The idea of having a cannabis plant at home and to never have the need to visit a dispensary again is always thrilling for a cannabis user. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to restock or spend another penny out of your pocket. But, is growing your own cannabis plant that easy or satisfying?
Well, it may be a fulfilling experience eventually, but you will have to make some effort in the beginning. So, how do you grow your first marijuana plant? Here’s a step by step guide for you.
Check In With Your County Laws
As per the state cannabis laws, cultivation of cannabis is legal in California for medical as well as recreational use. So this means you can grow cannabis in your home, right? Not really.
While the state allows legal cultivation, every county of California has cannabis cultivation laws of their own. (If it was not confusing enough already). For example, Sacramento does not allow cannabis cultivation. But, in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, you have the legal right to grow cannabis.
Likewise, the county laws can also be different in other aspects. For example, the maximum number of plants allowed for legal cultivation, whether or not you can grow cannabis outdoors, or if you need a California MMJ Card to grow cannabis legally, etc. So, when you decide to grow cannabis at home, make sure to go through your cannabis laws thoroughly.
Choose The Right Grow Medium
A grow medium is defined as the medium where your cannabis plants develop their root systems. The most common one is soil. However, there are other mediums too that you can use for home cultivation. This includes rockwool, hydroponics, perlite and more.
Now, which is the best one for you? The answer to the question will depend on a few things.
First, your budget. Potting soil is an inexpensive medium and easily available while hydroponics and perlite may require you to loosen your pocket a little more.
Second, your time. Some growing mediums like aeroponics and rockwool offer shorter growing time. And compared to soil, hydroponics requires less maintenance and effort.
Buy Seeds From A Reliable Source
The quality of seeds or plants you get will determine whether or not you will have a successful harvest. So, make sure that you get yours from a reliable source.
The secret to buying good quality seeds is :
- Choosing the right strain – Indica, Sativa or Hybrid
- Buying only new seeds
- Going for feminized seeds.
The same tips apply to when you are buying cannabis seedlings.
Balance The Three Essentials – Light, Water and Nutrients
Once you have gathered the right medium and growing space, you need to learn about the three essentials for growing a cannabis plant – light, water and nutrients. At every stage of growth, your cannabis plants require each of these three essentials in different ratios.
If you are growing cannabis indoors, you need to invest in grow lights with the right spectrum of light for maximum yield. In addition to giving your plants enough light, you also need to figure out the ‘dark hours’ to make sure your plants are not stressed.
Likewise, your watering schedule needs to be balanced so that you neither smother your plants with excess water and neither shrink them to death.
The third essential is nutrients. Your cannabis plants need macro and micronutrients. While Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are categorized as macro, boron, calcium and copper are some of the micro nutrients. Your cannabis plant doesn’t need all of them at the same time. However, there are certain indicators that will help you feed the right nutrients at the right time.
Don’t Forget To Enjoy the Process
As with any planting and growing experience, taking care of your plant, and watching it grow from seed to flower can be a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience. Enjoying the fruits of your labor can make it that much more rewarding.
Gayton Stafford is a passionate blogger. He has been writing about health, medical marijuana, strains and cannabis laws for the past five years.
