15 Essential Tips For Growing Cannabis in 2023
Whether you're new to growing cannabis or looking to improve your yields, following these key tips can help ensure a successful harvest.
From choosing the right seeds and optimizing your equipment to perfecting drying and curing techniques, we've compiled 15 of the most vital dos and don'ts for caring for your cannabis plants.
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1. Keep It Simple and Don't Rush
Growing cannabis for the first time? It's smart to start simple before getting fancy. Trust me, an elaborate setup as a beginner will only stress you out and make errors more likely.
I suggest starting with 2-4 plants in an easy-to-manage space. A spare closet or small tent works nicely indoors. This way you can focus attention on each plant's needs without getting overwhelmed.
Both indoor and outdoor cannabis plants take time to mature. Don't rush the process by taking shortcuts. If you let them properly vegetate and flower, your plants will reward you with much nicer yields and potency.
Once you become an expert at meeting cannabis' basic needs, then you can try getting creative. But for now, start modestly for best results. The fancy stuff can wait!
2. Select Your Strain Carefully
Each strain contains multiple genetics to give it an upper hand in weed growing. Some are better suited for the outdoors, and others are resistant to high and low temperatures. All the seeds are grouped into one of three categories. They are autoflower, feminized, and regular.
Autoflowering cannabis seeds are the easiest option for beginners. They do well in outdoor and indoor environments. Feminized cannabis seeds are more of a moderate level of growing. Generally, they do not produce male plants, but you need to manage the light cycle to initiate the flowering phase.
Regular seeds are suited for more skilled growers. You need to keep an eye on the sex of the plants and remove them to avoid pollination.
3. Keep Your Grow Environment Clean
When cultivating marijuana inside, you should keep the area clean. Fungus, mold, and bacteria can harm the growing plants. Cannabis is the most vulnerable during the seedling stage. Luckily, the indoor environment leaves you with more control of the conditions.
If you use a grow tent, you can wipe it down with anti-bacterial wipes. If pathogen issues arise, fully disinfect the space. Growers have less control over the environment in outdoor cultivation. Pests and pathogens also pose a problem for your plants. You can use organic insecticide that is safe for marijuana.
4. Provide Airflow and Ventilation at All Times
Airflow is essential to produce cannabis in any type of environment. A gentle breeze circulating through the leaves can help the plant remain strong. Not to mention, fresh air may keep some pests and mold away. After all, they thrive in areas of heat and high humidity.
Outside, the plants should be in an area where they can experience winds. However, strong winds can hurt the leaves and branches. Inside, it is necessary to create airflow to mimic outdoor conditions with ventilation.
An exhaust system uses fans to keep the air moving. You can have it running continuously or every few minutes, depending on the size of the grow space.
5. Container and Pot Size Matters
Most growers prefer using fabric, smart, and air pots when growing marijuana. The type you choose can depend on where you plan to produce cannabis. When you select the pot or container, remember that the size matters. Even some outdoor plants remain in pots for mobility.
A bigger container often leads to a larger yield size. The increase in space gives the roots more freedom to grow out. The best size is 10-15 liters, but some people use pots that go up to 25 liters. If you grow indoors, keep in mind that large containers take up more room.
People with limited grow space often use smaller pots. Sure, the plants do not grow as big, but there is room for more plants to make up for it.
6. Use Quality Soil or Grow Hydro
You would not want to use any type of soil lying around. The growing medium you put down should contain the necessary minerals for a healthy marijuana plant. Nutrient-rich soil is essential during the seedling stage. There are other characteristics of quality soil to look for as well.
For example, the texture should be light and loose. Loose soil ensures the growing weed plant gets enough oxygen. Of course, the texture allows for better drainage.
You might have come across a growing medium called hydroponics. It is a soil-less method that uses water as the main medium. Cannabis produced with hydroponics can grow faster and have bigger yields. Nutrients are more readily available to plants.
7. Give your plants enough space
Another helpful tip is to provide ample spacing between plants. The branches extend outward as marijuana gets bigger. The branches will rub and bunch up together if the crop is overcrowded. As a result, the humidity increases around the plants.
Airflow might not circulate through the leaves effectively, and mold may grow. Another reason why such spacing is essential includes competition. The plants will not have to compete for light.
Each plant should have enough space to grow to its full potential. You can determine the spacing based on the number of plants and type of strains. The average distance is six inches.
8. Support Your Plants Branches
As you grow some large buds, you will need a way to support the plant. The branches can only carry so much weight before they break. The main stem might collapse from the weight of the flowers. Growers can use specific tools to support their plants.
You can use string and stakes to keep the plant upright. The items secure the colas and take some load off. Other people use ropes instead. Another option is a net or trellising, which people use for outdoor gardens. Some people place wire tomato cages around their plants.
9. Monitor and Maintain pH, Temperature, and Humidity
As mentioned before, high humidity and temperature raise the risk of mold and bacteria. Nevertheless, the humidity cannot be too low since marijuana needs to replace the water it loses. A cold temperature could slow plant growth or kill it. Extreme heat could hurt cannabis as well.
At the seedling stage, the temperature should be between 68 and 77 degrees. The environment needs to have 65-70% humidity. During the vegetative stage, the heat can go up to 86 degrees, and the humidity can go as low as 40%. For the flowering phase, it should be 68-77 degrees and 40-50% humidity.
Growers need to monitor the pH of the growing medium, and cannabis prefers a slightly more acidic environment. In general, the soil should be 6.0-7.0 pH, but hydroponics can be 5.5-6.5 pH. You can start with 6.5 pH and move closer to 6.0 in the vegetative and flowering phases.
10. Use, but Don't Overuse, Nutrients
Weed plants need various nutrients for different purposes. A couple of them deal with chlorophyll, and others play an essential role in producing healthy buds. The macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Micronutrients include calcium, magnesium, copper, and iron.
Each growth phase requires different levels of every mineral. The seedling stage should have enough in the growing medium, and plants do not need extra nutrients.
A deficiency could lead to stunted plant growth. It is necessary not to overfeed the plant with nutrients. Too much can result in something called nutrient burn. The leaf tips turn brown, and cannabis cannot move water and minerals within the plant.
You can reduce the number of nutrients to reverse nutrient burn.
11. Don't Shock or Stress Your Plants
Like people, plants can respond poorly to stress. Too much of it can lead to shock. The effects of shock can vary in severity. Stress can leave cannabis vulnerable to pests and pathogens, and it can impact the yield size. Weed plants may have trouble absorbing light.
Some stems droop, and others wilt completely. Stress and shock can even kill weed plants. Changes in temperatures, soil, and other conditions cause stress. When you transplant cannabis, there is a risk of shock. Transplanting should occur at the right time to reduce the negative effects.
You can prevent stress by avoiding interruptions in the light cycle and maintaining an ideal temperature.
12. Use Quality Water and Don't Overwater
Cannabis requires to be filtered or pH-neutral water to stay healthy. It is vital to use quality water, since different sources contain various minerals and bacteria. Some bacteria negatively impact plant cultivation. Also, if the water goes above 7 pH, the soil could become more alkaline. Alkaline soil means that plants have a hard time absorbing nutrients.
A common issue among growers is overwatering. Brown leaf edges and drooping are signs that the plant has too much. Watering too often reduces how much oxygen the roots receive. It is necessary to have enough time between water breaks and water slowly until everything goes back to normal.
13. Provide Controlled Drought Stress
While overwatering is an issue, so is a drought. A heavy drought causes stress, which leads to smaller yields or death. However, some growers control it in moderation. The stress initiates secondary metabolite production. Growers can increase the cannabinoid and terpene content in their crops.
Controlled drought stress needs to be carefully done since it can be difficult at times. Skilled cultivators are more likely to use the technique. People apply drought stress during the flowering phase. You must perform the method slowly and watch closely for wilting.
14. Flush Before Harvesting
Another technique that people find beneficial is flushing roots. The process has you wash extra nutrients from the roots to enjoy better-tasting weed. When smoking, you might experience a sore and itchy throat if you did not clean the root system.
You would flush weed in case of a nutrient lockout. The best time is before a harvest, but the pre-harvest moment can depend on the type of soil you use.
The simple process involves filling the soil with water until it cannot absorb anymore. If you use a container, the water should drain out of the hole at the bottom. When the drainage becomes clear, you have finished flushing.
15. Harvest, Dry, and Cure Properly
When it finally comes time to harvest your weed plants, it should get done at the right time. Harvesting too early can mean a lower yield size with non-potent buds. You could miss when THC reaches its peak if you wait too long. The final product could make you drowsy without any positive effects.
You can tell the plant is ready when 50-70% of the pistils turn brown and dry. Under a microscope, the trichomes will appear milky white to yellow. After harvesting, the next important step is drying and curing your crop.
Drying allows cannabis to be edible and prevents it from scratching your throat. Of course, mold will not grow when you cure your harvest. Curing maximizes the quality of your weed. It preserves the terpenes and enhances the overall flavor.
Use These Cannabis Grow Tips for Your Next Grow!
Now, you are closer to becoming a master at growing cannabis. It may seem like a lot of tips to remember, but you will get the hang of it after enough practice. You do not have to stop at these tips. Visit our homepage to discover more advice for indoor and outdoor cultivation. If you are interested in getting quality strains, contact us to know which one is right for you.