The best cannabis cultivation books to get you growing

Some are familiar staples that teach the basics of growing, others take a more philosophical approach. All books on this list are important in ensuring you have the necessary knowledge to grow a successful cannabis crop.

Our recommended cannabis growing guides

The CCI Black Book

Jack Whipple

The CCI Book is the most comprehensive and modern approach to cannabis cultivation. We have built a scientific approach to increase yield and maximize efficiencies. We have embraced new technology, digital tracking tools, and automated systems to create a system that takes out the guess work and uses proven tracking numbers and growing setpoints to keep your rooms growing at their maximum potential.

We begin our book by going through the scientific ideology behind what drove our approach. We then take you through a step-by-step process to see your grow cycles from start to finish.  Our lessons cover each phase of the plants life:  mothers, clones, veg, flower, drying, trimming, and curing. The CCI Book teaches the basics as well as the nuances of crop steering. We wrote this book for cultivators from all levels of expertise, home growers, and commercial growers.

Get your copy here.

Marijuana Horticulture

Jorge Cervantes

This book is staple reading for any serious cannabis grower. The 5th edition has been updated to include the most recent information on indoor and outdoor cultivation techniques. Cervantes’ knowledge comes from many years as an underground cultivator and the meticulous field notes he kept as a grower.

Whether you’re growing marijuana in a greenhouse or out in the fields, this illustrated cannabis cultivation book will provide detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for many successful crops.

The Cannabis Grow Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing Marijuana for Recreational and Medical Use

Greg Green

If you’re growing cannabis for recreational or medical use, this comprehensive guide to cultivation will be a handy reference point. Extraction techniques and detailed information on lighting equipment and setup make this an essential resource for the passionate grower.

There is something for everyone in this cannabis ‘bible’. Novices will find the cultivation guide especially useful as it covers all the basics for a successful crop in significant detail. Seasoned growers will benefit from the sections that cover strain creation.

GREEN: A Field Guide to Marijuana

Dan Michaels & Erik Christiansen

This gorgeous book comes with high-definition photographs of individual buds. It is perfect for the cannabis connoisseur and cultivator. If studying the botany of different strains and flavors is of interest, it will serve as a great illustrated companion. For those who enjoy the recreational effects of marijuana, the various highs that can be experienced from each strain are also explored in this book.

Of all the books listed on this list, this is definitely the one to get if you’re looking for a more lighthearted read. The stunning photography alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.

Marijuana Botany: An Advanced Study: The Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis

Robert Connell Clarke

This guide is best suited to the advanced cultivator, as the title implies. If you are an experienced botanist and already have the growing basics down, you will find what you need to fine-tune your cultivation techniques. Horticultural principles and their practical applications are the basis of this book. Breeding, growing, and cloning various strains are explored in detail. There is guidance provided for those interested in creating their own strains as well.

Grass Roots: A History of Cannabis in the American West

Nick Johnson

This is the only book on our list that doesn’t contain practical information about growing techniques, horticultural principles, and different strains. However, it is still essential reading for the American cultivator as it explores the backdrop against which cannabis cultivation developed in this country.

Johnson argues that underground cultivation led to unsustainable and environmentally damaging growth techniques. Legalization in America is paving the way towards sustainability within the industry. Cannabis here is viewed as a plant rather than a drug, and its agricultural and social history is recorded for future growers.

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