So you want to grow better weed. Do you know the marijuana growing hacks you need?
As of 2018, recreational marijuana use is legal in nine states, and medical marijuana use is permitted in 29 states. This has created a huge industry for legal grow ops. And in many of those states, you can also grow your own small amounts of pot for use at home.
Whether you’re looking to make millions or just enjoy some homegrown bud, you want the weed you grow to be the best possible quality. Marijuana growing is both an art and a science, and it takes some know-how to grow the best pot. These hacks can help – keep reading to learn how to get better bud!
Marijuana Growing Hacks For Bigger Buds
A common goal that many growers share is the desire to have big, healthy buds. No matter what you intend to use it for, more weed is always better! These hacks will help you get the best bang for your buck when it comes to growing pot.
1. Invest in Quality
If you want to grow big buds, you need to start with a high-quality product. No matter what you do, you can’t turn subpar seeds into good weed.
Make sure to do your research and find a reputable breeder to buy from. Or, you can invest in a clone with a well-established root system already.
Find out what you need to know about the strain you’ve chosen before you take it home. You’ll need to have everything set up to keep the plant thriving before you take it home with you.
For example, if you buy sativas, you’ll need plenty of space to grow them in. Some strains do better indoors, while others do better outdoors. You’ll need to grow plants in the environment they’re most likely to thrive in if you want a greater yield from them.
Wondering how to find out where your plants will do best? The information should be listed on the supplier’s website, or you can look up the growing facts for the strain instead.
2. Add Nutrients
Every strain needs the right nutrients to reach its full potential.
If you want the biggest buds, your focus should be on moving the growing process forward faster so the plants can spend the most time possible in the flowering stage. That’s what results in the large, crystal-studded flowers all growers love.
Your nutrient approach will need to change based on the stage your plants are in – here are the best nutrients for each stage of growth. If you don’t have the time to keep up with the nutrient cycle yourself, you might need to hire some help. Check out LRM Cannabis for help with setting up your payroll.
Vegetative
Begin your plants with the best hydroponic solution or soil blend to get them off to a healthy start. As soon as the plant’s been established, though, be ready to start with fertilizers.
In this stage, the fertilizers you should use need to have high levels of nitrogen. Look for a 3-1-2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Flowering
Once your plants reach the flowering phase, they’ll need different nutrients. Now, they don’t need as much nitrogen, but they’ll need more phosphorus. Look for a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 10-30-10 at this stage.
If you want to go a more natural route, you can mix water and wood ash to fertilize your plants.
However, don’t shock them with the new ratio all at once. Start out slow and give half the dose of nutrients at the start. Every few weeks, if the plant is doing well, add more nutrients.
The feeding schedule will differ for different grow setups, but for the most part, you should aim to give your plants nutrients every week or two.
If the plant’s leaves are a light green color, increase the regularity of the feeding schedule. If the leaves start to grow brown edges with curled-under tips, reduce the feeding schedule.
You can supplement the nutrients with some quality compost tea to provide more micronutrients, which help the buds grow bigger.
3. Check the pH Levels
Feeding nutrients is great, but it will do no good if your plants aren’t absorbing them. To make sure the nutrients are getting where they need to be, make sure the hydroponic solution or soil is always at the proper pH level.
For growing pot, the ideal pH level is about 6. However, levels between 5.8 and 6.5 tend to be fine. This pH level will help the plant absorb the nutrients through the roots and put them to good use.
4. Use the Perfect Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important factors in growing high-quality buds.
If you keep your plants indoors, you can force them to flower once they’ve grown large enough. Just switch them to a 12:12 light cycle – 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of light – to kick them into flowering mode.
That’s why it’s crucial to push your plant to the vegetative stage as fast as possible. The sooner it reaches that stage, the sooner it can start to flower. And the sooner it starts to flower, the bigger the buds can grow.
For your indoor growing, get the most powerful grow light you can afford. Then, position that light as close to your plants as you can without burning them or creating heat stress.
The ideal height for the lights should be as close as they can get while still hitting the whole crop with light.
Anytime you change the intensity of your lights, keep an eye on your plants for the next few days to see how they’ll respond.
5. Check Humidity and Temperature
Finally, the best bud is grown in the ideal humidity and temperature levels. Keep it warm with some humidity – not too much, though. If it gets cold at night, mold may start to form, so try to keep the daytime and nighttime temperatures as close as possible.
Experience Marijuana Growing Success
Follow these marijuana growing steps and your plants will grow big, healthy buds every time. Each strain has slightly different needs, but these weed plant hacks are universal.
Thinking about a putting your skills to use with a marijuana industry job? Check out some of the coolest jobs to choose from here.