To Grow Or Not To Grow

By Alex Robles

Part One/Four-Part Series: The Seedling Stage

Welcome to “To Grow, or Not to Grow.” Our goal is to demystify the cannabis growing process and to explain it as simply as possible, not dumbed down but distilled. Growing cannabis at home isn’t hard but it isn’t easy either. Regardless of what the Internet says, there is no single perfect way to grow cannabis. The reason for this is that every environment is different, and every home grower/cultivator is unique.

In this series we’re going to go from germinating a cannabis seed to harvesting your cannabis flower (seedling stage, vegetative stage and flowering stage). We’re going to learn a little bit of science, a little bit of botany, expand our vocabulary, and have fun doing it. Links are provided for further explanations and because some of us learn better through video. Always, if you have any questions, email them to info@cbtsmagazine.

Always remember to check local laws and regulations about growing cannabis at home. You need to know your rights and limitations. Always.

I don’t know about you, but my favorite time of year is the springtime. Happily, my daydreams start to drift towards what fruits and vegetables I’m going to be planting in my garden that year. Along the way, I also start thinking about what varieties of cannabis I’m going to grow that year as well. Let’s talk about cannabis seed selection, germinating seeds, and seedling care along with other important information.

Location — Before we put any cannabis seeds in the soil, let’s talk about the best place in our backyards to put our cannabis garden. One of the things you want to look for are natural breezeways. The breeze is important because it makes the plant sway or flex back and forth, which helps strengthen the plant. Cannabis loves sunlight, so keep that in mind. Other things to consider can be found here.

Soil — The quality of cannabis depends on the quality of soil. Picking the right premixed, bagged, potting soil can be confusing with all the different types of mixes available. Before I look at anything else, I check to see what the nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium (K) ratio is, it should be clearly marked on the bag as NPK. I make sure that the ratios are even (i.e. 10-10-10 or 20-20-20). Since I’m going to be using this soil in every stage of my cannabis garden, I like a 10-10-10 mix because it’s not too high or hot, and I don’t have to worry about burning or killing young seedlings and clones. Other specifics I like to see in my soil are here.

Container — I don’t plant seeds directly into the ground because I could wind up with 10- or 12-foot plants. There’s no hiding you’re growing cannabis from your neighbors when your plants are peeking over your fence. One of the ways I control how big a plant will get is by choosing the right size pot or container that it’s in. Drain holes are a must. To terracotta or not to terracotta? Hear that and other suggestions on this video. Go ahead and fast forward to the 20-minute mark.

Choosing seeds and germinating them — I highly encourage all new growers to buy Autoflower Seeds and germinate them directly into the soil. Having said that, I also insist that you purchase from a reputable seed company. If you don’t know of one, ask at a dispensary. Other ins and outs of purchasing seeds can be found here.

Since cannabis is such a high value seed most home growers and commercial cultivators take great care in germinating them. There are two methods I’ve had the most success with when germinating seeds. One involves a wet paper towel and a ziplock bag. Learn more on this video.

Seedling care — Once your seed has given birth to a seedling, the excitement begins. Now you could go out and buy a bag of “seedling soil mix” for your “precious,” but it is not necessary. There are great soil mixes on the market that can be used for every phase of your plant’s growth. Now, we’re going to have to have a little understanding of what pH is and why it matters. If the pH in our water or soil is too high or too low, it could cause our plants not to absorb or uptake nutrients correctly. All of the primary, secondary, and micronutrients, with the exception of molybdenum are best absorbed with a pH solution of 5.5 to 6.5. Anything higher or lower than this will make the marijuana plant struggle to take up nutrients and could easily cause a nutrient deficiency along with other problems. (I don’t like to go lower than 5.5 and not higher than 6.3.) Want to know more on the importance of pH? Read this. How about more on seedling care? Watch this.

Watering — This last bit may seem basic and elementary, but I have to talk about “watering.” I’ve killed many seedlings by overwatering. I would get impatient and water every time I saw the surface of the soil dry. Nothing is sadder to me in my garden then a cannabis seedling that drowned. One tool I use is a drip pan. Please watch this video or read this post before you have cannabis seedling death on your conscience.

I hope all this information makes you feel more confident about starting a cannabis garden. In the next installment we’ll look at the Vegetative Stage. Email your questions and comments to info@cbtsmagazine.com.

Don’t forget to always grow, learn, and teach.

Alex Robles has been using cannabis to celebrate and medicate with for the past 30 years. In 2016 he began sharing what he’s learned when he started Inmygrow. com. After California legalized cannabis sales and possession for adults 21 and older, he launched a weekly podcast, In My Grow Show. This year, he helped produce segments for Tiempo de Cannabis, a Spanish language TV show in Mexico City.