Planting cannabis has, surprisingly enough, become quite the usual practice. If you are looking to jump on the trend and want to try your hand at growing cannabis at home or want to grow cannabis for your business, you need to prepare a plan. A significant part of planning is figuring out how you want to plant your seeds – and that depends on your priorities.
Once you start looking into planting techniques and Marijuana Affiliate Programs for cannabis, you will realize there are one too many to choose from. Out of all, the direct seed method is the most preferred and yields good results.
If you don’t know about the direct seed method, you’re at the right place. Here’s everything you should know about planting cannabis using the direct seed method and how it proves advantageous.
GROWING CANNABIS: SEED GERMINATION
The first step in growing cannabis is cannabis seed germination, which is getting the seeds to sprout. In cannabis plants, the first sprout is white in color and the “taproot.” The taproot of your plant must be strong and healthy because all the subsequent roots of that plant will emerge from it. As the taproot grows, it pushes the seed upwards until it breaks through the surface – or the original growing medium. Once the seed breaks through the soil, the plant starts to grow.
Since seed germination is the first step in growing cannabis and determines the health and strength of the plant, you must do it with great care. The direct seed method has proven to be the most effective and beneficial out of all the different techniques. Let’s look at what the direct seed method is and how it benefits cannabis growth.
GROWING CANNABIS USING THE DIRECT SEED METHOD
In the direct seed method, you would directly plant the seed in the soil of the area or pot where you want to grow the cannabis plant. You would prepare the soil and environment as per the specifications and requirements for growing cannabis; you wouldn’t disturb the seeds or uproot the plants once they’ve been put into place. The direct seed method relies heavily on the type and characteristics of the soil in which you plant the seeds.
TYPES OF SOIL IDEAL FOR GROWING CANNABIS USING THE DIRECT SEED METHOD
When it comes to growing cannabis, a single type of soil is not enough, and you will need to prepare a mixture of at least two of the four types of soil suited to the growth of cannabis plants. Even if you decide that you don’t want to use a pot and want to grow cannabis directly in the earth, you’d still have to prepare the land by mixing soil.
Here are the four types of soils that are suitable for growing cannabis:
Loamy soil
Loamy soil is a mixture of different types of organic soils, and it also contains clay, sandy, and silt soils. Loamy soil has a neutral pH, and the texture of the soil provides for good water retention and appropriate drainage. It is also nutrient-rich and has high oxygen levels, which aids in the plant’s quality and growth.
You can’t go wrong with loamy soil; it combines the best properties of all the different soil types and suppresses those that are undesirable.
Sandy soil
Sandy soil is ideal for you if you are a beginner and don’t know what growing cannabis entails. Sandy soil is suited to cannabis, and it’s also easy to work with compared to other soil types. The best part about using sandy soil is that it has a larger granular size, and you do not face the risk of over-watering, one of the most common issues faced by beginners. It will also make you more conscious of your plant because you’d have to water it rather frequently.
Silty soil
Silty soil is also relatively easy to work with and is well-suited for growing cannabis. It is rich in oxygen and nutrients; it has excellent drainage, delicate texture, and superior water retention. Silty soil, especially when mixed with other soil types, is very fertile and malleable.
Clay soil
Clay soil is rich in organic minerals and nutrients, and it is one of the best soils for growing cannabis. It has high pH and smaller grain size, which means excellent water retention. While this is a significant benefit, it also makes clay soil challenging to work with. It is heavy and has poor drainage, making it very easy to over-water.
Clay soil is ideal for you if you know how to handle clay soil and have some experience growing plants in clay soil.
Once you know what type of soil you want to work with and prepare your base, you can get to sowing cannabis plant seeds directly in the ground. Let’s look at some reasons you should stick to planting cannabis seeds using the direct seed method.
THE ADVANTAGES OF PLANTING CANNABIS USING THE DIRECT SEED METHOD
There are many advantages of planting cannabis using the direct seed method instead of the other methods. Here are some of them:
Stronger roots: When you sow seeds directly into the soil you want to grow them in, you allow the roots to grow and attach to them. When you develop the roots elsewhere and pull them out to replant them, you pull them from this strong attachment and weaken them. Stronger roots allow the plant to be healthy and reduce the risk of the plant drying out.
Unrestricted access to nutrients: When you grow cannabis directly into the soil, the roots can reach as far into the ground as they need to get more nutrients. If you plant your seeds in quality soil, they will never lack nutrients, and the plants will grow faster and be healthier.
The costs will be low: Planting cannabis directly into the soil will be low because you won’t need to invest in other materials required to germinate the seeds or grow the plant before you move it. It will also be less labor-intensive because nature will provide.
While you benefit from the cannabis you grow, so will the environment: Planting cannabis directly into the soil will prevent it from becoming polluted and further replenish it. Even when you harvest your cannabis, some stubble will be left behind that will become part of the soil and help fertilize it. It is a win-win situation.
These are only some of the most significant advantages of the direct seed method. There is so much it offers that we cannot begin to cover its scope, especially what it does for the environment.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking to grow cannabis, you have to choose practices that benefit you, your plants, and the environment. The direct seed method offers the most benefits of all the different farming practices you will come across. Once you’ve prepared your plan to plant, don’t forget to stick that seed directly into the soil.
