PHOTO Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now

For folks growing cannabis at home the springtime means laying the groundwork for a successful harvest. Here are some of helpful tips get your grow started.

There’s a lot to consider before making the decision to create and sustain a cannabis garden. Cultivators can never know too much about growing cannabis, so being educated about the process and diligent about the health of the crop will make a world of difference.

We’ve collected some articles designed to help you prepare your home garden for spring. Happy planting!

PHOTO Gracie Malley

While cannabis is similar to plenty of other crops that home gardeners might be used to, given that the same key ingredients are soil and light, the cannabis plant still requires some unique expertise. Ahead of the planting season, Cannabis Now spoke with two experts to get their take on how home growers should prepare their gardens for a successful marijuana cultivation season.

PHOTO PD-USGov

There are lots of people who have tried their hand at growing cannabis with guano and there are many who have failed for a few simple reasons. Guano, especially bat guano, can actually be a deterrent to your crop rather than the great gift most seem to think it is.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Some may think that getting into growing marijuana is an easy affair. That idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Cultivating marijuana successfully takes a great deal of detailed planning, skill and consistent effort. Each crop takes eight to 10 weeks to mature, so the grower will have to spend at least an hour a day while caring for them to ensure the plants live up to their potential.

PHOTO Ed Rosenthal

Leading cannabis horticulture authority Ed Rosenthal has released a new book that delivers useful ideas for starting your own homegrown, like this excerpt about creating a wick system. The wick container system is an easy way to garden because it’s self-watering and removes the uncertainty of when to water.

PHOTO DoobieDuck

Cannabis cultivators the world over know the obsessive, purgatorial feeling of waiting for their plants to mature to discern sex — female, male or hermaphrodite. There’s no way to ascertain if a seedling is male or female with the naked eye. This article lays out the way to tell the difference between sexes in cannabis plants.

TELL US, are you starting a cannabis garden this spring?