Grooming

It is not always necessary to prune cannabis plants, but there are reasons why growers do prune them. The first reason is that it will encourage growth, and it allows light to reach leaves that were hidden and are not mature. There is also another reason with some strains, this is cannabis plants that naturally are bushy, and the thickness when clipped allows sap to move freely to the top of the plant to the buds. Resin covered buds is what the grower is after and if the marijuana plant is left not pruned the sap does not move to the top of the plant as freely and that means buds with less resin.

Pruning the cannabis plant is done using a razor and is done in one slice so that the plant has a clean cut and is not shredded. The top that is pruned off can have the stem sliced diagonally and placed in dirt where it will grow roots. The diagonal cut is to allow a more open space on the stem for it to nourish the plant, and it will then grow leaves.  It is also possible to root the plants in water and then place them in dirt or to use rooting powder.

Harvesting

It is not always necessary to prune cannabis plants, but there are reasons why growers do prune them. The first reason is that it will encourage growth, and it allows light to reach leaves that were hidden and are not mature. There is also another reason with some strains, this is cannabis plants that naturally are bushy, and the thickness when clipped allows sap to move freely to the top of the plant to the buds. Resin covered buds is what the grower is after and if the marijuana plant is left not pruned the sap does not move to the top of the plant as freely and that means buds with less resin.

Pruning the cannabis plant is done using a razor and is done in one slice so that the plant has a clean cut and is not shredded. The top that is pruned off can have the stem sliced diagonally and placed in dirt where it will grow roots. The diagonal cut is to allow a more open space on the stem for it to nourish the plant, and it will then grow leaves.  It is also possible to root the plants in water and then place them in dirt or to use rooting powder.

The Basics of Growing Cannabis

The first basic of growing marijuana is there are three main ways to grow a crop of pot, indoors, outdoors and in a greenhouse. Then there are some more specifics, like growing indoors can mean growing a crop of cannabis several different ways. The first is in a room that is known as a grow room; this is a room in the house, an attic or basement that is dedicated to growing pot. Then there is the closet crop, this is usually two or three plants that are grown in a closet that has been prepared to be used for this function and then there is the hydroponics crop, this is an indoor crop grown without the use of soil.

The outdoor crop is usually hidden and often referred to as gorilla growing, and the greenhouse crop is most often grown by growers that live in rural areas, since this is one crop that can cause legal problems.

Deciding to grow a crop of marijuana means the grower will need to make some necessary preparations if the crop is planted indoors or outdoors. The first is to choose the location the crop will be planted, and if it is in the house the grower needs to choose the area carefully. This means a room that will have no traffic, a room where the windows can be closed off without arousing suspicion by neighbors or passersby.  Attracting attention is not what the grower needs, this also means odor from the plants that can filter out of the house and through the house.

Covering windows is usually done with dark plastic, not only to shut the outside from seeing in, but also because there is time when the plants will need complete darkness. This means they need a lightproof growing area to mature properly and at the same time the black plastic keeps neighbors from seeing the fluorescent lighting on for many hours a day.

The room also needs to be reflective, and most often means a coat of white paint, when that is not possible there are other things that can be used, like aluminum foil and Mylar.

What to Plant

Getting ready to plant a crop means several choices, first there is the choice of planting cannabis seeds or clones. The experienced grower might have access to clones and this is a faster growing crop, because the plant does not need to go through the germination process. The clone however, is often hard to obtain unless the grower has a mother plant that they have selected for the yield and the strength that the clone will be taken from.

Planting from seed also has choices; first there is the choice of where to get the seeds, from a friend, some that have been saved or from a seed bank. If the choice is a seed bank then there is the decision of what strain will be planted and how much experience it takes to grow this type of cannabis and that the seed bank is reputable. There is also the germination that will need to be done, this can mean the seeds will be placed in paper towels or be placed between damp sponges.

Growing the Crop

Growing cannabis, flowering and maturing will all depend on the amount of light per day and the amount of darkness the plants have as to how fast they are able to grow. Temperature will also play a part in the growing of the pot plants and the stage when it begins the flowering process. When the cannabis crop is planted indoors the grower tries to artificially control the growing room as the plant conditions would be outdoors. The advantage is that the indoor grower can have a cannabis crop all year instead of only during the outdoor growing season.

Nourishing Plants

All plants need nutrients to grow and cannabis needs approximately 14 nutrients in order to grow to their full potential. The first uses nitrogen, along with phosphorus and potassium that are both used by plants and will also be listed on fertilizer packaging. The proper fertilizer packaging will have them listed in that order, meaning that they have the correct percentages.

The other nutrients that are needed are referred to as secondary nutrients, are calcium, sulfur and magnesium.  Then there are nutrients known as micro nutrients and these are baron, cobalt, copper, chlorine, iron, manganese, and molybdenum.

The type of fertilizer the grower will look for is a 20-10-10 while the plants are growing, and then during flowering the fertilizer that will be used to have the best harvest is 5-20-10. Nourishing plants is just that, it is feeding the cannabis crop what it needs and the most common mistake is for beginners to over feed the marijuana plants and this will result in curled leaves. Another thing the grower should be educated about with fertilizers is when growing marijuana organic fertilizer is the way to go. Chemical fertilizers are not a wise choice, because the chemicals will be taken in by the plants and that means when the pot is smoked it will be filled with chemicals.

There are of course the standard organic fertilizers that have been used for centuries, which are manure from cows, chickens, horses, and even rabbits, but these are not advised to be used for the indoor garden. The odor from these prevents the use of them on indoor crops and using a purchased organic fertilizer to give the cannabis crop nutrition will not have the odor of these because it is made for house plant use.

Growing Weed Part 4