The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Cultivation Tips for Beginners

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Cultivation Tips for Beginners

Are you ready to start growing cannabis but worry that you're going to fail because you only know the basics of how to cultivate this special plant?

As demand for the cannabis plant grows, more people are getting involved in cultivating it. What many first-time growers don't realize is that without understanding the right techniques and strategies, there are many ways that a crop can fail.

When this happens, you'll waste valuable time and can lose lots of money. This is why it's important to know what you're doing before you get into cannabis cultivation. If you want to find out how to get started in growing this incredible plant, read on and we'll tell you what you need to know. 

The Basics of Male and Female Cannabis Plants for Cannabis Cultivation

Before you start thinking about growing cannabis plants, it's important that you need to know related to the differences between male and female plants.   

Cannabis plants can be male, female, or hermaphrodites. Hermaphrodites have both male and female reproductive organs. The female plants are the ones that grow the flowers or "buds" that growers want to see. In order to produce their beautiful buds, they need to be pollinated by a male cannabis plant. 

One basic cannabis cultivation tip is to keep female plants away from male pollen. By doing this, they grow bigger and fatter buds that won't have any seeds. If you do want your female plants to produce seeds, keep in mind that you will need a male plant to act as pollinators. 

The buds that you typically find in dispensaries come from female plants that have been deprived of male plant pollen. People often refer to these kinds of buds as “sinsemilla,” which means "no seed" in Spanish. 

Becoming More Familiar With Female Cannabis Plants

Buds are the part of the plant that has the highest concentration of THC. Since consumers prefer to buy buds with high concentrations of THC, most growers put their efforts into making the biggest buds that they possibly can. 

You'll usually start to be able to see the sex of a cannabis plant when it is in the pre-flowering stage. You can easily recognize female pre-flowers because they look like a pair of white hairs.  

Becoming More Familiar With Male Cannabis Plants

Even though male Cannabis plants grow male flowers, the plant isn't able to grow buds. These flowers have the appearance of little "balls" and have pollen grains, but they don't have trichomes. These flowers appear about a month from germination. 

When these pollen grains reach compatible pistols, the sperm gets transferred to the ovule. This is what makes it possible for the female plant to start creating seeds. 

Becoming More Familiar With Hermaphrodite Cannabis plants

Even though cannabis plants are typically dioecious (meaning that the male and female sex organs are located on different plants), it's sometimes possible for them to be monoecious. When somebody says that they have a plant that's a hermaphrodite, this is what they are referring to. 

There are two types of hermaphrodite plants. True hermaphrodites have both male and female sex organs. Mixed-gender plants have sexual organs that look like bananas that grow only on female plants. Female plants that have these pollen sacks are able to pollinate themselves. 

One of the top cannabis cultivation tips for beginners is to get rid of a hermaphrodite plant if you realize that you have one. You should also do your best to prevent your plants from turning into hermaphrodites by not stressing your plants, giving them enough nutrients, and not growing them in places where the temperature is too high. 

Growing Plants from Cannabis Seeds

One of the most common ways to grow a cannabis plant is by starting from a seed. The cheapest way to get started is by finding regular cannabis seeds.

Since regular seeds might produce female or male plants, you need to keep a close eye on the sprouting plants. If you see a male plant starting to form, you should get rid of it. 

You can easily buy feminized cannabis seeds if you're willing to pay a little bit more. The benefit of having them is that you don't have to worry about dealing with male plants. 

Growing Plants by Cloning Them

If you are a grower who discovers a plant that has a unique and desirable trait, it's a good idea to know how to clone your plants. If you are going to clone a plant, make sure that it is in the third or fourth week of its vegetative state.

Most people take the plant's cuttings before the flowers start to appear. Since clones are just as old as their mother plant, you can help them to flower very quickly, even if the plant is still very small. If you want to find out more about cloning propagation, consider reading this informative article we wrote about how to do it. 

Growth Mediums for Cannabis Cultivation

There are several different growth mediums you can use for cultivating cannabis. When choosing the right medium, you want to make sure that the medium can offer physical support for your plants, will let the roots respirate, and that it is able to hold the plant's necessary nutrients. 

Growing in Soil

Many people choose to grow their plants in soil. This is a great option also has a downside. If you don't care for your plant correctly, it might not get enough aeration.

In order to make sure that it is correct aerated, you should consider adding things to the soil such as vermiculite or coco coir. There are many soil mixes you can buy that contain these substances, which makes your work easier. 

Growing with Hydroponics

If you're unfamiliar with hydroponics, it's a good idea that you take the time to understand what they are and how they work. This cultivation technique involves exposing a plant's roots to an air-pumped water solution that is rich in nutrients. 

There are many different kinds of methods for growing your cannabis with hydroponics. Several of the most popular are deep water culture, ebb, and flow, or drip systems. 

The benefit of growing cannabis with hydroponics are that the plants grow faster and produce more buds. You should also keep in mind that it will probably cost you more money. If you want to know more about how to grow cannabis with hydroponics, we've written an informative article that explains exactly how to do it. 

Cultivation Tips for Choosing the Right Nutrients 

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the three most important fertilizers that a cannabis plant needs in order to thrive. Nitrogen supports the plant's vegetative growth, which means that it's important to offer high amounts to the plant during its early phases. Once the plant starts to mature, you should start to provide more potassium and phosphorus while lowering the amount of nitrogen. 

Three other important secondary nutrients that you should offer to the plant are magnesium, calcium, and sulfur. You should also make sure that you provide the plant with micronutrients such as zinc, iron, boron, copper, and manganese. 

Your job as a Cannabis grower will be easier if you buy fertilizers or fertilizer kits that already include these important nutrients. Just make sure that you follow the manufacturer's guidelines when giving nutrients to your plants. 

Understanding the Cannabis Life Cycle

Cannabis plants take between three to five months to grow to maturity if you grow them indoors and up to eight months if you grow them in the outdoors.

If you're growing your plant from a seed, expect to see it germinate within the first ten days. The plant will be in the seedling stage for about two to three weeks until it transitions into the vegetative stage. If you give your plants more time in the vegetative stage, they will probably produce bigger plants and higher yields. 

The plant's flowering stage starts at around ten weeks and has three different phases: the flowering initiation phase, the mid-flowering phase, and the ripening phase. When the plant is in the ripening phase, it's important that you monitor the plant by checking for trichomes. This will help you know when is the right time to harvest the plant. 

Cultivating Cannabis Can Be Rewarding and Fun

Even though it takes time to know the ins and outs of cannabis cultivation, it's possible to get started today. There are many methods for growing your plants. If you want to grow them quickly and to produce higher yields, consider using hydroponics. 

Whether you prefer to grow your plants in the soil or to use hydroponics, we sell the highest-quality products to help your cannabis plants to have the best possible yields. If you're ready to quickly get started, don't forget to check out the many great bundles that we offer for sale.