GROW

guide.
If you’re reading this, you’re
in luck! Below we’ll walk you
through the easiest and
fastest way to grow great
weed at home.
Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

FIRST THING’S FIRST:

When should you start?

When growing weed, avoid temperatures below 12°C and

above 30°C. Most cannabis strains do well in sunny, warm
climates like those of Southern Europe. If you live in a colder
region, don’t stress! There are many strains out there that
are extra-hardy and fast-flowering; perfect for colder
climates.

300C

120C

Outdoors: Sow your seeds in early–mid spring.

Indoors: Whenever you want.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

H O W TO P I C K
the perfect seeds
When growing outdoors, choose a strain that suits your
local climate according to:

Harvest month: Rain and high humidity are the arch

nemeses of flowering cannabis plants as they are the prime
cause of mould. Familiarize yourself with your local
climate and pick strains that finish flowering before the
weather becomes unfavourable.

Photoperiod: Autoflowering strains are ideal for outdoor

growers living in colder regions who want to get to harvest
ASAP. Feminized strains are great for warm climates with
long summers.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

Indica vs Sativa:
Indicas are fast-flowering and hardy,
ideal for cold climates.

Sativas take longer to flower and are

ideal for hot regions with long
summers.

Size: Feminized photoperiod strains can reach 2–3m in

height when grown in garden beds or directly in the ground,
and up to 2m in large pots. Autoflowers will stay around 1m
and are easier to hide among natural vegetation and urban
environments.

2-3m 1m

When growing indoors, pick strains based on their flowering

time, photoperiod, indica vs sativa genes, and size.

Pro tip: Sativas tend to stretch more than indicas and

therefore require more maintenance when growing in a
small tent or room.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

H O W TO P I C K T H E
Perfect Grow Spot
Indoors: Grow tents are ideal, but
closets and cupboards also work.

Outdoors: Cannabis likes full sun

and needs at least 6 hours ofdirect
sunlight per day.

South-facing balconies or roof

terraces are ideal, and growing plants
in pots gives you the liberty to move
them around and maximize their sun
exposure. When growing plants in the
ground, pick a sunny spot with plenty
of space and good soil.

Also remember to shelter young

plants from the elements.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

G E T T I N G S TA R T E D :
How to germinate
your seeds
Using wet kitchen towels:
Moisten some kitchen towels, coffee filters, or cotton wool
and use them to line a flat plate. Place your seeds on top,
and cover them with more moist towels/filters/cotton wool.
Remember to keep things damp (not wet) and cover the
plate with second. Once your seeds sprout, wait for the
taproot to grow 2–3mm long, then plant the seeds in soil
using clean tweezers.

Planting seeds directly in soil:

Fill your pots with good-quality potting soil! Make a hole
roughly 10–15mm deep in each. Place the seeds into the
holes and loosely cover them with soil. You can spray some
water to moisten the holes before you plant each seed.
Water them lightly when the soil gets dry. After 4–10 days,
you should see your seedlings sprout.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

Using Soil Plugs

Moisten the plugs with clean
water and place your seed into
the top of the plug. Keep plugs
moist (not wet) throughout the
germination period, and transfer
them to soil as soon as you start
to see a seedling’s roots grow to
the edge of the plug.

Using a RQS Seed Starter Kit:

Dilute the included Bacto
enzymes in 1l of lukewarm water.
Soak the seed tray in the water
for 5–10 seconds, then poke a
10–15mm deep hole in each pot,
plant a seed inside, and cover
lightly with soil. Then, set up
your propagator, line the
bottom of it with perlite, and
place your seed tray on top.
Once your seedlings are 3cm
tall, transfer them to your final
growing medium.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

P R E PA R E YO U R
Growing Medium
Use a high-quality, preferably organic soil with light
nutritional content for cannabis (especially seedlings).

Pro tip:
You don’t need expensive
fertilizers and additives. Save
your money and start with the
highest quality soil possible!

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

OUTDOOR GROWERS:
Consider starting your
plants off indoors
Low nighttime temperatures, frost, and storms can cull your
seedlings.

Consider starting your seedlings off indoors on sunny

windowsill or under fluorescent (CFL) lights to ensure they
get a solid start to life, then move them outdoors once
they’ve matured. When using lights, keep them 15cm
above the tops of your seedlings, then move them closer
once your plants have developed their first sets of true
leaves.

Pro tip: Remember that seedlings like high humidity (ideally

70% RH) and temperatures of 20–24°C. Keep your medium
moist but not soaked.

Using a spray bottle

to mist seedlings is ideal!

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

M A S T E R YO U R
Watering schedule

The water and nutrient requirements of your plants will

change as they grow, as well as depending on the climate.
You’ll likely water small plants every 2–3 days, while mature
plants growing in hot conditions might need to be watered
every day.

The Golden Rule For Watering Cannabis

It’s always better to slightly underwater your plants rather
than overwater them. Only water your plants when the top
4–5cm of soil are completely dry. Then, completely drench
the medium, and only water the plants when the medium is
dry again.

Pro tip: Does it take several minutes for water to drain

from your pots, and longer than 3–4 days for your pots to
dry out completely? You may have a drainage issue.
Consider replanting your plants in well-draining soil.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

How To Tell When Your Plants Are Thirsty

Signs of thirsty cannabis plants include:

• Drooping leaves

• Top soil that’s dry to the touch

• Light pots: Wet soil is considerably heavier than dry soil.

Compare the weight of recently watered and unwatered
pots, and use that as a guide to know when it’s time to wa-
ter your plants.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

AN OVERVIEW OF THE
Vegetative Phase
During the veg phase, cannabis plants grow from tiny
seedlings into mighty bushes or trees (time and space
providing, of course). During this stage of their life, your
plants predominantly rely on nitrogen and potassium to fuel
their growth. Deficiencies of either nutrient usually result in
yellow leaves that start at the bottom of the plant and
gradually work their way up.

Photoperiod plants growing

outdoors will start to bloom
gradually as the nights grow
longer at the end of summer.

Indoor plants, however, will

start flowering once you switch
them from 18:6 to 12:12 lighting.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

AN OVERVIEW OF THE
Flowering Phase
During their bloom phase, your
plants will focus their energy on
developing flowers. Some strains
may stretch at the beginning of
their bloom phase.

During the first week of flowering,

you can confidently identify
the sex of your plants.
Females will develop white pistils
at their nodes, the points where
fan leaves meet the stem. Males,
on the other hand, will develop
round balls that contain pollen.

As cannabis plants bloom, they

need more phosphorus and
potassium, and a decrease in
nitrogen.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

It’s best to feed blooming plants with some light and,

preferably, organic bloom nutrients to maximize your yields.

Flowering cannabis plants also benefit from cooler

nighttime temperatures and lower humidity.

Cannabis plants can take anywhere from 5–14 weeks to

flower.

Pro tip: Do not transplant or otherwise stress your

plants during their flowering phase. Also, consider using
stakes to help your plants support the weight of their
flowers.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

PICKING THE PERFECT TIME

to harvest
Cannabis plants will tell you when they are ready to be
harvested. Some tell-tale signs of harvest-ready weed
include:

Yellowing fan leaves:

a sign that your plants are using their energy stores to fuel
the growth of their flowers.

Amber pistils:
Most growers harvest their plants once 60–70% of their
pistils are amber.

Amber Trichomes
For the best results, inspect a plant’s trichomes using a
jeweler’s loupe or microscope and harvest your plants when
at least 50% of their trichomes have turned cloudy (more
info below).

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

What Trichomes Tell You About Plant Maturity/Potency

Clear Trichomes: Buds are still young and immature, with

low cannabinoid and terpene concentrations.

Cloudy or “Milky” Trichomes: A sign of maturing flowers

with increasing levels of THC and terpenes. Harvest buds
with mainly cloudy terpenes for a more energetic and
cerebral high.

Amber Trichomes: Trichomes turn amber roughly 2 weeks

after turning cloudy. Amber trichomes are a sign of
dropping THC levels and an increase in CBN, which may
contribute to a more stoning, physical effect.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

Time to Trim!
Trimming your weed is all about removing fan and sugar
leaves so that only the most resinous parts of the plant
remain. Well-trimmed bud offers a smoother, more flavorful
smoking experience.

Trimming can be done before (wet trimming) or after drying

your flowers (dry trimming). Leftover trimming can be used
to make charas, kief, edibles, or hash. The resin that sticks
to your scissors when trimming (known as scissor hash) can
also be gathered and smoked.

Pro tip:Trimming your buds reduces their moisture

levels, decreasing the chance for mould and mildew to ruin
your harvest.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

How To Dry Your Cannabis Buds

Cannabis needs to be dried in order to preserve its flavour,

aroma, and potency. To dry your plants, hang them upside
down in a dark, dry room with moderate, indirect air
circulation.

Drying weed can take 7–14 days or longer, depending on the

size of your plants and their flowers, as well as your drying
conditions. The ideal conditions for drying weed are
temperatures of 15–20°C and 55-65% relative humidity
(RH).

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

Pro Tips For Drying Weed

• Dry whole plants rather than branches or individual buds

• Use a fan and dehumidifier to ventilate your room and
reduce the RH
• Leave some space between your hanging plants to aid
airflow and prevent mould
• To see if a branch is ready for drying, bend it—if it snaps,
it’s ready
• Don’t be hasty! Only move on to curing once your buds
are properly dry

Cure Your Cannabis For Smoothness

Curing comes after drying and allows the flavours and

aromas of your harvested buds to develop. Properly
cured bud will be extremely flavorful and aromatic, as well
as smooth to smoke. During curing, some cannabinoid acids
are also decarboxylated to form THC and other
cannabinoids, gradually increasing the potency of your bud.

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Royal Queen Seeds Grow Guide

Here’s how to cure your weed:

• Store dried buds in clean mason jars: Fill the jars to 75%
capacity and store them in a cool, dark place.

• Burp the jars several times a day during the first week of
curing: This releases excess moisture and promotes fresh
air exchange.

• During weeks 2 and 3, burp your jars once daily.

• Enjoy your perfectly cured buds after 3 weeks of curing.

• You can cure your weed for up to 6 months before its

flavours, aromas, and potency start to decline.

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 Grow
Higher.

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