With the legalization of cannabis in many states, you can now legally cultivate your own cannabis as long as you adhere to your state’s cannabis laws. The best thing about cultivating your cannabis is that you get to choose good quality seeds, control the growing process to ensure your flowers are natural and free from harmful chemicals.

Growing cannabis can be exciting if you follow the right steps, but it can be frustrating if you overlook some critical things. If you aspire to grow cannabis, here are the common mistakes you need to avoid as a beginner.

Choosing bad genetics

The most important thing when growing cannabis is to choose seeds with good genetics because they eventually determine the end product. Even if you are an experienced grower, starting with bad genetics will be a waste of resources because they won’t produce good quality flowers.

So, how do you know if the seeds are of good quality? For starters, the only way to get good genetics is to source your seeds from a reputable cannabis seeds store such as the United Strains of America. Also, do your research into the different seed strains before buying.

Using substandard soil

Another common mistake many beginner growers make is using ordinary soil without sufficient nutrients to grow cannabis. You need to have in mind that cannabis requires a certain balance of nutrients and soil constancy to thrive. It is good to learn about the kind of nutrients cannabis plants need during the various stages of their growth.

Giving your cannabis seed a good start in life is essential. If the soil is not nutrient-rich, you can buy special germination soil for your seedlings. Generally, photoperiod strains require more nutrients, so the soil needs to have enough macronutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

But auto-flowering seeds don’t need as much nutrient feeding; therefore, they need a different type of soil than photoperiod varieties. A nutrient light mix of three parts compost, three parts peat moss, two parts perlite, and one part vermiculite will work best. Apart from the nutrients, the soil serves as the anchorage for the roots. Ensure it has an excellent texture and is well aerated so that the roots don’t face any problems growing. Clay-like soils won’t receive more oxygen and can become water-clogged, leading to root rot.

Hanging grow lights too low.

If using an indoor grow room, you have to utilize artificial lights, but you should hang them at the correct height. Hanging them too high means that the plants cannot get enough light to thrive. That means they will use the only energy they have trying to grow towards the light. Hence, they use the energy growing tall to reach the light instead of building structural integrity, resulting in weak plants that may not be able to support their weight, let alone the buds. On the other hand, hanging the lights too low puts the plants through too much heat, which eventually causes burn damage to the leaves and buds.

Overfeeding and underfeeding the plants

Many beginner growers quickly assume that the more nutrients they give the cannabis plants, the more they thrive. But cannabis plants are sensitive to nutrients, so you should use the recommended ratios to avoid overfeeding. Also, avoid underfeeding, which can result in weak plants and low yields. It is good to learn about the signs of an unhappy cannabis plant.

Overwatering and underwatering

Avoid overwatering your cannabis plants because the roots can become waterlogged and develop fungi infections or root rot. It is even better to underwater than to overwater the plants. You should allow the soil to dry in between waterings. Again, try to learn the signs of an unhappy cannabis plant, as it can help you notice when you are going overboard and when you are not doing enough.

Not flushing the cannabis plants at all.

Flushing your cannabis plants is one way of dealing with nutrient overfeed and lockout. However, it should be an essential step of the cannabis cultivation process. Flushing your plants before harvest significantly improves their quality as it detoxes the excess chemicals in the flowers.

Harvesting too early or too late

Many beginner growers are not able to correctly time the harvest of their cannabis buds. Harvesting too early or late compromises all your cultivation efforts. You need to get personal with your plants so that you know the right time for harvest. The first indicator is the yellowing of the fan leaves. The nutrients are directed towards the flowers, and that progresses as you flush out your plants. That means you need worry not because the plants are nearing harvest time.

Then, you now focus your attention on the pistils and trichomes. Trichomes are the tiny mushroom-shaped glands that carry the flower’s terpenes, THC, and CBD. Initially, they have a translucent look, then they slowly turn cloudy and eventually have an amber color.

If you prefer a more stimulating high, harvest the buds when they are still cloudy, but if you are after stoning body highs, you can wait until all the trichomes have transformed to amber to harvest. The pistils turn from white to orange as the flowers mature. So you should harvest when 70-90% of the pistils have turned orange but be sure to check the trichomes too.

Not enough research

Last but not least, many beginner growers do not conduct enough research before growing cannabis. Thankfully, you can use online guides to learn more about cannabis cultivation. You can avoid many cannabis cultivation mistakes by carrying out due research to understand all the details involved. You get to know how much light, nutrients, PH levels, temperature, and humidity levels your plants need.

conclusion

Have an understanding of the nutrients your cannabis plants need during the different growth phases, maintain the right temperature, humidity, and light in the grow room, and you will end up with maximum cannabis yields. Also, remember to choose good genetics of seed to produce high-quality cannabis buds.