Common Mistakes When Growing Northern Lights
Growing Northern Lights sounds easy. It’s not. People say it’s “for beginners” — which is true, sort of — but that doesn’t mean you can just toss some seeds in dirt and expect magic. I’ve seen more than a few growers screw it up thinking it’s foolproof. It isn’t.
First mistake? Overwatering. Everyone does it. You see your little plant looking droopy and your brain screams “thirsty!” — but no. It’s drowning. Roots need oxygen, not a swamp. Northern Lights is pretty forgiving, but even she’ll rot if you keep flooding her like it’s monsoon season. Let the soil dry out. Seriously. Dry. Like desert dry. Then water.
And then there’s the light thing. People slap a cheap blurple LED over their plants and wonder why they’re stretching like weird green giraffes. Northern Lights is short and bushy by nature — if it’s growing tall and lanky, you’re doing something wrong. Get a proper light. Not the $40 Amazon special. Real light. Full spectrum. Or just grow outside if you’ve got the climate. Sunlight still wins.
Temperature swings — another silent killer. This strain likes it cozy. Not freezing at night and boiling during the day. Keep it stable. Think 70s. Fahrenheit, obviously. If your grow tent feels like a sauna or a meat locker, fix it. Don’t just “hope it’ll be fine.” It won’t.
Now let’s talk nutrients. Oh boy. People love dumping every bottle they own into the soil like they’re making soup. Stop. Northern Lights doesn’t need a buffet. She’s low-maintenance. Too much nitrogen and you’ll get dark, clawed leaves and no buds. Less is more. Always. You can add more later. You can’t un-burn a plant.
Also — and I hate that I even have to say this — pH matters. If you’re not checking your water’s pH, you’re gambling. And not in a fun Vegas way. More like Russian roulette with your harvest. Keep it between 6.0 and 6.5 in soil. Hydro? Lower. Look it up. Don’t guess.
Some folks get cocky and start topping and training too early. Or too late. Or too much. Northern Lights doesn’t need a ton of stress. She’s not a drama queen. A little LST (low stress training) is fine. But don’t go hacking at her like you’re pruning a hedge. She’ll forgive a lot — but not everything.
And flowering — oh man. People flip to 12/12 too soon. Or too late. Or they don’t even know what 12/12 means. (It’s the light cycle that triggers flowering, by the way.) Wait until she’s mature. Not just tall. Look for pre-flowers. Patience pays off. Flip too early and you’ll get popcorn buds. Flip too late and she’ll outgrow your tent. Timing is everything.
One last thing. Don’t harvest too early. I know it’s tempting. You see those fat buds and you think, “Hell yeah, let’s go.” But if the trichomes are still clear? You’re robbing yourself. Wait until they’re cloudy, with some amber. That’s when the magic happens. That’s when Northern Lights becomes... Northern Lights.
Anyway. Grow her right and she’ll treat you like royalty. Screw it up and she’ll still give you something — but it won’t be what it could’ve been. And that’s the real tragedy. Not failure. Wasted potential.