With Canada’s marijuana community celebrating its first year of legalization last week, Ontario home gardeners are harvesting their first cannabis yields this fall. With this, residents of the province are forming a new fall tradition in which they harvest their cannabis plants in preparation for the incoming winter.

Katy Perry, the owner of a hydroponic supply store in Toronto, said that “now is the most exciting time of growing at home” because the plants are “finally ready to be chopped down, dried, cured and consumed.”

Home Growers’ Harvest Season

Ontarian growers who made their first harvests this fall have been cultivating their crops since the summer. With the summer being the plant’s growing season and fall being the right time to harvest yields, this is guaranteed to become a tradition for Ontario residents.

One resident, Kat Milevic, preferred to try outdoor gardening using the marijuana plant. She said that “outdoor plants can get bigger,” but poses more issues compared to indoor plants. She cited mildew and molds are primary enemies of outdoor crops. This is true especially as the freezing season nears.

In helping Canadians start their legal gardens, experts are offering classes that teach new growers the right techniques from planting, cultivating, harvesting and battling issues. Expert grower Matt Soltys, who teaches outdoor growing classes, said that planting early in the summer is the best way.

Soltys also noted that the cultivation offers empowerment as it allows people to provide for their own wants and needs.

Ontario Cannabis Laws

This month marks the first time that Ontarians are making their first harvest despite Canada still banning the cultivation of the plant for recreational purposes, said Toronto Storeys.

This is made possible by Ontario’s Cannabis Control Act, which allows individuals 19 years old and above to cultivate and harvest the plant. According to the Ontario Cannabis Control Act 2017, “no person under 19 years of age shall cultivate, propagate or harvest” the plant, nor offer to do so.

The Act also elaborates that residents are allowed to cultivate a maximum of four crops per residence. These plants must be grown using seeds bought from legal cannabis stores or the online Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). Moreover, the law states that residents can grow outdoor crops on their balconies, rooftops and garden.

As of this writing, the OCS reported that they sold around 7,500 seeds (packed in four) since its opening.