Introduction to Growing Marijuana

Over the years there has been quite a shift in the attitude of people when it comes to their understanding of marijuana. From something that was once seen as ‘the devil’s herb’ and a banned drug, it has been legalized by the government, in some places for medicinal purposes and in other places for recreational purposes too. 

While people have been growing marijuana at their home for years, this can now be done legally and without the fear of any taboo. Growing your own weed is one of the best things for a stoner because in this case, you will be assured that the weed you are growing is going to be high-quality and chemical-free. 

The process of growing your own weed can also be cheaper in comparison to purchasing weed. Besides, growing a plant and consuming its products feels great in general so there’s that too.

When it comes to growing your own weed, there are a few things that need to be kept in mind. Here’s a very quick look at these four major factors: 

Know the Laws

The first and the most important thing is to know your local laws and legislations about growing weed. Not every place in the world allows you to grow weed freely. In many countries, it is still banned. However, there’s some confusion even in places where it is allowed to be grown. 

This is especially true when it comes to the US because legislations in the US vary from state to state, and in some cases even from district to district and you’ve got to know the exact laws of the place you are living in. In some places, you can grow your own weed, while in other places, you are not allowed to grow weed at all. There are also some places that allow growing marijuana only for medicinal purposes. 

Besides that, even in places where growing weed seems to be allowed, there is a restriction to the number of plants that you can grow. All of this needs to be understood and it is best to consult a legal expert or a law enforcement officer before you begin growing marijuana plants to avoid any unwanted run-ins with the law later on. We request you to only do this if this is legal in your area.

Know Your Strain

The next big thing about growing marijuana is that you must know what kind of strain do you want. Are you looking for a recreational high? Then you should get something that is high on THC and low on CBD. In case you want to grow marijuana plants for medicinal purposes, then you must look for plants that offer a high CBD value. 

The primary difference between these two compounds is that while THC provides a ‘mind high’, CBD produces a ‘body high’. The former is good for getting high and for creative thoughts, the latter is better suited for a more relaxing effect that also provides relief from pain and inflammation. 

Besides the THC/CBD content, you also need to know what kind of taste and smell are you looking for. Some people prefer the smell of regular weed while others prefer consuming weed that has a fruity flavour to it. Different strains offer you different tastes and this is something worth considering too.

One more thing is about auto-flowering strains of marijuana plants. This is something quite interesting because when you grow a regular plant, you will need to manually trigger it into entering the flowering phase by reducing the lighting hours. An autoflowering plant, on the other hand, grows on its own despite the lighting conditions around it. It is better suited for beginners, and it blooms faster too. However, an auto-flowering strain will produce a lesser yield and generally has less THC/CBD content than compared to regular strains. It still gives you a decent ‘high’ though. 

Buying the Seeds

Now that you know the two basic things – the laws and the strain, the third and the most important step until now is to purchase the seeds. These seeds can be purchased from specialized places known as ‘seed banks’. This is basically a place where you get a large variety of seeds of different strains. These seeds have been feminized and there’s a very high probability that they are going to germinate compared to getting seeds from random, shady sources.

Do some research and find out which are the best seed banks that meet your needs. These banks tend to keep everything anonymous so you don’t have to worry about your identity getting exposed. The seeds come in a packaging that does not reveal the contents (often they are packed inside a box of pen or a tshirt, etc). The payment, too, can be done via cryptocurrencies, which keeps the transactions anonymous too. 

If you are looking forward to growing your own seeds, visiting a seed bank is certainly the very first actionable step that you have to take. 

Know the Seven Phases of Growth

Lastly, you need to understand the seven phases of growing marijuana. Once you have procured the seeds, you need to begin growing them. These are the seven phases of growth that you plant goes through:

Phase 1: Seed – nothing of note here, the plant is still a seed here

Phase 2: Germination – this is the phase in which the seed is kept in a warm, moist and dark area and it begins to germinate. Not all seeds germinate, but if you get them from a good seed bank, there’s a good chance that most of them will.

Phase 3: Seedling – the seeds that have germinated are then exposed to light for almost 22 hours a day. This is the phase in which most amount of care is required as the plant is still very weak and young. A few leaves will begin to emerge along with a very thin stem.

Phase 4: Vegetative Phase – this phase will witness a rapid growth in the plant, where lots of leaves begin to emerge. The plant grows bigger and taller and the stem gets thicker during the vegetative phase of growth. 

Phase 5: Pre-Flowering Phase – the pre-flowering phase begins with the emergence of buds. Nutrition needs to be changed at this time to suit the flowering needs. Lighting needs to be reduced from about 18 hours in the vegetative phase to about 14 hours in pre-flowering.

Phase 6: Flowering Phase – after spending some time in the pre-flowering stage, when the light is reduced to 10-12 hours, the flowering is triggered. You have to take a lot of care during this phase too as flowering can attract pests and insects. There’s also a lot of smell during this phase.

Phase 7: Harvest – this is the last phase once your plants have peaked on their flowering, you need to drain the plant off all additives and nutrients in the process called ‘flushing’. Once that is complete, you can begin the harvest – which is the cutting, drying, and curing of the marijuana plant’s flowers.

FAQs

What are the important things to keep in mind while growing marijuana?

When it comes to growing marijuana, there are a few important things to remember. This includes:

• Choose the right strain
• Pick the right place with ideal conditions
• Select the right soil
• Get high-quality fertiliser
• Make sure the humidity level is right

Why is it important to know the laws before growing marijuana?

If you are planning to grow marijuana, you need to first know the local laws and legislations about growing cannabis. This is because not every place allows you to grow marijuana freely. There are many countries where growing marijuana is banned. So if you don’t want to get into trouble, it’s better to know the laws first.

What marijuana strains can you grow indoors?

Many growers prefer to grow marijuana indoors. If you are one of them, you should opt for autoflower strains as they make the best option when it comes to growing marijuana indoors. Unlike other strains, autoflower strains take just three months to go from seed to harvest. But you need to get high-quality auto flower strains; otherwise, the buds won’t be potent.

Can you grow marijuana without sunlight?

Yes, you can grow marijuana without sunlight provided that you have a supplement source of light for your plants. For example: LED grow lights. When growing marijuana indoors, it is obvious that your plants won’t get direct sunlight. In this case, you can make use of LED grow lights.

Where can you buy marijuana seeds?

To grow your marijuana stock, you need to first get the seeds. Luckily, there are plenty of places where you can buy marijuana seeds. Most growers rely on online seed banks as they have a larger collection to offer. They not only allow you to choose from a large selection of strains but also offer high-quality seeds.