We’re excited to help you start your journey with cannabis cultivation. Follow these steps to ensure a successful harvest from your clone(s) purchased from Bra-Peter.
1. Initial Care for Your Clone
- Unpacking Your Clone: Gently remove your clone from its packaging, being careful not to damage the roots.
- Immediate Potting: Plant your clone in a small pot with well-draining soil. A pot with a diameter of 15-20 cm is ideal for starters.
2. Light Management
To ensure your plant gets enough light for the vegetative stage:
- Daytime: Place your plant outdoors in direct sunlight. South Africa’s sunlight is perfect for cannabis growth.
- Evening Light Extension: At sunset, bring your plant indoors and place it under a household light. This helps extend the light exposure to about 18 hours a day, preventing premature flowering.
3. Watering and Nutrients
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water when the top 2-3 cm of soil feels dry.
- Nutrients: Use a balanced fertilizer suitable for cannabis. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dosage.
4. Transplanting
As your plant grows:
- Monitor Growth: When the roots start to outgrow the current pot (you may notice roots emerging from the drainage holes), it’s time to transplant.
- Transplanting Steps:
- Gently remove the plant from its current pot.
- Place it in a larger pot (next size up) with fresh soil.
- Water thoroughly after transplanting.
5. Deciding on Final Pot Size
- Growth Space: Continue transplanting into larger pots until you are satisfied with the plant’s size. Each new pot should be about 10-15 cm larger in diameter than the previous one.
- Final Pot or Ground: You can either let the plant flower in a large final pot (at least 20-25 liters) or transplant it into the ground for maximum growth potential.
6. Flowering Stage
- Natural Flowering: Once your plant is in its final pot or the ground, allow it to naturally enter the flowering stage. In South Africa, this will typically happen as daylight hours shorten (around late summer).
- Monitoring: Keep an eye on your plant for pests and nutrient deficiencies. Adjust care as needed.
7. Harvesting
- Signs of Maturity: Your plant is ready to harvest when the majority of the pistils have darkened, and trichomes have turned milky white with some amber.
- Harvesting Process: Cut the plant at the base and trim the leaves. Hang the branches upside down in a cool, dark place to dry.
8. Curing
- Drying: Dry the buds for about 7-10 days until the stems snap rather than bend.
- Curing: Place the dried buds in airtight jars, opening them daily for the first week to release moisture. After the first week, open the jars less frequently (once a week) for another 2-3 weeks.
Additional Tips
- Pest Control: Check your plant regularly for pests and treat them promptly with organic pesticides or insecticidal soap.
- Temperature and Humidity: Maintain a stable environment. Cannabis thrives in temperatures between 20-30°C and moderate humidity.
Happy growing! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. You can watch some content on outdoor growing from Bra Peter here.