Don't be intimidated by the references to complicated equipment. Dirt and fluorescent lights will grow you buds better than you may have ever had before. This will show you how to get started even if you know nothing at all about the subject.

First on the list is lights. Try to have at least 25 watts per square foot but 40 is better. A 4 foot two bulb shop light will do a space 1' x 4' very nicely and if it spreads out to 1.5' x 4' it's still acceptable. A one by four foot area like that will grow 3 or 4 plants to maturity and give you enough to last most people 6 months. Your mileage may vary. Two shoplites set up 2' x 4' will about double that.

You will need seeds. You can buy marijuana seeds online with us, or going directly to our marijuana seeds supplier.

If you start 5 seeds you will likely get a few females and if you get only one you can take cuttings and have as many plants as you have space for. This is called having a mother plant. Save the other 5 seeds for your second crop unless you have already had experience. If you kill the first five you can start over.

The next thing to consider is soil. Potting soil is good but may be too heavy. Get a bag of potting soil and mix it with equal parts of sand or perlite. Most any potting soil will do but avoid those that have clay in them.

Fertilizer is very important. For soil Peters 20-20-20 is good. Follow the directions and try to resist the temptation to use too much. You can put the fertilizer in the water you use to water with.

If the directions say to use a certain amount every week and you water twice a week, use half the amount of fertilizer each time. After the seedlings are 3" tall let the soil dry out on top before you water again. Over watering and over fertilizing are the two main causes of problems for beginners.

Pots, get the cheapest pots you can find. Plastic is cheapest but clay is fine also. Put a piece of screen over the holes in the bottom so that the soil won't fall out. Other things you may need are a trowel, small stakes to prop up seedlings and a timer for the lights. A moisture meter for the soil is nice but not necessary.

Put the seeds in the soil about 1/4 inch down. Water well and put a sheet of plastic over the top until the sprouts pop through. Take the plastic off when you see them starting to come up. One seed per pot.

After they start to come up they need light. The fluorescent lights that you hung should be about 4 inches above the seedlings and when they are a few inches tall you can lower it to 2 inches above.

Suspend your light by rope or chains so that you can lower and raise them easily. One way to do this is to have a pulley system. Seeds usually take from one day to two weeks to sprout. Keep the soil wet until they come up. You can leave the lights on all the time or set the timer for 18 hours on and 6 hours off.

The average cost is as follows;

A) Fluorescent shop light - $10 to $14 each
B) Seeds
C) Soil - Potting soil and sand or perlite, about $5 to get started
D) Fertilizer - about $4

There you have it, from $44 with one light up to maybe $65 if you paid a lot and got two lights. If you have your own seeds or clones it will be cheaper by about $25.