8 Ways You’ll Get Caught Growing In An Apartment

8 Things To Watch For When Keeping Your Hobby Grow A Secret

When I started my first hobby grow, I lived in a two-bedroom, multi-level apartment complex that explicitly forbade any “hydroponic cultivation”, and for 2+ years, I grew 13 strains and countless plants without getting caught.

Here’s the 8 things to watch out for:

1. Grow Smells:

The most obvious issue everyone predicts is the smell of the garden. The grow won’t smell for 60–70% of your cycle, but you absolutely have to mitigate smell in flower if you want to remain under the radar.

2. Equipment Noise:

Less obvious but equally revealing is the noise that all of your equipment is making. The more fans and pumps you have running, the more noise you’ll be generating. Investing in quieter options whenever possible can keep your noise level low enough that the neighbors won’t wonder what you’re up to.

3. Immovable Objects:

If you are growing in an apartment, you’ve accepted the risk that you might have to do a complete tear down at a moment’s notice (especially if any neighbors have complained about your efforts). Grows that are easy to disassemble and reassemble minimize the chances of getting caught in tight situations.

4. Maintenance & Inspections:

While inspections are unavoidable when living in a rental, you can minimize the amount of time apartment staff are in your rental by doing your own maintenance. Learn to be self-sufficient to avoid calling for help. I can’t tell you have many simple household fixes I learned with a quick google to avoid a visit from someone on staff.

5. Size of Your Grow:

The bigger your grow, the more attention you’ll draw. Smaller grows come with smaller worries; growing in a small tent requires less equipment and smells less than turning your entire bedroom into the flower room. Keep your grow small enough to comfortably manage risk (including being able to take it down and stuff it in a car at a moment’s notice in case of inspections or maintenance)

6. Obvious Packaging:

Look, it can be exciting to shop for a hobby grow (In the beginning, grow stores can feel like Toys R Us). Make sure that you have a plan for getting your supplies into your unit without being seen. Obviously-labeled grow equipment like lights, bags of soil, pots, and trays/saucers will raise eyebrows if you aren’t known for your patio herb garden. Trash bags will work in a pinch, but you can also adjust your unloading times for evening or mid-day when neighbors are at work.

7. Loud Friends:

Your friends will likely be excited and want to see your hobby grow. Just make sure that they don’t talk about it on their way to and from your front door. If your buddies are loud, remind them not to talk about the grow until you are comfortably inside your space.

8. Phone Conversations:

Similar to your friends, if you sit on your patio and talk about your grow activities (or even if you are just a loud talker to the point your neighbors can hear your entire conversation), you are likely to rat yourself out. Be mindful of where you discuss your efforts and how loud you discuss them.

Hobby growing in an apartment requires extra due diligence.

If you’re mindful of these risks, you can grow your own cannabis without drawing the ire of your neighbors or property management.

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This?Hobby Grow Lesson?was?originally published in Letters From The Grow, a weekly newsletter encouraging growth in cannabis.

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