Cannabis is a flowering annual in the Cannabaceae family. It is dioecious — plants are either male or female. Only female plants produce the resinous buds consumers seek.

Plant Anatomy

• Cola — Main flowering cluster at the plant's top
• Calyx — Base of a female flower where trichomes concentrate
• Pistils — White hairs turning orange/red at maturity, signaling ripeness
• Trichomes — Resin glands containing cannabinoids and terpenes. Clear = immature. Cloudy = peak THC. Amber = sedative CBN.
• Fan leaves — Solar panels of the plant; remove only when dying
• Sugar leaves — Small resin-covered leaves within buds; trim at harvest

Photoperiod vs Autoflower

Photoperiod: Vegetate under 18+ hours of light, flower when switched to 12/12. Larger yields, more training options. Timeline: 4-7 months total.

Autoflowers: Flower automatically at 3-5 weeks. Seed to harvest in 8-11 weeks. Smaller but faster. Cannot be cloned. Multiple harvests per year possible.

Tent Sizing

• 2x2 — 1 auto or 1 small photo. Starter setup ($50-80)
• 2x4 — 2-4 autos or 1-2 photos. Most popular beginner tent
• 4x4 — The gold standard. 4 plants, 400-600g yield potential. Optimal for Missouri's 6-plant limit.

Lighting

Full-spectrum LEDs: 30-50 true watts per square foot. A 4x4 needs 480-800W. Quality brands: Spider Farmer SF4000, Mars Hydro, HLG 300L Rspec. Avoid cheap blurple Amazon LEDs.

PPFD targets: Seedling 200-400. Veg 400-600. Flower 600-1100.

Ventilation & Carbon Filter

4" inline fan at 200+ CFM with carbon filter. Exchange tent air every 1-3 minutes. Oscillating fans inside for stem strengthening and hot pocket prevention.

Environment Targets

Lights on: 75-80°F. Seedling RH: 65-70%. Veg: 50-70%. Early flower: 40-50%. Late flower: 35-45%.

Soil (Beginners)

Fox Farm Ocean Forest + 30% perlite. Pre-amended, feeds for 4-6 weeks. Start seedlings in lighter mix (Happy Frog). Target pH: 6.0-7.0.

Coco Coir (Intermediate)

70% coco + 30% perlite. Feed every watering. Faster growth than soil. pH range: 5.5-6.3. Buffer with Cal-Mag before use.

Nutrient Schedule

• Seedling: No nutrients in amended soil. Coco: 25% Cal-Mag only
• Veg: High N ratio (3-1-2). Grow Big or similar
• Early flower: Reduce N, increase P and K. Tiger Bloom
• Peak flower: High PK, minimal N. PK boosters
• Final 2 weeks: Plain pH'd water only (flush)

Training turns 6 legal plants into maximum-yield harvests. These techniques are the difference between beginner and expert results.

LST — Low Stress Training

Bend and tie branches outward for a flat canopy. More light to more bud sites = 20-40% bigger yields. Start at 6-8". Use soft ties. Continue into early flower.

Topping

Cut the main tip above the 5th node. Creates 2 main colas. Repeat for 4-8 mains. Never top autoflowers. Allow 1 week recovery per top.

SCROG (Screen of Green)

Horizontal mesh screen forces canopy flat. Fill 50-60%, then flip to 12/12. 30-60% more yield. One SCROGged photo can fill a 4x4 tent.

Defoliation

Remove blocking fan leaves at day 20 and day 40 of flower. Never more than 20-30% at once. Lollipop lower branches to focus energy on top colas.

Super Cropping

Squeeze and bend stems 90° to create callus "knuckles" that strengthen nutrient transport. Advanced but very effective for height control.

Germination

Paper towel method: pH 6.5 water, cover on plate, 70-80°F. Taproot in 24-72 hours. Plant when 0.5-1" long, taproot down.

Flowering Key Moments

Weeks 1-3: The stretch (doubles height). Weeks 3-6: Buds form and swell rapidly. Weeks 6-8+: Ripening. Monitor trichomes daily with 60x loupe.

Trichome harvest guide: Mostly cloudy = peak THC, energetic. 50/50 cloudy+amber = balanced. Mostly amber = heavy sedative.

Drying: The 60/60 Rule

60°F and 60% RH for 7-14 days. Hang whole branches upside down in complete darkness. No direct airflow on buds. Stems should snap, not bend, when done.

Curing: The Secret to Exceptional Cannabis

Trimmed buds in Mason jars at 75% capacity. Week 1: burp twice daily 15-20 min. Week 2: once daily. Month 2+: weekly or add Boveda 62% packs. Good cure: 4-6 weeks. Excellent: 2-3 months.

• Nitrogen deficiency: Lower leaves yellow progressively upward. Add nitrogen. (Normal during flush.)
• Calcium deficiency: Brown spots, curled edges. Common in coco. Fix: Cal-Mag 3-5ml/gal.
• Nutrient burn: Brown crispy leaf tips. Reduce strength 25%, check EC.
• Overwatering: Drooping firm leaves. Lift test: learn pot weight difference wet vs dry.
• Spider mites: Tiny dots + webbing. Neem oil in veg only. Never spray buds.