One of the first decisions to make, once you have decided to grow your own marijuana, is whether you will grow outdoors or indoors. This short guide article will discuss some of the basic information you should have before setting up your indoor marijuana growing systems.
Preparing to grow indoors has its unique challenges and benefits that you must know if you want to end up with the best stash of weed.
Download my free marijuana grow bible to learn more about indoor cannabis growing systems.
Why grow cannabis indoors?
There are a lot of different reasons for growers not to cultivate plants outdoors, from climate and weather to legal reasons and decreased yield. Throughout history, farmers have always had to worry about theft, and cannabis buds attract far more resourceful and focused predators than potatoes or carrots ever have. Fortunately, growing your plants indoors offers protection against all of these hazards. No need to worry about thieves or weather or any sort of other predators. You control the environment.
Every facet of the plant’s growth can be carefully monitored and adjusted to create the perfect environment for your plants. There are several variations available for indoor growers.
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Hybrid systems
Hybrid systems can offer plants both natural and artificial nutrients and light. Greenhouses fall under this category, for example.
Hybrid systems can range drastically in complexity, from the relatively high-up keep of an artificially heated greenhouse to the simple placement of a couple of pots in front of a window.
The primary advantage to any of these hybrid systems is that they can use real sunlight.
Many growers swear that natural sunlight is the best source for plants, even if it’s being filtered through glass. This makes sense since most bulbs used for artificial light simply don’t offer the same spectrum as the sun.
Additionally, tall windows in a small apartment can actually be close to ideal. If the windows reach down to the floor, the plant itself can be placed on the ground.
This is better than raising it up since it will be able to absorb additional carbon dioxide, which sinks down to the ground after being exhaled by humans.
Closed systems
While growing in front of a window is the simplest route, it’s not always an option for growers. Not every living space is equipped with tall windows, and even those that aren’t always a good choice.
In many parts of the world, it’s undesirable to put the cannabis plant on display. In order to receive light from outside, a grower has to make it possible for strangers to look in and see the plant itself.
In addition to the total control offered by closed systems, growers can also benefit from privacy. Although it can be a bit more work, it allows the grower to maximize the potential yield of the plant by optimizing the environment.
Also read Build An Indoor Marijuana Grow Room
For these reasons, many growers prefer to use fully enclosed systems. This is especially true for larger-scale or professional operations since it has the potential to be so efficient and offer higher yields.
Closed systems also allow growers to actually mutate their plants to achieve specific effects. The potency of cannabis grown indoors can be truly exceptional, with much higher ratios of the cannabinoids and other active ingredients so prized by growers and consumers.
The fully enclosed systems allow growers to saturate plants with optimum nutrients, but it also allows growing seasons to extend indefinitely.
The length and cycles of daylight can be radically altered, essentially “hacking” plants so that enormous yields can be achieved.
Grow room procedure
Although it can be more complicated than growing outdoors, an indoor grow room is simpler in some respects as well. Set up properly, an indoor grow room offers everything a grower needs to successfully raise a plant from seed to sprout and beyond.
Soil, fertilizer, and water are all added at regular intervals. Following instructions on how to care for plants inside will allow growers to get great yields.
Generally, plants should receive light in regular cycles of light and darkness. Twenty hours of light exposure followed by four hours of darkness is a good rule for growers to follow, with the temperature in the environment being kept at around 70 degrees.
Download my free mini harvesting guide to learn more about when and how to harvest your marijuana plants.
Once the plants have reached the desired size, the light cycle can be adjusted to alternating cycles of twelve hours light to twelve hours of darkness. The increased darkness will cause cannabis to flower, tricking the plants into thinking that the seasons are changing.
Regardless of the type of system used, it’s important to remember that the genetics of the seeds used will figure prominently in the quality of the end product. Buy only high-quality seeds from our online seed bank.
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FAQs about growing marijuana indoors
What are the best indoor autoflower strains?
Among the best autoflower strains that you can easily grow indoors are Super Skunk Auto, White Widow Auto, Sour Diesel Auto, and Northern Lights Auto.
What are the best feminized strains to grow indoors?
Critical Mass, Amnesia Haze, Power Plant, Purple Haze and LSD strains are some of the best feminized strains you can cultivate indoors.
What is a hybrid growing system?
It is a growing system that offers plants both natural and artificial nutrients and light. Many growers believe that natural sunlight is the best source for plants, even if it’s being filtered through glass.
Becoming an expert marijuana grower only requires practice and learning. Start your cannabis growing journey by reading my blog.
Have you grown your own marijuana indoors? Please share your experience or leave questions below.
Happy growing!
Robert
Can I grow outside marijuana seeds in a tiny grow box ?indoors
Thank you!
Nice to have such a great resource as yourself.
And I tried one type of pruning method and it produced!!!!!!! Thank you again. Cheerz James
Thank you for that informative read.
I have a problem with my indoor plants taking longer. To finish budding ! I have fellow growers that harvest when they reach a certain number of days flowering? I go by the look at the Tricombs. Who’s right?
How many 2000 watt lites for a 10 × room?
Thanx
..
First time grower. I’m growering indoors in a grow tent. Is it hard to grow in one of those?
hi love your site and the info you provide I have tried several times to download the grow bible, it never gets to my mailbox or spam]]Thank you
I love it,Been doing it for years, you actually sound like one of my cousins in northern Cal, In in fl doing my thing great results , live long and pain free!
My first indoor grow was amassing to me white widow strand #1 for me trying to figer out my next strand durbin poison I thank send me some pointers thankstony
Is it a good idea to give autoflower plants more than 12 hrs of light during flowering. Plz and thanks
JGD GoB,
Auto flower genetics should be grown under the same photo period from start to finish. 16-18 hours of light and 6-8 hours of dark. Never change or shorten photo period unless you want the plant to stop growing and finish.
We have many great threads of information at the ILGM support forum. Peace
Lou,
You cannot switch to flower until the plant is at least been in veg for 1 month. Most growers Veg for 2 months for bigger yield.
IN an aerogarden, you may want to flower after 1 month to limit the size of the plants.
And, Yes; 12/12 photo period for flower cycle
Happy growing
I am growing indoors with an Aerogarden hydroponic system. My plants (white widow fem) are on a 17/7 cycle right now and are approx 6 inches tall. When should I switch the light cycle to force flowering and should it be 12/12?
Wow, you really jumped right into gardening, and seems you are without any knowledge of what you are doing….I don’t want to sound mean, but if you need to ask a question like that there are a few things you should get in order first.
I got some big bud fem seeds grew in 1/3 soil 1/3 perlite and 1/3 vermiculite in pb18’s have pH tester and cf truncheon followed all your guides and I am getting on average 20 GMs dry per plant under 600 watt HP’s quantum for flowering. What’s going wrong I haven’t seen a big bud yet. Did some clones same results. Any advice also using co2 lamp in tent 1.4metres x1.4 metres. Cheers
Sam,
Your question appears to be a bit broad ranged for a blog comment section. You need to join our support forum for extended support over several Q and A’s.
https://ilgmforum.com
One thing that rings out to me is your medium. 1/2 soil needs to be a heavy 50% and perlite vermiculite 20+% each. What is not added or mentioned is dolomitic lime to buffer the PH.
I cannot tell what you are growing in or for sure what lamp you really have. See you in the forums.
Happy growing.
Lee,
You definitely can veg plants for 4 true weeks and move them outside.
A Sea of Green is done with clones. You can build your SOG outdoors with your rooted clones anytime you desire. You might have fun and love our support forum. Join up, and look me up. Peace
With the Sea of Green method, would it work to do the vegetative phase under the lights 18-6 hours (for 4 weeks), take cuttings, then move them outside in a natural 12-12 hours (Hawaii) environment, then plant the trimmings and raise them 18-6 inside?
Top article again – this site is tits, thanks Robert for your exceptional guides and info (no one needs to ask a question really, its all covered, don’t be lazy and read!)
Thanks Charlie!
How much water does a flowering plant need
Russel,
A flowering plant needs as much water as it will uptake. It all depends on pot size, type of system, lights, environment. etc
I advise you to join our grow support forum, and also; Download and read our free grow bible.
Happy growing
So far I like what I’m reading and I’ve read more then my share of books, articles and web sites looking for a writer who I first understand and second is an easy read. Now is where I give a clue to my age and when I first started growing Marijuana, the record album “A Child’s Garden Of Grass” had been release for 2 years. I highly recommend reading the book first and then listen to the record album(digital). I’m not an expert by any stretch of the word I’ve dabbled. It’s been the past 3 years that I’ve been getting serious about growing my own and maybe in time for others. I was looking at amazon for small grow boxes and the cost can be overwhelming. A small grow box can easily cost $350 to $1200.00 and if you’re reading this I know you’ve been looking at boxes, grow tents and green houses. Although with the right knowledge about the heat a bulb generates is an important factor, not only for the health of the plant it also helpful when picking a socket to put the bulb in. I’m building my own box from scratch which will cost at present give or take $150.00. I’ll report back in a few weeks to update you on the progress.
Yes; Your plants will grow naturally. More powerful lamps cause more heat, and this might be too much for your grow box. You did not suppl us with dimensions or heat indexes. If you do a grow and find that it was not as bountiful as you had hoped’ You can re-think your plan the next time around.
I am doing my research into a grow box.Articles I have read states you need at least a 400 watt bulb for growing. the grow box I am looking at only has 60 wtts. Will my plants grow normally? Thank you. E
I here ther’s a site that helps people find a marijuana doctor, I think it was called cannabisfriendlydoctors.com maybe you could pass this on. Just thought it might help someone.
Thanks for sharing!!
What happen when my plants are budding but than starts to veg again? It is the temp or what happen? Any suggestions? Please help!!
What do you mean by plucking the leaves to stimulate THC growth?
I must of missed that part.
How is a sea of green set up done? What materials are needed?
I love to grow been wanting to buy some seeds you should send me a couple to entice me to buy some asap
You need a scrog net to set over the top of the plants.