Weed growing supplies

Just starting out growing your own weed and need some tips? Check out Leafly's online guide or check out our books section.

Leafly’s guide to growing marijuana

A contained space, light, air movement and something to grow in. In practice that means a grow tent, a grow light sized to it, a fan and filter, and soil or another medium with nutrients to match. Check your local plant limits before buying any of it, since home cultivation rules differ by state.

Match the light to the footprint you are covering. Listings state a coverage area and a power draw, and full-spectrum LED fixtures are the common choice now because they run cooler than older lamps did. More wattage than your tent needs wastes electricity and adds heat you then have to remove. Dimmable fixtures leave you room to adjust as plants develop.

Work backwards from plant count and your legal limit, then add headroom. A tent needs space above the canopy for the light and space around each plant for airflow, so the footprint that fits two plants comfortably is larger than it first sounds. Listings give interior dimensions and the number of ports for ducting and cables.

Soil is more forgiving and needs less equipment, which is why most first grows use it. Hydroponic systems can move faster but require you to watch pH and nutrient strength closely, which means testers and meters as well. Neither route is a shortcut, so pick the one that matches how much attention you plan to give it.

That depends entirely on where you live. Some states allow a set number of plants per household, some allow none at all, and some draw a distinction between medical and adult-use growers. Check your state and city rules before buying seeds, clones or equipment. Leafly's guide to growing cannabis covers the process once you have confirmed you can.