Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Getting Started with Growing Cannabis


Guy tending to his cannabis crops

With the passage of Proposition 1 in November 2018, Michigan became the 10th state to end prohibition on the use and possession of recreational cannabis by adults (21 and over). Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Michigan since 2008, and in 2017 Michigan’s legal cannabis industry generated $633 million in sales. The legalization of recreational cannabis use, which took effect in December 2018, is expected to increase the size of Michigan’s retail cannabis industry to more than $880 million in annual sales by 2025.

Looking to capitalize on Proposition 1? We've put together a simple reference what you need to consider when setting up your operation.


Choose your grow room space. 


Grow tent with cannabis plants
One of the first questions to answer is where. All your other cannabis growing supplies will be based around this decision.

Consider: what size plants would you like to grow at some point?
Invest in a grow room area that will accommodate your future vision, while allowing you to start out with just a few plants. You don't need a large space to start; a closet, basement or spare room corner will do. A greenhouse is excellent for those with smaller indoor areas and larger dreams for growing. 
What your grow room needs: 
  • To be easy to clean 
  • Light-tight (need to be able to create artificial darkness at times) 
  • Accessible for easy monitoring
  • Cool and dry with access to quality air
 For all these reasons, a grow tent is recommended! 

 

Let there be light! Choose your cannabis grow lights.

HID (high intensity discharge) lights are the industry standard. Priced between fluorescent and LED, they are a great middle road for your grow room supplies. 
Fluorescent grow lights are a great choice as they don’t get as hot as HID lights and the shields and deflectors are already built into the light. The downside is that their output is less productive than HID and LED lights. Check out Grow King’s fluorescent grow light options here.

LED (light-emitting diode) lights are becoming more and more popular as they are being produced more economically. They have great lumens output without generating heat. They also tend to require less space than fluorescent and HID lights. However, be careful to buy LED lights from a reputable source. Some folks are selling subpar LED lights marketed toward cannabis growers. Grow Kings can offer consultations and of course always offers great cannabis growing supplies, like these excellent LED lighting options!

 

Ventilate your grow room.

Healthy airflow is a must for plants to grow. This can be tricky to achieve with the lighting requirements and the desire for stealth. But cannabis is a living thing, so get those things some air! The process of designing a ventilation system is dependent on your lighting choices (for example, HID lights are very hot, so your grow tent will need more ventilation than it would otherwise.) Grow Kings can help with expert cultivator advice on setting up your grow room supplies to provide the best performance.

 

Special suggestions as you choose your grow room supplies:

Set up your cannabis growing area (grow room, lighting and ventilation) before you buy your plants. This will give you a chance to test out your environment and get it just right, without risking your investment in fragile plants.

Cannabis loves rhythms of light and dark. In other words, they do well having the lights turn on and off a the same time each day (based on their growth stage.) Grow Kings’ grow room supplies include timers and monitors to make this easier for you.

commercial cannabis growing operation

Choose what your cannabis will grow in

Soil is an obvious choice for beginning gardeners. It does require more space than other options, but it is an easier and more forgiving medium. Choose a pre-fertilized, nutrient-rich potting soil without slow-release fertilizer granules (those don’t work well for marijuana, but do work great for vegetables and fruits.)

Hydroponics is an increasingly-popular form of growing plants, as it requires less space than soil to grow a similar crop. Consider trying hydroponics after you’ve successfully grown some plants in soil. You’ll be able to fit more crop in the same space and will have the experience you need to tackle the challenges that hydroponic growing presents.

Essentially, hydroponics is growing plants in water instead of soil. This is great for space, but challenging because you need some specific hydroponic growing supplies, and you also need to be careful to monitor their nutrients, water quality, and other factors to grow successfully.

Now that you have the basic steps to get your cannabis grow room have fun and get growing!