The cannabis newspaper since 1985
www.softsecrets.com | Issue 2 - 2021 18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands
THE HOME OF FAMOUS STRAINS
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Most Britons want medicinal cannabis legalised There has been a substantial rise in the number of Britons who think cannabis use for medicinal purposes should be made legal, according to a Sky Data poll. Some 82% of those questioned believe it should be legalised - an increase of 10% compared with a similar Sky survey in November 2016. Only 8% of those questioned thought it should still be illegal, a fall from 15% last time. Meanwhile, there has been a smaller increase in the number who back legalising cannabis for recreational use.
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Some 41% think it should be allowed (up 4% compared to 2016), and 40% think it should not (down 6% from two years ago).
but promised it is "not a first step" to legalising the drug for recreational use. He said current laws were "not acceptable to me", as he announced details of the panel being set up to advise ministers on the changes.
The results come after the high-profile case of a severely epileptic boy whose mother went to Canada to get cannabis oil for him only to have it confiscated on her return to the UK.
Former Tory leader and foreign secretary Lord William Hague also called for the Class-B drug to be legalised for recreational use, and blasted current laws as "inappropriate, ineffective and utterly out of date".
Charlotte Caldwell said the oil helps her son Billy's condition and she flew to the north American country after his treatment was stopped in the UK.
Mr Javid ruled out Lord Hague's proposal, but said he would consider changing the law for cannabis where there was "evidence of medical benefits".
After the oil was taken away by British authorities, his symptoms worsened and he had more seizures and ended up in hospital. Mrs Caldwell was subsequently told that 12-year-old Billy would be allowed cannabis treatment after the Home Office backed down on banning it. A family spokesman said a 20-day supply has been made available. The Home Office said Home Secretary Sajid Javid had used an "exceptional power" to issue the licence for the family. Mr Javid has now declared it is "time to review" the medicinal status of cannabis,
Genevieve Edwards, director of external affairs at the MS Society, said: "It's a huge step forward that the government is now saying there will be a review into the use of medicinal cannabis - existing evidence of the benefit for MS must be included. "We already know that cannabis for medicinal use could help with pain and muscle spasms for around 10,000 people with MS. These symptoms can be relentless and exhausting and make it impossible to manage daily life. "It's simply wrong that many people are being driven to break the law under current regulations." Source: https://news.sky.com
New
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WATERMELON ZKITTLEZ
find your nearest wholesaler or retailer
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new releases collect
www.barneysfarm.com
runtz muffin
MIMOSA EVO
WEDDING CAKE
dos si dos 33
skywalker og auto
wedding cake auto
GORILLA ZKITTLEZ AUTO
dos si dos auto
Barney’s Souvenirs BV | Haarlemmerstraat 98, 1013 EW Amsterdam | Wholesale enquiries : 0031 20 41 17 249 | info@barneysfarm.com
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Wedding Cake
„A big chunk of flower pie with extra frosting, please!”
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10
Seth Rogen launches Cannabis company with a difference
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11
Best Strains for Outdoor Growing in Extreme Environments
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What is the right pot for you
Buddha White Widow Buddha Seeds www.buddhaseedbank.com
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THC-Victory, special cannabinoid grow report
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Cannabis growing TricomaTeam (tricomateam@gmail.com
Auto Zkittlez An American sweet
Let me introduce you to a fantastic medium sized auto-flowering strain, mostly indica and very easy to grow. It stands out for its exquisite aroma and gumdrop taste. Its buds are large and very resinous and produce a very relaxing effect at all levels. Advanced Seeds has just released a new automatic version of this marvellous genetics, which retains all the essence and characteristics of the original plant.
from everyday life. The aroma it gives off, and the unique taste of sweet and tropical fruits that it leaves in the mouth are only some of the great qualities of this plant.
A beautiful central bud at the end of flowering.
Zkittlez Auto is the result of a cross between a Pineapple Auto and a Gorilla Glue Auto. The hybrid obtained is a mostly Indica plant, with a THC percentage of 22% producing full physical and mental relaxation. It is ideal for disconnecting
places with limited height, this strain will be a perfect choice. The yields of Zkittlez Auto are quite generous, with quantities ranging between
Germination and growth We germinated several Zkittlez autoflowering seeds between wet rags. All of them opened quickly (in less than 48 hours) with a radicle clearly visible. We put the seedlings in nutrient-rich soil that was less than a centimetre deep with the root pointing upwards. We left them in this substrate for their entire lifecycle. As autoflowering strains grow and flower in a short time, they can take a few days to recover from any small stresses, so we preferred not to transplant them to avoid the risk of even the smallest accident during this process. We normally use large pots (in this case pots measured 17 litres) and light our crops with LEC lamps. In little more than a day, the first leaves
A detail of pistils during growth. It is fairly quick and will be ready in just 70 days after germination. It is also a discreet plant growing up to about one metre indoors and a metre and a half outdoors. If you normally grow plants on terraces or in
450 and 550 g/m² under lights in 10 weeks. Outdoors, it can be cultivated throughout the season with several harvests. Its specimens are strong and quite branchy, with dense, heavy buds covered with a shiny layer of resin.
quickly appeared on the surface of the soil. The photoperiod was set at 20 hours of light and 4 of darkness for all growth stages. In the first few days, we added a root stimulator to irrigation water. In a couple of
6 watering cycles, we also added Bactomatik to make the most of this plant. Bactomatik is a bacteria-based stimulator designed for autoflowering strains, which stimulates root growth making the aerial part of the plant healthy and vigorous. Next, to stimulate the last spurt of growth, we added a growth fertiliser for a couple of watering cycles between the third and fourth week. All plants grew healthy and strong, with plenty of side branches and many side shoots. Thick, white roots protruded through the bottom of the pots. From the third week onwards, the first pistils started to develop.
Harvest and tasting
Flowering We continued to keep the lights on for 20 hours a day to allow Auto Zkittlez to reach its full potential. During the two weeks following the start of flowering, they continued to grow amazingly. The branches stretched to the maximum length while the last buds were forming. Buds were large and dense even in the lower parts of the branches and covered with a large layer of resin. Remarkably, all specimens grew with a large impressive central bud. This marijuana strain is very easy to grow and only requires little attention. During flowering, we added a growth stimulator and a fertiliser formulated specifically for this stage of development as it
PRODUCT
favours the formation of large, dense buds, with abundant resin production. We did not forget to apply, as we usually do, an extra watering cycle with Bactobloom at the beginning of flowering. With just one watering cycle, these bacteria boost the production of buds, which continue to develop throughout the flowering stage. Just a little more than ten days before harvest, we washed the roots to remove any fertiliser traces not to spoil the taste of our marijuana. So, for irrigation we only used pure water during this last period and waited for the flowers to complete their ripening.
We cut all the plants after just 70 days from germination. All the Auto Zkittlez specimens were around 1m tall and replete of resin-covered buds. Their leafto-bud ratio was low, so pruning them took almost no time at all. The resin left on the blades of our scissors was a clear sign of the enormous amount of trichomes produced by this strain. The Zkittlez Auto is a strain that stands out for its rich yields and vigour and, above all, its taste. After hanging its branches three weeks in a dark, wellventilated room, we tasted the first Zkittlez buds. Taste is smooth, very sweet and fruity. It looked as if we had gumdrops in our mouths. The effect it produces is very relaxing and happy, a perfect treat to end the day.
A very resinous secondary bud with a considerable size.
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Barney’s Farm strain story Words & Pics: Green Born Identity – G.B.I.
Wedding Cake:
„A big chunk of flower pie with extra frosting, please!“ Wedding Cake is another highly popular plant from the dessert inspired department of cannabis strains. Originally created by Seed Junky Genetics of Los Angeles, this clone-only cultivar has never been for sale in its pure form or been bred into an actual seed strain, being available solely as part of miscellaneous hybrid strains. But just like with any clone-only cultivar not available to the public, a well-networked cannabis breeder knows how to get his hands on it, and it’s no surprise that Derry, the owner and breeder of Barney’s Farm has managed to do so, thanks to his excellent Cali connections. But Derry didn’t content himself with simply reproducing the genetics and turn them into seed form since that’s not Barney’s Farm’s working approach. Instead he strived to put his own mark on Wedding Cake by throwing some OG Kush into the original blend of Cherry Pie x Girl Scout Cookies, thus strengthening the indica share of Wedding Cake – the Barney’s farm twist on this delicacy has 80% indica under its belt. The result of his breeding efforts was a champion strain with terrific characteristics: No more than 55-60 flowerings days Wedding Cake à la Barney’s needs to produce ample yields of up to 650 grams per square metre. Given ideal conditions, outdoor growers may reap real bumper harvests of up to two kilos per plant, and Wedding Cake won’t overstrain their patience, allowing them to early draw their harvest scissors by the end of September. Grow novices will love the easy management this variety provides, Barney’s gives it a 1 on a difficulty scale to 5 – say hello to cannabis cultivation simplicity! As you would expect from a dessert cannabis strain, their Wedding Cake also is a sheer pleasure to smell and taste, delivering a mouth-watering sweet and sour bouquet with earthy tones and notes of skunk and vanilla. But don’t you indulge too much in this tempting sweet cannabis titbits - wrapped in all this sticky deliciousness looms a, friendly though, THC beast… the strain’s far above-average THC value of 24% that falls into the “heavily potent” category, effect-wise assuring a most intense experience of long duration bringing deep calm and relaxation, accompanied by a burst of happiness and blissfulness.
The veg stage: A vital start to the „wedding journey“ Of course, notorious BF devotee The Doc had taken notice of the worldwide hype around Wedding Cake, and just like many
providing more space, light and air to the interior. At the same time, they didn’t neglect flower formation, there’s a multitude of young knobbly indica-style tops already. Also, living up to their name’s promise of rich icing, as early as now I can see a lot of sticky resin drops shimmer on the flowers.
Colour comes into play, a very distinct scent arises The two Wedding Cakes were six weeks into flowering when The Doc wrote into his grow diary: “Wow, the sugarcoating comes spilling out of the flowers like lava from a volcano! The buds have started to fill up, displaying a classic chubby bulbous indica shape. There still is a high degree of plant uniformity, giving proof of this strain’s stability. The only noteworthy difference is the fact that the buds of one plant have started to partly turn purple whereas on the second plant they are remaining green. Regardless of colouration though, a very distinct scent is exuded by all of the buds that can be defined as sweet ‘n sour, indeed. I had to think for a while about how to nail down my impression, but then I got it – this sort of aroma smells like a mix of tangerine and cucumber, pretty weird!”
Fully ripe and super gooey: Two yummy cream slices
other growers, he was absolutely keen to get it. So when this new Barney’s Farm variety came out, he didn’t think twice and ordered some seeds, two of which he germinated immediately on receipt. They came bursting out of the blocks, after less than three days the “wedding journey” was about to begin. The first stage of the seedlings` journey naturally was the vegetative one, during which they did very well, branching out early and displaying vital uniform growth with medium wide dark green leaves. When The Doc pulled the blooming bell after four weeks, they were of dense bushy stature, standing 29 and 32 cm tall.
The flowering stage: A strong instinct to stretch and early sugarcoating production Reported The Doc after 28 days of flowering: “Oops, these two Wedding Cakes have shown a strong instinct to stretch! Really surprising, considering their 80% indica share. However, OG Kush is known as stretchy, so it obviously is the OG influence I am witnessing here. Anyway, the two plants have kind of exploded and shot upwards to heights of 73 and 79 cm now. Which has made them open up their structure, with their elongated internodes
On flowering day 59, both plants timely completed maturity, with final heights of 88 and 96 cm. Swooned The Doc, “these two wedding cakes have definitely not skimped on generous frosting, the buds are swimming in gooey crystals, and so do large parts of the shade leaves. Two yummy cream slices I can’t wait to taste!” 148 grams dry was The Doc’s score a few weeks later, two big storage jars full of sugar-coated cannasseur buds that smelled most enticingly. The flower scent had naturally undergone a certain change whilst drying, but presented itself as no less extraordinary than before, as reported by The Doc: “It smelled like vanilla milk with a dash of tangerine and a roasted hazelnuts topping.” While this, admittedly, sounds like from the realms of fantasy a bit, it only proves how much that exceptional Wedding Cake fragrance dazzled The Doc’s senses…
Like vapor from the molecular gastronomy – exquisite, euphoric and warming For sampling the strain, The Doc cut a decent chunk off the Wedding Cake – “the
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Cultivation data:
only kind of cake of which half a gram should be sufficient”, he commented laughingly. As he inhaled a first big cloud of Wedding Cake off his Crafty+ vaporizer, it gave him a “silky” soft or creamy flavour experience. “Tastes like some vaporous tangerine curd cheese cake from the molecular gastronomy, I love this fruity sweet ‘n sour cannabis gourmet flavour”, he said, full of enjoyment. Thanks to the high THC dosage provided by Wedding Cake, the flavour experience was quickly followed by the effect experience – after just a few Crafty+ hits, The Doc felt as though he had positioned himself in front of a heater blower, as though his whole body was wrapped into a warm envelope, Wedding Cake had lit a cozy warming indica fire. This warm body sensation went along with intense relaxation that melted away not only The Doc’s bodily tension caused by a long working day, but also his mental tension – his previously fairly bad mood gave way to happy relief, “aaaah.. simply wonderful!” - with a big sigh he felt a bright wave of euphoria
coming over him, washing away his grumpiness. So his weed test evolved into an extensive blissful relax session that lasted more than two hours. “Much as this strain’s pedigree is indica-dominant, its buzz leads you deep down the indica path. Not in an overpowering knockout manner though, Wedding Cake leaves you perceptive to a certain degree and, if desired, also sociable, although it would probably be a better match then if the other guys were stoned as well…”, The Doc chuckled. Preluding his final verdict, he jestingly shouted „waiter! A big chunk of flower pie with extra frosting, please!”, and continued “this delicious treat has a firm place on the menu from now on as it got highest marks in all departments from me, having more than justified all that advance praise. Wedding Cake à la Barney’s Farm undoubtfully is a fantastic take on a that famous cultivar!” www.barneysfarm.com
Genetics
Wedding Cake à la Barney’s (Cherry Pie x Girl Scout Cookies x OG Kush)
Vegetative stage
four weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage
59 days / 55-60 days in general
Medium
Plagron Grow Mix-Erde, 11 litre pots
pH
6.2-6.6
EC
1.2–1.8 mS
Light
up to 8 x SANlight Q6W = 1720 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
88 + 96 cm
Yield
together, 148 grams
10
Showbizz
Seth Rogen launches Cannabis company with a difference Seth Rogen is an actor and comedian who is arguably just as famous for his love of weed as his film roles. The winner of two legendary High Times “stoner of the year,” titles, Rogen is also the man behind some of the classic stoner movies of the modernday such as Pineapple Express. There is no doubt that he is up there in the legend status with cannabis ambassadors such as Snoop Dogg and Woody Harrelson. Seth loves weed, famously stating that he smokes all day long and has been stoned in practically every scene in every movie he has ever made. A feat that even Cheech Marin of the infamous cinema’s stoner duo Cheech and Chong cannot lay claim to, having said in the past that he never got high whilst working.
smoke weed in a way that they have not been before” “Alcohol has martini shakers, wine glasses and corkscrews. If you smoke weed, there is none of that. There are Bic lighters, and you are ashing into a mug half the time”
However, as you would expect, the weed Rogen “likes” to smoke is not for the fainthearted, with the THC percentage being very high! The Pancake ice comes from a lineage of Chem Dog and Mandarin cookies and is around 33% THC. Diablo
There is also a block table lighter and a set of 3 12” vinyl records, named “Sativa”, “Indica”, and “Hybrid”. Each vinyl is a specially curated mixtape for easy listening, depending on what strain of weed you are smoking. More products will be added regularly.
Wind has parentage of Jack Herer and G-13 Haze and is upward of 25% THC. Houseplant’s only Indica offering at present, Pink Moon, originates from Tangie and Kosher Kush and is also estimated to have a THC% up in the high twenties-low thirties.
You can see that Rogen and Goldberg have focused on really raising the bar when it comes to design within the cannabis industry. They have focused on producing a quality brand with a distinctive “Mid-century modern” look. The founders have taken a disciplined approach to researching who their consumer is and what the ideal “holistic” Houseplant experience should look like. The design aspect is not the only thing that sets Houseplant apart from other Cannabis brands. They have a social
“I wake up in the morning, make a cup of coffee and roll a joint” “I continue smoking weed u until I go to sleep. I often wake in the night and have a few hits of a joint if I’m not sleeping well”. The association with weed does overshadow Rogen’s acting work at times, but that’s something he accepts. “Sometimes people expect me to try and wiggle out from under being a very famous stoner” “But truthfully, that is a worthy thing to me. I’m as proud of it as anything”. Rogen has used this unashamed love of weed to his advantage by setting up his cannabis line with partner Evan Goldberg in 2019. “Houseplant” was originally a line of pre-rolled joints and soft gel capsules sold in several legal Canadian provinces. As of March 11th this year, however, they have expanded into the lucrative US market. They are selling a curated selection of cannabis strains and a line of cannabis lifestyle home goods. If you look at Seth’s social media feeds, you will see that he has a passion for pottery as well as cannabis. With the growth of the legal cannabis industry in the US and Canada, Seth spotted a hole in the market for smokers who wanted a more sophisticated and stylish level to their smoking set-up. Houseplant has been born out of a passion for not only cannabis but also art and design. It stems from a very personal desire of the founders to have nice things. This passion for design is the real point of difference with Houseplant, compared to many other celebrity-endorsed cannabis/lifestyle lines. “We are trying to consider people who
In terms of cannabis Flower, at the time of launch, Houseplant has three strains available. One Indica, Pink Moon and 2 Sativas, Pancake Ice and Diablo Wind. To bring you the best weed, Rogen and Goldberg have personally tested hundreds of strains. “Its just the weed that I love that I want to be smoking” said Rogen on his Instagram stories.
Houseplant products have already won Gold at the Clio Cannabis awards in 2019 for packaging and brand design. The focus on design continues through with the design and packaging of the Flower lines. Houseplants strains come in small square stacking tins, simply and plainly coloured Orange for Sativa strains and Purple for Indica.
conscience, too and hope to make a difference to the cannabis industry through integrity and a commitment to social justice. Both Rogen and Goldberg, as founders, recognise that starting their cannabis lifestyle brand comes with a challenge. To change the unjust and racist cannabis legislation that is still in place today. “We understand our responsibility to help right those wrongs and are dedicated to creating a more diverse, equitable cannabis industry.” Check Houseplant out at Houseplant.com
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outdoor 2021
Best Strains for Outdoor Growing in Extreme Environments It’s that time of year when the cannabis growing action leaves the comfort of the indoor grow room and heads outside to take advantage of the most powerful light in the whole universe! There is something very special about buds which have grown fat and juicy under natural sunshine, adding an extra dimension in the taste and effect departments. It wasn’t too many years ago that growing outside was little more than a dream for cannabis aficionados in more northern regions. However, these days it’s a different story and established seed companies such as Paradise Seeds, with 27+ years of experience in the R+D department,
have several cannabis varieties that are suitable for growing in these regions. Likewise, this research and development has created strains which are able to cope with the temperatures racing the other way during the intense heat of the summer in southern regions. Paradise Seeds has prepared recommendations for the best strains for cannabis growers in each of these distinctive growing environments
Good Outdoor Strains for Cold and Wet Outdoor Grows Paradise Seeds has always been keen
to develop varieties that can be easily grown ‘in our backyard’, which in the case of the Netherlands can be rather wet, cold and sunshine deprived! Durga Mata (also available in a 1:1 High CBD form) is an excellent outdoor variety for such an environment. It is a hardy and versatile Indica, thanks to its combination of genetics drawn from the Hindu Kush valley. This plant has high pest and disease resistance qualities, a very Zen like effect and a taste that has been compared to Turkish Delight! The second recommendation is the sativa dominant hybrid (60/40 sativa/ indica), Nebula. This award winning
plant is known for its wonderful honey sweet taste and big yield potential. In the genetic mix is a combination of Afghani, White Widow and Californian Haze, producing a plant which is highly resinous, with a rich terpene profile that is characterised by the prominence of Caryophyllene, Beta Pinene and Terpinolene. Nebula is also incredibly no nonsense in the outdoor setup – the kind of plant you can put in the garden and forget about until harvest time (although she will of course respond to being well cared for and reward the grower accordingly!). A proven performer in regions which are prone to dips in temperature and climates
12 where persistent winds and rain arrive as harvest approaches - its medium sized buds offer good mould resistance too. Bonus suggestion: Make the most of the intensity of the mid summer sun and plant some autoflower strains. Auto Kong 4 is a cross of GG4 (formerly known as Gorilla Glue) and Pandora (one of our original high yield autos). A big yielder with a distinctive sweet and sour taste.
sativas). This hot weather performer copes very well in conditions of heat and intense sunshine. Sweet and fruity, the buds are characterised by the dominance of Limonene and Caryophyllene in its terpene profile. The second recommendation from Paradise Seeds is Wappa. Another multi award winning hybrid, this is one of Paradise Seed’s most popular strains and for good reason. It has sweet skunk at its core and its all round qualities
cannabis cultivators are aware that the success of an outdoor grow project requires some pre-season preparation to ensure the best harvests 5-6 months along the road. For growers in more northern regions (between the latitudes of 45° - 55°) this means thinking ahead to the flowering period which is often accompanied by wind, rain and the sudden drop of temperatures as Summer turns to Autumn. Mould is a formidable enemy of the
For growers in southern regions of Europe (typically between 45° - 35° north of the equator) the issues faced are extreme heat and an arid environment – not to mention the pests and diseases that result from it. While all cannabis plant varieties will benefit from extended sunshine, top tips for southern region growers include planting out later in the season to avoid the attention of pests such as Red Spidermite and White Fly and of course ensuring that your
Best Outdoor Strains for Arid and Hot Outdoor Grows
–high yield, easy management, great taste and uplifting effect – make it a reliable performer in an outdoor set up. A superb pick for growers in southern regions thanks to its in-built resistance to very high temperatures, this plant is also available in auto form (Auto Wappa) which also exhibits these prized characteristics.
grower in these regions and we receive many enquiries about this issue at Paradise Seeds. While there are treatments for plants during this stage, planning ahead now can minimise the risk. Our top tips are to select the most suitable strains for your growing environment and also to think about different ways to grow your plants (using training techniques such as LST and scrogging) to spread the vegetation out, make your plants easier to protect (shielding them from ‘days’ of rain for example) and promote good airflow.
plants have some shade for protection (pots are a good choice for this reason). As ever, Paradise Seeds ALWAYS recommends that growers read the strain descriptions to find out which variety of cannabis plant is best suited to their growing environment. By following the basic guidelines set out in this article (and of course selecting the right strains for the task!) you will be setting your garden up for success this outdoor cannabis grow season. Good luck and happy gardening.
We have seen outdoor grown Dutch Dragon plants which have exceeded 3 metres in height! Now we have your attention with that headline… let’s take a look at our first hot climate recommendation. This original Paradise Seeds classic is a plant that beats with a Mediterranean heart. It’s a sun seeking sativa, but more bushy than many with Swaziland roots (from the South African region famed for its
Essential Preparations for Outdoor Growing While it’s easy to just focus on the genetics, experienced outdoor
Team Paradise
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Grow with Mr. Jose
Mr. José / info@mrjose.eu
What is the right pot for you Without question, using flower pots is the most common way of growing for gardeners who grow under artificial lighting or in a greenhouse. Since the choice of the right type has a profound impact on the efficiency of the whole cultivation process, professional growers test various types first before choosing the winner. Today, we will take a closer look at some of them. is a risk of root rot and infestation by pests. However, you can also prevent this by choosing classic flower pots with larger drainage holes or by creating a “drainage layer” on the bottom of the flower pot.
Pots Square Super Ercole with ventilation openings Small, large, square, round, long, with large drainage holes, with ventilation holes, folding, textile, plastic, self-watering and who-knows-what-else can be found on the market with gardening tools. It is probably not even humanly possible to test them all, and their evaluation would hardly fit into one article. This time, therefore, I will focus on plastic flower pots with manual or capillary irrigation. They are the most common and available in many shapes, sizes, and designs. Plastic flower pots are suitable for home growers as well as large producers. They can be used repeatedly and are relatively easy to wash, disinfect and get rid of any surviving pests. In addition, they are durable, light and stable. Of course, if you want to work with only 100% natural materials, you probably prefer textile or fictile pots, but there are many limitations to these materials. They are much harder to clean, they are either heavy and easy to break (ceramics), or you have limited handling options with them. We could devote some time to flower pots made of natural materials in another article, but this time we will focus on artificial materials.
Flower pot, growing medium and irrigation methods There exists a very close relationship between the type of flowerpot, the growing medium and the method of irrigation. With that in mind, you should always choose one with respect to the other and ideally
all together. For example, when using drip irrigation, smaller pots and more absorbent growing medium, such as rockwool, coco or soil, are more suitable. Larger pots are more suitable for pressure or surface irrigation and they can also accommodate lighter growing media with a higher content of perlite or expanded clay. For manual or passive irrigation, the size is not so essential, but the size of the drainage holes plays an important role. In general, for pure coco, rockwool pulp and growing media containing a lot of peat (all of which retain large amounts of water), it is preferable to use growing containers with more drainage holes, not only at the bottom but also with ventilation openings on the sides.
First, I tested the Air-Pot flower pots. You've probably come across them before. Even if not, you can have a look at them in one of the pictures in this article. These pots can be disassembled and easily stored, which is a great feature in my opinion, especially if your growing season lasts only part of the year and you don’t want to have the growing room assembled throughout the whole year. Disassembled flower pots are also easier to clean, because Air-Pots have many folds, which are relatively difficult to clean when the pot is assembled. Air-Pots are durable growing containers made of good quality materials, and I think they were the first ones to introduce a system of ventilation holes to cannabis growing community. With Air-Pots, I succeeded in having many amazing harvests. One of their great advantages is the wide range of possible applications. You can use almost any growing medium in them – soil, coco, light mixtures with a high perlite content, rockwool pulp, mapito, etc. In addition, they work great with manual, drip and pressure irrigation. There are disadvantages when growing on a larger scale, i.e. more complicated cleaning and storage. They cannot be inserted into each other when assembled and, although they
Flower pots with ventilation openings Let’s discuss the ventilation openings a bit. I have tested this type of flower pots from two manufacturers: Air-Pot and Pasquini & Bini. The main task of the ventilation openings on the sides of the flowerpot is to prevent spiral growth. Thanks to this, the roots do not become entangled in each other, but spread evenly the entire volume of the flowerpot, and can thus absorb water and nutrients more efficiently and quickly. By using pots with ventilation holes, you will also prevent uneven drying of the growing medium and excessive moisture in the lower part of the pots, where there
Air-Pots with ventilation openings.
are easy to assemble and disassemble, this always takes some time. Just about three years ago I came across another flower pot with side ventilation holes. It was made by the Italian manufacturer Pasquini & Bini. Unlike Air-Pots, these are also available in a version with a square base, which I personally prefer over a round one. Why? It appears to be a more convenient shape for organizing a larger number of plants in the growing area, and this also means that the total space can be used more effectively. I heard round base pot fans claiming that the cylindrical shape allows plants to create a naturally shaped root ball. However, I haven’t noticed any signs of negative effects of the square shape when it comes to the crop. What I consider far more important is the choice of the right size with regards to the chosen method of cultivation. The Ercole range, as Pasquini & Bini flower pots with ventilation openings are called, is available in round and square versions. Basically, these are ordinary plastic flower pots that can be stacked into one another and relatively easy to clean. Compared to AirPots, they are cheaper and, in my opinion, more interesting for commercial use. But the main advantage for all growers is their low price. Ercole is suitable for all the already mentioned growing media, but, of course, they also have some weak spots. For example, Pots with a square base are not very suitable for a combination of less compact growing medium and manual irrigation. The reason is that the ventilation openings are relatively large and heavier manual watering can wash off parts of the growing medium through the ventilation openings. Square pots called Square Super Ercole are good for drip and pressure irrigation, while round types can be also used for manual irrigation,
15 because they have slightly smaller ventilation openings.
Classic flower pots with drainage holes Surely, there is no need to introduce black plastic flower pots. They are suitable for lighter growing media, including pure expanded clay. You don't have to be bothered with the question of choosing the right irrigation system, because these pots can be used for manual, capillary, surface and pressure irrigation. Besides, their cleaning and storage is very easy. They are also suitable for growing in denser growing media with higher water retention capacity, such as soil, coconut or rockwool, but they are several shortcomings in this respect. For example, even when choosing pots with large drainage openings, the growing medium may not dry out evenly. What is more, the roots do not have balanced conditions in the whole pot and the development of the root system may be worse than in pots with ventilation
the temperature of the growing medium because it has a critical impact on proper development of the root system and the roots’ ability to absorb nutrients. In closed growing spaces and greenhouses, the air temperature is usually between 24 and 30 °C. However, root development and nutrient absorption are ideal at temperatures between 18–20 °C. If we consider this high temperature in the growing space and the fact that most pots are black and thus capture even more light, heating the pots even more, it is clear that the temperature of the growing medium should be somehow regulated. Watering is an important factor in lowering the temperature in flowering pots. According the above mentioned data, we can say that the ideal temperature of the nutrient solution is 18–20 °C. Some growers also use other sources than water to keep the temperature of the growing medium lower. One of them is the thermal insulation cover of the pots, which not only reflects the incoming light,
Air condition exhaust in the flower pot area.
Flower pot with ventilation openings and thermal insulation foil.
holes. The roots also often grow in a spiral and become entangled in each other, which to some extent limits their ability to absorb nutrients (one part of the root hair is pressed
Roots in Ercole flower pot with ventilation openings. against another root or wall). In any case, it must be said that choosing this type of pots is not a mistake. It is possible to use almost any substrate and any irrigation system with them. Simply put, they are perfectly versatile.
Temperature of the growing medium A significant issue when growing in pots is
but also insulates the pot from the heat in the growing room. As a result, the growing medium, which has been cooled by water, heats up again more slowly, and the ideal temperature is easier to maintain even between individual irrigation cycles. Another way to keep the growing medium cooler is to direct air conditioning vents to the area close to the pots. Although this method works well, the question is what the disruption of the air circulation in the growing room could cause. The cold air sticks to the ground, while the warm air is pushed up. Under normal circumstances, therefore, cold air from the air conditioner is released above the plants. It then naturally descends through the vegetation as the warm air is pushed upwards. Therefore, some growers have two levels to which they push the cool air from the air conditioner - one above the plants and the other above the flower pots. If you do not use air conditioning, you can cool the pots at least by supplying cooler air inside the growing room from the outside, above the level of the growing containers. Make sure to provide the air supply with at least a basic air filter to prevent impurities from entering the growing room.
Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Indoor Cannabis Growing
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16
Strain Report
THC-Victory,
special cannabinoid grow report
After a lifetime of enjoying THC (and more recently CBD) medical cannabis users, researchers and home growers can all start looking forward to enjoying strains rich in new cannabinoids (THCV, CBG, CBDV...). Way more than just a hype, a new revolution started with the recent release of THC-Victory®, CBGForce® and Auto CBD-Victory® by Dutch Passion. The Dutch seed company gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at its special cannabinoid breeding program with an independent THC-Victory grow report from the renowned cannabis guru and author ‘Mr José’. THC-Victory grown indoor in AutoPot with Plagron LightMix With many years of cannabis cultivation experience, Mr José uses top class grow conditions. He uses AutoPots, which gravity-feed nutrient solution when the plant containers are just starting to dry out. The highly recommended BioTabs nutrients are slow release and organic, they were mixed in with the Plagron Light Mix soil. BioTabs make growing very easy since most of the time you only need to ‘feed’ the plants with water. It’s only during the last few weeks where you may wish to supplement with a general purpose bloom mix when the plants get hungrier. Biotabs Orgatrex and PK Booster are a good choice in this regard.
Room size 2,4 m2 Number of plants 9 CBG-Force + 9 THC-Victory Pots type / size AutoPot 15 liters Medium Plagron LightMix Nutrients BioTabs Avg. temperature 25,8 Avg. humidity 62,2 Lighting 800 PPFD
Conditions were consistently good throughout the grow. In his 2.4 m² room Mr José grew 9 THC-Victory (around 6% THCV & 6% THC) plants. He also grew 9 Dutch Passion CBG-Force plants (up to 15% CBG with THC below 0.15%). Light levels were reasonably high, around 800PPFD. With such light intensities, the yields should be near maximum, assuming that other grow room variables are also controlled at optimum levels.
Reasonable levels of consistency in the yields Dutch Passion have pioneered the creation of novel cannabis strains rich in new cannabinoids. One of these is THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin, also known as ‘THV’). In 2020 Dutch Passion became the world’s first cannabis seed company to release feminised THCV seeds in the form of THC-
Victory. This is a feminised photoperiod strain with sativa genetics. Plants produce around 6-8% THCV and the same amount of THC. Bloom time is around 11 weeks. The measurements published throughout this report are from Mr José himself.
17 Plant ID Plant height Fresh plant weight Fresh bud weight Dry bud weight THCV03
134 cm
820 g
396 g
115,6 g
THCV01
147 cm
980 g
378 g
101,1 g
THCV05
150 cm
1052 g
376 g
99,65 g
THCV06
160 cm
1108 g
352 g
99,15 g
THCV04
160 cm
990 g
370 g
87,55 g
THCV02
130 cm
832 g
400 g
75,87 g
THCV08
165 cm
926 g
310 g
74,82 g
THCV07
180 cm
854 g
326 g
72,42 g
THCV09
180 cm
662 g
82 g
19,51 g
Total: – 7404 g 2594 g 714,23 g Average:
159 cm
925,5 g
324,25 g
82,69 g
Other than one plant, THV27072009 with just 19g, yields were between 72g and 115g. Apart from the outlier, that shows reasonable levels of consistency in the yields of THC-Victory. Averages of around 80g per plant for a new cannabinoid variety rich in THCV seems like a respectable result, especially considering that these are the world’s first feminised THCV cannabis seeds.
e.g. skunks, which have benefited from decades of inbreeding and stabilisation.
release of more cannabis strains rich in exotic new cannabinoids.
Nice potential and uniformity among the grown plants
Although Dutch Passion may be most fondly remembered for giving the world feminised cannabis seeds in the 1990’s, perhaps in the longer term the pioneering work on new cannabinoids will be seen as even more significant. Expect to see more ground-breaking cannabis breeding and
Plant heights ranged from 130cm to 180cm. The sativa genetics tended to produce medium-tall plants, with manageable levels of stretch. Any cannabis growers looking to cultivate some THCV rich weed will find that the SCROG method suits THC-Victory well. The plants were bloomed for 10-11 weeks.
Mr José remarked that, during flowering, some plants showed unusual curly leaves at the start of bloom with some general yellowing and yellow/brown spots on the leaves. It wasn’t entirely clear why that happened though it didn’t appear to affect yields/bloom too much.
100% germination rate from 24 THC-Victory seeds Many professional growers start off with more seeds than they need and so does Mr José. In his initial germination test he got 100% germination from 24 seeds. He selected 9 of those (with only 2.4m2 to grow in) and discarded the rest. Achieving 100% germination rates is always a sign of high quality cannabis seeds. Often the best growers have fine tuned their seed germination methods over the years and get over 90% germination rates. The best germination method yet found by Dutch Passion is where seeds are germinated between moist (but never soaked!) cotton pads. Note that Mr José also reports that around 30% of the seedlings show lower growth vigour than the rest. That’s something that Dutch Passion hopes to see improved. It may be over-ambitious to expect radical new genetics such as these to have the same consistency as
With sativa genetics used for the creation of THC-Victory an 11-12 week bloom time is required.
In terms of THC-Victory bud appearance and smell, Mr José gave ratings of 3-4 (out of 5). He also remarked that “most of (the) grown plants showed nice potential and uniformity”. Remember that THC-Victory is the world’s first commercial THCV rich feminised cannabis seed variety with around 6-8% THCV. Before THCVictory, THCV was only present in trace quantities in many strains (0.2% or below). Achieving THCV levels of 6-8% took a great deal of careful and patient breeding over several years. Dutch Passion has also learned that it takes time, typically several years, before the benefits and medical potential for these cannabinoids can even start to be understood. One THCV breeding option for the future would be a THCV strain which doesn’t contain any THC. This would allow medical THCV users the chance to have a THC-free experience. In the meantime, Dutch Passion will remain highly focussed on the creation and
new special cannabinoid strains soon! About the grower: Mr José is a grower, lecturer and author of two books and nearly 200 articles about cannabis growing. He works in a legal cannabis research facility, cooperating with several companies as a consultant. He started to grow outdoors in the early 90s. Since 1997 he has grown mostly indoors.
18
Background By Rich Hamilton
Is legal cannabis the answer to the opioid crisis? A study conducted by the University of California, Davis, have found a reduction in opioid-related deaths in the USA between 2014-2018 in areas with easy access to legal cannabis dispensaries. These deaths are linked mainly to synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl and prescription painkillers like oxycodone and morphine. This information could be very influential as state governments push for further cannabis legalisation as a policy option to attempt to control the opioid epidemic that is rife in the USA. The idea being that cannabis could perhaps act as a much less harmful substitute to opioids to produce the same euphoric feelings and relieve symptoms of chronic pain conditions and stress. Opioids prescription is commonly for chronic pain conditions, but their use does stretch beyond this. Opioids can also treat people who have undiagnosed mental illness, addictions, and those facing the threat of violence or abuse, helping them cope with and numb the psychological trauma. Many synthetic opioids hold no licence to be prescribed in the UK and parts of Europe due to their addictive qualities. However, the USA's situation is very different, where prescription and misuse through sale on the Black market is widespread. The USA has been in the grip of an opioid crisis for the past 20 years. In 2017 alone, 191 million people held an opioid prescription. That's a rate of 58.7 prescriptions per 100 people! In 2018 46,802 people in the USA died of an opioid-related overdose; that's 128 per day! And two-thirds of those deaths were the result of synthetic opioid use. The study findings on legal cannabis and opiate mortality reduction are collated from the 812 counties within the 23 US States that had operating legal cannabis dispensaries by the end of 2017. After all other potential influencing factors were considered, researchers found an increase from one to two legal cannabis dispensaries in a county is linked to a 17% drop in all opioid-related deaths, particularly with synthetic opiate painkillers. A further increase occurred in areas where there was a rise from two to three dispensaries. In this scenario, opioid mortality rates reduced by an additional 8.5%. It would appear on the surface that more people who are given the opportunity are turning to cannabis to address their men-
tal and physical health problems rather than indulging in very addictive synthetic opioid use. Some see cannabis as a safer alternative to opioids. Although both are in the class of analgesic (pain-relieving) drugs that bind to receptors in the body, the way that they act on the body is distinctly different. There are three primary locations in the body where opioid receptors are most dense, the spinal cord, limbic system and brain stem. The brain stem includes the medulla, which is the part of the brain that controls non-voluntary functions such as breathing and heart rate. Tolerance to opioids builds quickly, so larger doses are required to achieve the same results. In the possible event of an overdose, the medulla can become depressed and result in heart or lung failure and death. In contrast, cannabis receptors in the brain are most densely located in the basal ganglia, the hippocampus and cerebellum. None of which are responsible for involuntary functions such as breathing or heart rate but rather emotion, memory control and motor function. Therefore, if you encounter an "overdose", the symptoms experienced will be headaches, sickness, and paranoia. There has never been a recorded case of death as a result of an overdose of cannabinoids. Ever. Researchers argue that it is still very early to make assumptions as the evidence is very general and raw. The argument is that cannabis cannot be regarded as a solution to the opioid crisis until more evidence is available. Further studies are needed to collect and collate detailed data on individuals who use prescription opioids and those who acquire and use them illegally. This would produce a clearer picture of how and where cannabis is acting as a substitute for opioids. Of course, whilst further research and understanding is a great thing, the evidence available to us so far is very positive and promising for the ongoing liberalisation and un-demonising of cannabis. The idea that the USA is considering cannabis as a strategy to reduce the harm caused by other more addictive and dangerous drugs is a clear indication that there has been a shift in public opinions. It is a big step forward that a substance that has long been considered a "gateway" to harder drugs such as opiates is now being touted as a possible solution for a severe, long-standing public health crisis.
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22
Grow with Rich Hamilton
LEMON ZKITTLES
L Z
Extracts from the Bud Diaries
Each issue we dive into the pages of Soft Secrets writer Rich Hamilton’s Personal Bud Diary. GENETICS
ODOUR
This is a well balanced hybrid that comes in at 60% Sativa and 40% Indica. Lemon Zkittles is a cross of Las Vegas Lemon Skunk and Zkittlez and has high THC levels. Lauded as an easy, highly resinous grower, with large yields and a flowering time of around 9-10 weeks what's not to like?
Not a strong smell on first opening the tub. There was of course a general zesty odour, which was accompanied by a musky wheaty undertone and a hint of sweet sherbet. Breaking up the bud is where the smell releases its full potential. The dominating smell is definitely lemons, more on the sour side than the sweet citrus. As time moves on however, the more I smell it the more I start to get more forest scents like pine and combined with the lemon it is starting to evoke memories of the smell of the wood polish that my Grandfather would use on the furniture.
GROW INFO Dual end 1000w lights. Grown in a mix of soil and coco coir hand and drip fed. Mineral nutrients.
FLOWER On first impressions these buds looked like mini Xmas trees! Pine tree shaped and very densely packed the nugs were covered in a light translucent dusty greyish white powdery veil of trichomes. The colour was a solid mid green with lots of concentrated pockets of dark Amber
G
T c I o Z L g fl w
CONSUMED Smoked straight (no Tabaco) in a king size none bleached slim rolling paper. Card roach with a glass tip over that. Lit with a standard lighter. Ground up in a 4 inch stainless steel grinder. Smoke was a thick certain of opaque whiteness. Smoked in indoors on a cool fresh summers evening.
G
TASTE
D m d
Undeniably fruity, this terpene rich strain has a dominantly fresh lemon flavours inherited from the Lemon Skunk parentage and deep sour, bitter sweet tones of the grapefruit and Grape Ape in the Zkittle lineage. The sour zingy, back of the upper throat heat is almost a Sicilian citrus lemon.
P
STONE pistils bursting out of the green background. The bud was very well dried and had a lovely satisfying crunch clean "snap" when breaking a section off. The rest of the bud being unaffected and keeping its shape well. Broken down with a 3 inch metal grinder to medium density the colours mix and present us with a delicious light mix of tonal green colours peppered with brown, Amber and orange. The bud is easy to handle and on the dry side. The bit I had where very twiggy.
LEMON ZKITTLES
A super strong head hitting mega stone! This one knocked me for ten. The pedigree of the parents of this hybrid, really come through in the amalgamation of this heavy hitting High that took me by surprise. Notoriously high in resin production, this is a potent strain that produces GENETICS a fantastic stress clearing super cerebral high. This is a well balanced hybrid that I literally haven’t been that high from comes in at 60% Sativa and 40% 1 spliff in along time. If you have a low Indica. Lemon Zkittles is a cross tolerance then I would go very easy of Las V Vegas Lemon Skunk and with this one as it is definitely suited Zkittlez and has high THC levels. more to the high THC connoisseurs Lauded as an easy, yy, highly resinous out there.
grower, with large yields and a flowering time of around 9-10 weeks what's not to like?
C
000
23
NEW! By Rich Hamilton
Fast-acting Edibles
Sales of cannabis edibles are currently outperforming the rest of the legal US market. The trend seems to be a move away from traditional smoking forms of
ingestion towards more discreet consumption methods such as edibles. Seattle based cannabis analytics specialists Headset reported that the use of edibles grew by 60%, from $767 million in 2019 to $1.23 billion in 2020. That's an increase in market share from 10.65 to 11.07%. This trend is expected to continue, and as a result, we are starting to see the edibles industry getting a little more innovative and sophisticated. Cannabis companies are throwing money into new product development to keep interest high and meet current and potential consumers' demands. New products include strainspecific edibles and, perhaps most interestingly, faster-acting edibles.
choactive effect for the user. If you were to take cannabis edibles in a similar dosage to what you would smoke, the result would still be a more disorientating, more potent and lengthier high. The unpredictability of how long it takes to kick in, the strength, and the duration
It is well known that edibles and smoking deliver two different types of high, resulting from how the body metabolises cannabis. When you smoke cannabis, the main active ingredient delta-9 THC is taken into the bloodstream quickly via the lungs, causing the onset of psychoactive effects to hit almost instantly and peak after about 10 minutes. However, when you eat a cannabis edible, it takes much longer (1-2 hours) to feel the effects. The cannabis has to travel through
of the effects make accurate dosing with edibles very difficult. It is the one thing that deters potential consumers, especially those who are new to cannabis. Innovative cannabis companies have found a solution to this problem, however, in the form of "faster-acting edibles". They claim that these edibles will not only work quickly but that they will deliver a high that is more in line with a "delta-9 THC" smoking experience rather than the heaviness of a traditional "11 hydroxy THC" edibles experience.
the stomach and digestive tract until it reaches the liver and is finally broken down. The liver converts the delta-9 THC into a completely different chemical, —11 hydroxy THC. 11 hydroxy THC causes a significantly more intense and much longer-lasting psy-
Fast-acting edible products are designed to be absorbed by the body in other ways rather than through the liver. One way of achieving this is through "nanoemulsion", which allows the compounds in the cannabis to become smaller and more water-soluble, making them easier to absorb. The cannabinoids are formulated so that once they come into contact with your saliva and stomach acid, they instantly react together and form tiny cannabinoid filled microscopic droplets that your body can then easily and quickly absorb.
Other methods include the development of tinctures, small sweets and chocolates, which can be held in the mouth for a short time and left to dissolve or melt. Cannabinoids absorb into the bloodstream through membranes in the mouth and digestive tract, bypassing the liver and the creation of 11 hydroxy THC. This is made possible through the use of Lecithin. Lecithin is a type of fat used to bind ingredients together that would not usually mix well, such as oil and water. Cannabinoids bind better to fats, so using Lecithin helps cannabinoids absorb more efficiently into your bodies bloodstream, which is mainly waterbased. The THC can then take effect
quickly and for a more limited time, similar to what you would expect when smoking. Lecithin will also allow your body to access and digest the THC more efficiently. Its presence helps distribute the cannabinoids within the edible product more evenly. These fast-acting edibles offer an excellent alternative for people who don't want to smoke or vape but want an experience similar to it. Having a fast-acting, reliably dosed edible with a "high" identical in feels and duration to that of smoked Flower is a real breakthrough. One that can only serve to fuel the growth of the edibles market even further.
24
Grow with Stoney Tark By Stoney Tark
Flowering Cannabis Plants Indoors All You Need to Know...
The flowering stage is normally the most anticipated and exciting part for a new grower. Making sure that you do everything correctly will be the difference between growing a superb crop, or something that is basic quality but lacks the terps and desired effect. Below you will learn about all the things to check during 12/12 as well as my 5 top tips, to help keep those jars filled with high-grade. Air Flow
Humidity Levels
I always like to start with airflow as it is commonly overlooked and can be the reason many crops become infected with pathogens, or produce small yields. When replicating the great outdoor within a tent or converted room, attic or cellar, you should be focused on providing environmental conditions that create a supply of fresh air from outside, with extra air flow created from multiple oscillating fans turning at different times to each other.
As you will be transitioning for the vegetative stage that requires higher humidity levels close to 70%, you will now need to gradually change the humidity
down to 50% and during the flowering stage when buds are appearing, then the reduction down to 30-40%. The drier the environment when flowering the more resinous, dense and terpene rich the buds will be in my opinion. The drop from 70% to 35% should occur over weeks 1-5 of flowers, and the most important is to keep the humidity levels below 40% when there is hard to squeeze nugs. The reason 40% is such a significant number is because this is where pathogens such as powdery mildew and Botrytis will enter your grow room. A hygrometer as mentioned above is designed to display humidity levels so when checking the day and night time temperatures, make sure your relative humidity is well within the comfort zone.
In my opinion there is no need to grow with pots that exceed 14 inches in height, when flowering Cannabis indoors. During the vegetative stage, plants will focus on establishing a prolific root zone that will supply all the food and water back to the plant during the different life cycle. Once plants are triggered to flower under 12/12, then they will cease root growth and focus mainly on flower production. If you do plan to repot into a bigger container that has an organic mix designed for the blooming period, or just want to upgrade to a 10-litre pot for example then do this during the first week of 12/12. Repotting is beneficial and will encourage the plants to grow bigger, but doing this too late can have negative effects and in some cases shock the plants when they need to be using all their energy on transitioning to flower.
Nutrients and Feeding Frequency
It is important to keep the flow or air not only consistent 24/7, you should allow fans to blow air around the base, centre and tops of your canopy. In cases where plants are grown in a Sea of Green or SCROG, a lack of fresh air can not only encourage moisture levels to increase, but will also invite unwanted pests.
Most of the questions that I am sent from growers suffering with issues during flowering, often come down to nutrients and feeding frequency. Nutrient manufacturers will provide a feeding chart that is usually designed as an infographic and will show millilitre to litre ratio you should follow. As long as you do follow the recommended feed if it is organic or hydroponics, the most important thing is keeping a healthy balance of wet to dry with your growing medium.
Temperature Checks Now you have your air flow working well and there is a cool fresh breeze circulating the outside air around the room, you will want to make sure that your temperature stays as consistent as possible, so this means during the daytime when the lights are on you will aim for 24 degrees Celsius and when the lights are off you will want to maintain the temperature to 17-18 degrees Celsius. Consistency is key when growing Cannabis indoors and especially when talking about temperature fluctuations. A good tip is to use a hygrometer which can be hung inside the tent with a small sensor, that will give you a digital reading of the temperature over a 24-hour period. This allows you to see what the difference between daytime and night-time will be, and if you need to take action add heat or cool the room down.
Pot Size
Adding support prior to flowering will be advantageous.
Underwatering is not the end of the world and your Cannabis plants will bounce back with vitality and vigour. Over watering however can cause plenty of problems further down the line from nutrient deficiency, toxicity, oversaturating the root zone and encouraging bad bacteria. The best way to check if your plants need to be watered with nutrient solution or water, is to see how dry the pot has become and when the medium is mostly dry and full of air pockets, now is the best time to water until there is a slow amount of runoff. This ensures that air displacement has occurred when the water falls through the pot keeping your root zone oxygen rich and promoting the good fungi and bacteria groups.
25 Flowering at Night You would be surprised how many people have never considered flowering their rooms or tent at night time. The only downside is you may not get to visit your garden and enjoy spending time there during the late and early hours of each day, however there are many benefits associated. The rate of electricity is normally a lower tariff during the evening times and the temperature outside will be much cooler than daytime. Flowering your Cannabis plants at night means that during the hotter months of the
Celsius. The second is that the stomata responsible for absorption of CO2 from the air open 60 mins after the lights come on. Outdoor CO2 levels are around 400 parts per million, but Cannabis plants are able to uptake levels of 800-1200ppm comfortably. As covered in the part about temperature and humidity, raising your daytime temperature past 24 degrees can affect how the plants transpire and how receptive you may become to harmful airborne pathogens, so be extra careful and vigilant during the final 4 weeks of flowering and inspect your buds inside and out for mould.
A perfect example of a plant very close to the harvest window
year, you can focus on maintaining a consistent light off day time temperature, and when the lights kick in from say 10pm until 10am for example, you will not have to battle the challenging heat waves or Summer time.
What About CO2? Supplementing your plants with Carbon Dioxide will have many benefits and the main being yield. There are some factors that need to be considered if you are new to growing Cannabis indoors and plan to use CO2. The first thing to consider is that the uptake of CO2 is far greater when plants indoors are exposed to temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius ranging up to 30 degrees
Odour Control Keeping your indoor garden as stealth and secure as possible is essential, so odour control should be at the top of your list. Carbon filters are designed to mask any bad smells and blow carbon cleaned air out of the room or tent. Over time carbon filters can lose the power to keep a flowering room odour free, and factors such as high temperatures can have an effect. It is a good idea to change your carbon filter to either a well-made one that has a good reputation within the industry, or replace your basic cheaper ones every 3 years. It is better for you to have an awareness about
odour than finding out from a disgruntled neighbour or worst yet the authorities.
Flushing Your Plants Flushing is my favourite part of the flowering cycle, as not only does it mean no more nutrients for that final 2 weeks, it also encourages the plants to use their internal reserves and in return will produce an array of hypnotic, head turning colours. This magical colour show happens as the plants make the final push and is a sign that you will have some very clean tasting flowers and your
My 3 Top Tips for Flowering Cannabis Indoors Tip #1: To help keep your humidity levels consistent during the day and night times, using a dehumidifier is an excellent way to remove excessive moisture from the air. These are a lifesaver during the hottest and most challenging Summer months. Tip #2: Using enzymes when flushing your Cannabis plants can speed up the breakdown of substrates and organic matter. Adding 10ml per litre of enzyme to
Flushing will push the plants to use all their internal foods
plants have been encouraged to mature to their fullest. You will only need to use plain water when flushing and by doing so, any undissolved salts that have accumulated over the flowering period, will have a chance to wash away. Another way of ensuring your final crop will have a smooth, flavoursome taste and smell incredible. Do not think that you need to over water the plants and flood them with buckets of water. Doing this is the exact same as overwatering and will cause issues during the final few weeks. Keep to the exact same watering frequency and follow the rule of feeding when the medium is mainly dry and stop when you get a small run off from the bottom of the pots.
your water will allow for more advanced taste and ash quality in my opinion. Tip #3: Always use a hygrometer to get a true reading of your grow room for both day and night time. Never second guess the humidity levels and find out the hard way later in the flower. They are not expensive and will allow you to grow more professionally. Please check out my YouTube podcast and website for more great info and advice about all things Cannabis. Keep growing and stay humble! www.officialstoneytark.com
26
OUTDOOR QUIZ 7. When should you water outdoor cannabis?
14. What grows best in a colder northern Europe climate?
A. When the soil is already wet. B. When the soil is dark. C. When the top inch of soil is dry. D. When the leaves are brown.
A. Sativa dominant strains. B. Autoflowering plants. C. Indica dominant strains. D. You can’t grow outdoors.
8. How can you improve the drainage of your soil? 1. What are the benefits of growing outdoors? A. Quicker grow cycle. B. Low costs, environmentally friendly. C. Guaranteed better product. D. Longer grow cycle.
2. Why are autoflowering strains good for outdoors? A. ‘Autos’ Flower after a set time regardless of sunlight hours. B. They require less care and attention. C. Autos perform better under stress. D. Autos are designed for outdoors.
3. From planting an autoflowering seed outdoors when could you harvest it? A. 240 days. B. 120 days. C. 30 days. D. 70 days.
4. What outside temperatures does cannabis grow best in? A. 55°f - 86°f (13°c - 30°c) B. 23°f - 50°f (-5°c - 10°c) C. 86°f - 110°f (30°c - 43.3°c) D. It doesn’t matter.
A. Mixing in compost. B. Mixing in sandy soil. C. Mixing in clay pebbles. D. Mixing in Mycorrhizae.
9. How do you protect outdoor plants from extreme weather? A. Use extra fertiliser B. Protective sheeting. C. Grow on a slope. D. use pesticide.
10. How can the rain damage plants? A. It doesn’t, it toughens them up. B. Can put them into flower early. C. Can cause mold/mildew. D. Can put them back into Veg.
11. How can you deter pests outdoors? A. Broken glass in the soil. B. Use organic pesticides. C. Use more nutrients. D. Water less.
5. What soil does cannabis grow best in?
12. What are the advantages of growing in pots outdoors?
A. Any, the plants will adjust. B. Soil with rich organic matter and good drainage. C. Sandy soil. D. Clay soil.
A. Bigger plants. B. Easy to Re-position. C. Can control pests better. D. bigger yields.
6. How can you improve nutrient retention of the soil?
13. What is a common name for an illegal outdoor grow?
A. Overwatering your plants. B. Mixing in peat moss and coco. C. Over feeding your plants. D. Feed them at night only.
A. Guerilla grow. B. Forest grow. C. Shadow Grow. D. Free grow.
15. What grows best in a hot, dry south Europe climate? A. Indica dominant strains. B. Sativa dominant strains. C. All cannabis plants. D. Autoflowering plants.
16. What grows best in a coastal Mediterranean climate? A. Autoflowering plants. B. Sativa dominant strains. C. Indica dominant strains. D. All strains of cannabis.
17. Why are sunlight hours important? A. They control the plants cycles. B. To get more work done in the garden. C. They are not. D. They help avoid pests.
18. What can you do to stop strong wind damage? A. Grow Sativa dominant plants. B. Plant facing North. C. Harvest Early. D. Use a windbreak.
19. What is the ideal soil pH for outdoor grows. A. 1.5 - 3.5 B. 2.5 – 4.5 C. 5.5 - 6.5 D. 7.5 – 9.5
20. What is a great way to boost your root growth growing outdoors? A. Use a Mycorrhizae. B. Use a Foliar spray. C. Over water them D. Under water them
That's it! For answers see page 38
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Seed banks Tommy L. Gomez. Photos by Sweet Seeds®
In marijuana ... size does matter The new ‘extra-large’ autoflowering strains from Sweet Seeds®
When the autoflowering craze hit the marijuana market about 10-15 years ago, many cannabis growers around the world tested this new concept of strains to identify their most interesting characteristics and determine their advantages and disadvantages compared to photodependent strains. A couple of years later, when people knew a lot more about this new family of strains, the growers who had become regular customers of this type of marijuana plants started to become more and more demanding. One of the traits of autoflowering strains that a good number of growers wanted to see improved was the plant’s final size and robustness. So, at Sweet Seeds®, our breeders started working on an appropriate solution. In 2012, our first XL Auto® strain was created. Since that date, we have been filling the gardens and grow tents of indoor growers around the world with tall autoflowering cannabis plants. In recent years, we released many extra-large autoflowering strains, including some of our classics. Even more recently, two new genetic lines and a re-engineered strain have joined our catalogue, all in XL size. I am talking about the three strains I just harvested on my outdoor terrace for the 2020 season: Crystal Candy XL Auto® (Sweet Seeds® Strain SWS87), Gorilla Girl XL Auto® (SWS82) and Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto® (SWS57). Of all the new releases from Sweet Seeds® for 2020, these are the ones I chose to grow for the outdoor season. And I definitely do not regret it. Plus, best of all, I discovered that they can be ready to be harvested at the peak of summer. Normally, tall plants cannot be grown or harvested every year in less than 10 weeks. On 20th May, I germinated two seeds from each of the above strains (a total of 6 plants). They were kept indoors for the first 12 days, under two compact CFL lamps of 18 watts each. This is a very weak light but, in the first days, seedlings are very small,
so I could keep them in small 200 ml pots. By grouping them together, two light fixtures with the ideal spectrum sufficed to light them for the first stage of growth. As CFL lights produce very little heat, I was able to keep them very close to the lamps (2 to 5 cm). This initially slowed down the growth of the main stem, which is what normally happens in marijuana plants. But, of course, the use of a good fan blowing air directly onto the plants also helped them start building a strong stem and a compact initial structure. By the 1st of June, they were small in height, but huge in strength and vigour, so more than ready for an outdoor adventure in the amazing summer climate of southern Europe. So, on the following day, the 2nd of June, they started basking in the sun from 6 a.m. to almost 10 p.m. – when the sun usually goes down in Spain – and making the most of the best 3 months of the year for outdoor growing in this region of the world. This, however, was only done after transplanting to larger pots, to prevent the heat produced by direct sunlight from negatively affecting the small root system of the seedlings. By placing them in 2-litre pots, their roots were much more protected and kept further away from the edges of the pots, where the heat from direct sunlight is more aggressive. With this method, as roots spread out towards the bottom and sides of the pots for a few days or weeks, young plants can adapt to the new conditions and become able to withstand extreme climate. When all available areas of the 2-litre pots were filled by roots, the plants were ready to face the adverse conditions of a hot summer.
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On the 12th of June, 23 days after germination, it was time to transplant them again into their final pots, as flowering was expected to begin. No liquid fertiliser was used at this time, as the soil mix was already rich in nutrients and became even richer when I added an extra quantity of worm compost. As the strains I had chosen were all autos, I decided to use 20-litre pots, which I filled with the rich soil mix I had prepared, to which I also added about 150 grams of powdered bat guano per plant. My intention was to avoid the use of liquid fertilisers altogether, or use them only a couple of times during the whole flowering stage. By this time, the plants were already showing a nice structure, with Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto® being the tallest (about 35 cm) and the other two strains about the same height ranging between 26 cm and 35 cm. On the 17th of June, the plants started to show clear signs of flowering, with clusters of pistils forming the first flowers. The Gorilla Girl XL Auto® plants were the first to do so, closely followed by Crystal Candy XL Auto®. Finally, just a couple of days later, the Amnesia joined the club. All 6
plants positively responded to the environmental conditions to which they were exposed, especially the 14 hours of intense, direct sunlight. The natural windy conditions and a very rich substrate also contributed to the plants developing like champions in the first 2 weeks of flowering, so much so that they were able to grow in height from the initial 30 to 40 cm to about 100 to 120 cm. One of the specimens of Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto® tripled the height it had before the start of flowering. Indeed, they were much more than just tall plants, they all developed a large number of thick and strong side branches, ready to support the weight of the buds that were about to form. On the 2nd of July, all six plants had their buds formed, and it was time to decide on the possible use of liquid fertilisers. As the heat came, with maximum temperatures reaching around 35°C on the hottest days, I had to water the plants every day, which caused the substrate to run out of nutrients much faster than what I normally see in my indoor crops. Because of this, I decided to use flowering nutrients on three occasions.
The first was on the 4th of July, the second on the 9th and the last on the 14th, i.e., two or three weeks before the estimated harvesting date. Fortunately, all three strains withstood the heat without significant problems. Luckily, no pests affected my plants this time. As a preventive measure, neem oil and Bacillus Thuringiensis were applied to prevent the moths from laying eggs on the plants, which then turn into caterpillars eating the flowers from the inside. It happened a few years ago and I can assure you it is not a pleasant sight. During the last third of the flowering period, aromas were already very pleasant and intense on all the plants. This is usually the case with all the strains in the Sweet Seeds® catalogue, as they are bred with a lot of care for their terpene profile in order to obtain sweet and aromatic fragrances in each genetic line. In the last week of July, resin production was copious in all of them. As expected, Crystal Candy XL Auto® spread out superb subtle aromas evoking the scent of a candy shop. Its bouquet was composed of a bubblegum and gumdrop background complemented by tones of sour straw-
berry and ripe melon. Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto® had beautiful incense aromas with sweet tones and hints of lemon, wood and nuts, whereas Gorilla Girl XL Auto® had intense, sweet and fruity aromas, with tones of blue cypress and wood, and a citrus and earthy finish. All plants were harvested on the 28th of July, exactly 69 days after seed germination, i.e., an extra week compared to the harvest time shown in the catalogue, but when you give the plants such beneficial conditions that allow them to develop a large structure, it is totally acceptable (and even desirable) that they need an extra week or two to complete their lifecycle. They were also very easy to harvest and trim. After 12 days of drying, they were placed in hermetically sealed glass jars, which I opened for only 20 minutes every day for 2 weeks so as to cure my herbs and refine their exquisite aromas and flavours. The total harvested quantity was 785 grams in total for the 6 plants, i.e., about 130 grams per plant, plus a nice block of dry hash I obtained with a 95μ mesh. All in all, these quantities were more than enough for my
30
personal use until my next harvest at the end of the year. I enjoyed growing these three sweet strains, which I could consume for a few months. Looking back, I was feeling happy for having been able to harvest plants of such quality and abundance in mid-summer, while avoiding the usual problems that come in late summer and early autumn, such as cold and damp. By mid-August already, I had six pots full of topquality weed. As expected, Gorilla Girl XL Auto® proved to be the most potent plant. It is perfect for relaxing moments but also a good choice for a night out with friends. Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto® is my favourite choice for a day at the beach - very uplifting and energetic. As for Crystal Candy XL Auto®, in addition to being very potent and relaxing, it is also motivating, so I saved it for when my holidays were over and had to go back to work, as it really helps me face boring tasks with a new positive outlook and a very 'sweet' mindset.
31
LEGALIZATION By Rich Hamilton
CBD IMPORTS LAWS CHANGE OVER NIGHT
CBD IMPORTS REFUSED ENTRY TO UK UNDER NEW REFORM PLANS Several bulk CBD imports have been refused clearance into the UK following concerns that they could contain illegal levels of THC. The Home Office has acted in response to a request made in January by Kit Malthouse, the Police and Justice Minister seeking further clarification on the levels of THC present in legal UK CBD products.
The Home Office states that they are merely looking to encourage developing a "safe and legitimate CBD consumer industry". However, many established CBD businesses have reacted with frustration
At the other end of the scale, a limit set at 0.0001% THC would sound the death knell for many businesses and possibly the industry as a whole. To remove all traces of THC to the level of one-hundredth of a milligram would be practically impossible! On the whole, although the CBD industry supports the idea of a percentage marker for THC as a positive development; the general consensus is that the ACMD must decide with some common sense. THC trace levels at their current legal rate of 1mg per pack offer no psychoactive effects as it is. Reducing them further, therefore seems pointless, and will not be a viable option for most businesses.
With 6 million regular users, the UK CBD industry is worth an estimated £300m. Imports of CBD alone are valued at several hundred thousand pounds a month. The loss of this lucrative market through ill-thoughtout regulations and red tape would be detrimental to the UK industry and jobs. No-one wants to see this given the current battering that the economy is taking, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis. CBD Industry representatives are said to have secured emergency talks with the Home Office. Hopes are high that together an informed, sensible and straightforward decision can be made to allow the CBD sector to continue to flourish.
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When news of this development was made public, the CBD industry did not anticipate it to have such an immediate impact. However, reports soon emerged that the UK Border Force had already detained and destroyed some CBD imports. These are imports that held a certificate of authorisation demonstrating THC levels. Previously this would have satisfied all regulation and allowed the CBD isolate clear passage to its destination. In response to THC levels in CBD products being under review, the Home Office has now dictated that all businesses importing bulk CBD distillates or isolates must secure a "schedule one Controlled-drug licence". This licence authorises the holder to supply and possess controlled drugs in line with strict conditions on import, export, production, supply, possession, prescribing and record keeping. Under schedule 1, CBD imports are now in the same category as LSD, some amphetamines and raw opiums. Applying for a schedule 1 licence comes with its issues. Securing one can take up to 8 weeks, possibly longer given the COVID pandemic.
d e t c e l on se rains st
and concern. This decision appears to be telling all legal CBD businesses that their operations have become unlawful, pretty much overnight.
e details Check tuhr website on o
Until now, the Home Office has allowed THC to be present to a total trace amount of 1mg per pack of CBD product. However, this legislation has never been foolproof. The same rule applied whether the product in question was 1litre or 10ml in size.
rite o v a f r u ask yoore or visit l o c a l st
Following the clarification request made in January, this regulation is now under consideration by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). The new proposed range of trace levels is anything between 0.01% THC and 0.0001%. A decision from the ACMD is not expected for several months yet. However, when it is confirmed, it will, without doubt, impact the CBD market positively or negatively. If the ACMD decide that the THC limit for CBD products should change to 0.01%, then THC levels in CBD products overall would increase. For example, 0.01% in a 10 ml bottle of CBD product would equate to the 1mg allowed currently. However, in a 30ml bottle, 0.01% would equate to 3mg, so levels here would rise.
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32
Grow with Stoney Tark By Stoney Tark
Preparing for The Outdoor Season Picking the Best Genetics This does not mean which company is the most reputable or hyped, but it refers to your environment. It is important to pick a strain that will be able to hold up to however late in the year it is. So, if you are in the U.K and have plans to grow outdoors this year, then it is a good idea to consider the following short list.
70-80 days later you can harvest a female plant. Needless to say, autos are extremely popular in Europe, South America and it seems even the U.S market is soaring with autos. What is great about these low profiles, easy to grow plants is you are able to achieve multiple grows outside in the space of a year. If you have the luxury to plant at a South facing location, then during April until September you have a
can be a case of starting in a 6.5 litre pot for example, and repotting later. If you have a location in your garden or terrace that provides sunshine from the morning until night, then it is possible to plant the seedlings into a big pot such as 25-50 litre or directly into a wellmaintained bed of soil.
Insect and Pests Slugs and bugs are an outdoor grower
pot. Somehow copper sends a shock through the slug quickly deterring them away from your plants. Dried broken egg shells are also a good tactic and these can be placed on top of the soil and pressed in. When the slugs and snails pass over, it will be like razor blades and stop them in their tracks.
Polytunnels and Greenhouses One great way to increase the levels of privacy in your outdoor garden, and keep the plants warm and humid, is to grow inside of a glass greenhouse, or polytunnel. Not only do the plants stay well protected from the rain and heavy winds, they are also kept out of sight from neighbours and helicopters. Building a polytunnel from a plastic water pipe, wooden stakes and polystyrene sheet is easy enough and cheap, allowing you to customise your own size. A greenhouse may be a little more challenging to set up and far more expensive to buy, however both will last the test of time if well built. If you do plan to build a polytunnel in the comfort of your back garden, then you should consider building it facing South. You will also want to make sure that there is plenty of room for the plants and for yourself to comfortably manoeuvre around and do your hands on maintenance. When growing auto flowering seeds in outdoor polytunnels, the results can be amazing and ensures a solid Sea of Green crop delivered every 70-80 days alongside the photoperiod plants ready to harvest in the fall.
A well-made polytunnel / greenhouse perfect for autos • A fast-flowering strain (50-56 days) that is indica dominant. • High resistance to powdery mildew and mould. • Wind resistant and endures colder temperatures well. • Does not smell too pungent or attracts the wrong attention.
What About Auto Flowering Seeds? Autos are a fantastic way to grow smaller sized plants without relying on a set light regime. This means you can plant the auto flowering seeds and around
6-month window to squeeze 2-3 crops out depending on the cultivar.
Planting Seeds I would personally recommend starting your seeds off inside for the first week, until your seedling is established enough to plant outside and endure the sun and cold nights. I do not advise planting seeds into the soil and leaving outdoors unless you have a very warm climate and constant sunshine, without cold and wet mornings. Deciding which pot to plant your seeds
What to Remember! worst enemy, and more so in the U.K. Nothing is worse knowing your prized seedling was lunch for a passing slug and now you are left with a trail of slime and a half-eaten plant. It is a good idea to keep your seedling well protected using a plastic pint-sized cup with holes in turned upside down. This simple but effective trick will keep all the pests at bay and allow your plant to grow up to a point where it can better defend itself with your help. One way to fight off hungry slugs and snails is to use either copper wire laid down in a circle on the top of the
• G row strains that will be well suited for your environment. • South facing is best to maximise the amount of sun. • Seedlings will not enjoy cold nights so take care during the early stages. • Keep your seedlings protected from insects and animals. • Auto flowering strains will grow well outside in the U.K Please check out my YouTube podcast and website www.officialstoneytark. com for more great info and advice about all things Cannabis. Keep growing and stay humble!
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34
grow with Jorge Cervantes
By Jorge Cervantes – jorge@marijuanagrowing.com
Growing in a Greenhouse
This the second part of an excerpt from the Greenhouse chapter in the new, unpublished 6th Edition of Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible) by Jorge Cervantes. The 7th Edition of Marijuana Horticulture will be available fall 2021. Find all of Jorge´s books at all amazon retailers worldwide.
part 2
Types of Greenhouses The type of greenhouse you choose is governed by your growing climate, budget and desires. A greenhouse in mild to cool climates protect plants from heavy rains,
desiccating winds and big predators. It also keeps plants warm at night. Such unheated season-extending greenhouses are best for small tender plants and can be removed as plants mature. Freestanding greenhouses can be heated or unheated and placed anywhere. Lean-to greenhouses are attached to another structure, require fewer building materials and are usually less expensive to heat and cool. The size and shape of your greenhouse depends upon your climate and how the sun effects the temperature and humidity inside. The number and size of plants you plan to grow, width of isles and staging area for transplanting, tool and supply storage will dictate the size. Pathways between beds should be at least 50-60 cm wide. If you plan to wheel wagons, wheelbarrows and other implements around, wider rows will be necessary. Always allow for plant growth over aisles, especially when they are more than 90 cm tall. If benches are added, allow 60-90 cm on each side. Benches placed on the sides of the greenhouse need one central isle in between. Benches on the sides should be no wider than 90 cm so that you can easily reach across from one side. A central bench in the middle of the structure with paths on either side can be from 120-180 cm across. Install rolling beds on benches to increase greenhouse grow space by up to 20 percent. A single aisle is always open, and the beds can be rolled back and forth by a single worker. Small plants less than 90 cm are best adapted to rolling benches. If you plan to grow under benches you will need more space between benches to move containers. Also consider using lights below benches. Greenhouses are longer than wide so that the sun traveling along the east-west axis has enough time to heat the structure. A greenhouse with a ratio of 1 wide to 3 long is the minimum to achieve adequate “solar gain.” If the width to length ratio climbs beyond 1 wide to 5 ventilation and microclimate complications become overwhelming and expensive to solve. Search “greenhouse solar gain” on the internet for more information on this subject. Snow load rating is the extra gravitational force on a greenhouse´s roof added by the weight of accumulated snow and ice. One cubic foot of wet snow contains about 28.5 liters of water and weighs about 28.5 kg. Light fluffy snow weighs about 57 kg per cubic meter. A 3 x 6 m greenhouse will have more than 5,455 kg of snow on the roof!
Cover pathways between rows with landscape fabric to stop weed growth and to keep mud out.
Snow load is measured in Pounds per Cubic Feet (PCF) or Kilograms per Cubic Meter (KM3)
35
Chef Jimmy walks to his well-sited gourmet cannabis greenhouses. The arc of the sun overhead provides the absolute most light possible during the entire year. The best way to calculate snow load is to make an internet search for “greenhouse snow load calculator.” You will find quite a few to choose from. Note that wet snow weighs more than light dry snow.
make a simple cloche from a milk container by cutting out the bottom; remove the lid to ventilate. You can purchase cloches or make them out of plastic or glass containers.
Commercial cloches are made of rigid transparent plastic or heavy-duty wax paper. They are easy to use and nest for storage. In my hometown, Ontario, Oregon, we bought
“hot caps” every year to cover tomato plants to protect from nighttime frost. Concrete reinforcing wire makes great
Avoid most snow load problems by using 120 cm of spacing between trusses or hoops and keeping the plastic very tight. There is no substitute for extra steel. Snow is not allowed to accumulate in sagging low spots.
Spring Season Extending Greenhouses Use miniature greenhouses—cloches plastic milk jugs Wall-O-Waste, etc.—to extend the spring planting season by 2-6 weeks in cold to moderate climates. Miniature greenhouses protect plants from cold weather, wind and rain. They are easy to use when hardening-off cannabis transplants too. In many climates extending the spring season allows you enough time to plant both a spring crop and a fall crop. Cloches are individual protective coverings that keep plants warm at night. You can
If you live in a cold climate you must know the snow load rating for your greenhouse. Snow is very heavy and can cave in roofs.
36 Use only grounded fittings, bulbs and do not let it touch any part of the cover to avoid danger of fire. Spun fiber floating row covers such as Agronet™ and Reemay™ protect spring transplants and short plants from harsh weather and exclude most pests. They will even protect from freeze down to -20-22 degrees C depending on the thickness of the fabric. Floating row covers are manufactured with sun-protection
properties that can be used for several seasons with proper care. Set up low profile hoops over your garden and stretch floating row cover material over them. Anchor fabric along the edges firmly with soil. Rain, snow and ice can add a lot of weight to the fabric that could crush tender plants. And the fabric can freeze to the leaves and damage foliage. Wind damage can tear and shred leaves and break branches.
A Wall-O-Water is one of my favorite small greenhouses.
cannabis cages. Hold sections of the wire together with plastic cable ties. Set up the big cages when you set the transplants outdoors. Wrap the cages with clear plastic and cover the top to form a greenhouse. Remember to leave some natural ventilation that enters from the bottom and exits through the top. A Wall-O-Water is a water-filled teepee that uses the heat-emitting properties of water to shield plants from excess heat and keep them from freezing. It holds water in connected vertical tubes and fits over a plant. Open the top of the teepee for ventilation during the day. Water absorbs the heat of the sun moderating the temperature inside the teepee. Close the top at night, as the air temperature drops the water releases heat keeping plants comfortable. The Wall-O-Water works in the spring when temperatures
drop below freezing. It can protect plants down to -7 degrees C. Low-profile greenhouses are perfect for crops of short plants. Set up a lowprofile hoop greenhouse to cover small plants. Remove the plastic covering when weather warms and replace with netting to form a trellis. Row tunnels can be made of clear corrugated fiberglass that is bent into an arch and secured over the garden. Commercial row covers come in many sizes; some are large enough to cover dwarf fruit trees. Polypropylene covers protect plants down to about 5 degrees C. Cover small greenhouses with a sheet or blanket in emergencies. Set up a low-wattage electric light bulb under the covering to raise the temperature 5.5-8 degrees C.
Make your own small greenhouse with a few boards, plastic and staples. This small greenhouse protects plants and extends the growing season.
This is an excerpt from the new, unpublished 7th Edition of Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible) by Jorge Cervantes. The 7th Edition of Marijuana Horticulture will be available fall 2021. Find all of Jorge´s books at all amazon retailers worldwide.
37
LIFESTYLE
READ-LISTEN-WATCH Media reviews
This new feature will bring you a selection of media reviews carefully curated for canna lifestyle and culture. There's something for everyone, whether you want to be educated or just entertained; we've got you covered. Here are our recommendations on what to "Read" "Listen", and "Watch" this month.
READ
LISTEN
WATCH
My Canna Wellness Journal
Cultivate from Boveda inc
Murder Mountain – Netflix
In this issue of Soft Secrets, "mustreads", we bring you "My Canna Wellness Journal" by Dr Callie Seaman and Nina Piraveau.
Available from all podcast providers, Cultivate is an easy listening, easygoing, professional, informative
This 6 part Netflix true-crime docuseries is a must-watch for anyone with even the slightest interest in cannabis. Based around Humboldt county California, commonly known as the "emerald triangle", it takes you on a warts and all rollercoaster ride through the darker side of cannabis production. We learn the history of the area and see the transition from cannabis black market growing to the new legal market, including all the difficulties that outlaw farmers face achieving this.
This 90-day journal is designed to help you log your cannabis consumption. It is presented in a clear categorised format with pages. The journal pages are easy to fill in and will help you track your cannabis consumption, the strains you are smoking and how they make you feel. With the number of people using cannabis for medicinal purposes in recent years on the increase, this is a great book to focus on what strains work best for you at what doses and for what ailments. As this is the Cannabinoids edition, there is also great scientific information scattered throughout the book, which keeps you engaged while you work through the book.
The show also follows a few intriguing and tragic stories of disappearances and murders in the mountainous terrain of Humboldt, which have earned this specific region the name of "Murder Mountain". This is a great documentary series that shows some of the more criminal but yet real and gritty aspects of the cannabis world. A must watch. Available on Netflix.
see also next page
podcast. It is a product/brand lead podcast. However, that doesn't get in the way of hosts Drew Emmer and Scott Swail having informative, engaging content, topics and conversation with some great guests. The focus of Cultivate is on the people, and technology blazing a trail in the cannabis industry. Cultivate is the perfect podcast to listen to while your trimming or just generally working in your garden. It will keep you fully in the loop with all things new in the cannabis industry. Cultivate is on my podcast subscription list, and it should be on yours too, as I'm sure, like me, you will learn from it and find it very enjoyable. FREE to download via Apple iTunes.
My Canna Wellness Journal is a refreshing self-help book. It is easy to use, satisfying to fill in and helpful to track what strains work best for you, whether recreational or medicinal. £14.99 from www.peaceandgrowshop.com Peace and Grow Peace and Grow www.peaceandgrowshop.com
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Atami 27
Barney's Farm
2
Cyco 39
Sanlight 27 Dr. Underground
23
Emerald Harvest
7
Sweet Seeds
40
Colofon
Rippers' lyrical skill and Grime credentials, as well as his ability to shine through a large variety of instrumentals. This is real music made by real people with a real message. Blacks' love of cannabis is as ever a running theme, with frequent expressions of his love and respect for weed. This is especially clear on smokers anthem
on through his music and the Dank Of England cannabis lifestyle brand and record label. Perfect listening for lighting up and chilling out on those lazy summer days to come. Available now from Apple iTunes.
Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV Galvaniweg 11, 5482 TN Schijndel, 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:
Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl
1. B 2. A 3. D 4. A 5. B 6. B 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. C
11. B 12. B 13. A 14. B 15. C 16. B 17. A 18. D 19. C 20. A
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.
Next issue out:
July 2, 2021