How to Grow Weed

The recent legalization of marijuana means you can now buy weed online or in stores and use it for both recreational and medical purposes. But that’s not all- you can even grow your own weed right at home. You’ll need some seeds and equipment, but if you’re willing to take on the task you could end up with huge yields at low costs. Plus, with the amount of information available online, it’s easy to learn how to grow weed.

Before you start, there are some things you need to take into account. Different areas of Canada have different laws on growing weed, so you’ll need to check up on your local growing laws. If you’re renting, you may also need your landlord’s permission. Most importantly, you need to know how to grow weed, either indoors or outdoors. Here’s a guide to help.

How Long Does It Take To Grow Weed?

To grow your own weed, you’ll need to be dedicated. It can take anywhere from 3-6 months depending on your seeds, how you choose to grow, and your growing conditions.

Getting equipment alone might take a few days to a week. Setting up your growing space can also require a day or two.

Once you plant your seedlings, you may have to wait anywhere from 3-6 months for them to harvest. Autoflowering seeds grow much quicker than other kinds, and these will generally be ready to harvest in 3 months at maximum.

The harvesting process can also add a week or two. You’ll need to spend around 7 days drying your buds, and many choose to cure them for an extra week or two after. While lengthy, this can be a worthwhile and rewarding project for many marijuana enthusiasts.

What Do You Need to Start Growing Weed?

Growing your own weed is a good project to take on and can result in huge savings over time. However, before you get started, you’ll need to invest a little money in the right growing equipment.

For growing indoors, you’ll need a cool, dark, enclosed space where you can control the light and temperature. Some people use a closet or box. You can even use a tent. You will also need:

• Artificial lighting such as HID, CFL or LED lights.
• Containers for your plants
• Air conditioning to control the temperature of your grow space/grow box
• Composted soil with nutrient-enriched water or ‘super soil’

Some stores and online retailers offer all-in-one grow kits for growing weed indoors. These give you all the equipment you need to start growing. You can also find super soil and marijuana fertilizers.

Some indoor growers also grow with hydroponic kits. Hydroponic growing is a soilless method where plants are grown in nutrient-enriched water. This can result in better grows but may take more investment to set up.

Growing outdoors is much cheaper than growing indoors, but you’ll still need some of the same things. Fertilized soil and nutrient-enriched water are good your plants. Marijuana needs nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Some provinces will also require you to put up caging around your outdoor grow.

What Seeds Should I Use?

Of course, you’ll also need seeds to start growing marijuana plants. You can often find these in marijuana stores and online. You can buy seeds of all your favorite strains and start growing them right at home. When buying seeds, you need to take note of the type.

Regular seeds – Regular seeds often grow male plants, which don’t flower and contain very little THC. This makes them useless to most marijuana growers.

Feminized seeds – To grow weed, you should opt for feminized seeds. These will produce the cannabinoid-packed cannabis flower you’re looking for. These seeds are genetically modified to help you grow the best marijuana.

Autoflowering seeds – Autoflowering seeds can come in all varieties. They’re crossed with ruderalis genetics, resulting in much faster grows. These can start blooming in 2 to 3 weeks. This makes them useful for beginner growers, although you may have to pay a little more.

If you want to grow weed, make sure you buy feminized or autoflowering feminized seeds. These will result in high-quality cannabis flower product you can dry and consume. You can get these seeds in all kinds of popular strains, whether they’re indica, sativa or hybrid.

How to Grow Weed Indoors

If you want to grow weed indoors, you’ll need a little extra equipment. An enclosed space is required, which can be anything from an enclosed box to a tent. You’ll also need artificial lighting and air conditioning to control the temperature and light of your grow space. However, the control you have over the conditions of your grow often leads to faster growth.

• Make sure your grow space is enclosed and no light can get in. Fit it out with grow lights and some form of air conditioning or temperature control, such as an extractor fan, filter or air duct.
• Fill containers with soil and plant your seeds.
• To start off, give your plants 18 hours of light and temperatures of around 70-75°F.
• Water plants whenever the soil begins to feel dry. You can check by feeling the soil around an inch deep.
• In around four to six weeks, your plants should begin to flower. After this point, give them 12 hours of light and cooler temperatures of around 65-70°F.
• After around another 2-3 months, your plants should be ready for harvest (this can vary depending on the strain, seed, and growing conditions).

How to Grow Weed Outdoors

Although you’ll have less control over temperature and lighting, growing outdoors is much simpler. Many plants have a large margin of error, so simply planting them outdoors, watering them, and watching them grow is extremely easy. However, you still need to take care of your grow.

• Set up a secure growing space outdoors. You may want to use a plant enclosure.
• You can either grow in the ground or in plant containers. You should choose a space where plants will at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Plant seedlings in fertilizer-enriched soil or specialized super soil. This will ensure your plants get the nutrients they need.
• You’ll need to water plants more often when growing outdoors. Regularly check your soil for dryness and water it when needed. You may need to do this multiple times a day when the weather is hot and dry.
• Generally, plants grown outdoors are ready for harvest after anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

When To Harvest Your Weed

You can determine when it’s time to harvest by checking your plant’s hairs and trichomes with a magnifying glass. Trichomes are the small, crystal-like glands on the end of your buds.

Harvesting at different times will result in different effects, so when you choose to start trimming is down to personal preference. Buds with cloudy trichomes will give you a more energizing and stimulating high. This is when THC is at its peak. When cloudy trichomes turn amber, you’ll get a more sedating high with extra CBN.

It’s best to wait till at least 50-70% of hairs have darkened on your buds. This is when THC effects will be at their peak. Waiting for more to darken will result in slightly less THC but more CBD and CBN- this is useful for medical users.

How To Harvest Your Weed

After growing your plants, you’ll still need to dry and cure them. This process can add another few weeks to the process but will result in high-quality weed that’s ready to use.

Once your plants are ready to harvest, you can start trimming them down. It’s best to cut away as much plant matter as possible till you’re just left with the buds. These can be dried using a dry rack. You can also cut whole branches and hang them on a drying line.

You should dry your weed in a cool and dark room. Temperatures of around 15 – 22°C are ideal. You should also keep the room’s humidity at around 50-60% using a dehumidifier. This helps speed up the drying process.

Drying can take anywhere from 3 to 10 days. Usually at least a week is needed. Check on your plants regularly until they’re free of moisture. Waiting until plants are fully dry will prevent problems such as mold when curing.

After this, store your buds in jars or containers around three-quarters of the way full to allow for some air. Your weed is ready to smoke, but it can help to leave it for at least a couple of weeks to cure- this will result in stronger and more flavorful buds. Check on your buds regularly to make sure there is no mold, mildew or moisture. Remove plants that are too wet for extra drying.

Is Growing Weed Worth it?

Although growing your own marijuana can pay off, it can be a lengthy and complex process. Many users may wonder if it’s worth it to grow weed.

It’s now easier than ever to find weed in stores. You can also buy cannabis strains online. This is much more convenient and you can often get cheap weed by buying in bulk.

Growing may save you some money over time. If you’re willing to invest months into it, you can grow mass quantities of marijuana and smoke it at your leisure. However, the whole process from planting to harvesting can take months. This is highly inconvenient for those who travel or those who want their weed fast.

Of course, there’s no reason you can’t grow as a side hobby while still buying weed. Many choose to grow weed simply for the experience. Although it can be time-consuming, it can also be highly rewarding to smoke your own homegrown marijuana.

Weed Growing Laws In Canada

New federal laws on cannabis set by the Canada government allow you to buy and possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in public. However, the limits are different when growing.

The new laws allow you to grow up to four active plants at a time in your own home. What’s more, the laws allow you to possess up to 150 grams (approx. 5.3 ounces) of fresh cannabis. As long as you keep your weed privately at home, you shouldn’t have any problems storing more.

There are still some provinces where you’re not legally able to grow your own weed, namely Quebec, Manitoba, and Nunavut. These laws may change over time but, for now, it’s best to avoid growing if you live in one of these provinces.

Other provinces allow you to grow indoors or outdoors. There are still a few rules to adhere to. Most importantly, your plants should be kept away from public view (even if outdoors) and must not be accessible by children. Landlords can also restrict the growing of weed on their properties.

Can You Sell The Weed You Grow?

Although it’s legal to grow and use marijuana, there are still strict laws against selling. In some provinces, businesses can acquire a license to grow and sell marijuana. However, growing and selling your own personal stash is still illegal.

In Canada, illegal distribution or sale can result in anything from a ticket to 14 years of jail depending on the amount. Although you can legally grow and use your own marijuana, never try to sell it.

While you can give marijuana to your friends for free, they must be of legal age. Giving marijuana to a minor can also result in jail time.

Conclusion

Many marijuana lovers nowadays learn how to grow weed. If you develop a knack for it, you can grow ounces upon ounces, although you will have to invest some months into it.

Growing is now easier than ever thanks to products available, such as grow tents, super soil, and marijuana fertilizer. There are also tons of videos and tutorials online to help with every step of the process. Providing you live in a legal province and you’re not restricted by your landlord, growing can be a great hobby. You can legally cultivate and smoke your own homegrown marijuana to your heart’s content.