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 5: Where to Get Cannabis Plants & Where to Buy Cannabis Seeds
In order to grow cannabis, seeds or a plant is necessary. While finding seeds or plants might seem like a daunting, impossible task, there are actually many locations from which to make the purchase. But first, you’ll need to decide if you’ll use seeds or a clone and whether you prefer an indica, sativa, or a hybrid plant!
Most experts agree that seeds are the best option for new growers. Seeds aren’t as needy as the clone, thus alleviating some of the hiccups new growers experience. Using seeds to grow allows you to ‘autoflower,’ or use extreme lighting to breed the plant. Thus, the seed has a strong root foundation since it can soak up all the nourishment that it needs. The disadvantage of using seeds should not be discluded from your decision. On the downside, not all seeds will grow and some of the seeds that do grow do not produce the results desired. Costs of seeds also become an issue, especially if you’re attempting a larger harvest. Non-feminised and feminized seeds are available for purchase, which causes even more trouble for the new grower. Non-feminised seeds produce about 50% male seeds and male seeds do not create flowers.
A clone, or a plant cut from a mothering plant, cannot spread roots and is harder to grow than seeds. The risk of disease and other contamination is also prominent with clones and they require a lot of attention to thrive. Quality is the biggest concern associated with the use of clones. On the upside, however, you’re always assured that the plant is a female. You also know exactly what the yield will look like since it is a copy of the mother plant. It is easy to re-clone the plants and since the clone is more mature than a seed, there are far more advantages there, too.
Clones and seeds are each available for purchase at local dispensaries if you reside in a legal state. Purchasing a clone from a dispensary aids in the confidence that you’ve purchased a quality plant. Costs of the seeds or clones vary from one dispensary and strain to the next. It is easy to learn more about the plants from the trained staff at the dispensary, which is also advantageous to a new grower.
If you do not reside in a legal state, finding clone become a much more difficult task, though not impossible. Mail-order clones for sale aren’t difficult to find, but the concern of quality is present. Shipping the plant via the mail is risky in a multitude of ways. Can the plant survive the transport? Has it been treated with pesticides? These are just some of the risks associated with the purchase of a clone from an online source.
Purchasing seeds from an online seed bank is a less risky option, though it is nonetheless important to carefully consider the options. Gray areas exist in the legality of shipping seeds through the mail. Purchasing your seeds or clones from a weed-friendly location, like Amsterdam, reduces risks and worry.
Content share offered by “Sophia Walters of Plantsily.com”