The legalization of cannabis in North America and some European countries is a pointer to high demand. Outdoor cultivation is quite cheap, conventional and may not require much special treatment but it is not easy to maintain and keep private. Small-scale cultivation of cannabis accounts for the biggest share of the market supply. With legalization, the idea of cultivating cannabis in backyard gardens is projected to overtake indoor cultivation in a few years. Indoor cultivation still proves to be easy and convenient in many ways as well.
Things you need to know about natural requirements for the Outdoor growing of cannabis.
. Before the 12/12 photoperiod, the plant needs more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium to be more vegetative. Fertilizers have well-labeled content of each.
. Cannabis survives best in temperatures between 76 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH of 5.7 and 6.5.
. A humidity of 40% to 60% is best for the crop. For hydrophonic and aeroponic cultivation, instructions on vegetative cultivation will be outlined.
. Cannabis is customized to grow in the summer when there is high light intensity and flower in the autumn at natural cycles of 16 to 20 light hours in vegetative growth and 10 to 12 light hours when flowering which naturally comes in autumn.
Preparing To Grow Marijuana Indoors.
The closer your indoor conditions reflect the outdoor conditions the higher it's levels of productivity. Cannabis is natured to grow in natural outdoor conditions. Lighting, ventilation and growth medium need to reflect the most optimal conditions of outdoor cannabis cultivation.
High-pressure sodium lamps offer the best light for vegetative growth. You need to keep the light close to the plant and avoid getting too close as the light bleaches the plant leaves. 2 feet above the cannabis is enough for photosynthesis and avoids hurting the leaves.
If you opt for fluorescent and LED lights, a reflector will still be necessary to evenly distribute light to all the plants. Using a reflector also reduces the heating in the chamber caused by the bulbs. You should keep the light at about 10 cm from the plants for effective results.
For the lighting to work effectively, an optimal 18 hours in the vegetative phase will keep the plants healthy. You need to keep this cycle for the period between seedling appearance and the time you see the first sign of bracts at the base of the branches.
Whatever method you use to provide lights for cannabis, employing an automatic switch is the best way to ensure an uninterrupted cycle. The cost of providing lighting is what makes indoor cannabis cultivation more expensive than it takes to grow outdoors.
Indoor marijuana will take 2 to 6 weeks to reach the full stretch depending on the strain during which it starts to flower. After the plant reaches full stretch, you have to be vigilant, late induction of the 10/14 or 12/12 photoperiod will affect the quality of the buds. Strains take as little as 7 days in this stage.
After growing the seventh set of branches, the cannabis has entered the full vegetative phase. Nutrient supplementation in the vegetation stage needs to have as much nitrogen as possible.
Special nutrients and potassium should increase as the plant approaches its full height. However, for autoflowering plants, the NPK content should be even within the first two weeks after the start of vegetativeness.
Hydrophonic and aeroponic growing mediums have induced nutrition that keeps the plants healthy in this phase. Investing in a pH tester and a barometer will help you determine if the medium is optimal.
Overfeeding the plant will cause more work than necessary, washing out excess nutrients is tiresome and more costly. Using a sprayed fertilizer allows you to keep nutrients regulated and effective.
A natural cycle reflects both cold and dry seasons. Cannabis has the potential to survive some extent of reduced water concentration. When the medium is saturated with water, the leaves become yellow and the trunk begins to rot.
Cannabis depends on aerobic bacteria to provide nutrients to the roots. Too much water induces anaerobic bacteria that eats at the aerobic bacteria and the root cells as well.
It is important to ensure your last water input is used up before adding more. Do not let the plants to start wilting before watering, the leaves should be allowed to stay green and tender.
You must install a cooler just above the lights to avoid overheating due to the long light hours. A fern on the sides of the tent will ensure even aeration in the whole tent.
These are the other requirements for growing marijuana in the house.
A growing tent to mark out your in-house garden.
some people prefer to do it without one. You can also use plywood, boxes or plastic bags to reduce costs as long as the lighting and ventilation will be installed effectively.
Buckets or pots with soil.
The soil you put in the buckets should be as nutritious as possible. You should use manure or fertilizer as long as you keep the pH in the right levels.
Holes at the bottom and the sides for proper aeration and easy outflow of excess water is necessary.
A place to hold the overflow after watering.
Stagnant water attracts bugs and makes your gardening more difficult.
Yields
. Sativa and Indica produce THC. The heavier the buds the better the produce.
. Ruderalis produces more CBN. The autoflowering ability of this strain makes it the greatest choice for quick flowering seedlings.
Before choosing your seedling you have to consider these factors
Space, taller plants may need more room.
The time you are planning to devote to the plant till maturity.
Your expected yield. THC or CBD?
Your indoor growing budget.
Ventilation and the level of odor you are willing to sustain.
Here is a look at the seed types you can choose from
. Royal Gorilla Automatic
. Royal cookies automatic.
Feminized Seeds.
Female Seeds produce the THC. It is a strain they develop in an attempt to get their seeds fertilized when pollens do not appear before summer ends. This is why the reduction in light intensity also increases the yield not just inducing flowering.
Feminized seeds have a higher concentration of pure x chromosome plants, they cost more though.
Some strains are hybred with rudeliaris to induce autoflowering. The classic species will need light reduction patterns to induce flowering.
These are some popular examples.
. White Widow
. Amnesia Haze
. Royal Cheese
The choice and cost will depend on your local customer preference. Indoor cultivation is expensive and it needs experience on user needs before choosing which seeds to plant. The cultivation goes through four main stages.
Indoor Marijuana Cultivation
Germination.
Cannabis seedlings are germinated in temperatures around 65F and a moist dark environment. It is best to use a medium that closely resembles the actual conditions in which you want to grow cannabis. This reduces the shock on the seedlings after planting. The germination medium needs to have a high concentration of nutrients and allow you to transfer seedlings easily.
Germination can also be induced using hormones it ensures the perfect germination for all the seeds. The seed has enough nutrients to sustain it in the seedling face which takes 1 to 8 days.
Using a soil medium helps the plant to take root in the soil and imitates the natural environment of growth. This reduces shock after planting allowing the plant to gain strength quickly and produce the first leaves. You can use pellets or seedling plugs to germinate the plants. All you will need to do is place the seedlings in your ''mini garden'' after the taproots appear.
The other methods include
. Use of wet paper towels
. Germinating in water.
. Employ a germination station/quick sprout incubator.
When using these methods to germinate indoor marijuana, you must be cautious to avoid shocking the plant. You should give the seedling enough depth for the taproot to reach the soil and the cotyledon to get light supply for initiating the vegetation phase.
planting the seedlings directly in the growing medium is also a good option, soaking the seedlings for at least 12 hours before planting is needed. Spraying a germination supplement will increase the chances of your seeds germinating. This method has the greatest advantages in terms of plant adaptation. You won't have to transfer your plants.
Things to consider in the germination phase
. The seeds are delicate, breaking the taproots kills the plants.
. After transfer, optimum conditions need to be kept, don't subject the seedlings to any tough conditions.
. Consistent warmth and watering are required at this stage.
. Do not spray them with folia fertilizer just yet, be patient and let the plant adapt to the environment.
. The growing medium needs to be well set for the planting before transferring your seedlings.
The Leafy Phase.
This is a very crucial time for your plants, it bridges between a successful transition from the seedling phase all the way to the flowering phase. This phase lasts from 2 to six weeks depending on the strain. Most average strains will produce bracts at after just 4 weeks.
During the vegetative phase, plant photosynthesis is growth-centered. You have to ensure that aeration is at its maximum in this period. The 18 hours of light are a must at the start of the stage. The roots are growing fast. You have to make sure that the roots can draw nutrients effectively from your medium. The root tips are the main focus, if they seem to outgrow your medium, an adjustment may be necessary.
The plant becomes bushy after the first three weeks, you have to ensure that you have at least 4 pairs of branches before pruning your plants. Pruning trains the plant to concentrate on flowering and reaching full growth in the required time.
Applying liquid fertilizer at this time increases foliage strength and penetrates nutrients deep to the root tips. If you sense signs of wilting or a yellow and brown color on the leaves, you should consider using special nutrients such as magnesium and more phosphorus to strengthen the plant.
The taller plants that stand out in height with few branches and pinnacle shaped pollen buds are male. These signs of a male plant are red flags. You have to cull them to avoid pollinating the females as it may cause low yields.
The males are a good source of sinsemilla if you have customers in need of medical marijuana. When you notice signs of bracts, it is time to induce the 12/12 photoperiod to your indoor marijuana garden. The darkness reduces growth hormones and increases production of flowering hormones.
Flowering.
This occurs after reducing light hours to 12 or 10in some cases, they both work. The plant does less photosynthesis and grows rapidly to up to double its vegetative height to gain the flowering stretch. This time, the plant focuses more on the buds with reduced leaf multiplication. If the buds are taking too long to grow, it may be a sign of nutrient deficiency. You should continue applying micronutrient supplements.
This is the final phase of your gardening. It takes just 6 weeks in sativa hybrids, indica species take longer, some over 20 weeks. After the buds start growing, you should adhere to your 12/12 light intensity until they fatten up and start changing color.
Harvesting.
The hard work can be greatly hindered by immature harvesting, late harvesting also achieves buds with a reduced trichome potency. Indoor marijuana needs to be harvested at the peak of trichome accumulation.
You could use simple jeweler's loupe lens to check the hairs on the buds, at maximum potency, the hairs tend to change color and bend with the increase in trichome deposit. This method is cheaper, you can find a jeweler's loupe lens online but you need an extra keen eye to get it right with this method.
The digital magnifying lens is the best for identifying optimal trichome levels. You should analyze the trichome potency by using a digital scanner. Physical testing can be a great way to ensure that you achieved the best quality product.
These are the Advantages of Growing Marijuana at home.
. Total control over the inputs for higher quality.
. Increased privacy.
. Easy to harvest even multiple times to get the best trichome levels.
. Easy monitoring and maintenance.
. Quality yields with fewer bugs compared to when you grow it outdoors.
The potential user of the cannabis should be your main focus as you cultivate your cannabis. Before choosing to grow cannabis, you need experience as a user or training on all the practices needed for the best yield. The legal implications of growing marijuana indoors can be severe if you are not discrete enough, sativa has less odor and may be a good resort.
