Marijuana Caregiver Network
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Useful Tips
pH is Important
The ideal pH for marijuana ranges from about 6-7. pH is the rating for how acidic or not something is. This affects your water, soil and plants. If the pH is too high or too low, your plants will have trouble taking in nutrients. There are pH testing and adjustment kits for purchase online or at your local grow store. Or you can mix your water. The pH of water in Humboldt County is 6.1.
Watering
Here’s the finger technique for watering. We found this very helpful. Stick your finger into the soil up to your first knuckle or so. If the soil is dry in the first inch to inch-and-half, water. (This applies to medium sized containers and above. Sticking your finger in a small pot may damage the roots).
Nutrients
You may have seen three numbers on the label of fertilizers and nutrients at your local grow store. Well, they stand for Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium, respectively. The number shows the percentage of each element contained in the fertilizer.
A solution high in Nitrogen is most commonly used for the vegetative phase (pre-bloom) of your plants. Phosphorus is good for root growth and flowering while Potassium promotes disease resistance and strengthens plant tissue. There are also what’s known as trace elements such as copper and iron which are usually available in most soils. Happy harvest!!
Pruning
If left to grow on its own, a cannabis plant will grow vertically, focusing its energy on one main stalk. The result is one long dominant cola with smaller stalks surrounding it. These smaller stalks will produce small buds that won’t be that good and the overall size and yield of the plant will be small.
Topping makes a cannabis plant bushier—by cutting off the main stalk, the plant will redirect its energies to the smaller side branches, which will grow out and produce bigger buds.
Spectrum Matters
To the human eye, light comes in different colors. This range of color is called the spectrum. Traditionally, ”cooler” lights, on the blueish end of the spectrum, like Metal Halides are used for vegetative growth. They encourage leaf and stem development. Growing plants under a MH for the first month or so should produce some sturdy plants, ready for bloom. High Pressure Sodium lights on the other hand, sit at the red end of the spectrum, which promotes flowering. It is widely acknowledged that HPS lights produce big beautiful buds.
Although High-intensity Discharge (Metal Halide & HPS) lights are somewhat of a golden standard in the cannabis growing industry, LEDs are now becoming a more popular choice for many growers. LEDs produce more light per watt than HIDs, so less energy is needed to light the same amount of space. Because of this efficiency, less heat is produced also, making them ideal for grow tents. (Especially during the warmer season or when ventilation is an issue.)
Clone vs Seed
Cloned cannabis plants produce a fibrous root system. (A) Cannabis plants grown from seed produce a taproot. (B) A taproot anchors the plant into the ground by growing deep into the soil in search of nutrients and water. A taproot can also store precious resources. A fibrous root system is the opposite of a tap root. It is usually formed by thin, moderately branching roots growing from the stem. Fibrous roots grow fairly close to the surface of the ground, which helps combat erosion by securing plants to the top layer of soil.
Also, clones are exact replicas of the mother plant they were taken from, while seeds from the same plant will feature a slightly different genotype—a unique genetic code. This means there will be differences in height, smell, flavor, and yield.
And for the home growers out there, keep in mind there are costs associated with growing from seed, whereas clones are virtually free.