A Brief Guide on Growing Medical Cannabis Strains Indoors

Indoor cultivation has now taken precedence over outdoor cultivation, as it allows a grower to utilize their small space. Moreover, growing plants indoors allows a grower to take better care of the plants and give them the right conditions for propagation. This protects the plants from the harsh weather outside, which can ruin a grower’s weeks of hard work.

Ultimately, the goal is to give your medical cannabis strain an ideal environment where it can thrive. With the right equipment and a managed microclimate, a grower can see the cannabis grow to its fullest!

Getting the Right Seeds

To start your indoor cannabis cultivation, you must go with auto-flower seeds. Autoflower or feminized seeds are much easier to grow and require minimum maintenance compared to non-feminized seeds grown for breeding purposes. Feminized seeds are perfect for consumption; therefore, they are the preferred choice. An indoor cultivator can easily get their hands on an auto-flowering seed via an online seed bank such as Famers Lab Seeds, which is credible and has a license.

A grower can identify the sex of the plant after 6 to 8 weeks by looking between the nodes. If one sees tiny hairs on the bract, it is a female cannabis plant, whereas if there is a pollen sac between the main stem and branch, it is a male cannabis plant. Hermaphrodite cannabis has both male and female reproductive organs. This is caused by cross-pollination, which happens when a grower plants a non-feminized seed with a feminized seed by mistake.

Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid?

It is the cannabinoids present in a particular cannabis strain that determine its medical effectiveness. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabinol) are two main components of cannabinoids that define the uses of particular weed seeds. Generally, it is preferable to get a strain with high CBD and low THC.

A general rule of thumb dictates that Sativa strains have high levels of CBD, which helps a person become energetic and fight off depression. In contrast, Indica strains have high THC, which gives “the high effect” and helps fight off pain, insomnia, stress, and anxiety. Hybrid strains, on the other hand, are made by combining the two main ones. These strains can be either Indica-dominant or Sativa-dominant.

Here are some medical cannabis strains for you to grow indoors:

1. CB Dream Seeds: CBD ratio of 6:6; harvested in 8 weeks, yielding 400 grams per plant.

2. CB Diesel Seeds: 0.3% THC, up to 20% CBD, harvested within nine weeks.

3. CB Dutch Treat Seeds: 4% THC, 8% CBD; harvest in 9 weeks with a yield of 500 grams per plant.

4. Orange Bud Seeds: 16.5% THC, 1.1% CBD, harvested within eight weeks.

5. Cannatonic Seeds: They have a THC content of 7 to 8% and a CBD content of 10 to 15% and are ready to harvest in 8 weeks.

Ensuring the Right Growing Space

Soil or Soilless?

If you want to grow marijuana plants indoors, it is better to get some 2 to 3-gallon fabric pots that allow easy aeration and support thick foliage.

Next, one must choose either soil or soilless medium. Beginners will often choose soil, as it has the right balance of nutrients and a stable pH. Furthermore, the soil is a natural element with the perfect balance of microbes that lets a plant grow effectively. However, it is prone to be attacked by pests or insects that may hinder the growth of your plant.

Hence, a soilless medium becomes a viable option. A grower can choose a Rockwool, coco coir, or hyrdroton mixture along with vermiculite and perlite to ensure perfect drainage and pH values.

Find Space

An indoor gardener can use a grow tent with a clean and reflective surface that provides a sufficiently enclosed environment. A compact grow tent allows proper ventilation and maintains correct humidity levels to ensure safe propagation. A simple four-square-foot grow tent can contain a three-gallon pot, allowing the plant to grow two to three feet high.

Lighting

Proper lighting must be ensured to grow your cannabis plant indoors effectively. Each stage of the cannabis plant requires a different amount of light.

In the germination stage, which lasts between 5 and 10 days, a light cycle of 16:8 should be given. That means your cannabis should be exposed to light for 16 hours and dark for 8 hours. Additionally, provide a red-light spectrum for maximum growth.

In the seedling stage, which lasts between 2 and 3 weeks, your cannabis plant needs 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. Use an LED in the blue light spectrum to ensure healthy leaves.

Provide 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness during the vegetative stage, which lasts between 3 and 16 weeks. Additionally, give full spectrum light to your plant.

Give 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness during the flowering stage, which lasts between 8 and 11 weeks.

Temperature and humidity

Temperature and humidity levels go hand in hand when it comes to ensuring healthy cannabis plant growth. Therefore, a grower must manipulate these two parameters in the following stages of planting:

In the seedling stage, maintain a temperature of 20 to 25 °C and a humidity level of 65 to 70%.

In the vegetative stage, lower the humidity levels by 5% each week. Additionally, ensure a temperature of 22 to 28 °C.

In the flowering stage, lower the humidity levels to 40 to 50%. Also, ensure that the temperature is within 20 to 26 °C.

Conclusion

Growing a medicinal cannabis plant indoors has gotten much easier. With the right equipment and methods, a grower can start planting in no time. Whether you live in an apartment or have a room to spare, go for indoor cannabis cultivation and bust the myths!

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes