Growing marijuana is a rewarding hobby and can offer a great business opportunity as well. Cannabis cultivation is a rewarding endeavor that basically can be done in any climate.
Growing takes attention to detail and the right equipment, time, and money, but the benefits reaped from growing your own are more than worth the time and expense.
Not only is the practice of gardening itself therapeutic, but it also lends a connection to the plants that cannot be experienced outside of a hands-on approach. Having trained and grown out a favorite cultivar to fruition is one of life’s great joys for a marijuana enthusiast.
Benefits of Growing Your Own Cannabis Plants
Growing cannabis from the comfort of your own home has been the primary source for hundreds of thousands of individuals the world over for years.
For those who rely on marijuana for medicinal purposes, the ability to grow it from your own home is, of course, one that is going to appeal.
Financially, it can make a massive difference to the pockets of thousands of people, not to mention the added security of having full control over what you are consuming.
Pros of growing your own cannabis:
- If you are short on space, the option to grow your own weed indoors cannot only utilize small areas but also gives you full control over the growth of your bud.
- Complete autonomy and control, assuring you know exactly where your bud has come from and what has been used to grow it.
- Financial investment; the start-up fees may be a bit of a setback, but in the long-term, it is a financially beneficial way of consuming weed.
The sense of fulfillment – there is no better feeling than growing something of your own. In the same way, a gardener tends to their greenhouse and plants; this will become a hobby you love.
Cons of growing your own cannabis:
- Growing large amounts of cannabis plants remain illegal in the majority of countries; this is still the case even in places where laws have been liberalized.
- Growing your own weed takes a certain level of skill and know-how, so making mistakes can become massively costly and a significant drain on time.
- Whether you are growing indoors or out, it can be challenging to stay on top of the smell, and in some cases, this can be highly problematic, mainly if you are growing in a place that has not legalized weed cultivation.
- Can attract insects and pests as well as molds.
Where to Start? Best Places to Begin Your Learning Journey
Nowadays, just about everything can be found online. And that’s for a good reason – websites are where even the strangest questions can be answered, including any questions related to growing marijuana. There are thousands of marijuana growing websites out there.
Whether you’ve never grown cannabis before, or you’re a master grower, there’s always plenty more to learn.
There are many online resources where you can find ways to improve your grow by learning from others. Many striving online communities are discussing all aspects of cannabis culture and cultivation.
Best Websites & Growmaster Blogs
Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of marijuana sites available on the web? It can be difficult to filter through the noise and find the information that you need.
If you want to find out more information about marijuana — whether it’s for consuming for health, cancer or simply growing — here are some of the best places to start your journey.
- Growers Network is a vetted community for commercial cannabis professionals and enthusiasts alike; allowing members to connect trade knowledge and transform the industry. They are on a mission to connect the world’s cannabis professionals and enthusiasts to make them more productive and successful.
- Likely the most popular marijuana site on the web, Leafly is devoted to categorizing different strains of marijuana — and pointing its users towards where to purchase them, if it’s legal in their area. Leafly is open to reviews and also has educational blog posts about marijuana and the industry.
- Growing Weed: Growing Weed is a cannabis cultivation website owned by the world-renowned cannabis cultivator and now well-known author, Jorge Cervantes. He is also an expert on marijuana grow operations. There is a paid section on his website. However, he does provide free information in the form of content, Q&A, forum, and videos. If you’re the more analog type he has published book which is available on Amazon as well with a stellar average review score.
- Grow Weed Easy: The Grow Weed Easy website has tutorials and useful information for the novice and veteran. You will find tons of information on cannabis cultivation and how to successfully and easily grow and harvest marijuana.
- The Cannabist: Based out of the city of Denver, the Cannabist is one of the cannabis cultivation websites that has gained popularity over the most recent years. The website features cannabis recipes, culture, news, and entertainment within the cannabis industry. You probably won’t find a how-to guide. However, they do have tons of information about cannabis strains and marijuana product reviews.
Best Cannabis Forums
If you already have a solid grasp on the basics of growing weed but are looking to answer some specific questions or take your cultivation game to the next level then perhaps a more interactive platform like a forum is more up your alley.
Below are some of the most active forums that contain endless depths of little cultivation nuggets, it just takes a little time and patience to unearth those golden threads.
- Grass City: Grass City is an online head shop, but I’ve listed them under forums because they have one of the most active ones on the internet. It has sections discussing cultivation, toking tools, smoking, medical marijuana, news, entertainment, and spirituality. If you’ve got a question, chances are you’ll get it answered here. I
- THC Farmer: Another active forum with sections on cultivation, seed banks, and lifestyle. Unlike the other sites in this section, THC Farmer is only a forum, but it does also have a large Grow FAQ section.
- International Cannagraphic: This is a magazine-style site, but it’s not updated often and looks pretty old-fashioned. It does have a very active and helpful forum, though. You can get all kinds of growing advice or discuss various marijuana-related topics.
- THC Talk: Another great forum (though not a great-looking one). Despite the outdated design, THC Talk features discussions on cannabis basics, growing, entertainment, and a variety of other topics. There’s a ton of info here and it’s an active forum so anything you can’t find, you can ask and get an answer pretty quickly.
Best Cannabis Education Programs & Online Courses
Before the last decade, there wasn’t anywhere you could go if you wanted to get a degree in cannabis. Fortunately, this has all changed in recent years. Now, there’s a certification for pretty much any sector of marijuana you can imagine, including everything from culinary applications to cultivation.
The possibilities are quite endless, and many cannabis colleges have the option of taking singular classes if you don’t want to commit to an entire program.
- THC University: THC University, a preeminent online cannabis education program, has a mission to provide its students with cannabis education in the easiest way possible. THC University focuses more on individual courses and offers subjects such as budtender basics, terpene basics, marijuana 101, growing basics, and horticulture specialization.
- Cannabis Training University: Cannabis Training University prides itself on being able to provide an education to students of all skill levels, from total beginner to budtending expert. CTU’s classes can be accessed from anywhere in the world, and they recently doubled the video content available to students on their website. We did a full review of CTU here if you’re interested in pursuing this popular training avenue.
- Growersnetwork University: From growing at home to growing at scale, they will help you elevate your craft. They have two flagship courses; one for hobbyists and one for commercial growers. Learn with expert growers, as they teach you from their real-life experience, coupled with their recommended products.
- Green Cultured: Green cultured is a well-established school teaching cannabis industry training and education. Green cultured also offer commercial training for established cannabis businesses.
- Trichome Institute: The Trichome Institute is a cannabis course with a strong focus on the scientific procedure that goes into perfect crop production. The structure and design of their courses have won awards.
Physical Books by Published Cultivators
Online courses aren’t for everyone and digging through forums can be time intensive. Fret not, there are physical learning options for you old-timers out there! (just kidding, we love books too!)
If you are looking to learn more about growing ganja and also are a little old school in that you like to have something physical to reference then perhaps a cultivation book is for you. Heck, these make great coffee table conversation starters as well!
There are hundreds of grow books out there, both good and bad; some are aimed at beginners, some at more advanced growers. Of these, just a few have truly stood the test of time, and are truly worth every penny, and we outline them below.
- The Cannabis Grow Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana for Medical and Recreational Use (2004) by Greg Green
The Cannabis Grow Bible is targeted at a wide range of skill levels, with detailed information of every aspect of growing from basic to very advanced. However, beginners may find it easy to get bogged down in the details, as the breadth and depth of the topics covered are staggering.
- Marijuana Grower’s Handbook (2010) by Ed Rosenthal
The “Ask Ed” edition of the Marijuana Grower’s Handbook has it all. As exhaustive and in-depth as Cervantes’ Grow Bible, with the added extra of a Q&A column packed with problems and solutions sure to be relevant to any grower, the Handbook is perhaps the most beloved of all cannabis grow books.
- Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible (2007) by Jorge Cervantes
Jorge Cervantes’ Grower’s Bible is perhaps the most comprehensive and exhaustive book on cultivating cannabis that has ever been published. A weighty, inch-thick brick of text, diagrams, charts, and photographs, the Grower’s Bible offers simple, easily-understandable directions on every aspect of growing you can think of.
DJ Short is renowned in growing circles, with 40 years of experience and a selection of greatly beloved strains such as the Blueberry and Flo.
DJ Short has a thoughtful, caring approach to gardening, and offers advice on how to maximize flavor and quality with minimal environmental impact, rather than focusing primarily on potency and yield as many grow guides do.
HerbCEO Conclusion
Learning is a two steps forward, one step back process. You will inevitably experience setbacks and trial & error will be a slow but very thorough process in which you morph from growing novice into grow master. There is a whole deep universe of different growing methods, tips, tricks, secrets, even plant training techniques, all designed to produce a different type of bud.
Remember, it’s not just about the destination, although a airtight jar full of skunk is wonderful, make sure to enjoy the process along the way, to appreciate the plant for the living beauty it is.
The above resources can help expedite this journey as learning from someone who has already made all the mistakes is a proven great way to learn just about anything.
Some of the above mentioned courses, blogs, and books are authored by people who have dedicated entire lifetimes to understanding how to successfully grow healthy cannabis plants.
Not only are you getting access to decades worth of first hand learning but in pursuing any of these learning mediums you are also actively supporting a thriving, often local, community of passionate cannabis cultivars and evangelists.
Outside of just learning on your own, if you have other suggestions to help novice growers more quickly learn the ropes of cannabis cultivation please feel free to share your recommendations and reviews in the comments below.
