FREE
THE CANNABIS NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Issue 2 - 2016
12 Outdoor Growing – An Easy Start
17
20
How to Regulate Automatic Irrigation
How to harvest cannabis in 80 days
33 Dab-a-Doo in Barcelona
18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands
Medical marijuana is now legal in Australia AMSTERDAM
RRY SENSI-STAR DELAHAZE PANDORA BELLADONNA WAPPA ALL
OG KUSH
The Australian parliament passed new national laws last month paving the way for the use of medicinal cannabis by people with painful and chronic illness.
treatment journey and will now see seamless access to locally-produced medicinal cannabis products from farm to pharmacy,” she said
Amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act permit both legally-grown cannabis for the manufacture of medicinal cannabis products in Australia. The changes, proposed earlier by the Turnbull government, had bi-partisan support.
Under the new federal scheme, patients with a valid prescription can possess and use medicinal cannabis products manufactured from cannabis legally cultivated in Australia, provided the supply has been authorised under the Therapeutic Goods Act and relevant state and territory legislation. The changes put medical cannabis in the same category as restricted medicinal drugs such as morphine.
Recreational cannabis cultivation and use remains illegal with state-based criminal laws still in place. Health minister Sussan Ley said it was an historic day for the nation and the people who “fought long and hard to challenge the stigma around medicinal cannabis products so genuine patients are no longer treated as criminals”. “This is the missing piece in a patient’s
The Victorian government announced last year that it will legalise the drug for medical use in 2017. NSW is also currently conducting trials into a cannabis-based drug, Epidolex, with a focus on chil-
dren with epilepsy, and leading the statebased focus on medical marijuana. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is due to hand down its interim decision on scheduling cannabis for medicinal purposes next month. The minister said an independent Advisory Committee will be set up to oversee the next stage of the rollout of a national regulator for medicinal cannabis. “A national regulator will allow the government to closely track the development of cannabis products for medicinal use from cultivation to supply and curtail any attempts by criminals to get involved,” Ms Ley said. The national scheme is good news for a range of companies currently vying for a slice of the lucrative market. Medicinal cannabis business MGC Pharmaceuticals saw its share price jump on opening. The business is working with the University of Sydney’s business school to develop a federal government white paper on creating a medical cannabis industry. MGC Pharmaceuticals is currently building a cultivation and extraction plant in Slovenia. Source: businessinsider.com.au
Femi
n ised S ee ds
3 EDITORIAL
BIG WEED Finally, some of the benefits of the legalisation of cannabis in some American states can be quantified. It appears that the State of Colorado raised more tax money from weed than from alcohol in the 2014 - 15 fiscal year (1). Cannabis revenues allowed the state to collect nearly $70 million for this period, whereas alcohol revenues were a meagre (in comparison) $42 million. This, of course, is big news, as it vindicates and legitimises legalisation. No doubt the alcohol lobby will make a big deal of this, despite the fact that the $42 million seems to be an increase on the previous two years - nearly £39 million for 2012 and nearly $40 million for 2013 (2). One interpretation of these figures could indicate that the population still very much enjoy alcohol...but they enjoy weed more. Presumably, there are those who enjoy both.
Syrup is a hybrid obtained by crossing an auto-flowering variety with a sweet Indica. It has a fruity flavour with hints of ginger and elderberry, but her real beauty lies in her potency. With dense and heavy smoke that you can almost chew, her effects are heavily narcotic and ideal for medicinal use. Indoors Syrup is an ideal plant for the SOG (Sea Of Green) technique; outdoors it is discreet enough to be ideal for gardens and balconies. In terms of taste she is a real delicacy and she is quick enough for even the most impatient grower! Flowering Time Indoor: 62 days Yield / Quantity Indoor: heavy yield Strength / Lasting Effect: middle-high to high Breeder: Buddha Seeds
Syrup (auto-flowering)
A slightly longer term prediction proposes that the US weed economy could be generating $44 billion by 2020, according to Marijuana Business Daily (3). This isn't, it should be noted, entirely based on sales of weed, but on everything associated with weed as well, such as sales of cannabis paraphernalia, for example, such as rolling papers, pipes and all the rest of it. As well as this, there's "cannabis tourism" (people choosing to holiday in states where weed is legal), and "cannabis migration" (people choosing to relocate to states where weed is legal, in many cases for medical reasons). Tourists need places to stay, eat and generally spend money, meaning clear economic benefits to those states where weed is legal. Similarly, migrants need places to live, and (at least hypothetically) bring their skills with them, find work and pay taxes. Again, this results in economic benefits. Monies generated purely through sales of weed alone are predicted to reach between six and eleven billion dollars by 2020. This figure is more humble certainly, but definitely not to be sniffed at in these straitened times. Even taking the higher figure of eleven billion as accurate, sales of actual cannabis will make up only twenty five per cent of cannabis economy overall. This means that it's predicted that the other seventy five per cent comes from sales of "cannabis peripherals" and "paraphernalia". That's a lot of skins. Seriously though, we need to be vigilant here around issues such as parasitic, ancillary businesses. The prediction by Marijuana Business Daily above seems to implicitly indicate that it's already happening, with triple the amount spent on cannabis being spent on (in all likelihood completely unnecessary) peripheral goods. More seriously, we need to be vigilant regarding the emergence of a multinational weed industry ("Big Weed"?) with business practices mirroring those of similar established industries such as the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade here, but let's not pretend that it can't or won't happen. Depending on how it is handled, legalisation could either make cannabis a thriving craft scene or a voraciously profit hungry industry, as multinationals decide if they can't beat 'em then they should join 'em. Perhaps this has already happened. To end on an upbeat note, the general picture looks very good. In the American states with legal weed, taxes being generated are being channelled back into the public sector, specifically the school and health systems. There are big amounts being given to legitimate research into further medical uses for the weed, and this has to be a good thing. Overall, it's a good thing, but we mustn't let our guard down for a minute: big capital is waiting in the wings. Big capital is almost always waiting in the wings. Dr Dee
READERS@SOFTSECRETS.NL
Attention Readers! Fancy a FREE packet of FEMINISED seeds from DINAFEM? Then send us a picture of your grow room or best cannabis plant, including a visible copy of Soft Secrets, and we’ll send you 3 seeds. Should your photo happen to feature your beautiful wife or girlfriend wearing a sexy microbikini or super hot lingerie, you will receive 6 seeds. Photo of the Month will even receive 9 prime quality feminised seeds. With compliments of Soft Secrets and DINAFEM!
E-mail your entries to SSUK@softsecrets. nl. NOTE: All entries are handled with the utmost discretion. We don’t publish out of focus pics, and we don’t like photos of plants in veg stage. It’s fat buds & sweet babes we want to see!
readers@softsecrets.nl
5 Hi Soft Secrets, Been reading your fantastic mag for years, always packed full of decent topics and great tips! I thought I'd send you this pic from my latest crop. Dinafem Cheese DXWR QRQ ;;/ b VKH LV D EHDXW\ DQG ORDGHG ZLWK EXGV +HUH VKH LV DW GD\V b +DQG fed in 11 litre pots of Biobizz Allmix, with Canna Terra nutes! What ever happened to Weckels with his outdoor columns? I XVHG WR ORYH UHDGLQJ KLV VWX D IHZ \HDUV ago. Top grower! Anyway guys I hope you like the pic! Dan1122 Thanks Dan. Nice tight buds, almost looks like a Photoshop job! Weckels has left Soft Secrets years ago, but the geezer is still growing strong!
6
Hi SSUK, 3OHDVH ȴQG DWWDFKHG P\ VZHHW VH[\ ȴDQF«H DQG P\ IXWXUH EXGGLHV R, UK 7KDQNV PDWH\ \RXU ȴDQF«H LV RYHUVHHLQJ \RXU JURZ RSHUDWLRQ VWHUQO\ but fairly – we hope for you. Cheers.
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Cannabis Seeds, Vaporizers, Smokers gadgets & more
8
INDOOR GROWING
Natural fight against smell Smell is among the major causes of incarceration for growers. Indeed, although, in our growing experience, we get used to smells and do not perceive them, this can be a source of conflict with neighbours. There are also cases of weed crops intercepted without a search warrant, where the police argue an intense smell J. Searcher was perceived in the street. Carlo’s grow room, The Neutralizer is installed on the ground facing the extractor
ful life. In this article, two growers with experience in using the “Neutralizer” tell us about it
Installation tips
The Neutralizer has been designed to definitively solve smell issues for growers. It is based on a natural combination of essential oils derived from flowers and fruit and is manufactured in Spain. Its components are carefully assembled – in particular it has a core made of high-quality injected plastics with a long use-
1) Use inside the grow-room. The process is the same as that occurring when roses or jasmines are grown in the same place, the jasmine smell prevails without ultimately affecting the quality of the rose. The Neutralizer vaporises the molecules of vegetable essential oils in such a way that no effect is produced on the harvest quality, or the persons or pets living in the house. It can confidently be used inside grow rooms or tents, and drying rooms. 2) Consider the flow of air. In the first place, the oil molecules need to be vaporised evenly within the
room, which requires a little bit of air extraction to ensure internal air circulation, whereas leaving the neutraliser work without extraction could be too much. Next, you need to wait at least one hour to have any appreciable effects. Sometimes ventilation may be used to control heat by removing air at the highest power – in doing so “The Neutralizer” will need no minimum working time to become effective.
Zero smell and zero problems with neighbours
Carlos is an indoor cannabis grower and has a lighting system with three 600-watt lamps, duly equipped with a carbon filter to treat the air flowing into the street. He lives in an old house with smells escaping through the floor planks and spread throughout the building. One day he came back to his growshop damn scared, a neighbour had affixed a sign clearly warning that, if the building continued to smell of marihuana, he would report the fact to the police. The Neutralizer was at that time being launched on the market – the slogan used was really tempting “Smell anything? Then return it”, so Carlos thought “I have nothing to lose”. As a test, he connected The Neutralizer to the floor of his grow-room facing the air extractor. He could not believe it. In a little more than one hour the smell inside the building disappeared. Carlos
houses during summer. In his flat he uses a room as a drying room. During winter, he also mounts a flowering tent inside. Moreover, his friends meet in his house for tasting sessions. Apart from this frenetic activity, he is also a very discreet person, and he does not want his neighbours to meddle in his affairs. The Neutralizer is a multipurpose solution that he finds useful in this respect. He turns it on when he needs it, and then powers it off and keeps it for the next occasion. When Hector uses his grow-room as a drying room, totally full with marihuana, The Neutralizer works permanently as a small air extractor at the minimum speed to remove treated air from the room. For indoor blooming in a grow tent, he installs The Neutralizer on the tent floor. When he smokes with his friends, he leaves The Neutralizer connected to the floor of the room, with a window ajar to expel smoke and favour an air stream for the effect to spread throughout the room. As The Neutralizer needs an hour to be effective, he generally switches it on well before friends visit him, as it gives the house a pleasant and hygienic smell. He sometimes takes The Neutralizer to other places – e.g. in one of the greenhouses he makes the first trimming of plants in a hut close by, where he preferably uses The
Hector’s drying room, The Neutralizer works well, but could be more effective if placed on the floor
m om .co n.c en he tc h icKiitc smicK osm Ko K
never returned the product. Quite the reverse, he start using a refill for each harvest. Now he turns it on when the smell starts to pervade the room during the blooming phase. Subsequently, he turns the room into a drying room and, in this phase too, The Neutralizer protects the environment from unwanted smells.
A multi-purpose product
Hector is a Cantabrian grower who normally takes care of various green-
Neutralizer just in case he receives unexpected visits. In this case, he tells us, he carries his unit invariably placed vertically in a plastic bag, as it could spill liquid if tilted.
Conclusions
The Neutralizer has excellent results for the natural removal of the cannabis smell in all environments and circumstances, i.e. cannabis growing, trimming, drying and consumption.
REPORT
9
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Strain Stability and Sensational Germination Rate
The Amsterdam based seed bank have been the exclusive provider of seeds for Latin America’s first legal medical cannabis grow for the second year and the results, well they just look like they’ve come straight out of paradise!
Paradise Seeds are renowned for their genetics, a reputation gained over 20 years of producing multi- award winning strains. The photos coming from this year’s Daya grow are proof of the Paradise strength in this area. The uniformity of the plants, near identical growth and bud development will be familiar to growers in the know who have planted Paradise Seeds strains over the years.
These plants are situated in Chile, and form part of a plantation that has been growing since October 2015 (in the southern hemisphere this is the beginning of Spring). The plantation is run by Daya Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to produce medical cannabis for patients across Chile. “You should see the buds,” says Daya co-founder and director, Nicolas Dormal. “They are phenomenal!” He is looking forward to the harvest next month but is also dreading it a little. “It’s going to be a lot of work,” he grins. “Luckily we received a donation last week of 30 pairs of new scissors. We are going to need them!” Daya started with 6,900 seeds from Paradise. These were planted directly into soil, half the crop outside
In conversations with Daya growers two themes keep coming through when they talk about the plants – “germination” and “stability”.
Company boss, Luc Krol, has been running his breeding programs for over 20 years. “It is very important to keep a focus on this process. We put a lot of effort into getting things right before we release a strain. We will grow many generations to get the qualities we are looking for and I never settle for second best! Having strong genetics is vital for creating a stable strain. With stability you get consistency and with consistency you get a quality that runs through every seed.” This is an aspect that Daya were quick to discover. The stability of the genetics means that the Daya plantation is filled with plants that are similar in
officials counted every single bean! If the seeds didn’t germinate, there was no way of getting more. As Nicolas said, after the first Daya harvest, “Paradise Seeds made history when it became involved in the first legal seed import to Latin America. But it was later that we started to appreciate its worldwide prestige for quality and we had that confirmation through our high germination rates of 94%.”
Plants Bred to Perform
For the 2015 – 2016 Daya plantation, Paradise provided 16 of its top varieties, with strains rich in THC, and CBD medical qualities. As well as CBD rich medical varieties, Nebula ll CBD and Durga Mata ll CBD, Daya wanted a selection of varieties to provide sufficient THC and CBD cannabinoids for extraction and medical development. Alongside medical varieties, they also chose to plant High Times and High Life cup winner, Sensi Star, hugely popular Wappa, sativa dominant Jacky White, super soaring Nebula and connoisseur’s favourite, Delahaze. They also picked two strains which have a genetic lineage that extends right the way back to the original line (which is why they come with the IBL label) - Original Cheese and Original White Widow.
When Paradise Met Daya
In 2014, Paradise Seeds got an email from Daya co-founder Nicolas Dormal. He was looking for a seed bank to provide the seeds for a ‘revolutionary’ medical cannabis project. Many seed companies
and half under plastic (polytunnels). After the great success of last year’s harvest this year the Daya team have been experimenting a little more with agriculture in an attempt to improve growing methods. Along the way they have lost a few specimens, but Nicolas is not too concerned. “At the beginning our target (with 6,900 seeds) was to grow between a ton and 1500 kilos - of bud to send to the lab for extraction to make the medicine. Approximately 6,500 plants have made it to full growth and, looking at the buds they are holding, we think a 2000 kilo harvest is likely.”
growth, yield but come with varied percentages of THC and CBD. This is crucial for their development of medical cannabis medicines (oils and capsules), as the harvested bud is tested and processed by a dedicated laboratory which needs consistency of cannabinoid levels. The second aspect that impressed the Daya growers was the sensational germination rate. When planning a project on this scale the effectiveness of the seeds is a big factor. Being given a government license to import seeds comes with a responsibility of doing things according to the rule book. So, when Daya’s seed shipment arrived from Paradise, customs
ignored the request as importing seeds into Chile was illegal, however, Paradise Seeds owner, Luc Krol, was attracted to this ‘dream’. The story of how Daya began and the people involved in the project – from the founders and growers of Daya to politicians, scientists, doctors and medical users who will benefit from the Daya medicine – is told in the documentary Green Medicine: Chile’s Medical Cannabis Revolution which is hosted on the Paradise Seeds Youtube channel and is scheduled to be shown at various expos and festivals this year. As Nicolas says in the documentary, “He (Luc Krol) was the only one who saw the seriousness with which we were managing the project. He had the vision to see that we were not crazy asking for seeds for a project like this in Chile.” To cut a long story short, Daya got a government license to set up a legal grow in Chile, and Paradise Seeds became the provider of cannabis seeds that were sown in October 2014. At the time, the prospect of 300 plants seemed big. But of course that was before the second grow began... The future is looking very healthy, not just for this harvest, but for Daya’s development of a sustainable medical cannabis model for Chile, and possibly Latin America. The goal is to work with local authorities (municipalities) to provide cheap or free medicine for medical patients living in their districts. It’s an exciting prospect and one that is based on strong roots. – Paradise Seeds genetics!
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For Chile’s second legal cannabis bis grow, the Daya Foundation gardeners had enough seeds to experiment xperiment with the agriculture – from planting seeds direct into the soil, il ttrialing i different irrigation and growing methods and splitting the grow with half the plants growing exposed and half growing under plastic. From the original batch of seeds, approximately 6,500 plants have made it to full growth. The plantation crop consists of 16 Paradise Seeds strains; as well as CBD rich medical varieties, Nebula ll CBD and Durga Mata ll CBD, Daya wanted a selection of strains to provide sufficient THC and CBD cannabinoids for extraction and medical development.
AHAZE PANDORA ORIGINAL CHEESE BELLADONNA WAPPA SWEET PURPLE ATOMICAL HAZE ICE CREAM NEBULA WHITE WIDOW LUCID BOLD
12
Outdoor Growing – An Easy Start
GROW WITH MR. JOSÉ ble to grow hemp in both very warm and cooler conditions. Of course it is necessary to adapt to those conditions and choose appropriate varieties and approaches to cultivation.
A Suitable Place for Cultivation
Before you decide what you are going to grow, you must be clear about where you are going to grow
it. The ideal spot is an open space in the sun, with fertile soil and easily available water and, in addition, a temperature of around 30 °C in a place where the warm weather lasts for at least seven months. Don’t forget that most varieties of hemp ripen during days of 12 hours in length, so you need the days to be roughly that long for 2-3 months during the most suitable growing
Growing hemp in sunlight is the cheapest and easiest way of obtaining this plant. Whether you need hemp for medical or recreational reasons, you should seriously consider outdoor cultivation. Thanks to automatic varieties, it is now possible to grow hemp even in places where once it would have been impossible. Let’s have a look at how to start outdoor cultivation. In all honesty, we have to say that growing under the open sky is quite significantly affected by the vagaries of nature, and the task of any grower is to deal with these pitfalls somehow. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that sometimes it is enough to sow at the right time and ideal weather will ensure a good harvest. At other times, we take care of the plants each and every day, we try to eliminate the effects of inclement weather, and we still don’t achieve the expected result. Such is life. Nevertheless, hemp is a relatively tolerant plant and cultivating it is not too complicated; it can even withstand long-lasting bad weather. If you have a greenhouse available, the starting position is a little easier, because you can better control not just irrigation, but also, to a certain extent, other climactic conditions. Cultivation in a greenhouse has shown itself to be a suitable solution especially in colder and temperate regions, where the springs are cold and the summer heat is over by September at the latest. But in warmer regions the temperature in a greenhouse would be too high. Nevertheless, it is possi-
Seedlings with their first real leaves.
13 period. However, we live in the real world, of course, so for most of us such a place will not be available. But that doesn’t matter as you can manage with less suitable conditions. If you have a greenhouse, simply clear a bit of space and try growing at least a few plants. You will need at least 1 m2 for growing a classic nonautomatic variety of hemp, and half that space for an automatic variety. If you don’t have a greenhouse, but you do have a garden, try to find a sunny spot where you can set up a small fertile flowerbed or position a flowerpot, and where watering will be easy. If there is the threat of extremely high temperatures where you live, it won’t matter if the plants are in the shade around midday. Given that the cultivation of hemp isn’t legal, or even tolerated, everywhere, it’s good to remember that not everyone who goes past needs to see your garden or the hemp you’re growing. So when choosing the cultivation spot you should take into account current hemp legislation and your relationship with your neighbours. If you don’t have any land at all, you can grow it in the wild. However, you need to find a spot where no one will steal your harvest and you also have to hope that no wild animal will eat it. Perhaps an area near a railway line is not a bad choice; it won’t be too busy and wildlife will stay away. You can also grow hemp on a windowsill at home, but you can’t expect a very rich harvest. You have a much better chance of an excellent crop if you grow hemp on a balcony or terrace, if you have one available.
Choosing the Right Varieties
Now that you have chosen your spot, you can start choosing a suitable variety, namely one that is best suited to your conditions. Currently automatic varieties of hemp are very popular, because they don’t grow so big and their flowers form irrespective of the amount of daylight, so they ripen much earlier. This means that even growers in cooler conditions can grow hemp, and growers in warmer regions can harvest several times during one Detail of the bud of automatic variety Red Dwarf.
season. In addition, you can eliminate a number of risks. The shorter the time between sowing the seeds and harvest, the smaller the risk of the plants being attacked by pests and diseases, the discovery of the growing area or other problems. The plants also don’t grow so tall, so they don’t require as much upkeep, which makes cultivation easier even for beginners. On average, automatic varieties ripen within 70 days from sowing. You should sow hemp in March (southern Europe) to May (central and northern Europe) and harvest them in September to November. Automatic varieties can be sown in July, and even in August in regions with a long summer. In short, when choosing your variety, you must remember what is possible and the specific characteristics of your area. For example, a grower in northern Europe has diametrically different growing conditions from a grower in southern Italy. While the Danes should choose an auto-flowering variety or a variety that will ripen no later than September, Sicilians can afford to consider varieties which take longer to ripen or even think about having up to four harvests of an automatic variety. During cultivation these growers will have to solve entirely different problems. While Sicilians may have to contend with drought, the Danes must hope that there won’t be a sudden cold snap in the middle of summer. Therefore, when choosing a variety, you must consider its known parameters. The characteristics you should pay most attention to are the ripening period, the height of growth and suitability for outdoor cultivation. Varieties for indoor cultivation will probably grow well in the warmer regions of southern Europe, but will be unsuccessful in central and northern Europe. If you’re growing outdoors, it’s a good idea to choose a variety which is suitable for growing outdoors. If you intend to cultivate hemp in a decidedly cold or mountainous area, you should look around for varieties suited to these conditions. Some seed producers cultivate plants in harsh conditions, and those have a better chance of surviving and ripening in difficult and cold weather. The size of the plants is also very important. If you are growing them in a greenhouse or on the balcony at home, choose a variety of corresponding height. As a general rule, the smaller the plant, the easier it will be to cultivate. Don’t forget about the type of seeds either. Nowadays mostly feminised seeds are on sale – this means that a female plant will grow from each seed. This is an enormous advantage for the ordinary grower. The harvest is pure and doesn’t have seeds, and you don’t need to iden-
14 tify and eliminate the male plants that would otherwise fertilise the female ones. However, if you would like to produce your own seeds for another season, you need to choose classic (regular) seeds. Both male and female plants grow from these seeds and at the same time as the harvest you will obtain a large number of seeds for future use, or for making hemp oil and other products.
ditions, they ripen more quickly and so in good conditions you can harvest several times a year. Due to their smaller size they are also less difficult to cultivate, and because they ripen more quickly, there is a smaller risk of other problems arising. So why would anyone want to cultivate ordinary varieties? One of the main reasons is their size and yield. Ordinary varieties can attain un-looked for dimensions. If the
Classical variety Opium.
smaller or medium size with a smaller tendency to grow side branches. If you already have experience growing other plants and feel you are a good gardener, you could risk growing larger and denser plants.
In the Czech Republic it’s easy even in a flowerpot.
When choosing the variety don’t just rely on seed sellers. You can also get hold of clones, which are cuttings from the hemp mother plants. For example, in Austria clones are usually on sale in specialist shops. However, if Austria is a long way for you, maybe you have friends who can give you clones from their own sources. I must point out that cloning is only possible for nonautomatic varieties.
Ordinary or Automatic Varieties?
We have already covered some of the differences between ordinary and automatic varieties. Automatic varieties are suitable for colder con-
plant has enough space, a good climate and the correct level of nutrients, it will reach a height of over two metres with no difficulty. The harvest from just one such plant is frequently much more than one kilogram. Such a yield from an automatic variety in the same place would be exceptional, even if you could harvest it four times a year. Some growers also swear by ordinary varieties because the flavour and effect of the resulting product is, in their view, better than that of automatic varieties. This, of course, is a matter of opinion. Since this article is on the subject of easy outdoor growing, we should perhaps consider automatic or early-ripening ordinary varieties of
Beginning the Cultivation
For outdoor cultivation it is usually a good idea to pre-grow seedlings, if you aren’t growing from clones. Let the seeds germinate on peat tablets or in a small amount of light substrate in a small flowerpot or jar. You can buy substrate in any growshop. It’s a good idea to soak the seeds in water for 24 hours then sow them 0.5-1cm below ground. After several days your seedlings should be poking through the soil. Now they need plenty of light, otherwise they will grow towards it and will have very weak stems. If necessary, transplant the seedlings to larger pots when they start to grow proper leaves; the two tiny leaves that sprout from the seed initially can’t really be called leaves at all. As soon as they have grown a bit the plants can be transplanted. At this time the seedlings are very sensitive and need warmth and preferably moist air too. The substrate must be moist but not wet. You can transplant the plants outside when the temperatures won’t fall below 10 °C (the plants can withstand brief cool periods in the mornings). When the weather is warm you can sow the seeds outdoors straight away and skip the pre-growth stage. Nevertheless, there is a higher chance of success if you pre-grow the plants.
form a thin waxy layer on their leaves which protects them from strong sunlight. Plants grown at home don’t have this waxy layer, so first of all you should put them in a shady spot, or move them into direct sunlight for just a few hours a day. During a week or so the plants will get used to this and form the protective film, then they can be left in the sun permanently. If you put pre-grown plants into direct sunlight straight away, the rays would burn them. So it follows that, ideally, you should let plants germinate outdoors directly under the sun. This is possible for growers in warm and temperate climates, but in colder regions pre-growing at home first is indispensable. That’s enough about how easy it is to start growing hemp outdoors. We will talk about how to continue another time. Good luck!
If you have pre-grown your plants off at home and now you want to plant them in the sun, you must first of all get them used to direct Frisian Dew grown in Denmark. sunlight. Plants grown in the sun
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17
GROW WITH MR. JOSÉ
HOW TO REGULATE AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION Mr. José / info@mrjose.eu When growing most plants, how they are watered is absolutely crucial and is often the deciding factor in whether the crop will be successful or, on the contrary, unsuccessful. Many growers try to automate irrigation, either to save time or for more efficient cultivation. To this end, there are a variety of automatic irrigation systems you can
constantly oxygenated to guarantee the optimal mix of moisture and oxygen. You certainly know that, if you don’t water plants at all, they will most likely wither. Every species of plant has specific requirements for the level of moisture in the growing medium. For example, pepper plants like high humidity levels, but bulbous plants are less
slightly moist. You can increase the aeration of the substrate by adding perlite. As water usually soaks down to the bottom of the planter, it’s better to check the moisture level by stabbing your finger through a hole in the bottom. As a general rule, if some water comes out with your finger, there is plenty of water in the substrate. When growing in flowerpots, you can also identify the amount of water in the substrate by weighing the flowerpot. Compare the weight of the plant before and after watering. In this way you will more easily identify whether or not the plant has already consumed all the fluid before you water it again.
Coco Coir Left: the roots of overwatered plants. Right: the roots of correctly watered plants.
use, but most of them will not guarantee the correct level of moisture in the growing medium. Let’s have a look at how we can best regulate automatic irrigation. Before you start to set up the irrigation system you must be aware of what is needed by the plants you intend to grow. You should also ask yourself whether you are going to focus mainly on setting up automatic irrigation for a greenhouse or for plants under artificial light. For cultivation with sunlight you have to consider natural irrigation when it rains and greater fluctuations in temperature – optimal irrigation settings are not possible without additional automatic regulators and sensors, which we won’t discuss here. Let’s go back to the needs of the plants. Most plants cultivated for their fruit or flowers need regular watering and enough oxygen at their roots. This means that you need to alternate high and low humidity in the growing medium. When you water a plant, it always absorbs dissolved nutrients from the water. As the growing medium dries out, the roots have enough of the all-important oxygen. If the growing medium is permanently wet, the roots will begin to rot and the plant will die. Maybe you will now object that there are cultivation systems in which the roots are permanently under water, even if they are not aquatic plants, and this is true. However, don’t forget that the water in such systems must be
demanding. Hemp is able to absorb a large quantity of moisture. The bigger the plants, the greater the consumption of water.
Moisture and the Growing Medium
The moisture in the growing medium and an appraisal of whether the plant is being watered enough greatly depend on which growing medium you are using. The frequency of watering is also governed by the current size of the plants and by climactic conditions: atmospheric humidity and temperature. These are all elements which must always be taken into consideration when setting up automatic irrigation. The very best way to determine the optimal dose and frequency of watering is to do it manually for a while. In this way you can best identify how much water the plants consume. When watering manually you can try to observe exactly how much water or nutrient solution you are using, and how frequently you need to administer it. If, for example, you establish that a plant consumes 500ml of water per day, you can try to set the irrigation so that this plant receives exactly that amount. And how do you know that a plant needs to be watered when watering manually? For specific growing media, as follows:
Soil Substrate
If you have a light and nicely aerated substrate, it should permanently be
Again, you can check the moisture levels of this medium by stabbing a finger into it, or by weighing the flowerpots, if used. It is very easy to overfill coco coir when watering, so I recommend mixing coco coir with perlite 50-50. This will greatly increase the permeability of the coco coir fibres and will create the ideal conditions for the growth of the root system. Coco coir can also be mixed with peat or with heavier types of substrate, because they lighten it slightly. You can mix it with rockwool and ex-clay too – or both in the case of hydroponic cultivation systems.
Rockwool XE "Rockwool"
Rockwool is primarily used for hydroponic cultivation. If it is too dry, it absorbs water very poorly. If there is insufficient moisture, the plants will very quickly indicate this and will start to wilt. Rockwool is very porous and overfilling it is very easy, so water carefully, particularly at the beginning, when the root system is developing. Too much nutrient fluid can easily be identified. Make a small hole (1-2 cm) in the mineral wool with your finger. If it fills up with water, the moisture levels in the rockwool are too high. We can now proceed to cultivation in mapito, which is similar to rockwool.
Ex-clay XE "Keramzit" (expanded clay)
This growing medium, which is in itself intended exclusively for hydroponic cultivation, is very difficult to overfill. You will recognise the correct moisture levels by stabbing your finger into the grower full of ex-clay (from above and below).
You must be able to feel the moisture. If the plants are still small and there is only a small probability that the roots already reach into every part of the grower, stab your finger in as near to the stem as possible, but be careful not to damage the roots. You can also weigh the growers when using ex-clay. Now you know how to identify the correct moisture levels in the growing medium. It is very important to check this before you water the plants. If you stick to this approach and learn how to water plants manually, it will be a significant help when setting up automatic irrigation in any cultivation system.
The Primary Settings for Automatic Irrigation
Let’s assume that you have already chosen an irrigation system. The most common is probably drip and pressure irrigation, which can be installed basically anywhere and with minimal costs. When selecting one of these systems, don’t forget about filtering the irrigation solution, whether it is pure water or water with nutrients. The system is suitable for connection before planting, at least if you are doing it for the very first time. In this way you can check that the irrigation is working without difficulties and the solution is not leaking anywhere it is not needed. Also you can find out how much solution flows from the irrigation unit for one plant during a specific period of time. If you have capillary irrigation and one capillary leads to each plant, you can find out how much solution flows through this capillary during 30 or 60 seconds. When everything has been measured and everything is working, you can use the automatic irrigation system for real. Before you bring the automatic timer into play, you should turn on the irrigation manually for a few days. At the same time, remember that the growing medium must provide the plants with moisture and oxygen. It will never hurt to oxygenate the water or nutrient fluid with an aquarium compressor (especially in hydroponic systems). It has also been shown that frequent irrigation with smaller doses of solution is more effective than one larger dose. If, for example, you know that one plant needs 500ml of water or nutrient fluid per day, it is better to
18 give it five doses of 100ml than two of 250ml. You should also try to distribute the watering evenly throughout the day. This means that, if you are watering five times daily, you should carry out the first one in the early morning, the last in the evening and the remaining three at equal intervals during the day.
Subsequent Setting of the Irrigation System
Whether you are growing in substrate or hydroponically, you must react to the plants’ changing requirements during cultivation. The volume and frequency of watering sufficient for a 10cm-high plant is probably not going to suit a 1m-high plant. Therefore, it is necessary to make regular checks on the moisture levels in the growing medium, and always before watering. Usually it is necessary to increase the frequency and volume of watering, but you should always do this gradually and increase the doses slightly. After changing the intervals and duration of irrigation, you should check the moisture levels in substrate just before the next watering cycle.
Mistakes in Irrigation
Faulty irrigation is the most common cause of poor harvests, stunted plants and a number of diseases or other problems. Overwatering is far and away the most common problem. Many people think that the growing medium must be permanently wet, so they water the plants so often that not enough oxygen can reach the roots, and as a result the roots quickly start to rot and cannot deliver water and nutri-
ents to the parts of the plant above the ground. The plant will react to this by starting to wither. A lot of growers interpret this symptom as the result of insufficient watering, so they start to water the plants even more, which is exactly the opposite of what the plants want. This approach means that the plants will stop developing, they will continue to wither, and if the situation is left unchecked, they will die. It could be said that if you had to choose between underwatering and over-
An automatic irrigation hydroponic system with ex-clay – an easily adjustable watering system.
Plants will be strong and healthy from the beginning with well-regulated automatic irrigation; here with drip irrigation.
watering, you would create fewer problems by underwatering. But of course your goal is optimal watering; that is why you have learned manual watering before setting up an automatic irrigation system – to understand the plants better.
the correct levels of watering. This system needs a little electricity to run, but not enough to stagger you! Generally, it can be said that a hydroponic system with ex-clay as the sole growing medium is highly unlikely to overflow. Another suitable system is AutoPot – a passive growing system which does not need any electricity and which in addition will water each plant separately and exactly in accordance with what it needs. Another
advantage is that there is nothing to be set up; you can grow organically, both hydroponically and in substrate. Of course you will have to pay extra for any system that will tolerate your mistakes – nothing is free! Automatic irrigation will give you more freedom, and in addition it will always water the plants at the same time. Plants like regularity. There is only one condition: the irrigation must be correctly set up. You know how to do that now.
Worry-Free Automatic Irrigation
If you are just starting to grow hemp and you don’t have the time or the inclination to bother with setting up an irrigation system, there remains one other possibility – buy a ready-made system which will be very tolerant towards any mistakes on the part of the grower. In this instance I would recommend two systems. One of them is Aqua-System – a hydroponic system which can irrigate non-stop and which will always guarantee
Plants cultivated in the AutoPot passive system. Irrigation is fully automated and tailored to each plant. All you have to do is fill up the reservoir.
Femi
n ised S ee ds
NEW ·
W · NEW
W · NE NE
· NEW ·
Blow Mind Auto® 4th generation autoflowering strain. In the development of this variety we have used the famous “Cordobesa” Amnesia Haze clone. To introduce the autoflowering trait in this genetic we have used selected genetic lines of our variety SWS24 (S.A.D. Sweet Afgani Delicious Auto®), which contributes with a background of sweet and musky aromas to the cross.
Variety SWS57 Indoor/Outdoor Harvest: 8-9 weeks after germination Height: 60-120 cm
This variety features a pleasant, deep and complex aroma of incense, with sweet and musky tones, complemented with lemony citric hints, shades of wood and dried fruit.
3s+1s
Tall-stemmed autoflowering strain, very resinous and productive.
21,90 €
5s+2s
35,90 €
www.sweetseeds.com
SWEET SEEDS DOES NOT SELL BULK OR LOOSE SEEDS TO GROW SHOPS. THE ONLY ORIGINAL AND GUARANTEED SEEDS ARE THOSE SOLD IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING. C/ Dr. Nicasio Benlloch nº36-38 · 46015 · Valencia · España · +34 963 890 403 / +34 628 593 887 · WHOLESALERS: +34 963 473 730 / +34 963 404 289 · Fax +34 961 939 618 · info@sweetseeds.es Sale prohibited to people under 18 years old. Seed for coleccionist use exclusively. It´s ilegal to make them germinate. They´re not for agriculture purposes. Consult laws about cannabis aplied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds will not be acountable for ilegal use of this seeds done by third parties.
UK distributors www.basilbush.co.uk
Ireland distributors www.avalonwholesale.co.uk
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20
OUTDOOR
HOW TO HARVEST CANNABIS IN 80 DAYS We intended to test several auto-flowering genetics produced by Dinafem. They had been positively described to us and it had been long since we had last grown a batch of auto-flowering plants. From 2008 – when we sowed a few Lowryder specimens, i.e. the first auto-flowering seeds among the latest to be developed – to date we have harvested plants with this genetics several times. Make no mistake, the results were time after time better and better; the current varieties are bigger, more productive and more potent than the earlier ones. Indeed, the quality of genetics has improved much in the recent years and we wanted to test the extent to which plants could thrive when grown in the soil, in an outdoor environment and with little care.
In the spring of 2015 we received a proposal for an experiment: to plant six autoflowering strains into soil, in two previously fertilised outdoor plots, and to grow them without adding liquid fertilisers, but exclusively with the nutrients residing José T. Gállego in the substrate. This is what the outcome was.
The evolution of selfflowering genetics
All auto-flowering plants contain the genes of Cannabis Ruderalis, a selfflowering cannabis species that grows wild in Eastern Europe, Russia, China and
self-flowering gene into their creations. They bred hybrids between Lowryder and their favourite genetics, which in turn were later selected and crossbred again, until the new strains were stabilised and all plants became auto-flowering. This process is long and requires several crossings before homogeneous and stable genetics can be obtained. In addition, as auto-flowering plants cannot permanently be retained in the vegetative stage, which is on the other hand possible with strains having a blooming stage that depends on the photoperiod, it is impossible to keep the original parents (the male and the female that were used to create the strain) to reproduce the crossbreed and generate new seeds. Auto-flowering strains are permanently evolving; for each generation of seeds, breeders start from the previous generation, make new selections of males and females and cross them between each other, or with a new strain, to bring in new psychoactivity and vigour. The downside of this system is that the same strain cannot be perfectly reproduced and each generation is slightly different from the previous. Its upside is that a strain never reaches a final stage of development, but rather improves year after year, if the breeder makes a good job. In later years we sowed again auto-
Critical+ 2.0 Auto, detail of a bud
After four weeks in pots, ready for transplant.
other places of Central and Northern Asia. Genetically, the wild Ruderalis is normally rich in CBD and poor in THC, meaning that it is not psychoactive. Its automatic flowering is a very interesting feature, whose potential has long been known. Rob C. Clarke already said, in a paper titled Marijuana Botany of 1981, that Ruderalis could be useful in the breeding of fast-maturing strains for commercial use in temperate climates. The first psychoactive hybrids of Ruderalis were put onto the market a few decades ago by Sensi Seeds, in the Ruderalis Indica and Ruderalis Skunk strains, which remained the only Ruderalis crossbreeds available for many years. Ruderalis Indica mostly generates small auto-flowering plants, but their psychoactivity is relatively low. Ruderalis Skunk, instead, is more potent
Recently transplanted into the garden crop
but, similarly to Ruderalis Indica, only half the quantity of plants are auto-flowering, while the lifecycle of the other half normally ends in September or October. These strains have not become much popular, although they are still featured in the catalogue of Sensi Seeds, for any consumers wishing to taste it. The current enthusiasm for automatic strains started about a decade ago with the introduction of Lowryder marked by The Joint Doctor seed bank. The first Lowryder specimens were revolutionary as they were really all auto-flowering and ready in only nine weeks, as the catalogue promised. Lowryder was a stable and homogeneous strain that was harvested at 60 days from germination, generated short plants having little productivity and low potency, but all blooming automatically irrespective of their photoperiod. Lowryder plants resembled small Indicas in their appearance, with a main branch and a few small secondary branches. The final size usually varied between twenty-five and fifty centimetres, depending on the applied tillage technique, average temperature and light quantity and intensity. Yield could also vary significantly, depending on the technique, from three to four grams produced by a plant grown in winter close to a window, up to thirty or more produced by a plant grown in the best conditions. In any case, it was barely productive compared to non-auto-flowering strains. The current auto-flowering plants are definitively better yielding. The major qualities of Lowryder, its potency, auto-flowering genetics, maturation rapidity (i.e. only sixty days from germination to harvest), stability and homogeneity were not exploited for production, it was rather an ideal plant for crossbreeds. This is the main reason why virtually all current auto-flowering strains derive from Lowryder. The breeders of various seed banks used this strain to introduce the
Blue Amnesia XXL Auto at 49 days of lifetime
flowering strains and, in general, noticed an increase in height, yield and potency as well as a longer blooming period. If Lowryder was ready in sixty days, many of the best strains currently available require between 75 and 90 to complete
21
Blue Amnesia XXL Auto at week one from cutting
directly from Dinafem, and they were not even informed that the seeds were meant for a test crop. What we wanted to do was test seeds normally sold to consumers and assess them without any distortion. If we had asked them to source them directly from their seed bank, and they had consequently known that the seeds would be used for a test, perhaps they would have given us the freshest and the best they had. Instead, we wanted to carry out our test as objectively as possible and purchased the test seeds, out of our own pockets, from the same place where they are normally sold to growers.
a cycle, i.e. two to four weeks longer. Logically, they produce more, as they have extra time to grow and bloom.
Plots used for plant growing
The first crop was grown in the garden of a cottage, which included a small plot that measured about 2 x 5 m and was surrounded by a metal fence covered with mesh to avoid prying eyes. It faced south and was exposed to the sun almost the full day, although the fence provided shade to plants in the early morning and late afternoon/evening. The soil was fertile and contained enough organic matter, as the grower normally deposited here the soil he had previously used in flowerpots. Two or three months before sowing, the soil was covered with plenty of compost, poultry manure, and horse/goat dung. It was then irrigated and put to rest for various weeks for the organic material to decompose and mix with the substrate. Before transplanting seedlings, a power tiller was used to plough the soil and make it looser and free of clumps. The second cropped area was a guerrilla plot situated in a valley and surrounded by a wide bramble wall measuring more than two metres in height, which kept it completely away from prying eyes. It could only be accessed through a small tunnel through brambles, which required any person wishing to enter to crawl in. The grower had installed an irrigation system, and water was conveyed to plants by an underground pipe, which obviated the need to irrigate plants manually. The soil was very sandy and did not contain much organic matter or nutrients, similarly to the first plot. About six weeks before transplanting the seedlings, the soil was fertilised with dung and poultry manure, but in a lower quantity than in the other plot. Plants were exposed to the sun approximately from ten in the morning to seven in the evening.
Germination
The six selected auto-flowering strains were Blue Amnesia XXL Auto, Critical+ 2.0 Auto, Moby Dick XXL Auto, OG Kush Auto, Sour Diesel Auto and White Widow XXL Auto, all marketed by the Dinafem seed bank. It is also worth adding that these seeds were bought in a grow shop – we deliberately avoided sourcing them
Blue Amnesia XXL Auto on harvest day
Seeds were germinated on 8 April in small flowerpots filled with the Light Mix Speedy substrate. The seeds had a good aspect. All were dark coloured and none were hollow or broken. Undoubtedly, they were fresh and had been harvested quite ripe, i.e. out of thirty seeds (five for each of the six strains) all germinated except a Moby Dick XXL Auto, which meant that the germination rate was excellent. Normally auto-flowering strains develop so rapidly that it is theoretically better not to transplant them. Transplanting always causes a certain shock, which for a few days prevents plants from further growing. If plants are grown in pots, it is better to germinate them directly in the final pots. However, for the seeds to develop in the soil, growers have to face a dilemma, if they sowed them directly, they would run the risk that the newly sprouted seedlings could be eaten by snails or other pests or killed by bad weather; if, on the other hand, they sowed them into pots, then they would need to transplant them. In the case under review, the choice was made to plant them into pots, to avoid the same experience as that of the previous year, when they had directly been germinated in the soil and a torrential rain had swamped away a large quantity of seedlings.
Transplant
Plants remained four weeks in pots on a very sunny balcony. The original
idea was to transplant them into soil at week 2 but, for the low temperature that persisted several nights and a few cloudy days, in the first fifteen days their growth was not so rapid as it could have been with a milder weather and it was decided to wait an extra two weeks for the plants and, more importantly, the root system to develop a bit more. Generally, if plants are transplanted before the root system grows to a sufficient level – so that the full bunch of roots can be removed altogether – it is very easy to break up a few roots and the transplant shock would be higher. Plants were transplanted into soil on 7 May at a height of 15 to 25 cm. The two largest and healthiest plants of each strain were planted in the garden, where they would ‘enjoy a better treatment’, while the remaining three of each genetics were taken to the guerrilla plot. Channels were dug around each seedling to retain the irrigation water and tags were applied to stems with the name of each strain. Many growers tend to rely on their memory to identify plants, but experience shows that, by harvest time, especially when several strains have been sown, growers cannot easily identify which strain was planted in a given location. After transplant, snail and slug baits were spread onto the soil to prevent the young seedlings from being attacked by these pests, which could be particularly harmful when stems are soft.
Growth
The garden crop was watered every two to three days, depending on the weather and how dry the earth looked. No extra liquid or solid fertilisers were added and plants were only fed by nutrients residing in the soil. The fertile and loose earth of the garden eased the development of a good root system, which soon accelerated the growth of plants. The weeds that grew around plants were uprooted at weeks two, four and six from the date when plants started growing in this plot. The guerrilla crop was watered every three days and was only visited every ten days to prevent people from snooping into the grower’s affairs. The more frequently growers visit a guerrilla crop
Critical+ 2.0 Auto on harvest day
the more likely they are to be discovered, as an observer would more easily see them sneaking through brambles, and therefore find a way in. For this very reason, it is advisable to access the crop every day through a different path, to avoid leaving any traces. The plants grown in the guerrilla plot were slower developers and grew to lower heights than those planted in the garden. Given the infrequent visits to the crop and the low weed control, weeds grew much higher, i.e. to such a level that they competed with cannabis plants. This unfavourable condition, combined with the reduced sun exposure and the sandy state of the substrate, which excessively drained water and barely retained humidity and nutrients, contributed to a lower output.
Light and productivity
The productivity of auto-flowering plants is mainly determined by the quantity and intensity of the light they receive. The best results can be obtained when plants grow in an indoor environment, under a powerful sodium lamp lighting them intensely for twenty hours a day, with the same lighting cycle every day. In Spain, in an outdoor crop, the hours of sunshine do not exceed fourteen to fifteen hours a day, even in June or July, and light in the early morning or late evening is not as intense as at midday. In cloudy or rainy days, plants can even receive less lumens. Indoors, with a photoperiod of twenty hours of light and four hours of darkness, plants receive, in a lifecycle of eighty days, as many as 1,600 hours of light. Outdoors, although they are grown between the 10th of May and the 30th of July (i.e. the sunniest eighty days of the year), without a single cloudy day and in an area where they are exposed to sun from sunrise to sunset, they will receive no more than 1,100 hours of sunshine, or 30% less than in an indoor environment.
Blooming Critical+ 2.0 Auto two weeks after transplant
A few days after transplanting plants into the soil, the first female flowers started to appear. As all were feminised seeds, neither males nor hermaphrodites
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AutoBrooklyn Sunrise combines a distinctively spicy taste with large yields of frosty top strength cannabis. The genetics come from the acclaimed USA East Coast ‘Brooklyn’ Diesel clone noted for a famously rich diesel aroma and strong high. This was combined with some connoisseur AK genetics from upper New York State and made into a feminized autoÀowering variety. The result brings together the best East Coast genetics into a heavy yielding and great tasting new auto with a strong yet smooth high. AutoBrooklyn Sunrise gives an unusually strong initial euphoric high, it’s a perfect morning/breakfast choice which is where the variety got its name. This Big-Apple auto is at home in any urban grow-room and comes highest recommendations. with our highe
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Think Big®
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Think Big® is a new high performance AutoFem based on the legendary Think Different genetics. Think Big® was created after a small number of special XXL Think Different plants were selected from hundreds of plants grown from seed and used as the genetic basis for Think Big®.
Dutch Passion are proud to present the nonautoÀowering version of the legendary Think Different. Think Fast® was created by crossing Think Different AutoFem with a specially selected cutting of the Dutch Passion classic Power Plant® in the search of new AutoFem genetics. The ¿rst generation offspring, which is normally used for further breeding, was let Àowering and gave surprisingly good results. When crossing an autoÀowering variety with a traditional photoperiod variety, none of this offspring will be autoÀowering. The Dutch Passion geneticists discovered that these non autoÀowering plants, which carry the recessive autoÀowering gene are signi¿cantly faster than their photoperiod parents.
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Snow Bud
€
3X €31 7X €65
®
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I di / Sativa Indica
Desfrán® € 3X €29
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Prize winning new world genetics.
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White Widow
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3X €23 5X €37 10X €65
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Indica / Sativa
3X €23 5X €37 10X €65
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AutoBlackberry Kush € 3X €29
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Indica / Sativa
Blue Velvet®
€
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Orange Bud € 3X €24
7X €65
5X €44 10X €80
€
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IIndica di / Sativa
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High Altitude Mountaincannabis cannabis Mountain
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Indica / Sativa
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Sativa Dominant
24 Name
White Widow XXL Auto
Moby Dick XXL Auto
Sour Diesel Auto
Blue Amnesia XXL Auto
Critical+ 2.0 Auto
OG Kush Auto
Price
40 €/5 Seeds
42 €/5 Seeds
39 €/5 Seeds
31 €/5 Seeds
40 €/5 Seeds
44 €/5 Seeds
Genetics
Elite clone of White Widow x White Widow Auto
White Widow XXL Auto x Haze XXL Auto
Sour Diesel x Haze 2.0 Auto
Original Amnesia Auto x Blueberry Auto
Critical + Auto x Critical +
OG Kush x Haze 2.0 Auto
Flowering
80 days
80 days
70 days
75-80 days
70-80 days
70-80 days
Average yield per plant (garden)
102, 102 (102 g)
93, 110 (101,5 g)
43, 122 (82,5 g)
71, 72 (71,5 g)
27, 45 (36 g)
26, 44 (35 g)
Average yield per plant (Guerrilla)
29, 34, 57 (40 g)
24, 29 (26,5 g)
16, 32, 36 (28 g)
2, 17, 23 (14 g)
10, 14, 29 (17,6 g)
3, 7, 3 (4,3 g)
White Widow XXL Auto, covered with resin
the worst off, several specimens presented some type of mutation that had caused leaves to shrink, and plants had grown high but without much branches. Guerrilla plants were much shorter, between 20 and 60 cm, but even the tallest had much less branches. They were visibly underdeveloped. At week eight they continued growing and branching out. The tallest had reached 1 m and buds were increasingly rich. In general, plants had generated many more side branches than the first auto-flowering strains. At week five of growing in the soil (or nine after germination), they had already reached their maximum size Moby Dick XXL Auto in the guerrilla plot
White Widow XXL Auto in the guerrilla plot
were born. In the beginning, flowers were very sparse and plants continued growing vigorously. At week seven of their lifecycle, i.e. three days after transplant, the plants in the garden already measured between fifty
and eighty centimetres in height. Of the six, Moby Dick XXL Auto and White Widow XXL Auto were the tallest (they also ended up being the most productive) and had many side branches. A Sour Diesel Auto grew quite well, while the others lost the central shoot (which
had possibly been bitten by a bug) and remained short. Critical + 2.0 Auto was somewhat short but compact, leafy, and with enough branches. Blue Amnesia XXL Auto specimens were just a little underdeveloped, a bit short but also well branched out. OG Kush Auto was
and buds started to be full, although they looked fairly aerated. Flowers ware already fully covered with resin, but all stigmas were still white. The shortest were Critical + 2.0 Auto, which in the end measured 60 to 80 cm in height, although with several branches
25 extending from the central stem. All plants were harvested on the same day, the 27th of June, at 80 days of lifetime and 50 days after their transplant into the soil. Of these, only Critical + 2.0 auto could have been harvested a week before, the others however had reached quite an optimal stage of development to be ready for harvest. The yield of guerrilla plants was much lower than that of plants grown in the garden, however, at harvest time they could barely outstrip the large quantity of competing weeds that had grown around them, and which were depriving them of light and nutrients. Most probably a weed control operation would have resulted in a better output, even twice as much.
Conclusions
In general, the autos of Dinafem left us satisfied. The three higher yielding strains were White Widow XXL Auto, Moby Dick XXL Auto and Sour Diesel Auto; except the plant that had lost the central shoot, the three strains had a similar yield of around 100 g per plant in the garden plot and between 25 and 40 g per plant in the guerrilla plot, which quantities could have doubled if they had received extra care. Blue Amnesia XXL Auto also gave a good output in the
garden, with an average of more than 70 g per plant, but yield was lower in the guerrilla plot and did not exceed 23 g. Critical + 2.0 Auto only achieved 36 g on average although, for the size plants had reached, their yield was not bad at all (17 g in the guerrilla plot) making it an ideal strain for inconspicuous row crops. Lastly, OG Kush Auto, was a fairly slim and little-branched plant whose yield in the garden plot was on average similar to that of Critical + 2.0 Auto, but two times higher and with various unsightly mutant specimens. The quality of buds of these new autoflowering strains is now much better than that of previous strains, although all have similar aspects giving away their auto-flowering genetics; there are many leaves in the buds, and flowers do not grow so close to each other as in normal strains, although they have a definitively large quantity of resin. These plants can be easily grown, provided that there is sufficient sunlight, a fertile substrate and frequent watering. They should not be planted very close to each other or surrounded by weeds, to avoid competition. As the growing and blooming stages overlap for several weeks, it is important for plants to receive early fertilisation at the beginning of flowering (i.e. a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium) and well until full bloom. If nitrogen is removed too early, the plants will remain small. From what we have seen, the higher yielding and qualitatively better autos were those that grew bigger and took up to 75 to 80 days to bloom. Smaller strains were quicker but also yielded much less and had less potency and a poorer psychoactive effect. The best way of achieving a good harvest in the shortest time possible is to plant together many plants with rapid genetics (up to nine per square metre, with their seeds sown in the soil), their numbers will set off their low yield per plant. The problem is that auto seeds are expensive and not all growers can afford eight euros per seed, especially if they have to sow them in large quantities. The size of pots is also important. Small strains develop well in pots of ten litres, but the large ones require at least fifteen to twenty litres of substrate to achieve their highest potential. Outdoors even auto-flowering plants with a longer lifecycle are much quicker than non-auto-flowering strains. If they are sown in April, May or June they will be ready for harvest in June, July or August, while the quicker non-autoflowering plants will only be mature in
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mid-September at the earliest. In indoor crops, auto-flowering strains at day eighty or ninety are not that attractive, as they take as long as a cutting that normally flowers after one or two weeks of growth, completes the vegetative and blooming stages in three months and achieves more potency and a higher yield. In my opinion the most useful function of autos grown indoors is the opportunity to fill free spaces in the mothers’ grow room or in the vegetative grow room in order to produce a few extra buds, despite the photoperiod required for growth. Moby Dick XXL Auto at week nine
26
GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES
LIGHT-EMMITING DIODE (LED) LAMPS - PART 1 About LEDs
Light-emitting diode lamps are everywhere. You see them in stoplights, flashlights, Christmas tree lighting, household lighting, and more. The technology has come a long way since it was developed in the early 1960s, when LEDs were found in appliances and generated a faint 0.001 lumens per watt. New LED technology is advancing rapidly and
they are becoming much brighter and more electrically efficient. Light-emitting diode lamps are available across the visible spectrum, and from ultraviolet through infrared. Gardeners are successfully using LEDs to cultivate medical cannabis. Light-emitting diode lamps can be used for pre-grow and propagation in horticulture, as well as some experiments with
Purple LED light reflects off cannabis foliage, causing plants to look purple.
inter-lighting indoors and in greenhouses. At press time, LEDs are not an economically viable replacement for HID lamps in greenhouses or indoors. However, the horticultural industry has a very big interest in LEDs, and I suggest watching for bona fide advances in fast-changing LED technology.
circuitry. LEDs do not use filaments found in incandescent and tungsten halogen bulbs, or gas used in HID, fluorescent, and compact fluorescent bulbs. LEDs generate less heat, and are rated for regular household current—120 V and 240 V. LEDs work in both 120 V and 240 V, 50 to 60 cycle electrical service. For this reason, LED fixtures often come with no plug. Light output from LEDs continues to increase with improved materials and technological advances while PDLQWDLQLQJ WKH HɝFLHQF\ DQG UHOLDELOLW\ RI VROLG VWDWH 6ROLG VWDWH FRPSRQHQWV DUH GLɝFXOW WR GDPDJH ZLWK H[WHUQDO VKRFN
You can see the different color LEDs that make up the color spectrum.
Magnetic induction lamps are considered plasma lamps, but they look more like circular T9 fluorescent fixtures.
LAMP OF LIFE
WATTS
LUMENS
KELVIN COLOR TEMPERATURE
HOURS
Induction
300
24.500
5000
100.000
Induction
80
6000
5000
100.000
There are so many new and different LED types and so much sales information about them, that it is difficult to understand which specific LEDs work best as a light source to grow medical cannabis. Light-emitting diode lamps use solid-state semiconductor energy to produce light. The technology is similar to that found in computer
LED lamps are a promising replacement for HPS lamps because of their high-efficiency (up to 54 percent), very long life (they still produce at least 70 percent of their original output after 50,000 hours), small size, and low operating voltage. Outdated LEDs that produce less than 1 watt are not as bright as new 1-, 2-, and 3-watt LEDs. Also, some LEDs of the same wattage are brighter than others. See “Brilliance” on page 284. Rather than a ballast, a series of resistors or current-regulated power supplies is necessary to deliver precise voltage and current for LEDs to operate most efficiently. The power supply can be decreased to dim lights. Some LEDs
EUROPEAN WHOLESALER
29 have a dimming range of 20 to 100 percent. The necessary hardware is hardwired and soldered into a small (circuit board) fixture that is connected to a power supply. When purchasing a fixture, individual clusters of LEDs that can be replaced within fixtures are the most practical and economical. Other types of lights are constant voltage—that is, they require a certain voltage to work, and they are usually fairly tolerant of slight variations in working voltage. For example, a normal incandescent bulb designed for European 230 volts of alternating current (VAC) will work fine from about 40 VAC to 270 VAC. LEDs are constant-current devices and require that voltage be controlled to maintain an exact current flow through the LED. Unlike other light sources, LEDs are non-linear devices, which means that a small increase in voltage causes a large increase in current flow through the LED. This means LEDs have to be driven by special power supplies known as constant-current power supplies. They adjust their output
voltage to maintain the current through the LEDs at a constant, preset level. LEDs are often connected in series or string. LEDs are also unique; if they fail there is about an 80 percent chance that they will still conduct electricity (aka “slag down”) rather than “blow” like an incandescent bulb and no longer conduct electricity. This causes the voltage to the remaining LEDs to increase. The current can increase to the point of causing more LEDs to fail, or even cause a chain reaction that can destroy all the LEDs in the string. A constant-current power supply will detect the increase in current and lower its output voltage to compensate— and protect the remaining LEDs.
Another option is to use a less expensive constant-voltage power supply; the output is constantly adjusted to provide an exact voltage no matter what load it is driving. These are usually 24 volts of direct current (VDC), 36 VDC, or 48 VDC. If this type of power supply is used, the circuit boards on which the LEDs are mounted need to have a small currentregulator chip mounted on them. Some manufacturers do not use the regulator chips; instead they use resistors to adjust the voltage (and therefore the current flow) through the LEDs. This is not recommended because the voltage requireThis floodlight has multiple LEDs inside, and screws into a ments of the household light socket. LEDs vary
Weird-looking LEDs that resemble a bundle of chips emit more heat than light.
depending on age and temperature, and can lead to all the LEDs receiving too high a voltage and then failing. When you turn on an LED, electrons recombine with electron holes in the LED and release photons (light energy) in the process of electroluminescence. Peak performance depends on operating temperature. To date, the most efficient LED is 1 watt. Larger wattages run hotter and are less efficient, producing fewer lumens per watt. For example, a 3-watt LED produces only 35 percent more lumens than a 1-watt LED. The extra electrical energy is converted to heat rather than light.
be explained within the scope of this book. The best way for medical cannabis gardeners to discern the brilliance of an LED or a fixture full of LEDs is to measure light output with a light meter. Overall, most indoor gardeners can decipher LED output with the following equation: amperes × voltage
If ambient temperatures in the operating environment climb too high, LEDs overheat and “droop,” producing substantially less light. Similar to solid-state computer chips, LEDs fail sooner when overheated over time. LEDs are driven in milliamperes (mA). Some LEDs are driven at lower mA to increase efficiency. The science and data behind all the circuitry is more complex than can
This small, yellow, 30-watt LED emitter produces 2700 lumens and a lot of heat.
30 = watts (Ohm’s Law). Otherwise, light output can become quite complicated and confusing. For example, a 3-watt LED that runs at 350 mA yields 1-watt of light. Small LEDs heat up quickly and lose efficiency; that is, light energy is converted to heat beyond a specific operating temperature. The operating temperature is a function of electric current (mA) input. The optimal temperature for each color of LED ensures an accurate rendering of color spectrum. At maximum temperature or too high of a temperature the LED will fail. That is, if too much current is run through the little LEDs they get too hot, become inefficient (light energy is transformed into heat), and they fail (burn out). Humidity is detrimental to circuits. LED circuitry is exposed and must be protected from humidity to avoid corrosion. The LEDs must be enclosed to isolate them from exterior humidity.
LED Manufacture and Binning
Producing LEDs requires growing a thin layer of crystal on a substrate (supporting layer) of synthetic sapphire or silicon carbide. The process must be very tightly controlled across a range of factors; in fact, much of the steady increase in LED efficiency/brightness comes from improved quality control in manufacturing, rather than advances in technology. Other efficiency increases have come from modifying the structure of the LED layer to help photons that get created but then are trapped within the structure of
the LED layer. This happens because the materials in LEDs have a very high refractive index, which causes any photons that strike the surface of the LED chip at much of an angle to be reflected back into the chip and lost. After the wafer is coated, it is cut into thousands of tiny chips. It is difficult to control the manufacturing process, so each of these tiny chips will have slightly different properties. That is, the voltage requirement, wavelength, and brightness will all be slightly different for each chip! The distribution of the brightness, wavelength, and voltage qualities of the chips from each batch follows a standard bell curve. These chips are then individually tested by machine and sorted into “bins” according to their properties. Understanding “binning,” (and that all LEDs are not created equal) is super important, especially if you plan to build your own light fixture. For example, the brightness of the same make and model of LED can vary up to 100 percent, depending on the bin designation, and the voltage required can also vary by up to 50 percent. This means that the LEDs from best voltage/brightness bin put out twice the light for two thirds the power of LEDs from the worst bin. All quality LED manufacturers have the bin codes listed on their website. LEDs are constantly improving in brightness and efficiency, but unlike the ever-increasing speeds of computer CPUs, these improvements will slow and eventually stop. This is because unlike computer CPUs, which can essentially get faster forever, LEDs will eventually reach very close to 100 percent efficiency; experts believe they will reach a maximum of about 90 percent. To achieve this percentage, chips must be individually tested by machine and sorted into bins according to their properties.
Cost
A 2-watt LED is bright, but the bulb needs a reflector.
An inexpensive 30- to 50-watt LED fixture with emitter costs $0.65 to $0.70 USD per
This 30-watt LED fixture uses standard heat-dissipation technology to stay cool. Excessive heat quickly lowers lumen output and efficiency.
watt. HIDs cost less than $0.50 USD per watt. A 90-watt LED grow light costs about $300 USD when purchased at a garden store or from a specialty retailer. However, three 30-watt LED floodlight fixtures cost $66 USD when purchased at a discount retailer. Remember, all LEDs are not created equal.
amount of material required to make the emitter, and many LEDs are now being made on low-cost SiC (silicon carbide) substrates. The efficiency and consequent brightness of the LEDs has also improved dramatically. Top-quality LEDs can now achieve over 50 percent efficiency. Now fewer LEDs are required to achieve
The LED UFO was one of the first LED grow lights available commercially.
LEDs have historically been more expensive than most other light sources due to complex manufacturing process, high rejection rate, the cost of both the material in the LED chip and the substrate the chip was based on— expensive synthetic sapphire. Improved manufacturing processes has reduced the reject rate, thin film technology has reduced the
the same brightness in a light, further lowering their cost. There is a huge variation in the cost and quality of LEDs. High-quality, high-brightness LEDs from top manufacturers such as Cree, Osram, and Philips can cost 10 or 20 times as much as low-quality Chinese LEDs, and there is a large market in counterfeit LEDs.
This is an excerpt from chapter 17, “Light, Lamps & Electricity” from the Cannabis Encyclopedia (596 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) by Jorge Cervantes that is available everywhere in English. Spanish edition will be available January 2017. For more information please see Jorge´s website, www.marijuanagrowing.com.
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33
DAB-A-DOO IN BARCELONA A true paradise for connoisseurs and dab lovers: that sums up Dab-a-Doo, the competition for cannabis concentrates in all shapes and forms, hosted by Mila Jansen. The tenth edition of this wonderful event took place in Barcelona on March 9th.
- Text & photography: Derrick Bergman
/ G0NZ0 Media
A true paradise for connoisseurs and dab lovers: that sums up Dab-a-Doo, the competition for cannabis concentrates in all shapes and forms, hosted by Mila Jansen. The tenth edition of this wonderful event took place in Barcelona on March 9th.
extraction methods, Non-Solvent and Rosin (see: Beginners guide to dabbing and concentrates). Mila Jansen, aka 'The Hash Queen of Amsterdam', has hosted the Dab-A-Doo in Amsterdam, Valencia and Barcelona.
Dab-a-Doo is the stuff of legends in the cannabis world. It's a very discrete event and the number of tickets is very limited: the tenth edition was sold out within two days. Extract artists from around the world compete in this quest for the very best concentrates and Ice-o-lator or water hash varieties. Entries are categorized as Solvent, made using butane, CO2 or other
The venue for this year's event in Barcelona was NPK, one of the largest Cannabis Social Clubs in town. The club is temporarily closed but has opened it's doors for this special occasion. The place is packed, with judges and producers from around the globe. Beautiful close up photos of freshly produced concentrates adorn the walls. There's a big outside terrace, partly
34 roofed, where there's live glass blowing by the kind people of Smoking gear. A spectacular sight. Upon entry all judges receive a bag containing a judge form, T-shirt, goodies and most importantly: the bright blue Dab-aDoo pouch, with around forty samples, all neatly wrapped in grease-free paper. They range from very dark black oil to clear bits of shatter, dry yellow wax and everything in between. A surprising number of judges have brought their own dab rig to the event. In the patio area, six 'dab stations' are provided to sample 'the very sticky ones', complete with helpful staff. The air in this area is thick with the typical scent of cannabis concentrates. One of the guests of honor at this Dab-aDoo is Jorge Cervantes, cultivation specialist and author, who hands out the coveted awards at the end of the night. Quite some people surround Tony Verzura, founder of RiverRock Wellness in Colorado. He's currently doing groundbreaking work at Blue River Extracts, isolating terpenes from cannabis. On the table in front of him is a breathtaking selection of concentrates, including liquid terpenes. A lot of judges want to try Tony's dabs. The woman that makes it all happen,
Mila, stays surprisingly relaxed throughout the whole afternoon and evening. A broad smile never leaves her face, nothing seems to upset or worry the Hash Queen. Right up to the improvised awards ceremony after midnight she's talking to friends and colleagues, taking dabs and generally having a splendid time. Viva Mila, viva Barcelona, viva Dab-a-Doo!
Winners Dab-a-Doo 2016 Barcelona: Non-solvent 1: 'Tiger melon i.w.e.' by HQ 2: 'Girl Pleasure Cookies' by El Plaer de la Vida 3: 'Violator Kush' by Club Anesthesia Barcelona Solvent 1: 'OG Gangstars' by Oil Hunters 2: 'Mango OG Live Resin' by 23 Oils 3: 'Mother of all Dawg' by Kippax Concentrates Rosin 1: 'Super Orange Haze Rosin' by Carroll Leds Genetics 2: 'Warlock Rosin' by Serious Seeds / House of the Great Gardener 3: 'Barb Drysift Rosin' by House of the Great Gardener
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO DABBING AND CONCENTRATES Concentrates are made to do just that: concentrate the active substances in cannabis to manufacture an extremely pure product. Using a dab rig, a dose of concentrate is heated on a hot surface, usually a nail or ceramic element, and inhaled. This might look a bit scary to newbies but it's nothing more than a very efficient and fast way of consuming cannabis. Some vaporizers have special parts to use for concentrates; results vary greatly. The most common concentrate is BHO, or Butane Hash Oil. To make BHO, butane gaz is pressurized in a vessel and washed over plant material, after which the resulting sticky solution is collected. Any residual solvent is removed by applying heat (butane has a low boiling point) and vacuum, which lowers the boiling point further. The trick is to work fast but careful, to retain the highest possible amount of cannabinoids and flavorful terpenes. Another technique, rosin, is gaining popularity fast. Rosin is extracted from dried buds, trim, or lower-grade Ice-o-Lator powder (kief). All you need is a standard hair straightener and parchment paper. You smash the material applying hand-pressure, extruding part of the essential oils in the plant. If you do it well, the result is a golden shatter or oil-like extract.
37
GROW WITH STONEY TARK
chemicals are added into the fish food or water. The whole system is a fully recycling process that gives real meaning to the phrase ‘ true live organics ‘.
AutoPot:
THE A - Z OF HYDROPONICS A BEGINNERS GUIDE
When I used to read about hydroponics, I was always slightly confused by the different methods and techniques incorporated into growing hydroponically. Many growers in fact make
AutoPot : The AutoPot is a really easy to use system that literally uses only gravity to pass nutrient solution to the base of the plants. Therefore the minimal maintenance system does not require a pump or any form of electric for the application to ZRUN b :KHUH WKH\ ERWWRP IHHG DW ZLOO DQG ZLWK DQ aqua valve design, the amount of nutrient solution that is supplied back to the base of the pot is determined by the amount of air displacement as the plant bottom feeds like a wick action. The design is in fact very simple yet quite genius. A base for the pot to sit in accompanied by an aqua valve which then allows a reservoir tank to feed through 16ml tubes to each plant. These systems are incredible to use in cold climates indoors or a sunny climate like the Mediterranean. Outdoors these non electric systems can be placed in a greenhouse or on flat patio and outdoor self feeding is achieved. I have seen Cannabis plants grown in AutoPot systems that have ranged from 15-20 feet in height. Many Cannabis Cup winning buds have been grown with this system. AutoPots are well used for commercial scale growing and as an means to grow amazing peppers, chillis, fruit and veg, these simple to use systems are ideal for anyone who fancies hydro yet cannot be hands on with their system all day and every day. Overall out of all of the hydro systems, I personally enjoy using the AutoPot as they are cheap
the switch from organic to hydro and once you get the ‘ hydro bug ’ you will never look back. The principal is to grow in a soilless inert medium whilst the roots can sit and benefit from oxygen and nutrients on demand. So now let’s take a look at the different forms of hydroponic systems available, to see why growers can achieve yields of up to 80% more than organic growing.
- Stoney Tark , Photos courtesy of Little Lebowski Aeroponics:
Plants can grow huge in no time with hydroponics.
This method of growing actually boasts higher yields than conventional hydro systems. The art of aeroponics is to utilise a fine spray or mist to feed the hanging roots. The roots of the plant in subject are actually hanging down into a dark area that is constantly being sprayed with oxygen rich nutrients, so as a result receive more oxygen and carbon dioxide. A clone can be placed into a net pot and placed into the system and once the roots are able to make contact with the mist, then the plant will begin to grow very quickly. It is advised to veg plants for a short time when using aeroponics as staggering growth than occur and lead to a huge canopy. I have personally made many home made variations of aeroponic systems that can be cheap and extremely effective. Bubbler systems are a form of aeroponics in the sense that during this part of the plant's life cycle, it is able to absorb the relevant moisture levels in the dark and receive a spitting like spray from the bubbles created. Growers can experience roots within 3-5 days cloning this method. However, when
using these systems, you must always ensure your reservoir is pathogen free and use liquid oxygen to prevent clone killing proponents.
Aquaponics:
This method of hydroponics in my opinion is the closest thing to imitating nature’s feeding programme. The way aquaponic works is by combining aquatic life with hydroponics and the fish waste for example is broken down by nitrates and nitrites. As an end product the plants feed from this and the water is recirculated back to the aquatic environment and re used. By feeding the fish a specialised food, this benefits the nutrient intake and metabolic rate the nitrification fication bacteria can aid the plants by returning food ood not high in acids. Many people who enjoy Coy Carp ponds are able to convert their pond into nto an aquaponic system very easily.y. Not everyone grows Cannabis so this method is brilliant for home growing vegetabless and fruits. I would encouragee this style of hydroponics as it en can be inspirational to children ture and educate them on how nature works and the connection between hod of hydroponic earth and water. This method ic end results as no growing ensure 100% organic
and do not need any pumps or electric, making this a highly advised option for super quiet indoor and outdoor hydro.
Deep Water Culture:
The easiest way to describe this method of hydroponics is to imagine a jacuzzi bath that the roots hang in. The nutrient rich and oxygen rich supply of nutrients means the plants are feeding non stop and can grow at will. Plants roots are submerged indefinitely and as plants take more oxygen from the air than dissolved oxygen in the
38 water, this style of hydroponics allow the roots to benefit from the readily available oxygen rich solution, as well as take the available oxygen from the air. As mentioned earlier, the bubbler system is a great way to root clones based on Deep Water Culture. The unrooted clones sit in darkness yet have oxygen readily available. By using multiple DWC buckets and
connecting to a reservoir, the flow of circulating nutrients is delivered around the reservoir and back to the plants. By doing this you can eliminate the need for air stones as the constant recirculation of remaining nutrients is oxygenated by the flow of water. This method of hydroponics can be quite tricky in the sense of P.H and E.C levels must be bang on. Once you master the art of DWC you can grow monster plants that have squeaking white roots that can be pulled out of the bucket at harvest time. It is advised to reduce nutrient solution during flowering to allow the roots to absorb more of the dissolved oxygen.
Dripper Systems:
“A highly anticipated book.” MAXIMUM YIELD
THE WORLDWIDE REFERENCE
Dripper systems are an easy to use and are very effective. The idea is that what is dripping from the top of the plants, is being recirculated back by a pump and is then available to be drip fed back to the roots at any time. I have experimented before with different feeding times with dripper systems but it is always key to remember that the roots require oxygen just as much as they require nutrients. I have spent times only feeding for very short times once per day to leaving the system dripping for most of the grow. Dripper systems work very well in coco, perlite, rockwool and using clay balls. In Spain and most countries that rely on old school farming on a large scale, dripper systems are used everywhere as they can always connect it to a close by reservoir. You can also see dripper systems incorporated by councils of these countries and can be seen being used in public. In my opinion, dripper systems are great yet you cannot always ensure even distribution to the whole of your medium., if using one dripper per pot.
Flood And Drain:
Available from Growth Technology, Highlight Horticulture, Hydrofarm, BWGS and major distributors worldwide. MAMAPUBLISHING.COM
As the name states, this is a very easy to set up form of hydroponics. All that is required to make this at home is a tray, a reservoir, a pump and a timer. The plant tray sits on a table which is flooded. Then through a draining tube, gravity will ensure the table is emptied of the nutrient solution and is passed back into the reservoir which is located directly below. This style of hydroponics is very popular and is easy to make. The pump simply floods the tray and the roots sit in the nutrient solution through the base of the pot. It is recommended from experience to
have a 10 minute cycle, once a day when the plants are just starting growing and to maintain an E.C of 1.5 and P.H of 5.8. Once the plants are growing well, increase the 10 minute feed cycle to 2-3 times a day. This system can be customised to fit quite large operations as the table size is dependant on the grower. After the plants are placed onto the tray, they can then be left in pots or large sized rockwool cubes for the remainder of the grow.
Hempy Bucket:
The first time I ever came across hempy buckets I was so impressed by their simplicity. Since then I have made many of them in all shapes and sizes. A hempy bucket filled with perlite and vermiculite and is a bucket with one approximately a inch from the bottom. A hole is made around the same size
as a pencil and from this inch high hole as a bathtub has the same flooding preventative, any nutrient solution overflow will come out of this hole. The principal is that the roots of the plant will sit in this bottom inch of nutrient solution, where it is immediately evident when they do hit the reservoir! You can achieve big yields and explosive growth with hempy buckets. I even have a design where i drip feed mine from above and the dripping overflow will fall onto the hempy bucket below and then onto another below it. Other ways to feed the hempy is to determine the weight of the bucket and add enough nutrient solution until you see overflow through the hole. Then do this again when you feel the bucket has no water in the reservoir. as there is no pump or electricity, as long as you can drip feed or replace old nutrients every 4-6 hours, you will have great results indoors and outdoors. I have also made many of these with regular house plants and they look great when hanging. Another cheap and effective way to educate children on how plants work, as you can use anything from drinks bottles to mop buckets.
Nutrient Film Technique ( N.F.T ):
This technique can produce incredible results with little ease. The concept behind N.F.T is that there is a very thin layer of nutrient solution that is in constant contact with the roots. The difference with this system and flood and drain for example is that there is a slight gradient of 30 degrees to ensure the nutrient solution is passed back down to the reservoir. There is a cover that sits around the plants which light proofs the nutrient solution and keep the reservoir in the dark to avoid any problems developing. The only thing you need with an N.F.T system is a reliable pump and a cover for the top for the pots to sit around. I have seen some monster plants grown in N.F.T systems and there was even a point I have seen 40 ounces off one clone! With this system, you must be vigilant and keep an eye on the
40 rapid development of your roots. The roots can grow so suddenly and even crush the pump which was once feeding it. By this point of course you have one hell of a plant.
reminds most growers of hydroponic growing. Used for drip systems, flood and drain, DWC and the small rough stone balls keep roots aeroponics, these covered up whilst they can access oxygen from DLU RU IURP WKH R[\JHQ ULFK b QXWULHQW WKH DLU so solution. Anytime you are buying these n or are planning to reuse, clean new thoroughly to ensure the leftover rinsed water is clear and not red s sandy coloured.
Wick Systems:
Mapito is a mix of coco and rockwool. Together very airy and soft. For AutoPot systems this mix is ve and bottom feeding systems, mapito works a treat fe and can be reused reu if need be. The capillary action is very high so be sure to always have plenty of water available. I have grown outdoors with Mapito before and the plant was drinking like crazy in the heat.
This is a very basic format of using a wick to transport water to the plants roots, from a reservoir underneath where the plants sit. Through capillary action alone,nutrient solution can pass through dependant on how much the plant needs to drink. The only downside to this method is big thirsty plants can actually drink more water than the wicks provide. These are great if you need to be away from your grow and as there are no moving parts, as long as you have a good enough pump in the reservoir then you should be able to work with minimal maintenance. Compared to most systems you can buy for quite a lot of money, wick systems are cheap and you can make as many as you need according they fit on the table and the reservoir underneath is as big.
Different Mediums To Use:
The art of hydroculture is growing in water without using soil. Different systems offer different variations on a hydroponic project. Below are the different mediums that are readily and commercially available.
Coco:
Taken from the husks of coconuts and treated, coco is a super user friendly substrate that has excellent drainage and water retention. Coco once treated is classed as an inert medium and therefore nutrients can be added to it to feed the plants. Coco works very well at a 50/50 ratio with perlite. This is actually what many growers in the states prefer to use and as long as flushed correctly can be used again for another grow.
Perlite:
An amorphous volcanic glass which has excellent water retention. Used also for its ability to dry out quite quickly, perlite is often used for cloning as oxygen is more available whilst moisture levels stay on point. I have done experiments with perlite hempy buckets and found his material to be easy to work with and very cheap to buy also.
Clay Balls:
The sight of these small orange clay balls is what
Mapito: Map
Rockwool:
An outdoor patio packed full of Autopot plants that require no electric.
Made from Basalt Rock and Chalk and through a heating process, is turned into a similar texture to
ONCE YOU MASTER THE ART OF DWC YOU CAN GROW MONSTER PLANTS THAT HAVE SQUEAKING WHITE ROOTS THAT CAN BE PULLED OUT OF THE BUCKET AT HARVEST TIME.. candy floss. This string like fibre is then pressed into what we know as rooting cubes. Rockwool is available in tiny cubes up to big slabs and even large pots which are great for placing clones into and sitting on an NFT table or Flood And Drain for the full grow. Always check the P.H of your cubes and soak overnight if needed.
The Pros And Cons Of Hydroponics:
Growing organically can produce excellent flowers and flavours, yet when a grower uses a hydroponic system like a DWC, they can increase the yield by up to 80%. When growing using aeroponics for example, less water and nutrients are used yet even more of a yield can be expected compared to conventional hydroponics. On a commercial scale, yield is what it is all about and hydroponic systems can really max out a growers tomatoes, peppers, chillis, lettuce and Cannabis plants. The only downside to hydroponics is that the level of maintenance and general grasp of the knowledge is imperative. In the same way your plants can grow very big and very fast, so be prepared for the possibilities of plant problems occurring just as fast. In the event that problems are not dealt with quickly, the entire crop is at risk from pathogens and other issues. Using beneficial bacteria in hydroponics is often frowned upon as many growers who boast a sterile clean oxygen rich environment. However, there are growers who choose to run with beneficial microbes and enjoy healthy happy plants as a result, yet problems can often occur in nutrient blockages within pipes leading to bad smells and potential crop threatening illnesses.
advantage with hydroponic growing. You can wash over and use clay balls again as well as perlite and coco. Always wash with enzymes and check for salt build ups. Hydroponics can be quite an expensive game so be ready to spend to ensure you have plenty of liquid goodness to cover this project and potentially the next. Always make sure you have a spare pump as this can be the ‘ lights out ‘ factor and turn your reservoir into a stagnant pool of bad nutrient solution. Always be conscious to work in a sterile environment and have a ready supply of liquid oxygen close by. I have lost hundreds and hundreds of clones that were killed by a pathogen in my water supply in the past, so to save time and money, invest in liquid oxygen and keep everything clean and sterile.
The reusability of your grow medium is a great
Many will argue that the overall taste is lost when
A hydroponic scrog grow looking very healthy.
grown in a soilless medium and some smokers complain of a different high than smoking an organically grown version of that flower. In my opinion, good clones will always have good flavours and I have not personally smoked any hydroponically grown Cannabis before that I could say was badly grown. Many people now attempt to replicate their own style of hydroponics by purchasing bits they find in their local hardware store. As Long as you have a basic understanding of how hydro works, figuring out the rest is a matter of trial and error. At your local hardware store, for around £50, you can be ready to build a DWC or Aeroponics system. As Long as you have a good pump and a good imagination, you can customise any style of system. I usually incorporate a few style together so if needed, I can always switch from Flood and Drain to Dripper System and so on. “
ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE, YIELD IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT AND HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS CAN REALLY MAX OUT A GROWERS TOMATOES, PEPPERS, CHILLIS, LETTUCE AND CANNABIS PLANTS.
GROW WITH ROBERT B.
Irrigating the soil the right way HOW TO AVOID POSSIBLE ERRORS For beginners, we recommend growing on an earth substrate, which most likely helps obviate errors; what is more, irrigation requires no EC and PC measuring instruments at all. Growing plants on soil is often less expensive in the start-up phase. But even on an earth substrate errors can be made. A typical error is buying seeds worth 100 euros and procuring soil from a supermarket at a price of 3.99 euros. This means that, for ten euros saved, you can spoil the result of an investment worth 500 euros. All growers with a little bit of experience will tell you that you should not use cheap soil but rather good garden soil. Practically speaking, any branded product is good, including those purchased from a garden centre. However, there are soil types that befit specific environments and climate conditions; for instance in a very dry grow-room you can avoid using pearlite as it favours
evaporation. Growers who regularly irrigate their crops, instead, should mix the soil with large amounts of pearlite. The point made in this article about irrigation is that water should be delivered to the soil in the correct quantity. Many people invest the right amount of money in soil-substrate growing but do not irrigate correctly, which will ultimately cut by half their yield. There are people who water plants every day until water flows out; other people irrigate when leaves start to hang on plants, and there are even those who have simply learned on the Internet that, when a plant reaches a certain size, they should deliver 200 ml of water, which is wrong as watering depends on the initial climatic situation and the type of pot. It should in the first place be considered what the optimal conditions are for the
Water is missing!
41
42 development of the radical part of the plant. A plant can grow up to a size that is correlated to the development of its roots, which however does not only depend on the pot size but also on the condition of the used substrate. Soil temperature should range between 18 and 23° C, the PH value should be between 5.5 and 6.5 and the EC value should be fit to the growth phase and be achieved through the required quantity of nutrients and trace elements. But this may not suffice, even if conditions are optimal. Pots should be sized commensurately with the amount of water and air to be received by the plant roots. If the pot is drenched by water, the plant roots will receive no air and, even in larger pots, will stop performing their functions, the plant will stop growing and undergo damages. If the earth is excessively dry, the root functions will equally stop. The plant will stop growing and be left with hanging leaves. The best condition is when the soil is wet but not excessively drenched, which helps absorb air for root breathing. How is it possible to irrigate in such a way as to leave the soil wet and airy? This is very simple: every day or every other day you should lift up the pots and those that are still heavy should not be watered. All others, instead, should be abundantly watered in such a way as to let water flow out and leave the soil wet. If plants remain without air for a few hours on the floor, it
you water plants directly again, the soil will be permanently wet, which will make the plant suffer. If you only water again when pots are lighter, instead, the plant will for the most part have enough air for root breathing. It is practically irrelevant if plants remain drowned for 12 hours. However, if after a few days the pot becomes lighter, it should be properly watered. If the soil is bone dry, the plant will stop growing and even wither in two days’ time. Excessively dry soil cannot withhold water and must be watered again after at least 20 minutes in order to absorb water. In addition, water should be delivered at lukewarm and not cold temperature, not to cause a shock in the roots. Many people do not have the habit of lifting up pots and tend to water abundantly if they see dry earth on top of each pot.
Hesi adjusts the PH value during fertilisation in the green zone!
ered, it will be too much and the plant will be damaged. There are soil types, instead, in which, despite abundant watering, if the above layer is dry, this means that the whole soil block is dry. For different types
is no need to water. If, on the other hand, the pot is lighter, then you should water plants as usual. If you water abundantly in a grow tent with thick soil and the water forms a puddle,
THE POT SHOULD BE SIZED COMMENSURATELY WITH THE AMOUNT OF WATER AND AIR TO BE RECEIVED BY ROOTS. there may be pots that are so flat that the water puddle will be on the same height as the soil. Water will be absorbed into the soil, which could lead again to a build-up of damp in the event of a highly absorbing type of soil. Normally this is remedied by using dry soil or by raising pots to a higher level, e.g. by using stone tiles or stones; wood or polystyrene would instead get mouldy. Plastic spacers could also be used.
Air pots reduce the build-up of damp and are not easily drenched.
will not be a bad thing. Water in excess will flow away and this will cause the soil to become airy again. By contrast, if
Depending on the soil, however, the upper layer could dry up, whereas the core could still be damp. If water continues to be deliv-
of substrate mixtures, therefore, the dryness of the upper soil layer is a giveaway for lifting the pot. It the pot is still heavy, there
… BUYING SEEDS WORTH 100 EUROS AND BUYING SUPERMARKET SOIL AT 3.99 EUROS…
Growers should therefore abstain from watering blindly in accordance with a rigid schedule, as watering should also be adapted to the type of soil. Growers should also regularly see which pots need watering and avoid watering others. In the initial phase of plant growth, watering intervals can last several days; for larger plants that need more water, intervals should be shortened. If a very small plant, which does not require much water, is placed in a large pot with a soil substrate that is prone to water build-up, intensive irrigation can be counterproductive. If the water requirement still needs to be determined, then either the interval of the next watering cycle should be changed or the soil should be mixed with pearlite, for the soil to be aired even if it is wet. Even when you do everything right, if watering is wrong, your yield will be less than half of what you expect. Conversely, if many errors are made, even with the right watering technique no perfect results can be obtained. However, those who seek perfect results and grow on a soil substrate should absolutely refine their watering technique. Many inexperienced growers only need to irrigate correctly to harvest much larger quantities of good weed!
HY-GROWTH HY-QUALITY HY-CONVENIENCE
SIMPLE NUTRITION... MAXIMUM YIELD! SINCE 1990
hy-pro.nl
45
GROW WITH STONEY TARK
Top Tips For Spring PREPARING FOR SUMMER
By Stoney Tark
It is everybody's favorite time of the year, when April rolls on and you are treated The seedlings may be small now, but they will grow from April until August so to longer days and warmer nights. Spring is already here and now is the best time be prepared for a big plant. The days will begin to get shorter towards the end of August and start of September. to consider an outdoor crop. Understanding what you need to prepare for the buildup to the fall and shorter nights, is the difference between Gold and Bronze. Plant Security: Below are my tips on what to think about when planting in the outdoors and how The UK is notorious for slugs and snails. The slugs come out at night and cause havoc amongst anything green and growing. A really good way to ensure that to make the most out of the weather. Location:
This is one of the biggest factors in outdoor growing. The difference in location between a site which receives a few more hours than another is unequivocal. If you have the luxury of planting outdoors in your own private back garden or neighbors, then locate south and work out over the next few months the direction the sun will change. This way the plant will always receive sunlight until the last moment as there is nothing worse to watch than a plant in the shade, as everywhere else around it receives sun after a certain time due to over shadowing buildings.
Genetics:
Run with an Indica variety or if you think you can get good yields, push for a haze hybrid. Many plants will do well until August then may struggle to meet the plant's demands in terms of sunlight and lumens it is receiving. A good style Indica will ripen with dense hard buds after 60 days. Many growers in the UK do not have good success with Sativa dominant strains and are often left with miniature yields of tiny buds.
Start The Seeds Off Indoors:
Give your seeds the best start in life before they must embrace the real world. Use an L.E.D or veg light to start them for at least the first 2 weeks, before placing outdoors into the medium with the plastic cups over. Remember to only veg them with the same amount of hours of daylight outside. The plants will begin to notice the days are getting longer so do not give them 18 hours for example and then place them outside where you may receive 13.5 hours. I have witnessed many clones that were grown under 18-24 hours of light and when placed outdoors to grow, began to flower. The plants do re veg themselves, but it is an unwanted process as a grower.
Keep Pots Off The Floor:
It is a good idea to do this indoors and especially outdoors. The main reason for doing it is not just to keep the roots off cold concrete floors, but to also allow air to flow around the base of the pot and roots. Drainage also becomes much easier to observe and check for runoff and test. If you actually add an inch of clay balls to the bottom of the medium this will help drainage and air movement considerably.
Growing Phase:
Once you plant your young seedling outdoors, consider the size that a full-scale plant will require to grow happily. This is when you should consider plant heightand begin to create as much stealth now to avoid doing too much later on.
your plant stays in perfect shape for the first three weeks is to cover them with plastic clear cups with very small air holes throughout. This will also act as a mini propagator so you can start seeds directly into the medium with a small cup over and leave outside. As the plant gets bigger increase the size of the cup. This is a great defense against any insect which cannot eat through plastic!
Medium and Nutrients to Use:
Invest well in the medium you will use and it will reward you heavily. Before you drive to your local garden centre and fill the car with low grade soil, think about what the plant needs and what you can do to cover every part of the growing phase feed requirements. Drainage is a huge part with outdoor growing and over a five month period the roots and medium need good air and water movement. Below is a list of different mediums and additives you can use. Ů 7SMP Ů 'SGS Ů 4IVPMXI Ů :IVQMGYPMXI
Ů 'PE] &EPPW Ů 6SGO[SSP 6SSXMRK 'YFIW Ů ;SVQ ,YQQYW
Ů &EX +YERS Ů 4IEX 1SWW Ů 3PH 4PERX 6SSXW
Plant Count:
When you think of the plant count, it is easy to become excited and begin germinating a ten pack of fems. Growing a small number can be better if you can grow strong bushy plants to begin with. You may get the same results growing five plants as your neighbour next door who grows just one. Dedicating a large space to one plant will surely result in a large stocky heavy producer, which will not be fighting for the sunlight as the other may do. The benefits of growing more than one is more choice and different flavors and highs, yet remember if you are only growing one strain anyhow, then less is more!
Heated Floors:
A cheap and effective way to solve the problem of cold floors inside greenhouse or outdoors, is to place a heating cable in waves on the floor and to cover to avoid tripping. If you have a large tray these are great as the tray will remain heated on the basis the heating cable is plugged in. With an extension cord you can connect power to the greenhouse in a discreet way whilst providing warm temperatures of the roots. Good luck with the first part of growing your seedlings into tough bushy plants. I hope after reading this article, you now have good ideas and can really get the QSWX SYX SJ ]SYV SYXHSSV TEXGL 4IEGI
46
MEDICAL CANNABIS
RAW IS BETTER
HOW TO MAKE CANNABIS OIL, AS NATURE INTENDED Davide Calabria
Index of ads Name
Page
Advanced Seeds
36
LED Ventures
35
Amsterdam Seed Center
7
London Seed Centre
1
Atami
48
Mama Editions
38
Buddha Seeds
4
Mycologics
33
Budmaster LED
41
Paradise Seeds
1
Bulk Seed Bank
5
Paradise Seeds
10-11
Dinafem Seeds
1
Positronics Seeds
16
Dinafem Seeds
31
Procare
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Dr. Blooms Hydroponics
1
Royal Queen Seeds
13
Dr. Chronic
32
SANlight
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Dr. Underground
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Smokin Vinyl
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If harvest was not bad and you want to use a part of it in a cannabis oil, as an unusual way of taking cannabis, but the idea of handling alcohol to extract cannabinoids frightens you and you find the smell of butane dreadful, a simple method consists in following the “recipe of the Swiss doctor Manfred Fankhauser” as we call it today.
in the Tewahedo Ethiopian orthodox church – the least corrupt among Christian churches, which is also used as reference for all Rastafarians who are in favour of the use of psychotropic plants for medicine and meditation – is the concept of the unity of the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ.
Dutch Passion
15
Sonic Hydroponics
44
Dutch Passion
22-23
Southern Hydro Centre
33
E-Nail
39
Stanford Hydroponics
1
Exotic Seed
43
Sweet Seeds
1
Genofarm
39
Sweet Seeds
19
Take a bunch of dry weed and chop it finely, add edible oil (such as olive oil, colza oil, linseed oil, or hempseed oil) in a tin until the cannabis is fully covered. Let it stand for three weeks in a fresh and dark place, while stirring the tin every day. Place the mixture in a strainer and your cannabis oil will be ready. As simple as that. Without getting mad with countless steps, which may even be dangerous, you will instantly prepare a terrific cannabis oil, for both external and internal use. It cannot be smoked, but rather applied on the skin and eaten (as a vegan-free product). You can also use it to e.g. season your food. The oil should not be fried or however heated in a pan at high temperature, as cannabinoids would evaporate, thus making the remedy useless.
Applying it as an ointment on the skin, as demonstrated by a study conducted by the University of Bonn, published on Science Daily in 2007, may alleviate allergies and skin inflammation through its refreshing and itchsoothing properties. Equally in 2007, the Journal of Dermatological Science showed that a cannabis ointment may be advantageous in the treatment of psoriasis, while the Jamaicans, with their folk tradition associated with hemp used as a medicine, apply cannabis ointment to treat muscular pain and rheumatism.
Hesi
2
Sweet Seeds
47
Humboldt Seed Organization
27
Urban Green Headshop
14
Hy-pro
43
Vision Seeds
44
Indica Head Shop
45
Zamnesia
25
Jorge Cervantes
28
Zamnesia
44
Kosmic Kitchen
8
After letting the preparation stand, as early as after ten days, you will notice that the oil has become denser, which shows that cannabinoids are being released. After three weeks we recommend, in accordance with the recipe, draining the vegetable part, otherwise you can leave it in the jar for an indefinite amount of time. But beware, as the oil is consumed by use, the vegetable part could come into contact with air and develop moulds. This is a very simple and old recipe, meaning that it is safe. Today, however, there is a variation that involves heating the oil to facilitate the dissolution of THC and produce a stronger end product. But this requires several hours of preparation and temperature has to be fine-tuned to obtain a good product without messing everything up. The Christian anointing oil, as illustrated in the Bible, contained ‘sweet cane’ (cannabis), in addition to cinnamon and myrrh, which was just soaked in olive oil. In a paper by Piero Dolara, “Analgesic Effects of Myrrh”, published on the scientific periodical Nature, myrrh is described as being a very potent analgesic, while cinnamon, as far as I could understand, was added to open the pores of the skin and let the oil penetrate freely. At will, therefore, depending on your needs, you can add other herbs to the oil to improve its therapeutic effect. A few hints at the practice of anointment may also be found, e.g. in the Vajrayana Buddhism of the Himalaya mountains, in the practice of consecrating a disciple to special meditation practices. Even the Sacred Scriptures of the Jews show that the practice of anointment was a prerogative of kings, priests and prophets in the fulfilment of their functions, for divine powers to be bestowed on them. A religious concept that is now found
Obviously, if your idea is to use it for your personal care, it is better to use the flowers of medicinal plants, such as those rich in CBD, which were recently developed by all commercial seed producers. As for external use, I personally find the ointment prepared by this method really advantageous as a remedy to the skin adherence of scars. Scars tend to adhere to the underlying skin layer, thus causing pain as a person moves. If you inhale cannabis, it will cause a relaxation of tissues, which will ultimately release the skin. However, if you do not wish to feel the psychoactive effect of cannabis, the application of the ointment will obviate the problem without causing any mental high. A pleasant feeling similar to a slight tickle will prevail in the oiled area, which will be effectively softened. This also suggest that inhaling cannabis is even a superfluous practice. The effects of cannabis, which cause pleasure to the user, are therefore clear. I also noticed that it is an exceptional remedy to corns and calluses in the feet through its soothing properties. Conversely, its internal use (through ingestion) may effectively treat e.g. stomach ache, as cannabinoids reach the blood stream through the digestive process. In early treatment, it is crucial to start with a small dose, so as to understand the actual effects and fine tune the dosage of this pretty versatile oil. The recipe may obviously vary in quantities – if you add more herb than oil or vice versa, the power of the medicament can be adapted to individual needs. For a softer solution, you can reduce the vegetable part and use the flower trimmings from your plant grooming and dry leaves. On the other hand, for a more potent solution, you can add kif or hashish (pure ones, not cheap ones found in the street). Producing cannabis oil is also a good idea if you are left with a small quantity of weed and the next harvest is still far. If you dilute it with oil, it will last more and you will never run out of it.
Colofon Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 Fax: +31-(0)73-5479732 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Sativa Diva, Stoney Tark, Kali Mist, Robert B., Mr. Jose, Davide Calabria, Jose Gallego and others Comics: Jim Stewart Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl A word from the publisher: Soft Secrets is published in: The Netherlands (Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Chile and Argentina. The UK government has embarked on a process of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, and cannabis activists are engaged in broadening this engagement. Several local councils and police chiefs now actively support a Dutch-style coffeeshop system
as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to do in Holland. Whether they are finding their way to new coffeeshops or growing for their personal supply, cannabis users are a menace to no one, and are causing no discernable social problem. Some politicians and commentators are calling for the outright legalisation of marihuana. Let’s wait and see how the debate develops during a period of relative peace between all sides of the argument. In the meantime, the publisher hopes Soft Secrets will show the public a positive side to the normalisation of cannabis use, and is anxious to offer a forum to both pro- and anti-legalisation advocates. This assumes that the publisher does not necessarily agree with everything that appears in articles and advertisements. The publisher therefore distances himself explicitly from published statements or images that might give the impression that an endorsement is being made for the use or production of cannabis. Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format without prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The publisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The editors take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The publisher has endeavored to reach all copyright holders of photos and/or images. Those who still believe they are entitled to these rights may contact the publisher.
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ON I SWEET SEEDS DOES NOT SELL BULK OR LOOSE SEEDS TO GROW SHOPS. THE ONLY ORIGINAL AND GUARANTEED SEEDS ARE THOSE SOLD IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING. www.sweetseeds.com
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C/ Dr. Nicasio Benlloch nº36-38 · 46015 · Valencia · España · +34 963 890 403 / +34 628 593 887 · WHOLESALERS: +34 963 473 730 / +34 963 404 289 · Fax +34 961 939 618 · info@sweetseeds.es Sale prohibited to people under 18 years old. Seed for coleccionist use exclusively. It´s ilegal to make them germinate. They´re not for agriculture purposes. Consult laws about cannabis aplied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds will not be acountable for ilegal use of this seeds done by third parties.
UK distributors www.basilbush.co.uk
Ireland distributors www.avalonwholesale.co.uk
www.seedsman.com
www.tangygifts.co.uk
www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk
www.irishseedbank.com
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SALES @ ATAMI.COM WWW.ATAMI.COM TEL.: 0031(0)73 522 32 56 FAX: 0031(0)73 521 32 59