Common mistakes when growing cannabis

Although growing cannabis is a fairly simple process, producing good cannabis requires optimization. You need to optimize environmental factors to achieve high yields with high potency, as well as great flavour and aroma.

While optimizing your grow conditions, it's important to avoid any major mistakes. New growers often make errors that could ruin your harvest or seriously damage its quality.

Lights

One common mistake new growers make is improper light setup or placement. Cannabis needs a lot of light to grow properly. Growers often get confused by output differences in lights – including light spectrums, lumens, watts, PPF, and PAR.

The best way to measure light output is by measuring PAR, or Photosynthetic Active Radiation. Various lights emit different color spectrums with different wavelengths. Your plants use some of these, while the rest is reflected. PPFD, or Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density, measures light intensity or efficiency.

Cannabis seedlings and mother plants thrive in 200-400 PPFD. Plants in vegetation use 400-600 PPFD, while plants in flowering can use 600-1000 PPFD or more with CO2 introduction.

Weak lights make plants lengthy, with less branching and fluffy buds. Strong lights can stunt growth and burn plants if too close. A general rule is placing lights 10 cm away for every 100W output. However, this doesn't apply to new-generation lights like LED and HID, which can be placed lower as they produce less heat.

If you lack a PAR meter, place your hand at canopy level to check light placement. If it gets heated, it's too close. Better to place the light a few centimeters higher to avoid damage. If plants have longer internodes and rapid height gain, consider lowering the lights slightly.

PH Levels

Improper PH levels in growing medium and water/nutrients can stun or kill plants. Optimal PH for cannabis is slightly acidic: 6-6.5 in soil and 5.6-6.5 in hydro. Water and nutrient PH should be between 6-7.

Correct PH levels allow plants to absorb the full range of nutrients. PH levels too low or high cause nutrient deficiencies due to unavailability. Nutrient lock-up and build-up can occur in soil. Too low PH is toxic, while too high PH causes stunted growth.

Use a PH meter to check PH levels. They are available solo or with EC/PPM meters, measuring both liquids and solids. Measure your water and nutrient PH after mixing nutrients, as they can alter PH. In hydro, measure PH daily, ideally twice, for quick response.

To adjust PH, use products like PH-up/PH-down, or lemon/lime juice or vinegar to lower it. Baking soda raises PH. Check soil-based medium PH by testing water going in and runoff water. Adjust water and nutrient PH if runoff is too low or high.

Nutrients

Overfeeding is a common mistake among growers. They worry if plants aren't growing fast enough and increase nutrients, thinking it helps. However, plants can only use a limited amount of nutrients. PPM measures levels.

Ideal PPM for seedlings or clones is 100-250, usually provided by soil. No extra feeding is required. As plants enter the vegetative phase, they can intake 300-400 PPM initially and around 700 PPM at the end. During flowering, PPM can increase to 1000 in the first few weeks, reaching 1500+ during the second stage, followed by a flush close to 0.

Good soil holds nutrients for weeks. Adjust feeding if symptoms of excess or deficiency appear.

Watering FYI We RARE SEEDS in Australia we place great importance on giving you the best start to your cannabis cultivation journey.

Overwatering and overfeeding are common beginner mistakes. Overwatering is easily resolved by draining excess water, but new growers often water too frequently.

Use pots with drainage and good air circulation to prevent root suffocation. Allow roots to intake oxygen, as important as nutrients and water. Stale water and moist medium cause root rot and death. Ensure the medium is dry, or at least a few top centimeters. If unsure, wait an extra day.

Temperature, Humidity and Airflow

Cold winters and hot summers can cause grow room issues. Ideal temperatures for cannabis are 20-30°C during vegetation, 2-3°C less in flower. High temperatures increase water intake, causing heat stress. Low temperatures slow growth and water usage. Use AC, heaters/coolers, or better vents and fans for temperature control.

Humidity is crucial in the grow environment. Optimal humidity is 40-70%. Seedlings or clones use 60-70% humidity, reducing to 40-60% in vegetation, and further to 40-50% in flowering.

Low humidity forces plants to seek more water from roots, using water faster. Adjust watering schedule accordingly. High humidity makes plants susceptible to bacteria and diseases. Good airflow addresses many potential issues.

• Use separate vents for air intake and outtake.
• Add more fans or replace existing ones with stronger models.
• Ensure a gentle breeze to make plants dance slightly.

Unreliable and Unstable Genetics

Using any seeds, even "bag seeds," can lead to unstable genetics. These seeds may be male or female, often lacking maturity to germinate properly. If you grow them, monitor their development.

Unstable genetics result in varied phenotypes, with different growth patterns and shapes.

Ignoring Security

Many growers, especially beginners, feel excited and share their grow information. However, for every person told, the chance of something bad increases by 10%.

Keep your grow private. Ensure no visible signs or odours around your grow room. In areas where cannabis isn't legal, police pose a significant threat. Thieves and opportunists can also cause problems.

Harvesting Too Early

Beginner growers often harvest buds too early due to impatience. Timing is crucial. Harvesting early results in less potent buds, while late harvesting causes terpene and cannabinoid degradation.

Check trichomes, the glands on leaves and buds, to determine harvest time. As plants mature, trichomes change from transparent to cloudy, then milky white, and finally amber. Harvest when trichomes are about 15% amber and the rest milky white.

More amber trichomes cause a couch-locked feeling, while fewer cause an energetic, buzzed high.

Thank you