Introduction
Cannabis is a versatile plant that can be grown both indoors and outdoors. With the increasing legalization of cannabis, more and more people are opting to grow their own cannabis at home. Growing your own cannabis not only gives you control over the quality of your product but also allows you to enjoy the benefits of having plants in your home. This article will provide a comprehensive guide to growing your own cannabis indoors, with a focus on using grow tents, LED lights, and hydroponics.
The Benefits of Homegrown Cannabis
Growing your own cannabis offers many benefits over buying it from a dispensary. For one, you have complete control over the quality and potency of your product. You can choose the strains that you want to grow, and you can also control the growing environment to ensure the best possible yields. Additionally, growing your own cannabis is a rewarding hobby that can provide a sense of accomplishment and a deeper connection to the cannabis plant.
Choosing the Right Strains
When it comes to choosing strains to grow, it’s important to consider the growing conditions, your desired effects, and the yield you hope to achieve. For beginner growers, it’s best to choose strains that are easy to grow and have a good yield. Some of the best strains for beginner growers include Northern Lights, Amnesia Haze, and other landrace strains. Northern Lights is considered an OG strain and is known for its fast flowering and high potency. Amnesia Haze is a popular strain in Amsterdam coffee houses and is known for its uplifting high and great yield.
Setting Up Your Grow Room
When setting up your grow room, you’ll need to consider the size of your grow tent, the type of lighting you’ll use, and the type of hydroponic system you’ll use. For a small grow room, a 4×4 grow tent is a good starting point. LED lights are a popular choice for indoor growers because they provide bright, full-spectrum light and are energy-efficient. Hydroponic systems provide a controlled growing environment that allows you to easily regulate water and nutrient levels.
The Vegetative Stage
The vegetative stage of cannabis growth is when the plant is growing leaves and stems and preparing for flowering. During this stage, it’s essential to keep the plant in a warm, humid environment and provide it with adequate light and nutrients. The vegetative stage should last 3-4 weeks; extending this to allow the plant to grow taller may seem like a good idea, however, we have found that topping the plant at between 3-4 weeks provides a great canopy without trellis, the need to defoliate or create any other stress events on the plant.
The Flowering Stage
Once the vegetative stage is complete, the plant will begin to flower. During the flowering stage, the plant will produce buds that will eventually become your harvest. The flowering stage typically lasts 8-13 weeks, depending on the strain. During this stage, it’s important to keep the plant in a cool, dry environment and to limit the amount of light it receives.
Controlling Plant Height
To control the height of your cannabis plants, you can use techniques like defoliation, scrog, and topping or fimming. Defoliation involves removing lower leaves to allow light to reach the lower buds. Scrog involves training the plant to grow through a screen to control height and increase yield. Topping or fimming involves cutting the plant to promote growth at the cut site, which can increase yield.
Curing Your Harvest
Curing is an important step in the cannabis growing process as it greatly affects the shelf life and quality of your final product. Curing involves drying and aging the buds to release excess moisture and improve the flavor, aroma, and potency. It usually takes about 2-4 weeks to properly cure your buds. During this time, it’s important to store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Comparing Homegrown to Dispensary Weed
Homegrown cannabis is often considered to be of higher quality than dispensary weed because you have complete control over the growing environment and the strains you choose to grow. Additionally, growers often don’t sell their best weed, keeping it for personal use or sharing with friends and family. This means that the dispensary weed available for purchase may not be the best quality.
Breaking Down the Greedy Cannabis Industry
By growing your own cannabis, you can help to break down the greedy cannabis industry by reducing the demand for commercially grown cannabis. By sharing your cannabis with friends and family in recycled glass jars instead of buying overpriced, packaged cannabis from dispensaries, you can help to support a more sustainable and equitable cannabis industry.
The Mental Benefits of Growing Your Own Cannabis
Growing your own cannabis can also provide mental benefits. Taking care of plants has been shown to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. The journey of growing your own cannabis, from seed to harvest, can also provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
Conclusion
Growing your own cannabis is a rewarding and fulfilling hobby that offers many benefits over buying from a dispensary. By choosing the right strains, setting up a suitable grow room, and properly caring for your plants, you can enjoy high-quality, homegrown cannabis. Whether you’re growing for personal use or to break down the greedy cannabis industry, the journey of growing your own cannabis is one worth taking. So why not give it a try today?