�������Hey, Dr. Dank here, since this is my first article for CannabisCanada.net I though it would only be appropriate to discuss the basics to growing indoors for those of you who have never grown before.

�������First, I'd like to say that before anyone starts a growing operation, they must be willing to put in time and effort. Before doing anything, you should also buy a book on growing and read it thoroughly. There are many rumors about growing marijuana and before you spend the time amd money you should make sure you know what you are doing and what is involved. You can also gather information from the internet, but you should be careful to use reputable sites. CannabisCulture.com, is preferred hands down by all our staff here, they are very professional and knowledgeable. So now that I've said that, let's get started. Remember, this is just a quick overview to give you the basic idea of what will be needed. In the weeks to come articles will thoroughly cover specific aspects of the growing process.

�������First off, you must decide how much marijuana you need to grow. Different strains produce different amounts of marijuana and in varying amounts of time. I recommend growing less, but bigger plants for a couple reasons: 1) The laws in most areas where marijuana is illegal looks at how many plants you were growing when determining the seriousness. Ten big plants (3-5 feet) for example, can yeild you the same amount of dried smokeable buds as many smaller plants (let's say 50), yet the criminal sanctions may be much more svere for the 50 plants. 2) I find that the less plants you have, the easier and more effective you growing will be. This is simply because you have less plants to monitor and you can give them each more attention.

�������Next you need to decide on the space you will need for your plants. For ten 4 foot plants, I recommend a minimum floor space of 2 square feet per plant, with a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet ( 1'=pot, 4'=plant, 2'= lights). For lighting, a 400w Metal Halide(MH) for the "grow" stage (24 hours light), and a 600w High Pressure Sodium(HPS) to be used in combination with the MH for the "Flowering" stage (12/12 hours light/dark). These can be found at specialty plant stores as well as supply warehouse such as Home Depot. For fertilizer, I only use organics such as "Earth Juice", which can also be found at most specialty plant shops. A 2 gallon bucket per plant is needed to maximize your yeild, and a reservoir type pan for any drainage should be placed underneath the pots, this way the excess solution can be absorbed back into the buckets as needed. This will stop water from draining on the floor of your grow room, which is both a fire hazzard and a breeding ground for mold.

�������You will need an osculating fan to move the air around the room, as well as a constant flow of of clean air into the room and stale air out. Timers should be used to control the lights (when in flowering, 12/12) and the fan (only on when the lights are on). The water you use should have a Ph balance of between 6.2 and 6.8, this can be tested with a simple kit sold at many stores. A thermometer is also a good idea to have in your grow room, temperatures should be 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit during the light hours, and 65-75 degrees fahrenheit during the night stage. The humidity in the room should be kept at around 60%.

�������Well these are just the basic things you'll need to get started, next week I will be discussing seeds and germination.    BACK