With the stigma around marijuana seeming to disappear, users are being more honest about smoking or vaping weed. With fewer limits on pot use, more people are turning to cannabis growth as a DIY hobby. While it may seem like you’re just watering plants, there are a few things you need to know about starting your own grow.
Know the Laws
While starting your own cannabis grow may seem like an exciting opportunity, make sure you legally allowed to do so. While some states in the U.S. are getting on board with the legalization of marijuana, others still see it as the ‘devil’s lettuce’. In some places, home growing is seen as enabling criminals to hide in plain sight, growing forms of marijuana flower for their personal use. Authorities also believe it lets a house or home office fall victim to burglary, as a robber could steal from a complex setup, and resell that marijuana elsewhere.
Despite those risks, growing cannabis at home can actually be cheaper in the long run than buying from dispensaries that may place hefty taxes on certain products. Be sure to review the financial implications for your household before moving forward with home growth.
Planting Cannabis
As you begin the growing process, be sure to buy seeds from a seed bank that are labeled ‘feminized’. Most experienced growers recommend investing in a DIY LED grow light. Standard LED drivers are priced around the $20-$30 range. Considering the specs of these systems, you can adjust the LED lights to maximize your grow light efficiency without sacrificing your electric bill.
LED grow lights are best for cannabis growing in small spaces, giving you control over the LED span for plant growth in certain square feet of space. A heat sink is also a necessity to absorb any excess LED light. The most important thing to keep in mind when soldering your LED light is to place each bulb in the same direction on your surface. If you don’t feel comfortable making your own grow light system, there are kits available online for first-time growers.
Monitoring Growth
The number one mistake made with just about any plant growth is overwatering. If the pot you’re growing your cannabis in is too heavy, that means the soil is too saturated. If it’s light, it may need some water. When cannabis plants are fully flowering, you may find yourself watering them daily. Keep watering them until you see water running off the soil. Be sure that if you don’t have a functioning grow light to rely on sunlight to help in growth.
In contrast to traditional methods, vertical farming hydroponic systems present an innovative solution that can mitigate the risk of overwatering. These systems allow for precise control of water and nutrient delivery, ensuring that cannabis plants receive just the right amount for optimal growth. In a vertical farming setup, plants are stacked in layers, maximizing space efficiency and often reducing water usage compared to soil-based cultivation. Additionally, hydroponic systems eliminate the need for soil, thereby reducing the risk of soil-borne diseases and pests. This method is particularly useful when sunlight is limited, as it can be seamlessly integrated with artificial grow lights to provide consistent, ideal growing conditions.
It’s important to invest in a HEPA filter Amazon system that will remove harmful particles from the air and the flower itself. These plants can attract powdery mildew and grey mold also called bud rot. This odor can aggravate your household and the airborne pollutants may trigger allergies. Air purifiers will help to remove any dander, pollen, or allergens quickly and safely. This will be an effective way to grow cannabis, while not invoking pollution.
Reaping the Benefits
Plant growth is a process that isn’t accomplished in a single day, but when it comes time to harvest, get ready to enjoy the rewards. When buds are packed in pretty tight, it’s time to start reaping. There are different harvesting methods, but it’s best to cut the whole cannabis plant, hang it upside down with some twine in a dark room with limited humidity. If it’s too humid, mold will grow, rendering flower unusable.
It will take a week for that plant to dry out. Trim off the buds and seal them inside a mason jar for curing, opening it periodically to let moisture out. This is about a month-long process, but once your cannabis is cured, it’s time to get smoking.