Growing Cannabis Indoors

There are many different reasons why people choose growing cannabis indoors versus outdoors. It could be because you want to be discreet, you live in a cold climate, you don’t have space outside, or maybe you just want more consistency and control over the whole process, which usually produces a better quality harvest. Whatever your reasons, this guide will help you get started with growing your own cannabis indoors.

Basic Equipment

You will find various readymade grow boxes, grow tents, and kits that make the setup process easy. But if you have the time and skill, you can build your own. The purpose behind a good growing setup is to keep the light inside the container and focused on the plants, prevent the strong aroma wafting through your house or apartment building, and sufficient airing to provide oxygen and prevent mold and fungi growth. These are the fundamental items needed for growing The Flower indoors:

Good lighting

Your cannabis plants need as much light as you can give them. The more light, the better the harvest. There are 3 different lamps that are best suited for indoor growing: LED lamps, HID lamps, and CMH lamps. While your budget will dictate the quality of equipment, remember that going cheap isn’t the most durable and it could affect the quality of your harvest. Good quality LEDs may be expensive, but they are the best choice, and they are energy efficient.

Ventilation

Fresh air is key for cannabis to thrive. If the grow unit is not ventilated properly, you will attract plant diseases and spider mites that will harm the plants. Additionally, you need to expel old air through a vent or window so adding a smell-proof filter will prevent the strong weed odor from being noticeable.

Pots and potting mix

The growing medium and plant container influences the plant’s health. Fabric pots are great as they help the plant breathe and oxygen can penetrate the roots while improving drainage. Don’t skimp on a good potting mix and don’t use soil from the garden as it is too dense and most likely contains other weeds that will compete for soil nutrients.

Planting and Maintenance

You can choose just about any type of seed and strain to grow indoors because you will be able to control the environment in which the plant will grow. Healthy seeds will typically have a marble color while dead or unhealthy seeds will be hollow or black in color.

If you have feminized seeds, you will be guaranteed to produce females but if you’re planting regular seeds, expect that some of your plants will be males, which don’t produce smokable buds. Female plants will have white hairs and the males will literally have hanging balls. You need to remove the males as soon as possible so they don’t fertilize the females and that will affect the yield. So, it’s probably better to go with feminized seeds to avoid this problem while maximizing the space in the grow box.

Germinating the seeds

To get the best from your seeds, soak them in water until they swell. Take each seed and plant it in its own container with a quality potting mix. Keep the soil moist using a spray. Within a week, you should notice the seed will start to sprout. This is when the grow box lighting starts its work. Program the lights to go on for 18 hours and off for 6 hours for about 4 weeks. When the plants start flowering, change the lighting schedule to be on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours. After another 4 weeks, you will notice the first buds start to appear.

Fertilizing

During the flowering stage, your cannabis plants will enjoy a good fertilizer. Depending on the state you live in, you might be able to find cannabis-specific fertilizers at your local plant nursery or you can use a vegetable fertilizer. Fertilizers must always be mixed with water and never add to the plant undiluted. The quality of the leaves is a good indication of the plant’s health. If they start yellowing or developing spots, then something is amiss.

Harvest

Your plants are ready for harvesting when the white hairs are visible and have turned down. The plant’s growth will slow down, the smell will be strong, and the buds will be compact and hard. When cutting the buds from the plant, avoid touching the sticky THC covered buds. Put the harvested buds through the proper drying process and then get ready to light up the sky.