12 Myths about Growing Marijuana that Everyone Thinks Are True Just in case you were tempted to try them, here are the 12 most common myths about growing marijuana, and the true facts that lie hidden behind them. Myth #1: The gender of a marijuana plant can be determined by the number of leaf points. Fact: This is quite simply not true. Gender can be told as early as 4-6 weeks when the plants first develop pre-flowers. Females produce delicate white tendrils, while males display a decidedly telling miniature banana with beads below it. Myth #2: If you don’t flush your plants before harvest the buds will have a harsh chemical taste. Fact: Flushing has been the subject of much heated debate. The Fact is, the decision whether or not to flush is complicated. It is true that plants require fewer nutrients towards the end of flowering. Soil and other mediums may hold nutrients that have not been used by plants. Flushing will reduce the amount of nutrients held in the medium. If a plant has been overfed throughout flowering it will show symptoms of burning such as crispy, burnt or brittle leaves, flushing for as long as 2 weeks before harvest can help. This forces the plant to use up stored nutrients and can effectively clean out some of the nitrogen stored throughout the plant. In a soil grow flushing is not a big issue. You are probably only using water anyway at the end of the grow. If you have quality soil with lots of compost you might only feed water the entire grow. In a hydro set-up you want to avoid starving your plants at the end of flowering. You may choose to do a pure water flush or to reduce the nutrients you use. The most important thing you can do to improve the flavor of your buds is to properly cure them. Myth #3: It takes a lot of money to grow marijuana. Fact: It certainly can take a lot of money to grow marijuana, but it doesn’t have too. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Careful planning and a little effort are much more important to a successful grow than expensive equipment. Your first foray into growing cannabis could involve starting a few seeds in a windowsill alongside your marigolds, then transplanting them to a safe, secure location with decent soil. Water them well, keep the weeds at bay and let nature run its course. Myth #4: Good genetics guarantee high potency. Fact: Potency is affected by many factors. Genetics are important. But remember: there are thousands of strains available these days. Some are intentionally lower in THC (especially high CBD medical strains) while others are variable. If potent pot is your goal, start with good quality genes and then practice solid basic grow techniques. Healthy plants produce the most potent buds. To find the best quality seeds, check out our favorite seedbanks. Myth #5: The dark cycle must be pitch black. Fact: Keep in mind that marijuana is a plant. A rather tough plant to boot. When was the last time you saw a pitch black night? It happens, sometimes, when its stormy or during a new moon. But usually there is starlight, moonlight or even city light pollution. And yet your cabbage and tomatoes seem to do just fine. Research actually shows that plants respond to moonlight. During the flowering stage, when 12 hours of darkness are critical, light of the same intensity as moonlight actually stimulates flowering. Make your room dark at night, but don’t freak out if there is a window or two. The moonlight might just help you out. Myth #6: You should not feed any nitrogen during flowering because it will affect the flavor of the buds. Fact: Nitrogen is an important nutrient throughout the grow cycle of cannabis. It is a basic building block of amino acids, which the plant needs to produce enzymes, proteins and chlorophyll. It is possible to over feed nitrogen. If you are growing in soil, ensuring that it is well amended at the start of the grow and then watering with pure water is your safest option. For hydroponic grows, follow guidelines to adjust nutrients throughout each stage of growth. Myth #7: Add Potassium to stimulate flowering, increase speed of flowering, trigger flowering or ripen buds. Fact: Potassium has four major roles in the physiology of cannabis (or any other plant, for that matter). Regulates water and nutrient movement between plant cells. Activates over 50 key enzymes Is a building block of DNA, and therefore essential for the production of new cells and healthy growth. In some plant species (lemon, cotton and peppers for example) it increases the amount of fruit set. Flowering is a complex process that involves many hormones. Extra potassium is not the magic fix to stimulate bud production. It does more good to boost phosphorus to support strong growth during flowering. For detailed ratios on feeding your cannabis plants throughout their life cycle, check out our nutrient guide here. Myth #8: Marijuana needs a constant temperature of 72-79 degrees. Fact: Cannabis, like most plants that evolved in non-tropical climates, is thermoperiodic. This means it is healthiest when nighttime temperatures drop 10-20 below daytime highs. Myth #9: You need to check the pH of your water or soup every time. Fact: Marijuana is tolerant of a wide range of pH levels. If you are growing in soil the pH of the water you use is usually irrelevant. Use decent tap water, and be more concerned about the high mineral content of hard water than pH levels. If you are growing hydroponically, pH is a much greater concern. Just keep in mind that the way most people arrive at damaging pH levels is by using products designed to increase or decrease pH. Myth #10: Growing from bagseed is a great option for beginners. Fact: Don’t grow from bagseed. You will be disappointed. You are about to devote serious time, effort and even cash to growing what you hope will be big, tasty, sticky buds. Why gamble on random seeds? Specific problems you are likely to run into if you grow from bagseeds: You don’t know what it is or how it will grow. How much space do you need? Is it short? Tall? Does it have special climate needs? At least 50% of the seeds will be male. You have to identify and remove them for the most potent buds. You could be planting runts. There is no guarantee that these are quality seeds with strong genetics. You may end up with stunted plants that don’t produce. If it does grow well and produce, you still have no idea what it is or what the effects may be. Is it a couch-lock Indica? Is it a bright, cerebral Sativa? You know what you like to smoke. Why put in all that effort and risk producing bud you don’t like? Myth #11: Urinating on your plants will help them grow better. Fact: As odd as this sounds, it is based on a true fact. Urine is high in nitrogen. Plants need nitrogen to grow. But urinating on your plants is a poor idea. Have you seen what happens when the dog pees on the same spot on lawn each day? It burns the grass. If you must, you can use your urine as an occasional fertilizing spray by diluting it with 10 parts water to 1 part urine. Don’t spray your plants more than once every 3 weeks or so. Pee is powerful stuff. Myth #12: Watering your plants with juice, Cool-aid or other flavorful liquids will improve the taste or change the color of the buds. Fact: Nope. Unfortunately giving your marijuana plants OJ doesn’t make the buds taste like oranges. But there are a few things you can do to grow more flavorful cannabis. Aside from choosing a tasty strain like Blueberry or Bubblegum, you can make small changes to your grow room to enhance the terpene content of the plants. Terpenes are the molecules that give marijuana its flavor. Advice or Myths? There is a lot of advice out there on how to grow marijuana. Everyone has an opinion, especially in the forums. But at the end of the day, cannabis is still a plant, one that actually grows much like a tomato plant. Stick to the basics, pay attention to your plants and trust your own judgement. Those are the keys to producing a successful crop.
