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Missouri Cannabis Education
I want an Indoor Grow Room
What Should I Consider if I Want to Start an Indoor Cannabis Grow ?
by Leah Maurer , contributing writer
In the October and November issues we discussed a plant ’ s growth cycle and home growing cannabis indoors versus outdoors . If you missed those issues you can see them at www . TheEvolutionMagazine . com . This month we ’ ll look at starting an indoor cannabis grow .
Leah
Leah Maurer , a native Missourian , is now a canna-journalist and activist living in Portland , OR . She is a co-owner of
www . TheWeedBlog . com , a top national cannabis news and information publication , where she serves as the Editorial Lead . In 2014 , Leah founded Moms for YES on Measure 91 through grassroots efforts alone , it proved pivotal in the passage of the Measure , successfully legalizing recreational / adult-use cannabis in the OR . Leah is a social justice and cannabis activist at the core and hopes to see an end to the prohibition of cannabis globally .
With the legalization initiative recently on the ballot / having just passed in Missouri , even more residents will now be able to grow cannabis at home legally . Whether a medical marijuana patient or not , each Missouri resident can now grow up to four plants at their residence . While outdoor growing is a fun and satisfying experience for a cannabis grower , the climate in Missouri is not ideal for growing cannabis plants . Many residents may want to consider growing cannabis indoors .
When growing indoors , you have full control of the environment and can save money while producing high-quality cannabis for personal consumption . One of the biggest benefits of growing cannabis indoors is that it allows you greater control than growing outdoors . While the benefits of growing indoors are many , there are still potential problems that could be costly or destructive to your crop if you ’ re not paying careful attention . Before making a significant financial investment , you want to be confident in producing a successful cannabis harvest .
Before planting seeds , it ’ s imperative you have the right materials for a proper indoor cannabis grow . Here is a basic list of materials needed to produce a good harvest :
● Identify an area to grow . It can be a closet , indoor grow tent , spare room , or basement .
● Purchase indoor grow lights . These come in different varieties , but I recommend HPS ( high-pressure sodium ) lights for beginners .
● Determine your grow medium . It could be soil , Coco Coir , or a hydroponic system .
● Purchase proper nutrients . ( Your local grow shop and friends who have grown cannabis before may be able to advise you .)
● Locate and purchase seeds that interest you .
Selecting the right seeds is critical when determining the type of cannabis plants you want to grow . The color , height , quality , and aroma of the plant all depend on the quality of the seed . Try avoiding seeds that are damaged , soft , pale , or green . These seeds are not mature enough to begin the process of germination . Good seeds will be dark brown , shaped like a teardrop , and encased in a hard shell . Another factor to consider when selecting seeds is choosing regular or feminized . Feminized seeds are typically more expensive but ensure the plant will be female 99 % of the time , which is important because female plants generally produce larger buds . If a male plant is present , it will stunt the growth of the female plants . Regular seeds can produce both male and female plants , so that is a little riskier .
The easiest way to germinate your seeds is to plant them directly into a grow medium . Another common way to germinate seeds is using a seedling plug . Plant the whole plug after germination , and you ’ ll be on a proper growth trajectory . You should always use seedling plugs if you ’ re growing hydroponically .
When choosing the number of seeds , remember not every seed will flourish . It is common practice to assume 10 – 20 % of the seeds won ’ t make it , so make sure to overestimate . The time it takes for seeds to germinate is usually around two to seven days . For beginning growers , it might be beneficial to prac-
24 December 2022