Homegrow: Let’s Do This!

There’s never been a better time to consider personal cannabis cultivation
as a hobby. As more states legalize recreational marijuana, homegrowing is
becoming a popular alternative to buying weed at a dispensary or on the
streets. In fact, some states like my home in New York, allow for a certain
number of plants to be grown by individuals seeking to save money and
become more self-sufficient. The limit is typically on the amount of
plants—but not the size of the plants.

In trying times, people yearn to turn back the clock toward the survival
practices of our ancestors: raising livestock; growing edible plants;
canning and fermenting foods; collecting rainwater— generally providing
many of their home’s staples themselves as supermarket prices rise.

And here’s the thing—dispensary weed can’t compare to well-done homegrown
in quality *or* price.

And it’s never been easier to get started. For less than $1000, you can
begin growing today and be harvesting, drying and curing your first crop in
about three months. Modern innovations and technologies have simplified the
process, and products are now accommodating spaces big and small. If you’re
successful, you’ll be hard-pressed to finish consuming what you’ve grown in
time before your next crop rolls in. The important thing is to do some
research before getting started so you avoid the pitfalls of buying
off-brand grow equipment or following bad online advice.

Many hydro stores are struggling these days as people shun brick and mortar
shops in favor of ordering from Amazon, Temu or AliBaba. Instead, make the
choice to support your local store and get to know the proprietor and
staff; you’ll be rewarded with personal treatment and feel like part of a
community. You’ll be able to get some great recommendations for gear,
lights, nutrients and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) from people who’ve
made mistakes and fixed their problems.
*puff modern.* Modern innovations and technologies have simplified the
homegrow process.
*What You Need To Get Started*

*Grow Tent:* These come in a variety of sizes for different needs, but I
recommend a 3’x3’ or 4’x4’ for beginners. Light-tight and purpose-built, a
tent will simplify the process and contain light, sound and odors.

*Grow Light:* LED (Light Emitting Diode) or CMH (Ceramic Metal Halide)
technology is best for small spaces as they’re more efficient in energy
usage and create less heat than traditional HID (High-Intensity Discharge)
lighting.

*Exhaust Fan and Carbon Filter:* This pulls hot spent air out of the tent
and pushes it through activated charcoal to eliminate odors.

*Thermometer/Hygrometer:* Controlling the environment is the single-most
important factor in successful indoor farming and a digital monitor for
temperature and humidity will tell you if you’re within proper parameters.

*Oscillating Fan for Circulation:* Moving air around helps plants obtain
the necessary CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) for proper growth and reduces stale
pockets of air that can encourage mold and disease.

*Containers, Growing Medium and Watering Can: *My recommendations for
beginners are grow bags or beds that allow oxygen to get to roots and
discourage overwatering. Use a loose and airy soilless mix and allow for at
least a gallon of container size for every week of vegetative time you plan
to grow.

*Seeds or Clones: *Nothing is more essential than proper genetics: You
can’t grow great cannabis with weak genes, so always do your research on
where you get your seeds. Also, clones can come with diseases and pests so
always quarantine any outside genetic material you bring into your space.

*Automation:* These days, tents can come with built-in or supplemental
automation that controls the environment, feeds and waters your plants on a
schedule and monitors any fluctuations in temperature, humidity or air
pressure. This can be very convenient, as you can run it from your
smartphone, but it shouldn’t replace human contact and the power of your
eyes. Look at your plant’s leaves up close and in person to check for any
deficiencies, diseases or pests.
*crops props.* “For outdoor growers, modern innovations offers multiple
crops per year,” says Royal Queen Seeds’ technical manager and grow expert
Max Majot, pictured here at left
*Genetic Advancements*

*Feminized Seeds*

In recent years, improvements and additions have been made to the gene pool
that can simplify the growing process. Feminized seeds, or seeds that
produce only female plants, save growers from wasting time growing male
plants until their sex is determined. The important thing is to source your
female seeds from breeders with intention who know what they’re doing, use
reliable breeding material and follow through with the work necessary to
stabilize properly.

Mr. Soul of Brothers Grimm Seeds, responsible for cultivars such as
Cinderella 99, Apollo Eleven and Rosetta Stone tells me, “There’s no longer
a need to breed with males now or in the future. Breeding with true females
gives more predictability of the offspring and also avoids hermaphrodism.
To the growers: Learn to read your plants and understand how green green
should be. This is the key to understanding your plants’ needs.”

*Autoflowering Plants*

Since their commercial introduction in 2003 by The Joint Doctor with his
Lowryder strain, autoflowers have taken a firm place in the pantheon of
ganja genetics. These plants will flower when they reach a certain size,
regardless of photoperiod, providing several advantages to cannabis
farmers. Over the last two decades, autos have been developed by breeders
to be more potent and with bigger yields than ever before.

Max Majot, technical manager and grow expert at Royal Queen Seeds, says
growers can take advantage of these modern innovations in two primary ways:
“First, for outdoor growers, it can offer multiple crops per year without
the need for blackout periods,” he says. “Second, for indoor cultivation,
you can push the DLI (daily light integral) more than 18 hours and easily
reach the plant’s maximum potential compared to traditional photoperiod
strains.”

*Triploid Genetics*

Another very recent boost to the yield and potency of modern weed, triploid
genetics are changing the game for homegrowers and commercial farmers
alike. Cannabis normally exists as a diploid with two sets of chromosomes,
but triploids are developed to have three sets of chromosomes which can
enhance robustness and vigor and shorten flowering time.

Humboldt Seed Company is at the forefront of triploid breeding technology,
and I spoke with Chief Science Officer and Owner Benjamin Lind who said, “A
triploid cannabis plant contains extra genetic information in each cell,
essentially giving it access to a larger ‘library of stored knowledge.’
This can potentially lead to bigger plants that flower faster and are
higher potency.”

*This story was originally published in issue 52 of the print edition of
Cannabis Now.*

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