Home-Grow Hurdles
We plan to start sharing grow tips and tricks from our resident grow expert—my husband—Donald! He has been growing weed legally in our basement for nearly three years now and has learned a ton. Get first-hand knowledge through our Bud to Bud newsletter every Sunday morning!
Read on, and keep the questions coming by emailing hello@wanderingbud.com
Q: As someone who lives in a (weed) legal state, what do you think are some of the biggest barriers or hurdles to starting to grow your own cannabis at home?
Donald: The single biggest barrier (if you're in a legal state) is the knowledge gap on what to buy, where to get it, and how to even do any of this. It can be daunting because, at least with an indoor grow, you're not just growing a plant, you're building the entire environment for the plant and even where to start can be daunting. Our hope here is that we can help ease people into the process by explaining little chunks and providing external resources.
Finding a local grow store can also be a fruitful first step as they can help guide you to best practices on your budget and in your region. Honestly though, just diving in and learning as you go is what I've found to be the best. Do your research so you don't make expensive, early mistakes, but after that experience is a great teacher.
Q: I live in Los Angeles and have an outdoor space but not a full sun space. My question is what would be better for the plant; to use a grow tent outside or inside or try outside no tent? Are there better times of year to grow?
Donald: Los Angeles has a year-round climate that can support the growth of marijuana, so consider yourself fortunate because most of us are not so lucky. If you are going to be doing an outdoor grow though, make sure you're licensed, have plenty of sunlight (partial sun is a no-go), garden is clear of weeds/debris, and you have the appropriate soil type.
Like with most plants, cannabis does not want to sit in it's own water, so you need to make sure your soil allows for plenty of run-off. A good rule of thumb here (unless you're very familiar with your soil and know it to be good) is to dig a hole big enough to encapsulate your plant in a good 12 inches of a new soil medium. That gives the roots the space to grow. Keep in mind that however big you want your plant to be above ground, it needs about that space below ground for roots. In a mediterranean climate, such as LA's, you can get 1 very large grow and typically a second smaller grow per year.
An indoor grow is an excellent alternative to an outdoor grow if your environment is not conducive to growing outside. Frankly, the control you have growing indoors can actually result in a faster, higher quality harvest. Principally you need to control for water, temperature, humidity, and light. A clean tent with the correct lights are great starting assets but I've even seen grows done in a bucket with an off the shelf light bulb so you don't need to spend a fortune and take up an entire room to get started.
Just getting started is the most important step. Contact local grow shops that specialize in cannabis (and if you're in a legal state you'll certainly have these around) and they'll be able to help coach you on local laws and best practices for growing within your budget.
Donald
Photo by Alyssa Broadus/Little Fixations
