How To Grow Marijuana: The Ultimate Organic Guide

how to grow marijuana

Understanding Organic Growing

marijuana seedling Source: http://www.growweedeasy.com/soil-vs-hydro-cannabis

Non-organic refers to any kind of plant food that has been predigested in a laboratory before it is placed in soil. Organic, by way of contrast, refers to gardening with natural plant nutrients derived or composted from dead leaves, bushes, grass clippings, bat guano, liquid fish, or seaweed. None of the nutrients used in organic growing have ever seen the inside of a lab.

In this guide, we are going to teach you how to grow marijuana. To do that, we’ve included a comprehensive checklist of all the tools, materials, and magic ingredients you will need to begin growing your marijuana the organic way. We will also make sure you know how to care for your cannabis during the seedling, vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering, harvesting, and cloning phases of ganja growth. After that, we’ll show you step-by-step how to make compost, not just for your pot plants, but for anything else you want to grow. Then we’ll get specific and give you instructions for making an awesome 420 fertilizer that will have your cannabis plants growing strong and healthy in no time. We’ll discuss the various stages of the pot plant’s growth, from germination to flowering, and show you what you need to know about each. But wait…there’s more!

We’ll touch on the potential of hydrogen (pH) scale and show you how it applies to the water you give to your pot plants. Then, we’ll venture into the potential signs of plant stress so you’ll know if your plant is struggling with a deficiency or an overabundance of something. We’ll show you how to brew organic compost teas and control pests the organic way. Finally, we’ll walk you through the harvesting process and show you how to trim, dry, cure, re-veg, and even clone your valuable plant material. All that for the low-low price of free! The only way it could get better is if we came to your house and did it for you. But where would the fun in that be?

So without further ado, it’s time to get your hands dirty and to start growing your very own marijuana plants. We’ll start first with tools that every good pot grower should have.

Tools for Growing THC Checklist

marijuana tools Source: http://420intel.com/articles/2015/04/06/growbuddy-app-streamlines-cannabis-cultivation

Here is a list of tools you will need to grow your own organic marijuana. You can find most of these items at hardware stores like Lowes or Home Depot. If the internet is more your thing, you can order these items online from Amazon.com.

Soil work

Journal or online spreadsheet
Compost bin (or large patch or ground)
Pitchfork
Plastic tarp or plastic kid’s pool
Spade
7 to 13-gallon garbage cans

Germination

Masking tape
Sharpy marker
Paper towels

Seedling

12 or 16-ounce plastic cups
pH testing pen
Misting spray bottles

Vegetation

Lighting (we use 315-watt bulbs. Combining different wattages can yield amazing results too.)
24-hour on-off auto-timers
Electric fans
Five-gallon grow bucket
Five-gallon food grade plastic bucket

Compost teas

Air stone bubblers
Air pump
Cotton bag

Harvesting Tools

Small LED microscope
Gardening sheers
Twine
Glass mason jars
Rooting solution

Magic Organic Marijuana Ingredients Checklist

indoor growing Source: http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2009/09/11/subcools-super-soil

You will need the following materials to make organic soil, fertilizer, and compost teas to feed to your growing cannabis plants. Many materials for composting such as dead leaves and lawn trimmings can be gathered at little to no financial cost. The other elements can be found at major hardware stores and local gardening centers. Obscure items such as Azomite and humic acid can be found and purchased online at hydrofarm.com. Here’s the list.

Cannabis seeds of your choice – order them online and they should come with plenty of helpful instructions for you to follow as well.
Carbon-rich materials (dead leaves, straw, plant and tree trimmings, pine needles)
Nitrogen-rich materials (manure, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, seaweed)
Coco fiber
Mycorrhizae
Rock phosphate
Epsom salts
Azomite (trace elements)
Cup sweet lime (dolomite)
1 tbsp of powdered humic acid
1 kg of bat guano
Blood meal
Steamed bone meal
Molasses
1 bottle of pH Up
1 bottle of pH Down
Neem oil

How to Compost for Cannabis

Composting helps recycle natural waste from fruits, vegetables, and indoor and outdoor plants, back into the soil. This organic waste feeds the microbial lifeforms that help us grow new crops of fruits, vegetables, and plants…including cannabis. That’s organic growing in a nutshell. So organic marijuana is cannabis that is grown in organically composted and fertilized soil.

weed compost Source: http://modernsurvivalblog.com/survival-garden/compost/

You can begin the composting process by collecting enough carbon and nitrogen materials to make four to five gallons of soil per pot plant that you intend to grow.

The best carbon materials include:

Dry leaves
Woody plant trimmings (e.g., shrubs, trees, dried cornstalks)
Shredded paper products
Straw
Pine needles
Sawdust (in small quantities)

The best nitrogen materials include:

Coffee grounds
Corncobs
Eggshells
Fruit pits
Rinds and cores
Nut shells
Stale or moldy bread products
Tea or tea bags
Vegetables (raw or cooked)
Livestock manure (e.g., cow, horse, chicken, turkey)
Feathers
Hair and fur

You want your compost pile to contain about 30 parts of carbon to 1 part of nitrogen. Not sure how to figure out this ratio? We’re here to help.

Look up online the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of whatever material you’re using. Add the ratios together and then divide by however many categories of items you are using. Here’s an example to help make it clearer.

Dry leaves have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 50:1 and coffee grounds, fruit scraps, and vegetable scraps each have a C:N ratio of 12:1. So if I choose to mix dry leaves (50:1) and coffee grounds (12:1), the ratios would add up to 62:2. Getting a little twitchy with all this math? We are too. Don’t worry, we’re almost there. Since we chose two items (dry leaves and coffee grounds), we would need to divide that ratio (62:2) by two. Doing so gives us a total ratio of 31:1. That’s pretty darn close to our ideal compost ratio of 30:1.

At this point, you may be wondering, “How much of each do I use?” The simple answer is, it doesn’t matter…as long as you use a consistent ratio of each. “Oh no! There’s that word ratio again.” We know, “ratio” tells you absolutely nothing about how to measure out the carbon material and the nitrogen material. But don’t quit on me now. We’re almost there. Here’s how to figure out how much of each material to use.

Most soil scientists and professional composters hold the following rule of thumb as gospel: two parts nitrogen material (also known as “green” material) to one part carbon material (also known as brown material). In this formula, “part” can be any amount you choose. So if you’re working on a very small scale, you may choose to mix two cups of nitrogen material and one cup of carbon material. That’s two parts to one part. If you’re working on a larger scale, you may choose to mix two five-gallon buckets of nitrogen material and one five-gallon bucket of carbon material. If you’re going really big, you may mix two front-end-loader scoops of nitrogen material and one front-end-loader scoop of carbon material. It really doesn’t matter what container you choose to measure with—from teaspoons to dump-truck loads—as long as you stick to the 2:1 ratio.

Now that you’ve got the mix figured out, you may be wondering where to pile all this lovely rotting stuff. You can just heap all your carbon and nitrogen scraps in a far corner of your property, but at least three walls helps to keep the “mess” from spreading.

If you choose to surround your compost with walls, make sure that air can still flow in, out, and amongst all the materials. We’ve seen small-scale compost piles hemmed in by pallets, concrete blocks (with the holes facing out), wood planks with holes drilled in them, and even snow fencing. Large-scale operations might use K-rails with holes drilled in them or brick walls with every few bricks missing.

For a DIY-grow operation, a store bought compost bin is probably your best bet. These bins will save you some time and labor by keeping your carbon and nitrogen ingredients at a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees celsius. Maintaining your compost pile at such a high temperature will speed up the decomposition of your compost into fresh soil. You can also do cold composting if you have the time and don’t mind doing a bit of extra work.

Simple Steps to Make New Soil

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating new soil from compost material.

Source: http://www.growweedeasy.com/organic-super-soil

Start your compost pile with a four-inch layer of brown or carbon materials.
Add another four-inch layer of green or nitrogen materials. Here we’re using the inch as our measuring standard instead of the five-gallon bucket or the front-end-loader scoop mentioned above.
Use a thin layer of finished compost from your last pile or alfalfa, blood meal, or bone meal on top of the brown and green pile as an activator to invite microorganisms into the pile to begin the decomposition process. This thin layer is like the bait that attracts the fish to the hook. We won’t be trapping any of the microorganisms (because really, how could you). We just want them to come and live in our dirt.
Repeat the above steps by adding a new layer of carbon, nitrogen, and a thin layer of activator until you have a pile of compost that is at least three feet high and three feet square. This size pile will generate enough heat to sterilize your materials into soil.
It will take anywhere from two to five months for your materials to decompose into soil in warm weather. Compost piles in colder climates will take longer. This, of course, depends on how often you turn your compost pile. We recommend turning it at least once a week. At most, you could turn it every three days. Don’t turn your pile more than every three days or you’ll stop the heat and microorganisms from working.
You’ll eventually notice steam rising from your compost in the morning. This is when you know things are going well. The decomposition process is well under way and all the microorganisms are breaking down that carbon and nitrogen material as fast as they possibly can. Yum!
You’ll know that your compost has decomposed into soil once it is soft, crumbly, dark brown or black, and smells sweet.

How to Make 420 Fertilizer

Now that you’ve got a basic compost pile going, you’re ready to mix some of that base soil into the ultimate 420 fertilizer. This tried-and-true recipe was first developed by Subcool, the head breeder of TGAgenetics. You can also purchase Subcool’s super soil mix online if that suits your needs better. The Weed Nerd himself, though, will tell you that mixing your own super soil will make your marijuana grow healthier. Let’s get mixing!

First, spread a layer of your composted base soil with coco fiber and mycorrhizae on a large plastic tarp or in a plastic kid’s pool.
Spread 0.75 kg of rock phosphate, 1/8 cup Epsom salts, 1/4 of cup Azomite (trace elements), 1/2 of cup sweet lime (dolomite) and 1 tbsp of powdered humic acid on top of the base soil mound.
Add a new layer of base soil on top of the powdered nutrients.
Now add 1 kg of bat guano and a new layer of base soil followed by 1 kg thick layers of blood meal and steamed bone meal each with layers of base soil.
Mix everything together with a spade (and no, this isn’t just a fancy term for shovel) then transfer it to garbage cans with 10 liters of water per can and leave your mix to cook in the sun for 30 days. This will allow helpful microorganisms and fungi to enrich the soil.

Ganja Germination

Thomas Jefferson’s Hemp Diary

We highly recommend your own grower’s journal where you can record daily feeding, watering, light and heat cycles as well as any big setbacks and breakthroughs. This record-keeping will help you learn from your mistakes and replicate your successes. Party on, dude!

When you’re ready to start growing, select seeds from your favorite strain of marijuana and soak them in a glass of water to begin the germination process.

germinate marijuana seed Source: http://stuffstonerslike.com/2015/01/germinating-marijuana-seeds-cup-water/

Make sure to mark the strain of the seed with a marker and masking tape on the glasses if you are working with more than one strain.
Leave the glass in a warm, dark place. Dry seeds will float when you first place them in water. They will absorb water and sink to the bottom in a few hours.
Remove the seed when you see the little white taproot emerge from the shell. Don’t leave seeds soaking for longer than 32 hours as they can drown.

If soaking your seeds in water-filled containers doesn’t work for you for some reason, there is another option. Place the dry seeds between two layers of damp paper towels and store them in a warm, dark place for about twenty-four hours. This will cause the seeds to sprout as well.

How to Keep the Seedling Safe

marijuana seedling Source: http://www.weedsthatplease.com/germinating.htm

If you are working with more than one plant, or more than one strain, don’t forget to label the strain of the seed on the seeding cup. This helps avoid confusion later on.
Make sure you don’t touch the taproot with your finger!
Plant the seed, taproot pointing down, in a 12 or 16-ounce plastic cup. Cover the seed with just enough composted, but unfertilized, soil to cover the root from light. Make sure the seed isn’t so deep that the seedling won’t be able to break through.
Don’t move the seedlings around too much until they’ve reached the vegetative phase,
Keep the seedlings warm, and start giving them constant light as soon as the stem emerges from the soil.
Keep the soil moist but not wet with properly pH-balanced water. We recommend misting your little seedling with and a spray bottle.
If you want to get really fancy, you can cut a plastic soda bottle container in half and put it over the seedling on top of the soil to create a makeshift greenhouse. This will help keep the plant moist under your lighting.

How To Properly pH water

Potential of hydrogen (pH) is a numeric scale used to specify the acidity or alkalinity of a liquid. It’s necessary to check the pH of the water that you give to your cannabis plants because they need a slightly more acidic medium to digest and break down all of the organic nutrients that you’ll be feeding them. Checking and adjusting the pH level of your water is a simple process.

weed water ph Source: http://www.amazon.ca/HDE-Digital-Aquarium-Hydroponic-Monitor/dp/B00IEJOI9S

Leave tap water in an open container for 24 hours to de-chlorinate it.
Use pH tester drops or a pH tester pen to determine the pH of your water.
Add pH up and/or pH down to your water to keep it within an optimal pH range of 6.0 to 7.0.
Use your pH tester, add drops from a bottle of pH up and/or down as necessary and retest to get the acidity of your water within the ideal range.
Spray bottles are ideal for keeping the soil of your seedlings moist without agitating, over watering, or drowning them with poured water.
Moisten your marijuana plants at least twice a day at this stage. You can cut clear plastic soda bottles and stick them into the soil over the seedlings to retain extra moisture.

The Seedling’s Little Saga

baby pot plants Source: http://www.weedsthatplease.com/vegetative.htm

The seedling will break ground and two small round embryonic cotyledon leaves will push out of the shell within 2 to 5 days. After that, the first pair of baby serrated marijuana leaves will emerge. Over the next few days, your baby pot plant will sprout leaves with 3, 5, and 7 points depending on whether you are growing an indica, sativa, or hybrid plant. Some of the smaller leaves near the buds can grow up to 9, 11, or even 13 points.

Leaves of Ganga Grass

sativa Source: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/hemp

Large cannabis sativa leaves (and, yes, the ‘C’ should be capitalized—it’s a scientific name) can have up to thirteen long, slender, pronounced, jagged, spiky serrations. The coloration of sativa leaves ranges from light to dark green. Sativa leaves can come from either female plants from which we harvest the cola buds we smoke, or from the male plants known as hemp. Hemp plants produce more CBD than THC but are typically grown for a mind-blowing array of renewable, eco-friendly, industrial, planet-saving purposes.

indica Source: http://norml-uk.org/2012/08/know-your-cannabis/

Cannabis indica leaves typically grow much shorter and wider than sativa leaves. Cannabis indica will also produce less leaves (seven to nine) on the stems when compared to the sativa plant. The Cannabis indica plant itself is often much shorter than the sativa plant as well. Indica seeds often require a slightly shorter flowering time of 45 to 65 days compared to 60 to 90 days for sativas. You’ll want to check the instructions that come with your seeds for their specific flowering times.

Is Ruderalis for Real?

Source: https://cannabisgrowing.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/wild-ruderalis-marijuana-plants-grown-indoors-cannabis-ruderalis/

Cannabis ruderalis is a wild strain of cannabis commonly found growing naturally across Central and Eastern Europe. It typically has more CBD than THC cannabinoids and is not used recreationally. There is some debate as to whether Cannabis ruderalis is actually its own species separate from indica and sativa. The leaves of the ruderalis plant possess five to thirteen leaflets and are very similar to those of an indica leaf, only somewhat smaller and narrower.

Growers have experimented with crossbreeding ruderalis and indica plants in an attempt to create strains with shorter growing seasons. Ruderalis strains crossbred with sativa and indica have produced strains that flower automatically without having to reduce the number of light hours that the plant is exposed to in order to transition from the vegetative phase into the flowering phase.

Time to Veg Out

marijuana vegitation Source: http://www.medicaljane.com/2014/08/08/cannabis-101-pre-veg-and-vegetaitve-growth-management-in-medicinal-marijuana-crops/

Your plants of either strain should reach the vegetative phase in about 1 to 3 weeks. During the vegetative phase, plants stems will grow taller and thicker and will develop new leaf nodes. This increased growth means that you will need to give your pot plants plenty of pH-balanced water along with dry, flowing air, lots of nitrogen-rich organic nutrients, and as much soil space as possible. These factors combine to encourage your eight-inch baby to grow into a three-foot tall monster within six weeks.

Your baby plant’s growth depends, in large part, on how much sunlight it can transform into chemical energy via photosynthesis. That’s why, in the wild, growing plants need between 12 and 15 hours of light per day. As you’ll discover in your DIY-grow operation, plants grown indoors will need closer to 18 hours of fluorescent light every day. When the plants start receiving less light (because of the change of seasons, or because the grower reduced the hours of sun exposure), the cannabis plant will stop its upward growth and enter the next phase.

Sativa plants stay in the vegetative phase a bit longer than indicas and can grow up to 6 feet indoors. Indica plants, on the other hand, grow up to around 3 feet. The roots of the eight-inch baby plant will reach the fertilizer and grow into a two to three-foot tall adult plant in three to six weeks depending upon how much energy you can help it consume.

Move the plants to a 3 to 5 gallon grow pot after the taproot outgrows the cup you rooted in.
Don’t forget to mark the name of the strain on the growpot if working with multiple plants.
Fill the bottom 1/3 of your grow pot with the super soil fertilizer and the top half with your composted base soil.
Plant your new reefer root in the topsoil, NOT the fertilizer. Planting the root directly in fertilizer will give it nutrient burn.
Use auto timers to ensure that you give your plant 16 to 18 hours of fluorescent light per day while they vegetate.
Keep the air in your grow room warm. It should not go below 72 degrees Fahrenheit or exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use fans to keep the air circulating
You only want to water your weed when it’s dry. Overwatering can kill your cannabis while its vegging out. Allow the top few centimeters of soil to dry out before you water your weed. Your plants will be much sturdier at this stage than they were as seedlings and you should pick up your plants to get a feel for their weight. Water them with pH- balanced water when they feel light. Their leaves will droop and they will look limp and lifeless if you have been under-watering them.
The plant will need lots of nitrogen rich foods such as liquid fish and seaweed which you can feed your plants with compost teas.

Potential Signs of Plant Stress

Just because your pot plants are vegging out doesn’t mean that you can get your couchlock on just yet! There are many potential challenges ahead that could prevent your baby cannabis plants from ever flowering. The good news is that Subcool’s super soil formula is intended to prevent most of the nutrient deficiencies that could potentially kill your cannabis. It’s still important that you know how to identify and address these common issues if you want to ensure that your plants reach the harvest stage.

The leaves of your pot plants are clues to all sorts of issues that your plants could potentially encounter during the growing process. The leaves will show specific discolorations and deteriorations if the plant is deficient in key nutrients.

marijuana boron deficiency Source (All photos below): http://www.thenug.com/galleries/diagnose-your-sick-marijuana-plants

Abnormal or thick growth tips, rough or hollow stems, and the yellowing or chlorosis of new leaves are signs of boron deficiency.

marijuana calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiencies are often accompanied by other deficiencies with their own signs of distress. Small, dead, crinkling brown spots on the leaves are the major sign of calcium deficiency however. Distorted colored tips on new leaves are another sign.

marijuana copper deficiency

Your plant will have trouble growing taller, the leaves will curl back and change unusual colors if it has a copper deficiency. New leaves will grow in dark and twisted while older leaves will fade yellow or white.

marijuana manganese deficiency

Your plant will also be stunted if it has manganese deficiency. The leaves may eventually shred apart and die due to manganese deficiency. Yellowing in the veins and the appearance of brown spots on the leaves are your early warning signs of manganese deficiency however.

marijuana molybdenum deficiency

An orange, red or pink discoloration at the edge toward the middle of the leaves is your first tell tale sign of molybdenum deficiency.

marijuana nitrogen deficiency Source: http://www.growweedeasy.com/nitrogen-deficiency-cannabis

The leaves of your pot plant will turn yellow, wilt inward and upward and will fall off starting with the oldest leaves near the bottom of the plant if it deficient in nitrogen during the vegetative phase. Yellow leaves due to nitrogen deficiency are normal during the flowering phase when the buds are nearly ready for harvest however.

marijuana nitrogen toxicity

Slow overall plant growth, weak stems and dark heavy claw-like leaves are signs of a toxic excess of nitrogen.

marijuana phosphorus deficiency

Stunted growth with dark gray or purple patches on the leaves indicates that the plant is lacking phosphorus which it is vital throughout its lifecycle and which it especially craves when it flowers.

marijuana potassium deficiency

The plants will become stretchy, the stems will become weak and the older leaves near the bottom will start getting dark and scorched lesions will appear around the edges of the leaves as they curl and die due to potassium deficiency.

marijuana sulphur deficiency

Chlorosis yellowing will spread from the back of the leaf to the front if the plant is deficient in sulfur. The older leaves near the bottom will turn pinkish red or orange, Any growing buds on the plant will die off.

marijuana zinc deficiency

The veins of younger leaves near the top will turn yellow and start dying off if the plant is deficient in Zinc. There will also be less space between new nodes and the leaves will start bunching up. Any bud growing on flowering plants will begin to die at this point as well.

Other Signs Of Plant Distress

marijuana over watering

Your leaves will grow firm, drooping and curling down towards their stems, starving for oxygen if you overwater them. If this is the case, you’ll need to cut back on watering and give them time to recover. You can try increasing the temperature from the lights and your airflow if you are growing indoors to speed up water absorption. You can also poke some holes in the soil with a pencil to give them some oxygen. Your plants may also require a better drainage system.

marijuana light burn

The serrated edges of the leaves will begin to curl up if they are exposed to too much natural or artificial light. You’ll see yellow and brown burn spots on the leaves if they receive too much light or especially direct contact with a bulb. To alleviate these issues, decrease the intensity of your lighting and increase air circulation with fans to help your indoor plants recover. Hang a large cloth, sheet or build some other source of shade for your outdoor plants. Water them in the early morning and late evening to help them retain water and recover from outdoor heat and light stress.

marijuana nutrient burn

Nutrient burn first appears as random spots around the edges of the leaves which will curl downward if you’ve overfed your plants or perhaps if you’ve planted your rootling too close to the fertilizer. You’ll want to cut back on any inorganic nutrients or compost teas you’re feeding the plant and flush it with de-chlorinated pH-balanced water.

Again keep in mind that you are more likely to run into most of these issues if you are using inorganic methods. Subcool did all the trial and error for us in order to root out these deficiencies and you’ll easily be able to grow mouthwatering ganja if you stick with his recipe. The compost teas we will teach you to brew will help prevent these deficiencies as well by adding extra nutrients and microorganisms to naturally unlock the organic fertilizers you buried deep down in your grow pot.

You will still want to consistently check the pH of the water you give the plants even if you are utilizing organic methods. Boron and copper deficiency are often triggered by water with a pH content above or below the ideal 6.2 to 7.0 range. Manganese deficiency is typically triggered by pH content that is too high. Molybdenum and nitrogen deficiency are specifically triggered by pH that is too low, so use water that is pH-balanced at 6.5 to 7.0 to try and clear it up.

How to Brew Organic Compost Teas

organic compost tea Source: http://www.hydroboxinc.com/#!Compost-Teas-in-Hydroponic-Cannabis/cfp0/702FD410-3D9C-4F3E-A317-B43FEEF03418

Compost teas are the organic way to add fungi and other microorganisms to the soil surrounding your growing cannabis plants. These fungi and microorganisms break down the nutrient-fertilized soil at the bottom of your grow pot so the big hungry reefer roots can easily absorb them during the plants vegetation and flowering periods.

You can begin to make your own compost tea by filling a five-gallon bucket with water.
Oxygenate it with air stone bubblers and an air pump for a few hours to purify it of chlorine and other contaminants.
Then, fill a cotton bag with compost, bat guano, and a bit of molasses. Submerge the cotton bag, and steep it in the bubbling oxygen-rich water for two days.
The tea will be most effective for an hour after it’s ready, so make sure to spray the tea on the plants leaves and roots as soon as it’s ready.

Organic Pest Control

The fungi and microorganisms in your compost teas and organic soil provide an extra advantage as organic deterrents to other pests such as spider mites, whiteflies, and thrips. Spray a mixture of neem oil on the tops and bottoms of your leaves to keep these pests away.

Pre-flowering

cannabis pre-flower Source: https://www.420magazine.com/forums/budding-cycle/81272-female-pre-flowers-flowering.html

The stem of the plant will grow thicker and begin growing more nodes where new branches with more serrated leaves as it continues to vegetate. Your ganja will eventually slow down its upward growth and start filling out with more nodes and branches. Calyxes will start to emerge at the nodes where the branches meet the stem of the plant. Allow your plants to veg out for 4 to 6 weeks in order to grow 4 to 6 different leaf branches. It should be 18” inches or taller before you are ready to move it to the flowering phase.

420 Flowering

cannabis flowering Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211880357446866473/

Some strains of cannabis have been crossbred with ruderalis strains to flower automatically without having to adjust your plant’s growing conditions. However most strains of cannabis will continue to grow into sticks and leaves without any of the flowers’s medicinal qualities unless the amount of light it receives is reduced. Check the instructions that come with the seeds for your specific strains to determine when to trigger their flowering phase. The plant is ready for flowering once it is standing strong and well nourished at your desired height.

Use auto timer lights to give your plants 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness in order to make the plant think that it is harvest time.
Make sure that the air temperature is between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the air moving around the room with fans.
Start feeding your plants phosphorus compost teas made out of bird, bat and insect guano as opposed to the nitrogen based teas you were feeding it during its vegetative state.

Ganga Genitals

male female marijuana Source: http://www.kindgreenbuds.com/marijuana-grow-guide/sexing-marijuana-plants/

Most seeds you buy should be feminized unless otherwise indicated, however you should stay vigilant and check for male plants anyway since they will pollinate and ruin the cola buds you want to harvest off of the female plants. The sex of your cannabis plants will reveal themselves after roughly 10 days of flowering conditions.

If you planted any male seeds, you will see little green banana-like sac structures on the node regions of the plant where the leaves meet the main stem. If you find male plants growing amongst female plants, you MUST separate them before the little green sacs on the male plant burst open. If you find a sac already burst open, the plant has released its pollen. That means that the female plants around them have likely been fertilized and the psychoactive potential of their trichomes has been ruined. In this case, your only recourse is to start over with a new batch of seeds.
You can identify female plants, also known as sinsemilla, by the white hairs that emerge from the pear-shaped bracts at their plant nodes. It’s important to remain vigilant and to separate and destroy any hermaphroditic plants with female glands and male leaves. These mutants carry the potential to pollinate and ruin your psychoactive sinsemilla.

Marijuana Harvest Time

weed harvest Source: http://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest

You’ll know when your cannabis plant is ripe for harvest when the hues of the pistils from the cola buds transform from milky white to reddish orange.

Use a microscope to check the color of the heads of the trichomes oozing out from the ripe cola buds. You’ll know that your buds are ready for harvest when the trichome heads turn from clear to milky and opaque and eventually amber. The presence of more amber trichome heads will likely indicate a higher CBD to THC cannabinoid profile ratio in its trichome resin.
Stop feeding your plants compost teas as soon as you see the first amber trichome heads. This will make it taste cleaner when it is eventually smoked. Only feed it dechlorinated properly pH’d water whenever the topsoil is crusty and the plant feels light. Keep the temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the air moving around the room with fans.

Trimming and Drying

bud drying Source: http://denverpartyride.com/colorado-indoor-marijuana-grow-guide-cheap-easy-way/

You will potentially begin picking up to half of the buds off of the plants to begin drying, curing and smoking them before the whole tree is ready to be cut down and fully harvested.

Use a pair of gardening shears or a strong pair of scissors to cut the trunk of your pot plant at its base from the roots so it can be dried.
Proceed to cut the tree into smaller branches, trim away all the large leaves down to the stem and all of the leaf tips stuck in the buds. The leaves and stems can be saved in order to be processed into cannabutter for edibles and cannabis concentrates.
String up and hang the bud-sticks upside down from lines of twine in a dark cool room at a temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level of 40 to 50 percent for 4 to 6 days.
Keep the air circulating in the room with fans. The smell should be powerful by now!

Curing Your Buds

The curing process breaks down the left-over chlorophyll in the buds which will make your marijuana taste like grass or old hay. It will be harsh and unpleasant to smoke unless it is cured which accentuates the subtle aromas and potency of the bud’s terpene resin. Curing also decreases the chances of mold forming on your marijuana.

cannabis curing Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-medical-marijuana-regulations-20141028-story.html

The buds should now be filled just below the top of wide-mouthed glass mason jars and briefly opened every day in a room kept between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 to 3 weeks in order to cure the buds.
Shake the jars around and move any really moist buds away from each other. Leave the jars open for two hours a day when they are still wet. Leave the ganja jars open for 15 -30 minutes once the buds are moist but not yet dry and ready to smoke.
Leave your weed covered in glass mason jars or even freeze it to keep it from getting crunchy until you’re ready to use it.

Re-Vegging

It is possible to yield multiple harvests from the same cannabis plant by rejuvenating or re-growing it.

cannabis re-vegging Source: http://bigbudsmag.com/how-you-give-your-favorite-marijuana-plants-br-an-almost-immortal-life/

Leave about 10% to 20% of the plant’s main stem, strong branches, leaves and small flower buds in order to rejuvenate it. The more you leave on the plant the faster it will rejuvenate.
Remove the roots from the soil and prune any brown, defective roots and transplant them into a fresh batch of composted topsoil with 1/3 fertilized soil underneath.
Feed it fresh nitrogen compost teas to introduce new microorganisms into the organic soil medium.
Turn your lights back on the plants for 20-24 hours a day. Keep the air warm and circulating and water them with pH’d water.

They should start showing signs of new growth within 2 to 6 weeks. Some of the new growth will look like mutations and it will need to be pruned before you re-trigger the flowering phase 10 days after you trim it by reducing light back down to 12 hours. Many growers will rejuvenate their favorite plants and keep them exposed to no less than 16 hours of light every day in order to make them perpetually vegetate as mother plants from which clones can be endlessly grown.

Cloning

Clones will root faster if taken during a vegetative as opposed to flowering phase.

cannabis cloning Source: http://www.growweedeasy.com/cloning-marijuana-guide

Sterilize a razor blade and your hands with rubbing alcohol.
Cut a green low-hanging branch with two or three nodes from a longer branch on the stem.
Immediately place the stem in properly pH’d water.
Apply rooting gel to the cutting and plant it into a growing medium such as rockwool cubes fresh composted soil in a 12 to 16-ounce cup.
Keep the leaves of the new rootling exposed to light for no more than 20 hours a day. Water it with pH’d water. Keep the soil moist and the small plant domed with a cut soda bottle.
It will take about two weeks until the root is large enough to transplant into the same 1/3, fertilized super soil lower layer and a standard base topsoil for the subsequent vegetative, flowering, harvesting and potentially new cloning phases

Become an Organic Cannabis Farmer

marijuana farmer Source: http://www.marijuanaventure.com/growing-greener-the-pros-and-cons-of-going-organic/

Do you have all the stages of the marijuana growth cycle memorized? Do you know all the ingredients and steps for making cannabis compost, super soil, and compost teas by heart? You certainly don’t need to! Becoming an organic ganja farmer is a step by step process. Cannabis grows fast, but not so fast that you won’t be able to refer back to this guide and your fellow community of growers as a resource to help you raise your reefer step by step.

Take it slow and start by collecting all of the materials and magic ingredients you will need in order to grow cannabis.
Review how to compost and fertilize soil first. Make sure you know how to properly pH-balance water and be prepared to start making compost teas before the seedling reaches a vegetative state.
Start your own grower’s journal to keep track of your plant’s daily progress.
Study up on the dos and don’ts of the seedling stage when you are ready to germinate your ganja seeds.
Get a feel for when to water your plants by picking them up and feeling how dry the top layer of soil is while they are vegetating. Pay careful attention to the leaves for signs of distress during the vegetative stage as well.
Use auto-timers to trigger the flowering phase. Make sure you know how to spot any unwanted male plants so you can keep them from ruining the rest of your cannabis crop.
Pay attention to the color of pistil hairs on the buds and use a small microscope to look for amber trichome heads which tell you when it’s time to harvest and trim your buds.
Don’t skip the curing phase! Open your mason jars once a day long enough to let your cannabis properly dry out.
Keep the cycle going by re-vegging as well as cloning as many more cannabis plants as you possibly can!
Source: https://honestmarijuana.com/how-to-grow-marijuana/