Simple tips to grow better weed

Cannabis grows, you guessed it, like a weed. A hardy and vigorous plant, it can adapt to a variety of environments and conditions—from tropical areas to even harsher northern climates. Indoors, of course, cannabis plants can flourish all year round as growers can dial in the perfect conditions regardless of the local climate.

And while it’s not rocket science, creating the perfect environment for cannabis does take some basic knowledge of the plant, its needs, and how it grows. Below, you’ll find all the info and tips needed to grow excellent cannabis at home—be it in a room, tent, outdoors, or in a greenhouse.

Tip #1: Pick strong genetics for healthy cannabis plants

Strong genetics set the foundation for a successful cannabis harvest. While even the strongest plants won’t hold up against horrible growing conditions, picking reliable, tested strains is a good way to kickstart your grow in the right direction.

But what are the best cannabis genetics for growing at home? Well, it’s all about picking a strain that matches your growing style and experience. To do this, ask yourself the following questions:

• If you’re growing indoors, how much space do you have to work with, and how experienced are you with indoor cannabis cultivation?

If you’re a beginner working in a small tent, compact, fast-flowering beginner strains like our Sticky Beast Automatic or Blueberry Automatic are great choices. Alternatively, more advanced indoor growers with a little more time and space treasure the rewarding harvests of our GG#4 and Bruce Banner 3.

Bruce Banner 3 (Zamnesia Seeds) Feminized

(236)

Parents OG Kush x Strawberry Diesel

Genetics 35% Indica / 65% Sativa

Flowering Time 9-10 weeks

Potency 27%

CBD 0-1%

Flowering Type Photoperiod

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(236)

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Bruce Banner 3 (Zamnesia Seeds) Feminized

Parents OG Kush x Strawberry Diesel

Genetics 35% Indica / 65% Sativa

Flowering Time 9-10 weeks

Potency 27%

CBD 0-1%

Flowering Type Photoperiod

• If you’re growing outdoors, what’s your local climate like?

In cooler regions, hardy, fast-flowering plants like our Critical or Classic Skunk are tough to beat. Meanwhile, larger tropical plants like our Amnesia Haze produce excellent results in warmer regions, larger gardens, and in the hands of more experienced growers.

• If you plan to grow in a greenhouse, will you be doing so with supplemental lighting?

If not, you’ll want to pick a strain that performs well regardless of light cycles, like Northern Lights Automatic and White Widow Automatic—both of which perform exceptionally well in greenhouses, even in temperate climates. If you do use supplemental lighting, you can grow the feminized photoperiod versions of these varieties as well.

• Do you understand the difference between autoflowers and photoperiods?

Autoflowers naturally start blooming after a few weeks in veg, while photoperiod strains require a change in their light cycle to flower.

Alongside these growing-related questions, you’ll also want to consider a strain’s flavors, aromas, and effects. After all, there’s no point growing weed that you won’t enjoy smoking, vaping, or turning into edibles!

Use our Seedfinder to track down the best strains based on your growing style, experience, region, and smoking preferences.

Northern Lights Automatic (Zamnesia Seeds) feminized

(334)

Parents Northern Lights x Ruderalis

Genetics Ruderalis/Indica/Sativa

Flowering Time 9-10 weeks from seed to harvest

Potency 15%

CBD 0-1%

Flowering Type Autoflowering

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(334)

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Northern Lights Automatic (Zamnesia Seeds) feminized

Parents Northern Lights x Ruderalis

Genetics Ruderalis/Indica/Sativa

Flowering Time 9-10 weeks from seed to harvest

Potency 15%

CBD 0-1%

Flowering Type Autoflowering

Tip #2: Create the perfect growing conditions from the start

Cannabis can handle subpar growing conditions fairly well. But if it’s top-shelf weed you’re chasing, you’ll want to grow your plants in the best possible environment. This is especially important during the seedling phase, when cannabis plants are at their most vulnerable. Then, during the vegetative and flowering phases, you’ll still need to keep close tabs on the temperature and relative humidity in your grow space.

Tip #3: Pick the right location for growing cannabis plants

Location, location, location—cannabis plants love growing in well-lit and ventilated areas. So, make sure you pick the right spot for your plants from the start to maximize their growth. Of course, the exact location you pick will vary depending on whether you’re growing indoors or outside.

Picking the right outdoor location for growing weed

Generally speaking, cannabis is a sun-loving plant. Hence, it’s best to keep your outdoor weed plants in a place where they get at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. It’s also a good idea to keep your plants sheltered from heavy winds and rainfall—especially while they are young.

Picking the right indoor location when growing weed

When growing weed indoors, it's best to position your plants in an adequately sized room or tent equipped with quality grow lights and any extra equipment needed to control the environment.

In most moderate climates, grow lights and fans should be enough to moderate the growing conditions. However, if you’re growing in areas where it gets extremely hot or cold, you may need to invest in air conditioning or heating.

Growshop

From flowers and herbs to vegetables and fruits, get your hands on some of the finest seeds and products courtesy of our Plantshop.

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Tip #4: Grow your weed in the right soil/medium

Cannabis can be grown in soil or soilless setups like hydro/aeroponics. The latter can fast-track plant growth, put more control into growers’ hands, and produce excellent harvests. However, these methods are also more advanced, which is why we recommend growing weed in soil for some time before moving on to soilless approaches.

When it comes to picking the right soil for growing cannabis, there’s no shortage of store-bought options out there. However, for those growers willing to take a more hands-on approach, we recommend learning how to prepare your own cannabis soil mix. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, and it can keep your plants fed organically from seed to harvest without needing to use extra fertilizers!

Tip #5: Master watering and irrigation for better cannabis yields

Cannabis is a thirsty crop, so you’ll need to ensure your plants get enough water throughout their life cycle to maximize their growth. However, beware of overdoing it—overwatering is a common mistake among cannabis growers (especially first-timers) and can wreak havoc on the health of your plants by exposing them to pests and pathogens that thrive in overly moist soils.

So, how do you know when to water your cannabis plants? One of the best ways is to simply stick a finger into your plants' topsoil. If the first 2.5–5 cm of soil feels dry, water your plants. If the soil feels moist, you can hold off watering them a little longer. Generally speaking, it’s better to slightly underwater your plants than to water them too much.

To improve irrigation in your cannabis garden, it’s also important that you grow your plants in well-draining soil and pots. Well-aerated organic soil and fabric pots, for example, work great.

Geotextile Fabric Pot

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Geotextile Fabric Pot

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Tip #6: Fertilize with the right nutrients and at the right time

Besides good light, soil, and proper watering, cannabis plants also need nutrients to fuel their vegetative growth and flowering. During veg, cannabis plants benefit from nitrogen-rich fertilizers, while flowering plants benefit from fertilizers with less nitrogen and higher percentages of potassium and phosphorus.

There are many different ways to fertilize cannabis plants. The Zamnesia Growshop always stocks a wide range of organic and non-organic cannabis fertilizers, and we also regularly rank the best cannabis fertilizer. For growers looking to maximize the sustainability of their grow, we recommend learning more about organic cannabis cultivation.

Tip #7: Properly maintain the pH of your cannabis crop

pH directly affects your plants’ ability to take up nutrients. So, knowing how to maintain the right pH in your cannabis garden is crucial to growing healthy plants!

In soil, cannabis plants like a pH of 6.0–7.0. Within this range, they’re able to take up all the nutrients they need to fuel their growth. In hydroponics, on the other hand, they like slightly more acidic conditions and grow best between 5.8–6.2.

Note that different cannabis strains may prefer slightly different pH ranges. Use the figures above as a general guide, but don’t be scared to move slightly above or below them if your plants prefer it.

The best way to track the pH in your garden is to use a pH meter. Use this handy gadget to check the pH of your soil, water, and fertilizer to ensure your plants are always sitting in that “sweet spot” where their growth is at its best.

pH Test Strips (Zamnesia)

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(96)

pH Test Strips (Zamnesia)

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Tip #8: Master basic growing techniques to maximize your harvests

Cannabis plants can perform well when left to grow naturally. However, basic growing techniques like pruning and defoliation, for example, can greatly improve your yields.

• Defoliation: By removing excess leaves from your plants (i.e. defoliation), you’ll improve light penetration and airflow throughout your canopy, supporting plant health and helping prevent pests.
• Pruning: Pruning, on the other hand, often involves removing lower bud sites altogether. And while it might seem counterintuitive, doing so actually helps them focus their limited energy only on the top area of their canopy—i.e. the areas that are guaranteed to produce the best flowers.
• LST: If you want to take things even further, LST (low-stress training) involves bending and tying down your plants’ main stem and branches from their earliest days in veg. Again, this helps open up their canopy and, when combined with topping, is a great way to fight cannabis’ natural apical dominance, allowing you to grow plants with multiple large colas.
• ScrOG and SOG: Finally, techniques like ScrOG (screen of green) and SOG (sea of green) are great ways to improve your yields even further by maximizing the use of your space and growing a single canopy filled with big colas.

Bringing it all together: Grow great cannabis from the ground up

Growing top-shelf cannabis at home isn’t rocket science. Instead, it’s about understanding the needs of your plants and setting yourself up for success from day one. By choosing the right genetics, creating optimal conditions, and mastering some key techniques like watering, feeding, and a few grow techniques, you’ll be well on your way to growing incredible weed at home—regardless of your prior experience or setup.

Ready to get started? Explore our range of seeds and grow gear, and get ready for a stellar harvest!

Steven Voser

Steven Voser is an independent cannabis journalist with over 6 years of experience writing about all things weed; how to grow it, how best to enjoy it, and the booming industry and murky legal landscape surrounding it.

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