Cannabis Yields – With the help of extensive research, it’s now widely known that some compounds in the cannabis plant, like cannabidiol (CBD), can help improve people’s health and well-being. For this reason, many states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Besides that, some countries have also allowed cannabis use for recreational purposes.
In such areas, it may also be okay to grow the plant. You could hugely benefit from cultivating cannabis yourself; you could save some money in the cost of frequent purchases and might have a continuous supply for your intended medical use.
Errors To Avoid When Growing Cannabis
Unlike many plants, cannabis requires some special conditions to thrive. In most cases, new cultivators may not get good yields because they fail to provide these conditions for cannabis to grow.
For instance, some crops may grow well if you water them using hard or untreated water. However, cannabis might not do well with that approach. The best water for cannabis growth is the pure and clean kind.
In this article, you’ll find some mistakes many novice cannabis farmers make that affect their harvest. You’ll also learn how to correct or avoid such errors. Some common mistakes new growers make are:
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Not Providing The Right Water
As mentioned earlier, cannabis might not thrive if watered with untreated or hard water, like other plants. Such types of water might not be recommended for this plant because they may contain excess minerals or harsh components which may be toxic for cannabis.
If you have tap water, distilling it could help eliminate the harsh minerals, impurities, and contaminants it may have. Alternatively, consider using a reverse osmosis water softener. Such a system can help in filtering toxic components from your tap water, thereby purifying it. Aside from making your water clean and pure, this might also help you soften your water, making it suitable for cannabis growth.
However, utilizing the two water purification methods mentioned above may also eliminate some useful nutrients like magnesium and calcium, necessary for cannabis growth. Therefore, if you consider using any of these methods, ensure you buy nutrient supplements for your plants.
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Failing To Monitor pH Levels Of Growing Mediums
A growing medium is a material utilized to grow plants. For cannabis, it could be soil, coco coir, or hydroponics. Another area many novice cannabis farmers go wrong may be failing to monitor their growing mediums’ potential hydrogen (pH) levels. It’s believed that if the pH of your coco coir, soil, or hydroponics is too high or low, it may impact the ability of your plants to absorb nutrients.
As a result, you may end up with cannabis with unappealing buds or discolored leaves. Additionally, your plants could get sick or develop poorly. Your harvest may not appeal to customers if you’re growing your cannabis for sale. And if you’re cultivating it for personal use, your yield might not sufficiently offer you the intended gains.
Regular monitoring of your growing medium’s pH is recommended to ensure you maintain balanced levels. A measurement kit or a digital pen could help you monitor your growing mediums’ pH. If you discover an imbalance, consider buying pH up or down products to correct your levels.
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Providing Too Much Or Too Little Light
Light is essential for cannabis growth. Like many other plants, cannabis generates chlorophyll. This component helps the plant absorb light and convert it into food energy necessary for growth. Cannabis needs a balanced measure of light, and many new growers either provide too much or too little of it, and this is a mistake you should avoid. Insufficient amounts could affect your final yield, while excess light could make your plants not flower.
If you’re growing cannabis indoors, make sure that you use superior quality light-emitting diode (LED) grow lights that don’t produce high levels of heat. Also, invest in a timer. It’ll help you manage the amount of light your plants receive.
For instance, it might be advisable to have your LEDs on for 18 hours and off for 6 hours in the vegetative stage. During the flowering phase, it may be recommendable to have your lights on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours as well. A timer can be helpful as it will remind you when to turn your LEDs off or on. That said, you could find grow lights with an automatic timer. Such products can be quite efficient.
If you grow your cannabis plants outside, providing light to your plants may be easier. It’s advisable to place them in a sunny spot where they’ll receive sufficient sunlight. However, it may be better to ensure you position them facing the south. This way, they’ll get sunlight for at least 8 hours every day.
Conclusion
If you are staying in a region where growing and consuming cannabis is legal, you could benefit by cultivating the plant yourself. However, do note that cannabis requires extra care to get a good harvest.
In this article, you’ve learned about some mistakes many new growers make, which in the end affect their yield. Make sure you keep in mind the mentioned mistakes and follow the recommendations provided. This way, you could produce high-quality cannabis.