420noobie
Well-Known Member
This essay was written for my college English class, it should fill in any beginners or people who are simply curu\ious about how marijuana is grown. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Marijuana cultivation has been practiced for thousands of years, starting out about 8,000 years ago in Asia. The methods of growing cannabis have been passed down from generation to generation, thus perfecting the practice. Due to legal restrictions, in recent times the growing of marijuana has become an underground activity, with few exceptions. There are many reasons to cultivate cannabis; industrially, cannabis is harvested and made into hemp- which can be used to make clothing, rope, and other fibrous materials. On the other hand, cannabis can also be grown for medicinal and illegal reasons.
The process of marijuana growth, like many plants, can be broke down into four basic stages: germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering. With any of these stages missing or improperly carried out, the growing process will not be successful. It is important that all of the steps are carried out carefully and skillfully if you want a good, quality crop.
The germination process is quite simple, but there are a few things you should know. The first thing you should know is the strain of seeds that you are using. There are hundreds of strains and advanced growers can even create new strains by interbreeding different cannabis plants. Seeds can be easily purchased online with a credit or debit card and will be discretely shipped to your home. Possession of cannabis seeds is not illegal. Once your choice of seed is selected, you must also choose whether you would like to conduct your growth indoors or outdoors. If you wish to grow outdoors you should start germinating your seeds in April, so that they will be ready to go outside by mid-May. Indoor plants may be started any time in the year. Once your decision is made, it is time to germinate. This can be done in variety of ways, being among the most popular is the wet paper towel method. This method is done by placing your selection of seeds into a folded wet paper towel to be placed in a ziplock bag in a warm, dark place. Within 48 hours, small green or white sprouts will emerge from the top of the seedlings. This sprout is known as the tap root. At this point your little seedlings are ready to be planted into your growing medium, whatever that may be. Your choice of grow medium is completely up to you, but the preferred grow medium is a solo cup with wet potting soil. Be sure to poke holes in the bottom of the cup as this will ensure proper drainage. When sewing the seed into your moist soil, be sure the tap root faces down as this will increase stability in the plant when it grows to a larger size. Within a day or two your small seedling should sprout from the soil, thus starting the seedling stage.
The seedling stage is possibly the most vital and fragile stage of growth for a cannabis plant. Once small leaves become visible, your plant should be placed in direct light for as long as possible every day. Depending on your decision to grow indoors or outdoors will most likely determine whether or not you have a grow light set up. If not, you can just place your seedling on a sunny window sill for the time being. Some thing to watch out for when caring for your seedling is over-watering. This is probably the biggest mistake with first time growers. This is why it is important to have sufficient drainage in your growing medium. The seedling should only be watered when soil is dry to the touch- this gives the roots a chance to stretch out and grow in search of water. Over-watering will result in your seedlings roots becoming brown and slimy, thus killing the plant. The brown and slimy roots are known as root rot. By following these simple guidelines you will be well on your way to vegetative stage.
The vegetative stage begins as soon as fan leaves become visible. This stage is vital to the growth of the plant and if cared for properly, growth will rapidly occur. At this stage, if plants are to be grown outdoors they should be placed in clear, sunny spot. If an indoor grow is planned, you should adjust your lights to 16 hours of light and 8 hours of complete darkness. Temperature also plays a large roll in the vegetative stage. Cannabis plants prefer a temperature range of 76°-82°F. With proper lighting, ventilation, and temperature, the plants may grow to any size the grower desires. Wild cannabis plants can grow as large as 30ft tall and develop a tree like bark around the stalk. Once the plant has grown to its desired size, it is time for the flowering stage.
In an outdoor setting, the plant will naturally begin flowering in the fall as the days start to shorten. As this happens a hormone is secreted in the plant to induce the flowering stage. Indoors, the shortening of days must be mimicked using a light schedule. This is usually done with an electric light timer. Flowering is a fascinating process that can take as long as 15 to 20 weeks. In this process a plant will experience a transformation and a grower will be able to determine the sex of the plant. Sex of a plant is important because it will determine whether buds, or yellow pollen sacs, will grow on the plant. Depending on the reason for growing, this may not matter; if it is being grown for industrial hemp, pollination will not affect you. However, if growing for medicinal or illegal purposes, the sex could make or break the plant. If these reasons are desired, any plants that are males should be discarded of as soon as possible, because if the females are exposed to the males pollen, it will result in small, seedy buds on the females. However some more advanced growers harvest the pollen and intentionally expose some of the females buds to it using a small paint brush, thus providing seeds for next year. Once buds are ready, they are clipped off and harvested, then hung out to dry and cure.
Unfortunately, government regulation plays a huge roll in marijuana cultivation, even for industrial use. There are strict guidelines, regulations, and taxes put on even industrial crops, making help itself rather expensive. Nonetheless, in the 70s when High Times magazine was published, it sparked a new trend of growing marijuana secretly indoors in closets and grow rooms. Since then the restricted growth of marijuana plants (limit of 12 plants per patient) has been legalized in certain states in the US, such as California and Washington.
Growing cannabis can be a fun and rewarding experience if done under proper legal obligations in areas where the cultivation of cannabis is legal. Cannabis plants provide countless medicinal uses and can save you a bundle of money when producing your own medicine. Each plant grown can yield up to 1lb of medicinal buds and is worth around 2000$. This essay is for educational purposes only.
Marijuana cultivation has been practiced for thousands of years, starting out about 8,000 years ago in Asia. The methods of growing cannabis have been passed down from generation to generation, thus perfecting the practice. Due to legal restrictions, in recent times the growing of marijuana has become an underground activity, with few exceptions. There are many reasons to cultivate cannabis; industrially, cannabis is harvested and made into hemp- which can be used to make clothing, rope, and other fibrous materials. On the other hand, cannabis can also be grown for medicinal and illegal reasons.
The process of marijuana growth, like many plants, can be broke down into four basic stages: germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering. With any of these stages missing or improperly carried out, the growing process will not be successful. It is important that all of the steps are carried out carefully and skillfully if you want a good, quality crop.
The germination process is quite simple, but there are a few things you should know. The first thing you should know is the strain of seeds that you are using. There are hundreds of strains and advanced growers can even create new strains by interbreeding different cannabis plants. Seeds can be easily purchased online with a credit or debit card and will be discretely shipped to your home. Possession of cannabis seeds is not illegal. Once your choice of seed is selected, you must also choose whether you would like to conduct your growth indoors or outdoors. If you wish to grow outdoors you should start germinating your seeds in April, so that they will be ready to go outside by mid-May. Indoor plants may be started any time in the year. Once your decision is made, it is time to germinate. This can be done in variety of ways, being among the most popular is the wet paper towel method. This method is done by placing your selection of seeds into a folded wet paper towel to be placed in a ziplock bag in a warm, dark place. Within 48 hours, small green or white sprouts will emerge from the top of the seedlings. This sprout is known as the tap root. At this point your little seedlings are ready to be planted into your growing medium, whatever that may be. Your choice of grow medium is completely up to you, but the preferred grow medium is a solo cup with wet potting soil. Be sure to poke holes in the bottom of the cup as this will ensure proper drainage. When sewing the seed into your moist soil, be sure the tap root faces down as this will increase stability in the plant when it grows to a larger size. Within a day or two your small seedling should sprout from the soil, thus starting the seedling stage.
The seedling stage is possibly the most vital and fragile stage of growth for a cannabis plant. Once small leaves become visible, your plant should be placed in direct light for as long as possible every day. Depending on your decision to grow indoors or outdoors will most likely determine whether or not you have a grow light set up. If not, you can just place your seedling on a sunny window sill for the time being. Some thing to watch out for when caring for your seedling is over-watering. This is probably the biggest mistake with first time growers. This is why it is important to have sufficient drainage in your growing medium. The seedling should only be watered when soil is dry to the touch- this gives the roots a chance to stretch out and grow in search of water. Over-watering will result in your seedlings roots becoming brown and slimy, thus killing the plant. The brown and slimy roots are known as root rot. By following these simple guidelines you will be well on your way to vegetative stage.
The vegetative stage begins as soon as fan leaves become visible. This stage is vital to the growth of the plant and if cared for properly, growth will rapidly occur. At this stage, if plants are to be grown outdoors they should be placed in clear, sunny spot. If an indoor grow is planned, you should adjust your lights to 16 hours of light and 8 hours of complete darkness. Temperature also plays a large roll in the vegetative stage. Cannabis plants prefer a temperature range of 76°-82°F. With proper lighting, ventilation, and temperature, the plants may grow to any size the grower desires. Wild cannabis plants can grow as large as 30ft tall and develop a tree like bark around the stalk. Once the plant has grown to its desired size, it is time for the flowering stage.
In an outdoor setting, the plant will naturally begin flowering in the fall as the days start to shorten. As this happens a hormone is secreted in the plant to induce the flowering stage. Indoors, the shortening of days must be mimicked using a light schedule. This is usually done with an electric light timer. Flowering is a fascinating process that can take as long as 15 to 20 weeks. In this process a plant will experience a transformation and a grower will be able to determine the sex of the plant. Sex of a plant is important because it will determine whether buds, or yellow pollen sacs, will grow on the plant. Depending on the reason for growing, this may not matter; if it is being grown for industrial hemp, pollination will not affect you. However, if growing for medicinal or illegal purposes, the sex could make or break the plant. If these reasons are desired, any plants that are males should be discarded of as soon as possible, because if the females are exposed to the males pollen, it will result in small, seedy buds on the females. However some more advanced growers harvest the pollen and intentionally expose some of the females buds to it using a small paint brush, thus providing seeds for next year. Once buds are ready, they are clipped off and harvested, then hung out to dry and cure.
Unfortunately, government regulation plays a huge roll in marijuana cultivation, even for industrial use. There are strict guidelines, regulations, and taxes put on even industrial crops, making help itself rather expensive. Nonetheless, in the 70s when High Times magazine was published, it sparked a new trend of growing marijuana secretly indoors in closets and grow rooms. Since then the restricted growth of marijuana plants (limit of 12 plants per patient) has been legalized in certain states in the US, such as California and Washington.
Growing cannabis can be a fun and rewarding experience if done under proper legal obligations in areas where the cultivation of cannabis is legal. Cannabis plants provide countless medicinal uses and can save you a bundle of money when producing your own medicine. Each plant grown can yield up to 1lb of medicinal buds and is worth around 2000$. This essay is for educational purposes only.
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