In this section we will discuss what we'll need for building a basic setup. Of course even a small budget is a budget and to get going we'll need to visit a hardware store, a garden store and some other places before we can get started growing our own cannabis. But first an important tip.

Keep it small

Tending your plants will take lots of time. When you're just in it for the fun, don't put more then ten in a room. This saves on workload, fertiliser and electricity for lamps and fans. We have seen lots of novice growers bite off more than they could chew. In the end it cost them a lot of money, in the worst cases it cost them a trip to the judge. Keep it small and you'll have more fun.

Try keeping it small, save some energy!

First and foremost: a shopping list

Below is a list of the most important items we'll need to get started. Without these we'll be lost. Find out where to get them, save up and get them all. Remember to compare prices!

The bare essentials for even a ten plant set up are still as follows:

A good 400W or 600W lamp. Try the cheapest you can get, but make sure it is a special lamp for growing plants. (read the lighting section)

Some pots, about 1 litre size, preferable black plastic ones, since they don't dry out as fast and absorb more heat. Also some trays to put under them to prevent leaking.

Soil. Just your ordinary basic soil for potted plants will do fine to start with. Get enough to fill all your pots, but leave some 3 cm to be able to add some water later.

A watering-can. Think big, about 10 liters at least. It's a drag to mix up the fertiliser ten times over during one watering.

A spray-bottle to spray your plants leafs with water. They will love you for it. You could pick one up at any gardening store.

A simple fan. Just the desk type fan for hotter days.

Cannabis seeds or young plants (seedlings). These are the lead characters in the play of course. They need to be loved, pampered and most of all fed every other day at least.

On a budget?
If you are on a budget, there is still a lot you can do. Most of the information above is intended to give you an optimum yield and boost your plants as much as is possible. But when you start out you might first want to try it the easy way.

Instead of using special agricultural fertilizers as discussed above, try the cheapest main stream fertilizer from your local garden store. It will give you good results for low pricing and is easy to obtain. When your readdy to become more of a growing buff, go visit your local expert and start to optimize your yield.

These should be big!