Easy Steps For Growing Cannabis

Posted by Clairhamlett on December 15th, 2021

Imagine you are at home with more free time, no real travel plans in sight, and some uncertainty in the air. There\'s nothing better than spending time in your garden, immersing yourself in the soil, adding beauty, and reaping the rewards. I can think of no better a crop to include in your garden this year than weed. Forget what you’ve ever heard about growing the plant or any of the culture surrounding it.

Forget what you smoked in high school. Forget it all. In my new book, “Growing Weed in the Garden: A No-Fuss, Seed-to-Stash Guide to Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation,” I treat it as what it is — a plant that grows beautifully outside.

Select A Location

Weed is a quick-growing summer annual. If you’ve got an existing veggie bed, put it there. If not, you want full sun (at least six hours of direct sunlight a day), well-amended soil and access to water (drip is ideal). A container works fine, too. The bigger the better. Fifteen gallons is great, and drainage is a must.

Consider Getting A Seed To Plant

Dispensaries are the only legal spot to score seeds and clones (what gardeners might otherwise call vegetative cuttings). It’s getting late in the season to start from seed. If you do, opt for an auto-flowering cultivar that ripens quicker. Don’t sweat your selection — choose based on what name or smell you like. All that information about what it will do to you? Entirely subjective. Visit https://marijuanaseedsforsale.com/ for more details.

Grow That Weed

Plant your weed with plenty of compost and watch it grow. Water anytime the soil is dry down to about ½ inch. Some simple trellising — like a tomato cage — will help the plant support its weight as it grows and eventually forms heavy flowers. You’ll want to prune it gently, at least topping it (snipping at the terminal bud) when there’s three to five sets of leaves.

Watch For Flowers

Forming in the armpits of the branches, small flowers start to appear sometime after summer solstice (sooner if you’ve opted for an auto-flower). Verify that all your plants are females (a successful harvest consists of unpollinated female flowers) by checking out the flower. If you see tiny hairs — females. Round balls — males.

Harvest Time

Depending on the cultivar, your flowers are ready to snip in September or October. Flowers are ripe when half the stigmas (those hair-like strands sticking out from the buds) are amber and half are still white. You can also pinch the flowers. If they’re spongy, it’s best to wait. If they’re firm, it’s time. Snip branches to hang upside down. Smaller buds can be placed on a mesh screen. You can trim your weed (removing excess leaves) now or after they’re dry. Totally your preference. Experiment with both.

Dry And Cure

Like any other herb you dry, cannabis needs to hang out in a cool, dark spot for a while. A garage or closet will do. Invest in a cheap hygrometer to ensure that temperatures remain between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity stays between 50% and 65%. Add a small, oscillating fan to maintain airflow. In 10 to 14 days, when the branches snap and buds sound like popcorn when pressed, you’re ready to snip the buds and put them into airtight containers, like mason jars or steel lids with locking clasps. 

Seal them overnight and check on them the next day. If the flowers seem to have regained their moisture (as measured with a gentle squeeze), leave the lid off all day before resealing at night. Repeat this process until they’re as dry as they were the night before.

Enjoy

Smoked, soaked in alcohol for a tincture, simmered in coconut oil for cooking, or given away — your weed is bound to make someone happy.