Okay, so you might not entirely be in the land of SCROG just yet when it comes to your growing skills, but if you are looking at how you can get the best crop of cannabis ever then read on.
Attack of The Clones
Before you start the grow, you have to decide if you are going to grow from a clone or from seed. What does that mean? Growing from a clone is basically growing an exact genetic copy of the mother plant which the clones were taken.
Sounds fine? In theory, if you know that the mother plant has zero diseases, no weakness in the strain, then you are probably okay. However, it is more likely that when you get your clone, it is in shock from the journey and will be from an unknown mother plant – tough growing.
Choose seeds for the ultimate experience, and if you have an ideal growth, clone your own later in the process.
Soil
You know those gardening programmes where they use the most exceptional quality soils, with just the right amount of nitrogen? Well, prepare to care about dirt. Cannabis plants have specific demands, and a portion of those is going to be met by the soil.
The type of nutrients in the soil will have a direct impact on your grow. If you are using a basic, cheap and low-quality soil, then while you may not notice it in the early days, you’ll see it in the quality of the grow later down the line. Look for a high-quality organic soil, give your plants only the best.
Genetics
Before you buy anything, you should understand what the different genetics are going to give you. In other words – know what you grow. If you get down with a focus enhancing, energizing and motivating cerebral Sativa – then grow that.
If however, you like the zen, restful state you get from an Indica – then grow that. Once you have narrowed down what you want from your plant, you will be able to decide on the genetics of the plant. Do plenty of research before you buy your seeds, though.
Feminized Seeds
If you are looking to waste time, then grow what you like. If you are looking for a clean grow with maximum yield then you want to always have feminized seeds. Feminized seeds are bred to have no male chromosomes.
This means that every plant that is grown offers smokeable flowers. If you buy a mixed batch of seeds, you will have to learn to differentiate between the male and female plants early on, so that the males don’t take up space for too long.
In the end, using feminized seeds saves you time and money.
Light
This is about as basic as the growing process can get. Plants need light and a lot of it. It is the light that gives the cannabis plants to energy to grow those sticky, sweet, potent buds. When the light hits the surface of the leaves, the green pigment (chlorophyll) helps to turn that energy into sugars.
Those sugars are the food for the plant and the more they create, the more they consume. So, you want to give your canna plants as much light as possible during the growing cycle. Right, but not all of the light you can use is equal.
You are going to want to use an LED or HPS set of lights, and they will need to be big and bright. You’re going to get a much larger yield and improved potency from using the right lamps and light.
Humidity
You are going to need to change the humidity in the room as the plants grow. In the vegetative state, high humidity will see them thrive. Then as they come into the flowering phase of the growth cycle, you will see them respond to a 40% humidity level.
Lowering the humidity is critical during the flowering stages as is reduces the chances of mould forming on your grow.
Curing and Drying
The final step in all of the hard work. But, by no means should this one be taken lightly. Drying and curing your harvested buds is just as important and any other stage of the growing cycle. If you get it wrong, you will end up with a crop that is mouldy and unusable.
You can dry your buds but spreading them evenly across a drying rack. There should be room around each bud, giving the perfect ventilation.
Once they are dry, the final stage is to cure them. Place all of your buds in an open-mouthed jar, and check in on them once a day. Remove any buds that look like they might have signs of mould. The longer the cure, the better the smoke.
