9 Tips You Need to Know to Grow Marijuana Indoors
Estimated 7-minute read
Are you interested in growing weed indoors?
This exciting cannabis cultivation style is becoming increasingly popular for several reasons. It allows you to raise potent buds year-round, and the controlled conditions ensure better quality marijuana.
At the same time, some people believe it requires an expensive setup and years of experience.
Besides, why grow indoor weed plants when there’s a perfectly good sun outside, offering to raise your feminized seeds for free? It turns out indoor cultivation is far easier than many people think. All it takes is a bit of love, attention, and nine simple tricks to guarantee world-class marijuana every time.
Keep reading to learn these helpful tips for growing weed indoors and expand your understanding of this heavenly herb.
Let’s get stuck in.
9 tips for growing weed indoors
Once you’ve got your indoor cannabis tent setup, it’s time to start germinating your marijuana seeds.
All your plants really need to develop is light, water, and oxygen.
By improving your delivery method of these elements to your crops, you significantly increase the quality of your indoor weed garden.
Here are nine cannabis cultivation tips to help you take your marijuana setup to the next level.
Use the right lights
One of the best ways to improve the health, potency, and productivity of your crops is by using LED lights.
These types of bulbs provide a wider spectrum of light to your indoor weed plants compared to traditional HPS models. As a result, cannabis crops get maximum exposure at every stage of their lives and produce higher yields.
Another benefit of using LEDs is that they consume considerably less power, making a big difference to your utility bill.
These bulbs don’t emit a lot of heat, preventing your indoor weed plants from burning. They also won’t affect the temperature inside your grow tent, meaning you need less energy to keep everything cool.
Maximize your space
Many beginners underestimate the amount of space in their grow tent, leading them only to raise one plant at a time.
The best way to maximize the efficiency of your indoor weed garden is by using the Sea of Green method (SOG). It involves growing more than four plants at once close to one another.
Most experts recommend topping your cannabis crops early when using this technique, giving you more control over their size.
You also encourage bigger yields when using this method of growing weed indoors, making it a powerful tool for any cultivator.
Go organic
If you’re a fan of unbleached rolling papers and looking after the environment, then organic fertilizers are the way to go.
While synthetic products still provide the minerals needed for marijuana crops to grow, natural options are kinder to the soil. They also contain microbes that create a healthy ecosystem in your medium.
Growing weed indoors with organic fertilizers is also lighter on your wallet. The initial cost of natural products compared to synthetic options aren't too different, but the former lasts for longer.
There’s even the argument that organic minerals usually lead to better-tasting marijuana buds. While it’s hard to prove, it’s worth taking into account if you enjoy savoring the unique flavors each strain has to offer.
Underwatering is better than overwatering
The leading cause of cannabis issues when growing weed indoors is giving plants too much water. Most beginners don’t know how to plan a balanced feeding schedule and end up suffocating their beloved crops
Luckily, there are a few easy ways to gauge how thirsty your plants are and when to feed them.
One of the best methods involves learning the dry weight of your pots compared to how heavy they are after watering. Then, whenever you want to feed your indoor weed plants, simply pick up the container to see if it’s necessary.
Another way to prevent overwatering is by ordering a device that measures your medium's moisture level. Insert the metal rods into the soil and use the readings to judge how thirsty your crops are.
Training is everything
When growing weed indoors, the distance between the lights and buds affects how big your colas become. Leaving your plants unattended usually results in apical dominance, which is when one flower gets more exposure than others.
Training your cannabis crops early to create a flat canopy allows for an equal distribution of light. The most popular way to achieve this result is a technique called the Screen of Green method.
It basically involves placing a mesh over your indoor weed plants to encourage branches to grow laterally. Crops tend to develop more budding sites, improving your expected yields and preventing underdeveloped colas.
Learn when to flip the switch
Unless you’re raising autoflower seeds, learning when to initiate the flowering phase for your photoperiodic plants is essential. While it may sound complicated, the process is actually very easy.
When growing weed indoors, you should have the lights on for 18–24 hours while plants are in the vegging phase. By switching to a 12-hour schedule, you force your marijuana crops to start flowering.
The best time to change the amount of light you give to your plants is by judging their size. Since there's limited vertical space in a grow tent, it’s best to flip the schedule when crops are half their desired height.
Control the smell
The pungent smell of cannabis can quickly take over your home when growing weed indoors. It’s recommended to install extraction fans with an odor filter to prevent this notorious fragrance from becoming an issue.
These helpful devices also make it easier to work in your grow tent without being disturbed. Not only will it stop your clothes from becoming stinky, but it also helps to keep your entire operation discreet.
Hide the scissors
Knowing when to harvest your marijuana plants is an important skill whether you’re growing weed indoors or outside.
Cutting down your cannabis crops too early will severely decrease yields, as well as bud potency. On the other hand, waiting too long will ruin the stimulating effects of a particular strain, skipping straight to the sedating qualities.
Most experts recommend buying a jeweler's loupe to check the color of the trichomes on your indoor weed plants. The optimal magnification range is between 50 and 100x, so avoid devices that offer anything lower.
If the color of the trichomes is clear, it means your cannabis buds are still developing and need more time. Ideally, you want to harvest your crops when these crystals have become cloudy.
You’ll know you’ve waited too long when the trichomes of your indoor weed plants turn an amber color. This technique doesn’t work with every marijuana strain, so make sure you thoroughly research your chosen cultivar.
Cure your cannabis
One of the biggest mistakes a cannabis cultivator can make is assuming their buds are ready the moment they harvest.
Before you can enjoy all the hard work you put into growing weed indoors, you need to dry and cure your marijuana.
Hang up your buds in a cool, dark room or container for 2–7 days and ensure there’s constant airflow. You’ll know when your cannabis is ready for curing when the flowers snap off the main stem when you apply pressure.
Next, place the buds in an air-tight jar and leave them in a dark spot for at least two weeks. Not only will this process improve the smell of cannabis from your indoor weed plants, but also the taste.
It’s hard to resist the urge to sample your buds early. However, you’ll quickly realize it was all worth it when you start crushing the raw flower with your grinder.
It can only get better
Growing weed indoors has become incredibly popular in the US since the legalization of recreational cannabis in 18 different states.
It gives you more control over the conditions in your cannabis garden and allows you to raise marijuana throughout the year. Plus, the advancements in technology have made growing weed indoors far more accessible to people with limited budgets.
Like any skill, you need to give yourself time to learn and understand that mistakes happen from time to time. However, with a bit of practice and these nine cultivating tips, you’ll start raising the cannabis of your dreams.
Don’t forget to improve your odds of success when growing weed indoors by ordering quality marijuana seeds from a trusted dispensary.
Author: Jennifer Gallagher
Author's bio: An experienced cannabis grower at SeedSupreme Seedbank. During a 7-year career in the marijuana growing business, Jennifer has gained a high competence in this field. As far as weed is concerned, she knows it all inside out. Jennifer is an expert in pot-growing, as well as cannabis types and their effects. She’s also familiar with all legislation nuances.
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