So, you want to grow your own cannabis for the first time? Well, it can feel intimidating, but with this simple guide you’ll see it’s very doable – and super rewarding!
Before you even get started, you need to pick out some good genetics in the form of seeds from Kind Seed Co. With hundreds of seed banks and thousands of strain varieties out there, it can get overwhelming fast. Do your research and consider factors like the plant’s flowering time, yield size, aroma, and cannabinoid profile. As a beginner, feminized seeds that produce only female plants are a wise choice.
Setting Up Your Indoor Garden
Setting Up Your Indoor Garden Cannabis plants require very specific environmental conditions in order to thrive. One of the keys to a successful small grow is setting up an indoor garden where you can fully control the temperature, humidity, airflow, lighting schedules, and more.
Start by investing in a quality grow tent – this will form the foundation of your controlled garden. Look for tents made from reflective waterproof canvases with metal poles for hanging equipment inside. Popular sizes for small grows are 3×3 feet or 4×4 feet. Assemble your tent in a room where temperatures can be kept around 75°F with humidity around 50-60% during the flowering stage.
You’ll need grow lights that provide intense light in the red and blue spectrum, mimicking sunlight. Mount the LED panel overhead and set up a lighting schedule timer to control photoperiods. During vegetation, use 18 hours on and 6 off. For flowering, switch to 12 on and 12 off to trigger blooming.
Germinating Seeds & Planting
Those exotic seeds aren’t going to sprout themselves! The easy paper towel method gently coaxes taproots out before planting. Simply wet a paper towel, tuck the seeds inside, and seal it in a plastic bag for a few days. Once you see a little white taproot poking out, it’s ready to plant root-down in its first container filled with rich soil. Go easy on the watering – seedlings are delicate!
Vegetative Stage Care
For the next month or two, your babies will focus on getting big and strong in the vegetation stage. Train and prune back the plant, allowing lower branching to grow so buds eventually form all along the structure. Check soil moisture daily, feeding liquid nutrients higher in vegetative-stage nitrogen. Monitor closely for pest infestations, mold and other issues, catching problems early before they spread.
Initiating the Flowering Cycle
When plants reach over 12 inches tall with robust branching, it’s time to start the reproductive stage! Simply switch grow lights to 12 hours on, 12 hours off. This light change triggers hormone shifts, making flowers begin forming where branches intersect. You’ll soon see little green buds that steadily swell with crystalline resin glands. Tweak nutritional inputs to fuel swelling buds instead of leaves.
Harvesting, Drying and Curing
After 8-12 amazing weeks watching those buds grow, patio and amber trichomes signal harvest time! First, flush chemicals from plants by watering with plain water for 7-14 days pre-harvest. Chop entire plants down, carefully trim buds and hang branches to dry and cure for weeks, sealing their aromas into jars for you to enjoy!
It may seem like a lot upfront, but stick with it through the key growth stages and you’ll reap mouthwatering homegrown happiness! Once you enjoy the fruits of your first cannabis crop, you might just get hooked on the art and science of cultivation.
