July 31, 2020
As a potential first-time grower, getting started is the biggest roadblock you’ll likely face. First, you have to find the right place to cultivate and obtain the proper growing equipment. Then, you need to buy medicinal plants or seeds and spend a lot of time checking and maintaining your crop.
You must also operate within the boundaries of the law before getting started. Growing medicinal plants remains illegal in many U.S. states. Therefore, make sure that home cultivation is allowed where you live before proceeding. Assuming you are legally able to continue, keep reading our detailed guide to growing medicinal plants indoors.
It’s really tough to get truly top-shelf buds if you start with mid-grade seeds, clones, or the dreaded bagseed; you’re giving yourself a much higher chance of disappointment because no growing method can overcome genetics!
These buds were both grown in the exact same setup at the same time, but have different genetics. Look how differently the buds turned out! Choosing the right strain lets you choose the looks and effects you want!
Here I recommend online seed banks.Ever since I started buying seeds from a reputable medicinal plants seed bank and getting my chosen strains shipped to me, I have been able to consistently produce high-quality buds!
The first step in setting up your personal medicinal plants grow is creating a suitable space in which to do it. This space doesn’t even need to be a typical room—it can be a closet, tent, cabinet, spare room, or a corner in an unfinished basement. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to tailor your equipment (and plants) to fit the space.
Start small…
When tackling your first grow project, you’ll want to start small for multiple reasons:
The smaller the grow, the less expensive it is to set up
It’s much easier to monitor a few plants than a large number
Your mistakes as a first-time grower will be less costly
Remember, most new medicinal plants growers will experience setbacks and lose plants to pests or disease. A failed grow of two plants will put a far smaller dent in your wallet than a lot more plants.
…But think big
When designing your space, you’ll need to take into account not only the amount of room your plants will need, but also your lights, ducting, fans, and other equipment. You’ll also have to leave enough room for you to work. Medicinal plants can double in size in the early stages of flowering, so make sure you have adequate head space!
If your grow room is a cabinet, tent, or closet, you can simply open it up and remove the plants to work on them; otherwise, you’ll need to make sure you leave yourself some elbow room.
Soil is another very important factor that affects medicinal plants’ growth. It’s because it contains all the nutrients necessary for its development. Therefore, when choosing the soil, you should make sure it’s of good quality and rich in nutrients. This way, you won’t have to add artificial nutrients. However, if you decide to use a hydroponic system instead of soil, you need to make sure you “feed” the media with concentrated mineral salt nutrients.
Of all things, light is probably the most important part of your growing operation; the more, the better! Getting the best light is about finding a good balance between cost and yield, and finding the right type of light from the many options available.
• CFLs: Compact fluorescent lights fit in common light sockets and are widely available. These low-intensity lights are used exclusively for seedlings and vegging, and they only use a little electricity.
• HID lights: The two main types of HID (high-intensity discharge) lamps are MH (metal halide) and HPS (high-pressure sodium). MH lamps can be used for vegging, and HPS grow lights for flowering. They are affordable, but use lots of electricity and produce lots of heat.
• LEDs: Modern LEDs for growing now rival HID lights, and their prices have dropped significantly since first appearing on the market. The biggest advantage of LEDs is that they use much less energy than HID. However, the initial cost for quality LED grow lights for indoor plants can be higher.
If you’re just starting out with cultivation, look into full spectrum LED grow lights from a reputable manufacturer. Full-spectrum means these lights are good for vegging and flowering. Don’t skimp on your lights, as this is where it’s worth spending a little more.
• Pro tip: Some grow lights also emit UVB light, which is said to increase trichome production for more potent buds.
• Pro tip: Don’t burn your plants! Avoid light burn (bleached and crumpled leaves) by placing your lamps at an appropriate distance from your medicinal plants. Consult the manufacturer for the recommended distance. Keep in mind that seedlings and young plants are particularly sensitive to light stress!
Like all living things medicinal plants also requires fuel to grow. A good friable soil mix that is rich with compost, living organisms, vitamins and minerals can supply your plants with enough food for their whole life cycle.
Watering with compost tea and other organic mixes like molasses or feather meals improve soil quality and encourage healthy plant growth.
With hydroponics or neutral mediums you supply all of the plant's lifeblood with pre-formulated nutrient blends. Usually customised for medicinal plants especially. Specialised concoctions are made exclusively for whichever soil-less medium you choose.
For strength and proper exchange of gases, medicinal plant requires fresh moving air. Outdoors this is no problems your plants will be exposed to breeze and gale alike. Indoors your plants will need a fresh air intake, stale air exhaust and a fan for air movement. Still environments encourage pests, moulds and weak growth. A buildup of aspirated gases will stunt plant growth.
Bugs and pests, like the most-common spider mites, can be a serious hazard to your crop. Medicinal plants can easily be infected with several types of bugs that can be fatal for the whole crop. Bugs, pests, spider mites, can come to your indoor garden if you take clones from other growers or dispensary, or from a soil that is already infected. Also, having more people working in your indoor garden can result in contamination with pests.
To avoid contamination, you should first of all, have solid ventilation as a humid environment helps them reproduce faster. Moreover, you should regularly remove the dust from leaves and branches and do a foliar application. There are natural ways to prevent or kill contaminators, by using vinegar, essential oils or you can also use chemically produced pesticides.
If you fail at preventing your crops from pests attack, you should react quickly. Better ventilation, bringing beneficial pests to your garden (like ladybugs) and applying natural anti-pesticides will help you get rid of the pests. You should be very persistent in your intention to save the crops, otherwise, your crops will be completely destroyed.
As you gain experience and knowledge, you will alter your grow room and equipment to better fit your particular environment, growing techniques, and the specific strains you grow, but this article will give you a solid foundation of knowledge to get started on the right foot.
And remember, growing medicinal plant is a labor of love, so spend a lot of time with your plants and have fun!