How Marijuana is Grown and Increasing Yields
By Leeroy P.
Recreational and medical legalization of cannabis has created a big demand for one of the planet’s most versatile plants.
It is a good time to be a cultivator of marijuana. That said, as you approach the growth and cultivation sector of the industry, you quickly find that there is quite a bit of information to learn about the different types of weed available.
There are a number of ways to grow marijuana, each with their own set of benefits and limitations. Today our goal is to explore how to grow cannabis, learn about the marijuana growth cycle and apply tips that increase yields with bigger buds.
Three Ways Marijuana is Grown
Hydroponics:
Let’s start with a method that is finding lots of success in the world of contemporary growing.
Hydroponics is a popular choice for cannabis growing because it is efficient, and it provides lots of control to the grower.
With hydroponics, you end up growing your plants without the soil. Instead, you utilize water soluble fertilizer, which promotes quick growth and high yields.
The downsides of this method are unfortunately hard to work around. One obstacle that many will bump up against is the sheer startup cost of hydroponics.
It is a pricey method of growing because you need to buy a sizable amount of new equipment to make it work.
The cost eventually works itself out in crop yield, but if finances are a hardship for you, hydroponics may not be your best option.
It also requires a decent amount of room, making it a challenge for people with limited space.
Soil:
Using soil for weed growth is pretty self-explanatory. Planting cannabis in soil is more or less the same process that you would extend to any other planting endeavor. You still water, fertilize, and nurture the plant as needed, whether the plant is outdoors, or inside under a grow light.
Aquaponics:
Aquaponics is similar to hydroponics insofar as the fact that soil is not used. Aquaponics takes things a step further and produces a symbiotic environment in which your aquatically planted crop can grow.
Aquaponics incorporates fish into the tank for naturally enriched water.
The plants grow by absorbing the naturally infused nutrients in the water.
The limitations again stem from the startup cost. You are going to need to make a sizable investment, and have ample room in order to get started with aquaponics.
Tips for High Yields and Bigger Buds:
Now let’s take a look at a couple of tips for high marijuana crop yields.
Topping Your Plant:
To top your plant means to cut the plant at the main stem near the top. The name actually does pretty well to explain itself.
Through making this cut you “train” the plant to take a shape that is more likely to produce high-yields. When you do not top your plant, the cannabis will flower more or less along a single stem. However, when the plant is topped, it introduces the potential for multiple stems which will increase your yield.
LED Lights:
If you are growing indoors, you need to choose your source of light wisely. LED is great for a number of reasons. For one thing, LED lights are the most economical to run. They use a small fraction of the energy produced by other bulbs, and they have a life span that can last for many, many years.
They also just work very well. LED light beams are focused, and provide your plants with the exact wavelength that they need for optimal photosynthesis.
LED lights can get hot, but most come with a dedicated cooling system to mitigate the risk.
Flushing Soil:
Last but not least for our tips on getting high yields and healthy plants, you are going to want to flush your soil.
Throughout the growing process, your soil may get, for lack of a better phrase, clogged up, by salts and nutrients. As a result, the plant will struggle to absorb the nutrients that it needs to thrive.
The good news is that solving the problem is very simple. To flush the soil, all that you need to do is stop fertilizing your plant, and instead just stick to giving it plenty of water.
There are a few instances in which flushing the soil may be a good idea. If you are changing out the types of nutrients that you intend to give your plant, it may be a good idea to flush the soil out first.
You also might want to give this process a try if you are close to harvest time.
Conclusion:
As you can see, there is not one, but many ways to grow marijuana in the modern world. Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks. Each will favor a different type of planter best.
No matter what option you decide to use, it is safe to say that the potential for high yields is certainly in your favor.
Cannabis knowledge has improved in leaps and bounds over the past several decades, and this has been to the benefit of all of us. In short, it is a good time to be in the business, and getting better and better with each day.