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1. Be Prepared. Take time to design your grow system to provide the plants with proper light, nutrients, air flow, and water. This should include studying the cannabis plant’s needs. Ed Rosenthal is a guru of cannabis grow and any number of his books are a good investment. Envision numerous scenarios that could occur relating to the care and maintenance of your plants (like mite infestation, power failure, etc.) and plan ahead.
2. Be Secure. Growing marijuana is an illegal activity in many countries, therefore serious precautions must be taken so that the police do not find out about your garden. Be discreet about your cannabis supply and take security measures such as door locks and odor control methods when appropriate.
3. Take Light Poisoning Seriously. During its vegetative growth period, cannabis responds favorably to long periods of light. However, cannabis cultivated indoors must be in complete darkness for 12 hours a day in order to flower properly. Some sativa varieties even need 12-14 hours of dark to fully mature. Make sure that your flowering chamber is completely dark when the lights are off and do not disturb that darkness unless there is an emergency!
4. Do not over water or over fertilize. New growers are very likely to either over water or over fertilize their plants. Allow plants to go through complete wet-dry cycles when in soil to avoid rotting problems. Always start fertilizers at a safe dosage and then make small increases in fertilizer until plant leaves look dark green and iridescent.
5. Monitor pH levels. The pH of hydroponic nutrient solution should be kept at 6.3. A digital pH meter is essential for hydroponic systems. If you plan to grow in soil and not hydroponically, a pH of 6.5-6.8 is more desirable and can be tested with a number of soil tester kits.
6. Keep records of your gardening activities. It’s virtually impossible to remember all the dates of planting, fertilizing schedules, and other maintenance information that is important to have.
7. Remember to Flush before harvest. In order to achieve a harvest that has a smooth smoking quality, its important to give your plants only water for at least seven days prior to harvest.
8. Wait for peak ripeness. A 30x hand held microscope is a handy tool to examine the THC glands. Harvest should occur when these glands have full heads and a cloudy color. Pistils are also another indicator of ripeness; when 3 out of four pistils are withered red or brown, the buds are nearing perfection.
9. Dry and Cure properly. Fine herb must be dried slowly. Faster is not better. Cannabis buds are ideally dried in a cool, dark location with a humidity of 40-60%. Ideally they are dried in a way that doesn’t crush their natural shape. This should take 5-10 days. Cannabis is dry and can be smoked when stems audibly snap, but properly curing buds takes an additional 3-4 weeks. Curing your buds is as simple as putting them in an airtight container (mason jars work best) and waiting. This allows flavors to fully develop and is well worth the wait.
10. Enjoy! What is better than the fruits of your own labor and love?
Growers’ Connections
Grow Books:
Monkey’s Retreat, 1202 N. High St, Columbus OH, 614-294-9511
Ed Rosenthall’s books - www.quicktrading.com
Equipment:
Garden Indoors (2 locations)
1222 Hill Rd North, Pickerington, OH
614-866-6065
4720 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH
614-262-1600
Local Hardware and Garden Stores
Seeds: Marc Emery Seeds Direct
www.emeryseeds.com
or see any Cannabis Culture for catalog
Online Resources:
www.overgrow.com
www.cannabisculture.com/chat
2. Be Secure. Growing marijuana is an illegal activity in many countries, therefore serious precautions must be taken so that the police do not find out about your garden. Be discreet about your cannabis supply and take security measures such as door locks and odor control methods when appropriate.
3. Take Light Poisoning Seriously. During its vegetative growth period, cannabis responds favorably to long periods of light. However, cannabis cultivated indoors must be in complete darkness for 12 hours a day in order to flower properly. Some sativa varieties even need 12-14 hours of dark to fully mature. Make sure that your flowering chamber is completely dark when the lights are off and do not disturb that darkness unless there is an emergency!
4. Do not over water or over fertilize. New growers are very likely to either over water or over fertilize their plants. Allow plants to go through complete wet-dry cycles when in soil to avoid rotting problems. Always start fertilizers at a safe dosage and then make small increases in fertilizer until plant leaves look dark green and iridescent.
5. Monitor pH levels. The pH of hydroponic nutrient solution should be kept at 6.3. A digital pH meter is essential for hydroponic systems. If you plan to grow in soil and not hydroponically, a pH of 6.5-6.8 is more desirable and can be tested with a number of soil tester kits.
6. Keep records of your gardening activities. It’s virtually impossible to remember all the dates of planting, fertilizing schedules, and other maintenance information that is important to have.
7. Remember to Flush before harvest. In order to achieve a harvest that has a smooth smoking quality, its important to give your plants only water for at least seven days prior to harvest.
8. Wait for peak ripeness. A 30x hand held microscope is a handy tool to examine the THC glands. Harvest should occur when these glands have full heads and a cloudy color. Pistils are also another indicator of ripeness; when 3 out of four pistils are withered red or brown, the buds are nearing perfection.
9. Dry and Cure properly. Fine herb must be dried slowly. Faster is not better. Cannabis buds are ideally dried in a cool, dark location with a humidity of 40-60%. Ideally they are dried in a way that doesn’t crush their natural shape. This should take 5-10 days. Cannabis is dry and can be smoked when stems audibly snap, but properly curing buds takes an additional 3-4 weeks. Curing your buds is as simple as putting them in an airtight container (mason jars work best) and waiting. This allows flavors to fully develop and is well worth the wait.
10. Enjoy! What is better than the fruits of your own labor and love?
Growers’ Connections
Grow Books:
Monkey’s Retreat, 1202 N. High St, Columbus OH, 614-294-9511
Ed Rosenthall’s books - www.quicktrading.com
Equipment:
Garden Indoors (2 locations)
1222 Hill Rd North, Pickerington, OH
614-866-6065
4720 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH
614-262-1600
Local Hardware and Garden Stores
Seeds: Marc Emery Seeds Direct
www.emeryseeds.com
or see any Cannabis Culture for catalog
Online Resources:
www.overgrow.com
www.cannabisculture.com/chat