Marijuana has been medically proven to have tremendous benefits for the users. In addition to stopping cancer cells from spreading, marijuana also treats glaucoma, prevents Alzheimer’s disease, relieves arthritis, controls Epileptic seizure, reduces anxiety, protects your brain after a stroke, and many other benefits. Therefore, marijuana lovers are turning their attention from rolling joints to growing it in their homes.
Growing marijuana indoors is easy but a time-consuming process. It requires your energy and attention and even though it comes with challenges, doing it right will give you good results. If you are an enthusiastic cannabis lover and you’d want to grow some in your home but you don’t know how to do it, you have come at the right place because here are comprehensive tips on growing marijuana indoors.
- Designate a cannabis growing space
The first step towards growing cannabis indoors is creating a space where you will grow the plants. You don’t need to have your own land as marijuana can grow excellently in a spare room, tent, cabinet, closet, or even on a corner of your bedroom. All you need to know is that the space you select must fit the plants and the equipment.
The space must be easy to clean because sanitization is paramount when growing plants indoors. Avoid any material that’s difficult to clean such as raw wood, drapes, and carpets. Space must also be light-tight to prevent light leaks that can possibly confuse your plants.
- Choose the best cannabis seeds
After designating a perfect space for growing cannabis, it would be crucial to choose the best seeds. You must keep in mind that the seeds you chose will influence the outcome of your buds. There are various selections to choose from, such as medicinal strains with high CBD concentration, powerful cerebral sativa high that will leave you motivated and energized, and Stoney indica highs that will leave you calm and stress-free, and you can choose one depending with your preferences.
Depending on the type of environment in which to grow marijuana, genetic consideration is paramount. If for instance, you want to grow marijuana in a small space somewhere in your house, considering auto-flowering strains would be a perfect idea.
- Choose cannabis grow lights
Light is a very important consideration as it determines the quantity and quality of your cannabis yields, and therefore, choose the lighting setup you can afford. Here is what you can choose from;
- High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lights
HID lights are used for their combination of value, efficiency, and output. They are a bit expensive but their production of light per unit of electricity used is awesome. HID lamp can either be the metal halide (MH) that produces blue-white light or high-pressure sodium (HPS) that produces red-orange light mostly used during the flowering stage. HID lighting setup requires a reflector and a ballast for each light, but if both bulbs are too expensive for you, start with HPS which delivers more light per watt.
- Fluorescent grow lights
Fluorescent grow lights are very common as they are cheap to set up, and ballast, bulbs, and a reflector come in a single package, and they don’t generate too much heat thus don’t need a cooling system. However, they are less efficient and their light per unit of electricity used will generate 20-30% less.
- Light emitting diode (LED) lights
LED lights are very common in growing marijuana indoors as they create less heat, use less electricity, and provide efficient lighting that can maximize your yields, but they are very expensive. If you choose to buy this for your marijuana indoor gardening, be very careful and read product reviews because you might land on a counterfeit.
- Induction grow lights
Induction grow lights have been there since 1800. They are efficient and last longer. However, they are very expensive and you might damage your bank accounts just to purchase them.
Importance of lighting
Light is paramount in plant life as it serves as a primary source of energy and helps in their survival. Plants get energy from light through photosynthesis during which, light energy is converted into chemical energy which results in the production of sugars such as glucose and provides food to the plants. Therefore, through sunlight, the plants get enough food to grow, live, and reproduce.
Lighting is needed for plants’ growth and development. When you provide cannabis plants with sufficient lighting, they grow strong and healthy and failure to provide light makes your plants to be thin and weak.
- Provide air for your marijuana plants
For plants to grow excellently, they require fresh air and carbon dioxide is required for photosynthesis. This means that your plants need a steady stream of air which can easily be achieved by placing an exhaust fan at the top of the room. Note that the size of the fan depends on the heat generated by the lighting system you choose and the available grow space.
The temperature in the growing space ranges from 70-80 degrees F when lights are on and 58-70 degrees F when lights are off. Use a wall thermometer to monitor the temperature and use devices such as air conditioners and heaters to manipulate it as needed. A constant light breeze is also paramount in the growing area as it strengthens the stems of the plants and prevents the buildup of flying pests and molds.
- Monitor humidity
Humidity is simply the amount of water vapor in the air and can be adjusted in the growing space using dehumidifiers and humidifiers. During the vegetative stage, cannabis plants thrive well in the humid environment and high humidity, and less humidity during the flowering stage.
- Decide on the medium to grow your plants
Growing cannabis indoors gives you various mediums to choose from, as you can grow them on a Rockwool slap in a hydroponic tray or a pot full of soil. Soil is a perfect choice and it’s advisable to use organic pre-fertilized soil which is perfect from start to finish and will ensure that your plants grow healthy and strong.
- Feed your cannabis plants with nutrients
High-quality cannabis flowers need more nutrients than other common crops. They require primary nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and smaller quantities of micronutrients such as copper, iron, calcium, and magnesium. Feeding your plants with appropriate nutrients at least once in a week is paramount for healthy plant growth. The nutrients are sold in powder or concentrated liquid, and you are supposed to mix them with water as stated in the label, then water your cannabis plants.
- Watering your cannabis plants
It is advisable to water your cannabis plants with the water you use for domestic consumption. This is because some water may be concentrated with dissolved minerals which can build up in the root zone and affect their nutrient intake.
- Drying and curing
Drying and curing your yields is equally important like any other stage in the growing cycle. A moist condition is a perfect thriving environment for molds, and therefore, dry and cure your buds completely to remove moisture and reduce the chances of mold formation.
Final thoughts
Growing marijuana seems to be a complicated process but it is easy and anyone can do it and even for the first time expect tremendous results. Besides, you don’t require a large space because you can even grow them in your bedroom. Therefore, if you love marijuana and you’d like to consume as much as you want, grow them indoors and you will never regret.
