Getting Started Growing Cannabis Indoors
Approximately 70% of the U.S. population consumes cannabis at least on occasion, but for many people, cannabis is far more than a plant they enjoy when it’s around.
Instead, cannabis is a way of life, a religion, and an escape from the sometimes harsh realities of life, whether it is aches and pains or sadness interfering with your well-being. Enthusiasts who understand the sheer magnitude of cannabis oftentimes find the cultivation process one that heightens their experience. This God-given plant has powers unbeknownst to some, but for the true cannabis enthusiasts, its amazing qualities are undeniable. Growing weed indoors offers the perfect opportunity to take your cannabis love to the next level.
Now that marijuana has become a hot topic around the country, many of the stigmas that once surrounded the plant are gone and more people are learning and accepting that it is a beneficial plant and a far cry short of the Class I narcotic the federal government has it labeled as. Currency eight states allow usage and cultivation of marijuana for recreational use, while more than 40 have legalized cannabis use and cultivation for medicinal purposes. Marijuana research is being conducted at universities, elite members of our community are showing their support, and advancements are being made every single day. Nonetheless, it is a crime to grow marijuana without a medical red card (How to apply for medical marijuana card?) if you don’t reside in a legal state.
Growing marijuana indoors alleviates the worry. Many people are growing cannabis indoors as we speak, producing large, beautiful, plants filled with those delightful buds that you so greatly appreciate. If you’re ready to join the trend, learning how to grow is the first step. Growing marijuana indoors isn’t as difficult as some people would assume. In fact, it takes just 10 simple, easy steps to grow!
What You’ll Need to Monitor During Growing
Growing marijuana indoors allows you to keep an eye on the entire growth process. Marijuana is a plant that requires lots of attention if you want it to yield powerful, potent results, though the overall process is fairly simple once you get the swing of things. Checking in on your plants three or four times per day can help yield the best results, especially for the beginning grower.
It is important to monitor the amount of air and light that the plant receives when growing marijuana indoors. Marijuana is a native outdoor plant and thrives when pristine conditions are noted. Thus, proper air flow, proper light, and the right amount of moisture are key ingredients to a successful grow.
Flowering plants like marijuana produce fruits only once per year during the fall season. They’re fruitful during this cooler period after receiving sunlight and nutrients during the warmer months. It’s called a photosynthesis period and is a process that you’ll need to reproduce when growing marijuana indoors. To do this, the plants need up to 16-hours of light during the seedling stage and approximately 12-hours during the flowering process.
The photosynthesis also requires proper air be delivered to the plant. All plants need air to survive, including the cannabis plant. A steady stream of airflow in the grow room is essential to a healthy marijuana plant. Marijuana plants thrive in temperatures ranging from 70 F to 85 F; an exhaust fan can help you maintain these temperatures. Since some strains of the marijuana plant prefer lower temperatures while others thrive when temperatures are closer to the highest temperature point, it is important to properly educate yourself on the preferences of the seedling before you begin.
Step 6: How to Germinate a Cannabis Seed
Germination is the process of getting your seeds to sprout. It is easy to determine if the plant has germinated since a small white tendril begins growing out of the seed. This is the plant’s first root, known as the taproot. The taproot creates the additional roots that the cannabis plant will make. The taproot grows and pushes the seed up through the growing medium that you’ve chosen. The leaves that are produced are called cotyledons.
Cotyledons are created inside the seed. Those first leaves that you see break from the shell once the taproot breaks it open. Once these leaves fall, the first true leaves of the plant bloom. To germinate seeds, keep the following information in mind.
- Plant the root down! The taproot should point downwards into the medium. This prevents the seedling from rejoining itself.
- Do not place the seeds too deep into the growing medium. The seeds need only about ½” to 1” of medium depth to thrive.
- Do not soak the seeds during the germination process, but keep them moist. Soak hard seeds for up to 32-hours, but no longer.
- Privacy is also important during germination. Do not bother the seeds whatsoever as you await the taproot.
- Springtime temperatures help marijuana seeds thrive during the germination process.
Gentle care should be given to the seeds. Do not touch the taproot since it is fragile and will easily snap off.
Remember that seedlings are fragile until the roots begin sprouting. To keep the seeds happy, it is a must that you keep them moisturized. The chosen germination method isn’t important, but moisture is of the greatest importance. Use incandescent bulbs over the seeds to keep them warm during the germination process.
There are several ways to germinate seeds. The steps below outline the easiest germination method that most people utilize. First, gather the supplies:
- Seeds
- Paper Towels
- Clean Paper Plates
With the supplies needed, tear four sheets of paper towel from the roll. Soak in water. The paper towels should be completely wet, but not sapping with water. Tear off two paper towels and lay on the plates. Place your cannabis seeds atop the paper towels. Give each seed about a one-inch distance from the next. Cover the seeds with the remaining two sheets of paper towels. Use another plate over the top of the seeds (flip the plate upside down so to engulf the plate) to provide the dark, protected space in which the seed will thrive. Keep the area warm. The waiting game now begins.
Some seeds sprout within a day or so, while some take many days. Providing the seeds with the proper warmth, air, and moisture-enhancing the odds of faster sprouting, but otherwise, it is a waiting game.
Once the taproot sprouts, the seeds need to transfer to the growing medium you’ve chosen. Use a pair of tweezers to pick up the seed. Most people place their seeds inside of small flowering pots filled with potting soil. Use an ink pen or pencil to poke a hole in the soil. The hole should expand about ¼ way down into the soil. Water the newly transferred seed, ensuring not to oversaturate the soil.
Did You Choose a Clone?
Obviously, cloned plants have already endured the germination process outlined above, so where does one start to produce buds from their clones? It’s much simpler than germinating and requires that you simply keep an eye on the plant, provide it the proper moisture and warmth, and leaving them alone. So many people want to touch their plants to see if the roots have sprouted. This is devastating to the plant. So, wait a week and see the roots sprouting without disturbing the plant.
Content share offered by “Sophia Walters of Plantsily.com”