Essential Cannabis Growing Supplies

There are many different ways to grow cannabis, from indoor to outdoor, from greenhouses to space buckets. But regardless of what path you choose, there are some essential tools and items you can expect to use along the way.

In this article, we review the essential marijuana growing supplies, as well as decisions growers can expect to make as they build their first (or next) setup.

Before a single seed is planted, the growing environment must be determined, and prepared if necessary. Many states implement laws requiring grow operations to be out of public sight or even secured under lock and key, so consult your local laws to help determine where you will grow.

A good indoor grow area should be clean, ideally even possible to sanitize. Grow tents are great options for indoor growers because they offer mostly self-contained environments that are easier to clean than whole rooms with a couple plant in the corner.

Having a tidy growing space is important for many different reasons.

Consider access to electricity for lights, and at least a window with a box fan for ventilation. Remember that you will be examining your plants from every angle, so account for room to work as well.

Outdoor growers are liberated from many of these constraints, but will need to assess their climate for potential weather risks, and position plants for maximum sunlight (remember the path of the sun will move over ten weeks!).

Any indoor grow operation will require a dedicated light, and growers have several options to choose from. Your choice of light will be determined by some unique factors like electrical consumption, efficiency relative to the size of your grow, and light color.

Grow mediums are primarily divided between soil and hydroponic systems. Soil is usually better for beginners because it requires less maintenance and has a more forgiving margin of error. Hydroponic systems require more equipment, and while they can be regulated with automated timers and switches, the pH and nutrient levels can change much faster than in soil, and demand more attention to detail.

Even in hydroponic systems, the plants are usually suspended in a net cup with a more solid medium to carry them when they are young, and to nourish the root ball.

It should be noted that coconut coir often comes infused with Trichoderma, a fungus intended to aid plants’ roots and defend against pathogens. And they do! But they may also compete with other fungi including mycorrhizae, which aid nutrient uptake.

Nutrients include any fertilizer, plant food, or bloom booster used to keep the plant healthy or optimize growth. Specialized nutrients can be purchased online or in some head shops, while more generic nutrients can be found in any garden store.

Nutrients help your plants grow and prevent deficiencies. Photo Credit

The primary nutrients, or macronutrients, in any fertilizer are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), presented on most labels as an N-P-K ratio (i.e. 2-6-4). Cannabis consumes larger amounts of nitrogen in the vegetative stage, then more phosphorus in the flowering stage.

Throughout the plan’s life, it will also require an array of micronutrients including calcium, iron, and manganese. These minerals keep the plant healthy, fortifying it against disease.

Any cannabis plant will benefit from ventilation, even if it’s only a small fan clipped to the rim of the pot. Comprehensive ventilation systems serve to oxygenate the plant, regulate temperature, and sometimes deter pests and minimize odor. Growers using tents indoor should strive for this kind of circulation, but failing that, an oscillating fan is better than nothing. Even a simple fan will keep air moving around your plants and deter many flying insects from getting too comfortable.

When using fans that blow directly onto the plant, be sure to move them every couple days to prevent wind burn, which can curl and permanently distort leaves.

Once the space has been blocked out and the equipment procured, all that’s left to begin is a source of cannabis itself, either from seed or a clone.

Cannabis seeds can be purchased online, and are usually offered, regardless of strain, as either autoflowering or feminized photoperiod seeds. A photoperiod plant is a standard plant with a life cycle determined by the sun. These plants grow vegetation during bright summer light, and switch to flowering under amber, autumnal light. 

The seeds are bred to be female because only female cannabis plants produce the flowers where trichomes develop. Male cannabis plants only produce pollen, and pollinated female plants produce fewer flowers and more seeds.

Seeds are the foundation of every cannabis grower's supplies. Photo Credit

Conversely, the life cycle of an autoflowering plant is determined by time, not light. So regardless of what color light shines over an autoflowering plant, they will switch from veg to flowering after a genetically determined amount of time.

Autoflower yields are often lower than optimized photoperiod yields, but the convenience is tremendous for novice growers or those growing in small spaces, as auto flowering plants are almost always smaller.

Clones are the larger cuttings of cannabis plants, usually the lower branches, which are then planted and nurtured to grow into another full plant—and a genetic copy of its source. Clones can be bought online, but cannot be mailed across state lines while national prohibition remains intact, so finding one is more difficult. But once you have your own plants, clones can be harvested at a regular pace.

Most growers can only benefit from tracking environmental data with thermometers, hydrometers to measure humidity, and pH meters, particularly in hydroponic systems where water pH can change more quickly.

Growers in any medium will also use pruning shears to trim excess bulk, but those growing in soil should prepare to work the dirt with trowels and gardening forks.

Are there any must-have cannabis growing supplies we missed? Let us know in the comments below!