A New Yorker’s Guide to Home Grow

• Even if you live up north, you can still home grow your own cannabis.
• Cannabis expert and New Yorker, Elana Frankel, shares her secrets for supercharging your grow.
• From the optimal soil PH to the perfect amount of light, here’s what you need to know.

6-minute read

You can home grow your own cannabis

Legal cannabis is here to stay. But, in the US, premium cannabis usually comes with hefty taxes that significantly raise the price tag. Especially for those who use cannabis medically, that cost can become prohibitive. Plus, right now, New York only has one legal dispensary open to serve the adult recreational market. The good news is that you can home grow your own cannabis. In warmer climates, growing your own cannabis might seem like a no-brainer. What can you do if you live in a cooler climate, like New York? No problem! Cannabis expert and author of Women & Weed, Elana Frankel shares her secrets for supercharging your cool climate home grow.

Why did you get into home grow? 

I come from a family of growers. But I got more serious about growing 8 years ago when I suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). To cope with it, I need flower that’s low THC and high CBD with a specific terpene profile. It’s important for me to have a consistent source of cannabis that I know is clean, organic, and consistently available. So, my husband and I embarked on a home grow journey. Using seeds we collected from a trusted source, we started breeding a new cultivar that would fit my needs. The combination of pain relief, inflammation control, and taste supported my healing more efficiently than anything I had tried. 

What’s the first step in starting a home grow in a cool climate?

The first step is deciding whether you want to grow indoors (controlled) or outdoors (sun grown)…or both. Several factors affect plant growth, including light, nutrients, water, temperature, and air flow/ventilation. The key is to keep all of these factors in balance. Obviously, with an indoor set up, you have more control. Also keep in mind space considerations (height and width), your neighbors, and smell.

When’s the best time to plant?

If you’re growing indoors, you can start anytime. If you’re growing outdoors, start seedlings indoors in early spring. Then, transplant them after the chance of frost is past, when the soil is softer and warmer.

What do you look for in home grow seeds? 

I look for a good shape, size, color and weight. Seeds don’t really expire. But they lose viability if they’re stored improperly. So, keep them in a cool, dark, dry place. If you do get old seeds, try gently using a fine sandpaper to rub off the outer coat. Most seed packs come with 5-10 seeds. We sell 5 in a pack. Cannabis plants can be either male or female. The seeds you buy can include seeds whose sex you’ll determine as the plant matures. These are the kind of seeds we sell because we use the male plant for other things. Female plants produce pistils (little white hairs) and resinous buds that contain most of the cannabinoids. Male plants grow pollen sacs. If you want, you can buy only feminized seeds.

What are the best strains to start with in a cool climate?

Indoors or out, Afghan Kush is one of the easiest to grow. For indoor home grows, I also recommend GG4 and Wedding Cake. And of course, I always recommend our Rosedale. 

SHOULD WE ONLY BUY FEMINIZED SEEDS?

If you’re cultivating cannabis for buds, you’ll be focused on the female plant. If you end up growing both, as soon as you’ve identified any male plants, move them at least 1000 feet away from the females. But, don’t discard the males right away. The raw leaves have health benefits, too. You can put them in salads or juice them. Their nutritional benefits are similar to other dark leafy greens, and they contain phytocannabinoids. Roast them with salt and pepper and a fatty cooking oil in the oven for 5 minutes at 250 degrees. Crush the crispy flakes, and sprinkle them on popcorn. You may even find there’s a touch of psychoactivity.

How many seeds should we plant at one time?

It depends on how comfortable you are. But I would say start with 2 seeds.

How do you germinate seeds?

Germinate seeds by keeping them moist. Wrap them in damp paper towels and seal them up in plastic baggies for a greenhouse effect.

What kind of equipment do you need to start a home grow in a cooler climate? 

For indoors, it’s best to have a grow tent—a sterilized space that’s tall enough for a mature plant, with a continual flow of fresh air. You’ll also need grow lights and pre-packaged organic soil. Or you can make your own from compost. 

What about those of us who don’t have a green thumb?

Growing = patience. From the first seed to harvest, home grow is a meditative opportunity to slow down. Just be with the soil, seeds, and plants. The natural serotonin boost doing that offers can be especially delightful. So, give yourself a break. And, since most seed packets contain 5-10 seeds, you’ve got 5-10 chances to learn.

You created your own genetics to home grow in New York—what makes them special?

Our cultivar is called Rosedale. This strain is a low THC/high CBD hybrid with a little CBC. Similar to CBD, there’s some very early science that suggests CBC is connected to forming new neurons in the brain, which is why I like it for TBI healing. With a terpene profile that includes myrcene and trans-caryophyllene, it gives you a functional high that takes the edge off the day and allows for creativity to flow. Our seeds were bred in East Coast soil, and I believe soil microbiology has a lot to do with their success.

What are the optimal home grow conditions?

You want your soil to be 6.0-7.0 on the P.H. scale and 5.5-6.8 for growing mediums like coco coir or a coco/peat mix. The optimal temperature ranges from 70-85℉, depending on the stage of growth and the strain. And you want the humidity level to be 50-70%.

How much light does my home grow need?

There are 3 stages in the cannabis plant’s development. For the first 2, germination and vegetation, the best combination is 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark. Once your home grow starts flowering, if possible, shift to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark.

WHEN SHOULD I HARVEST?

Inspect the trichomes of your plant with a jewelers loupe to determine when to harvest. (Click here for step-by-step harvesting directions.) Look for where your plants are in the trichome cycle. The trichomes of the plant will start out as clear, glass-shaped little mushrooms. Next, they’ll turn cloudy and, finally, amber. You want to harvest the most cloudy trichomes. By the time trichomes turn amber, the plant is beginning to over-ripen.

What are the optimal conditions for curing a home grow?

Cut down your home grow in sections. Hang in a cool dark room with ample ventilation for 7-10 days. If possible, adjust the temperature to range between the 60s to low 70s degrees F. Keep humidity levels around 60-65 %. 

What’s your favorite strain to consume while tending your cannabis crop? 

Our Rosedale. With it, the tedious tasks involved in growing don’t seem as monotonous. Instead, they become meditative.

What do we need to do differently from growing in a warm climate? 

Over thousands of years, the landrace strains (the original pure wild cannabis strains) have adapted to the environments they are grown in. So buy local.

Other than the buds, are there any uses for the rest of the cannabis plant? 

You can use the leaves for salads, smoothies, and juicing. I’ve been experimenting with the bulb root of the plant and boiling it for a tonic. To be honest, it tastes awful. But a shot before bed helps with sleep.

How can we get in touch with you for help with our home grow? 

DM me @indigoandhaze on Instagram.