What To Know About Weed Farming
As weed has become more legal and prominent to smoke, quietly, so has the cultivation of weed! Many states (24) now allow you to grow and consume your own marijuana, generally with a set number of plants you're allowed to grow (often six). And if you’re able to grow weed in your state why wouldn’t you? It can be a really fun hobby and maybe even save you some money in the long run. Cause remember, you can't use a bong, pipe or even a rig without the hardworking folk who farm this beautiful crop for us! This guide will tell you all you need to know about the basics of weed farming and how to get set up.
The Basics
Growing weed isn’t rocket science, but it can still be challenging— as growing any plant can be. It requires patients, persistence, and some basic knowledge about the right ways to cultivate it. Here is some general information helpful for growing weed:
- Cannabis is a warm-season plant- cannabis plants thrive in temperate climates and cannot survive the winter, they grow and die each year.
- The time it takes to grow a plant varies- The growth method you choose and the size of the plant will have a great impact on the growth time. The range for how long weed plants take to grow is between 10-32 weeks.
- Weed can grow indoors- You need to determine if you want to grow weed indoors or outdoors. Indoor growing requires more equipment but can be done year-round.
- There are two ways to start a marijuana plant: One way to start the plant is with a seed, which will need to germinate to grow into a seedling. The other way to start a marijuana plant is with a clone. Starting with a clone means taking part of another plant and replanting that in the ground. With this method, the new plant will contain the same genetic makeup as the original.
- The stages of weed growth- after the seedling phase your plant will enter its vegetative state, which is the longest stage. This is when the plant will grow a main stalk and also fan out branches. After this is the flowering stage, where the plant begins to grow buds. Two months after this your plant will be ready for harvest.
What Do Marijuana Plants Need to Survive
Light: As with most plants, marijuana plants require light to grow properly. The weed plant is a photoperiod plant, which means the rate at which it grows is completely determined by the amount of light it gets. The more light a plant receives, the faster it will grow.
Water: Weed plants along with all other plants need water. The amount that you should water your plant depends in part on its size and which stage it is in. In the beginning stages of the growing process, you will only need to water your plant every few days but when the plant gets closer to harvest it will require about a gallon of water per pound of flower you expect to harvest from the plant per day.
Nutrients: Marijuana plants need nutrients to survive, specifically they need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In addition to those, they do best with small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Make sure you are using good quality soil to plant your seeds or clone in and add a nutrient supplement or fertilizer if needed.
Temperature/Humidity- As mentioned earlier, weed does best in a temperate climate. It grows greatest between 70-80 degrees. That said, it can survive and grow in temperatures as high as 85 and as low as 55. The relative humidity should be between 50-70%
Wind/Airflow: One factor you probably didn’t think about is air flow, but marijuana plants need this to grow. This occurs naturally outside but if you are growing inside you will need to create airflow with fans.
Indoor Vs Outdoor Growing
Since growing weed is possible both indoors and outdoors you will have to decide what is best for you. Outdoor growing is the cheapest method, as you won’t need to buy lights (utilize the sunlight) and you won’t need fans either (there is naturally occurring wind).
If you have enough space, then you are able to grow weed outdoors, it’s that easy. And growing outdoors will lead to larger plants that create bigger yields than indoor plants can.
Of course, the downside of outdoor growing is that your plants will only grow in the summer months. Growing weed indoors can solve this problem and allow you to grow weed year-round, since you can control light exposure, temperature, etc. Keep in mind that growing weed indoors is more expensive as you will not only have to buy more equipment but also pay for the electricity that your equipment requires to function.
One good thing about growing indoor plants is that they are typically more potent and of a higher quality. This is because when growing indoors you can control every aspect of the plant growth.
How to Pick The Right Strain to Grow
The next thing you need to decide after you’ve chosen indoors or outdoors is what strain you want to grow. The biggest determining factor in this question should be your preferences. There’s no use in growing a strain that you aren’t going to enjoy smoking afterward. Do know, however, that different strains have different growth requirements and availability. Some strains take only 8 weeks to flower while others can take up to 12, so just keep that in mind and don’t get worried if your strain takes a little longer than what you were expecting. As long as you do a little research about the strain you want to grow then nothing should come as a surprise. Grow what you like, don’t dismiss growing your favorite strain just because it requires a little more work, it’ll be worth the extra effort.
Summary
Growing weed is legal in about half of the United States, 24 states plus D.C., so if you live in one of these areas you should give it a try. It’s better than paying the crazy high prices of dispensaries.
If you do decide to partake in growing weed then make sure you give your plant sunlight, water, nutrients, and airflow. In addition to understanding those factors, you need to decide whether to grow indoors or outdoors.
Outdoors is generally cheaper and easier but indoor growing can be done year round and creates higher quality plants. Other than that, you will also need to pick a strain. It’s a good idea to grow your favorite stain first before you start mixing things up. Have fun getting into the new hobby of weed cultivation, it is extremely rewarding.
