Growing cannabis comes with a steep learning curve. Therefore, as a new grower, you will likely make several mistakes as you go through the learning process. The important thing is not to get discouraged but to remain focused and committed.
In this post, we will look at how to grow weed as a beginner and common mistakes you may likely make, and ways to avoid them. We assure you it will be an enlightening read for you.
How to Grow Weed
You can grow marijuana indoors or outdoors. While you have so much to learn, get ready to smoke a bowl and learn the process is fun and highly rewarding. It takes patience, money, and time before you can start to see results. In this part, we will go through what you need to know when growing weed and tips to help you achieve the best harvest.
Important Things to Know
Getting quality buds and huge yields depends on how strong and healthy your plants are. To ensure you have a successful harvest, here are some important things you should know.
- Weed is a warm-season plant that thrives in temperate climates. It grows and dies every year, which means you have to plant it every year.
- It takes about ten to thirty-two weeks to grow a cannabis plant. The actual duration depends on the method used for planting and how big you want the plants to get before harvest.
- You need to determine where to grow the weed – whether indoors or outdoors – before you begin the growing process. You can grow marijuana anywhere, depending on the space available to you, the resources, and the equipment you have.
- Cannabis plants start as a clone or a seed. A clone is a cut taken off the weed plan that you grow into another weed plant to make them of the same genetic makeup. A seed needs to germinate before growing into a seedling.
Following the seedling stage, a cannabis plant goes into the vegetative stage, which is typically the longest phase of the plant’s life. At this period, the plant becomes the main stalk, with branches and fan leaves without any buds.
- Following the flowering stage, the marijuana plants begin to bud. This stage is about two months before the harvest. During the harvest, you must cut down the plants and trim and dry them before curing them. After this, your homegrown weed is ready to smoke.
What Weed Plant needs to Thrive and survive
Water: Cannabis plants need different quantities of water as they grow. The weather and climate in your region also determine the quantity of water the weed plants require.
Light: Marijuana is a photoperiod plant, which means they require a daily amount of light for flowering and budding. For outdoors, you can get natural light on your weed all through the summer to fall, while you can use artificial light for indoor cultivation from 18 to 12 hours each day.
Humidity and Temperature: You need to provide an ambiance with the best humidity and temperature to enable your cannabis plant to thrive. You should aim at 55-85°F with a humidity level of 50-70%.
Nutrients: Cannabis plants require nutrients to grow and remain healthy.
Airflow/Wind: Marijuana plants also require airflow or wind, which occurs naturally outdoors. You can also simulate it indoors with fans.
Common Mistakes New Growers Make
- Germinating Seeds Prematurely
The germination stage is the most vulnerable season in the whole lifecycle of cannabis plants. Uncovering and touching the seeds to check them will expose them to damage. It takes about ten days for weed seeds to complete the germination process. So, be patient and let nature do its job.
- Introducing too Many Nutrients
As mentioned earlier, weed plants require nutrients to flourish and be healthy. However, you should not stuff them with too many nutrients. Plants do not need regular foods to grow.
As a fact, too many nutrients can have an adverse effect, which can lead to a condition called nutrient burn. While it will not kill your marijuana plants, it will impair their quality. It is best to use a scheduled nutrient system where you add nutrients based on requirements alone.
- Mismanaging the pH Level
As a new grower, you must remember to master many things, including acronyms, regimens, and formulas. One of the things you must manage properly is the pH level rule. If you fail to manage this important rule, your plants will be in danger. If the pH is within a normal range, your plant will be able to take all nutrients they need.
- Adding too Much Water
Adding too much water to your marijuana plants can cause them to droop or kill them. It is recommended that you leave the top inch of the soil dry to prevent overwatering. If you are unsure of the best time to add water, wait until the plants start wilting a bit before you add water.
- Too Little Light
Light is crucial to the growth of your weed plants, which means insufficient lighting is a danger. If you have your cannabis plants indoors, ensure you provide a good artificial light source. You can start with CFLs and make sure you leave the plants exposed to light according to schedule.
- Premature Harvest
As mentioned earlier, you need patience to cultivate weed plants successfully. When you notice your plants producing buds, you need more patience. You must harvest your weed at the perfect time, and the perfect time varies from one strain to the other. If you harvest your marijuana earlier than you should, it can reduce the potency or even the total weight.
Conclusion
Growing weed as a new grower is both challenging and highly rewarding. You only have to learn the curves properly to achieve success in your endeavor. And when you are done you will have all the weed to smoke that you want and your next move will be to go shopping for bongs online and start toking away!
In this post, we looked at important factors that contribute to successful weed growing and common mistakes that new growers make. With this, you should be able to launch your first cannabis plant growing adventure.
