Surely before the end of the year you already had your list of ‘Purposes for 2017’ ready. We also. And among them, one of the most important was to publish a post in which we could help you with what is surely one of the main objectives of your list: to develop an excellent marijuana crop.
You learn a lot from mistakes, but you don’t have to make them to understand the lesson well. So if you want to start the year on the right foot and with your homework done, you just have to spend a few minutes reading these five tips not to screw up with the most common mistakes in cannabis cultivation. You’ll see how by following a few simple steps this can be the year you become a grower professional.
How to avoid the 5 most common gaffes
Indoor marijuana growing is not an easy task. We do not want to take away the illusion, but it is not a plan to create false hope. Growing an indoor cannabis plant is not like growing a geranium. Among other things because a true grower You need to know very well the particular characteristics of the plant you are dealing with, and this is usually one of the weak points of beginners.
If you want to grow your own marijuana, you have to know that it is an exciting hobby, but you will have to dedicate time, patience and a lot of attention. Of course, if you like it, none of this will be a problem for you. In fact, the more you get to know this world the more you want to learn about it.
So here we make a review of the 5 most common mistakes and the 5 corresponding basic notions so that you can start your indoor cultivation without incurring the typical beginner failures That can ruin your first harvest. Take note, the lesson begins!
Faulty germination
If we are not able to get the seeds to germinate correctly, we are off to a bad start! Sometimes, due to ignorance, little recommended techniques are used, such as softening the seeds by introducing them in a glass of water. This can cause from the seed rot until the appearance of infections or even the fact that it never germinates, so it is not recommended.
In general, beginners are not very into the question of temperature. They see the cannabis seed as an entity that neither feels nor suffers and it doesn’t matter to them that the poor thing is burning with heat or that she needs gloves and a scarf.
But all these issues, humidity and temperature, are fundamental in the success of its germination. What is the most recommendable? A very simple technique: leave it wrapped in a moistened kitchen paper napkin (not flooded) and at a room temperature of between 20 and 24ºC. It is a perfect environment for the seed to find the constant conditions it needs for germination. In the following video we show you how you can easily germinate a seed in just 4 steps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIu6Tw22g8
Lack of knowledge of the cultivated variety
It seems obvious, but there are many growers who embark on the adventure of growing cannabis without really knowing what type of plant they are working with. Having this information before starting our cultivation is essential for many reasons.
To begin with, because this will determine the dates in which we will have to carry out the germination processes, it will give us a guiding notion of how the development of the plant will be and how long its flowering cycle will last before we can start the harvest.
But also because all these data will help us to know how we should configure our growing area, what materials we should acquire and how we have to dispose of them. The different varieties of marijuana respond to some specific needs for light, temperature, humidity … And if you use grow cabinets, you are also interested in knowing how tall your plants are going to acquire in order to buy the ones that best fit those measurements. So now you know: before starting to cultivate, find out well about the product you have in your hands.
Traumatic transplants
Now is the time to transfer your already germinated seeds from one container to another. Those characteristics have already emerged two first little leaves and although it is not yet that marijuana plant that you have in mind, it is enough adult as for you to pass it to a pot of greater capacity.
At this point a common mistake usually occurs: choosing an inappropriate pot. It is not advisable to make this first transplant to the definitive pot because we will need an excess of watering so that the soil remains moist and that will be traumatic for our tiny little plant. Also, there is no point in having such a small plant in a huge pot. Our recommendation? Make this first transplant to a container of approximately 1 liter capacity (never more than 2 liters), and as the plant grows it makes progressive transplants to pots more in line with its size.
Suffocating atmosphere
Humidity and air renewal are two determining factors in the success of a cannabis grow. Although probably, together with the question of irrigation, they are also two of the aspects that present the most complications for gorwers inexperienced.
Do not panic! This to create a good atmosphere in your crops it is not something that complicated either. In the market you will find the necessary tools to regulate these two variables correctly. Yes indeed, observation and adjustment it is something that depends on you and your experience. To do it the right way, once you have everything ready and put it into operation, stay in the growing place for a few minutes to make sure that all the elements are working correctly: the fans, the extractors, the humidifiers … indoor cultivation the air must always be kept fresh and clean to avoid the spread of pests and bugs that could attack your plants.
Some tricks? Do not go overboard with the power of the fans or direct them too directly towards your plants as you could dehydrate them. Of course, if the light is very powerful and is very close to the plants, the crop will need more cooling. It is a question of balance.
Inadequate growth
It is common to think that when the plant has reached a certain level of development, everything is done. But also during the growth stage, marijuana remains a delicate species and issues such as improper watering or pruning can ruin a harvest in an already advanced crop.
If a plant is allowed to overgrow during its development period, it will most likely at the time of flowering it does not yield the same. An excessively leafy plant is not necessarily a better prepared plant to host succulent buds, but a plant with so much foliage that it needs a lot of food and it ends up diverting to places that do not interest us so much.
It must be taken into account that the crop needs to be well oxygenated, therefore, even if it gives you a little pity (especially the first few times), it may be necessary to put scissors and do it in the proper way, as we have already explained in other posts on this blog.
