Mistakes Of Cannabis Growers

Mistakes of Cannabis Growers: The Things You Should Avoid

Everybody makes mistakes, especially if it is their first time doing something. For growing cannabis, here are the most common mistakes of cannabis growers especially by the beginners.

The Common Mistakes of Cannabis Growers

Using Seeds with Bad Genetics

No matter how good a grower you are, if your cannabis seeds have bad or poor genetics, you just waste your time. Even if you successfully grow your plant, you will not obtain the best results. It will only give you low-quality cannabis. Do some research first before you purchase seeds.

Mistakes Of Cannabis Growers
Mistakes Of Cannabis Growers

Using Standard Soil Available in Garden Centers

When growing cannabis, a standard soil is not enough to make the plant flourish. The cannabis plant needs a specific balance of nutrients. Take time to research about what are the exact nutrients that a cannabis plant needs throughout its life. It will help you be sure of what soil is suited and will make your plant thrive.

Soil quality is crucial for successful growth; however, it is completely overlooked by most beginning growers. Don’t be a part of this mistake. You should learn about the importance of obtaining the right kind of soil that contains the correct composition of nutrients. Be mindful that cannabis plants have a different required ratio of nutrients depending on the plant’s growth phase. You can start using a soil rich in N-P-K or the essential macronutrients composing of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Also, depending on the strain of the cannabis plant you are growing, the level of nutrients varies. For example, if you are growing photoperiodic strains or those cultivars that flower after a shift in the light cycle, then a high level of overall nutrients is required. If you are growing auto-flowering plants, be wary that they don’t need as much feeding but require a different soil type. It can be a relatively nutrient-light mix of 3 parts compost, three parts peat moss, two parts perlites, and 1 part of vermiculite.

Take note that soil serves as the foundation for the entire growing process. Ensure that the soil you use has a light yet rich texture and crumbles easily in hand. The soil is the substance where the root expands into and anchors the plant on the ground. Assessing your soil quality will help you avoid problems for the growing root. Furthermore, the water will drain passably, and the oxygen will be able to reach the roots. However, if the soil is too dense and has a clay-like structure, the water will just build-up, and the roots won’t receive enough oxygen. It will result in problems with your plant, such as root rot.

Improper Placement of Grow Lamps

When it comes to growing lamps, the most common mistakes of cannabis growers is the correct height positioning. It may be too high or too low. When the grow lights are positioned too high, the plants don't get enough light. It causes biological changes in the plant. The plant tends to waste energy on thriving to reach the light instead of using it to grow healthy. This results in thin and weak plants. Furthermore, the plant can't support its weight and the bud they produce. On the other hand, if the grow light is too low, the plant receives excess heat that may cause burn damage on the leaves and the bud.

Overfeeding and Underfeeding

It is important to keep in mind that cannabis plants are very sensitive to the nutrients they receive. You should always be mindful of giving them the right amount of nutrients. Remember, not all cannabis plants require the same level of nutrients. The number of nutrients you give on a certain strain may be appropriate, but it may be too little for other kinds of strain. Also, as the plant grows, it requires a certain ratio of nutrients to produce the best bud results.
Mistakes Of Cannabis Growers
Mistakes Of Cannabis Growers

Flushing of Cannabis Plants as an Emergency Measure Only

As a beginning cannabis grower, you might already ask some tips from other growers. When the idea of flushing has been a topic, a lot of growers may say that flushing is only done as an emergency measure to deal with overfeeding and nutrient lockout. It is not wrong, and it is essential to deal with these issues. However, because of this, the idea of flushing has only been deemed necessary only when the stated issues arise.

Sometimes, when those issues don’t arise, the cannabis plant has not been flushed at all. This is a mistake. Performing a flush at the right time before harvesting can improve the quality of marijuana gained. It is because it can cause a detox of excess chemicals in the plant. As a beginning cannabis grower, you must not just rely on the tips given by the experienced growers. It is important to read up for yourself, especially about flushing, to produce the highest quality of cannabis you are yearning for.

Harvesting at the Wrong Time

Isn’t it frustrating that you have taken good care of your plant only to mess up on harvesting? Acting too early or too late may put all your efforts and hard work to waste. We get it that as a beginning cannabis grower, you are excited about your first harvest, but there is the right time for it. Grab your magnifying glass and look for signs that it is the right time to harvest.

The first thing you need to observe is the yellowing of the fan leaves. Now, this is not a sign that your plant is withering. Biologically, it means that the nutrients are being directed toward the buds during the flowering stage. Remember to give your plant a final flush, and you are getting closer to harvest!

For a micro-level, you will surely need a magnifying glass for this. You are to observe here the trichomes and pistils. Trichomes are small, mushroom-shaped glands that produce cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. It gives the buds a distinct crystalline look. On the early flowering stage, you may notice that the trichomes have a translucent appearance. This will eventually begin to turn cloudy and display an amber color. Now, you have to make a choice here. You have two options. The first is to begin harvesting when most trichomes become cloudy or wait until most trichomes have turned amber. The former is the choice to look for a stimulating high while the latter is for stoning body highs.

On the other hand, the pistils are fine hairs on the cannabis flowers. As the flowers mature, the pistils turn from white to orange. If you notice that the trichomes have changed appearance and give the high you want based on the conditions stated, you might think that the plant is ready for harvesting. But it is wise to aim to harvest when about 70 to 90% of the pistils have changed color. Through this, it will be ensured that it is the right time to harvest your crop.

Ignoring Safety Rules

No matter what we do, safety must always be the priority even when growing cannabis. Remember that indoor cannabis growing requires heat, water, and electricity at the same time. Those three are present in a grow room in which most are occupied in a small area. There have been cases where grow rooms have burnt down due to poor safety considerations. To avoid this, you must ensure that the grow room is neat and tidy. The heat, water, and electricity sources mustn't mix, and if there are cables, those should be properly laid out in the room. Put safety as the priority and prevent burning down your home just because you wanted to grow weed.

Incorrect pH Levels

Even though the growing medium has the needed nutrients, cannabis plants require a certain pH to thrive. When the pH level is not correctly set within the safe brackets, it can cause various problems on your cannabis plant. It can further result in nutrient deficiency. As a cannabis grower, you should always remember to check on your plants. If you observe some problems, check the pH levels before applying remedies such as adjusting feeding schedules. Understanding more about pH levels may be overwhelming for a beginning cannabis grower. But it is important to know all about your plant's needs so that you can effectively assess problems that may arise.

Lacks Research

No matter what we do, when it is the first time that we will do something, we always get hyped and carried away. We wanted to start it as soon as possible so that we forget to dive into more information before executing it. This happens to most beginning cannabis growers. They get very excited to set-up everything and start planting, so that some important details are overlooked. Failure to do an in-depth analysis first before planting may result in problems that may affect the cannabis plant's quality that you are yearning for.

Don’t be among those who rush things and regret in the end if they fail. Make sure to gather all the information you need for every growth stage of your plant. Carefully plan out everything and make sure that all the things that you need are in place. Remember the dos and don’ts of planting cannabis. By doing so, you can avoid problems and obtain the best quality of cannabis.

Not Being Discrete

It is important to be discrete when growing cannabis. For a beginning cannabis grower, you might be proud of your plants that you boast them. However, this may land you in serious trouble. Even in countries where the medical and recreational use of cannabis is legal, established growers still keep it discrete. When they have customers buying strains from them, they ensure that the strains are delivered discreetly on their customers.

Just be quiet about it. Don’t brag about your plants, even to your friends. Remember that cannabis cultivation is still illegal in many countries. Many growers are getting caught by the police and have their plants seized because they are being reported.

As growers, we don’t want to have troubles, and we just want to enjoy the benefits of this amazing plant.

The things mentioned above are the mistakes of cannabis growers which were usually made by the beginner growers. Avoid making the same mistakes while growing cannabis.