How to Grow Marijuana Indoors: A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Indoor Cultivation

By mastering how to grow weed at home you can enjoy this process all year round. Forget about temperature and weather conditions – your cannabis cultivation will be much more achievable, and what's more important, you will control the growing process and increase yields. We've carefully chosen only top marijuana gardening supplies – from containers to lights – all to help you with the growing experience. You can learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of growing marijuana indoors. Don't wait any longer and start growing marijuana right away! 

Step 1. Make Preparations For Growing Cannabis Indoors

This stage is the starting point of your future progress. If you think that just choosing a place in your house and cleaning it is enough, then you are wrong. There is much more preparation you should undergo before getting to growing weed. It includes choosing the marijuana strain, deciding how you want to grow your plant – from seeds or clones, choosing the perfect lights, humidity & temperature controls, etc. All these factors are vital for successful cultivation and should be considered beforehand. In this Preparation paragraph, you will find out how to choose a sort of marijuana for your needs, how to choose a place, and how to prepare this place for gardening.

Read Also: Types of Weed Seeds You Need to Know About

Explore and Select Marijuana Strains

What is your purpose in growing marijuana? Is it to treat some medical conditions? Or you will use it for recreational use? How do you want it to smell and taste? How much effort are you ready to input for getting the desirable crop? Answer these questions when you begin picking a sort of marijuana. First of all, despite all the breeds and variations to choose from, there are female and male marijuana plants. If you want your plant to carry the buds and not only leaves, then pick only females. Then, pay attention that the product you buy is feminized seeds. The next thing is what strain to choose: Sativa, Indica, or auto-flowering.

Sativa Strains Distinctive Features

• It has longer vegetation period (10-16 weeks)
• Due to long growing, it gives higher yields
• It produces long buds
• The stems are usually taller
• Requires higher temperatures
• Have energetic and inspiring effects

Indica Strains Distinctive Features

• Indica produces about 1.5 to 2.5 ounces per plant (which is less than Sativa)
• Cold-resistant
• Plants are short and bushy
• Have a relaxing and calming effect
• Have a higher THC level

Auto-Flowering Strains Distinctive Features

• Great for starters because of a short vegetation period (about 2-3 months)
• Blend of two sorts
• Short bushes

There are thousands of different hybrids available on the market today. All of them are crossbreeds of Indica and Sativa which means they serve both your head and body. Some of them include more Sativa (meaning they calming down your body and stimulating brain) and vice versa. Once you choose which plant to grow, do your research on how to take care of this particular strain – the climate, light, soil – all can differently impact the plant.

Seeds vs Clones

There are so many opinions on whether to choose a seed or a cutting to start growing marijuana.

Here are the main features of each:

Clones / Cuttings

• Requires a mother plant
• Inherits all genetic information from the parent organism (including diseases)
• Usually produces fewer crops
• Harder to buy

Seeds

• Produce thicker buds
• Seeds are much easier to find
• A greater variety of strains
• More predictive yields
• Less susceptive to diseases

Read Also: Why Beginners Should Choose Autoflowering Strains

Step 2. Think About Place: Tent, Greenhouse, Or Growroom?

Here are some obvious ideas about where to start your garden indoors: closet, attic, garage, or a cellar. Before choosing a particular place, think about the following factors:

• Is it hidden from the public? Although growing cannabis is legal in many states today, you should not grow marijuana in front of everyone. At least, you should hide from thieves or nosey neighbors.
• Can you smell your plants? Usually yes. But if you get a good tent with a carbon filter, that will not be a problem for anyone. Even if you are hanging around your garden, you and your roommates will smell nothing. Be a good neighbor and get yourself a decent growing tent.
• Is your room equipped with water supplies and electricity? Your indoor garden needs to be connected to electricity so that all your fans, controllers, and lights continually work. You should check on your monitors daily and monitor your cannabis. Also, it is highly recommended to choose a dry and cool place with a window for fresh air.

Where to Place Your Cannabis Garden: Tent, Greenhouse, or Grow Room?

As soon as you have figured out which type of plant you want to grow and where; it's time to choose the room for your marijuana. How big is the are you want to allocate for your garden? You should evaluate the size of your future plants before you buy seeds or cuttings. If you have a small room, how many bushes can it fit? Usually, one bush takes 1.5-4 square feet.

Growing Weed In A Tent

A tent is the simplest solution for those who just begin to grow indoor marijuana seeds. They are created to make cultivating simple and are perfect for small operations for homes.

Note, that this option is not compatible with large volumes. If your limit is 1-4 ounces a time, this is your way to go.

What Are the Benefits of Buying a Tent?

• A tent can protect your plant from dust and dirt. Especially during the flowering period, when buds easily collect tiny hair, dust, and fiber.
• It is inexpensive which is good for hobby growers. The average price for a tent is $50-200. The price depends on different characteristics such as size, fabric, capacity for hanging lights and other equipment.
• Fast setup. It is very easy to assemble the grow tent, just like assembling old-school IKEA items. Any tend comes with instruction and all needed details.
• It is lightproof. As you should control the level of light by yourself, a good tent should hide the plants from any light.
• You can have separate harvests. For example, if you have two different strains, you can grow them in different environments in the very same room.

Greenhouse

A greenhouse is more difficult to maintain than a tent, however, this is another option to grow marijuana indoors in a larger quantity.

An indoor greenhouse is built from a vinyl cover to keep heat or humidity inside. The perfect temperature level will range from 75-85°F. As with tents, you will have to consider temperature needs, buy cooling systems, lights, and moisture control.

Indoor Grow Room

If you have a place at home where to set up a grow room, then you can save some money on buying a tent.

You can utilize your closet or a garage, quickly get fresh air, with no special equipment.

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Step 3. Choose Artificial Light for Maximum Control

How will your ideal light look like? Most professionals agree that the perfect light should be a mix of several light sources. You have to follow two main rules:

• First. Any grower must have a LED or HPS light source located above the plants.
• Second. Hang blue-spectrum lights on the side of your bushes.

If you use grow tent you might have noticed the Mylar material that is used for the interior. This material helps the light spread evenly all over the growing area. Most light comes from a full-spectrum LED light whereas blue light gives the additional support in the medium level.

Read Also: 15 Ways to Increase Your Cannabis Yield

Why Do You Need This Blue Light for Indoor Growing?

LED and HPS are the main reasons why your plants grow faster and produce more buds. If you will not use a secondary source, your plants will also be too tall and thin. Most of the stems will remain dry and the lower parts will not produce a crop. That's why additional light will help to get more leaves, robust growth, and more buds. If you use some small area like a tent, your plants will not actually grow very tall. Instead, they will be short, wide, and bushy. In this case, you don't need to have a large number of plants for a good yield and big buds. For this particular space, LED light within 300-600 watts will be your best bet. The average price for this lamp is around $80-100. Not too cheap, but it works better than less expensive equivalents that will not provide you with the same heat. The blue-spectrum supplement bulbs should have a color temperature of 5000K-7000K. Such bulbs are often used for holiday decorations and easily can be found on Amazon.

Step 4. Ventilation for Your First Indoor Cannabis Crop

Good ventilation is a key source of CO2 for your cannabis plants and it impacts its growth as well as the proper light and medium. The best climate control results in a great crop! The main rule to remember is to let fresh air in and hot and stale air out. Light breeze helps plants grow better, strengthens their stems, and makes leaves and buds develop faster. The proper climate is between 75-85°F and we recommend not experimenting with these figures as it may cause plant damages.

Set up Fans in Grow Tents

Four indispensable elements to create a simple ventilation system:

1. The fan you will hang inside the grow tent / or intake fan
2. Extractor fan
3. Duct tape
4. Ducting

Intake Fan

The golden rule of proper ventilation is to exchange air every 1-3 minutes to cool down the temperature caused by light and to maintain the desired moisture levels. You should position the intake fan in the corner of the tent (better at ground level) and use duct tape to securely fix it to the hole. The external ducting should be placed near some source of fresh air (better near window).

Extractor Fan

Connect ducting and extractor fan with duct tape. Make sure that your grow tent matches the ducting. It's better to think about it beforehand. In case they don't match, you will need additional instruments. Next, carefully run ducting through the tent avoiding any dents. Take the carbon filter and hang it from the roof. It is better to connect ducting to some source of fresh air like a window. If you use grow tents I recommend getting one extractor fan with a diameter of 6''. This size is considered to be standard for most air-cooled hoods. Every one foot in your area requires one exhaust fan. Determine the length, width, and height of your tent and buy the right number of fans or one fan that meets the requirements. Also, if the moisture level is higher than average, you will need a fan with higher cubic feet per minute. My advice is to choose fans with a bigger capacity. You can always reduce it or turn it off.

Additional Fans

Experienced growers never underestimate the importance of light breeze. Set up the oscillating fans to blow all plants around.

Step 5. Select the Monitoring and Timing Equipment

With a quality set of light and ventilation systems, you will need some help to monitor their work. You can buy some complex systems that automate temperature, lights, fans, and humidity, but if you grow your first plant, there is no need to spend too much. It's better to start with a simple timer to control your lights and a thermostat for your extractor fan.

Control Light/Dark Cycle

You have to switch the lightning regimes twice a day. Usually, it is 16-20 hours of light against 8-4 hours of darkness for the vegetative period. During the flowering period, your plant will need less light – 12 hours a day. Cannabis demands regime changes at the same time. If you forget to turn on or off the light your plant will undergo serious stress. Some timers can control irrigation systems and CO2. They can be programmed by a minute, have numerous programs, and can be scheduled for several days ahead.

What Does All This Mean?

It basically means that you can forget about the gardener job and let the timer do all the work for you. You can set a precise time when to turn off the lights and other functions. You can even select the day of the week when to switch to a certain feature.

Thermostat

Unless you are a professional grower, you don't need too many monitoring devices. However, to control temperature, buy a simple thermostat that has high and low modes. Thus you will be able to follow the conditions in the tent. This tool will show you humidity levels and temperature.

Step 6. Get Awesome Cannabis Grow Gadgets

Apart from the essentials, I recommend buying some devices that will make your life easier.

pH Meter

This tool will help you control the pH level of the nutrients, water, and medium. The average pH level lies between 6-7 for soil and 5-6 for hydroponic media. If you neglect pH level it may cause your plant to lack nutrients.

Shears

This is your main instrument when it comes to working with marijuana you grow indoors. You can use it for clipping clones, remove the leaves or dead parts of a plant without hurting the healthy parts.

Microscope

If you are more than an amateur or you want to get into more details when growing ween, then you need a microscope. It is a great instrument is you want to assess the quality of your plant, detect flaws, impurities, etc. Normally, microscopes are used to see the trichomes (which actually produce THC). If the trichomes are clear, it is not the right time to harvest. If it is amber, marijuana is in the developing phase. And if it is cloudy, you can harvest marijuana buds.

Step 7. The Best Indoor Marijuana Medium: Soil, Coco, or Hydro?

Once you have decided on the place, chosen the strain, and equipped your garden with all the necessary tools, it's time to choose the right medium. Some people think that is the most important step as it will impact the nutrients you need to buy, how to maintain your plants, etc. Here are the most popular mediums for cannabis growing.

Soil-Less / Hydrophonic

There are basically two main types of mediums – soil and hydroponic (coco, Rockwool, etc). There are dozens of soilless medium but all of them have one feature in common – they cannot grow anything on their own. The plant will be 100% dependant on your gardening skills. You have to buy all the needed nutrients from the moment you planted marijuana. In other words, your plant will be inserted into the piece of artificial material. If you place your plant inside this media and give it water, the plant will lack nutrients. That's why, instead of pure water, you have to get a nutrient solution. This requires you higher attention and mathematical skills. If you are a beginner, don't take chances with Hydrophonic. Better start with the soil.

Soil

The great benefit of soil is that it's great for beginners. It is a multi-purpose medium that does not require special treatment as it already has lots of nutrients. I bet if you find and combine different soils into a super mix, you will not need to buy so many nutrients. It is recommended for all levels including professional growers. However, the soil has certain drawbacks like slower growth. Also, if nutrients deficiency occurs, you will not be able to notice it right away.

Step 8. Cannabis Pots

What are the best cannabis containers? And what should you consider before choosing the pot for marijuana? The idea behind buying a container of a certain size and characteristics is to get the one that creates the best environment for the roots. The healthier the roots the bigger your cannabis yield will be. Think about the roots as the heart of your plant.

Containers to Grow Marijuana Indoors

There are dozens of different types of containers that serve different volumes and purposes.

Standard Containers

If you ever tried to grow a plant you are already familiar with this type. It looks like a cup with a hole at the bottom to drain water. Plus, every container goes with a saucer to accumulate excess water. This is the simplest and cheapest option you can find at all stores.

Fabric Containers / Grow Bags

Fabric pots are considered to be extremely healthy for growing marijuana. Due to their breathing walls, grow bags allow fresh air to hit the roots. Such technology helps cannabis focus on extending the root system instead of root binding. Among the pluses of such bags are:

• They provide more oxygen for the roots
• Protection from heat during hot days
• Prevents root circling
• Some have built-in handles for convenience

Read Also: Best Online Seed Banks to Buy Weed Seeds: Comprehensive Reviews and Buying Tips

Air Pots

Air pots are designed for the same purpose as smart pots – to supply better airflow and remove water more efficiently. This results in more roots and faster growth. The pot has plenty of holes on the surface that encourage root to grow towards them, reach the light and stop growing at a tip. Both smart and air pots have similar characteristics: they require fresh air, water, moisture, temperature regulation, ventilation, and nutrients.

Hempy Buckets

This is a great option for growing large plants that require drinking more water. This container is similar to a standard container however instead of the holes at the bottom it has holes on the sides leaving some water for a plant. Hempy buckets are not good for small plants as they provoke root problems because of the stagnant water.

How to Choose the Right Size?

Think about the size of the cannabis you will have in a couple of months. My recommendation is to have 2-3 gallons per 12'' plant. So, here are some calculations:

• 12″ plant needs 2-gallon pot
• 24″ plant needs 3-5 gallon pot
• 36″ plant needs 6-8 gallon pot
• 48″ plant needs 8-10 gallon pot
• 60″ plant needs 12+ gallon pot

Step 9. Nutrients

When you buy a nutrient bottle, pay attention to what it says. Usually, it shows three numbers that describe NPK – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Number 1 is the lowest nutrient level, while 15 is the highest one. You should use a different nutrient ratio for pre-vegging, vegetative, and flowering periods. There is no exact rule but general recommendations for good results reached through trial and error. Usually, the proper NPK ratio is as follows.

Vegetative Period

• Nitrogen – high
• Phosphorus – medium
• Potassium – high

Flowering Period

• Nitrogen – low
• Phosphorus – medium to high
• Potassium – high

Step 10. Grow Your First Marijuana Plant Indoors

Now you have prepared all the ingredients to go through the growing stages. You want to see some results right away, but before this, you have to get started with a pre-vegging stage to make the seedlings ready to transplant. Right? Let's get started.

Pre-Vegetative Growth

During this stage, your future plant is just creating its first root system and starting to develop leaves. Now, you should make it possible to help the plant transform into a healthy bush, develop strong stems and leaves. Before you actually transplant it to a bigger container (which we already discussed above), you have to prepare both the plant and your environment.

How to Find Out That the Clone Is of Enough Size for Transplantation?

My recommendation is to see if the clone has 3-4 leaves it is ready to plant out in the more spacious pot. But don't be misled by the first tiny leaves that will appear shortly after you planted a seed. These leaves are called cotyledons. Their purpose is to fuel the seedling during the very first weeks of development. The true leaves will appear after the cotyledons. Remember, that it is not how tall the marijuana bush is but how many true foliages it has that will be a sign to plant out the clone.

Here are three essential rules to follow during transplantation:

1. Don't touch roots. I realize that one could barely do this, but try not to dig the soil around the seedling. Try moving the whole mass of the medium and placing it to the new medium.
2. Water your plants after planting out. Giving more water to marijuana will reduce stress and help them to get into recovery mode. Make sure that the root ball is moisturized as the dry roots vulnerable to damages.
3. And the last thing is to fill their permanent homes with nutrients. Prepare the water: test the pH level (see the previous paragraphs), clean it and soften it, and mix the nutrients properly before giving it to your plants.

Most experts agree that the pH for the medium is around 6-7 pH. There is no exact number but try to stay in this gap and see how the plant reacts. Once you adjust to this level, try a little different number. For example, try 6.1 during your first watering, then 6.4 with the next watering. The main point is to stay within 6-7 pH. If the pH level became too high or too low you should immediately correct it. Just buy pH up or pH down products at any gardening store.

The Vegging Stage: Timeline

What is the vegging stage? This is the second cycle during which your plant continues developing its body, roots, and leaves.

Pay attention if your plant gets the following nurturing:

1. It receives enough place for roots development. Without this free room, your cannabis is limited in growth, can stop developing its branches, and will not absorb the nutrition in the right way.
2. The plant has to gain more leaves which is vital for photosynthesis. By absorbing light they grow and breathe.
3. It needs to develop more branches and grow wide. If you want to have a wide and bushy plant with lots of flowers you should provide it with enough space.

Each week vegging stage will require different amounts of light, temp, moisture, pH level. Here are my effective recommendations for every stage of the vegging period od your cannabis plant.

First Week

• Temperature level: 70-85F
• Moisture level: 40-60%
• Light cycle: 18 hours on / 6 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Second Week

This week your marijuana has become taller and stronger, it developed more foliage and it's time to start training your plant. On the day 9-11, you can start pruning the bush. Taking a couple of leaves from the plant will result in better foliage and exposure to more light and it provokes early developments of buds. It also helps to manage the height of your cannabis and widen its area. At this stage follow these guidelines:

• Temperature level: 70-85F
• Humidity level: 40-60%
• Light cycle: 18 hours on / 6 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Third Week

During the third week it time to give ½ of nutrients in your medium. Over the next couple of weeks, you can provide it with a full dosage of nutrients. It's also a time to empty and refill the reservoir with water enhanced with nutrients. Check your temperature, pH, and light schedule:

• Temperature level: 70-85F
• Humidity level: 40-60%
• Light cycle: 18 hours on / 6 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

This week, the bush becomes susceptible to bacteria and fungal infections that can hurt roots and (in future) buds. If you see the white mold on the leaves, you use a spray made by oil, water, milk. If you noticed the disease in advance, you can save the plant by giving it vitamins. If the bush is sick for a long time it is recommended to remove it from the garden and save the rest of your plants.

Fourth Week

• Temperature level: 70-85F
• Humidity level: 40-60%
• Light cycle: Day 28: 18 or 24 hours on / 6 or 0 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Day 28 of the vegetative period is the last day in the cycle. Just leave your plant for a while and give it a rest and switch the light off for 24h. Then give it a 12 on/12 off mode that will provoke flowering.

Why Does It Happen?

Marijuana plants have a gene called Phytochrome Far Red that guides a plant to stay in the vegging period. When you switch the light off this gene is changed into Phytochrome Red. When you switch off the light for over 12 hours, Phytochrome Far Red stops working that makes it bud.

Read Also: Cannabis Deficiencies: Symptoms and Solutions

Step 12. Flowering / Budding Stage: Timeline

This is the last and most looked forward stage in cannabis growing. During the budding weeks, your bush grows in a different way and it becomes quite susceptible to external threats. Here you don't have much room for a mistake. In order to save and increase your yield, stick to the rules of each week of the budding period.

First Week

The first week of the budding period is called the transition. Now you should take these steps to make it as smooth as possible:

1. Make the temperature cooler and the air drier.
2. Water your soil more frequently as the stems are developing faster and the roots become bigger.
3. Add ½ strength nutrients.
4. Empty and refill your reservoir. Don't forget to add nutrients to the water.
5. Trimm the small branches and leaves at the lower part of each bush. This will allow more fresh air and prevent mold.
   • Temperature level: 65-80F
   • Humidity level: 40-50%
   • Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
   • Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
   • Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Second Week

Now you can identify the sex of your plants. If you don't see if you have male or female, then switch the lights cycle back to 16 on / 8 off. After you identify the sex, you have an option either to breed the plants or remove all male plants. Be careful as even the smallest particle of pollen will stimulate the seeds to grow.

• Temperature level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Third Week

Don't be surprised if you see your plants stretched a bit. The third week is a stretching period and it is temporary. It will finish when the bush will transfer all the growth energy to flowers.

• Temperature level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Fourth Week

Now you can see the tiny buds that start to emerge and little hairs coming out of them. This is the exact week when the marijuana starts smelling and the smell becomes stronger after each day. If you see tiny salty particles in the soil, they are remains of the nutrients and you should flush them. If you keep them in the soil, they may affect the pH balance and cause the opposite effect to the grow.

• Temperature level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Fifth Week & Sixth Week

Now you should not apply too much effort. Just maintain a clean and balanced environment. Week 5 is a period when the flowers begin to swell, followed by a faster growth next week. If you notice that the bush has some dying leaves or other parts, just prune them so that the plant could provide flowers with all its energy.

• Temperature level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Seventh Week

At this stage, you can ignore the nutrients schedule and provide your plants with pure water till the first day of harvest. You will notice that the buds are quickly ripening and leaves change their color. While leaves become yellow and fade, the buds gain strength and swell. There is no need to worry about such behavior – it only signals about nitrogen deficiency. Taking into account that nitrogen does not allow buds to grow, this is a normal process.

• Temp level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Eighth Week

Congratulations! You have made it to the last week of all stages. At this point, most of the plants finish budding. The harvesting window begins when the buds stop producing white hairs 30-40% of which start to curl and tan. Before harvesting, you should use your microscope and check the trichomes. If they are cloudy, it's a good time to harvest. If they are clear, wait a couple of days. If they are becoming amber, you should hurry up and chop them down as these changes affect quality.

• Temperature level: 65-80F
• Humidity level: 40-50%
• Light cycle: 12 hours on / 12 hours off
• Soil pH: 6.3-6.8
• Hydro pH: 5.5-6.1

Read Also: Fan Leaves: How to Prune Cannabis for Optimal Growth and Yield

Conclusion

Once you have received some practical and theoretical knowledge, you can improve your place and get more professional equipment to make gardening convenient. You will better cultivation practices and try different strains. I hope this article will give you a good basis of information to start on the right foot. And most important, planting marijuana indoors is not only great work but also a new experience, so take your time and have lots of fun! And remember, harvest time will be your best time in life. Well, until you try your cannabis for the first time.