To Grow Or Not To Grow

By Alex Robles

Part Two/Four-Part Series: The Vegetative State

Welcome to “To Grow, or Not to Grow.” Our goal is to demystify the cannabis growing process and to explain it as simply as possible, not dumbed down but distilled. Growing cannabis at home isn’t hard but it isn’t easy either. Regardless of what the Internet says, there is no single perfect way to grow cannabis. The reason for this is that every environment is different, and every home grower/cultivator is unique. its different stages of life and maturity depending on the seasonal photoperiod or light cycle. The cannabis plant needs at least 16 hours of light to stay in its vegetative stage, but 18 hours of light is the industry standard for keeping all varieties of cannabis in veg. You can veg your plants under 24 hours of light and get great results, but I like to let my plants rest since they are alive

In this series we’re going to go from germinating a cannabis seed to harvesting your cannabis flower (seedling stage, vegetative stage and flowering stage). We’re going to learn a little bit of science, a little bit of botany, expand our vocabulary, and have fun doing it. Links are provided for further explanations and because some of us learn better through video. Always, if you have any questions, email them to info@cbtsmagazine.

Always remember to check local laws and regulations about growing cannabis at home. You need to know your rights and limitations. Always.

For this next part of the series, I’m going to talk in general terms about cannabis plants. Because there’s so much variety in cannabis, it’s easy to get tangled up in the small details. First, let’s get to know this amazing plant a little better.

The Cannabis Plant — What does it mean when we say that cannabis is a photoperiod plant? Here’s the simplest explanation: the length between the day and night hours of a day is the photoperiod or light cycle. Some plants and flowers need a certain amount of sunlight to trigger their flower stage, that’s how we get the seasonal blooming of flowers. When cannabis is grown outdoors, it moves through Cannabis is an annual diecious plant. An annual plant will complete its life cycle within one growing season. For cannabis that is usually from spring planting to the fall harvest. A Diecious (dī-ē′shәs) plant, means the male and female reproductive organs are on separate plants rather than different parts of the same plant. Most flowering plants, shrubs and trees have both male and female flowers on the same plant. This makes it easier for pollinators like butterflies and bees to move the pollen from the male flower to the female flower that could be right next to it. Other flowers and fruiting trees have only male or female flowers on a single plant. Which means gardeners, growers, and cultivators need to plant male and females close to each other to ensure pollination. Cannabis is diecious because you need the pollen from the male plant to pollinate the flower of the female plant to make a seed. There is also the possibility of stress-related sexual changes that could cause hermaphroditic varieties that will have both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant.

Sex is always important — Now let’s talk about why we want a female cannabis plant and Sinsemilla, a Spanish word meaning without a seed. When we keep the females unpollinated, they will produce more flowers (buds) and more trichomes. If a female plant gets pollinated, instead

of using its energy to make buds and trichomes, it uses its energy to make seeds.

The female reproductive organ is known as the Pistil and coming out of the Pistil are two hair-like structures called the Stigmas. These hairs are responsible for taking in male pollen to make a seed.

The Vegetative Stage — The vegetative stage is the main growing phase of the cannabis plant. It starts to make leaves and branches at a steady and regular pace, and it’ll start to get taller and wider. The fan leaves will get bigger because they’re trying to absorb as much sunlight and CO2 as possible. Those stems and branches will thicken as the plant moves through the veg stage preparing for the weight of the flower (bud). The root system will also begin to spread out in search of food and water.

Why pH your water? — Every animal and plant on earth needs a balanced pH to thrive. As humans we enjoy an average pH of 7.4. Cannabis is no different, if their pH is off then the plant won’t absorb nutrients correctly. The pH scale goes from 1-14 and measures how acidic or alkaline/ base a liquid, mixture, or solution is. A pH of 1 means that the mixture is highly acidic and a pH of 14 means the mixture is highly alkaline. A pH neutral mix is a 7. All of the primary, secondary, and micronutrients, with the exception of molybdenum, are best absorbed when the solution has a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Anything higher or lower than this will make the plant struggle to take up nutrients and could easily cause a nutrient deficiency along with other problems. Personally, I don’t like to go lower than 5.5 or higher than 6.3.

Nutrient Needs — Almost all plant life uses the primary/ macro nutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) as major building blocks for developing a strong, healthy root system and beautiful green foliage. These macro nutrients are needed and used in large amounts, but different plants use these nutrients differently. Cannabis and vegetables absorb certain nutrients easier when they’ve been processed by bacteria.

Nitrogen (N) is used to make the chlorophyll that gives leaves their green color, an essential part of photosynthesis. N will be used in large amounts during vegetative growth to help develop a strong and healthy system of roots, stems and branches that will support the dense, heavy flowers (buds).

Phosphorus (P) helps change the energy plants get from the sun into sugars that make the different chemical compounds used in root, leaf, and stem growth. It’s a vital part of dense bud development during flowering. Phosphorus will also help the plant cope with the stress of drought, frost, pests, and disease easier.

Potassium (K) lets the plant metabolize (chemical digestion) those sugars to make different proteins and amino acids used in different plant processes. Potassium helps carry water throughout the plant allowing it to be less stressed during dry periods and improving the plants resistance against frost by working in the plants sap. It will promote consistent and strong growth, and when combined with Phosphorus it will also help strengthen the root system. Potassium is needed during flowering to increase the density, weight and number of buds.

Pest Control — The most basic pest control advice the experts at my local insectary (Rincon-Vitova Insectary) give is to plant lots of colorful flowers. Some predators will be attracted by the vibrant colors or the pollen that flowers produce. The goal in my garden isn’t just to attract the predators but to also have them lay eggs and colonize. Predator colonization gives our gardens some natural biological pest control at very little cost. Also, some predator larvae are more voracious hunters than adults. That’s why in my garden you’ll always find a row or patch of wildflowers growing. I like to use a wildflower seed mix that can tolerate the heat and drought of my California summer growing season.

In the next installment of this series, we’ll start to flower and harvest our cannabis. Just as a reminder, always Grow, Learn, and Teach.

For more specifics, visit Inmygrow.com and listen to Alex’s podcast. “In My Grow Show” (https://inmygrowshow.libsyn.com/).

Alex Robles has been using cannabis to celebrate and medicate with for the past 30 years. In 2016 he began sharing what he’s learned when he started Inmygrow.com. After California legalized cannabis sales and possession for adults 21 and older, he launched a weekly podcast, In My Grow Show. This year, he helped produce segments for Tiempo de Cannabis, a Spanish language TV show in Mexico City.