Growing Pot? Here Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid
The cannabis industry is exploding right now with new varieties and technologies that growers are using for growth. This is attributable to the current increased legalization of this herb which opens doors for people to access everything they need to grow cannabis plants.
What’s impressive about the plant is that it grows in most parts of the world, leading most people to believe that it is an easy crop to grow. But if it's your first time, then it's easy to find yourself making lots of mistakes. To help you out, here is a rundown of the common mistakes that you should avoid when growing weed.
Overwatering and Underwatering
Cannabis plants don't need water every day to grow. Therefore, it is good to water them only when required to harden the roots. Overwatering cannabis plants will lead to a droopy posture as well as encourage dumpiness. Plants that receive excess water also show yellowing of leaves.
Underwatering is also a common mistake, and it will reduce photosynthesis in the plant. Poor water supply will also interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the ground, and within no time, your plant will display symptoms of nutrient deficiency.
Bad Seeds
Due to a lack of sufficient knowledge, some growers don't know how to select the best seeds to plant. As such, they end up with uncertified, unhealthy seeds, or not well-treated seeds. Good genes are a primary factor that affects the growth of the whole plant. Therefore, failing at the seed stage reduces the ability to get a high-quality plant. Learn how to recognize quality marijuana seeds to guarantee good produce. Therefore, Make sure you buy seeds from reputable companies like Paradise Seeds for improved growing success and good harvest.
Identifying Diseases and Pests Too Late
Most growers recognize any diseases and pests only too late when the plant is almost dying. At this time, diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, and pests like spider mites have already multiplied in the plant to the extent that it is almost impossible to fight them. Therefore, mastering how to prevent mold and other pest control practices is important to avoid any interference with the growth of your plants.
Growers should have a spraying program for marijuana to avoid such problems when it is still early enough to save the plants. If you are unsure, then you must learn ways to recognize and treat a sick cannabis plant.
Resistance to Seek Advice
The marijuana industry is relatively new and this means that there are few growth professionals. However, this doesn’t mean that there is insufficient advice to upcoming growers. You must follow the advice of marijuana specialists to avoid making avoidable mistakes.
But you must be able to identify the legitimate advice from the fake one. The good news is that there are several research bodies and reputable cannabis experts online that can offer you the guidance you need when it comes to the type of soil, seeds, LED lights, and nutrients, among others.
Nutrient Burns
Marijuana requires a mix of nutrients to grow, and picking the wrong type of nutrients is one of the mistakes that novice growers make. You need to know the amount of manure or fertilizer to use to avoid nutrient burns. Ensure you consult a specialist every time you are unsure of what to consider when buying fertilizers or manure.
Failure to Manage pH
You can’t fail to ignore pH. If the pH is wrong, your plants will get sick and produce few yields, or eventually die. It also affects the ability of the plant to consume nutrients and grow healthy. Therefore, you may require a kit to measure and control pH at all times. Paradise Seeds recommends using a water PH level of 5.5 to 6.0.
Harvesting the Buds Too Early
It is important to wait for the right time to harvest buds even if they appear so delicious as they hang freely from the plants. Buds harvested too early have low potency. There are plenty of online and offline resources where you can find out the criteria of a fully ripe bud. One technique that many growers do is by using a microscope to check the color of the trichomes. When most of the trichomes are milky/cloudy, then you know it’s ready to go.
Using the Wrong Soil
First-time growers tend to get soil from any garden and begin planting. The soil must also be free of pests and diseases. With the advancement in technology, some experienced growers are using soilless media to avoid such issues.
Poor Lighting
Varieties such as auto-flowering cannabis don't follow the same light/dark regime as other plants. So, if you are planting indoors, no matter the variety, you will require artificial lighting. Growers, at times, make the mistake of giving plants too little light, and this affects flowering.
Conclusion
Growing marijuana sounds easy, but the practice requires some skills. Marijuana is a sensitive plant and going wrong in one growth step will affect the quality of the entire production. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid the above common mistakes. A great way to start is to ensure that you buy cannabis seeds that are of high quality.