10 Indispensable Tools For The Cannabis Grower

Every indoor grow-op needs maintenance, and cannabis plants need some grower TLC. There is no such thing as a completely autonomous grow show. Whether you are a micro-grower, working with a small grow space, or lucky enough to have a larger grow room, you need the same common tools.

In fact, you need 10 indispensable tools. None of the essential items featured on this list could be considered high-priced luxuries. Make no mistake, these low-cost, simple tools make all the difference. Get your hands on this basic kit before you germinate a seed.

1. PIPETTES

Measuring out accurate doses of liquid fertilisers with precision is critical to ensuring you don’t mess up your nutrient solution. Adding just 1ml too much or too little of one bottle can throw the whole formula out of sync. This can lead to pH problems, over-fertilisation, or nutrient lockout.

A handful of plastic 3ml or 5ml pipettes will cost about €2. Most decent grow stores will reward your purchase of a complete set of cannabis nutrients with some freebie pipettes. Also, it helps to keep them clean by rinsing with water after measuring out a feed.

2. PH METER

Cannabis cultivated in soil prefers a pH between 6.0–6.5, while slightly lower (5.8–6.3pH) for coco/hydro is optimal. Every time you water your marijuana, you must ensure the pH is correct. A pH pen is a worthwhile investment to make sure you get it right every time. Even if you are using a pH-perfect range of nutrients, it’s always handy to at least have a basic colour chart tester kit to be 100% certain.

3. POCKET MICROSCOPE

How can you tell when your buds have achieved peak potency and are ready for harvest? Sure, you can estimate with an eyeball inspection. But if you want to zoom in on those trichomes and know for sure, you need a pocket scope.

Resin glands that are still immature with clear heads can look frosty to the naked eye. Plus, pistils have been known to change colour from white to red during flushing even when the flowers are not yet ripe. Only a scope can give you a clear image of resin heads up close, to see if they have matured with milky white and amber colours.

Carson MicroBrite Plus Pocket Microscope

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4. DUCT TAPE

The universal miracle tool. A roll of high-quality duct tape is the home grower’s first-aid kit. If anything should break, from plant shoots to part of the grow room structure, you can duct tape it back together in an emergency. You may never need to use it. But if ever anything goes wrong in the grow-op, you’ll be glad you had it.

5. CABLE TIES

Something always needs to be secured in place in the grow-op. A pack of cable ties is often a tool you don’t realise you need until you have a job that can’t be done without them. Maybe you need to hold the corners of a ScrOG in place. Or perhaps you need to tidy up some wires hanging awkwardly from grow lights. Cable ties can save the day.

6. THERMO-HYGROMETER

Perhaps the most important piece of kit is a thermo-hygrometer. Creating the perfect microclimate for cannabis is everything. You simply cannot control or understand the growing environment without accurate data. The thermo-hygrometer provides you with both a temperature and RH reading on an easy-to-read LCD display. Any decent grow store can hook you up for €20 or less.

Hygrometer / Thermometer

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7. DENATURED ALCOHOL

They don’t call it sticky green for nothing. Denatured alcohol is the cleaning solution of choice for the home grower. You can sterilise and remove any sticky residues with a bottle of this and a clean cloth. Sanitise every surface and keep the grow-op as clean as possible before you put plants inside. You can even use it to keep your shears clean too.

8. TRIMMING SCISSORS

You gotta have clean clippers on hand. Even if you don’t plan on doing any pruning for yield or defoliation, you will need trimming scissors come harvest. Ideally, you want scissors with long, thin, sharp blades. And above all, comfortable to hold.

Professional Pruning Shears

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9. EYE PROTECTION

You really can go grow blind. HID lamps and LEDs will ruin your eyesight. If you plan on growing long-term (safely), you need grow room glasses for protection. Method Seven designs the slickest grow room glasses that could easily pass for designer shades. Ok, they are a little pricey, but they look very cool.

10. ROPE RATCHETS

Whether you grow with an old-school reflector and HID lamp or a nu-skool LED system, you have to hang that grow light correctly. Most aluminium reflectors are pretty lightweight and usually, you can get away with a pair of easi-roll hangers. But modern LED units are pretty heavy and will need stronger support. Rope ratchets are super strong and easy to adjust.

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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