There are now 16 states in which it is legal to grow medical cannabis at home and half of these also permit home growing for recreational use. It is a number that is only going to rise over the coming months and years, and a whole new generation is suddenly taking an interest in horticulture to create their very own weed from seed. Thinking of joining them? Here are some important pointers to get you started.
Choosing your strain
There are literally hundreds of different cannabis strains to choose from so choosing the right one is your first challenge. It comes down to what you want to achieve from your crop. For example, if you are purely thinking recreational and want a psychedelic effect, you might choose a sativa strain. On the other hand, if you want a higher CBD content to take advantage of its medicinal benefits, Dinamed CBD or Candida CD-1 would be a better choice. The other major factor to keep in mind when choosing your strain is whether you will be cultivating indoors or outside. We will look at that next.
Setting up your space
Growing outside means less need for investment and equipment. However, indoor cultivation allows you greater control over the environment and makes for fewer complications. It is a better option for beginners. We won’t go into details on setting up a grow room of your own, as that constitutes an entire topic in its own right. However, before you take the plunge in that regard, it makes sense to start out with a simple grow box for your first crop. If it goes well, you can always progress from there.
Lights, camera, action!
We’ve all seen the TV footage of cannabis rooms stacked with energy-sapping fluorescent lights from wall to wall. For sure, lighting is important, as it is a primary influencing factor in the growth of your plants. But you can achieve what’s necessary without depleting your entire neighbourhood’s electricity supply. LED grow lights are the best option for the hobbyist grower. They are cheap, simple and energy-efficient. Make sure you choose full-spectrum lights that have white and green as well as red and blue.
Feeding
Managing nutrient levels is something that first-time growers always worry about. In fact, if you stick to the basics, it is very simple. At the initial stage, your seeds have everything they need to get started and do not need extra nutrients. After about a month, when they have three or four proper leaves, you should start to help them along. Buy a specialist cannabis feed like Reefertilizer Grow and it will give you precise feeding instructions. Don’t be tempted to use a grow bag, as these are designed for crops like tomatoes and deliver the nitrogen boost just when it is not needed in the cannabis plant’s growth cycle.
Harvesting
Once you’ve been through the above steps, don’t blow it all at the end! Harvesting in itself is simple, but where people go wrong is in the timing. Too early or too late, and your crop will be a disappointment. Get it just right, though, and you will be handsomely rewarded.
