7 Expert Tips On How To Grow Your Own Weed
How to Properly Grow Cannabis At Home
You’ve been wanting to start a new hobby for a while now. Cooking is too typical, and knitting seems boring. So why not try growing your own weed?
That’s right: now that recreational marijuana is legal in Canada and many parts of the United States, cannabis fans are getting more involved in the process of pot-growing, and are taking a D.I.Y. approach.
Not sure where to start? Author Johanna Silver recently gave tips to Maxim about growing your own weed for the first time. If you’re a bookworm, we also recommending checking out Silver’s ganja guide, Growing Weed in the Garden: A No-Fuss, Seed-to-Stash Guide to Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation.
Otherwise, check out some of her tips below.
#1: Pick The Right Spot
Where you place your plant will affect how successful your attempt at growing it is. Silver suggests placing yours in a veggie bed, and if you don’t have one, place it somewhere that will give it lots of sun.
#2: Don’t Overthink It
You smoke weed to relieve stress, so don’t stress yourself out over the specific strain of weed you grow.
“Don’t sweat your selection. The whole sativa/indica debate is bullshit,” Silver says. Whatever you get your hands on will be a hybrid, and what it does to you is entirely subjective.”
#3: Remember: It’s A Plant
You’ll need to take care of your marijuana as you would with anything else in a garden. Remember to use plenty of compost, water your dry soil, and snip off the top of the leaves when there are too many.
#4: Bring On The Flowers
Silver says you’ll start to see small weird looking flowers on the branches of your plant.
“Don’t expect cheery, little daisies,” she says. These alien-like flowers won’t be like anything you’ve ever seen before.”
She suggests keeping the flowers that have tiny hairs, and chucking the ones with round balls.
#5: Know When The Buds Are Ready
According to Silver, buds are typically ready to pick in the fall. How do you know if the flowers are ripe or not? You’ll see hair-like strands sticking out of the buds – known as stigmas – start to emit an amber-like colour. You could also pinch them.
“If they’re spongy, let them wait,” she says. “If they’re firm, it’s time.”
#6: Be Patient
Just like with baking, the hardest part is waiting, but it’s a necessary step. Cannabis needs to dry properly: evenly and slowly, Silver explains.
You’ll want to hang your branches upside-down for 10-14 days. Silver suggests doing so in a garage or a closet, or in another dark, cool spot.
After that, you should be ready to snip the buds and store them in an airtight container, like a mason jar.
“Seal them overnight and check on them the next day,” she explains. “If the flowers seem to have regained their moisture (as measured with a gentle squeeze), leave the lid off all day before resealing at night. Repeat this process until they’re as dry as they were the night before.”
One Last Step: Have Fun!
Take pride in the fact that you grew the world’s best plan. You can get high any way you’d like, but Silver offers some creative suggestions: “Vaporized, soaked in alcohol for a tincture, simmered in coconut oil for cooking, or just give it away.”
For more creative tips and detailed instructions, check out Silver’s new book, Growing Weed in the Garden.
