Cannabis brands don’t want you to know how easily you can grow cannabis at home. You’ve likely heard the joke that cannabis is a ditch weed. The best jokes are founded in reality. Cannabis really does grow like a weed. Master growers have a depth of knowledge allowing them to skillfully grow many plants. Yet growing a single plant at home is relatively easy. Use this super easy at-home cannabis cultivation guide to grow your own plant at home.
Where Do You Begin?
Start by selecting the right starting materials. It’s important to gather everything you need before you get the plant and run into supply chain issues. Get an organic potting soil with good drainage. I personally use KO KO Bop® by Foxfarm. You can actually plant directly into the bag, just be sure to poke some drainage holes in the bottom of the bag so it doesn’t drown the roots. Otherwise, find a large pot with good drainage.
Put your bag or pot on a dish so that you can vacuum the excess water out. Visit a garden or hydroponics store to buy nutrients. The easiest nutrients are granular slow release. Osmocote® makes a slow-release granular that you can mix into the soil and dress on top. I prefer water-soluble fertilizers like VegBloom Dirty which is made to feed cannabis using tap water. You’ll just need a scale to weigh out your nutrients if you use a water-soluble or granular nutrient. You’ll also need a feed bucket (to mix your nutrients into your water) if you use a water-soluble nutrient. Nutrients for beginners have a super easy feed schedule for growing cannabis at home.
Image via @treeoflifecanna IG
How To Pick Your Plant
You need to decide what kind of cannabis plat you’d like to grow at home next. Keep it as easy as possible and get an auto-flowering cannabis plant. Rather than having to deal with photoperiod (how many hours of light your plant gets) auto-flowering cannabis finish flowering at a pre-determined age, usually 7-10 weeks. Autoflower plants allow you to grow your plant under artificial light or outside. You can’t clone autoflower plants, so you will need to buy and germinate seeds. I’ve always liked Crop King Seeds and had an easy time with them. You can purchase them online and they’re relatively well priced.
Image via @shaunofthedank666 IG
Start Cultivating
Once you get your seed pack, it’s time to germinate the seed(s). Moisten a paper towel and place the seeds hot-dog style along the fold. Place the seeds in a ziplock bag with the top open to allow gas exchange. Place the bag in the dark so you don’t damage the roots with light. Seeds will germinate in 3-7 days. Once the root emerges, you can plant the plant. Make sure to put the root under the soil and the leaves above ground!
Water lightly with a spray bottle until the first true leaves form (those are the ones with jagged edges). Water once a day. If you are watering too much, the plant will fall over! Cut back on watering and prop your plant on a popsicle stick. As your plant grows, water it when it starts to wilt, every 2-3 days. Smaller pots need more frequent watering. Larger plants need more frequent watering. Vacuum out the water that collects in the dish below your plant.
Trouble Shooting
Depending on the soil you chose, the plant won’t need food (nutrients) for the first week or two. Follow the instructions that come with the nutrient you pick. Follow this easy guide if nutrient deficiencies arise. Everybody struggles with pests at some point. Pick an organic spray that does it all. I like Mammoth Biocontrol because it protects against the common bugs and molds. It’s also super easy and safe to apply.
Harvesting, Curing, and Consuming
After 7-10 weeks (read your seed pack) it’s time to harvest. The easiest way to harvest your homegrown cannabis plant is to cut it at the base and flip it to dry. I cut the plant at the first elbow, and ziptie the plant to a hanger in a closet. Put a dehumidifier in the closet and allow the plant to dehydrate over 10 days. Remove the dehumidifier and allow some moisture to come back into your flowers for a few days. Cut the flowers from the stalk and smoke! Enjoy your super easy at home cultivated cannabis with friends or solo. Each time you grow, you’ll gain more skills and grow better weed.
