So You're Thinking About Growing at Home?

So you’re here because you want to start growing at home - let us give you the down low on tips & tricks to enhance your experience all the way from seeds to smoking.

SEED CHOOSING

One of the most exciting parts about growing your own weed is the ability to choose which strain you prefer to create your ideal high. On top of that, here are the three types of seeds on the market.

Regular seeds:

Because most people get in the growing business to harvest weed that they can consume, regular seeds have become less of the hype. Regular seeds come in both male and female forms, but many choose to stick only with feminized seeds because they don’t want to deal with the pollination process.

Feminized photoperiod seeds:

According to Zamnesia, “since females are the ones that produce resin-rich buds, this is the choice most growers opt for. If you grow indoors, you control the growing stages of feminized photoperiod cannabis plants with a timer for your grow light.” We’ll be going over the different types of light later on, so hang in there. Feminized photoperiod seeds are popular for home growers because it takes away the hassle of having to separate the males from the females. They also produce seed-free buds that have a higher THC/CBD concentration than other seed types, which is a huge plus.

Autoflowering seeds

We recommend these seeds for rookie growers because they can be left under the same light source for 18-24 hours rather than having to switch it. In addition, if you’re focused simply on the growth process, these have a low-maintenance, fixed life cycle and their compact size also makes them perfectly suited for indoor growing. 

INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR

Lucky for you, a deep dive into this topic is in this month’s future. Subscribe to Trim Daddy’s email to get updates from our team - don’t leave us lonely.

LOYAL TO THE SOIL

40 Water said it best. Choosing a soil for your plants is not something to be taken lightly, as this is the environment they will be spending the majority of their lives in. Instead of trolling anxiety-inducing Home Depot (we’ve all been there), read on for what to look for when making a decision on soil. 

Loamy soil has equal parts sand, silt and clay and is the ideal soil for growing most plants - not just cannabis. Because you reap the benefits of each type of soil, it’s the perfect host for the beginnings of your home garden. According to Leafly, “the best way to identify loamy soil is by touching it. How does it feel? Sandy soil should be difficult to compact while clay should compact into a tight ball that won’t crumble. When squeezed, loamy soils should form a loose ball that will hold its structure momentarily before breaking apart in large chunks.”

Check out this article on how to make your own loam soil!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

If indoor growing is your go-to, we’ve compiled a few of the best quality lights for your project.

Fluorescent grow lights:

These are probably the best option for new growers because you can find them at any home improvement store on the low and they’ll fit several different kinds of light fixtures. The bulbs on fluorescent lights offer a less intense light than others, so you can get away with hanging them closer to the plant itself. This is helpful for those trying to keep their operation under wraps, because you can fit more plants and their corresponding lights in a smaller area. With the guesswork taken out of the equation, you can focus on giving your bbs the attention they deserve. Fluorescent grow lights are best suited for smaller harvests, so keep this in mind if you have more than a few plants.

High-intensity discharge:

These lights run much hotter than the above, and come in two varieties - metal halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs. The main difference between these varieties is the type of light spectrum they produce, HPS designed specifically for the flowering phase of your plants and MH for the vegetative state - or the first stage of life. The first emits a red orange tint, while the latter emits light from a bluer spectrum.

HID lights require a hood or reflector, which increase the amount of light getting to your plants using no additional electricity.

For the environmentally conscious, HPS bulbs are about twice as electrically efficient than their counterpart. Because they are brighter, however, more space must be put between the lamps and plants - taking up more space.

LED:

There are three different kinds of LED lamps - standard, chip on board, and spread-style.

Standard: Otherwise known as purple lights, these lamps contain red and blue hues spread over the fixture and come at a low price point. This low price might compromise quality, as they are not the brightest.

COB: Chip on board LEDs are composed of hundreds of smaller LEDs on one single chip and are some of the most efficient lights you can purchase, as they best imitate the natural yet intense light from the sun. They run more expensive than standard LEDs, but will prove a solid companion to your canna-babies if you’re willing to spend the money.

Spread-style: Spread-style lights are just like what they sound - larger boards with LEDs spread across the panel. They are ideal for larger indoor operations and are among the most energy efficient, but can potentially break the budget for new growers.

POTS FOR YOUR POT

One of the final steps to perfecting your home garden is selecting your grow containers.

Plastic: Standard plastic containers are a happy medium for old and new growers alike, sold at a low price point but still able to provide all the nutrients your plants need. The structure of these pots runs the risk of being flimsy, but with minimal handling they should perform just fine.

Terra cotta: Ceramic pots provide unique advantages for those growing in hotter climates, while also being aesthetically pleasing af. Most pots like this don’t come with drainage holes, which can be tough to tack on.

Fabric: The fabric pot trend is slightly newer to the growing community, but perform similarly to their plastic counterpart save for a little more maintenance due to their drying out quicker.

STATE BY STATE REGULATIONS

Choosing to grow your own weed obviously has extremely different connotations across the United States, but there are plenty of resources for you to know just what you’re up against.

According to Way of Leaf, “Today California law allows for the cultivation of up to six plants for recreational adult use. The law also allows for up to 100 square feet of area per residence to be dedicated to the cultivation of medical marijuana. There are no limits to the number of plants that can be grown for medicinal purposes.” If you’re wondering what the regulations are state by state, check out the complete article here.

TRIMMING

Looking for the highest quality trimmer on the market that allows you to cut wet or dry? Say less. Shop Trim Daddy for the cleanest results that won’t sacrifice the work you’ve put in to get this far. If you need extra convincing, check out our pros & cons post on the different trimmers here.