The Greenhouse Report

62

At the Green House Seed Company we love sativas, but we recognize the value of true indicas, with their great sweet taste, amazing production and short flowering time. The indica strains of our seed bank are incredibly strong plants, short and bushy, well balanced in taste and effect, with a strong stoned bodyfeeling. Indicas are easier to grow than sativas, allowing more concentration of feedings and resisting better to heat and cold. Any system is good to grow indicas, but they always give the most production in hydro systems. For this reason growers who are accustomed to hydroponic systems are more likely to perform good at growing indicas.

At the Green House Seed Company we use many methods for growing hydroponics, but the most effective one has been open flush system with big 65 liters containers. We use rockwool flakes as a medium, the type that contains more air. This way we guarantee a well developed root system in a short time, as the roots can grow through the medium with extreme rapidity. Before using the rockwool to fill up the containers we wash it with a light solution at pH 5.5 and EC 1.0. This way the young plants will have no shock at the first contact with the medium. Indicas like to start their growth cycle with a higher EC compared to sativas (1.4-1.6). Normally we grow on 18 hours for 5 to 14 days, depending on the strain and the target size of the plants. Plants like the Great White Shark or the White Rhino are very bushy and need some good growth on 18 hours to reach the size for production. Other strains, like the Doctor or the White Widow are naturally more suitable for sea of green methods (SOG), with many plants on a square meter. The 18 hours feeding solution contains a higher N percentage than the P and K. We keep the pH at 5.5 during the whole 18 hours period.

The temperature of the air is kept between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius during daytime and around 18-20 degrees at night, a little higher than with sativas. Also the lamps are kept a bit closer to the plants, at an average 60 cm using 600 Watt systems.

As the 12 hours period begins we raise the pH of the feeding solution to 6.0, and then gradually up to 6.5 during the whole flowering process. This allows the plants to absorb better the P and K necessary to their flower development, and lowers the chlorophil level inside

A reasonably good substance with which to counter infestations of spint and green- or black fly, is a soap-methylated spirit mixture. Dissolve 20 grams of green soap and ten grams of methylated spirit in 1 litre of lukewarm water and then give the plants a thorough spraying; this will often do the job nicely. Make sure that you spray the underside as well as the top of the leaves. If we repeat this application a few times (with a break of ten days between each application) the results will be clearly noticeable.

the buds. During flowering we raise the air temperature of a few degrees to increase resin production and speed up the metabolism of the plants. The air humidity is also strictly monitored and kept between 40 and 65% during the entire flowering cycle. Also the temperature of the medium is strictly monitored to ensure the ideal conditions for feeding intake and no stress.

During the flowering period we start flushing the medium once every 10 days using a light solution at pH 5.5 and EC 1.0-1.1. This process removes undesired salts from the medium, preventing plant intoxication and allowing maximum growth and bud formation. Besides, we use a fungus controlling agent to avoid dangerous bacterias and moulds to attack the root system. A very important element of our cycle is the drying of the rockwool. When the plants start flowering, it is important to let the medium dry to a certain extent (50-60% water content) at least once a week before giving feeding solution. This increases the feeding intake and maximizes the flower production.

During the last 14 days of the flowering cycle we stop all feedings and wash the medium with a light flushing solution at pH 6.0, to eliminate the feeding residues from the plant, improving taste and effect.

For more details on specific indica strains of the Green House Seed Company we invite you to download the Grow DVD from www.greenhouseseeds.nl. It is a free DVD containing all information on how to grow Green House strains, plant by plant, week by week, from cloned to harvest!