Now that Cannabis is rapidly becoming legal throughout the US, you may have thought a little bit about growing your own weed. After all, why would you pay for something that you can produce for yourself? Unfortunately, not everyone is in the right situation to grow large amounts of Cannabis. In fact, it might end up being more expensive than any dispensary, particularly if you want to grow a whole lot. Let’s go over some essential questions that you should ask yourself before you start growing.
Do I Have Sufficient Space To Grow Enough Plants?
Cannabis plants can get pretty tall and large, especially when they are nearing maturity. Thus, most growers will need to designate an entire room for this purpose. At the bare minimum, you’ll need something like a walk-in closet. Still, the average walk-in closet could only grow 3-5 plants.
Mr. Hemp Flower recommends that you think about your level of weed usage before you start growing cannabis plants. If you are only an occasional smoker, 3-5 plants might be sufficient. If you are a regular smoker, it won’t be. On average, one Marijuana plant will yield approximately a pound. Bear in mind, however, that we are using an approximate number. If your setup isn’t done properly, it can end up being as little as 1-2 ounces per plant.
Can I Handle The Lighting Requirements?
Plants need plenty of light in order to produce, and Cannabis is no exception. Whether you are growing indoors or outdoors, these requirements must be taken into account.
First, let’s consider the outdoor scenario. Obviously, the sun is free, so you won’t have to buy anything. You will, however, need to make sure you have a sunny place in which to grow your little friends. Cannabis plants need 5-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Being a tropical plant, they love the sun even more than most others. You may even have to clear a spot of brush in order to create the right environment.
For indoor growing, things can get a little more expensive. You will need to buy at least one grow light, and there are many types on the market. The full-spectrum options do the best job of simulating natural light, but they are also a lot more expensive. If you go with a cheaper option, you may not get the kind of results you want.
Do I Have A Safe Growing Spot?
Security must also be considered when growing Cannabis. This is a somewhat valuable commodity that is liked by most and easy to sell. As such, it can end up being a prime target for thieves. Obviously, this is a much bigger problem when growing outdoors, but the use of wildlife/game cameras can make it much easier to catch an intruder. However, that does add another expense.
Security is also a concern for indoor growers. If people know that you have a large amount of weed in the house, they may attempt to break in and steal your stash. While the risk of burglars will always exist, you are more likely to be targeted if you have something they want. Thus, the bottom line is that you must consider security carefully. Think about what you need, where it will all be used, and how much everything will cost.
Do I Have Time To Tend These Plants?
There is a certain amount of care that these plants must receive in order to be fruitful. Obviously, they need water and the occasional spike of fertilizer. If you really want to be thorough, you can regularly test the PH value (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil. Cannabis does best in slightly acidic soil, so a PH value of 6 is ideal. As long as you are within 0.3 of that goal (meaning a range of 5.7-6.3), things should be fine.
Here’s the thing: Time is money. Your time is valuable, and so you need to think about the amount of time that you will spend tending these plants. You could have possibly spent that time doing more productive work, so it does represent a slight loss. You also have to ask yourself if you are conscientious enough to tend these plants on an almost everyday basis.
Can I Absorb The Utility Increases?
Growing Cannabis in the home will definitely increase your utility bills. The exact amount will depend on how many plants you grow, but there is no doubt your utility bills will go up. You can use automatic on/off timers to minimize the usage of light and water, but that will only save you a small amount. In the end, your plant requires energy in order to produce large amounts of product. If you cannot realistically provide that energy over the long haul, you’d be better off visiting your local dispensary.
Conclusion
All of these are important questions that will help you to decide whether home growing is right for you. We have focused more on indoor growing because it is far more common. Outdoor growing is only truly viable for those who live in relatively remote areas, anyway, and the security risks are much larger. We advise you to calculate these costs carefully and determine how much money will be needed to establish your grow-op. If they prove to be more than you are currently paying for Cannabis (on a per-month basis), Then growing will not be a cost-effective option for you.
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