DISSECTION OF A NUTRIENT LABEL ››

Dissection of a Nutrient Label by Golgi Apparatus

When first starting to grow indoors we all follow some sort of directions whether it’s guidance from a friend we happen to know with experience or we get a complete nutrient line and follow the directions on the feeding chart provided by the manufacturer. But at some point, we all will want to try something new out on our girls, hopefully to evoke different and better results in both production and quality. Learning how to read the nutrient labels and what the differences in ingredients are can help you in deciding which ones you want to try, whether it be switching to a whole new line of plant food or just mixing and matching a few different additives.

N-P-K. This is an insight of the percentages contained in the bottle, at least for the Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) anyway. All of the other nutrients will be listed on the backside of the bottle’s label.

People ask often “do I really need to give them all the stuff on the chart?” The true answer is, probably not. But until you know what each product is doing for your plants how would you The base nutrients of a line are the bottles labeled grow and bloom (this is considered a 2-part base; one bottle for veg and one bottle for bloom). Some companies make a grow/micro/ carbohydrates (sugars), calcium/magnesium supplements etc. These can usually be substituted or mixed and matched from different companies, but when you do substitute, be sure to fol-

know which one to use or not use? So, my answer is in short, “Yes I would,” at least on the first run, use the products as the manufacturer recommends. While some of the bottles may not be necessary to successfully grow your plants, they can make dramatic differences in your harvest, both in quality and quantity.

When starting a new product line for the first time always pick up the manufacturers nutrient feeding chart and follow it. These are guidelines that have been tested and developed by organic chemists and gardeners, so unless you are fluent in organic chemistry or very familiar with that specific line, they probably know more than you do. My only advice is to cut down the recommended dosage of the base nutrients by a small fraction and I only do this because of the risk of over-feeding. It is much simpler to add more nutrients to your plants than it is to rectify an overfeeding situation, so we do this as a precaution. A good rule of thumb is to start with ¾ or ½ of the recommended amounts, and then add more as needed or to achieve your desired PPM/EC/ TDS. Make sure you keep the cut down ratios the same for each bottle when using a 3-part or a 2-part base food. bloom (this is a 3-part base; where you use all 3 bottles the whole time from veg all the way through bloom but in different increments). Others have an A and a B (this is also considered a 2-part base; different from the above 2 part base, you use both the A and B bottles at the same time through both the vegetative and blooming cycles, but in different amounts). There are a few 1-part, all purpose products out there that they say will work for both veg and bloom cycles, however I am not convinced these products are great for growing cannabis plants indoors, because our girls have very different needs in the two different cycles. If you are growing outdoors you may be able to benefit from a one part fertilizer, preferably a timereleased one, making feeding required once a month, instead of weekly.

These base foods are usually listed at the top of the feeding chart and sometimes listed separated from the additives. These bottles are not to be substituted or mixed and matched from different companies (meaning, don’t get an A from one company and a B from another). When it comes to the nutrient additives on the feeding chart such as; silicates, bloom boosters, low the directions either on the bottle or from the manufacturer for the product you choose. Experimentation with new products is one of the fun parts to being an indoor grower and the smartIf you’re looking at the back of the bottle it will list the ingredients with their respective percentages included in that specific bottle. You must then look below that to find any non-plant food ingredients and the derivatives to find out where they got the nutrients from. If the derivatives are elements on the periodic table then it’s most likely considered to be a mineral nutrient. If the derivative is a plant, animal or living organism then it’s considered an organic nutrient. If it lists a nutrient derivative that has letters such as ‘EDTA’ written after it in all caps, then it is an element unavailable to the plant in its original form or it could be a man made element.

The EDTA stands for Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid which is the organic chelate that the manufacturers wrap the nutrient in to get the plant to uptake it and use it. The word chelate (pronounced: “key-late”) is derived from the Greek word “chele” which literally means “claw”, pointing towards the process of chelation in which the chelate chemical grasps the mineral, wrapping it in disguise. Manufacturers use chelates to kind of fool the plant, because some raw minerals and all man-made ones won’t come across as food to the plant. The chelate is something the plant would see as food and allows the mineral it’s encased to enter the root system to then be utilized as food. Some other compounds

The 16 basic nutrients required for plant growth

est way to go about it is to try new nutes out on one or two plants during a normal cycle (just to see how it goes) before adding it to your whole crop. used as chelates are ‘DTPA’ or ‘EDDHA’. Not as widely used as EDTA but they all have the same basic function.

A man-made substance is not a mineral, even if it has the exact same chemical composition and structure as a naturally occurring mineral. Plants

will not be fooled by this either. All man-made chemicals need to be chelated for the plant to allow them to be absorbed into the root system.

The mineral based and ‘man-made’ nutrients are being used by manufacturers more and more due to a tends to diminish the odor a bit making them less likely to stink up the place. An easy option to stay as organic as possible is to just use a less than 100% organic line of nutrients. There are several companies that make nutrient lines offering 50-90% organic ingredients in them, only replacing

The front of nutrient labels will have the N-P-K listed for quick reference

sales boom in hydroponic systems. It is evident that you will run into a bunch of problems trying to run vegan organic nutrients in most hydroponics systems. This is because they a lot of times are run with magnetic driven pumps or through small tubing, fittings and drip emitters. Organic nutrients are very thick and viscous and most hydroponic systems are not designed to have that type of material run through them. This doesn’t mean that you as a hydroponics grower can’t feed your plants organic food. You can always design a passive hydroponics system using a gravity feed method and utilize wider tubing to allow the nutrients to move through it freely. Another downside to using organics in water systems is that those nutrients are usually derived from ground-up fish, algae and guano, which tend to give off a foul odor when used in hydro systems. Soil growers rarely notice the odor because the medium the derivatives that will clog hydro systems with mineral-based ones. A few good examples are Botanicare Pure Blend Pro line, Fox Farm’s grow big, big bloom, tiger bloom trio, Canna Nutrients or even the Aptus line of additives.

Feeding Charts- Here is a basic breakdown of nutrients commonly found on a feeding chart:

Base Nutrients- This again refers to your basic grow/bloom, grow/micro/ bloom, A&B nutrients etc. These are designed to keep your plant alive, happy, healthy and growing. These contain a lot of the micro and macro nutrients that the plant needs to survive, but anything beyond basic growth is going to be a separate bottle on the feeding chart. If you want more flower sites, bigger buds or fruits, stronger plants, better flavor etc, besides needing a strain that has all that as potential, you will need to use some additives.

Root Boosters- These are beneficial microbes in the form of bacteria (bacillus) and fungi (mycorrhizae) that play a critical part in the soil food web when added to the root zone. Inoculated is the term for adding these beneficials to the root zone, there they will colonize and live there symbiotically with the plant. These ‘good’ bacteria consume ‘bad’ bacteria as decomposers, break down nutrients as nutrient cyclers, build soil structure and prevent as well as cause disease, all while the plant provides a home and the sugars (carbohydrates) for them to survive. The waste produced by these microbes contains carbon and other nutritional compounds that had been immobilized prior to consumption, but after microbe consumption they are now mineralized and made available to the plants again. Their ability to affect pH can make them an important tool for organic gardeners and they can vastly improve the uptake of nutrients and water from the growing medium, building root and plant structure from the ground up. However this is less necessary in some forms of hydroponics such as deep water culture, current culture companies even make pre-made ones in liquid form (ex. General Hydroponics Flora Blend, Advance Nutrients Mother Earth Compost Tea), there are also ones that come with all the dry ingredients that you can brew yourself (ex. RTI xtreme gardening Tea brews) or you can of course gather the ingredients and brew one from scratch. Brewing sounds like a big deal but it only refers to mixing the ingredients together in water and using an air stone to aerate them overnight. The mixture is then fully blended, activated and must be used in 24-48 hours of brewing.

Carbohydrates (sugars) - (glucose, sucrose, polysaccharides, molasses etc.) There are many names for carbohydrates on nutrient labels, most bottles have a ‘sweet’ sounding name but be sure to ALWAYS check the label. You would be surprised at how many ‘sweet’ products do not contain any sugars. Carbs are produced by plants during photosynthesis and utilized during the process as well. Any excess sugars are sent down to the roots for feeding the beneficial microbes. Any addition of carbs to your feeding program will mainly be to feed those guys. Improved microbe life can

Organic derivatives are shown in the ingredients for this bottle of pre-made liquid compost tea

and aeroponics where the plant has constant access to the water and nutrients.

Composting Teas – These teas add nutrients as well as living organisms to the plant and root zone, by combining ingredients such as; organic compost, worm castings, sea kelp, guano etc. While most recommend using these for soil grows they can also benefit certain hydroponic set-ups as well. Some enhance mineralization of nutrients, thus resulting in better flavors.

Bloom Boosters- These are additives that generally have no nitrogen in them and give a boost in P-K (PhosphorusPotassium) during the flowering/budding phase. Starting as soon as you see the flowers (usually week 2 of bloom phase) you run these all the way to harvest time, minus the flushing time

of course. Bloom boosters or bulking additives will increase the size, mass and density of the nuggets. These additions of P-K are necessary if you want to get that dank harvest you are picturing out in a cloud-like pattern. Running calcium and magnesium additive as a preventative measure to avoid a deficiency is something experienced growers do and most companies even

The back of these A&B bottles shows you that many of the plants basic requirements are found in the base food. nutrients up from the bottom to the top of the plant. So when it’s in need of more nutrients it uses transpiration, which in turn evaporates water from the plants leaves acting like a siphon. When the nutrients are mobile and are being taken up and absorbed with ease, the need to pull up more and more nutrients becomes less necessary.

Amino Acids & Vitamins- Amino acids are the building blocks of life being that they are a precursor to carbon. Scientists will agree that there is approx 20-23 standard amino acids needed for life and most plants can synthesize all they need in a very energy draining processes. Which is a good reason why feeding your plant readily available amino acids can free up some of that energy to be better spent on your fruits, veggies or flowers. Some amino acids can produce organic nutrients within the plant soil cleanser as well as a conditioner. These will sometimes come with some sugars in them to feed the enzymes and keep them alive and thriving. Although your plants will also send down any extra carbohydrates it isn’t using during photosynthesis as part of the soil food web. Using an enzyme is one of the most beneficial symbiotic additives you can use in plant nutrition. Proper use can allow you to use your grow medium for longer periods of time and even re-use it in multiple cycles, possibly saving you money on purchasing more medium.

Flushing Agents- The word flushing can confuse here, these are not really going to pull the nutrients out of the plant but these are designed to aid in the uptake of any leftover nutrients from within the plant, come harvest time. This is where staying on the mineral and organic side of fertilizer can

in your mind and your girls can usually even handle an increase from the recommended dosage.

Calcium and magnesium supplements- Calcium and magnesium are paired because they both help with a number of similar things within the plants metabolic process. As the strains we grow get more and more complex with crossing different types, most growers are finding they need more and more cal-mag supplementation. It is probably because they both help with the nutrient uptake

recommend it by including it on their feeding schedules.

Silicates- (calcium silicate, potassium silicate, silicic acid etc.) – All of which are silicate supplements, but out of the three examples listed silicic acid has been scientifically proven to be the most effective. When Silicon (Si) is taken up by the plant it gets deposited in the cell walls strengthening them, making them not only physically stronger but also more resistant to environmental stresses; temperature, pests, pathogens etc. It improves the

The back of the label lists all the ingredients in the bottle with their percentages and their derivatives. Above you can see the front and the back of a label side by side

The N-P-K numbers will be higher on soluble nutrients because they are giving you the dry percentages, but when mixed with water those numbers will go down

required during the flowering process, so in turn the bigger our colas get with our bloom boosting additives and cross-bred strains, then the more cal-mag the plant will require. The most telling sign for a calcium and magnesium deficiency is going to be rust yellow spotting on the leaf; looks like tiny cigarette burns on the top of the leaves and/or cloud like chlorosis (lack of chlorophyll in the leaf; drained of color) meaning it’s spread uptake, absorption and utilization of nutrients within the plant because of its ability to increase the mobility of nutrients. It also makes your plants more resistant to drought or in our indoor case more resourceful with the water they are fed. They do this by reducing the amount of transpiration (this is where moisture from the plant is released thru the ‘breather’ holes on the leaves called stomata), transpiration is also how the plants suctions such as Nitrogen (N) without the risk of burning you get when feeding readily available Nitrogen. Some amino acids are also natural chelates, helping to disguise some nutrients, making them mobile and more available to be absorbed by the plant. Amino acids and vitamins can also stimulate and improve the plants immune defense mechanisms and when added at the right time, can increase flower sites/budding sites and production in the side branches, as well as increase cellular division and tissue growth. Amino acids are a magical part of plant and human science.

Enzymes- Enzyme additives help to keep the root surfaces clean, as well as consuming any dead or necrotic organic materials residing in the root zone. It can also help with the algae that inevitably will form on the top of your growing medium. (A formula to remember: Light + water = algae) Enzymes are important to keeping your soil healthy and maintaining active nutrient uptake. They are also very helpful for non-organic nutrients because they can turn some of the salt build up into useable plant nutrients. Overall it’s a root zone and be in your favor. Man made nutrients tend to get stuck inside the uptake system if not utilized in a timely manner by the plant. This happens when the chelate wrapper that was attached on the way in is used and gone, making it no longer visible as food to the plant. Some nutrient flushes come containing empty chelating chemicals; these can enter the plant and latch onto the non-organic leftovers to get the plant to use the nutrient. Others use humic and/or fulvic acids as natural uptake helpers, trying to get the plant to uptake the nutes before harvest. Either way if you’re not 100% organic with your nutrient feedings then flushing is a good idea.

There are approx 16 different micro and macro nutrients required for plant growth. Companies test and reformulate their products so that they perform as they are supposed to, so the manufacturers feeding charts are a great tool to have. Seek out a nutrient line that is tailored towards the cannabis plants we grow and keep yourself informed by reading other growers reviews on specific products. You will soon begin to build a feeding program that works best for you and your girls.

THE ONLINE CANNABIS ENCYCLOPEDIA

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FREEDOM FIGHTERS CLAIM RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS CANNABIS What Would Jesus Smoke?

By Sebastian Daniel

If Jesus - a potentially fictional character from a book – actually existed (or agreed to appear in a sequel and came back for more adventures), what would be his choice for a Holy Smoke? Healing hemp or Big Tobacco?

Australian woman Pieta Michelle Morgan, 37, believes marijuana has been provided to mankind by God. This is what she told a Maroochydore magistrate in 2013. Morgan said in a court-room that her drug charges were illegal, unconstitutional and in conflict with the words of the Holy Bible. She prayer”. Rastafarians use marijuana, said the court, “with the memory and in the belief that the sacred plant grew on the tomb of King Solomon.”

This first such ruling in Europe created a lot of enthusiasm, but it also provoked

New album from Game: “Jesus Piece”

even refused to stand up as she was spoken to. Morgan was appearing on charges of drug possession and production, as well as possession of a used pipe.

She is not alone. People everywhere express their opposition to the system by exercising our Constitutional rights like freedom of/from religion. In 2008 the Italian Supreme Court agreed with the argument of a member of the Rastafari religious movement that Cannabis was used by him for religious and meditative purposes. Court ruled that smoking or possessing cannabis was not a criminal anger: an Italian politician complained that “if today we let a Rasta free to go around with drugs, tomorrow somebody belonging to a religion which permits the eating of children would also be free from prison”. Sadly, such rhetoric is typical of the drug war debates; many people have fallen victim to it.

The Incense Still Burning

In the recent years, many news organizations have repeated, following the leads of the magazines “High Times” and “Cannabis Culture”, that Jesus, his disciples, and many Biblical characters widely used Cannabis,

e.g. “Jesus ‘healed using Cannabis’” (“The Guardian”, 06.01.2003) or “Cannabis linked to Biblical healing” (BBC News, 2003). ago. Researchers from Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the National Police Headquarters forensic division note that references to marijuana as a medicine are seen as far back as 1,600 B.C. in Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek and Roman

writings. However, until now, the researchers wrote in a letter to the journal “Nature”, “physical evidence of cannabis (marijuana) use in the ancient Middle East has not yet been obtained.”

Carl Ruck, Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University and author of many books on the subject, including “The Apples of Apollo: Pagan and Christian Mysteries of the Eucharist”, states that there can be little doubt about the role of cannabis in the Judaic religion. He makes clear, referring to the existence of cannabis in anointing oils used in ceremonies, that the easy availability and longestablished tradition of cannabis in early Judaism would inevitably have included it in early Christian measures. It was at the beginning of religious experience, that cannabis and mushroom-like substances were first consumed as part of the “mystical communion,” Professor Ruck explains. Additionally, Jesus was called the ‘Christ,’ which means he was anointed. The chrism of his anointment would have been the one described above for the Jewish ordination, which is to say, Jesus would have to have experienced the effects of cannabis. According to Prof. Ruck, even the wine used in such ceremonies was likely far more psychoactive than mere table wine as “ancient wines were always fortified, like the ‘strong wine’ of the Old Testament, with various herbal additives.” For a long time researchers tried to draw people’s attention to various important clues demonstrating hemp use in the Bible. In the 19th century the French novelist G. de Nerval was one of the first people in the West to notice them. In 1860, at the annual meeting of the Ohio Medical

CHRIS BENNETT, HEMP HISTORIAN: “THERE IS MORE HEALING POWER FOR THE BODY, SPIRIT, AND THE WORLD IN THE CANNABIS PLANT THAN IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE WORLD.”

offence but a religious act when it involved a Rastafarian. Italy’s Court of Cassation has said Rastafarians use marijuana “not only as a medical but also as a meditative herb and, as such [it is] a possible bearer of the psychophysical state to contemplation and properties of the drug, according to studies of scriptural texts. Researchers continue to pursue Dr Sula Benet’s work from the year 1936 – this Polish anthropologist was the first scientist to show that the word “hemp” in the Old Testament had been translated incorrectly. Benet’s striking disclosure was later confirmed by other etymologists and experts in other fields, including scholars from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1980. They confirm her work, noting that kaneh-bosm was mistranslated in the King James version of the Old Testament as calamus. Anthropologist Weston La Barre also agrees with Benet, noting that “the term kaneh-bosm occurs as early as both the Aramaic and the Hebrew versions of the Old Testament, hemp being used for rope in Solomon’s temple and in priestly robes, as well as carried in Biblical caravans.” In 1980, the respected British magazine “New Scientist” wrote that linguistic evidence indicates that in the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament the ‘holy oil’ which God directed Moses to make (Exodus 30:23) was composed of myrrh, cinnamon, cannabis and cassia.

Use of hemp as sacrament/medicine in ancient times has also been documented by archaeological and scripture studies. In India, it dates back to 1400-2000 BC. In Europe, a 5,000-year-old ritual object with traces of hemp seeds was found in Romania. In China, the tomb of an ancient shaman, at least 2,700 years old, has been discovered – the cannabis among his belongings was clearly used for its psychoactive or medicinal properties. A similar discovery of a mummified shaman/ king from a hemp-using culture was made in Russia. Archeological research in Bet Shemesh near Jerusalem has confirmed cannabis was still in use in the area around 400 AD. In 1993, the first physical evidence that marijuana was used as a medicine in the ancient Mideast was reported by

Society, physicians and a group of Biblical Scholars reached the conclusion that “the gall and vinegar or myrrhed wine…was a preparation of Indian Hemp.” In the early 20th century the British physician C. Creighton discovered other references to hemp in the Holy Scripture. Linguistic proof was provided by Sula Benet (aka

Sara Benetowa) in 1936. The word “kana”, often occurring in the Bible, sometimes means just “stalk”, but Benet shows that in certain Biblical passages it specifically refers to cannabis. The term kaneh bosm was mistranslated in the oldest Greek translation, the error was repeated in later translations, including Martin Luther’s, and as mentioned earlier remained in the King James bible. remarks were made by the Hungarian rabbi and scholar Dr Immanuel Löw who in his Die Flora der Juden (1924) identifies ancient Hebrew references to cannabis, e.g. in a recipe for a Passover wine and incense. Löw’s fame as a scholar is based primarily on his pioneering work in the field of Talmudic lexicography and

IN THE ORIGINAL HEBREW TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT THERE ARE REFERENCES TO HEMP, BOTH AS INCENSE, WHICH WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION, AND AS AN INTOXICANT

use in ancient and modern religions. He is also a hemp activist, a freedom fighter and a member of the Church of the Universe, as to confiscate their possessions, send them to prison, and perhaps even kill them. Bennett concludes: “If cannabis

The Cannabis Miracles: When Religion Was Science

Researcher Chris Bennett, author of many books and articles on the subject of hemp in world religion, speculates that Jesus was called the Christ (the anointed One) because he violated the taboo on cannabis regulations restricting its use, and distributed it freely for initiation rites and to heal the sick. Bennett claims that Christ as a healer (Jesus is often called, as is Buddha, the Supreme Healer or the Great Physician) must have used cannabis, e.g. to treat epilepsy (at the time considered a “demonic possession”), as well as eye or skin diseases. The medical evidence for this hypothesis is overwhelming. Modern studies confirm the plant’s healing properties; for example, glaucoma. Bennett wonders at the current situation where almost no modern-day Christians are aware that the name of their faith makes reference to a psychoactive topical ointment that was rich in cannabis, or that many early Christians used it to achieve spiritual ecstasy.

Prior to Sula Benet’s discoveries similar in the study of plant names. This special interest is apparent in his doctoral thesis Aramäische Pflanzennamen (Aramaic Plant Names) in 1879. Löw explored the basics of plant terminology in different periods of the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. By mastering the latest scientific methods in his field, he made himself familiar with the literary sources of plant names, making careful use of manuscript material. With the help of the Semitic languages, especially Syriac, he clarified many etymologies. He had great influence on future scholars and is considered one of the greatest scholars of Jewish botany.

Sula Benet explains that “in the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament there are references to hemp, both as incense, which was an integral part of religious celebration, and as an intoxicant,” also “another piece of evidence regarding the use of word kaneh in the sense of hemp rather than reed or calamus is the religious requirement that the dead be buried in kaneh shirts.” Recent research has unveiled more fragments in both the Old and New Testament most probably referring to hemp use, as well as in the Dead Sea Scrolls, gnostic scriptures not officially recognized by mainstream Christian church authorities. The interested reader will find many relevant quotes from the Bible with commentaries in Chris Bennett’s books and articles.

Chris Bennett is a hemp historian and one of the foremost authorities on cannabis Christ heals the two blind men on the road to Jericho, anonymous fresque (1179 – 1182), Cathedral of Monreale, Italy

a group formed in 1969 that recognizes cannabis as the Tree of Life. Bennett states boldly in his writings and in courtrooms that there is more healing power for the body, spirit, and the world in the cannabis plant than in all the churches of the world. His findings suggest that it is unchristian to persecute people who use cannabis: government prohibition of this plant could be interpreted as placing the laws of man above the laws of creation, to prevent true cannabis-using Christians from practicing their faith, going so far was one of the main ingredients of the ancient Christian anointing oil, as history indicates, and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ and his followers Christians, then persecuting those who use cannabis could be considered antiChrist”.

Bob Marley sings in “Cornerstone” (lyrics based on Psalm 118):

“The stone that the builder refuse, Will always be the head cornerstone”.

TREAT A MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY WITH A SAFE, NATURAL HOME REMEDY Using Epsom Salts in Your Organic Cannabis Garden

Epsom salts are a natural, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly supplement for your organic Cannabis crop. By Sativa Diva

Epsom salts (also known as hydrated magnesium sulfate, MgSO4 + 7H2O) have been used for centuries to treat human ailments, as well as providing a reliable, traditional tool for gardeners experiencing magnesium deficiencies. The salts were discovered imbuing the spring waters of Epsom, England, and are often used by gardeners as a folk-wisdom plant remedy.

As Cannabis is indeed a plant, and plants require nutrients, one common scourge of growers is the constant necessity of purchasing, using and dispensing of gallons of nutrient solutions. Various macro- and micro-nutrients can be provided in a myriad of forms; however, these days, much more emphasis is being placed upon keeping Cannabis gardens as organic as possible. Well-maintained, clean, organic grow rooms and gardens tend to produce the best-tasting, highest quality buds, which are also safer for medical patients to consume.

Epsom salts provide both magnesium (Mg) and sulfate (SO4, an ester or salt of sulfuric acid) in a gentle form that is easy for Cannabis plants to process – one that does not build up in soil over time. This home remedy is also simple to use, inexpensive and a highly-soluble supplement for organic Cannabis growers. However, Epsom salts are usually only applied to plants that are visibly lacking in magnesium, or strains that are typically magnesium-deficient. within the growing community as ‘praying for magnesium’. Begin with small doses to test the results, which you should see in about four days.

Concerning Cannabis flowers – and potentially seeds – magnesium is essential to a healthy yield. Those growing either for or from seed should note that magnesium also plays a vital role in both seed production and germination.

Why is sulfur necessary for weed plants?

In combination with magnesium, sulfur forms a sort of ‘multi-vitamin’ for plants, allowing for increased uptake and impact of nutrients and minerals, and acting as a general prophylactic for your plants. Sulfur binds with the soil to increase the availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) to the plant’s roots, thus enhancing the capability of soil and added nutrients. The plant’s production

of amino acids, enzymes and vitamins are all affected by sulfur levels, making the element essential to plant growth and development.

Rarely deficient in most modern Cannabis nutrients, sulfur also assists in chlorophyll production, helping gardeners to keep their plants green, vibrant and healthy. This and the aforementioned benefits are especially important for long-life plants, such as mothers or outdoor strains with a slow finish, as sulfur helps to sustain longevity and over-all plant health while protecting against environmental stress. more quickly and experience less shock as a result of this soil treatment.

Why do Cannabis plants need magnesium?

Magnesium allows plants to uptake phosphorous (P), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) from soil. Plants that are deficient tend to show yellowing leaves, which may remain green at the leaf veins. Magnesium deficiencies cause a different yellowing effect than nitrogen shortages or spider mite damage; be certain to correctly diagnose excesses and deficiencies in your plants before adjusting your nutrients, or you may burn the plants while worsening whatever deficiency ails them.

Magnesium facilitates the creation of chlorophyll and is thus critical for photosynthesis. The element also strengthens cell walls, assisting the plant in maintaining its structure and vitality. If you notice slow growth, a slight curling of the leaves and a yellowing of the leaf color (typically beginning towards the bottom of the plant), there is a good chance that your plants are magnesium-deficient. These plant symptoms are often referred to Technical growers should note that reverse-osmosis (RO), ion exchange or distilled watering systems will effectively remove most sulfate from drinking water, which can easily be replaced with Epsom salts, if necessary. (Growers in areas known for ‘hard’ water will often give their plants extra magnesium.)

Yellowing leaves with green veins may be a sign that your plants are magnesium-deficient Epsom salts provide both magnesium and sulfur to deficient Cannabis plants

How to Use Epsom Salts to Supplement Soil:

Whether growing in pots or beds, Epsom salts are an effective way to supplement your soil before you have even begun growing any plants; that is, if you are not already using dolomite lime as a magnesium source. Soil that measures a pH above ‘7’ – or one that is high in potassium (K) and/or calcium (Ca), which compete with magnesium for uptake by the plant – can be replenished via applications of the salts. Such soil may not react as well to a direct granular or dissolved application; plants grown in this soil tend to respond much better to a foliar spray or full watering with Epsom salts.

Large-scale outdoor growers in the Pacific Northwest (and gardeners in the Southeast) often struggle with depleted local soil that must be turned and treated before cuttings or seeds can be planted. Prepare your substrate by mixing in one teaspoon of salts per gallon of soil, then planting seeds, seedlings or clones – magnesium sulfate can account for faster germination. If you prefer, you can wait until your seedlings are a few inches tall, then water them all with a highly-diluted Epsom salt solution. Cuttings – which can be notoriously difficult to root in their new environment, depending upon strain and clone health – may potentially take hold

Dosage for Dissolving Epsom Salts in Water:

Smaller-scale and indoor growers benefit more readily and consistently from dissolving the salts into water rather than soil. In a watering can or barrel, combine up to two tablespoons per gallon of water – first mixing the salts with a bit of warm water to thoroughly dissolve them. This can be given to the plants every four to six weeks, if necessary.

To apply a foliar spray, dissolve up to one tablespoon per gallon of water and spray Cannabis plants at the beginning of each cycle or when needed, focusing the majority of the fine mist upon the underside of the leaves. Avoid spraying your plants past the first few weeks of flowering, or while the lights are on; if you must spray them during the ‘daylight’ cycle, allow the plant to cool down before and after – and dry off – before turning the lamps back on. It is more effective, however, to spray the plants when both they and the room are cooler in temperature.

Epsom Salts to Revive Mothers or Root-Bound Plants:

When plants remain for too long in the same pot, they can suffer from salt buildup and become nutrient-locked and/or potbound. An easy and gentle Epsom salt solution will dissolve the accumulated salts and allow the plant to regain healthy circulation by unclogging its root cells. This is especially effective in plants that require direct sunlight – a category in which Cannabis is firmly listed – due to the importance of magnesium sulfate in photosynthesis.

Ozone

THE GROW ROOM SUPER-TOOL

Ozone generators are becoming more affordable every year, and are a common feature in larger commercial grow rooms to knock out unwanted odours escaping. However, Ozone is so much more versatile than just smell prevention. Domestic and industrial use of Ozone is not new, but translating the many benefits into a grow operation deserves

a little attention. ! By Baron Wasteland (baronwasteland@gmx.co.uk)

Why use Ozone?

For less than $60 you can buy a machine capable of saving your whole crop from bud rot, battle predators, oxygenate the root zone, sterilize your equipment, disinfect your entire grow room and more.

Ozone is not just another cleaner. Ozone is a true sterilizer. It can completely destroy an impressive list of nasties including spores, bacteria, viruses, mould, fungus, mildew, smoke particles and many other contaminants while at the same time oxidizing any dead organic materials in it’s path. This is fantastic for sterilising your grow room.

Ozone (O3) is a triatomic molecule, which consists of three oxygen atoms (instead of 2 in regular oxygen). As well as being the stuff we all breathe, Oxygen is one of the most powerful oxidizing agents in the world, and a potent natural disinfectant, 3000 times more effective than chlorine bleach in broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Because Ozone has a “spare” unstable oxygen molecule, as soon as it touches a pathogen the spare atom breaks off and attacks the cell wall with an oxidative burst – rupturing it and killing it instantly, without hesitation or mercy. You could call it the molecular Jean Claude Van-Damme.

Ozone is used in low atmospheric doses in hospital wards, offices, vets surgeries, commercial kitchens and factories to keep the air sterile, sterilize bedding, prevent the spread of airborne pathogens and keep the place smelling clean. People occasionally use it at home to sterilize dishes, treat various ailments and make their homes a little fresher.

We’ve all heard about Ozone, and how the lack of it in the atmosphere caused by pollutants is a problem; so isn’t using an Ozone generator just going to compound climate change? The simple answer is no. The Ozone we can generate in our grow room is the same stuff that protects us in the famous Ozone layer, but don’t worry it won’t harm the planet.

Ozone safety.

Because Ozone is so powerful, it can also be harmful to humans and pets if precautions are not taken. Ozone can be very dangerous to the respiratory system if you breathe it in high concentrations. It doesn’t stick around long To really make the most of Ozone, you should find an Ozone generator that can Ozonate water too. These models have a silicone tube attached with an air stone at the end. Most are wall mountable, but it makes sense to still be able to move it around at times to get the most from the techniques we will be using.

You need to be switched-on and alert to safely use Ozone, so consider smoking that massive OG Kush blunt afterwards while you wait for the room to be safe again, NOT before you start setting it all up…

though, & breaks down into regular Oxygen after 30 – 45 minutes, so this allows us to work with it in relative safety, so long as you respect it.

The safety recommendations in this article are over-cautious, but it’s worth taking extra care.

Luckily you can start to smell Ozone before it builds up to a hazardous level. You will already recognize the smell – that “fresh” bleached smell everywhere

after a heavy storm? That’s Ozone, created by electrical energy in the clouds and brought down in the rain.

Choosing the correct Ozone generator is key to safety & effectiveness. Too small an output will be ineffective, too large will be dangerous. For a reasonably average 1-room home grow (600w – 1200w), a generator with an output of around 200mg per hour will be adequate. Huge commercial operations will need upwards of 1g output per hour, and micro-grows can get by with under 100mg per hour, but it is always best to check with the manufacturer for your exact requirements, as these are only guidelines. Every grow is different & results will vary with the air exchange, general level of smell & pathogen problem in your room. Chat with your Ozone generator manufacturer to make sure you get the correct size for your situation. erator while it’s running, and for an 1 hour after it’s been switched off.

before you switch on your Ozone generator – it should be the last thing you switch on before quickly leaving the grow room.

after it’s finished. Some generators have a built in timer, but experience says they can often break on the cheaper models, leading to high levels of unexpected Ozone build-up. Better to be over cautious.

the Ozone generator is running, hold your breath. Ozone is safe to humans if you don’t breathe it in. Make sure a friend is there too, just in case you fall over or something.

Reduction Potential) to monitor safe

Ozone levels in your grow room.

water or oil, consider running it in an outbuilding.

the majority of Ozone contained. use Ozone, so they can also stay clear of the room. so the room will be safe, but still smell incredibly clean. Personally I leave it for 1 hour just to be safe.

respected & used carefully. Some Ozone generator manufacturers gloss over the potential safety risks, so please be careful.

DO NOT BREATHE IN OZONE!

Practical use of Ozone in your grow.

Sterilizing your room and equipment is one of the biggest hassles of being a grower. After every crop we must laboriously scrub every surface of the room with bleach, possibly even use a smoke bomb if we have bugs. We wash every grow tank, all the tubing, scrub connectors, clear pumps of debris, and inspect every surface for muck. Then we sterilize the kit too and rinse it off. Wow! It’s wet, messy, cold, miserable work that we must all do to get the sweet rewards we crave… and people accuse growers of being lazy!

If only there was some kind of magic bullet we could use that cuts all this soggy labour! There is - Ozone. You will still have to manually clear out every bit of plant matter, rockwool, root system and anything else that once lived from the room & rinse your tanks, pots & tubing with hot water to get any physical dirt off. That’s the hard bit done. Let it dry, then stack up all your equipment in a way that air can circulate freely around it. Include things like scalpels, pH meters, screens, fans etc. as the Ozone will sterilize everything it touches!

Position your Ozone generator at the top of the room, and switch some circulating fans on to move the air about. It doesn’t have to be blowing a gale in there, but you do want the air circulating around every part of your room, as Ozone can only work on surfaces exposed to the air. If you have an Ozone generator with a tube attached for Ozonating water, great! You can set up your nutrient tanks and hydroponic system now, and run the pumps with plain cold water (cold water absorbs Ozone better than warm). Attach the end of the Ozone generator’s tube to an air stone and put it in your nutrient tank. Now we can sterilize the entire room AND your nutrient delivery system in one easy move.

Set up a timer to switch off after 30 – 45 minutes. Plug your Ozone generator into it and turn it on. Hold your breath to avoid breathing the Ozone in as you quickly check the air stone is bubbling Ozone into the water, then leave the room immediately. The Ozone generator will switch off automatically, and the room will be safe to reenter an hour after that. If your grow room is in the main part of the house, then it’s a good idea to open the windows in the hall outside it to allow any leaking Ozone to escape – be mindful of Ozone leakage! Your room will smell incredibly clean and is now completely sterile, ready for your next grow.

Using Ozone as part of your air extraction system.

inline with a carbon filter. This gives an extra insurance against unwanted odours escaping into the wider world. Using Ozone in the ventilation ducting works great and is a “belt and braces” addition to odour control. The Ozone molecules mix with the smelly plant terpenes inside the pipe, neutralizing them & guaranteeing a no-smell, no-tell situation outside. This method is also the safest, as no Ozone buildup is possible inside your room, but you must be careful not to vent Ozoneheavy air somewhere it could cause harm to people or other vegetation. For this setup you would need a medium output inline generator to place inside your ducting after the fan. Because Ozone is heavier than air, allow the path of the ducting to drop to the floor after the fan & generator stage so when the ventilation system is switched off, residual Ozone will stay in the dip & won’t leak back into the room. In an ideal world you would have this inline Ozone system as well as a more portable Ozone generator.

Ozonated water.

If you have an Ozone generator with the tube and air stone option, then you can ozonate water too. This is a fantastic way to ensure your root zone stays healthy (which in turn makes your buds swell up), and also lets you disinfect a hydroponic system with your plants still installed. Working with Ozonated water is much safer than using it in the air. When Ozone is bubbled through water, the unstable molecule behaves as it does in the air; attaching itself to any single celled pathogen and killing it instantly. The by-product of this is pure residual oxygen in the water. Once all the pathogens are gone, the Ozone actually starts to be absorbed into the water too, where you can harness it’s power inside the rootzone. When using a 400mg Ozone generator, place the air stone at the bottom of your water container and ozonate for around 2 minutes per liter of fluid. If possible do this in your porch or outbuilding so you don’t have to worry about breathing in the Ozone. Use the water right away, as the Ozone starts to break down into oxygen over 30 minutes. Water won’t absorb Ozone to toxic levels. Once you have Ozonated water you can really do some amazing things with it:

spores, rust spots, fungus, powdery mildew or bud rot. Unlike commercial sprays

It is safe to use at any time in the flowering period, as you are not introducing any chemicals at all. Of course it is still a good idea to keep humidity low & avoid spraying too much during flowering.

Ozone solution for 30 seconds to sterilize them before dipping in rooting hormone.

This improves strike rate dramatically.

drippers, pumps, connectors and anything else that goes near your plants in the

Ozone solution for 1 minute to sterilize them safely.

to give a massive oxygen boost and sterilize the rhizosphere. Bear in mind that it will kill any beneficial bacteria too, so you will need to replace any Trichoderma or similar that you’ve used.

ate the fresh nutrient solution thoroughly before running it through the system, disinfecting everything and giving the plants a huge oxygen boost.

Working with Ozonated water is much more forgiving than in air. You can safely handle it, and people with skin complaints may actually find it helps a lot, as it gently keeps your skin sterile.

There is no point in using organic nutrients or supplements in freshly Ozonated solution, as the Ozone will kill any beneficial bacteria too (including trichoderma). If your supplement isn’t compatible with Liquid Oxygen, then it’s not compatible with freshly Ozonated water either. But because Ozone only remains active in water for around 30-45 minutes before turning back to oxygen, you can still use organics if you wait for an hour or so after running the Ozone through your system, & get the best of both worlds. afterwards, but make sure the circulation fans are moving lots of air around inside so the Ozone has a chance to touch all the nasties.

switched off for about half an hour with the extractor fan switched back on, open your tent and look at the mould – instead of looking grey, vibrant and fluffy it should now look brown, crusty and dead – victory!

then you may need to run the Ozone for longer. For serious infestations in large rooms, up to an hour without the extractor on. In these situations then it is important to do it in the plant’s “night” period, to avoid heat from the lamps building up while the extractor is off.

No more fear of bud rot!

Probably most exciting to growers is the

fact that an Ozone generator can save your crop from budrot, even if it’s already started to weave it’s evil grey web around your precious buds. Better still, it does this quickly without adding any toxic chemicals at all.

remove any infected material from the room (you can spot budrot before it really happens by looking for a single leaf in the bud that is a little darker & browner than the others around it. Check this spot as you have probably got the first signs of budrot)

your circulation fans running. (You will need to set a timer to switch your extractor back on in about 15 minutes). Also lower the light output to avoid heat build up while the ventilation is switched off. generator, try running the Ozone generator for 30-45 seconds per Meter cubed of enclosed grow space then switching it off.

If you have a machine with a tube outlet, you can attach it directly to a circulation fan for maximum spread.

previously infected matter, as although

the mold is no longer active, you still wouldn’t want to smoke it.

Inspect every plant thoroughly, and if there is any mildew alive, or you see the any more little leaves between the buds going brown, repeat the process. Beware that building up too high a concentration of Ozone in your room can actually cause plant damage to the stomata, resulting in burnt leaves, especially at the tips & wider shade leaves closest to the generator. There have also been reports of it damaging the delicate trichomes of resin on the buds with major overuse. If you tread carefully using it little and often, your plants will be OK.

You may still have to toss a few buds if they were infected already, but the mould will not spread and you have saved your crop from death or early harvest. Check your buds for new mold thoroughly every day for a week just in case it’s a systemic infection, & if you spot any new problems then repeat the process. It is better to treat little and often, than risk causing Ozone damage to your plants…Although of course it’s debatable which is a worse problem to your crop – mould or Ozone damage.

Battle spider mites!

If you have them, spider mites are the bane of your life. They spread fast and are tough to beat. Where all else fails, Ozone will get them. A higher level of Ozone will break down their respiratory system & kill them. The molecular Jean Claude Van-Damme is back to kick butt! The levels you need to run the Ozone at to kill spider mites will probably cause some plant damage, but spider mites can cause worse! It is an emergency option for heavy infestation, & in my opinion preferable than chemical alternatives. Always be safe & never breathe the Ozone. Safety is more important than a crop.

Other applications for an Ozone generator.

You can also bubble Ozone through oil and it apply directly to the skin. Unlike water, which only holds the Ozone for a short time, oil retains the Ozone for much longer – anything from 30 days to 6 months or even more, depending on the level of ozonation.

The benefits of Ozonated oil include: wounds & ulcers helps prevent infection & safe for them to lick

You can Ozonate whatever oil suits you best - great results have been achieved from ozonating olive oil, jojoba oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, and many more. There are two levels of Ozonated oil - Partially or Concentrated. Partially Ozonated oil is by far the quickest & easiest to make. You bubble your 500mg/hour Ozone generator through the oil using an Ozone-proof airstone (glass is best) for an hour minimum. This is a time when more is better, so you can keep going for several hours or even overnight if you want. It is impossible for the oil to absorb Ozone to toxic levels, although of course you should still be mindful of the ambient Ozone levels to avoid too high a level in confined spaces.

Concentrated Ozone requires an industrial Ozone generator capable of producing over 4 grams of Ozone per hour. You also need to bubble it through the oil for three weeks. On balance I’m guessing the home producer may be better sticking with the Partially Ozonated Oil!

An Ozone generator is a wonder-tool for the hydroponic gardener, & if treated with respect will solve many of your problems & maximise your efficiency.

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Next issue out: February 21 2014