If you’re interested in growing your own kratom tree, you’ve come to the right place. The process might seem a little intimidating because it’s a tree that comes from Southeast Asia, but it’s certainly possible to grow kratom from your home if you can create the right environment.
We’re going to talk about growing kratom in this article, hopefully giving you the inspiration you need to take on the task and wind up with a beautiful tree.
Let’s take a look at kratom and how to make it grow.
Growing Kratom for Beginners
The kratom tree grows in different countries around Southeast Asia, and can potentially grow to a towering height of around 100 feet tall. The odds of your tree growing to a height anywhere near that are very low, considering that the tree doesn’t often get that tall in its natural environment.
If you’re growing the tree outside in a coastal, southern part of the United States, you might see your tree grow to 20 feet or more with a little bit of luck. If you’re growing the tree indoors or outside in an environment that isn’t perfect, though, it’s likely that you can grow your kratom tree indoors without any chance of it getting anywhere near the ceiling.
Before you get started, note that the kratom tree will thrive in areas that resemble its native Southeast Asia. If you can’t get a greenhouse to mimic around 75% humidity and intermittent sunlight, your tree might not get too far.
That said, it’s always a possibility and kratom trees can grow in imperfect environments. The best way to improve your odds is to purchase and germinate as many seeds as possible.
Is It Legal to Grow Kratom?
It is not federally illegal to grow kratom in the United States. That said, some states and some counties have specific laws regarding the cultivation and distribution of kratom within their boundaries.
To comply with the law, it’s best to look-up your specific area’s regulations regarding kratom. In the eyes of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Where Kratom Trees Grow Naturally
Kratom trees, also known as Mitragyna speciosa, are evergreens that are native to Southeast Asia. They grow particularly well in Indonesia, Bali, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, and Myanmar.
The trees favor the dense soil and the hot and moist tropical jungles and rainforests in this part of the world. In their natural habitat, the soil is so nutrient-rich that seeds easily propagate themselves. As such, kratom trees can grow up to 20-feet tall in just the first two years after popping out of the earth!
So, it’s easy to see that kratom requires very specific conditions to thrive.
🚨 Before You Begin:
What Are the Ideal Conditions?
Growing a Kratom tree is a labor of love. Even if you live in an acceptable climate for its propagation, you’ll need to attend to it regularly. And if you don’t live in the perfect climate and need to grow one inside, you can expect to spend A LOT of time caring for it and just trying to keep it alive.
One more thing to consider is whether you’re even permitted to grow Kratom where you live. Some places still consider Kratom a controlled substance and have put severe restrictions on its cultivation. Even if you live in an area where it’s completely legal, you’ll still want to be careful that it doesn’t end up in the hands of children or pets.
With all of that said, you’ll need to have the following in place:
Very Rich Soil
It’s tough to emulate the richness of rainforest soil. Loaded with nutrients on which the kratom tree thrives, it’s especially high in nitrogen. You also want a fairly acidic soil with a pH level of 5.5 – 6.5. The plant will likely affect the pH as it grows so you’ll need to continually monitor it to maintain that range.
Warm Temperatures
If there’s any chance your kratom tree will see the mercury drop below 60℉, you’ll want to reconsider trying to grow one outside where you are. Below 50℉ for any sustained amount of time and forget about it.
On the other hand, if you have a greenhouse available, it may stay warm enough to sustain the tree. Particularly if you don’t live in a place with very cold and prolonged winters. You can also attempt to grow it indoors, but there needs to be an abundance of light.
Which brings us to our next point.
A Lot of Light
If a kratom plant isn’t drenched in sunlight, you can be sure it will wither and die. Outdoors they want direct sunlight. If you must move them indoors, some serious grow lamps will be required. Sitting by a window won’t cut it.
Plenty of Water
Kratom plants like moist soil and wet roots. Once established, it’s almost impossible to overwater a kratom plant. There’s also no need for drainage. Furthermore, their leaves want that same moisture so if the plant’s not in a humidity-controlled room, be sure spritz the leaves regularly.
Ample Space to Grow
If you have big dreams of towering 20-foot plants, then you’ll need to space accordingly. Give your small kratom trees plenty of space to stretch outward and upward.
For plants growing indoors, it’s fine to start with smaller pots for seedlings. But if the seedlings are content, they will grow rapidly so you may be better off just starting with a larger planter that will sustain a full-grown tree. Again, be sure to provide plenty of space.
How to Grow Kratom: Step-by-Step
The very first thing that you’ll need to do when you decide to grow kratom is to figure out whether you’d like to grow kratom indoors or outdoors. This one decision will determine quite a lot about your necessary supplies and equipment.
For example, if you live in a warm or subtropical region, you may be able to grow kratom outdoors. This will save you plenty of money on utility bills that would have otherwise gone to powering grow lights.
However, outdoor pests may become a problem. If you decide to grow kratom indoors, you’ll need to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of equipment and supplies before enjoying your plants. However, you may enjoy higher-quality kratom leaves.
Overall, you’ll need to:
- Set Up Your Grow Station
- Acquire Seeds
- Germinate Your Seeds
- Plant Your Seeds
- Transfer Seedlings
- Continue Care and Harvest
By following these steps in succession, you can grow the best kratom and suffer the fewest potential setbacks. Naturally, your grow station is bound to vary depending on the number of desired plants you intend to grow and your preferred environment.
Climate Concerns
The first thing you should know is that the kratom plant is native to tropical climates. That means rich soils and humid conditions. That also means temperatures that are on the warm side.
If you live in the northern states and think you can grow this plant outdoors, think again. Cold climates are not a great place to grow kratom.
First, you’ll need to decide whether you grow this plant from seeds or seedlings. Seedlings are easier to grow, but you’ll have to pay more for those more mature plants.
Set Up Your Grow Station
The very first thing you’ll need to do is set up your growing station or area. If you’re planting kratom outside into the soil, you’ll want to figure out what kind of soil you have.
Some types of soil work well with kratom plants, while other types may require amendment. Sandy, loose, well-draining soils tend to work best for kratom plants. Thicker, heavier soils may be excellent in terms of nutrients.
But they can cause root rot. You may want to choose a specialized soil mixture when planting outdoors. No matter how you prefer to grow your kratom plants, you’ll want each part of your growing area prepared before purchasing your seeds.
That way, you’ll be ready to get growing as soon as your seeds arrive.
Acquiring and Planting the Seeds
Acquire Seeds
When you’re out of kratom powder and you’re ready to grow your plants, you’ll need to purchase seeds. Be sure to purchase seeds from a reputable dealer. It may be helpful to read reviews before committing to a seed dealer.
Otherwise, you may end up with seeds that don’t belong to the kratom family. This can be disappointing and potentially harmful, so always triple-check that your seed seller is legitimate and reliable.
Kratom seeds start to lose their viability once they fall off of the tree. Kratom pods fall from the tree and might contain upwards of 50 seeds. Once those pods drop, their viability starts to drop as well.
The sooner the seed can reach the soil, the better the chance it has of growing. By the time kratom seeds get to you, their viability rates are going to be somewhere around 5 to 10 percent.
That’s not too bad considering the fact that you can plant a number of seeds and increase your odds. So, try to plant 5 or 6 seeds in each container that you’re trying to germinate the tree in.
It’s best to try and grow a few containers as well, increasing your odds of getting one or two to germinate.
Germinate Your Seeds
Germinating your seeds is one of the easiest steps of growing kratom. To do this, you’ll want to take your seeds and place them on a clean paper towel. Using your kitchen sink faucet, allow warm (but not hot) water to gently drip over these seeds.
Cover this moist square of a seed-filled paper towel with another piece of paper towel and place it on a plate. Put this plate in a warm area of your home. Within a week, you should seek small white tendrils creeping around your paper towel.
Kratom seeds are quite small. If you’d rather apply them directly to the soil, you can do so. However, by sure to moisten your soil with warm water before scattering your seeds. Additionally, you’ll want to cover the seeds with a small amount of soil.
Plant Your Seeds
Once you’ve germinated your seeds, you can plant them. This is often as simple as tossing them into your prepared soil and adding a bit of water. Though they may seem mixed up and tangled together at first, they will grow into individual seedlings.
When you have dozens of seedlings growing together in a pot or single container, they will eventually begin to kill one another off. That’s why you’ll also need to transfer your seedlings to a new area once they’re a few inches tall.
Once the seeds are in the dirt, make sure to keep the soil moist. It could take a few days to a week for the seeds to sprout if they’re going to, but it’s crucial that the soil is relatively wet during that time. It’s also important not to soak the soil, either, as that will drown the seeds and they won’t take.
If nothing has happened after a week or two of moist soil and intermittent sunlight, it’s time to try a new batch of seeds.
Did you know that the kratom plant can grow up to 100 feet in height? Keep this in mind as you choose a location for your seeds or saplings.
It takes a long time for kratom to reach that height, so choosing a pot and soil is one good option for indoor growth. Commercial soils may lead to fungus infestations. One of the best soils to use is actually a high-quality soilless potting.
These types of planting materials are made from pine bark, perlite, moss, and other organic materials.
If you do go with traditional soil, you’ll want to use a high-nutrient potting soil. This ensures that your young plants receive enough nutrients to reach their potential. Try to maintain a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.
Did you know that kratom loves nitrogen? Liquid fish fertilizer with a good ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus and potassium is ideal.
Remember, your soil should retain moisture and should not drain too much. Some drainage, of course, is essential.
Choose your pot size carefully. Having a pot that is too big can lead to water saturation. If you are unsure of what size to use, remember that you can always transfer a plant to a larger pot.
Once the Seeds Take
After the seeds have sprouted, you can ease up on monitoring the soil. Make sure to keep the sprouted plants in an area with high humidity, though. Additionally, try to keep the plant near a light fan or outside if the climate allows.
The breeze helps with the alkaloid levels and can lead the tree to produce more nutrient-rich leaves when it gets to that point. Water the plant once a day, but don’t drench the soil as the seed is just starting to sprout and grow.
Kratom plants are native to tropical areas. So it’s no surprise that they will need adequate water supplies. They are also used in environments that are humid.
One way to keep the environment humid is to purchase a humidifier. If that is too expensive, you can periodically spray your kratom plant using a simple spray bottle.
You can also help regulate humidity using a humidity dome, large bag, or tub to slightly insulate and keep moisture in.
Kratom plants need a steady supply of water. Like other plants, too much water can lead to root rot. Two simple steps can help you provide the right amount of water for your plant.
One, observe the surface of the soil. If it looks dried out, it probably needs some water.
Two, stick your finger in the soil. If the soil feels soaked, give watering a little break.
At this point, it’s just crucial to keep a calm and regular environment for the plant, without shocking it with extreme cold or heat. If you can keep the temperature consistent and maintain the humidity, you’ll give the baby kratom tree a decent chance to grow.
Transfer Seedlings
Once your seedlings have reached about eight inches in height, you’ll want to transfer them to their secondary growing habitat. If you’re planting them outdoors into pre-prepared soil, you’ll want to keep them protected using a net or cage.
If you’re transplanting the seedlings into outdoor pots, you may still want to use wooden dowels or supportive beams to help them stabilize. The roots of the seedlings will be weak for several days or weeks after transplantation.
Keep Way Pests
Pests will likely find a way to your kratom trees if you don’t take certain steps to prevent infections. Neem oil is one way to stop bugs and insect infestations.
Neem oil works particularly well against spider mites, aphids, and other pests. Make sure to dilute the oil, which can burn leaves in high concentrations.
If you notice some minor burn spots from oil applications, don’t worry. Those spots will heal.
Spinosad is good for eliminating caterpillars and other leaf-eating insects.
Timeline for Growth
It will take the tree upwards of two years to mature enough to start producing leaves. While we don’t condone the use of kratom leaves for any particular purpose, there are some claims that kratom leaves can be used for a number of purposes that might be useful to some people.
While leaves might sprout and fall before that time, the mature leaves will come after around two years of growth.
Again, there’s no guarantee that the tree will grow to any particular height. Odds are that it’s not going to reach the heights that it would in its natural environment. This is simply because the tree has evolved in and is supported by the soil and various elements in that environment.
In other words, Southeast Asia is the perfect place for the Kratom tree to get all of the nutrients that it needs. It might be possible to produce a massive kratom tree like that in a highly-controlled environment in The United States, but your tree might wind up anywhere from 5 to 10 feet tall after a few years.
We recommend that you try and grow a few trees if you can, considering that the unnatural environment of The United States might cause the tree to get shocked at certain points throughout its development.
Give It a Few Tries
If you find that things don’t pan out on your first try, give it a few different attempts and try to mix up the formula each time. the closer you can get to creating a climate that resembles that of different countries in Southeast Asia, the better.
Kratom does grow around that area, and the entire region of Southeast Asia is by no means just one specific climate. With that in mind, you have some space to explore different options that might work for the particular plant that you’re working with.
Good luck!
Interested in Exploring Kratom?
Growing kratom is one way to get acquainted with the plant, but there’s a lot more to learn about kratom and all it has to offer. We’ve got all the kratom information you might need.
Find out more by taking a look at our site and exploring the different aspects of kratom.
