Whether you're just starting out with pot cultivation 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 care, growing weed indoors can be an extremely satisfying and cost-effective endeavor.
Choosing Marijuana Varieties
The first step in planning your indoor harvest is choosing the right cannabis strains to grow. The three main types of marijuana plants each have their own qualities.
Energizing strains
Known for their uplifting cerebral effects, sativas grow tall and slender with narrow leaves. They thrive in hotter tropical climates and have a longer blooming time between 10-12 weeks indoors. Top sativa strains include Jack Herer, Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, and Jack Herer.
Relaxing strains
These strains provide calming body-focused effects and spread short and bushy with wide leaves. Accustomed to colder mountain climates, they bloom faster within 2-2.25 months. Popular relaxing varieties include Northern Lights, Bubba Kush, and Bubba Kush.
Mixed strains
Mixed varieties mix traits from both sativas and indicas. They offer combined effects and have moderate flowering periods around 9-10 weeks. Well-known hybrids are OG Kush, Girl Scout Cookies, and Blue Dream.
Setting Up Your Grow Space
Cannabis plants need the right controlled environment to succeed. Key factors for indoor cultivations are lights, ventilation, layout, and finding the ideal discreet location.
Location
Choose an available space with direct access to irrigation and power outlets. An empty extra bedroom, unused closet, basement corner, or grow tent securely placed in a garage all make great hidden grow room spots.
Lighting
Pot requires strong light for all growth stages. LED grow lights are efficient and come in broad spectrum options mimicking natural outdoor light. Cover 15-25 watts per sq. ft for the growth stage and 400-600 watts per sq. ft. for flowering.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation and exhaust systems keep ideal temperature, humidity, and fresh CO2 levels. Set up low-noise 10-15 cm blowers or carbon filters to refresh stale air and reduce smells.
Layout
Maximize your space by positioning plants carefully under the lights and leaving room to reach and work around them. Set up distinct zones for vegetation, flowering, curing, and cloning.
Cultivation Substrates
Marijuana can be grown in different substrates, 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 requires more watering and nutrients to nourish plants. Enrich soil with perlite or coco to enhance drainage.
Coconut coir
Made from coconut husks, renewable coco coir holds water but still lets in air to the roots. It's cleaner and more consistent than soil. Use coco-specific nutrients to prevent calcium buildup.
Water systems
In water systems, plant roots grow right in fertilizer water solution. This enables quick growth but needs careful observation of water properties. Deep water culture and drip systems are popular techniques.
Germinating Seeds
Sprouting activates your weed seeds to start sprouting taproots. This readies them for transplanting into their growing medium.
Towel Method
Put seeds between damp paper towels and maintain them moist. Inspect after a week for emerging taproots 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 push through the surface.
Cubic rockwool
Presoak rockwool cubes in pH-adjusted water. Insert seeds 1⁄4 inch deep into the cubes. Keep cubes wet until sprouts emerge within 1-14 days.
Repotting Young plants
Once sprouted, weed young plants need to be repotted grow light guide to prevent overcrowding. Move them into appropriately sized pots.
Ready Containers
Load final pots with cultivation medium enriched with time-released nutrients. Allow containers to soak up water for 8-12 hours before transplanting.
Carefully Transplanting
Carefully separate seedling roots from germination medium using a spade. Put into prepared container at same depth as before and gently water in.
Growth Stage
The vegetative stage promotes leafy growth and plant form through 3/4 to full day of continual light exposure. This stage usually lasts 4-8 weeks.
Providing 18-24 Hours of Lighting
Use lamps on a 24 hour cycle or outdoor light to initiate constant photosynthesis. Lamp output influences height and node distance.
Fertilizing
Use vegetative stage nutrients higher in N. Make sure pH remains around 5.8-6.3 for full fertilizer absorption. Feed 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 strength after 14 days and strengthen slowly.
Training Techniques
Topping, low stress training, and trellising manipulate growth patterns for even foliage. This boosts yields.
Bloom Stage
The blooming stage develops buds as plants show their sex under a 12/12 light schedule. It lasts 8-12 weeks depending on variety.
Switching to 12/12
Change lamps to 12/12 or move outdoors for natural 12 hour cycle. This triggers plants to begin flowering.
Stop Fertilizing
Flushing flushes out fertilizer residuals to enhance taste. Fertilize lightly the first period then just use pH'd water the last 2 weeks.
Flushing
Maintain 12 cannabis indoor hour photoperiod but flush using pH-balanced water only. Return to clean watering if buds aren't mature after two weeks.
Reaping
Recognizing when marijuana is fully ripe ensures peak potency and aroma. Harvest plants at peak ripeness.
Signs of readiness
Check fading pistils, swelling calyxes, and 10-15% amber trichomes. Inspect buds around the plant as they don't all mature evenly.
Harvesting plants
Use clean, sharp trimming scissors to gently cut each plant at the base. Keep 5-10cm of stem attached.
Drying
Suspend whole plants or branches inverted in a dark Watch Now room with average temp and humidity around 45-65% for 1-2 weeks.
Curing
Aging continues drying while improving the buds like fine wine. This technique mellows harshness and intensifies terpene and terpene profiles.
Curing containers
Manicure dried buds from stems and store into sealed containers, filling about 75% capacity. Use a hygrometer to measure container humidity.
Opening jars daily
Open containers for a short time daily to gradually lower moisture. Remoisten buds if RH drops below 55%.
Long term storage
After 14-21 days when humidity levels off around 55-65%, do a final manicure and store forever in airtight jars.
Common Problems and Solutions
Even seasoned cultivators run into various marijuana plant problems. Identify problems early and fix them properly to keep a healthy garden.
Poor feeding
Yellowing leaves often signify insufficient nitrogen. Anthocyanins and leaves show low phosphorus. Check pH and increase fertilizers gradually.
Bugs
Spider mites, fungus gnats, mites, and root aphids are frequent weed pests. Use organic sprays, ladybugs, and yellow traps for natural control.
Powdery mildew
High moisture encourages botrytis and bud rot. Improve circulation and circulation while reducing humidity below 50% during bloom.
Summary
With this complete indoor cannabis cultivation guide, you now have the info to cultivate plentiful potent buds for personal grows. Apply these steps and techniques throughout the germination, growth, and flowering stages. Invest in quality gear and closely monitor your plants. In time, you'll be compensated with sticky fragrant buds you grew yourself under the loving care of your green thumbs. Good luck cultivating!