Growing pot at home

In the continuing adventures of a gentlewoman cannabis farmer, I just harvested my second indoor plant and hung the stalks upside down to dry. Last time, I hung them in the garage, but they’re supposed to dry in a dark place, so this time I hung them inside a closet.

My first plant was smaller, growing in a 2-gallon pot and yielding about 10 grams of weed. This one grew in a 5-gallon pot. Same kind of seed, same location and same light, but the two plants looked very different. The first plant had thicker buds, while the buds on this one look scrawnier. However, there are more of them, so I’m hopeful the yield will be bigger.

“The Original” is what Dale calls my first grow. I planted the seed in November and harvested the cannabis in February after 102 days. The second plant, yet to be named, was 84 days from seed to harvest. I attribute the shorter cycle to warmer weather.

I noticed the smaller leaves are packed with trichomes, the sugary-like powder that contains cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. The leaves are generally assumed to be too rough for smoking, but you can extract the trichomes and make kief, a concentrated form of cannabis.

Basically, you can make kief by shaking the leaves through a filter. I bought what is euphemistically called a “pollen sifter box” for this purpose. I’ve never tried kief, and I haven’t actually used the box yet, so you’ll have to wait for a full report!  

I’ve already got two seeds germinating. While I purchased new dirt for my second plant, this time I’m going to re-use the dirt and add fertilizer. We’ll see how it goes. I plan to use the 2-gallon pot to grow one by the window and use the 5-gallon pot outside. You’re probably thinking, geez, how much weed does a girl need?

Truth is, I actually don’t consume much cannabis, but I’d like to get a nice big harvest for my next batch of homemade cannabis balm. Maybe it’s the placebo effect, but I use it daily, sometimes twice daily, on my knees, mastectomy scars and other creaky body parts.

All I can say is for me, it works. I am forever grateful for the healing properties of the cannabis plant.

For those who haven’t read my previous posts about growing cannabis, I purchased my kit from A Pot for Pot. As a first-time grower, I loved that everything I needed came in a box with step-by-step instructions. I purchased the seeds separately (with a discount from A Pot for Pot).

The plant itself is what they call autoflowering, meaning you don’t need a grow tent with alternating cycles of light and dark. The plant has its own internal clock and can be ready to harvest is as little as 80 days.