When you think of the industries which are particularly harmful to the environment, industries such as fashion, meat, or oil probably first come to mind. However, there’s one industry often overlooked in this regard – the cannabis industry. Being eco-friendly while growing green is a tough effort, however ironic it may sound. Marijuana plants are usually grown inside and require specific lighting, water, and nutrition conditions which unfortunately result in a considerable carbon footprint. If you’re interested in growing on your own using cannabis seed while caring about sustainability, here are some top tips for
you.
Reduce energy consumption
Cultivating weed indoors consumes a substantial amount of energy. It has been reported that 1% of the US’s energy consumption is due to weed cultivation. So, the best way you can reduce your buds’ carbon footprint is to grow it completely naturally, outside in the sunlight. However, outdoor growing may be impossible for a lot of aspiring weed farmers since cannabis plants require a lot of sun and indoor growing isn’t sustainable since it uses an incredible amount of energy. Luckily, there’s a solution for this. Greenhouses are a win-win game because they’ll let you control the conditions while being beneficial for the atmosphere. LED grow lights can be installed in any greenhouse, providing the best lighting condition for your buds, while utilizing considerably fewer resources that reduce energy consumption.
Save water
According to previous academic research, one commercially grown marijuana plant is said to require around 22 liters of water a day. Though this sounds like an absurd amount of water, it is the reality of the industry. However, home-grown plants need much less water due to different growth conditions and there are some ways to reduce the hydration needs of your plants. If you’d like to water your plant less, you should put some hay around the planting beds. Mulch, like hay, holds in the water for much longer, allowing it to evaporate at a much slower rate.
Use organic products
Though weed still can’t be certified organic, there are certain ways to ensure you grow your product with care and without harmful chemicals. Replace additional nutrients you use with those labeled as organic. If you’d like your green to be even more green, you can only use vegan board-certified products. These bottled nutrients don’t contain the ingredients such as bone meal, liquid fish, and other meat industry by-products.
Don’t fear the predators
Having an eco-friendly weed crop may lead to you having to deal with harmful pests. If you’d like to stay completely organic in your growth journey, you may want to introduce a predator into your midst. Thankfully, the feeding chain exists, and there’s always a species that will be happy to eat the little pests which are harming your plants. Be very careful when diagnosing your crop’s malady since a proper diagnosis of your problem will help you choose the enemy species adequately. When you pick out the predator, release it into your crop and enjoy watching the insect version of Fight Club.
Make your own compost
Growing pot leads to certain organic waste that instead of throwing out, you can use in further growing ventures. After you harvest, you may throw the remains of the plants into the compost bin, along with the waste after trimming. In a couple of months, you will have a healthy feed for your plants. You can also make some compost tea for your cannabis. Pour some of your compost into an old sock and put it into a bucket filled with water. You should leave the sock in for a full day. If you have an air pump lying around, you may use it to oxygenate this concoction which will make the tea even more effective in providing nutrition and protection to your plants.
