Whether you're new to marijuana production or looking to improve your existing grow, following this complete guide will help you produce big, high-quality yields right at home. With the right gear, strategies, and attention, growing marijuana indoors can be an extremely productive and cost-effective endeavor.
Choosing Cannabis Strains
The first step in planning your indoor crop is choosing the right pot strains to cultivate. The three main types of weed plants each have their own traits.
Energizing strains
Known for their uplifting mental effects, sativas grow tall and slender with narrow leaves. They thrive in warmer equatorial climates and have a longer flowering time between 10-12 weeks indoors. Top energizing varieties include Jack Herer, Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, and Jack Herer.
Indicas
Indicas provide relaxing full-body effects and grow short and bushy with broad leaves. Adapted to cooler mountain climates, they flower faster within 8-9 weeks. Popular indica strains include Granddaddy Purple, Northern Lights, and Bubba Kush.
Hybrids
Hybrid strains blend traits from both sativas and indicas. They offer blended effects and have medium flowering periods around 9-10 weeks. Popular hybrids are OG Kush, Girl Scout Cookies, and Blue Dream.
Setting Up Your Grow Space
Weed plants need the right controlled environment to flourish. Key factors for indoor grows are lighting, airflow, layout, and finding the ideal discreet area.
Location
Choose an available space with quick access to water and electrical outlets. An empty spare room, large closet, corner of the basement, or cultivation tent tucked away in a garage all make great hidden grow room spots.
Lights
Marijuana requires intense light for all growth stages. LEDs are energy-efficient and come in full spectrum options replicating real sunlight. Provide 250-400 watts per square foot for the vegetative stage and 400-600 watts per square foot for flowering.
Airflow
Proper airflow and exhaust systems maintain ideal temp, humidity, and pure CO2 levels. Set up quiet 10-15 cm blowers or carbon filters to circulate old air and eliminate smells.
Layout
Maximize your space by positioning plants carefully under the lights and allowing room to access and work around them. Set up separate zones for growth, flowering, curing, and propagation.
Cultivation Mediums
Pot can be grown in various mediums, each with pros and cons. Pick a appropriate option for your specific setup and cultivation style.
Soil
The classic substrate, soil is inexpensive and easy for new growers. It provides great taste but needs more watering and nutrients to nourish plants. Enrich soil with vermiculite or coco to enhance aeration.
Coco Coir
Made from coir, reusable coconut fiber retains water but still lets in air to the roots. It's more sterile and more predictable than soil. Use coir-specific fertilizers to avoid accumulation.
Hydroponics
In hydro systems, plant roots develop right in nutrient irrigation solution. This enables rapid development but needs close monitoring of solution chemistry. Deep water culture and irrigation systems are common techniques.
Sprouting Seeds
Sprouting activates your marijuana seeds to start sprouting taproots. This readies them for transplanting into their growing medium.
Paper Towel Method
Put seeds between wet paper towels and keep them damp. Inspect after 2-7 days for emerging radicles showing germination is complete.
Planting directly
Insert seeds directly into pre-moistened cultivation medium 1⁄4 inch deep. Gently water and wait 1-2 weeks until seedlings break through the top.
Cubic rockwool
Presoak rockwool cubes in pH-adjusted water. Place seeds 6mm deep into the cubes. Keep cubes moist until Click Here seedlings appear within a week to 2 weeks.
Repotting Seedlings
Once sprouted, marijuana young plants need to be repotted to avoid overcrowding. Move them into proper sized pots.
Ready Containers
Fill final pots with cultivation medium amended with slow-release nutrients. Let pots to soak up water for 8-12 hours before transplanting.
Carefully Transplanting
Gently loosen young roots from sprouting medium using a spade. Place into prepared container at equal depth as before and gently water in.
Growth Stage
The vegetative stage promotes leafy growth and plant structure through 18-24 hours of continual light exposure. This stage usually lasts 4-8 weeks.
Providing 18-24 Hours of Light
Use lamps on a 24 daily schedule or outdoor light to initiate nonstop growth. Lamp intensity influences size and internodal spacing.
Fertilizing
Use vegetative stage nutrients higher in nitrogen. Make sure pH stays around 5.8-6.3 for full fertilizer uptake. Fertilize 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 strength after 2 weeks and increase gradually.
Training Techniques
Topping, low stress training, and scrogging manipulate growth patterns for even canopies. This increases yields.
Flowering Stage
The flowering stage grows buds as plants reveal their sex under a 12 hour light schedule. It lasts 2-3 months based on variety.
Switching to 12/12
Change grow lights to 12 hours on, 12 hours off or move outside for outdoor 12/12 timing. This signals plants to begin blooming.
Stop Fertilizing
Flushing removes fertilizer residuals to enhance taste. Fertilize lightly the first period then just use plain water the final 2 weeks.
Flushing
Maintain 12 hour photoperiod but flush using pH-balanced water only. Return to clean watering if buds aren't mature after two weeks.
Harvesting
Recognizing when marijuana is fully ripe ensures peak cannabinoid content and aroma. Harvest plants at optimal maturity.
Identifying Ripeness
Check fading pistils, swelling calyxes, and 10-15% amber trichomes. Inspect buds across the plant as they don't all mature evenly.
Cutting Plants
Use clean, sharp trimming scissors to gently cut each plant at the base. Keep several inches of stem attached.
Curing
Hang whole plants or branches inverted in a dark room with moderate temp and humidity around 45-65% for 7-14 days.
Curing
Aging continues desiccating while improving the buds like Subscribe Now fine wine. This technique smooths bitterness and intensifies cannabinoid contents.
Jars and Humidity
Trim cured buds from stems and store into glass jars, packing about 75% capacity. Use a hygrometer to monitor jar humidity.
Opening jars daily
Open containers for a few hours each day to gradually lower moisture. Remoisten buds if RH drops below 55%.
Long term storage
After 2-3 weeks when moisture stabilizes around 55-60%, perform a last trim and keep long-term in airtight jars.
Troubleshooting
Even experienced cultivators run into various marijuana plant problems. Identify problems early and fix them properly to keep a strong garden.
Poor feeding
Yellowing leaves often signify insufficient nitrogen. Anthocyanins and leaves show low phosphorus. Check pH and boost nutrients slowly.
Bugs
Spider mites, fungus gnats, mites, and root aphids are frequent weed pests. Use organic sprays, Click Here ladybugs, and yellow traps for organic control.
Mold
Excessive humidity promotes powdery mildew and bud rot. Increase airflow and venting while lowering RH below 50% during bloom.
Summary
With this complete indoor cannabis cultivation guide, you now have the info to cultivate bountiful potent buds for personal grows. Apply these steps and techniques throughout the germination, growth, and flowering stages. Invest in quality gear and closely check on your plants. In time, you'll be rewarded with frosty aromatic buds you raised yourself under the patient guidance of your green hands. Happy growing