Ever thought about where your weed actually came from? Growing your own? Or even wondered who grew it? One thing is for sure, from seed to smoke, marijuana plants endure an abundance of stages as it grows and time passes. However, what some may not know is that each stage requires a specific type of care. From the proper time of light to the perfect ratio of soil to coco, these small steps could range from changing underlying variables that can take your weed from poor to pressure in an instant.
What is the growing process of cannabis?
Before you do anything, make sure to set aside some time along with some space and effort if you’re looking into growing. It’s known among most growers that marijuana can take anywhere from 4-8 months to completely mature, depending on the strain and whether you choose to grow indoors or out. Although, within this time period there are 4 major stages that the plant endures through its life cycle (get out your pen and paper because this is VERY important). Germination, seeding, vegetative and flowering.
Ok, so germination is first on our list. This is the stage where our mature dormant seed is patiently waiting for water to bring it to life. When getting a seed make sure that the seed appears dark-brown with a solid feel as this means your seed is mature and ready for growing. Following this inspection, there are two common methods of germination used among growers. The first method is by folding our seed in a sheet of paper towel dropping the seed in a cup of water and waiting for its root to pop. This is also why this stage is referred to as “popping” as well. The second method is dropping our mature seed into a cup of water and waiting for the root to pop.
Once our root has finally decided to introduce itself into our lives, it is important that we bury it immediately. Ironic right?. Here we use a set of tweezers to gently move the seed from our germination station to our pot full of soil. However, before placing the seed make sure that the root is facing down in addition to poking a quarter inch divot for placement. Once your seed is in place with the root facing down, lightly cover the seed with soil. The last step to this stage is watering the soil. It is recommended to do this part with a spray bottle as over saturation can kill your seed. Now I know that transporting your seed from paper towel to pot sounds simple enough right? Nope. It is important to be very cautious during this stage as the smallest mistake can result in you wasting your time and money. Following this, it is also imperative to look at small variables within this stage such as pot size, soil mixing and even the appropriate feeding cycle. Needless to say, this is of the more delicate stages within the bunch. With germination taking up the first 5-10 days for completion, it can be seen as the birth stage of our roots.
Next is our seedling stage. See this stage is a little tricky. Here the plant isn’t a seedling until it starts to sprout leaves. During this stage the plant is susceptible to disease and mold which nobody likes, so let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. We can do this by monitoring our temperature in addition to not over-watering our plant. Only lasting 2-3 weeks with about 18 hours of sunlight a day, I can conclude that even though this stage is important, it doesn’t require a lot of labor.
Ah finally, third steps a charm. That’s how it goes right? Anyways, our last step is the vegetative stage. Within this stage is where the plant truly decides to start showing off, where all your hard work starts to show, foliage is growing, leaves are piling on top of each other like people on Black Friday and life is just great. But you’re not done just yet. During these 3-16 weeks you must make sure that you increase your watering as the plant develops. Also, be mindful of the consistent 18 hrs of LED love that we’re responsible for during this process.
Lastly we have our flowering stage, this is where the buds starts to grow, where the aromatic smell of beautiful transparent trichomes fill the air around the plant. And that piney deep breath that you just took was worth it. During this stage be mindful that you will only need to provide 12 hours of sunlight as the plant reaches their curing stages. In addition, make sure that you are aware of what plants are male and female and separate them. This is important as female seeds possess the ability to be genetically improved while male seeds do not.
Ok so now that you have gone through the motions in addition to taking the necessary precautions. It is now time to harvest our weed. After talking with a couple of growers, I found that the right time to harvest your weed is when the trichomes appear as a light transparent orange. Once harvested, you should have beautiful greens leaves ready to be trimmed, buds ready to be dried and weed ready to be smoked.
Growing and it’s benefits
One thing that I didn’t know was how relaxing of a process this is. From watering the plant daily to pain and anxiety relief, once mastered, cultivating cannabis can be a major stress reliever in itself. Plus, it’s almost nothing more satisfying then watching your work evolve right in front of your eyes. So if you’re interested in growing for family, friends, or even yourself. Just make sure it’s legal and make sure to take care of every plant like it’s your own kid. Cause in a way, it kind of is.
