium in the blooming stage aids to promote plant health and development. If it is lacking, the growth rate will slow down, causing leaf problems. Wood ash, compost, and seaweed meal are all good sources of natural soil amendments for potassium.

Phosphorus: When there is a phosphorus deficiency, the leaves become yellow and curled, as if they had been seared. This explains why the plants require more phosphorus during the flowering stage. Glacial rock dust, chicken manure, and bone meal are all excellent sources for dry soil amendments for phosphorus. To get the best outcome, pick reputable soil amendment providers.

Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus may be the three main nutrients that your cannabis plants need. However, they also need other nutrients like:

Magnesium: This mineral is required for photosynthesis. It also helps to maintain the integrity of plant cell walls. If calcium is insufficient, branch tips shrivel and leaves are bent.

Sulfur: You can get a sense of how well your plant is absorbing the sulfur by looking at the color of its foliage. The amount of sulfur required to create chlorophyll and assist in the synthesis of amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes should be present in your plant. If you don’t have enough sulfur, marijuana leaves might become rigid and tiny, limiting their growth. They will then die off.

Manganese: If your cannabis plant is lacking in manganese, its leaves will become yellow and develop white, gray, or brown spots. These will soon expand and cause the leaves to die.

During the flowering stage, various supplements can be beneficial too. These include:

Phosphorus and Potassium boosters: Vitamins and minerals can cause an upset stomach if taken in excess. Vitamins and minerals may contain phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, trace minerals, amino acids, and sugar in excessive doses.

Carbohydrates or sugar: Other nutrients, such as terpenes and amino acids, are absorbed by the plant and help to improve the smell and flavor of its buds. Terpenes, for example, give buds their tastes of berries or citrus. You can use blackstrap molasses to add sugar and amino acids if you want a less expensive option. When you wait weeks before planting cannabis seeds outdoors, they may enhance the taste and aroma of your plants.

Bloom enhancers: Micronutrients include: B-complex vitamins, nicotinamide (vitamin B3), and pyridoxine hydrochloride. They aid in the increase of plant growth rate by giving amino acids and humic acids. The marijuana plant won’t have to create everything from scratch as a result of this.

Prune Cannabis Properly

You must prune plants in order to enhance yield increase. It also aids in the removal of developing buds that are not in their finest form. Buds will be fewer yet larger and healthier as a result of this. To prevent pests, remove the bottom limbs if feasible. Prune plants during the vegetation period to aid them recover and develop faster.

 Keep the Right Room Temperature and Humidity

Cannabis thrives in a number of situations, but you must make sure the temperature and humidity levels are correct for the plant. Even minor adjustments can have an impact on its development, so pay attention to the temperatures and humidity throughout each phase.

Seedling Stage

The ideal humidity levels for seedlings and clones range from 65% to 80%. They will have enough water and develop stronger roots in this manner. During the day, keep it at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and at 21 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Vegetative Stage

During the vegetative stage, a moderate amount of humidity is required. Every week, you may reduce it by 5%. Between 40% and 70% will suffice. Because the roots are more developed during this time, they can absorb greater amounts of water, so reduced humidity levels are preferable. You may raise the temperature somewhat during the day — between 71 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime and between 64 degrees and 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Flowering Stage

During the flowering stage, humidity levels must be reduced to 40% to 50%. It may be 55%, but it cannot be 60%. Then, during the latter part of the blooming period or one to two weeks before harvest, reduce humidity levels from 30% to 40 percent.

Meanwhile, with the lights on, the temperature may drop between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 and 24 degrees Celsius for many nights before picking. Use a hygrometer and thermometer to check humidity and temperature.

Lowering Temperature

If you aim to lower the temperature, you can do the following:

• During the day, keep the lights off; during the night, on.
• Add an air conditioning unit. This can also help reduce humidity.
• Use a cool tube if you are growing marijuana with HPS lights.

Increasing Temperature

To raise the temperature, you can:

• Utilize a quality space heater with a thermostat.
• Use grow lights with higher watts.
• At the bottom of your grow room or tent, place a heating mat.

Lowering Humidity

If you want to drop the humidity levels, perform these steps:

• Water your marijuana plants right after you turn on the lights. Humidity levels will drop as a result of the quick absorption.
• Get a humidifier.
• Have an airflow fan upgrade to increase the supply of cool air.

Increasing Humidity

Enhancing humidity levels can be possible through the following:

• Use a humidifier that has enough water reservoir to avoid frequent refills.
• Mist your marijuana plants with a spray bottle. However, this should not be done to flowering plants since it can cause bud rot.
• Bring larger plants into the room. They sweat more than seedlings, increasing the humidity in the grow area.
• Consider hanging wet towels inside your grow room.

Maintain Enough CO2

Did you know that providing your marijuana plants with enough carbon dioxide (CO2) can help them grow by 20%? CO2 is important in photosynthesis, where cannabis absorbs light and converts it to energy. Excess CO2 or a lack of it may harm your cannabis plants. As a result, you should understand how to give them the proper CO2 levels. Ideal CO2 levels are expected to be above 250 PPM.

To supplement your plants with extra CO2, you can use the following:

• CO2 generator: The CO2 generator burns natural gas or propane to produce carbon dioxide. It activates or shuts off automatically depending on the CO2 concentration. However, releasing the gases can produce heat. As a result, one is recommended for use in a larger grow room.
• Compressed CO2: The manufacturer creates the gas, compresses it into a tank, and fills up the tank with compressed CO2. When gasses are released, there is no heat generated, so problems with temperature or humidity levels aren’t an issue. It may also be automated using a controller. However, both CO2 generators and compressed CO2 are somewhat pricey.
• CO2 bags: These use fungi from organic matter to generate carbon dioxide. Even if you have a tiny grow room, however, you’ll need at least four CO2 cylinders. You may thus achieve the required PPM this way.
• Dry ice: Dry ice is a frozen mix of carbon dioxide and air. When it warms up, it emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It’s a useful short-term solution, but because it’s so expensive to use in the long term, it isn’t feasible. Dry ice also has a hard time keeping the amount of carbon dioxide in the air under control.
• Fermentation: This occurs inadvertently as a result of the process. However, it is worth noting that CO2 amounts are significantly reduced. Fermentation also has an unfavorable odor.
• Compost: Because these are not combined, the total CO2 content is significantly lower. Aside from that, since you don’t know how much carbon dioxide you’re adding, it’s unsafe.

Know When To Harvest the Cannabis Plants

Harvest time is a cause for celebration, especially when growers make such great efforts to grow healthy and high-quality buds. However, cutting them too soon will be a waste since the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content will be low. So, harvest them at the proper moment based on the following factors:

Trichome color: Trichomes are the appendages on the surface of a cannabis flower. They’re responsible for storing the plant’s natural compounds, such as THC and terpenes. It’s a good indication to pick if half of them are milky white, while the other half become amber. If most of them are transparent, it indicates that the plants aren’t yet mature enough to be harvested. Because identifying the color of trichomes is difficult, you may wish to use a magnifying glass to assist with this task.

Brown pistils: The pistils are another method to determine when to harvest. When they become brown, they’re ready. It’s also a good idea to check the color with a magnifying glass here. Bud form: This isn’t always an accurate technique of determining whether or not your plant should be harvested. However, it can help you figure out if your plant is ripe. Examine the buds for stiffness and firmness as well as their shape.

Curling leaves: When the leaves curl and dry is one of the most typical indicators. This is to be expected, as plants will take in less water when it’s almost time to harvest.

Leaf color: The leaves turn golden yellow when it’s time to pick them, and they become yellow as the flowering stage nears its conclusion. The leaves begin falling off due to a lack of nutrients.

Dry and Cure Cannabis Properly

You may believe you’ve completed your job once it’s over. However, there are two more stages to consider: drying and curing. Drying helps to reduce the moisture level of the bud to 15 percent. It also allows you to keep the flavor and natural components in it, including THC, intact. To properly dry cannabis, follow these steps:

1. Reduce the number of cannabis plants. While most growers like to chop off the branches, others prefer to chop down until they reach the base and hang them upside down. Others will also remove each bud before hanging it on a drying rack.
2. Trim the larger fan leaves. This will improve the appearance of your buds. Trimming fewer leaves is suggested if you’re in an area with less than 30% humidity.
3. Begin the slow drying procedure by keeping the buds at a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 50%. If the room temperature exceeds 80 degrees, the terpene content will deteriorate. While hanging plants upside down is the most frequent method, you may also hang them on a drying rack or newspaper instead. To properly dry marijuana buds, it’s usually necessary to wait three to seven days.

You may now cure the plant’s cannabinoids or compounds and terpenes after the drying procedure. Simply follow these steps:

1. Place the cannabis buds in mason jars with large mouths. Plastic or wood buckets are other options.
2. Cover the container with a lid to keep it secure. The humidity level should be between 60% and 65%.
3. Check your containers on a regular basis. Open them at least once a day for two weeks to allow fresh air in and remove any extra moisture.

Keeping cannabis for two to three weeks before using it is necessary, but keeping it for two months or longer may provide better results. To speed up the process, commercial growers may employ pesticides. However, the entire experience of users may be jeopardized as a result.

Conclusion

There are a number of things to think about while producing cannabis on your own. However, following our guide above to growing cannabis indoors step by step will help you produce high-quality buds that you’re proud of.