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Knowing how to grow weed indoors can save you time and money long-term!
There’s nothing like growing your own stash of fresh cannabis.
In today’s post, I’ll provide 8 easy steps to grow cannabis including…
– Preparation
– Seed germination
– Growth
– Harvesting
I’ll also give tips on the best practices and how to resolve common issues.
Once you learn to grow weed on your own terms, you won’t want to settle for anything less!
Table of Contents
1. Germinate Seeds
There are multiple ways to germinate marijuana seeds. The paper towel method is the easiest one.
- Fold the seed in a slightly damp paper towel, and place it inside a clear Ziploc bag.
- Store bag in a warm location(on top of refrigerator or cable box will work)
Within 1-3 days, you should see a tiny white tail emerging from the seed, indicating that it’s ready to grow!
If no tail appears within 5 days, it’s time to try new seeds.
It’s always good to germinate multiple seeds at once to increase your chances of getting a female plant, but if you purchase feminized seeds you won’t have to worry about this part.
2. Plant The Seeds
To start growing your seed, choose a standard potting soil mix and a container with drainage holes.
Marijuana tolerates a wide pH range, from 5.0 to 7.0.
For the best results, stick to its optimal pH range of 5.8 to 6.2.
A plastic Dixie cup with poked holes is a common and convenient option.
Plant the seed 1 inch deep in the soil, with the exposed tail pointing downwards.
Mist the top of the container with clean water and place it in a location with direct or indirect light, either from sunlight or a grow light.
In 2-3 days, you will see the first set of baby leaves emerge from the soil.
When watering your young plants, use a misting spray bottle instead of pouring water directly on top.
The seedling’s root system is still developing, so it may “float” after the first few waterings.
3. Get The Best Lighting
Selecting appropriate lighting is crucial and there are numerous options for indoor growers.
Here are three of the best-performing lights used to grow marijuana indoors!
Fluorescent Grow Lights
These lights are commonly used for indoor plant growth, including marijuana, and come in two forms: CFL grow lights and T5 grow lights.
CFL Grow Lights
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights
HID lights are highly effective for growing cannabis and offer a better yield-to-watt ratio compared to fluorescent lights.
They are easy to use, and have a long lifespan (about 1 year), but generate a lot of heat, so proper ventilation is necessary.
HID lights also require a considerable amount of space above the plants to avoid damaging them.
Although the equipment is relatively cheap, they consume more electricity.
LED Grow Lights
LED lights are becoming increasingly popular among growers due to their low electricity consumption, minimal heat emission, and full-spectrum capabilities (blue for vegetative growth, red for flowering).
They often have built-in cooling to prevent plant damage.
However, the yield is lower compared to HID lights, and buying LED equipment is typically more expensive.
Choosing The Right Light Spectrum
When it comes to light, different spectrums and colors will affect the growth of your plant.
Usually, blue light is used in a vegetative state promoting leaf growth and plant development, while on the other hand, red light is used in the flowering phase.
Blue Light
The blue light spectrum is essential for growing marijuana and improving its quality.
During the vegetative stage, indoor growers aim for maximum leaf growth, using T5 or T8 fixtures, CFLs, or metal halide bulbs that emit a blue light band with a wavelength of 450 to 490 nm.
This type of light is abundant during spring, allowing outdoor plants to receive ample amounts of blue light energy, leading to healthy growth and large, strong leaves.
Insufficient blue light can result in pale, weak plants.
Blue light is vital for young plants and seedlings in vegetative stages to grow properly and establish roots and stems.
Red Light
Red light is crucial for cannabis growth, particularly during the flowering stage.
Its wavelength of 620-750 nm is absorbed well by chlorophyll pigments, stimulating photosynthesis.
Strong red lights with higher intensity are often used by growers once their plants reach the budding or flowering stage.
Red light can also be paired with blue light to prevent overstretching and disfigurement of stems.
The combination of red and blue light provides the best response for marijuana plants.
4. Vegetative Stage
To ensure that your marijuana plant will produce beautiful flowers, you need to allow it to mature and grow.
The length of this stage depends on the available space and the wattage of your grow lights.
As a general guideline, plan to have 75 watts of light per square foot of growing area.
During the vegetative stage, keep the grow lights on for at least 18 hours a day, and up to 24 hours if desired.
This stage should last for a minimum of three weeks, but you can extend it longer.
Investing in high-quality soil will save you headaches in the long run and ensure that the plant has enough nutrients to grow strong and healthy.
Keep an eye out for medium-dark green leaves without any brown spots, this shows healthy growth.
5. Transplanting
Be gentle during transplanting to avoid damaging the delicate roots.
To remove from a Dixie cup, gently squeeze the sides and flip into your hand while supporting the roots.
Place your seedling in its final container, the rule of thumb is to use 1 gallon of soil per foot of expected growth.
Mix in a quarter cup of granular bloom fertilizer (NPK 3-1-1) before planting.
This fertilizer provides slow-release nutrients for the rest of the plant’s life.
6. FLowering Stage
Marijuana is a photosensitive plant and you will have to “force it to flower,” this can be achieved by giving it equal amounts of light and uninterrupted dark periods.
This is called the 12/12 cycle, with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
You can use a 24-hour timer to easily achieve the cycle, and put it on auto-pilot.
After three weeks, your plants will begin producing nice and thick buds.
To avoid reducing the quality of your flowers, make sure the flowering area is uninterrupted and doesn’t disturb the night cycle.
7. Let It Do It’s Thing
For the next 8-9 weeks, let nature take its course.
Water your plant with water only when the top 3-4 inches of soil are dry.
Move your grow light up as it grows, keeping it 12-24 inches from the tallest point to prevent “light burn”.
Flowers will start to form at week 3 and most plants will finish growing in the 12/12 light cycle in 8-9 weeks.
Your plant is ready when the larger leaves turn yellow and 75% of the pistols on the flowers have turned red/brown.
Ensure proper air circulation in your grow space by using a small oscillating fan.
This will decrease the humidity and prevent any molds catching onto your buds.
8. Harvest Your Buds!
The wait is over, it’s harvest time!
After 8-9 weeks, your plant is ready to be cut.
Hang it upside down in a cool, dark area and let it dry for 7-10 days.
Then, trim off all remaining leaves and around the bud sites. Remove any leaves not connected to buds and small leaves.
For the best smoke, cure the flowers at least for 10 days, by putting them in an airtight container and “burping” them once or twice a day.
This allows the chlorophyll to break down, revealing the flavor and avoiding a grassy taste.
Enjoy Your Weed!
This is hands down the most important step in the whole marijuana growing process.
You did it, you have successfully grown your own marijuana buds. Now is the time to enjoy.
Relax and have fun with your home grown buds!