Growing cannabis can seem like an intimidating experience for those who have never done it before. We believe that anyone can grow quality cannabis with the right equipment and a little bit of know-how. Follow along our monthly segments as we discuss how to grow cannabis; from seed selection to harvest. This month’s edition of Growers Corner will focus on considerations for your next grow.
Living in Canada can present challenges to growing cannabis because of our vastly varied climate and relatively short outdoor growing season. Whether you decide to grow indoors or out, there will be common techniques, but also unique challenges to each method, so careful consideration will be needed to determine the best method for you. This will present the first question: indoor or outdoor grow? Outdoor grows are great if you have an open plot of land with plenty of sunlight, or even a greenhouse; even better if you have some experience with gardening. Outdoor grows are a cost-effective method of growing as the sun provides the full spectrum of light the plant needs, and the unlimited space allows your harvest to be full and plentiful. A typical outdoor grow season in Canada begins around the end of May, once the risk of overnight frost is reduced, but begins as early as January. Although you can plant a seed outdoors and grow the entire plant from the earth, it can be difficult to keep the plant alive and healthy in the early stages. Therefore it is typically recommended to start a seedling indoors. At gather & grow, we have access to products you need to start your outdoor grow and indoor germination, such as the SunBlaster Nanodome kit with light. https://gatherngrow.ca/product/mini-greenhouse-kit-with-light-stand/
Other factors to consider; Integrated Pest Management, security, environmental control, pollination, irrigation, growing medium, and nutrient control. Pollination can be a crop killer…pollination can easily happen outdoors, as the pollen can travel several kilometres and pollinate a feminized plant (it happened to me last season from a hemp farm 3 km away!)
Indoor growing on the other hand allows for full control of the grow environment and allows you to choose a grow cycle that fits your timeline. There is more of an upfront investment into this grow method, but the results are typically well worth that investment. Indoor grows require just as much care and tending as an outdoor plant and are reliant on the grower’s knowledge of the cannabis plant life cycle, which we’ll discuss in the next issue. A growing environment will be needed where the grower can fully control the light dark cycle in addition to the other factors mentioned for an outdoor grow. The ability to control the total grow environment allows the grower to get the most out of their plant through close monitoring of the growing conditions. Monitoring for proper humidity levels, light exposure, and nutrient delivery timing will be the primary concerns. Indoor growing also provides greater options for growth medium. Hydroponic pails are a popular option, as is growing in live soil. Both have their benefits and downfalls, but with a bit of learning can be very successful. Check out our line of indoor growing accessories such as our Gorilla Lite Line, or the MaxGro Premium Grow tent, as well as our different grow medium options. https://gatherngrow.ca/shop/?filter_cat_0=29
It may seem intimidating, but once the first grow is behind you, we’re sure you’ll feel the bug and look forward to future grows. Let us know what your favourite grow materials are and we’ll endeavour to have them available to you! Happy Growing!
