10 Most Common Mistakes When Growing Cannabis

4. Mishandling Young Plants

Young plants are very fragile, and you can easily damage them if you’re not careful.

We suggest germinating seeds in some growing medium that can be transplanted without forcing you to touch the sprout or baby plant itself.

Whatever method you use to get your plants started, do your best to avoid handling them directly. And if you have to, be as soft and gentle as possible.

When transplanting, be sure you don’t damage the roots.

3. Wrong pH

While a lot of the technical jargon that surrounds the culture of cannabis cultivation may be a bit too much for the average grower, pH is one of the things you’ve got to pay attention to.

If the pH is off, it could damage or even kill your plant.

Fortunately, it’s easy to monitor and fix. Get a pH testing kit and regularly test the water you use to feed your plants.

For hydroponic grows, shoot for pH levels in the range of 5.5 – 6.5 and soil grows, shoot for 6.0 – 7.0.

Take a look at our guide on managing pH levels for more info.

2. Bad Genes

No matter how careful you are, if you start with bad genes, you will never get healthy plants or good buds.

Why even take your chances? Never grow cannabis plants from unknown seeds, clippings, or clones.

To avoid getting stuck with a plant that has bad genes, always source your seeds and plant matter from reliable sources and seed banks—even if it costs a little bit more.