All the talk about cannabis can cause excitement to the point of getting your hands dirty and growing your very own plant. It can be a fun hobby and the start of an exciting business opportunity as well.

Also, for individuals using cannabis for medicinal value, it is possible to obtain the best quality buds grown with proper care. From seeds to buds, here are seven steps to follow to grow a cannabis plant at home. 

1. Choose the Perfect Spot

Finding the right location to place your cannabis plant is crucial. Although cannabis is not a demanding species, there are certain conditions required to ensure your yield is of the highest quality.

The place you select for your plant must be secluded and out of the way to reduce tampering. It must offer the liberty to control essential parameters such as temperature and light for the plant to grow well.

You can choose an empty room, basement, attic, garage, or any space available that is easy to clean and private to grow your very own cannabis.

2. Pick the Right Seeds

Choosing the right marijuana seeds helps to achieve a good yield for your use. If you are planning to grow any particular strain for medicinal usage, you can shop here and here from your trusted source of premium marijuana seeds.

If you are a first-time in growing marijuana at home, choose the easiest strain to care. It will help you learn about the plant, while not having to invest too much time, money, and other resources into it when growing marijuana at home.

Among pure, feminized, and auto-flowering seeds, auto-flowering could be the best choice for novice growers. They produce 100 percent female plants that will give a completely usable yield.

Also, auto-flowering seeds eliminate the need for photoperiod control in cannabis plants, making it easy for first-time growers. The seeds are straightforward to grow, and a simple set can give you a healthy yield. 

3. Choose Growth Medium

Once you know the right place to plant your cannabis, you need to prepare the area to support growth.

The growth medium is responsible for transferring nutrients through water, and the entire set up should be capable of doing so effectively. You can choose between growing in the soil, or soilless mediums, such as hydroponics.

In the case of soil as a medium, water the plants and add nutrients to the soil for the plant. But in hydroponics, you directly feed the necessary nutrients to the water that increases absorption efficiency and supports quicker growth. It also reduces some common problems with soil as a medium, such as pest infestations. 

Although both pose specific advantages, using soil is the best choice for first-timers to make the process simple and straightforward.

4. Set Up the Growth Area

Now you can move on to work on the growth area to nurture and support your cannabis plant.

Make sure to create provisions for adequate light availability in the home growing area. You can rely on sunlight or invest in artificial lighting systems using LEDs, HIDs, or fluorescents to create the right light levels.

Measure the temperature and humidity levels and install ventilation mechanisms to keep these parameters in check when growing marijuana at home. It reduces the risk of pest infestations and mold and keeps the area from smelling pungent.

Check the pH levels of your growing medium. The ideal range should be between 6-7 for soil and between 5.5 – 6.5 for hydroponics. Also make sure to get your hydroponic supplies from a specialized hydroponics wholesaler.

Test the soil to understand the availability of essential nutrients and supplement with the rest to promote growth at different stages.

5. Germinate and Plant your Cannabis

The next step is to germinate your seeds. Place the seeds directly in a pot or in a wet paper towel and leave it for a few days to let it sprout. Using a pot as your germination medium is advisable as it reduces the transplanting shock in the next stage.

When you plant sprouts, transfer it along with the soil to a large pot or grow medium.

The plant is now going to transition into a vegetative stage where you will see the sprout grow into leaves. The temperature requirement is slightly higher during this time, and all the essential nutrients need to be adequately available for healthy growth.

Be mindful of light availability throughout this period. Monitor the growth and look out for any signs of plant deficiencies to provide the necessary remedies.

6. Monitor the Flowering Stage

The next step for your cannabis plant is the flowering stage. This is when your plant starts to form small flowers, which will eventually turn into buds that we consume. It is a critical phase in the life of a cannabis plant and requires maximum care and attention.

If you are working with pure cannabis seeds in growing marijuana at home, you might have to vary the photoperiod to lead your plant to this stage and weed out the males. Auto-flowering seeds reduce the effort in such areas and only require minimal adjustments in temperature.

Maintain the temperature between 64° F and 78°F and increase the watering levels to flush your plant with nutrients that contribute to aroma, taste, and potency.

Your plant also requires some grooming during this stage to provide space for the flowers. Trim and bend the leaves to make sure your entire plant gets enough light and nutrients and is easy to maintain.

Watch out for signs such as yellowing of leaves or browning at the tips, which could indicate pH imbalance or nutrient deficiency. Caring for your plant during this stage will give you the best yield.

7. Get Ready to Harvest and Relish the Yield

Finally, the moment you have been waiting for. It is time to harvest the buds and relish your yield. The color depth of the pistils and hairs indicate the maturity and potency of the buds.

When they are about 50 – 70 percent dark, you will get a yield rich in THC content.  If you wish to enjoy a relaxing effect from the buds, then wait for at least 80 percent of the flowers to become dark in color to harvest.

With the help of scissors, cut the buds and hang them upside down to dry out for five days. Place them in a jar and store in a cold, dry, and darkroom. Make sure to remove air from the container to let the buds cure and get ready for use.

Growing your cannabis at home can be a fun and exciting activity, but it can also be challenging at times. Although these instructions give you the basic idea of taking your cannabis seeds through the growth process to harvest, there are several strain-specific details, such as temperature levels and lighting requirements that need to be taken care of.

Research and gather these details and apply them wherever relevant to cherish the yield of your cannabis plant.