Medpot Minstrel: Hydroponics Medical Marijuana

2009-12-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

American Majority: Drug War is a failure!

Majority Favors Marijuana

Jordan Smith Fri Dec 11, 5:05pm

Courtesy of DEA

It's official: A majority of Americans think the drug war is a loser, that the country has a serious drug abuse problem, and that marijuana should be legalized.

That's the result of a new national poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted earlier this month. Overall, 68% of respondents said the War on Drugs is a failure, 70% said they believe America "has a serious drug abuse problem which affects the entire country," and 53% said they support legalizing marijuana.

Notably, the assessment that the drug war is a failure was shared by all respondents, regardless of political affiliation or geographic location – 67% of Dems and Republicans and 76% of independent voters said the war is a loser. And while more than half of survey respondents said they favor legalizing marijuana, the vast majority said they would oppose legalizing other drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and methamphetamine. (With 8% in favor, powder cocaine and ecstasy won the most support for legalization.) Fully 61% of Dems, 43% of Republicans and 55% of independents said they support marijuana legalization.

Fantastic! Check out what the future looks like (after Prohibition is ended) at the following video link.

Also, this medical marijuana website has a lot of material that is helpful, if you wanna grow your own!

2009-10-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Cannabis Planet Show 3, Part 3

Join the revolution for Bigger Yields by signing up for the Growers Underground! Check out this video to see what life will be like after cannabis prohibition is lifted! We'll all be high and productive at the same time! This sacred herb has been used in healing for centuries!

2009-10-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Great Marijuana Debate Draws Crowd

More than 70 students, some irate and begging to attend, were turned away from an overflowing La Rose theater Monday night, where speakers discussed the hotly debated issue on whether or not marijuana should be leagalized during “The Great Marijuana Debate.”

Students, faculty and members of the Burlington community may have crowded the room and spilled into the aisles because of the new Obama administration policy that will not press charges against those who use or sell medical marijuana, provided they abide by the state laws and new policy guidelines. That change, which was announced two weeks ago, moves America closer to ending, or at least partially ending, the prohibition against marijuana now than at any other point.

Morals and Prohibition
Paul Chabot, an Iraq war veteran and father, offered the con side of the issue and stressed the moral concerns of legalizing marijuana, while Kris Krane, former representative of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, discussed the positive aspects of legalizing marijuana.
“We’re better than them,” Chabot said in his opening statement. “We have a responsibility for ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Chabot framed his position as the minority and the underdog, saying “pro-drug” advocates outnumber anti-drug supporters at least 100 to one. He said those who want legalization had more money for campaigning and that a majority of Americans want to see marijuana legalized.
While Chabot stressed the moral responsibility every American in the room had to uphold the country’s values and beliefs, Krane brought the a udience back to the 1920’s, a time of speak easies and prohibition.

Krane spoke about America’s “very noble” and “moral goal” to rid the country of alcohol and all the problems associated with it.

“What the country soon discovered was that prohibition did not make alcohol go away,” Krane said. “But it made the problems surrounding alcohol worse.”

The problems alcohol created in the 1920s are the same issues America faces regarding marijuana today, Krane said. Illegalizing a substance only creates more crime and unsafe practices.

In the 1930’s, after only two minutes of floor debate, marijuana was rendered illegal. “Marijuana remains illegal today, despite having caused no overdose deaths, and despite being no more harmful than legal and regulated alcohol and tobacco,” Krane said.
Chabot, in contrast, said marijuana was rightly outlawed.

Taxation and the economy
“For every dollar that you would make from taxation, you would spend about eight cleaning up the cost,” Chabot said.

Chabot said he finds the push for taxing marijuana interesting because those who are pushing for taxation are very anti-government.

Those who want marijuana to be taxed are simply trying to compromise with the government to get the amendment passed, Chabot said.

Krane, along with other supporters of legalization, said he is not asking for lawless legalization, but for one with rules and regulations. This should be a choice people do in the privacy of their own homes or in restricted public areas, such as a marijuana bars.

Krane said he believes that if marijuana was made legal, with stricter laws surrounding sales and distribution, rules would be enforced. Buyers would be carded, making buying marijuana much harder than it is today, and sellers would be held responsible by the government.

Krane also argued the legalization of marijuana would greatly impact the economy in a positive manner.

“The state of California alone would stand to benefit $1.4 billion in annual tax revenue,” Krane said.

While some of the profits would be allocated for treatment cost, Krane said he feels this is a market the U.S. government could benefit from greatly.

And not just in tax revenue, Krane said, but jobs as well. There would be licensed sellers and distributors, something Krane said he believes should be up to the state to decide how to manage the stores, much like each state is responsible for its own alcohol distribution.

Chabot said the direction which Krane spoke of is exactly where the country should not go. He spoke of responsibility of American citizens saying, “We are better than that.”

Chabot said some people will never “grow up” on this issue. Instead, his goal is to educate youth about responsible choices.

“( Los Angeles ) is an example of what not to become,” Chabot said. “Parks are made for kids, not drug users.”

Chabot, as many anti-marijuana advocates argue, questioned whether or not this would be the beginning of the process to legalize all drugs. He also argued that marijuana is the gateway to other drugs.

“Marijuana is the safest, therapeutically active substance known to man,” Krane rebuttled. “DEA’s words, not mine.”

Alex Crockford, a sophomore, found the debate intriguing.

“It’s hard for Chabot to prove his point when the majority uses,” Crockford said. “In the long run, as people get older, they will use it less as they become role models.”

And if you want to grow you own medicine, subscribe to this awesome hydroponics newsletter!

Source: Pendulum, The (NC Edu Elon University)Copyright: Elon University Pendulum2009Contact:
male2('opinions','elon.edu');
opinions@elon.eduWebsite: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Author: Samantha King

2009-10-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

The Green Debate

Rhode Island — On Oct. 19, the Justice Department circulated a memorandum to federal prosecutors in Rhode Island and the other 13 medical marijuana states instructing them not to prosecute individuals using medical marijuana or those involved in dispensary operations that are “in clear and unambiguous compliance” with state laws. The move was hailed by medical marijuana advocates such as Stephen Gutwillig, California state director of the Drug Policy Alliance, who called it “an extremely welcome rhetorical de-escalation of the federal government’s long-standing war on medical marijuana patients.” We generally approve of ending wars but, as Americans have learned recently, winning the peace can be just as important.

In this context, that would be Rhode Island taking advantage of the unprecedented window of opportunity created by the Justice memo to develop a superior medical marijuana distribution system.

We should first be clear that the new federal guidelines do not forbid all prosecution. Dispensaries and patients that are in violation of state laws can be still raided by local authorities. Additionally, not all federal prosecution has been taken off the table. The two most important loopholes allow federal prosecutors to go after dispensaries otherwise in compliance with state laws if they either believe the dispensaries are selling marijuana for profit (as opposed to the standard non-profit model) or if a prosecution would further “important federal interests,” presumably meaning the arrest of drug traffickers.

One might wonder whether, given such broad exceptions, the new memo really is good news for Rhode Island. San Francisco’s crusading federal attorney, Joseph Russoniello, has gone after San Francisco dispensaries on the grounds that they make a profit since August. Is there anything to prevent the same thing from happening in Rhode Island?
Yes: more transparency. The more open Rhode Island makes the operations of its proposed dispensaries, the less pretext federal prosecutors will have to raid them on trumped up charges. More transparent operations will significantly decrease the incentives for players in the illegal drug trade to get involved with dispensaries, as it will make them more vulnerable to prosecution.

Significant transparency is possible in the status quo. According to the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, the amendment allowing for dispensaries contains provisions requiring “good oversight and recordkeeping procedures.” Once Rhode Island officials have cleared that hurdle, possibilities for innovation abound.

As we’ve noted before, there are a number of flaws in the dispensary systems used by California. Now that Rhode Island knows exactly what the federal government expects from it (at least during President Obama’s term), it has a chance to develop policies that improve on the current model.

Rhode Island should consult with law enforcement and patient advocacy groups like RIPAC as to what these new guidelines might permit in terms of policies the state might not have implemented in a climate of uncertainty about federal action. Such consultation would help the state to develop procedures that could benefit local patients and governments and, by serving as a model, patients and state governments nationwide. If so, the Justice memo will mark a huge step forward in the United States’ twisted history with drug policy.

And if you want to grow you own medicine, subscribe to this awesome hydroponics newsletter!

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board.
Source: Brown Daily Herald, The (Brown, RI Edu)Copyright: 2009 The Brown Daily HeraldWebsite: http://www.browndailyherald.com/

2009-08-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

Aerial Protest Bud Banner

For further videos and articles on the SF protest and all things hydroponics, join the Growers Underground against hypocrisy!

2009-06-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Erik Biksa Interview with a Master Grower

I came across this incredible interview and I'm sure that readers of this blog will find it fascinating, as well. I discovered more about growing medpot in the forty-five minutes it took to listen, than in several years of growing my own. I'll be listening again and again, with a notebook in hand.

For further discoveries on the hydroponics front, please check out the best damn newsletter on the web. You'll certainly be glad you did!

Legalize pot, stop violence!

2009-05-05T06:06:00.001-07:00

It seems that our Canadian neighbors agree--if you end Prohibition and give people back their freedom to grow what they like, pot would be taken out of the hands of the gangs and the shootings would stop.

clipped from www.cannabisnews.org

65 Per Cent In B.C. Want Marijuana To Be Legalized

Sixty-five per cent of the respondents would legalize marijuana in order to minimize violence, while 35 per cent think harsher penalties for marijuana trafficking are the answer.

“The illegal marijuana industry is linked to much of the gang violence on B.C.’s streets,” said the poll, which asked respondents to choose between either the legalization of pot or increased penalties as a way to decrease violence. Police have linked at least 17 of this year’s 34 homicides in the Lower Mainland to gangs or drugs.

“The poll shows that people are way ahead of politicians on this issue,” said Neil Boyd, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University.

Carlos Santana has advice for Obama

2009-04-08T15:36:00.001-07:00

I came across this article that shows how celebrities can be instrumental in social change. A few postings ago I commended Montel Williams for his advocacy of medicinal marijuana. Santana goes further than that, calling for the legalization of pot in general!

clipped from www.examiner.com

'Legalizing marijuana will transform America'

The argument to legalize marijuana is back in the news, after rock legend and Obama supporter Carlos Santana said that marijuana needs to be legalized, while also taking a hard swipe at California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Santana went on to give a heart-felt plea to President Obama, saying, "Bring the brothers home, and sisters home now. Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education. You will see a transformation in America."

2009-03-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Medpot is freed from DEA tyranny!

Barack Obama is the first President who admits to having inhaled. So his Attorney General told the DEA to lay off medpot users and dispensaries in States which allow the use of medicinal marijuana.

This much welcome development has had its repercussions in pending court cases, as well. Check out this video to learn more:

And if you want to grow you own medicine, subscribe to this awesome hydroponics newsletter!

Peace, Love, Respect,
Wes

God bless the Obama Administration!

2009-02-27T17:29:00.001-08:00

A politician who actually does what he said he would do during the campaign? Unusual, you say? Well, Barack Obama promised to stop the raids on marijuana dispensaries in States that allow the growing and use of medical marijuana, and his Attorney General just announced that the DEA will finally halt such raids!

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com

DEA to halt medical marijuana raids

Supporters of programs to provide legal marijuana to patients with painful medical conditions are celebrating Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

2009-01-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

Hydroponics Rocks!

Came across this cool video on YouTube. Enjoy:

To discover more about Advanced Nutrients, check out THIS LINK!

Let's Get Real About Medpot Prices

2009-01-08T07:20:00.001-08:00

The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association has an active website containing a number of interesting blogs. You may want to check them out. I'm providing a mere sample here, but many other topics are covered. With the Obama inauguration coming up on January 20th, medicinal marijuana advocates are looking forward to a very active year!

clipped from www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org

Lets remember, that most Disabled People are on a fixed income. I for one currently use about 1 Ounce per week. If you were to charge me $400 and Ounce, that would cost me $20,800 a year. GET REAL! If we were to break that down to Monthly cost, it would be $1733. It is allready bad enough that alot of patients have to decide wether to buy their perscriptions this month or buy FOOD. (And YES, this happens alot) You would NOT be helping patients, you would only be helping Yourself and would be considered a GREEDY #%@#& in my eyes. (5 X $20,800 = $104,000) Unless of course it was an extreme patient, where you had to spend 40 hours a week changing diapers and wiping asses. Personally, I dont know of any Home Health Workers that make over $100K a year. Dont forget, it is OUR plant, and the only reason you will be able to Grow and Provide MMJ Legally is because we are sick and need help!

2008-11-30T01:13:00.001-08:00

One of the most important medpot developments of the year, aside from the election of Barack Obama, was the position paper issued by the American College of Physicians. Copied off a New Zealand medpot website, here is the gist of this milestone:

American College of Physicians Speaks Out for Medical Marijuana In January 2008, the American College of Physicians (ACP) — the largest medical specialty organization and the second largest physician group in the United States, representing over 124,000 members — released a landmark position paper calling for legal protection for medical marijuana patients, reconsideration of marijuana’s federal classification as a Schedule I drug (banned for medical use), and expanded research.

clipped from medpot.co.nz

Entitled “Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana,” the paper cites extensive evidence for the clinical safety and efficacy marijuana and its active components, called cannabinoids. ACP is one of the world’s most prestigious medical societies and publishes Annals of Internal Medicine, the most widely cited medical specialty journal in the world. ACP joins the Institute of Medicine, American Public Health Association, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Nurses Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and dozens of other medical and health organizations that support medical marijuana access. Key excerpts from the report are below.

2008-10-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

Politics are Important to Medpot Patients

I hope you visit my MySpace page soon, because it contains links to many fine musicians and lots of fine music!

Some of my recent friends include Pete Seeger, Donovan, Serena Ryder, Victoria Fuller, Gandhi, and Rumi. Yes, MySpace is a remarkable place where you can befriend legendary or young, contemporary musicians, as well as great human beings from the past who are still very much alive on this amazing website!

Among my original MySpace friends, are Marc Emery and Loretta Nall. The former is still awaiting extradition from Canada to the U.S. for selling pot seeds over the Internet, while the latter ran for Governor of Alabama as a Libertarian, advocating the legalization of medpot in that State.

A great example of a political advocate for medicinal marijuana is talk show host Montel Williams. His courage in speaking out for legalization of medpot can only be admired. If more celebrities admitted to using cannabis for medicinal purposes, we'd have much less irrational fear surrounding the issue!

With the most important Presidential election coming up very soon, my thoughts turn to the importance of politics for medpot patients. This is no time to shirk our responsibilities and retreat into feigned neutrality. No, I am not neutral. I wholeheartedly support Barack Obama for President! BTW, he is one of my MySpace friends!

What the Republicans did to the economy is inexcusable. Their irrational espousing of an unfettered free market economy and their criminal habit of turning a blind eye to the excesses of unbridled capitalism has gotten the world to where it is now. Sure, now they advocate regulation and government involvement. A classic case of too little, too late.

Throw the bums out! I say this without reservation! Just think of how much better we were under Clinton. Only under a Democratic administration can we ever hope to stop the archaic government regulations toward marijuana--we can at least remove it from being demonized by the Controlled Substances Act as a dangerous drug on par with heroin.

Medicinal marijuna must be legalized, not just in the handful of States where it's already permitted by local laws, but throughout the United States. Only then can we once again pride ourselves as living in the home of the brave and the land of the free!

A Democratic administration is our best bet to have alternate technologies supported and accepted by the powers that be. Technologies such as Solar, Wind, Tidal, and Ocean Thermal energy. As well as Home Hydroponics, which, I firmly believe, holds the key to solving impending food and energy shortages throughout the world.

Think about it, if we all had hydroponic gardens in our basements, we could not only grow pot as medicine, but also our own vegetables, which would not only result in fresher, tastier vegetables on our tables, but also preclude the necessity of having them trucked in from afar, considerably cutting down on carbon emissions.

2008-09-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Easy Hydroponics---Scorpion Juice

I am tremendously busy with my work to post too many times, but since Scorpion Juice saved my crop so many times, I felt that I owed Advanced Nutrients this plug. This product is a must for any serious grower! Plant immunity to pests and pathogens is priceless when you're growing your own medicine. You don't want all your efforts and money to go to waste. Discover more about this great product by clicking here!

2008-07-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Indoor Gardening, the Beatles, and Healing

Been so busy with my job that I hardly have time for anything else. I’ve been neglecting my MySpace page, too. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can visit it by clicking here.

There’s loads of good music accessible through my MySpace page. Serena Ryder comes to mind. She’s a very young Canadian musician who sounds a bit like Buffy Sainte-Marie in some of her songs. She is very talented! I just heard on the CBC (yeah, I confess, I do listen to Canadian radio here in the Pacific Northwest—it’s public radio, without the annoying ads you get on most U.S. stations!) that she’s appearing at a festival somewhere in BC soon, I didn’t quite catch which one.

She’s listed as one of my Top 40, so all you have to do to listen to her music is to click on her picture, get magically transported to her page, and wait until the music loads. Hope you agree that she’s a tremendous talent!

Ringo Starr just celebrated a birthday recently, so I put him back among my Top friends. I figure the man is a legend, and even though his musical talents have been called into question now and again, he did rub shoulders with the likes of John Lennon and George Harrison, not to mention Mr. Divorce, Paul McCartney! Then again, I have a soft spot for Yellow Submarine, and It Ain’t Easy.

My grow is progressing nicely, thank you. I’ve stopped writing blow by blow descriptions of my weekly progress with my medical marijuana plants, since the cycle just repeats itself every three months or so and I use the same basic winning formula to produce my usual 35 or so giant kolas, so if anyone’s really interested in how I do it, they can just click on my archival posts.

I use Sensi Grow Two-Part for veg and Connoisseur A & B for bloom, along with a whole array of supplements, beneficials, and bloom boosters that Advanced Nutrients has tested out over the years and we’re absolutely certain work very well together. Check out their Nutrient Calculator!The proof is in the pudding, as the four lads used to say in Liverpool.

As legend goes, Bob Dylan turned them onto pot in a hotel room, with Allen Ginsberg present, and the rest, as they say, is history. Magical Mystery Tour and Sergeant Pepper would never have been born, were it not for Lady Jane—the sacred herb that has been used in healing for centuries. From what I hear from old hippies, the Beatles came along just at the right time in the sixties to heal a whole generation suffering from the woes of the world—i.e. the war in Viet Nam, international student unrest, racial tension in American cities, and starvation in the Third World.

“Because the world is round, it turns me on…” “All you need is love…”; for a brief moment in history, the four lads indeed were—in the words of John Lennon-- “more popular than Jesus.”

2008-05-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Grow--legalize it!

I found this nicely shot video of a Mylar covered grow space with robust cannabis plants covered in buds on a website, so I decided to embed the video on my blog. However, the powers that be decided to deprive you, dear reader of this blog, from looking at this video. It was a 55 second journey into what could be if we had enlightened leadership vis a vis this healing herb that had been used by physicians and shamans as medicine for centuries. Another example how the long arm of censorship reaches into all of our lives, whether we like it or not.

So, by all means, Google "cannabis grow videos" and look at some of them while you still can!

Peace, Love, Respect,
Wes

PS--Isn't it odd, as soon as I wrote this, the video reappeared!

2008-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hydroponics Secrets #15--Connoisseur

2008-04-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hydroponics produces powerful medicine

Sorry about such a long time between blog entries. I promise to pick up the pace soon. The demands of my job made it necessary to cut back on some of my favorite activities, including writing this blog. There are only so many hours in the day, and when the pressure builds, something’s gotta give.

However, my marijuana medicine is magic when it comes to releasing the pressure. Whenever I get so wound up I can’t imagine getting any sleep, I roll a blunt and inhale deeply. Soon I am lying back in my recliner and listening to soothing reggae, blues, or mellow jazz.

If you visit my page on MySpace, you’ll see how many famous musicians have supported me and Claire by signing up as our friends. One black dude even commented how Squirrel is a cool name for our daughter. It’s only her nickname, but we appreciated the compliment.

Tibet has been troubling me. I have the greatest respect for the Dalai Lama and my heart grieves for the demonstrator killed by the Chinese military. If you haven’t yet, please sign the petition urging both sides to seek a peaceful solution.

I clean my grow room meticulously in between crops. If you want to keep pests and pathogens away, you must follow common sense sanitary procedures. The pumps and tubes and reservoir and baked clay pebbles all have to be thoroughly scrubbed and washed and checked for flaws.

I use Advanced Nutrients Sensi Two-Part for the vegetative cycle of my young plants and after I make my selection and end up with six sinsemilla plants, I switch to Connoisseur A & B. This premium fert is well worth the price. My last harvest consisted of 28 huge buds. The previous one saw my six plants provide 25 humongous kolas.

I manicure and trim my buds while they’re still attached to the live plant, in order to minimize damage. If you wait too long the buds become brittle and there’s greater chance of damage.

This time I used not only Carbo Load Liquid, but also Sweet Leaf, a great product that contains berry sugars and molasses, designed to enhance the flavor and aroma of the smoke. Does it ever!

Anyway, Claire is very busy these days, as well. Her migraines have improved to such an extent (thanks to our daily toke) that she is working on writing a novel, if you can believe that. Guess what? Medicinal marijuana and excruciating migraines play a large part in the story. Write what you know is good advice…

Will try to make an appearance more often in these pages. In the meantime, visit me on MySpace and look at some great videos! And please visit my friends’ pages and listen to some great music (Sting, Neil Young, Ani di Franco, and Ziggy Marley are just some of my MySpace friends that you might have heard of…)

2007-12-30T03:48:00.000-08:00

Hydroponics Helps Us Grow Our Own Medicine

Hydroponics has certainly revolutionized indoor cannabis production, as it has the growing of many vegetables and fruits in greenhouses. Cut flowers have also benefited from this method of propagation.

Hydroponic gardening has afforded me another bountiful harvest at the end of November. My six sinsemilla ladies produced 25 huge, resinous buds that are now being cured in large glass jars in my drying closet.

The size and potency of my marijuana buds is a testimony to the efficacy of Connoisseur A & B, the Advanced Nutrients super premium bloom fertilizer that I’ve used for my last three growth cycles.

I grow my plants using an ebb and flow hydroponic system in a room adjacent to my home office in the basement of our home. In my opinion, the ebb and flow (or flood and drain) is the Rolls Royce of hydroponic systems, that features a modular construction (you can add as many or few modules or buckets, as necessary).

For the vegetative stage of my plants, I use AN’s Sensi Grow A & B, an excellent base fertilizer. Before I started using Connoisseur, I used Sensi Bloom A & B for the bloom phase, which is an excellent fert in its own right.

Since my end of November harvest, I’ve started 15 seeds and am now in the process of sex selection. This process, as described in my last post, results in choosing the six strongest female plants to continue into bud formation and full bloom.

I am very grateful to the plant scientists at Advanced Nutrients, who have developed the world’s best nourishment for plants. In addition to my base ferts, I also use their entire Plus Program, which involves additives, supplements, root colonizers, and bloom boosters. These are designed to optimize your yields.

For instance, by adding Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice at half strength into my hydro reservoir, I supply the roots of my plants with beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes that not only make the roots grow faster and bigger, but also aid in the absorption of vital nutrients.

The only reason for using these products at half strength in hydro is that they multiply much faster in a water environment, than they do in soil.

In test after test, plants grown with these beneficial microorganisms grew bigger, more robust, and developed largest buds and flowers, than plants grown without the benefit of these products.

I apologize for not blogging more often this year, but job pressures and family obligations have kept me away from doing so. We had a good Christmas, with Squirrel getting many of the items on her long wish list.

Claire and I are ever so grateful for our daily medicinal smoke, which makes her migraines bearable and ensures that my immune system keeps my cancer at bay.

We wish the readers of this blog a very Happy New Year! Please visit my MySpace page to listen to some great music, see some funny videos, and be connected to my list of MySpace friends, many of whom are very talented singer/songwriters.

2007-10-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sexing my Ladies, Feeding my Buds, Listening to Baez

My 15 seedlings have morphed into 6 ladies, through early sex detection. I prefer the Dutch method, which involves putting a lightproof, black paper bag over a selected branch of each plant, and keeping it on for 12 hours each night, while the rest of the plant is getting the regular veg lighting regimen, which is 18/6.

Some growers keep the light on for 24 hours, but I was told by someone whose opinion I respect, that any light energy after 18 hours of continuous illumination just goes to waste. Cannabis plants are not able to continue photosynthesis on a non-stop basis.

Anyhow, the black paper bag test showed me that I had 8 females, 4 males, and 3 hermies. The latter are short for hermaphrodites, or cannabis plant having both male and female characteristics.

Since I choose to grow only unfertilized, virgin females (sinsemilla), I had to get rid of not only the males and hermies, but also two females. That hurt, but I observed my 8 ladies very closely, and determined the two weakest ones to give away.

I don’t thrash the plants I don’t use, I give them to a fellow medpot user who makes good use of them. These plants still have a THC content, so they can be smoked as medicine, but they’re just not as potent as sinsemilla plants.

As those who read this blog regularly must know by now, Claire and I are lawful medpot growers and users in the jurisdiction in which we dwell. Claire suffers from excruciating migraines, while I am a recovering cancer patient.

I used to let my six ladies (one for each bucket in my ebb and flow modular system) veg for a full eight weeks and they used to reach heights that came very close to my one 600W High Pressure Sodium light fixture.

However, more recently I learned that allowing only five weeks of veg time, then switching to 12/12 and letting my plants bloom for a full eight weeks, is a better method. Since I’m using the Advanced Nutrients super fert, Connoisseur A & B for bloom, sometimes it even takes a few extra days for my humungous and prolific buds to mature.

But when they do, they’re dripping with resin and are the most aromatic, tasty, and potent buds that I have ever grown. The polyamino alcohols in this super premium fert elasticize the cells of my cannabis ladies and allow them to store extra carbohydrates.

This extra energy store is responsible for the proliferation of bud sites and the truly colossal buds that the rest of Connoisseur’s ingredients nourish to harvest.

We also use the Plus Program, meaning that we use each AN product recommended by the Nutrient Calculator on the AN website that goes along with my veg fert, Sensi Grow A & B, as well as my super powerful bloom fertilizer.

I’m spending a lot of time on my MySpace page, building up the number of my friends. I am ever so grateful to number Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, and John Lennon among my friends!

Yeah, MySpace is that magical place where those heroes of mine who are no longer with us continue to live on as cyberspace personas. The page administrators of Jim Croce, Johnny Cash, Allen Ginsberg, and George Harrison also allowed me to list them as “friends,” and I’m very grateful, indeed.

BTW, if you visit my page, please click on the Joan Baez picture among those of all my friends. Her page plays a song called “Jerusalem” which knocked me out! Gonna have to download that one, for sure!

2007-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

A Reggae Legend and 11 Tips for Growing Medpot

Reggae is contagious. It is probably the purest musical form that grew out of cannabis culture. If it doesn’t make you wanna get up dance, you’re probably not being born, you’re busy dying.

Been listening to a lot of Peter Tosh lately. His “Bush Doctor” CD is mindblowing. It has all of Creation in it, along with a song calling for the legalization of marijuana, and a duet with Mick Jagger, to boot.

“Everybody’s crying out for peace,
but none are crying out for justice.
We won’t get no peace,
Until we get equal rights and justice.”

If marijuana were to be legalized in Jamaica, Tosh envisions, “there will be no more need to smoke and hide.” That’s the biggest gripe I have about our moralizing drug warriors (some of whom like to play footsies in the men’s room).

By taking the magical experience of getting high on pot, and associating it with the dreaded knock on the door, they’ve instilled paranoia in several generations of young people. Paranoia leads to stress, stress leads to disease.

Claire and I are suffering from different diseases—she from excruciating migraines, me from a form of cancer, which is now in remission. I thank my lucky stars and guardian angels that my tumor cells have stopped growing.

Our only solace—and major source of encouragement—is our daily toke of therapeutic cannabis. Hats off to the 12 States that allow patients to grow and smoke their own medicine.

Fifteen tiny seeds have germinated in my grow room, their shells have split and tiny taproots have come out one end, while the cotyledon or seed leaves emerged a day later. I use one-inch rockwool cubes for germination.

I used to use fluorescent lights to get my seedlings started, but a fellow grower pointed out that unless you bring the flouro tubes within a few inches of your tiny plants, they cause the seedlings to stretch toward the light.

So now I position my incubation tray with the transparent plastic lid on the periphery of my 600W High Pressure Sodium light. I use a blue-spectrum Conversion Bulb for the seedlings and the vegging period.

The Blue Bulb is necessary, since it comes closest to emulating sunlight. During the veg period plants need more light at the blue end of the spectrum. When they start forming buds, however, I switch to a regular HPS bulb, which emits light on the red end of the spectrum.

The tray has to go on the periphery of the powerful light, since a full dose of 10,000 lumens would kill my seedlings.

Too much fert application at this point would do the same. A dip in Scorpion Juice and a mild solution of B-52 is all my tiny seedlings need at this point, along with pure water.

I keep my room temperature in the 70-80° range. Below or above that might be problematic for the miniscule plants. One year my heater broke and the night temp dropped down to below 55° F. Two seedlings didn’t survive the dip.

Came across 10 common sense tips on marijuana growing:

1.Don’t tell people you’re growing pot
2. Keep everything clean.
3. Grow from quality seeds.
4. Use a proven grow medium and method.
5. Do not over water (or use the wrong pH).
6. Do not over fertilize.
7. Provide the proper growing environment (temp, humidity, lighting, etc.)
8. Good sanitation, disposal of plant debris.
9. Don’t harvest too early.
10. Don’t rip-off anybody, including the electric company.

To this I would definitely add:

11. Make sure you get your plant food from Advanced Nutrients.

I am in the process of drying 31 huge buds that I harvested after using Connoisseur A & B, AN’s top performing, super premium fertilizer. The last supply of colossal buds is the source of our daily solace. It is the purest, most fragrant, best tasting smoke Claire and I ever had!

In addition to the super base fert (Connoisseur is to be used during the bloom phase only) I use Sensi Grow A & B, Mother Earth Super Tea Grow, B-52, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Seaweed Extract, Sensi Zym, Piranha, Tarantula, Voodoo Juice, along with Barricade during grow.

I also spray with Scorpion Juice one week, and Colossal Bud Blast the next. I prefer to administer both of these products through the leaves, all through the grow and the bloom cycles.

Bloom brings out the big guns! In addition to Connoisseur A & B, I use Bud Blood during week 1, Big Bud during weks 2, 3, and 4, and Overdrive during weeks 5 & 6. I’m thinking of ordering the new bloom booster from AN, called Nirvana. I also use Carbo Load Powder and Sweet Leaf, as well as Final Phase at the end of the bloom cycle.

These products provide by far the best nutritional package for my plants available anywhere on the planet. I’ve talked to growers who’ve used ferts and supplements from other companies, but when I show them my buds, they all want to switch to Advanced Nutrients.

So definitely, heeding the first 10 tips is great, but without step 11 you could still be growing inferior grade medicinal marijuana. And when it comes to my medicine, I want nothing but the best, for me and Claire both.

2007-08-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

It All Starts with That Miracle of Nature--the Seed

In previous postings, I explained why I don’t grow from clones. As a medpot grower, I am restricted by the laws of the State I live in to growing six mature plants at a time.

If I were to have a Mother Plant and cut clones from it, I would need to have two separate grow rooms and probably end up with growing more than six plants at any one time.

So my cannabis experience starts with seeds. Seeds are truly magic—they contain the future harvest, all in a tiny sphere. My powerful plants would not exist without seeds.

As you know, I grow six sinsemilla plants each time, which means that my plants are unfertilized, virgin females. They do not produce seeds. So the problem arises, where to obtain the seeds for my next grow and bloom cycles?

If you punched up “marijuana seed banks” on Google three years ago, you’d get maybe 300,000 websites. Today, the search for the same leads to 1.2 million destinations.

I don’t mean to suggest that there are 1.2 million seed banks world-wide—far from it. But the topic has definitely increased in popularity in the past three years, since now you have over a million websites discussing it.

The Greenman’s page used to be the only reliable source rating seed banks on the web. Now there are quite a few websites devoted to rating seed banks. A visit to one of these is a good start.

How do you find them? Just enter “marijuana seed banks” into your search engine, and if it’s as good as Google, it will instantaneously come up with all these very educational sites that you can spend the entire day exploring.

A word of caution—Marc Emery was busted for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet, so just be aware that the feds are watching. It is a very good idea to set up a neutral e-mail account under a different name when you first approach a seed bank.

You can always play it safe and go with the huge, reputable ones. Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds, with over 40 different strains to choose from, immediately comes to mind. Worldwide same day delivery, online order tracking, credit card acceptance, currency converter, it’s all there.

At this seed bank, be prepared to spend 55 Euros for 10 seeds. Other seed banks charge much more, up to several hundred U.S. dollars for the package of ten.

The credit card entry is usually non-descript, but still traceable. Other seed banks accept cash, postal money orders, or bank drafts. Don’t know of any that accept personal checks.

If you don’t’ want to take a chance on having your seeds mailed to you, get to know the medpot community in your area. Word of mouth is a great source of seeds. Perhaps there is a breeder who sells seeds an hour’s drive from where you live. It’s worth checking out.

If you’re lucky enough to have a compassion club in your municipality, they would be the ones to approach for advice. Or find friends who let their pot go to seed.

Look on each seed as you would on a child. Given the proper attention and nourishment, it will grow up proud and productive. Served a bad diet and ignored most of the time, it will perform poorly.

As I germinate my fifteen seeds (I’m growing a sativa-indica hybrid) I make sure that I have enough Sensi Grow A & B on hand to provide the basic macro and micronutrients during their grow phase. (Through sex selection, my fifteen will eventually be reduced to six females).

I also check the Advanced Nutrients Nutrient Calculator, to make sure that I have all the ingredients for a potent nutrient solution for each week of the life of my plants.

Enter the Sensi Two-Part as your base fert and it will suggest 12 different products to mix into your nutrient solution. Scorpion Juice has been recently added for recommended root zone application.

This versatile product imparts induced systemic resistance to cannabis plants. You have your choice of applying it as a foliar spray or as part of your nutrient solution, or both.

The three beneficials, Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, colonize your roots with live fungi, bacteria, and microbes. Helpful ones, which in turn ward off or kill harmful ones.

Mother Earth Super Tea Grow gives an organic touch to your synthetic base nutes, as do Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid, which are derived from a calcified, organic substance known as “leonardite.”

The potassium silicate in Barricade thickens the cell walls of your plants, making them impenetrable to a number of parasitical organisms or even insects. B-52, an excellent B-complex vitamin supplement, relieves the stresses that most plants go through due to temperature fluctuations, drying out between waterings, or improper humidity.

These details become unimportant if you start with unhealthy seeds. Most reputable seed banks sell only certified, disease-free seeds.

A soaking in Scorpion Juice can prevent damping off and other seedling ailments. But these measures are in no way substitutes for starting out with the best seeds money can buy.

2007-08-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Harvesting Huge Buds, Discovering Mites, Taking Stock

In the middle of the ninth week of bloom, my 32 humungous Connoisseur buds have reached maturity. I sterilized my scissors with isopropyl alcohol and proceeded to cut the bud-bearing branches off the central stems of my six sinsemilla plants.

Some growers hang the whole plant upside down to dry, but since the main stem holds the most moisture, my experience has taught me just to cut the top and the branches.

I very carefully hung these branches upside down on a wire that I have attached near the ceiling of a walk-in closet next to my grow room. The closet is big enough to dry my entire harvest and also to fit a bench for my wide-mouth glass jars, once my buds are dry and are ready for curing.

The closet has a light-proof door, since the drying and curing process should take place in total darkness. After harvest, light adversely affects the THC content of your buds.

The closet also fits a fan, and I drilled an exhaust hole over to another closet-like space, which houses my ozone generator. This handy device removes all tell-tale odors from the air, before an exhaust fan forces the stale air outside.

I always do some manicuring of the buds (with sterile scissors) while they are still on the plant. This involves clipping all the side leaves and extraneous plant material around the buds. It is safer to manicure while the bud is still fresh, rather than to wait until after it dries.

Manicuring after the bud dries could damage the fragile bud itself, thus jeopardizing its potency. Some growers hasten the drying process using a hair dryer, oven, or microwave, but a distinctly sharper taste is usually the result of such impatience.

Even, slow, air drying prevents the loss of THC and rewards the grower with a softer taste. Claire can’t stand to smoke harsh tasting marijuana, so for her sake I take my time with the drying process.

Growers be warned—just because you’ve harvested your buds, doesn’t mean that you’re free of the threat of pests. After I was hanging my third large bud-bearing branch, I suddenly realized that there were a few spider mites on the branch.

My ladies had good disease and pest resistance, largely due to regular sprayings with Scorpion Juice, and using Barricade as an integral part of the weekly nutrient mix.

However, at some time close to harvest, I must have brought them in on my clothing from the flower bushes at the entrance to my basement. I was telling Claire that it would be wise to remove these bushes, since they are a haven for potential pests.

Usually I take off my jacket or vest before I approach my six ladies, but this time I was in a hurry. The cliché “haste makes waste” is rooted in truth.

I immediately discarded the affected parts of the branch, and much to my chagrin I had to cut off and dispose of a perfectly good and large bud, since some mites have already colonized it.

I removed the branch from the drying closet and sprayed it with a mixture of horticultural oil and baking soda, a remedy I have found effective against mites in the past. An insecticidal soap solution also seems to work.

The two-spotted spider mite, which is a common pest infesting cannabis, is actually an arachnid, not an insect, but an annoying pest, nevertheless. Left unchecked, the mites could have ruined my remaining 31 buds, as well.

I’m always so conscious of preventing mold and mildew at this crucial stage of cannabis cultivation, but this tiny pest almost slipped by me. I was so grateful that I caught it in time.

Just to be sure, I drove to my garden shop and purchased some Phytoseiulus persimilis, the natural enemy of spider mites. I let loose a few dozen of these predator mites in the drying room. Since they feed on spider mites, they’ll be sure to find any that might be left.

One drawback is that these bio-control mites need a higher humidity level to function (60-80%). At humidity levels of 50% or less, their eggs shrivel up and die. So I had to put a humidifier into the drying room, which is sort of defeating the purpose of the room.

However, the good news is, these predator mites multiply very fast and they’re very efficient hunters, so in a few days they’ll have found and eaten any spider mites that are present.

Once their food supply runs out, first they turn cannibalistic, then they starve (I know, it seems cruel, but it’s for a good cause!). So by only introducing a handful of them and waiting a few days, my spider mite problem should be solved.

While the predators are hunting, I’m cleaning up the debris from the harvest, removing all plant material and disinfecting my grow room. I wipe everything (tools, walls, utensils) with Advanced Nutrients’ Wipe Out.

I put three powerful space heaters into the space and jack them up to maximum. If there are any mite eggs or larvae present, I want them to fry. Using high temperatures to disinfect a grow room is a time-honored tradition.

Then I check my storage room to make sure I have enough basic fertilizers, supplements, additives, root colonizers, and bloom boosters on hand, so I can nourish my next crop.

I have ample amounts of Sensi Grow A & B, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Scorpion Juice, and Protector, but I need to order Connoisseur A & B for my next bloom cycle, Barricade, SensiZym, Piranha, Tarantula, Voodoo Juice, and B-52, an excellent B-complex vitamin supplement that helps reduce plant stress.

The SensiZym did a great job in keeping my baked clay pebbles clean, but I still wash them thoroughly, not wanting to take any chances. Thorough washing involves scrubbing each pebble by hand.

A small price to pay for 31 amazingly large, potent buds that will keep Claire and I supplied with medicine for a long time to come.

2007-08-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Swollen Calyxes, Fertilizer Royalty, Clear-Headed Trichomes

We’re about to harvest 32 huge buds from six female cannabis plants that were fed with the best possible premium fertilizer throughout their bloom phase. I’m talking about Connoisseur, A & B, the magic potion that is worth its weight in gold.

It not only fattened up my buds and plants for the harvest, but also ensured that the bouquet and taste of my medpot plants will be so outstanding, that comparisons with ten-course gourmet meals in five-star hotels come to mind.

Granted, the other ingredients in our nutrient brew also contributed to the humungous size of our buds. We used the recommended bloom enhancers, Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive. We also sprayed with Colossal Bud Blast, during veg, as well as bloom.

Advanced Nutrients is dedicated to providing the best possible nourishment for plants. And when it came to designing Connoisseur, they threw away any financial concerns and assembled the ultimate diet for flowering plants.

The amino acids and amino chelated micronutrients in Connoisseur are complemented by two forms of Calcium, two forms of Potassium, as well as Cobalt Proteinate, Sodium Borate, and Sodium Molybdate. Some of these ingredients are very costly, and thus the premium price of this product.

However, the coup de grace seems to be the Polyamino Alcohols in Connoisseur. These penetrate the cell walls of plants, making them elastic in the process. What this means is that the plant is able to store more sugars and carbohydrates in each cell.

This storehouse of energy is called upon during flower formation and accounts for the swelling calyxes as soon as the plant absorbs this ultra premium fert. All the buds on my six ladies experienced this, and the swelling continued throughout the eight weeks of bloom.

When to harvest? Are they ready? How to tell exactly? There are as many answers to these questions as there are growers. The general rule is, you may harvest when your buds are fully ripe. This usually takes place around eight weeks after you’ve switched to 12/12.

Last week I flushed with Final Phase, and ever since then my ladies have been drinking nothing but pure water. Other growers have said that using Connoisseur usually delays the harvest by a few days, and that’s been my experience also.

So I’m extremely cautious not to harvest too early. I examine the trichomes on my buds with a hand-held lens frequently. Claire says I do it almost hourly, but that’s an exaggeration.

Early harvest marijuana is supposed to give you a head high, late harvest weed is associated with a body high. I’m a firm believer in balance between those two extremes, so I want to harvest my buds just in the middle.

Usually, there is a two-week opportunity to harvest your buds. If you leave it too long, you’ll lose potency. Harvesting too early means that you’re short-changing yourself, when you could have gotten better medicine.

I broke off a tiny piece of one of the buds and dried it in the sun. The aroma, bouquet, flavor are outstanding. The potency is almost there, but not quite. I figure three more days and bingo!

They say that sativas take longer to mature indoors and generally speaking they provide more of a cerebral high. Indicas mature quicker and give you a body high. I’m growing a sativa-indica hybrid, so I’m looking for the middle ground, even there.

The knobs at the end of your tallest trichomes should be clear. The more trichomes you have the more potent your bud will be. The calyxes, or clusters of tiny flowers, should be densely packed and “dripping with resin,” as the saying goes.

Swollen calyxes indicate maturity. The swelling starts at the base of the bud and works its way up to the youngest flowers at the tip. When your buds are fully ripe, ninety percent of the calyxes should be so swollen, that you’d swear they have seeds in them, even though you’re growing sinsemilla, or unfertilized, virgin females.

My buds aren’t quite there yet, but soon. As I’m examining the fruits of my labor, I reflect on all the nutrients, additives, supplements, root colonizers, and bloom boosters that have helped to bring my ladies to this point.

Sensi Grow A & B, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Seaweed Extract, B-52, Barricade, SensiZym, Scorpion Juice, Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, etc. all had their roles to play in producing these magnificent buds, but the crown belongs to Connoisseur A & B, a product that is fertilizer royalty in my books.

2007-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Final Flush with Final Phase, Time in a Bottle

Here it is week seven of bloom of my second crop grown with Connoisseur A & B. The number of buds are just as abundant as last time (32 this time, 30 last time) and the calyxes have started swelling almost as soon as I started feeding them with this super premium basic fert, plus all the supplements.

If you take a look at the Nutrient Calculator, week 7 of bloom calls for 0 mL or grams of all our usual ingredients, not just Connoisseur, but also Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, B-52, Barricade, Carbo Load, Sensi Zym, etc.—none of these are to be added during week 7.

The only thing that I added this time was Final Phase. Yes, it’s time to flush my six ladies, in order to get rid of any possible chemical taste or salt residue. Final Phase contains a proprietary formula of “empty chelators” that remove any further traces of fertilizer from the root zone.

Final Phase was recirculated in my six bucket ebb and flow system for about six hours, then I drained my reservoir completely. The only thing that I add from now on is pure water. I recently installed a water purifier on the water pipe that I use to fill up by rez.

From now until harvest, which should be in about ten days time, I’ll just top up my rez each day with pure water. No more ferts, no more additives, no more supplements. It’s time for my six ladies to purify themselves before they offer up the fruit of their labor to Claire and I as medicine.

If you’re hesitant about using Final Phase, afraid that it will somehow rob your plants of nutrients, or deprive them of their taste and bouquet, don’t be. The aroma and sweetness of my buds was left intact the last time, as I’m sure it will be again.

In fact, I used Sweet Leaf a few weeks ago in order to impart even more sweetness and aroma. Connoisseur by itself ensures a very strong unmistakeable bouquet and a very pleasant taste, so much so that I had to install an ozone generator to keep the telltale odor from my neighbors.

But with the addition of Sweet Leaf, my harvest will guarantee us the sweetest, most tasty smoke you can imagine. Of course, it depends on the strain that you grow, but whether you’re growing sativa or indica or a hybrid, this combination of Advanced Nutrients products is sure to bring out the best in your grass.

Whether you call it grass, weed, ganja, or skunk, it is a sacred herb that has been used in healing for centuries. The sense of well-being imparted by a good smoke is worth a million dollars in this stressed-out world of ours.

Claire and I have a little ritual that we follow around harvest time, during which we thank the Creator for blessing us with this potent herb to cure our migraines, nausea, pressure, and pain.

We both look forward to our second Connoisseur harvest and will report on it as soon as it happens. Have a great weekend, everyone, and please visit my MySpace page. I count Marc Emery, Loretta Nall, Neil Young, Allen Ginsberg, and Jim Croce among my friends.

If you did a double take for the last two, yes, even those that are no longer on the earth plane still have a presence on MySpace. In virtual reality, Allen and Jim live on, and that’s the way it should be!

I can still hear Jim singing:

If I could save time in a bottle

The first thing that I’d like to do

Is to save every day

Till eternity passes away

Just to spend them with you

Copyright © Jim Croce—Ingrid Croce

2007-08-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Cooking in the Heat, Considering A/C

August came in like an oven around here. The upholstery in my car burns the back of my legs every time I start driving. I’m wearing shorts these days—couldn’t tolerate my usual getup of jeans.

My ladies are suffering too. I bring in buckets of ice to put in front of the cooling fans and I place frozen bottles of water in my reservoir. I can barely keep the temp in the room down to 85° F and I’m not using my CO2 burner. If the mercury climbs to 90° F in the room, my plants are in deep doodoo.

Been looking around for an affordable air conditioning system, but I’m beginning to think that’s an oxymoron. Prices start at mid-four figures and go up from there. Claire offered to get a part-time job in order to help pay for it. We’re both legal medpot patients, and she values her medicine.

York, one of the biggest manufacturers of air conditioning systems world-wide, offers Residential Split System Central Air Conditioning that keeps your entire house cool in the heat of summer, and it also lowers humidity levels. The price-tag made me blanche (and I don’t blanche easily).

This one hooks up to your furnace and includes a compressor, a fan, a condenser coil, and a refrigerant. It removes the heat from the indoor air and transfers it outside, then re-circulates the cold indoor air.

It’s got a massive outdoor section, which is the condenser unit, and this is hooked up to your indoor oil or gas furnace that has an air handler. Ductwork carries the cool air all throughout your home.

I think we’ll have to buy a standalone water or air-cooled unit just for our grow room. This we possibly could afford. So our marijuana plants will be nice and cool all summer, w8hile we sweat and suffer. Such is life…

A two-ton water-cooled unit would cost less than three thousand and the fan in the unit would circulate the air in our grow room at the rate of 800 cfm (cubic feet per minute).

Since the room is 10’x10’x8’, it measures 800 cu feet. This is just a happy coincidence. So the unit would completely circulate the air in the room every single minute.

Water-cooled units are better for security, since they don’t have to be vented to the outside, like air-cooled ones. I’m venting my grow room through an adjacent completely sealed closet, where an ozone generator removes every trace of cannabis odor from the air before it is driven by an exhaust fan outdoors.

As you know, I’m using Connoisseur A & B to feed my ladies during their bloom phase, so the aroma of the buds is exhilarating. This is week 6 of bloom, so we’re slowly reducing the amount of nutrients, in preparation for the final flush with Final Phase before harvest.

This week we’re only pouring in 1000 PPM into the mix, as opposed to 1400 PPM during week 4. That means 116.64 mL of both Connoisseur A and Connoisseur B, followed by 72 mL each of Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, Humic Acid, and Fulvic Acid.

These last three Advanced Nutrients products are designed to establish an organic environment, even though I’m using a synthetic base fert. During the vegetative stage I used another synthetic, Sensi Grow A & B.

172.8 mL of B-52 goes into the nutrient mix, in order to help our plants cope with all the stresses that plants are prone to, be it drought, heat, excessive humidity, or pH fluctuation.

Each week, the night before I blend the entire nutrient mix, I pour in the appropriate amount of Barricade (this week that is 7.2 mL) into warm, almost hot water, and agitate the mixture forcefully. Barricade has a reputation for being hard to dissolve, so it’s best to do this on the previous night.

21.6 grams of Carbo Load powder go into the solution, in order to continue feeding the bud building cells all the sugars they need. In addition, I also mix in Sweet Leaf, which contains berry sugars and molasses, and is designed to enhance the aroma and the taste of our super colossal Connoisseur buds!

Lastly, 360 mL of SensiZym is followed by 144 mL of Overdrive. This is the last application of this bloom booster, which accelerates floral growth by infusing the plants with extra Phosphorus and Potassium, as well as natural hormones and catalytic agents that increase the girth, overall size, and weight of my buds.

Even though I’m using Connoisseur, there is no harm in trying to get a slightly better yield, is there?

2007-07-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Sinsemilla Take Longer? It's Worth the Wait

A close friend asked me the other day, that if I can shorten the veg stage of my six ladies to four or five weeks, why can’t I shorten the flowering stage, as well? This got me thinking and prompted me to search for an answer.

According to Robert Connell Clarke, a leading authority on growing cannabis, most strains of marijuana require a change in photoperiod, in order to be induced into flowering. However, some varieties exist that can flower no matter how many hours of daylight they receive.

It’s the famous 12 hours of darkness that prompts most strains to flower. It has to be completely dark (no, you can’t put on a light “just for a minute” to check something). The only illumination that doesn’t seem to disturb the flowering process is light in the green part of the spectrum.

Most cheap green bulbs you buy are painted green, so it’s best to find one made of green tinted glass, which gives off truly green light. You might pay more for such a bulb, but isn’t your crop worth it?

Anyway, according to Clarke, given 10 hours per day of light, a certain strain of cannabis may take 10 days to flower, while if the plant is exposed to 16 hours of daylight per day, it may take 90 days to flower.

That being said, sinsemilla plants (unfertilized virgin females) take longer to reach their optimum harvest point than do seed producing plants. Some may even take longer than 8 weeks.

I’ve noticed on some medicinal marijuana forums that growers using Connoisseur were asking why it takes longer to harvest with this super premium fert from Advanced Nutrients. I’ve noticed myself that my ladies took an extra three days to reach optimum maturity.

Am I complaining? Never! My six plants provided Claire and I with 30 colossal buds that we are enjoying immensely, during our daily dose of therapeutic cannabis smoke. Now that I know that sinsemilla do take longer, even without Connoisseur, I can rest easy.

It’s week 5 of bloom for my ladies (I always call them ladies, not girls, as some other growers do). I figure if I show them the proper respect, they’ll continue to supply us with potent medicine currently unavailable through normal medical channels.

Oh, sure, Marinol is available by prescription, but it contains only concentrated THC and not the numerous other cannabinoids that could be equally important in determining the quality and potency of the ingested drug.

While during week 4 the Nutrient Calculator called for 1400 PPM of dissolved solids in my nutrient solution, during week 5 we’re going back down again, only putting in 1200 PPM (Plus Program Bloom—Moderately Light Feeding).

In addition to 139.68 mL of Connoisseur A and the same amount of Connoisseur B, week 5 calls for 86.4 mL each of Mother Earth Blended Super Tea Bloom, Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid, and her Fulvic Acid, in my 72 Liter reservoir.

Mother Earth Super Tea is a 100% organic supplement to the Advanced Nutrients line of synthetic fertilizers. Organic ferts impart a superlative bouquet and flavor to cannabis buds.

Super Tea is designed to complement any synthetic plant food with alfalfa extract, canola, fish, crab, and shrimp meal, as well as citric acid, earthworm castings, and sea kelp.

Kelp contains the natural hormones called cytokinins, gibberlins, and auxins. These aid in the movement of nutrients throughout the plant, as well as cell division and general growth stimulation.

Coupled with the polyamino alcohols in Connoisseur, these natural hormones ensure that the fast growing buds on my sinsemilla ladies are well nourished by the carbohydrates stored in the leaves and other parts of the plants.

I also mix in 25.92 grams of Carbo Load Powder, to further boost the sugar content of the stored up food, along with 172.8 mL of Overdrive, which is a bloom stimulant. The calyxes of the ever larger buds are already swollen, but these two products will help then to swell even more (as will the Connoisseur!).

This is followed by 216 mL of B-52, a B-complex Vitamin designed to promote plant health and to combat plant stress; 8.64 mL of Barricade to strengthen cell walls and ward off pests and pathogens; and 432 mL of SensiZym, to cleanse my grow medium of plant debris and turn what debris there is into easily absorbable nutrients.

These three products round out the nutrient cocktail that I pour from my pre-mix tank into my reservoir, to take care of the nourishment needs of my ladies for the week.

Each day I top up my reservoir with pure water. I mark the levels to keep track of how much my ladies are drinking. Diluting the mixture with water is no problem, since the important number is the total quantity of the nutrients that the plants absorb for the week.

I make sure that the pH of my reservoir stays close to the desired 5.6, but I don’t get upset if there is fluctuation. If the solution becomes way too acidic or extremely alkaline, I can always use pH Up or pH Down in order to make a coreection.

And if my plants take a bit longer than 8 weeks to produce the prize-winning buds that they’re capable of with my Advanced Nutrients diet, I won’t fret. I’ll just be grateful for the superior yield.

2007-07-20T01:02:00.000-07:00

Week Four of Bloom, an Unexpected Blackout

This is week 4 of bloom and I’m growing six cannabis plants using Connoisseur A & B as my basic bloom fert. I allowed my ladies (they’re sinsemilla—or virgin female plants) four full weeks to veg to maturity, then the fifth week became week 1 of bloom.

My plants aren’t as tall as my last crop, but then I allowed eight weeks of vegetative growth. During this time, I fed them with the AN Sensi Two-Part, an excellent fertilizer in its own right.

Since then I was informed by the Advanced Nutrients Medical tech advisors that if the plants become too tall during the veg stage, they spend all their energy transporting nutrients up to their top leaves, leaving less oomph for the production of buds.

I feed my plants a moderately light diet using the Plus Program on the AN Nutrient Calculator. That means that in addition to my basic premium fert I also mix in fourteen different supplements, additives, bloom enhancers, and root colonizers at various times during the bloom cycle.

I grow my medicine hydroponically using a six bucket ebb and flow system with a 72 Liter reservoir. The whole operation takes place under one 600W High Pressure Sodium light, with an electronic ballast.

During veg, I used a conversion bulb to provide blue spectrum illumination, which is to approximate the wavelength of the sunlight that is necessary for vegetative growth. As soon as I started the bloom stage, I switched my lighting period from 18/6 to 12/12 and put in a regular HPS bulb, which emits light on the red end of the spectrum.

During week 4 I pour in 163.44 mL of Connoisseur A and the same amount of Connoisseur B into my pre-mix tank. This is the tank I use to make sure that my nutrient mix is properly blended and that my PPM, EC, and pH readings are all appropriate for this specific time period.

Week 4 calls for 1400 PPM or EC 2 and the desired pH balance when growing in water is 5.6, slightly on the acidic side. It seems that cannabis plants can absorb nutrients better when the solution is slightly acidic.

Last time I fed my six ladies too much of a good thing and pretty soon after administering Connoisseur, I noticed a slight tip burn on some of my plants, a common symptom of overfeeding. So I went from Medium to Heavy feeding to Light to Medium feeding. As soon as I did that, the tips of my plants stopped shoring signs of stress.

Cannabis plants are susceptible to many different types of stress, that’s why I’m putting in 259.2 mL of B-52, a B-complex Vitamin designed to relieve plant stress. I’m also putting on 30.24 grams of Big Bud Powder, in order to enhance bloom production.

Connoisseur alone not only ensures the production of many more buds than so-called normal ferts, but with the help of the bloom enhancers Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive, it resulted in a humungous harvest for me last time.

Claire and I are slowly enjoying the 30 huge colas that my six ladies produced with the aid of this premium fertilizer. It was explained to me that the polyamino alcohols in Connoisseur make the cell walls of plants elastic, enabling them to store more sugars.

These sugars and carbohydrates in turn are utilized by the plant when it comes to producing bigger, better, more numerous and more potent buds.

For all this intercellular activity to take place, all plants need light, water, and nutrients. Whereas in nature they also need soil, in my hydroponic grow room baked clay pebbles have replaced soil as my grow medium.

One of these vital ingredients was abruptly cut off a few days ago, when a bulldozer accidentally knocked over a power pole and cut off electricity to my location for 48-hours. It took that long to have the power restored, since the dozer caused a short circuit and blew several large transformers that had to be replaced.

A few postings ago I was enthusing about how my grow room is almost completely digitalized. But digital technology is great, as long as there is a constant flow of electrical current to all the gadgets and tools that need it to function.

I could manually fertigate my plants by using a ladle and bucket system at periodic intervals. But how do I replace the light energy required for photosynthesis?

A friend of mine turned me on to this electronics rental place in a nearby city, where I was able to rent a bank of blue and red LED lights (see my earlier posting on the subject) which produced enough lumens (10,000 to be exact) necessary for my plants to grow and thrive.

How did I power the LED’s? Light Emitting Diodes do not run an alternate current, they require a direct current power source. So by renting a DC power supply of the correct voltage for the lights, I was able to temporarily supply my plants with adequate light.

Needless to say, I have a newfound respect for LED technology.

2007-07-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Week Three of Bloom, I Discover Bugs

This is week 3 of bloom for my six ladies and I’m feeding them a gourmet diet. My nutrient mix contains the super premium miracle fert, Connoisseur A & B, as well as a whole array of supplements, additives, root colonizers, and bloom boosters from Advanced Nutrients Medical.

Last week I switched from Bud Blood to Big Bud Powder, in order to establish building blocks for bud formation. Big Bud is meant to be administered weeks 2, 3, and 4 only, to be followed by Overdrive during weeks 5 and 6 of bloom.

By using these three bloom boosters in sequence (never at the same time) I am helping to enhance the size, girth, and weight of my buds.

Connoisseur alone would guarantee huge buds. By using Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive, I am aiming to get humungous buds, such as the thirty colossal-sized ones I was blessed with last time.

Last week I sprayed my ladies with Protector. Week 2 of bloom is the last recommended window for spraying with this Potassium Bicarbonate product to protect my cannabis plants from the insidious fungus that causes Powdery Mildew.

Advanced Nutrients warns us against using Protector beyond the second week of bloom in its Advancedpedia entry. It seems that Protector causes pH changes that inhibit the growth of the fungus. Unfortunately, the same changes could alter the color of your buds or their bouquet, if you spray after week 2 of bloom.

Colossal Bud Blast, on the other hand, can be used throughout both the vegetative and the bloom cycles of your marijuana plants. This is an organic foliar spray that nourishes the plant through the stomata on the leaves.

I use it as an addition boost for my potentially prize-winning buds. It contains easily absorbable organic nutrients that increase floral growth rate, bud weight, and resin production.

I don’t spray Colossal Bud Blast under hot lights, since the dried residue on the leaves could result in toxic salinity. Instead, I rise early in the morning and spray using just one incandescent bulb, thus giving the leaves a chance to absorb the nutrients, before I turn my 600W HPS light on.

50% of Colossal Bud Blast is made from a concentrated base-tea derived from bat guano high in phosphates, azomite, as well as seaweed, alfalfa, and krill meal. Azomite is a natural source of minerals and trace elements, that is mined from deep within the earth.

The other half of the formula in made up of a solution of 22 L-amino acids, which are the building blocks of plant growth, as well as Humic acid containing humates, which act as chelators and surfactants to aid in the absorption of the other ingredients in Colossal Bud Blast.

The other day I panicked as I discovered some tiny holes on the leaves of one of my ladies. I got my magnifying glass and examined the plant carefully. Sure enough, I detected the beginnings of an invasion by a tiny flying insect.

Barricade has made the cell walls of my cannabis plants thick, so the invaders must have had a tough time piercing the leaves. But parasites are persistent, in my experience, so some of them succeeded.

I called in a friend of mine who has more experience with bugs that attack cannabis, and he confirmed it. Thrips had invaded my grow room. “But I spray with Scorpion Juice regularly,” I protested.

“Think of how many pests and pathogens your plants could be suffering from if you hadn’t,” was his retort. “What do I do now?” was my next question.

We looked through my supplies from Advanced Nutrients in an adjacent storage room and found an old container of Bug Away, which the company is not currently distributing on account of a labelling dispute.

“You can start by spraying your whole room with this,” said my friend. “But first remove the infected leaves and branches, if need be. Thrips vector about 20 different viral diseases, so you don’t want to take a chance.”

Thrips are tiny (less than 1mm) insects of the Order of Thysanoptera. They have fringed wings. Over 5,000 species of thrips have been discovered by scientists.

Some thrips feed on mites, so they are considered beneficial. However, most feed on plants, so they are classified as pests. They feed on plant cells by piercing them with paired maxillary stylets, which act as a feeding tube.

Only one stylet is fully formed and it is used to pierce the plant, while both serve to suck out the plant juice. These pests attack hundreds of different plant species, especially during the flowering stage when they also feed on the pollen.

My friend suggested introducing effective biocontrol agents such as Anthocorid bugs or Phytoseiid mites. These are tiny enough to penetrate the hiding places of the thrips and consume their eggs and larvae.

“Continue using Bug Away, Barricade, and Scorpion Juice. These products along with the biocontrol should take care of your problem. Better act fast, because thrips reproduce very rapidly.”

That last statement started my heart pumping so I rushed to my favorite garden shop and had them order the biocontrol bugs or mites. I urged the owner to have them sent to him by courier.

I spent the next three hours examining every inch of plant surface, including the buds with the swelling calyxes, using an extra high magnification lens. I asked Claire to help me and she did, using a lens of her own.

The bugs were only on one plant and we had to remove two entire branches, buds and all. That hurt, since I remembered the size of my last harvest. I still had nearly 30 processed buds to remind me.

I sprayed all six plants with Bug Away and I’m calling my garden shop on a daily basis to urge them to get me the biocontrols as quickly as possible.

I know that some insects are necessary for ecological reasons, but between mosquitoes and thrips this summer, my love of the insect world has definitely diminished.

2007-07-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Starting Connoisseur, Using the Bloom Boosters

This is week 2 of bloom for my ladies, and I started mixing in Connoisseur A & B, instead of my regular fert, the Sensi Bloom Two-Part. Not because the Sensi Two-Part isn’t a great plant food—it’s just that Connoisseur is extra special!

Last week I still used Sensi Bloom A & B, since it was week 1 of bloom, and I cut back on the vegging time for my plants from 8 to 5 weeks. The Advanced Nutrients Medical tech guys told me that if you’re not sure about the maturity of your plants, you might want to start using Connoisseur the second week of bloom.

Also last week I added Bud Blood, which is a high-Phosphorus, high-Potassium product that sets the stage for bud production. Along with switching to 12/12, it signals the plant that it’s time to start producing flowers.

This week, I’m mixing in Big Bud Powder. This great AN product contains nineteen amino acids, including L-Cystine and L-Tryptophan. For those that flunked science, like I did, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.

Proteins are the heavy nutrition components that increase the weight, girth, and overall size of your buds. They will grow much faster and produce more resin, which ensures the THC content and thus the potency of your smoke.

Why do I need to use Big Bud, when I’m also using Connoisseur? The answer is you do not need to use it, but I used the two of them together last time, and I got 30 humungous buds out of it. For this reason I’m mixing in all three AN bloom boosters: Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive into the reservoir of my six-bucket ebb and flow hydro system.

You gotta be careful with these products. Never use them all at the same time. You’re only meant to use them in sequence. Bud Blood during week 1; Big Bud during weeks 2,3, and 4. Then Overdrive during weeks 5 & 6.

Connoisseur A & B contains amino acids as well, but the secret ingredients in this premium fert are the amino chelated micronutrients and the polyamino alcohols. They are blended according to a proprietary formula that ensures large bloom size and high quality.

The alcohols in this product make the walls of your cannabis cells elastic, so they can hold more carbohydrates. These sugars are utilized by the plant during bud production. The last time around the calyxes of my buds started swelling a few days after my first application of Connoisseur. They didn’t stop swelling until harvest time!

I noticed on the AN Medical Marijuana Forum that some growers objected to the smell of Connoisseur. “Smells like Old Spice,” someone posted. I happen to like the smell of this super fert. But then again, I still use Old Spice deodorant, so I might be biased, LOL.

When I asked the AN tech guys about this, they said that you might say it smells like the leather in a new Porsche convertible, or a fine Cuban cigar with a snifter of brandy close by. In other words, the scent of the product reflects its status as the Rolls Royce of plant foods. However, they added, the scent of Connoisseur will not imprint on the fragrance of your buds.

I can attest to that. My buds started smelling heavenly shortly after I introduced them to Connoisseur. The scent was such a strong unmistakeable cannabis fragrance, that I had to supplement my carbon filtration of the exhaust fan with an ozone generator in an adjacent space, before venting the exhaust to the outside.

Another vital ingredient in my nutrient mix at this time is Carbo Load Powder, which does much the same thing as Carbo Load Liquid, but costs less. It loads up my ladies with carbohydrates, sugars that are called upon for bud production. This is the substance that fills all those elasticized cells.

The last time I used Connoisseur I used medium to heavy feeding and my cannabis plants experiences some tip burn. I was advised to cut back on the feeding regimen immediately. Since then, I’ve used just plain medium feeding, and the parts per million of solids in my nutrient mix were better suited to the particular strain that I’m growing.

The AN Medical tech guys said that each strain is different. If you start off with medium to heavy or just heavy feeding and tip burn occurs, just cut back to the next level and the plants will once again receive the amount of nourishment that is just right for them.

In case you’re wondering how you determine these levels of feeding, just punch up the handy Nutrient Calculator on the AN website and select Connoisseur A & B as your fert. Once you enter the size of your res, you must choose among five options. Plus Program Bloom Light Feeding, Moderately Light Feeding, Medium Feeding, Moderately Heavy Feeding, and Heavy Feeding.

You should fine tune your feeding regimen to suit the particular strain of cannabis that you’re growing. Also, the size of your plants is a factor in determining how much food they need. Learn to observe your plants and listen to them. If you know how to read the signals, they’ll tell you if the feeding leaves them hungry or if conversely, you’re overfeeding them.

Even though Connoisseur helped my buds smell somewhere in the celestial sphere the last time, I still use Sweet Leaf, an organic supplement that is designed to enhance the aroma and flavor of your buds. It contains berry sugars and molasses, along with many other ingredients that stimulate the production of essential oils. These in turn account for the bouquet and taste of your cannabis smoke.

Is it overkill to use Sweet Leaf on top of Connoisseur and Carbo Load? I don’t think so. Claire and I can personally attest to the quality of the smoke that we now enjoy in our daily dose of medicine, thanks to these three Advanced Nutrients Medical products.

They are meant to complement each other. The carbohydrates in Carbo Load are like building blocks for buds. The sugars in Sweet Leaf are there to make the smoke smell and taste better. Connoisseur is a broad-spectrum plant food that can either be used as a standalone source of nourishment, or in tandem with the many other products offered by AN.

If your main course is of gourmet quality in an exclusive restaurant, you might still want to order an appetizer, along with one or more side dishes, to enhance your dining experience.

2007-06-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

My MySpace Page is Up and Running, Switching to Bloom Early

Well, I’ve finally done it! I set up a MySpace page! Please visit the page and hopefully leave a comment with regard to what you find there. Marc Emery inspired me to do this. He’s had a page on there for quite some time now and managed to accumulate over six thousand friends and supporters.

I’m ashamed to admit that my government is seeking extradition of Emery from Canada to the U.S. His crime? Selling cannabis seeds over the Internet. We should all speak up for him, since if it is a crime to disseminate the seeds of a plant that has been used in healing for centuries, then what else will our brain-dead politicians classify as a crime?

How about the case of the black teenager in the U.S. south who was sentenced to ten years in prison for having consensual oral sex with his teenage girlfriend? If he were to have had intercourse with her, it would have been a misdemeanor. As it is, he committed a felony. Scary!

I just had an e-mail exchange with an old friend about the healing properties of marijuana. Although he admits that it seems to help people undergoing chemotherapy to overcome their nausea (tell me about it!), he doesn’t think that cannabis is truly a healing herb.

When questioned further, he admitted that he used to smoke it when he was young, but he only got paranoid and never really enjoyed it. I admit that at times paranoia has raised its ugly head, even in my smoking experiences, but the overall therapeutic effects of marijuana cannot be denied.

Visit an astute encapsulation of using marijuana wisely, at the Advanced Nutrients Medical website. The article makes it clear that for people with a family history of mental illness or who are prone to paranoia to begin with, cannabis might not be the panacea they are seeking.

There are many paths to healing, and this one is not right for everybody. A simple aspirin can have adverse effects on some people (children can get Reye’s Syndrome from aspirin, which is why Tylenol became so popular).

However, hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from the healing energies of this sacred plant. Willie Nelson was quoted in the paper as saying that the greatest killer in today’s society is stress. Few can deny that ingesting THC and the other healing cannabinoids is a major stress reliever!

If it weren’t for the Draconian drug laws of various governments around the world, I firmly believe that “weed paranoia” would diminish to a negligible level. Even us, perfectly legal medpot patients, are wary of Uncle Sam knocking on our doors after we’ve enjoyed some of our medicine.

After reading a comment on a medpot forum, I had a long talk with the tech advisor at Advanced Nutrients. He confirmed what the postings on the forum were saying. There is no need to allow your plants to veg for a full eight weeks in order to get a whole bunch of mature buds.

Several postings ago, I made a case for the full eight-week vegging period, arguing that you need to let your plants reach maturity prior to forcing them into flower with the 12/12 regimen. An article on the Green Man’s page confirmed my position.

The very knowledgeable AN tech guy, however, argued that not all articles posted on the web are accurate. He said that allowing a full eight weeks of vegging might cause your plants to grow too tall for the average grow space. “The taller the plant is, the more energy it spends transporting nutrients to its top branches, “ is how he put it.

It is better to put that energy into bud production. So switching to 12/12 after six weeks of vegging is not only permissible, but preferable. In fact, most plants are mature enough at four weeks to start producing buds.

Who knew? So this is week 6 of vegging for my six ladies, and I’ve adjusted my lighting regimen and mixed in Sensi Bloom A & B instead of Sensi Grow, as well as Bud Blood to kick start the flowering process with its abundance of Phosphorus and Potassium.

So instead of it being week 6 of vegging, this becomes week 1 of bloom. I’ll start Connoisseur A & B next week, since I have to pick up a new supply at my garden shop. According to the tech guy, you can either start this premium bloom fert during week 1 or week 2 or even week 3 of flowering.

Last time I started to use it during week 3 with excellent results. I harvested 30 humungous buds that have the potency and the heavenly taste to please even the most discriminating marijuana aficionado.

One of the great things about Connoisseur is that you can use all your regular supplements, additives, and root colonizers the same as with your regular base fert. Remember, it’s only meant to be used during bloom, so you’ll have to use your regular fert for vegging.

Grandma Enggy’s Humic and Fulvic Acid, to create an organic “fertile soil” habitat in a hydroponic setting; B-52 to boost your precious plants with the growth enhancing and stress-relieving qualities of B-complex Vitamins; Barricade, to supply potassium silicate, a proven way to protect against harmful pests and pathogens; and SensiZym, an AN product containing over eighty bioactive enzymes that ingest plant debris in your grow medium, turning it into easily absorbable nutrients for your plants—are all important ingredients in my weekly mix of nutrients.

In the beginning of the bloom cycle, I also mix in the appropriate amounts of Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice. These products contain beneficial microbes that strengthen the roots, fight off harmful pests and pathogens, and also aid the absorption of nutrients by the root systems of my cannabis plants.

By clicking on the ever-handy Nutrient Calculator, then setting it to Connoisseur A & B and fixing the size of your reservoir (mine is 72 Liters), you’ll get exact figures of how much of each suggested ingredient to include in your nutrient mix. Feel free to experiment and add other great AN products that are not listed on the Nute Calc. Call the tech guys if you need advice.

Remember to flush your system between each new batch of nutrient solution. Check your reservoir level daily, and top up with fresh water. I’ve had a filter installed on my intake water pipe. Unless your tap water is pure, that might be a good idea for you, as well.

And, oh yes, try Connoisseur. You’ll be glad you did!

2007-06-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

LEDs and Digital Dialog Between Plant and Grower

It’s official! I have selected 6 female plants to fill the buckets of my ebb and flow hydroponic medpot producing system. If you have read my posting last week, then you know that I used the black paper bag method in order to force a lower branch of each plant into pre-flowering.

By covering the branch with a light-proof bag on a 12/12 basis regularly for a week, tiny protrusions began to grow at the junctions of the branch to the main stem. Using a magnifying glass I identified these pre-flowers as either male or female, or in two cases—both.

Hermies are an abnormality, where a single marijuana plant has the characteristics of both male and female. They are considered a problem, because the process is irreversible. Also, growers who propagate new plants using clones know that hermies might pass on this characteristic through their clones, so they avoid them.

So out of 15 cannabis plants in week 4 of their vegetative growth, 7 turned out to be female, 6 are male, and 2 are hermies. The hardest part was choosing the six healthiest looking ones from the seven females. It broke my heart (since they all looked bushy and healthy) but I said goodbye to one of them and passed her along with the rest of the plants to a fellow medpot patient.

My friend is not able to physically perform the tasks necessary to manage a hydro grow, so I put the extras into pots with a perlite soil mixture and delivered them to him. He was very grateful. An attendant comes once a day to help him with his chores, which include watering his medpot plants under a grow light.

My six chosen sinsemilla ladies are proudly growing in my baked clay pebble-filled buckets, with the black bags removed. I will leave them vegging for four weeks more, before I administer Bud Blood and change their lighting regimen to 12-12.

Speaking of lighting, I just read a study published by the University of Minnesota, entitled “LED’s: New Lighting Alternatives for Greenhouses.” I found it truly amazing!

If you just woke up from a 20-year coma, LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. The technology is not new. Edison took out a patent on a certain kind of diode, but he didn’t follow through with it. The first radio set was built with a crystal diode. And wasn’t there a punk band in the late seventies called The Diodes? Anyway, LED displays are everywhere, from your laptop to your cell phone. You can’t escape digital technology.

The new part is that I couldn’t ever imagine that the light emitted in this way could ever compete with the intense light of an HID lamp. Yet, according to this U. of M. study it not only can, but it grew taller plants than its High Pressure Sodium competition.

Light Emitting Diodes are defined in Wikipedia. They are crystal semiconductors, allowing a charge to pass only in one direction. For a more detailed explanation, go to the website.

In all fairness to HPS technology, the study was slightly flawed. The ventilation system for the HID light wasn’t set up in time, so the intense heat could have shut down photosynthesis in the plants for a time, causing slower growth.

One of the great advantages of an LED lighting kit (consists of a bunch of blue and red bulbs) is that it hardly generates any heat at all. The other great advantage is the energy saved. In this age of trying to minimize carbon emissions, LED lighting wins hands down.

The cost differential has to be taken into account. The LED kit will run you around $1,700, while the 400W HPS it competed against only costs $400. But over a seven year period the savings with the LED add up to over $2500, while the HPS costs $130 per month to run. Not to mention how many times the bulb has to be replaced in that time.

As I look around my grow room, more and more of my equipment is digital. My ballast (the LED kit doesn’t need one) is a new electronic one that replaced my old clunker, that was a fire hazard (there is no danger of fire with LED’s!).

My timing devices, my pH and EC meters, my electronic scales, are all digital. A computer-savvy friend installed a logarithm-based program in a desktop. This computer was set aside for the purpose of controlling my ebb and flow pump, the 600W HPS light, the intake and exhaust fans, the ozone generator next door, and the radiator-style oil heaters that maintain an adequately warm temperature in the room through the winters.

So am I going to rush out and buy an LED kit to replace my HPS? Not anytime soon. I think I’ll wait until they come down in price. And that might happen sooner than we think, since I’ve noticed on the web that there are some very aggressive young companies marketing this new technology for horticultural purposes.

As I mixed up this week’s nutrient solution, I made sure to mix the Barricade in warm water the night before and I shook it really well. Then I added Sensi Grow A & B in the appropriate quantity for week 5 of vegging?

How did I know the right amount to add? Why I looked it up digitally on my laptop on the Advanced Nutrients website. Their Nutrient Calculator will figure out the exact amount of each ingredient you need, depending on the size of your reservoir.

I wanted to add Seaweed Extract in addition to the regular ingredients this week, so I used my digital calculator to figure out how much to add and by how much I had to reduce some other items by in order not to upset the suggested EC (1.71) and the PPM (1200) for the week.

I read in the Advancedpedia that it’s all right to spray with Colossal Bud Blast during the vegetative stage, so I decided to do so. Cannabis plants take in nourishment not just through their roots, but also through the leaves. So I factored in the amount of extra food I was giving them in terms of their weekly total intake.

Even though no root colonizers are used during weeks 4, 5, and 6 of veg, the Nute Calc does call for 450 mL of Sensi Zym to be administered during week 5.

Not only do they have digital vaporizers now, which regulate the heating pad to stabilize the temperature (thus ensuring a steady stream of good-tasting vapor) but in a year’s time I might be able to put a chip smaller than a postage stamp on my cannabis leaves and it will signal when the plant gets thirsty and wants some water or food.

A Colorado high-tech company has exclusive rights to a device developed at the University of Colorado that lets a plant interface with the digital world. It can tell a water valve to open or a feeding pump to activate.

It will be considerably more sensitive than presently available monitoring devices.

2007-06-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sexing With a Paper Bag, Mixing Nourishment

As I’m filling up my reservoir with water to compensate for the amount that my plants have consumed of the nutrient solution in the past twenty-four hours, I’m thinking of different ways of sexing my 15 medpot plants.

I used to fill up each day with unfiltered tap water, since the quality of the water coming out of the tap in these parts used to be pretty good.

Then we had a few rainstorms and the reservoir got a large amount of sediment washed into it and we had a boil water advisory that lasted a week. That’s when I decided to install a purifying filter on the tap leading into my reservoir.

This is week 4 of the vegging phase of my plants. This might be the time to start thinking about removing the male plants and allow my six chosen females to occupy the seats of honor—the six buckets filled with baked clay pebbles in my ebb and flow hydro system.

My mission each time I grow medpot is to grow six sinsemilla plants to provide Claire and I with the purest and most potent pot possible. Sinsemilla literally translates into “without seed,” and indicates unfertilizes, virgin female cannabis plants that grow buds dripping with resin and high in THC.

If I kept the male plants around, they would fertilize my females and throw my plans into chaos. Instead of chucking them into the compost, I pass my male plants on to a fellow medpot patient who is incapacitated. He welcomes this gift, since grown to maturity, male plants also provide smokable parts that are healing.

I can usually tell which plants are male and which are female just by their physical appearance. As I stated last week, male plants are taller with fewer branches and less foliage. Females are bushier, their branches are bunched close together, and they have many more leaves than males.

However, this time I decided to try a method I read about on a Dutch website on the Internet. If you pick a lower branch on each plant and cover it with a black paper bag for 12 hours each day, then remove the bag for 12 hours under your HID light, in about a week the branch will sprout the beginnings of early flowers.

Use a paper bag, not plastic, in order to allow the branch to breathe. The only way this trick will work is if you do it punctually for at least a week. Make sure absolutely no light gets to the branch during the “dark” periods.

If you look at the bud site under a magnifying glass, you will discover that the male plant will have a growth that looks like three
small balls joined together with a tiny stem, while the female will grow either a single or a double pistil, which are hair-like growths designed to grab the pollen from the male.

I’ll report on the results of this experiment next week. In the meantime, I mix up a new batch of my nutrient solution each week, making sure that I flush and wipe my reservoir between each new nutrient mix.

I generally mix the solution really well in my pre-mix tank the night before using it. Some of the ingredients, notably Barricade, take a longer time to dissolve than others.

Since this is week 4 of vegging, I start with 148.54 mL each of Sensi Grow A and Sensi Grow B in my 72-Liter tank. I’m aiming for 1200 PPM or 1.71 EC. The vegetative growth cycle will culminate with 1400 PPM and EC 2 during week 8.

I could keep my plants in vegetative growth for as long as I want, by maintaining a 16-hour light and 8-hour darkness cycle. Some growers do keep some plants in veg growth perpetually to provide clones for further propagation.

However, I found that clones are not practical for a medpot grower with only one grow room and a legal limit of six mature plants in each cycle. So I only veg to week 8, by which time my plants have reached a height of 5 feet (usually, depending on the strain).

That to me is a signal that they are ready to go into flower. So I go to 12/12 with my lighting and switch from Sensi Grow A & B to Sensi Bloom A & B. I also add Bud Blood with its high Phosphorus and Potassium content to provide the extra amount of these elements needed by the plant to start large bud formation.

But I’m jumping the gun. I’m still in week 4 The synthetic nutrients in my Sensi Two-Part, which are numerous and very nourishing, are supplemented by adding 162 mL of Mother Earth Super Tea Grow, an organic smorgasbord of goodies that add natural nourishment to the mix.

90 mL each of Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and her Fulvic Acid are added next, in order to help stimulate a rich, humus-like soil growing environment in my hydroponic reservoir. Our grandparents grew their food in just such a rich, black, fertile soil.

13.46 mL of Barricade comes next. I generally mix this potassium silicate product in a 4 Liter bottle with water, and then shake the hell out of it. Only when I see it dissolved do I add it to my pre-mix tank. It dissolves completely, if left overnight.

Then I add 450 mL of B-52, a B-complex Vitamin that replenishes the nutrients my plants lose through stress. Yes, plants experience stress every day. It can be caused by too much light, too little light, roots deprived of oxygen, too much humidity, too little humidity, too much Nitrogen, too little Nitrogen, etc.

I can’t over-emphasize the importance of adding Scorpion Juice to your nutrient mix on a weekly basis. In addition to applying this product as a foliar spray, you should also add it to your root zone regularly.

It imparts an induced systemic resistance to your cannabis plants, that enables them to ward off numerous pathogens and pests. This will save you from immense headaches and possible loss of your medicine.

450 mL of SensiZym adds over 80 bioactive enzymes into your solution. These are super active in the root zones of your plants by munching on plant debris in your grow medium and converting the content of this debris into easily absorbable nutrients, which will be utilized to grow bigger, better, healthier ganja.

I’ve sung the praises of Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice many times before. They are root colonizers containing beneficial microorganisms that fight and ward off harmful microorganisms before they hurt your plants.

They have been added to the mix during weeks 1, 2, and 3. Weeks 4, 5, 6, and 8 they do not need to be added, since they multiply by themselves. Week number 7 they will be topped up for a total of 101.28 grams of Piranha and Tarantula, and 487.44 mL of Voodoo Juice, during the eight-week vegetative growth of my plants.

2007-06-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ancient Medicine meets Modern Needs

I picked up the June issue of “High Times” at a friend’s place and read a very interesting article. The writer journeyed to a far-flung corner of Asia in order to find the possible source, nay the Mother Lode, where cannabis first began.

On the slopes of the Altai Mountains, in China—near Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia—he found a small village where pot grows freely producing sweet smelling buds. They’re not as potent as hydro grown, cultivated weed, but the locals enjoy smoking them, despite China’s harsh penalties for drug involvement.

The writer cites Herodotus, a Roman historian, talking about how the original inhabitants of the area, the Scythians used to throw seeds onto hot stones under a felt cover and rejoice when they inhaled the smoke. Today, the area is inhabited by the Uyghur people, a semi-nomadic Turkic tribe with a very interesting history.

Coincidentally, their knowledge of ancient medicine and medicinal herbs is renowned. Some scholars believe that it was the Uyghurs who invented acupuncture, not the Chinese. It’s almost certain that medpot was one of those 103 herbs that the Uyghurs had in their traditional medicinal pouch.

Unfortunately, our medicine does not grow openly by the side of the road. We have to work hard to produce our magic elixir, the herb that helps heal Claire’s migraine headaches and used to relieve my nausea when I was undergoing chemotherapy.

The 30 huge Connoisseur buds in the oversized glass jars are curing properly. I still take the lids off the jars every single day in order to allow the buds to breathe. Claire and I have had several healing sessions with this superb marijuana, and she is most pleased that the quality of our medicine has improved to such magnificent heights.

This is week 3 of vegging for the new batch, so I’m following the Nutrient Calculator to make sure that my reservoir contains a well-balanced meal for the young ones. Some growers wait until their plants start the bloom cycle before they make their final selection between male and female marijuana plants.

I generally know much sooner than that. There are telltale sings that you learn to pick up on with time and experience. Male cannabis plants are usually taller than female plants, with thick stems, only occasional branches, and less foliage. Female plants are much bushier, with branches close together on the stem. They have many more leaves than male plants.

However, the third week of vegging is still a bit premature for the selection. I can wait. Right now I have fifteen intermediary pots clustered under my 600W HPS light (with a conversion bulb on the blue spectrum) and the light is far enough above the canopy that it is no longer a danger to my plants.

Weel 3 of vegging calls for 136.08 mL of both Sensi Grow A and Sensi Grow B. The reason that it is a two-part is that if you mixed these ingredients prematurely, they would lose their potency. However, freshly mixed in your tank and absorbed by the roots of your plants, this is an extremely well-designed fert (specifically for cannabis) that guarantees a bountiful harvest, each and every time.

I count 26 different macro and micro-nutrients that go into Sensi Grow in specific quantities and ratios aimed at the vegetative growth of my plants. In addition to the phosphates, and the nitrates, and the Potassium, the array of easily absorbable micronutrients in this product is staggering.

On top of the Calcium, Magnesium, and Urea, Sensi Grow A & B has Boron, Cobalt, Copper, Molybdenum, and Zinc. And not just in one form, but usually several forms to make it easier for different parts of the plant to utilize these trace elements.

Mother Earth Blended Super Tea Grow, of which I have to mix in 152.64 mL during week 3, is designed to soften the synthetic impact of Sensi Grow and enhance it with that organic touch. Fish Meal, Crab Meal, Shrimp Meal, and Canola Meal figure prominently in this product, along with Alfalfa Extract, Earthworm Castings, Citric Acid, and Sea Kelp.

I never shared with anyone how I beat Cancer, but one herbal remedy that sure worked for me was Seaweed Extract. A herbalist recommended that I flush my system with a green powder mixed in water several times a month. I did, and not only did it make me feel better but it helped purify my system and force the cancer cells into submission. That and medpot, of course.

The Sea Kelp in the Mother Earth Tea probably does similar things for my cannabis plants. It’s super nutrition and also a super cleanser. It contains “betaines” which are a class of compound that enhance cell membrane functions and increase the cell’s adaptability to stress.

The betaines are chelated, along with humates, when the “hot” extraction of seaweed extract takes place, during the manufacture of Mother Earth Super Tea Grow. Anything that makes my plants more adaptable to stress is alright with me!

Humates are highly compressed remnants of tropical rain forests that existed millions of years ago in the south-western part of North America. They are a purely organic, humus-like substance in a highly concentrated form. Through the process of chelation, the minerals and trace elements contained in humates are readily made available to my cannabis plants, through Mother Earth Super Tea Grow.

Of course Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid is related to humates, even though it is derived from a different substance known as “leonardite,” which is also calcified organic material. Highly compressed.

By including “humates” and “humic acid” in its products, Advanced Nutrients illustrates a thorough knowledge of the most recent advances in horticulture which indicate that through the use of these organic substances bigger, healthier, and better plants can be grown.

During week 3, I am adding 80.64 mL of Humic Acid, as well as the same amount of Fulvic Acid. These two ingredients in my ebb and flow hydro reservoir mimic a rich, black, humus-like soil environment. Our ancestors grew all their vegetables in just such a soil.

The ancient meets the modern. Uyghur medicine is tomorrow’s medicine. It’s only a matter of time, before humankind wakes up to the fact that these healing herbs were put here for our benefit and that outlawing them is the heights of insanity.

2007-06-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Instant Gratification or Wise Patience & Reward

I’ve noticed on a number of marijuana growing forums that novice pot cultivators seem to have the idea that by banging together a 3x3x6 foot cabinet they can grow up to 25 mature pot plants under fluorescent lights in this small enclosed space.

At first I thought they were talking about seedlings, but then I realized that they thought that by allowing 3 to 4 weeks for the vegetative stage, they could change their light regimen to 12-12 and induce bud formation. What kind of buds would immature plants grown under such conditions produce, I wondered?

I was also puzzled as to where such ideas could have come from. Then I happened to Google the phrase “growing marijuana” and I found one possible source for this fad. On the Green Man’s web page, a long article on marijuana growing starts off with a suggestion to build just such a cabinet.

Now the Green Man has been a source of valuable information over the years. He has rated marijuana seed banks with a fair degree of accuracy, and I’m sure that many medpot growers—me and my wife Claire among them—have appreciated it.

However, this “cabinet cultivation” is only the beginning of a fairly long explanation of all the complexities of growing cannabis. I can see how lazy minds could read the first page or so and conclude that they can grow 25 mature pot plants in a square-meter sized cabinet.

If they bothered to read further on, they would have read “wait until the plants are at least five feet tall” before you change your lighting to 12-12 and start the flowering process. “This is large enough to support good flower development and return a good yield. If you turn down the light cycle when the plants are young and small, you’ll harvest much less grass because the plants simply can’t sustain a large number of flowers.”

Now how you’re going to fit a five-foot tall marijuana plant into a six-foot high cabinet, especially when you have been instructed to make sure that your lights are inside the cabinet, is beyond me. Also, with global warming and our long, hot summers, can you imagine how hot it’s gonna get inside that cabinet?

I can see how the cabinet idea appeals to young people who are trying to hide their proclivity for cannabis from their parents (?), roommates (?), or whoever. But forcing immature plants to flower is akin to helping children to have babies of their own. It is simply not a good idea!

My 15 seedlings are back to their eager, robust selves. If nurtured properly, a mature cannabis plant is able to grow several inches per day. Seedlings are fed with a half-strength nutrient solution, so they don’t eat or grow as much. The bigger the plant gets, the larger the amount of food it requires. After two to three weeks as a seedling, week 1 of the veg stage begins.

My basic fert is the Advanced Nutrients Medical Sensi Two-Part. So I mix Sensi Grow A & B with the other additives, supplements, and root colonizers designed to nourish my young plants much the same way that we nourished our daughter when she went from the toddler stage to learning how to ride a bicycle.

The incredibly helpful Nutrient Calculator on the AN website provides invaluable information on the proper feeding of our medicinal marijuana plants. The desired pH for growing in soil is 6.3. For my hydroponic ebb and flow reservoir, the optimum pH is 5.6. I always have some pH Up or pH Down on hand, just in case I have to adjust the acid-alkaline balance at any given time.

The suggested PPM or parts per million for week 1 of vegging is 800. My EC meter is calibrated at 1 EC = 700 PPM. So 800 PPM reads EC 1.14. Week 2 of the veg stage the PPM should go up to 1000 and the EC reading should be 1.42. There is nothing mysterious about it. As the plants grow, they require more food.

Our daughter, Squirrel, is eleven now and she eats twice as much as she ate when she was six. It’s not that she’s getting fat—her growing body requires more nourishment as it gets bigger.

So in addition to the macro and micro nutrients in our basic fert, we also mix in Mother Earth Super Tea Grow (144 mL during week 2) which supplements the synthetic regimen with a much needed organic boost of cell-nourishing food.

Derived from 100% organic sources, the fish, crab, and shrimp meal in Super Tea are supplemented by extracts of alfalfa, canola, and sea kelp, as well as earthworm castings. Kelp has natural hormones that play an invaluable role in cell division, nutrient distribution, root development, seed formation, and germination.

The alfalfa extract in this product provides over eighty phytochemicals that help our cannabis plants produce better flowers. Super Tea has the correct nutrients ratio required by cannabis. It enhances the fragrance and taste of the smoke and energizes our plants to produce better buds.

Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid (72 mL of both during week 2 of vegging) play the same role in the diet of our medpot plants as broccoli and spinach do in Squirrel’s daily intake of food. They provide an organic humus-like growing environment in the reservoir of my hydro grow.

Humus was that rich, black, organic soil that your grandmother grew her vegetables in. With the addition of these two phenomenally effective products, those fertile days can be recreated right in your grow room.

I’m in no rush. I want to grow the best medicine possible for Claire and I. So I’m going to let my plants have a full 8-week course of vegetative growth before I switch to 12-12 and add the high phosphorus-potassium content of Bud Blood to induce flowering.

I only wish that the people on the grow forums who are seeking fast solutions and instant gratification would acquire the wisdom that comes with experience and realize that nature knows best. I observe my plants and listen to them. They tell me when they’re hungry, they tell me when they’re thirsty. They also tell me when they’re old enough to start producing flowers.

2007-05-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

How Close Should Your Light(s) Be?

Many growers of medicinal cannabis start their seedlings under fluorescent lights, since the illumination provided by this light source is gentle and perfectly adequate for germination and initial growth.

Then, when it comes time for transplanting the rooted seedlings into intermediary pots, some more intense lighting is required. So last week I moved my 15 pots into the periphery of my 600W High Pressure Sodium light, but I was sure to insert a blue-spectrum conversion bulb, since the growth stage of cannabis requires light on the blue end of the spectrum.

There are many theories as to providing lighting for growing cannabis. The mantra is often repeated—bring your light source as close as possible to the top of your plants. Use your hand as if you were testing the heat of a baby bottle. If the light burns your hand, move your light source up a notch.

I did all that and my plants still got burned! I was watering my seedlings with a half-strength nutrient mix composed of Sensi Grow Two-Part, my basic fert, B-52 an excellent B-complex vitamin, and the three root colonizers, Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice.

I did this at four-hour intervals, so I only left my plants alone for a few hours. However, the old motor in my ventilation fan seized up and the heat of the light burned the tips of the top leaves of my young seedlings.

It is definitely not nute burn, since my nutrient mix is still at half strength. I was just about to increase it to full strength and start the week 1 regimen of growth feeding that I mentioned in last week’s posting, and then this happened.

It is a blow to your ego when you have taken every precaution possible, and then an old motor throws a wrench into the works. However, I took steps to save my investment. When you pay hundreds of dollars for premium seeds, you want to make sure that you get your money’s worth.

Instead of figuring out the distance between the young plants and the high intensity light mathematically, I went with the commonly held belief. Instead of testing the commonly held belief with my intellect, I went along with the crowd.

I know that a 600W High Pressure Sodium light generates 90,000 lumens a foot away from the source, 22,500 lumens two feet away, 9,999 lumens 3 feet away, and 6,428 lumens four feet away. Intensity equals light output divided by the distance squared.

So to figure out the lumens at five feet, I would have to divide 90,000 by five squared, or 25. So at five feet the light given off is 3600 lumens. At six feet it is 2500 lumens.

2500 lumens is the exact number that Jorge Cervantes suggests for seedlings in his “Indoor Mairjuana Horticulture.” So according to that, I should have had my seedlings six feet away from my light.

However, I placed my 15 pots around the periphery of the light, so I had them closer than that. Also, I didn’t use my head, I used the “hand test” so I brought my light source even closer to my young plants. With the fan going, it seemed cool enough under there.

The next time I’ll be sure to do the math. As is, I gave the young seedling another application of No Shock, which is an Advanced Nutrients product designed to minimize the shock of transplanting.

Also, since the extra heat dried out my grow medium between waterings and the young plants semi-wilted, I applied Revive. This is an Advanced Nutrients product engineered just for such occasions.

Revive contains super chelated micronutrients, such as iron and zinc, as well as macronutrients such as nitrogen and calcium, which are sucked up by the roots of the ailing plants and pretty soon they’re back to their vigorous former selves.

No Shock contains Golden Honey Fulvic Acid, derived from a richly organic mined substance called “leonardite,” as well as key nutrients, immune boosters, and root stimulators. If your plants have been stressed or shocked by transplanting or some other disastrous transition, No Shock will calm them down and set them back on the path of growth in no time.

Within 48 hours my 15 cannabis seedlings returned to normal with the HID light safely positioned 6 feet above the tops of the plants. Gradually, my light will be lowered to a distance of 3 feet above the plant canopy, in order to provide the 10,000 lumens of light called for by the experts for mature cannabis plants.

Ed Rosenthal took a reading at the 40th parallel and he measured 10,000 lumens in the sunlight on a clear day at noon. Why the 40th parallel, you ask? It is an imaginary line running 40 degrees above the Equator through such countries as Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and comprising the border between Kansas and Nebraska in the United States.

Jorge Cervantes agrees with the 10,000 lumens prescription for adult marijuana plants. So I wonder if all those growers who claim that they bring their lights as close as possible to the tops of the plants are giving their plants too many lumens? Could some of those incidents of so-called nute burn be better explained by the proximity of high intensity lighting?

And if you nourish your plants properly with excellent plant nutrients such as the Sensi Two-Part and later Connoisseur A & B, your cannabis plants will grow thick and robust and you won’t have to be afraid of them stretching to reach the intense light.

2007-05-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Curing Giant Buds, Planting Tiny Plants

How do you tell when your cannabis has finished drying? When your buds become brittle, crispy, and rollable into blunts. My plant tops with five or six large buds attached have reached this stage, so I carefully cut the wires holding them on the drying line and lowered the dried cannabis onto a clean surface for processing.

Using sterilized scissors, I cut the buds off the stems (I’ve manicured the buds while the plant was still fresh—manicuring them at this stage could result in trichome destruction and loss of potency) and carefully placed the buds into my 30 large, wide-mouth candy jars for curing.

I moved my finished, larger shelf into the walk-in drying closet and placed the 30 jars, now each containing a large bud, on the shelves. I put the lids on, but knowing full well that the lids will have to be removed once a day for a two-hour period to release any built up gases in the jars that could influence the curing process.

Some buds might require turning in order to fully dry. I keep the closet fan on medium setting while the jars are open in the dark, in order to keep the air circulating around the buds. I must confess seeing 30 humungous Connoisseur buds all lined up in candy jars is a beautiful sight!

Curing involves alternate periods of “sweating” your buds and continuing to dry them. If you notice any mold developing in the jars, then you’re doing too much sweating and too little drying. Make sure that there is good air circulation while the jar tops are open.

At the same time, the next generation of sinsemilla ladies is still in its infancy. Fifteen seedlings are still in the incubator, under a plastic humidity cover, growing under fluorescent lights. When it comes time to transplant these small plants, as soon as they have four tiny leaves, in addition to the two primary, cotyledon leaves, then they can be dipped into No Shock, to alleviate transplant stress.

The tiny seedlings in one-inch rockwool cubes have tiny root hairs that you have to be very careful with, when transplanting them. The seedlings, rockwool cube and all, are placed into the grow medium of your choice for further growth and development. In my case, it’s baked clay pebbles.

I don’t place them into the buckets of my six-bucket ebb and flow system immediately. For the time being I put baked clay pebbles into six-inch pots and cluster them under my 600W High Pressure Sodium light with a blue-light conversion bulb in its socket, rather than the red-spectrum regular HPS bulb.

I use my pre-mix tank to whip up my weekly nutrient solution, using Sensi Grow A & B as my primary fert, with the supplements and additives as called for by the Advanced Nutrients Nutrient Calculator, an invaluable tool.

For instance, in week 1 of the vegetative growth of the rooted seedlings, in my 72 Liter pre-mix tank I would pour 88.7 mL each of Sensi Grow A and Sensi Grow B, along with 115.2 mL of Mother Earth Blended Organic Super Tea Grow. The latter adds that much-needed organic touch for growers, like myself, using a synthetic base fertilizer.

Consisting of Canola, Crab, Fish, and Shrimp Meal, as well as Earthworm Castings, Alfalfa Extract, Citric Acid, and Sea Kelp, Mother Earth Super Tea has an NPK of 4.8-1.8-4.3, and is designed to enhance the fragrance, taste, and the quality of your buds.

Plant scientists have confirmed that sea kelp is full of potassium and micronutrients. In addition, cytokinins, auxins, and gibberlins can also be found in seaweed. These are natural plant growth hormones that are produced by plants as a matter of course.

Plants under stress, be it temperature, drought, or light related, are unable to produce these hormones. Therefore, supplying them through a supplement containing seaweed extract is a wise course of action. Cytokinins, auxins, and gibberlins are not only involved in plant growth, but also nutrient mobilization and distribution, germination, cell division, root development, flowering and seed formation. They regulate physiological plant processes.

I’ve discussed the importance of Humic and Fulvic acid before. During week 1 I pour 72 mL of each into the pre-mix tank, followed by 288 mL of B-52, containing all the essential B vitamins to relieve plant stress.

10.8 mL of Barricade is poured in next along with 360 mL of Scorpion Juice. These very effective Advanced Nutrients products are essential to fight and prevent fungal, bacterial, and viral as well as pest infestations. Barricade fortifies the walls of your cannabis cells, while Scorpion Juice imparts induced systemic resistance to my sinsemilla ladies, enabling their immune systems to counteract any invasions, whether by microorganisms or by bugs.

360 mL of Sensi Zym adds over eighty types of bioactive enzymes to the root systems of my plants. These help clean my grow medium of plant debris and aid in the absorption of viable nutrients by the root hairs.

21.6 grams of Piranha and Tarantula are added next during week 1 of vegetative growth, along with 86.4 mL of Voodoo Juice. The first two supply beneficial fungi and bacteria to the root zones of my ladies, which keep the harmful fungi and bacteria at bay. In addition, they help the roots grow to a larger size and aid in the absorption of nutrients by the plants.

The consistency of my watering solution goes from EC 1,14 or 800 ppm during week 1 gradually up to EC 1.85 or 1300 ppm during week 7 of vegetative growth. This reflects the growth of the plants and how they need more nourishment as they get bigger, much the same way that children need more food as they grow.

I used to move my hydroponic setup from under my grow light in order to accommodate the 15 pots for the intermediate stage, but it became too much hassle. So now I place a plywood board on top of my six large buckets and put the 15 smaller pots on top of that. In this way the younger plants are closer to the light source and still accessible for watering. I attach a pump to a short hose, dip one end into my pre-mix tank and put a watering nozzle on the other end. Presto, instant irrigation—I should say fertigation, implying not just water, but food as well.

2007-05-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Curing in Candy Jars, Preventing Damping Off

While my sinsemilla buds and branches are drying, I am looking for large glass containers with lids to cure my medpot once the drying process is over. The humungous Connoisseur buds are much larger and they won’t fit into the curing containers I used for my last harvest.

I found the answer in of all places, our local candy shop. Squirrel wanted some candy, so she dragged me in there, but I’m very glad she did. The large display jars for the various sweets are just the right size for my colossal buds. I immediately offered cash to the store’s owner for 30 jars.

“I could sell them to you, but then what would I do with my candy,” was his answer. Instead, he gave me the phone number of his supplier, who happened to be at a nearby address. I phoned and rushed over. Presto, after a credit card transaction, I had my thirty “candy” jars ready for curing my pot.

While light is essential for growing plants, during drying and curing it helps the plant deteriorate and lose potency. I noticed that my prescription medications now come in dark green plastic containers for much the same reason.

I’ve built some shelves for my glass jars, but they won’t hold the 30 larger jars that I just bought, so it’s back to the drawing board. The shelves line one of the walls of the large, walk in closet where the drying is taking place in the dark.

I bought some wider shelves with enough space to fit the new jars and assembled the unit outside the closet so I wouldn’t interfere with the drying process. Since for curing cannabis it helps to have a sterile environment, I wiped the new shelves and the walls of the closet with Advanced Nutrients Wipe Out.

I also flushed my six bucket ebb and flow (flood and drain) hydroponic system again and again with fresh water, then I drained my reservoir completely and I wiped all my tanks and buckets and the walls of my grow room with Wipe Out.

It is time to wash my baked clay pebbles before planting the next batch of medicinal marijuana. Luckily, I use SensiZym. The over eighty live enzymes in this product enjoy munching on plant debris in my grow medium, converting them to absorbable nutrients for my plants.

But the pebbles still have to be washed and scrubbed thoroughly with warm water. Never use any chemical detergent to clean your grow medium, unless you want your next crop to taste like soap.

Harvest is also the time for planting new seeds, and I’ve done just that, in one inch rockwool cubes, under a plastic humidity cover in a tray under fluorescent grow tubes. I usually plant around 15 seeds, which with attrition and sex selection eventually whittle down to my six sinsemilla ladies.

At this point the rockwool cubes in the incubator are just soaked in distilled water, but as soon as the seeds germinate, they will be dipped into a half strength solution of my basic fert, Sensi Grow A & B, as well as B52 to help relieve stress.

Once the seeds germinate and the tiny seedlings grow roots, they one inch rockwool cube housing the seedling can be dipped into a solution of No Shock. Mix 10 mL (2 tsp) of No Shock into a Litre of water. Later, I place the one inch cube into a pre-dug hole in your grow medium very carefully, making sure that no delicate root filaments are damaged in the process.

I also pre-soak my rooting media with Jump Start, in order to stimulate root growth. I mix 1-2 mL per Litre of water. This can also be used as a foliar spray, before initial roots have developed. However, if you’re using it as a foliar spray, it should be mixed at a ratio of 30 mL per Litre.

If by any chance my seeds refuse to germinate in the rockwool cubes, I carefully dig them out and remove them with tweezers. My backup system is the tried and true wet paper towel method. You place the seeds in between two wet paper towels and put in a warm, dark place.

Stubborn seeds that have refused to germinate in rockwool most often than not will sprout tiny shoots in the wet paper towels. Of course, extra care should be taken in placing these tiny shoots back into the pre-drilled hole in the rockwool cubes for further incubation.

Never, under any circumstances, allow your tiny seedlings to dry out. On the other hand, don’t make them so wet that Damping Off will result. According to one of the foremost authorities on cannabis diseases, J. M. McPartland, most damping off is caused by a Pythium fungi, but Rhizoctonia, Botrytis, and Fusarium species could also be responsible.

Damping off kills seeds in soil or in any grow medium infected by the fungus. It also kills seedlings shortly after they emerge from the grow medium. The fungi usually attack seedling stems at the soil line. A brown, watery soft rot results, causing the plants to topple over.

Once my seedlings have four leaves in addition to the two cotyledon leaves, it will be time to transplant them into my grow medium, i.e. baked clay pebbles, under my 600W High Pressure Sodium lamp with a blue spectrum conversion bulb.

At that time my pre-mixed nutrient solution, featuring Sensi Grow A & B as my base nutrient, will be poured into my deep, 72 Liter reservoir, and the pumps will start to flood my buckets four times per 16-hour light period.

Barricade will be featured prominently in my nutrient solution, in order to allow its Potassium Silicate structure to strengthen the cell walls of my cannabis, enabling the plants to fight off and prevent many insect and pathogen attacks.

Also, every three weeks my seedlings will be sprayed with a mild solution of Scorpion Juice, which will impart an induced systemic resistance to many pests and pathogens.

2007-05-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Connoisseur Harvest--Resin-Coated Humungous Buds

I learn a great deal each time my six ladies approach maturity. Last week I flushed my six-bucket ebb and flow system with Final Phase, so this week I am irrigating my plants with pure water and examining my wonderfully enlarged buds to determine the best time for the harvest.

Harvesting your crop is the ultimate high for a truly dedicated grower. As you might recall, during week 3 of bloom I switched from my regular fert, Sensi Bloom A & B to the ultra special brand new super fert, Connoisseur A & B.

Soon after the switch, a miraculous growth spurt took place. Not only did the buds begin to swell, but the stems got fatter and the leaves looked like they were bursting with nutrients. The polyamino alcohols in Connoisseur, along with all the amino chelated ingredients in this premium product, caused the cell walls of my plants to become more elastic, and thus able to hold more carbohydrates.

With the increased carbo load (enhanced by the use of Carbo Load, an Advanced Nutrients Medical product) my buds had more nutrients to support their growth, so they grew and grew and couldn’t stop growing.

I still used Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive as indicated, during week 1 for the first bloom enhancer, weeks 2, 3, & 4 for the second, and weeks 5 & 6 for the third. The extra phosphorus and potassium contained in these products combined with the gourmet fine ingredients in Connoisseur and the sky became the limit!

Midstream during bloom, I used Sweet Leaf with its natural berry sugars to enhance the taste and smell of my harvest.

Not only did the size of my buds increase tremendously, but the bouquet, aroma, and (I must confess I clipped a sample) flavor were magnified, to the point that I had to introduce ozone generation in order to hide telltale odors from my nosy neighbors.

I’m growing Indica-Sativa hybrids, but this nutrient regimen is sure to work with just about any strain.

During the fourth week of flowering, my buds started to grow glandular trichomes on stalks, the tiny rods with knobs on the end of them best seen through a 30X magnifying glass.

Due to the Connoisseur, these trichomes became denser and denser through weeks 5, 6, & 7 of flowering, until now—we’re at the end of week 8—they are so densely packed that a very high potency is promised. (Judging from the sample smoke that floored me, I’d say that was a given.)

The tallest trichomes have clear, swollen, bulbous heads, which is the sign that the buds are ready for harvesting. Also, the flowers on the buds, called calyxes, have swollen, starting from the oldest at the base of my buds, all the way to the top, where the youngest flowers are. Swollen calyxes are also a sure sign that the harvest is at hand.

In all my years of growing medicinal marijuana, I have never seen calyxes as swollen as these. Prior to the wholesale swelling of the calyxes, the pistils at the base of the buds started to turn reddish brown, and by week 6 all the pistils have become that colour.

Now you must remember that these are unfertilized, female marijuana plants, but the calyxes are so swollen you’d swear they contained seeds.

Many growers say that you must harvest at night in order to give your plants that one last day of life-giving light, so I’m following their example.

I trimmed my plants of excess leaves the day before using sterilized scissors and gloves, so now I remove only the bud-filled flowering top of the plant as a unit. Did I mention that the proliferation of buds this time is astounding? I’ve never seen so many large-sized buds on each of my plants.

I manicure the buds on each plant very carefully, which means I cut the leaves encircling the buds, but not the ones covered with resin. It is better to do this while the plant is fresh in order to minimize trichome damage. Once the plant dries, it is harder to manicure.

Each flowering top is carefully hung upside down with wooden clothes pegs on a wire stretched at the top of a dark, large, walk-in closet for drying. A fan is put into the drying room to keep the air circulating and the temperature is kept around 70º F at no more than 50% humidity.

Judging from the size of my buds, this harvest will take more than five to ten days to dry, after which comes the curing, which I will discuss next week. Drying the flowering section of the cannabis plant as a unit takes a bit longer than if I had cut each floral cluster separately.

2007-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ozone Generation and the Final Flush

Even though I use a carbon filter on my exhaust fan, some telltale odors do escape from my grow room now and again. As you know, my wife Claire and I are medpot patients, growing legal marijuana according to the laws of the state we live in. However, the federal government doesn’t recognize the validity of this state law, so their drug enforcement agencies have been known to bust and prosecute patients growing medical cannabis, especially if they grow more than the allotted amount.

We don’t need this hassle, even though we’re only growing six plants each time. So we would prefer to keep the existence of our grow room secret from our neighbors and any authority types who might come sniffing around. To make a long story short, I’ve been looking into the wisdom of using an ozone generator to get rid of the odors completely.

Ozone generators use ultraviolet (UV) light to turn the oxygen in air (O2) into ozone (O3). The ozone molecule is somewhat unstable and is constantly looking to unload the extra oxygen molecule by binding with other molecules. Odors are particles consisting of molecules that float in the air, so they become the most convenient thing for that extra oxygen molecule to bind with. This binding process is often referred to as oxidization.

A word of warning is warranted—never look directly at the UV lamp or tube. The intensity of the UV light can damage your retina beyond repair. Also, never use an ozone generator in a completely closed grow room. Adequate ventilation is absolutely essential. Smart growers keep the ozone generator in a separate space, next to the grow room. Then they vent the odors through this room to get rid of them, before finally venting the odorless air to the outside.

The reasons for all these cautions are based on the never-ending quest of the O3 molecule to get rid of that extra oxygen atom. Once it finishes cleaning the air of odor particles, it looks around for anything else to bind with. Your cannabis plants are handy, so it starts binding with the marijuana molecules. If you see chlorotic spots or streaks on your plants and you’re running an ozone generator in the room, you might be seeing ozone damage.

Once it kills your cannabis plants, the ozone will devour your plastic buckets or trays. It’s bad news. Many a grower has gone away for a few days inadvertently leaving their O3 generator on and have returned to find complete devastation. Also, if you happen to be working in the room, the ozone will attack your lungs. A good idea is to go in, switch off the machine, then go out again. Go back in about half an hour to do your work in the grow room.

If you’ve ever smelled ozone, you’ll never forget the smell. It somewhat resembles the smell of burnt hair. Narcs are also aware of the sudden smell of ozone outside your grow room. It’s like a red alert for them. That’s why I’ve always stayed with carbon filtering, but unfortunately it’s not as effective in eliminating odors as ozone is. But I’m going to keep my carbon filter and incorporate it into this new system. I wonder if it will remove the ozone smell before I vent my exhaust air to the outside?

Since I use automatic timers to run all my mechanisms—lights, ventilation fans, radiator heaters, CO2 generator, the pumps that flood my six-bucket ebb and flow system periodically only to switch off and allow my nutrient solution to return to my reservoir—I would also have to put the ozone generator on a timer. If I had the unit inside my grow room and the timer failed I could damage my medicinal crop or worse.

So I am rerouting my exhaust fan ducts through an adjacent closet, which will be completely sealed. I’ve been meaning to do this work for quite some time now, but I never had enough time to do it. I am taking a week off so I’ve gathered all my tools to do this work. I’ve also bought a well-made ozone generator, one with a dead man’s switch that makes direct eye contact with the UV light source impossible.

Some growers use their ozone generators as an anti-fungal tool. Ozone is used in sterilization, so if your have a mold and mildew problem in your grow room, running ozone for a few hours will get rid of it. Luckily, I don’t have a fungal problem. I use Advanced Nutrients Barricade to strengthen the cell walls of my cannabis plants so they can fight off and repel pathogens. I also keep the humidity down in my grow room and don’t’ believe in misting.

Another trick to prevent any kinds of pathogens from getting a foothold in your grow room is to spray regularly with Scorpion Juice. I’ve sprayed my six ladies ever since they were seedlings every three weeks with this very effective product which imparts induced systemic resistance to my plants.

This is week 7 of the bloom cycle, so all I’m doing is flushing my system with Final Phase and clean water. As you know, I’ve fed my ladies the ultra premium basic fert called Connoisseur A & B since week 3 of flowering. The super nutrient has done its work. My stems are thicker, my leaves are bursting with life, and my buds are gigantic. I’m looking forward to harvesting them next week!

I’ve used all the supplements with Connoisseur that I had been using with my Sensi Grow A & B and Sensi Bloom A & B, which are the basic ferts that I would use normally. So the vitamins, organic and synthetic supplements, beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes, debris-munching enzymes have had a synergistic effect in producing a larger than normal harvest, crowned by the use of Advanced Nutrient’s top of the line fert each week for the past four weeks.

And even though I stopped adding Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice in week 2 of the bloom cycle, the live microorganisms contained in these products continued to thrive in the roots of my ladies until this final flush. They helped make the roots grow large and strong and enabled them to better absorb all the vital nutrients that ensured this phenomenal harvest coming up.

Claire and I are both in awe of the size and vigor of our trichome covered buds and their enhanced fragrance. Come to think of it, the Connoisseur-induced extra fragrance (assisted by the use of Sweet Leaf) was the reason that I put my plan into place to start ozone generation.

2007-04-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

Role of Potassium, Connoisseur Harvest Approaching

Potassium is a macronutrient. It’s the K in NPK. This chemical is used in each stage of a plant’s life. Soils that are high in Potassium increase a plant’s resistance not only to bacteria, but also to mold and mildew.

K is involved in the manufacture of carbohydrates—both sugars and starches. It is also a major player in cell division. It boosts chlorophyll in plant foilage and stimulates and regulates the opening of the stomata. Leaves store and move carbs with the help of Potassium.

Last week I discussed how the polyamino alcohols in Connoisseur increase the elasticity of cannabis cell walls, thus allowing more carbohydrate accumulation in the marijuana leaves. Then when bud formation requires the extra energy, these carbs are transferred to the bud sites.

Potassium plays a primary role in this process. I also mentioned that certain growers got good results reducing the ppm of their base nutrient (i.e. Connoisseur) by 2 or 300 ppm, then doubling up on the Bud Blood during the first week of flower formation.

I called the Advanced Nutrients Medical tech guys, since I was concerned that such high Phosphorus and Potassium levels might hurt some plants. They confirmed my suspicions. You should only try this with well-established plants—ones that have been vegging for some time.

If the plant had only 2-3 weeks of vegging and is only a foot and a half high, doubling the Bud Blood is not a good idea. Also, it’s a new method, unproven in scientifically conducted trials. With anything new, you should leave a large percentage of your crop using your tried and true procedures, and pick one or two “sacrificial lambs,” as the tech guy called them, in order to try the new regimen.

This way you’ll be protecting the bulk of your crop from possible failure, but also providing a scientific comparison to see if your trial method worked or not. Are there any other compatible ingredients with Connoisseur—such as Bud Blood—that we should know about?

The AN tech guy said that if I check the Nutrient Calculator, the suggested ingredients are all compatible with Connoisseur, and are basically the same ones as with Sensi-2. “The interaction with the supplements as far as the feed rate and the time is basically the same,” said Tech Mike.

“Does Connoisseur need extra Calcium, or anything?” I asked. “Not unless you’re growing in coco fiber. If you were growing with Connoisseur in coco, then you would need the Sensi Cal. Otherwise, you would use Monkey Juice for coco.”

I asked about a discrepancy between the Nutrient Calculator and the Advancedpedia. The latter states that Bud Blood, which is very high in Phosphorus and Potassium, should be used during the first two weeks of flowering. The Nutrient Calculator suggests to use Bud Blood for only one week.

Tech Mike explained that it’s hard to be as accurate and up-to-date with published material as with the Nutrient Calculator. The Calculator is updated quarterly, so it more accurately reflects the latest Research and Development conclusions. But the Advancedpedia will be corrected in due time.

Then the talk turned to my reservoir. I have a six-bucket ebb and flow system with a 72-Liter extra deep reservoir. That’s 12-Liters per bucket. I just wanted to make sure that I was doing things right, since I was using this new, super powerful base fertilizer, Connoisseur.

I pre-mix my nutrient solution the night before, making sure that hard-to-dissolve ingredients, like Barricade, are well blended into the mix. I take pH readings every half-hour, until my solution has settled between 5.6 and 5.8 pH. If you get two consecutive identical readings in a row you can be pretty certain that your solution has stabilized.

I have my timer set for three floodings per day, each for a 20-minute duration. My medium is baked clay pebbles, and I flush my system between changes. Tech Mike suggested that I mark the top level when I first pour in the mix, then top up my res up to the mark line with water only, never with food.

Taking evaporation into account, my plants consume about 20 percent of the content of the reservoir, per day. By topping up with water only, I am changing the pH of the mix. “Don’t worry about the pH, it will fluctuate,” I am told. “Worry more about the temperature of the nutrient solution. Don’t ever let it go above 80º F. Better to keep it at 70 or even 60º F. Your roots can cook at anything higher than 85º F.”

I remembered last summer at the height of the heat wave when I had to put ice cubes in my reservoir to bring the temp down. Then Tech Mike reminded me that I should always check my airstones. “Make sure that the air is bubbling through the water. Your roots need to breathe, even when they’re submerged.”

I remember a previous session on the phone, when he explained that your roots can be divided into three sections. The bottom third is okay with sucking up water, the middle third can either suck water or breathe air. The top third of your roots prefers to breathe air.

This is week six of flowering, and I’m still adding Connoisseur A and Connoisseur B in reduced quantities, after that tip burn episode. Instead of 130 mL of each, I’m only adding 110 mL of each. I’m reducing each ingredient in the mix, across the board, by ten to twenty percent.

Instead of 86 mL of Humic and Fulvic Acid and Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, I’ve added only 72 mL. Instead of 259 mL of B-52, I’ve poured in only 245 mL. Of Carbo Load Powder I measure only 20 grams. Barricade got reduced to 7 mL. Sensi Zym to 380 mL and Overdrive to 150 mL.

The total ppm for week 6 is 1000, instead of the suggested 1400 ppm for bloom-medium feeding. Next week I’ll add nothing but 180 mL of Final Phase, and then I’ll flush the system and harvest. My buds are looking gigantic already—I don’t know if I can wait that long!

I understand that Connoisseur will be available in all markets by next month. The tech guys say that feedback is very good on it—all growers who are testing it are satisfied with the results. I am very satisfied. My ladies never had it so good!

2007-04-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Connoisseur thickens stalks, leaves, and buds

This is week 5 of the bloom stage and I’m feeding Connoisseur to my six ladies. I’m beginning to see a transformation that I don’t remember seeing with the Sensi Bloom 2-part.

The stalks seem to have thickened, the buds look like they have more weight, the plants look bushier, and even the leaves seem to be a bit meatier. However, I noticed slight tip burn here and there, so I phoned the Advanced Nutrients Medical tech guys right away.

“The tip burn is nothing to get worried about. Just cut back on your feeding, from 200 to 400 ppm.” It seems that they’ve found in selected med growers' trials that certain strains needed a lighter feeding regimen when it came to Connoisseur.

I told the tech guy that I was reducing the ppm by 200 in any case, going from week 4 to week 5 (1600 to 1400 ppm). But that I would reduce an additional 200 ppm to make sure that the tip burn is eliminated. He said that sounded good.

I asked him what the major difference between the Sensi 2-part I’ve been using and Connoisseur is, and he said that all the micronutrients in the latter are amino chelated and that the polyamino alcohols in Connoisseur make it a very different base fertilizer.

“What do the alcohols do exactly?” I asked. “They increase the elasticity of the cellular walls,” said the man. He doesn’t know how much he can reveal about the formulation of the Connoisseur ingredients since the formula is proprietary.

He did, however, speculate that the cell walls being more pliable, more carbohydrates accumulate in the cells of the leaves, which extra nourishment then becomes available to feed the buds at the end of the flowering stage.

More weight, more girth, bigger yields. “Is Connoisseur selling well?” I asked, knowing full well that this ultra premium fert was being sold at a premium price. “We can’t make it fast enough, it’s disappearing from the shelves of our warehouse,” was the answer.

The selected med growers trials all reported higher yields, with or without the suggested supplements in the Nutrient Calculator. Just like the other Advanced Nutrients base fertilizers, Connoisseur can be used as a standalone product, or in conjunction with suggested ingredients in a nutrient mix.

One medpot grower reduced the ppm of Connoisseur and doubled up on the Bud Blood during week 1 of flowering and got excellent results. Being that it’s week 5, I’m adding 200 mL of Overdrive to my pre-mix tank, along with 400 mL of SensiZym; 250 mL of Barricade; 30 grams of Carbo Load Powder; 300 mL of B-52; and 75 mL each of Fulvic Acid and Humic Acid, as well as of Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom.

The amount of Connoisseur A and Connoisseur B I’ve cut back from 186 mL during week 4 to 125 mL each during week 5. I did some quick readings with my EC meter, and came close to EC 1.71, which is 1200 ppm, 200 ppm lower than the suggested level for this week, and 400 ppm lower than what I fed my ladies last week.

“The more food the leaf has the more potential the flower has, because it draws from the leaf,” summed up the Advanced Nutrients tech advisor. “All I know is that everyone who tried Connoisseur and were familiar with the genetics of the strain they were growing showed an increase in yield, improved vigor, increased uptake, and a better product in the end.”

The chelated nutrients in Connoisseur are made from the highest quality ingredients and they are designed to be absorbed by the plants more rapidly in a molecular configuration that enhances floral growth.

Connoisseur also contains a proprietary blend of floral-growth enhancers that influence plant bloom metabolism and floral production.

Connoisseur is designed to increase the set points for flowering, thus increasing the number of buds per plant. Even though I introduced this outstanding product during week 3 of flowering, I did notice that some extra budding points formed on the stalks, and these mini-buds are experiencing rapid growth.

I wonder if they’ll catch up with the buds that formed during week 1, when I mixed Bud Blood into my reservoir. Bud Blood is high in Phosphorus and Potassium and is designed to trigger flower formation on your cannabis plants.

Bud Blood has an NPK of 0-39-25, which means that it has 0 percent Nitrogen, 39 percent Phosphorus or Phosphates, and 25 percent Potassium. It’s composed of Potassium Carbonate, Potassium Phosphate, and Potassium Sulphate. It is suggested that you use it only during week 1 of flowering.

If I had been using Connoisseur from the very start of flowering this time, I would have had to mix in 36 grams of Bud Blood into my 72 Liter reservoir. That’s actually the exact same quantity that I did use, even though during week 1 I was still using Sensi Bloom A & B.

Used in conjunction with switching your light regimen from 18-6 to 12-12, Bud Blood is designed to kick start flower production. The large amount of Phosphorus in Bud Blood is critically required by the roots of cannabis plants for the production of cytokinins. Cytokinins are phytohormones that move up into the vegetative growing tips and trigger the growing of flower tissue, as well as increased branching.

The increased amount of Phosphorus in Bud Blood is a perfect match for the ingredients in Connoisseur, which include Potassium Chelate and Potassium Nitrate. Phosphorus makes up a considerable amount of the physical matter of plant cells. Phosphorus is crucial to the structure of many plant molecules.

Phosphorus is integral to DNA and RNA molecules, holding together the genetic code of all membranes that surround all cells. As a macronutrient, Phosphorus effects plant growth in general, but in particular, flower formation. Scientific literature is full of examples of how this important mineral interacts with the living tissue of plants.

During weeks 2, 3, and 4 I fed my plants Big Bud Powder, which has an NPK of 0-10-40, so it’s higher in Potassium. The importance of Potassium in flowering will be the subject of next week’s blog entry.

2007-04-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

Watering intervals in my ebb & flow system

Three things are necessary for figuring out how often to flood your flood and drain (ebb and flow) system. First, a good quality digital timer; second, previous growing experience; third, common sense.

When you’re growing from seed under a transparent plastic humidity cover, you only water your rockwool cubes every 12 hours, twice a day. When your seedlings get bigger, you’ll notice that they drink more, so you switch to four times a day, but you lose the humidity cover since you want to avoid fungal infestations.

When you transplant your seedlings into your ebb & flow setup under an HID light, it is advisable to start your regimen at three flood and drain cycles per day, usually during the 18 hours when the light is on. So you’re flooding every six hours.

When you switch to the 12-hours light, 12-hours of darkness for the blooming stage of your plants, they’ll probably be tall enough to be watered four times during a 24-hour period. Usually 3 times at four hour intervals during “daylight,” and once during the six hour midpoint of your 12-hours of “night.”

I arrived at these watering times through trial and error. I used to have a cheap timer which left me no choice, I had to flood my system for 30 minutes. With a digital timer you can set the duration of the flood stage. I find that a 20- minute flooding makes more sense and is better appreciated by my ladies. Their roots don’t like to be deprived of oxygen for too long.

Speaking of what my ladies appreciate, they have visibly perked up with the introduction of Advanced Nutrients Connoisseur into their reservoir. It’s as if after being fed an adequate but humble diet, all of a sudden you were given a five-star gourmet meal!

This is week 4 of my ladies’ bloom cycle, so the EC of my nutrient solution is 2.28 and the parts per million is 1600. I’m doing a medium-feeding regimen—don’t want to overdo it! I can always do a heavy feeding the next time around.

In addition to 186.5 mL of both Connoisseur A and Connoisseur B, I’m also feeding my ladies 115.2 mL each of Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, and Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid.

The Super Tea provides that organic touch that benefits all cannabis plants. Continuing in the same vein, the calcified organic substance known as “leonardite” is the source of both Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid. These products turn my hydroponic reservoir into a rich, black, humus-like growing medium.

576 mL of SensiZym is also added to the mix in order to supply over 80 different types of enzymes that are living organisms. They love to munch on plant debris in my clay pebbles, turning this debris into absorbable nutrients for my marijuana plants.

34.58 grams of Big Bud Powder went into my pre-mix tank the night before, along with 11.52 mL of Barricade, and 345.6 mL of B-52 vitamins. Big Bud is a powerful bloom booster that I’ve used before to maximize the size and potency of my buds.

Barricade is a potassium silicate product that strengthens cell walls and thus wards off numerous pathogens and pests, that are unable to penetrate and have to go elsewhere to find food.

Once I mix all these ingredients in my pre-mix tank, I take a pH reading every 30 minutes, until my pH becomes stable. If it’s not 5.6 I add pH Up and or pH Down until it does read 5.6. Advanced Nutrients Medical recommends 5.6 pH for hydro, and 6.3 pH for soil.

How often you flood your ebb and flow system has to do with the strain of cannabis that you’re growing. Trial and error is recommended. Start with three floodings during the light period.

See if your grow medium and the root mats sticking out the bottom of your buckets are totally dry when your lights turn on. If the mat is totally dry, you probably need to insert a flooding during the hours of darkness.

Remember, over-watering is just as harmful and under-watering. Mark the inside wall of your reservoir to see how much your ladies drink during a 24-hour period. Also, some water will disappear through evaporation.

It’s a good idea to top up your reservoir each day with fresh water. Take a pH reading every time you top up. You might need to readjust your acid-alkaline balance. Also, be aware of how you EC and ppm readings change as a result of these toppings up.

Never flood more than 50% to 75% of your grow medium. Your roots have to breathe, even during the flood cycle. The absorbency of your grow medium is also a major factor in how often you have to flood your system.

If you’re using rockwool, for instance, which soaks up and retains a lot of water for an extended period of time, you’ll have to flood less often. Coco coir only absorbs 60% of its weight in water, 40% always contains air so it allows your roots to breathe.

Clay pebbles are highly porous so they also retain a lot of oxygen, especially when the nutrient solution drains and air rushes in to replace the liquid.

Watch your plants before and after the waterings and you’ll be able to tell whether you are watering too much or too little. If you notice that the leaves of your plants are slightly curling up, that is a sign that they are desperately trying to retain moisture and you should definitely water more often.

Any sign of wilting before watering means water more often. If your plants wilt after watering, then your are flooding your system too often, so cut back. Allow the medium to dry out between waterings.

You don’t want to have your roots immersed in the nutrient solution for too long, because you risk drowning your delicate roots. Sometimes, even 30 minutes is too much, but definitely never keep your roots submerged for longer than an hour.

Cutting off their roots’ oxygen supply can have disastrous results on your plants. In fact, the tech guys at Advanced Nutrients Medical recommend airstones in all hydro set-ups, even the ebb and flow kind that I have.

Airstones can be purchased in any aquarium shop and they help oxygenate your nutrient solution to keep your roots supplied with O2, even when they’re sucking up the life giving liquid that you’re feeding them.

And when that solution contains Connoisseur, it’s like feeding your cannabis plants a diet of liquid filet mignon.

2007-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

How I became a connoisseur of Connoisseur

This is week three of my bloom cycle, but instead of adding my usual mix of Sensi Bloom A & B, I decided to flush my system and add a brand new super fertilizer that was just introduced by Advanced Nutrients. Here’s how it all came about.

I noticed that I was low on B-52, Barricade, and Final Phase, so I went to my local garden shop to replenish my supplies. The owner knows me so as I was browsing their collection of fans and ducts, he approached me and asked—“How would you like to be part of an experiment?”

I never say yes to anything, until I know the details, so he filled me in. Advanced Nutrients has just launched a brand new product called Connoisseur, a two-part liquid bloom phase premium fertilizer that is aimed at the high end of the market. In fact, it sells for three times the price of their normal ferts.

I told the owner that my free-lance income isn’t what it used to be, and that as much as I admire all Advanced Nutrients products, I simply could not afford this. He said no worries, the company will let me have the product for free, provided I supply them with the expected phenomenal results, including photographs.

“What about the other ingredients in my nutrient solution?” I asked. You can still mix everything you were using before with Sensi Bloom A & B, but you have to check their Nutrient Calculator to figure out how much Connoisseur A and Connoisseur B to add each week.

“You mean I can still use my root colonizers, vitamins, and bloom boosters, the same as before?” I asked. “Yes. Definitely. Check their website to figure out the exact amounts of each ingredient. “This is week 3 of my bloom cycle. Can I switch in midstream?” “I don’t see why not,” was the reply.

So he gave me a generous supply of this brand new ultra-premium bloom phase cannabis food and I came home real excited. I had a talk with my ladies and told them that I had a special surprise for them.

They’re becoming the beneficiaries of painstaking research that was conducted by the plant scientists at Advanced Nutrients, in order to find the perfect formula of high-priced, superb quality ingredients in order to produce the world’s thickest, heaviest, most potent, and best tasting marijuana medicine possible.

I sat down at my computer and checked out Advancedpedia for Connoisseur Part A & B. The listed ingredients for this miracle product include Amino Chelated Boron, Amino Chelated Calcium, Amino Chelated Cobalt, Amino Chelated Copper, Amino Chelated Iron, Amino Chelated Magnesium, Amino Chelated Manganese, and Amino Chelated Zinc. In addition to Amino Acids, Potassium Nitrate, and other ingredients mixed according to a highly secret formula, this product aimed at the discriminating grower also has Polyamino Alcohols for that extra boost.

It has already been tested in hundreds of hydroponic gardens and is now coming to mine. Usually you would start using it the week after your plants are initiated into flowering by Bud Blood. But starting at week 3 is only one week removed from the suggested starting time.

The Advanced Nutrients plant scientists were given carte blanche where the price of ingredients for Connoisseur was concerned. They had a mandate to produce the finest, most powerful bloom phase plant food on the market, and I’m looking forward to trying out this Stradivarius of fertilizers.

Next, I checked the Nutrient Calculator and found that in my 72 Liter reservoir I have to mix 163.44 mL of Connoisseur A and the same amount of Connoisseur B during week 3 of flowering, along with 100.8 mL of Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, the same quantity of Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid, 302.4 mL of B-52, 10.8 mL of Barricade, and 30.24 grams of Carbo Load Powder.

In addition, I will add 504 mL of SensiZym and 30.24 grams of Big Bud powder. The other root colonizers were added during week 1 and 2 of flowering, it will not be necessary to add them again for the rest of the bloom phase. The beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes will continue to do their work on their own.

The suggested parts per million (ppm) during medium feeding in week 3 is 1400 ppm, the EC is 2. So I’m setting my CO2 generator at 1400 ppm, as well. Connoisseur A & B is designed to be applied to your cannabis roots via hydroponic irrigation. The pH of your nutrient solution should be 5.6.

It is advised not to mix the concentrated ingredients. Always add Part A first to your premix tank or reservoir, then add part B. Part A has an NPK of 4.9-0-3.6, while the NPK of part B is 1.8-5.1-6.4. The combined NPK of Connoisseur is 6.7-5.1-10.0, which means that it’s high in Potassium.

The owners of Advanced Nutrients Medical are so confident that Connoisseur will live up to all expectations, that they’ve put their names to a 100% money-back guarantee if a customer is dissatisfied for any reason.

Not for the faint of heart, Connoisseur is aimed at growers who don’t mind and can afford to pay a premium price for the very best. There will always be people who spend their entire lives eating at fast food joints. Then there are those select few who read the Michelin guide and pick their five star restaurants with care.

If you can’t afford gourmet food for your cannabis plants, stick with the lesser priced Advanced Nutrients products that do an excellent job. However, if you take pride in using the very best, give this new product a try. If what they say is true, then you’ll be rewarded with the highest yields and the most superb quality possible.

In addition to the secret formula that boosts the size, weight, and potency of your buds, Connoisseur A & B also triggers the cannabis plant’s own mechanism that makes it resistant to disease. According to the entry in Advancedpedia, the cell walls of the larger than normal floral growth generated by this miracle product, will ward off pathogens and sucking insects.

I look forward to my ladies enjoying this change in their diet and seeing them thrive as never before. I’ll report back each week as to how they’re doing.

2007-03-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

Gray Mold Loves High Humidity

It’s ironic, that only a couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog entry about the importance of good ventilation in your grow room. Soon after, I was trying to be extra diligent and I took apart my fans to oil them. When I reassembled them I must have inadvertently removed the plastic shield on one of the motor wires, which in turn eventually caused a short.

The short blew a circuit breaker on my main power board and normally I would have noticed the fans being off within a few hours and that would have been the end of that. However, I took my family on a three-day hike to celebrate the arrival of spring, so my grow room had absolutely no ventilation from the time the fans went off to when we came home.

As I mentioned in my blog posting, my six ladies continued to transpire (their leaves were releasing the water in the nutrient solution that the roots sucked up) and the humidity in the grow room just went up and up. My 600W High Pressure Sodium light is on another circuit breaker, so it was working properly; controlled by a timer it went on and off every 12-hours like clock work.

The temperature gauge registered the spike in temp and shut the heater off, but the light still generated a lot of heat, which had nowhere to go. So the room was hot and muggy and airless. Very bad conditions for the cannabis plants, but very good conditions for Botrytis cinerea, the fungus that causes Gray Mold.

The first sign of Gray Mold on your cannabis plants is usually the appearance of a white powder, which soon turns gray. This fungus produces grey Mycelium, as well as clusters of colorless or grey Condia, resembling a bunch of grapes, albeit very tiny.

The symptoms of Gray Mold might be invisible, since sometimes this insidious fungus sets up shop deep inside your buds and by the time you notice that the fan leaves have turned yellow, the infestation is full blown.

Infestation is spread by spores that can either fly through the air or travel on water droplets. Avoid misting your cannabis plants for this very reason. Where did the spores come from and how did they enter my grow room? Lack of wise sanitation practices, probably, and lack of caution when entering the room from the outside.

Over eight thousand species of fungi attack plants and 88 of them are especially fond of cannabis. Fungi are actually microscopic plants that do not produce chlorophyll and they are ever present. I’m willing to bet that some are alive on your skin as you read this.

We got home yesterday and as soon as I entered the grow room to check up on my ladies, I felt there was something wrong. The excess heat and humidity hit me in the chest and I frantically started checking my plants.

I had to remove half a dozen buds (best to take them far away from the grow room and burn them) and I sprayed all six plants with a solution of Piranha. This was fighting fire with fire, since Piranha contains live beneficial fungi, including Trichoderma, which are able to fight the Gray Mold fungi.

Ten minutes of troubleshooting enabled me to discover the short in one of the fans and a bit of electrical tape fixed that problem. So my ventilation system was restored and I flushed my nutrient reservoir to make sure and get rid of any Botrytis that might have infected the nutrient solution.

I mixed up a new batch of nutrients, including Sensi Bloom A & B, the root colonizers, the vitamins, and Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid. I made sure to include Sensi Zym, since the Botrytis fungus likes to hide in plant debris deep in the grow medium.

I also mixed in a generous amount of Barricade, to allow its Potassium Silicate to toughen the cell walls of my ladies in order to ward off any future attacks of pathogens, such as Botrytis.

This week I had to add the first batch of Big Bud and prayed that its supply of building blocks for the bud sites would make the remaining buds big enough and strong enough to withstand bad fungi, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms.

Next week I’ll spray with Scorpion Juice, in order to restore the induced systemic resistance that was destroyed by the abnormally high humidity in my grow room. You’ve probably noticed that if you have a cold and you go into an overheated, overly humid environment, you immediately get the sniffles and when the heat goes off and you open a window, you very soon feel much better.

I consider myself lucky, since I’ve heard horror stories of Botrytis cinerea wiping out a growers’ entire crop within a matter of days. I have no way of knowing when the circuit breaker was tripped, perhaps the short didn’t happen immediately after we left, but closer to our coming home.

Mold can live on the walls of the grow room, so I wiped every surface with Advanced Nutrients Medical's Wipe Out. I also washed the floor and got rid of any material that could harbor fungal spores.

If you paint the walls of your grow room white, use a fungus resistant paint. Cleanliness and climate control are the keys to preventing Gray Mold, as well as any other fungal infestation.

On top of everything, my CO2 generator was also activated while we were away. This added to the humidity problem. Today, I went and bought a dehumidifier and hooked it up to a humidity-measuring device. In case my fans ever have another short, the dehumidifier will help to get rid of some of the excess moisture from the air.

If this ever happens to you, carefully remove infested buds and any dead leaves. Discard and burn them. Wash your hands thoroughly both before and after handling your plants.

Some people dust with sulphur in order to fight fungal infestation, but this is a dangerous method and extreme caution is advised. Wear a face-mask, you don’t want to breathe in that poisonous chemical.

Gray Mold most often attacks mature flower buds, but it can also harm your stems, leaves, seeds and seedlings. When it attacks seeds and seedlings, it’s called Damping Off. You can read all about Gray Mold on the Advanced Nutrients Medical website, which has articles on all the major diseases and pests that plague cannabis.

Ironically, Botrytis cinerea is the very same fungus that is allowed to slightly rot grapes on the vine in order to produce some highly sweet wines in Europe, such as Sauternes in France, Auslese wines in Germany, and the world-famous Tokay wines of Hungary.

2007-03-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

Macro and Micro Nutrients, Deficiencies, Overdose

Whenever the appearance of some leaves changes, the first thing that comes to mind is nutrient deficiency. Either that, or too much of a certain nutrient. But before I jump to such conclusions, I always make sure that all the other variables are under control.

Each of the vital ingredients that contribute to healthy cannabis plants has to be checked, in order to narrow down the cause of a leaf’s yellowing, for instance. Is there sufficient air (ventilation), light, and water to maintain the balance required for photosynthesis?

Are the temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels within the desirable range? Before nutrient deficiency or excess can be determined, you have to look at the recent history of the plants. Has anything stressful or potentially stressful happened in the last couple of days?

I’m about to make the final gender selection and switch my six ladies to a 12 hours light, 12 hours darkness regimen. Yes, it’s time for them to start building flowers. I will give them Bud Blood during the first week of flowering, then Big Bud for weeks two, three, and four, followed by Overdrive for weeks five and six.

Bud Blood will help the plant along the natural course of bud formation. Big Bud will contribute the building blocks of bud growth, while Overdrive will accelerate that growth. Sort of like putting gasoline with an additive in your car’s gas tank, then stepping on the gas pedal.

Nutrients are elements that plants need to thrive. Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon are obtained from water and air. Normal air has 300 ppm of carbon dioxide in it without any CO2 generation.

Nutrients are divided into macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) and micronutrients (Magnesium, Zinc, Boron, Calcium, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Silicon, Sulphur, and Chlorine).

The macro ones are needed by the plant in relatively large quantities, while the micro ones are only needed in trace amounts.

Another way that Nutrients are divided are into Mobile and Immobile Nutrients. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, and Zinc are Mobile, all the others are Immobile.

Mobile Nutrients move to the parts of the plant where they are needed. Older leaves show deficiencies of these Nutrients first.

Immobile Nutrients stay in the place within a plant where they are originally deposited. Young shoots and leaves show deficiencies of these Nutrients, before older leaves.

Macronutrients show up as the NPK number on the packaging of each fertilizer. Sensi Grow A & B, for instance—my base fert—has an NPK of 5-2-6, which means that it contains 5% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorus, and 6% Potassium.

Sensi Bloom A & B has an NPK of 5-4-8, which accounts for the fact that during the flowering stage plants need more Phosphorus and Potassium. In addition, this cannabis specific 2-part has all the micronutrients that my ladies need, in easily absorbable form.

Grandma Enggy’s Seaweed Extract has an NPK of 1.5-1.5-1.5, which means that it has 1.5% of each of the major macronutrients.

Marijuana requires large amounts of Nitrogen during vegetative growth and less of a percentage of Nitrogen in relation to Phosphorus and Potassium, during the bloom phase.

In order to figure out the exact percentage of macronutrients that your plants receive, you not only have to take into account the NPK of your base fert, but also the NPK’s of all your supplements.

For instance, during this coming week I’m mixing Sensi One Bloom A & B and Bud Blood. Bud Blood has an NPK of 0-39-25, so when I add that to the NPK of my base fert, I wind up with a total NPK of 5-43-33. I only add Bud Blood for one week, in order to help trigger flowering.

This means that for one week a full 43% of my nutrient solution will be composed of Phosphorus, with 33% Potassium. Nitrogen will stay at the 5% level.

Big Bud has a much more modest level of P and K (0-1-4) but it still changes the ratio of P and K to N. Overdrive has an NPK of 1-3-4.

All the ingredients of my nutrient mix have to be taken into account when figuring my total NPK ratio. B-52, for instance, has an NPK of 2-1-4. Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, which I like to add to the mix for that organic touch, has an NPK of .50-1.50-2.0.

Composed of alfalfa extract, canola meal, citric acid, crab meal, earthworm castings, fish meal, sea kelp, and shrimp meal, Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom was designed to give my cannabis ladies natural supplements, nutrients, and vitamins—i.e. organic ingredients—that are missing from synthetic fertilizers.

Nitrogen helps my ladies to make proteins that are essential for new protoplasm in the cells. That’s why a bigger relative percentage is needed during vegetative growth. It is utilized in the production of amino acids, enzymes, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, and alkaloids.

Leaf and stem growth depend on Nitrogen and the overall size and vigor of each cannabis plant depends on the availability of this macronutrient. It is not only active during the formation of young shoots and leaves, but also while young buds are being formed.

Nitrogen comes in Ammoniacal form (too much of this can burn your plants) or in the more common form of Nitrates. This latter form is much slower to assimilate than the Ammoniacal kind.

The most common nutrient deficiency is Nitrogen deficiency. Symptoms are a lower growth rate, lower leaves which are unable to produce chlorophyll turn yellow between the veins, while the veins stay green. Eventually, the entire leaf becomes yellow and dies.

Stems and leaf undersides may turn reddish purple. This symptom could also mean Phosphorus deficiency. Nitrogen is a very Mobile nutrient, it must be added regularly to fast growing gardens, otherwise it dissipates into the environment.

An overdose of Nitrogen will result in excessively lush foliage that lacks hardness and hardiness. It is vulnerable to insect attacks and fungal infestations. Stems are weak and may fold easily. The plants are unable to uptake water.

Allowed to go untreated, a Nitrogen overdose may result in leaves turning brown, drying, and falling off. It also results in roots growing very slowly, turning a dark color, and rotting.

If you’re growing in hydro, Nitrogen overdose can be treated by flushing your system with pure water for one week giving the plants a chance to use up the excess Nitrogen in their leaves. If symptoms persist, cut back on the amount of the Nitrogen that you add to the nutrient mix.

Phosphorus is essential for photosynthesis and aids energy transfer within the plant. This macronutrient is involved in maintaining overall vigor, as well as resin and seed production.

Phosphorus deficiency is indicated by stunted growth, and bluish-green leaves, often with blotches.

Reddish purple stems and leaf undersides may also result. Large black blotches appear on severely affected leaves and they end up dropping off. Flowering happens much slower and buds are generally smaller. These plants are susceptible to insect and fungal attacks.

Potassium is utilized by the plant in the manufacture of sugars and starches. Growth by cell division is affected by Potassium. Chlorophyll production is enhanced and stomata openings are regulated by this macronutrient.

Signs of Potassium deficiency are older leaf tips then leaves turning dark yellow and dying. Stems become brittle. Disease often follows.

By using a synthetic or organic fertilizer from Advanced Nutrients, along with the suggested supplements, root colonizers, and bloom boosters, you can be sure that you’re feeding your cannabis plants the optimum levels of all macro and micronutrients, so you don’t have to worry about deficiencies or overdosing.

2007-03-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ventilation for Fresh Air and Vigorous Medpot Plants

Marijuana plants are very much alive and they need to breathe, just like you and me. Proper ventilation in your grow room is essential—not “fairly important,” as some beginner’s advice sites on the web will have you believe.

In my 12 x 12 grow space, I use around 20 gallons of water (72 Liters, to be exact) per week. Most of this water is sucked up by my plants then it is transpired through the leaves, only to evaporate into the air.

Without proper ventilation, I’d have a muggy, overly humid and stuffy space that would be a ripe place for fungi and disease--and the lack of air would stunt the growth of my plants.

If you’ve ever entered a house that hasn’t been aired out in days then you know what I’m talking about. Your first urge is to run to the windows and open them wide, to let the life-giving air fill the space.

And if you spend any time in an unventilated space you know how lethargic your get. Your cannabis plants are the same way. If you want to encourage their growth (and health) you have to let fresh air in on a regular basis.

Ventilation is necessary, even at night when your HID light is switched off. Plant transpiration takes place round the clock. At minimum, you need two fans—an exhaust one to suck bad, humid air out of the room, and an intake fan to bring fresh air in.

I have a fairly costly charcoal filter on my exhaust fan to absorb any telltale odors. Even though I live in one of the states that has legalized medicinal marijuana.

It’s still a good idea to keep your growing activities secret from nosy neighbors. The feds do bust people, even if your state law permits you to grow medpot.

Larger grow rooms sometimes use blowers to ventilate, but they tend to be extremely noisy. I bought two whisper quiet large inline fans and I oil them frequently.

Some grow rooms are totally sealed and keep the air circulating using an air conditioning unit. You can choose between water based cooling-heating or air-based, which usually involves a duct to a central heating-cooling unit or to another unit that is located outside.

With global warming increasingly becoming more and more evident in our long, hot summers, I myself am thinking about investing in an air conditioner and sealing my grow room. But I’m not there yet.

Stomata are microscopic pores on the underside of your leaves that control the intake of carbon dioxide and the release of oxygen. The leaf also secretes moisture. When the stomata get clogged up by dirt or residue from various sprays, airflow within the plant is restricted and growth stops.

I use a propane burner to generate extra CO2, which boosts the growth of my six ladies, and raises the temperature in the grow room. All the more reason for ventilation. However, I shut my exhaust fan off or turn it to the minimum setting, in order to prevent the generated CO2 from exiting the room.

The cooling of the intake fans is usually enough to maintain the desired grow room temperature (72 to 76º F), despite the heat generated by my 600W High Pressure Sodium light and the CO2 generator. At these times, I shut off all extra heating, even in winter, since it would put my grow room temp over the top.

The tech guys at Advanced Nutrients Medical keep reminding me to generate only as much CO2 as the food I give my plants. So if the ppm of my nutrient solution (consisting of Sensi Grow A & B, or Sensi Bloom A & B, as well as the root colonizers at half-strength and the other supplements) is 1200 parts per million (ppm), then I should be generating 1200 ppm of CO2.

They also say that plants receiving regular CO2 should receive more food, than untreated plants. So if I feed them more food, let’s say during the bloom period, and I go from 1200 ppm to 1500 ppm, then I have to increase my CO2 generation to 1500 ppm, as well.

You must have precise control of the humidity, temperature, ventilation, air circulation, CO2 level, as well as the pH and CF of your nutrient solution at all times, not to forget ppm. If you optimize all these variables, you are assured of a decent crop.

Another way to assure an outstanding crop is to use all the products suggested by Advanced Nutrients Medical. If you find the Nutrient Calculator on their website, you’ll see that using the basic 2-part fert is not enough, even though it was custom designed for cannabis.

By using Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid, you are basically recreating a fertile, rich, black humus environment in liquid from in your nutrient reservoir. By adding B-52 and Grandma Enggy’s Seaweed Extract, you’re not only administering all the basic B-vitamins that your plants need to cope with stresses—such as drought or overwatering—but also an array of other vitamins as well as a natural antibiotic, that helps fight off pathogens.

By adding Sensi Zym, I am making sure that my baked clay pebbles are cleaned of all accumulated plant debris and that these are transformed into easily absorbable nutrients by the over eighty live enzymes in this product.

Sensi Zym has been tested against its competitors and has consistently shown a larger content of active biotics as well as having a longer shelf life than its rival products.

I still carefully flush and wash my clay pebbles in all six pots in between crops. Proper sanitation is not only common sense, but it’s an essential habit that all medpot growers should acquire.

When I consider all the vital ingredients for growing my pot plants in a healthy way to assure a most abundant harvest, I put the micro and macro nutrients made by Advanced Nutrients Medical at the top of the list.

Of course light, heat, water, and ventilation play an equally important role in providing Claire and I a new batch of medicine every 16 weeks, or so. When buying your fans, figure out how quickly they change the air in the room. If the air is circulated with adequate frequency, you will be rewarded with large plants and healthy, potent buds.

2007-03-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Tap Water, Sweet Leaf, and Coco Coir

While I’m waiting for my plants to grow and my sex selection process to be finalized, I am installing water filters on the intake pipes of my reservoir. We used to have relatively clean water coming from our taps in our municipality, but I’ve noticed lately that the water in the reservoir turned cloudy as soon as I opened the tap.

Tap water is either hot or cold. The cold water pipe doesn’t have as much calcium and sodium built up in it as its hot water equivalent, but I’ve been told to let the water run for a few minutes just to make sure that it’s as pure as it gets.

On the hot water side, you have rust, lead deposits, salts and calcium. That’s why when you fill a glass with hot water it’s much more milky than when you do this with cold. I haven’t even mentioned the chlorine and the flouride that most cities add to their water supply.

So I’m installing a carbon filter on both the cold and hot water taps. A reverse osmosis filter would probably be better, but I can’t afford one right now. I use as little of the hot water as possible to bring the temperature of my solution up to the desired level.

I usually keep my reservoir at 60º to 65º F, and the temperature of my grow room at 70º to 75º F during lighting periods, and about ten degrees cooler during periods of darkness. The reason I keep my reservoir cooler than my air temperature is because nutrient solution at the cooler temperature holds more oxygen.

Borrowing aquarium technology, I use an airstone in my reservoir to aerate the solution, as well as a small aquarium heater, so I don’t have to use too much hot water to regulate the temperature of the liquid.

An airstone is necessary even in an ebb and flow system like mine, since the porous nature of clay pebbles and the suction of air into my buckets each time they drain, is still not enough to supply my roots with much needed oxygen.

I remember the time when my roots were getting slimy. This was before I was told to use Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice at half strength in hydro. I panicked and called the Advanced Nutrients Medical tech guys right away.

They suggested that I should stop administering the root colonizers immediately, and to flush my system with a mild solution of HyOx. This interesting product delivers oxygen straight to the roots in the form of hydrogen peroxide.

If I weren’t using root colonizers, I could add HyOx into my nutrient mix at the rate of 1 mL per Litre, two or three times a week. However, the concentrated oxygen in HyOx will kill off the beneficial microorganisms that are colonizing my roots, when I use Piranha, Tarantula, Voodoo Juice, as well as SensiZym.

I never pour HyOx directly in its concentrated form into my reservoir. I always dilute it at a 6:1 ratio before I pour it in. HyOx is corrosive—keep it out of reach of children.

The suggested rate of application when flushing your system is 30 mL per 4 Litres or 1 Gallon. However, I used it at half strength, so I flushed with 15 mL per Gallon.

This killed off about half of the microorganisms in my root systems. Then I was advised to add the four root colonizers also at half strength, in order to help recolonize my roots with the beneficial fungi, bacteria, microbes, and enzymes.

SensiZym contains extremely bioactive key enzymes, such as chitinases, glucaneses, and proteases. These are able to split apart complex carbohydrate molecules, such as those found in harmful fungi and plant debris.

SensiZym does not harm the beneficial fungi in Piranha. On the contrary, by breaking down the plant debris and harmful pathogens in your grow medium, it helps feed the beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes contained in the root colonizers that I use to enhance the growth of my cannabis plants.

Chitin is a polymer of N-acetyl-glucosamine. Chitinases are commonly found in nature, secreted by microbes living in the soil. Advanced Nutrients includes only certain types of chitinases enzymes in SensiZym, ones that function well at room temperature.

Studies have shows that the growth of beneficial fungi is promoted by simply adding chitin to the soil. The chitinases in SensiZym help the Actinomycetes and the Trichoderma in Piranha. These good fungi consume the bad fungi tryijng to harm your root systems.

What actually happened to cause my roots to become slimy was that by using the root colonizers at full strength I encouraged too much of a good thing and the beneficial microorganisms grew in such large numbers that they caused this mishap.

As soon as the HyOx reduced their numbers to a manageable level, the symbiotic balance was restored and my roots became healthy again.

“What are the major concerns of medpot growers these days?” I asked the Advanced Nutrients Medical tech guy the other day. “All our products are being well received. Sweet Leaf has very good reviews in terms of how it enhances aroma and flavor, and people are happy with it.”

“Some people are even experimenting with using Sweet Leaf through the flush cycle. A caller yesterday said that using it in that way tremendously improved his flavor and smell.”

“On the other hand, it increased the time the final product needed to dry. He cured slower at the end, but he got a better product. The general consensus is that we make the best products on the market.”

Just out of curiosity, I asked what media people grow their medpot in these days. He said that out of every five growers, two grow in soil, two in coco coir, and only one in the other hydro media. In the last category, it’s a fifty-fifty split between rockwool and clay pebbles, but the use of rockwool seems to be diminishing.

“Why are people shying away from using rockwool?” I asked. “I think it’s because of the limitations. It comes in pre-cut blocks of various sizes and if you want to expand, you have to stack these things. And when you water up through two six-inch blocks of rockwool, it’s not always easy. People find that clay pebbles are just easier to manage.”

I’m glad I made the choice of using clay pebbles in my six-bucket ebb and flow hydroponic setup. On the other hand, coco coir seems to have become very popular as a grow medium while I wasn’t looking.

“It’s huge! We sell a lot of Monkey Juice, which is specifically designed for coco. But if they use coco, I always tell them to have a bottle of SensiCal standing by. Just because coco can lock out things faster than the other grow media.”

“It is acidic to start with, so when you buy your coco you have to wash it well and it may take one or two grows to balance it out. So I tell people that if the plants show deficiencies to use SensiCal and work on correcting the pH.”

“Coco grows by the seashore and it has a lot of salts in it. If they don’t wash it properly, the salts are left in the coco. And that can bring your pH down. It’s time to use pH Up, in that case.”

So even though Monkey Juice has extra Calcium nitrate in it, the tech guys are saying that if you grow in coco, you should have extra Calcium handy.

2007-02-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Brownies, Deep Buckets, and Colonized Roots

My buds from the last harvest have dried beautifully and we have sampled them, Claire and I. However, Claire has lost her voice and she is feeling terrible. She’s been attacked by the flu bug and with all the hacking and coughing, to inhale smoke has become impossible for her.

Enter Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. That very famous Lesbian couple did as much for the art of baking hash brownies, as they ever did for literature. Claire sat in a chair in the kitchen, covered with a blanket, and gave me step by step instructions on how to mix the brownie mix, lace it with dried cannabis, and pour the mix into a pan for baking.

Whether you ingest the cannabinoids through smoking the dried buds or you eat your therapeutic cannabis, the same medicinal effects can be had, except that inhaling the smoke gets the THC and other beneficial ingredients into your bloodstream that much faster.

Once the blood carries the cannabinoid molecules from the lungs to the brain, an incredible feeling of relief permeates our bodies and minds, and Claire is able to manage the pain of her excruciating migraines, while I can cope with the fact that I’m a recovering cancer patient.

We just have to make sure that our daughter Squirrel doesn’t find the brownies and eats one or two. Children’s developing brains are not yet ready to handle the changes brought on by cannabis so we’ve had long talks with our daughter about mom and dad using marijuana for medicinal purposes. She agrees that she’s too young to try it, although in a few years peer pressure will no doubt put temptation in her way.

I’ve recently visited an online marijuana forum and was once again surprised how young some of the people are who are experimenting with the drug. It is a drug in the sense that it is a healing agent that’s been used that way for centuries. But my advice to youngsters is let your brain develop naturally until your mature enough to handle the consciousness expansion that takes place when you ingest THC.

The Advanced Nutrients Medical website has a great article on using cannabis with caution. If you have a history of mental illness, or if there is mental illness in your family, you should definitely read these words of wisdom.

The other thing that I observed on this online forum is how paranoid some people are about buying hydroponic supplies. They urge you to build your own system with components purchased at a hardware store, rather than a garden shop. Even if you pay cash, one posting warned, the shop owner could take down your license number as you drive away from the store and you could be tracked down.

I purchased my six bucket ebb and flow hydroponic system second hand from a grower who was leaving the country. It works like this: a reservoir containing my nutrient solution is located under the buckets. A pump sucks up this solution and a system of rubber tubes distributes it to each bucket at periodic intervals.

The buckets are filled with baked clay pebbles, my grow medium of choice. After the grow medium is totally flooded with nutrient solution there is a pause the length of which is controlled by an automatic timer. Then drain openings on the bottom of the buckets automatically open and the solution flows back into the reservoir underneath.

The size of my reservoir is 72 Liters, 12 Liters for each bucket. I’ve recently upgraded from 12-inch buckets to 16-inch diameter buckets, in order to allow my six select ladies to grow as big as they want. My buckets are deep to accommodate a sizable root system for each plant.

I switched from rockwool to baked clay pebbles as my grow medium of choice, since rockwool tends to retain water too long and doesn’t allow the roots to breathe. Baked clay pebbles, on the other hand, are porous and allow for aeration of my roots which need oxygen to thrive.

I use Sensi Grow A&B and Sensi Bloom A&B as my base fertilizers. This Advanced Nutrients two-part was specifically designed to feed cannabis plants and my plants have been getting bigger and bigger as a result. I also use the other Advanced Nutrients Medical products suggested in their Nutrient Calculator.

It wasn’t always so. The first few times I only used the basic fert and perhaps one or two supplements. At that time I was growing organically, using Iguana Juice Grow and Bloom, and I was so pleased with the progress my plants were making, that I figured they didn’t need too much else.

Since then I’ve been talking to the tech guys at Advanced Nutrients Medical and spend a lot of time reading about the technical details of how each of their products works on cannabis. I’ve learned so much in the past year doing this, that I highly recommend it to anyone growing or thinking about growing medicinal marijuana.

The importance of using the root colonizers—Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice—I cannot overemphasize. They’ve made a world of difference in the size, health, and vigor of my plants, as well as in the abundance of my harvests. I would be willing to bet that if you grew two cannabis plants side by side, one with these root colonizers, and one without, the first one would end up being twice the size of the second.

Using beneficial fungi, bacteria, and selected microbes, these three products cause your roots to grow faster and they also facilitate the absorption of the essential macro- and micro-nutrients that your plants need to thrive.

I’ve switched from growing organically, not because I wasn’t pleased with the Iguana Juice products, but because my free-lance income all of a sudden shrunk in size and after a feverish session with our household budget and pricing various grow solutions, I found that using synthetics was more economical.

Also, synthetics work better in a hydro situation, since they’re designed to dissolve faster and more efficiently. Organic products—as good as they are—sometimes clog up your pumps because their ppm ratio is different.

As long as you flush periodically with pure water and just before harvest with Final Phase (to remove any lingering chemical taste or residue) using synthetics works perfectly. As Hunter used to say on TV—“It works for me.”

2007-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Insects and Microorganisms that Attack Cannabis

If you have good control over the environment of your grow room and feed your cannabis plants with a reputable base nutrient (such as those from Advanced Nutrients Medical), as well as beneficial root colonizers and helpful supplements, you can be fairly certain that you’ll be free of cannabis diseases and pests. However, even the most impeccable grow room can be attacked once in a while, so awareness of these dangers is not unwarranted.

About a year and a half ago I started noticing a pale green chlorosis on the leaves of my medpot plants. At first, I thought it was some kind of nutritional deficiency, but I checked and rechecked the make-up of my nutrient solution and couldn’t find anything essential missing. Conversely, no macro or micro nutrients were present in excessive amounts. Overfeeding can sometimes be just as much of a problem, as underfeeding.

Then I picked up a book by J.M. McPartland, an excellent authority on the subject of cannabis diseases. Under the heading “Hemp Streak Virus” I found “pale green chlorosis” as the number one sign of this impossible to get rid of malady. The discoloration soon developed into yellow streaks on the leaves, then brown, necrotic flecks appeared.

It was a nightmare coming true. This cannabis plant was acting as if it had read McPartland’s book and was following the instructions to the letter. But the book said that this virus most often appeared on fibre cultivars in Europe. Reading further, however, I found a statement that dozens of viruses could infect cannabis, regardless of location.

Viruses do not kill your pot plants but they do reduce your yields. Once your plants catch a virus (usually vectored by an insect) they are permanent. Subsequent generations will be infected through pollen and seed infections. The only cure—pull the plant and burn it!

I did just that and I watched my remaining plants like a hawk for any signs of infection. Contrary to what endangers humans, viruses and bacteria relatively seldom attack cannabis, especially in comparison to fungal infections. Over 88 fungi are known to attack marijuana, with the most prevalent being pythium, powdery mildew, and gray mold.

Pythium causes root-rot as well as the rot of the lowest part of the stem. It is especially fond of attacking young plants and cuttings. It flourishes in wet and humid environments. Pythium spreads its spores only through water.

Avoid fluctuations in the temperature of your grow medium to avoid this infestation. Another obvious action to take is to colonize your root zone with beneficial fungi. Advanced Nutrients Piranha both fights and prevents Pythium, as it does most fungal infections.

Piranha contains live fungi that feed on harmful fungi. Bacterial diseases can be prevented by colonizing your roots with the beneficial bacteria of Tarantula. Viral infections can be prevented by avoiding the infestation of the insects that vector these diseases.

Piranha and Tarantula can also be used as foliar sprays, in case you see signs of fungal or bacterial infestation on your leaves or stems. This is especially helpful to counteract gray mold or powdery mildew.

Another foliar spray made by Advanced Nutrients is Scorpion Juice, which, if used judiciously, imparts induced systemic resistance in medpot plants, which gives them the strength to ward of numerous pathogens and pests on their own.

Advanced Nutrients Barricade is another good way to strengthen the cells of your cannabis plants. Stronger cell walls ward off many pathogens and pests that try to attack your plants. Sap sucking insects go elsewhere when there is resistance to their activities.

Common sense sanitation practices, good ventilation, and lower levels of humidity go a long way in preventing these infestations. Educating yourself as to the symptoms and prevention techniques is also a good idea. The Advanced Nutrients Medical website features detailed description of all the diseases and pests that plague cannabis.

By far the most troublesome cannabis pest are spider mites. They’re not actually insects, rather tiny arachnids that can take over your entire grow room, if left unchecked. I had a minor infestation not so long ago and took care of it by spraying with Scorpion Juice.

The mites suck the sap from the underside of the leaves, causing white specks to appear on the top of the leaves. They also weave a very fine webbing. If you use a magnifying glass you can see the tiny spiders as they busy themselves ruining your cannabis plants.

Some people use the baking soda, horticultural oil combination as a spray. Perhaps a spoonful of each in a Liter of water. However, I found that the mites reappeared after this treatment, so I went back to using Scorpion Juice. That got rid of them real quick.

Whiteflies can also be a problem, particularly if you have vents without fine mesh screens, or if you leave the door to the grow room open for any length of time. Getting rid of weeds near the entrance to your grow room also helps to prevent such insects from invading your grow space.

Yellow sticky traps hung over the canopy of your medpot plants will give you an idea of how serious the infestation of whiteflies might be. You can tell by shaking the branches of your plants. The flies will swarm and fly around.

They’re harder to get rid of than spider mites, but there is an assissinator wasp that is smaller than the white fly and it can be utilized to get rid of these pests. This wasp is called the ichneumon fly (Latin name Encarsia formosa) but it is very small so it takes quite a while to get rid of all the white flies, which are more numerous.

Every two weeks you have to put new assassinator wasps into your grow room, so it’s a head ache. It’s much better to take preventative action. Remember, white flies and other pests can also enter your grow room on your clothing or in your hair, so it’s a good idea to take off your outer clothing and always clean yourself thoroughly before working in your grow space.

Aphids, thrips, and scale insects can also invade your grow room, especially if you let down your guard with regard to personal hygiene and sanitation.

Damping off, hemp canker, yellow leaf spot, pink rot, and white leaf spot are all fungal diseases that cannabis is vulnerable to. So are Fusarium Wilt and Verticillum Wilt. Wilt diseases are more prevalent in field-grown cannabis, than in indoor cultivation.

McPartland’s book is called “Hemp Diseases and Pests.” It is a valuable addition to the libraries of those medpot growers who keep worrying about insects and microorganisms that might attack their cherished medicine.

2007-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Are those carbon emissions coming from your grow room?

Whatever your choice is with regard to tuning into the media, it’s hard to avoid all the talk of global warming these days. And at the root of this man-made problem are carbon emissions.

As I did my regular grow room maintenance this past week, I came across my slightly dusty red, second-hand CO2 generator. The thought occurred to me—“Hey, here I am generating carbon dioxide and contributing to global warming.”

Now before Squirrel, our gutsy daughter, starts attacking me for being an environmental pariah, I better examine this whole question of generating CO2 in my grow room to make my cannabis grow better, in order to produce a better grade of medicine for Claire and I.

If you’ve just started reading this blog, Claire suffers from periodic migraines (characterized by excruciating pain, if you’ve never had one) and I started smoking medpot in order to alleviate the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy for cancer.

My cancer is (knock on wood) in remission, and Claire manages her migraine pain much better since she started using therapeutic cannabis. If you visit the Advanced Nutrients Medical website, you can read all about how this healing herb is used daily by thousands of ill people around the world.

It helps to increase their appetites, boost their immunity, stop their chronic pain, reduce the pressure in their eyes, or get rid of the nausea that is a side effect of certain invasive therapies.

Carbon dioxide enrichment is a time-honored tradition in commercial greenhouses. I’ve been using it in my grow room because cannabis plants are high-energy plants and they will benefit from the addition of this gas to stimulate their growth.

According to the Advanced Nutrients tech guys, the rate of application should be the same as the rate of your nutrient mix. So, if at a certain stage of your grow or flowering cycles you are administering 1200 parts per million of nutrients, then you should also crank up your CO2 burner to 1200 ppm.

Under bright lights, such as my 600W High Pressure Sodium lamp, high energy plants consume anywhere between 1200 to 1500 ppm of CO2. Given optimum conditions, administering the correct level of CO2 can double the rate of growth of your cannabis plants.

I’ve noticed incredible results with my CO2 burner and that is why I’m reluctant to abandon it. Normal air has only 300 ppm of CO2, so the rest you have to generate. You can either burn propane to make CO2, which is the method I use, or you can release compressed CO2 from a bottle by way of a CO2 emitter system. Needless to say, this is more expensive.

Contrary to mistaken beliefs, you do not administer CO2 to the roots of your plants. Your roots require oxygen. CO2 is absorbed by the cannabis leaves and then used to produce growth boosting sugars, as well as some water and oxygen.

The question I had for the Advanced Nutrients tech guys is how much of the CO2 I generate escapes from my grow room, contributing to global warming? They didn’t think it was a problem, since most of the gas is absorbed and used up by the plant.

“Some grow rooms are what is known as closed rooms, where there is no ventilation to the outside,” said the tech advice man. “I gather you have an exhaust fan, so a small amount of CO2 might get sucked out of the room that way, but if you turn down your exhaust fan to minimum speed while you’re generating CO2, the amount of gas that leaves is negligible.”

Whew! What a relief! Now I can relax my conscience. I just hope I can convince Squirrel, before she starts pummelling me for polluting the atmosphere!

Two bi-products of my old-fashioned CO2 generator are heat and water. This inadvertently raises the temperature and humidity in my grow room. Given that it’s winter, the heat doesn’t bother me much at the moment, I just turn my radiators off when I’m generating CO2.

The humidity can be a problem, since an extra humid grow room can lead to fungal infestations. I use Barricade religiously during both vegging and flowering, and wish that Advanced Nutrients Protector were available again,

Protector was specifically designed to prevent and fight powdery mildew. It is temporarily discontinued until Advanced Nutrients can solve a labelling problem. The authorities wanted the company to label it as a fungicide, which it is not. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals.

Plants treated with CO2 drink more, eat more, grow faster and bigger (require more room), and are generally higher maintenance than non-CO2 plants. The temperature in the grow room can be slightly higher than normal since they are high-energy plants.

So when I’m adjusting my Nutrient Calendar, I punch up either moderately heavy feeding or just plain heavy feeding. During week 6 of my ladies’ flowering stage, this nearly doubles the amount of Sensi Bloom A&B I have to pour into my reservoir, along with doubling the amount of Mother Earth Tea Bloom, Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid, as well as of B-52.

The amount of SensiZym I have to add goes from 288 mL if I’m light feeding, to 578 mL during heavy feeding (during week 6 of flowering). The amount of Barricade increases from 5.75 mL to 11.52 mL. Carbo Load Powder goes from 17.28 grams to 34.56 grams.

The parts per million of my nutrient solution peaks at week 4 of flowering. It’s 1200 ppm if I’m light feeding and 2000 ppm while I’m generating CO2 and heavy feeding.

CO2 is heavier than air, so normally it would leak out of the grow room in the cracks under the door and other openings. A room chuck full of CO2 will return to normal levels (300 ppm) within three hours of the generation being stopped.

In order to be a solid environmental citizen of this planet, I have plugged up the crack under the door and stuffed batten into other openings, except the ventilation ones. This way whatever CO2 I generate will be sucked up by my plants and used by them in a beneficial way.

And it won’t seep out into the atmosphere to worsen global warming.

2007-02-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

Sinsemilla: Unfertilized Virgin Females

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been lucky. From the fifteen seeds that I usually start with, six of them are bound to be females. Other growers have complained that all they’ve got is males and hermies (hermaphrodites—having the characteristics of both male and female).

I’ve placed my one-inch rockwool cubes onto a grid in a growing tray that has a humidity cover. I water sparingly, only when I feel the tops of the cubes and they have dried out.

Over-watering at this stage can cause root rot and damping off. Under-watering, on the other hand, will cause the tiny roots to dry up and die.

As the seed sprouts, white tap-roots burst forth and the first, seed or cotyledon leaves appear. The plant will eventually drop these, as the first true leaves make their appearance.

Needless to say, the tender, young cannabis plants are very delicate at this point, so they should be warmed and nurtured with care. If the temperature in your grow room is not up to snuff (around 75º to 80º F) it is a good idea to put a heating pad under your grow tray. Warn seedlings will grow up to be strong, potent plants.

I grow my fifteen seedlings under a fluorescent grow light, and leave it on for 18 hours a day. Any longer that that will cause spindly plants and is counterproductive. However, according to the owner of Dutch Passion Seeds, if you cut back and only give your plants 14 hours of light at this stage, you will encourage the formation of female plants.

Jorge Cervantes quotes Henk, the Dutch owner, in his “Indoor Marijuana Horticulture.” Other hints from Henk to get more female plants include increasing the amount of Nitrogen you feed your seedlings.

(Remember, only give your plants a weak solution of your basic fert at this time. Some growers recommend no food for the first two weeks, only a vitamin like B-52 or Organic B, and perhaps a weak solution of Voodoo Juice. Voodoo has a trace of Nitrogen in it, which might be enough for your seedlings at this very early stage.)

Other Henk hints: lower temperatures increase the number of females, as does high humidity. If you allow your growing medium to dry up too much, you’re encouraging the formation of males.

More blue light encourages females, while environmental stress results in more males being formed.

Why is there such a huge emphasis on growing females? The unfertilized female of the cannabis plant is known as Sinsemilla, which comes from two Spanish words meaning “without seed.”

There are many theories as to why unfertilized Cannabis females are so potent, but many of them border on romanticism. Scientifically, it has been proven that seeding reduces the life span of the plant not allowing enough time for THC to accumulate.

Seeding causes hormonal changes within the plant, which affect its metabolism. These changes probably cause an imbalance in the enzymes that control cannabinoid production. THC is only one of the cannabinoids that determine the potency of cannabis.

Sinsemilla plants continue floral production long after the fertilized plants have stopped. When the calyx is fertilized, it is suspected that trichome production stops. So female “virgins,” so to speak, continue to produce THC long after their seed bearing sisters have stopped doing so.

What I do to ensure untouched females is tough love. I discard the males. Now when you pay hundreds of dollars for seeds, discarding any of them is heart wrenching. But the pure, potent smoke of the Sinsemilla plants makes up for this sacrifice.

I could keep a male or two and fertilize one of the females in a controlled fashion, but to do so is a complicated process and things could go wrong. All my females could end up being fertilized and our medicine could end up being much less effective as a result.

How do I tell the males from the females? That’s a very good question. Female plants on the whole are shorter and have more branches. The leaves of female plants go all the way to the top, with many leaves surrounding their flowers.

Males, in general, have fewer leaves near the top and their flowering limbs have no leaves whatsoever. Many growers wait until flowers first appear, before being able to differentiate between a male and a female plant.

Before flowering, the only hint as to the sex of the plants is trends in shape. Primordial flowers first appear during the end of the vegetative stage along the main stem at the nodes.

Male flowers have a curved, claw shape, while female ones sport a symmetrical, tubular calyx, also known as a floral sheath. These are easier to recognize at an earlier stage, than the male primordial flowers.

With experience, each grower accumulates a certain intuitive sense as to which of his plants are females. Since I grow under only one light, I can’t take all my fifteen plants into flowering, especially if they’ve had a robust vegetative growth stage.

Have I ever been wrong about my choices? Thank heavens, no, but at times I do make the choice with trepidation. By the time I switch from Sensi Grow A & B to Sensi Bloom A & B. I usually have only six female plants firmly embedded in the clay pebble grow medium of my six hydroponic buckets.

But that time seems eons away right now, when I have yet to transplant my one inch cubes into three-inch rockwool cubes and then into six-inch pots. If there is one thing that growing a succession of seed to harvest cycles has taught me, it is patience. All in due time.

I keep discovering new things on the Advanced Nutrients Medical website. If you click on the Medicinal Growers Forum you’ll see a couple of banners. One of them urges you to become a Test Pilot for Advanced Nutrients and be rewarded with some exclusive offers. In December, you could buy a container of Big Bud and was given one for free.

January’s offer has to do with Clone It. You can sign up for the Circle Club newsletter with your e-mail address and be advised of these great offers as well as new products and developments.

Advanced Nutrients Medical is the only website that I find myself visiting time and time again. Call their technical help line and they’ll enlighten you about any growing question you may have.

2007-01-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

Starting a New Batch from Seed

You might have read an earlier posting in which I discussed the difficulties of my attempting to grow from clones. Being a very small medpot grower (I grow six female plants at a time under one 600W High Pressure Sodium light), the logistics of choosing a Mother Plant and isolating it on a different cycle from the rest of my ladies were baffling.

So I’m relying on my tried and true propagation method—growing from seed. I ordered ten Northern Flame seeds in a packet, since both Claire and I love the taste of this medicine. Since I normally start with 15 seeds, I also ordered 5 Afghani seeds, which were more expensive.

My freelance work has been scaled down by my clients, and as a result I’m working on a very tight budget. When you pay good money for your seeds, you want to make sure that they all germinate. So I was very careful in following the steps I usually take to germinate my seeds in rockwool cubes.

First, I soak the cubes in tap water overnight in a utility bucket. It’s important to do this overnight, to allow for the chlorine in the tap water to rise to the top of the bucket, so it doesn’t contaminate the germinating cubes.

In addition to the tap water, I normally mix in my basic fert at one-quarter its normal strength. So I mix in Sensi Grow A at one-quarter of what it reads on the bottle and Sensi Grow B, also at that reduced strength. I wait for the nutrients to dissolve. It is very important that these steps not be rushed.

Then I take a CF or a EC reading (Conductivity Factor-Electrical Conductivity). The recommended TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level for pre-soaking rockwool cubes is 560 to 840 ppm, or CF 8-12, which is the same as CE 0.8 to 1.2. A CE 1 reading (same as CF 10) would mean that the solution is at 700 parts per million, which would be ideal for the pre-soak.

Then I take a pH reading. The ideal pH for pre-soaking rockwool is 5.5 pH, a tiny bit lower than the nutrient solution suggested pH for cannabis hydro grows (5.6 pH). The reason for the lower pH reading is that rockwool tends to be slightly alkaline, so this counteracts that bias.

If you get a reading lower than 5.5, very carefully add a small amount of pH Up, if the reading is higher than 5.5, conversely add a bit of pH Down. These agents tend to be aggressive, so they should be handled with care.

Never mix pH Up or pH Down at the same time—avoid this mistake at all costs. The chemical reaction would be totally unpredictable, and possibly violent.

Once all this measuring and pre-soaking is done, I take the rockwool cubes out of the solution and give each of them a light squeeze. This is done to reduce the moisture content by 10% to allow for air to penetrate the grow medium. The seeds that you put into the cubes need to breathe.

I use toothpicks all the time after meals—here’s another use for them. I use this very useful teeth cleaning tool to puncture a hole in the center of the rockwool, about 5mm deep. This is where I place my seeds very carefully, with tweezers.

I gently cover the hole with the material, but not too tightly. This creates a cocoon around the seed, with adequate moisture and nutrients and some air, a recipe for germination if there ever was one.

Depending on the variables, the seeds can take anywhere from twelve hours to twelve days to germinate, under a fluorescent grow light. The color spectrum of these tubes favors the blue end, which is as close to sunlight as you can get for this process.

The desired temperature for cannabis germination is around 23º C with the humidity level at 70-90%. I place my rockwool cubes into a tray with a transparent plastic lid to seal in the humidity.

Once the seeds are germinated, I have to be careful not to allow the humidity to reach 100%, so once in a while I take the lid off to allow for air circulation between the lights and the cubes.

Except this time my Northern Flame seeds germinated within a day or two, but the Afghani seeds wouldn’t budge. I waited and waited and waited. I must confess I didn’t have the patience to wait a full 12 days, so after a week or so I took the cubes with the Afghani seeds out, and removed the seeds very carefully, again with tweezers.

Plan B was to resort to that all-time favorite—putting the seeds between wet paper towels. I put these sandwiched paper towels between two large square plastic plates and made sure the edges were joined together to seal in the humidity.

I checked each day, making sure that the towels never dried out. After four days my Afghani seeds split open and sprouted tap roots, much to my relief. I placed these newly sprouted seeds back into the rockwool cubes where they came from and proceeded to wait for the formation of the first true leaves.

As more and more roots develop through the one-inch rockwool cubes, I usually transplant all my tiny seedlings into three-inch rockwool cubes, making sure that I’m very careful and gentle with these fledgling cannabis “kids.”
Eventually, when they look strong enough, I transplant a second time into six inch pots with a mixture of peat and perlite. I leave the rockwool attached to the roots, since it will disintegrate with time. These six-inch pots are then moved from the fluorescent environment to be under my 600W HPS light and an 18-hour a day, growth phase lighting regimen.

To reduce shock, it is advisable to move the seedlings slowly from one environment to another and to “harden” them by taking the lid off for longer and longer periods to enable them to get used to less and less humidity, then to place the six-inch pots around the periphery of the 600W light to begin with.

Advanced Nutrients makes two products that can be used at this time, No Shock and Jump Start, which are both designed to reduce seedling stress and to boost root and seedling growth at this crucial stage of the plant’s life.

A spray with Scorpion Juice when they’re a bit older will establish induced systemic resistance to many pathogens and pests.

With time, the six-inch pots can be moved toward the center of the powerful light and the selection process can begin. But that will be the topic of my next posting.

2007-01-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

Harvesting Your Buds, Processing Them Properly

Last week was week 6 of the bloom cycle for my six ladies, time for the final round of nutrients and supplements.

My 72 Liter reservoir at moderately heavy feeding took 163.44 mL of Sensi Bloom A, the same amount of Sensi Bloom B, as well as 28.8 mL each of Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid, and Grandma Enggy’s Fulvic Acid.

As a final vitamin shot I added 302.4 mL of B-52, and to prevent any last minute pathogens or pests, 10.08 mL of Barricade. I made sure to add this last ingredient the night before, to allow it to completely dissolve in my pre-mix tank.

30.24 grams of Carbo Load Powder came next. I used to use Carbo Load Liquid back in the days when I nourished my medpot plants with an organic regimen, but the powder is just as effective and less costly.

504 mL of SensiZym ensured that my baked clay pebbles would be cleaned by the living enzymes in this product, which munch on root debris in your grow medium.

This is beneficial since the debris get converted into a form that is easily absorbed by the roots, as well as because this process cleans your grow medium so thoroughly, that you’re ready for your next planting.

Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice were last added during week 2 of the bloom cycle, they are no longer required at this time. These root colonizers have done their work, aiding nutrient absorption and promoting root and plant growth.

Bud Blood and Big Bud Powder were added during weeks 1 and weeks 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Don’t make the mistake of adding either of them at this time. Overdrive is the only bloom enhancer that gets added during weeks 5 and 6 of bloom. This week I added 201.6 mL of this much heralded product.

I also added Sweet Leaf to my mix, in order to ensure a sweet tasting harvest. Some growers question the wisdom of adding both Carbo Load and Sweet Leaf, since they consider it redundant.

I, however, have nothing but praise for Sweet Leaf, which guarantees me and Claire the best tasting medicine possible. Carbo Load adds carbohydrates for growth, Sweet Leaf adds them for taste.

This is week 7 of bloom, so I’m flushing the entire six-bucket ebb and flow hydroponic system. The only thing I’m adding is 180 mL of Final Phase, which gets rid of any chemical taste or residue that might be left from either my basic fert or the additives.

I’m already checking my resin trichomes under a cheap microscope to see if they have become transparent. Once they turn brown, you’ve missed the optimum time for harvesting your medpot.

Some growers suggest harvesting from the top. I find this to be a useful suggestion, since the buds closest to my 600W High Pressure Sodium light fixture are the ones that mature the fastest.

Always use a sharp pair of scissors to cut your buds. It helps to disinfect them with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. You can also use Advanced Nutrients Wipe Out to clean your tools and working trays.

You must prepare a drying space for your buds, which must lose all their water content before they are ready to be cured.

My grow room is next to my home office in the basement of our house. I have a large closet opening from my office that is perfect for drying cannabis. I put a thermometer and a humidity meter in there, as well as a fan to help circulate the air.

I string a wire across the top to hang my bigger buds and for the smaller ones I use a window screen on a small table, propped up my four bricks, one in each corner. The bricks are to allow circulating air to get under the screen.

It’s best to dry your buds in total darkness, since daylight robs them of some of their potency.

Prior to drying, your buds should be manicured—that is, all the excess fan leaves should be removed with the sharp scissors. Some growers trim their buds lovingly, as if giving them a haircut.

I weigh my buds wet and then again when they’re dry, usually in seven to ten days. Buds lose up to 75 percent of their weight in the drying process. Once I had a bud that was too heavy and big to hang with a clothes pin, so I bought a lingerie bag (any netted bag will do) and hung it in that.

You should consider yourself fortunate if your buds are so big that a clothes pin will not hold them up on your drying wire.

Turn your buds frequently to face the fan and make sure that the humidity in the enclosed space is kept low. I open the door of the closet frequently, to let the wet air escape and dry air to enter.

In cold, wet weather I use a small, portable electric heater to keep the temperature in the room high enough to allow for drying.

You may test your buds for dryness by trying to bend them. If the stalk snaps, the drying process was successful. If it still bends, dry the bud some more.

Once the buds are completely dry, they are ready for curing. I prefer to use glass jars for this process, but you can always use metal coffee tins or Tupperware in a pinch.

Place the well-dried flowers in the container and store it in a cool, dark place. Open the lid every day and turn the buds, to make sure that the CO2 and other gases have a chance to escape.

Repeat this daily ritual for about two weeks and sample your medicine. When the smoke and taste are to your liking, your cannabis is cured.

If you keep your container away from light and heat, your medpot should have a long shelf-life. I keep my containers in our freezer with the lid tightly shut. If the lid is not on properly, moisture could get into your pot, causing problems such as mold and mildew and loss of potency.

Harvest is an exciting time for me and I look forward to it any day now.

2007-01-11T23:13:00.000-08:00

Electrical Conductivity (EC) converts in funny ways

I was concentrating on parts-per-million (PPM) in my last posting. Since then, I’ve spoken to the Advanced Nutrients Medical technical help line and found out that they’ve decided to go with Electrical Conductivity (EC) values, rather than PPM.

Don’t panic. Their Nutrient Calculator still shows both numbers, so if you’ve got a PPM meter and don’t have any way of measuring EC at the moment, you can still continue using that very valuable tool to figure out the weekly diet of your cannabis plants.

Since many of us medpot growers find these different values confusing, how is this for a scoop? Even their tech guy admitted that it’s confusing! No use fretting about it—you’re not the only one who can’t figure out EC and CF and TDS and PPM, and how they all fit together.

Then the AN guy went on to relate how three different meters read EC 1. Electrical Conductivity is measured in microsiemens per centimetre.

EC 1 on a Hanna pen meter will read as 500 parts-per-million.

EC 1 on a Bluelab Truncheon meter will read as 700 parts-per-million.

EC 1 on a Utech EC meter will read as 640 parts-per-million.

Advanced Nutrients Medical has decided to go with the Bluelab Truncheon CF/EC/PPM Meter, which is manufactured in New Zealand and measures each microsiemens (mS) per centimetre as 700 PPM.

PPM and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are the same thing. Total dissolved solids in your nutrient solution are measured by gauging the charge between two probes—not resistance, but the conductivity of the dissolved particles.

Depending on the strain of cannabis you’re growing, the ideal EC reading might be 0.7 to 1.5 mS during the vegetative stage and 1.0 to 2.0 mS during the flowering stage. The Nutrient Calculator bears this out.

The hydroponics industry considers EC readings to be more accurate than PPM readings. CF is exactly 10 times your EC reading. So if you have a CF meter and measure 10, that reading is equivalent to EC 1.

When I was growing my medpot using Iguana Juice Grow and Bloom, plus assorted organic supplements, I was tempted to boost the size of my buds with a touch of synthetics, by adding Bud Blood, Big Bud, and Overdrive to my reservoir.

When it comes to ogranics, the Advanced Nutrients plant scientists have yet to figure out the exact amounts to use of these 3 very potent synthetic bloom boosters in terms of EC, PPM, CF, or TDS, whichever abbreviation you’re most comfortable with.

The PPM numbers in the Nutrient Calculator are merely guidelines, according to the AN tech guys. In other words, some plants like very light feedings, other plants like heavy feedings. It’s just like humans—one diet definitely does not fit all.

This is where the metering comes in. Start with a medium-feeding regimen. If you’re plants develop yellow tips, then you should decrease your concentration. If you don’t get yellow tips, it may imply that your plants are able to take a little bit more food.

Growing medical cannabis is basically experimentation. If two of your plants bolt toward your HID light, while the others are slower to grow, you should pinch the top shoots of your bolters or trim their tops entirely, to give the slow growers a chance to catch up.

If you raised your light to accommodate the fast growers, the slow growers wouldn’t have a hope. But if you pinch the top shoots of the fast ones, they’ll bush out and give the rest a fair chance.

The same way with diet. If you see any signs of calcium deficiency, include Sensi Cal Mg Mix Grow or Bloom in your nutrient regimen. If your plants show any sign of stress, feed them with Organic B or B-52.

Always be conscious when you’re adding new ingredients to the mix that your total NPK does not exceed desired levels. Keep taking pH readings and make sure that your acid-alkaline balance is at the optimum level for hydro, which is 5.6.

The temperature of your nutrient solution is also a variable and that is why some meters have an automatic temperature adjustment. The Bluelab Truncheon has automatic temperature compensation up to 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Truncheon is fairly reasonable in terms of price ($139.00). You’ll also need a Bluelab CF/EC cleaning kit for $24.95, since the probes have to be clean and uncontaminated for accurate readings.

For $289 you could buy a Bluelab Combo Meter, which measures pH, EC/CF/PPM, and Temperature as well. Bluelab offers calibration solutions in order to ensure that your meter is measuring your real acid-alkaline balance, and not some distortion.

Nutrients assume the form of ions when in solution. The ions in your reservoir represent the entire spectrum of minerals needed for plant growth.

My basic nutrient, for instance, is Sensi Grow A&B and Sensi Bloom A&B. In addition to the macro nutrients of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, this Advanced Nutrients 2-part is species-specific in including all the micro-nutrients necessary for growing robust cannabis plants.

The same goes for the classic 3-part, Grow, Micro, and Bloom, as well as Sensi One Grow and Sensi One Bloom. Each basic plant nutrient was carefully designed to meet every nutritional need of your valued cannabis plants.

So investing two or three hundred dollars in a sensitive meter to make sure that your plants are getting the proper diet in appropriate servings is not such a bad deal.

If your nutrient solution has more ions then it will read a higher EC value, since there are more ions to carry the charge from probe to probe.

EC translated into PPM using one of several conversion factors. Depending on which factor you use (the 442, the NaCl, etc.) EC 1 either means 700 PPM, 500 PPM, or 640 PPM.

It’s not unlike the confusion caused by American (or Imperial) weights and measures vs. Metric.

Be aware that Advanced Nutrients is using the 700 PPM standard, and the rest will fall into place. If you’re using a lot of their products (as I am) it would help if you bought a meter that uses the same standard.

2007-01-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Bloom Boosters change PPM of Reservoir

I’m on weeks five and six of the bloom cycle, so I’m adding Overdrive to my ladies’ reservoir. Weeks two, three, and four I was adding Big Bud Powder, which is very economical to use, and contains 19 amino acids that act as building blocks for the flowering sites on my cannabis plants.

Bud Blood, which was given during week 1 of flowering, helps initiate the flowering process. Big Bud confirms the location of the flowers and delivers the amino acids that are converted into proteins and alkaloids in order to provide the energy boost needed for flowering. Then Overdrive clinches the process by helping with girth, weight, and taste development.

These three Advanced Nutrients Medical bloom boosters cannot be given at the same time—only in sequence. Were a grower foolish enough to mix them into his reservoir all at the same time his cannabis plants would be fried to a crisp, according to the tech guys at Advanced Nutrients Medical.

The plant scientists at that company have figured out the exact parts per million (ppm) that results when these bloom enhancers are added to the mix on top of all the other ingredients that their Nutrient Calculator suggests for the flowering cycle.

As you know, my basic fert is the classic, cannabis-specific 2-part, Sensi Grow A&B and Sensi Bloom A&B. The size of my reservoir is 72 Litres. I’m more comfortable using Metric, the international standard, rather than the Imperial measurements, which I find confusing.

During week 1 of flowering, while adding Bud Blood to the mix, my ppm was 1000. Weeks 2, 3, and 4 saw me adding 27.36, 33.12, and 38.88 grams of Big Bud Powder respectively, raising the total ppm of my mixture from 1268, to 1533, to a peak of 1800ppm during those three weeks.

Then comes now, weeks 5 and 6, time to add 230.4 mL and 201.6 mL of Overdrive, to reduce the ppm first to 1600, then to 1400. Literally nothing is added to the reservoir during week 7, only 180 mL of Final Phase, bringing the ppm down to 300.

During the flowering stage, in addition to my basic fert and the bloom boosters, Advanced Nutrients Medical recommends adding Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, B-52, Barricade, Carbo Load Powder, Sensi Zym, Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice. Consult the Nutrient Calculator for exact quantities.

In addition to Potassium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium, Overdrive also contains Ascorbic Acid, Fulvic Acid, and Folic Acid. I remember when Claire was pregnant with Squirrel—the doctor urged her to take Folic Acid regularly. That’s because it plays a major role in cell division and is an essential ingredient in healthy reproduction.

Don’t forget that flower formation is basically just one step in fruit and seed production—the cannabis plant’s reproductive cycle. We choose not to allow male pollen to fertilize the buds that our ladies produce, since in most cases we do not want them to go to seed.

We must also remember that by going to a lighting regimen of 12-hours of light, followed by 12 hours of total darkness, we are cutting back on the amount of light available for photosynthesis. The production of carbohydrates (sugars) is thus curtailed, even though these energy sources are needed more than ever during the flowering stage.

So we add Carbo Load Powder all throughout the flowering cycle, in order to replenish the energy required to form the desirable large buds we all crave. Ascorbic Acid and Folic Acid are essential to enable the plant to go into overdrive with the photosynthesis process and produce adequate energy to reproduce or attempt to reproduce.

In addition, Fulvic Acid is necessary to provide a “molecular tonic” at this time to aid in the transportation of sugars and other nutrients throughout the plant, provide chelation, and enable bio-reactivity in my six cannabis ladies.

Used in sequence, the three bloom enhancers result in large fragrant buds, abundant resin production, and a higher THC content, or Advanced Nutrients Medical will give you your money back.

2006-12-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

Racist conspiracy can't stop powerful medicine

According to a report by Jon Gettman, marijuana has become the largest cash crop in the United States. He estimates the size of the annual harvest of pot at $35 billion. By comparison, the next biggest crop is corn, at $23 billion, followed by soybeans at $17 billion.

The report says that marijuana is the leading cash crop in 12 states, and one of the top 5 in 39 states. In spite of the concerted effort by governments and greedy businessmen, the demonization of marijuana has proven to be totally ineffective.

Where do greedy businessmen come into the picture? It seems that a conspiracy of sorts took place in the 1930’s between Lammont DuPont, William Randolph Hearst, and the first head of the U.S. Treasury Department, Harry Anslinger.

DuPont, head of the chemical giant, was about to introduce plastics on a massive scale, and he wanted to knock out one of his major competitors, the burgeoning hemp industry in the U.S. Not only were all the rope and sails used in the maritime industries made out of hemp, but hemp seriously challenged cotton as a source of fiber for clothing.

As if that wasn’t enough, the auto industry was pressing hemp into molds to make parts for car manufacturing. How could safe, natural hemp be challenged by toxic, bad smelling plastic?

By demonizing hemp’s sister plant—marijuana—DuPont figured that he could get his connections in the government to outlaw “the evil weed.” Hearst entered the picture, because not only did he run the biggest newspaper empire of the day (the film “Citizen Kane” was based on his life), but he was also blatantly racist and disliked Mexicans intensely.

So they decided to whip up a nation-wide “reefer madness” frenzy. Here is how DuPont’s lawyer nephew, Harry Anslinger, summarized the situation in front of Congress:

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S. and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers.”

“Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”

A Texas State Senator was quoted as saying—“All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy.”

The culmination of this reefer madness conspiracy was the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This in fact prohibited the growing, sale, or usage of this healing herb that has been used to treat ill people for centuries.

It also allowed DuPont and the other chemical companies to make themselves super rich by starting to make every item they could think of out of plastic.

Grow your own medicine! That’s the best way to fight the forces of repression that will deny you the option of choosing therapeutic cannabis to treat your chronic illness.

Visit the Advanced Nutrients Medical website and educate yourself. Use one of their organic or synthetic fertilizers to feed your marijuana plants regularly. Use their supplements, root colonizers, and bloom enhancers to produce the largest, most potent buds possible.

Some of the products that I’ve personally used and highly recommend are Iguana Juice, Grow and Bloom, Sensi Grow A&B, Sensi Bloom A&B, Barricade, Scorpion Juice, Piranha, Tarantula, Voodoo Juice, Organic B or B-52, Emerald Shaman, SensiZym, and Carbo Load Liquid or Powder.

Whether you grow in soil, or hydroponically as I do, you owe it to yourself to test out these products on your next crop. You have nothing to lose—they all come with a money-back guarantee.

What better way to start off the New Year than to plant some indoor seeds and watch the sources of your magic medicine grow into tall, proud plants.

2006-12-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Second Thoughts about Cloning

Those of you who read this blog carefully have probably noticed that I allowed my ladies to go from veg to flower, without choosing a Mother Plant for cloning. That is because I’ve had second thoughts about cloning, and I’ll tell you why.

Since I’m a very small grower using only one 600W High Pressure Sodium light with six plants underneath, if I were to have taken clones off a Mother Plant I would have needed another light and another grow space to grow them during their vegetative stage.

Do you see the problem? I would still need to let my other five ladies go into flower (which I’m doing now) under my main grow light, but I would also need another space with another grow light to allow for let’s say six clones to go through their vegetative cycle.

You see for vegging, cannabis plants need 18 hours of artificial light resembling daylight (I use a conversion bulb on the blue end of the spectrum to do this), while for flowering they must have 12 hours of total darkness, following 12 hours of simulated daylight.

Also, according to the laws of the state I live in, I am only allowed six cannabis plants at a time. Were I to have set up a cloning operation, sooner or later I would have had 12 adult cannabis plants, which would have been against the law.

For larger growers—or in states that allow more than six plants for medpot patients—cloning is an ideal way to propagate cannabis, especially if you have found a Mother Plant that provides powerful, tasty, and fragrant medicine, that is pleasing to your palate and nostrils.

I’ve read up on cloning, and some growers suggest that you may harvest your intended Mother Plant, then put her under an 18-hour per day regimen of simulated daylight to put her back in the vegetative stage. Advanced Nutrients VHO-Very High Output nutrient is designed to feed Mother Plants at this vital stage. This option is still open to me, and I’m considering it. I am looking for more input to see if this method has any drawbacks.

I would imagine that the Mother Plant might be exhausted having been harvested and then expected to go into veg again. But this would solve the problem of having to have two grow spaces, since instead of starting my next six ladies from seed, as I usually do, I would just start them from clones.

Cloning has an additional problem. Since all of my plants according to the above scenario would come from the same genetic stock, they would be extremely vulnerable to the exact same pests and diseases. That means that a viral infection, for instance, would wipe out my entire crop and I would have to start from scratch.

One way to prevent this is by regular use of Barricade through both stages of the life of my plants. According to the Advanced Nutrients Nutrient Calculator, for instance, during the “2+ Bloom – Medium Feeding” Formula stage, using Sensi Bloom A and Sensi Bloom B as my basic ferts, and given that the size of my reservoir is 72 Litres (which it is—12 Litres per hydroponic bucket) I would have to apply 7.2 mL of Barricade during the first week of flowering, 9.36 mL during the second, increasing to 11.52 mL during week 4. Then it would decrease to 10.08 mL in week 5, and 8.64 mL in week six, with zero Barricade being applied during the final week.

Barricade is a potassium silicate that strengthens cell walls and enables my cannabis plants to fight off pathogens and insects much more readily than untreated plants. I also use Scorpion Juice as a foliar spray to impart what is known as induced systemic resistance to my ladies.

So by reinforcing the immune systems of my marijuana plants, I can foresee the day when cloning will be possible for me. The Nutrient Calculator gives exact details of how much basic fert and supplements to apply to your clones, during the first two weeks of their rooted existence.

By rooted existence I mean that prior to your clones rooting, you should dip them into a mild solution of your basic fert, but feed them only with pure water. Once they start growing roots—after spending time under a humidity plastic cover—then you can start feeding them with an increasingly nutritious and protective mix of basic fert and root colonizers.

Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice are an essential part of any cloning process, as is Clone It and Jump Start, which help them to establish their roots and gives them a fair fighting chance to grow into healthy, abundant female cannabis plants.

A clone will in effect be an identical replica of the Mother Plant, so all the clones from a female Mother Plant will be female. Aficionados of different strains swear by cloning, since it enables them to replicate their favorite pot ad infinitum. More clones could be had from adult clones.

Also, growers advise that you give away a number of clones to friends, just in case your own crop gets wiped out. You could ask for a clone back in the future to start the whole cloning process all over again.

So I’m still thinking about it, since it seems a very attractive proposition indeed. But more research is required.

2006-12-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

Starting to Bloom, reviewing Photosynthesis

My ladies are entering week one of their flowering stage, so I mixed Bud Blood into their reservoir for this week only. Weeks two, three, and four of flowering I’ll be mixing in Big Bud, the most famous Advanced Nutrients Medical bloom enhancer of them all. It’s got a catchy name, don’t you think?

Then for weeks five and six of flowering, it’s time for Overdrive. Now I can’t caution you enough—never mix these three supplements together at the same time. They are to be applied sequentially! If a grower happened to snooze during these instructions and mixed them all together, his cannabis plants would be fried to a crisp!

These are very powerful additives and are meant to be treated with respect. The rule of thumb is only add one major bloom enhancer at a time to your basic nutrient mix. That’s not to say that you can’t add additional vitamins and carbohydrates.

This week, my basic nutrient becomes Sensi Bloom A & B. The application rate is 2.6 mL/L, with an NPK of 5-4-8. Extensive field testing by the plant scientists at Advanced Nutrients resulted in this 2-part species-specific fertilizer, with carefully adjusted levels of the major macro and micro nutrients craved by the cannabis plant during its flowering stage.

I’m looking forward to the “large, deliciously scented, healthy flowers” promised in the company literature. It’s not just empty talk—Advanced Nutrients puts its money where its mouth is. This product, along with all the others, is backed by their famous money-back guarantee.

I’m not taking any chances. I’m also adding Sensi Cal Mg Mix Bloom, Carbo Load Liquid, and Mother Earth Super Tea Bloom to the mix this week.

The last one in the group is designed to add that organic touch to your synthetic fertilizer, by supplying ingredients such as shrimp, fish, crab, and canola meal, as well as sea kelp, earthworm castings, and alfalfa extract, along with some citric acid. Strong, sustained bloom production is promised.

Carbo Load Liquid is usually added midway through the bloom cycle, but I noticed that some of my ladies seemed a bit sluggish in the growth department, so I’m adding it early to boost their energy. It’s like eating a chocolate bar in the middle of winter.

Sensi Cal has easily digested chelated compounds of calcium and magnesium, as well as other micronutrients, designed to replenish the elements that get used up in the growth process. The Bloom variety also helps my ladies develop stronger, healthier buds.

Spoke to the Advanced Nutrients tech guy again, and he gave me a rundown of basic plant science. It seems that there are three classes of plants: Cam, C4, and C3. Cam includes succulent, low-light loving, high humidity plants.

The C4 class embraces most grasses and plants which love medium-light levels and are able to utilize CO2 well.

Then C3 includes most plants which are high energy, such as cannabis. They produce flowers and fruit, and love high-lighting levels, able to use CO2 the best of all.

The C3 plants are able to manufacture large quantities of sugar—thus energy—through photosynthesis. These plants use light, water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (or, as in my case, from the CO2 generator in my grow room), and convert these ingredients into sugar, as well as release oxygen as a by-product.

The sugar, water, and additional nutrients are moved around inside the plant in order to nourish its cells and cause them to multiply, resulting in growth.

The leaves of my cannabis plants suck up water from the roots through tubular cells, called xylem. The leaves are constantly respiring, giving off water molecules which end up evaporating and creating the humidity in your grow room.

Excess humidity has to be removed by good ventilation, otherwise it will cause harmful microorganisms to grow on the walls, as well as on your plants. Fungal infestation is a major problem in many grow operations.

(Using the potassium silicate product Barricade can give immunity to your plants, literally from the inside out. Barricade prevents fungal and other pathogens by denying them a foothold in your newly strengthened cell walls.)

The water tension and pressure caused by this constant movement of liquid through the cells causes your plants to be rigid and strong.

The sugars that are produced through photosynthesis are sent back down to the roots through tubular cells called the phloem.

This is the circulation of life within each plant. The roots supply the leaves with the moisture they need, while the leaves send sugars down to the roots in a perfectly symbiotic arrangement.

The constantly moving liquid maintains the strength and structure of the plant.

As above, so below. Nature’s perfect balance as exhibited in the six ladies growing in my hydroponic buckets under one 600W High Pressure Sodium light. My contactor relay timer has been switched to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of total darkness. This induces flowering.

Now it’s up to my ladies to produce prize-winning blooms and a dynamite Mother Plant!

2006-11-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Contactor Relay Timers, Vitamins and Wet Betty

Hopefully, we all learn by our mistakes! (Could someone please tell George W. Bush this homespun bit of wisdom?) In my case, this involved my first cheap timer that I bought at Home Hardware.

It was around the time that I set up my basement grow room. I was about to embark on an adventure to start growing medicine for my wife, Claire and I. She suffers from regular major migraines. At that time, I was puking my way through chemo therapy.

In growing pot, timing is everything. So you’re told to put your light on a timer, your hydroponic system on a timer, you CO2 burner on a timer. So you research the web and find that timers vary greatly in price.

You set out to your hardware chain store and find some neat looking timers for a fraction of the cost of the web ones. So you think you’re smart and buy three of them, figuring that they’ll free you up from having to constantly supervise your pot plants.

Wrong! No timer is a substitute for supervision. Anyone who has a computer should know by now that electronics can malfunction—frequently! So if your fifteen hundred dollar laptop can screw up, what makes you think that a $19.95 timer won’t end up jeopardizing your entire harvest?

Anyone putting more than a 400W light on a timer is taking a big chance. I found this out the hard way. I put my 600W High Pressure Sodium light, with a conversion bulb in it, on my newly bought timer. It worked fine during the eight weeks of the veg stage, then I programmed it to turn the light on and off at twelve hour intervals.

As you know, in order to flower, cannabis plants need 12 hours of light, followed by 12 hours of total darkness. I don’t like to go into my grow room during the dark period, even with a green bulb. So I did all my work in there during the “daylight” hours.

What I didn’t know is that my cheap timer fused in the “on” position, due to the high wattage current running through it, and my light was staying on 24 hours.

My pot plants refused to start flowering. At first I thought my feeding schedule was off, or I was giving my plants the wrong supplements. They got bushier and bushier, but hardly any buds. I started to panic.

Now even though a grow room is supposed to be totally light proof, what saved my harvest was that crack under the door that revealed to me one night that in fact complete darkness had not descended on my six pot plants.

I caught it in time, bought a decent, contactor relay timer, and gave my plants some more Bud Blood to induce flowering.

But my cheap timer had worked for eight weeks, without any trouble? That’s the dangerous part of trying to save money on an essential piece of equipment. The internal fusing can happen at any time, and without adequate supervision, the results could have been catastrophic.

The smallest contactor relay is a 2k unit, featuring two plugs. You insert these into your regular wall socket. One circuit goes through the timer, the other goes directly to the light. Actually, this unit can handle two 600W HID lights. It takes the load off the timer, thus eliminating the danger of fusing.

I’ve been using decent timers ever since that mishap, and they have proven to be reliable.
A 3k relay with a four plug output can handle up to three 600W HID’s, or four 400W lights. A 4k one can run up to four 600W lights, or three 1000W ones. And they also have larger relays with a bigger capacity.

My ladies are into week seven of their vegetative stage, so it’s time to test out my timers to make sure they work properly. It’s also time to feed the plants some essential B vitamins. I give them B-52, which not only has all the B’s they need, but also a whole bunch of biostimulants that promote plant health.

B-52 has B-complex plus folic acid, suspended in a high concentration of quality humates. It also contains a seaweed extract rich in phytohormones and osmoprotectants.

These phytohormones come from a natural source, more specifically from the algae Ascophyllum nodosum, commonly known as Norwegian kelp or Rockweed.

I find that my cannabis plants become more vigorous and grow faster, whenever I apply B-52 with its biologically active ingredients. The application rate is 2 mL/L.

Another supplement that I add at this time is Sensi Cal Mg Mix Grow, with its essential supply of calcium and magnesium. It also has Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Boron, Molybdenum, and Cobalt. These micronutrients are equally essential, albeit in minute amounts.

The application rate for this product is 1.25 mL/L and its has an NPK of 2-0-0. The calcium is chelated, and the micronutrients are in easily absorbed compound forms, such as sulphates, nitrates, and proteinates.

Soon, I’ll have to switch over to Sensi Cal Mg Mix Bloom, which is a product engineered and best suited for the flowering stage of my marijuana plants.

Growers who have experienced the devastating symptoms of calcium deficiency, will understand the importance of regularly administering these vital supplements.

My ladies are still on a basic diet of Sensi Grow, A & B, which is a superb fertilizer specifically developed for cannabis. After next week, I’m changing the regimen to Sensi Bloom, A & B. flushing the system in between.

In order to offset the synthetic nature of this basic diet, I use a number of organic supplements. Not the least of these is Wet Betty Organic, which is a surfactant that facilitates the transport and absorption of nutrients.

Wet Betty is a new, 100% organic product, that contains natural steroidal-triterpenoid saponins derived from Yucca and Quillaja. Saponins not only help plants resist stress, but they also manufacture phytohormones.

Given these properties, plus its unique ability to aid water absorption, Wet Betty helps deliver larger harvests. Since I’m hoping for a unique Mother Plant from my selection of six ladies, a large harvest is exactly what I need.

2006-11-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

A blasted Ballast, and Vital Organic Enhancement

Metal Halide lamps have an ignitor built into them, so the ballast for metal halide doesn’t have an ignitor. However, High Pressure Sodium lamps do not self-ignite, so the HPS ballast has to have an ignitor built into it.

Traditionally, HID ballasts have used magnetic coils to regulate current and voltage. A ballast is necessary for high output lamps in order to kick start them, and also to ensure an even, uniform lumens output. Magnetic ballasts tend to be hot, bulky, and heavy.

One of the grow-your-own books suggests to hold a match to your ballast. If the match ignites, your ballast is too hot.

My ballast is definitely too hot. It nearly burned a hole in the protective pad that I put under it to reduce its noise and vibrations.

The gist of it is, I’m in the market for a new ballast for my lighting fixture. The reflective housing for the lamp is sturdy and doesn’t need to be replaced. It was made by Bell Lighting Technologies up in Canada and they used a secret formula to literally bake a protective coating onto the surface of the fixture, that is not only heat resistant but also super reflective. It’s white.

But the ballast, which I also bought second hand, has seen better days. So I researched the topic of ballasts on the web and found that new, super efficient electronic ballasts have been announced by several companies, aimed specifically at HID lighting.

Unfortunately, the cost of these new generation of ballasts is quite high, but since my old one is becoming a fire hazard, I have no choice. I could buy another magnetic one, I suppose, but I wouldn’t be happy with it, knowing that a better alternative exists, for a few dollars more. Quite a few dollars more, as it turns out.

I have to consult Claire and our family budget and place my ballast needs on the same list as Squirrel’s rubber boots, Claire’s waterproof coat, and a new briefcase for the breadwinner in the family, i.e. me.

Until recently, electronic ballasts were only available for a limited range of lighting products, mostly in the low-wattage category. However, reliable electronic ballasts are now coming on the market for use with higher wattages of Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium HID lighting systems.

So I just have to find a reliable supplier and make sure the household budget can accommodate the price.

Until then, I put a metal plate under the old ballast. It makes a hell of a racket, but at least its fireproof!

Week six of the vegetative stage, so it’s time to feed my six ladies some Mother Earth Super Tea Grow, Grandma Enggy’s Seaweed Extract, and SensiZym.

I use Mother Earth Super Tea Grow to give natural supplements, nutrients, and vitamins missing from my ladies’ chemical fertilizer regimen. The alfalfa extract, canola meal, citric acid, crab meal, earthworm castings, fish meal, sea kelp, and shrimp meal provide an organic smorgasbord for my plants, that not only fills them up, but enhances their floral potential. Apply generously, at 11.25 mL/L.

Granma Enggy’s Seaweed Extract is like a shot of multi-vitamins, laced with natural antibiotics and growth stimulants, plus other nutrients, auxins, and gibberlins. This miracle product imparts resistance to spider mites, aphids, scab, mildew, and assorted fungi. The application rate is 5 mL/L.

Enzymes are the natural building blocks of life energy. SensiZym contains over 80 different enzymes that benefit various functions of my plants. For instance, these enzymes help break down root zone debris, making it easier for the plants to absorb vital nutrients. It helps with water uptake, thus increasing drought resistance. Plant maturation and cell replication are enhanced by SensiZym. I could go on…

Don’t get me wrong, my ladies love their regular diet of Sensi Grow A & B. All the essential macro and micro nutrients that have been scientifically researched and found to be necessary not just for the well being, but also the thriving of cannabis plants, are contained in this species specific fertilizer.

In two weeks time, it’s time to change the lighting regimen, from 18 hours of bright light to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of total darkness. This, along with the administering of Bud Blood, will induce flowering. Then we’ll see which one of my ladies will bless us with the most and biggest buds, and she’ll become our Mother Plant for cloning. What an adventure!

Speaking of adventures, Squirrel and her mother have taken off on their annual trip to a nearby big city, where they’ll stay in a hotel and go shopping for three days. They’ll also visit the super modern, eco-friendly zoo, and spend some time in art museums, playland arcades, and at a hairdressers. It’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta do it!

2006-11-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

Root Rot--Panic, Solution--Water Less!

Just when you think you’re doing everything right, things fall apart so quickly that your head starts spinning. My six ladies are safely ensconced in their hydro buckets filled with baked clay pellets, all the Advanced Nutrients products are being mixed and poured into the reservoir as instructed, and yet I have a feeling that something is not quite right.

I discover root rot on one of my ladies. Just the beginning of it, but if left to fester, this could kill the whole plant. I have to act quickly. I run to the phone and phone the Advanced Nutrients technical guy. His first question is—“how often do I flood the buckets? What intervals have I set on my timer?”

He explained that most growers tend to overwater their pot plants. It’s as simple as that. The roots of cannabis are roughly divided into three sections. The upper third need oxygen to thrive. The middle third need both oxygen and water. Only the bottom third are totally satisfied with a liquid diet.

Mike the Tech Guy told me that he has three rules. #1—Don’t apply, until they’re dry. #2—When in doubt, flush them out. #3—Uptake should be determined by leaf surface.

He said that your reservoir is a good bio-feedback loop. Make notches on the side, to see how much of the solution your plants gobble up. And all this attention paid to maintaining a level ppm is based on human arrogance. Mother Nature never maintains a level. She fluctuates.

Once the plants have had their fill from the correctly mixed solution, toward the end of the week you should add just water and the concentration should be about 50-70% of the original level.

Then you can remix the next week’s batch according to correct ratios. The Nutrient Calculator on the Advanced website will give you an idea of what to aim for in terms of weekly ppm. But remember, it will always fluctuate!

He told me to cut back on the number of times I’m flooding my buckets and leave a longer period in between for the clay pebbles and the roots to get oxygenated and to dry. Sure enough, within a few days the root rot problem cleared up.

I guess it’s not enough to pamper your roots with the beneficial fungi colonization of Piranha. I use a lower application rate than the one they recommend, since I also use Carbo Load Liquid. So instead of 3g/L I use 1.5g/L, starting during the first two weeks of growth, and at three week intervals after that.

As far asTarantula is concerned, again, I use 1.5g/L instead of the 3g/L recommended, right at the first two weeks. Once the beneficial bacteria have colonized the root system, you may want to top them up at three week intervals.

The same holds true for Voodoo Juice, the microbial rhizosphere colonizer. I mix this at half the recommended rate of 30mL per 4 L, or 15 mL per 4 L, which is roughly a gallon of water. The label says that this can also be applied every three weeks.

Mike the Tech Guy added that what I presumed to be root rot might have been some very energetic colonization by the root enhancers, due to their intake of extra carbohydrates. He said I should flush the system with a weak solution of HyOx to be on the safe side. Then cut back on my watering.

Normally, the use of HyOx is not recommended when you’re using Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, as well as SensiZym, since it kills off the beneficial microorganisms, thus de facto neutralizing their benefits.

I use SensiZym since its 88 enzymes are very much alive and they help clean my clay pebbles by munching on all the plant debris left behind by crop after crop going through my ebb and flow hydro system. I also flush the system frequently, as recommended, but it is nice to be able to use a product that helps in the clean up.

SensiZym helps my plants absorb water--as well as the dissolved nutrients in the water--better which makes for bigger plants and a larger yield. It also accelerates the growth of the microorganisms contained in Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, which in turn guarantee a heavier harvest.

It is recommended that you mix SensiZym according to the ratio of 5 mL/L and add to your nutrient reservoir, if you’re using hydroponics. However, during the eight-week vegetative cycle you might 6.27 fl. oz. during the first two weeks, then increase that to 7.61 fl. oz. during weeks three and four, culminating in 9.39 fl. oz. during weeks five, six, seven, and eight. These calculations are based on a 19.82 Gallon reservoir, with an acid-alkaline balance of 5.6 pH.

Remember, if you want to get things right, pre-mix your nutrient solution in a large bucket (adding hard to dissolve products like Barricade the night before) and take pH readings every half-hour until your mixture’s acid-alkaline balance stabilizes. Then you can add the solution to your reservoir!