Skip to content
Here at Grow Daddy, we know that the most difficult part of getting into growing is just knowing where to start. To help new growers, we have compiled a complete list of things you will need to consider purchasing before you begin:
1. Grow Area
One of the few things we can't offer you is a safe, secure space to grow. Before you do anything, make sure the space you want to turn into your grow room is clean, has windows for venting and is temperature controlled.
Grow tents are a necessary tool, but they have premade exhaust vents, wall to wall reflective mylar, and a grow light hanging bars that save you from having to drill holes into the ceiling. You just need a space in your house and you can be growing in no time.
Plants need plenty of light, whether its LED or High Intensity Discharge. One of the most common mistakes growers use is underestimating how much light their plants will need. We have take the guesswork out of knowing how much light is enough light with our grow kits, but if you are growing a canopy larger than 25 square feet, you may require multiple lights. You can calculate how much light you will need here.
It's very important to have an idea where you will exhaust your heat and stale air out, and how you plan to pump fresh air in. This steady flow of air will strengthen your plant's branches, enhance growth, and assist with temperature and humidity control. A good air exchange system will include vents at the bottom to bring in fresh air, two oscillating fans pointed at the bottom of your grow room, a charcoal filter, and inline ducting fan, a fan speed controller, and ducting to vent the stale air to the outside of your grow room. Please ensure that you are not pumping stale air into the same space that you are venting fresh air from.
The environment that your plants grow in is as important as the lighting system or nutrients you choose. You'll need to consider things like temperature, humidity, odour, and CO2. Many of these things will be regulated by good ventilation, but you will need to monitor the conditions inside your grow room to be sure of it.
Some things you may want to consider include:
- a hand sprayer
- a weather station to monitor heat and humidity inside the grow area
- additional CO2 for increased yields
6. Controllers
Growing cannabis requires you to simulate nighttime and daytime, and at different stages of the plant's lifecycles they require different schedules. Timers are necessary tools for helping to to maintain rigorous lighting schedules, as well as controlling heat, humidity or any other electronic devices you have maintaining your grow environment. You can choose between basic timers that control when these devices turn on and off, or more expensive climate controllers that will control things like temperature, humidity, day and night settings, CO2 emitters, feeding times, etc.
7. Measuring tools
Your water's pH determines the level of acidity and alkaline levels, while its PPM has to do with the minerals and soluble matter n the water. While you are feeding your plants, you will want to make sure that the soil or other grow medium maintains a health pH and PPM, otherwise your crop can be lost. Hydroponic systems even require daily monitoring. The easiest way to monitor these levels is with a pH meter and a PPM meter.
8. Grow System
Choosing whether to grow in soil, or in a hydroponic system using clay pebbles, coco, or another grow medium is a tough choice for new growers. Hydroponic systems are soil-less and require you to mix nutrients into a water reservoir to feed your plants. It provides the best results, but over feeding and root rot tend to cause new growers a lot of headaches. Soil mediums are good options for beginners because it is more forgiving to over feeding and the soil is already packed with nutrients, but correcting issues can be difficult.
Some additional things you will for a soil-based grow:
- Fabric pots
- Soil (not currently sold online at Grow Daddy)
- Perlite to aerate the soil (not currently sold online at Grow Daddy)
- Vermiculite for moisture retention (not currently sold online at Grow Daddy)
- Vinyl Drip Trays
9. Nutrients
There are many options when it comes to choosing a nutrient program for your plants. You will need different nutrient solutions for different stages of the plant's life cycles, and there are enhancers to help you achieve different desired grow results. We recommend starting out with a nutrient kit, which will make sure you have all your bases covered.
10. Harvest Tools
Once your plants mature, you still have a few steps to go. In addition to regular pruning, you will also need to cut, dry and trim buds. Drying racks are a good solution to help air dry your bud. Trimming can be done by hand, but you can also invest in a hand-crank leaf trimmer to help remove unwanted leaves and stems from your buds.