Weed Growing: The Most Common Cannabis Mistakes

Being a beginner is tough in any situation, whether it’s work or play. You can expect to have some trouble succeeding before you’ve had the chance to learn how things are done. This is especially true when growing marijuana, so newcomers will undoubtedly make lots of mistakes before they get the hang of it. The important thing is not to let this discourage you from learning – feeling discouraged will only slow down your progress.

Don’t be discouraged when you find out that somebody else (who’s likely been growing marijuana for a long time) is having an easier go of it than you are during your first year or two. This shouldn’t stop you from trying! People who never attempt something will never succeed at it, after all.

Many people make avoidable mistakes when they’re first starting out, but you don’t have to be one of them. You can learn from other’s errors by doing your research upfront. We’ve created a list that describes some common beginner mistakes, as well as how to prevent them. With a little bit of knowledge, you’ll progress past the learning curve more quickly than anticipated.

Blabbing and bragging about growing marijuana

A blunder that first-time marijuana growers often make is accidently revealing their intentions to grow the plant, to friends. Whether you’re bragging or just seeking counsel from a confidant, you’re putting yourself in jeopardy of getting exposed. If your friend tells another person, and the secret keeps circulating, eventually somebody could turn you in, leading to law enforcement destroying your crop and/or You receiving harsh legal repercussions. So whatever you do: don’t say anything about itto anyone.

Failing to prepare

While it may seem like an adventure, growing marijuana is actually a lot of work. Not only during the harvesting process, but even beforehand expert growers spend time preparing everything they need such as: how much water and nutrients their plants will need, what seeds to buy, and how to prevent future pests.

Unfortunately, many new growers don’t put in the research beforehand and are then unaware of what their plants need in regards to light, water, nutrients, CO2 levels, and ways to prevent pests. If you want to be a successful grower,.you should know which challenges might come up so that you can reference the proper materials and resources accordingly. Even if you’re prepared though, something always comes up during a beginner’s first season–the best way to deal with it is by being proactive from the start.

Poor genetics marijuana seeds

New growers who are testing the waters usually aren’t willing to spend money on high-quality items for their plants. They would rather wait and see if they want to grow every year for a long time before paying a significant amount of money for it. People new to growing either pay too little for starting seeds and, as a result, get poor quality ones from the beginning. Or they try to grow marijuana from a seed they found in weed they purchased earlier. In any case, neither method will produce great results.

It is essential to buy from a credible source and confirm that you are spending money on high-quality seeds along with the other equipment needed for growing marijuana. If you start with weak genetics, you are wasting your money pointlessly. Therefore, begin with viable seed options and potent genetics to achieve greater success overall.

Soils and fertilizers

If you’re new to growing marijuana, then you might not know much about which fertilizer is best to use in order grow healthy plants. Many beginners purchase any fertilizer they come across without taking the time to do further research on how much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium marijuana plants need during different stages of their growth. So eventually, the store-bought fertilizer purchased might not be as effective down the line.

The NPK value is essential for determining which fertilizer to get for your plants. The amount of each nutrient that your plant will need varies depending on its stage of growth. Unless your plants are in their flowering phase, they will typically need more nitrogen than other nutrients. On the other hand, if your plants are in their flowering phase, phosphorus will be the primary necessity.

Poor soil is one of the many things that new growers often overlook. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s automatically great for your plants. The pH could be too high or low, there might not enough nutrients, and the texture might not be ideal (clay or sand). Test it out and make changes as needed based on your findings.

Testing and maintaining pH

Maintaining a balanced pH is essential for beginner growers. In fact, it might be the most important part of having a healthy growing environment because if the pH is off, your plants will get sick and won’t produce as much. If you don’t take care of the soil’s pH level, your plants could die.

The pH level dictates how many nutrients your marijuana plants’ roots can absorb. It is vital to check the pH levels frequently because if it’s within the correct range, then your plants should be able to hold onto any nutrients they need without issue. Before starting your grow, be sure to buy a pH testing kit. The healthy pH range for soil grown plants falls between 6.0 and 7.0, whereas for hydroponically grown plants, the ideal range is 5.5 – 6-5

Too many nutrients

Many novice growers make the mistake of over-feeding their plants with nutrients, thinking that more is always better. But too much of a good thing can actually be harmful.

One problem is that the plant nutrient packets you purchase at stores always come with a recommended feeding schedule. Unfortunately, new growers who don’t know any better usually try to follow those schedules to the letter–but more often than not, they’re instructed to feed their plants much higher doses of nutrients than necessary. This can cause something called a nutrient burn, which harms your plants. Start slowly and increase gradually as needed; a little bit goes a long way.

A useful tip is to stick to the feeding schedule, but use a fourth of the recommended amount. In other words, follow the directions but divide by four. If you have kept up with pH level maintenance and your plants are still deficient in nutrients somehow, then raise dosages gradually in small incriments until Plants show signs of progress.. Fifty percent power should be more than enough most likely.

Container growing

It is very important to not let your marijuana plants become rootbound if they are growing in containers or pots. Rootbound means that the roots have filled the container and grown all around the edges or bottom. This happens when the plant is put in a pot that is too small for it. The roots grow faster than other parts of the plant, so you might not notice that it has become rootbound until it’s too late. If a plant becomes rootbound, it can die quickly, so you’ll need to transplant it to a larger pot as soon as possible — but be careful when doing so.

Overwatering marijuana plants

Overwatering your plants is a common mistake among beginner growers, especially those who are inexperienced with container size. When too much water fills the pot, it deprives the roots of oxygen and necessary nutrients for growth. This often leads to unhealthy plant symptoms.

When you first start growing plants, it can be easy to overwater them. You will know that you are overwatering your plants when they droop. However, this is not a death sentence for your plants and is actually quite easy to fix.

Always press your finger into the top inch of your soil to check if it is dry; otherwise, you may overwater your plants and they will suffer severe consequences.

Over-pruning

Oftentimes, gleeful beginners go a little overboard when it comes to pruning. If you keep in mind that less is more, though, you’ll do just fine. Although pruning can lead to increased growth, overdoing it will have the opposite effect. To start off Slow and steady wins the race—try one or two methods conservatively and take note of their effects on your plants before diving headfirst into destroy mode next time around.

FAQ

What do you need to start growing marijuana?

In order to maintain a healthy and vibrant plant, you will need access to sunlight or artificial lighting, fresh air (as plants feed on carbon dioxide), and a reliable source of nutrients (such as through fertilizers or rich soil).

What is the best soil for growing marijuana?

There are many types of soil you can buy at a garden store, but knowing what kind you need is the first step. The type of soil will determine its nutrient levels, micro-organisms and other changes.

What are the best nutrients for growing marijuana?

A healthy and diverse population of soil microbes and mycorrhizae is essential to successful organic growing, and the best way to inoculate your soil is through actively aerated compost tea (AACT). This can be made easily and cheaply with just a few items.