I have taken the bold step to become a plant mother! Despite being the second week of May, snowing (!) with a pandemic raging, I wanted to bring life into the world! Not exactly ideal conditions but call me the eternal optimist! I have never grown cannabis before despite my decades-long love affair with the plant. In Canada we are well into our second year of legalization and still so much to learn and unlearn since 1923! Time for me to get some in depth, intimate knowledge of my floral love. The type of intimacy you get when you start living together as a couple that escapes your eye when you used to leave before dawn. Who forgets the cap on the toothpaste? J’accuse…!

Cannabis can be grown in small spaces but it must have the essentials – heat, light and water. As an apartment dweller, with a shady northern exposure, plant growing at the best of times is a challenge. Over the years I have nurtured potted Norfolk pines, dragon palms, spider plants and amassed quite a collection. I love having greenery in my home and having loads of plants around! Keeps need for living room curtains to a minimum – as my traumatized neighbours can attest to.

Without enough natural sunlight, I decided to invest in a fully loaded grow tent. Sure, I could have tried out a DIY version and Macgyver-ed my way through it with paper clips and bubble gum – but who am I kidding!

No.

I did the best thing and more importantly, the most stress-free thing – I asked for help from a professional grower!

Grow Op Hydroponics https://growophydroponics.com/ was able to set me up with a 2×2 grow tent kit. It was not cheap.

My viewpoint for spending the cash was the long game. As a logical investment that will pay off in more ways than just cheaper buds! Just like home brewing beer or wine, growing cannabis is a craft.

Crafts are about love and love is never cheap!

In Ontario the costs per gram of even the cheapest cannabis at the official OCS (Ontario Cannabis Store) https://ocs.ca/ is the highest in the country. This makes me crazy but also inspired! Growing at home will give me more hands-on knowledge and I plan on spoiling my babies! For those on a budget, I definitely understand any hesitation for the upfront costs but I also see the benefits. Traveling from tent, to table to bedroom, I am going to know exactly what went into to my high! This is going to be one hell of a ride and I am saddled in! Giddee-up cow-girl!

The frame was easy to put together but damn the lighting was heavy! It is easier for two people trust me! The 2×2 is sleek enough to hide in plain sight with minimal visual impact! Step one is over.

And what sort of plant mother would I be without seeds to germinate? I bought a four pack of Cinderella 99 https://www.leafly.ca/strains/cinderella-99 affectionately known as Cindy in the canna-world. It is a strain that I am very curious about. I have no direct experience with it as a consumer but it was recommended to me as a good starter plant. Cindy’s profile and characteristics made me super excited:

• know for its uplifting mental high, known to inspire creativity
• flowery, fruity terpenes
• short, stocky height
• big buds and high flower count

What more can you ask for really – making it ideal for a home grow! I have soaked my seeds and they are currently warm, damp and in the dark. So far, so good – the sister-on-the-sofa is a mommy!