Growing your medicine or crop of choice isn’t a matter of finding a sunny spot and tossing some seeds in the ground.
We will look at some of these factors and plant growth and development stages.
This will be helpful for novice cannabis growers looking to learn the ropes and more experienced gardeners who would like to know more about this amazing little plant.
Indoor or Outdoor? Consider These Factors Before You Grow
Before investing money in growing equipment, seeds, or other essentials of Slurricane cannabis strain cultivation, you should know which cultivation method you want to follow.
Remember that once you’ve decided on your method of choice, you’re pretty much stuck with it. Whether to grow indoors or outdoors is the single most important decision you have to make as a cannabis cultivator.
The table below compares the various forms of cultivation; the merits and drawbacks involved.
After considering the pros and cons of each method, you are ready to choose the cultivation method you want to use.
Next, we lay down the process of growing, stage by stage. So before you grow, get a good grasp of the growth cycle.
What does the plant need from day one, and how do you work with it? A good understanding of the cannabis growth cycle will help you grow the best plants. The cycle follows this pattern:
Germination: Growth Stage 1
Seedling: Growth Stage 2
Vegetative: Growth Stage 3
Flowering Stage: Growth Stage 4
Germination: Growth Stage 1
It all starts with a seed. Germination starts when the seed sprouts. First, the seed breaks open, and the root appears. It takes one to seven days for a cannabis seed to germinate. When the seeds germinate, they produce a taproot that grows straight into the grow medium.
Seedling: Growth Stage 2
After the first leaves appear, the plant moves to the seedling stage. During this stage (between 1-3 weeks), the seedlings need 18-24 hours of light.
As the plants mature, the number of leaves increases, as does their size. Make sure they get a constant supply of water to avoid becoming thin. Overwatering them at this stage will stunt their growth, so water them sparingly.
Vegetative: Growth Stage 3
Plants that have been growing for 2-8 weeks, with good light and proper watering, will enter the vegetative state. While the plants are at this stage, light plays a significant role, and 18-24 hours is the target.
Watering correctly and keeping a constant, consistent supply will allow the plants to produce larger yields and remain healthy. Nutrients are another factor. You can use fertilizers to fix deficiencies in the soil or use a complete fertilizer for added nutrients, which works well for many plants.
Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are the three major nutrients.
Staking at this point is also important, as the plant will grow upwards. Proper staking will save a lot of time and energy during the process. Do your research on the kind of stake to use, or consider using a trellis system.
Flowering Stage: Growth Stage 4
When the plants are half their size, they enter the flowering stage. The target is 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Failure to strike a balance between light and dark will result in unhealthy growth.
Stake plants heavily at this point, as they’ll grow very quickly. Not staking will cause the plant to spread out and flower poorly. After they are a month in, lower the amount of nitrogen in the fertilizer and increase phosphorous and potassium.
Outdoor Farming: What You Need To Know
Generally, outdoor farming is easier than indoor farming because nature takes care of most of the work for you. Your plants can grow outdoors as long as the temperature stays between 60-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your grow area is in a cold climate, you can start your plants inside and then transplant them once the temperatures reach the proper level.
Follow these guidelines to get a jump start on your outdoor cannabis farming endeavors:
Space is a Factor
Space is a big factor in outdoor growing, so plan. The space you’ll need is based on the number of plants you want to grow.
Each plant needs at least three to five feet of space. So, if you want to grow many plants, it’s best to be proactive and plan their spacing.
Avoid planting in or near heavily trafficked areas.
Access to enough sunlight is also a concern with outdoor growing. If your space gets little or no sunlight, you may need to invest in solar lights or other supplemental lighting systems
Soil Drainage is a Huge Factor
Most soils are suitable for growing cannabis, as long as drainage is good. Therefore, if necessary, you should amend the soil to suit your growing needs and ensure that it drains well.
You can amend the soil with good-quality compost, leaf mold, or bark mulch. You can also add some nitrogen to the soil from organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or wood ash.
Exposure to Sunlight
A balance of sun and shade is essential. A cannabis plant needs at least 5 hours of direct sunlight each day. But plants that don’t get enough light will grow tall and skinny, with few or no flowers.
Additionally, 5 hours of indirect sunlight a day is needed to help keep your plants healthy. Moreover, the plants may need to be shaded if the temperatures are too hot.
It’s important to note that evaporation rates are higher in direct sunlight, so keep this in mind when setting up your outdoor growing structure.
Proper Access to the Farm
Choose a garden spot close enough to the house to allow you to get back and forth easily. If the farm is in a field, pick an area not too far from the house.
On top of easy access, make sure your garden is free of overhead branches, fencing, and other obstructions that could damage the plants.
Proximity to a Water Source
Nearness to a water source is important in determining how often and when you need to water your cannabis plants. If your soil is rich in nutrients (which is the case if you are using manure), watering can be less frequent.
Access to water for outdoor growing will vary depending on where you live. In areas near a reliable source, you will have plenty of water to supply your plants, but you may need to use timers and drip irrigation in dryer climates.
Do You Prefer to Grow in Containers Or In-Ground?
Do you want to grow many plants in a small space and not worry about a water supply? Growing your plants in containers may work for you if you have confidence in your soil.
Consider these additional points:
In-ground planting is easier if your soil is high in organic matter, providing good drainage and water retention. If you plan on using containers, a drainage layer such as gravel is crucial to remove the risk of root rot.
The extra height of the containers may be an issue if your local laws do not allow you to grow a certain height. For example, if your local laws allow plants to be no taller than the fence or building, you may want to invest in plant supports such as climbing frames.
Containers attract an extra expense for equipment and supplies that you would not have to pay for if you were to grow in the ground.
Indoor Farming: What You Need To Know
If you decide to plant indoors, you’ll need a grow room (or rooms) to house your cannabis plants. The reason for a grow room is to give you more control over the entire process, including:
Lighting and temperature
Ventilation and air circulation
Hygrometer controls and temperature management
You can use a tent for this purpose, or if you’re handy, you can build your own. You can make your own grow room from scratch with basic tools and materials. to cut down the cost. You could also convert an existing room or closet.
Once you’ve built the grow room, consider these factors:
Proper Ventilation is a Must
Ventilation is critical to the health of your plants, so the first thing is to get enough ventilation moving through the room. Fans will help oxygenate the room and remove moisture from the plants.
The way to get the most airflow is to have the exhaust fan on one end of the room and the intake (fresh air) fan on the opposite end. Make sure you have fans strong enough to move the air around in the room.
Without Carbon Dioxide, Plants Will Wither
For your plants to thrive, carbon dioxide must be present in the air around them. Therefore, you will need to provide a CO2 source to make this happen.
If your grow room has sufficient airflow, you don’t need to provide your plants with additional CO2.
But if the airflow is wanting, you must provide the necessary CO2. For example, to supply carbon dioxide, you could melt dry ice inside the grow room or buy a tank of CO2 and pump it into the space.
If you go the CO2 tank route, make sure to pump when lights are on, and turn off fans to not push the CO2 out.
Consider The Light Source
Indoor plants need light to grow, but they also need darkness to grow in. This is because grow lights and indoor lamps have varying intensities and wavelengths of light. So, for the best yield from your plants and to avoid suffering from excess heat and light, you need to adjust the lighting in your grow area.
There are many types of grow lights. The type you choose for your grow will depend on the size of the space you’re growing, how much control over temperature, and how much money you can spend.
Each light comes with a certain amount of lumens: the more lumens, the more ligh
