THE COMPLETE CANNABIS GARDEN GUIDE
From seed to smoke, we're here to guide you to delicious homegrown euphoria.
Start Your Ganja Journey
Learn how to grow cannabis week by week with pictures and videos, navigate below!
Week 1
Germination and Seedling Stage
When you start growing cannabis at home, the first and most important part is germinating your seed. Cannabis seeds have tough outer shells, so it's important to keep your soil moist until you see a seedling. Through constant contact with moist soil, the seed will "open up" its shell, drop down its first root, and start popping out to say hello!
Temperature: 70-85°F
Humidity: 70-85%. If you have trouble keeping the humidity that high, try spritzing the inside of the tent with a spray bottle 1-2x/day. Be careful not to spray directly on the plant or electronics (fan / lights, etc.). If your home is particularly dry, consider adding a small humdifer to the inside of your tent. Any small, inexpensive one from Amazon will do.
Light: On for 20 hours a day, from 4am to 12am. This means the lights are off from midnight to 4 am. The light should be 18-24 inches above the top of the container. For lights equipped with an intensity dial, set the intensity to 100% for the duration of your grow.
Fan: Off. You won’t need your fan until you start to get foliage.
Water: On Day 1, follow the directions in the guide that came with your garden for how to water your plant for the first time. On Days 2-4, gently add 2-4 oz. of water each day. On Day 5, gently add 3-7 oz., and on Days 6 and 7, do not add any water.
During this first critical week, the key is to keep the soil moist enough for the seed to start germination, and not to overwater. Make sure you add water gently enough that the soil in the pod area does not spill out onto the sheet. A good technique is to drip a little water onto the soil, and then wait for the water to soak into the soil before continuing to water. And once your seedling sprouts, only apply water around the seedling, and not directly on top of it.Fertilizer: No need to fertilize until week 3
Growing Tips
When your seedling sprouts, try to avoid spraying water directly onto the delicate plant. Instead, spray the exposed soil around the base of the seedling.
If you don't see a sprout by day 10, email us at hello@lush.garden for a free replacement, and we'll get you fixed right up.
Week 2
Seedling Stage
By week 2, you should find that your seed has germinated and you have one or two sets of tiny leaves. Maintain moist soil during this time and make sure your lights are set up at optimal height for your seedlings running for 20 hours lights-on and 4 hours lights-off.
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 65-75%
Light: On for 20 hours a day, from 4am to 12am. The light should be 18-24 inches above the top of the plant.
Fan: Off. You still don’t need your fan moving air yet at this stage. Seedlings are very fragile and still need warmth, moisture and protection.
Water: Apply approximately 10 ounces of water every 3 days or so, depending on the moistness or dryness of the soil. If the top 1" of soil is wet, wait until it's dry to apply water. If your soil is dry to the touch before 3 days, you can water earlier.
Fertilizer: No need to fertilize until week 3
Growing Tips
By week 2 you'll begin to see more leaves develop, this will help photosynthesis and the plant will begin to grow faster!
If needed, you can lower your humidity by opening some of the vents on your tent.
You'll begin to increase your watering volume as your plant matures, but generally speaking, use the soil's dryness as the best indicator as to when it needs water. When it's dry to the touch, add water! Try to follow our oz. per day recommendations above, and modify as your soil directs you.
Rule of thumb: “If your soil is wet, don't water it yet!”
Week 3
Vegetation Stage
By week 3, your cannabis plant will have transitioned from delicate seedling to vigorously growing bush. This will continue for the next several weeks as the plant seeks to maximize its foliar (leaf) development to strengthen its size and structure so it can support its future flowers.
Time to remove your Seedsheet! The sheet has served its purpose, locking in critical moisture to nurture your plant during the seedling stage. To remove it, gently cut it with scissors from the outside edge of the sheet to the hole in the middle. Then slide it out from around your plant and discard it. Be careful not to disturb your delicate plant as you remove it.
It's also time to set up your elastic trellis net! Attach the hooks of your trellis around the four vertical poles in the tent so the trellis is parallel to the ground, and is about 8" above the soil, which should be a few inches above the top of your plant. As your plant begins to grow up through the screen in weeks 4-6, gently guide its branches through the holes of the screen. More instructions on how to do this are in next week's notes.
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 55-70%
Light: On for 18 hours a day, from 4am to 10pm. The light should be 18-24 inches above the top of the plant.
Fan: Off. You should not be smelling any odors from your plant this early. But if there is some odor, it's ok to plug the fan into the timer so it runs while the light is on. Just be careful, as running the fan will reduce humidity, which should be at 55% - 70% this early in your plant's development.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 15 oz. of water/fertilizer solution every day, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. Check the soil by feeling it with your palm. If it's wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water/fertilizer solution. In practice, this will probably mean you'll be watering about once every 2 or 3 days. Again, if the soil is wet, don't water it yet!
How to Fertilize:
This week you'll begin fertilizing! Instead of watering the plant with plain water, you're going to add liquid fertilizer to your water bottle to create a water/fertilizer solution.1. First, get the PINK BOTTLE of fertilizer labeled "Weeks 3-6 Veg."
2. Fill your water bottle halfway with water, then slowly pour in the liquid fertilizer up to the line "Week 3". It shouldn't be very much. Be careful not to over-pour! Once the fertilizer is in, fill the rest of your water bottle with water, screw the cap on tight, and shake well.
3. Check the top 1" of soil to make sure it's dry (if it's not, wait a day or 2 until it is). Then apply 15 oz. of your water / fertilizer solution (about 3/4 of the bottle) to the base of your plant. Save the remaining 5 oz. of solution in the bottle for the next time you fertilize, which should be when the soil is dry again.
4. After a day has passed, check to make sure the top 1" of soil is dry. If not, wait a day or two until it dries up. When the soil is dry, you're good to fertilize again.
5. Start by applying the remaining 5 oz. of water / fertilizer solution to the base of your plant. Once your bottle is empty, fill it halfway with water, and pour in the fertilizer from the Pink bottle up to the line marked "3b". Then fill the rest of your water bottle with water, and shake well.
6. Apply 10 more oz. of your water/fertilizer solution to the base of your plant, for a total of 15 oz. this session.
7. After a day has passed, check the top 1" of soil again. If it's wet, wait. If it's dry, you'll apply the remaining 10 oz. of water/fertilizer solution to your plant. Then apply 5 more oz. of plain water, for a total of 15 oz. this session.
8. After a day has passed, check the top 1" of soil, if it's wet, wait. If it's dry, apply 15 oz. of plain water to your plant. Do the same for each day remaining in the week. Don't use any more fertilizer solution until you're in Week 4, just plain water.
9. This is the same process you'll use to water / fertilize your plant through week 10.
Growing Tips
Your plant is picking up steam fast and will grow to be about 3-6" in height this week! Grow baby grow!
The ideal humidity drops to 55-70% this week. Plugging the fan into the timer will help reduce the moisture inside your tent if needed. If the humidity falls too low, you can lightly spray water into the tent with a misting spray bottle 1-2x per day. Avoid spraying water directly on the plant or electronics. It's fine if your humidity is 40-70%. But under 40% is too low. We don't want your plant to dry out.
Week 4
Continued Vegetation Stage
Your plant will maintain vigorous bushy growth for the next several weeks and its thirst for water and nutrients will also continue to increase. While it may be tempting, don’t “top” your autoflower plants. Topping, or snipping the new growth from the nodes to force two new shoots to grow, is reserved for cannabis with longer vegetative stages. Autoflower has a fixed, short vegetative stage and topping it could severely hinder its overall growth and yield.
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 55-70%
Light: switch to 18 hours of light per day, from 4am to 10pm. This will allow the plant adequate rest during this intense growth phase. Move the light up to 28 inches above the top of the plant. As the plant grows, the tent will eventually not be tall enough to keep the light 28 inches above the top of the plant. That's ok. If that happens, just raise the light as high as you can.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. Additionally, consider adding a small oscillating fan that will gently circulate air in your tent. Any inexpensive one from Amazon will do.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 15 oz. of water / fertilizer solution each day this week, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over as needed.
Growing Tips
It's time to SCROG! Here's how to do it:
If you haven't done so already, attach the hooks of your trellis around the four vertical tent poles, so the net is parallel to the ground and about 8" above the soil. When set up, the net should be about even with, or just above the top of your plant.
As your plant starts growing up through your trellis, start guiding its branches through the holes. This is called the "SCROG" method, which stands for “Screen of Green”. It’s a technique that maximizes your plant's growth by guiding the branches to grow wider, instead of straight up, so more leaves are exposed to light. This leads to healthier plants and larger harvests.
Start with the branches closest to the edges of the screen. Carefully guide them through the holes, aiming for an even distribution of leaves across the screen. If leaves and branches are overlapping, try to guide them a little away from each other so light from above can hit them all. The goal is to encourage your plant to grow more horizontally and expose as many of the plant’s leaves to light as you can.
Be gentle yet effective. If you feel a branch doesn’t want to go in a certain direction, don’t risk breaking it.
As you guide your branches through the holes, imagine you're helping your plant stretch out and take up as much space as possible.
Keep an eye on your plant every few days, and gently guide new branches through the holes. We want those branches to spread out evenly across the screen. You'll continue this for the rest of your grow.
Now let's prune! Here's how to do it:
Look for thin branches lower on the plant that aren't getting much light. These are the ones we'll prune.
Using clean scissors, cut these smaller branches as close to the main stem as possible. Don't be too aggressive! Over-trimming can stress your plant and stunt its growth. Just a few well-placed cuts are enough.
Now look for any sickly, yellowing leaves. As your plant begins to expand, it's not uncommon for some leaves to become overcrowded and turn yellow. Cut these off too, as close to the main stem as possible. Again, don't cut too many! Just a few is enough..
The goal is to remove the weaker branches that aren’t exposed to light because they won't produce big, healthy buds. We want the plant to direct resources to the stronger branches that will produce flowers.
Week 5
Pre-Flowering Stage
Your plant will show its first signs of flowering, and small buds will begin to develop at branch ends and stem nodes. The flowers will start developing pistils, which look like small white hairs, and your plant will switch from leaf development to flower development. As we like to say, it's game time!
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 50-60%
Light: On for 18 hours a day, from 4am to 10pm. The light should be about 28 inches above the top of the plant. If it's not possible to position the light 28 inches above the plant, just position the light as high as possible.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. As described earlier, a small fan is generally recommended (but not required) to move air around, especially to help prevent any issues with mold or disease.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 15 oz. of water / fertilizer solution each day this week, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over as needed.
Growing Tips
Your plant will begin to develop its first flower buds! This transition from leaf to flower development will start to increase your plant water uptake, and the emphasis on flower development might result in lower leaves turning yellow and droopy. Feel free to use scissors to trim off sickly-colored leaves.
As your flowers develop more, we will slowly discontinue the "training" of your plant with the trellis, but for now, you should continue to SCROG per last week's directions, and delicately weave your branches through the trellis to create a uniform, wide canopy.
If you don't want your house to smell like a Willy Nelson concert, now is a good time to plug your fan into an outlet if it isn't already.
Week 6
Flowering Stage
Welcome to the show! 😎 By week 6, your cannabis plant should have easily noticeable flowers, decorated with white pistils, getting you very excited about the enjoyment that is to come!
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 45-55%
Light: Reduce light to 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm. The light should be about 28 inches above the top of the plant. If it's not possible to position the light 28 inches above the plant, just position the light as high as possible.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 30 oz. of water/fertilizer solution (about 1.5 bottles) each day, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over, as needed.
To make your water / fertilizer solution, continue using the PINK BOTTLE of fertilizer labeled "Weeks 3-6 Veg". Next week we'll switch to the green bottle.
Growing Tips
The white pistils on your flowers not only signify the start of the flowering stage, but are helpful in later determining whether your plant is ripe and ready for harvest. Like peppers, which can turn from green, to yellow, to red throughout the growing process, cannabis pistils change color and signal the best time to harvest.
You'll notice that your plant will be drinking water like a marathon runner, so increase your watering to the prescribed amount, and feel free to adjust your watering amount a bit if you notice the soil consistently over-saturated or over-dry the day after watering.
Stop SCROG'ing.The flowers can be delicate at this stage, and easily harmed or ruined by aggressive handling. So it is best to stop all SCROG'ing practices during this week.
Week 7
Continued Flowering Stage
By now the flowering process is well underway, showcasing beautiful colors and bud formation, and the delicious quintessential cannabis smell. You'll be amazed by how quickly these plants grow and how much can change week after week. You are now past the halfway mark on your cannabis-growing experience!
Temperature: 70-80°F
Humidity: 40-55%
Light: On for 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm, and off for 12 hours a day. Position the light as high as possible in the tent.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on.
Water / Fertilizer: This week, to make your water/fertilizer solution, start using the GREEN BOTTLE of fertilizer labeled "Weeks 7-10 Flower". Apply 40-50 oz. of water/fertilizer solution each day (About 2 - 2.5 bottles), unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water/fertilizer solution again.
Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over, as needed. Make sure not to let your plant’s soil dry out, but don’t overwater either. Check your plant frequently to maintain regular moisture in the soil.
Growing Tips
Your flowers will continue to bulk up and increase in density. You will see more flower clusters develop at the plant's nodes, and on lower branches. If possible, try to weave any lower flowers that are beneath the trellis up through to prevent them from being shaded out.
As your flowers develop, your plants will require more and more water. But if the top 1" of soil seems to be waterlogged the day after watering, wait until the following day to resume watering, or until the soil is dry to the touch.
Continue to use scissors to trim off any dead and dying leaves to prevent disease spread.
Week 8
Continued Flowering Stage
Patience is a virtue at this stage of the game. Your lady is developing majestic buds that are starting to sparkle with frosted trichomes, and it will take serious mental fortitude to let your plant continue to grow. But trust us, like a fine wine or whiskey, patience makes the buds grow stronger (or something like that). So keep growing!
Temperature: 68-78°F
Humidity: 40-50%
Light: On for 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm, and off for 12 hours a day. Position the light as high as possible in the tent.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 40-50 oz. of water / fertilizer solution every day, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over, as needed.
Continue using the GREEN BOTTLE of fertilizer labled "Weeks 7-10 Flower"
Growing Tips
It's common at this stage of growth for your plant to be expanding. Some new leaves and branches will be growing, but the bulk of your plant's effort is going into increasing the size and density of its flowers.
If you see any mold on your plant or flower, immediately cut out that part of the plant, and add a small fan in your tent to blow cool air over the plant, which will aid evaporation. With large bushy plants, there's less space for airflow, which can result in mold, and we don't want that!
While an isolated, indoor environment should be devoid of outside pests, this is always the period of the grow when we must be most protective over our plant to ensure consistent flower development. If you see any bugs, eggs, or powdery discoloration on your leaves or flowers, immediately contact Lush support for remedies.
Continue to use scissors to trim off any dead and dying leaves to prevent disease spread.
Week 9
Late Flowering Stage
Your flowers are nearly at peak maturity and are almost ready for harvest. The finish line is in sight, so stay vigilant, regularly water your plant, and keep an eye out for mold, diseases, and pests, and you'll be harvesting before you know it!
Temperature: 68-78°F
Humidity: 40-50%
Light: On for 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm, and off for 12 hours a day. Position the light as high as possible in the tent.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. If you've chosen add a circulating fan in your tent, keep it going and check the temperature throughout the light cycles to ensure proper environmental regulation both day and night.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 40-50 oz. of water / fertilizer solution each day, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over, as needed.
Growing Tips
Your garden is very close to being ready for harvest! As the flowering stage draws near its end, it's common for the lower fan leaves to turn yellow. You can remove them with scissors.
You'll notice that your flowers are covered with "resin," also known as trichomes. To the naked eye, these look like shiny white dots on your flowers and surrounding leaves, and these tiny glands produce and store flavonoids, terpenes, and cannabinoids which are the compounds responsible for the effect, aroma, and flavor you'll get when consuming your cannabis buds. They're very delicate, so as much as you'd like to... avoid touching them! Baaaad kitty!
While it's important to avoid touching your flowers at this stage to prevent damage, it's also important to ensure your plant's branches have enough support to hold up your heavy flowers. It's ok if some of the branches lean against the inside of the tent. Just monitor to make sure none of the branches are in danger of snapping.
Week 10
Final Flowering Stage
This is it, your final week of fertilizing to max out your plant's potential. We'll start to flush your garden next week in preparation for cutting and drying. Congrats, greenthumb!
Temperature: 68-78°F
Humidity: 40-50%
Light: On for 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm, and off for 12 hours a day. Position the light as high as possible in the tent.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. Keep your circulating fan on as needed throughout the day and night to regulate temperature.
Water / Fertilizer: Apply 40-50 oz. of water / fertilizer solution each day, unless the top 1" of soil is wet. If the soil is still wet, wait until it's dry to apply your water / fertilizer solution again. Refer to the instructions in Week 3 for how to mix and apply your fertilizer solution. Once you've used up all the fertilizer solution for this week, just apply plain water until the week is over as needed.
This week, you'll use the last of the GREEN BOTTLE of fertilizer labeled "Weeks 7-10 Flower". After this week, you're all done fertilizing!
Growing Tips
This is the final week of fertilizer to wrap up the flowering stage. You might notice the plant is taking in less water, since it's not trying to grow anymore. Take care not to overwater your garden by feeling the top 1" of soil -- if it's still wet, wait a day or two to water again, and try watering with less water. The goal of this week is to finish the fertilizer.
Many of the pistils (white hairs) on your flowers should have now turned dark amber. You should also see some of your trichomes change color as well, transitioning from clear to milky white, and to amber as well.
At this final stage of growth, it is 100% normal for your leaves to turn yellow, brown, and even purple, as the plant puts her final effort into producing flowers. No worries!
Week 11
Flushing Stage
You did it! You successfully grew your cannabis garden to its maximum size, flavor, and potency. Now for the final step of the process, we will flush your plant to remove any lingering nutrients and provide a cleaner, more flavorful consumption experience.
Temperature: 68-78°F
Humidity: 40-50%
Light: On for 12 hours a day, from 6am to 6pm. Position the light as high as possible in the tent.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. Keep your circulating fan on as needed throughout the day and night to regulate temperature.
Water: Apply 30-40 oz. of plain water every 2-3 days. If the top 1" of soil is wet, wait until it's dry to apply water. Allow soil to become slightly more dry than during the previous weeks.
Fertilizer: None.
Growing Tips
While your plant probably looks pristine and is begging to be harvested, it's important to flush your plant. It's like washing your hands before eating.
The trichomes on your plant should be a mix of clear, cloudy/milky, and amber. The general rule is 80% cloudy + 20% amber = 100% awesome. If desired, you can use a magnifying glass to get really clear pictures of your cannabinoids!
Your plant will absorb less water, so apply water until you see water appearing in the green saucer, and then STOP! This means the entire container has been saturated. You don't want water to spill onto the floor of your tent, so consider putting a small towel down around the container to help mitigate any mess. Be careful not to disturb the foil ducting, as it tears easily.
Next week we harvest!
Week 12
Harvesting, Drying, and Curing
Now that your lady is ready for harvest, it's time for the real fun to begin! To make sure that your hard work turns into the best cannabis possible, we need to dry and cure your buds to maximize their flavor and aeroma, and stay shelf stable so you can enjoy your homegrown harvests for months to come!
Temperature: 60-70°F
Humidity: 40-50%
Light: NO LIGHT. Darkness. Unplug your light and keep your tent zipped up.
Fan: On. Plug it directly into an outlet (not the timer) so it remains on. Maintain your air fan on as needed to maintain healthy air circulation inside the grow tent.
Water: None
Fertilizer: None
Trimming & Curing
Once your harvest has dried adequately it’s time to store your flower for the curing process. This can be done several ways. Ideally, you can use glass jars with airtight lids, but you can also use plastic bags.
Using clean scissors, snip the buds off of the branches and put them into the jars. If you are using plastic bags, you can keep the buds on the stems or take them off.
Leave the buds in their airtight containers for 2-4 weeks to completely cure in a cool, dry, dark place. Open their containers 1-2 times daily for a minute during the first week, once per day during the remaining weeks, to allow the stale air inside to be released (this is called off-gassing).
Check your stored flower frequently to ensure that it’s drying and curing properly. When it is crumbly, it is ready to smoke. Smoke a sample of your harvest to confirm if it’s ready or not. If it tastes somewhat harsh, it may need some more time. If it doesn’t break up easily, it may need more time.
If the flower crumbles too easily to dust, you need to rehydrate your stash. You can do this by adding orange peels into the bags or containers. Take the peel out once the flower has rehydrated, or it could add too much moisture. Continue the off-gassing, curing process until the flower has reached your desired cure.
