As a new grower there are “Four Top Things” I believe you should do right after you’ve decided to start growing.  It’s true that anybody can grow pot but you need to know a thing or two to grow quality cannabis.

The first and most important thing I think you should do as a new grower is read/listen to a good book about growing cannabis.  It will give you a good base knowledge of how a cannabis plants grows and what it looks like during each stage of growth.  A book is also going to introduce you to the ideas of nutrient deficiencies and pest management which are two important issues when growing cannabis.  Reading a book will also help you have an intelligent conversation with an experienced grower when you have a question.  The internet is a great place to do research but it will give you thirty different answers for one question.  I also think it stunts your growth as a new grower when you have all of the answers to your questions spoon feed to you.  Here’s a list of books I recommend in no particular order.

Growers Note:  Read your first book from cover to cover before you start growing because that bit of insight into what to expect will help you worry less about your plants.

The second thing that needs to be done is to find a mentor, teacher, guru, Yoda, sensei.  Whatever you want to call them, find an experienced grower you trust to help you with the hard stuff.  If possible find someone who lives in your region because they’ll be familiar with the problems that you could experience. It’s a lot easier now to find such people because of the internet.  Check the forums and stay off social media is my advice for this.  You still have to be careful because there’s also a lot of people out there with big egos giving bad information.

The third thing you should do is start a grow journal to keep track of what you’re doing.  Write down what strain you’re using, your nutrients, watering cycle.  Take note of what the plant looks and feels like, how do the leaves smell when you crush them, the details matter.  This is going to help you find out what works for you and help you develop your growing style.  A journal will also help when problem comes up.  You’ll be able to see what you have and haven’t done and when you did or didn’t do it.  Also, it’s going to help explain what’s going on in your garden when you ask the advice of an experienced grower about a problem.

Growers Note:  If you live a prohibition state I can understand if you don’t want to write anything down.  I still encourage you to come up with some kind of system of keeping track of how your growing.

The last thing a new grower should do is listen to some podcasts about cultivating.  The right show could be a wealth of grow knowledge and a way to make contact with experienced growers willing to help a newcomer.  Cannabis podcasts are typically put out and followed by people passionate about their craft.  Some focus on the cultivating aspect, while others focus on the business sides of this evolving community.  The one goal that most seem to have, is to move the conversation and normalization of cannabis forward in a positive way.   Here’s a list of my Top Four favorite cannabis podcasts in no particular order.

Growers Note:  When you can, listen to earlier episodes of any podcast.  Like I said, there’s a lot of great information in them.

Growing quality cannabis isn’t a mystery, the information is out there and easier to access than ever.  Remember to subscribe to this website and as always

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