How to Grow Marijuana Plant Indoors: Techniques that Growers Ought to Know
If you are looking for techniques on how to grow a marijuana plant indoors then you came to the right place. Almost all experienced growers will tell you that it’s easy to grow marijuana as long as you follow the rules.
But don’t worry. There are no hard or fast rules when growing weed. Some growers even learn on their own. Some follow a time-tested method to grow cannabis. If you’re new to cultivating weed and you want to be good at it, remember the following techniques:
Treat your plants like children
Whether you’re growing cannabis indoors or outdoors or growing for recreation or medicinal use, you must care for your plants with extra TLC. It’s quite easy to find out if the climate or environmental conditions will work well with your plants; use your common sense.
If you feel hot or warm as you walk inside your indoor growing area then chances are your plants are also hot or warm as well. If you feel a chilly breeze outdoors then your plants are feeling it too. Adjust your plants’ living conditions accordingly. This is why it’s best to use a digital thermometer and a hygrometer to accurately measure temperature and humidity.
More light, more yield
This is probably the most important equation you will learn when growing cannabis. Just like all plants, cannabis plants need more light to produce more yields. Most experienced growers use LED lamps or HPS lamps.
We recommend LED lamps because these are very efficient, will shine brighter and will consume less power than regular incandescent bulbs. The problem with LED lamps is that these are more expensive than other types of lighting BUT the advantages of using this overlook the price. LED lamps will less likely burn your plants too.
HPS is another type of lighting that most growers use. This shines the brightest and is very cheap to purchase. However, these consume more power and maybe too hot for your plants.
Be diligent and monitor pH
Soil and root pH, as well as water pH, should be measured accurately. Your soil or growing medium should have a balanced pH at 6.6 to ensure good health of your plants. 6.6 pH is important in the soil and roots so that nutrients in soil and fertilizer may be easily absorbed in the roots. If your plants continue to grow in soils with poor pH, these may not grow well due to problems with pH.
You’ll find pH testing strips from local or online garden supplies shops. And if you’re growing your plants for the first time using your garden soil, test it to find out if this is the best type of soil for your plants. And if you want a more accurate measurement and test of the quality of your soil, you may ask a professional to do it. You may also send samples to your local soil testing authority.
Monitor humidity levels regularly
Another important factor when growing your plants is humidity. Cannabis plants require different humidity levels depending on their growing phase. When your plants are just in their seedling phase, high humidity is needed for optimum growing. But by the time these start to grow buds, a lower humidity level is better. This will prevent mold growth on your plants and especially inside the buds.
Lower humidity is important to protect your plants from molds. Once you spot mold, do everything you can to remove it. Start by removing moisture because this is what molds need to multiply.
Next, enhance the humidity inside your growing area. Use a dehumidifier to control humidity or you may open doors or windows to reduce humidity. Use fans to control humidity as well. Water only when the soil is dry or high and not when it’s wet or damp to prevent increasing humidity and mold.
Use the right soil
Your plants need the best type of soil to grow. There are several types of soil but the best has to be sandy-clayey soil. This soil has better nutrient and water absorption and can also drain any excess. This soil is also well-aerated therefore oxygen can enter through the soil. You may also use your soil from your backyard but make sure to test this first before use.
Watering your plants
Water using a strict schedule. Water during the early morning so that water will be more absorbed by the roots and will less likely evaporate fast. Never water during the night or before night since excess water will only remain in the soil and may affect the absorption of nutrients.
As mentioned, water when the soil is dry and not when moist or wet. This will prevent mold and mildew which may develop on the roots leading to root rot and can prevent increased humidity, especially in an indoor growing setup.
Train your plants early
Cannabis growers naturally want plants that will grow more yields. While nutrients and watering will cut it, you should start using training techniques early. The best way to train cannabis plants is by using the SCROG method.
A SCROG method improves yields by letting all the buds in a plant get more light. A large screen is placed on top of the plants during the vegetative stage to create an even top canopy. Only the buds are allowed to grow through during the flowering stage. As your plants grow, push the leaves and stem in. Just let the buds grow through so these can get more light.
Pruning is another technique. This is removing the large fan leaves that are usually found at the bottom of the canopy. Removing these will improve air circulation in the plants and will improve light penetration on underdeveloped buds in the area.
Trimming is also done to improve cola size and yields. Removing almost all the leaves and stems will allow plants to concentrate its energy and nutrients to grow the cola. This should be carefully done and is usually used by cannabis growing experts to enhance yields.
