12 Secrets to Grow Cannabis Like a Pro
No matter the industry, trained professionals have special methods to get the job done better than hobbyists just starting out. Professional bakers know just what to do to make the best sourdough loaf. Your mechanic understands what you need to do to keep your car running smoothly. And professional cannabis growers know the tricks of the trade to grow the best and healthiest cannabis. Ready to learn from career growers? Here are 12 secrets to growing cannabis like a pro.
12 Secrets to Grow Cannabis Like a Pro
1. Seed Quality Matters
Seeds are not where you should cut costs for growing cannabis. Don’t settle for old clones or seeds from a bag, otherwise you will grow subpar buds or you won’t be able to grow anything at all. Finding a reputable seedbank known for its quality product is worth the extra money so you can grow your own quality plant. These seedbank seeds are grown to maintain purity and quality of genetic lines, enabling you to grow the best of the best.
2. Consider Strain
Some strains are more suited to outdoor growing, while others are harder to grow no matter where you set up. Work with your seedbank to decide which strain is best for your growing conditions. Plus, you should start with a strain that you actually enjoy so you can look forward to experiences the fruits of your labor.
3. Choose High-Quality Mother Plants
If you want the easiest route to growing cannabis, skip the seeds and go straight to a mother plant. The best mother plants are females with the highest yeilds and healthy buds. You can take a clone or purchase one from these plants while they are in their vegetative stage (about 4-6 weeks after germination).
4. Focus on Humidity
One of the biggest factors for successful growing is maintaining the humitiy level of the environment. Higher humidity during the vegetative state reduces salt levels and creates budsy growth. At this stage, any humidity level under 45% might cause stress on your plants, and the lower it gets, the more severe your nutrient deficiency will become. Oppositely, you’ll want lower humidity during the flowering stage. You might need to use a dehumidifier to achieve the goal of 20%.
5. Temperature Matters
Your plant has different temperature prefences throughout stages of growth, which is also essential to move your plant from one stage to the next. During the vegetative stage, your plant will thrive somewhere between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, during the flowering stage, keep the temperature under 80 degrees. When growing indoors, you can mimic the natural outdoor temperature cycle by lowering the temperature by 10 degrees.
6. Decrease Water, Then Harvest
Your plant doesn’t need the same amount of water throughout all stages of growth. Decrease watering the last two to three weeks of flowering to increase resin production, make your buds smell stronger, and produce a more potent flavor. Some growers let the roots dry nearly all the way, though this is tricky to do without practice, so proceed carefully.
7. A Little Stress Is a Good Thing
You don’t need to coddle your cannabis plant. By giving your plant purposeful stress, you can increase terpenes and produce buds that taste and smell as good at they make you feel. Each strain needed something different, so see what your seed supplier recommends
8. Filtered Water Is Better
Even if you are comfortable drinking tap water, your cannabis plants aren’t. Because cannabis requires more water than other plants, filtered water is best to ensure there aren’t heavy metals and chemicals. Want to go the extra step? The pros prefer to use osmosi filters to develop their own inert medium.
9. Cleanliness Is Critical
Did you know that many pros wear special clothing and disinfect themselves before going into the grow room? You can keep your plants healthy and avoid dangerous exposure to pests and disease by cleaning up and wearing fresh clothes before tending to your plants.
10. Wait to Harvest
Think your plant is ready to harvest? Think again! Many hobby growers make the mistake of cutting buds too soon. Wait an extra week after you think your plant is ready to increase THC and terpene levels. This might even mean disregarding the seed supplier’s directions and giving your plants a little extra time to develop.
11. Slower Is Better
You might be eager to try your freshly harvested buds, but give it time. It’s essential to properly dry and cure to enjoy the highest quality marijuana, otherwise you’ll be left with less flavor and aroma. Expect to dry your buds for at least 7-10 days. Then, wait to cure until the smallest stems snap off instead of bending. Going slow now will be worth the wait.
12. Your Soil Media Mix Makes a Difference
Not all soil conditions are created equal. The Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix is a one-of-a-kind mix designed to help your cannabis plant thrive throughout critical vegetative growth. With many benefits of our blend of perlite, diatomaceous earth, essential macronutrients, and a neutral pH, Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix shows great success in cannabis growth. Compared to a traditional control group of a perlite and peat moss, Harvest Hero Enhanced Perlite Mix resulted in:
- Improve Soil Conditions for an Increase in flower bud dry weight.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in CBD yields.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in plant diameter.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in plant height.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in nitrogen accumulation.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in phosphorous accumulation.
- Improve Soil Conditions for an increase in potassium accumulation.
Not sure what size bag you need? See our Grower’s Guide to help determine how much Enhanced Perlite Mix you’ll need to ensure a robust crop.
