Tips for CBD Micro Growing in Small Grow Tents
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Author: Jason Beverly
The CBD industry has a multi-billion-dollar market. With its rapid rise in popularity, many products have been infused with this chemical compound found in the cannabis Sativa strain.
As the use of cannabis has been diverging from its infamous recreational usage towards its medicinal purpose, more people want to grow their own CBD source. Conventional ways of cultivating and growing cannabis plants need large open fields, crop insurance, and manpower to ensure the high quality of the plant. For aspiring growers of cannabis, these reasons are hindering them because of the capital and workload it needs to maintain the field.
If you do not have the lot and capital to start your cannabis farm, you need not worry anymore because a trend in cultivating cannabis plants on a smaller scale has been growing in terms of popularity and feasibility – micro growing.
What is Micro Growing?
If you have a very small space, micro growing got you covered. It is the process of cultivating cannabis strains using limited space while getting the best possible output. The space you need for micro growing can be anything you have in your house. You can use your vase, cupboard, or small tents for your micro growing project.
It is also a good way for aspiring cannabis growers because they can experiment without fearing too many losses in expenses and effort.
Essential Tips for Micro Growing
While micro growing suits aspiring farmers or beginners the most, it is not like a walk in a park. You must have the proper knowledge before doing it. Here are the tips to guide you in accomplishing your micro growing setup:
1. Get the Best Grow Tent
Your grow space plays an important factor because all other factors will solely depend on it. The strain, soil, lighting, and air and water supply are highly dependent on your growing space. The yield you will earn depends on the size of your plant. So, you must first consider the space before looking at what type of plant you will cultivate.
Small grow tents are popular for micro growers because they have vents for airflow, and reflective material to ensure the proper lighting for your plants. Small grow tents also have great heat retention capabilities to let the plant absorb the heat it needs. Some key features you need to look for when buying a small grow tent are easy-access doors, tools, or kits for your planting needs, reflective interiors, and ventilation windows.
To know more about them, you can check the buyer’s guide to small grow tents to finalize the space you need.
2. Suitable Strain
Micro growing works with the best-limited space available. So, choosing the best strain plays an essential role in your success.
The best parameter to achieve success in micro growing is the height of the cannabis strain. Knowing the maximum growth height will help you avoid losses and additional expenses because the plant may cease to live if the conditions for the strain were not met.
Here are the strains you can choose from:
- Sativas strain: This has high and slender stalks and leaves that can grow up to 20 feet. They also have the longest flowering process, which spans from 3 to 4 months. The Sativa strains have common terpenes, like caryophyllene, alpha-pinene, and limonene.
- Indicas strain: This has a short and bushy build, which grows up to 3 to 6 feet. The flowering process is much faster compared to Sativa strain, which usually spans around a month or two. The common terpenes found in the Indica strain are camphene, linalool, and myrcene.
- Autoflowering strain: This has the shortest and bushy stalks that grow around 3 feet or below. It also has the fastest flowering process that spans only 2 to 4 weeks. The common terpenes present in auto-flowering strains are ocimene, linalool, pinene, and terpinolene.
3. Soil Quality and Quantity
The soil quality aids the proper growth of your plants. Just like other plants, cannabis plant strains thrive in a rich loamy soil. However, few strains thrive in their native soil. For micro growing strains, loamy soil is the best option because of its water retention and high oxygen levels.
The soil quantity relies on the height of your micro grow strains. The height of your plants will be directly proportional to the root space the container has. This means that larger root space will have higher plants or vice versa.
For example, for a one-foot Sativa cannabis plant, you will need one liter of soil to hold its roots. So, if you want to grow your plant up to 4 feet, you need to increase the soil by fourfold.
4. Sufficient Lighting
Since micro growing utilizes the indoor space in your home, you need to provide a sufficient light source for your plants.
LEDs are the most common light source used for micro growing because they radiate less heat compared to other types. The risk of burning your plant's buds and leaves is relatively low when you use LED.
Still, proper positioning and plant height must be considered to completely avoid burning your plant.
5. Growing Techniques
Aside from finding a suitable strain for your available space, growing techniques are also essential to influence the growth of your plant. These growing techniques help the plants to be short and bushier, which is very suitable for small spaces.
Here are the techniques associated with micro growing:
- Topping: Promotes the growth of secondary branches by cutting off the stalk at the top of the plant. In return, the plant grows wider and bushier, yielding more buds.
- High-Stress Training: Promotes the growth of side or secondary branches by breaking the main stem of the plant. It must be done carefully to ensure the main stem will grow out, recover, and have a shorter height
- Low-Stress Training: Promotes the growth of side branches by tying up the longer branches to the soil. It produces high yields and saves a lot of space.
- A screen of Green: Promotes horizontal growth by putting a wire mesh or screen between the light source and the soil. The branches that will reach the mesh will be tied up along with it. It ensures proper light distribution and height control of your plant.
Conclusion
Micro growing has opened the boundaries of canna farming for small-scale aspiring farmers. It overcame the space and high cost you need to start farming your homegrown CBD.
Following the tips provided above will help you lessen the burden of thinking from scratch when you venture into micro growing. However, exerting more effort and affection to your plants will contribute to your micro growing success.
