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Cannabis Growing Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
If you’re thinking of growing your own cannabis at home, you’re not alone. As the number of states to legalize it continues to grow, the number of people cultivating their own plants is following suit. Plenty of benefits can come from growing your own cannabis, including quality control, giving yourself a broader range of strains to choose from, and potentially saving money over the long term.
Of course, those who are planning to grow cannabis at home need to take the right approach to the process. Several steps and considerations enter the mix here. Read on to learn more about how to successfully grow your own cannabis.
Choose Your Strains
First of all, you’ll need to decide which strains to grow. As you’re probably well aware, numerous options are available at this point. In fact, more than 700 strains are at your disposal, and that list continues to grow. It’s best to get your seeds from a trusted supplier, like a registered seed bank. That’ll help get your cannabis garden off on the right foot.
Seed banks can also give you a great deal of essential information about the strains they offer. Those details can help you choose the right strains to produce the effects you’re looking for. They can also give you an idea of how big the plants might get and other factors. Details like those are important for deciding where, when, and how to grow your plants.
Pick Your Garden Spot
You’ll also need to choose the right spot for growing your cannabis. If you live in a state where growing cannabis is legal and you trust your neighbors, growing outdoors is a great option. On the other hand, if you prefer more privacy or live in an area where the growing season isn’t very long, cultivating your plants indoors may be best. That’ll give you more control over your plants as well.
If you’re planting outdoors, pick a spot that gets plenty of sunshine and gives your plants ample room to spread out. For an indoor grow, you’ll need a space that offers enough room for the plants to branch out and grow taller. While a closet may suffice, growing your plants in a spare room, basement, or attic is recommended. You could also buy a grow tent for your plants, but be sure there’s plenty of space in your home for it.
Taking Care of Your Plants
After picking your seeds and choosing a garden plot or indoor grow space, you’ll need to nurture your plants. That means giving them everything they need to stay healthy and produce potent buds. If you’re growing outdoors, they’ll get most of what they need from the environment, but you should keep an eye on them to be sure they’re not getting too much water or sunlight. You may need to add nutrients to the soil as well.
Indoors, your plants will rely on you for everything they need. You can use pots filled with potting mix, but several other growing media are also available. Those include clay pellets, coco coir, perlite, rockwool, and rice hulls. Each one has its benefits and disadvantages, and they can be used on their own or mixed with other media.
You’ll also need to choose the right grow lights to give your plants the types of light they need for their vegetative stages and flowering. Providing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and the proper micronutrients for your plants is crucial as well. At the same time, cannabis plants require the right temperatures, a great deal of water, and plenty of airflow.
Growing Your Own Cannabis
These are some of the general factors to consider when growing your own cannabis. Each strain has its own specific needs. Though growing outdoors is often easier, not everyone has that option. Growing indoors gives you more control, but it also requires more time and effort. Use this guide to help you get started, and be sure to pay attention to the specific requirements of the strains you choose to grow.