By Catherine Deleon
Are you ready to start growing cannabis? Luckily, you do not have to start from scratch. For starters, you can grow cannabis indoors as well as outdoors. The jury is split on which is better, but there are plenty of secrets you can use to set up a cannabis garden today.
For the cannabis plant to grow and thrive, you will need to provide the following items:
- Light – sunlight or grow lights
- Growing medium – soil is not your only option
- Air – you need a space with a slight breeze and well-ventilated
- Temperature – extreme temperatures will kill your cannabis plants
- Nutrients – you can compost your own nutrients or buy pre-formulated nutrients
- Water – this is a necessary component for growth
Below, we’ll look at tested and proven secrets of how to successfully grow cannabis, both indoors and outside.
Select the Best Cannabis Strains
Cannabis buds vary in smell, look, and the effects they give the consumer. For this reason, you need to know what you want to achieve with your cannabis garden. You should consider the following:
- Do you want to grow cannabis for recreational or medicinal use?
- Do you want physical or mental effects?
- What kind of smell and appearance are you looking for?
- What is your preferred harvest cycle?
There are different strains, and they will determine the process of cultivating cannabis in your garden. The secret here is to know what you are looking for: sativa, indica, or auto-flowering strains.
How to Set Up an Indoor Cannabis Garden
Most cannabis growers prefer indoor gardens since they often grow the largest, healthiest buds and are not susceptible to the unpredictability of the outdoor environment. Indoor gardens include:
Lights
First, you need a lightproof room. During the vegetative phase, the plants will need 18 hours of light in a day and six hours of darkness. For the flowering stage, you will need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
You will need 400-watt HPS/MH or LED lights during the vegetative phase. However, for the flowering phase, you will need 600-watt HPS lamps for every square meter. To maximize the amount of light in the garden, you need highly reflective white walls.
A time switch will allow you to provide the required amount of light and darkness in each phase. With that said, regular bulbs will not work.
T5 fluorescent lights are best during the cloning, propagation, and seedling stages. During the vegetative stage, you should switch from the T5 fluorescent lamps.
Air Circulation and Ventilation
You will need an airtight grow tent or room, and a carbon filter in the indoor cannabis garden. You will also need an air extractor to remove the heat from the lamps.
Since the plants require carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, you will need a fresh air intake to supply fresh air and carbon dioxide for your cannabis plants. You will also need a fan to provide efficient air circulation.
Humidity and Water System Management
Humidity is the amount of water moisture in the air. You need the right amount of moisture in the garden for the growth process. Too much moisture will cause mold and fungus growth in the buds. Too little humidity, on the other hand, will cause your cannabis plants to go dry.
Occasionally, you will find that water will run from your grow pots and on to the floor. For this reason, you will need to waterproof your floors to avoid water damage to your property.
Temperature
During the time that the lamps are on, it is best to have higher temperatures than during the hours of darkness. Preferably, the temperature in your cannabis garden should be between 64 and 86 degrees. However, the optimum temperature should be regulated at 77 degrees, something you can achieve with LED grow lights.
The lamps will provide sufficient heating when they are on. However, during the hours of darkness, you might want to invest in a heater.
With increased legalization of cannabis, many people are looking to get in on the business. However, only a few growers will find success. With the above tips for setting up your cannabis garden, you too can grow high-quality buds.
