In more and more states, it’s becoming legal to not only use marijuana both medically and recreationally, but to grow your own as well. The changing laws mean more people are growing cannabis than ever before, but what does it take to create a successful home grow?
“If you don’t create the right environment, you are destined to fail down the road,” said Jeremy Corrao, vice president of GrowGen Management Corp. for GrowGeneration, a leading supplier of products, services, and solutions for commercial and personal cannabis growers of all sizes, with more than 60 retail and distribution centers in the United States.
“Environment” refers to a lot of things when it comes to agriculture — and hydroponics (plants that grow without soil) in particular — including, but not limited to, light, temperature, and humidity.
For cannabis to properly bloom, it needs all these factors to stay relatively consistent throughout the cultivation process. A good way to ensure this consistency, Corrao recommends, is to invest in a grow tent.
“They create a nice barrier to have a controlled environment,” Corrao said. “With a grow tent, you won’t have light leaks, and you can keep things like your light schedule on track without compromising your cultivation.”
Keep it simple
Corrao says it’s also important for new growers to keep their grows relatively simple. Cannabis takes a long time to grow, so it’s better to try one alteration to your process at a time, rather than making wholesale changes.
“If you can create a good control, and only change one thing at a time, that allows you to see what differences that change made,” Corrao said. “I think the most important thing is really understanding how to look at a garden.”
One of those small changes that can benefit new and experienced growers alike is Power SI. The backbone of the brand’s products is monosilicic acid, which increases nutrient uptake in plants, strengthening their stalks and stems, and making them more resistant to things like environmental changes, and overwatering and underwatering.
“We like to call it an insurance policy for your garden,” said Rex Gill, the founder of Power SI, which you can find at GrowGeneration. “Let’s say your air conditioner breaks and you don’t notice it for three hours, and your grow room gets to 105 °F. If you’re using Power SI, the chances of your plant growing through that are going to be much better.”
Gill says the Power SI’s “Original” formulation is beloved by cannabis growers with grows of all sizes, and that its “Granular” product can be used in both cannabis cultivation and general agriculture.
And as hydroponic “vertical farms” are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture, products that were originally intended for cultivating cannabis (like Power SI) are now being used to bolster our food supply.
Expert advice
The gradual legalization of marijuana in the United States means there’s a lot of information available for new home growers, and not all of it can be trusted. That’s why it’s important to find an expert who knows what they’re doing and listen to their advice above all else.
“Cannabis is a long-growing plant — if you start getting bad information, it’s going to take a long time to learn how to cultivate well,” Corrao said.
A great place to find an expert like this is at your local GrowGeneration store. As a company, GrowGeneration prides itself on hiring knowledgeable professionals who stand ready to recommend the right products and assist new and veteran cannabis growers alike, regardless of the size of their grow.
“You can really trust the people who are at your local store,” Corrao said. “We supply the staff that is going to hold your hand through the process and help you grow successfully.”
Whether you’re looking to get started or improve the way you’re growing your own cannabis, or want to create your own vertical farm, GrowGeneration can help. Shop online for the best in hydroponics today by visiting growgeneration.com.
