Flowers from Goddesses: Female Growers & Their Tips for First Timers

I asked you what you wanted to see from Buddy Mary's Blog & you replied 'Female Growers! First Timer Tips Please!'. I asked 4 badass Canna-Goddesses to kindly share their cannabis story & tips for first timers.

First up is Bex (@thesecretveggarden). Bex is a neurodiverse cannababe how decided to grow her own medicine. 

• How did you first discover cannabis?

I lived in a small town with not very many young people, we all hung around together and the older kids introduced me to cannabis. We smoked for fun but I fast became really interested in the different uses of hemp and cannabis when I noticed how much it helped my ADHD. 

• How long have you been growing this beautiful plant?

This is my first year growing myself. I have previously lived in shared houses with friends who grew with tents lights etc and were always happy to share knowledge but worked for the local council as a gardener when i left school after discovering i had some pretty green fingers. I have been establishing an allotment over the last two years and plan to have a couple of windowsill plants and relocate a few of the babies to the greenhouse!

 Main questions from first timers or people wanting to try are:

• Is it difficult to grow?

Its as hard or as easy as you make it - there are autoflower strains such as Seedsman “Northern Lights” that cope exceptionally well outdoors in the British summer. It’s a great place to start if you’re like me and totally confused by hydro setups! The hardest bit for me has been working out a feeding schedule however Canna (Canna are a brand that do  a good organic range) have devised a feed chart that is working well and can be found via google

• Is it expensive to do?

Not at all, so far all i have spent out on is seeds and feed as am always buying compost and pots anyway! I expect the feed will see me through another year so I'm approx £45 in. Feed was an added expense for me as I am growing in coco peat. LED lighting systems, for example, not only kick out less heat but cost a fraction to buy and run and I plan to use them in future!

• Does it take up much room?

I have always been really envious of people who have a whole grow room but I am managing a table under the window. They are in builders buckets so easy to move around. There are loads of tutorials online regarding micro grows and how to make them - I have a large blanket box earmarked for a mini grow and am seriously excited about building my own secret bud box! 

• Do they need expensive fertilizers & foods?

No - I am feeding my indoor plants due to only having coco peat to hand when setting up in lockdown but the greenhouse babies will probably just get some homemade fertilizers if they need a little boost. (Coco is classed as a hydroponic grow medium so would need the nutrients regime). I've dug lots of fresh manure at the end of last year so they (outside plants) should be fine! 

• How did you develop your method of growing as there seems to be so many different ways to go about it?

There was so much info out there that I got really confused! For me it was mainly trial and error and learning handy tips and tricks from mates. Don't be afraid to mess up and experiment! I always germinate extra seeds just in case something goes wrong!

• What strains do you grow? Do tend to favour a certain family of genetics? 

So far I am really impressed with Pyramid Seeds, we have auto anesthesia, american pie and Seedsmans’ own Blueberry Kush, unfortunately the Dutch Passion Seeds Blackberry Kush I used weren't as good. I chose the above for a good combination of functional high and pain relief.

• Any tips/advice for first time growers?

Don't water your plants until the soil is dry to 1-2” depth! If you're growing on windowsills like me remember to be mindful of prying eyes and where the house gets the best sunshine. Warmth is important but light is really beneficial for the flowering process! I have found that a little airflow has encouraged my babies to develop into sturdier, stronger plants.  

• Is there a spiritual/energetic tending to the plants as well?

Yes! I have always adored gardening and it has been a major player in helping me to tackle mental health problems, growing weed has been no different. From that “success” feeling of seeing your first baby germinate to sitting down and enjoying the fruits of your labour, the entire process is extremely rewarding. Growing in general has made me feel a lot more in touch with the planet and conscious of how I live my life!

 Thank You Bex. Your plants look so beautiful. If you'd like to see more of Bex's garden, be sure to follow her Instagram @thesecretveggarden)

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Next up we have the infamous Psychedelia Smith (@psychedalia_smith). Julie is a cannabis advocate, cannabis knowledge seeker & an all round green fingered Goddess based in the UK

• How did you first discover cannabis?

With friends back in the mid 80’s. There was only hash but some pretty good stuff. It was all bucket bongs and hot knives in the gas fire. I was a socially anxious kid and cannabis helped me be more me. I didn’t realise at the time there was a good reason why.

• How long have you been growing this beautiful plant?

I’ve been a lifelong gardener. My family were from a farming background and we always grew our own veg. My first rented house at 20 became my first garden and since then I’ve designed and created 5 gardens from scratch and had a full size allotment. I only moved into growing cannabis 3 years ago but had plenty of transferable gardening skills. Now it’s my favourite thing to grow and consume by far. 

Main questions from first timers or people wanting to try is:

• Is it difficult to grow?

Not at all. Outside in summer an auto in a pot is a doddle. Inside is trickier but not hard if you get your set up right.

• Is it expensive to do?

It can be but it needn’t be. My first grow was in the garden. Just the cost of the seeds. My first tent I bought a second hand tent with light, fan everything for £100. I’ve just replaced and upgraded as I go. The money I save buying cannabis pays to upgrade and get better results and I’m still better off.

• Does it take up much room?

It doesn’t need to. I’m converting a small wardrobe at the moment. Small grows are fun and totally possible. 

• Do they need expensive fertilizers & foods?

No. This is the biggest mistake people make. Over fertilizing. In the garden I barely feed at all. You can get away with liquid seaweed and tomato feed. I only grow organically and the feed is a little bit more expensive but it’s affordable and you can make a lot of feeds yourself too from things like comfrey, compost teas are the next plan for me.

• How did you develop your method of growing as there seems to be so many different ways to go about it?

Instinct mainly for me. I read a lot of growers blogs, books and I love the growweedeasy site. There’s so much info out there and conflicting advice.

I experiment. If you grow two clones in different conditions/methods you soon see which works best. Last summer I ended up with 20 plants in my garden due to a failed indoor grow so experimented with all the training methods. 

• What strains do you grow? Do tend to favour a certain family of genetics? 

I have a lovely Barneys Farm Blueberry OG mother plant that I kept and take clones off. It’s such a strong plant and easy to grow. Plus it’s the perfect balance of pain relief and calming effects that are perfect for me. I’m also experimenting with autos at the moment too. Both inside and out. I’m loving Fastbuds and Aztec genetics at the moment but so many to try. My plan is to build a collection of strong reliable mother plants and take clones for other growers.

• Any tips/advice for first time growers?

If you are indoor growing get your environment right. I like cdm/cmh lights over leds. They’ve massively boosted my returns and are not expensive. Make sure you have good airflow, in and out. Don’t over water or overfeed. Watch your plants, learn as you grow and give them love and attention. You need to spend time with them everyday

• Is there a spiritual/energetic tending to the plants as well?

Totally. I use moon planting for seeds and I like to think I work with nature. I believe the love that goes into the plants comes out with the end result. I garden with intent. Same with processing the plants. It’s all done with love and visualization of how I want the plant to make me feel.

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My 3rd CannaBabe is an international badass from South Africa, @Grow_withme420. The legal status of Grow With Me's home it is technically legal to grow but it hasn't been written into the law yet. 

• How did you first discover cannabis?

I heard about it through my life but in a bad light. My first encounter with weed was my brother smoking at home. I was 18/19 years old. He had protected me from seeing it earlier. 

• How long have you been growing this beautiful plant?

Roughly since about November/December 2019. I decided to grow to try and cut costs with how much bud I tend to buy each month. I also decided to grow because I was notorious for killing plants when I house sat so wanted to prove to myself I can keep them alive.

Main questions from first timers or people wanting to try is:

• Is it difficult to grow?

No. It is an easy plant to grow if you start with a good soil. I recommend Freedom Farms. It is a living soil with calcium, vermiculite and worm castings

• Is it expensive to do?

•     Does it take up much room?

I only grow outdoor and it isn’t taking up much room at all.

• Do they need expensive fertilizers & foods?

If you spend money on decent soil, you can get away with cheap fertilizers that are natural like Epsom salts and molasses. I've heard the Epsom salts helps with calcium & magnesium for the plants.

• How did you develop your method of growing as there seems to be so many different ways to go about it?

A buddy saw what I was growing and gave me a few helpful tips on how to do this properly if I wanted to get bud that I can smoke in the end. 

• What strains do you grow? 

I am currently growing unknown strains of outdoor. I also started growing Brooklyn Sunrise and Orange California.

• Do tend to favour a certain family of genetics?

Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there. My favourite strains to smoke are White Widow & Gorilla Glue

• Any tips/advice for first time growers?

• Is there a spiritual/energetic tending to the plants as well?

Yes. Growing cannabis has helped my anxiety so much as well as my depression. I later found out that this could even be attributed to getting my hands in some organic soil, but all-round it has taught me how to be patient and be grateful for every bit of growth. 

My Fourth & Final Goddess of Grows is the lovely Stevie-Lynne an incredible mum of 3 who due to perinatal depression & a knock on effect on her body after the pregnancy turned to cannabis to stop the pain. 

• How did you first discover cannabis?

I had tried it as a teen but always in the wrong circumstances and I thought it just never agreed with me. In fact I was very anti drug. I fell pregnant with my 3rd child and suffered greatly with perinatal depression I was suicidal throughout my whole pregnancy and soon after I'd had my daughter I started getting aches & pains like you get with the flu but it never stopped it got worse. A lot of other stuff started to deteriorate too & I was in constant excruciating pain. My other half nipped out & arrived back with a blunt. At this point I would of tried anything!! Within minutes of smoking just a little my pain had definitely lifted and eased. It was such a surreal, amazing, sad but happy moment. I haven't gone a day without it since.

Main questions from first timers or people wanting to try is:

• Is it easy to grow?

Its as easy or as hard as you want it to be. I am only onto my 4th plant now but I have grown auto flowers to start with to ease me into it. I've grown x2 critical oranges which had a small yield, not the best but alright. I'm currently growing lemon OG haze & glue gelato. I've had a lot of help from my partner.We have a small tent set up with an LED light and using these nutrients.

• Is it expensive to do?

It was a small expense for the equipment and nutrients but worth it! I've already got the money back from what I would of spent buying weed elsewhere..

• Does it take up much room?

Not at all! Our tent is just big enough for x2 plants and its tucked away in a wardrobe lol. We are moving soon and plan on converting the garage or shed! Cannot wait!!

• Do they need expensive fertilisers & foods?

Not necessarily. I've seen people grow successfully and not use them. 

• How did you develop your method of growing as there seems to be so many different ways to go about it?

It's just trail and error and scouring the internet for info. We have now come up with a kind of schedule so we can see what nutrients are needed, what week it is etc.

• What strains do you grow? Do you tend to favour a certain family of genetics? 

I have grown auto critical orange. Currently growing lemon OG haze & glue gelato. My faves are granddaddy purp & amnesia haze. Which I intend to grow when we have our new set up going. 

• Any tips/advice for first time growers?

Do your homework and then some more. We are still learning and its trail and error. Each plant is different. The 2 we are currently growing are completely different.

• Is there a spiritual/energetic tending to the plants as well?

Yes Definitely! Me & my partner aren't very green fingered at all, me especially! But we definitely feel like we have extra babies. Always asking if we've checked our twins. We can sit staring for hours and I find it amazing how fascinated I am with all aspects of it. I can honestly say it has changed my life so much & we are learning more and more each day. Why wouldn't you want to spend your days happy and in less pain and better the environment all round?!

I thank all these incredible women for taking the time to answer your questions & sharing their plants with us. I really hope you find this blog helpful.

If there's any other cannabis topics & How To's you'd like to see from Buddy Mary & her Buddies, please don't hesitate to leave a comment, email or reach out on Instagram! Alternatively, if you would like to share you cannabis story with us please do not hesitate to contact! Big love CannaFam!! 

#letsfeminisethestigma