How to grow marijuana?

How to grow marijuana outdoors

Growing marijuana outdoors offers growers natural light and significantly reduces the cost of their crop. With no artificial lights or fans necessary, electricity may only be required for irrigation. Exposure to natural conditions benefits plants but exposure to harsh environmental conditions may hinder an outdoor crop. Examples of possible crop killers include rain, insects, invasive plants such as thistle, and animals. Extreme weather conditions can also contribute to crop failures. Outdoor cultivation is less controllable as the environment of neighboring fields affects. Without expert application, someone else’s pesticide could end up being your pesticide.

The outdoor cannabis farmers only grow cannabis plants in the sunlight during changing seasons. Outdoor cannabis cultivators, in comparison to indoor growers, experience a longer growth cycle and typically harvest at the end of the year.

How to grow marijuana in a greenhouse

As a greenhouse offers the free sunlight of outdoor grows but with more environmental control, growing cannabis in a greenhouse results in high yields. Greenhouses help growers control the light with a blackout roof. Greenhouses offer an opportunity to add artificial lighting and provide protection from animals, pests, and extreme environmental conditions.

One downside to greenhouse cultivation is the upfront cost associated with such a structure. Greenhouses come in all shapes and sizes. Some are temporary, made of plastic and PVC pipe; others are permanent structures that allow growers to control every environmental aspect and use advanced cultivation methods like light deprivation.

There is a risk, when growing in greenhouses, that pests will spread inside the enclosed environment at a faster rate. An environmentally-friendly greenhouse may not offer much protection against crossover from the outside environment.

How to grow marijuana indoors

Growing marijuana indoors usually occurs in a warehouse environment, which requires artificial lighting and the use of air conditioning and dehumidification systems. A planted indoor garden intends to mimic the elements of the outdoors that facilitate plant growth while maintaining full control over every environmental parameter. When you grow marijuana indoors, the upfront costs are higher than when you just start growing it outdoors. Growing plants or herbs in soil outside and harvesting more often is a good beginner’s strategy.

How to grow marijuana for beginners

Propagation is the effort in farming to grow a seed into an edible crop. Cannabis can be grown either from seeds or by cloning a female plant.

Cannabis plants from cannabis seeds, typically when pollen fertilizes the female plant. Cannabis seeds are ready to grow as soon as they successfully germinate.

Cannabis seeds, formed when pollen fertilizes the female plant, are ready to be planted and grown once they have successfully germinated. Plant seeds directly into garden soil, but you should start the process by germinating them in a moist paper towel. Home cultivators will often begin with feminized seeds to ensure the adult plant is a flowering female.

Sexual propagation of cannabis is common and often preferred when cultivating outdoors because it makes the plants more robust. Not only do sexually propagated crops have a greater yield potential than clones, but they’re also more resistant to pests, illnesses, and diseases.

One of the most commonly cited disadvantages to planting from seed is inconsistency. A plant propagated by seed maintains a few of the observable physical characteristics and chemical traits of the parent plant. This causes various imbalances in cannabinoids and terpenes found undesirable by growers or consumers.

Sometimes, farmers will grow plants from seeds so that they can choose the characteristics of each plant. Nurseries typically practice phenotyping or observing the physical features of a plant.

Clones

Asexual reproduction, also known as cloning, is a way of replicating a single-parent plant by methods other than sexual reproduction.

Asexual reproduction, also called cloning, is the replication of a single-parent plant outside of sexual means. Cannabis cuts typically start with a stable mother plant, which will grow into a genetically similar plant if given the right environment. A clone’s primary use is reproducing and preserving the genetic identity of a cannabis plant. When grown under the same environmental conditions as the mother plant, a clone is more likely to share in both the physical characteristics and chemical properties of the mother. Breast milk should mirror the mother’s functional ability to take and resist nutrients.

Clones have a better chance of maintaining the same genetics as the mother plant because they did not experience different genetic variations. Growing plants from clones mean growers can determine which environmental conditions will maintain the flowers’ best genetics, and plan optimal feeding schedules, flowering times, and nutrient recipes.

In some cases, a lack of genetic diversity can be beneficial for crop growers, but this can also lead to disastrous consequences. If plants are exposed to environmental conditions to which they have no genetic resistance, the entire crop can be destroyed.

Selecting a cannabis growing medium

Whether a plant is grown from clones or seeds, it needs a medium to serve as the foundation for its life. A common addition to plant life is a substrate (also called potting soil), which aids in the growth cycle. Regardless of your chosen cultivation method, air, water, and nutrients are essential for a plant’s growth.

Soil

Cannabis grows best in moist soil. Pulverized clay soil, or any other type of appropriate soil for the plant in question, will retain moisture well and offer ample time between watering if used. Soil is widely available and easy to work with, which makes it an effective growing medium for the widest spectrum of growers — from novice gardeners to advanced cultivators. Soil can be used indoors and outdoors for gardening.

Hydroponics

Growers who want to grow indoors typically choose to use a hydroponic medium, which feeds plants through a nutrient-rich liquid solution. Perlite, vermiculite, coco coir, and hydroton balls are some hydroponic media that provide optimal nutrient uptake and reduced water usage when compared to soil. Hydroponic methods are also frequently used in greenhouse settings, but they’re not typically applied for outdoor growing.

One drawback to hydroponics is the need for a lot of detailed work. Hydroponic media are significantly more sensitive to heat and cold than soil-grown plants. Too much heat, in particular, can be very damaging as it invites bacteria and disease. In addition, the plant’s pH and nutrient levels must be monitored to ensure it is getting what it needs to grow.

Aeroponics

In an aeroponic system, air and mist are used to suspend the plant’s roots so that they can absorb water, nutrients, and oxygen. One of the most important considerations is whether to go with aeroponics, which has a potential for maximum yield but it’s also more temperamental than other systems. For an aeroponic system to be effective, both environmental and growth control factors must be carefully monitored.

Germinating seeds or rooting cannabis clones

The germination phase starts from the moment the seed’s embryo has been exposed to water until it sprouts its plumule or initial taproot. The duration of this process can take anywhere from 12 hours to 2 days for some seeds.

To germinate a cannabis seed, place it about 3 millimeters deep in moist soil. Pre-germination soils can also be used, designed with micronutrient blends that facilitate healthy growth. Growers typically use paper towels to germinate seeds. They first wrap the seed in a damp paper towel then immediately plant it into the growing medium once the taproot is visible due to growth.

Towel germination is a process in which seeds are placed between two damp paper towels, then transferred immediately into a growing medium once the taproot emerges.

If growing from a clone, the rooting phase is the time in which the plant develops its taproot. During this time, the seedlings are exposed to high humidity and light for 24 hours. It takes 3 to 14 days for birth control pills to work.