The cannabis newspaper since 1985
www.softsecrets.com | Issue 4 - 2020 18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands
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Police chiefs back medicinal cannabis cards which will 'effectively discriminalise' the drug for 3.5m Britons with conditions such as MS and cancer
A system of ‘cannabis cards’ for medicinal users which will effectively decriminalise the drug is being backed by white berry • sensi-star • delahaze • pandora • belladonna • wappa • allkushpolice • atomicalchiefs. haze • ice cream • nebula
FEMINIZED CBD & CBG SEEDS
Around three and a half million people with health conditions will be allowed to use the card under the proposal, according to The Times. Those with cancer, depression and multiple sclerosis will be eligible to use it and will identify them as a ‘registered medical cannabis patient’. And it will mean police officers have a justification for not arresting them when they are in possession of cannabis.
greenpassion.eu
The plan is being backed by the Police Federation of England and Wales and the National Police Chiefs Council is working with the organisers of the cards to design and implement it.
Patients who use cannabis to relieve pain from their medical issues find themselves being arrested for possession of the drug. Currently, it is believe more than a million people in the UK buy cannabis illegally to self-medicate. Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK for nearly two years. But due to strict rules, a small number of people have been given an NHS prescription, and the cost of a private consultation has priced many out of the option of legal cannabis.
Those without a prescription and caught in possession of the drug face a five-year prison sentence as well as an unlimited fine. The cannabis card, also referred to as CanCard, is set to be introduced in November and will give people who need medical cannabis but cannot afford a prescription support in order to avoid arrest. Simon Kempton, of the Police Federation, told The Times: ‘Our members didn’t join the police to lock up these people ‘This is an initiative that I support, for a number of reasons. Primarily it gives officers information on which to base their decision-making around whether or not to use discretion or to arrest a member of public.’ Jason Harwin, from the police council, said: ‘This is a real live issue, where the police service finds itself stuck in the middle of a situation where individuals should legitimately be able to access their prescribed medication but because of availability and cost they can’t and therefore to address their illness rely on having to use illicit cannabis.’ ‘The card isn’t a get out of jail free card . . . it does not give holders the right to carry illicit drugs. It’s a flag to us that the person should be accessing medication,’ he added. The police council wants to make sure the cannabis card, funded by companies in the medical cannabis industry, is not taken advantage of by organised crime gangs. More info: www.cancard.co.uk Source: DailyMail.co.uk
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Substrates
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Rolling Paper Poisons
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Growing Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies
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All You Need To Know About Harvesting
Green Poison F1 Fast Version® Sweet Seeds www.sweetseeds.com
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Back to basics – What plants need
5
Culture
the full feeding schedule of Mills nutrients, only Vitalize is kept at half strength. After week 4 the plants continue to grow well and develop the first flower clusters. A standard trellis was added to support the plants. In week 5 of flowering all 18 plants are developing nice flower clusters. The 9 organic plants grow a little more compact and denser than the 9 plants grown on Coco. The LEDs are operated with the SUNRISEFADE ON (=orange light on dimmer). The SUNRISE-fade slowly turns on the lamps and mimics a sunrise, which ensures low stress for the plants. All plants flower like crazy, they develop new flower clusters all over and start too smell nicely. In week 7 of flowering the plants continue to grow AMAZINGLY and now have HUGE colas on each of the main- and side-branches. The smell is strong and has a sweet, flowery note to it. TRICHOME production is in FULL SWING and the plants glisten with a coat of crystals.
Growing V1-clones with Q6W-Generation2 LED-lamps from SANlight The V1-clones come from a unknown mother-plant, which I came along in an outdoor garden and had extraordinary huge buds. Without knowing the genetic background I took a clone for a mother-plant and did my first indoor round with it. In order to get to know the plant better I chose to grow her in 2 different substrates, 9 plants in each, side by side in a HOMEBOX R240+ tent. The left side was planted on BioBizz Light Mix (in 15 liter containers) and Sannie's biological tabs were added (3 tabs per pot) to the soil. These tabs will slowly give off their nutrients during the whole cycle and ONLY tap-water has to be given during waterings. Those plants will be watered by hand. The right side was planted in 15 liter pots on a soilless medium: Ugro XL Coco Block and will be watered via drip-feeding with Mills Nutrients from a 90 liter reservoir. During the first week of veg. the four Q6WGeneration2 LED-lamps from SANlight are dimmed to 40% (=no green lights on the dimmer) and kept at 65 cm distance form the top of the plants. After week 2 the four lamps were put at 40 cm distance and dimmed to 80%. All 18 plants developed nicely and grew with a healthy green color. On day 21 I preventatively add a biological predator (=Chrysopidae) against thrips and lice to the tent and switch the plants to flowering by changing the light schedule to 12/12 hours of light/darkness. The 9 plants on each side
develop almost identical and grow healthy and nicely. The thin fingered leaves show the sativa heritage of the unknown genetics of the V1.
At this moment the four SANlight-LEDs are still dimmed to 80% at 40 cm distance in order to ensure a proper stretch of the plants. The 9 plants in the coco-medium get
The V1-plants are doing extremely well under the four Q6W-Gen.2 LEDs, much better than I expected and definitely better than under HPS. The lamps have been put even higher (50 to 60 cm) in order to be able to put them to 100% power to ensure full trichome production. The organic plants are growing VERY DENSE flowers and are heavy as hell, the plants grown on coco have also huge buds, but are a little less dense. In order to ensure a good flush I have stopped giving nutrients at all now. After a few days at 100% power of the Q6WGeneration 2 LED-lamps the plants start to exhibit signs of light-bleaching. Therefore I dimm them back to 80% again and keep them at 55 to 60 cm of distance to the canopy. The immense amount of flowers on the V1-plants is astonishing. The colas swell up and get bigger every day, the production of trichomes is INSANE, all buds are COVERED IN TRICHOMES now. The sweet smell the plants exude is mind-blowing and delicious. After 9 weeks of flowering harvest time has finally come. The 9 organic plants have harvested 784 gram of dry bud and the 9 plants grown on coco and fed with Mills-nutrients have harvested 820 gram (apr. 4,4 % more!). The total harvest amount comes to 1604 gram of high quality dry bud. Since the lights have been dimmed almost all cycle long, the amount of power they used comes out to apr. 85% of their whole capacity (=100W x 0,85 = 850 Watts) If you take this into account the this GROW HAS HARVESTED 1,88 GRAM PER WATT, which is an AMAZING result. On average each plant harvested 89,11 gram, I am flabbergasted about the result of this LED grow and can only STRONGLY RECOMMEND the SANlight Q6W-Generation2 lamps.
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Background By Rich Hamilton
“DAGGA COUPLE” DEATH South African Canna-activist legend Jules Stobbs, killed in armed home raid.
national cannabis community for this victory, proving that activism, carried out correctly can indeed make a change! The work continued however and Jules did not leave this landmark ruling as his only legacy to the Cannabis community. In 2014 the Dagga Couple founded “Fields of Green for all” a nonprofit organisation which continues today to support anyone who finds themselves facing criminal charges in relation to cannabis offences, helping them fight the illegitimacy of the charges. The organisation is also trying to pave the way for a responsible and well regulated cannabis future in terms of a legal market. Jules’ memorial was held in Pretoria as well as being live streamed to allow the international community to pay their respects. The outpouring of condolences and tributes were many, including very poignantly a message from fellow activist Steve De Angelo, who Jules had just Interviewed on his podcast only hours before he was tragically killed. Posting to Instagram Steve De Angelo said: “ Today another cannabis angel is looking over us, giving us strength, urging us to never lose sight of the goal”
The Dagga Couple in happier times
A senseless murder has rocked the worldwide cannabis community. The inspirational Jules Stobbs, one half of South Africa’s infamous “Dagga Couple”, was brutally shot dead in an armed robbery at his home, a small 6 acre farm holding in Lanseria, North of Johannesburg in the early hours of Friday 3rd July. Mr Stobbs, 59, was killed by several bullets to the head and chest after disturbing the armed gang and trying to defend his long term partner Myrtle Clarke. Ms Clarke was luckily unharmed when the gunmen fled after nearby neighbours were alerted to the sounds of gunshots. The “Dagga Couple” (Dagga being a South African term for cannabis) are most well known for founding the pro-cannabis organisation “DC” (Dagga Couple). They first rose to prominence when in 2010 their home, better known as “Jazz Farm” a popular “well being retreat” and “social club” for open can-
nabis use, was raided by police and the couple were arrested for cannabis possession and dealing. A 5hr ordeal ensued as the police held Jules at gunpoint and strip searched Myrtle 3 times whilst they searched for a drug lab that they believed to be in existence at the property. Disappointingly for the police, all that was eventually discovered was a 1/4 pound of cannabis! Under South African law however the couple were still facing a lengthy 10 year sentence if found guilty. Not to be silenced or kept down, Jules and Myrtle launched an unexpected defence to the charges, something which became known in canna folklore as the “trial of the plant”. They used this opportunity to challenge South Africa’s cannabis laws. The Dagga Couple proceeded to sue 7 government departments on the basis that they were upholding laws that were unconstitutional or unjust in relation to the personal use and possession of cannabis.
The main argument was that many of the laws on cannabis prohibition were unjust, not based on evidential facts, outdated and just downright incorrect. They argued that as Cannabis was less harmful than alcohol or tobacco and had much medicinal benefit that it was illogical that it should be categorised alongside “controlled substances” such as Heroin and Cocaine. With publicity and funds pouring in from activists worldwide, the case rumbled on for over 5 years culminating in 2017 when the High Court in Cape Town ruled that the prohibition of personal cannabis use was indeed unconstitutional. An appeal was launched but was unsuccessful and the original decision was upheld by the constitutional court in 2018. In short, the actions of Jules Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke had meant that the personal use of cannabis in South Africa was now fully legal! The couple were hailed as legends and heroes across the inter-
“The best way for us to honour Jules is to bring about the change he dedicated himself to. May his spirit live on in our struggle. Always Onward, Forever Free.” His partner Myrtle has also spoken publicly, vowing to continue the work the Dagga Couple had started. The night Jules was killed he was wearing a t-shirt which read “good people obey bad laws” a point that she used to sum up the kind of man he was. “All Julian ever wanted to do was make the world a better place. Our mission has never been ventured around the good of the plant. It has always been about the harms of prohibition” “In the end Jules was shot and killed for his laptop, but the T-shirt says it all. I will not give up” At the time of going to press there has been no one charged in connection with the shooting. RIP Jules Stobbs.
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8
Barney’s Farm strain story Words & Pics: Green Born Identity – G.B.I.
Gorilla Zkittlez: King Kong loves candy!
If ‘King Kong’ GG4 chews on a Zkittlez candy, spectacular things are going to happen! The breeders of Barney’s Farm brought two of the best and most sought-after genetics of recent years together for an exciting showdown.
Grow room premiere: The Doc puts Barney’s Farm genetics to the test for the first time
Newly formed leaves became thinner, still having all that oily gloss.
Within just 72 hours, the two feminised seeds sown pushed their heads through the surface.
Four weeks into flowering, stem and branch elongation hat come to an end, leaving the two plants with heights of about 60 cm.
yields, too: boat-loads! Up to 500-700g / m2 make them potential heavyweights.
Lush bushy growth set in soon, with unusually shiny, oily looking dark green shade leaves. The two plants spent three weeks in the vegging stage before The Doc triggered them into flowering by switching to 12/12.
The new Gorilla Zkittlez strain, GG4, the 100lb Gorilla amongst cannabis varieties, was on the prowl, swallowing up ‘super candy’ Zkittlez proved to be a highly effective breeding partner, ensuring that this all-Californian breeding constellation quickly bore fruit. Namely, a mega hybrid with a slight indica dominance (60%) and a very high THC count of 24% which guarantees both strong psychoactivity and medicinal effects – total relaxation is the word here.
And all this within a mere 8-9 weeks of flowering – now that’s sporty! The outdoor specifications of this strain sound similarly sensational, with a height of only 1.7 metres, outdoor Gorilla Zkittlez plants are expected to be able to yield up to 2.5 kilos. This kind of yield, of course, is only possible in a perfect outdoor scenario with lots of sun and warmth.
Gorilla Zkittlez possesses the same insane resin coat as GG4, a true ocean of trichomes spills over the plants. But they leave a lasting impression on growers thanks to their above-average
The resulting monster buds are armed with good mould resistance, on a scale from 1 to 5, Barney’s rates it at 4. Under natural light, maturity sets in between the first and second week of October.
They exhibited a growth pattern that reminded more of a classic indica than he had expected in view of a mere 60% share of this species: very dense and stout, short internodal spaces, 25 and 27 cm tall.
Resin fountains started to fizzle super early After they had entered the flowering stage, the two plants revealed a strong stretching instinct, the sativa genes of Gorilla Zkittlez obviously got to work.
Gigantic King Kong yield dimensions Bud structure was distinctly indicadominant, forming thick bulbous chunks that in the end, after 58 and 60 days of flowering (absolutely on schedule), were swollen hard and densely covered in opulent resin layers, with even the most upper shade leaves being encased with crystals throughout. The Doc enthused, “they’ve become as super-sugary-gooey as I had expected, Gorilla Zkittlez is really drenched in vast amounts of sweetish monkey sweat, it’s one glorious resin festival!” Also praiseworthy is the great uniformity
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of these two specimens. Their intense odour was an unusual mélange of sweet tropical fruit notes and hints of spicy black hashish, plus a dash of musk, fittingly. At the end of their life cycle, the two plants had a round-bodied, handy shape with heights of 60 and 67 cm. “Blow me down!” The Doc shouted with joy, when after three weeks he put his Gorilla Zkittlez buds - as hard as a gorilla’s chest, with a stupendously rich trichome covering - on the scales. The yield of both plants together amounted to phenomenal 225 grams – “truly gigantic King Kong-esque dimensions, and more so if one takes the fairly small size of these plants into account. They’ve almost yielded twice as many grams as they’ve measured in centimetres, that’s actually unbelievable”, said a flabbergasted Doc.
Vaporising Gorilla Zkittlez: “As if King Kong had tenderized my head and body“ When he broke open a bud for his first vaporizer test session, a sophisticated two-phase-fragrance wafted into his nostrils: First he smelled an exotic fruity sweetness reminiscent of mango that after a second gave way to a lingering heavy hash scent. Vaporising the bud in his “Mighty” vaporizer, this unusual effect occurred – when the vapour passed through his mouth, it tasted fruity and sweet, but the lasting impression then was spicy-hashy again. The Doc took three deep hits before he waited for the effect to fully set in. After the second one, he sensed a slight pressure around the eyes and temples and serious stonedness arising deep within, and after the third, it felt as if King Kong loomed through the vapour and tightly grabbed him. “The gorilla is flexing his THC muscles, starting to tenderize my head and body!” That deeply relaxed effect continued for more than two hours and made him kind of dreamy, but not sleepy – chilling at its very best. The Doc concluded: “this mega hybrid has kept all its promises, proven to be a veritable yield and resin production hit with an amazing potency and aroma, plus a moderate flowering time and handy indoor size - everything’s just perfect with this strain. A champion of US West Coast genetics!” www.barneysfarm.com
Cultivation data: Genetics
Gorilla Zkittlez (GG4 x Zkittlez)
Vegetative stage
three weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage
58 + 60 days / 56-63 in general
Medium
Plagron Grow Mix soil, 11 litre pots
pH
6.2-6.6
EC
1.2–1.8 mS
Light
up to 12 x SANlight S4W = 1680 watts
Temperature
19-28°C
Air humidity
40-60%
Watering
by hand
Fertilisation
Organic Bloom Liquid from Green Buzz Liquids
Additives/stimulants
Living Organics, More Roots, Humin Säure Plus, Big Fruits, Fast Buds and Clean Fruits from Green Buzz Liquids
Tools
CleanLight Pro for mould prevention
Height
60 + 67 cm
Yield
together 226 grams
Da rk rose au to CBD Elite Seeds www.eliteseeds.com
11
Grow your own
Substrates Soil
One of the most commonly used substrates in the industry is soil. Potting soil, Light mix, full mix and grow mix are everywhere when you go shopping in your local shop. But what exactly do they contain and how are they used optimally? Most soil mixes are a cocktail of various types of peat. These wet, spongy types of peat are formed by dead plants in swamps which have been preserved for a long time
It is important that soil substrates are not watered too fanatically. The structure of the soil is too solid to handle abundant water. If the soil remains too wet, the roots can suffocate. With this substrate, it is a good idea to remember to give it water alternately three times with nutrition and once water without nutrition. If possible, drop the closed bags of soil on the ground, or mix the soil with your hands. This will create an airier substrate
TIP! As you have just read, soil contains enough Calcium and Magnesium for the first 4 to 6 weeks. From the moment the plant starts to form its first flowers or fruit, it uses extra Calcium. This leads to a three-week peak. What happens when Calcium is extracted from the soil? The PH goes down! Given that you want to avoid this, the Calcium will need to be supplemented (e.g. Cal-Mag products).
By Cesar, C-Result Holland
Coconut substrate consists of coconut fibre. Coconut fibre is a tough and stiff fibre that comes from the bark of coconuts. This fibre is located in the pulp layer between the hard core of the nut and the outer shell. This fibre was originally a waste product, which today has been transformed into a premium product for agriculture and horticulture. However, close attention and focus are required by the grower. The coconut fibre can’t be directly bagged. First, the fibres are steamed to eliminate all possible pathogens. Also, coconut fibres naturally contain an excessively high salt content (e.g. sodium, potassium and chlorine), which must be removed as much as possible. These salts can lead to growth stagnation, which will give plants a bad start, turn yellow to light green or have roots that become browner. This can be disastrous for the plants. There are two methods by which the salts can be removed from the coconut fibre. The first method is by washing the fibres. This way, the salt content is reduced, but not as drastically as with the other method. This approach is called ‘Buffering’. The coconut is rinsed with calcium nitrate, whereby the salt content is drastically reduced to almost 0. TIP: Therefore always buy coconut that has been buffered. This is usually indicated on the bag, but if you want to be completely certain, buy coconut with an RHP quality mark.
under moist, oxygen-poor conditions. When these peat types are extracted from the ground, they are frozen through, in order to better absorb water later on. After this freezing process, the peat is dried, ground and sieved. But that’s not all; Peat types have a low PH value, usually around 4.0. This is so acidic that most plants cannot absorb nutrients at this PH value. The PH therefore has to be raised! During the development process of the soil mixes this is done by adding Calcium and a little Magnesium to the peat. This increases the PH to between 6.0 and 6.5. Finally, the soil producers add NPK fertilisers in order to provide the plants with their basic needs when first planted. The soil thereby has sufficient nutrition for the first 4 to 6 weeks. If you are using soil (potting soil, light-/ grow-/full mix) it is therefore not necessary to immediately start using liquid fertilisers during watering. Most potting soils and soil mixes are set to an EC starting value of 1.4 to 1.5.
with fewer chunks. The airier and finer the structure of the soil, the better it will work for you. Growing on soil offers many advantages, but also has some disadvantages. We’ve listed these below.
Advantages:
• Growing on soil allows for more minor mistakes and is therefore ideal for beginners • 100% organic and natural (with the exception of added inorganic fertilisers) • Better flavour of the end product • No liquid fertilisers need be added during the initial phase
Disadvantages:
•H eavier bags to carry • Faster accumulation of fertiliser salts because the soil cannot be rinsed due to its dense structure • Reuse is more difficult due to salt build-up • Less airy than coconut and stone wool. Plants can form roots more easily in an airier substrate.
Coconut Coconut substrate is something that is increasingly used. It’s extremely popular in the United Kingdom. Demand outweighs supply. Coconut substrate is one of the most effective and economical substrates in the world. This has to do with two significant advantages: its airiness and moisture absorption capacity. Coconut substrate is very airy and can retain water for a longer period of time. Did you know, for example, that coconut can absorb 9 times its own volume in water (and nutrients) without being completely soaked? Unlike with soil substrate, it absorbs water immediately when dry. Moreover, the moisture distributes better through the fibres and coconut does not shrink when it dries out. Even then the coconut is able to retain its moisture and distribute it evenly under the surface. Plants therefore dry out less quickly. Due to its airiness and coarse structure, plants are able to root and breathe better. After all, the larger the root system, the better the plant grows and flowers.
For cultivation, always use an A & B nutrition that is specifically tailored to coconut. After all, this nutrition always contains the ideal composition of fertiliser elements, adapted to the plant and the coconut substrate. During cultivation it is also useful to use a soil meter in order to measure the PH value and EC value of the substrate. If the PH drops and starts fluctuating, you can add extra Calcium/Magnesium. E.g. CalMag products. It is important to rinse the coconut substrate during the final week of the cycle. Only rinse with water combined with enzymes. This further reduces the salinity and starts a new cycle with a low salinity. Coconut substrate can be used for up to 5 years, provided it is rinsed well and replenished a bit from time to time. Coconut retains its airiness and moisture-retaining capacities for a very long time. TIP: At the beginning of a cycle, only add A & B nutrition in combination with a root stimulator during the first 2 weeks. Don't start adding enzymes just yet! At that moment, the plant is busy building roots, while enzymes break down roots and convert them back into nutrients. Enzymes (degrading) and root stimulators (constructive) do not go well together. Opinions are mixed on this, but various studies have indicated significant improvements with the above method. Given that coconut fibre is completely
12 substrate ultimately reaches 6.0. Make sure that the PH value of the nutrition is never lower than 5.0, as this will damage the fibres of the stone wool. TIP: Regularly squeeze a bit of liquid from a piece of stone wool substrate and collect it in a container. Then place the PH and EC meter in the container and measure the values. It will quickly become clear whether the PH and EC values need to be adjusted. The standard EC value of stone wool is practically 0. Fertilisers will therefore have to be added from the start of cultivation. It is therefore a good idea to use an A & B nutrient throughout cultivation to ensure the plants have everything they need. For the first 2 weeks, use a root stimulator in addition to the A & B fertiliser. Enzymes can be added from the third week. These will break down the older roots and convert them into absorbable nutrients. During the final week, it is necessary to add only acidified water with enzymes. This way the stone wool substrate will be rinsed clean and will be able to be used again in a future cycle.
organic, it also increases the organic content of the soil. This in turn ensures a high cation exchange capacity (CEC). This means that ions from the nutrients are tightly bound and do not wash away. A coconut fibre is a long hollow cellulose fibre with a lot of lignin. This lignin makes and keeps the coconut strong.
Advantages:
•P revents the growth of algae because the top layer of the coconut substrate is drier. • The loose structure stimulates root development • 100% organic • Can be more frequently reused for a long time • Promotes rapid growth and propagation of roots due to the airy structure of the substrate.
Disadvantages:
•A part from coconut blocks, the bags are heavy • If the coconut is not buffered, growth and flowering may stagnate • Slightly more fluctuation in the PH value • Requires more knowledge and experience from the grower
Stone wool
Stone wool is the most commonly used substrate in greenhouse horticulture. But what exactly is stone wool? Stone wool is a material spun from stone. This stone is a natural product that is created by volcanic eruptions. The name of this rock is basalt. By melting the basalt at 1400 degrees, a unique fibre structure is created, which is spun in a certain direction. This creates threads of stone wool, which are then joined together. The joined threads are subsequently formed into a mat with the
aid of a binder in a curing oven. These mats can be cut and made to measure in, for example: slabs, mapito, pregrowth blocks, plugs, etc. Due to the controlled manufacturing process, this growth medium is of a consistently high quality. The sterile production under extremely high temperature ensures cleanliness and is free of contaminants. The stone wool structure is an ideal medium for plants to root. After all, it easily absorbs water and nutrients. In addition, it is also easy
to flush out excess nutrients. With regard to growing on stone wool, it should however be noted that the grower requires a certain level of experience. More frequent measurements are needed of both the PH and the EC. The PH value increases more often and faster than with soil or coconut substrates. The standard PH value of stone wool is 7.0. The ideal PH value for your plants in the substrate is 6.0. To achieve this value, the PH will have to be lowered. It is therefore advisable to add nutrients with a PH value of 5.2 to max. 5.4, so that the value in the
Finally, we have also listed a few advantages and disadvantages of stone wool substrate below.
Advantages:
•A iry structure that stimulates root development • Sterile and hygienic • Greater yields • Reusable
Disadvantages
•S tone wool dries out faster than soil and coconut substrate • Non-organic substrate • Requires knowledge and skill
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Grow your own
By Macky, Percysgrowroom.com
Preparing Your Outdoor Grow For Flowering By now, your plants should be well into the vegative stage of their growth cycle. Some strains may have started to flower already. This is a very important time for your grow, and using the right techniques now can massively increase the final yield from your plants. By using the right nutrients, at the right times, and using techniques like “Low Stress Training” to allow more light to get to your plant, it will be able to grow faster and stronger throughout the flowering period. Properly preparing the plants for flower, will not only increase the yield and quality of your cannabis grow, but it will also keep the plants happy and healthy for the rest of the grow cycle. A healthy plant will be able to fight off bugs, and suffer less stress in harsh conditions, both of which can be problems when growing outdoors.
Topping and LST
When cannabis is grown indoors, growers tend to “top” their plants to ensure they do not grow too tall. When you grow outdoors, height isn't always an issue, but that doesn't mean you should not top your plants. Topping is when the top of the plant is cut off at the main stem. There are a few reasons for doing this. One of course, is to reduce the height of the plant, to make sure it doesn't grow too big. Another, is the hormones in the plant will change, and direct more energy
to the side shoots instead of one main cola. This can be beneficial in many ways. Not only will you get more even sized buds instead of one huge cola and many side buds, but because the plant will not have that one huge cola, she will be far less susceptible to mould and rot. If a bud is too big, stale air and moisture can get trapped inside it, and this will cause mould spores to germinate causing bud rot. To prevent this, topping is a good option, but also, you can low stress train your plants to allow more air to flow around it. This can be very helpful if the plant is bushy.
LST (Low Stress Training) is when a grower ties the plant down in place, to control the direction of the growth. As branches grow upwards, they can easily block bud sites and other leaves from absorbing as much sun as they can. The more sunlight your plant can absorb via the leaves, the more it can photosynthesise. So the more light you can get to your plant, the more food it can process, and the bigger it will grow. By tying the side shoots down, and keeping them as vertical as possible, you not only allow more light into the plant, but you also allow more air to flow around it when the wind blows. This will massively reduce the chance of mould arising on your plants. This should all be done in late veg, or early flowering stage of the grow. As flowers start to form, the branches become a lot stiffer and can be broken
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easily. Stop any training when you see buds starting to grow.
Male or Female?
If you havent bought feminsed seeds, you will need to check the sex of your cannabis plant. Unless you're breeding cannabis, male plants are really no good to you, and will only pollinate the females. This is something you don't want, as your buds will be full of seeds. If you find a male plant, it must be removed from your grow area immediately! A male flower will look like a ball on a small stalk, and grow into something that resembles a bunch of grapes. A female flower will show a white hair protruding out of a pointy tip. In some situations, you might come across a “hermie”, which is a plant that displays both male and female parts. These plants should be destroyed too, as they will pollinate themselves and other plants. If you want seedless buds, remove any males or hermies from the grow area as soon as you spot them.
Feeding and Watering your Outdoor Plants
When a cannabis plant flowers, its need for potassium and phosphorus rise dramatically. The plant uses these nutrients to build the flowers, and produce the energy it needs to build them. Most growers at this stage will increase the amount of “PK” the plants are given.
If your soil is properly amended in the first place, you may not need to supplement PK. But if your plant starts to show signs of phosphorus or PK deficiency, you should add some to the medium. Use liquid bone meal, bat guano, or even compost to add some extra organic nutrients to your soil. Or, if you are growing with salt based nutrients, there are many PK boosters for you to choose from. You must be careful not to give too much! You can easily over feed your plant and damage the roots. Any increase in nutrients should be done gradually. When growing outdoors, your plants will receive water from the rain. But, if it goes for longer than 7 days without rain, your plants may need water. If your plant becomes dehydrated, it will start to wilt, and the leaves will droop badly. There is plenty of water under the ground for the plants to reach, even after a few days of no rain. If you are growing in pots, then you should water your plants when the soil dries out a bit, but not too much. A good rule of thumb is make sure the top two inches of soil have dried out before watering your plants. Or, lift the pots and see how light it is. If the pot is heavy, there is plenty of water in it, if it is light, then you should water it.
If You Have Problems or Questions
There are many things that might arise during your grow, and you may need some help and advice on how to overcome them. You should sign up to our cannabis growers forum. Not only will you find the friendliest forum on the internet, but you will also find many growers who
are always eager, and happy to help. You don't have to do this alone, come and share your love of growing with us, at Percysgrowroom.com Good luck with your flowering cycle! We will see you in the next issue, when we tell you the best ways to make sure your plant is ready for harvest, and how to prevent bud rot.
17
Background By Rich Hamilton
that they would have to do a further study on a larger range to clarify the results. Flavoured blunt wraps and hemp papers came in next with 40% (8 out of 20) of those tested failing for high levels of cadmium, arsenic and lead. A possible reason for this being the thickness of the product in comparison to regular rolling papers. Traditional rolling papers and cones themselves did not do too badly, as although traces of pesticides and heavy metals were found, just one product was found to have levels of heavy metals high enough to actually fail the testing completely.
Rolling Paper Poisons In the modern world that we live in today the cannabis connoisseur is striving for perfection. They don’t just want to get “high” they want a safe, quality experience. They want to know what they are smoking, where it has been grown and what it’s been grown with. Not only in the quest for better taste but also for health reasons. Have you ever given much thought to the rolling papers or wraps that you are using though? Well you may want to after reading this.
The catalyst behind the tests was the fact that large quantities of pre-rolled joints were failing final analysis at SC Labs. The pre-rolls were testing posi-
Wondering how pesticides and heavy metals end up in rolling products? Well, rolling papers and wraps are actually derived from plants and those plants just like any others, are susceptible to absorbing any chemicals that are applied as fertiliser, present in the soil or sprayed as a pesticide.
cannabis products in their “finished packaged form” rather than just testing the cannabis itself. The testing assesses the potency, purity and contamination of the cannabis product as a whole and is a great example of how the rest of the legal market should be conducting itself.
It’s not surprising at all therefore that rolling papers have been found to contain trace amounts of heavy metals and pesticides. It is more the sheer variance of those levels that is the worry. It also highlights the fact that perhaps more legal states should be following California’s example in testing cannabis products in their final packaged forms rather than just testing the flower itself.
In this study, Cannabis products were tested for lead, Cadmium, Arsenic and Mercury as well as for 66 different pesticides and 5 mycotoxins. The dangers of exposure to heavy metals are many and include potential damage to the functioning of major organs including the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys, as well as an increased risk of Cancer.
The message here is not to panic but just to be more aware of what you are using. The rolling paper market is currently worth 1.2 billion dollars and there are many unscrupulous firms who want to cash in on it by scrimping on quality to make more profit. This is not to mention the many fake versions of quality brands that seem to be in existence.
SC Labs sample range was made up of 70 rolling papers, 20 wraps, 25 prerolled cones and 3 cellulose rolling papers. The results discovered that trac-
Whilst the industry is largely unregulated, rolling paper manufacturers are required to list their ingredients, so pay attention, as whatever is in those papers
Have you ever given much thought to the rolling papers or wraps that you are using? A recent study by SC Labs California revealed that 1 in 10 rolling paper products from 118 tested contained potentially harmful levels of heavy metals and pesticides.
tive for a dangerous pesticide called “chlorpyrifos” despite the fact that the cannabis inside the pre-roll had previously been tested and found to be clean of heavy metals and pesticides.
The study was conducted on products bought from Amazon and smoking stores in California and included traditional paper rolling products, pre-rolled cones, hemp papers, cellulose rolling papers and blunt wraps.
Unlike many other “legal” states, California’s cannabis health and safety regulations are very stringent. Whilst there is no state which currently insists on the testing of rolling materials alone, California do insist on testing all legal
es of at least 1 heavy metal was present in 91 out of 101 products tested and that 8% of those, contained high enough contamination to fail rigid Californian cannabis standards completely. When it came to pesticides, almost 1 in 5 products contained some traces, with 1 in 20 having levels in excess of regulations! The cellulose papers fared worst in terms of heavy metals, although after only testing 3 samples (all of which failed Californian regulations) SC Labs have said
or wraps is being taken in by your lungs every time you light up! So what would my advice be to you? Well I would take heed of what the President of SC Labs, Josh Wurzer himself had to say “Would I personally completely stop smoking everything in a blunt wrap? No, but I would consider limiting how often I use them”. “It seemed like regular old rolling papers were pretty clean” “Maybe I’d just switch to using those most of the time”
18
Culture By Jaypp
The Queen of the Garden:
la Sweet Zkittlez® by Sweet Seeds® This is one of those articles that I am very pleased to write, with a mix of anxiety, nervousness, joy and enthusiasm. When a plant like this enters the garden of a grower and tester of good grass, it is impossible not to surrender to its scent and benefits that make you want to always have a strain like this in your garden. I am talking about one of the recent new strains of the Sweet Seeds® bank, the magnificent Sweet Zkittlez® (SWS84). The parent plants of this new indica cross - with which the entire Sweet Seeds® team fell in love – are a selected élite clone of Zkittlez, an American strain from the West Coast with a relaxing effect due to its powerful combination of cannabinoids and a marked candy taste, and another clone of the tasty Grape Ape sourced from the I+D+i department of Sweet Seeds®.
and maximum pleasure. Highly recommended for cannabis gourmets. Talking about the effects, I can only surrender to its feet, as it manages to remove any stress that we feel in today’s fast paced world. It is not for beginners, but has a loving effect and is quite good for day-to-day consumption, as it manages to perfectly balance calmness with creativity, and peace with the joviality of a good talk.
It is a time bomb that explodes into multiple terpenes, which make your heart get trapped in a tunnel of extreme sweetness
SWS84 Strain
Technical details are as follows: Indica: 70% / Sativa: 30% THC: 16-23% · CBD: 0.2%
Indoor yield: 450-650 g/m2 Outdoor yield: 400-700 g/plant Indoor harvesting time: 9 weeks Outdoor harvesting time: late September - early October Let us now see how this lady behaves when you germinate some of its seeds and give them a little love. I assure you she is very grateful. An all-terrain vehicle for novices, a monster truck for experts.
Growing candies Now, who hasn’t read a few cannabis magazines like this one or visited forums dedicated to cannabis growing in order to get the most out of our beloved plant? The information about cannabis growing is currently available to everyone and is overwhelming in terms of quantity and quality. The time has come to put everything you have learned into practice, and that is when something that at first seemed very simple becomes more complex. But don’t worry, because I will concisely explain how to produce highly tasty organic flowers that are worthy of being featured in a catalogue.
Like almost everything in life, the most important thing is not how it starts, but how it ends. But it is also true that, if you choose the wrong path, the route will take longer to complete and be less pleasant. That is why germination is one of the most important things in plant growing. Poor germination is capable of putting your expectations to an end in less than 3 days. We must simplify and be careful in these first steps. Less is better. The first thing to do is hydrate the seeds in order to wake them up from their long lethargy. The good thing about Sweet Seeds® products is that they undergo highly efficient germination controls, which helps growers a lot, making this vital step in plant growing easier and faster. So, these great seeds help you a lot! Put them to soak either in a glass of water – until you see the root sprout –or directly on wet tissue tucked inside a food container or between two dishes. Keep them in a warm place and, in less than 2 days, the seedlings will be ready with a root long enough to penetrate a light substrate. If you buy a soil mix, make sure it is especially formulated for cannabis. If you make it yourself, it should at least contain: • • • • •
ood, blond peat g a good-quality earthworm compost bat guano chicken compost dolomite (to prevent magnesium deficiency) • bone meal (for calcium supply) • basalt, if you manage to procure it (for an extra supply of extremely pure trace elements) • other products such as perlite, for example, since it helps the soil oxygenate and, therefore, retain moisture, while contributing for a lighter substrate. Once you start using your homemade soil mix, you should water it with molasses and seaweed. If possible, preparing a tea of beneficial bacteria is a great plus to activate the micro-life. One thing you can do to ensure that the root ball grows healthy and expands in any soil (either homemade or purchased) is to add mycorrhizae right where you will place your plant in the first transplant. Preparing the soil mix is a job that can be avoided if you buy soil and liquid fertilis-
19 plant. If you are using a soil mix that has the right amount of nutrients, it is more than enough. Now, indoors or outdoors? I always grow indoors, because I don’t have enough space outside and I will now describe how the amazing Sweet Zkittlez® behaved under LED lights in my 120 cm x 120 cm grow tent. In any case, I am pretty sure this strain will also flourish outdoors in a good soil or sufficiently sized pot, as long as you also have training stakes ready, because, mind you, flowers will be huge!
XL sized flowers I grew my plants in spring, so the temperature I had in the room under LED lights (which do not produce heat) and the outside temperature were both mild and stable throughout the flowering cycle. The plants were grown in 20-litre air pots for 1 month. The vigour of this wonderful Sweet Seeds® strain was immediately visible, with huge, typically indica leaves, very hard stems and a very tight internodal distance, which were all perfect for indoor growing. Before moving to the flowering stage, the plants measured around 40 cm in height. The final size they reached was about 85 cm – i.e. more than twice as much. It was spectacular to see how buds grew after the initial appearance of extremely dense pistils, which developed to a much higher degree than in the average, usually medium-yielding American strains. For their tight clustering, these little white hairs that we like so much formed a long central bud dominating along the side branches. ers, but this way you can be sure that the nutrients you supply are totally organic. Of course, sometimes it is not easy to find the right quantities or ingredients. What is more, deficiencies can appear at a later stage owing to poor formulation. It is a challenge, but if you like to do everything as a good home grower, this is highly recommended.
On the other hand, lots of brands produce organic fertilisers that are a great value for money. Do not make things more complicated than necessary - a root booster, a flower stimulator and an organic fertiliser for flowering will do. If you go into ‘pro mode’, you will also need a bottle of enzymes to break down the plant matter, as well as salts and sugars to be fed to your
The plant does not branch out much, yet its lower branches are quite productive. If you want to boost its main bud, all you have to do is prune the lower parts before the plant starts to form flowers; as a result, all the vigour will be focused on producing flowers in the central stem. Sweet Zkittlez® is perfect for a SOG growing method.
Another aspect is worth noting. Although this strain is known to make use of a lot of food, when the first pistils matured at around day 40 of bloom, I deliberately cut nutrients, because the plants already looked very bright and healthy, and forced them to consume reserves in the substrate and even in their leaves at the end of the cycle. I didn’t do a soil wash and only fed them with water and enzymes for the last two weeks. I also used an organic feed in moderate amounts. I assure you that the aroma is very pure, sweet and fruity, with a citric note. Some credit should be given to the fact that its smell is not perceivable outside, around your indoor space, which will easily go unnoticed. True, the plant smells a bit too much, but only when you get close to it. The plants’ appearance in their final days was pure magic. The amount of resin was worthy of admiration and the most striking aspect was how its large population of trichomes stood out against a reddishpurple leaf colour, which is typical of many American strains. The calyxes retained a lime green colour, which were a perfect match to the foliage hues and the caramel tone of the trichomes - thus making this delicious passion-fruit tasting Sweet Zkittlez® by Sweet Seeds® an enjoyment for all senses. They are ideal plants to produce extracts, because they have resin in almost all their leaves. The weed rosin produced exceeds 20% and is usually extremely delicious! When you let these buds dry slowly and cure them in glass jars, you will enjoy a perfect combination of fruity, candy and woody flavours with citric notes and spicy hints. Each puff of it will deliver a superb sensation. You will not feel hyperactive, but rather extremely joyful and creative, as your body will calm down and relax after a hard, stressful day. Don’t forget to make room in the garden for this new queen of Sweet Seeds®, you will love i
20
Grow Report
By Stoney Tark
Mokum’s Tulip Set Up: Seedbank - Dutch Passion Strain - Fem Mokum’s Tulip (Gelato x Sherbet) Lights - SANlight Q5 210w LED Grow Medium - Plagron Bat Guano Mix, Guanokalong Complete Mix Pot Size - 10 litre fabric pot Nutrients - Cannazyme, Hesizyme, Sensizyme 3ml per litre Growing Phase - 21 days
cut of the top shoot. I do this now to prevent any unwanted stretching periods, and to allow the side branches to produce fat and dense buds. After 42 days, the growth structure is bushy, however is very clean underneath and is now measuring a height of 48cm after being
topped. My feeding regime remains the same and I feed one hour after the lights have come on, ensuring the grow medium is totally dry before watering until run off. When given a stem rub, there is a clear lemony, sherbert aroma present and now I am very excited to see what terps she throws out during blooming.
Week 1 - This will be an organic grow using only 210w of SANlight LED. The feeding schedule will be one to feed every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with a water and enzyme only solution. The grow medium is from Plagron and is their complete bat guano mix. I also mixed in a powdered product from Guanokalong named Complete Mix.
I shift my timer to 12 hours on and 12 hours off and now the flowering phase begins. The only amendment I make at this stage is to provide a top dressing of the Guanokalong powder Complete mix. It is a bit of a smelly one, so beware not to add to much to avoid having your entire house smell funky. The growth structure of this plant is now evenly growing with multiple tops that will produce uniform buds. After the first 7 days of flowering, the plants have stretched considerably and are outgrowing everything else in my tent in terms of stretching. After the second week, the height has now grown to 93cm almost doubling in height, and considering I had topped her she is now the tallest lady in the room. I actually take some twine and tie her tallest points down to create as even a canopy as possible, and avoid having the buds growing too close to the light. By week 3, she was producing fat pistils and pre flowered extremely fast. I could not believe how fast she was flowering and by the 4th week, the calyxs were stacked and producing loads more pre flowers.
I germinate my feminised seed in a glass of room temperature water and am ready to plant into my organic mix. Using a toothpick and poking into my moist medium, I create a 2cm deep hole to plant the seed tap root down. After gently covering up, I place the 10 litre fabric pot into the grow tent. The temperature inside the grow tent is averaging 23 degrees celsius and with my humidifier inside, the relative humidity is close to 65%. It takes only 3 days before I see a set of small leaves popping up out of my growing medium. The plan is to feed only enzyme rich water to the plant and allow the nutrients to be absorbed slowly and naturally.
Flowering Phase - 50 days
The bud structure was very thick and dense with formations at every internode. What really impressed me is how the lower buds grew identical to the tops.
The buds were rock hard and very stacked.
After 14 days of growing under 18/6, the plant grew to around 15cm high and began to show characteristics of the gelato leaf pattern. Her stem grew quite thin and quickly toughened up from the constant swaying caused by my oscillating fans. I continue to feed at 3ml per litre of each separate enzyme product, meaning there is 9ml per litre in total.
After week 5, there is a heavy formation of resin on the buds, with the surrounding leaves becoming frosted with resin rails. Compared to the other cultivars in the tent, I would say Mokum’s Tulip is a very fast flowering variety that will be ready to harvest in no more than 50 days. Now day 35 has passed, the final 2 weeks will class as the flush period and to make sure all of the internal reserves have been used up and the buds produce the ultimate smooth taste.
Flushed - 15 days
Week 6 begins and as the buds begin to get fatter and more frosty, I notice the terp profile becoming more gassy with overtones of creamy gelato. The buds have a rock hard density and are so stacked up, that harvesting will be really easy and there will be no popcorn nugs.
After 21 days, there was smaller growth developing at each internode which was stacking every inch. From early signs, Mokum’s Tulip was going to be a bushy plant with lots of shoots. My plan is to top her at the end of week 4 and let the structure become more bushy, allowing for a shorter final plant height. The temperature and humidity inside my tent was still in the ideal range of 23.5 degrees Celsius and 60% humidity.
The pistils have turned dark brown and began to wrap themselves around the swollen, bulky buds. The colours of the buds are beautiful and contain orange, purples and bright green hues. I decided to harvest this lady on the 50th day. After hanging for 14 days, the buds are ready to be placed into curing jars. Overall I am very impressed by this new strain from Dutch Passion, and certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a quick turn around and fat buds.
Day 35 and her height was 42cm. The stem has become hard and getting a nice thickness, and is beginning to fill the tent. The appearance is a lush, vibrant green with new growth exploding from every internode. I now take the time to prune the lowest parts of each side branch, and
Conclusion -
A fast flowering hybrid that is packed with terps.
The dried buds have a very unique terpene profile that can be described as a creamy gelato with a lime based sourness. When smoking the flavours are delicious and coat the lips after every toke. A great effect that is creative and also perfect for day time use.
Goril l a Z k i t t l e Z B a r n e y ’ s Fa r m www.barneysfarm.com
22
Indoor-Cannabisanbau
Growing Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies We interviewed Antonio, an indoor grower who tested Dinafem’s two new Cookie strains, i.e. Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies, with H. Madera excellent results. Antonio is a home growing enthusiast. It all started when his girlfriend told him that some friends would let the couple plant grass in their terrace. Ever since that first crush on cannabis growing, he has continued his neverending journey to discover new strains. As he put it, everyone needs to nurture a passion and this new passion was a kick-off for his later activity – he started
Germination
A Blueberry Cookies seedling
investing in equipment to fit out his own home growing space without depending on others.
Antonio’s growing space His home growing space is a guest room, whose window is kept open with the blind down. Here he installed a grow tent measuring 90 x 90 m with a Platinum LED
Recently germinated plants
Vegetative stage
P300 panel, which only consumes 93 W during growth and 180 W during bloom, thus saving energy with virtually no heat. The grow tent has two fans and the door is left open in order to keep a constant temperature of around 24.5º to 25.5º during the day and around 20º to 21º at night. He also uses a dehumidifier to keep humidity at 60% during growth and 55% or so during bloom. He explained that, when the plant tips reach the LED panel, he moves them one palm and a half away to avoid their burning and produce flower clusters and a large quantity of trichomes although,
due to the intensity of the light, the upper tips can turn white.
Substrate and fertilisation He normally uses 10-litre air pots, which are especially designed to increase the root ball and make it more fibrous, for water and nutrients to be easily absorbed and the substrate to become more oxy-genated. At the bottom of the pot, he puts a 1 cm layer of perlite, on which he places 3 cm of Biobizz's All Mix and a further layer of Biobizz's Light Mix until the pot is almost filled up. The substrate is finally topped up by Superguano (bat guano)
OG Cookies and Blueberry Cookies in the early vegetative stage
3D printing for Low Stress Training
23
View of a grow tent during the vegetative stage
and Top Vulcan (volcanic lava), both available from Top Crop. For fertilisation, he uses BAC base fertilisers combined with the full range of growth boosters available from Advanced Nutrients. In particular, he uses Rhino Skin, Big Bud, Bud Factor X, Bud Candy, Tarántula, Piraña, Nirvana, Overdrive, Sensi Zym and B52. In addition, at the end of flowering, he irrigates plants with water alternatively mixed with the above stimulators and Bloombastic. Since he only grows four plants in his tent, he customises irrigation by mixing water with the appropriate nutrients each time.
Vegetative stage for OG Cookies and Blueberry Cookies
This training method is applied during growth and consists in tying the main branch, which grows in a more open position, where secondary branches quickly reach out for the light and produce ho-mogenous buds. In addition to the LST method, he uses a mesh for plants to grow horizontally. He then prunes the tips of lower branches because, when plants are grown under LED lamps, these branches produce low-quality buds. Between the second and third week of flowering, he usually removes larger leaves for buds not to remain covered.
Pruning, meshing, height control and defoliation
Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies – growth and flowering
With a 3D printer, he made a frame where all plants are secured. The frame is also used to keep branches open and ensure a low plant size– otherwise said, he applies a Low Stress Training (LST) method. In normal growth, plants usually develop a large-sized main bud, with much smaller ones.
In the grow test of the two strains, Antonio germinated seeds directly in the soil and seedlings ap-peared after three days. Plants grew with abundant branches and a bushy profile. One Blueberry Cookies specimen grew quite tall, with a long main cola. Its leaves were thick and beautifully purple, with very
Purple hues in Blueberry Cookies
thick leaflets. In the vegetative stage, plants grew solidly, but quietly. As soon as they moved to the flowering stage, their development became explosive. The branches continued to grow and generated much foliage with sprouts appearing on all sides. Many lower branches also appeared, but were later removed. The Blueberry Cookies plants tended to grow more than the Ocean Grown Cookies and continued developing even after apical pruning – their sprouts first gathered in uniform rows and then densified each week. From the second week onwards, Ocean Grown Cookies stood out for its intense smell, which filled the room, as well as for the beauty of its foliage. In both strains, the concentration of trichomes was impressive, with several flower clusters and resin-filled leaves. At the end of flowering, there was such a concentration of resin that the buds almost looked like THC candies. Buds were cut out and trimmed
Lush vegetation in Blueberry Cookies
accurately. Their drying was done in a propagation tent, with a small dehumidifier. Every day, Antonio put a 6-litre bottle of frozen water in it to keep the temperature down.
Tasting of Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies Once dry, the buds looked impressive, standing out for their resin and density. Then it was time to taste them. Blueberry Cookies had a very intense sweet and fruity taste. Smoking it was a pleasant and delightful experience, which drew the attention of visitors for its relaxing and creative effect. OG Cookies too tasted quite sweet, although on a much earthier base. Antonio said he was very satisfied with Dinafem seeds, which he had already tried on other occasions – because they are error-proof and easy to germinate and their results are invariably reliable and above expectations. Also see next page
24
Low Stress Training
Pruning of low branches on Blueberry Cookies and Ocean Grown Cookies
Start of the blooming stage
Abundant flowering
Colas of Blueberry Cookies
Ocean Grown Cookies at the end of bloom
Bud with a white tip for excess light
Detail of a bud at the end of bloom
Ocean Grown Cookies freshly harvested
Blueberry Cookies freshly harvested
25
Grow with Rich Hamilton By Rich Hamilton
RASPBERRY BOOGIE Extracts from the Bud diaries
Each issue we dive into the pages of Soft Secrets writer Rich Hamilton’s Personal Bud Diary. GENETICS - Indicia heavy Hybrid, – 60% Indica, 40% sativa. Raspberry Boogie is made from a cross of Sour Raspberry and Pink 2.0.
GROW INFO – Grown indoors with 600W HPS lights. Mineral nutrients. Hand fed in Coco coir. Raspberry Boogie is an easy to grow short stocky plant, which yields
are considered to be around the medium mark. Some like to keep this strain in VEG for an extra week to try and maximize its height before switching it in to FLOWER. This particular bud was grown from a first generation clone which came from a seed grown Mother. PICKED UP FROM - South Birmingham, ENGLAND, U.K FLOWER – Raspberry Boogie has compact heads made up of large calyxes that are dripping in resin. The buds present themselves as a light bright green with beautiful rich dark raspberry reds and intense velvety purple colours that are a direct genetic trait of the Pink 2.0. Finally a dusting of orange and white flecks completes this masterpiece. Broken up by hand, the buds texture is light sticky and spongy. The bud itself is covered in sticky white and amber trichomes, which completely coat your fingers. The inside of the bud is packed with colour and looks completely different when broken down but that’s ok as we all know that it is what’s inside that counts and this bud does not disappoint. ODOUR - Raspberry Boogie has a very distinct, strong, rich and deep fruity smell with notes of citrus. Strange as it sounds there were also leathery overtones, which stirred up vivid memories of my grandfathers beloved old chesterfield sofa that I used to curl up on and watch Columbo on, on a cold Saturday afternoon as a kid! Which if I’m honest just made me a fan from the start. When the bud is broken apart the intense smell filled the room instantly like a blanket of dank-
ness draped across my senses. I love this Raspberry boogie and its signature smell. Truly a stand out bud. CONSUMED - Smoked straight (no tobacco) with a non-bleached king size slim rolling papers and an organic hemp hand rolled single fold roach. Lit with a lighter. Long deep draws in with a clean white long exhale of smoke. Smoked on a lovely sunny day chilling in the park, passed around with close friends I hadn’t seen in a while. It’s times like this I look back at with fondness. Memory’s made just before the age of Covid, before people didn’t have to think before passing a spliff. The world is changing. TASTE - The taste is intense thanks to a high terpene content. It lives up to its name in that it is like a fruity party in your mouth! It is intense, with citrus, sour and tangy notes that are no doubt inherited from the’ Sour Raspberry’. The other side of its heritage is also clearly present though with an undeniable sherbet like taste lingering at the back of the throat on the exhale. An attribute which has surely been passed down by The ‘Pink 2.0’ parentage and its tones of Skittles and Cotton Candy. The combined taste is definitely both unmistakable and unforgettable. STONE - This one is quite a hard hitter, not surprising when considering the high THC levels, so get ready to feel fully relaxed. It is a bodily weighty and contemplatively minded stone that will powerfully relax you physically and mentally.
Rich Hamilton is also author of the Growers Guide. A series of how to grow guide’s available now from www.thegrowersguide.com and host of the podcast THE HYDRO CHRONICLE available now on iTunes.
26
QUIZ
7. A. B. C. D.
Flush, Harvest and Cure. 1. A. B. C. D.
2. A. B. C. D.
What does Flushing do? Removes any pests Decreases plant size Removes stored traces of nutrient Improves plant’s colour
What can happen if you don’t flush? Buds won’t dry properly. Buds will rot. Buds will crumble when drying. End taste and quality will be affected.
3. What light cycle should you use for Flushing? A. The same as Flower B. Lights off C. 6hrs on/18hrs off D. Lights on
4. A. B. C. D.
How long should you flush for? 4 weeks plus. 1-2 weeks. 3 weeks. 1 day.
5. Why do some Growers have a 48hr “dark” period just before Harvest? A. To increase and improve flavours B. Keep plants from drying out C. Keep temperature down D. Keep humidity at correct level
6. A. B. C. D.
What is wet trimming? Moistening buds before trimming Trimming buds before drying Keeping humidity high after trimming Trimming without Flushing
What is sugar leaf? Yellowing leaves Palm leaves Leaves with trichomes on them. New leaves
8. How close should you trim the excess foliage down to the bud. A. Within 1-2 mm B. 1 cm C. 2 cm D. 1 inch
9. What can you turn the excess sugar trim in to? A. Soup B. Glue C. Paper. D. Bubble Hash
10. What is dry trimming? A. Removing foliage before drying out B. Drying bud out before removing foliage C. Using a trimming machine D. Trimming without flushing first
11. Why is it important to dry your buds in the dark? A. They dry quicker B. They dry slower C. Light can degrade the THC D. Pests are deterred
12. What is a good temperature to dry your buds at? A. 18-20C B. 25-30C C. 10-15C D. Over 30C
13. What is a good humidity to dry your buds at? A. 10-20% RH B. 25% RH C. 50-60% RH D. Under 10% RH
14. Why is it important to dry your buds slowly? A. To maximize the expressions of the plant. B. To avoid pests. C. To avoid a bitter “green” end taste. D. To keep buds looking good.
15. How should you arrange your buds when drying? A. In a pile B. Evenly spaced C. In a jar D. In size order
16. How should you Cure your bud? A. In a cardboard box. B. Don’t. C. In a plastic bag. D. In an airtight glass jar.
17. What term does “burping” mean in Cure? A. Shaking the jar B. Opening jar regularly for airflow C. Leaving the jar in direct sunlight D. Not opening the jar
18. Why should you Cure your buds? A. To dry them further B. To make them weigh more C. To mature the flavours D. To lighten their colour
19. What is the ideal moisture content of well dried, Cured buds? A. 10-12% moisture content B. 50% moisture content C. 20% moisture content D. 0% moisture content
20. How long can you keep your Cured buds? A. As long as you want B. Up to 12 months in the right conditions C. 3 months D. 5 years
That's it! For answers see page 38
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28
Grow with Stoney Tark By Stoney Tark
All You Need To Know
About Harvesting ing room at the same time, causing early finishing cultivars to be picked late diminishing terpene profiles, and late blooming cultivars to be harvested early. Try to ignore the flowering time suggested by the breeder, and wait until the calyx are as stacked and thick as possible. Some strains will naturally form golf balls at every internode that are hard to squeeze, and others may take on a more elongated sativa dominant. Either way it is better to pick later than early, and be sure to use trichome maturity to help determine the ideal window.
Timing The Flush
Flushing refers to the amount of time a grower spent feeding only plain water for the final 2 weeks of 12/12. It often indicates how clean a flower will taste and the smoothness associated when smoked. There are actually 2 main reasons why we flush growing mediums prior to harvesting.
Getting to the final few weeks of the flowering cycle is a very exciting time, and all that hard work and effort over the last 10 weeks or more is starting to pay off. All you need to do now is make sure you flush properly and harvest at the right time. Below is explained all you need to know about the final stages of your Cannabis plant’s life cycle, the right time to chop, mistakes to avoid and many other things that will help you produce the best quality flower. What To Know
Harvesting Cannabis plants takes practice and there are certain traits to look out for. In the old days, many growers would chop on the day stated by the seed packet, or based on how orange and mature the pistils had become. With a modern day awareness, as growers we are able to break down the harvest window and simplify what to look out for.
The Signs To Look For:
1. Trichome Maturity The first thing you should base your predictions on are the maturity of the trichomes. Ultimately it is these that contain all the essential oils, ranging from terpe-
nes to cannabinoids. The very best way to do this is to take a sample of flower and place it under a magnifying scope. Once you have done this several times and are happy with not only the size of the resin glands, now you need to pay attention to the colour of the trichome. Trichomes will change colour from clear to cloudy grey, to light yellow and finally a darker amber bordering on red. Each colour will represent a different type of effect meaning the more clear the resin head, the more cerebral the effects will be. Alternatively harvesting your plants with the majority amber colour will result in a much more sedative effect.
2. Bud Development A key skill to becoming a good grower is having patience with your flowering
1. Using plain water for 14 days will encourage the plants to use up all of its internal nutrient reserve that may have built up over the 10 weeks or more. Some growers will even flush for 21 days, and although there is the misconception you are not slamming the plants with nutrients when they most need it, you are actually encouraging it to push for the final stages. This cleansing process will result in your Cannabis plants showing deficiencies and displaying what is referred to as seasonal colours. 2. Plain water or water with enzymes will clean the growing medium by dissolving any left over minerals that have accumulated inside the pots and around the root zone. Allowing a 2-3 week period to wash out the grow medium will ensure you have a super clean crop. It is a combination of cleaning the medium and forcing the plants
Make sure you do not harvest your plants early on, no matter how tempted you may become. plants, and identifying the peak swelling of the calyx. I have personally witnessed growers who have to harvest their flower-
to use their internal reserves that will produce the best looking, smelling and tasting buds possible.
29
What To Avoid
• Make sure you do not harvest your plants early on, no matter how tempted you may become. If you are unsure, then wait another week and do the simple trichome and bud development tests before making your final choice. • Make sure that the contaminated flower is cut away from the plant and
for making either water hash or dry sift with. • Chopping the plants down based on the day the breeder says. Pay attention to all of the different variables mentioned above and become more familiar with your plants that are being grown as different phenotypes will express themselves differently.
Keep the room temperature as close to 15 degrees Celsius as possible. disposed of. Infected buds that have become prevalent with mould or mildew have no use and cannot be salvaged even for extracts. • Avoid harvesting little undeveloped buds and just throw these into a bag
The Perfect Dry Room
How you dry your flowers out has a huge impact on how they look, the terpenes, how well it burns and smells when burning and overall experience. Learning the hard way about dry rooms can be an expensive lesson so below are 5 top tips
when leaving your crop to dry either wet trimmed or drying out.
• Allow your plants space to hang and do not let them touch the sides of the walls
• Aim for 60% relative humidity and do not let the room become too dry or damp.
• Never have a fan blowing at the buds and create a light oscillating breeze facing away.
• Keep the room temperature as close to 15 degrees celsius as possible.
• Give the plants 14 days to dry for the best quality of flower.
30
Grow with Mr. Jose
Mr. José / info@mrjose.eu
Back to basics – What plants need There is a lots of hypes and ground breaking news about a cannabis growing during last years. It is great to follow and try new technics, new equipment and growing systems. Anyway, the only way to reach spectacular harvest is to not forget for basics. Let’s get back to basics and summarize what a lots of growers are sometimes forgetting. Photosynthesis
I am sure all good growers is familiar with unique process of photosynthesis. From the perspective of a human, the most important fact is that it produces oxygen, without which we would not be able to live on Earth. However, from the perspective of plants, oxygen is just one of its side products. In the process of photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), water, nutrients, photosynthetically active radiation and heat, which they transform into oxygen and carbohydrates. While they release most of the oxygen into the air, they use the carbohydrates as a source of energy to grow and survive. The better and faster the photosynthesis takes place, the more carbohydrates plants can produce. The main goal of every gardener is to encourage speed of photosynthesis as much as possible. When the conditions for photosynthesis are optimal, the plants have more energy for their growth and flowering. The process when simple inorganic compounds are forming more complex structures is called assimilation. If one of the components necessary for photosynthesis is missing or there is not enough of it, the process either occurs only partially or not at all. If, for example, the plants do not have access to light, such as during night, photosynthesis does not occur. But even then, the plants still use energy to maintain their vital functions. At that point, they disassemble the complex structures in the form of carbohydrates back into simpler structures. This process is called dissimilation and it is the exact opposite of assimilation. If you want your plants to use energy mostly for their growth and flowering, you have to minimize dissimilation and maximize assimilation by encouraging and accelerating photosynthesis. This can be achieved by establishing a proper climate and the general operation of the grow room.
Inadequate watering slows the growth of plants and great shortages of water end in plant death. With optimum amounts of moisture, the plant thrives. With excess watering, first the roots – from which the plant takes its nutrients – start to get mouldy. If the excess persists, the plant begins to turn sallow. In extreme cases it starts to get mouldy and the stalk and plant die out completely.
Root hairs.
Cannabis plants absorb water via their root system, mostly through thin hairs on the surface of the roots called root hairs. They are visible to the naked eye – and the best time to observe them is when germinating seeds on germinating paper. If you want the roots to receive the necessary amount of water, you need to create optimal conditions for them – this means achieving the right temperature and providing enough oxygen. If the temperature is too low or too high in the root region, the water uptake capacity decreases. With extreme temperatures the capacity is blocked completely.
Nutrients
Water
Plants, like people, are mostly made up of water. 70-80% of fresh plants’ weight is made up by water, and it plays a key role in their various metabolic reactions, including photosynthesis. However, up to 98% of absorbed water is transpired back into the atmosphere. Water is fundamental for the transport of substances in plant organism. It dissolves nutrients and transports them to
places where plants need them. It can also cool down the plant in case it is necessary, or prevent its temperature from going down rapidly. Thermoregulatory function of water could be used by growers as an excellent way to increase CO2 presence. In an ideal scenario, water flows continuously inside the plant from the roots up to the leaves, where it leaves the plant and is released into the atmosphere in the form of vapour. It would not be possible without significant surface tension of water, enabling capillary elevation, transpiration and root buoyancy.
Stomatas on leaves play a key role in transpiration process.
Most of the nutrients are absorbed by root hairs with water. Cannabis plants, as same as other higher plants, are able to absorb some nutrients by leafs too. Foliar nutrition is mostly use as fast remedy for nutrient imbalance or to add trace elements and vitamins to plants. However, root nutrition is far more important than foliar nutrition. Primal source of nutrients is a soil. It contains different amount of humus. Humus is complex of necrotic micro-organisms, plants, animals and fungi and strongly affect concentration of nutrients in soil and its availability for the plants. Plants are not absorbing nutrition elements from soil at the same concentration as they are present in there. Due to big difference between concentration of nutrition elements in soil and needs of plants, roots have ability to regulate uptake of particular nutrients separately from others. There is also possibility to grow plants without soil in inert growing medium, e. g. hydroponically or aeroponically. In such case
31 Air – CO2 and oxygen
Plants require more CO2 then humans, and they are able to produce an adequate amount of oxygen themselves. A lack of these elements will have the result of slow or interrupted growth, yellowing of the leaves and small, meagre flowers. It is necessary to regularly and effectively ventilate a grow room, not just on account of CO2 intake, but also often to maintain the required temperature and humidity. Therefore devote great attention to ventilation and CO2 level in your grow room.
Heat and humidity
Cannabis has its favourite temperatures and also grows according to the changes in temperature. If you do not ensure the required temperature, it will not grow in the way you expect. The day temperature should vacillate between 24–28 °C (75–82 °F), (never more than 32 °C = 90 °F), and at night should not fall below 16 °C (60 °F). Air humidity plays crucial role in transpiration process. It is necessary to control air humidity and temperature
together to achieve optimal conditions for fast photosynthesis. Transpiration speed depends, among other things, on the difference in water vapour pressure inside leaves and in the surrounding environment (vapour pressure deficit – VPD). Inside the leaf, there is always 100% humidity and the water is present in liquid form. Before transpiration into the atmosphere, the water under the leaf surface turns into steam. This creates above mentioned pressure because the steam requires much more space than water. The level of the water vapour pressure inside the leaf also depends on its temperature. The VPD pressure value is determined by the temperature and relative humidity. The following VPD values are recommended for optimal transpiration speed. For cloning and early growth stage 0.4–0.8 kPa, for ending growth stage and beginning of flowering stage 0.8–1.2 kPa and for second phase of flowering 1.2–1.6 kPa. To get more information about VPD, check out my older article named Water and plants. Thank you for attention and stay tuned!
Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Indoor Cannabis Growing
Healthy bud.
all nutrients are dissolved directly in water and distributed directly to root zone.
Light
Light is one of the basic elements in photosynthesis and plants need it for life. Without adequate light they do not have energy for photosynthesis. Plants will not grow the way we want them to and you will never achieve the harvest of your dreams. For indoor growing, artificial light is the first thing you need to think about and use to
its maximum effect. Plants are equipped with three main photosynthetic pigments, able to use energy of light. Chlorophyll A absorbs the most of energy of blue and red light spectrum. Chlorophylls B and C transfer absorbed energy to Chlorophyll A. Carotenoids do the same and protect photosynthesis apparatus against damage from excessive radiation. For plants, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is necessary. The growth of your plants will depend on the amount of PAR they receive.
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33
Grow with Stoney Tark By Stoney Tark
5 Top Tips On
Watering Cannabis Once you have bought all your pots, lights, soil, nutrients, and have set up your grow tent, all you need to do now is germinate your seedlings and simply water frequently. Now that may be easier said than done, with many variables that must be taken into consideration. Below are my top 5 tips on watering your Cannabis plants and how to get the most out of your crop. Tip 1 - The Frequency
One of the reasons why commercial hydroponic farmers growing either Cannabis or fruit and vegetables, have so much success is down to the frequency of feed. This does not refer to the amount of nutrient solution they receive, however the regulated consistent routine that plants become used to. Plants will always respond much better to a regulated feeding cycle, as opposed to whenever it seems fit for the grower. Applying consistent feeding times and amount of nutrient solution or plain water, is one way to ensure that plants are not overwatered, and can choose the most practical times to water according to the temperature of the grow room. My top tip here is to invest into a water pump, timer, and set up drip lines / drip rings around your plants. Not only is this an excellent method for those who have a strict water only organic diet, but it also means you do not have to be there in person, and the timer can be set to release a set amount of water multiple times per day if necessary.
Tip 2 - Watering Times
Now that you have a better understanding of how important watering frequency is, the next thing to consider is watering times. Now this can vary depending on which substrate is being used. For example soil, coco coir, rockwool, mapito, hydroton all have different buffering capacities, drainage, and water-retaining qualities. It is very important to figure out the right amount of water to give your Cannabis plants, as this will increase the more mature they become. For those who are
growing with soil and feed only water, or a simple molasses-based nutrient then watering once until drip through is usually the standard treatment. Those who work with coco mixes, and venture off into the hydroponic world will benefit from feeding up to 2-3 times per day during 18/6 and 3-5 times during 12/12.
that prefer a non-oxygenated environment, as well as discouraging aerobic bacteria which are the good force you want to be present.
Tip 4 - Using Enzymes Consistently
One of the main things I love to do when growing at home is to use enzymes. The
job of enzymes is to break down any substrate and totally clean out the root zone and growing medium. By combining enzymes with your nutrient solution, you will quickly speed up the breaking down and uptake of your nutrients, as well have optimal plant health. Enzymes are an excellent way to clean your growing medium and when used from start
My top tip here is to feed one hour after lights have come on, and 2-3 hours prior to lights out. Once you have your feeding frequency dialed in, you will discover the optimum E.C levels and what your plants are capable of. Every strain is different so don’t expect one to be as hungry as others and become familiar with the cultivars being grown.
Tip 3 - Promote Dry Periods Dry periods occur naturally in the wild and when it happens in the grow room, it is not always a bad thing. Allowing your growing medium to dry out intentionally or by accident, will in fact stimulate root growth significantly, as root hairs search for dry pockets and moisture. Not only will dry periods promote root growth, they will also ensure that the plants get a good watering and at no point, become over watered, or locked out with nutrients. Some growers who use coco and drip lines can either water multiple times a day in small amounts, or will do one large flood feed every 48 hours, depending on how fast the grow medium dries out. My top tip here is to encourage dry periods for up to one day. Unless you have mastered the art of stacking high E.C levels via drip lines, you can run the risk of over watering your plants, weighing the roots down, encouraging bad bacteria
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34 until finish, it can be very hard for any residual salts to be left over, especially when used during the 14-day flushing period. My top tip here is to use multiple brands of enzymes when making a nutrient solution. I personally like to use a combination of Powerzyme from HESI, Cannazyme from Canna and Sensizym from Advanced Nutrients at 3ml per litre of each. During the final 14 days of flushing, the measurement will increase to 5ml per litre of each enzyme, with only plain water.
Tip 5 - Check Your E.C and pH If you are new to growing, then it can easily fall into the trap the more nutrients you add and feed, will result in a much superior producing plant. The truth is this will only affect the final outcome of your flowers, resulting in a harsh, unpleasant smoke that makes you cough every time you breathe. What is more important is making sure the pH of your water source is spot on, and your E.C levels are not too high or too low. My top tip here is to buy a pH and E.C test pen and make sure you have a digital reading of both. The nutrient uptake of a Cannabis plant will be largely decided by the pH of the water source and can be the difference between nutrient lockout
35
Grow Report By Stoney Tark
Three Blue Kings the training, it is extremely bushy and wide. The air flow around the bottom of the plants is perfect and I do not need to worry about air flow issues.
Grow Report - Three Blue Kings Lineage: Blue Dream x Three Blue Kings
By the end of week 4 she seems to have stopped stretching, with a final height of 129cm. There is a massive amount of flowering sites and from what I can see already, the resin profile is insane with this cultivar.
Grown: Indoors under SANlight LED (Generation 2 Q5 Series) Medium: Coco
There is an abundance of pre-flowers all tightly packed together greased in trichomes. This lady is starting to really fill out and glisten, and her aroma is becoming more distinct with the tent smelling of gas, fuel, with hints of fruit and earth.
Nutrients: House & Garden Aqua Flakes + Multizyme Pot Size: 30L felt pot
Day 35 and she has gone crazy with resin production and seems to have turned it up a notch. The fan leaves and surrounding leaves have begun to curl up with trichomes and completely plaster the plant with a sugary appearance.
Growth Time on 18/6: 37 days Flowering Time on 12/12: 67 days
Grow Phase - 18/6
After transplanting the germinated seed, I leave to grow under my SANlight LED for 18 hours a day with 6 hours darkness. For the first 7 days, they will hand watered accord-
Three Blue Kings after training in veg ingly and once they reach a certain height will be topped and trained. So far she is growing with a healthy green glow, and shorter indica dominant fan
leaves. By day 10 she is already 6.5cm tall, so once I hit the 14 day mark, I will remove the top shoot leaving the axillary shoots behind. This technique will increase the number of top colas the plant produces, as well as reduce final height once the stretching period ends. Day 21 and she has reacted well to the pinching out and has really pushed her side branches out. The internodal spacing is not growing too closely together, so it looks like she will be a great candidate for plant training. I notice her main stem is growing thick and wide and she currently has a short, but stocky appearance with all leaves praying up towards the light. Measuring at 27cm tall with a stacked appearance. As I reach day 30, and notice the super cropping went well and there are already noticeable knuckle formations happening on each part of the main stem. This lady seems to be a tough, resilient plant which is always a good thing. Her height has shot up considerably measuring at 54cm, with wide fingered fan leaves bulging out from all directions.
Flowering Stage - 12/12
After 37 days of growing in the vegetative stage, this cultivar is now ready to be flowered and to reveal what she is all about. Her main stem is very chunky and thick, so it looks like she can take on the nutrients and pack on the pounds in return. For the first 2 weeks, this girl will be left to stretch and really establish herself.
During the final flush
After 18 days of flowering, her height has increased by almost double and she is now easily the tallest strain in the room. I measure the height at 89cm , however thanks to
After day 45 and this lady has really taken over the room and is a marvel to look at. She has remained a lush dark green the entire grow, without throwing out any signs of purpling up. From this point on I will begin to
A prolific amount of trichomes on this lady flush and allow a good 14 day flushing period. My nutrients change to only Multizyme and she will now only recieve water with enzyme solution. Day 60 and she looks superb, frosted to death and solid buds growing all the way up every single branch. The leaves are tightly packed between the buds and under a lupe, I notice the majority of her trichomes are cloudy silver with the odd specs of golden amber. In 7 days more she will be harvested taking her to a total of 67 days. She is a huge producer and would work extremely well in a SCROG. On day 67 I take her out of the tent and hang the entire plant, minus the fan leaves. After 14 days she will be dry trimmed and all of that excessive sugar leaf saved for dry sifting. The drying room smells very strong with a lingering fuel dank and waves of gas.
36
Grow with Jorge Cervantes
By Jorge Cervantes jorge@marijuanagrowing.com
Prevent Diseases and Pests Large outdoor plants that are strong and healthy do not get diseases and pests.
Clean well-maintained gardens have few problems with diseases and pests. In contrast, every dingy, dank, ill-kept garden I have seen had problems with powdery mildew, bud rot, spider mites, thrips, and many more diseases and pests. Problematic gardens yield substandard harvests. Prevent diseases and pests by controlling the things that attract diseases and pests and help them multiply. Remove dank unsanitary hiding places. Wear clean clothes. Wash your hands and tools after touching diseased plants. If diseases attack one or a few plants, isolate and treat them separately. Keep your garden clean. Sweep the floor and sidewalks daily. Cover dirt pathways with woven cloth weed barriers to minimize dust and mud and facilitate cleaning. Sanitize enclosed garden floors, walls, containers, etc. with a 5 percent bleach solution. Use clean organic mulch – straw, alfalfa hay, well-rotted compost, etc. – outdoors that is disease and chemical free. Do not use tainted cannabis leaves or other diseased and pest-laden mulch. Indoors and in greenhouses use mulch that can be sterilized including expanded clay pellets, paper and plastic. Gardeners transport many diseases and pests that could destroy their gar-
The layer of straw protects roots in SmartPots from extreme heat and water loss. by dipping or wiping with rubbing alcohol, 5 percent bleach solution, commercial disinfectant or sterilized with a hand-held torch to kill any diseases and pests. A quick heating with the torch will sterilize tools in a few seconds. Separate sets of indoor, greenhouse and outdoor tools and supplies are much easier to keep clean.
Remove sick plants in containers from the garden and treat in issolation. A single weak and sick plant can spread devastating problems in gardens quickly. If unable to issolate plants, consider removing them and destroying if problems are serious. Soil-borne diseases and pests and their
dens. Simple regular sanitary precautions will exclude diseases and pests. Wear clean clothes – shirt, shoes, pants, gloves – especially in enclosed areas. These simple precautions keep the problems outside garden walls. Set a tray of dilute 5 percent bleach solution outside the garden to sterilize shoes. Step in the solution each time you enter the garden. Professional medical cannabis growers use this successful technique to keep diseases and pests from entering their indoor and greenhouse gardens. Wash your hands at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before touching foliage and after handling diseased plants. Apply few drops of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol to hands for quick sanitation in between handling diseased plants. Washing your hands kills bad bacteria, fungi and viruses. Diseases and pests ride from plant to plant on dirty tools, containers and other supplies. Disinfect tools and supplies
A tunnel greenhouse overgrows rows quickly. The crop has to be fast so that no diseases and pests have time to move in.
37 eggs live in tainted used potting soil and soilless mixes of containerized plants. Used growing mediums compact and texture degrades. Roots penetrate compacted growing mediums more slowly and there is less room for oxygen, which restricts nutrient uptake. Used potting soil is depleted of nutrients and has nutrient imbalances. Undernourished plants grow in disease-prone growing mediums. These sickly plants are perfect targets for disease and pest infestations. Avoid problems. Throw out used growing mediums or incorporate them into outdoor garden soil. Saving a few dollars on potting soil will be repaid with a diminished harvest and lost crops. Starting a new crop in new growing medium will cost more up front but will eliminate many potential problems. Replacing soil and other substrates can be cost-prohibitive in big gardens. Reusing soil requires extra labor and techical know-how. Air ventilation is essential in all gardens, indoors outdoors and greenhouses. Indoors and in greenhouses, passive ventilation is the easiest and least expensive humidity control. Open passive intake and exit vents to create natural airflow using a simple physical principal – hot air rises. Intake vents located near ground level bring in cool air that is drawn out exit vents located near the ceiling. Indoors a vent fan attached to a humidistat is often the most effective form of humidity control. I have visited garden rooms and greenhouses with poor ventilation, some with no extraction fans. The humid stagnant air was so overpowering it caused my glasses to fog. The solution is simple, install a vent fan to suck out moist-stale air. Install vent fans large enough to remove moist air quickly and keep humidity at 50 percent or less. Connect CO2 generators and emitters to a controller that manages air extraction. CO2 generators increase cannabis growth, but create heat and humidity as byproducts.
Dehumidifiers are relatively inexpensive, readily available and do a good job of keeping humidity under control in enclosed areas. Dehumidifiers draw extra electricity and the condensed water must be removed daily. Most air conditioners can be set to a specific humidity level. Wood, coal and electric heat all dry and dehumidify the air. Open home heat and air conditioner vents that are located in indoor gardens to help control temperature and lower humidity. Outdoors, lowering humidity requires planning. Plant in areas with natural air flow such as breezeways and hillsides. Do not plant at the bottom of a canyon or valley where air hangs and stagnates. Once plants are in the ground, humidity is virtually impossible to control. Containerized plants can be moved to locations with natural air flow if weather changes. Air circulation makes life miserable for diseases and pests. Many pests are literally blown away in the wind. Fungal spores have little time to settle in a breeze and grow poorly on wind-dried soil, stems and leaves. Set up air circulation fans indoors and in greenhouses. Prune and remove spindly branches and foliage inside plants. This will increase air circulation within plants so that stagnant air can be evacuated efficiently. All plants indoors, in greenhouses and outdoors benefit by removing low-value foliage. Plant insect- and fungus-resistant varieties of cannabis. In general, cannabis indica-dominant varieties are most resistant to pests and sativa-dominant are more resistant to fungal attacks. Choose mother plants that you know are resistant to diseases and pests. Disease and pest resistence are just starting to become a priority among professional breeders. To date, few disease and pest resistent varieties are available. This is another reason sanitary growing techniques are essential to shield plants from these garden-wreckers. Employ all of these preventative measures and your garden will have fewer problems with diseases and
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38 Index of ads pests. And, when disease and pest problems arrise, they will be much easier to pinpoint and correct. Preventing diseases and pests from getting started is much easier than wiping out an infestation. If diseases and pests are left unchecked, they can devastate the garden in a few short weeks. Enclosed indoor gardens are more prone to diseases and pests because they offer a hospitable environment for cannabis-destroying diseases. Totally enclose (seal) garden rooms so that the environ-
quickly. High temperatures retard growth and cause many other problems. When temperatures drop, relative humidity climbs rapidly causing condensation to form everywhere – walls, foliage, soil, etc. Outdoor gardens are my favorite! They are less prone to diseases and pests because natural forces – sunlight, wind, rain and natural predators – keep diseases and pests in check. Control diseases and pests. If prevention proves inadequate and diseases
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Greenhouses heat up when the sun comes out and cool quickly when the sun goes away. The temperature can rise beyond the safe threshold of 29 degrees C
appear, methodical control measures will be necessary. Diseases can spread like wildfire if the conditions are right. If diseases take hold, even after all preventative measures are taken, take immediate action. Identify the disease or pest the damage caused. Assess the scope of the plague. Next, take action to control.
Jorge Cervantes is author of the Cannabis Encyclopedia (596 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) and Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible). Booth books are available at all amazon retailers worldwide. The Cannabis Encyclopedia has an excellent chapter on water. Contact Jorge at www.marijuanagrowing.com.
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Urban Gardening
13
1
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Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Web: www.softsecrets.com Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Jorge Cervantes, Stoney Tark, Rich Hamilton, Mr. Jose, Green Born Identity (G.B.I.), and others. Comics: Jim Stewart Photography: iStock
ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ: PAGE 26:
1. C 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. B 7. C 8. A 9. D 10. B
Sweet Seeds
Colofon
A selfie in front of a very productive garden in California. ment can be controlled efficiently. A little negative pressure in sealed garden rooms makes life difficult for diseases and pests.
29
11. C 12. A 13. C 14. C 15. B 16. D 17. B 18. C 19. A 20. B
Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl A word from the publisher: Soft Secrets is a bi-monthly free magazine which is published in The Netherlands (called Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic and Chile. World wide there is a process going on of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, be it for medicinal or recreational purposes. Several countries legalised cannabis as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to do in Holland. Other countries legalised
the use of medicinal cannabis, including the right to grow cannabis plants for one’s own use. The publisher wants to highlight the process of normalisation of cannabis use. 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 and/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 editor takes no responsibility for unsollicited 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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new 2020 · new 2020 · new 2 ·
new 2020 · new 2020 · new 2 ·
new 2020 · new 2020 · new 202
G TO G E
SWS82
SWS85
SWS57
TOP HO E
T
P
Now available as a long-stemmed, autoflowering version, but just as potent as ever with up to 25% THC
D PEN EN
DD RIO E
Roll up! Roll up! If you are looking for ultrafast flowering, “Super Strong”, red buds
THE ONLY ORIGINAL AND GUARANTEED SEEDS FROM SWEET SEEDS® ARE THOSE SOLD IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING Sale forbidden to people under 18 years old. Seeds for collection purposes exclusively. It is illegal to make them germinate. They are not for agriculture purposes. Consult laws about cannabis applied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds® will not be accountable for illegal use of these seeds done by third parties.
C/ Dr. Nicasio Benlloch nº36-38 · 46015 · Valencia · Spain · +34 963 890 403 WHOLESALE: +34 963 473 730 / +34 963 404 289 · info@sweetseeds.es
Don’t forget! The autoflowering, XL version of Sweet Amnesia Haze® is now available
www.sweetseeds.com