5 Tips for Growing Marijuana Indoors

There’s never been a better time for stoners in Canada. Adults in every part of the country can now find weed in stores and even buy weed online. However, providing that you don’t live in Quebec or Manitoba, you can even go a step further and grow weed at home. While growing outdoors is a good option for many, growing marijuana indoors often leads to the most impressive plants.

Growing indoors has numerous benefits. Creating an indoor grow space gives you much more control over important factors such as the level of light, heat, and humidity your plants get, whereas outdoor grows are subject to harsh weather conditions. Indoor growing is also much more convenient for users who don’t have a private backyard- especially as you need to keep any weed plants out of public view. 

Although you’ll need to invest some time, it’s a rewarding project that pays off with high-quality marijuana. Planning to start growing plants at home? Here are five tips for growing marijuana indoors.

1. Pick The Best Seeds Possible

The first tip for having a successful indoor grow comes before you even start growing. You’ll need to buy indoor marijuana seeds to start growing plants, and with so many different kinds of seeds available, it’s important to know what to look for.

There are three important types of cannabis seeds to know about- regular seeds, feminized seeds, and autoflowering seeds. Regular seeds can either grow male or female plants. They’re much cheaper than feminized seeds, but that’s because female plants produce THC whereas male plants don’t carry the effects of marijuana. As such, growers opt for feminized seeds. These will give you female plants, which is the goal for marijuana growers. 

Autoflowering seeds can be regular or feminized, but the difference is that they grow much faster. They’re made by crossing regular plants with cannabis ruderalis- a species of cannabis known for fast growth. Autoflowering seeds can grow in 60-90 days, whereas other seeds will usually need a few extra weeks. Autoflowering feminized seeds can be fantastic for beginners who want to grow plants extra fast.

2. Buy Indoor Growing Equipment

Indoor growing gives you much more control over the conditions your plants are subjected to than outdoor growing. However, to do this, you’re going to need to invest in some indoor growing equipment. There are a few important pieces of equipment you need to grow marijuana indoors, so be prepared to spend some money if you want the best results possible.

You’ll need artificial lights such as LED, CFL or HID lights. Cannabis plants need a certain amount of light to grow, so you’ll need to turn these lights on or off at certain points of the day. You’ll also need a small air conditioning unit or a fan to keep your grow space at the optimal temperature.

To grow indoors, you’ll need to set up an enclosed growing space. Some users use a tent or a closet and deck it out with lighting and air conditioning. However, you can also find dedicated grow boxes or grow tents online if you want to buy everything you need in one. Keep in mind, you’ll also need to buy general growing gear such as plant pots and soil.

3. Control The Light And Temperature

Plants need the right level of light and heat to grow successfully. When you grow outdoors, this usually happens naturally as plants get plenty of sunlight during the day and shade at night. However, when you grow indoors, you’ll need to control these factors artificially. This is why you’ll need an enclosed grow box or tent with lights and air conditioning.

During the first 4-6 weeks of growing, it’s best to give your plants around 18 hours of light per day. After 18 hours, turn your lights off and give them some shade. They’ll also need a temperature of around 70-75°F. These conditions will help your marijuana grow well.

When your plants begin to flower, you’ll need to change the light conditions they get each day. This generally happens after around six weeks. Once your plants start to flower, give them 12 hours of light each day and a temperature of around 65-70°F. After another 6 weeks or so, your plants should be ready to harvest.

4. Give Your Plants Water And Nutrients

In addition to heat and light, you’ll also need to feed your plants. Plants need water to stay alive and grow. They also need certain nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. There are a couple of ways you can feed your plants for optimal growth.

One of the best approaches for keeping your plants well-fed is to use nutrient-enriched soil, also known as super soil. Super soil comes packed with all of the nutrients your marijuana plants need, so they’ll absorb them naturally.

Another option is to use nutrient-enriched water. You can find mixtures of plant nutrients to add to your watering can when you water your plants. That way, you’ll give them everything they need in one. You’ll need to water your plants around once a day or whenever the soil begins to dry up.

5. Get Ready To Harvest Your Plants

How long an indoor grow takes to complete can vary depending on the kind of strain you’re growing, the kind of seeds you use, and the conditions they’re grown under. However, generally, it takes around 3-4 months.

You’ll know when your plants are ready to harvest when you see the hair on the buds begin to darken. Your plants will also be packed with cloudy trichomes. You can get a closer look at whether your marijuana is ready by using a magnifying glass.

To harvest your plants, take your buds and trim away as much of the branches and excess plant matter as possible. After that, you’ll need to dry your weed. It’s best to put them on a dry rack or hang them on a line in a cool, dry room with a dehumidifier. Usually, your weed will be dry and ready to use in about 3-10 days, but you may want to store your dry buds in glass jars for a while to allow them to cure.

Conclusion

Growing marijuana can be interesting and rewarding, and these tips for growing marijuana indoors will help you have a successful indoor grow. While indoor growing takes a little more investment, the ability to control the conditions make it ideal for growing impressive plants with high yields. Plus, you can grow up to four plants at a time and use your equipment over and over. But if you don’t want to go through the trouble of growing, you can always just buy weed online.