Have you ever impressed your friends by rolling a great joint? Well, think how impressed they’ll be when you grow and dry your own marijuana! Learning how to grow your own cannabis can seem daunting, and there are many different options, so this guide will provide clear step-by-step instructions for growing cannabis in your backyard in Eugene, Oregon. Before I get started, a quick disclaimer: you can only grow four cannabis plants without a license in the state of Oregon.
Step 1: Get Your Seeds
Cannabis plants are either “short-day” or auto-flowering varieties. Short-day plants’ flowering success is related to sun levels, and Eugene doesn’t get a ton of sun, so I recommend any strain of auto-flowering cannabis. The seeds will be labeled auto-flowering on the website or the seed packet. You can get seeds from friends who grow or from online retailers like North Atlantic Seed Co or Seedsman. If you’re starting from a start, a plant that’s already sprouted and started growing leaves, skip to step four.
Step Two: Germinate your seeds
Germinating seeds is important because it can help you separate duds from good seeds and speed up the growing process. Put the seeds on one side of a paper towel or piece of old newspaper and fold the paper in half over the seeds. Then, dampen the paper with a spray bottle, put it in a plastic bag or other airtight container, and store it somewhere dark and warm for 3-5 days. You’re ready to proceed once you see a small white root tendril sprouting from the seed.
Step Three: Potting
When you have your seed that’s just started sprouting, transfer each seed to its own pot. I recommend peat pots so you don’t damage the root system when replanting outside. Fill each pot with potting soil and mix in some plant food or fertilizer. Use a finger to make a hole about ¾” deep and put the sprouted seed in with the root facing down. Make sure your pots have a hole in the bottom for drainage. If too much water accumulates, it can cause the roots to rot. Water one to two ounces daily until the plant emerges from the soil. Once they emerge, water them every other day.
Step Four: Planting
When the plants have four to six leaves, they’re ready for transplanting! Cannabis plants need as much sun as they can get, especially here in Oregon. Plant them wherever they will get the most sun, not too close to a fence or any other shade-casting structure. If you planted them in peat pots, you can put those straight into the ground, and they’ll decompose; otherwise, tip the pot sideways and gently tap the plant out. Use a trowel to dig a hole in the ground to match the size of your little plant and its dirt clod and stick it in there. Plant them with at least a foot and a half of space between; cannabis plants can get pretty huge. Now, you just have to take care of them until they flower. If they look pale, use more fertilizer; if they look too dark, use less fertilizer. If it didn’t rain yesterday and won’t rain today, water your plants!
Step Five: Harvest
When you see little white hairs growing on your plants, the flowering stage has begun, basically plant puberty. Pay extra close attention, you may need to fertilize your plants again as this is the most nutrient-expensive stage of development. The little flower wisps quickly develop into green and white buds. The first sign that your plants are almost ready for harvest is the strong fragrance when new flowers stop growing. Then, the flowers will start to darken and curl in. When nearly all of the flower has darkened and curled, it hits the highest THC level and is ready for harvest. If you want a more mellow high, wait a week or two after this. To harvest, just cut the buds off with scissors and trim the leaves and side stems.
Step Six: Drying
This is the easiest part! Just hang them to dry on some twine. You can hang them in a closet, from the ceiling, or in a tent in your yard. Anywhere will do! Once the stems snap without bending and the buds pop off the branch without leaving “strings,” your flower is ready for the final step.
Step Seven: Curing
The last step helps smooth out the buds and strengthen the effects. Fill quart-sized mason jars a little over three-quarters of the way with buds. Open the jars every day to release moisture for two weeks. After two weeks, they should be ready to roll!
If you need garden supplies, I recommend Down to Earth on 5th and Olive.
Growing your own cannabis is a fun and rewarding project. Not only do you get a lot of weed from each plant, but you’ll feel proud and get to show it off to your friends. Growing your own is also much cheaper than getting it at a dispensary, and you can grow any strain you can find seeds for!