Growing Marijuana: Expert Advice to Yield a Dependable Supply of Potent Buds

by Kevin Oliver, Chadd McKeen

Overview

Cultivate your personal cannabis crop with expert techniques and know-how.
 
As marijuana laws in the United States become less restrictive, more and more people are searching for basic marijuana gardening instructions. But cultivating pot isn’t like growing houseplants or vegetables, especially if you desire maximum potency and yield. It takes precision, and among other things you need female plants, very specific temperature, nutrients, humidity, and lighting at different times during the plant’s lifespan to maximize the quality and quantity of your yield. Idiot’s Guides®: Growing Marijuana covers it all—in a simple, concise way to help you increase both the yield and quality of your personal harvest.
 
Here’s what you’ll find in this clear, visual guide:

• Instructions on how to grow and maintain a small marijuana garden for your own noncommercial use, with more than 500 full-color photos and illustrations
• The full spectrum of options available for growing marijuana, from indoor, climate-controlled systems to open-air, outdoor growing
• Time-tested and modern methods for strain selection, disease and pest prevention, and proper plant nutrition
• Expert advice to yield a consistent and dependable supply of buds

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615648948
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	06/14/2016
Series:	Idiot's Guides
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	640,685
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Kevin Oliver is the owner and a managing member of Washington's Finest Cannabis (FineWeed.us). He sits on the board of directors of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and his farm was awarded Dope magazine's 2015 Best Outdoor Grow in Washington state.

Chadd McKeen is the founder of OtherSide Farms Information Center and School, OtherSide Farms Private Collective, and The Canna Mana Trading Company. His work has been featured in numerous periodicals, including Skunk magazine, Cannabis Now magazine, and OC Weekly.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Marijuana 101 11

Marijuana: An Overview 12

Anatomy of a Cannabis Plant 14

Species of Cannabis: Indica and Sativa 16

Species of Cannabis: Ruderalis and Hybrids 18

Strains 20

Part 2 Introduction to Growing Marijuana 29

Why Grow Marijuana? 30

The Life Cycle of Pot 33

What Cannabis Needs to Live 34

Ideal Soil Composition 36

How to Make Your Own Grow Medium 38

Hydroponics: No Soil Required 40

The Importance of pH 42

Water 44

Acquiring Seeds 46

Germinating Seeds 47

Planting Seedlings 48

Vegetative Stage 50

Pruning at the Vegetative Stage 52

Fertilizing at the Vegetative Stage 54

Keeping Vegetative Plants Healthy 56

Transplanting 58

Prolonging the Vegetative Stage 59

Identifying the Gender of a Plant 60

Why Grow from Clones? 62

How to Clone 64

Using the Cloning Process to Sex a Plant Grown from Seed 68

Flowering Stage 70

Fertilizing at the Flowering Stage 72

Pruning at the Flowering Stage 74

Keeping Flowering Plants Healthy 76

Harvest Stage 78

How to Harvest 80

Trimming the Buds 82

Drying 84

Curing and Storage of Cured Pot 86

Making Kief 88

Making Dry Hash 90

Making Water or Bubble Hash 92

Grow Indoors, Outdoors, or in Grow Structures? 96

Part 3 Indoor Growing 99

Introduction to Indoor Growing 100

Choosing Strains for Growing Indoors 102

Grow Mediums 104

Setting Up a Grow Room 106

Creating the Ideal Indoor Climate 110

Lighting 112

Bulbs 114

Ballasts 118

Reflective Hoods 120

Timers 122

Watering Methods 124

Hydroponic Systems 126

Setting Up a Hydroponic System 128

Ventilation: Airflow 132

Ventilation: Air Circulation 134

Supplying Carbon Dioxide 136

Growth Cycles 140

Cleaning Indoors 142

Part 4 Outdoor Growing 145

Introduction to Outdoor Growing 146

Climate and Marijuana 148

Choosing a Spot 150

Choosing Strains for Growing Outdoors 152

Soil Preparation 154

Amending the Soil 156

Hardening Plants 158

Protecting Plants from the Elements 160

Watering Outdoors 162

Fertilizing 164

Fertilizer Application 166

The Vegetative Stage Outdoors 168

Keeping Your Plants Healthy Outdoors 170

The Flowering Stage Outdoors 172

Light Deprivation Method 174

Harvesting Outdoors 176

Part 5 Extending Growing Seasons with Structures 179

Why Grow in Structures? 180

Types of Grow Structures 182

Controlling Climate and Environment 184

Choosing the Right Grow Structure 186

Building a Grow Structure 188

Part 6 Breeding 191

The Goal of Breeding 192

Selecting Parents 194

Collecting Pollen from Mole Plants 196

How to Pollinate 198

Collecting Fertile Seeds 200

Stabilizing Desired Traits 202

Glossary 206

Resources 212

Index 216