Hi there! I am pretty excited to write to you today. Times are ripe to start growing your weed. Suppose you are wondering if that will suit you. Let me make a case for cultivating your marijuana.

In this article, I will share a quick roundup of the exquisite cannabis cultivation process. I bet at the end of it; you will feel inspired to grow your own. Let’s go!

The Cannabis Plant

Cannabis plants can be divided into female and male plants.

The male plants produce pollen, while the female plants produce flowers containing cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes, which contribute to the high you get while smoking cannabis.

Anatomy Of A Female Cannabis plant

The female cannabis plant has stigmas and pistils. Their flowers are colas or buds and are covered with trichomes rich in terpene and cannabinoids. The stigmas trap pollen released by the male plants, whereas pistils are the reproductive parts that get activated once stigmas capture the pollen. Sugar leaves are small leaves that have a high concentration of sugar-like trichomes.

Growing Marijuana Plants: Environment

There are three growing environments for marijuana plants.

Outdoors

Growing marijuana outdoors is the most natural way of cultivation. You won’t need artificial light set up or fans as you rely on the sunlight. You may experience a longer growth cycle and harvest once a year when growing outdoors. However, the climatic conditions are often not conducive for the plant’s growth.

Greenhouse

If you are growing cannabis in a greenhouse, you will access the natural sunlight, but you will have greater control over the climatic conditions. You can add artificial lighting for cloudy days, and this cultivation is expensive as you need to invest in a temporary structure.

Indoor

Typically grown in a warehouse-like setting, you need artificial lighting, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners to supplement the ideal natural conditions for marijuana growth. Growing indoors is expensive, too, as structure, electricity, equipment, water, and other costs are involved.

Growing Marijuana Plants: Growing Medium

A growing medium is a base on which the plant is grown, and it provides the plant with water, air, and nutrients.

Soil

Healthy soil is the most common and stable growing medium for cannabis, and it has stable water retention, is easily available, and is relatively easier to work with. Both indoor and outdoor growers use soil.

Hydroponics

Hydroponic medium is used for indoor cultivation, and it involves feeding plants through a nutrient-rich liquid. However, this method needs constant attention to details like heat, ph level, and nutrient level and is not advised for first-time growers.

Aeroponics

Like hydroponics, in aeroponics, plant roots are hung in mist and air to absorb nutrients, water, and oxygen. It is more cumbersome than the hydroponic system and requires constant monitoring.

Growth Stages Of A Cannabis Plant :

There are a series of phases that cannabis plants undergo during their lifecycle. Each phase has its unique water, light, and nutrient demands. Depending upon the growth environment you choose, it might take from 4-8 months for a cannabis plant to get ready for harvest.

Germination: 1-7 days

Only mature seeds with a dark brown, shiny appearance and hard-to-touch fit germination.

You can keep the seed in a wet, dark place or a moist paper napkin to germinate. When you expose the seeds to light and water, their growth process gets activated, and a single root, known as a radicle, appears downwards, and a new stem grows upwards.

Two leaf-like cotyledons appear from the stem, and they support growth till the first true leaves grow and the plant moves to its seedling stage.

Seedling Phase: 2-3 weeks

This stage is delicate; the plant requires 18-24 hours of sunlight, mild humidity, and moist soil for rapid growth. You must take care not to overwater the cannabis plant during this stage, and it will start developing more fingered leaves in this stage.

Healthy seedlings are short, thick in vegetation, and their leaves appear vibrant green in color. They should be kept clean and free from mold.

Vegetative Stage: 2-8 weeks

When seven-pointed leaves are grown, a seedling enters a vegetative growth stage. It then needs to be transferred into a larger pot. The stems will start thicker, and the plant will grow taller, producing more nodes, leaves, and branches. Its root system will get stable.

Your plant would need more water to develop during this phase, and it would also need a flow of dry air, potassium, and nitrogen-rich nutrients. It is important to keep the soil well-drained, and you must let the soil dry out before watering to prevent drowning.

Keep the plant in an 18-hour light period if you are growing indoors.

Pre-Flowering Stage: 1-2 weeks

During this phase, the pre-flower found at the nodes can let you understand if your plant is male or female. If your plant is a male, you will see small sacs filled with pollen around the nodes. If your plant is a female, you will see pistils growing on the buds. At this stage, the plant must get less light (12 hours) to go into the flowering phase.

Flowering Phase: 6-8 weeks

The plant enters the flowering stage when it receives at least 12 hours of darkness. Your plants would need medium humidity, warm weather, and an occasional dose of blooming nutrients in this stage. You will notice buds developing on it.

When the plant gets ready for harvest, the pistils on the buds will start turning reddish-orange, and the trichome heads would go from being transparent to milky opaque to amber.

Harvesting

When your plant becomes ready for harvest, you should trim larger fan leaves and cut the buds down. After that, the plant would need to be cut into small pieces and hung upside down in a dark, cool, dry space.

Drying

40 to 50% humidity serves best for drying cannabis, and the process should be 7 to 14 days long.

This process prevents mold, fungus, and bacteria from growing and the taste and aroma develop during drying.

When the drying is done, you should easily snap the bud stems, and the outer surface should be crisp to touch. Attempting to quicken this process won’t help, resulting in harsh smoke.

Curing

The curing process improves the aroma, flavor, and quality of smoke and decreases the harshness. You need to age the cannabis in air-tight, sealed mason jars for curing. Please place them in a dark cabinet where the temperature should be around 50 and 60 °F.

Don’t pack them in too tightly; there won’t be any necessary air circulation. Store the buds for around 1 to 3 weeks. You must open them once a day and keep them open for 15 minutes to absorb the fresh air and release the build-up gases.

Your weed will be ready to smoke once it is cured well. You can skip this process, but curing will enable you to store the weed for a longer period and give you a smoother smoke.

Laws And Regulations Of Cannabis Growing

Growing laws are different in different countries and states. Homegrown is generally allowed in places where medical or recreational cannabis usage is permissible by law. However, you must know about the laws of your jurisdiction before you embark on this journey.

Final Words

Did all these overwhelm you? Well, that’s natural. But let me tell you, cannabis growing surely takes a lot of hard work, but once you start enjoying your buds, you would feel every bit of hard work was worth it.

Every cannabis growing journey starts with getting the right seeds, and I recommend that you browse the beginner’s seeds section of the top online seed bank i49 to lay your hands on some great stabilized strain.

What are you waiting for? Get going. Or shall I say, get growing? Sow the seeds and reap rich dividends!