If you are looking to get into or expand your commercial cannabis business, understanding the required marijuana growing supplies and equipment is important. Whether you own a business or are working at one, a certain standard of equipment is needed compared to what would be used in a home growing situation. Make sure you have a good understanding of what is necessary and that you can scale up accordingly.
Must-have Marijuana Growing Supplies for a Cannabis Company
1. Ventilation – Choosing the correct ventilation system is a must. This doesn’t just mean fans to keep air is moving around the plants. You need a system with a good carbon exhaust filter to help with any odors from the plants along with promoting good airflow. You should find a system with long-lasting filters as this saves you time and money by not having to do frequent filter swap-outs.
2. Lab Equipment – This important and technical. Measuring equipment for pH and TED levels are needed along with light meters and microscopes. Accuracy is important when assessing lighting, water, and plant stages. Lab equipment makes sure your water has the correct composition, lights are at the right strength, and plant leaves and trichomes are at certain stages. Your pH levels along with PPM and TDS all need to be monitored so they are at the correct levels for good plant health and growth. Choose accurate testing equipment that does not need frequent calibrating.
3. Indoor Lighting – Choosing an appropriate light for your plants is one of the tougher decisions to make about equipment. Assess your hydro costs, the layout of your grow area and the ability to cool your areas down when making lighting choices. Some lights run hotter than others and some use less power. You also need to see how you want to set your veg and bloom times as the lights need to meet those needs as well.
4. Control the Temperature – Choosing the right heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) is important in a big grow area. The plants should be kept at certain temperatures. If it’s too hot or too cold, it will stress them and the growth cycle could be cut short. Having a controllable system is required. Simply having a regular air conditioner and heating unit does not give you the accuracy you need.
5. Humidity – Controlling humidity with a proper system is as important as temperature. If humidity is not kept in check, plants are damaged as high humidity leads to the growth of mold, algae, and the propagation of fungus gnats. All hurt the growth and success of a crop.
6. Trimming Equipment – You can’t trim in a commercial situation as you would in a smaller home grow. For large harvests, you need commercial marijuana growing supplies to speed up and make trimming quicker and more accurate. Gloves and basic scissors are not what you need for major trimming. You will need them to finish the job neatly but the initial trimming can be done mechanically.
7. Irrigation Equipment – You have to be able to irrigate your plants properly with both water and nutrients. This can often be a scheduled process and should be done all at once with particular areas of plants. Piping, pumps, hoses, and tanks should all be in place.
8. Gloves – This is not heavy-duty equipment but is a must for all employees who are working near or with the plants. It protects the worker and the plants as well. If you are in a large grow area, it is easy to spread bacteria from workers to plant and employees with prolonged exposure touching the plants can develop skin irritation.
9. Magnifying Glass – While much of the marijuana growing supplies you need for a commercial-sized company is high-tech and expensive, having a good old-fashioned magnifying glass is important, too. It lets you check the quality and potency of the plants. If you can find one with LEDs, it also helps you keep an eye out for issues such as bugs, mold, and any other small things that could affect the plants.
10. Eye Care – Along with needing proper UV protectant eyeglasses, you also need to make sure workers have the right eye protection equipment for particles and vapors that could hurt their eyes. Some work with chemicals for fertilization, too, so having the proper WHIMS listings, eyewash stations, and protective eyewear is critical when working with plants.
11. Respirators – This type of safety equipment is important, especially for those employees who work with chemicals. This includes pesticides, nutrients, and more. You also need to be mindful of the carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other odors and contaminants that are present during the grow cycle in your facility.
12. Security – Depending on where your facility is located, there are different requirements for security. Almost all locations require security measures, especially cameras and fencing. While the risk of theft is problematic, you also don’t want your product to get into the hands of minors and the black market. Finding the right security equipment is not only smart but usually a legal requirement.
Final Thoughts
Buying the right marijuana growing supplies is critical to success. This grow equipment includes environmental items, growing material, employee safety items, and other hardware to make sure your plants get top-notch care. You need more than these basic supplies depending on what grow matter, nutrients, and set up you use but these are the basics and you can begin to move further into production once you know the details of the systems and grow media you will be using for your plants. Every local and national government has different regulations on safety, security, and quality so make sure all your equipment meets the standards it has to for a legal setup. Doing it right the first time around saves you time, money, and a lot of hassle.