If you’re living in one of 18 states that permit growing medical or recreational marijuana at home, then why not take advantage? Organic, home-grown marijuana stimulates the senses–it has a better flavor, feel, and scent. Let’s not forget that the effects of organic marijuana are even more powerful than non-organic.
You might find yourself purchasing your marijuana from the local dispensary out of convenience. Save yourself some cash and grow your own marijuana at home instead. By growing organically, you can ensure that your marijuana is grown without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals.
Don’t know how to grow marijuana organically? Check out our guide to get started.
What Does It Mean to Be Organic?
You’ve heard the word organic tossed around hundreds of times, but what exactly does it mean when it comes to growing? The bottom line is that organic plants are grown without pesticides or chemicals.
Non-organic plants are given artificial fertilizers directly. On the other hand, organic plants are grown with natural fertilizer that conditions the soil.
When plants grow in nature, dead leaves, animals, and other forms of waste pile up on top of the soil. As they decay they give nutrients to the soil, allowing plants to grow.
You can even make your own compost at home by collecting leaves, newspapers, wood chips and leftover food. The waste will decompose gradually, providing nutrients that are perfect for growing organic marijuana plants.
How to Grow Marijuana Organically
Start your marijuana plants in five-gallon buckets–these buckets are easy to drain and store. Make sure to put holes in the bottom of the bucket to let any excess water out. You’ll be growing larger plants that produce more than a quarter-pound of marijuana.
First, you need to get the right soil. You can either make your own soil with compost, or you can purchase organic soil from hydroponic companies. If it’s your first time growing marijuana, you should probably get pre-mixed soil as it’s easier to take care of.
Before you actually plant the seeds, you need to let them germinate. Place the seeds inside of a container of water and put them in a place that’s warm and dark. As soon as you see a small taproot pop out of the shell, you can take the seeds out and start planting.
Once you fill your buckets with soil, put the marijuana seeds on top with the taproots facing down. The seeds should be planted so that just a little bit of soil covers them.
Caring For Your Plant
Learning how to grow weed might seem intimidating, but once you know the proper methods it becomes as simple as caring for a typical flower. If you don’t think you can manage to maintain the correct temperature, humidity, lighting and the perfect amount of ventilation, then consider moving your organic cannabis growing area outdoors or even inside of a greenhouse.
Caring for marijuana plants is actually similar to storing cannabis concentrates. They both require a certain environment to grow or last longer. Visit this website to learn more about keeping cannabis concentrates fresh.
Lighting
You’ll need to use HID lighting that’s 400-watts or more to grow indoors. If you’re growing bigger plants, you’ll need 600 or 1000-watt metal halide or high-pressure sodium bulbs.
Temperature and Humidity
Keeping the temperature and humidity at the proper level is just as important as having a good lighting system. Every growth stage requires specific care. As the plant grows older, the humidity level should be lowered and the temperature should be adjusted.
Watering Your Plant
Cannabis plants are watered just like any other flower or vegetable. It’s important to avoid using tap water if your city provides it. Some cities add fluoride or other chemicals into the water, which kills off any helpful bacteria in the soil.
The pH of water is also an important factor to consider when watering your cannabis plants. Measure your water’s pH with a pH testing kit. Ideally, the pH should be around 6.0-7.0.
Fertilizing Cannabis Plants
When you’re growing organic cannabis, you can also enhance your plant’s growth by adding supplements to the soil. Although organic soils come with plenty of nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and other essential nutrients that marijuana needs to grow, it’s still important to provide your plant with additional nutrition.
You can’t just add typical plant fertilizer either–you’ll have to use organic fertilization methods to help your plant grow.
Brewing Compost Tea
Brewing some compost tea is a great way to feed your plant (no, it’s not for you to drink too). Compost teas benefit cannabis plants by adding microorganisms into the soil. These microorganisms help keep bacteria out, while also giving off vital nutrients.
You’ll need to pour water inside of a bucket and proceed to oxygenate the water with an air pump for about three hours. Scoop some compost into a nylon sock, and place it inside the oxygenated water–this is your tea bag. Let it steep for two days and make sure to stir it once in a while.
After the time is up, fill up a spray bottle with the tea and you’re good to go. Now you can spray your cannabis plants with a mixture that will ward off foliar diseases while adding crucial nutrients. Be sure to use the tea within an hour as it loses its effect quickly.
Add Mycorrhizal Fungi
Introducing mycorrhizal fungi into your soil is another great way of growing organic weed effectively. Simply adding some organic fertilizer infused with fungi can actually help your plant retain more water and nutrients.
Keep Pests Away
You don’t have to use those nasty chemicals just to keep bugs away from your plants. Non-organic pesticides can actually damage your soil as they spread chemicals on the ground and on the plants themselves.
Many pests aren’t attracted to organic soil that already contains microorganisms and fungi–so you won’t need to go all out with pest control. For any bugs that are still swarming your plants, spritz neem oil on the top and bottom of the plant’s leaves. That should keep your plant safe and clean.
Growing at Home
Knowing how to grow marijuana organically can benefit you greatly whether you’re using it for medical or recreational purposes. Once you harvest and try the potent marijuana from your own organic plants, you won’t want to go back to paying expensive fees for sub-par, non-organic marijuana.
Every day, more people are trying to go green and eat organically. If you want to learn more about tips on how you can make your life eco-friendly, check out our blog.
