5 Mistakes You Should Not Commit While Growing Cannabis Seeds

Growing cannabis can be an impeccably challenging yet rewarding job to pursue for any cannabis enthusiast. With just the right resources and care, you can reap the benefits of a healthy and potent cannabis plant in the comfort of your home. 

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So, if you are a new grower excited about working with cannabis seeds, here are five common mistakes to avoid to ensure a worthy yield.  

1. Ignoring The Seed Type 

One of the most common mistakes among cannabis growers is ignoring the seed type they will be using.

First, learn if the seed is Indica or Sativa or a Hybrid. Indica plants tend to grow in clusters and are typically easier to manage in a small space. Sativa, on the other hand, grows all along the branches and is rather bushy. Hybrids like Gorilla Bomb exhibit properties of dominant variety, which in this case is Sativa. Choosing the type of plant here helps to identify the suitable space required for growing them. 

Regular cannabis seeds require variable photoperiods to trigger flowering. Light exposure also directly influences potency and quantity of yield here. The seeds also produce a mixed ratio of male and female plants. Only female plants contribute to usable yield, and therefore removing the males before pollination is a challenging but critically necessary task for growers here. 

Feminized seeds have a considerable advantage over regular seeds as they produce only females. They reduce the burden on the growers to eliminate male plants before pollination.

 Autoflowering seeds are the best on the market today. They provide the opportunity to grow cannabis without excess photo dependency. They also ensure higher yield and improved quality and are appropriate for novice growers.  

2. Improper Germination Techniques 

The key to growing a healthy plant from cannabis seeds is starting with proper germination techniques. There are several ways of germinating the seeds. 

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1. The water method 
2. The plates and paper towel method
3. The direct to soil method
4. The Rockwool method 

Depending on the kind of seed used and location, you can choose the appropriate germination method. For example, cannabis plants are good to grow both indoors and outdoors. But some seed types may not be completely resistant to extreme temperature changes, especially in the early stage. Therefore choosing indoor germination through a paper towel, Rockwool, or water method can protect and nurture the fragile sapling to good health till it is ready to transfer to a pot. 

3. Choosing The Wrong Time To Harvest 

New growers tend to overlook the importance of harvesting at the right time. Trichomes that look cloudy white with a hint of amber are perfect for harvest. 

Going In Too Early – If the trichomes on the buds are still whitish or clouded, it is too early to harvest. The buds harvested at this point may not express their full potential. 

Missing The Deadline – When the trichomes have almost turned amber or red. The leaves also start to turn yellow at this point, and the plant expresses an increased risk of rotten buds. 

4. Underestimating The Need To Balance pH Levels 

Most cannabis growers understand the importance of balancing temperature, humidity, and photoperiod for the health of the plants. But even experienced growers tend to oversee a crucial factor for cannabis growth – pH. 

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Plants feed on the nutrients from the soil through the water absorbed. Maintaining a proper pH level in the medium is necessary to ensure that these nutrients reach every corner of the plant. The absence of an optimal pH level can increase the chances of nutrition deficiency. All the manure or fertilizer you add to the medium will only go to waste because the setup is incapable of transporting them to the plant. 

Check the pH levels of the medium regularly. The ideal range for soil as a medium should be 6.0 -7.0, whereas the range varies between 5.5 to 6.5 in hydroponics. When the pH is correct, your plant is ready to grow well. 

5.  Overfeeding Or Exposing Plants To A Bad Diet

A balanced diet is a key to achieve good health in plants.  Exposing them to optimum levels of each essential nutrient helps them to grow into strong, potent plants. 

The basic nutrient cocktail for cannabis seeds is Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Most fertilizers are NPK in varying concentrations, and therefore you can choose the most appropriate one based on the stage of growth. Apart from these essential nutrients, some micronutrients that also influence plant and bud health are magnesium, sulfur, and calcium. Make sure to feed the plant each of these nutrients to improve the quality and potency of buds. 

A critical thing to keep in mind about plant diets is to avoid overfeeding them. Nutrients are important. But too much of them concentrated in the medium can burn your plant and cause severe damage. Schedule the feeding to offer just the right amount of nutrients. If you notice signs of nutrient deficiency despite feeding them well, test the soil pH before adding more nutrients to ensure safe feeding for your plant. 

Conclusion

These are some of the common mistakes committed while working with cannabis seeds. Cannabis plants are easy to grow and require minimal resources. By avoiding these mistakes, you can get a healthy plant and a hefty yield effortlessly. Make sure to buy premium quality seeds from reputed stores to relish the best results.