Growing marijuana indoors - what you will need

If you decide to go with an indoor marijuana grow, there are a number of things you will need. Some of these may be costly but are well worthwhile in the long-term. Think of it this way - in six months you spend $ buying sub-standard cannabis or even shit bar. If you take the cost of that, invest in what you need and start a grow you will have an ongoing supply of top quality, usable cannabis, which won't turn your lungs to carbon in a year. The growing process does take time, especially on your first grow, but if you are really desperate and can't wait, you can either nip out an occasional leaf and dry it or you can go for that very potent legal bud I suggested to you before.

The basic requirements for an indoor grow are:

A suitable growing space (this can be a closet or cupboard, a ready made grow-tent or even a metal box)
High-pressure sodium and/or metal halide lights (this is the most expensive item so making the right choice is important. Quality can vary)
Extractor fan for ventilation
Carbon filter to eliminate odor
Light reflecting lining for the walls (again, there are many choices, some more expensive than others)
Compost or growth medium such as rockwool
10lt pots
Timer unit for lights
Exhaust system for extractor to ensure odor elimination
Specialist feeds for vegetation and flowering stages
And finally, and most importantly, good quality Cannabis Seeds.

Stealth is, unfortunately, also an issue in most of the western world. Marijuana really stinks, especially in the flowering stage and you need to take measures to ensure that the odor doesn't travel beyond your grow room. You also need to take account of visibility, especially in an urban setting, as light leakage could be a real giveaway, especially at night. Metal halide and high pressure sodium lights emit a quite distinctive light, soft, tinged with color which has a very incandescent effect.

Your first task is to go and consider your grow space now. Choose where in your home you wish to set-up your grow and begin to make preparations there. If you choose well your self-made grow room should give you years of service and plenty of very successful crops.

How to grow marijuana - Indoors or Out?

Your first major decision is whether to grow your marijuana indoors or out. To help with this decision you should consider a number of factors:

Is the climate where you live likely to support marijuana growth?

If you have regular sunshine and reasonable temperatures, then you can probably go with an outdoor grow. There are many advantages to this, for example, you can grow your crop on land that is disused or belongs to someone else. This means you can avoid prosecution if the authorities find your plants. You can also conceal your plants among taller growing species to make detection more difficult. If the climate is too cold, windy or lacks sunshine, then growing outdoors is unlikely to be an option for you.

Do you live in an urban area or a rural area?

If you live in an urban area, detection of outdoor plants can be a difficultly. It is hard to hide your grow from those around you, especially when they can be seen from upper windows. If, on the other hand, you live in a rural area, detection by other humans may not be such a difficulty. Unfortunately there can be problems with wildlife, with creatures such as mice, rabbits or even cows and sheep liable to graze on your plants. You would need to take measures to protect your crop from this kind of pest. As well as this, insects can be another major problem. You could spray your plants with insecticide, but remember, you are going to either smoke or eat this at the end of the process and may not be keen to have chemicals sprayed on the crop. Alternatively, you could grow your crop in a greenhouse. This way you can protect them from the elements and pests, but sunshine would still be a major factor.

Do you have enough space for an indoor grow?

If you have the space, then an indoor grow is by far the best option. You have total control over the conditions and can guarantee the optimum light, temperature and humidity. Detection by outsiders is unlikely if you control the odor and you can achieve more than one crop per year. You will, of course, require some special equipment, such as lights, carbon filter and extraction/ventilation, but this only needs to be set up once and you can have a constant supply of your own homegrown cannabis all year round. The costs are greatly outweighed by the benefits to you and you are guaranteed quality as you know exactly what was used to feed and control pests.

There are many suitable "growing rooms" including a wardrobe or walk-in closet if you have one, your attic, store room or even an outdoor shed. If you use an outdoor shed you need to ensure that light does not leak from gaps and try to keep heat escape to a minimum. In any case, most people can find a suitable spot in their home for their grow.

Next time I will discuss the equipment needed and where you can find good quality lights, filters and of course, seeds.

Don't forget that you can get full information about all of these in the book or DVD I recommended to you.