Growing Cannabis: 5 Resources For Every Grower

Whether you’ve killed more plants than you’ve grown, or have grown more plants than you can count, there are resources available to help you get better results and experiment with new methods of growing cannabis.

1) Books

Books are a tried and tested way of learning about any topic. There are hundreds of books written on cannabis growing, but three stand out in particular. Greg Green’s “The Cannabis Grow Bible” was published in 2004 and was one of the first books to describe the now-pervasive “Screen of Green” (aka SCROG) technique. It offers detailed information on most aspects of growing and the layout of the book makes it easy to read.

Jorge Cervantes’ “Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible” is one of the most comprehensive grow books ever written. It was first published in 1983 and was less than 100 pages long. The current version of the book is approximately 500 pages long and has over a 1,000 photographs, charts and diagrams. It covers all areas of growing and is broken down into specific categories and sub-sections, which make it easy to use as a reference guide. This is one of the best-selling books on cannabis cultivation.

Ed Rosenthal’s “Marijuana Grower’s Handbook” is as exhaustive as Cervantes’ Grower’s Bible. It also offers close to 500 pages of information on various aspects of growing, some of which you may have not even known existed! This book is used as the official course material for the Oaksterdam University, which is recognized as America’s first cannabis college. Ed Rosenthal is famous for his activist work and is one of the better known leaders of the legalization movement in the United States. He has been growing cannabis for decades and all his knowledge and experience comes out in this influential book on cannabis growing.  

2) Online Communities/Forums

Some of you may be reluctant to read 500 page books to improve your yields. After all, growing cannabis shouldn’t give you flashbacks to your college days... at least not those days where you actually had to sit down and study! If you’re someone who has trouble recalling the last time you read a book or think that physical books are for your parents and grandparents only, rest assured there are other resources available.

Online communities are our favourite resource as they appeal to growers of all types – those who are new or seasoned, those who grow indoors or outdoors, those who grow soil or hydro or coco. Online community forms are structured in a way that makes finding information and learning relatively easy. The content is broken out by different topics (e.g. Grow Diaries, Nutrients and Fertilizers, Harvesting and Processing, etc.) and is generated by thousands of other growers, many of whom are very passionate about sharing their knowledge and providing advice. Being a member of these communities is almost like having a multitude of tutors at the palm of your hand!

Websites that have large cannabis grower communities include IC Mag, THC Talk, Open Grow, Roll it Up,  THC Farmer, 420 Magazine, Grow Weed Easy, Grass City, Marijuana Growing, How to Grow Marijuana and Cannabis Culture. In addition, Reddit, one of the most popular news aggregation and discussion websites has a strong community of Cannabis growers at /r/Microgrowery. And no, the name of the community doesn’t reflect plant yields but is geared towards people with limited grow space.

3) Tracking Method

A famous German statesman, Otto von Bismarck, once said: “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others”. Using resources mentioned above will certainly help you learn from other people. However, we don’t entirely agree with Otto! While we all strive to avoid other people’s mistakes, sometimes there is no way to learn how to do something without actually doing it yourself. Trial and error is an integral component of the learning experience.

But while mistakes happen, you want avoid making errors multiple times. Using something to keep track can help you easily review the conditions that were present at the time your plant got infected so you don’t run into the same issue over and over again. This is especially helpful for novice growers who don’t have the experience to easily adjust their grow plan once the dreaded leaf burns start showing up!

4) Social Media

The cannabis growing Instagram community is really active. With a lot of growers snapping daily pics of their gardens and replying to comments, it's a quick way of getting into direct contact with growers and getting feedback. With a range of novice to experienced growers sharing their grows, you're bound to find content that's relatable to your situation and content that you can aspire to. If you're looking for must follows, we recommend @lucky_acres, @green75_, @chefannawiththepot

5) Magazines

There's something special about curated content. Grow Magazine does it justice. With each magazine issue focusing on one grow aspect, for example, sun-grown cannabis, you're getting only the highest quality images and up to date information on growing tips. Others magazines include Garden Culture Magazine. 

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These aren’t the only five resources available but they’re a great start. If video content is your thing, we also launched a Youtube channel where we provide growing tips and experiences. Check it out here and be sure to subscribe to stay up to date on latest videos: http://bit.ly/2qC4p0m