The decision to grow your own cannabis can be a fun and rewarding hobby – or it can be a nightmare. As is often the case, the proper planning works wonders in achieving success. When done right, growing your own plants will result in much higher quality cannabis than what you can obtain at a retail store – and at significant savings. When things go awry, you could end up $2,000 – $3,000 poorer – and a big mess to clean! This 8-step checklist will help ensure you have a very pleasant experience with quality yields. Please note, this guide is targeted at those who choose to grow indoors. Growing inside means you can have the perfect lighting every day and can control the humidity, the two biggest factors in success with growing cannabis. This is therefore the best choice for beginners and will result in the highest quality cannabis.
1.) Choose the strain of cannabis you want to grow. With hundreds of strains each bearing enticing names such as Cinderella 99, Purple Haze, White Widow and Blue Buddha, decision making is no easy feat. Plus, in order to legally grow your own cannabis you must buy your seeds from a legal source. And, in Ontario, that will be the first obstacle. Not only is it extremely difficult to find seeds but the selection is dismal. You may obtain seeds legally as a gift, however, you have no way to determine the quality of the seeds or the sex. When growing cannabis, only female plants produce flowers, which is where the THC comes from. The males must be discarded otherwise they will pollinate the female plants and you will get seeds instead of flowers. You won’t be able to tell them apart until they begin to flower, which means you may end up getting a lesson in futility! Once – and only if – you even get past this hurdle, the real decision making starts.
2.) Choose which medium to grow in: soil, soilless or hydroponics. There are benefits and drawbacks to each medium. Everyone has their own opinion. Prepare to be thoroughly confused and overwhelmed when researching this step. One tip: growing hydroponically is often simpler for beginners, because this automatically eliminates many of the bug problems growers run into when growing in soil.
3.) Choose the grow light for your space. This involves yet another difficult decision as there are several options: HID grow lights (Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium and Ceramic Metal Halide), Fluorescent grow lights (CFLs and T5) and LED grow lights, of which there are many models. Again, each has its benefits and drawbacks and you will have to decide which is best for your particular circumstances.
4.) Choose the set up: Grow Tent versus Building a Grow Box. A decision will have to be made depending on your space and requirements. Many people choose to build their own setup in an attempt to save money. However the problems they encounter – and the cost to fix them – often make grow tents more cost effective and time saving. It is crucial for the success of your project that you thoroughly research this important step to determine what your best option is.
5.) Pay attention to pH. Proper pH is essential for cannabis plants to absorb certain nutrients. By making sure the root pH is in the optimum range, you will save yourself problems and help plants grow healthier and faster. This requires constant attention.
6.) Choose the nutrients to feed your plants. Cannabis plants are voracious feeders. Should you choose organic nutrients (after all you will be ingesting the plant) or take chances with conventional? The amount of nutrients is important too. Too much and you can kill your plants. Too little and they will fail to thrive. Additionally be prepared to be sold on “designer” nutrients –.many sporting hefty price tags and little else. Research is paramount in this area.
7.) Pest and mold control. Pests that can affect your plants include aphids, fungus gnats, thrips, green flies, black flies, mosaic virus, spider mites, caterpillars, inchworms, whiteflies, white powdery mildew / white powdery mold, stem rot, and even mammals such as deer or cats! Again you will have to decide whether to use natural or conventional means of dealing with these potential problems.
8.) Ventilation. Growing indoors under lights create heat. Not only is this a fire hazard but it can cause extreme damage to your plants. It is therefore important for air to be moving around your plants. This will both prevent heat spots and make sure your plants are getting plenty of fresh CO2 to achieve the best growth. Make sure air is moving around your plants, but don’t allow the fans to point directly to them. Air movement will also help stop pests from attacking your plants, and will even help prevent mold (especially the dreaded white powdery mildew).Ventilation is considered the most important step in commercial operations. Therefore it would be wise for you to thoroughly investigate this aspect before starting your operation. Air should be exchanged every 1-2 minutes in order to maintain optimal temperatures and humidity. The lights you choose and the size of your grow space will dictate the type of ventilation system you must utilize.
With so many decisions to make, it’s easy to see why many people get lost in the research phase. They end up spending so much time researching that they get paralyzed by choice and never actually start growing, for months, years or perhaps never at all.
If you are one of those people who loves the idea of growing your own cannabis but don’t have the time or inclination, Green Grow Farms, an innovative new company offering a premium concierge service, will take over the burden of growing your cannabis for you. The company offers a safe, secure, and reliable home away from home for your four cannabis plants. The concept is similar to a “make your own wine” or “brew your own beer” facility. You could even think of it as a boarding home for your plants. Experts will help you select the strain that is right for you, they will tend your plants 24/7 from seed to harvest, all the while you’re left dreaming of the good times to come!
Green Grow Farms is a 65,000 square foot horticultural facility built on 13 acres in southern Ontario. This facility is made up of Individual Green Suites. These individual Green Suites can be leased by you as a home away from home for your four plants. You hold the lease. You can sell it. You can transfer it. You can even will it. Each Green Suite is 5’ x 5’ x 8’ and can grow up to four cannabis plants, three times a year. That’s 12 plants a year. As can be expected, this premium concierge service for growing personal cannabis is in high demand. Green Grow Farms expects to sell out of phase 1 very soon, based on pre-launch interest. (Read this article to learn more about renting a Green Suite.) To reserve your Green Suite visit www.GreenGrowFarms.com
