Guide to Growing at Home – Part 1
Springtime: Preparing to Plant
Burying our hands in the dirt and raising plants – from farm to flower – is what we do every day at Pure Sunfarms. We want to share our love of growing through a series of general tips on how to grow your own cannabis seeds outdoors, at home. We honour and respect that there are many ways to grow cannabis, and we hope this helps you on your journey.
Before you get planting, there are a few things to consider as you set up to grow.
Soil & Plant Food
What medium will you grow your plants in? For the home grower, we suggest using a cannabis-specific super or ‘living’ soil, which can be bought online or in-person from your local grow shop. Other choices include ‘soilless’ mediums such as peat*, coir (coco fibre)*, or rockwool*.
A super soil contains most of the nutrients a plant needs to begin to grow. However, you’ll still need to purchase additional ‘top dressings,’ which can be added to the surface of the soil and watered in. You’ll only need to do this a few times during the grow – during the vegetative cycle, and again during the flower phase. The formulation of the top dressing will play a critical role in plant and flower development.
The main nutrients that all plants need include nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). Each of these macronutrients can be used in different ratios at different stages.
GROW FACT
Air
Constant air circulation allows plants to breathe. Air movement will also help prevent mold and mildew. Make sure to space your plants far enough apart so they don’t limit each other’s airflow. It’s also a good idea to keep the plants away from windy areas. The plants appreciate a regular breeze, but a strong wind can damage young plants.
Sun
Cannabis plants grown in pure sunlight receive the fullest-possible spectrum of the sun’s rays. Planting outside usually takes place in Canada around the May-24 weekend, although it may be different, depending on how far north you live. The temperatures will rise throughout the summer, and the days will become longer as you approach the summer solstice. This is the time of the vegetative cycle. After that, somewhere following the first week of August, the steadily shortening days will encourage the plant to trigger flower production.
Tools
Here is a checklist of tools and equipment which may come in handy for your grow – most of which you may already have at home. We’ll recommend using items from this list as we move through each stage of your grow:
Germination / Seedling
- Paper towel
- Resealable sandwich bag
- Drinking glass
- Distilled water or water left out overnight
- Peat pods
- Propagation dome
- Fluorescent light fixture
- Programmable light timer
Transplanting / Hardening Off
- 4-to-6” pots
- Super soil
- 20-gallon pots (minimum)
- Water
- Fluorescent light fixture
The Vegetative Cycle
- Super soil (20 gallons of soil per plant)
- 20-gallon pots (minimum)
- Vegetative top dressing (plant food)
Trimming
- Sanitized spring-loaded hand pruner or trimming scissors
- Rubbing alcohol (for sanitizing)
The Flower Cycle
- Sanitized spring-loaded hand pruner or trimming scissors
- Rubbing alcohol (for sanitizing)
- Bloom/flower top dressing (plant food)
End of Flower
- Patience and a watchful eye
Harvest
- Sanitized spring-loaded hand pruner or trimming scissors
- Airtight canning jars
- Disposable gloves
A few considerations
Using this guide as a foundation, and in addition to your own research, you’re ready to select your seeds.
Height
Plants with indica-leaning characteristics tend to be naturally shorter with broad leaves, while those with a sativa-dominant heritage usually grow taller with narrow leaves. But keep in mind, you can trim or prune any plant to a preferred height.
Desired Characteristics
What are you looking for in your finished flower? Are you looking for high potency THC, or balanced cannabinoids*? In either case, it’s recommended to choose feminized seeds that are disease-resistant.
Our feminized Headband or Cherry Head seeds are suitable for both outdoor and indoor growing and were selected for their expected resistance to mold and mildew. They offer a good mix of potential flavours and potencies:
- Headband, a high-THC hybrid of OG Kush and Sour Diesel, is known to offer aromas of earth, gas, and citrus, and may grow to a medium height.
- Cherry Head is an original hybrid of Cherry Wine (a high-CBD cultivar*) and Headband. It is expected to offer blended cannabinoids and flavours from each parent.
Whether you’re a first-time, or even a seasoned grower, consider starting a grow diary, or post photos on your social channels to share the journey with others. And don’t forget to tag us at @puresunfarms so we can follow along too.
GROW TIP
*Grow Guide Glossary
Peat: Derived from plant material (sphagnum peat moss) and ideal for starter plants. cannabis marketplace, a cultivar is also known colloquially as a ‘strain’.
Coir: Made of shredded outer husks of the coconut shell.
Rockwool: Created from spun molten rock.
Cannabinoids: A group of naturally occurring chemical compounds, produced in the trichomes, that interact with the endocannabinoid receptors in our bodies to produce a range of effects and experiences. The most abundant cannabinoids in cannabis are THC and CBD.
Cultivar: A variety of a plant, chosen for specific characteristics, produced through selective breeding, or cultivation. In the cannabis marketplace, a cultivar is also known colloquially as a ‘strain.’
Legal Note: In Canada, the Cannabis Act permits adults to cultivate up to four (4) cannabis plants per household (not per person). Some provinces and territories (including Manitoba and Quebec) have applied added restrictions on personal cultivation. You are responsible for knowing what is legal in the province or territory where you live or visit, and online.
