• Staple gun
• Vinegar/bleach for cleaning, plus scrub brush and scouring pads
• Small scale to measure harvests
• Tape measure to track growth
• Grow journal (hard copy or computer, whichever is more secure and convenient for your purposes)
• Thermometer for temperature/humidity. Some can record daily highs/lows which is very useful
Seeds ready for germination. Be sure to store unused seeds in a cool, dry, and dark place. An old coffee can with an airtight plastic lid is a great, nondescript container that won't warrant a second look.
Buy the Seed and Your Garden Will Grow
You may or may not be able to buy actual cannabis seeds at your local hydroponics outfit. Some stores stock all equipment needed to grow marijuana except for the actual marijuana itself. In many cities, it is possible to purchase seeds from a dedicated store. Depending on your personal connections, you might also be able to score seeds from a friend or compassion club if one is located nearby. These can be easily searched online or even through the many smartphone applications available for this and other purposes related to the cultivation and enjoyment of cannabis. You may also be able to buy seeds online. You will definitely want to grow from seed and avoid clones or even more mature plants unless you are dead positive that they are pest-free, and this is a difficult determination to make since few gardeners are going to invite you in for a peek, even if they are gracious enough to share some DNA.
It should go without saying, but you will want to buy a strain that is appropriate to both your grow situation and tastes. Some strains grow taller or wider than others. Some, like the appropriately named Skunk or Skunk crosses, are stinky, others almost without odor. Some are hardy and thus make good choice for beginners. Others are more fragile and even demanding in the requirements of their care. Then there is the matter of taste and effect. Even if you’ve been casually (or more seriously) enjoying marijuana for years, you may be unaware of the wide variety of “finishes” and effects available across strains. Appreciation of marijuana is not unlike sommeliers’ classifications of fine wine. Some provide a “head” high, an effect amusingly described as “a good daytime pot, for the workday” by someone at a seed store I frequent. Others provide a definite “body” stone – something that can induce “couch lock” (yes, just like it sounds) if enjoyed in even a moderate dosage. Some strains are better for pain relief or stress reduction, others for sleep, still others for the stimulation of appetite. You might be looking for a specific combination of these effects depending on whether your purposes are medical, recreational or some combination of the two.
This delicious Blueberry bud from OtherSide Farms showcases the strain’s gorgeous structure and ample trichome production.
One thing is for certain: before you buy any seeds, do your research. Many seed sites online detail all of the above characteristics and some even give percentages of THC content, the ingredient that causes the much desired high. As with alcohol content, higher THC loads mean either a more serious high and/or the necessity to consume less to gain the desired effect. It’s useful to consider the difference in kick between a beer (low content) to wine (mid content) to whisky (high content). THC levels in pot work on essentially the same principle. One truly excellent phone application is Leafly, or its online version, leafly.com. Both provide a strain guide with literally hundreds of different varieties, pictures, user reviews, assessments and described effects. It is a great place to start your search. This is a fun activity in itself, much like creating a wish list for Santa.
One other piece of advice I would offer when choosing a strain is that seeds will vary in price based upon several factors. These are availability, popularity and whether or not the seeds are “feminized.” The first two are out of your control, but you will pay more for rare seeds and definitely for seeds that are the “it” strain at any given time. If you want to find strains that offer great value at reduced price, do an online search for “Cannabis Cup winners.” The Cannabis Cup is an award given annually to the top strain or strains based on an internationally held competition within the marijuana cultivation community. Recent winners, like the Tangerine Dream that I will detail in this grow journal, will tend to be pricier. You can get good value however by searching for winners of previous years. Though their popularity will often have receded over time, they were good enough to be one-time winners. It doesn’t matter that they are old news with the pros: they’ll be new to you in any case. For instance, I really enjoy the Blueberry strain, but it is much cheaper than the newer Tangerine as it has been on the market for some time. Nonetheless, it is a fantastic smoke, grows beautifully and provides excellent value for money.
Feminization is a treatment that increases the chance that germinated seeds will produce female rather than male plants. Since females are the only gender that you will want to grow for now, feminized seeds are a plus. Males are necessary for strain development through generational genetic manipulation achieved by crossbreeding, but their presence at sexual maturity must be avoided when bringing cannabis plants to harvest. You will want to nuture the plump buds of unfertilized females without any male interference – and feminized seeds work! Though some will invariably produce male plants, as you will see from the grow I will profile, I had a 100% rate of female cultivation from seven seeds in three different (feminized) strains. This is much higher than the more typical 50-60% rate of female production that I have had in the past when growing from non-feminized seed, for instance, as in my trusted Master Kush. Whatever you purchase, be sure to buy at least four or five seeds of each strain so that you will definitely be able to produce multiple females.
One final consideration with respect to buying seeds and supplies: you may choose to pay in cash to reduce your “electronic footprint.” Bank statements and credit card bills may expose suspicious purchases, whereas cash leaves no trail, with no details about you. This may seem paranoid, but consider your own comfort level. If this is something that might keep you awake at night down the road, pay in cash. Growing marijuana should be relaxing and rewarding, not a source of stress.
Be sure to account for daylight savings time. Check timers occasionally to ensure that everything is actually running according to schedule.
If you follow the instructions in this book, you should be able to set up your room(s), buy all tools, supplies and seeds and start growing for under $1000, give or take. This initial investment can easily be recouped in the space of only a handful of grows. You will be saving money in no time, and having fun to boot.
After storing your supplies, you will need to install your lights and set up timers. Be sure to test all electronic devices so that they are working smoothly before you crack open a single seed packet. Test lights before hanging by plugging into an outlet. Ensure that light ballasts (the metal appliance the light bulbs or tubes sit in) and reflectors have been wiped clean of fingerprints and dust. Lights should be hung from cables or light chains suspended from hooks that are secured well in a ceiling stud. This allows for easy movement of the lights: upwards as the plants grow toward them and downwards when they are removed and replaced with the next, much smaller generation