Step1:Choosing Your Strain and Buying the Seeds
Growing cannabis indoors requires a series of choices, and the first decision you’ll need to make is which strain you want to grow. You may already have a particular strain in mind, in which case, you’ll need to find an online seed bank that sells that strain. If you’re not committed to a specific strain, then luckily, it’s easy to browse online and find a seed that you think will work for you. When shopping online seed banks, it’s important to learn how to navigate the world of buying cannabis seeds online.
The first decision you’ll want to make is are you going to grow an indica strain, a sativa strain, or a hybrid of the two.
Once you’ve made that decision, you’ll see there’s another big decision to make when buying seeds. You’ll notice that they usually come in three options: feminized seeds, autoflower seeds, and regular seeds.
Simply put, feminized seeds are seeds that produce all female plants. Since female cannabis seeds are the ones that produce buds, buying feminized seeds takes the guesswork out of how many of your seeds will actually produce potent cannabis plants. A lot of growers prefer feminized seeds because they save a lot of time and money in the early stages of the marijuana growing process. If you’re buying your seeds from a reputable seed bank, you can almost always guarantee that your feminized seeds will flower the way that they should.
Auto-flowering seeds are easier to grow because they germinate quickly and do not require as much light as other types of seeds. They are an excellent choice for beginner growers who want to test the waters with their first harvest before committing to more complicated strategies. These seeds tend to vary in quality, depending on how they are bred. Some products have incredibly high and bountiful yields, while others might not bloom at all.
Regular seeds are seeds that you find that were shed from naturally growing cannabis plants. These seeds tend to be purer in their chemical makeup since it’s unlikely that they’ve been inbred or backcrossed with other types of seeds. They also take a slightly higher learning curve to get right the first time since you are taking a gamble at whether or not they will produce buds. Only female marijuana seeds produce buds or marijuana flowers, so when you plant regular seeds, it’s best to plant a large quantity since there’s no telling how many of them will actually flower.
When shopping for cannabis seeds online, look for sites that take secure payment options that you have available to you. Most online seed banks only accept credit or debit cards and, in some cases, certain types of cryptocurrency. It’s always risky to send cash when dealing with cannabis seeds.
Step 2:Set Up Your Grow Space
Once you order your seeds, it might take up to a month for them to arrive. In the meantime, you should start setting up your grow space. Depending on how much space you have, you can choose between various types of grow tents or grow boxes. Your grow room doesn’t need to look like what you imagine to be a typical grow room, like the ones you see on TV or in movies. Any small space, like a cabinet, closet, or spare room, will suffice. However, much space you have will determine the kind of equipment you buy, and even how many seeds you can plant.
You can also create a growing space with many different budgets. Some growers set up their grow areas for as little as $100, while others with larger budgets can end up spending thousands on their grow rooms.
If it’s your first grow, try to start small, but create a space that can grow with you. Even if you have a lot of space, it will take some trial and error before figuring out the right set up for you. That way, you won’t end up spending a ton of money when you may not entirely like the first set up you use.
To start, you don’t need the most advanced setup to be able to get good results. But when it comes to the tools you need to set up your grow space, some items are non-negotiable. Things like grow lights, a cannabis growing medium (like soil or hydroponics), and proper ventilation are absolutely necessary to make sure that your plants grow successfully.
Step 3: Pick A Grow Light
If you grow indoors, you’ll need to think about your plant’s light source. Keep in mind, one of the biggest benefits of growing a single plant is that your plant won’t need much light. In many cases, you can place your plant on a windowsill and have enough natural sunlight for it to thrive.
However, if you’d like to grow your plant in a more discrete location, away from natural light, you’ll need to think about grow lights. In that situation, how to grow a small weed plant quickly becomes how to select the best lighting.
For a single plant, LED grow lights are ideal. LEDs are a popular choice for growing marijuana and are perfect for producing healthy marijuana buds on a single plant. They are also optimized to prevent your plants from receiving too much light, which could cause a condition called ‘light burn.’ Another huge benefit of LEDs is their cost. The bulbs are inexpensive and readily available. They don’t require much energy, and the casual observer will never suspect that you are growing marijuana indoors just by seeing the light shining from your home.
If you opt for natural sunlight, and you aren’t using autoflowers, you’ll need to ensure that your plants receive at least 18 hours of sunlight during the vegetative stage of their growth. Unfortunately, unless you are growing during the correct season and in the right area, this may not be obtainable without supplemental lighting. In other words, even if you are growing outdoors, investing in an LED lamp for those cloudy and or ‘short’ days is a good idea.
There are, of course, other cannabis lighting options, but for a single plant, they will be much more than necessary. However, it is still a good idea to research your options so that you can make an informed decision based on your needs.
Step4: Select a Grow Medium
When thinking about how to grow a small weed plant, the first thing that should come to mind is what you will grow the plant in. Your plant will need a medium that provides the required nutrients for developing picture perfect buds. And, just like grow lights, there are numerous options for grow mediums. Each medium will have its own set of requirements, such as how often you’ll need to water, but in the end, every option is equally capable of producing high yielding cannabis plants.
The most common (and easiest to use) grow medium is soil. Ideally, you should use well-composted organic soil that is rich with nutrients designed for growing cannabis. a Pot for Pot’s Superb Soil is a great example of this. If you do not start off with soil that has been optimized for cannabis growing, you’ll want to ensure that the soil includes perlite, so that it drains well.
You could also go soilless and buy vermiculite, coco coir, or any other soilless mixture. While these may be more expensive than soil, they come with some advantages, such as a reduced likelihood of having to deal with soil-borne diseases and pests. A disadvantage though, is that they do not contain nutrients for your plant, so you’ll need to meter out the proper nutrients in the right proportions and at the right time.
Another option is hydroponic growing. This process grows cannabis plants directly in water. You can produce very high yields with this method, but there is a steep learning curve, and it is a bit expensive (both time and money-wise) for a single plant.
Step 5: Select Your Nutrients
It’s easy to grow a cannabis plant, but nutrients can improve the end results. With marijuana, you want to use specific nutrients that help your plant thrive during the different stages of its growth. Those nutrients should be formulated for the particular medium that you’ve decided to use. Certain nutrients will only work in hydroponic systems, while others are designed for soil.
You’ll also need to consider the pH of your water. If the pH is incorrect, the nutrients cannot be absorbed as well. The pH should be appropriate for the medium that you choose.
To be honest, nutrient and pH levels can be complicated, and a definite hassle when you only want to grow a single plant. A much easier solution is a Pot for Pot Grow kits. Not only are they designed to make growing a single plant simple and easy, but they also provide the best nutrients and medium for your plants so that you don’t have to spend so much time on this step. With these kits, you don’t really need to know how to grow a small weed plant, you simply need to know how to follow instructions.
Step 6:Set up a Ventilation System
With all of the lights generating heat in your grow room, your plants will be producing a lot of Co2. You need to create a proper ventilation system to make sure that the room stays cool enough to dissipate moisture and heat that could damage your plants. Higher humidity levels can also attract pests and other harmful pathogens. Luckily, you can quickly remedy too much heat with a ventilation system, a Co2 regulator, and a proper humidifier. The easiest and most cost-effective way to ventilate your grow room is with an inline fan.
A good rule to follow is that your fan should have the capacity to move the area’s entire volume of air every ten or so minutes. So, an exhaust fan that is installed in a 200 cubic foot grow space should be capable of moving 20 cubic feet per minute. The larger your space and the more grow lights you have, the more fans and ventilation you’ll need to protect your plants. If you’re concerned about the level of c02 in your grow room, then you can also choose to set up a carbon filter to monitor levels and filter out extra carbon dioxide.
If your space is small enough, you may be able to get away with a single fan, and just leave the door open for a few hours per day. Always remember to place your fan close to the space intake to promote better air circulation throughout your grow space.
Sometimes, if you live in a colder climate, you may face the problem of your grow room getting too cold. If the lights in your grow room aren’t enough to keep the room heated, then you should also incorporate a heater into your grow room.
Step 7: Germinate Your Seeds
This step only applies if you are growing from seed. There are plenty of ways to germinate a seed, but a premade seed germination kit is the easiest option. To use it, you only need to moisten the medium, insert the seeds, and water as needed. Once your seed sprouts, you can place the entire medium into your pot for easy transplanting.
Step 8: The Vegetative Stage
Once your marijuana seedlings develop a pair of leaves, they have officially entered the vegetative stage. This is the time when cannabis plants have the singular purpose of growing bigger and stronger in preparation for the coming flowering stage.
During the vegetative stage, marijuana plants need plenty of light. You’ll need to give them around 18 hours of light during this phase. Also, ensure that the temperature in your grow room (or wherever you are growing your plants) is a bit warmer than room temperature. That means between 68°F and 86°F.
The long hours of light and high temperature mean that your cannabis plants will need plenty of water, so monitor the moisture level and adjust accordingly. You don’t want your plants to be too thirsty.
How well your plants grow during this stage will directly impact their yield. Smaller plants will yield fewer and smaller buds. Bigger plants, however, are stronger and can support denser, more plentiful buds.
Step 9: The Flowering Stage
When flowers start to form, you’ve entered the flowering stage. Those little flowers will eventually produce buds – which you can eventually consume. This important phase in the life of your cannabis plant lasts until you harvest the mature buds. Here’s what happens during this stage:
Your plants will get large and bushy. You may want to ‘train’ them by trimming and/or bending the leaves so that there is a flat canopy on top. This allows light to reach all parts of the plant for maximum yields. This is an advanced technique, so you’d want to read up on it first before you try it.
If you did not purchase feminized seeds, or you are unsure of the sex of your plant, you’ll need to confirm that it’s female. How can you know? Simple. Just look at the junction of the branches and observe whether you see wispy white strings emerging from the buds. If these wisps are present, that plant is female. If they aren’t present, then what is growing is a pollen sac, and the plant is male. Male plants do not produce potent marijuana.
Depending on what you are growing, you may need to change the light schedule. You will need to increase the amount of darkness that your plant receives to 12 hours daily. That means, 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness each day. This is an absolute necessity for regular cannabis seeds (which are also known as photoperiod cannabis). Autoflowering marijuana doesn’t depend on a change in the length of daylight hours to start flowering, so this step is not required with those seeds.
For all types of marijuana, you will need to adjust the temperature. The flowering stage requires cooler temperatures, so keep it around 64°F to 78°F. If you used any nutrients, you’ll want to give them a little extra water to flush those nutrients out of your plant’s system. This helps with taste, aroma, and potency when it’s time to enjoy your cannabis.
The most important thing to remember about this stage is to watch your plants. Cannabis plants in the flowering stage are rather sensitive to the conditions under which they are growing. Look for signs of a problem, such as brown leaf tips. This could signify a problem with watering, lighting, or nutrients.
Step 10: Harvest Your Marijuana
You will know that the buds have matured from the color of the pistils. You should see wispy white hairs growing out of the buds. These wisps will change color gradually until they become amber at the peak of maturity.
Harvest the buds once approximately 40 percent of the pistils become darker in color. Wait until 50-70 percent of those hairs have darkened if you want buds with a high THC content. If you want buds that will make you relax, wait until more than 80 percent of the hairs are dark before you harvest. At this time, a significant portion of the THC in the buds will have converted to CBN (a cannabinoid that relaxes and calms the mind).
How do you harvest the buds? Simple, just take some scissors (there are some in the Pot for Pot complete kits) and clip the buds off the branches on which they are attached! Next, you’ll need to hang them to dry out for 4-5 days, and sometimes perform a final close trimming of small leaves and stems. Then you’ll put your harvested buds into a jar or other sealed container and burp the container (release air and re-seal) every few days for about 2 weeks to cure your buds and make them nice to smoke. You’ve now grown a single marijuana plant, with plenty of weed for you to enjoy!
