What Does It Take to Help a Cannabis Plant Thrive?

Cannabis can be a lucrative crop (assuming you’re living in an area where growing it is legal), giving you an opportunity to make money while helping people with their medical needs at the same time. But it can also be difficult to maintain.

The nickname “weed” might suggest that cannabis can thrive almost annoyingly well in a variety of conditions, but this isn’t necessarily the case – especially if you’re going to try and grow the plant indoors. So what exactly does a cannabis plant need to thrive?

The Basics

Let’s go over the basics:

•       A clean, safe environment. First, your cannabis plant is going to need a clean and safe environment in which to grow. There are many threats to cannabis plants, including microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that could devour the plant or make it sick. Growing outside also means the plant could be vulnerable to wild animals and the elements. Because of this, your best choice is often to grow indoors with the help of grow room wall panels. These PVC-based panels are specifically engineered to be resilient to many forms of microorganisms; they’re also incredibly easy to clean and are durable enough to last years (if not decades) with minimal maintenance.
•       A proper growing medium. Next, cannabis needs to have space to expand its roots and physically expand. Your growing medium will provide a foundation for the plant to take root and a source of water and other nutrients. Soil is the straightforward choice here, providing a great balance of water retention and drainage while still providing the perfect texture for roots to grab hold. However, some growers prefer alternative substrates like perlite, vermiculite, coco coir, or even clay pebbles. These tend to provide excellent support as well.
•       Adequate water. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that cannabis plants require water. But exactly how much water do they need and how should you provide it? This is a complicated question, because water needs for cannabis plants vary significantly depending on their stage of growth, the growing method you’re using, and your other environmental conditions. Overwatering has the potential to overwhelm the roots, starving them of oxygen and eventually leading to plant death. But with too little water, the plant will dehydrate and die as well. Look for signs of overwatering and underwatering to carefully guide your watering habits.
•       Essential nutrients. Cannabis plants also need many different types of nutrients – and a different balance of nutrients as they begin to grow. Just like with water, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing here as well. In the vegetative stage, cannabis plants need a lot of nitrogen and potassium, with a moderate amount of phosphorus. But when flowering, they need a small amount of nitrogen with high amounts of phosphorus and potassium. These plants also need a variety of elements in trace amounts, such as zinc, molybdenum, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, iron, copper, boron, and calcium.
•       Light. Cannabis uses photosynthesis to produce its food, just like other plants. You’ll need to provide the right amount of light to stimulate growth and propagation without overwhelming the plant. During the early stages of growth (from seedling to the vegetative stage), you should be using a cycle of 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. But to begin flowering, you’ll need to simulate a shorter day cycle with 12 hours of light and 12 hours off. As plants mature, they’ll need brighter and brighter light sources. That said, you’ll need to watch for signs of excessive light (such as yellowing or curling leaves) and distance your bulbs if required.
•       Proper temperature. Ideally, your environment will provide conditions around 77 degrees F; a few degrees in either direction won’t make a huge difference, however. As your plant matures, it will need slightly lower temperatures, ultimately thriving at 64-75 degrees F in the late stages of flowering. Make sure you keep the temperature as consistent as possible, as extreme fluctuations can interfere with the health of your plant.
•       Humidity. Finally, you’ll need to think about the humidity levels of your plant. The relative humidity should be somewhat high during the early stages of your plant’s development, steadily dropping off as the plant matures. The humidity can be as high as 80 percent in the early stages of growth, eventually dropping down to as little as 30 percent by the late flowering stage.

Attention and Intervention

Additionally, to thrive, cannabis plants need a combination of attention and intervention (when necessary). It’s important to pay attention to how your plant is growing and how it looks; when there’s something wrong (like too much water, too little light, etc.), it’s usually obvious. Taking a moment to recognize these visual cues and respond to them is often all it takes to help the plant recover.