Growing (basics)
From germination to harvest: the basics of legal home growing.
Since 1 April 2024, adults in Germany may privately grow up to three cannabis plants at the same time at their place of residence (§ 9 KCanG). In this category I explain the basics – the way I would have liked them explained to me when I started.
Hempey’s tip
Responsibility first: plants, harvest and seeds must be protected from access by third parties, especially children and young people (§ 10 KCanG). More under Legal matters in Germany.
Plant training & cultivation methods in detail: ScrOG, LST, Topping, HST, SOG & Substrates Compared.
Articles in this category
- Growing basics: your first growonline
- Cultivation & Plant Training Methods: ScrOG, LST, Topping, HST, SOG & Substrates Comparedonline
- Light & Spectrum: What Do Lumens Mean, Why Do Indoor Lamps Use Blue/Red/Violet Instead of Sunlight & Does Under-Canopy Light Really Work?online
- Germination & seedlings: the first two weeksonline
- Harvesting, drying & curingplanned
- Recognising pests & diseasesonline
- Smell & neighbours: growing consideratelyplanned
- Companion Planting & the Clover Family as a Living Nitrogen Reservoironline
- Purple, Red, Blue or Black Buds: Why Do Cannabis Plants Change Colour in Flower?online
- The Male Cannabis Plant, Pollen Harvesting, Controlled Breeding & Hermaphroditesonline
- Storing Cannabis Seeds & Successful Germination: Science, Methods & Seed Qualityonline
- Cannabis Trichomes: How Resin Glands Develop, What Genetics Dictate & How to Boost Resinonline
Flo’s View on This Category
Flo’s Practical Routine: Daily Watering at Lights-On, Custom Living-Soil Mix & Organic Feeding
Following my motto “Understand nature, then copy nature”, my cultivation routine rests on three natural pillars:
- Watering daily shortly after lights-on (daily visual check): I hand-water my plants every day right after the lamps turn on. First, plants open their stomata and ramp up transpiration at the start of the light period; second, hand-watering every morning serves as my daily inspection walk. Automated irrigation is convenient, but watering by hand lets you spot the tiniest change in leaves, shoots and soil immediately!
- My custom substrate mix: I blend my own airy medium from quality soil, worm castings (vermicompost), quartz sand and Seramis clay granules, enriched with Living Soil. Seramis stores moisture and nutrients without waterlogging, sand ensures lasting drainage and structure, and worm castings + Living Soil power an active soil food web.
- 100% organic feeding & airflow: I feed biologically with worm tea (vermicompost liquid) and homemade fermented nettle manure (Brennnesseljauche) (rich in plant-available N, K, iron and cell-strengthening silica), paired with good light and strong continuous intake, exhaust and canopy circulation airflow.