There are several things you need to consider especially if you plan to grow cannabis at home for the first time. This is usually a difficult task for the first-timer but the benefits will out way the time and money that you put into this project. With this in mind, it will aid you through your operations and how well you will work on them for good results.
Initial costs
You need to set up a budget that will cover the cost of starting up your cannabis-growing enterprise. There are several things you need to consider when coming up with the budget. Initially, you need to look at the amount of space needed concerning the amount of space available. The amount of space needed would generally be determined by the amount of cannabis that one intends to grow depending on your needs. Also, the type of seeds one wants to plant is an imperative factor, for example, the feminized cannabis seeds. Another thing to consider would be the type of lighting that you would use to grow your cannabis.
- Fluorescent lights are very good for the initial stages as they are good for the early growth and also propagation of the crop. High-intensity discharge lights are usually used for the general indoor growth of crops due to the extreme efficiency and intense lighting. They also have some UV radiation which helps in fighting pests and molds. High-pressure sodium lights are useful when you need your crops to flower. A combination of the lumps generally provides the best results for your marijuana plant.
- Plasma lighting can also be used despite them being highly priced. This is because they are more efficient than the other lights, have a longer life span with less wear and tear, and most importantly the light spectrum they provide is better and this particularly boosts the growth of your crop. LED lights can also be used to boost the growth of your marijuana and especially where the natural lighting is reduced maybe because of the weather. They are quite ideal for promoting the flowering of your plants and also the fruiting process.
- Temperature control is another aspect of the budget that needs to be carefully considered. Cannabis must be grown in ideal conditions preferably not cold or very cool conditions. The temperature will need to be regulated very carefully especially where you are growing cannabis in a completely indoor setup. This also involves the installation of a thermostat as well as the necessary material on the floors and walls that will help in maintaining the required temperature.
- In the budget one also needs to consider ventilation that will be required for the cannabis project. It has to be adequate ventilation within the area where the crop will be grown, to ensure optimum growth of the leaves and at the same time make sure that no time will the marijuana dry up due to lack of adequate ventilation which can also lead to excessive heat build-up.
- Another major component of the budget is the medium that will be used to grow marijuana. Different methods can be used to enable the growth of the crop and they all have different accompanying costs that are related to them. The methods can range from using plain fertile soil, hydroponics, aeroponics, coco fiber to aquaponics.
- A budget must also be set up for the nutrients that must be necessary and vital to be used both in the initial stages of planting as well as to ensure the continuous growth of the marijuana plant. It is necessary to determine the right amount and the right mix of nutrients that will be required for optimum growth as well as maximum yield to be realized from the crop. One can get detailed guidance on the nutrient’s proportions from a homegrown cannabis company. Last but not least, there is a need to factor in the irrigation system that would be used in the farming of marijuana crops. This would be imperative because the amount of water that would be provided to the plant needs to be properly regulated. At the same time, the amount of water used is also dependent on the method used to grow marijuana. In this regard, aeroponics and hydroponics methods of growing marijuana would use more water and need more irrigated systems compared to growing marijuana using just soil as a growth medium.
Continuing project costs
In this case, the budget will cover the cannabis crop once it has germinated and grown to ensure you get plants that grow to the maximum resulting also in bigger leaves. Here, the budget needs to cover climate control that needs to be very precise. To achieve this, one might need to invest in items such as dehumidifiers or humidifiers, air purifiers. This will imply an increase in the cost of electricity, but this can be offset once the harvest has been brought in.
Relevant laws
It is important to consider both the federal and state laws that govern the growth of cannabis at home. On a federal level, it is vital to note that the government will tend to focus on major crimes such as international drug trafficking. The laws tend to vary from state to state and therefore, one must do the relevant background research to find out which laws apply to the area in which you reside. It is important to also look at specific county laws and even city statutes that will also apply to the relevant area in which you live in. All one needs to do is to follow the rules as they have been set out to be on the right side of the law.
Be prepared for any downfall
It is key to be prepared for anything that may go wrong when you go about growing cannabis in your home. Be prepared for insects or any other pests that might infest your marijuana. It would be prudent to have the relevant pesticides at hand to be able to counter such a devastating state. Another thing that could happen is that the power supply could be interrupted and this could have an impact on the vital system such as the irrigation system or the climate-controlled system. This can be mitigated by having a backup generator.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
