Choosing a Growing Medium

You have several options for a cannabis grow medium. Here are some common methods, along with their advantages and disadvantages:

Soil

Outdoor grows can utilize natural soil and sunlight, often resulting in cannabis with better taste, smell, and effects. However, outdoor cultivation can be legally risky, considering many variables. Indoor grows can also use soil, a natural nutrient source, requiring fewer additional nutrients. Good soil is readily available at gardening stores.

Pros:

• Better taste, smell, and effects.

Cons:

• Weather issues.
• Legal issues.
• Pests and thieves.
• Wild animals.
• Requires careful balance of water and sunlight.
• Limited to two yields per year (depending on climate).
• Overall challenging.

Coco Coir

Coco coir is a natural fiber extracted from coconut husks, combining soil and hydroponic growing elements. It can be used alone or with soil and is ideal for beginners.

Pros:

• Excellent water retention.
• Reliable drainage.
• Abundant air.
• Roots spend less time searching for food, as nutrient water provides nutrients.
• A neutral pH range of 5.2-6.8 is ideal for cannabis.
• Reduces the risk of pests, fungi, and pathogens.
• It is environmentally friendly and reusable if appropriately prepared.

Cons:

• Coir bales may be treated with chemicals, so check labels or manufacturer information to ensure compatibility with plant growth.
• Requires coco coir-specific nutrients for calcium, magnesium, and iron.
• Some coir may have high salt content due to saltwater rinsing; ensure it’s rinsed with fresh water.
• Nutrients must be fed to the plant.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics involves growing cannabis using mineral nutrient solutions in water. The plant is usually in a pot surrounded by an inert growing medium (e.g., perlite, vermiculite, clay aggregate, gravel, or sand) with a nutrient solution pumped through the medium and into the plant.

Pros:

• Large, robust yields.

Cons:

• Precise nutrient requirements.
• Knowledge of different strains required for optimal growth.
• Aerated water is necessary.
• Better suited for experienced growers.

Aeroponics

Aeroponics is similar to hydroponics but keeps the plant’s roots in an aerated chamber saturated with delicate drops of nutrient solution. Roots are periodically misted with atomized nutrients. Aeroponics requires less nutrients and water than hydroponics, and plants can be transferred to the soil without shock.

Pros:

• High, efficient yields.

Cons:

• High initial cost.
• Constant supervision is necessary.
• Time-consuming and stressful.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics combines hydroponics and aquaculture, growing fish and other aquatic creatures in a tank. It’s a symbiotic environment in which aquatic animals’ waste feeds the plants, and plants remove toxic waste from the water.

Pros:

• Low water usage.
• No plant feed is needed.
• Minimal chemical usage.
• Less susceptible to pests and diseases.
• Cannabis grows well in aquaponic systems.

Cons:

• Smaller grow area, fewer plants.
• High electricity output.
• High maintenance.
• Complex system with more points of failure.
• High costs.

Growing Marijuana From Seeds: Step by Step

There are several steps to growing marijuana from seeds. After selecting your cannabis seeds, you’ll guide the plant through each growth stage until it’s time to harvest.

Step 1: Germination

The germination stage is the first step in cannabis plant growth. To nurture seeds through this stage:

1. Spray two to four sheets of paper towels with water until damp but not soaking.
2. Place a seed between the wet towels on a plate and wait for a taproot to emerge.
3. Maintain room temperature between 70 and 90˚F.

Step 2: Seedling Stage

Once germination is complete, move to the seedling stage. Transfer the germinated seed to a small pot of soil or your chosen growth space. During this stage, the plant produces two leaves that open outward from the stem to receive sunlight. This is when a mini cannabis plant begins to form. Seedlings should be kept at 77˚F with 60% humidity. Cannabis prefers an 18-hour light cycle once leaves emerge. Use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Step 3: Vegetative Stage

Transfer mature seedlings to larger pots when the root system outgrows the pot. During the vegetative phase, cannabis plants proliferate, absorbing more nutrients and carbon dioxide. Check for plant sex: female plants develop two white pistils, while male plants grow pollen sacs. Remove male plants to prevent pollination and harvest ruin.

Vegetative Stage Tips:

• Maintain temperature between 68 and 77˚F and humidity between 50% and 70%.
• Provide 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark.
• Use 125-watt lighting.
• Cannabis ruderalis skips this stage and moves to flowering.
• Use more nitrogen (N) than phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).

Step 4: Flowering Stage

The flowering phase begins when the vegetative plant is mature and ready to grow buds (flowers). Trichomes, the powerhouse of cannabinoid and terpene production, become visible. Transfer the plant to a larger pot, providing 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Indicas finish flowering in 6-9 weeks, Sativas in 10-14 weeks. Most growers aim for a maximum of 14 weeks of flowering. Prevent light leaks during dark periods to avoid plant stress and hermaphroditism.

Flowering Stage Tips:

• Maintain temperature between 68-77˚F, humidity around 50%.
• Stop nitrogen (N) intake and increase phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
• Flush soil with distilled water in the last week of flowering, and refrain from adding nutrients.

Step 5: Harvesting

Once mature, the plant needs to be chopped and dried. Harvest when 70-90% of pistils have browned or when half (50%) of trichomes are amber. Clear trichomes indicate early harvest, producing a more energetic effect. Brown trichomes indicate cannabinoid potency loss, though some may prefer this effect.