How To Grow Cannabis Anywhere In Your Home
Growing a cannabis plant in your home can come with some challenges, but it can be done, and it can be done right. We hope this guide will help you treat your cannabis plant the way it deserves, despite any spatial limitations.
While many of our customers are experienced cannabis growers, we know that's not the case for everyone. More than a few of you may just be starting out, while just as many want to start, but don't know how. Considering how much we discuss farms and grow rooms, you might think that's the only way to grow. Thankfully, though, you'd be mistaken. In fact, your house is more than likely a fine place for your cannabis plant to come of age.
Will the plants get as big as they would in a professional grow room or farm? We wouldn't count on it. There are chances of less-than-optimal yields and/or totally failed growth, so you won't get as much value out of each seed.
For that reason, if a legitimate grow room or garden is available, we don't recommend growing in your living space. However, if you're just starting out, or only need a small amount of weed, growing inside your home can be considered a valid option.
Key Considerations For Growing At Home
It's not rocket science, but there are still some key factors to consider when growing cannabis at home.
Time Of Year
As it goes with most plants, exposure to sunlight is a priority. Depending on your location, you'll want to start this journey in the spring and/or summer. If you don't have enough light then, you'll want to consider getting a grow lamp as a supplement.
Seed Choice
As far as home growing is concerned, autoflowering plants are by far your best option. This is simply due to the fact that they'll be able to flower regardless of the amount of light. We've even got a handy list of our top ten autoflowering strains to get you started! Other than that, if privacy is a factor, make sure your seed of choice isn't one that grows too tall for your liking.
Picking The Best Spot
While any room will do as long as light is accessible, not all grow spots are equal. Your primary focuses here are light exposure and privacy, although the latter is only important in certain areas.
If possible, keeping the plant near a windowsill will be your best bet. Not just any windowsill will do, though. You'll need to make sure that light is shining through for as long as possible throughout the day. Since your autoflowering plant benefits from as much light as you can give it, you'll want to take advantage of nature's grow lamp, the sun, before you turn on your own.
Once you've accounted for light, if you live somewhere cannabis is considered taboo, you'll need some privacy. Make sure your plant isn't facing a neighbour's house or a public street, but also ensure this placement doesn't inhibit sunlight exposure. It shouldn’t grow too tall, especially in the house, but you can't be too careful in conservative areas.
Less Is More
Here's the beautiful thing about autoflowering plants: minimal interference is the key to success.
As far as training is concerned, keeping things "low stress" is the move. All this means is that, once the main stem is strong enough, you start bending and tying down shoots away from the middle to encourage even light distribution and lateral growth. If you’re NOT growing an autoflower, you can also top your plant to give rise to multiple colas. You should wait until your plant has at least three nodes before topping, and you should avoid the practice entirely if you’re sticking with autos.
Contrary to how a feminized photoperiod cannabis plant is grown, pruning isn't necessary with autos. If anything, it should be done very conservatively, and you should stop completely once you're a week into the flowering period. Furthermore, aside from rotating your specimen on the windowsill, your plant will turn out best with little handling and movement.
How To Grow Cannabis On A Windowsill Or In A Living Room
Now that you know what to plant and where to plant it, it's time to get down to business.
Setting Up Your Pots, Soil, And Nutrients
The size of your plant will be directly proportional to how much space the roots have to grow. Most windowsills don't allow for 10l pots, but something around 2 litres or above will do fine. It'll be far from maximum height, but having a full-size plant in the house isn't ideal for most anyway. As far as what goes in the pot, picking a high-quality soil mix is vital.
It's worth it to find a nutrient-rich soil that doesn't require supplementation. If that isn't possible, though, you'll need to get your hands on a solution and blend it with the soil.
We also happen to have a straightforward solution to the nutrient issue. With Monster Bud Mix organic fertilizer, all you have to do is add it to the soil before planting the cannabis seeds. After that, you can rest easy knowing your plant will be cared for throughout growth.
Germinate Directly In Your Pots
There are a few methods available, but germinating directly in the pot is most effective in a home-grow setting. Just dig a hole that goes as deep as your fingernail, place the seed inside, cover it with soil, and splash it with some water. Wait about 3–7 days, and your seedling should pop right out of the soil. Make sure to keep the area regularly moist with spritzes of water from a spray bottle. If you want to be even more sure, we offer an easy-to-use Smart Start kit that ensures seedlings get the healthiest head-start possible. If you want, you can learn the nitty-gritty details of germination here.
Smart Start
Monitor Plants, Water When Needed
At this point, your sole tasks are watching, waiting, and watering. Depending on the warmth of its surrounding area, you should be watering your cannabis plant around twice to three times per week. Make sure you have fresh air flowing as well. Also, if you live in a warmer climate, rotate the plant when the sun’s rays get intense.
Harvest As Normal
Once it's harvesting time, you'll treat it like a plant in any other situation. Since you're growing a short autoflowering plant, you'll be safe cutting through the main stem; but generally, cutting branch by branch is recommended. From there, you can start manicuring while making sure to save the sugar leaves for making hash. Once you've got manicured buds, leave them in a dark, dry place over 10–15 days. After the wait, you'll be left with some beautiful buds! For a comprehensive guide on drying and curing your weed for maximum flavour, read our blog How To Properly Dry And Cure Cannabis Buds.
What To Expect From Cannabis Grown Outside Of A Grow Room
Is it going to be the biggest, highest-yielding cannabis plant in the world? No, especially if it isn't able to get 18–24 hours of sunlight a day. Will it still be a great plant if you treat it right? Absolutely. It's by no means optimal, and if you have a standard grow room or outdoor setup, there's no reason to prioritise growing in your living room or something similar. That being said, if you're a casual grower who wants to keep things simple, go ahead and give it a shot—and let us know how it goes!
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