Tip of the Month

This page will be moderated by one of our growing gurus. Regularly we will provide you with useful tips to help your crop, large or small thrive.

Lighting Cycle
May 2011

Natural sunlight is the best form of light for growing plants but, their life cycle can be better controlled with artificial lighting. The life cycle of the marijuana plant is determined by the hours of light per day. A young marijuana plant tends to grow fast if it is grown under continuous light for the first two months of its development. Although lamps should be kept as close as possible they should never be allowed to touch the plants. The best light for plant growth emits high intensities of blue and red bands. The amount of light you need to supply your plants depends on the size of the garden, at least 20 watts per square foot is recommended. Plants entering the vegetative stage enjoy up to 22 hours of light per day with 12 hours of less required for flowering.

The more light you give your plants the faster they will grower. You should also use a fan to cool down your plants if the lights in a small grow room raise the temperature too much. If there is insufficient lighting in the grow room plants will often grow tall and thin in search of the light. It is important to not wake you plants by switching on the lights if they are in the dark period of their daily light cycle. Although easy to control, the daily light photo period is the single most important factor in the growth of your plants.

Patience Pays Off
April 2011

Don't harvest too early! Although it may be hard to see the buds and resin forming at a rapid rate without feeling tempted to chop them down do not do it. The problem being that another 25% of the weight will form in the next two weeks. Wait until the plants have totally stopped growing and the white pistils are at least 50-75% brown. Premature cannabis harvest can result in poorly dried marijuana and badly cured buds. Patience and restraint will result in a much more potent plant. Expert indoor marijuana growers should inspect their pot plants twice a day to determine when their weed plants should be harvested, dried and cured.

Indica plants have a week long window of harvesting opportunity before they become less potent. Sativa plants have a much longer harvesting time depending on the desired effect. Sativas often take 30-40 days longer to flower than indica plants. Plants should be hung upside down in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 48-72 hours. A small fan should be used to create air circulation. These critical final steps are the difference between amazing cannabis and poor quality. By demonstrating restraint and patience a grower will be rewarded with great product.

Remember, the later you crop your plants the more you may increase the likelihood of bacteria and fungal problems such as molds and mildews. It is only in the event of these types of problems, should your plants be harvested immaturely.

Keep Everything Clean!
March 2011

This means your tools, your floors, your walls, and yourself. Always be sure to put on clean clothes and shoes as well as wash your hands before entering your room. it pays when you have no bugs, disease or an environment for them to produce in. When bringing in plants from an outside source make sure that the plants in question are quarantined and isolated. Treat them with whatever pest management you wish to eliminate pest or fungus issues before bringing them into your pristine grow environment.

Germination
February 2011

Not all growers feel this stage is necessary. These growers prefer to simply place the seeds below the loose soil surface. Germinating your seeds ahead of time is a great way to know which seeds are and are not viable beforehand. To germinate your seeds, simply take a paper towel and pour water onto the paper towel. Soak the entire paper bowl. The seeds need a lot of water in order to germinate properly. Put several seeds onto the paper towel and cover the remaining section with another paper towel. Soak the second paper towel with water. Some people choose different methods in storing the seeds for germination. Regardless of what you choose it is important to place the towels in a warm dark place and check back in 24 hours. You should see the small white sprouts penetrating the seed coat, once these sprouts are 10mm in length they are ready to plant.

Foliar Spraying
January 2011

Contrary to what a lot of people believe to be true it is very important to regularly spray or mist your plants. Plants will feed off the nutrients supplied to their leaves with a nutrient solution mixture. Foliar spraying provides plants with a easy, quick boost for bigger, better and over all high yielding plants. It is important to know that foliar spraying can not take place of root feedings. You will need to use a fine misting spray bottle and spray your plants once a day. Spray early in the day between 7:00am-10:00am or when the lights come on after 5:00pm. Mix the root fertilizers half strength and spray the whole plant. Cease the foliar feeding two weeks into flowering.

Type of Lighting (3/3)
December 2010

Light is one of the basic requirements to grow cannabis and it is very important to get right. You need blue light to grow and yellow/red to flower. There are four popular lighting systems you can purchase, this month we will cover the new and upcoming breed of lighting - LED grower lights.

LED lights have increased performance in leaps and bounds over the past decade. They cost less to run, and have a better life span than any other light. They produce almost zero heat. You will save on heat extraction, dried out plants, space, reflectors and ballast costs. Make sure you do your research on the exact bulb that you are obtaining and which colour.

Type of Lighting (2/3)
November 2010

Light is one of the basic requirements to grow cannabis and it is very important to get right. You need blue light to grow and yellow/red to flower. There are four popular lighting systems you can purchase, this month we will cover Fluorescent and CFL grower lights.

Fluorescent lighting emits across the whole range of the spectrum and is suitable for growing marijuana. Fluorescent bulbs are available in a variety of types, roughly speaking they can be categorized into cool, warm and daylight light. The daylight types work best but a mixture will also suffice. Despite being cheaper than old fluorescents initially they are less efficient in the long run than some other types of new lighting available. Since they have a low heat output, fluorescent can be placed in a very close proximity to the plants, indeed this is advised as their actual light output is quite low. Many growers use fluorescent lights for seedlings and young plants as their light demand is lower.

Type of Lighting (1/3)
October 2010

Light is one of the basic requirements to grow cannabis and it is very important to get right. You need blue light to grow and yellow/red to flower. There are four popular lighting systems you can purchase, this month we will cover HID lights – High intensity discharge grower lights.

HID lights are the most efficient way of transferring electricity into light. You might have seen them in stadiums. There are two types commonly used both known as HID lights. They are High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide Lights. Metal halide grow lights emit light with a lot of blue in the spectrum. This is perfect for vegetative growth. They are not ideal for the flowering phase. Many growers use metal halide just for the vegetative grow phase and switch to high pressure sodium for the flowering. High pressure sodium lights emit a orange or amber light. Although high pressure sodium grow lights are not the optimum light for vegetative growth they work very well and are the most popular type of grow light for anyone who may be on a limited budget.

Leave the Leaves
September 2010

Learned growers rarely practice the technique of leaf stripping, that is unless subjected to grow room constraints and most frown on it. The plant needs the leaf as much as it needs the roots and stems. It is however good and common practice to remove any foliage deemed over 50% necrotic (dead).

Stay Safe, Look for the Logo
August 2010

If you are using CO2, a carbon monoxide detector should be used.

You will need CSA or UL approved equipment in Canada for your medical garden, so when purchasing your equipment make sure you see either logo.

Leave it to the Pros
July 2010

Before you begin your grow, have an electrician come in, this is an operation only for qualified individuals. Don't mess about unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing at all times. To make it easier you can run the wire to the grow externally and leave the other end for the electrician. Make sure to use 10/2 wire and, if available at the box, make the breaker 30 amps. DO NOT overtax the main lines feeding your home or space.

What’s That Smell?
June 2010

Odours created by marijuana can be prevented from drifting to adjacent properties by incorporating one or more of the following:

• activated charcoal filtration;
• ozone generation;
• negative ion generation systems

Lock It Up
May 2010

Medical cannabis should always be cultivated in an appropriately secured location. Doors should have double deadbolt locks, and a safe is needed to store the medicine. Ensure your medical cannabis remains secure and does not find its way to illicit markets. A monitored alarm system such as ADT is recommended for your personal security.

Be Patient
April 2010

It is fundamental that your plant is allowed to establish itself before you initiate forced flowering. If a plant is too young and has not been properly established in your system or environment, you run a higher risk of stressing the plant, resulting in sickly and weaker overall specimen, or that you end up growing a stunted " bonsai " plant.

Marijuana Shelf-Life and Storage
March 2010

Cannabis can be stored for a significant amount of time with little loss in product quality or potency if the storage method is suitable. There is little deterioration of THC over 12-18 months if stored properly.

This storage method is best described as tightly sealed in a cool, dark, dry and stable environment.

Keeping your Medical Marijuana Moist
February 2010

If your product gets too dry, you can add an apple or a small carrot to the bag or jar much like you do with brown sugar. Just don't leave it in too long, we recommend about 8 hours at a time to avoid any possible molding.

Curing your Cannabis
January 2010

When curing your product make sure to take your time and sweat the product 3-4 times before bagging and weighing. This helps to eliminate any excess moisture.