Contents
Learn how to grow cannabis indoors with our easy to follow guide. We cover everything from equipment to grow medium to nutrient requirements.
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Why grow cannabis indoors?
Cannabis is an annual plant, meaning that it completes its life cycle — from seed to flower to seed again — in just one growing season. In most of the United States, that season falls somewhere between late spring and early fall. But what if you want to grow cannabis year-round? What if you live in a place with a short growing season, or you want to keep your plants out of sight? For these reasons and more, many cannabis growers choose to grow indoors.
There are several benefits to growing cannabis indoors:
-You can control the environment: By growing indoors, you can control the temperature, humidity, ventilation and light — all factors that can impact the health of your plants and the quality of your final product.
-You can extend the growing season: Growing cannabis indoors allows you to get multiple harvests in a single year, regardless of what’s happening outside.
-You can keep your plants out of sight: If discretion is important to you, indoor cultivation lets you keep your plants hidden away from nosy neighbors or prying eyes.
How to set up your indoor grow
Before you begin growing cannabis indoors, you need to set up your grow space. You’ll need to choose a location that gets plenty of light and has good ventilation. You’ll also need to purchase some grow lights, fans, and other equipment. Once you have everything set up, you’re ready to start growing!
Choose your grow space
You can grow in almost any space, as long as it gets enough light. You can even grow in closets, cabinets, or tents, as long as you can control the environment inside them.
The best space for growing cannabis is an indoor grow room. Grow rooms are purpose-built spaces for growing cannabis, and they allow you to have full control over all the variables that affect your plants.
To set up a grow room, you’ll need to:
– Choose a location: The best location for a grow room is an unused room in your house that gets enough sunlight. If you don’t have an unused room, you can also use a closet, cabinet, or tent.
– Ventilation: Your grow room needs to be well-ventilated to prevent mold and mildew from developing. You can either install a exhaust fan or open a window to keep the air circulating.
– Lighting: Cannabis plants need a lot of light, so you’ll need to install some high-wattage bulbs.LED bulbs are the most energy-efficient option.
– Temperature and humidity: Cannabis plants like it warm and humid, so you’ll need to use a heater and humidifier to keep the temperature and humidity at the correct levels.
Set up grow lights
Before you start growing cannabis indoors, you need to set up your grow lights. Grow lights simulate sunlight and provide the light energy that plants need to grow. There are many different types of grow lights available on the market, but the two most popular types are fluorescent and HID (high intensity discharge) lights.
Fluorescent grow lights are most often used for seedlings and young plants because they emit a soft, evenly diffused light that is gentle on delicate plants. HID lights, on the other hand, emit a much brighter light that is more intense and focused. HID lights are usually used for older plants that need more light energy to flower and produce buds.
Once you have selected the type of grow light you want to use, you need to set it up so that it is suspended above your plants. The height of your grow light will depend on the type of light you are using as well as the size of your growing area. Generally speaking, fluorescent lights should be about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) above your plants, while HID lights should be about 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) above your plants.
Once your grow light is in place, you will need to turn it on and off according to a schedule that simulates the natural day/night cycle of sunlight. For most indoor growers, this means keeping the lights on for 16-18 hours per day and off for 6-8 hours per day.
Get the right nutrients
To get the right nutrients for your indoor grow, you need to know what kind of plants you want to grow and what kind of soil they need. Different plants need different amounts of specific nutrients, so it’s important to do your research before you start growing.
Once you know what kind of plants you want to grow, you can purchase the appropriate soil and fertilizer for them. When you’re setting up your indoor grow, make sure to mix the soil and fertilizer together thoroughly before you plant your seeds or clones.
It’s also important to remember that indoor plants need more water than outdoor plants. Make sure to water your plants regularly, and keep an eye on the moisture level in the soil. If the soil starts to dry out, water your plants more frequently.
Ventilation and temperature
ow that you’ve chosen your grow room location and set up your grow light, it’s time to get the environment just right for your plants. As cannabis plants grow, they release water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2). If your grow room doesn’t have proper ventilation, the air will become stagnant and your plants will start to suffocate.
You also need to pay attention to temperature and humidity. Cannabis plants like it warm – somewhere between 70-85°F (21-29°C) is ideal. If it gets too hot, your plants will stop growing. If it gets too cold, they may start to die. Too much humidity can cause mold and mildew problems. Not enough humidity will dry out your plants and stressing them out.
The best way to maintain proper ventilation and temperature is to invest in a good quality grow tent or grow cabinet. These are specially designed growing environments that come with everything you need – vents, reflective lining, an easy way to hang your lights, and sometimes even fans and filters.
How to care for your plants
You will need to set up your space before you can start growing. You will need to decide how big of an area you want to grow in, and then you will need to set up your lights and ventilation. Once you have your space all set up, you can start growing your plants.
Watering
Cannabis plants need a lot of water, especially when they are growing rapidly during the vegetative stage. The roots of your plants will take up water as quickly as you can give it to them. Young plants with small root systems will need to be watered more often than mature plants.
Here are some general guidelines for watering your cannabis plants:
– Water your plants when the top inch or two of soil is dry.
– Stick your finger in the soil to check moisture levels.
– Cannabis plants like to be kept evenly moist, not wet or dry.
– Water thoroughly, until water runs out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
– Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
– Don’t let your plants stand in water.
– In hot weather, you may need to water your plants twice a day.
Pruning
Pruning is the process of removing dead or dying leaves and branches from your plant. This helps to improve the plant’s overall health and encourages new growth. It also helps to prevent pests and diseases from taking hold.
When pruning, be sure to cut at a 45-degree angle just above a node (the point where leaves and branches join the stem). This will help to encourage new growth. You can prune your plants as often as needed, but be sure not to overdo it – too much pruning can shock the plant and stunt its growth.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing is very important to the health of your cannabis plants, and there are a few things you need to know in order to do it properly. The most important thing to remember is that cannabis plants are heavy feeders, so you will need to fertilize them more often than other kinds of plants.
In general, you should fertilize your plants every two weeks with a good quality liquid fertilizer. If you are using a granular fertilizer, you should apply it once a month.
When choosing a fertilizer, be sure to select one that is specifically designed for cannabis plants. There are many different types of fertilizers on the market, and not all of them are created equal. You should also be aware that over-fertilizing can be just as harmful as under-fertilizing, so be sure to follow the directions on the fertilizer label carefully.
Troubleshooting
Cannabis plants are susceptible to a variety of problems when grown indoors. Common problems include nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases. These problems can be difficult to identify and solve without the proper knowledge. However, don’t worry, we’re here to help. This guide will cover the most common cannabis problems and how to solve them.
Pests
Pests are one of the most common problems when growing cannabis indoors. They can cause serious damage to your plants and are difficult to get rid of once they’ve infested your grow room.
There are a few things you can do to prevent pests from getting into your grow room in the first place:
-Keep your grow room clean and free of debris.
-Inspect all plants carefully before bringing them into your grow room.
-Regularly check your plants for signs of pests.
If you do find pests in your grow room, there are a few things you can do to get rid of them:
-Remove all infested plants from your grow room and dispose of them.
-Thoroughly clean and disinfect your grow room.
-Use pest control products designed specifically for use on cannabis plants.
Diseases
Cannabis is susceptible to a range of diseases, most of which are caused by fungi. These diseases often cause serious problems for indoor growers, as the humid conditions necessary for fungi to thrive are also ideal for mold and mildew.
The most common diseases that affect cannabis are powdery mildew, gray mold, botrytis (bud rot), and root rot. Powdery mildew and gray mold are both caused by the same fungus, botrytis cinerea, while botrytis (bud rot) is caused by the fungus botryotinia fuckeliana. Root rot is caused by a variety of fungi, including pythium spp., rhizoctonia spp., and phytophthora spp.
Treating diseases can be difficult, as many fungicides are not effective against these fungi. The best way to prevent diseases is to maintain good growing conditions and to carefully monitor your plants for signs of illness. If you do notice any problems, try to isolate the affected plant or plants so that they do not spread the disease to healthy plants.
Nutrient deficiencies
Cannabis nutrient deficiencies are pretty easy to detect if you know what to look for. Cannabis plants can’t up and tell you when they’re hungry, so it’s important to be able to identify the early signs of a deficiency. Oftentimes, these early stages manifest as changes in the color of the leaves. For example, a nitrogen deficiency will usually cause yellowing or browning of leaves starting from the bottom up, while a phosphorus deficiency will cause purple or reddish leaves.
If you catch a deficiency early on, it’s usually fairly easy to correct with some extra nutrients. However, if it’s allowed to progress too far, it can become much harder to fix, and in some cases may even be deadly for your plant. So if you see any strange color changes in your plants, be sure to check for nutrient deficiencies!
In general, there are three main groups of cannabis nutrient deficiencies: macro deficiencies, micro deficiencies, and pH problems.
Macro deficiencies are one of the most common problems growers face. They occur when there is not enough of one of the big three nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K). These elements are needed in relatively large quantities compared to other nutrients, and are typically applied through fertilizers or amendments. If your plant is showing signs of a macro deficiency, it’s usually because something is preventing the roots from uptakeing these nutrients from the soil properly. This can be caused by several factors including too much or too little water, poor drainage, low temperatures, or excessive salts in the soil.
Micro deficiencies are caused by a lack of trace minerals that are required by plants in very small quantities. Unlike macro nutrients which are applied through fertilizers, micro nutrients must be present in the soil already in order for your plant to be able to uptake them. If your soil is lacking in any of these essential minerals, you may need to amend it with something like compost or worm castings. Some common micro nutrient deficiencies include iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn).
pH problems occur when the pH level of your soil is either too high or too low for optimal growth. Cannabis prefers a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 7. If your soil is outside of this range it can prevent your plant from taking up nutrients properly, leading to nutrient deficiencies. You can test the pH level of your soil with an inexpensive pH kit from your local garden store
