My First Harvest

For the last six years, cannabis has been a part of my daily life. My experience has mostly revolved around consumption, recreationally and medically, and recommending cannabis products as a budtender here in Maine. I’ve wanted to grow my own plants for years, but having no experience in gardening, the whole idea seemed daunting. After joining NASC about a year ago, I was easily inspired by the growers of both NASC and Dirty Bird Genetics, as well as the shelves and shelves of seeds of many strains that were familiar and unfamiliar. With light expectations, I decided to give growing a try.

Before getting started, I decided that my only goals would be keeping the plant alive and making it to harvest. I was also determined to do this in the easiest and most financially feasible way possible. I purchased a standing 200W full spectrum LED light, a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and Indicanja, a super soil by Purple Cow Organics. I chose this soil because it has components that will give the plant its necessary nutrients by just adding water. I drilled holes at the bottom of the bucket for water drainage. These were the three main items that I used for this first attempt at growing.

The seed that I chose was a Banana OG Auto Phenohunter by Humboldt Seed Co. After germinating the seed in a cup of water, I placed it directly in the soil in the bucket. The light was on a schedule of 18 hours on and 6 hours off. I followed a simple rule of watering the plant when the top inch of soil was dry. This plant was living in a room in my basement and the conditions were not ideal, especially during the winter. The temperature was on the cooler side and the humidity was on the dryer side. I occasionally used a space heater to warm the room. After consulting with an experienced colleague, I eventually changed the light schedule to 14 hours on and 10 hours off to push along the flowering phase. From seed to harvest, it took about four and a half months.

Overall, the experience was successful and easily manageable. The plant was small, maybe a little taller than a foot, and it produced about an ounce of flower. The cost of my current setup was less than $100. Now that this first experience is under my belt, I plan on continuing to experiment with growing while slowly changing certain variables like using a tent, stronger lighting, and different soils and nutrients. This is truly an “if I can do this, so can you,” moment. Even with no prior experience, I am confident that any beginner can have a successful grow.

Check out other Phenohunter packs and Autoflowering options by Humboldt Seed Co.