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Cannabis or marijuana is a psychoactive drug that is obtained from the flowers of the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant originates from the Indian subcontinent and central Asia, where it was used for recreational and medical purposes for centuries. Cannabis can be used in many different ways like smoking, vaping, as an extract, or within the food.
Planting and growing a cannabis plant is not a complicated process. Anyone can grow a plant, but in the case of the cannabis plant, the plant size and growth are not the things that determine the quality, it is the Buds. In this guide, we will guide you through the different steps and stages involved in growing quality cannabis plants.
Growing Stages
● Germination ( 1to 7 days)
● Seedling (2 to 3 weeks)
● Vegetative (2 to 8 weeks)
● Pre flowering (1 to 2 weeks)
● Flowering (6 to 8 weeks)
● Harvesting
Seed Selection
In the case of Cannabis, plants can be either male or female and the female ones yield the fortune, a.k.a. Buds. Do some research and sources the seeds which are labeled as “feminized” from a trusted supplier. If you are a newbie, then it’s better to obtain female clones (cuttings from a female plant) from your local nursery.
Seed Planting
Cannabis plant sowing season starts from the month of April and end in October. Loamy soils are considered best for growing cannabis plants, as it has a combination of sand, silt, clay, and organic compounds. You can plant the seeds three to five feet apart to maintain the ideal plant to plant distance. If you are growing plants indoors, plant three seeds in a five-gallon pot, so if one plant dies you can still have 2 plants. You can also grow cannabis in different plating mediums like Hydroponics.
Growing Climate
The ideal temperature for optimum cannabis plant growth is 20 to 30°C (70 to 85°F) during day time. At night it requires a cooler temperature ranging from 17 to 20°C (62 to 68°F). Cannabis plants require at least 5 hours of direct and 5 hours of indirect sunlight for ideal growth.
For indoor plants, you can manage light and temperature by installing different specialized light and temperature controlling equipment like a gas lamp, LED, and HID. Proper ventilation is also very necessary for indoor plants, you can install fans and filters to maintain the proper ventilation inside your grow room.
Nutrients Management
Make sure that your cannabis plants are getting the proper amount of nutrients at every growing stage. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK) are three important sources of nutrients for plants. At the seedling stage, the cannabis plant doesn’t require any fertilizer; at the vegetative stage, the plant requires N (200 ppm), P (120 ppm), and K (200-250 ppm). At the flowering stage, plants need an extra dose of Potash (250 ppm) to get a healthy flower yield.
Harvesting
Flower buds harvesting at the right time if very crucial in case of cannabis plant. If you harvest the buds early, it will result in low THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), and if you harvest the buds late, then it will decrease the THC compound. Below are some signs which you can look for in your plants for ideal harvesting time.
● Plant leaves start turning yellow and some will begin to fall.
● White buds pistols will change their color to brown.
The best indicators are trichomes (shiny sticky crystals, found on the flower), you have to use a jeweler’s loupe for close examination. When these trichomes turn completely clear to cloudy, it is the best time to harvest.
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