Canadians all over the country are trying out a new hobby for the first time… growing cannabis. The Canadian government recently passed legislation allowing for the recreational use of marijuana nationwide, but the new laws don’t stop there. Every province is now allowing residents to grow up to four recreational plants per household, so you can imagine more and more people are giving cannabis growing a shot. Before these laws were passed, the only way to legally grow for personal use was to obtain an ACMPR license, which is still the best option for those looking to grow more plants for medical purposes.
Whether you’re growing for fun or medical reasons, what most people don’t realize when they first start off is that it can be a rather expensive hobby. Purchasing proper seeds, lights, equipment, tents, and even the increase in electrical bills can set you back financially very quickly. If you don’t have a strict budget, by all means purchase the best equipment money can by. But unfortunately many people don’t fall under this category. If you want to start growing today but aren’t sure you have the money to do it, check out these tips for setting up your grow room on a budget.
Don’t spend too much on a fancy grow tent.
If you are using a tent as your grow space, you have probably done some research on the tents available on the market. They range in price from very cheap to very expensive and you might automatically assume that you get what you pay for. Sure a cheap tent might be flimsier, but for the most part all tents are the same. The main thing to consider is that it is air tight and light tight, but you can easily manipulate this by using reflective tape and other materials to patch up any holes. So no, don’t splurge on a fancy tent and save your money for the more important things.
Run your grow lights at night, and keep them off during daytime hours.
For most countries, Canada included, the cost of electricity is significantly cheaper at night. Save on your bills by running your lights during the nighttime hours – from 7am to 7pm works well – and shut the lights off when power costs more.
Don’t spend an arm and a leg on big name fertilizers.
Yes, fertilizing is an important aspect of the grow, but most big name fertilizer companies rip you off and keep upselling you on things you “need” to make your plants more potent. If you want to save money, buy the essential nutrients separately and mix them yourself.
When purchasing seeds, you’ll often receive some freebees. Use these in the future.
Most big seed-selling companies such as Barney’s Farm attract their buyers by offering freeby seeds with your purchase. You might think these aren’t worth giving a shot, but you never know – they could produce some amazing plants! If you are ok with testing out new strains try out your free seeds and you won’t constantly have to purchase new ones.
