Cannabis Growing Tips: What Can Go Wrong & How to Do It Right

08/30/2022

Growing your own cannabis can be fun, rewarding and save you some money. Though trips to the dispensary are certainly enjoyable in their own right, there’s no comparison to smoking bud that you cultivated in your own home or backyard. 

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to successfully grow cannabis from seed to harvest, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges.

Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned grower, you will undoubtedly benefit from the cannabis growing tips in this guide. 

This article will briefly discuss the legality of growing cannabis before diving into the ins and outs, the do’s and don’ts of the art of growing the finest buds. 

Let’s get growing. 


Where Is It Legal to Homegrow Cannabis?

Before undertaking the fruitful activity of cultivating your own cannabis, you first need to be sure it is legal in the state you live in. 

Currently, there are 37 US states that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, but not all of them allow you to grow your own batch. You should check the laws in your state to make sure you are allowed to grow at home.


Quick Overview of the Basics of Growing Cannabis

Do you want to harvest your own big, beautiful, sticky buds?  Well you can’t do it without hearty plants, so it is vital that you adhere to the proper care and maintenance guidelines outlined in this article.


Most Important Things to Know About Growing Cannabis

Cannabis is a relatively versatile plant that can be successfully raised indoors or outdoors. Before deciding where to set up your grow, be sure that you can offer the right growing conditions for your plants to flourish. 

It’s important to make sure there will be plenty of warm days ahead if you intend to grow outdoors, as cannabis is a crop which thrives in higher temperatures. Otherwise, you may want to consider growing indoors and using an artificial grow light to keep your plants warm.

You will also need to decide whether you will start your plants from seed or clones. A clone is a genetic copy of an existing cannabis plant, created by cutting a branch off of the “mother” plant.

Once planted, it can take anywhere from 3 to 8 months for your plant to reach full maturity, depending on the method you choose and the size you want your plant to grow to.


What Does a Marijuana Plant Need to Thrive?

When searching for tips on growing cannabis, it is imperative that you understand you must have a proper environment for your plants to thrive in. 

Like all plants, cannabis requires sufficient lighting to grow strong and healthy. Anywhere from 13-18 hours of direct light is ideal during the vegetation stage. If growing indoors, you can control when the plants begin to flower by reducing the light to 12 hours or less per day. If outdoors, budding occurs naturally as the days become shorter. 

Consistent water is also necessary for weed plants to prosper. The optimal amount of water can vary depending on weather conditions, the size of the plant, size of your container and soil type or growing medium.

Lastly, the provision of adequate nutrients is essential. The health and vitality of your plants depend on your ability to administer the necessary nutrients in proper amounts. You can choose to use dry or liquid nutrients designed for vegetative and flower grow stages to give your plants what they need at the right time in their growth cycle.


Indoor vs Outdoor Cannabis Growing

There are pros and cons to both indoor and outdoor cannabis growing. 

If you want to grow cannabis cheaply and easily, then you will almost certainly want to grow outdoors, as there are little to no costs for equipment because the natural sunlight and airflow have you covered. An irrigation system may not be necessary if it frequently rains  in your region, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a garden hose just in case. 

The downside to growing outdoors, of course, is that you cannot control the environment and your plants will be totally dependent on the elements. 

If your preference is to have complete control of your plants’ environment from start to finish, then you will want to grow indoors. Homegrown cannabis raised indoors is notorious for having higher potency and quality. This method can be a bit more expensive than growing outdoors as you will need to purchase equipment and your utility bills will likely increase. But you will most likely save money vs shopping at the dispensary for all your bud and paying insanely high taxes.


Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Cannabis

Now that you know what you need to do to grow cannabis, let’s talk about what not to do. 


Not Knowing What You’re Growing

There are many different varieties and strains of marijuana and they each have their own nutrient, moisture and temperature requirements. Thus, a critical growing cannabis tip is to know exactly what it is that you are growing so that you can cater to the unique needs of your plants. 

Instead of just planting any old seed you happen to find lying around, do some research and purchase seeds of a quality strain that you can provide the perfect grow environment for. Also make sure you are growing feminized seed or you might end up with male plants that produce pollen and can make your entire crop go to seed.


Incorrect Germination

It can be very aggravating when you’ve spent a significant amount of time, energy and resources preparing to grow high-quality cannabis but your seeds don’t even sprout. Avoid this pitfall and facilitate optimal germination by exposing your seeds to dark and humid conditions with some fluorescent lighting or sunlight and a temperature between 72 and 75 degrees fahrenheit. 

It is also important that you handle your seeds as little as possible, as this could cause them to become contaminated or damaged.


Not Using the Right Soil

Good, nutrient-rich soil is essential to a cannabis plant’s health. When starting indoors, do not use garden soil or reuse old potting soil as these will likely be low on nutrients and could potentially be contaminated with fungi or pests.

You would be well-inclined to follow this growing cannabis tip and invest in a pre-fertilized potting soil from a quality brand, as it will contain all of the nutrients your plant requires. The soil should be light and airy, preferably with perlite included. You can also use rockwool or coco coir cubes for an inert soilless grow setup. Floraflex and Grow!t both make coco grow cubes that are ready to use, just add water.

Ideally, you should not have to introduce more nutrients to the soil for several weeks into the grow.


Using the Wrong Pot Size

The vitality and size/yield of a cannabis plant is absolutely impacted by the size of the pot it is contained in. A pot that is too small could restrict the roots, which may cause the plant’s growth to be stunted. 

On the other hand, using a pot that is too big for your plant increases the likelihood of overwatering, fungus and root rot.

Using either plastic or fabric pots is fine. You will just want to ensure the pot comes with holes in the bottom for good drainage. You could also create holes yourself, if necessary. Drainage is essential to ensuring the roots have enough oxygen.


Improper Humidity

To avoid the frustration of your seedlings dying prematurely, take heed of this tip on growing cannabis and ensure the humidity and moisture levels are not too low or too high.

The relative humidity should be kept at around 65-70% during the seedling stage. Be weary of too much moisture, as this can cause fungal disease which will kill the juvenile plants. You will want to keep your Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) in the prime range for humidity and temperature to ensure your plants are in the optimal growing environment. A Pule One sensor is a great accessory to any grow room to keep an eye on your VPD. Just hang it from the ceiling and connect it to your wifi.


Overwatering & Overfeeding

It is very important that you do not overwater your weed plants. Too much water can deprive the plants of oxygen and lead to fungus and root rot. A good growing cannabis tip is to water less frequently rather than overwatering, as plants can typically recover from slightly dry conditions.

Oversaturating your plants with nutrients can also be a grave mistake. This creates potential for nutrient burn, which can be identified by bending or curling leaf tips or the yellowing or browning of leaf tips. 


Not Monitoring PH Levels

There are some who believe that monitoring pH levels isn’t completely necessary, but this is untrue. In fact, pH has a large impact on the growth and productivity of cannabis plants. Not maintaining appropriate levels will cause your plants to have trouble absorbing the nutrients they need.

Cannabis plants tend to prefer a slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.0 when planted in soil. For hydroponics and soilless growing, the optimal pH level is between 5.5 and 6.5. Follow the instructions on your nutrient packaging for your growing media.


Not Having Proper Ventilation

Cannabis plants require adequate air circulation and fresh air to thrive. When growing indoors, there must be sufficient ventilation. For a smaller grow space, a single standing fan may suffice. Larger grows will require a more advanced setup equipped with multiple fans and one or more exhausts.


Heat-Stressing Cannabis Plant

Cannabis plants certainly love the warmth, but it is possible to stress your plants with too much heat. This is most common when growing indoors as your grow lights could be placed too close to the plants. If you notice the ends of the fan leaves beginning to curl upward, you may want to move your lights a little further away. 


Harvesting Your Cannabis Plants Too Early or Too Late

One last cannabis growing tip is to harvest your buds only when they are absolutely ready. There’s nothing more frustrating than to have perfected every detail of the grow, only to botch the final step. 

If you harvest too early, the buds will be premature and the yield will be smaller. Too late, and the potency will decline. 

The most reliable method to determine if your buds are harvest-ready is by observing the trichrome heads through a microscope. It is time to harvest when these heads are cloudy-white with a hint of an amber hue. 


Order Your Cannabis Grow Equipment Online Today!

You’ve been well-equipped with the best tips on growing cannabis and now it’s time to get started. Your goal is to produce buds of the highest quality, so why skimp on the growing supplies? 

Cannaporium has everything you need to complete a successful growth including grow lights, grow tents, nutrients, pots and containers, irrigation and pumps, and much more. Order your cannabis grow equipment today!

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