Legal cultivation is just around the corner! How to prepare for it
Even the birds on the roofs are whispering that the Czech Republic is legalizing. But not exactly. How to plant so you don’t end up on the wrong side of the law and how much you can have? Do you want to join the post‑New‑Year green fever but aren’t quite sure how to proceed? We have prepared a clear guide for future growers.
As is well known, ignorance of the law is no excuse. If you don’t want your cultivation hobby to turn into a bigger adventure than expected, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the applicable legislation. Let’s go through it step by step.
Growing within the law
The amendment to the law only comes into force on 1 January 2026. Until then, any home cultivation is at least an administrative offense and, in the worst case, a criminal act. We strongly warn against such behaviour. Good things come to those who wait. That also applies to younger aspiring growers. Cultivation will be allowed only after reaching the age limit of 21 years.
Once it takes effect, you may plant a maximum of three plants. Where you grow them is up to you. You may cultivate them in a garden, greenhouse, apartment or on a balcony. However, you must meet one condition: the property must be yours or you must have another legal relationship to it, for example a rental agreement.
And what to do with the plants you grow? To avoid getting into trouble with the law, you must follow several rules. The harvested three plants may be harvested and further processed, i.e. dried and the flowers trimmed of leaves and stems. After this process the plants become dried material, of which you may keep a maximum of 100 grams in a residence. Lawmakers did not specify how a grower should ensure that no surplus remains or how to legally handle any leftovers.
You may be interested in: Complete overview of the laws effective from 1.1.2026
How to grow legally
Taking into account the legal limits mentioned above, let’s now look at how such legal cultivation might look in practice. First, decide whether you want to grow outdoors in the sun or indoors under artificial light. Growing outdoors in a bed, greenhouse, on a balcony or by a window has the advantage of saving on cultivation equipment and the operating costs of a grow setup.
On the other hand, outdoors you can only grow for a few months a year here and capricious weather can easily ruin your plans. Setting up a small indoor grow costs something, but you can enjoy herbs year‑round even if the outdoor season fails. Of course you can combine both methods, but remember: always only three plants at any one time.
How much more expensive is indoor growing than planting in a bed or in a pot on the balcony? That depends on how large a setup you want. Most growers today cultivate under artificial lighting in specially adapted tents – growboxes. You can get a basic grow tent with decent equipment for under ten thousand, but high‑tech gear for a larger growbox can cost several tens of thousands. The operation of the setup costs per month range from a few hundred to a few thousand, primarily depending on the power of the cultivation lighting.
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Whether you grow indoors or outdoors, you’ll need special cultivation substrates, fertilizers, measuring tools and other necessary equipment for growers. That can cost a few tens of crowns or several thousand, depending on the cultivation method. More complex cultivation methods, such as hydroponics, tend to be more financially demanding than soil cultivation.
Last but not least, you will also need quality seeds from a reliable supplier. In this respect we can confidently refer you to our sister seedshop HiSeeds, where you will find top‑quality seeds from varieties tried for decades to the newest cultivars from sunny California.
Where to start
You now have a basic overview of the laws and should be able to picture how cultivation could look in your specific case. What next? No one is born an expert, and that applies to growing as well. Complete information on cultivation procedures and guides for beginning growers can be found on the Higarden blog. It’s also not a bad idea to get a book on cultivation, where you’ll find all the information gathered in one place and can consult it whenever you run into a problem.
A new era of home cultivation is ahead of us and we wish you to enjoy it to the fullest. Whether you plant the first seed on your balcony in January 2026 or switch on the light in a small tent, remember that growing is above all a joy. Enjoy it fully!
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only. We are not lawyers and do not provide legal advice. The final interpretation of legal regulations can only be given by the competent authorities and courts.