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Everything for your legal home cultivation in Germany – everything from a single source!
With the approval of the Federal Council, the path to legalization has finally been paved. Since April 1, 2024, the cultivation of cannabis for recreational purposes has been officially permitted, as previously decided by the Bundestag. This historic decision marks the beginning of a new era of private, legal cannabis cultivation in Germany. To ensure that you are well prepared for this step, we have compiled all the important information on cultivation methods and the products you need for you.
How do you grow cannabis? Our instructions for growing cannabis and carefully selected product recommendations provide you with all the important information you need to make your cultivation and harvest successful – whether home growing, indoors or outdoors.
Basically, growing cannabis is not complicated as long as you are not aiming for a particularly high yield. If you just want to try growing your own, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. We want to help beginners with our tips and instructions so that their first attempts are a success.
We will show you step by step how to successfully grow cannabis from the seed or cutting of your plant through flowering to harvesting.
We recommend growing indoors. This is the best way to protect your plants from unauthorized access, have full control over the growing conditions and can optimize the yield.
With a complete grow box set, you get everything you need to start growing right away. In this article, we have compared high-quality premium products for you.
Of course, you can also choose to grow a hemp plant in the garden, on the windowsill or on the balcony. In our extensive archive you will find the right instructions for every method.
Private cannabis cultivation and cultivation in so-called associations are part of the legalization.[1] But how exactly does cultivation at home work and what is needed for it? Here you will find an overview of the most important questions and answers:
Since April 1, 2024, private individuals have been allowed to legally grow cannabis or marijuana. In contrast, the first cannabis clubs have only recently started growing. If Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had been able to push through his original plan, private cultivation would have been partially legalized earlier.
Adults are allowed to grow cannabis under certain conditions if they comply with the legal requirements. It is important to always adhere to the relevant regulations in order to grow it legally.
In Germany, adults aged 18 and over are allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants for personal use in their home since April 1, 2024. This regulation applies to each adult in the household.
The amount of cannabis that can be harvested from a plant depends on various factors, such as the plant variety, growing conditions and care, but on average the yield per plant is between 30 and 150 grams of dried flowers.
Cannabis plants are annual plants that can only be harvested once a year when grown outdoors. For this reason, many growers are now using autoflower seeds. These self-flowering varieties are particularly popular because they flower more quickly and can therefore be cultivated several times a year.
To grow 3-4 cannabis plants indoors, you need about 1 square meter of space. The height required depends on the variety, the growth period and the pruning technique used.
In the future, it will be possible to buy cannabis through membership in a cultivation association. The amount will be limited to 7 seeds and 5 cuttings per month. It is still being examined whether the purchase of seeds and cuttings will also be permitted without membership. Until this regulation comes into force, cannabis seeds, cuttings and plants can also be bought in other EU countries, for example in Austria, Holland or Spain, as cannabis seeds are legal there. You can also cut cuttings yourself for your 2nd generation of hemp plants. For beginners, we recommend buying feminized cannabis seeds or autoflower seeds.
If you cannot provide a sunny location for cultivation, you will need additional light. To avoid unpleasant smells, we recommend using grow boxes and other cannabis cultivation accessories. Irrigation and ventilation systems are optional, but offer numerous advantages. Complete sets are an ideal solution for inexperienced home growers and enable multiple harvests per year.
Growing cannabis is actually quite simple! If this is your first time growing cannabis, don’t worry. Our clear and easy-to-follow guide will help you get started – especially if you have no experience.
Whether you grow marijuana indoors or outdoors, it’s not only fun, but it’s also very rewarding. However, it can also be challenging and requires patience, time and a certain budget. We’ll walk you through the entire process step by step, from preparing and germinating seeds to growing plants and harvesting. We’ll also show you best practices and help you troubleshoot common problems – so nothing stands in the way of a successful cannabis cultivation.
Because growing, possessing and consuming cannabis was illegal for a long time – mainly because of the psychoactive ingredient THC – much of the knowledge about growing it was passed down orally and often in secret. There are many myths and traditions surrounding cannabis cultivation, which is why it can be difficult to distinguish good advice from hearsay. Indoor cultivation in particular was a common topic of discussion, as many growers wanted to know how to get the most out of plants in a small space, maximize yields, and train plants effectively.
While this information is helpful, not everyone wants to invest so much time and effort to harvest large quantities. Some growers just want to grow a few plants for their own use rather than relying on the black market.
In our guide, you will find all the important topics to help you successfully grow and harvest hemp. Now that the federal government has given the green light for home cultivation, you can get started right away and browse your trusted grow shop. Happy growing!
The key to high-quality buds and high yields is growing strong and healthy plants. Before you start growing cannabis, you need to decide whether you want to grow cannabis indoors or outdoors (more on that below). In theory, it’s possible to grow cannabis almost anywhere – it just depends on how much space, equipment and resources you have available. These considerations are crucial to ensure that the growing, harvesting and subsequent drying process go smoothly.
Here’s a quick overview of the most important aspects to consider when growing cannabis:
Hemp is a perennial, but if you look at the plants grown by some experienced growers, you could almost think it was a tree. A “marijuana tree” can easily reach heights of 3 meters or more outdoors. The harvest is correspondingly large, with heavy buds and lots of resin. Varieties that produce a particularly large amount of resin are often referred to as hashish plants, as they are specially bred to make hashish from the resinous flowers. Botanically, the cannabis plant belongs to the hemp family (Cannabaceae) and thus to the order of the rose family (Rosales), just like hops.
Cannabis is an annual plant that grows in temperate climates. It goes through a cycle where it grows, flowers and dies each year, only to be replanted the following year. You will therefore need new seeds, clones or seedlings at least once a year. Growing a cannabis plant takes about 10 to 32 weeks, depending on the method and the desired plant size.
Marijuana plants start either from seed or as a clone. Cannabis seeds must first germinate to grow into a seedling. A clone is a cutting taken from a cannabis plant. This cutting will produce a new plant with the same genetic characteristics. In the future, it will be possible to obtain seeds and cuttings through membership in a cannabis club. One advantage of cuttings is that they are already more robust and therefore more suitable for beginners than seeds.
If you can’t get cuttings, you can order hemp seeds. However, there is a risk that cannabis seeds won’t germinate. If you choose non-feminized seeds, it can also happen that the carefully cared for plant turns out to be male, which is worthless for the hobby grower. Beginners should therefore choose feminized or even autoflower seeds for the best cannabis variety for outdoor cultivation in Germany, or go straight for special cannabis seeds for beginners. Because even the best cannabis seeds require a lot of care and a certain amount of experience.
If you can keep the soil moist without the surface becoming moldy, you can plant hemp seeds directly. Alternatively, you can germinate your cannabis seeds first. All the seeds need is warmth, darkness and moisture. Depending on the conditions and the cannabis variety, 1-2 days is usually enough for the seeds to become seedlings. You can wait until the roots are 2-3 mm long, or transplant the seeds earlier.
You can also plant the seeds directly into the soil. Some growers use a root stimulator to speed up the process. The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to transplant the seeds during the delicate germination phase.
After the seedling stage, the cannabis plant enters the vegetative stage, which is usually the longest stage of its life. During this stage, the plant develops a main stem, branches and fan leaves, but no flowers yet. Remember to repot your cannabis regularly to encourage growth. Many growers also practice thinning and defoliation of cannabis to further encourage plant growth.
The growth phase is also the time when you can prune your cannabis. Pruning cannabis is a challenging technique and a lot can go wrong, which is why we have dedicated posts to this topic (for example, on cannabis lollipopping and fimming). If you are growing cannabis for the first time, you can skip pruning as a precaution and use gentler training techniques like low stress training instead.
The real magic begins during the flowering period, when cannabis plants start to form buds. This step occurs about two months before harvest, although the exact duration can vary considerably depending on the cannabis strain.
You can tell the best time to harvest your cannabis plant by the color change of the fan leaves (the large, wide cannabis leaves) and pistils. The pistils are the fine hairs on the buds that start to turn brown or reddish. Experienced growers also look at the trichomes of the cannabis plant under a microscope to determine the perfect time to harvest. A THC meter can also be helpful in determining the best time. If you’re growing outdoors, the weather will also affect the time to harvest. If rain is imminent, you may want to harvest a few days early to avoid mold, such as botrytis.
Once the harvest time has been determined, the cannabis harvest can begin. Cutting your carefully tended marijuana plant for the first time can be difficult at first. However, once you have recovered from the initial shock, you will usually start by cutting off the large leaves and then slowly separating the desired buds, i.e. the flowers, from the plant. Cutting the buds is also known as trimming, and we have covered this topic in a separate post: Cutting Cannabis.
When drying cannabis, it is important to ensure good ventilation and low humidity. However, it must not be too dry, as otherwise valuable ingredients can be lost. One option would be to dry the cannabis in a cardboard box.
Your homegrowing journey starts with the decision whether you want to grow cannabis indoors or outdoors.
Growing cannabis on the balcony or in the garden is one of the most cost-effective methods, as it uses the natural power of the sun and other resources. However, it is important to find a suitable location that offers enough sunlight throughout the entire growth phase. Outdoors, the plants often have more space, which can lead to greater growth and higher yields. A special form of outdoor cultivation is so-called guerrilla growing.
A great alternative that combines the advantages of indoor and outdoor cultivation is the greenhouse. It extends the gardening season and allows plants to be planted early in the year. Young plants can be started in a sheltered, bright place. The temperatures in the greenhouse are more stable than outdoors, and you can garden in it without any problems even in bad weather. Compared to a grow box, the running costs are significantly lower. If you have the opportunity to grow cannabis in a greenhouse, you will find further helpful information in the linked article.
Growing cannabis indoors is more expensive because you have to invest in equipment and utilities, but it has the advantage that you have complete control over all aspects of the cultivation. In addition, indoor cultivation can be carried out almost anywhere.
For beginners, a complete grow box set is suitable, which contains all the necessary components such as an LED grow lamp and a grow exhaust set. Experienced growers also have the option of building a grow box themselves. In our tests, you can find out more about the best grow box and the best grow LEDs. We also show you which LED grow lamp is best suited for 1 square meter so that your cannabis does not get too much light and therefore does not suffer harmful light stress.
Cannabis that is grown indoors is characterized by its high THC content and excellent quality. A crucial factor for indoor cultivation is optimal cannabis lighting.
You can find out how to measure the THC content in the linked article.
It’s best to choose a cannabis strain that suits your taste and preferences. There’s little point in investing time, money and effort in growing cannabis only to end up with a weed strain you don’t like. So think carefully about whether you prefer Ruderalis, Sativa, Indica or Hybrid.
If you’re new to growing cannabis, you might be wondering which strain is best for beginners. The choice depends on what cannabis effect you’re looking for and whether you want to grow indoors or outdoors. Autoflowering is particularly recommended for beginners.
An example of a beginner-friendly strain is Purple Punch. This cross between Larry OG and Granddaddy Purple rarely reaches more than 1 meter in height indoors, making it easy to control. With a short flowering phase of just 8 weeks, you won’t have to wait long for your first cannabis harvest.
If you do everything right, you can expect up to half a kilogram of dried cannabis flowers – depending on how big your plant ends up being.
Canada, Uruguay, Thailand, Malta and some US states – the list of places where growing your own marijuana is legal is constantly growing. Cultivation is permitted for both medical purposes and for private use by adults.
However, growing your own cannabis is not regulated the same everywhere. The laws and restrictions vary greatly from country to country and determine whether and how many hemp plants can be grown.
In some countries, growing all types of cannabis is permitted, and even large cannabis plantations are not a problem. In other countries, only growing CBD-rich industrial hemp with a low THC content is permitted. Home cultivation is often limited to a few plants.
In addition, a distinction is often made between female and male hemp plants. Only the female plants contain relevant amounts of terpenes and cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.
Another important criterion is the plants’ growing season. Mature plants are in the flowering phase, where they form buds, while immature plants are still in the vegetative stage. By the way, a “household” is usually defined as two or more people living together in an apartment.
In Germany, growing your own hemp is now also legal. Whether CBD plants or THC-containing varieties – thanks to the new law from the federal government, interested parties are now officially allowed to grow grass. You can find out how you can process your home-grown grass into cannabis products, whether you want to make hash or use a rosin press in our linked articles.
You can find more details in our guide to cannabis legalization in Germany.
Yes, in Germany, growing hemp as a houseplant is legal under certain conditions. Since April 1, 2024, adults are allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants for their own use. These plants must be kept in an enclosed area so that children and young people do not have access to them.
1. Sunlight exposure
Cannabis needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to grow optimally. Choose a location that receives as much light as possible throughout the day, preferably facing south.
2. Protection from wind and weather
A sheltered location that is protected from strong winds, rain or hail is ideal. Hedges, fences or other natural barriers can help protect the plants without shading them.
3. Soil quality
The soil should be nutrient-rich, well-drained and slightly moist. A slightly acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is optimal. If the soil is not ideal, you can improve it with compost or special substrates.
4. Water access
Outdoor plants require regular watering, especially during hot and dry summer months. A location near a water source or with easy access to irrigation makes maintenance easier.
5. Discretion
As the smell of cannabis can be strong during the flowering phase, a location that is secluded or surrounded by privacy is recommended so as not to disturb neighbors.
6. Climate
Choose strains that are well adapted to the climate of your region. In cooler regions, hardy and early flowering strains are advantageous, while in warmer areas, longer growing times are also possible.
Since cannabis was legalized, it is also permitted to grow industrial hemp for personal use. The cultivation of cannabis from hemp with THC content is also permitted.
Theo is valued as an outstanding expert and thought leader in the field of CBD, whose in-depth knowledge is demonstrated by numerous publications on CBD and cannabis. In Germany, he is one of the influential personalities who play a decisive role in shaping the progress and structures of this growing industry.
Article written by
Theo is considered a prominent expert and pioneer in the field of CBD, whose expertise is underpinned by countless published works on the topics of CBD and cannabis. As a recognized authority in Germany, he has a significant influence on the development and dynamics of this emerging industry.
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