In New Mexico, those 21 years of age and older can grow up to 6 marijuana plants at their residence. If you’re here, you’re likely wondering how you can get started growing your own weed.
We’ll walk you through key information about how to grow weed, what you need, and what to expect while growing your plants. Whether you have a green thumb or are a certified plant-killer, this guide will help you better understand what growing weed at home looks like.
How to Grow Your Own Weed Plants: The Basics
Before you get started, buying your materials and picking out your seeds, there are a few key things to become familiar with first. Here are the building blocks of growing cannabis:
- Growing medium: Think potting soil, but with more options. Your medium is the nutrient-dense soil (or other medium) that will hold your plants while they grow.
- Growing light: Plants need light to photosynthesize and grow healthy and strong. Specific light cycles help tell cannabis plants how to grow and when to flower.
- Water: Not all water is created equal. PH plays a crucial role in keeping your plants healthy.
- Air/airflow: Cannabis plants need breezy, open-air (or a good ventilation and fan setup) in order to thrive.
- Temperature: Too hot or too cold temperatures can drastically affect the state of your plants.
- Nutrients: Plants need food, too! Your nutrient mix directly affects the yield of your plants.
These 6 things are the major factors that all work together to produce your buds.
If this feels a little overwhelming, you can also purchase a grow kit that has everything you need to get started. These often also come with help booklets to walk you through the growing process in greater detail.
Growing Weed Step-By-Step
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to start growing, there are a few steps to take before and during the growing process. Here’s what to do and what to expect.
1. Plan Where You’re Going to Grow
When you’re growing cannabis, sometimes it’s not as simple as placing a pot (pun intended) in the window and watering it when you remember. You have a few options when it comes to plant placement.
First, you need to decide whether you want to grow inside or outside. In general, it’s cheaper to grow your plants outside because you do not always need to buy grow lights, fans, or other materials that help bring the outside in. Growing outside is, however, riskier. Outdoor plants can be pollinated, get pests, be stolen, or eaten by wildlife.
Growing inside is generally more expensive, but it comes with the perk of much better environmental control. You will need to invest in a good lighting system, temperature control, etc. to make it work. If you’re willing to put in the investment and research, indoor growing is the preferred method.
Tips for Picking Where to Grow
- Choose a space that is clean and free of contaminants
- Start small
- Ensure good airflow, temperature, and humidity
- Make sure you can afford the electric bill – some lighting setups can get expensive
- Thoroughly plan your setup
2. Pick Your Growing Medium
Different growing mediums come with different perks and traits that can change your growing process.
- Soil: Soil is a classic choice for growing cannabis and most other plants because it is easy to get and already comes with some nutrients. When choosing soil, you want something high-quality that contains nutrient-dense ingredients like earthworm castings, for example. You can also supplement your soil with more nutrients.
- No Soil: Soilless options are less common, but they often result in better harvests and faster growth. Soilless mediums, like pearlite or vermiculite, do not contain any nutrients, so you’ll have to supplement those on your own.
- Hydroponic: If you can get your hands on a good hydroponic system, you will likely experience faster growth and more potent buds. When you choose to go hydroponic, make sure to do plenty of research on your specific setup and carefully maintain it for the best results.
3. Choose Your Nutrients
You’ll need a PH kit and your preferred nutrients in order to grow your plants.
When choosing what nutrients to use, your specific growing medium will dictate what you need. Research is your friend here, as different nutrients also affect what kind of harvest you’ll get from your plants.
The world of PH and nutrients can seem very complex. When you’re doing your research and deciding what to get, speaking with someone at a cannabis supply store about your questions can help!
4. Pick Out Your Cultivar/Strain Seeds
The most beginner-friendly type of cannabis seed out there is feminized seeds. These seeds only produce female plants, meaning all of them will flower and produce the buds you’re looking for. You can find seeds for a variety of cultivars online and in some dispensaries depending on where you live.
In terms of choosing your cultivar, you’ll want to pick one that aligns with the type of cannabis you like and is also beginner-friendly.
5. Set Up Your Grow
Congratulations! You know have all your materials together to start growing your plants.
The next step is to piece it all together. If you have a kit, follow the instructions that come with it. If you’ve put together your own lights, ventilation, and other components, you’ll need to research specific requirements and best practices for those items. In general, you’ll need to set a controlled environment in which all of your growing equipment is easily controlled and contained to where your plants are.
This means keeping everything organized, clean, easy to change, and easy to understand how things are working.
How to Grow Your Weed Plants
Now, it’s time to move on to the actual growing process. If you want a good overview of the growing stages, check out our growing stage blog post for more detailed information.
You’ll take your seeds, germinate them, plant them, and provide them with water, nutrients, and all the light they need to go through their growing journey.
In general, it takes 10-14 weeks to turn a seedling into a mature, flowering plant that’s ready for harvest. These timelines vary depending on the cultivar you grow and how you grow it.
What to Look Out For When Growing Your Weed
With any plant, there are signs that it may not be as happy as it could be or may have issues with its current environment. Here are some signs something needs to be adjusted in your growing setup.
- Strang smells
- Bugs, pests, or plant diseases
- Uneven growth (too tall, lopsided, short, or spotty leaf production)
- Dying, browning, or falling leaves
- Unusual colors or spots
- Slow growth
- Mold or mildew
Conclusion: How to Grow Weed
Growing your own weed doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you’re just starting out. Overall, research is your best friend. Deep-dive on all the equipment you’re interested in, ask questions to professionals, and don’t be afraid of engaging in a little trial and error as you work to get your grow right.
By the way, we’re Dreamz Dispensary, and we have over a dozen locations across New Mexico selling quality cannabis products. We don’t sell the seeds, plants, or grow equipment you may be interested in, but we’re here for you when it comes to the products you’ll buy while waiting for your plants to grow. Check out our available products at our locations, and contact us if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!
*Note: Dreamz is not partnered with and does not necessarily endorse any of the links on this page connected to e-commerce websites.
