The Basics Of Growing Medical Marijuana (Cannabis)

Individuals with a valid medical marijuana card or their caregiver can grow cannabis to use medicinally for their qualifying condition. 16 states have legalized medical marijuana and each one allows for different amounts per patient.

Whether one grows it outside or inside, marijuana has the same growth needs. The basic necessities are air, nutrients, water, heat, light, and a growing medium. If one grows cannabis indoors, the light needs both intensity and spectrum while the air needs warmth and richness in carbon dioxide.

Typically an annual plant, cannabis has distinct growth phases. They are termed germination, seedling growth, vegetative growth, preflowering, and flowering.

Germination entails hormone activation in the seed’s outer durable coating. The seed’s embryo expands and its coating splits. This permits rootlets to grow downward and a sprout with leaves pushes up looking for light. This stage takes anywhere from three to seven days.

During growth of the seedling, the one root grows down and branches are created. These small branches pull in nutrients and water. The plant is anchored by the roots in the growing medium. Plenty of light is necessary during this stage, approximately eighteen hours daily.

The vegetative growth stage needs a lot of light, fourteen to twenty four hours daily. A water transport system is grown by the developing roots, and food storage occurs. The root parts that absorb the nutrients and water are the single celled root hairs, and unfortunately they tend to be easily damaged by air, light, and human carelessness during movement.

The stem also grows, producing new buds with the lateral ones turning into leaves or branches. Growth is carried upwards by the central branch. Water and nutrients are carried upward by the stem from the delicate root hairs to the leaves, buds, and flowers. Binding the stem with strings or tie downs too tightly may kill the plant.

The stem provides support for the plant as well, and if it’s an outside plant wind and rain help strengthen the support by stiffening cellulose. If the plant is an indoor plant the stem doesn’t receive the stimuli, so the stiffening doesn’t occur and a stake may be necessary for support.

Once the leaves expand, they undergo photosynthesis, which is the process of manufacturing food.

After the 4th week of vegetative growth, pre flowering occurs. This happens between the 4th and 6th node from the bottom and are either female or male. Male plants have a considerably lower cannabinoid concentration, so they are often destroyed.

Flowering is triggered in most commercial marijuana plants by alternating 12 light hours with 12 dark hours daily. Flowers form during the final stage of growth and if the females flowers are not pollenated, they develop seedless – called “sinsemilla”. If pollenated by a male, female flower buds develop seeds.

With no pollen for a few weeks, THC production hits a peak in the female unfertilized sinsemilla. With fertilization, females mature their seed development, with the seeds either falling to the ground or they get collected for eventual planting.

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