Growing kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) at home can be an ingenious way to address the rising demand for this powerful medicinal herb.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be green-thumbed to add kratom plants to your backyard or wellness garden successfully. It mainly requires understanding and adopting the herb’s ideal growing conditions.
Below is a guide to growing your kratom plants at home.
- Understand the Benefits of Growing Kratom
Kratom provides numerous therapeutic benefits. The plant’s medicinal properties explain its surging demand, particularly among alternative medicine enthusiasts. Becoming a Canada kratom grower lets you tap into that demand by providing a steady supply of fresh kratom extracts.
Just to scratch the surface, Mitragyna speciosa is widely administered for pain relief. One study found that people who self-medicated with kratom reported improved symptoms of pain and opioid withdrawal. The herb contains several alkaloids, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine, which relieve pain by binding to mu- and kappa-opioid receptors.
Kratom might also alleviate inflammation, nausea, stress, insomnia, and many other common illnesses.
- Know If It’s Legal
Despite kratom’s many health benefits, it’s unfortunate to report that the plant doesn’t enjoy global recognition yet. Several regulators take issue with the herb’s potential adverse effects, including its mind-altering properties, and have gone ahead to limit access to it.
The good news is that kratom is legal in Canada as long as it’s not marketed exclusively as a dietary supplement or pharmaceutical drug. In other words, kratom vendors in Canada shouldn’t sell kratom-infused edibles or make definitive medical claims.
Even so, restrictions pertaining to kratom trade in Canada don’t apply to cultivators. That means you can grow kratom at home without requiring express authorization from Health Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency – the two departments under which kratom regulation falls.
- Choose Whether to Grow Kratom Indoors or Outdoors
Mitragyna speciosa can thrive both indoors and outdoors. Each growing location has its perks and drawbacks.
Cultivating kratom indoors gives you complete control over the growing conditions, from temperature to air circulation, humidity, and sunlight. However, indoor growing may prove unideal in terms of vertical space. That’s especially when you consider that mature kratom can achieve towering heights of 30.5 meters (100 feet).
On the other hand, growing kratom outdoors would be preferable if your local climate mimics that of Southeast Asia, where this herb grows natively. Outdoor cultivation is also suitable if you’re looking to grow several plants.
- Pick the Best Propagation Method
Kratom may be a reasonably hardy plant. But it’s also one of the most challenging herbs to propagate. Ideally, propagation means picking between seeds and cuttings.
Either option may work. However, you’ll have better luck starting with seeds.
Pick fresh seeds from reputable kratom stores. By ‘fresh,’ we mean seeds only a few days after harvesting.
You can start with a pot or plant the seeds directly in their permanent growing location. Either way, be sure to plant multiple seeds in the same spot to improve their germination rate, which tends to be a paltry 5 – 20%.
If you started with a pot, allow 2 – 3 weeks after germination to transplant the seeds.
- Implement the Ideal Growing Conditions
Table of Contents
Soil Nutrition
Kratom favors mineral-rich, volcanic soils. The tree also prefers well-drained soil – one that retains a moderate amount of moisture. Fast-draining soil increases nutrient loss, while slow-draining soil may promote fungal and bacterial growth.
If the soil in your home is deficient in these conditions, you can always buy a soil additive from the nearest gardening center.
Soil pH
The soil in kratom’s native range tends to be slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.5 – 6.5.
Investing in a soil testing kit to periodically track your soil’s pH to ensure it falls within the ideal range is best.
Water
Kratom is a tropical plant. Therefore, it requires watering at least once a week. The conventional wisdom is to water your kratom trees when the top 2-inch of the soil feels dry to the touch.
Remember to increase the watering frequency when the weather gets dry and reduce the same during wet conditions.
Temperature
Like most tropical trees, kratom prefers temperature conditions between 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20 – 30 degrees Celsius). Invest in space heaters and fans if growing this Asian herb indoors.
However, note that ventilating fans can stress out young kratom plants. In that case, you might consider other cooling mechanisms, such as rolling up the vents or opening the doors and windows.
Humidity
Tropical climates are characterized by highly humid conditions, which can reach 100% at various times of the year. Aim for relative humidity between 70% and 90% if growing the herb outside its natural habitat.
Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are some of the handy humidity-regulating tools you’ll require if growing kratom indoors.
Light
Being a relatively tall tree that thrives in jungles, kratom is a light-craving plant that flourishes in strong sunlight.
Eight hours of uninterrupted sunshine is an excellent starting point. The stronger the light, the faster your kratom plants will grow.
The Bottom Line
Growing Mitragyna speciosa is relatively easy, as you mimic the climatic conditions in the plant’s natural habitat. Remember that kratom takes 3 – 4 years to achieve full maturity. However, the actual harvest period will depend on the kratom strain in question.