Guide on Growing Marijuana from Seed |
Posted: December 13, 2021 |
Cannabis growing comes from two origins, seeds or clones. However, growing cannabis from seed is the most reliable source as it carries different traits and characteristics, either from the male or female parent or sometimes both. Growing from seeds allows you to plant as many of them as you want from one or a bunch of different strains. Also, cannabis seeds are more available online and locally, so you can acquire them anytime as long as it is legal in your area. So, if you don’t know how and where to start your cannabis homegrown or commercial garden journey, this guide will help you decide. Advantages of Growing Marijuana from SeedThere are several advantages of growing cannabis from seed. These pros will help you make a decision and start from there. Let’s enumerate some of the most common benefits of planting from seed:
Growing Marijuana Seed into a PlantA seed will go through several stages before it develops into a healthy plant. Each level of the life cycle requires specific special care to complete the cultivation process of your cannabis. Growing cannabis from seed takes time, effort, and dedication, so you should always be up for the challenges. Each level has its unique demands, different types of nutrients, different water levels, and different levels of exposure to light to perform its best. Growing cannabis plants can take 4-8 months, depending on where you are cultivating them. An indoor grow room allows the plant to flower faster. It only takes a few weeks to see those gorgeous flowers bloom. The overall quality and yield of your cannabis rely on how well you know the different growth stages and life cycle of cultivating.
Germinating cannabis takes 1-7 days to develop fully. In this stage, your job is to ensure the seeds are mature enough, as immature seeds are likely to rot and not sprout. You can identify mature marijuana seeds through their color and appearance. Dry and shiny seeds with light to dark brown color that are hard to touch are mature enough. Immature seeds, on the other hand, have white or green colors and are soft to touch. To start the germination process, keep your cannabis seeds in wet and dark areas. You can place the seeds in a cup of water or use the paper towel method and place it in a cabinet or anywhere with no access to light. The recommended room temperature for germinating is between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.
As the seed shell cracks open, you will see two pretty rounded cotyledon leaves from the stem of your cannabis plant. The first two leaves will be responsible for getting enough sunlight to keep the plant healthy. You will then start to see those gorgeous fan leaves as soon as the roots begin to develop. At this point, the plant is now in the seedling.
This stage takes 2-3 weeks and will require 16 hours of sunlight daily. It is best to perform this delicate stage inside with artificial light, even for expert outdoor growers. It ensures a high success rate of getting healthier and stable plants. For rapid plant growth, it is necessary to keep the soil moist with a mild humidity level. Do not overwater the plant as its root system is too small to take in more water. Also, seedlings are prone to molds and plant diseases. Always keep a dry and clean environment. Check for excess moisture constantly and make sure to give the plant more light. At this point, the plant will show off more traditional fan leaves with more blades, starting from 3,5 to 7 per leaf until it matures. A mature plant typically has 5 and 7 blades per leaf but may reach up to 13 fingers. A short seedling with thick vegetation and a vibrant green color means healthy.
The length of this growth stage is around 3-16 weeks. The vegetative stage requires 16 hours of daily sunlight indoors and 6 hours of direct heat with a few hours of indirect sunlight outdoors. As the growth starts to prosper, the plant grows taller and produces more leaves, nodes, and branches. Growers then start to top and train the plants. Be sure to increase the amount of water to support the plant during the development. Water your plant near the stalk when it is young. Water the plant a little far away from the stalks once the roots grow outward so they can spread out and take as much water. The plant can grow 2-3 feet tall if you provide more soil space. It is essential to dry out the plants between watering, so keep them in well-drained soil to avoid drowning. Plants in vegetative growth enjoy healthy soil and nutrients, so spoil them with high levels of nitrogen and potassium. An increase in warm water and regular dry airflow also helps in this stage.
This stage takes around 1-2 weeks. You can identify the sex through the nodes. A female has two pistils growing on the buds, while a male has tiny green sacs full of pollen on the node areas. Typically, a healthy cannabis plant forms one main cola at the center and smaller colas on the outer structure of the plant. Applying the trimming and training techniques can boost the number of big colas in cannabis plants. In this phase, it is crucial to remove all male and intersex cannabis plants away from the female plants to stop them from ruining the potential of females to develop trichomes. Remove these plants before they flower and burst, and fertilize the cola of the healthy females. Eradicate the intersex plants immediately as they can pollinate themselves and wipe out your harvest. As the plant receives less light, between 8-12 hours daily, the growth halts and enters the flowering phase. Sinsemilla from the non-pollinated female marijuana plants produces higher cannabinoids. Its psychoactive agents are very high, making you more talkative along with an increase in munchie, euphoria, and hallucinations.
The length in this level is 6-8 weeks with constant 12 hours of light per day. With periods of 10-12 hours of absolute darkness, the plant begins the flowering stage. You will notice resinous buds start to flourish, and the months of hard work begin to pay off. For indoor growers, start reducing the amount of light from 16 to 12 hours daily to initiate the flowering phase. Outdoors, this stage begins naturally as soon as summer ends and fall starts, and the plants receive less light daily. During the mid-flowering from week 4 to 5, the plant stops growing while the buds are fattening. In the ripening or late flowering subphase from the 6th week onwards, you will notice an increase in the density of the trichomes while the plant gets very gluey. A few tips to consider: Do not prune the plants to avoid upsetting their hormones. Trellis the plants so buds can get support as they thrive. The plant appreciates warm weather, intermittent flourishing nutrients, and medium humidity during this stage. A good trichome harvest is ideal once half of them turns opaque. This technique produces more THC content and low CBD levels. The color of the pistil will tell you when it’s time for harvest, so keep a close eye. Buds thrive most when it’s close to the end of the blooming period. You may not notice that much budding at the beginning of flowering, but it will slowly increase before the cycle ends as soon as the buds are more developed. Once the buds reach full maturity, get ready for the harvest season. Remember: If you see trichomes falling off, it means that the plant grows too long, and you wasted most of the cannabinoids. You cannot get the THC or CBD effects you are trying to achieve, which means you will have to start with a new batch from scratch.
The most exciting part of the cycle is reaping your buds after months of hard work. Check for the hair colors inside the pistil or calyx of the plant to see if it is ready for harvest.
For easy drying, cut down your plant into smaller sections, and in a dark, cool room, strung and hung the pieces upside down. For commercial buds, hang the plants for 7-14 days and keep the relative humidity between 40 and 50%. Drying is necessary to keep the bacteria and fungus from developing. Keeping the moisture away can extend the life of the marijuana. Curing is optional and requires a sealed and airtight container when aging cannabis. Store the containers in a cabinet and keep the temperature between 50 and 60°F. Do not pack the jars tightly to avoid a drop in airflow. Keep it stored for 1-3 weeks, then open the jar brief once daily to absorb the fresh air and release gas build-up. Curing is said to improve the flavor and burn quality while reducing the harshness of the buds. For ready-to-harvest cannabis plants, always check for the colors of the pistils. If pistils turn to reddish-orange color and trichome heads turn milky to opaque, then to amber color, the buds are ready. Amber color means a higher CBD-THC ratio. Tips for a successful harvest:
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