How To Grow Marijuana

Cannabis is the botanical name of a genus of annual flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family. There are over 150 species and 10 genera included in the Cannabaceae family. Besides cannabis, the hop plant (often used in the production of beer) is also part of the Cannabaceae family.

Plants in the cannabis genus are commonly referred to as hemp plants, but the term hemp is more appropriately used to describe cannabis plants that are cultivated for commercial purposes (like clothing, fuel, etcetera) rather than for drug purposes.

Some species of cannabis (indica and sativa) produce fairly large amounts of a chemical known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (a cannabinoid commonly called THC). Cannabis plants that are grown for their THC content are referred to as marijuana plants.

Marijuana is used for spiritual, medical, and recreational purposes. Normally, the dried flower tops (buds) are smoked to produce a high, but the extracts are sometimes mixed with food and eaten or added to alcohol and made into a drink.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main active ingredient in marijuana and other cannabis products like hashish and hashish oil. Good marijuana will contain 5% THC, or more.

Hashish is a concentration of trichomes from the marijuana plant, the trichomes are a rich source of THC. Hashish is usually made by hand rubbing or sieving marijuana plants. Good hashish will contain 20% THC, or more.

Marijuana grows wild in many parts of the world, and is cultivated in Mexico, Vietnam, Africa, Nepal, India, South America, etc. Most of the marijuana sold in the United States was grown here.

It is estimated that at least 50 per cent of the grass on the streets of America is homegrown. The next largest bunch comes across the borders from Canada and Mexico, with smaller amounts filtering in from Panama, South America, Africa, and other areas of the world.

Marijuana prices in the United States are a direct reflection of the laws of supply and demand (and you thought that high school economics would never be useful).

A series of large border busts, a short growing season, a bad crop, any number of things can drive the price of marijuana up. Demand still seems to be on the increase in the U.S., so prices seldom fall below last year's level.

Each year a small seasonal drought occurs, as last year's supply runs low, and next year's crop is not up yet. Prices usually rise about 20-75 per cent during this time and then fall back to normal.

There is one surefire way of avoiding high prices, getting ripped off, and getting low quality product, that is to grow your own marijuana. This is not as difficult as you may think it is. It does take some work, but nearly anyone willing to spend some time learning how to grow marijuana can succeed.

There are two possibilities when choosing a place to grow marijuana, indoors or outdoors. Outdoor growers can raise large crops while indoor growers are limited by the size of their grow room. Indoor growing occurs in a limited space so the amount of marijuana grown will be smaller in comparison.

But because a small area is easy to monitor and work on, the quality of marijuana grown indoors is almost always superior to marijuana grown outdoors.

Growing indoors allows a person to control the environment in a way that can't be replicated outdoors. An indoor grow area will allow you to provide optimal temperature, nutrients, humidity, and other factors that are important to the plant.

If you want the best quality marijuana in quantities large enough to supply your personal needs, indoor growing is recommended. If you plan on producing as much marijuana as you possibly can in order to sell it, growing outdoors is recommended.

If you grow 10 plants indoors with a 400 watt high pressure sodium or metal halide grow light, each plant will yield about 1 ounce of marijuana. A single plant grown outdoors will yield about a pound (16 ounces) of marijuana.

After you have decided to grow indoors or outdoors, the next step is to obtain a strain of marijuana seed that is suited to be grown in your intended environment. There is no sense planning on growing if you can't get seeds.

The best marijuana seeds for the novice indoor grower (either with soil or hydroponics) are mainly indica strains. As you gain experience, you could move up to an indica/sativa mix. When you are confident in your growing ability, you may wish to experiment with growing a mainly sativa strain.

An outdoor grower should start with a mainly indica strain that matures quickly, produces a large yield, and doesn't grow too tall. You need a strain that matures quickly when growing in an area where the temperature will drop to freezing in or prior to november (this includes many parts of the northern hemisphere including the USA and Canada).

In fact, strains that mature quickly should be used to grow marijuana outdoors anywhere there is a winter where temperatures fall below 40 degrees, freezing weather will destroy a crop. If, after harvesting a crop or two you notice there is still time left for plants to grow, you can get a strain that takes longer to grow for next years crop.

Growing Marijuana Outdoors

Outdoor marijuana growers should read this section, while indoor growers should read the section about indoor growing located further down this page.

Contrary to popular belief, marijuana grows well in many places on the North American continent and other parts of the world. It will flourish even if the temperature does not raise above 75 degrees. In fact most strains prefer temperatures under 80 degrees.

Some excellent marijuana is grown outdoors in places as far north as Alaska, Canada, Northern Asia, Northern Europe and as far south as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. In most cases, growing marijuana outdoors is done with soil. Advanced outdoor growers may wish to try using hydroponics to grow marijuana outdoors, but beginners should use soil.

A good source of information for someone looking to grow marijuana outdoors using hydroponics would be marijuana new school outdoor cultivation. About half the book shows how to design, build, and maintain an outdoor hydroponic system. The rest of the book discusses growing marijuana outdoors with hydroponics.

Light exposure is important when locating a site for an outdoor plot, privacy and other factors will enter in as well. Try to find a spot that gets sunshine for the longest period from mid morning to mid afternoon. A place that gets direct light from 10am-4pm is very good, 8am-5pm is excellent.

You can use winter sun as an indicator of lighting exposures but the sun changes position in the sky as the season changes. Usually the south side of a hill gets the most sun. Also, large areas open to the sun on all sides will provide marijuana plants with ample exposure to sunlight.

Water should be close by, or close to the soil surface, or you will have to carry it to your plants when the amount of rainfall is low. Water is heavy and this is very hard work. Try to find an area close to a source of water if possible, and keep a bucket nearby to carry water to your plot.

If you are going to grow marijuana outdoors in a place where the temperature gets lower than the freezing point of water in winter, you should plant in early spring. But definitely, plant after the last frost of the year. In countries that stay mild all year, plants can be started earlier.

There are two schools of thought about starting the seeds. One says you should start the seedlings for about ten days in an indoor seed tray or mini-greenhouse. The other says plant them in the ground. That is a choice you will have to make.

Plants started indoors can be allowed to grow for a while before being placed outside. This will speed the growing process and the plants will be ready to harvest sooner. However, transplanting outdoors is stressful and may kill the young plants. Seeds started outdoors do not have to be transplanted.

If you are going to start the seeds outdoors, plant them by dropping them in the place you want them to grow (minimum 3 feet apart) and cover them with a half inch to a inch of good potting soil. The soil should be kept damp but not wet until you see the plant start to grow. Once the plant has started to grow you can let nature take its course.

If you are going to start the seeds indoors, follow the directions located here to germinate your seeds. After the seeds have germinated and the root is about a quarter of an inch long, place the seed, root down, in a seed tray with soil in it.

Seed trays and mini-greenhouses are sold in nurseries, and stores with a garden section. The sprouting soil should be designed to be used during germinating and seedling stages of a plants life.

If you want to germinate and start the growth process in the same environment, get a mini-greenhouse with a heating element (about $50). They do a good job and can be used for years. The heat helps the seeds germinate faster.

When ready to transplant, you must be sure and leave a ball of soil around the roots of each plant. If you are transplanting outdoors, you should move the plant outdoors around sunset. This will allow the plant to recover from stress overnight. Always be gentle when handling the young plants.

After the plants are set in a hole big enough to accommodate the roots, you should water them. You can use a commercial transplant chemical like super thrive (also purchased at nurseries) to help then overcome the transplant shock.

The plants should be planted at least three feet apart, getting too greedy and stacking them too close will result in stunted plants. The plants like some water during their growing season, BUT not too much. This is especially true around the roots, as too much water will rot the root system.

Marijuana grows well in corn or hops, and these plants will help provide some camouflage. It does not grow well with rye, spinach, or pepperweed. It is probably a good idea to plant in many small, broken patches, as people tend to notice patterns.

Marijuana plants can reach a height of twenty feet (especially sativa strains) and obtain a stem diameter of 4 1/2 inches. Marijuana soil should compact when you squeeze it, but should also break apart with a small pressure and absorb water well.

A nice test for either indoor or outdoor growing is to add a bunch of worms to the soil, if they live and hang around, it is good soil, but if they don't, change it. Worms also help keep the soil loose enough for the plants to grow well.

Vegetative And Flowering Stages

During the first few weeks of life, the marijuana plant is in the seedling stage. After it has put down a solid rood system, the plant enters the vegetative phase of its life. This is the time when the plant grows faster than at any other stage. Keep an eye on the plants and make sure they get enough water and nutrients.

The next stage in the life of a marijuana plant is called the flowering stage. At this point, the plant will slowly stop growing and use its energy to produce flowers. This is when the plant produce the most THC.

The most important factor in when the plant will flower is photoperiod (length of day). A marijuana plant that gets a lot of light during the early stages of growth (in the spring and early summer) will start to flower when the number of hours of sunlight decreases in the late summer and fall.

Sinsemilla is a name for female marijuana plants that have not produced seeds. Not producing seeds allows the plant to use more energy producing THC and other chemicals that users enjoy.

An ancient tradition for cannabis growers, sinsemilla is the result of removing male plants from the grow environment before they have a chance to fertilize the females. People who grow hydroponic marijuana indoors always grow sinsemilla. Growing sinsemilla outdoors is harder.

A single male plant can fertilize females within an area of a few hundred feet. You will have to separate the male plants from the female plants before the male plants flower and produce pollen unless you wish to produce seeds. There is approximately a 50% chance a seed will be either male or female.

Assuming all the seeds are of the same strain, the male plants will probably start to flower before the females. The male plant will have small oval pollen sacks that the female lacks. Once you see these sacks, remove the male plants from your garden unless you want to produce seeds. In contrast, white hairs (pistils) will begin to develop at bud sites of female plants.

Male plants from some marijuana strains may be potent, while other strains are worthless for smoking purposes. If you remove male plants from your garden, try cutting 6 to 10 inches off the top of the plant. Dry it and try smoking, sometimes it's worth the effort.

Actual time till harvest will depend on the seed strain and growing conditions. It is very important that you learn how to identify when the best time to harvest is. If you do things properly, you should get about a pound of marijuana from each female plant you grow outdoors.

Growing Marijuana Indoors

The following info about growing marijuana indoors with soil. It is a good way for the first timer with a limited budget to start. You may also be interested in growing hydroponic marijuana. It shows how to grow marijuana indoors without soil. Some of the information can be applied to growing marijuana with soil.

Indoor growing has many advantages, besides the apparent fact that it is much harder to have your crop found, you can control the ambient conditions just exactly as you want them and get a guaranteed good plant.

Plants grown indoors will not appear the same as their outdoor cousins. They will be smaller and may require you to tie them to a growing post to remain upright.

However, the marijuana from plants grown indoors will be more potent (if you provide optimal conditions) than that of the same strain being grown outdoors. Plants will take longer to grow in soil than they would in a hydroponic garden, but they can be just as potent.

Select a grow area and put tar paper or plastic drop sheets on the floors to prevent damage from water or other sources. The walls of your growing room should be painted white to reflect the light.

Containers for houseplants can be used or you can use almost any container that is clean and has never been used to store chemicals or anything else that might be toxic.

The height of the container should be from 12 to 24 inches. Width and depth should both be about 12 inches. 3 and 5 gallon containers do a good job and are easy to find.

You will need enough soil to fill each container to within 4-6 inches of the top. Make sure to provide drainage holes at the bottom of the container if it was not designed for growing plants in. There should be enough holes to allow any excess water to escape and they should be small enough so that no soil is washed away.

Buy sterilized bags of soil form a gardening supply store. Ask a salesperson for soil that was designed for indoor use with fast growing vegetables. You need soil that is fluffy when moist. It shouldn't clump together if you gently squeeze it in your hand.

Organic potting soil is a good choice, if available. If you are already used to gardening, mushroom compost or soilless mixtures might be something to look into. Stay away from anything like clay or sand.

After harvesting, add the soil that was used to grow a crop to your outdoor garden, do not try to use it to grow another crop. See the section about nutrients and marijuana grown in soil so you know how to feed the plants.

Soil pH should be in the 6.0 to 7.0 range. Get a pH meter to measure the soil pH if needed. Most nutrients (fertilizers) cause a pH change in the soil. Adding nutrients to the soil almost always results in a more acidic pH.

The lighting system can be fluorescent, but metal halide (mh) or high pressure sodium (hps) are recommended. Metal halide or high pressure sodium lights provide enough light to grow potent marijuana and should be used by any serious gardener. Make sure you understand lighting and how it affects marijuana plants before setting up your grow room.

If you don't have enough money to buy a metal halide or high pressure sodium light fixture, fluorescent light can be used instead. This is a good introduction to growing, but the results will not be as good. The best sources are those designed especially for growing plants.

Figure about one plant per two feet of fluorescent tube. Fluorescent light sources should be an average of 3-6 inches from the top of the plant. They may be mounted on a rack and moved every few days as the plants grow.

Once you have your grow area setup you will want to introduce your seeds or clones. If you have clones you can place them in the growing containers. If you have seeds, you will need to germinate them before they can be placed into the containers.

Set your light timer for 16 hours on and 8 hours off per twenty four hour period. Keep this light pattern for the first two weeks in the containers.

When I grow with mh or hps lighting, I like using a fluorescent light for these first two weeks of seedling growth. A standard 48 inch fluorescent light fixture sometimes used in garages and kitchens can be found at most department stores. You don't need special grow lights for this purpose, 'cool white' bulbs made for standard 48 inch fluorescent light fixture are cheap and will do a fine job.

After about two weeks under the 16 hours on and 8 hours off light schedule the plants should have put down a good root system and grown a few sets of leaves. At this point you should increase light by an hour a day. You can leave the light on from 18-24 hours a day at this point in the plants life (vegetative phase).

If you have mh or hps lights, now is the time to introduce them to your garden. As you increase the light, the plants grow faster but power consumption increases. This power increase doesn't make a lot of difference with low wattage lights, but mh and hps lights require more power. The more power you use, the higher your electric bill will be.

When the plants are about twelve inches tall, cut the light down to 12 hours on and 12 hours off per day. This will cause the plants to flower. After the plants flower, you will have to remove the male plants unless you want to produce seeds. White hairs (pistils) will begin to develop at bud sites of female plants.

If you are growing under mh or hps in soil, it will be about 10-12 weeks (after flowering starts) till harvest time. Total time will be about 12-16 weeks from seed or clone to harvest time. If you are growing under fluorescent light it will take longer before harvest time, the plants will not produce as much marijuana, and the marijuana that is produced will be very weak.

With a metal halide or high pressure sodium light fixture, a 250 watt light (either mh or hps) is good to grow up to 6 plants at a time (force flowering when they are about eight inches tall). Each plant will yield about 7-14 grams of marijuana in 12-16 weeks.

With a a metal halide or high pressure sodium light fixture, a 400 watt light (either mh or hps) is good to grow up to 12 plants at a time (force flowering when they are about twelve inches tall). Each plant will yield from about 14-28 grams of marijuana in 12-16 weeks.

Temperatures should be between 70-80 degrees F when the light is on. When the light is off the temperature can drop 10-15 degrees and have no negative effect on the plant.

The temperature should never go below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees (even for short periods) or growth will slow down. If these extremes are exceeded the plant may be permanently damaged or killed.

Humidity should be between 40-60 percent relative humidity. Use a hydrometer to measure humidity if you think your grow area is out of range. A humidifier can increase humidity and a dehumidifier can be used to lower humidity.

Marijuana Seeds: In the past In the past I have ordered from dutch seedbanks. Unfortunately some people (like myself and other growers) are paying for seeds and not getting them. At the present time, instead of ordering from holland (the netherlands, amsterdam, etcetera), it is safest to buy marijuana seeds through a seedbank that ships from Canada, especially if you are ordering from the United States or Canada.

Lighting: Depending on how far apart your containers are placed, you will need one or more fluorescent light fixtures. If you are growing under mh or hps light and want to provide fluorescent light for the first few weeks in the growing containers, get a fluorescent light fixture at a local store that sells lights.

Fluorescent light fixtures are commonly found in garages and kitchens, almost any store that sells lighting supplies should have them. A basic model with no cover is least expensive. The 48 inch size is the most common size for home use and should be fairly cheap. Get cool white fluorescent lights for your fixture. 30 to 60 watt bulbs will do the job.

A 400 watt hps or 400 watt mh light system will produce enough light to cover a 4 foot by 4 foot grow area. that is enough to grow about 9-10 plants in soil. A 250 watt hps or 250 watt mh light system will produce enough light to cover a 2.5 foot by 2.5 foot grow area. That is enough to grow about 6 plants in soil.

Light Timer: You will need a timer to turn your lights off and on at specific periods depending on the stage of growth. Fluorescent lights can be used with light duty grounded timers because they don't use much power.

Metal halide and high pressure sodium lights require a heavy-duty grounded timer. Light duty timers are available in most department stores. Heavy duty grounded timers used for supplying power to block heaters in cars are fairly cheap and can be used if they are rated above the load of your light source.

Light Hanger: As the plants grow, the light system will have to be raised in order to keep the height from the top of the plants to the light constant. You can figure a way to do this with items you can find at a hardware store or you can buy a pre-made kit.

Containers: Plant growing containers can be found at most stores. The height of the container should be from 12 to 24 inches. Width and depth should both be about 12 inches. Containers that are 3-5 gallons in size do a good job and are easy to find.

Soil: Because soil is heavy, you should obtain it locally. If you know what you are looking for, the garden center of a large department store usually has a choice of potting soil designed for growing plants indoors. Gardening stores will have a wide selection of soil and the staff should be able to help you locate soil that is recommended for fast growing vegetables.

Nutrients: Look for nutrients at a gardening store. Make sure to get plant food for soil use. You can use an all purpose nutrient through both stages of growth but separate types of vegetative (growth) and flowering (bloom) plant food are recommended.

Books And Movies: For someone growing indoors with soil or hydroponics, the movie ultimate grow is your best choice for an introduction to growing indoors. It shows how to set up a grow room and all the steps involved when growing marijuana indoors. For someone growing outdoors, ultimate grow 2 is your best choice for an introduction to growing outdoors. A marijuana growing reference book or two will always come in handy. Must have item for the first time grower especially.

Temperature: Get a thermometer to measure temperature. Available at almost any department store.

Humidity: If you think humidity is a problem, get a hygrometer. You can usually find them in the housewares department of a department store. Some hygrometers have built in thermometers to measure the temperature.

Plant Problems

Always check the overall environmental conditions prior to passing judgment - soil around 7 pH or slightly less - plenty of water, light, fresh air, loose soil, no water standing in pools.

Jorge Cervantes' Ultimate Grow DVD

This movie shows step by step instructions covering what is involved in setting up a grow room and growing a crop of marijuana indoors (with soil or hydroponics). It won't teach advanced techniques but it will help you set up your grow room and raise your first crop. There is very little information about growing outdoors, this is for indoor growers.

Jorge Cervantes' Ultimate Grow DVD 2

Similar to Jorge Cervantes' Ultimate Grow DVD (above), but this version focuses more on growing outdoors. It won't teach advanced techniques but it will help you set up and raise your first crop outdoors. There is very little information about growing indoors, this is for outdoor growers.

Marijuana Horticulture:
The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

Over 500 pages with more than 1000 color images. If you were only going to get one book about growing, this book would be the best choice. Describes growing marijuana outdoors and indoors (with hydroponics or soil).

Also provides information that you can refer back to when things go wrong. A very comprehensive reference book for anyone interested in growing marijuana, either indoors or outdoors. Recommended for beginners and more advanced growers.

The Cannabis Grow Bible:
The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana
for Recreational and Medical Use

A very good source of information covering all aspects of growing, from seed selection to harvest, curing and more. Over 300 pages with almost 200 color and black-and-white photographs, charts, and tables. Recommended reference book for indoor and outdoor growers.

A great marijuana growing and breeding guide. Includes chapters on seeds, propagation and germination, growing indoors, growing outdoors, hydroponics, pre-flowering and flowering, predators, pests and plant fungi, breeding, and more.