Whether you're just starting out with pot cultivation or looking to improve your existing crop, following this complete guide will help you produce big, high-quality yields right at home. With the right supplies, techniques, and care, growing marijuana indoors can be an extremely productive and cost-effective endeavor.
Choosing Cannabis Strains
The first step in planning your indoor crop is choosing the right pot strains to cultivate. The three main types of weed plants each have their own traits.
Energizing strains
Known for their uplifting cerebral effects, sativas grow tall and slender with narrow leaves. They thrive in hotter equatorial climates and have a longer blooming time between 2.5-3 months indoors. Top energizing varieties include Jack Herer, Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, and Jack Herer.
Indicas
Indicas provide relaxing body-focused effects and spread short and bushy with wide leaves. Accustomed to colder mountain climates, they bloom faster within 2-2.25 months. Popular relaxing varieties include Northern Lights, Bubba Kush, and Bubba Kush.
Mixed strains
Mixed varieties mix traits from both energizing strains and relaxing strains. They offer blended effects and have medium blooming times around 2.25-2.5 months. Popular mixes are Blue Dream, OG Kush, and Blue Dream.
Setting Up Your Cultivation Space
Pot plants need the right controlled environment to flourish. Key factors for indoor grows are lights, airflow, layout, and finding the ideal discreet spot.
Location
Choose an unused space with easy access to irrigation and power outlets. An empty extra bedroom, unused closet, basement corner, or grow tent securely placed in a garage all make great discreet grow room spots.
Lighting
Cannabis requires powerful light for all vegetative stages. LED grow lights are energy-efficient and come in broad spectrum options simulating natural sunlight. Provide 250-400 watts per square foot for the growth stage and 400-600 watts per square foot for flowering.
Airflow
Proper airflow and exhaust systems maintain ideal temp, humidity, and fresh CO2 levels. Set up silent 4-6 inch blowers or scrubbers to refresh old air and reduce odors.
Layout
Optimize your space by arranging plants strategically under the lamps and allowing room to access and work around them. Set up distinct zones for vegetation, flowering, curing, and cloning.
Cultivation Mediums
Marijuana can be grown in various substrates, each with pros and cons. Pick a appropriate option for your specific setup and cultivation style.
Soil
The classic substrate, soil is inexpensive and easy for new growers. It provides great taste but requires more watering and nutrients to nourish plants. Enrich soil with perlite or coco to enhance drainage.
Coconut coir
Made from coconut husks, renewable coconut fiber retains water but still lets in air to the roots. It's cleaner and more consistent than soil. Use coir-specific nutrients to prevent calcium buildup.
Water systems
In hydro systems, plant roots grow right in nutrient irrigation solution. This enables rapid development but needs careful monitoring of solution properties. Deep water culture and irrigation systems are popular techniques.
Sprouting Seeds
Sprouting activates your weed seeds to start sprouting taproots. This readies them for transplanting into their growing medium.
Towel Method
Put seeds between damp paper towels and maintain them damp. Check after 2-7 days for growing taproots indicating sprouting is complete.
Planting directly
Plant seeds directly into wetted cultivation medium 1⁄4 inch deep. Gently water and wait 1-2 weeks until seedlings break through the surface.
Rockwool Cubes
Soak cubic rockwool starters in pH-adjusted water. Insert seeds 1⁄4 inch deep into the cubes. Keep cubes wet until sprouts appear within 1-14 days.
Transplanting Young plants
Once germinated, cannabis seedlings need to be transplanted to prevent crowding. Move them into appropriately sized containers.
Preparing Containers
Load large containers with growing medium amended with slow-release nutrients. Allow pots to soak up water for 8-12 hours before transplanting.
Carefully Transplanting
Gently loosen young roots from germination medium using a spoon. Put into pre-soaked pot at equal depth as before and lightly water in.
Vegetative Stage
The vegetative stage promotes foliage and plant form through 3/4 to full Discover More day of daily Donate Here light exposure. This stage usually lasts 1-2 months.
Using 3/4 to full day of Light
Use grow lights on a 24 hour cycle or natural sunlight to trigger nonstop growth. Lamp output influences height and node distance.
Nutrients
Use vegetative stage nutrients higher in nitrogen. Make sure pH stays around 6.5 for proper nutrient absorption. Fertilize 25-50% strength after 2 weeks and increase gradually.
Training Techniques
Topping, low stress training, and scrogging manipulate growth patterns for even canopies. This increases yields.
Bloom Stage
The flowering stage develops buds as plants show their sex under a 12 hour cycle timing. It lasts 8-12 weeks depending on variety.
Switching to 12/12
Change lamps to 12/12 or move outdoors for Subscribe Now natural 12 hour cycle. This triggers plants to start flowering.
Flushing
Leaching flushes out nutrient salts to improve flavor. Feed weakly the first weeks then just use pH'd water the last 2 weeks.
Flushing
Continue 12/12 light timing but leach using neutral pH water only. Resume plain watering if buds aren't yet ripe after two weeks.
Harvesting
Knowing when cannabis is completely mature delivers peak cannabinoid content and aroma. Harvest plants at peak ripeness.
Signs of readiness
Look for swollen calyxes, faded pistils, and 5-15% amber trichomes. Check buds around the plant as they don't all ripen evenly.
Harvesting plants
Use sterilized, razor-sharp pruning shears to gently slice each plant at the base. Leave 5-10cm of stem attached.
Drying
Suspend whole plants or branches inverted in a lightless room with average temp and RH around 50-60% for 1-2 weeks.
Aging
Curing keeps drying while aging the buds like aged spirits. This process mellows bitterness and further develops terpene and terpene profiles.
Jars and Humidity
Manicure dried buds from branches and place into glass jars, packing about 3⁄4 full. Use a sensor to measure container moisture.
Burping Daily
Open containers for a few hours each day to slowly reduce humidity. Rehydrate buds if humidity goes under 55%.
Final Cure
After 2-3 weeks when moisture stabilizes around 55-60%, perform a last trim and keep long-term in airtight jars.
Common Problems and Solutions
Even seasoned growers run into various marijuana plant problems. Identify problems early and fix them properly to keep a healthy garden.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Chlorosis often indicate inadequate nitrogen. Purpling stems and leaves signal phosphorus deficiency. Test pH and boost nutrients slowly.
Pests
Thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, thrips, and nematodes are common pot pests. Use neem oil sprays, predator bugs, and sticky traps for natural control.
Powdery mildew
High moisture encourages botrytis and bud rot. Improve circulation and circulation while reducing humidity under 50% during bloom.
Summary
With this complete indoor cannabis cultivation guide, you now have the info to cultivate plentiful potent buds for personal grows. Apply these steps and techniques throughout the germination, growth, and flowering stages. Invest in quality gear and closely monitor your plants. In time, you'll be rewarded with frosty fragrant buds you raised yourself under the patient guidance of your green thumbs. Happy growing