How to Grow Weed on your Windowsill

Cannabis has been grown in many climates, environments, and places, including the most common place beginners start-  a window sill. While a window sill might not provide ideal conditions, it does let you dip your feet in the water of cannabis cultivation. It can be very fun for the new cultivator trying to grow weed for the first time and a great experience for future gardens. 

Are you ready to grow weed but don’t think you have the space? You can also enjoy greener pastures by learning the ins and outs of growing cannabis on your window sill!

Things to consider when looking for a spot to start a window grow

Growing on a window sill is definitely not the best place when growing cannabis. However, for a beginner who does not want to invest a lot of money in infrastructure to start an indoor garden or have space outside to grow their own marijuana plants, a window sill is a great place to start. When growing on a window sill, there are a few things to consider, such as the temperature by the window. However, the biggest factor is lighting, or better yet, the lack thereof. But there are other factors to consider as well: 

• Light:  You will want to pick a window that gets good direct sunlight for the majority of the day, preferably southern facing, for optimal light intensity. 
• Size of the window: The biggest factor that people need to consider is the size of the window sill. Cannabis plants can get rather large, so you’ll want a window that could accommodate a possibly large plant. 
• Concealment: privacy is another factor, meaning that neighbors aren’t able to see your beautiful weed plant and possibly cause issues with your housing situation. 
• Temperature: Having a window in a room that stays cool in summer and warm in winter is another factor you’ll want to consider. Finally, a window that’s close to a water source, such as your kitchen or bathroom, will also make watering your plants easier.

The pros and cons of growing in your window

Indoor-grown weed produces top-quality cannabis if done well. However, I don’t want to get your hopes up; weed on a windowsill will likely produce mid-grade flower since conditions aren’t extremely dialed in like in a million-dollar indoor room.

But, windowsill weed growing will produce flower you can be proud of since you did it yourself. For me, that in itself is more rewarding than anything else! Growing plants in your house also help clean the air you breathe and can create a source of responsibility and joy that can also improve other aspects of your life as well!

What you need to grow on a window sill

You will need a few things to get started growing cannabis indoors on a window sill. First, you will want pots and soil. A medium-sized windowsill pot of around 1-3 gallons is large enough to support a decent-sized plant but can still be easily moved if needed. 

It’s best to use soil over other mediums, such as rockwool or coco, since it is more forgiving for beginners and requires less complex care. A nutrient-dense soil such as premade super soil makes your plants easier to care for and eliminates the need for other types of fertilizer. You will also want a saucer or plate that catches any water running out the bottom of your pot when watering to prevent spilling all over your floor.

If you want to learn how to properly grow marijuana plants on a window sill, check out our Grow Bible by Robert Bergman!

The best cannabis plants for your window grow

In my experience, the best type of cannabis plant to grow on a window sill is an autoflowering variety. Autos work great for windows because they are usually shorter in height and eliminate the need to control the lighting. Most cannabis plants are photoperiod dependent, meaning they require a shorter light period to enter their flowering stage. Traditionally a 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness schedule is used inside to flower cannabis plants, and anything over 18 hours of light will keep plants in the vegetative stage of growth, whether it be natural light coming from the window or artificial light from inside your home.

Autoflowering strains do not require a change in photoperiod to initiate their flowering phase, so you will not have to worry about moving your plant to a dark space to flower it or wait an extended period of time for your plants to go through its flowering cycle to harvest them. If you are growing photoperiod plants, they can easily be forced to flower by moving them to a closet at night.

Shop Indoor Seeds

• Indoor-thriving plants
• For windowsill or under lamps
• Feminized and autoflowers seeds

When to grow on a window sill

Anytime is a good time to grow cannabis on your window sill! The easiest time to get plants going, though, is in Spring when temperatures begin to rise, and the light from the sun becomes more intense. This gives you plenty of time to grow your plants if you plan to let them naturally go through their flowering cycle and gives you the most optimal environmental conditions. 

In winter, you must consider that having your plant close to your window will create a cold environment. The sun is also less intense in winter, so expect less vigorous growth and lower yield than your summer crops.

When growing photoperiod plants, you’ll also have to keep a light on in your room to keep the photoperiod plants from flowering too early. 

How to grow weed on a window sill

• Step 1: Gather all your needed supplies to start your garden, including pots, soil, and saucers
• Step 2: Either germinate your cannabis seeds (check out our seed selection!) or buy clones to get your garden started
• Step 3: Transplant your starts into a pot of soil
• Step 4: Watch your plant grow and prune branches and pull leaves as needed
• Step 5: Start forcing your plant to flower by moving it to a dark location, or if you’re growing autos, then let them keep their course
• Step 6: When the flowers look done, harvest and dry your plants
• Step 7: Cure and trim your flowers
• Step 8: Enjoy!

Final thoughts

Growing cannabis is greatly rewarding, and there’s no time like the present to start cultivating this great plant. Just remember, you don’t need a fancy grow room or lots of space outside to start growing cannabis plants; many people begin on their window sill. You can make it as simple or as complex as you would like, but your main goal should be to have fun with it.

When you’re ready, explore and learn how to cultivate cannabis correctly. You can learn a lot about growing cannabis, even on a small scale on a window sill. If you need any additional knowledge to get you started on your cannabis cultivation journey, check out Robert Bergmans free Grow Bible!

Keep learning to keep your garden greener

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