A Beginner's Guide to Indoor Cultivation

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Indoor cannabis cultivation has long been popular since it can be done in any climate, any time of year, and you can control every variable of the grow environment. That said, your first indoor grow can be an intimidating project.

Below, check out everything from lighting set-ups to nutrient needs before you get started growing weed indoors.

Whether you're a first-time cultivator or revisiting home cultivation after a hiatus, ask yourself these questions:

To grow cannabis indoors the traditional way with soil and pots, you'll need the following items:

Growing weed with an aeroponic or hydroponic system will require additional and/or alternative materials.

Growing weed indoors involves several stages and steps.

If you're starting off with seeds as opposed to clones, you need to start by germinating them. (If you're starting with clones, skip to Stage 3.) Cannabis seeds pop open during germination and form their taproot anywhere from 12 hours to seven days.

After the plants form their first set of leaves, they're called seedlings. During this stage, the cannabis plants grow taller and new leaf clusters begin to form. This stage can last 2 – 3 weeks.

The vegetation stage begins once your seedlings grow fan leaves with seven leaves. During this stage, you can expect the plants to develop more fan leaves, grow in height, and develop a mature root system. You can expect this growing stage to last roughly 4 – 8 weeks.

Possibly the most exciting growth stage for cannabis is the flowering stage. Once your cannabis plants enter this stage, you can expect trichome-rich flowers and buds to form. You can expect this growing stage to last roughly 7 – 11 weeks.

Once your cannabis plant is ready for harvest, it's all about preserving the flowers' delicate trichomes. Drying, trimming, and curing the buds ensures that you have weed to smoke for months to come.

Here's how to harvest your plants:

Cut the whole plant at the base or cut the plant into large branches. Trim away the large fan leaves and discard them or save them for other uses. Hang your cuttings upside down on a clothesline in an environment that is not overly dry or humid. Leave the branches upside down to dry until the stems almost snap when bent. The initial drying process usually takes 3 – 7 days.

Begin trimming by holding your colas by the stem and using trimming scissors to cut away any sugar leaves and stems that surround the buds. Take care when handling your buds, as every moment of contact can result in trichome loss or damage. Whenever possible, hold your plants and branches by the end of the stem.

To cure your weed and preserve the buds for long-term storage, place the trimmed buds in a glass jar or Rubbermaid tote for 4 – 8 weeks. During the first week or two, open the containers daily to allow some fresh oxygen to replace the air in the container. This process is called "burping" and is repeated until the buds have an optimal moisture content. In the last two weeks of curing, open the containers every 2 – 3 days.

Store your cured flower correctly to maintain its potency, flavor, overall quality, and to ensure that all your hard work doesn't go to waste.

Here are three tips for storing weed:

Growing weed indoors can produce a strong odor, especially during the flowering stage when the plants produce terpenes and other aromatic compounds.

To minimize the odor, consider taking the following actions:

In most countries and local jurisdictions where cannabis is legal — medically or recreationally — some sort of home growing is typically allowed, but growing laws vary significantly from country to country and even city to city. If you're a prospective or current home grower, learn the laws and regulations of your jurisdiction.

The overall growth time depends on the strain. For example, autoflowering strains may have a shorter overall growth time. Generally, the germination stage takes up to a week, the seedling stage takes 2 – 3 weeks, the vegetative stage lasts 4 – 8 weeks, followed by a flowering stage of 7 – 12 weeks. All in all, it can take 14 – 24 weeks to grow a weed plant from seed to harvest.

The most popular options are High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lights, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs). LEDs are often preferred for their efficiency, lifespan, and lower heat output.

Popular growing mediums include soil, coco coir, and hydroponic systems. Soil is the most beginner-friendly, while coco coir and hydroponics allow for faster growth and greater control over nutrients.

Growing weed indoors without grow lights is challenging and generally not recommended because cannabis plants require sufficient light to thrive — especially during the vegetative and flowering stages. Inadequate lighting can result in weak plants, low yields, and poor potency — if the plants flower at all. However, if you're less concerned with harvesting flower and want to experiment with growing weed as a houseplant, put your plant near a window that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day for the best results.

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Reviewed by Tony Daniels on 5/31/23