Pot Cultivation Tutorial
Whether you're just starting out with marijuana growing or looking to improve your existing crop, following this complete guide will help you produce large, high-quality yields right at home. With the right equipment, techniques, and attention, cultivating weed indoors can be an extremely rewarding and cost-effective endeavor.
Choosing Cannabis Varieties
The first step in planning your indoor harvest is selecting the right weed strains to produce. The three main types of marijuana plants each have their own traits.
Sativas
Known for their energizing mental effects, these strains grow tall and slender with narrow leaves. They thrive in tropical equatorial climates and have a longer flowering time between 2.5-3 months indoors. Top sativa varieties include Jack Herer, Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, and Jack Herer.
Indicas
Indicas provide calming full-body effects and grow short and bushy with wide leaves. Adapted to cooler mountain climates, they bloom faster within 8-9 weeks. Popular indica varieties include Granddaddy Purple, Northern Lights, and Bubba Kush.
Hybrids
Mixed strains blend traits from both sativas and indicas. They offer combined effects and have medium flowering periods around 2.25-2.5 months. Well-known hybrids are Blue Dream, OG Kush, and Blue Dream.
Setting Up Your Grow Space
Marijuana plants need the right controlled environment to flourish. Key factors for indoor cultivations are lighting, airflow, layout, and finding the ideal discreet location.
Location
Choose an empty space with easy access to water and power outlets. An empty spare room, large closet, corner of the basement, or grow tent locked away in a garage all make great hidden grow room spots.
Lighting
Pot requires intense light for all vegetative stages. LED grow lights are energy-efficient and come in broad spectrum options mimicking real outdoor light. Cover 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. Install silent 10-15 cm fans or carbon filters to circulate old air and eliminate odors.
Layout
Optimize your space by arranging plants strategically under the lamps and leaving room to reach and work around them. Set up distinct zones for vegetation, bloom, curing, and cloning.
Cultivation Substrates
Marijuana can be cultivated in various substrates, each with benefits and cons. Pick a appropriate option for your specific setup and growing style.
Soil
The classic medium, soil is cheap and easy for new growers. It provides excellent taste but needs more irrigation and fertilizing to nourish plants. Amend soil with perlite or coco to improve drainage.
Coco Coir
Made from coconut husks, renewable coco coir retains water but still allows air to the roots. It's cleaner and more predictable than soil. Use coco-specific nutrients to avoid calcium buildup.
Hydroponics
In hydro systems, plant roots grow directly in nutrient water solution. This allows rapid growth but needs close observation of solution properties. DWC and irrigation systems are popular methods.
Germinating Seeds
Germination activates your cannabis seeds to begin growing radicles. This readies them for transplanting into their cultivation medium.
Towel Method
Put seeds between moist paper towels and keep them moist. Check after 2-7 days for emerging radicles showing sprouting is complete.
Planting directly
Insert seeds right into pre-moistened growing medium 1⁄4 inch deep. Gently water and wait 7-14 days until sprouts push through the surface.
Rockwool Cubes
Presoak cubic rockwool starters in pH-adjusted water. Place seeds 6mm deep into the cubes. Keep cubes moist until seedlings emerge within a week to 2 weeks.
Repotting Young plants
Once germinated, marijuana seedlings need to be transplanted to avoid overcrowding. Move them into appropriately sized pots.
Ready Containers
Load large pots with growing medium amended with slow-release nutrients. Let pots to soak up water overnight before transplanting.
Gently repotting
Carefully loosen seedling roots from germination medium using a spade. Put into pre-soaked container at same depth as before and lightly water in.
Growth Stage
The growth stage promotes leafy growth and plant form through 3/4 to full day of daily light intensity. This stage usually lasts 1-2 months.
Using 18-24 Hours of Light
Use grow lights on a 24 daily cycle or natural sunlight to initiate nonstop photosynthesis. Light output influences height and internodal spacing.
Fertilizing
Use grow stage nutrients higher in N. Make sure pH stays around 6.5 for full fertilizer absorption. Fertilize 25-50% strength after 14 growing weed guide days and strengthen gradually.
Training Techniques
Topping, LST, and scrogging manipulate shoot patterns for flat foliage. This increases yields.
Bloom Stage
The flowering stage grows buds as plants show their sex under a 12 hour light timing. It lasts 8-12 weeks based on strain.
Switching to 12/12
Switch lamps to 12 hours on, 12 hours off or move outside for natural 12 hour cycle. This signals plants to begin flowering.
Flushing
Flushing flushes out nutrient salts to enhance flavor. Fertilize lightly the first weeks then just use pH'd water the last 2 weeks.
Flushing
Continue 12 hour photoperiod but flush using neutral pH water only. Resume plain watering if buds aren't yet mature after two weeks.
Reaping
Recognizing when weed is completely mature ensures maximum potency and aroma. Harvest plants at peak ripeness.
Identifying Ripeness
Check fading pistils, swelling calyxes, and 10-15% cloudy trichs. Check buds around the plant as they don't all ripen evenly.
Harvesting plants
Use clean, sharp pruning shears to gently cut each plant at the base. Leave 5-10cm of stem attached.
Drying
Suspend intact plants or branches inverted in a lightless room with average temp and RH around 50-60% for 7-14 days.
Aging
Curing continues desiccating while aging the buds like fine wine. This process mellows bitterness and further develops cannabinoid contents.
Jars and Humidity
Trim cured buds from branches and place into glass jars, packing about 75% capacity. Use a hygrometer to measure container moisture.
Burping Daily
Open containers for a few hours daily to slowly reduce moisture. Remoisten buds if humidity drops below 55%.
Long term storage
After 14-21 days when humidity stabilizes around 55-60%, do a final trim and store forever in airtight jars.
Common Problems and Solutions
Even experienced growers run into different pot plant problems. Detect issues early and fix them correctly to maintain a healthy garden.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Chlorosis often signify inadequate nitrogen. Purpling stems and leaves show low phosphorus. Test pH and boost nutrients gradually.
Pests
Thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, mites, and root aphids are common weed pests. Use organic sprays, predator bugs, and yellow traps for natural control.
Mold
High humidity encourages powdery mildew and root rot. Increase circulation and circulation while lowering humidity below 50% during flowering.
Summary
With this complete indoor marijuana growing guide, you now have the info to grow plentiful potent buds for personal harvests. Follow these techniques and methods during the germination, growth, and flowering stages. Invest in quality equipment and closely check on your plants. In time, you'll be compensated with sticky aromatic buds you grew yourself under the loving care of your green thumbs. Happy growing