3616 lines
214 KiB
Plaintext
3616 lines
214 KiB
Plaintext
-+- The Merry Pranksters from Menlo Park -+-
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10.1990.01.01.01
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Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 1 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Marijuana : The Plant"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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It is recommended that you buy the book that these files are taken from.
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Many charts and some chapters have been omitted.
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Besides, Ed might need the money.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Cannabis probably evolved in the Himalayan foothills, but its origins are
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clouded by the plant's early symbiotic relationship with humans. It has
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been grown for three products - the seeds, which are used as a grainlike
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food and animal feed and for oil; its fiber, which is used for cloth and
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rope; and its resin, which is used medically and recreationally since it
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contains the group of psychoactive substances collectively known as
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Tetra-hydrocannibinol, usually referred to as THC. Plants grown for seed
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or fiber are usually referred to as hemp and contain small amounts of THC.
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Plants grown for THC and for the resin are referred to as marijuana.
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Use of cannabis and its products spread quickly throughout the world.
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Marijuana is now cultivated in climates ranging from the Arctic to the
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equator. Cannabis has been evolving for hundreds of thousands of
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generations on its own and through informal breeding programs by farmers. A
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diverse group of varieties has evolved or been developed as a result of
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breeders' attempts to create a plant that is efficient at producing the
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desired product, which flourishes under particular environmental conditions.
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Cannabis easily escapes from cultivation and goes "wild." For instance,
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in the American midwest, stands of hemp "weed" remain from the 1940's
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plantings. These plants adapt on a population level to the particular
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environmental conditions that the plants face; the stand's genetic pool, and
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thus the plants' characteristics, evolve over a number of generations.
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Varieties differ in growth characteristics such as height, width,
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branching traits, leaf size, leaf shape, flowering time, yield, potency,
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taste, type of hig, and aroma. For the most part, potency is a factor of
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genetics. Some plants have the genetic potential of producing high grade
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marijuana and others do not. The goal of the cultivator is to allow the
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high THC plants to reach their full potential.
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Marijuana is a fast growing annual plant, although some varieties in some
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warm areas overwinter. It does best in a well-drained medium, high in
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fertility. It requires long periods of unobstructed bright light daily.
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Marijuana is usually dioecious; plants are either male or female, although
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some varieties are monoecious - they have male and female flowers on the
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same plant.
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Marijuana's annual cycle begins with germination in the early spring.
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The plant grows vigorously for several months. The plant begins to flower
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in the late summer or early fall and sets seed by late fall. The seeds drop
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as the plant dies as a result of changes in the weather.
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Indoors, the grower has complete control of the environment. The
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cultivator determines when the plants are to be started, when they will
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flower, whether they are to produce seed and even if they are to bear a
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second harvest.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 2 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Choosing A Variety"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Gardeners can grow a garden with only one or two varieties or a
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potpourri. Each has its advantages. Commercial growers usually prefer
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homogenous gardens because the plants tatse the same and mature at the same
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time. These growers usually choose fast maturing plants so that there is a
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quick turnaround. Commercial growers often use clones or cuttings from one
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plant so that the garden is genetically idential; the clones have exactly
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the same growth habits and potency.
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Homegrowers are usually more concerned with quality than with fast
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maturity. Most often, they grow mixed groups of plants so they have a
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selection of potency, quality of the high, and taste. Heterogeneous gardens
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take longer to mature and have a lower yield than homogenous gardens. They
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take more care, too, because the plants grow at different rates, have
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different shapes and require varying amounts of space. The plants require
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individual care.
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Marijuana grown in the United States is usually one of two main types:
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inidica or sativa. Indica plants originated in the Hindu-Kush valleys in
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central Asia, which is located between the 25-35 latitudes. The weather
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there is changeable. One year there may be drought, the next it might be
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cloudy, wet, rainy or sunny. For the population to survive, the plant group
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needs to have individuals which survive and thrive under different
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conditions. Thus, in any season, no matter what the weather, some plants
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will do well and some will do poorly.
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Indica was probably developed by hash users for resin content, not for
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flower smoking. The resin was removed from the plant. An indication of
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indica's development is the seeds, which remain enclosed and stick to the
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resin. Since they are very hrd to disconnect from the plant, they require
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human help. Wild plants readily drop seeds once they mature.
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Plants from the same line from equatorial areas are usually fairly
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uniform. These include Colombians and central Africans. Plants from higher
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latitudes of the same line sometimes have very different characteristics.
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These include Southern Africans, Northern Mexicans, and indicas. The plants
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look different from each other and have different maturities and potency.
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The ratio of THC (the ingredient which is psychoactive) to CBD (its
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precursor, which often leaves the smoker feeling disoriented, sleepy,
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drugged or confused) also varies.
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High latitude sativas have the same general characteristics: they tend to
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mature early, have compact short branches and wide, short leaves which are
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dark green, sometimes tinged purple.
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Indica buds are usually tight, heavy, wide and thick rather than long.
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They smell "stinky", "skunky", or "pungent" and their smoke is thick - a
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small toke can induce coughing. The best indicas have a relaxing "social
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high" which allow one to sense and feel the environment but do not lead to
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thinking about or analyzing the experience.
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Cannabis sativa plants are found throughout the world. Potent varieties
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such as Colombian, Panamanian, Mexican, Nigerian, Congolese, Indian and Thai
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are found in equatorial zones. These plants require a long time to mature
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and ordinarily grow in areas where they have a long season. They are
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usually very potent, containing large quanities of THC and virtually no CBD.
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They have long, medium-thick buds when they are grown in full equatorial
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sun, but under artificial light or even under the temperate sun, the buds
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tend to run (not fill out completely). The buds usually smell sweet or
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tangy and the smoke is smooth, sometimes deceptively so.
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The THC to CBD ratio of sativa plants gets lower as the plants are found
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further from the equator. Jamaican and Central Mexican varieties are found
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at the 15-20th latitudes. At the 30th latitude, varieties such as Southern
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African and Northern Mexican are variable and may contain equal amounts of
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THC and CBD, giving the smoker and buzzy, confusing high. These plants are
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used mostly for hybridizing. Plants found above the 30th latitude usually
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have low levels of THC, with high levels of CBD and are considered hemp.
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If indica and sativa varieties are considered opposite ends of a
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spectrum, most plants fall in between the spectrum. Because of marijuana
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and hemp's long symbiotic relationship with humans, seeds are constantly
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procured or traded so that virtually all populations have been mixed with
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foreign plants at one time or another.
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Even in traditional marijuana-growing countries, the marijuana is often
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the result of several cross lines. Jamaican ganja, for example, is probably
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the result of crosses between hemp, which the English cultivated for rope,
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and Indian ganja, which arrived with the Indian immigrants who came to the
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country. The term for marijuana in Jamaic in ganja, the same as in India.
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The traditional Jamaican term for the best weed is Kali, named for the
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Indian killer goddess.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 3 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Growth and Flowering"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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The cannabis plant regulates its growth and flowering stages by measuring
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the changes in the number of hours of uniterrupted darkness to determine
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when to flower. The plant produces a hormone (phytochrome) begining at
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germination. When this chemical builds up to a critical level, the plant
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changes its mode from vegetative growth to flowering. This chemical is
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destroyed in the presence of even a few moments of light. During the late
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spring and early summer there are many more hours of light than darkness and
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the hormone does not build up to a critical level. However, as the days
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grow shorter and there are longer periods of uniterrupted darkness, the
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hormone builds up to a critical level.
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Flowering occurs at different times with different varieties as a result
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of the adaptation of the varieties to the environment. Varieties from the
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30th latitude grow in an area with a temperate climate and fairly early
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fall. These plants usually trigger in July or August and are ready to
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harvest in September or October. Southern African varieties often flower
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with as little as 8 or 9 hours of darkness/15 to 16 hours of light. Other
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30th latitude varieties including most indicas flower when the darkness
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cycle lasts a minimum of 9 to 10 hours. Jamaican and some Southeast Asian
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varieties will trigger at 11 hours of darkness and ripen during September or
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October.
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Equatorial varieties trigger at 12 hours or more of darkness. This means
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that they will not start flowering before late September or early October
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and will not mature until late November or early December.
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Of course, indoors the plants' growth stage can be regulated with the
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flick of a switch. Nevertheless, the plants respond to the artificial light
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cycle in the same way that they do to the natural seasonal cycles.
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The potency of the plant is related to its maturity rather than
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chronological age. Genetically identical 3 month and 6 month-old plants
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which have mature flowers have the same potency. Starting from seed, a six
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month old plant flowers slightly faster and fills out more than a 3 month
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old plant.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 4 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Choosing a Space"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Almost any area can be converted to a growing space. Attics, basements,
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spare rooms, alcoves and even shelves can be used. Metal shacks, garages
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and greenhouses are ideal areas. All spaces must be located in an area
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inaccessible to visitors and invisible from the street.
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The ideal area is at least 6 feet high, with a minimum of 50 square feet,
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an area about 7 feet by 7 feet. A single 1,000 watt metal halide or sodium
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vapor lamp, the most efficient means of illuminating a garden, covers an
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area this size.
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Gardeners who have smaller spaces, at least one foot wide and several
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feet long, can use fluorescent tubes, 400 watt metal halides, or sodium
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vapor lamps.
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Gardeners who do not have a space even this large to spare can use
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smaller areas (See part 17 - "Novel Gardens").
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Usually, large gardens are more efficient than small ones.
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The space does not require windows or outside ventilation, but it is
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easier to set up a space if it has one or the other.
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Larger growing areas need adequate ventilation so that heat, oxygen, and
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moisture levels can be controlled. Greenhouses usually have vents and fans
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built in. Provisions for ventilation must be made for lamp-lit enclosed
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areas. Heat and moisture buildup can be extraordinary. During the winter
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in most areas, the heat is easily dissipated; however, the heat buildup is
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harder to deal with in hot weather. Adequate ventilation or air coolers are
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the answer.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 5 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Preparing the Space"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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The space is the future home and environment of the plants. It should be
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cleaned of any residue or debris which might house insects, parasites or
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diseases. If it has been contaminated with plant pests it can be sprayed or
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wiped down with a 5% bleach solution which kills most organisms. The room
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must be well-venitalted when this operation is going on. The room will be
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subject to high humidity so any materials such as clothing which might be
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damaged by moisture are removed.
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Since the plants will be watered, and water may be spilled, the floors
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and any other areas that may be water damaged should be covered with
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linoleum or plastic. High grade 6 or 8 mil polyethylene drop cloths or
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vinyl tarps protect a floor well. The plastic should be sealed with tape so
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that no water seeps to the floor.
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The amount of light delivered to the plant rises dramatically when the
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space is enclosed by reflective material. Some good reflective materials
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are flat white paint, aluminum foil (the dull side so that the light is
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diffused), white cardboard, plywood painted white, white polyethylene,
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silvered mylar, gift wrap, white cloth, or silvered plastic such as
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Astrolon. Mterials can be taped or tacked onto the walls, or hung as
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curtains. All areas of the space should be covered with reflective
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material. The walls, ceiling and floors are all capable of reflecting light
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and should be covered with reflective material such as aluminum foil. It is
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easiest to run the material vertically rather than horizontally.
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Experienced growers find it convenient to use the wide, heavy-duty
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aluminum foil or insulating foil (sold in wide rolls) in areas which will
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not be disturbed and plastic or cloth curtains where the material will be
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moved.
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Windows can be covered with opaque material if a bright light emanating
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from the window would draw suspicion. If the window does not draw suspicion
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and allows bright light into the room, it should be covered with a
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translucent material such as rice paper, lace curtains, or aquarium crystal
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paint.
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Garages, metal buildings, or attics can be converted to lighthouses by
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replacing the roof with fiberglass greenhouse material such as Filon. These
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translucent panels permit almost all the light to pass through but diffuse
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it so that there is no visible image passing out while there is an even
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distribution of light coming in. A space with a translucent roof needs no
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artificial lighting in the summer and only supplemental lighting during the
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other seasons. Overhead light entering from askylight or large window is
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very helpful. Light is utilized best if it is diffused.
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Concrete and other cold floors should be covered with insulating material
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such as foam carpet lining, styrofoam sheeting, wood planks or wooden
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palettes so that the plant containers and the roots are kept from getting
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cold.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Part 6 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Plant Size and Spacing"
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from
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Marijauna Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Marijuana varieties differ not only in their growth rate, but also in
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their potential size. The grower also plays a role in determining the size
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of the plants because the plants can be induced to flower at any age or size
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just by regulating the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness that the
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plants receive.
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Growers have different ideas about how much space each plant needs. The
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closer the plants are spaced, the less room the individual plant has to
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grow. Some growers use only a few plants in a space, and they grow the
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plants in large containers. Other growers prefer to fill the space with
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smaller plants. Either method works, but a garden with smaller plants which
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fills the space mroe completely probably yields more in less time. The total
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vegetative growth in a room containing many small sized plants is greater
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than a room containing only a few plants. Since each plant is smaller, it
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needs less time to grow to its desired size. Remember that the gardener is
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interested in a crop of beautiful buds, not beautiful plants.
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The amount of space a plant requires depends on the height the plants are
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to grow. A plant growing 10 feet high is going to be wider than a 4 foot
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plant. The width of the plant also depends on cultivation practices.
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Plants which are pruned grow wider than unpruned plants. The different
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growth characteristics of the plants also affect the space required by each
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plant. In 1- or 2-light gardens, where the plants are to grow no higher
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than 6 feet, plants are given between 1 and 9 square feet of space. In a
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high greenhouse lit by natural light, where the plants grow 10-12 feet high,
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the plants may be given as much as 80 to 100 square feet.
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 7 of 33
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by pH Imbalance
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"Planting Mixes"
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from
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Marijuana Grower's Handbook
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[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
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Ed Rosenthal
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One of the first books written on indoor growing suggested that the
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entire floor of a grow room be filled with soil. This method is effective
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but unfeasible for most cultivators. Still, the growers have a wide choice
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of growing mediums and techniques; they may choose between growing in soil
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or using a hydroponic method.
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Most growers prefer to cultivate their plants in containers filled with
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soil, commercial mixes, or their own recipe of soil, fertilizers, and soil
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conditioners. These mixes vary quite a bit in their content, nutrient
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values, texture, pH, and water-holding capacity.
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Potting soil is composed of topsoil, which is a natural outdoor composite
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high in nutrients. It is the top layer of soil, containing large amounts of
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organic material such as humus and compost as well as minerals and clays.
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Topsoil is usually lightened up so that it does not pack. This is done by
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using sand, vermiculite, perlite, peat moss and/or gravel.
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Potting soil tends to be very heavy, smell earthy and have a rich dark
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color. It can supply most of the nutrients that a plant needs for the first
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couple of months.
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Commercial potting mixes are composites manufactured from ingredients
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such as bark or wood fiber, composts, or soil conditioners such as
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vermiculite, perlite, and peat moss. They are designed to support growth of
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houseplants by holding adequate amounts of water and nutrients and releasing
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them slowly. Potting mixes tend to be low in nutrients and often require
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fertilization from the outset. Many of them may be considered hydroponic
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mixes because the nutrients are supplied by the gardener in a water solution
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on a regular basis.
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Texture of the potting mix is the most important consideration for
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containerized plants. The mixture should drain well and allow air to enter
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empty spaces so that the roots can breathe oxygen. Mixes which are too fine
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may become soggy or stick together, preventing the roots from obtaining the
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required oxygen. A soggy condition also promotes the growth of anaerobic
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bacteria which release acids that eventually harm the roots.
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A moist potting mix with good texture should form a clump if it is
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squeezed in a fist; then with a slight poke the clod should break up. If
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the clod stays together, soil conditioners are required to loosen it up.
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Vermiculite, perlite or pea-sized styrofoam chips will serve the purpose.
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Some growers prefer to make their own mixes. These can be made from soil,
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soil conditioners, and fertilizers.
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Plants grown in soil do not grow as quickly as those in hydroponic mixes.
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However, many growers prefer soil for aesthetic reasons. Good potting mixes
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can be made from topsoil fairly easy.
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Usually it is easier to buy topsoil than to use unpasteurized topsoil
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which contains weed seeds, insects and disease organisms. Outdoors, these
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organisms are kept in check, for the most part, by the forces of nature.
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Bringing them indoors, however, is like bringing them into an incubator,
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where many of their natural enemies are not around to take care of them.
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Soil can be sterilized using a 5% bleach solution poured through the medium
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or by being steamed for 20 minutes. Probably the easiest way to sterilize
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soil is to use a microwave. It is heated until it is steaming, about 5
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minutes for a gallon or more.
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Potting soils and potting mixes vary tremendously in composition, pH and
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fertility. Most mixes contain only small amounts of soil. If a package is
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marked "potting soil", it is usually made mostly from topsoil.
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If the soil clumps up it should be loosened using sand, perlite or
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styrofoam. One part amendment is used to 2-3 parts soil. Additives listen
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in Chart 7-2 may also be added. Here is a partial list of soil
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conditioners:
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Foam
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Foam rubber can be used in place of styrofoam. Although it holds water
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trapped between its open cells it also holds air. About 1.5 parts of foam
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rubber for every part of styrofoam is used. Pea-size pieces or smaller
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should be used.
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Gravel
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Gravel is often used as a sole medium in hydroponic systems because it is
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easy to clean, never wears out, does not "lock up" nutrients, and is
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inexpensive. It is also a good mix ingredient because it creates large
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spaces for airpockets and gives the mix weight. Some gravel contains
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limestone (see "Sand"). This material should not be used.
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Lava
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Lava is a preferred medium on its own or as a part of a mix. It is
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porous and holds water both on its surface and in the irregular spaces along
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its irregular shape. Lava is an ideal medium by itself but is sometimes
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considered a little too dry. To give it moremoisture-holding ability, about
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one part of wet vermiculite ismixed with 3 to 6 parts lava. The vermiculite
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will break up and coat the lava, creating a mdeium with excellent
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water-holding abilities and plenty of air spaces. If the mix is watered
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from the top, the vermiculite will wash down eventually, but if it is
|
||
watered from the bottom it will remain.
|
||
|
||
Perlite
|
||
|
||
Perlite is an expanded (puffed) volcanic glass. It is lightweight with
|
||
many peaks and valleys on its surface, where it traps particles of water.
|
||
However, it does not absorb water into its structure. It does not break
|
||
down easily and is hard to the touch. Perlite comes in several grades with
|
||
the coarser grade being better for larger containers. perlite is very dusty
|
||
when dry. To eliminate dust, the material is watered to saturation with a
|
||
watering can or hose before it is removed from the bag. Use of masks and
|
||
respirators is important.
|
||
|
||
Rockwool
|
||
|
||
Rockwool is made from stone which has been heated then extruded into
|
||
think strands which are something like glass wool. It absorbs water like a
|
||
wick. It usually comes in blocks or rolls. It can be used in all systems
|
||
but is usually used in conjunction with drop emitters. Growers report
|
||
phenomenal growth rates using rockwool. It is also very convenient to use.
|
||
The blocks are placed in position or it is rolled out. Then seeds or
|
||
transplants are placed on the material.
|
||
|
||
Sand
|
||
|
||
Sand is a heavy material which is often added to a mixture to increase
|
||
its weight so that the plant is held more firmly. It promotes drainage and
|
||
keeps the mix from caking. Sand comes in several grades too, but all of
|
||
them seem to work well. The best sand to use is composed of quartz. Sand
|
||
is often composed of limestone; the limestone/sand raised pH, causing
|
||
micronutrients to precipitate, making them unavailable to the plants. It is
|
||
best not to use it.
|
||
Limestone-containing sand can be "cured" by soaking in a solution of
|
||
water and superphosphate fertilizer which binds with the surface of the lime
|
||
molecule in the sand, making the molecule temporarily inert. One pound of
|
||
superphosphate is used to 5 gallons of water. It dissolves best in hot
|
||
water. The sand should sit in this for 6-12 hours and then be rinsed.
|
||
Superphosphate can be purchased at most nurseries.
|
||
Horticultural sand is composed of inert materials and needs no curing.
|
||
Sand must be made free of salt if it came from a salt-water area.
|
||
|
||
Sphagnum Moss
|
||
|
||
Sphagnum or peat moss is gathered from bogs in the midwest. It absorbs
|
||
many times its own weight in water and acts as a buffer for nutrients.
|
||
Buffers absorb the nutrients and hold large amounts in their chemical
|
||
structure. The moss releases them gradually as they are used by the plant.
|
||
If too much nutrient is supplied, the moss will act on it and hold it,
|
||
preventing toxic buildups in the water solution. Moss tends to be acidic so
|
||
no more than 20% of the planting mix should be composed of it.
|
||
|
||
Styrofoam Pellets
|
||
|
||
Styrofoam is a hydrophobic material (it repels water) and is an excellent
|
||
soil mix ingredient. It allows air spaces to form in the mix and keeps the
|
||
materials from clumping, since it does not bond with other materials or with
|
||
itself. One problem is that it is lighter than water and tends to migrate
|
||
to the top of the mix. Styrofoam is easily used to adjust the water-holding
|
||
capacity of a mix. Mixes which are soggy or which hold too much water can
|
||
be "dried" with the addition of styrofoam. Styrofoam balls or chips no
|
||
larger than a pea should be used in fine-textured mixtures. Larger
|
||
styrofoam pieces can be used in coarse mixes.
|
||
|
||
Vermiculite
|
||
|
||
Vermiculite is porcessed puffed mica. It is very lightweight but holds
|
||
large quantities of water in its structure. Vermiculite is available in
|
||
several size pieces. The large size seems to permit more aeration.
|
||
Vermiculite breaks down into smaller particles over a period of time.
|
||
Vermiculite is sold in several grades based on the size of the particles.
|
||
The fine grades are best suited to small containers. In large containers,
|
||
fine particles tend to pack too tightly, not leaving enough space for air.
|
||
Coarser grades should be used in larger containers. Vermiculite is dusty
|
||
when dry, so it should be wet down before it is used.
|
||
|
||
Mediums used in smaller containers should be able to absorb more water
|
||
than mediums in larger containers. For instance, seedlings started in 1 to
|
||
2 inch containers can be planted in plain vermiculite or soil. Containers
|
||
up to about one gallon can be filled with a vermiculite-perlite or
|
||
soil-perlite mix. Containers larger than that need a mix modified so that
|
||
it does not hold as much water and does not become soggy. The addition of
|
||
sand, gravel, or styrofoam accomplishes this very easily.
|
||
Here are lists of different mediums suitable for planting: Below is a
|
||
list of the moist mixtures, suitable for the wick system, the reservoir
|
||
system and drop emitters which are covered in part 9.
|
||
|
||
Chart 7-1-A: Moist Planting Mixes
|
||
|
||
1) 4 parts topsoil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite. Moist, contains
|
||
medium-high amounts of nutrients. Best for wick and hand-watering.
|
||
2) 3 parts topsoil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite,
|
||
1 part styrofoam. Moist but airy. Medium nutrients. Best for wick
|
||
and hand-watering.
|
||
3) 3 parts vermiculite, 3 parts perlite, 1 part sand, 2 parts pea-sized
|
||
gravel. Moist and airy but has some weight. Good for all systems,
|
||
drains well.
|
||
4) 5 parts vermiculite, 5 parts perlite. Standard mix, moist. Excellent
|
||
for wick and drop emitters systems though it works well for all
|
||
systems.
|
||
5) 3 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1 part styrofoam. Medium dry
|
||
mix, excellent for all systems.
|
||
6) 2 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1 part styrofoam, 1 part peat
|
||
moss. Moist mix.
|
||
7) 2 parts vermiculite, 2 parts perlite, 3 parts styrofoam, 1 part
|
||
sphagnum moss, 1 part compost. Medium moisture, small amounts of slow
|
||
releasing nutrients, good for all systems.
|
||
8) 2 parts topsoil, 2 parts compost, 1 part sand, 1 part perlite.
|
||
Medium-moist, high in slow-release of organic nutrients, good for wick
|
||
and drip systems, as well as hand watering.
|
||
9) 2 parts compost, 1 part perlite, 1 part sand, 1 part lava. Drier mix,
|
||
high in slow-release of nutrients, drains well, good for all systems.
|
||
10) 1 part topsoil, 1 part compost, 2 parts sand, 1 part lava. Dry mix,
|
||
high in nutrients, good for all systems.
|
||
11) 3 parts compost, 3 parts sand, 2 parts perlite, 1 part peat moss, 2
|
||
parts vermiculite. Moist, mid-range nutrients, good for wick systems.
|
||
12) 2 parts compost, 2 parts sand, 1 part styrofoam. Drier, high
|
||
nutrients, good for all systems.
|
||
13) 5 parts lava, 1 part vermiculite. Drier, airy, good for all systems.
|
||
|
||
Here are some drier mediums suitable for flood systems as well as drip
|
||
emitters (hydroponic systems covered in part 9).
|
||
|
||
Chart 7-1-B: Flood System/Drip Emitter Mixes
|
||
|
||
1) Lava
|
||
|
||
2) Pea sized gravel
|
||
|
||
3) Sand
|
||
|
||
4) Mixes of any or all of the above.
|
||
|
||
Manure and other slow-releasing natural fertilizers are often added to
|
||
the planting mix. With these additives, the grower needs to use ferilizers
|
||
only supplementally. Some of the organic amendments are listed in the
|
||
following chart. Organic amendments can be mixed but should not be used in
|
||
amounts larger than those recommended because too much nutrient can cause
|
||
toxicity.
|
||
Some growers add time-release fertilizers to the mix. These are
|
||
formulated to release nutrients over a specified period of time, usually 3,
|
||
4, 6 or 8 months. The actual rate of release is regulated in part by
|
||
temperature, and since house temperatures are usually higher than outdoor
|
||
soil temperatures, the fertilizers used indoors release over a shorter
|
||
period of time than is noted on the label.
|
||
Gardeners find that they must supplement the time-release fertilizer
|
||
formulas with soluble fertilizers during the growing season. Growers can
|
||
circumvent this problem by using time-release fertilizer suggested for a
|
||
longer period of time than the plant cycle. For instance, a 9 month
|
||
time-release fertilizer can be used in a 6 month garden. Remember that more
|
||
fertilizer is releasing faster, so that a larger amount of nutrients will be
|
||
available than was intended. These mixes are used sparingly.
|
||
About one tablespoon of dolomite limestone should be added for each
|
||
gallon of planting mix, or a half cup per cubic foot of mix. This supplies
|
||
the calcium along with mangesium, both of which the plants require. If
|
||
dolomite is unavailable, then hydrated lime or any agricultural lime can be
|
||
used.
|
||
|
||
Chart 7-2: Organic Amendments
|
||
|
||
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Amendment | N | P | K | 1 Part : X Parts Mix |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Cow Manure | 1.5 | .85 | 1.75 | Excellent condition, breaks down |
|
||
| | | | | over the growing season. 1:10 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Chicken Manure | 3 | 1.5 | .85 | Fast acting. 1:20 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Blood Meal | 15 | 1.3 | .7 | N quickly available. 1:100 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Dried Blood | 13 | 3 | 0 | Very soluble. 1:100 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Worm Castings | 3 | 1 | .5 | Releases N gradually. 1:15 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Guano | 2-8 | 2-5 | .5-3 | Varies alot, moderately soluble. |
|
||
| | | | | For guano containing 2% nitrogen, |
|
||
| | | | | 1:15. For 8% nitrogen, 1:40 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Cottonseed Meal | 6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | Releases N gradually. 1:30. |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Greensand | 0 | 1.5 | 5 | High in micronutrients. Nutrients |
|
||
| | | | | available over the season. 1:30 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Feathers | 15 | ? | ? | Breaks down slowly. 1:75 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
| Hair | 17 | ? | ? | Breaks down slowly. 1:75 |
|
||
+-----------------+-----+-----+------+-------------------------------------+
|
||
|
||
N = Nitrogen * P = Phosphorous * K = Potassium
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 8 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Hydroponics vs. Soil Gardening"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Plants growing in the wild outdoors obtain their nutrients from the
|
||
breakdown of complex organic chemicals into simpler water-soluble forms.
|
||
The roots catch the chemicals using a combination of electrical charges and
|
||
chemical manipulation. The ecosystem is generally self-supporting. For
|
||
instance, in some tropical areas most of the nutrients are actually held by
|
||
living plants. As soon as the vegetation dies, bacteria and other microlife
|
||
feast and render the nutrients water-soluble. They are absorbed into the
|
||
soil and are almost immediately taken up by higher living plants.
|
||
Farmers remove some of the nutrients from the soil when they harvest
|
||
their crops. In order to replace those nutrients they add fertilizers and
|
||
other soil additives. [pH : perhaps shake would be good fertilizer for
|
||
one's next crop]
|
||
Gardeners growing plants in containers have a closed ecology system.
|
||
Once the plants use the nutrients in the medium, their growth and health is
|
||
curtailed until more nutrients become available to them. It is up to the
|
||
grower to supply the nutrients required by the plants. The addition of
|
||
organic matter such as compost or manure to the medium allows the plant to
|
||
obtain nutrients for a while without the use of water-soluble fertilizers.
|
||
However, once these nutrients are used up, growers usually add water-soluble
|
||
nutrients when they water. Without realizing it, they are gardening
|
||
hydroponically. Hydroponics is the art of growing plants, usually without
|
||
soil, using water-soluble fertilizers as the main or sole source of
|
||
nutrients. The plants are grown in a non-nutritive medium such as gravel or
|
||
sand or in lightweight materials such as perlite, vermiculite or styrofoam.
|
||
The advantages of a hydroponic system over conventional horticultural
|
||
methods are numerous: dry dpots, root drowning and soggy conditions do not
|
||
occur. Nutrient and pH problems are largely eliminated since the grower
|
||
maintains tight control over their concentration; there is little chance of
|
||
"lockup" which occurs when the nutrients are fixed in the soil and
|
||
unavailable to the plant; plants can be grown more conveniently in small
|
||
containers; and owing to the fact that there is no messing around with soil,
|
||
the whole operation is easier, cleaner, and much less bothersome than when
|
||
using conventional growing techniques.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 9 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Hydroponic Systems"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Most hydroponic systems fall into one of two broad categories: passive or
|
||
active. Passive systems such as reservoir or wick setups depend on the
|
||
molecular action inherent in the wick or medium to make water available to
|
||
the plant. Active systems which include the flood, recirculating drop and
|
||
aerated water systems, use a pump to send nourishment to the plants.
|
||
Most commercially made "hobby" hydroponic systems designed for general
|
||
use are shallow and wide, so that an intensive garden with a variety of
|
||
plants can be grown. But most marijuana growers prefer to grow each plant
|
||
in an individual container.
|
||
|
||
PASSIVE HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS
|
||
|
||
The Wick System
|
||
|
||
The wick system is inexpensive, easy to set up and easy to maintain. The
|
||
principle behind this type of passive system is that a length of 3/8 to 5/8
|
||
inch thick braided nylon rope, used as a wick, will draw water up to the
|
||
medium and keep it moist. The container, which can be an ordinary nursery
|
||
pot, holds a rooting medium and has wicks runing along the bottom, drooping
|
||
through the holes at the bottom, reaching down into a reservoir. Keeping
|
||
the holes in the container small makes it difficult for roots to pentrate to
|
||
the reservoir. The amount of water delivered to the medium can be increased
|
||
by increasing the number, length, or diameter of the wicks in contact with
|
||
the medium.
|
||
A 1 gallon container needs only a single wick, a three gallon container
|
||
should have two wicks, a five gallon container, three wicks. The wick
|
||
system is self regulating; the amount of water delivered depnds on the
|
||
amount lost through evaporation or transpiration.
|
||
Each medium has a maximum saturation level. Beyond that point, an
|
||
increase in the number of wicks will not increase the moisture level. A
|
||
1-1-1 combination of vermiculite, perlite, and styrofoam is a convenient
|
||
medium because the components are lightweight and readily available. Some
|
||
commercial units are supplied with coarse vermiculite. To increase weight
|
||
so that the plant will not tip the container over when it gets large, some
|
||
of the perlite in the recipe can be replaced with sand. The bottom inch or
|
||
two of the container should be filled only with vermiculite, which is very
|
||
absorbent, so that the wicks have a good medium for moisture transfer.
|
||
Wick systems are easy to construct. The wick should extend 5 inches or
|
||
more down from the container. Two bricks, blocks of wood, or styrofoam are
|
||
placed on the bottom of a deep tray (a plastic tray or oil drip pan will do
|
||
fine.) Then the container is placed on the blocks so that the wicks are
|
||
touching the bottom of the tray. The tray is filled with a nutrient/water
|
||
solution. Water is replaced in the tray as it evaporates or is absorbed by
|
||
the medium through the wick.
|
||
A variation of this system can be constructed using an additional outer
|
||
container rather than a tray. With this method less water is lost due to
|
||
evaporation.
|
||
To make sure that the containers git together and come apart easily,
|
||
bricks or wood blocks are placed in the bottom of the outer container. The
|
||
container is filled with the nutrient/water solution until the water comes
|
||
to just below the bottom of the inner container.
|
||
Automating this system is simple to do. Each of the tray or bottom
|
||
containers is connected by tubing to a bucket containing a float valve such
|
||
as found in toilets. The valve is adjusted so that it shuts off when the
|
||
water reaches a height about 1/2 inch below the bottom of the growing
|
||
containers. The bucket with the float valve is connected to a large
|
||
reservoir such as a plastic garbage can or 55 gallon drum. Holes can be
|
||
drilled in the containers to accomodate the tubing required, or the tubes
|
||
can be inserted from the top of the containers or trays. The tubes should
|
||
be secured or weighted down so that they do not slip out and cause floods.
|
||
The automated wick system works as a siphon. To get it started, the
|
||
valve container is primed and raised above the level of the individual
|
||
trays. Water flows from the valve to the plant trays as a result of
|
||
gravity. Once the containers have filled and displaced air from the tubes,
|
||
the water is automatically siphoned and the valve container can be lowers.
|
||
Each container receives water as it needs it.
|
||
A simpler system can be devised by using a plastic kiddie pool and some
|
||
4x4's or a woodem pallet. Wood is placed in the pool so that the pots sit
|
||
firmly on the board; the pool is then filled with water up to the bottom of
|
||
the pots. The wicks move the water to the pots.
|
||
Wick systems and automated wick systems are available from several
|
||
manufacturers. Because they require no moving parts, they are generally
|
||
reliable although much more expensive than homemande ones, which are very
|
||
simple to make.
|
||
Wick system units can be filled with any of the mixes found in Chart
|
||
7-1-A.
|
||
|
||
The Reservoir System
|
||
|
||
The reservoir system is even less complex than the wick system. For this
|
||
setup all a grower needs to do is fill the bottom 2 or 3 inches of a 12 inch
|
||
deep container with a coarse, porous, inert medium such as lava, ceramic
|
||
beads or chopped unglazed pottery. The remaining portion is filled with one
|
||
of the mixes containing styrofoam. The container is placed in a tray, and
|
||
sits directly in a nutrient-water solution 2-3 inches deep. The system is
|
||
automated by placing the containers in a trough or large tray. Kiddie pools
|
||
can also be used. The water is not replaced until the holding tray dies.
|
||
Passive systems should be watered from the top down once a month so that
|
||
any buildup of nutrient salts caused by evaporation gets washed back to the
|
||
bottom.
|
||
|
||
ACTIVE HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS
|
||
|
||
Active systems move the water using mechanical devices in order to
|
||
deliver it to the plants. There are many variations on active systems but
|
||
most of them fall into one of three categories: flood systems, drip
|
||
systems, or nutrient film systems.
|
||
|
||
The Flood System
|
||
|
||
The flood system is the type of unit that most people think of when
|
||
hydroponics is mentioned. The system usually has a reservoir which
|
||
periodically empties to flood the container or tub holding the medium. The
|
||
medium holds enough moisture between irrigations to meet the needs of the
|
||
plant. Older commercial greenhouses using this method often held long
|
||
troughs or beds of gravel. Today, flood systems are designed using
|
||
individual containers. Each container is attached to the reservoir using
|
||
tubing.
|
||
A simple flood system can be constructed using a container with a tube
|
||
attached at the bottom of a plastic container [pH: that which the plant
|
||
is placed in] and a jug. The tube should reach down to the jug, which
|
||
should be placed below the bottom of the growing container. To water, the
|
||
tube is held above the container so that it doesn't drop. The water is
|
||
poured from the jug into the container. Next, the tube is placed in the jug
|
||
and put back into position, below the growing container. The water will
|
||
drain back into the jug. Of course, not as much will drain back in as was
|
||
poured out. Some of the water was retained in the growing unit.
|
||
Automating this unit is not difficult. A two-holed stopper is placed in
|
||
the jug. A tube from the growing unit should reach the bottom of the
|
||
reservoir container. Another tube should be attached to the other stopper
|
||
hole and then to a small aquarium-type air pump which is regulated by a
|
||
timer. When the pump turns on, it pushes air into the jug, forcing the
|
||
water into the container. When the pump goes off, the water is forced back
|
||
into the jug by gravity. Several growing units can be hooked up to a large
|
||
central reservoir and pump to make a large system. The water loss can
|
||
automatically be replaced using a float valve, similar to the ones used to
|
||
regulate water in a toilet. Some growers place a second tube near the top
|
||
of the container which they use as an overflow drain.
|
||
Another system uses a reservoir above the growing container level. A
|
||
water timing valve or solenoid valve keeps the water in the reservoir most
|
||
of the time. When the valve opens, the water fills the growing containers
|
||
as well as a central chamber which are both at the same height. The growing
|
||
chambers and the central chamber are attached to each other. The water
|
||
level is regulated by a float valve and a sump pump. When the water level
|
||
reaches a certain height, near the top of the pots, the sump pump
|
||
automatically turns on and the water is pumped back up to the reservoir.
|
||
One grower used a kiddie pool, timer valve, flower pots, a raised
|
||
reservoir and a sump pump. He placed the containers in the kiddie pool
|
||
along with the sump pump and a float valve. When the timer valve opened,
|
||
the water rushed from the tank to the kiddie pool, flooding the containers.
|
||
The pump turned on when the water was two inches from the top of the
|
||
containers and emptied the pool. Only when the valve reopened did the
|
||
plants receive more water.
|
||
With this system, growers have a choice of mediums, including sand,
|
||
gravel, lava, foam or chopped-up rubber. Vermiculite, perlite, and
|
||
styrofoam are too light to use. The styrofoam and perlite float, and the
|
||
vermiculite becomes too soggy.
|
||
The plants' water needs to increase during the lighted part of the daily
|
||
cycle, so the best time to water is as the light cycle begins. If the
|
||
medium does not hold enough moisture between waterings, the frequency of
|
||
waterings is increased.
|
||
There are a number of companies which manufacture flood systems. Most of
|
||
the commercially made ones work well, but they tend to be on the expensive
|
||
side. They are convenient, though.
|
||
|
||
The Drip System
|
||
|
||
Years ago, the most sophisticated commercial greenhouses used drip
|
||
emitter systems which were considered exotic and sophisticated engineering
|
||
feats. These days, gardeners can go to any well-equipped nursery and find
|
||
all of the materials necessary to design and build the most sophisticated
|
||
drop systems. These units consist of tubing and emitters which regulate the
|
||
amount of water delivered to each individual container. Several types of
|
||
systems can be designed using these devices.
|
||
The easiest system to make is a non-return drain unit. The plants are
|
||
watered periodically using a diluted nutrient solution. Excess water drains
|
||
from the containers and out of the system. This system is only practical
|
||
when there is a drain in the growing area. If each container has a growing
|
||
tray to catch excess water and the water control valve is adjusted closely,
|
||
any excess water can be held in the tray and eventually used by the plant or
|
||
evaporated. Once a gardener gets the hang of it, matching the amount of
|
||
water delivered to the amount needed is easy to do.
|
||
One grower developed a drip emitter system which re-uses water by
|
||
building a wooden frame using 2x4's and covering it with corrugated plastic
|
||
sheeting. She designed it so that there was a slight slope. The containers
|
||
were placed on the corrugated plastic, so the water drained along the
|
||
corrugations into a rain drainage trough, which drained into a 2 or 3 gallon
|
||
holding tank. The water was pumped from the holding taink back to the
|
||
reservoir. The water was released from the reservoir using a timer valve.
|
||
|
||
Aerated Water
|
||
|
||
The aerated water system is probably the most complex of the hydroponic
|
||
systems because it allows for the least margin of error. It should only be
|
||
used by growers with previous hydroponic experience. The idea of the system
|
||
is that the plant can grow in water as long as the roots receive adequate
|
||
amounts of oxygen. To provide the oxygen, an air pump is used to oxygenate
|
||
the water through bubbling and also by increasing the circulation of the
|
||
water so that there is more contact with air. The plants can be grown in
|
||
individual containers, each with its own bubbler or in a single flooded unit
|
||
in which containers are placed. One grower used a vinyl covered tank he
|
||
constructed. He placed individual containers that he made into the tank.
|
||
His containers were made of heavy-duty nylon mesh used by beermakers for
|
||
soaking hops. This did not prevent water from circulating around the roots.
|
||
Aerated water systems are easy to build. A small aquarium air pump
|
||
supplies all the water that is required. An aerator should be connected to
|
||
the end and a clear channel made in the container for the air. The air
|
||
channel allows the air to circulate and not disturb the roots. Gravel,
|
||
lava, or ceramic is used.
|
||
|
||
Nutrient Film Technique
|
||
|
||
The nutrient film technique is so named because the system creates a film
|
||
of water that is constantly moving around the roots. This technique is used
|
||
in many commercial greenhouses to cultivate fast growing vegetables such as
|
||
lettuce without any medium. The plants are supported by collars which hold
|
||
them in place. This method is unfeasible for marijuana growers. However,
|
||
it can be modified a bit to create an easy-to-care-for garden. Nursery
|
||
suppliers sell water mats, which disperse water from a soaker hose to a
|
||
nylon mat. The plants grow in the bottomless containers which sit on the
|
||
mat. The medium absorbs water directly from the mat. In order to hold the
|
||
medium in place, it is placed in a nylon net bag in the container.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 10 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Growing in the Ground"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Some growers have the opportunity to grow plants directly in the ground.
|
||
Many greenhouses are built directly over the earth. Growing directly in the
|
||
soil has many advantages over container growing. A considerable amount of
|
||
labor may be eliminated because there is no need to prepare labor-intensive
|
||
containers with expensive medium. Another advantage is that the plants'
|
||
needs are met more easily.
|
||
Before using any greenhouse soil, it is necessary to test it. The pH and
|
||
fertility of soils vary so much that there are few generalizations that can
|
||
be made about them.
|
||
The most important quality of any soil is its texture. Soils which drain
|
||
well usually are composed of particles of varying size. This creates paths
|
||
for water to flow and also allows airs pockets to remain even when the soil
|
||
is saturated.
|
||
Soils composed of very fine particles, such as mucks and clay, do not
|
||
drain well. Few air particles are trapped in these soils when they are
|
||
saturated. When this happens, the roots are unable to obtain oxygen and
|
||
they weaken when they are attacked by anaerobic bacteria. These soils
|
||
should be adjusted with sand and organic matter which help give the medium
|
||
some porosity. Materials suitable for this include sand, compost, composted
|
||
manure, as well as perlite, lava, gravel, sphagnum moss, styrofoam particles
|
||
and foam particles.
|
||
Low lying areas may have a very high water table so that the soils remain
|
||
saturated most of the time. One way to deal with this problem is to create
|
||
a series of mounds or raised beds so that the roots are in ground at higher
|
||
level than the floor level.
|
||
Once soil nutrient values are determined, adjustments can be made in the
|
||
soil's fertility. For marijuana, the soil should test high in total
|
||
Nitrogen, and the medium should test high in Phosphorous and Potassium.
|
||
This is covered in subsequent files.
|
||
Growers use several methods to prepare the soil. Some prefer to till the
|
||
whole area using either a fork, a roto-tiller or a small tractor and plow.
|
||
The marijuana plant grows both vertical and horizontal roots. The
|
||
horizontal roots grow from the surface to a depth of 9-18 inches depending
|
||
on the soil's moisture. They grow closer to the surface of moist soils.
|
||
The vertical root can stretch down several feet in search of water. In
|
||
moist soils, the vertical roots may be short, even stunted.
|
||
Soil with loose texture, sandy soils, and soils high in organic matter
|
||
may have adequate aeration, porosity, and space for roots and may not have
|
||
to be tilled at all. Most soils should be dug to a depth of 6-9 inches.
|
||
The tighter the soil's texture, the deeper it should be filled.
|
||
If the soil is compacted, it is dug to a depth of two feet. This can be
|
||
done by plowing and moving the soil in alternate rows and then plowing the
|
||
newly uncovered soil. Soil texture adjustors such as gypsum are added to
|
||
the bottom layer of the soil as well as the top layer, but soil amendments
|
||
such as fertilizers or compst are added only to the top layer, where most of
|
||
the plant's roots are. Then the soil is moved back into the troughs and the
|
||
alternate rows are prepared the same way.
|
||
A variation of this technique is the raised bed. First, the whole area
|
||
is turned, and then aisles are constructed by digging out the pathways and
|
||
adding the material to the beds. With the addition of organic soil
|
||
amendments, the total depth of prepared soil may stretch down 18 inches.
|
||
Some growers use planting holes rather than tilling the soil. A hole
|
||
ranging between 1 and 3 feet wide and 1.5 and 3 feet deep is dug at each
|
||
space where there is to be a plant. The digging can be facilitated using a
|
||
post hole digger, electric shovel, or even a small backhoe or power hole
|
||
digger. Once the hole is dug the soil is adjusted with amendments or even
|
||
replaced with a mix.
|
||
No matter how the soil is prepared, the groundwater level and the
|
||
permeability of the lower layers is of utmost importance. Areas with high
|
||
water tables, or underlying clay or hardpan will not drain well. In either
|
||
case the harden should be grown in raised beds which allow drainage through
|
||
the aisles and out of the growing area, rather than relying on downward
|
||
movement through soil layers.
|
||
Soils in used greenhouses may be quite imbalanced even if the plants were
|
||
growing in containers. The soil may have a buildup of mutrient salts,
|
||
either from runoff or direct application, and pesticides and herbicides may
|
||
be present. In soils with high water tables, the nutrients and chemicals
|
||
have nowhere to go, so they dissolve and spread out horizontally as well as
|
||
vertically, contaminating the soil in surrounding areas.
|
||
Excess salts can be flushed from the soil by flooding the area with water
|
||
and letting it drain to the water table. In areas with high water tables,
|
||
flushing is much more difficult. Trenches are dug around the perimeter of
|
||
the garden which is then flooded with nutrient-free water. As the water
|
||
drains into the trenches, it is removed with a pump and transported to
|
||
another location.
|
||
Pesticides and herbicides may be much mroe difficult to remove. Soils
|
||
contaminated with significant amounts of residues may be unsuitable for use
|
||
with material to be ingested or inhaled. Instead, the garden should be
|
||
grown in containers using nonindigenous materials.
|
||
Usually plants are sexed before they are planted into the ground. If the
|
||
soil showed adequate nutrient values no fertilizer or side dressing will be
|
||
required for several months.
|
||
Several growers have used ingenious techniqures to provide their gardens
|
||
with earthy environments. One grower in Oregon chopped through the concrete
|
||
floor of his garage to make planting holes. The concrete had been poured
|
||
over sub-soil so he dug out the holes and replaced the sub-soil with a
|
||
mixture of composted manure, vermiculite, perlite, worm castings, and other
|
||
organic ingredients. He has been using the holes for several years. After
|
||
several crops, he redigs the holes and adds new ingredients to the mix.
|
||
A grower in Philadelphia lived in a house with a backyard which was
|
||
cemented over. He constructed a raised bed over the concrete using railroad
|
||
ties and filled it with a rich topsoil and composted manure mixture, then
|
||
built his greenhouse over that. The growing bed is about 15 inches deep and
|
||
the grower reports incredible growth rates.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 11 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Lighting and Lights"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Green plants use light for several purposes. The most amazing thing that
|
||
they can do with it is to use the energy contained in light to make sugar
|
||
from water and carbon dioxide. This process is called photosynthesis and it
|
||
provides the basic building block for most life on Earth. Plants convert
|
||
the sugars they make into starches and then into complex molecules composed
|
||
of starches, such as cellulose. Amino acids, the building blocks of all
|
||
proteins, are formed with the addition of nitrogen atoms.
|
||
Plants also use ligh to regulate their other life processes. As we
|
||
mentioned earlier, marijuana regulates its flowering based on the number of
|
||
hours of uniterrupted darkness. (See part 25, Flowering)
|
||
Sunlight is seen as white light, but is composed of a broadf band of
|
||
colors which cover the optic spectrum. Plants use red and blue light most
|
||
efficiently for photosynthesis and to regulate other processes. However,
|
||
they do use other light colors as well for photosynthesis. In fact, they
|
||
use every color except green, which they reflect back. (That is why plants
|
||
appear green; they absorb all the other spectrums except green.) In
|
||
controlled experiements, plants respond more to the toal amount of light
|
||
received than to the spectrums in which it was delivered.
|
||
The best source of light is the sun. It requires no expense, no
|
||
electricity, and does not draw suspicion. It is brighter than artifical
|
||
light and is self regulating. Gardeners can use the sun as a primary source
|
||
of light if they have a large window, skylight, translucent roof, enclosed
|
||
patio, roof garden, or greenhouse. These gardens may require some
|
||
supplemental lightning, especially if the light enters from a small area
|
||
such as a skylight, in order to fill a large area.
|
||
It is hard to say just how much supplemental light a garden needs.
|
||
Bright spaces which are lit from unobstructed overhead light such as a
|
||
greenhouse or a large southern window need no light during the summer but
|
||
may need artificial light during the winter to supplement the weak sunlight
|
||
or overcast conditions. Spaces receiving indirect sunlight during the
|
||
summer may need some supplemental lighting.
|
||
Light requirements vary by variety. During the growth cycle, most
|
||
varieties will do well with 1000-1500 lumens per square foot although the
|
||
plants can usemore lumens, up to 3000, efficiently. Equatorial varieties
|
||
may develop long internodes (spaces on the stem between the leaves) when
|
||
grown under less that bright conditions. During flowering, indica varieties
|
||
can mature well on 2000 lumens. Equatorial varieties require 2500-5000
|
||
lumens. Indica-sativa F1 (first generation) hybrids usually do well on
|
||
2500-3000 lumens.
|
||
Some light meters have a foot-candle readout. Thirty-five millimeter
|
||
cameras that have built-in light meters can also be used. In either case, a
|
||
sheet of white paper is placed at the point to be measured so it reflects
|
||
the light most brilliantly. Then the meter is focused entirely on the
|
||
paper.
|
||
The camera is set for ASA 100 film and the shutter is set for 1/60
|
||
second. A 50 mm or "normal" lens is used. Using the manual mode, the
|
||
camera is adjusted to the correct f-stop. The conversion chart, 10-1, shows
|
||
the amount of light hitting the paper.
|
||
Most growers, for one reason or another, are not able to use natural
|
||
light to grow marijuana. Instead, they use artificial lights to provide the
|
||
light energy which plants require to photosynthesize, regulate their
|
||
metabolism, and ultimately to grow. There are a number of sources of
|
||
artificial lighting. Cultivators rarely use incandescent or quartz halogen
|
||
lights. They convert only about 10% of the energy they use to light and are
|
||
considered inefficient.
|
||
|
||
Chart 10-1: Footcandles
|
||
|
||
+----------------------+----------------------+
|
||
| 1/60 Second, ASA 100 | 1/125 Second ASA 100 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| F-Stop | Footcandles | F-Stop | Footcandles |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.4 | 64 | f.4 | 128 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.5.6 | 125 | f.5.6 | 250 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.8 | 250 | f.8 | 500 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.11 | 500 | f.11 | 1000 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.16 | 1000 | f.16 | 2000 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
| f.22 | 2000 | f.22 | 4000 |
|
||
+--------+-------------+--------+-------------+
|
||
|
||
On some cameras it is easier to adjust the shutter speed, keeping the f.stop
|
||
set at f.4 (at ASA 100):
|
||
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| Shutter Speed | Footcandles |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/60 | 64 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/125 | 125 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/250 | 250 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/500 | 500 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/1000 | 1000 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
| 1/2000 | 2000 |
|
||
+----------------+-------------+
|
||
|
||
|
||
FLUORESCENT TUBES
|
||
|
||
Growers have used flurorescent tubes to provide light for many years.
|
||
They are inexpensive, are easy to set up, and are very effective. Plants
|
||
grow and bud well under them. They are two to three times as efficient as
|
||
incandescents. Until recently, fluorescents came mostly in straight lengths
|
||
of 2, 4, 6, or 8 feet, which were placed in standard reflectors. Now there
|
||
are many more options for the fluorescent user. One of the most convenient
|
||
fixtures to use is the screw-in converter for use in incandescent sockets,
|
||
which come with 8 or 12 inch diameter circular fluorescent tubes. A
|
||
U-shaped 9 inch screw-in fluorecent is also available. Another convenient
|
||
fixture is the "light wand", which is a 4 foot, very portable tube. It is
|
||
not saddled with a cumbersome reflector.
|
||
Fluorescents come in various spectrums as determined by the type of
|
||
phosphor with which the surface of the tube is coated. Each phosphor emits
|
||
a different set of colors. Each tube has a spectrum identification such as
|
||
"warm white", "cool white", "daylight", or "deluxe cool white" to name a
|
||
few. This signifies the kind of light the tube produces. For best results,
|
||
growers use a mixture of tubes which have various shades of white light.
|
||
Once company manufactures a fluorescent tube which is supposed to reproduce
|
||
the sun's spectrum. It is called the Vita-Lite and works well. it comes in
|
||
a more efficient version, the "Power Twist", which uses the same amount of
|
||
electricity but emits more light because it has a larger surface area.
|
||
"Gro-Tubes" do not work as well as regular fluorescents even though they
|
||
produce light mainly in the red and blue spectrums. They produce a lot less
|
||
light than the other tubes.
|
||
To maintain a fast growing garden, a minimum of 20 watts of fluorescent
|
||
light per square foot is required. As long as the plants' other needs are
|
||
met, the more light that the plants receive, the faster and bushier they
|
||
will grow. The plants' buds will also be heavier and more developed.
|
||
Standard straight-tubed fluorescent lamps use 8-10 watts per linear foot.
|
||
To light a garden, 2 tubes are required for each foot of width. The 8 inch
|
||
diameter circular tubes use 22 watts, the 12 inch diameter use 32 watts.
|
||
Using straight tubes, it is possible to fit no more than 4 tubes in each
|
||
foot of width because of the size of the tubes. A unit using a combination
|
||
of 8 and 12 inch circular tubes has an input of 54 watts per square foot.
|
||
Some companies manufacture energy-saving electronic ballasts designed for
|
||
use with special fluorescent tubes. These units use 39% less electricity
|
||
and emit 91% of the light of standard tubes. For instance, an Optimizer
|
||
warm light white 4 foot tube uses 28 watts and emits 2475 lumens.
|
||
Both standard and VHO ballasts manufactured before 1980 are not
|
||
recommended. They were insulated using carcinogenic PCB's and they are a
|
||
danger to your health should they leak.
|
||
The shape of the fluorescent reflector used determines, to a great
|
||
extent, how much light the plants receive. Fluorescent tubes emit light
|
||
from their entire surface so that some of the light is directed at the
|
||
reflector surfaces. Many fixtures place the tubes very close to each other
|
||
so that only about 40% of the light is actually transmitted out of the unit.
|
||
The rest of it is trapped between the tubes or between the tubes and the
|
||
reflector. This light may as well not be emitted since it is doing no good.
|
||
A better reflector can be constructed using a wooden frame. Place the
|
||
tube holders at equal distances from each other at least 4 inches apart.
|
||
This leaves enough space to construct small mini-reflectors which are angled
|
||
to reflect the light downward and to seperate the light from the different
|
||
tubes so that it is not lost in crosscurrents. These mini-reflectors can be
|
||
made from cardboard or plywood painted white. The units should be no longer
|
||
than 2.5 feet wide so that they can be manipulated easily. Larger units are
|
||
hard to move up and down and they make access to the garden difficult,
|
||
especially when the plants are small, and there is not much vertical space.
|
||
The frame of the reflector should be covered with reflective material such
|
||
as aluminum foil so that all of the light is directed to the garden.
|
||
Fluorescent lights should be placed about 2-4 inches from the tops of the
|
||
plants.
|
||
|
||
[pH:in Ed's diagram, the reflectors between the lights have a shape
|
||
similar to this:
|
||
|
||
* *
|
||
* *
|
||
* *
|
||
* *
|
||
* *
|
||
* *
|
||
**
|
||
|
||
Sort of a curving V, if you see what I mean.]
|
||
|
||
Growers sometimes use fluorescent lights in innovative ways to supplement
|
||
the main source of the light. Lights are sometimes placed along the sides
|
||
of the garden or in the midst of it. One grower used light wands which he
|
||
hung vertically in the midst of the garden. This unit provided light to the
|
||
lower parts of the plant which are often shaded. Another grower hung a tube
|
||
horizontally at plant level between each row. He used no reflector because
|
||
the tube shined on the plants from ever angle. Lights can be hung at
|
||
diagonal angles to match the different plants' heights.
|
||
|
||
VERY HIGH OUTPUT (VHO) FLUORESCENTS
|
||
|
||
Standard fluorescents use about 10 watts per linear foot - a 4 foot
|
||
fluorescent uses 40 watts, an 8 footer 72 watts. VHO tubes use about three
|
||
times the electricity that standard tubes use, or about 215 watts for an 8
|
||
foot tube, and they emit about 2.5 times the light. While they are not
|
||
quite as efficient as a standard tube, they are often more convenient to
|
||
use. Two tubes per foot produce the equivalent electricity of 5 standard
|
||
tubes. [pH:That's what he says. Why one would want the tubes to produce
|
||
electricity instead of light I will never know.] Only one tube per foot is
|
||
needed and two tubes emit a very bright light. The banks of tubes are
|
||
eliminated.
|
||
VHO tubes come in the same spectrums as standards. They require
|
||
different ballasts than standards and are available at commercial lighting
|
||
companies.
|
||
|
||
METAL HALIDE LAMPS
|
||
|
||
Metal halide lamps are probably the most popular lamp used for growing.
|
||
These are the same type of lamp that are used outdoors as streetlamps or to
|
||
illuminate sports events. They emit a white light. Metal halide lamps are
|
||
very convenient to use. They come ready to plug in. The complete unit
|
||
consists of a lamp (bulb), fixture (reflector) and long cord which plungs
|
||
into a remote ballast. The fixture and lamp are lightweight and are easy to
|
||
hang. Only one chain or rope is needed to suspend the fixture, which take
|
||
up little space, making it easy to gain access to the garden.
|
||
In an unpublished, controlled experiment, it was observed that marijuana
|
||
plants responded better to light if the light came from a single point
|
||
source such as a metal halide, rather than from emissions from a broad area
|
||
as with fluorescents. Plants growing under metal halides develop quickly
|
||
into strong plants. Flowering is profuse, with heavier budding than under
|
||
fluroescents. Lower leaf development was better too, because the light
|
||
penetrated the top leaves more.
|
||
Metal halide lamps are hung in two configurations: veritcal and
|
||
horizontal. The horizontal lamp focuses a higher percent of light on the
|
||
garden, but it emits 10% less light. Most manufacturers and distributors
|
||
sell verically hanging metal halides. However, it is worth the effort to
|
||
find a horizontal unit.
|
||
In order for a vertical hanging metal halide lamp to deliver light to the
|
||
garden efficiently, the horizontal light that is emitting must be directed
|
||
downward or the halide must be placed in the midst of the garden. It only
|
||
becomes practical to remove the reflector and let the horizontally directed
|
||
light radiate when the plants have grown a minimum of six feet tall.
|
||
Reflectors for vertical lamps should be at least as long as the lamp. If a
|
||
reflector does not cover the lamp completely, some of the light will be lost
|
||
horizontally. Many firms sell kits with reflectors which do not cover the
|
||
whole lamp.
|
||
Reflectors can be modified using thin guage wire such as poultry wire and
|
||
aluminum foil. A hole is cut out in the middle of the chicken wire frame so
|
||
that it fits over the wide end of the reflector. Then it is shaped so that
|
||
it will distribute the light as evenly as possible. Aluminum foil is placed
|
||
over the poultry wire. (One grower made an outer frame of 1 x 2's which
|
||
held the poultry wire, metal halide, and foil).
|
||
Metal halide lamps come in 400, 1000, and 1500 watt sizes. The 1500 watt
|
||
lamps are not recommended because they have a much shorter life than the
|
||
other lamps. The 400 watt lamps can easily illuminate a small garden 5 x 5
|
||
feet or smaller. These are ideal lights for a small garden. They are also
|
||
good to brighten up dark spots in the garden.
|
||
In European nurseries, 400 watt horizontal units are standard. They are
|
||
attached to the ceiling and placed at even 5 foot intervals so that light
|
||
from several lamps hits each plant. Each lamp beam diffuses as the vertical
|
||
distance from the plants may be 6-8 feet, but no light is lost. The beams
|
||
overlap. No shuttle type device is required. The same method can be used
|
||
with horizontal 1000 watt lamps and 8 foot intervals. Vertical space should
|
||
be at least 12 feet.
|
||
|
||
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM VAPOR LAMPS
|
||
|
||
Sodium vapor lamps emit an orange or amber-looking light. They are the
|
||
steet lamps that are commonly used these days. These lights look peculiar
|
||
because they emit a spectrum that is heavily concentrated in the yellow,
|
||
orange, and red spectrums with only a small amount of blue. They produce
|
||
about 15% more light than metal halides. They use the same configuration as
|
||
metal halides: lamp, reflector, and remote ballast.
|
||
Growers originally used single sodium vapor lamps primarily for flowering
|
||
because they thought that if the extra yellow and orange light was closer to
|
||
the sun's spectrum in the fall, when the amount of blue light reaching Earth
|
||
was limited, the red light would increase flowering or resin production. In
|
||
another unpublished controlled experiment, a metal halide lamp and a sodium
|
||
vapor lamp were used as the only sources of light in 2 different systems.
|
||
The garden under the metal halide matured about a week faster than the
|
||
garden under the sodium vapors. Resin content seemed about the same. Other
|
||
growers have reported different results. They claim that the sodium vapor
|
||
does increase THC and resin production. Plants can be grown under sodium
|
||
vapor lights as the sole source of illumination.
|
||
Many growers use sodium vapor lamps in conjunction with metal halides; a
|
||
typical ratio is 2 halides to 1 sodium. Some growers use metal halides
|
||
during the growth stages but change to sodium vapor lamps during the harvest
|
||
cycle. This is not hard to do since both lamps fit in the same reflector.
|
||
The lamps use different ballasts.
|
||
High pressure sodium vapor lamps come in 400 and 100 watt configurations
|
||
with remote ballasts designed specifically for cultivation. Smaller
|
||
wattages designed for outdoor illumination are available from hardware
|
||
stores. The small wattage lamps can be used for brightening dark areas of
|
||
the garden or for hanging between the rows of plants in order to provide
|
||
bright light below the tops.
|
||
|
||
ACCESSORIES
|
||
|
||
One of the most innovative accessories for lighting is the "Solar
|
||
Shuttle" and its copies. This device moves a metal halide or sodium vapor
|
||
lamp across a track 6 feet or longer. Because the lamp is moving, each
|
||
plant comes directly under its field several times during the growing
|
||
period. Instead of plants in the center receiving more light than those on
|
||
the edge, the light is more equally distributed. This type of unit
|
||
increases the total efficiency of the garden. Garden space can be increased
|
||
by 15-20% or the lamp can be used to give the existing garden more light.
|
||
Other units move the lamps over an arc path. The units take various
|
||
amounts of time to complete a journey - from 40 seconds upward.
|
||
|
||
ELECTRICITY AND LIGHTING
|
||
|
||
At 110-120 volts, a 1000 watt lamp uses about 8.7 amps (watts divided by
|
||
volts equals amps). Including a 15% margin for safety it can be figured as
|
||
10 amps. Many household circuits are rated for 20 or 30 amps. Running 2
|
||
lights on a twenty amp circuit taxes it to capacity and is dangerous. If
|
||
more electricity is required than can be safely supplied on a circuit, new
|
||
wiring can be installed from the fusebox.
|
||
All electrical equipment should be grounded.
|
||
Some growers report that the electrical company's interest was aroused,
|
||
sometimes innocently, when their electric bill began to spurt. After all,
|
||
each hour a lamp is on it uses about 1 kilowatt hour.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 12 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Carbon Dioxide"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas which comprises about .03% (or 300 parts
|
||
per million, "PPM") of the atmosphere. It is not dangerous. it is one of
|
||
the basic raw materials (water is the other) required for photosynthesis.
|
||
The plant makes a sugar molecule using light for energy, CO2 which is pulled
|
||
out of the air, and water, which is pulled up from its roots.
|
||
Scientists belive that early in the Earth's history the atmosphere
|
||
contained many times the amount of CO2 it does today. Plants have never
|
||
lost their ability to process gas at these high rates. In fact, with the
|
||
Earth's present atmosphere, plant growth is limited.
|
||
When plants are growing in an enclosed area, there is a limited amount of
|
||
CO2 for them to use. When the CO2 is used up, the plant's photosynthesis
|
||
stops. Only as more CO2 is provided can the plant use light to continue the
|
||
process. Adequate amounts of CO2 may be easily replaced in well-ventilated
|
||
areas, but increasing the amount of CO2 to .2% (2000 PPM) or 6 times the
|
||
amount usually found in the atmosphere, can increase growth rate by up to 5
|
||
times. For this reason, many commercial nurseries provide a CO2 enriched
|
||
area for their plants.
|
||
Luckily, CO2 can be supplied cheaply. At the most organic level, there
|
||
are many metabolic processes that create CO2. For example, organic gardeners
|
||
sometimes make compost in the greenhouse. About 1/6 to 1/4 of the pile's
|
||
starting wet weight is converted to CO2 so that a 200 pound pile contributes
|
||
33-50 pounds of carbon to the gas. Carbon makes up about 27% of the weight
|
||
and volume of the gas and oxygen makes up 73%, so that the total amount of
|
||
CO2 created is 122 to 185 pounds produced over a 30 day period.
|
||
Brewers and vintners would do well to ferment their beverages in the
|
||
greenhouse. Yeast eat the sugars contained in the fermentation mix,
|
||
released CO2 anf alcohol. The yeast produce quite a bit of CO2, when they
|
||
are active.
|
||
One grower living in a rural area has some rabbit hutches in his
|
||
greenhouse. The rabbits use the oxygen produced by the plants, and in
|
||
return, release CO2 by breathing. Another grower told me that he is
|
||
supplying his plants with CO2 by spraying them periodically with seltzer
|
||
(salt-free soda water), which is water with CO2 dissolved. He claims to
|
||
double the plants' growth rate. This method is a bit expensive when the
|
||
plants are large, but economical when they are small.
|
||
A correspondent used the exhausts from his gas-fired water heater and
|
||
clothes dryer. To make the area safe of toxic fumes that might be in the
|
||
exhaust, he built a manually operated shut-off valve so that the spent air
|
||
could be directed into the growing chamber or up a flue. Before he entered
|
||
the room he sent any exhausts up the flue and turned on a ventilating fan
|
||
which drew air out of the room.
|
||
Growers do not have to become brewers, rabbit farmers, or spray their
|
||
plants with Canada Dry. There are several economical and convenient ways to
|
||
give the plants adequate amounts of CO2: using a CO2 generator, which burns
|
||
natural gas or kerosene, using a CO2 tank with regulator, or by evaporating
|
||
dry ice.
|
||
To find out how much CO2 is needed to bring the growing area to the ideal
|
||
2000 PPM, multiply the cubic area of the growing room (length x width x
|
||
height) by .002. The total represents the number of square feet of gas
|
||
required to reach optimum CO2 range. For instance, a room 13' x 18' x 12'
|
||
contains 2808 cubic feet: 2808 x .002 equals 5.6 cubic feet of CO2 required.
|
||
The easiest way to supply the gas is to use a CO2 tank. All the equipment
|
||
can be built from parts available at a welding suspply store or purchased
|
||
totally assembled from many growing supply companies. Usually tanks come in
|
||
20 and 50 pound sizes, and can be bought or rented. A tank which holds 50
|
||
pounds has a gross weight of 170 pounds when filled.
|
||
|
||
A grow room of 500 cubic feet requires 1 cubic foot of CO2
|
||
A grow room of 1000 cubic feet requires 2 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
A grow room of 5000 cubic feet requires 10 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
A grow room of 10,000 cubic feet requires 20 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
|
||
To regulate dispersal of the gas, a combination flow meter/regulator is
|
||
required. Together they regulate the flow between 10 and 50 cubic feet per
|
||
hour. The regulator standardizes the pressure and regulates the number of
|
||
cubic feet released per hour. A solenoid valve shuts the flow meter on and
|
||
off as regulated by a multicycle timer, so the valve can be turned on and
|
||
off several times each day. If the growing room is small, a short-range
|
||
timer is needed. Most timers are calibrated in 1/2 hour increments, but a
|
||
short-range timer keeps the valve open only a few minutes.
|
||
To find out how long the valve should remain open, the numberof cubic
|
||
feet of gas required (in our example 5.6 feet) is divided by the flow rate.
|
||
For instance, if the flow rate is 10 cubic feet per hour, 5.6 divided by 10
|
||
= .56 hours or 3 minutes (.56 X 60 minutes = 33 minutes). At 30 cubic feet
|
||
per hour, the number of minutes would be .56 divided by 30 X 60 minutes =
|
||
11.2 minutes. [pH:Oh me oh my, there's another mistake! The ".56" in the
|
||
latter equation should be 5.6, guess the people who did the book didn't
|
||
bother to check his math!]
|
||
The gas should be replenished ever two hours in a warm, well-lit room
|
||
when the plants are over 3 feet high if there is no outside ventilation.
|
||
When the plants are smaller or in a moderately lit room, they do not use the
|
||
CO2 as fast. With ventilation the gas should be replenished once an hour or
|
||
more frequently. Some growers have a ventilation fan on a timer in
|
||
conjunction with the gas. The fan goes off when the gas is injected into
|
||
the room. A few minutes before the gas is injected into the room, the fan
|
||
starts and removes the old air. The gas should be released above the plants
|
||
since the gas is heavier than air and sinks. A good way to disperse the gas
|
||
is by using inexpensive "soaker hoses", sold in plant nurseries. These
|
||
soaker hoses have tiny holes in them to let out the CO2.
|
||
The CO2 tank is placed where it can be removed easily. A hose is run
|
||
from the regulator unit (where the gas comes out) to the top of the garden.
|
||
CO2 is cooler and heavier than air and will flow downward, reaching the top
|
||
of the plants first.
|
||
Dry ice is CO2 which has been cooled to -109 degrees, at which
|
||
temperature it becomes a solid. It costs about the same as the gas in
|
||
tanks. It usually comes in 30 pound blocks which evaporate at the rate of
|
||
about 7% a day when kept in a freezer. At room temperatures, the gas
|
||
evaporates considerably faster, probably supplying much more CO2 than is
|
||
needed by the plants. One grower worked at a packing plant where dry ice
|
||
was used. Each day he took home a couple of pounds, which fit into his
|
||
lunch pail. When he came home he put the dry ice in the grow room, where it
|
||
evaporated over the course of the day.
|
||
Gas and kerosene generators work by burning hydrocarbons which release
|
||
heat and create CO2 and water. Each pound of fuel burned produces about 3
|
||
pounds of CO2, 1.5 pounds of water and about 21,800 BTU's (British Thermal
|
||
Units) of heat. Some gases and other fuels may have less energy (BTU's) per
|
||
pound. The fuel's BTU rating is checked before making calculations.
|
||
Nursery supply houses sell CO2 generators especially designed for
|
||
greenhouses, but household style kerosene or gas heaters are also suitable.
|
||
They need no vent. The CO2 goes directly into the room's atmosphere. Good
|
||
heaters burn cleanly and completely, leaving no residues, creating no carbon
|
||
monoxide (a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas). Even so, it is a good idea
|
||
to shut the heater off and vent the room before entering the space.
|
||
If a heater is not working correctly, most likely it burns the fuel
|
||
incompletely, creating an odor. More expensive units have pilots and
|
||
timers; less expensive models must be adjusted manually. Heaters with
|
||
polits can be modified to use a solenoid valve and timer.
|
||
At room temperature, one pound of CO2 equals 8.7 cubic feet. It takes
|
||
only 1/3 of a pound of kerosene (5.3 ounces) to make a pound of CO2. To
|
||
calculate the amount of fuel required, the number of cubic feet of gas
|
||
desired is divided by 8.7 and multiplied by .33. In our case, 5.6 cubic
|
||
feet divided by 8.7 times .33 equals .21 pounds of fuel. To find out how
|
||
many ounces this is, multiple .21 times 16 (the number of ounces in a pound)
|
||
to arrive at a total of 3.3 ounces, a little less than half a cup (4
|
||
ounces).
|
||
|
||
3/5ths ounce provides 1 cubic foot of CO2
|
||
1.2 ounces produce 2 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
3 ounces produce 5 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
6 ounces produce 10 cubic feet of CO2
|
||
|
||
To find out fuel usage, divide the number of BTU's produced by 21,800.
|
||
If a generator produces 12,000 BTU's an hour, it is using 12,000 divided by
|
||
21,800 or about .55 pounds of fuel per hour. However only .21 pounds are
|
||
needed. To calculate the number of minutes the generator should be on, the
|
||
amount of fuel needed is divided by the flow rate and multiplied by 60. In
|
||
our case, .21 (amount of fuel needed) divided by .55 (flow rate) multiplied
|
||
by 60 equals 22.9 minutes.
|
||
The CO2 required for at least one grow room was supplied using gas lamps.
|
||
The grower said that she thought it was a shame that the fuel was used only
|
||
for the CO2 and thought her plants would benefit from the additional light.
|
||
She originally had white gas lamps spaced evenly throughout the garden. She
|
||
replaced them after the first crop with gas lamps all hooked up to a central
|
||
LP gas tank. She only had to turn the unit on and light the lamps each day.
|
||
It shut itself off. She claims the system worked very well.
|
||
CO2 should be replenished every 3 hours during the light cycle, since it
|
||
is used up by the plants and leaks from the room into the general
|
||
atmosphere. Well-ventilated rooms should be replenished more often. It is
|
||
probably more effective to have a generator or tank releasing CO2 for longer
|
||
periods at slower rates than for shorter periods of time at higher rates.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 13 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Temperature"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana plants are very hardy and survive over a wide range of
|
||
temperatures. They can withstand extremely hot weather, up to 120 degrees,
|
||
as long as they have adequate supplies of water. Cannabis seedlings
|
||
regularly survive light frost at the beginning of the season.
|
||
Both high and low temperatures slow marijuana's rate of metabolism and
|
||
growth. The plants function best in moderate temperatures - between 60 and
|
||
85 degrees. As more light is available, the ideal temperature for normal
|
||
plant growth increases. If plants are given high temperatures and only
|
||
moderate light, the stems elongate. Conversely, strong light and low
|
||
temperatures decrease stem elongation. During periods of low light, strong
|
||
elongation is decreased by lowering the temperature. Night temperatures
|
||
should be 10-15 degrees lower than daytime temperatures.
|
||
Temperatures below 50 degrees slow growth of most varieties. When the
|
||
temperature goes below 40 degrees, the plants may experience some damage and
|
||
require about 24 hours to resume growth. Low nighttime temperatures may
|
||
delay or prevent bud maturation. Some equatorial varieties stop growth after
|
||
a few 40 degree nights.
|
||
A sunny room or one illuminated by high wattage lamps heats up rapdily.
|
||
During the winter the heat produced may keep the room comfortable. However
|
||
the room may get too warm during the summer. Heat rises, so that the
|
||
temperature is best measured at the plants' height. A room with a 10 foot
|
||
ceiling may feel uncomfortably warm at head level but be fine for plants 2
|
||
feet tall.
|
||
If the room has a vent or window, an exhaust fan can be used to cool it.
|
||
Totally enclosed spaces can be cooled using a water conditioner which cools
|
||
the air by evaporating water. If the room is lit entirely by lamps, the
|
||
day/night cycle can be reversed so that the heat is generated at night, when
|
||
it is cooler out.
|
||
Marijuana is a low-temperature tolerant. Outdoors, seedlings sometimes
|
||
pierce snow cover, and older plants can withstand short, light frosts.
|
||
Statistically, more males develop in cold temperatures. However, low
|
||
temperatures slow down the rate of plant metabolism. Cold floors lower the
|
||
temperature in containers and medium, slowing germination and growth.
|
||
Ideally, the medium temperature should be 70 degrees. There are several
|
||
ways to warm the medium. The floor can be insulated using a thin sheet of
|
||
styrofoam, foam rubber, wood or newspaper. The best way to insulate a
|
||
container from a cold floor is to raise the container so that there is an
|
||
air space between it and the floor.
|
||
Overhead fans, which circulate the warm air downward from the top of the
|
||
room also warm the medium.
|
||
When the plants' roots are kept warm, the rest of the plant can be kept
|
||
cooler with no damage. Heat cables or heat mats, which use small amounts of
|
||
electricity, can be used to heat the root area. These are available at
|
||
nursery supply houses.
|
||
When watering, tepid water should be used. Cultivators using systems
|
||
that recirculate water can heat the water with a fish tank heater and
|
||
thermostat. If the air is cool, 45-60 degrees, the water can be heated to
|
||
90 degres. If the air is warm, over 60 degrees, 70 degrees for the water is
|
||
sufficient. The pipes and medium absorb the water down a bit before it
|
||
reaches the roots.
|
||
Gardens using artificial lighting can generate high air temperatures.
|
||
Each 100 watt metal halide and ballast emits just a little less energy can a
|
||
10 amp heater. Several lights can raise the temperature to an intolerable
|
||
level. In this case a heat exchanger is required. A venting fan or misters
|
||
can be used to lower temperatures. Misters are not recommended for use
|
||
around lights.
|
||
Greenhouses can also get very hot during the summer. If the sun is very
|
||
bright, opaquing paint may lower the amount of light and heat entering the
|
||
greenhouse. Fans and cooling mats also help. Cooling mats are fibrous
|
||
plastic mats which hold moisture. Fans blow air through the mats which
|
||
lowers the greenhouse temperature. They are most effective in hot dry
|
||
areas. They are available througn nursery supply houses.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 15 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"pH and Water"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
The pH is the measure of acid-alkalinity balance of a solution. It is
|
||
measured on a scale of 0-14, with 0 being the most acid, 7 being neutral,
|
||
and 14 being most alkaline. [pH:In case you're wondering, I'm a total 0!]
|
||
Most nutrients the plants use are soluble only in a limited range of acidity,
|
||
between about 6 to about 7.5, neutral. Should the water become too acidic or
|
||
alkaline, the nutrients dissolved in the water become too acidic or alkaline,
|
||
the nutrients dissolved in the water precipitate and become unavailable to the
|
||
plants. When the nutrients are locked up, plant growth is slowed. Typically,
|
||
a plant growing in an environment with a low pH will be very small, often
|
||
growing only a few inches in several months. Plants growing in a high pH
|
||
environment will look pale and sickly and also have stunted growth.
|
||
All water has a pH which can be measured using aquarium or garden pH
|
||
chemical reagent test kits or a pH meter. All of these items are available
|
||
at local stores and are easy to use. Water is pH-adjusted after nutrients
|
||
are added, since nutrients affect the pH.
|
||
Once the water is tested it should be adjusted if it does not fall within
|
||
the pH range of 6 to 7. Ideally the range should be about 6.2-6.8.
|
||
Hydroponic supply companies sell measured adjusters which are very
|
||
convenient and highly recommended. The water-nutrient solution can be
|
||
adjusted using common household chemicals. Water which is too acidic can be
|
||
neutralized using bicarbonate of soda, wood ash, or by using a solution of
|
||
lime in the medium.
|
||
Water which is too alkaline can be adjusted using nitric acid, sulfuric
|
||
acid, citric acid (Vitamin C) or vinegar. The water is adjusted using small
|
||
increments of chemicals. Once a standard measure of how much chemical is
|
||
needed to adjust the water, the process becomes fast and easy to do.
|
||
Plants affect the pH of the water solution as they remove various
|
||
nutrients which they use. Microbes growing in the medium also change the
|
||
pH. For this reason growers check and adjust the pH periodically, about
|
||
once every two weeks.
|
||
The pH of water out of the tap may change with the season so it is a good
|
||
idea to test it periodically.
|
||
Some gardeners let tap water sit for a day so that the chlorine
|
||
evaporates. They believe that chlorine is harmful to plants.
|
||
The pH of the planting medium affects the pH of the liquid in solution.
|
||
Medium should be adjusted so that it tests between 6.2-6.8. This is done
|
||
before the containers are filled so that the medium could be adjusted in
|
||
bulk. Approximately 1-2 lbs. of dolomitic limestone raises the pH of 100
|
||
gallons (4.5-9 grams per gallon) of soil 1 point. Gypsum can be used to
|
||
lower the pH of soil or medium. Both limestone and gypmsum have limited
|
||
solubility.
|
||
There are many forms of limestone which have various effectiveness
|
||
depending on their chemistry. Each has a rating on the package.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 14 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Air and Humidity"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Besides temperatures and CO2 content, air has other qualities including
|
||
dust content, electrical charge and humidity.
|
||
|
||
Dust
|
||
|
||
"Dust" is actually composed of many different-sized solid and liquid
|
||
particles which float in the gaseous soup. The particles include organic
|
||
fibers, hair, other animal and vegetable particles, bacteria, viruses, smoke
|
||
and odoriferous liquid particles such as essential oils, and water-soluble
|
||
condensates. Virtually all of the particles have a positive electrical
|
||
charge, which means that they are missing an electron, and they float (due
|
||
to electrical charge) through various passing gases.
|
||
|
||
The dust content of the air affects the efficiency of the plant's ability
|
||
to photosynthesize. Although floating dust may block a small amount of
|
||
light, dust which has precipitated on leaves may block large amounts.
|
||
Furthermore, the dust clogs the pores through which plants transpire. Dust
|
||
can easily be washedoff leaves using a fine mist spray. Water must be
|
||
prevented from touching and shattering the hot glass of the lights.
|
||
|
||
Negative Ions
|
||
|
||
in unindustrialized verdant areas and near large bodies of water, the air
|
||
is negatively charged, that is, there are electrons floating in the air
|
||
unattached to atoms or molecules. In industrialized areas or very dry
|
||
regions, the air is positively charged; there are atoms and molecules
|
||
missing electrons.
|
||
Some researchers claim that the air's electrical charge affects plant
|
||
growth (and also animal behavior). They claim that plants in a positively
|
||
charged environment grow slower than those in a negatively charged area.
|
||
Regardless of the controversy regarding growth and the air's electrical
|
||
charge, the presence of negative ions creates some readily observable
|
||
effects. Odors are characteristic of positively charged particles floating
|
||
in the air. A surplus of negative ions causes the particles to precipitate
|
||
so that there are no odors. With enough negative ions, a room filled with
|
||
pungent, flowering sinsemilla is odorless.
|
||
Spaces with a "surplus" negative ion charge have clean, fresh smelling
|
||
air. Falling water, which generates negative ions, characteristically
|
||
creates refreshing air. Dust particles are precipitated so that there are
|
||
fewer bacteria and fungus spores floating in the air, as well as much less
|
||
dust in general. This lowers the chance of infection.
|
||
Many firms manufacture "Negative Ion Generators", "Ionizers", and "Ion
|
||
Fountains", which disperse large quantities of negative ions into the
|
||
atmosphere. These units are inexpensive, safe and recommended for all
|
||
growing areas. Ion generators precipitate particles floating in the air.
|
||
With most generators, the precipitating particles land within a radius of
|
||
two feet of the point of dispersal, collecting quickly and developing into a
|
||
thick film of grime. Newspaper is placed around the unit so that the space
|
||
does not get soiled. Some newer units have a precipitator which collects
|
||
dust on a charged plate instead of the other surrounding surfaces. This
|
||
plate can be rougly simulated by grounding a sheet a aluminum foil. To
|
||
ground foil, either attach it directly to a metal plumbing line or grounding
|
||
box; for convenience, the foil can be held with an alligator clip attacked
|
||
to the electrical wire, which is attached to the grounding source. As the
|
||
foil gets soiled, it is replaced.
|
||
|
||
Humidity
|
||
|
||
Cannabis grows best in a mildly humid environment: a relative humidy of
|
||
40-60 percent. Plants growing in drier areas may experience chronic wilt
|
||
and necrosis of the leaf tips. Plants growing in a wetter environment
|
||
usually experience fewer problms; however, the buds are more susceptible to
|
||
molds which can attack a garden overnight and ruin a crop.
|
||
Growers are rarely faced with too dry a growing area. Since the space is
|
||
enclosed, water which is evaporated or transpired by the plants increases
|
||
the humidity considerably. If there is no ventilation, a large space may
|
||
reach saturation level within a few days. Smaller spaces usually do not
|
||
have this buildup because there is usually enough air movement to dissipate
|
||
the humdity. The solution may be as easy as opening a window. A small
|
||
ventilation fan can move quite a bit of air out of a space and may be a
|
||
convenient way of solving the problem. Humidity may be removed using a
|
||
dehumidifier in gardens without access to convenient ventilation.
|
||
Dehumidifiers work the same way a refrigerator does except that instead
|
||
of cooling a space, a series of tubes is cooled causing atmospheric water to
|
||
condense. The smallest dehumidifiers (which can dry out a large space) use
|
||
about 15 amps. Usually the dehumidifier needs to run only a few hours a
|
||
day. If the plant regimen includes a dark cycle, then the dehumidifier can
|
||
be run when the lights are off, to ease the electrical load.
|
||
|
||
Air Circulation
|
||
|
||
A close inspection of a marijuana leaf reveals many tiny hairs and a
|
||
rough surface. Combined, these trap air and create a micro-environment
|
||
around the plant. The trapped air contains more humidity and oxygen and is
|
||
warmer, which differs significantly in the composition and temperature from
|
||
the surrounding atmosphere. The plant uses CO2 so there is less left in the
|
||
air surrounding the leaf. Marijuana depends on air currents to move this
|
||
air and renew the micro-environment. If the air is not moved vigorously,
|
||
the growth rate slows, since the micro-environment becomes CO2 depleted.
|
||
Plants develop firm, sturdy stems as the result of environmental
|
||
stresses. Outdoors, the plants sway with the wind, causing tiny breaks in
|
||
the stem. These are quickly repaired bythe plant's reinforcing the original
|
||
area and leaving it stronger than it was originally. Indoors, plants don't
|
||
usually need to cope with these stresses so their stems grow weak unless the
|
||
plants receive a breeze or are shaken by the stems daily.
|
||
A steady air flow form the outdoor ventilation may be enough to keep the
|
||
air moving. If this is not available, a revolving fan placed several feet
|
||
from the nearest plant or a slow-moving overhead fan can solve the problem.
|
||
Screen all air intake fans to prevent pests.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 16 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Nutrients"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana requires a total of 14 nutrients which it obtains through its
|
||
roots. Nitrogen (N), Phosophorous (P), and Potassium (K) are called the
|
||
macro-nutrients because they are used in large quantities by the plant. The
|
||
percentages of N, P, and K are always listed in the same order on fertilizer
|
||
packages.
|
||
Calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg) are also required by the
|
||
plants in fairly large quantities. These are often called the secondary
|
||
nutrients.
|
||
Smaller amounts of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), boron (B),
|
||
cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and chlorine (Cl) are also needed.
|
||
These are called micro-nutrients.
|
||
[pH:And you thought chemistry wasn't good for anything!]
|
||
Marijuana requires more N before flowering than later in its cycle. When
|
||
it begins to flowe, marijuana's use of P increases. Potassium requirements
|
||
increase after plants are fertilized as a result of seed production.
|
||
Plants which are being grown in soil mixes or mixes with nutrients added
|
||
such as compost, manure or time-releasing fertilizers may need no additional
|
||
fertilizing or only supplemental amounts of the plants begin to show
|
||
deficiencies.
|
||
The two easiest and most reliable ways to meet the plant's needs are to
|
||
use a prepared hydroponic fertilizer or an organic water-soluble fertilizer.
|
||
Hydroponic fertilizers are blended as complete balanced formulas. Most
|
||
non-hydroponic fertilizers usually contain only the macronutrients (N, P,
|
||
and K). Organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion and other blends contain
|
||
trace elements which are found in the organic matter from which they are
|
||
derived.
|
||
Most indoor plant fertilizers are water-soluble. A few of them are
|
||
time-release formulas which are mixed into the medium as it is being
|
||
prepared. Plants grown in soil mixes can usually get along using regular
|
||
fertilizers but plants grown in prepared soilless mixes definitely require
|
||
micronutrients.
|
||
As the seeds germinate they are given a nutrient solution high in N such
|
||
as a 20-10-10 or 17-10-12. These are just two possible formulas; any with a
|
||
high proportion of N will do.
|
||
Formulas which are not especially high in N can be used and supplemented
|
||
with a high N ferilizer such as fish emulsion (which may create an odor) or
|
||
the Sudbury X component fertilizer which is listed 44-0-0. Urine is also
|
||
very high in N and is easily absorbed by the plants. It should be diluted
|
||
to one cup urine per gallon of water.
|
||
The plants should be kept on a high N fertilizer regimen until they are
|
||
put into the flowering regimen.
|
||
During the flowering cycle, the plants do best with a formula lower in N
|
||
and higher in P, which promotes bloom. A fertilizer such as 5-20-10 or
|
||
10-19-12 will do. (Once again, these are typical formulas, similar ones
|
||
will do).
|
||
Growers who make their own nutrient mixes based on parts per million of
|
||
nutrient generally use the following formulas.
|
||
|
||
Chart 15-1: Nutrient/Water Solution In Parts Per Million (PPM)
|
||
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| | N | P | K |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| Germination - 15 to 20 days | 110-150 | 70-100 | 50-75 |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| Fast Growth | 200-250 | 60-80 | 150-200 |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| Pre-Flowering | 70-100 | 100-150 | 75-100 |
|
||
| 2 weeks before turning light down | | | |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| Flowering | 0-50 | 100-150 | 50-75 |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
| Seeding - fertilized flowers | 100-200 | 70-100 | 100-150 |
|
||
+-----------------------------------+---------+---------+---------+
|
||
|
||
Plants can be grown using a nutrient solution containing no N for the
|
||
last 10 days. Many of the larger leaves yellow and wither as the N migrates
|
||
from the old to the new growth. The buds are less green and have less of a
|
||
minty (chlorophyll) taste.
|
||
Many cultivators use several brands and formulas of fertilizer. They
|
||
either mix them together in solution or switch brands each feeding.
|
||
Plant N requirements vary by weather as well as growth cycle. Plants
|
||
growing under hot conditions are given 10-20% less N or else they tend to
|
||
elongate and to grow thinner, weaker stalks. Plants in a cool or cold
|
||
regimen may be given 10-20% more N. More N is given under high light
|
||
conditions, less is used under low light conditions.
|
||
Organic growers can make "teas" from organic nutrients by soaking them in
|
||
water. Organic nutrients usually contain micronutrients as well as the
|
||
primary ones. Manures and blood meal are among the most popular organic
|
||
teas, but other organic sources of nutrients include urine, which may be the
|
||
best source for N, as well as blood meal and tankage. Organic fertilizers
|
||
vary in their formulas. The exact formula is usually listed on the label.
|
||
Here is a list of common organic fertilizers which can be used to make
|
||
teas:
|
||
|
||
Chart 15-2: Organic Fertilizers
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Fertilizer | N | P | K | Remarks |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Bloodmeal | 15 | 1.3 | .7 | Releases nutrients easily |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Cow manure | 1.5 | .85 | 1.75 | The classic tea. Well- |
|
||
| (dried) | | | | balanced formula. Medium |
|
||
| | | | | availability. |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Dried blood | 13 | 3 | 0 | Nutrients dissolve easier |
|
||
| | | | | than bloodmeal |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Chicken manure | 3.5 | 1.5 | .85 | Excellent nutrients |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Wood ashes | 0 | 1.5 | 7 | Water-soluble. Very alkaline |
|
||
| | | | | except with acid wood such |
|
||
| | | | | as walnut |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Granite dust | 0 | 0 | 5 | Dissolves slowly |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Rock phosphate | 0 | 35 | 0 | Dissolves gradually |
|
||
| (phosphorous) | | | | |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
| Urine (human, | .5 | .003 | .003 | N immediately available |
|
||
| fresh) | | | | |
|
||
+----------------+-----+------+------+---------------------------------+
|
||
|
||
Commercial water-soluble fertilizers are available. Fish emulsion
|
||
fertilizer comes in 5-1-1 and 5-2-2 formulas and has been used by satisfied
|
||
growers for years.
|
||
A grower cannot go wrong changing hydroponic water/nutrient solutions at
|
||
least once a month. Once every two weeks is even better. The old solution
|
||
could be measured, reformulated, supplemented and re-used; unless large
|
||
amounts of fertilizer are used, such as in a large commercial greenhouse, it
|
||
is not worth the effort. The old solution may have many nutrients left, but
|
||
it may be unbalanced since the plants have drawn specific chemicals. The
|
||
water can be used to water houseplants or an outdoor garden, or to enrich a
|
||
compost pile.
|
||
Experienced growers fertilize by eyeing the plants and trying to
|
||
determine their needs when minor symptoms of deficiencies become apparent.
|
||
If the nutrient added cures the deficiency, the plant usually responds in
|
||
apparent ways within one or two days. First the spread of the symptom
|
||
stops. With some minerals, plant parts that were not too badly damaged
|
||
begin to repair themselves. Plant parts which were slightly discolored may
|
||
return to normal. Plant parts which were severely damaged or suffered from
|
||
necrosis do not recover. The most dramatic changes usually appear in new
|
||
growth. These parts grow normally. A grower can tell just by plant parts
|
||
which part grew before deficiencies were corrected. [pH:What's in yer
|
||
nuggets? Parts. Plant parts. Processed plant parts. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA]
|
||
Fertilizers should be applied on the low side of recommended rates.
|
||
Overdoses quickly (within hours) result in wilting and then death. The
|
||
symptoms are a sudden wilt with leaves curled under. To save plants
|
||
suffering from toxic overdoses of nutrients, plain water is run through
|
||
systems to wash out the medium.
|
||
Gardens with drainage can be cared for using a method commercial
|
||
nurseries employ. The plants are watered each time with a dilute
|
||
nutrient/water solution, usually 20-25% of full strength. Excess water runs
|
||
off. While this method uses more water and nutrients than other techniques,
|
||
it is easy to set up and maintain.
|
||
When nutrient deficiencies occur, especially multiple or micronutrient
|
||
deficiencies, there is a good chance that the minerals are locked up
|
||
(precipitated) because of pH. [pH:That's not very fair, I wasn't even
|
||
there!] Rather than just adding more nutrients, the pH must be checked
|
||
first. If needed, the pH must be changed by adjusting the water.
|
||
If the pH is too high, the water is made a lower pH than it would
|
||
ordinarily be; if too low the water is made a higher pH. To get nutrients
|
||
to the plant parts immediately, a dilute foliar spray is used. If the plant
|
||
does not respond to the foliar spray, it is being treated with the wrong
|
||
nutrient.
|
||
|
||
NUTRIENTS
|
||
|
||
Nitrogen (N)
|
||
|
||
Marijuana uses more N than any other nutrient. It is used in the
|
||
manufacture of chlorophyll. N migrates from old growth to new, so that a
|
||
shortage is likely to cause first pale green leaves and then the yellowing
|
||
and withering of the lowers leaves as the nitrogen travels to new buds.
|
||
Other deficiency symptoms include smaller leaves, slow growth and a sparse
|
||
rather than bushy profile.
|
||
N-deficient plants respond quickly to fertilization. Within a day or
|
||
two, pale leaves become greener and the rate and size of new growth
|
||
increases. Good water-soluble sources of nitrogen include most indoor and
|
||
hydroponic fertizliers, fish emulsion, and urine, along with teas made from
|
||
manures, dried blood or bloodmeal. There are many organic additives which
|
||
release N over a period of time that can be added to the medium at the time
|
||
of planting. These include manures, blood, cottonseed meal, hair, fur, or
|
||
tankage.
|
||
|
||
Phosphorous (P)
|
||
|
||
P is used by plants in the transfer of light energy to chemical
|
||
compounds. It is also used in large quantities for root growth and
|
||
flowering. Marijuana uses P mostly during early growth and flowering.
|
||
Fertilizers and nutrient mixes usually supply adequate amounts of P
|
||
during growth stages so plants usually do not experience a deficiency. Rock
|
||
phosphate and bone meal are the organic fertilizers usually recommended for
|
||
P deficiency. However they release the mineral slowly, and are more suited
|
||
to outdoor gardening than indoors. They can be added to medium to
|
||
supplement soluble fertilizers.
|
||
P-devicient plants have small dark green leaves, with red stems and red
|
||
veins. The tips of lower leaves sometimes die. Eventually the entire lower
|
||
leaves yellow and die. Fertilization affects only new growth.
|
||
Marijuana uses large quantities of P during flowering. Many fertilizer
|
||
manufacturers sell mixes high in P specifically for blooming plants.
|
||
|
||
Potassium (K)
|
||
|
||
K is used by plants to regulate carbohydrate metabolism, chlorophyll
|
||
synthesis, and protein synthesis as well as to provide resistance to
|
||
disease. Adequate amounts of K result in strong, sturdy stems while
|
||
slightly deficient plants often grow taller, thinner stems. Plants
|
||
producing seed use large amounts of K. Breeding plants can be given K
|
||
supplements to assure well-developed seed.
|
||
Symptoms of greater deficiencies are more apparent on the sun leaves (the
|
||
large lower leaves). Necrotic patches are found on the leaf tips and then
|
||
in patches throughout the leaf. The leaves also look pale green.
|
||
Stems and flowers on some plants turn deep red or purple as a result of K
|
||
deficiencies. However, red stems are a genetic characteristic of some
|
||
plants so this symptom is not foolproof. Outdoors, a cold spell can
|
||
precipitate K and make it unavailable to the plants, so that almost
|
||
overnight the flowers and stems turn purple.
|
||
K deficiency can be treated with any high-K fertilizer. Old growth does
|
||
not absorb the nutrient and will not be affected. However, the new growth
|
||
will show no signs of deficiency within 2 weeks. For faster results the
|
||
fetilizer can be used as a foliar spray. K deficiency does not seem to be a
|
||
crucial problem. Except for the few symptoms, plants do not seem to be
|
||
affected by it.
|
||
|
||
Calcium (Ca)
|
||
|
||
Ca is used during cell splitting, and to build the cell membranes.
|
||
Marijuana also stores "excess" Ca for reasons unknown. I have never seen a
|
||
case of Ca deficiency in cannabis. Soils and fertilizers usually contain
|
||
adequate amounts. It should be added to planting mixes when they are being
|
||
formulated at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot
|
||
of medium.
|
||
|
||
Sulfur (S)
|
||
|
||
S is used by the plant to help regulate metabolism, and as a constituent
|
||
of some vitamins, amino acids and proteins. It is plentiful in soil and
|
||
hydroponic mixes.
|
||
S deficiencies are rare. First, new growth yellows and the entire plant
|
||
pales.
|
||
s deficiencies are easily solved using Epsom salts at the rate of 1
|
||
tablespoon per gallon of water.
|
||
|
||
Magnesium (Mg)
|
||
|
||
Mg is the central atom in chlorophyll and is also used in production of
|
||
carbohydrates. (Chlorophyll looks just like hemoglobin in blood, but has a
|
||
Mg atom. Hemoglobin has an Fe atom). In potted plants, Mg deficiency is
|
||
fairly common, since many otherwise well-balanced fertilizers do not contain
|
||
it.
|
||
Deficiency symptoms start on the lower leaves which turn yellow, leaving
|
||
only the veins green. The leaves curl up and die along the tips and edges.
|
||
Growing shoots are pale green and, as the condition continues, turn almost
|
||
white.
|
||
Mg deficiency is easily treated using Epsom salts (MgSO4) at the rate of
|
||
1 tablespoon per gallon of water. For faster results, a foliar spray is
|
||
used. Once Mg deficiency occurs, Epsom salts should be added to the
|
||
solution each time it is changed. Dolomitic limestone contains large
|
||
amounts of Mg.
|
||
|
||
Iron (Fe)
|
||
|
||
Fe deficiency is not uncommon. The growing shoots are pale or white,
|
||
leaving only dark green veins. The symptoms appear similar to Mg
|
||
deficiencies but Fe deficiencies do not affect the lower leaves. Fe
|
||
deficiencies are often the result of acid-alkalinity imbalances.
|
||
Fe deficiencies sometimes occur together with zinc (Zn) and manganese
|
||
(Mn) deficiencies so that several symptoms appear simultaneously.
|
||
Deficiencies can be corrected by adjusting the pH, adding rusty water to
|
||
the medium, or using a commercial supplement. Fe supplements are sold alone
|
||
or in a mix combined with Zn and Mn. To prevent deficiencies, some growers
|
||
add a few rusting nails to each container. One grower using a reservoir
|
||
system added a pound of nails to the holding tank. The nails added Fe to
|
||
the nutrient solution as they rusted. Dilute foliar sprays can be used to
|
||
treat deficiencies.
|
||
|
||
Manganese (Mn)
|
||
|
||
Symptoms of Mn deficiency include yellowing and dying of tissue between
|
||
veins, first appearing on new growth and then throughout the plant.
|
||
Deficiencies are solved using an Fe-Zn-Mn supplement.
|
||
|
||
Zinc (Zn)
|
||
|
||
Zn deficiency is noted first as yellowing and necrosis of older leaf
|
||
margins and tips and then as twisted, curled new growth. Treatment with a
|
||
Fe-Zn-Mn supplement quickly relieves symptoms. A foliar spray speeds the
|
||
nutrients to the leaf tissue.
|
||
|
||
Boron (B)
|
||
|
||
B deficiency is uncommon and does not usually occur indoors.
|
||
Symptoms of B deficiency start at the growing tips, which turn grey or
|
||
brown and then die. This spreads to the lateral shoots.
|
||
A B deficiency (pH:A, B, deficient C!) is treated by using 1/2 teaspoon
|
||
boric acid, available in pharmacies, added to a gallon of water. One
|
||
treatment is usually sufficient.
|
||
|
||
Molybdenum (Mo)
|
||
|
||
Mo is used by plants in the conversion of N to forms that the plant can
|
||
use. It is also a consituent of some enzymes. Deficiency is unusual
|
||
indoors.
|
||
Symptoms start with paleness, then yellowing of middle leaves which
|
||
progress to the new shoots and growing tips, which grow twisted. The early
|
||
symptoms almost mimic N deficiency. Treatment with N may temporarily
|
||
relieve the symptoms but they return within a few weeks.
|
||
Mo is included in hydroponic fertilizers and in some trace element mixes.
|
||
It can be used as a foliar spray.
|
||
|
||
Copper (Cu)
|
||
|
||
Cu is used by plants in the transfer of electrical charges which are
|
||
manipulated by the plant to absorb nutrients and water. It is also used in
|
||
the regulation of water content and is a constituent of some enzymes.
|
||
Cu deficiencies are rare and mimic symptoms of overfertilization. The
|
||
leaves are limp and turn under at the edges. Tips and edges of the leaves
|
||
may die and whole plant looks wilted.
|
||
A fungicide, copper sulfate, (CuSO$) can be used as a foliar spray to
|
||
relieve the deficiency.
|
||
|
||
NUTRIENT ADDITIVES
|
||
|
||
Various additives are often suggested to boost the nutrient value of the
|
||
water/nutrient solution. Here are some of them:
|
||
WETTING AGENTS. Water holds together through surface tension, preventing
|
||
it from dispersing easily over dry surfaces. Wetting agents decrease the
|
||
surface tension and allow the water to easily penetrate evenly throughout
|
||
the medium preventing dry spots. Wetting agents are helpful when they are
|
||
used with fresh medium and as an occasional additive. Wetting agents should
|
||
not be used on a regular basis. They may interfere with plants' ability to
|
||
grow root hairs, which are ordinarily found on the roots. They are
|
||
available at most plant nurseries.
|
||
SEAWEED. Washed, ground seaweed contains many trace elements and
|
||
minerals used by plants. It may also contain some hormones or organic
|
||
nutrients not yet identified.
|
||
KELP. Kelp seems to be similar to seaweed in nutrient value. Proponents
|
||
claim that it has other, as yet undefined organic chemicals that boost plant
|
||
growth.
|
||
SEA WATER. Salt water contains many trace elements and organic
|
||
compounds. Some hydroponists claim that adding 5-10% sea water to the
|
||
nutrient solution prevents trace element problems. It may be risky.
|
||
|
||
|
||
DEFICIENCIES OF NUTRIENT ELEMENTS IN MARIJUANA
|
||
|
||
Suspected Element
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Symptoms | N | P | K | Mg | Fe | Cu | Zn | B | Mo | Mn| Over |
|
||
| | | | | | | | | | | |Fertil|
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Yellowing of: | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| Younger leaves | | | | | X | | | | | X | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Middle leaves | | | | | | | | | X | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Older leaves | X | | X | X | | | X | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Between veins | | | | X | | | | | | X | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Old leaves drop | X | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Leaf Curl Over | | | | X | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Leaf Curl Under | | | X | | | X | | | | | X |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Leaf tips burn | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| Younger leaves | | | | | | | | X | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Older leaves | X | | | | | | X | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Young leaves wrinkle | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| and curl | | | X | | | | X | X | X | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Necrosis | | | X | X | X | | X | | | X | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Leaf growth stunted | X | X | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Dark green/purplish | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
| leaves and stems | | X | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Pale green leaf color| X | | | | | | | | X | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Mottling | | | | | | | X | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Spindly | X | | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Soft stems | X | | X | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Hard/brittle stems | | X | X | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Growing tips die | | | X | | | | | X | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Stunted root growth | | X | | | | | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
| Wilting | | | | | | X | | | | | |
|
||
+----------------------+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+---+----+---+------+
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 17 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Novel Gardens"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Many people who would like to grow their own think that they don't have
|
||
the space. There are novel techniques that people can use to grow grass
|
||
anywhere. Even people with only a closet, crawl space or just a shelf can
|
||
grow their own.
|
||
The smallest space that can be used is a shelf 15-24 inches high. First,
|
||
the space should be prepared as any other garden by making it reflective,
|
||
using flat white paint, the dull side of aluminum foil, or white plastic.
|
||
Fluorescents are the easiest and best way to illuminate the space. About
|
||
twenty watts per square foot are used, or two tubes per foot of width. VHO
|
||
fluorescents can be used to deliver more light to the system.
|
||
Plants can be started in 6 ounce cups or 8 to 16 ounce milk cartons
|
||
placed in trays for easier handling.
|
||
With a shelf of 3 feet or higher, plants can be grown in larger
|
||
containers such as 4 to 6 inch pots, half gallon milk containers trimmed to
|
||
hold only a quart.
|
||
The plants can be grown vertically only, as they normally grow, or moved
|
||
to a horizontal position so that the main stem runs parallel to the light
|
||
tubes. The plants' new growth will immediately face upwards towards the
|
||
light. One gardener used an attic space only 4 feet tall. She let the
|
||
plants grow until they reached 3 feet and then turned them on their side.
|
||
They used more floor space so she opened up a second bank of lights. At
|
||
maturity, the plants were 3.5 feet long and 2.5 feet tall.
|
||
Another grower turned his basement with an 8 foot ceiling into a duplex
|
||
growing chamber. Each unit had 3 foot tall plants.
|
||
If the plants are to be turned horizontally, then they are best grown in
|
||
plastic bags or styrofoam cups so that they can be watered easily in their
|
||
new positions. After being turned on the side, a hole is cut in the new top
|
||
so the plants can be watered easily.
|
||
Some growers have wall space without much depth. This space can be
|
||
converted to a growing area very easily. The space is painted white and a
|
||
curtain is made so that the space is seperated from the surrounding
|
||
environment; this will keep light in and offers protection from nosey
|
||
guests.
|
||
The fluorescents should be placed so that they form a bank facing the
|
||
plants. Although the plants naturally spread out, their depth or width can
|
||
be controlled by training them using stakes or chicken wire placed on a
|
||
frame. Wire or plastic netting is attached to the walls so that there is at
|
||
least a 1 inch space between the wire and the wall. Some people build a
|
||
frame out of 2x4's. Twist ties are used to hold the branches to the frame.
|
||
Additional light can be supplied by placing a fluorescent unit on either end
|
||
of the garden or along its length.
|
||
Growers who have a little more space for their garden, with a minimum
|
||
width of 1 or 2 feet, can grow plants without training them. Fluorescent
|
||
lights can be used to light the garden by hanging the light fixture from the
|
||
top. All sides should be covered with reflective material. A metal halide
|
||
lamp mounted on a movable apparatus will help the plants grow even faster so
|
||
that the entire garden is illuminated several times during each light cycle.
|
||
Some people can spare only a small closet. Closets usually are designed
|
||
in one of two shapes: square or long and rectangular. In any closet up to
|
||
six feet long the simplest way to grow is by painting the inside of the
|
||
closet white and hanging a metal halide light from the ceiling. Closets
|
||
with dimensions of 5x5 or less need only a 400 watt metal halide although
|
||
they can accomodate 1000 watt lamps. Larger areas need at least two 400
|
||
watt halide lamps.
|
||
Thin, rectangular closets are served best by a metal halide unit mounted
|
||
on a solar shuttle type device. A fluorescent light unit hung from above
|
||
the garden also works well. Additional fluorescent tubes can be used to
|
||
supplement the top lights. It is convenient to mount them on either end of
|
||
the hanging fixture if the closet is long enough so that they do not use
|
||
potential growing space. A closet 2 feet by 7 feet might be illuminated by
|
||
a 400 watt metal halide on a track, two 6 foot long VHOs or 4 regular
|
||
fluorescent tubes hung from the ceiling. A grower might also use 14
|
||
screw-in 8 inch circular reflectors mounted on two 2x4s and hung above the
|
||
garden. About 8 combination 8 and 12 inch circular fixtures will also light
|
||
the area.
|
||
As the plants grow taller, fluorescent lit gardens will respond to
|
||
fluorescent tubes placed on the sides of the garden below the tops of the
|
||
plants. This light wll help lower buds develop.
|
||
One of the main problems inherent in the nature of small gardens is the
|
||
lack of ventilation and CO2. For good growth rates the air should be
|
||
enriched with CO2 or provided with a fan for ventilation.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 18 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Containers"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
To save space, plants can be germinated in small containers and
|
||
transplanted to progressively larger ones.
|
||
Seeds can be germinated in 2 x 1 inch trays or in peat pellets and remain
|
||
in these containers for about one week.
|
||
Four inch diameter containers can hold the plants for 2 to 3 weeks
|
||
without inhibiting growth.
|
||
Styrofoam cups weighted at the bottom with sand or gravel so they don't
|
||
tip over are convenient germinating containers. If plants are to be
|
||
germinated at one location and then moved to another location, styrofoam and
|
||
other lightweight plastic cups are ideal containers.
|
||
Six ounce cups hold plants for about 7-10 days after germination.
|
||
Sixteen ounce cups hold plants 10-20 days, as long as the plants receive
|
||
frequent water replenishments.
|
||
Half gallon containers can support plants for 25-40 days.
|
||
Plants probably grow a bit faster without being transplanted. However,
|
||
the saving in space for a multi-crop system or even a multi-light system
|
||
more than compensates for the loss in growth rate. Figure that each
|
||
transplanting costs the plants 3-4 days of growth. Growers using a 2 light
|
||
system need to use only one lamp for the first 4-6 weeks the plants are
|
||
growing. Multi-crop gardens need to use only a fraction of the space for
|
||
the first 3 to 8 weeks after germination.
|
||
Some growers sex the plants before either the first or second
|
||
transplanting. They find it easier to control the light-darkness cycle in a
|
||
small space. Another crop's flowering cycle may coincide with the
|
||
seedlings. To sex the small plants, only a small area is required in the
|
||
grow room.
|
||
A good rule of thumb is that for each two feet of growth, a half gallon
|
||
of growing medium is required in a garden in which fertilizers are supplied
|
||
throughout the growing period. A 2 foot plant requires a 1/2 gallon
|
||
container, a 5 foot plant uses a 2.5 gallon container and a 10 foot plant
|
||
requires a 5 gallon unit. Of course, plants' width or depth varies too, so
|
||
these are approximations. Certainly there is no harm done in growing a
|
||
plant in a container larger than is required. However, growing plants in
|
||
containers which are too small delays growth or may even stunt the plants.
|
||
Plants growing in soil or compost-based mediums do better in slightly
|
||
larger containers. A rule of thumb for them is a 3/4 gallon medium for each
|
||
foot of growth. A 5 foot plant requires a 3 and 3/4 gallon container.
|
||
One grower wrote "I never use more than 4 gallon containers and have
|
||
grown plants to 12 feet high with no signs of deficiencies. I was able to
|
||
water at 2-3 day intervals. My 3 month old plants under light were in 1/2
|
||
gallon containers with and without wicks." This grower always uses small
|
||
(1/2 gallon) containers for his spring greenhouse crop.
|
||
A plant growing in an organic-based medium such as soil-compost-manure
|
||
and additives needs no fertilization if it is given a large enough
|
||
container. For a five month growing season, plants in a rich mixture
|
||
require 1 to 1.5 gallons medium per foot. A 5 foot plant requires a
|
||
container holding 5-7.5 gallons.
|
||
Containers should have a slight graduation so that plants and medium can
|
||
slide out easily.
|
||
Plastic containers or pots are the most convenient to use. They are
|
||
lightweight, do not break and are inert. Metal containers react with the
|
||
nutrients in the solution. Plastic bags are convenient containers. Grow
|
||
bags have a square bottom so that they balance easily. However growers use
|
||
all kinds of plastic bags for cultivation. Fiber containers are also
|
||
popular. They are inexpensive, last several growing seasons and are easy to
|
||
dispose of.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 19 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"When to Plant"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana growers using only artificial light can start at any time since
|
||
the grower determines the plant's environment and stimulates seasonal
|
||
variations by adjusting the light/darkness periods.
|
||
Gardeners using natural light either as a primary or secondary source
|
||
must take the seasons into account. They plant in the spring - from April
|
||
through June. These plants will be harvested between September and November
|
||
and no artificial light may be needed as long as there is plenty of direct
|
||
sunshine. Supplemental artificial light may help the plants to maturity in
|
||
the fall, when the sun's intensity declines and there are overcast days.
|
||
The angle of the sun's path changes over the season too. Areas may receive
|
||
indirect sun during part of the growing season. In overcast areas, and even
|
||
sunny places receiving direct sunlight, 4-6 hours of supplemental metal
|
||
halide light during the brightest part of the day is all that is needed
|
||
during September/October to help the buds mature. One lamp will cover about
|
||
100 square feet or an area 10 by 10 feet.
|
||
Growers using natural light are not restricted to one season. It is
|
||
feasible to grow 3 or 4 crops a year using supplemental light. In early
|
||
October, before the plants are harvested, seeds are started in a seperate
|
||
area. Since little room is needed for the first few weeks, they can be
|
||
germinated on a shelf. In addition to natural light, the plants should get
|
||
a minimum of 6 hours of artificial light per day at the rate of about 10
|
||
watts per square foot.
|
||
For fastest growth, the plants should receive 24 hours of light a day.
|
||
Seedlings may receive light only during normal day light hours except that
|
||
they require an interruption of the night cycle so they do not go into the
|
||
flowering stage prematurely. If metal halide lamps are being used, a
|
||
seperate light system should be installed with incandescent or fluorescent
|
||
lights on a timer so that the seedlings do not have a long period of
|
||
uninterrupted darkness. One 60 watt incandescent bulb or one 22 watt
|
||
fluorescent tube is used per square yard (3 by 3 feet). The bulbs can be
|
||
flashed on for a few minutes using a multi-cycle timer during the middle of
|
||
the dark period. Gardeners with large spaces sometimes stagger the timing
|
||
of the night lights.
|
||
Incandescent bulbs are not very effecient, but they provide enough light
|
||
to prevent flowering, they are easy and inexpensive to set up and maintain,
|
||
and they light up almost immediately. In addition, they emit a high
|
||
percentage of red light, which is part of the spectrum used by plants to
|
||
regulate photoperiod responses.. Metal halides require about 10 minutes to
|
||
attain full brightness. Metal halide ballasts wear out faster when they are
|
||
turned on and off a lot, so it is cheaper to flash incandescents.
|
||
In late December, the incandescents are turned off so that they no longer
|
||
interrupt the night cycle. Within a week or two the plants will begin to
|
||
flower. They will be ready to harvest in 6 or 8 weeks.
|
||
At the same time that the incandescents are turned off the winter crop,
|
||
seeds are started for the spring crop. They are kept on the interrupted
|
||
night regimen until late winter, around March 1-10. The plants will begin
|
||
to flower and be ready in late May and early June. The spring crop should
|
||
be planted with short season plants so that they do not revert back to
|
||
vegetative growth as the days get longer. Long season varieties are more
|
||
likely to revert.
|
||
After the flowers are formed, the spring crop plants will revert back to
|
||
vegetative growth. New leaves will appear and the plant will show renewed
|
||
vigor. The plant can be harvested again in the fall, or new seds can be
|
||
germinated for the fall crop.
|
||
One grower reported that he makes full use of his greenhouse. He starts
|
||
his plants indoors in late November and starts the flowering cycle in the
|
||
beginning of Februaru. The plants are ripe by the end of April, then he
|
||
lets the plants go back into vegetative growth for a month and a half. Then
|
||
he starts to shade them again and harvests in late August. Next he puts out
|
||
new, month-old, foot-high plants. He lets them grow under natural light,
|
||
but breaks the darkness cycle using incandescent lights. In mid-September
|
||
he shuts the lights off, and the plants mature in early November.
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 20 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Planting"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Growers usually figure that 1/4 - 1/3 of the seeds they plant reach
|
||
maturity. Usually 40-50% of the plants are male. The best females are
|
||
chosen for continued growth during early growth but after the plants have
|
||
indicated.
|
||
Most fresh seeds have a very high germination rate, usually about 95%.
|
||
However, older seeds (more than 2 or 3 years old) or seeds imported from
|
||
foreign countries where they undergo stress during curing, may not fare so
|
||
well. They have a higher percentage of weak plants and they are subject to
|
||
disease. Sometimes virtually all of the seeds from a batch of imported
|
||
marijuana are dead.
|
||
Intact seeds which are dark brown or grey have the best chance of
|
||
germinating. Seeds which are whitish, light tan or cracked are probably not
|
||
viable. Most guide books suggest that growers plant the largest seeds in a
|
||
batch, but the size of the seed is genetically as well as environmentally
|
||
determined and does not necessarily relate to its germination potential.
|
||
If the seeds are fresh, they can be planted one per container. They may
|
||
be planted in the container in which they are to grow to maturity or in a
|
||
smaller vessel. Some growers find it more convenient to plant the seeds in
|
||
small containers to save space during early growth.
|
||
Seeds with a dubious chance of germination are best started in tissue and
|
||
then placed in pots as they show signs of life. The wet tissue, napkin or
|
||
sponge is placed in a container or on a plate, and is covered with plastic
|
||
wrap. The seeds are check every 12 hours for germination. As soon as the
|
||
root cracks the skin, the seedling is planted with the emerging point down.
|
||
Seeds can also be started in tray pots so that large numbers can be tried
|
||
without using much space.
|
||
Seedlings and cuttings can be placed in the refrigerator - not the
|
||
freezer - to slow down their growth if it is inconvenient to plant at the
|
||
moment. They can be stored in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for
|
||
a week or more, in a moistoned plastic bag. The temperature should be kept
|
||
above 40 degrees to prevent cell damage. This does not adversely affect the
|
||
plant's later growth, and, in fact, is an easy way to harden the plants up
|
||
that are placed outdoors later. [pH:I have wondered if the plants were
|
||
grown in the refrigerator all the way through picking, and its offspring
|
||
(from seed) were also grown in such cold temperatures, if future generations
|
||
of the plant would be able to grow, outside, through winter, by itself.]
|
||
Seeds should be sown 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep, covered, and then the medium
|
||
should be patted down. Seeds sown in light soil or planting mixes can be
|
||
sown one inch deep. Some growers treat the seeds with B1 or the rooting
|
||
hormone, indolebutyric acid, which is sold as an ingredient in many rooting
|
||
solutions. Seeds germinated in covered trays or mini-greenhouses grow long,
|
||
splindly stems unless the top is removed as the first seedlings pop the
|
||
soil. The medium must be kept moist.
|
||
One way to make sure that the medium remains moist is to plant the seeds
|
||
in containers or nursery trays which have been modified to use the wick
|
||
system. To modify a tray, nylon cord is run horizontally through holes in
|
||
each of the small growing spaces. The cord should extend downward into a
|
||
leakproof holder. (Trays come with 2 kinds of holders. Some have drainage
|
||
holes and some are solid.) The tray is raised from the holder using a
|
||
couple of pieces of 2x4's running lengthwise which keep tray holders filled
|
||
with water. The tray will remain moist as long as there is water in the
|
||
bottom. If the tray is to be moved, it is placed in cardboard box or over a
|
||
piece of plywood before being filled with water.
|
||
The light is kept on continuously until the seeds germinate. Most seeds
|
||
germinate in 3-14 days. Usually fresh seeds germinate faster than old ones.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 21 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Early Growth"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Once the seeds germinate, the light is kept on for 18-24 hours a day.
|
||
Some growers think that there is no significant difference in growth rates
|
||
between plants growing under 24 hours of light a day (continuous lighting)
|
||
and those growing under an 18 hour regimen. In controlled experiments there
|
||
was a significant difference: the plants get off to a faster start given
|
||
continuous lighting. Some growers cut the light schedule down to conserve
|
||
electricity.
|
||
Plants grown under continuous light which are moved outdoors occasionally
|
||
experience shock. This may be caused by the intense light they receive from
|
||
the sun combined with the shortened day length.
|
||
Another popular lighting regimen starts with continuous light. A week
|
||
after germination the light is cut back one hour so that the regimen
|
||
consists of 23 hours on and one hour off. The following week the lights are
|
||
cut back again, to 22 hours of light and 2 of darkness. Each week
|
||
thereafter, the lights are cut back another hour until the light is on only
|
||
12 hours a day.
|
||
Whenever a light is to be turned on and off periodically, it is best to
|
||
use a timer to regulate it. The timer is never late, always remembers, and
|
||
never goes on vacation. [pH:and never goes to jail!]
|
||
Plants are at their most vulnerable stage immediately after they
|
||
germinate. They are susceptible to stem rot, which is usually a fungal
|
||
infection and occurs frequently when the medium is too moist and the roots
|
||
do not have access to oxygen. On the other hand, if the medium dries out,
|
||
the plant may be damaged from dehydration.
|
||
Mice, pet birds, dogs and cats have all been noted to have a fondness for
|
||
marijuana sprouts and the young plants. [pH:everything must get stoned!]
|
||
Seedlings given too little light or too warm an environment stretch their
|
||
stems. The long slender shoot subsequently has problems staying upright -
|
||
it becomes top-heavy. These plants should be supported using cotton swabs,
|
||
toothpicks or thin bamboo stakes.
|
||
Most seedlings survive the pitfalls and within a matter of weeks develop
|
||
from seedlings into vigorous young plants. During marijuana's early growth,
|
||
the plant needs little special care. It will have adjusted to its
|
||
environment and grow at the fastest pace the limiting factors allow.
|
||
If the plants are in a soilless mix without additives they should be
|
||
fertilized as soon as they germinate. Plants grown in large containers with
|
||
soil or a mix with nutrients can usually go for several weeks to a month
|
||
with no supplements.
|
||
Within a few weeks the plants grow quite a bit and gardeners thin the
|
||
plants. If possible, this is not done until the plants indicate sex, so
|
||
that the grower has a better idea of how many plants to eliminate. The most
|
||
vigorous, healthy plants are chosen.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 22 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Watering"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Growers using passive hydroponic systems only have to water by adding it
|
||
to the reservoirs, to replenish water lost to evaporation and transpiration.
|
||
Growers using active hydroponic systems, including drop emitters, adjust
|
||
the watering cycle so that the medium never loses its moisture. Mediums for
|
||
active systems are drained well so that the roots come into contact with
|
||
air. Each medium retains a different volume of water. The plant's size and
|
||
growth stage, the temperature, and the humidity also affect the amount of
|
||
water used. Cycles might start at once every six hours of light during the
|
||
early stages and increase as the plants need it.
|
||
Plants growing in soil or soiless mixes should be watered before the soil
|
||
dries out but only after the top layer has lost a bit of its moisture. If
|
||
the mixture is not soggt and drains well, overwatering is not a problem.
|
||
Excess moisture drains.
|
||
Plants have problems with some soils not because they are too wet, but
|
||
because the soils have too find a texture and do not hold air in pockets
|
||
between the particles. As long as a medium allows both air and water to
|
||
penetrate, the roots will remain healthy. If the roots do not have access
|
||
to air, they grow weak and are attacked by bacteria.
|
||
Plant leaves catch dust so it is a good idea to spray the plants every
|
||
2-4 weeks with a fine spray, letting the water drop off the leaves. Do this
|
||
before the beginning of the light cycle so the leaves dry off completely,
|
||
and the glass of the lights is not hot in case water touches it.
|
||
Some growers spray the leaves weekly with a dilute fertilizer solution.
|
||
The leaf has pores through which the nutrients can be absorbed and utilized.
|
||
They claim that the growth rate is increased. In various tests with legal
|
||
plants, researches have affirmed that plants which are foliar-fed do grow
|
||
faster.
|
||
Once the flowers start forming, the plants should not be sprayed because
|
||
the flowers are susceptible to mold and infections which are promoted by
|
||
excess humidity.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 23 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Pruning"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are probably as many theories about pruning and its effect on crop
|
||
yield as there are cultivators. Pruning theories are complicated by the
|
||
many varieties of marijuana, which have different branching patterns and
|
||
growing habits.
|
||
Indicas tend to grow naturally with little branching. Most of their
|
||
energy is used for the central main bud which may develop to a diameter of 3
|
||
to 4 inches. Branches are short and compact.
|
||
Mexicans, Colombians, and Africans usually grow in a conical pattern
|
||
often likened to a Christmas tree. They develop a large central bud. The
|
||
peripheral buds and branches can also grow quite large.
|
||
Plants regulate their growth patterns using auxins, which are hormones.
|
||
One auxin is produced by the tallest growing tip of the plant. This
|
||
inhibitsother branches from growing as fast. If the top bud is removed, the
|
||
two branches below will grow larger, in effect becoming the main stem. They
|
||
produce the growth-inhibiting auxin; however, they have less of an
|
||
inhibitory effect on the lower branches. [pH:and they could be removed too]
|
||
Growers are often obsessed with yield per plant. This outlook developed
|
||
because of the surreptitious nature of marijuana cultivation. Farmers and
|
||
gardeners can grow only a few plants so they want to get the best possible
|
||
yield from them. Traditional farmers are more concerned with the yield per
|
||
unit of space. Since indoor gardeners have limited space, total yield of
|
||
high quality marijuana should be of more concern than the yield per plant.
|
||
Growers have done experiments showing that some pruning techniques
|
||
effectively increase the yield of some plants. However, the pruned plants
|
||
usually occupy more space than plants which are left unpruned, so that there
|
||
may be no increase in yield per unit of space.
|
||
To make a plant bushy it is pinched (the growing shoot is removed) at the
|
||
second or third set of leaves and again at the sixth, seventh or eigth
|
||
internode. Sometimes the plants are pinched once or twice more. This
|
||
encourages the plants to spread out rather than to grow vertically.
|
||
Plant branching can be controlled by bending instead of cutting. If the
|
||
top branch is bent so that it is lower than the side branches, the side
|
||
shoots will start to grow as if the top branch was cut because the branch
|
||
highest from the ground produces the growth auxin. If the top branch is
|
||
released so that it can grow upward again it starts to dominate again, but
|
||
the side branches still have more growth than they ordinarily would have
|
||
had. Top branches can also be "trained" to grow horizontally so that the
|
||
primary bud is exposed to more light. The bud will grow larger than normal.
|
||
Bamboo stakes, twist-ties and wire can be used for training.
|
||
One grower trained his plants using a technique ordinarily used by grape
|
||
growers. He built a frame made of a single vertical 2x3 and nailed 4 foot
|
||
long 2x1's every 9 inches along its length so that the horizontal boards
|
||
stretched two feet in either direction. Then he trained the branches to the
|
||
frame. Each branch was stretched horizontally and the plant had virtually
|
||
no depth. This increased the number of plants he could grow since each
|
||
plant took less space.
|
||
On the next crop he used the same system with most of his plants but set
|
||
up a chickenwire fence on a frame about 6 inches from one wall. As the
|
||
plants grew he trained them to the fence.
|
||
A grower in Mendocino pinches the plants at the fourth node and then
|
||
allows only four brances to develop. She removes all side shoots. Each
|
||
plant grows four giant buds and takes relatively little space.
|
||
Plants which are only a foot or two tall when they were put into the
|
||
flowering cycle may not have developed extensive branching. They may grow
|
||
into plants with only one bud; the main stem becomes swollen with flowers
|
||
but there is little branching. These plants require only about a square
|
||
foot of floor space. Although their individual yields are low, the plants
|
||
have a good yield-per-space unit. A gardener with larger plants modified
|
||
this technique by trimming off all side shoots and spacing the one-buds
|
||
close together to maximize yield.
|
||
A greenhouse grower grew plants to about three feet and then clipped the
|
||
tops. Each plant developed four stems in a couple of weeks. Then he turned
|
||
the light cycle down to induce flowering.
|
||
A garden in the midwest featured plants which were trained to 5 foot
|
||
tomato trellises (the metal cones). The grower trained the branches around
|
||
the cone and tied them to the support using twist-ties.
|
||
Plants which are several feet tall can also be turned on their sides as
|
||
was discussed in the chapter on Novel Gardens. The plant immediately
|
||
switches its growth pattern so that the stems grow vertically, against the
|
||
gravity and towards the light. [pH:But, in a 0-g space, with equal light
|
||
coming from all sides, which way would the plant grow?]
|
||
Most growers agree that plants should not be clipped once they are in a
|
||
pre-flowering stage. By experience they know that this may seriously
|
||
decrease yield.
|
||
Plants may grow at an uneven pace in the garden. There are several
|
||
reasons for this. The plants may differ genetically and be inclined to grow
|
||
at different rates, or there may be an uneven distribution of light in the
|
||
garden so that some plants receive more energy to fuel their growth. Plants
|
||
in single containers can be moved around the garden to even out the amount
|
||
of light they get and to deal with the problem of height. When the taller
|
||
plants are placed at the periphery of the garden, light is not blocked from
|
||
the shorter ones. Taller plants need not be clipped. Instead, their tops
|
||
can be bent and snapped so that the stem is horizontal near the top. This
|
||
technique is used as far as 2 feet below the top of the stem. The bent tops
|
||
usually need to be supported. It is not hard to tie one end of a bamboo
|
||
stake to the main stem and the other end to the top, so that a triangle is
|
||
formed.
|
||
Contrary to myth, sun leaves should not be removed from the plant except
|
||
late in life when they often yellow. These leaves are little sugar
|
||
factories which turn the light energy into chemical energy which is stored
|
||
and used later. When the leaf is removed, the plant loses a source of
|
||
energy and its rate of growth slows. If you don't believe this, try an
|
||
experiment. Find any type of plant which has two sun leaves opposite each
|
||
other with a small branch growing from either side. Remove one of the
|
||
leaves and see which side branch develops faster.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 24 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Pests"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
When plants are grown outdoors, pests and insects are ever-present but
|
||
most of the time they are kept in check by the forces of nature. The wind,
|
||
rain, changes in temperature, predators and diseases work as a system of
|
||
checks and balances to keep the populations down despite a phenomenally high
|
||
theoretical reproductive capacity.
|
||
Indoors, invading plant pests discover an ideal environment, with few of
|
||
the hazards they would find outdoors and with an abundance of food. Within
|
||
a few weeks of invasion the implications of the pests' theoretical
|
||
multiplication rate are evident and the plants may suffer the ravages of the
|
||
attack. For this reason, any pest invasion is treated very seriously and
|
||
quickly.
|
||
Every insect invasion to the garden has a cause. Most of the time, the
|
||
pests were carried into the garden by the gardener. Less frequently, pests
|
||
enter through the windows, cracks, or through the ventilation system.
|
||
Cautious growers never go into the indoor garden after working outdoors or
|
||
being in an outdoor garden. They never work on healthy plants after being
|
||
around or working on infected ones. In some commercial greenhouses, workers
|
||
change clothing in a dressing room before entering from outside.
|
||
One grower keeps a plastic dishpan filled with salt water at the entrance
|
||
to his grow room. As he enters the room he dips the soles of each shoe in
|
||
the water. This kills any pests which might be riding on the undersides of
|
||
his shoes.
|
||
To get a close look at insects, it is a good idea to get a photographer's
|
||
loop magnifying glass or a portable low-power microscope. Even the most
|
||
inexpensive ones are adequate.
|
||
There are six pests that are most likely to attack marijuana indoors:
|
||
aphids, mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, scale, and caterpillars. A few others
|
||
sometimes invade greenhouses. These include caterpillars, cutworms,
|
||
grasshoppers and leafhoppers.
|
||
|
||
APHIDS
|
||
|
||
Aphids are usually found on the undersides of leaves and on stems, though
|
||
they are sometimes found on the leaf tops. The adults are about 1/32 to
|
||
1/16 of an inch long and are oval, almost egg shaped. They have two
|
||
protrusions from their rear which look like pipes and may or may not have
|
||
wings. They are usually found in dense colonies with an adult surrounded by
|
||
a cluster of young. They are usually pale green or yellow, but sometimes
|
||
are brown, black or red. They molt leaving a white shell. They secrete
|
||
"honeydew" which is shiny and sticky and is found on infested foliage.
|
||
Honeydew isa concentrate of the sugars the animal has sucked out of the
|
||
plant and discarded in its search for protein. Aphids are frequently found
|
||
together with ants which farm them for their honeydew by carrying them from
|
||
plant to plant.
|
||
Infested plants weaken from the insects' constant sucking of sap which
|
||
they eat by penetrating the deep tissue. Older leaves curl and younger ones
|
||
grow deformed. Mold sometimes forms on the honeydew. Within weeks the
|
||
plant may wither. Aphids are carriers of molds and viruses.
|
||
Indoors, aphids reproduce parthenogenetically; that is, all the insects
|
||
are females and they can reproduce without being fertilized. They bear live
|
||
young, which may actually carry embryos of their own before they are born.
|
||
They can reproduce when they are 6 days old.
|
||
Luckily, aphids are not difficult to control. Action is taken at the
|
||
first sign of infection. First, the garden is checked for ants. Any
|
||
colonies are eliminated using ant bait, ant stakes or boric acid.
|
||
Then all visible aphids are wiped off the plants using a sponge and soapy
|
||
water, a soapy water spray or insecticide. A soapy water spray is made by
|
||
mixing 1.5 tablespoons Ivory Snow Flakes or any other soap without detergent
|
||
in a gallon of water. Some growers reported success using Dr. Bronner's
|
||
Eucalyptus or Mint liquid soaps (these are often found in health food
|
||
stores) at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon. This will eliminate most of
|
||
the pests so that the grower has some breathing space. However, even the
|
||
most thorough spraying or sponging does not eliminate all of the pests, and
|
||
since they reproduce parthenogenetically, even one remaining insect can
|
||
restart the colony.
|
||
If the plants are not flowering, then spray can be used every 2 or 3 days
|
||
for several weeks. Thorough sprayings may eventually destroy the colony.
|
||
They certainly keep it in check.
|
||
Another convenient spray is available commercially. Pyrethrum is a
|
||
natural insecticide found in chrysanthemum-family plants. It has not been
|
||
found harmful to warm-blooded animals but is toxic to aphids, among other
|
||
insects. Pyrethrum may be purchased as a powder, a liquid concentrate, in a
|
||
pump or aerosal spray. Usually growers with small gardens choose the
|
||
aerosols for convenience, while those with large gardens find the
|
||
concentrates or powders much less expensive. [pH:I wonder what, if
|
||
anything, adding this to the water for the plant would do to the aphids? If
|
||
it kills them, this would be a good way to kill them if the plants are
|
||
flowering.]
|
||
Some benign insects like to eat aphids and are convenient to use in a
|
||
greenhouse or grow-room situation. Ladybugs and green lacewings are
|
||
predators which eat aphids. They can be purchased commercially from
|
||
insectiaries. These insects also go through a rapid lifecycle and may eat
|
||
hundreds of aphids as they grow to adults. The insects come with
|
||
instructions for their use.
|
||
People are sometimes a little queasy about bringing beneficial insects
|
||
indoors because they are afraid they will escape into unwanted areas.
|
||
However, for the most part these insects stay where they belong as long as
|
||
there is food for them to eat. Adult beneficials sometimes fly directly
|
||
into metal halide lamps and die instantly. One grower placed a glass
|
||
reflector around his lamps. The trick is to get the adult beneficials to
|
||
lay eggs because the predators are most voracious during their immature
|
||
stages. Given enough food (aphids) this presents no problem. Once the
|
||
predators become established they keep the pest population at a negligible
|
||
level, but never eliminate their source of food.
|
||
|
||
MEALYBUGS
|
||
|
||
Mealybugs are light-colored insects which exude a white, waxy
|
||
cotton-looking substance in which they nestle or which covers their body.
|
||
They are usually found on the undersides of the leaves and in the joints
|
||
between the leaves and stems. The adults are from 1/16 to 1/8 inch long.
|
||
They suck juices from the plant and exude honeydew. Their breeding rate is
|
||
much slower than many other pests; a generation takes a month or more.
|
||
A small mealybug infection may be eliminated by using a sponge to wipe
|
||
the creatures off the plants. They can also be destroyed using a cotton
|
||
swab dabbed in alcohol, which kills them instantly. More serious
|
||
infestations may be controlled using a soapy water solution or pyrethrum.
|
||
As well as eating aphids, green lacewings also eat mealybugs.
|
||
|
||
MITES
|
||
|
||
Mites are the most dangerous pest that can enter a garden. They are not
|
||
insects, but an arachnid, which is the class of animals that include
|
||
spiders. Mites are tiny and may not be noticed until they have developed
|
||
into a serious infestation. There are many species of mites. However the
|
||
one most likely to attack the garden is the 2 spotted mite, which has two
|
||
spots on its back which can be seen under a magnifying glass.
|
||
The first indication that a grower may have mites is seeing pinpoint
|
||
yellow spots on fan leaves. These spots are located above the points where
|
||
the mites have pierced the tissue to suck out the plant juices. Mites are
|
||
very small, measuring only 3-6 thousandths of an inch. They look like small
|
||
dots colored black, red or brown. Mites' maturity and reproductive rates
|
||
are affected by temperature. A female lays about 100 eggs during her
|
||
lifetime, but at 60 degrees she produces 20 offspring, at 70 degrees she and
|
||
her offspring number 13,000 and at 80 degrees she represents a potential
|
||
13,000,000 individuals over a single month. Under ideal conditions mites
|
||
reproduce a week after hatching. [pH:I have friends who have lost entire
|
||
plants to these things.]
|
||
As the mite population rises, the plants weaken. Infested leaves curl
|
||
under and spider-like webbing is spun which covers the plants and is used by
|
||
the pests to move from plant to plant. Mites also walk down stems, across
|
||
medium and across dry space in search of new plants to colonize. [pH:To
|
||
|
||
<POSSIBLE DATA LOSS>
|
||
|
||
the burrow holes and then use a wire or flexible tool to squash the insect
|
||
in its path. The stems can also be split with a sharp, clean knife or razor
|
||
and then after the pest is killed the stem is sealed with grafting wax and
|
||
bound with tape and reinforced with a brace.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 25 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Flowering"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Earlier in this series (Part 3), we described how marijuana determines
|
||
when it should flower. It senses the onset of "Fall" by measuring the
|
||
number of hours of uninterrupted darkness. When the plant senses a period
|
||
of uninterrupted darkness long enough each evening, it triggers into
|
||
flowering.
|
||
The period of darkness required varies by variety. Equatorial varieties
|
||
need a longer period of darkness than indica or Southern African varieties
|
||
because the equatorial growing season is longer and equatorial plants have
|
||
shorter days. Equatorial sativas flower when the dark cycle increases to 12
|
||
hours or more. Most indicas flower at between 12 to 16 hours of light, 8 to
|
||
12 hours of uninterrupted darkness.
|
||
Male marijuana plants flower before the females and are only partially
|
||
light-sensitive. In some varieties the males seem to flower after a few
|
||
months of growth, regardless of lighting conditions.
|
||
Since female marijuana flowering is regulated by light, a cultivator
|
||
growing under lights can put the garden into flowering with the flick of the
|
||
timer. Once the plants start to bloom, they will grow another foot or two
|
||
in height. The plants should be set into flowering before they get too
|
||
tall.
|
||
Growers use several lighting regimens to start the plants flowering.
|
||
Growers using continuous light or another long day cycle can cut the light
|
||
back to flowering cycle with no intermediate steps. The plants do not
|
||
suffer from shock or exhibit unusual growth. Some growers do introduce the
|
||
cycle more gently, cutting the light back to flowering cycle over several
|
||
weeks.
|
||
After 4 to 5 weeks of heavy flowering, some growers set the light back
|
||
another hour to simulate the shortening season. Growers cut the light back
|
||
another hour after another month. This may be especially helpful in
|
||
finishing some tropical varieties, which do not reach maturity in their
|
||
native lands until the middle of the short day season (there is no winter in
|
||
the tropics).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 26 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Sinsemilla and Sexing"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
The word "sinsemilla" is derived from the two Spanish words "sin" and
|
||
"semilla" meaning respectively "without" and "seed". Connoisseurs prize
|
||
sinsemilla partly because the marijuana has a greater potency and a more
|
||
intense aroma than seeded marijuana, and partly because of its enhanced
|
||
appearance.
|
||
In order for the flowers to ripen unseeded, they must remain unpollinated
|
||
(unfertilized). Male and female flowers usually appear on seperate plants.
|
||
The males are removed from the space as soon as they are recognized. This
|
||
should be done early in the male plants' development, before any large
|
||
flower clusters appear. Even a single open flower cluster can release enough
|
||
pollen to fertilize thousands of female flowers.
|
||
Males can be detected early by carefully examining the space where the
|
||
leaf joins the stem (internode). Before the plant begins to develop flower
|
||
clusters, a single male or female flower will sometimes grow in the
|
||
internode. A male flower will have what looks like a bulb growing from a
|
||
thin stem, and at the bulb's end there will be a curved protrusion that
|
||
looks something like a little bent finger. A female flower will usually
|
||
have two antennae-like protrusions jutting out. [pH:They look kinda like
|
||
slugs or snails] Sometimes a sexually indistinguishable flower appears.
|
||
The females' leaves begin to grow closer together, forming a strong stem
|
||
which will hold the clusters of flowers and later the ripening seed.
|
||
Any plants which have not indicated are watched closely, and the females
|
||
are watched for any signs of hermaphrodites. These plants are primarily
|
||
female but they produce some fertile male flowers. This may consist of
|
||
only a few clusters, an entire branch, or, occasionally, males throughout
|
||
the plant. These plants are dangerous in any sinsemilla garden. Even a
|
||
small cluster of flowers can ruin entire colas of buds. Either the male
|
||
flowers should be removed and the plant checked daily, or the plant should
|
||
be removed from the garden, which is the safest course of action. [pH:Use
|
||
it for seed.]
|
||
There are several methods used to sex plants early. Since marijuana
|
||
flowering is regulated by the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness, it
|
||
is easy to manipulate the plant's flowering cycle. Young plants can be
|
||
forced to indicate by putting them under a long night regimen. The plants
|
||
will begin to indicate within a few days and after 10 days, fast growing
|
||
plants should have clearly defined flowers. Once the plants indicate, the
|
||
males can be seperated from the females, and the garden can be returned to
|
||
the vegetative growth cycle simply by changing the light regimen back to the
|
||
long day/short night.
|
||
Putting the plants through an abbreviated flowering cycle sets them back
|
||
several weeks. First, their growth is stopped and then it takes them some
|
||
time to start growing again. Some growers feel that the plants lose a bit
|
||
of vigor in the process. To eliminate stresses in the garden, a clone can
|
||
be taken of each plant.
|
||
The clones should be tagged to denote plant of origin and then placed in
|
||
water or rooting medium under a long night/short day environment. The
|
||
clones will have the same sex as its clone parent, so the clone parent's sex
|
||
is determined before the plant is out of the vegetative stage. The female
|
||
clones can be continued under the flowering regimen and will provide a taste
|
||
of the clone-parent's future buds. [pH:Flowering clones being an excellent
|
||
way to keep a small stash while the plants are growing]
|
||
Within a few days of the change in the light regimen to a long night, the
|
||
plants begin to show changes in their growth patterns. First, their rate of
|
||
growth, which might be as much as 2 inches a day during the previous cycle,
|
||
slows and stops. Next the plants begin to differentiate. The males
|
||
elongate upon ripening so that their flower sacks, which contain copious
|
||
amounts of pollen, tower above the females. Marijuana is normally
|
||
wind-pollinated.
|
||
The females start to grow stocky stems with shorter nodes between the
|
||
leaves. The number of fingers on the leaves decreases and the plant may
|
||
revert from opposite leaves to a pattern of leaves alternating on the stem.
|
||
Within a few weeks, large numbers of pistils (the white antennae) will
|
||
form along the stem and on the tops of the branches. If the flowers are
|
||
fertilized, the pistils will start to dry up, beginning at the tips. Each
|
||
fertilized flower produces a seed. Such formation, which commences upon
|
||
fertilization, is apparent by the third day. The ovary at the base of the
|
||
pistil swells as the new seed grows inside of it.
|
||
As long as most flowers remain unfertilized, the plant continues to
|
||
produce new flowers. The clusters get thick with the unfertilized flowers
|
||
over a period of several weeks. Then the flowering pattern begins to
|
||
change. The pistils begin to wither, similar to the way pistils of
|
||
fertilized flowers do and they begin to dry while at the same time changing
|
||
color. Next, the calyx (ovary) begins to swell. There is no seed
|
||
developing inside the calyx; it is a sort of false pregnancy. When the
|
||
calyx has swelled, the cluster or cola is ripe and ready to be picked.
|
||
The pistil's color is a factor of genetics and temperature. Some plants,
|
||
including many indicas, naturally develop a purplish color. Many indicas
|
||
and most sativas develop a red color. However, the color may change to
|
||
purple or become more pronounced if the roots are subjected to a cool
|
||
environment, below 55 degrees.
|
||
The growing flowers develop glands over their outer surfaces. Glands
|
||
also develop along the small leaf parts surrounding the flower. These are
|
||
unlike the glands found on the immature plant, the sun leaves, and the stem.
|
||
The earlier glands were either connected directly to the plant, usually
|
||
along the stem or had a small one-celled stalk connected to the head which
|
||
filled with cannabinoids. The new glands have a longer stem which supports
|
||
a larger head. The head is a membrane that fills with cannabinoids. The
|
||
analogs of THC produced in the different types of glands may vary.
|
||
When the gland first appears the head is small but it begins to swell and
|
||
looks like it might burst. Given any stress it will. Usually the head is
|
||
filled as the plants go into the last stage of flowering, as the ovaries
|
||
begin to swell. This is usually when experienced growers pick the buds.
|
||
|
||
Researchers, scientists, and gardeners have debated the purpose that THC
|
||
serves to the plant. THC and the water-soluble compounds which impart the
|
||
taste and aroma to the flowers act as an anti-bacterial agent, and repel
|
||
some insects. They also repel most other animals including mammals and
|
||
birds. (Remember, we are talking about a mature plant, heavy with resin.)
|
||
This is not uncommon in plants. To assure that the seed is viable and not
|
||
destroyed to thwart predators. Once the seed matures, it is palatable to
|
||
these creatures. This is one of the ways that the plant spreads its
|
||
populations without human help. Animals and birds eat the seeds, an
|
||
occasional seed passes out the animal's system unharmed, allowing the
|
||
species to colonize a new location.
|
||
Once the calyx swells, the glands begin to change color. The THC in the
|
||
head was previously a clear liquid. When the calyx is getting a little
|
||
overripe, the gland head tints an amber shade. This indicates that the THC
|
||
is beginning to degrade into two other cannabinoids, CBL or CBN, which are
|
||
not nearly as powerful as THC.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 27 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Advanced Flowering"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
[pH:This chapter has 21 pages of charts and diagrams that I did not enter,
|
||
that are very informative and highly useful. If you want them, buy the
|
||
book.]
|
||
|
||
In Part 25 (Flowering), marijuana's photoperiod response was described.
|
||
Most varieties of cannabis flower in response to changes in the light cycle.
|
||
This is a foolproof method for a plant to determine when to flower when it
|
||
is adapted to a particular location. Every year the ratio of dark to light
|
||
remains the same at a particular date. Scientists think that plants measure
|
||
the number of hours of darkness by producing a hormone, tentatively named
|
||
florigen. This hormone has not actually been discovered. The theory is
|
||
that when the level of this hormone reaches a critical level, the plant goes
|
||
into its reproductive mode.
|
||
Through simple experimentation, we know some interesting things about
|
||
this plant response. It is a localized response by the plant. This was
|
||
discovered by shading one branch of a plant but leaving the rest of it
|
||
without a daily dark period. Only the branch that was shaded flowered.
|
||
(This is a viable technique to use to sex plants).
|
||
Researchers think thatthe hormone is produced by the plant continuously.
|
||
However, it is destroyed or metabolized by an enzyme or hormone which is
|
||
produced only in the presence of light. Under natural conditions, the
|
||
critical level builds up only with the onset of long nights in the autumn.
|
||
When the dark cycle is interrupted by light, even for a few minutes or less,
|
||
the florigen is destroyed by the plant and the plant starts the buildup to
|
||
the critical level over again.
|
||
The response to different light cycles is a graduated one. Plants that
|
||
initiate flowering at one light/darkness routine flower more heavily when
|
||
the amount of darkness is increased. This response is more pronounced on
|
||
plants originating from a higher latitude where the light cycle changes
|
||
more.
|
||
Chrysanthemums are also long night-flowering plants, and their growth
|
||
patterns have been studied extensively for use by the greenhouse industry.
|
||
Researchers found that the largest flowers with the highest total weight
|
||
were grown when the dark cycle routine was provided each night. When the
|
||
plants were shaded 6 nights a week, there was a slight diminution of flower
|
||
size and total weight. With each additional unshaded night, flower size and
|
||
weight dropped. [pH:Now, you are probably thinking "That doesn't make one
|
||
damned bit of sense!" and you are correct. I don't know what Ed was
|
||
thinking in this instance, so I won't bother to correct THIS error, but if
|
||
one reads it, if the plants are shaded for 6 nights a week, they get
|
||
smaller. If you "unshade" them, they also get smaller. You're screwed
|
||
either way, apparently.]
|
||
Cannabis is one of the most widespread plants. It is naturalized
|
||
everywhere from the equator to the arctic. (Private cannabis gardens have
|
||
also been documented as being grown by scientists stationed at outposts in
|
||
the Antarctic - it's not illegal there since no country has sovreignty).
|
||
The plant has developed many variations on the photoperiod response to
|
||
adjust to different climactic and latitudinal conditions.
|
||
Female plants from equatorial or sub-equatorial zones such as Colombia,
|
||
southern Mexico, central Africa, and south India are absolute
|
||
photo-determinate (APD). These plants are acclimated to latitudes in which
|
||
there is little variation in the light cycle throughout the year. As long
|
||
as the dark period falls below a minimum trigger period, the plant remains
|
||
in the vegetative growth cycle. This can go on for years under continuous
|
||
light conditions. When the dark period lengthens to a trigger point, the
|
||
plant changes its growth pattern to sexual development. If the dark period
|
||
falls below the trigger level when the plants are flowering, the plants
|
||
easily revert back to vegetative growth.
|
||
APD plants are good candidates to flower and regenerate. Since they
|
||
respond to the light cycle in a relatively simple way, irregular or
|
||
interrupted cycles alter growth significantly. Buds are smaller, leafier,
|
||
fluffier, looser, and may run. They look a bit like low-light flowers.
|
||
Flower size can be increased by allowing the plants to ripen fully, then
|
||
placing them in a continuous light regimen for a few days. Flowering is
|
||
triggers again and the plants produce new clusters of flowers. [pH:Perhaps
|
||
Ed didn't write this chapter, because it is repeating too much stuff he's
|
||
already said, and besides: That isn't going to increase the flower SIZE, it
|
||
will increase the amount harvested.]
|
||
Some cannabis varieties are "relative photoperiod determinate" (RPD).
|
||
These plants have a trigger that they respond to under normal growing
|
||
conditions, but when they receive an unusual light regimen, they respond to
|
||
the change in the light conditions in unusual ways. For example, an early
|
||
flowering indica normally triggers at 10 hours of darkness, but if it is
|
||
grown under continuous light and then the darkness cycle is increased to 8
|
||
hours, the plant triggers. Once these plants are triggered, the light cycle
|
||
has less affect upon them than upon the APDs. The developing flowers are
|
||
not as sensitive to occasional interruption of the darkness cycle.
|
||
RPD varieties include the mid- and high-range latitude-adapted plants
|
||
including Moroccans and southern Africans, early indicas, commercial hemp
|
||
and hybrids developed for early harvest (September or earlier).
|
||
RPD varieties are harder to manipulate using the light cycle. Plants
|
||
placed into flowering do not revert to vegetative growth as easily as APD
|
||
varieties. [pH:Perhaps I'm in a bad mood, but does he have to keep fucking
|
||
repeating himself? This is annoying as HELL!] The plants are harder to
|
||
regenerate. Light stress promotes hermaphroditism in these varieties. They
|
||
are harder to clone; they take longer and have a lower success rate.
|
||
Most males and some extreme northern varieties including the ruderalis
|
||
strains fall into a third category which is not photosensitive at all. Both
|
||
age and development seem to play a role in determining when these plants
|
||
flower. For example, a Hungarian ruderalis developed flowers under
|
||
continuous light after 8 weeks. Most varieties of males indicate under
|
||
continuous light after 3-9 months. Thais and some equatorial sativa males
|
||
are exceptions and will not flower until the dark period is increased.
|
||
Under 18 hours of light, males indicate sooner than under continuous light.
|
||
Cold may hasten sexual expression but not flower development of some
|
||
northern varieties.
|
||
Some varieties, especially indicas, respond to unnatural light cycles by
|
||
showing photo-period response disorder. Genetic females turn hermaphroditic
|
||
when exposed to long dark periods during early growth.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 28 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Breeding"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Humans have been breeding marijuana informally for thousands of years.
|
||
The first farmers chose seeds from the best plants. Over many generations
|
||
the plant was differentiated into varieties which had different uses and
|
||
thrived under various environmental conditions.
|
||
Scientific breeding did not begin until Gregor Mendel's experiments on
|
||
inherited characteristics were discovered. Mendel crossed peas with
|
||
differing characteristics and found that the offspring plants inherited
|
||
traits from their parents in a logical, predictable, statistical way.
|
||
[pH:You ever wonder what possesses these people to do shit like that? Don't
|
||
they have lives to lead or something?]
|
||
Today we know that each cell contains a set of chemical blueprints
|
||
regarding every aspect of its existence. These chemical codes are called
|
||
chromosomes and they consist of long double strands of sugar which have
|
||
"bases" consisting of one of four amino acids. Sets of three of these amino
|
||
acid bases form genes which are "read" by structures in the cell and direct
|
||
it in its life processes.
|
||
Chromosomes are found in pairs in most cells. Half of each pair of
|
||
chromosomes is contributed by the male through pollen and half by the
|
||
female. Marijuana has 10 pairs or 20 chromosomes. Each chromosome's genes
|
||
are lined up in a specific order. The other member of the pair has a
|
||
corresponding gene in the same location. Sometimes, a single gene is
|
||
responsible for a characteristic. In other cases, several genes are
|
||
responsible, often in a complex series of reactions.
|
||
There has been very little formal genetic work on marijuana. Almost all
|
||
of the research is the result of observation by cultivators. However, the
|
||
cell and its chromosomes are easily observed using a high-powered
|
||
microscope. Even an inexpensive instrument allows one to see the
|
||
chromosomes during mitosis (cell division). The chromosomes line up in
|
||
pairs and then reproduce themselves as the cell splits into two. When the
|
||
reproductive cells are produced, the pairs of chromosomes split and only one
|
||
chromosome of each pair goes into each reproductive cell. (Photographs can
|
||
be taken with the aid of a 35 mm SLR camera and an inexpensive adapter
|
||
tube.)
|
||
About 2% of the time, the genes "jump" from one member of the pair of
|
||
chromosomes to the other. This is a significant fact in breeding because it
|
||
gives individual chromosomes a means of changing information regarding the
|
||
characteristics for which they are coded.
|
||
Breeding would be a relatively simple task if only one trait or
|
||
characteristic were involved. However there are many factors to consider
|
||
when choosing plants for breeding. These include:potency, taste, aroma,
|
||
color, maturation time, yield, height, branching habits, adaption to
|
||
low-light conditions, resistance to pests or diseases, leaf drop at
|
||
maturity, and sterility.
|
||
When a plant "breeds true" it means that most of the corresponding genes
|
||
on each of the pairs of chromosomes of the 10 pairs have the same
|
||
information. However, plants of different varieties which are crossed are
|
||
hybrids, and many of the corresponding genes on the two sets of chromosomes
|
||
have information which is in conflict. For instance, the first generation
|
||
cross (an F1 hybrid) may contain genes from one parent programmed for tall
|
||
plants and genes from the other parent programmed for short stature. In
|
||
this case the plants all have approximately the same height, intermediate
|
||
between the two parents. When two F1 hybrids are crossed, however, the
|
||
plants are either tall, intermediate, or short. The reason is that some of
|
||
the plants have genes for tallness, some for shortness and others for both.
|
||
Many of the important characteristics of marijuana seem to be coded for
|
||
"partial dominance" as was just described. Aroma, taste, and potency seem
|
||
to fall into this category. When more than one gene is involved, there can
|
||
be enormous numbers of possible combinations.
|
||
Some characteristics are coded on genes which are either dominant or
|
||
recessive. According to Robert Connell Clarke, author of Marijuana Botany,
|
||
tall height, unwebbed leaves, green rather than purple coloring on calyxes
|
||
(seed bracts), and large-size seeds are all dominant genes. A cross between
|
||
two plants with conflicting genes would result in the F1 generation all
|
||
showing the dominant trait. A cross between two F1 plants results in a
|
||
majority of the plants indicating the dominant trait and onlt a few, those
|
||
without the dominant gene on either chromosome, indicating the information
|
||
found on the recessive gene.
|
||
It is difficult for the hobbyist or grower to istitute a scientific
|
||
breeding program because thousands of plants must be grown to find one
|
||
specimen which meets ideal breeding requirements. Growers have a limited
|
||
amount of space to devote to the plants and thus have trouble sorting out
|
||
the crosses. Cultivators can select the best plants in the garden for
|
||
breeding. Sometimes a plant has one outstanding characteristic but is
|
||
unexceptional in other respects. This characteristic can be introduced into
|
||
the breeding pool and then the undesirable traits can be "sorted out".
|
||
Marijuana is especially difficult to breed scientifically because half
|
||
the plants, those bearing pollen, carry genetic information for hidden
|
||
factors. An observer has few means of judging the genetic potential of male
|
||
plants regarding yield, bud structure, and even potency. There is some
|
||
correlation between the male's potency and that of its daughters. One way
|
||
to solve this problem is to induce male flowers on female plants. Then the
|
||
characteristics of both parents are known and all the resulting plants have
|
||
only female chromosomes.
|
||
As in humans, gender in cannabis is determined by the "X" and "Y"
|
||
chromosomes. The female has two X chromosomes and the male has one X and
|
||
one Y. When the male plant produces pollen, half of the reproductive cells
|
||
receive X and half Y. However, when the male flowers are artificially
|
||
induced in female plants, the pollen contains only X chromosomes, the only
|
||
sex chromosomes the female plant has. All the resulting seeds contain two X
|
||
chromosomes, one from each parent.
|
||
To induce male flowers in a female, the plants are sprayed with a
|
||
gibberellic acid or watered with an aspirin/water solution.
|
||
Gibberellic acid is a plant hormone originally isolated from
|
||
mold-infested rice. Symptoms of the infection include extraordinary
|
||
vertical growth. Gibberellic acid affects plants in a variety of ways. In
|
||
marijuana, it cases extension of all stems on which it is sprayed, and if
|
||
used before flowers develop, it occasionally induces a "sex reversal" in
|
||
females: male flowers develop on sprayed areas. The plant's genetic
|
||
structure remains the same, however, the sex characteristics are altered.
|
||
In a general way this is similar to a sex change operation; the genetic
|
||
information contains information for one sex, but the hormones which are
|
||
introduced by the pill or injection artificially induce physiological
|
||
changes in the body, including development of the other sex's sexual
|
||
characteristics.
|
||
Several correspondents have described the results of adding aspirin to
|
||
their water. One grower used two aspirin in a gallon of water when the
|
||
plants were in their third week of flowering. He said that the plants grew
|
||
thousansd of pollen sacs which contained fertile pollen.
|
||
The most methodical way to breed marijuana using these substances is to
|
||
allow the plants to flower after taking several clones from each plant.
|
||
Once the plants are harvested, cured and testing, the cuttings of all except
|
||
those plants selected as the best for breeding are eliminated. When the
|
||
plants are large enough to produce adequate amounts of seed for the
|
||
breeder's purposes, some of the plants are kept as females, and male flowers
|
||
induced in others. Then the plants are bred.
|
||
The first step involves gathering the pollen. Since cannabis is usually
|
||
wind-pollinated, it produces an abundance of pollen which floats easily in
|
||
the air. The male plants are placed in a seperate draft-free location and
|
||
the pollen drops onto unprinted paper placed underneath the plant. However,
|
||
if there are several plants in the same room, the different plants' pollen
|
||
may become contaminated with each other. If the plants are bent or turned
|
||
on their sides so that the pollen has to drop through less air, more pollen
|
||
collects. Plants placed in a cardboard box are even less susceptible to
|
||
draft.
|
||
Some growers collect pollen by cutting the flower spikes off the plants
|
||
just as the flowers are to open. These spikes are placed in a paper bag so
|
||
no pollen is lost. Pollen can also be collected by placing a white paper
|
||
bag around flower spikes. White paper is used so that light rays are
|
||
reflected rather than absorbed by the bag and turned into heat, which may
|
||
damage the plant. Non-coated parchment paper breathe and eliminates
|
||
humidity problems.
|
||
Once the pollen is collected, the female flowers are fertilized. (If
|
||
pollen is scarce, it is diluted 10-100 parts by weight with flour).
|
||
Pollination can be accomplished simply by placing a bag filled with pollen
|
||
around a bud then shaking it. The pollen settles for a day or two and then
|
||
is removed. Another method is to "paint" the pollen onto the female flowers
|
||
using a small watercolor brush. [pH:Painting HAPPY marijuana plants!] One
|
||
grower insists that it is easiest to pollinate using your fingers.
|
||
The best time to pollinate marijuana is when the flowers are well
|
||
developed but still fresh, and have gone through several stages of growth
|
||
and filling out.
|
||
Breeding is a very detailed subject and this is just a cursory discussion
|
||
of it. For more information, I recommend the book, Marijuana Botany by R.C.
|
||
Clarke. [pH:Next on my list]
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 29 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Harvesting"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Female marijuana goes through several stages of flowering. First a few
|
||
flowers appear. Then new flowers develop around the first ones. Flowers
|
||
also form at each leaf node along the branches and main stem. The buds
|
||
start to fill out so that the cluster becomes thick with pistils (the little
|
||
antennae) reaching out for pollen. The pistils are white, or sometimes
|
||
shaded pink or lavender. They look fresh and moist.
|
||
Some of the pistils begin to wither and turn red, purple, or even a light
|
||
brown. Just as the cluster looks like it's finished, a new wave of flower
|
||
growth appears, usually concentrated in a relatively bare spot. Successive
|
||
waves of flowers may appear for weeks.
|
||
The flowers close, and the calyxes start to swell. This is a false seed
|
||
pof; the flowers have not been fertilized and no seed can develop. These
|
||
pods are totally covered with resin glands. At maturity the glands should
|
||
sparkle like individual jewels in bright light. [pH:A thousand points of
|
||
light! Bush was on[to] something!] The individual glands should appear
|
||
clear under magnification. When the glands turn amber, the buds should be
|
||
harvested.
|
||
No bud should be picked before its time. Plants and varieties differ as
|
||
to maturation pattern. Some plants mature all at once, so that the whole
|
||
plant can be picked. Other varieties mature from the top down. One
|
||
respected researcher claimed "Most plants I've had mature bottom to top.
|
||
The main bud was the last to finish." Under lights, however, the top buds
|
||
mature first most of the time. Next, the buds nearest the top and so on.
|
||
The buds on the outside of the branch are likely to mature faster than inner
|
||
buds. It may take a month before the plant is totally picked. Picking the
|
||
plant a little at a time allows previously shaded portions of the plant to
|
||
receive light and grow.
|
||
|
||
A HARVEST PROBLEM
|
||
|
||
Some equatorial varieties need so much light to mature properly that it
|
||
is virtually impossible to supply the intensity using artificial light as
|
||
the only source. These plants grow flowers but the growth is loose and the
|
||
flowers take months to ripen. Sometimes the flowers "run". They grow very
|
||
sparsely along the stem instead of forming tight clusters. Increasing the
|
||
amount of light helps. One grower said that lowering the temperature in the
|
||
grow room encourages the plants to develop more compact growth.
|
||
Although these equatorial buds may not look great, and have less
|
||
commercial value, they may still be extremely potent and be genetically
|
||
coded for the soaring sativa high.
|
||
Usually, indoor flowers are not as compact as outdoor grown flowers.
|
||
They are every bit as poten though, perhaps more potent. Outdoors, plants
|
||
are subject to a harsh environment. Wind, rain, animals passing through,
|
||
plant and animal droppings all take their toll on THC glands. They are
|
||
punctured, rubbed off or even washed away. Indoors, plants are living in a
|
||
friendlier environment and almost all of the glands produced remain on the
|
||
plant. The more glands present, the stronger the grass.
|
||
|
||
MOLD
|
||
|
||
Dense buds are sometimes attacked by molds. These fast-growing,
|
||
non-green plants grow from spores which float in the air. They start to
|
||
grow when they come in contact with a conducive environment: high humidity,
|
||
low light and temperatures in the 60's. These conditions are most likely to
|
||
occur outdoors or ina greenhouse during harvest season, when the
|
||
temperatures are lower than during the summer and when there is less light
|
||
and higher humidity from the dense foliage. Any moisture or wetness is
|
||
easily trapped in the buds and the molds grow quickly, turning and beautiful
|
||
bug into a mush or slime overnight.
|
||
Indoors, molds also occur during harvest season, usually due to low light
|
||
conditions and too high a humidity.
|
||
There are several things that can be done to prevent molds, and to limit
|
||
the damage that they do. Molds are much less likely to grow when the
|
||
temperature is above their ideal conditions. By keeping the space in the
|
||
high 70's, their growth may be prevented. Since the spores float in the
|
||
air, they can be precipitated using a negative ion generator. This means
|
||
that there are fewer agents to create infections. Lowering the humidity by
|
||
using a dehumidifier or air vent stops the growth.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 30 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Curing and Manicuring"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
When a bud is picked, many of its metabolic processes continue for a
|
||
while. The cells begin to convert carbohydrates back to sugars and break
|
||
down some of the pigments. Chlorophyll is one of the pigments affected.
|
||
Some of it is metabolized and the bud appears a lighter green than when it
|
||
was first picked. Some of the other pigments will show through then, giving
|
||
the bud a red, purple, or cream color.
|
||
To continue to cure, the leaves need to be dried slowly so that moisture
|
||
remains in the cells. They stay alive and continue life processes. On the
|
||
other hand, if the curing process takes too long, mold may form on the buds.
|
||
Small amounts of marijuana dissipate their water quickly in an open room
|
||
because the relative humidity of the air in houses is usually dry. A paper
|
||
bag can be used to conserve water. The bag should be opened and aired twice
|
||
a day. In areas with high humidity or when it is rainy, there is enough
|
||
moisture in the air to let the buds dry in the open air.
|
||
Larger amounts are cured in areas with more air circulation - an attic or
|
||
basement or a dark room will do. A fan may be needed to increase
|
||
circulation. Since all of the vegetation is contributing moisture to the
|
||
air, ventilation is needed to remove it. Rooms that are too moist are
|
||
conducive to mold. If mold appears, increase the heat in the room to 80
|
||
degrees, so that the air can absorb more water.
|
||
Whole plants can be hung upside down but it is much easier to hang
|
||
branches cut in 1-2 foot lengths. These can be hung along lines, laid on
|
||
trays or placed on shelves. It is easy to hang buds using clothespins or
|
||
twist-ties.
|
||
Some growers don't mind a little more chlorophyll taste and would rather
|
||
dry the buds quickly. If the space has low humidity and is warm, the plants
|
||
will dry fast. One grower placed buds in a microwave oven for 30 seconds or
|
||
more on high power so that some of the moisture was removed, then let them
|
||
dry normally. He said it reduced drying time by 50%. Microwaves kill
|
||
seeds, so that buds containing desired seed should not be microwaved.
|
||
Food dehydrators can come in handy, too. They never get very hot so
|
||
little THC is destroyed, yet their warmth promotes quick drying. Some
|
||
growers let the plants dry naturally for a few days and then finish them off
|
||
in a food dryer.
|
||
If plants begin to mold, they should be dried immediately before the
|
||
infection can spread. Mold is contained by keeping infected plants
|
||
seperated from others. This should always be done because of latent spores.
|
||
Drying in an oven is not recommended. Getting the timing wrong or
|
||
forgetting the buds for a few minutes can spell disaster. A vegetable
|
||
dehydrator serves the purpose much better because it has relatively low
|
||
maximum temperatures and will not burn the buds.
|
||
While the plants are drying, the large leaves can be removed using
|
||
scissors, a knife, fingernails, or a clipper. It is harder and takes longer
|
||
to manicure when the plants are wet.
|
||
The best time to manicure is when the plants are near dry. When the
|
||
plants are wet they are difficult to clip. When they are dry many of the
|
||
glands fall off as the bud is handled. When the plants still have some
|
||
moisture, the glands are more likely to stay attached to the plant.
|
||
Manicuring is easier right after picking because the leaves are still
|
||
turgid. Growers sometimes manicure while the plants are still standing.
|
||
The plants are in a convenient position and there seems to be less chance of
|
||
damage to the bud.
|
||
Buds which are too close can be pressed together when they are still wet.
|
||
They will dry in the position they hold. Rolling them gently between one's
|
||
hands shapes them.
|
||
Plenty of light must be used manicuring the buds so that the grower can
|
||
see clearly exactly what he is doing. A good overhead light as well as a
|
||
table or floor lamp will do as long as it is bright. A directional light
|
||
such as an office or typewriter lamp is ideal.
|
||
To manicure, the large sun leaves outisde of the bud area are removed.
|
||
The smaller multi-fingered leaves are removed next. The buds should now
|
||
appear almost naked, except for some single fingered leaves sticking out
|
||
from between the flowers. Rather than removing these leaves entirely, they
|
||
are clipped down to the circumference of the flowers, so that the ends of
|
||
the leaf do not stick out.
|
||
Once the bud has dried, it should be packed in an airtight, lighttight
|
||
container. Buds which are packed moist are likely to mold. One grower left
|
||
some moisture on the buds, packed them in food sealers, and then microwaved
|
||
them to kill the mold. A bud should be left undisturbed until it is to be
|
||
smoked. Every time it is moved, unpacked, or handled, some of the resin
|
||
glands fall off. The glands can be seen cascading through the air whenever a
|
||
is handled roughly.
|
||
Sun leaves are unsuitable for smoking except through a waterpipe. The
|
||
leaves can be prepared for smoking by soaking them in water for several
|
||
hours and then rinsing the leaves. The water dissolves many of the pigments
|
||
and resins including much of the chlorophyll, but the THC remains on the
|
||
leaves. The water is dumped and then the leaves are dried. They smoke much
|
||
smoother than they did originally. They can also be used in cooking, in
|
||
brewing or the THC they hold canbe removed and concentrated.
|
||
The smaller leaves which were trimmed from the buds, including single
|
||
finger leaves and trimming, are quite potent but they do not smoke that
|
||
smoothly. Trim can also be smoked in a waterpipe or soaked in water.
|
||
The buds are usually saved for smoking. The quality of the bud improves
|
||
for several weeks after it has dried. The THC acid loses its water molecule
|
||
and becomes psychoactive. Once the bud is fairly dry, the evaporation can
|
||
be speeded up by keeping the bud in a warm place for a few hours or by using
|
||
a microwave oven.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 31 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Regeneration"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
After the marijuana plant has ripened and the flowers havr reached full
|
||
maturity, it still responds to changes in its environment. Plants can be
|
||
regenerated and can yield a second, third and possibly even more harvests.
|
||
In its natural environment, marijuana flowers in the fall, and then dies
|
||
as the environment becomes inhospitable and the number of daylight hours
|
||
decrease. However, if the daylength increases, the plants soon begin to
|
||
revert from flowering to vegetative growth. At first, the plant produces
|
||
single-fingered leaves, then 3 and 5 fingered leaves. Within a few weeks
|
||
the plants grow at the rapid vegetative rate.
|
||
There are several advantages to regenerating marijuana plants rather than
|
||
starting from seed. The plant has been harvested and its qualities and
|
||
potency are known. The plant has already built its infrastructure. Its
|
||
root system and main stem are already grown so that it takes less energy and
|
||
time for the plant to produce new vegetative growth. A regenerated plant
|
||
produces the same amount of veetatipe rowth in 45 days that takes a plant
|
||
started from seed 75 days.
|
||
To regenerate a plant, some leaves and bud material are left on the stem
|
||
as the plant is harvested. The stem may be let at nearly its full length,
|
||
or cut back to only a few inches above the ground. The more stem with leaf
|
||
material left on the plant, the faster it regenerates, as new growth
|
||
develops at the sites of the remaining leaf material.
|
||
The plant started flowering in response to a change in the light cycle.
|
||
To stop the flowering process, the light cycle is turned back to a long day
|
||
period. The plant reacts as if it had lived through the winter and renews
|
||
growth as i it were spring. Within 7-10 days new non-flowering growth is
|
||
apparent.
|
||
Marijuana seems to react fastest to the change in light cycle when the
|
||
light is kept on continually during the changeoper period. Ater it has
|
||
indicated new 'rowth, the liht cycle may be adjusted to the normal garden
|
||
lighting cycle.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 32 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Cloning"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Clones are a fancy name for cuttings. Almost everyone has taken a piece
|
||
of a plant and placed it in water until it grew roots. As it developed, the
|
||
leaves, flowers, fruit and other characteristics of the plant were exactly
|
||
the same as the donor plant from which it was taken. That cutting was an
|
||
exact genetic reproduction of a donor plant.
|
||
Many growers prefer to start their garden from clones. There are several
|
||
reasons for this.
|
||
Growers must start only a few more plants than needed because all the
|
||
clones, being the same genetic make-up, are the same sex as the donor,
|
||
presumably, female.
|
||
Clone gardens are usually derived from donors which were exceptional
|
||
plants. The new plants are every bit as exceptional as the donor.
|
||
The plants have the same growth and flowering patterns, maturation time,
|
||
nutrient requirements, taste and high. The garden has a uniformity that
|
||
allows the grower to use the space most efficiently.
|
||
Unique plants with rare genetic characteristics can be saved genetically
|
||
intact. For example, a grower had an infertile female. Even though the
|
||
plant was in the midst of a mixed field, it produced no seed. At the end of
|
||
the season the plant was harvested and that rate quality died with the
|
||
plant. Had the grower made cuttings, that plant's traits would have been
|
||
preserved.
|
||
Clone gardens have disadpantages, too. If a disease attacks a garden,
|
||
all of the plants have the same susceptibility because they all have the
|
||
same qualities of resistance. The home gardener may get tired of smoking
|
||
the same stuff all of the time. In terms of genetics, the garden is
|
||
stagnant; there is no sexual reproduction taking place.
|
||
Cuttings root easiest when they are made while the plant is still in its
|
||
vegetative growth stage. However, they can be taken even as the plant is
|
||
being harvested. Some growers think that cuttings from the bottom of the
|
||
plant, which gets less light, are better clone material, but cuttings from
|
||
all parts of the plant can root.
|
||
Cuttings are likely to have a high dropoff rate if they are not given a
|
||
moist, warm environment. They often succumb to stem rot or dehydration.
|
||
Stem rot is usually caused by a lack of oxygen. Dehydration results from
|
||
improper irrigation techniques, letting the medium dry, or from overtaxing
|
||
the new plants. Cuttings do not have the root system required to transpire
|
||
large amounts of water needed under bright light conditions. Instead, they
|
||
are placed in a moderately lit area where their resources are not stressed
|
||
to the limit.
|
||
Growers who are making only 1 or 2 cuttings usually take the new growth
|
||
at the ends of the branches. These starts are 4-6 inches long. All of the
|
||
large leaves are removed and vegetative growth is removed except for an inch
|
||
of leaves and shoots at the end tip. If large numbers of cuttings are being
|
||
taken, a system using less donor-plant material is preferred. Starts can be
|
||
made from many of the internodes along the branch which have vegetative
|
||
growth. These starts are at least an inch long and each one has some leaf
|
||
material.
|
||
If the cuttings are not started immediately, air may get trapped at the
|
||
cut end, preventing the cutting from obtaining water. To prevent this, 1/8
|
||
inch is sliced off the end of the stem immediately before planting or
|
||
setting to root.
|
||
All cuts should be made with a sterile knife, scissors, or razor blade.
|
||
Utensils can be sterilized using bleach, fire, or alcohol. Some
|
||
horticulturists claim that scissors squeeze and injure remaining tissue, but
|
||
this does not seem to affect surpival rates.
|
||
It usually takes between 10 and 20 days for cuttings to root. They root
|
||
fastest and with least dropoff when the medium us kept at about 65 degrees.
|
||
Small cuttings can be rooted in water by floating them. The "Klone Kit",
|
||
which is no longer ap ilable, used small styrofoam chips, which are sold as
|
||
packing material, to hold the cuttings. Holes were placed in the chips with
|
||
a pencil or other sharp instrument, and then the stem slipped through. The
|
||
unit easily floats in the water. The kit also included rooting solution,
|
||
100 milliliter plastic cups (3 ounces), and coarse permiculite. The cups
|
||
were hal filled with vermiculite and then the water-rooting solution was
|
||
poured to the top of the cups. As the water lepel lowered, the cuttin's
|
||
rooted in the permiculite.
|
||
Styrofoam chips can be floated in the water without solid medium. When
|
||
the cuttings begin to root, they are moved to permiculite. One grower
|
||
adapted this t buds, packed them in food sealers, and then microwaved
|
||
them to kill the mold. A bud should be left undisturbed until it is to be
|
||
smoked. Every time it is moved, unpacked, or handled, some of the resin
|
||
glands fall off. The glands can be seen cascading through the air whenever a
|
||
is handled roughly.
|
||
Sun leaves are unsuitable for smoking except through a waterpipe. The
|
||
leaves can be prepared for smoking by soaking them in water for several
|
||
hours and then rinsing the leaves. The water dissolves many of the pigments
|
||
and resins including much of the chlorophyll, but the THC remains on the
|
||
leaves. The water is dumped and then the leaves are dried. They smoke much
|
||
smoother than they did originally. They can also be used in cooking, in
|
||
brewing or the THC they hold canbe removed and concentrated.
|
||
The smaller leaves which were trimmed from the buds, including single
|
||
finger leaves and trimming, are quite potent but they do not smoke that
|
||
smoothly. Trim can also be smoked in a waterpipe or soaked in water.
|
||
The buds are usually saved for smoking. The quality of the bud improves
|
||
for several weeks after it has dried. The THC acid loses its water molecule
|
||
and becomes psychoactive. Once the bud is fairly dry, the evaporation can
|
||
be speeded up by keeping the bud in a warm place for a few hours or by using
|
||
a microwave oven.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 33 of 33
|
||
by pH Imbalance
|
||
"Experiments"
|
||
|
||
from
|
||
|
||
Marijuana Grower's Handbook
|
||
[Indoor/Greenhouse Edition]
|
||
Ed Rosenthal
|
||
|
||
|
||
Horticulturists have reported a number of methods for increasing plant
|
||
yields which are still in the experimental stage. These include stimulating
|
||
growth using an electrical current, the use of estrogen and progestin, and
|
||
the use of strobe lighting.
|
||
|
||
ELECTRICITY
|
||
|
||
Experiments at the University of Maryland indicate that a very weak
|
||
electrical current running through the soil increases the growth rates of
|
||
plants. This stimulation seems to be most effective when the plants are not
|
||
receiving a lower than optimum level of light. Some researchers speculate
|
||
that the current increases the roots' efficiency in obtaining nutrients by
|
||
affecting the chemical-electrical charges of the nutrient dissolved in the
|
||
water. One company manufactures a photovoltaic device specifically to
|
||
charge the soil. The magazine Mother Earth News reported in the March 1984
|
||
issue that plant growth can be doubled using these devices.
|
||
"Sun Stiks" are available from Silicon Sensors, Highway 18 East,
|
||
Dodgeville, Wisconsin 53533.
|
||
|
||
FEMALE HORMONES - BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
|
||
|
||
Over the years there have been a lot of anecdotal reports indicating that
|
||
birth control pills stimulate plant growth. In 1983, a farmer in Texas
|
||
reported that his tomato plants grew many more tomatoes after they received
|
||
two treatments of estrogen-based pills.
|
||
There may be a problem of safety regarding the use of these hormones.
|
||
There have been no studies on what happens to the hormone once it is taken
|
||
up by the plant. When estrogen is given to farm animals, it increases their
|
||
growth rate, but the meat contains traces of the substance, which sometimes
|
||
affects people who eat it.
|
||
|
||
STROBE LIGHTS
|
||
|
||
Some botanists have speculated that the pigments which are used in
|
||
photosynthesis respond to energy peaks in the light wave. These scientists
|
||
believe that much of the light is wasted by the plant because it isn't
|
||
"peak". They speculate that much energy could be saved by supplying the
|
||
plant only with light "peaks". One way to do this is by using a strobe unit
|
||
in place of conventional lighting. The strobe flashes a high intensity of
|
||
light, but it is on for only fractions of a second. The result is that the
|
||
plants receive many light peaks in between periods of darkness.
|
||
There has been little research on this theory, but one grower claimed to
|
||
get satisfactory results.
|
||
One way to use a strobe without too much risk might be to use it to
|
||
supplement more conventional lighting. If a higher growth rate is noticed,
|
||
the strobes could be tried alone. Should this system worm, electrical costs
|
||
could be lowered by as much as 75%.
|
||
|
||
|
||
[pH:And Thus Ends "Marijuana Growers Handbook"]
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|