PORTUGAL GROWS TONNES OF MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR EXPORT
In 2023, Portugal exported 11 tonnes of cannabis but only 17 kg were sold within its borders. Patients still resort to the black market although the plant is legal in the country.
Medical cannabis was approved in 2018 and regulated in 2019 in Portugal - the first country in the world to decriminalise the recreational use of all drugs in 2001. Medicines, preparations and substances based on the cannabis plant for “medicinal purposes” are legal. While dozens of pharma and agriculture companies flocked to the country following the legalisation of medical cannabis, access remains extremely restricted for Portuguese patients.
The only product which is currently sold in Portugal is Canadian producer Tilray’s cannabis flower, with 18 per cent THC - the principal psychoactive constituent of the plant. Patients can either smoke the bud or heat it with a machine and inhale the vapour. A box of 15 g costs €150 - well over black market rates - and isn’t reimbursed by health insurance. What’s more, the flower can only be prescribed to patients suffering from seven specific conditions for whom all other “chemical” options have been unfruitful. The product isn’t stocked by the country’s three largest pharmaceutical suppliers, and in 2023, a bit more than a thousand boxes of Tilray were sold, the equivalent of 17 kg.
The same year, 11 tonnes of medical cannabis were exported from Portugal by the 40 or so companies set up in the country, including Somai Pharmaceuticals. Portugal is currently the second biggest producer of cannabis in the EU. Every year, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) compiles the expected production of controlled substances intended for medical and scientific purposes by country.
In 2024, Portuguese authorities declared 34 tonnes of medical cannabis, just a little less than Spain and its 36 tonnes. Luis Meirinhos Soares worked at the government’s medical regulator for over 25 years and now consults for Cannavigia, a compliance software for cannabis transparency. He believes that Portugal’s regulation rightly focuses on safety and quality, but regrets the lack
According to the expert, Portugal could follow in the steps of other European countries like Germany, where pharmacies can sell “magistral formulations” or custom-prepared flowers and
extracts based on medical prescriptions. Another difficulty across the EU is the lack of “mutual recognition” for medical cannabis. While “traditional” medicine can be sold in other countries if it’s approved in one, cannabis plants aren’t included in this procedure.
In February, the European Commission registered a citizen initiative calling for better access to medical cannabis.
“Foster access to medical cannabis based on scientific evidence and the experiences of patients, and allow patients the transportation of cannabis (...) throughout the EU, to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to health,” the initiative states, while also calling for the legalisation of recreational use - a point refused by the EU. If the petition receives at least one million signatures in at least seven member states within six months of launching, legislation for better access to medical cannabis in Europe will be considered by the Commission.
Source: Euronews.com
Blue Gelato #41
HashCampus
The art of making water hash
The two voluptuous sisters Page 14
Legal weed on the US east coast, part 2 Travel report
Growing Cannabis Outdoors and Heat Stress
The New Diablo Rojo XL Auto® A Creamy Champion from Sweet Seeds®
Home Grow
By Gerard Donisa
4
BLUE DREAM (00 SEEDS)
This 00 Seeds genetics has a resistant structure, is medium-sized and has a robust appearance, due to its sativa predominance (60%) and produces high-quality flowers, very compact and with an extraordinary trichome production. It is also worth highlighting its resistance to powdery mildew and pathogens, such as thrips and red spider mites, among others This strain was created by the famous DJ Short, crossing the best of Blueberry and Haze, two strains widely used in the 90s. Due to its organoleptic properties, it is a very popular and respected strain among growers and breeders. Its high THC and CBG contents range between 20-21% THC and 1.5% CBG, which translates into a very fast and powerful effect due to the synergy between these two particles.
GERMINATION
At first glance, these Blue Dream seeds are very homogeneous in terms of appearance, with a marked round shape and a very dark color. In this case, we germinated 5 seeds. Germination was done in an airtight environment, free of spores and pathogens that could interfere with the normal germination cycle of this genetics.
After 24 hours, the seeds could be seen opening. After the next 24 hours, we can see how the radicle appears in search of light, with great strength and growing by leaps and bounds for each hour of growth. It is time to plant them in 7L pots.
After 72 hours, we can see how they are making their way through the substrate, which in this case the substrate is a mixture of worm humus, coconut, black peat and blond peat to promote good drainage and oxygenation of the substrate.
VEG STAGE
In the first week of watering, every three days they are given a solution of root stimulant, dissolved in osmosis water in a quantity of 150 to 250 ml per pot. We also use a 315w LEC, in this case we leave more than 1m of distance between the light and the substrate, so as not to stress the plants and so that they grow with a normal and vigorous development. After the first week of life, the cotyledons are about 4 centimeters long due to the constant search for a light source vital for their development. Regarding fertilization, we replace the rooting agent with an organic-based growth fertilizer, easy to assimilate and with the macro and microelements they need to develop. We increase the dose to 300 ml of water and fertilizer, in addition to lowering the light point to about 75 cm, so that it stimulates the leaves easily and can enhance the root part of the plant.
The third and fourth weeks of growth are very decisive, since it is when we must change the light cycle from 18 hours to 12 hours. We change the plants to 11L pots and increase the dose of fertilizer and water to 0.5L per pot, to finish the growth cycle we will leave the lights 50cm from the plant. In this way we provide an intense and vigorous beam of light.
FLOWERING
After a couple of weeks of adaptation to the 12h light cycle for flowering, signs of pre-flowering are shown, in addition to a proliferation of very marked pistils.
Beginning in the third week of flowering, the first flower formations can be seen appearing from the meristems, as well as some very special and pronounced nuances. In the middle of flowering, a very large amount of trichomes with a very white and shiny appearance can be seen, despite being very fine-grained.
In the last two weeks of flowering, several root washes were applied, since this process is very key to undoing salt crystals or accumulations of fertilizer and different compounds that may remain in the substrate. In addition, the plant greatly appreciates this process, since cold is applied to harden the flowers until they give them a desired weight and density. In this last phase, very large and compact flowers can be seen, with a rather long appearance, a very light green hue and very blond pistils. In this last phase, the olfactory nuances change completely and we can appreciate hints of ripe banana, pepper, damp earth, cinnamon, cream...
HARVEST
In nine weeks, this strain is ready to be harvested, with very dense flowers full of trichomes, as a result of adding cold water to the last stages of the plant.
At the time of drying, we use a plastic mesh where we can place our flowers in a vertical position for the first phase of drying. After two weeks hanging in the net, a slight discoloration and reduction in size can be seen due to the evaporation of the water.
Finally, and once the flowers are at their optimal drying point, we put them in 500gr jars with airtight seals. This way, the nuances in the flowers are fixed and all their organoleptic properties develop, where we can appreciate hints of ripe banana, vanilla, pepper and sandalwood, among others.
SECRET JARDIN: DUCTING FLANGE TECHNOLOGY
Make your grow tent more versatile.
Secret Jardin’s Ducting Flange allows you to create vents anywhere on your tent and simplifies your configuration. With their 100% airtight design, you can easily connect filters, ducts and extractors.
When used with the Light Baffle, the Ducting Flange also becomes a completely lightproof air intake.
www.secretjardin.com
DISCOVER THE NEW PRODUCT LINE FROM ATAMI:
VGN - VEGANIC FERTILIZER
The roots of the VGN line lie in the philosophy of the circular economy. We use valuable plant residues and transform them into high-quality liquid fertilisers. Our products, approved for organic farming by the Control Union, provide directly available nutrients for plants.
VGN fertilisers promote thriving soil life thanks to their richness in diverse organic molecules. The higher the content of complex organic molecules, the better the soil life is nourished. This leads to healthier plants, fragrant flowers and flavourful fruit - see the difference for yourself!
Which products are part of the team?
• VGN 5-2-2: Grow healthy green plants with a little extra nitrogen.
• VGN 2-2-4: Extra potassium for stronger and more vigorous plant growth.
• VGN 1-4-4: With extra phosphorus and potassium for outstanding flowers.
• VGN CalMag: Essential elements for strong cell walls, supported cell production and photosynthesis. Combine all four VGN products and customise them to your plant’s needs!
Find the revolutionary VGN line in your nearest shop from June and contact us for more information: Wilma’s Lawn & Garden Deutschland GmbH, Phone: +49 2041 723 0330 or by e-mail: info@wilmalg.de - support@wilmalg.de.
SUPER BOOM KOMPAKTOR
Super Boom Compactor is a powder compactor and finisher for the final stage of flowering. It is an exclusive formula from Canna boom SL, a historic Spanish fertilizer company that distributes its products worldwide under the brand “La poción del Brujo”.
Super Boom Compactor is not the classic mineral potassium “bomb” but a complete product with more than 40 organic ingredients, most of which have never been used before in this sector (among others beta-carotene, omega 6, plant trace elements, selenium, leucine, etc.)
It is a product that acts directly on the calyxes, causing them to harden and thus allowing the bud to compact and gain weight. At the same time, Super Boom Compactor acts as a finisher, stimulating the plant to complete the maturation of the trichomes in a homogeneous way , thus allowing to maximize the flavor and potency of the flowers. Furthermore, by using it in combination with our More Grams, which allows the buds to lose less weight during the drying phase, you will obtain even more voluminous harvests!
www.cannaboom.es
Black Leaf bongs : The Neverland collection
You lie on a bed made of soft moss and are completely relaxed. Through clouds of smoke you can see glistening waterfalls in the evening sun. Glowing sparks warm your soul which can completely unwind in this enchanted landscape. The sun bids farewell in colourful splendour and gives way to a starry night. You close your eyes and enjoy this dreamy experience.
Black Leaf bongs from the Neverland collection persuade with their special rainbow effect which makes the whole pipe shimmer like a fairy tale. A robust construction and good smoke cooling convince even those who don‘t believe in magic.
www.blackleaf.eu
Grow
With Stoney Tark
10 BENEFITS OF USING FEMINIZED CANNABIS SEEDS
Feminized cannabis seeds dominate the seed market and, compared to regular sexed seeds, have so many benefits. If you are new to growing cannabis and have not quite heard of feminized seeds yet, then get ready to discover 10 reasons why you should consider growing them, and how they can make your life much easier and straightforward!
10 benefits of growing with feminized seeds
1. Every plant will produce buds
Feminized seeds will allow you to grow only female plants. It does not matter if you are growing 4 plants inside a converted bedroom cupboard or grow tent, or have a cellar with 99 plants inside. The days of ending up with a lower plant count than what you started with not only saves a grower space, nutrients and soil, it will ensure commercial scale growers can continue to hit their targets every time.
2. Growers can maximize their indoor space
In the old days, most growers ended up with around half the plants they originally started with due to sexing. This meant that the grow space would not be fully used, resulting in a loss in estimated yield. Now with feminized seeds, your grow space can be fully utilized so if you are working with one huge plant or a sea of green with 20+ seeds, then you can rest assured you will not be at a loss in any way, shape or form.
3. Feminized seeds are ideal for beginners As a first-time grower, deciding to use feminized cannabis seeds will be one of the best decisions you can make. Feminized seeds will produce top quality female plants, usually with excellent results. Working with seeds is also a great way to see how a female cannabis plant grows over time
and transforms from a seedling into a flowering beast covered in resin.
4. There is no need to sex and throw away plants
Sexing plants simply means to find out which ones are male and female. Much easier said than done if you are not experienced, and the only way to tell is to flower your plants and keep your fingers crossed. That is certainly not the case when growing with feminized cannabis seeds, and once you change the timers to 12/12. Then not only do you not need to be concerned about male plants, you can sleep well at night knowing you are using all your grow space and will achieve the best case scenario results wise.
5. Hydroponic growers can fill all growing sites
Hydroponics can be an expensive and fast-paced game that will reward growers with enormous yields of high grade cannabis. Feminized seeds allowed growers to grow and flower only female plants and make sure that every growing site or chamber is full. Using feminized seeds also cuts off the requirement for cannabis clones, which may not be so easy to source in the first place.
6. You can grow a wide variety of strains at once
Everybody loves choice, especially when looking at a menu in a coffee shop in Amsterdam! The beauty of growing feminized seeds is the fact that you can grow as many different varieties of one space as you want. There is such a wide range of Dutch and American hybrids on the market, and why not grow all of your favourite strains at once in the comfort of your own home.
7. Hunting phenotypes is easier to do with fems
This is based solely on plant count and not needing to worry about sexing male or female. For those who are particular about phenotype hunting, then planting a pack of 10 or 20 feminized seeds will give you an opportunity to narrow
There is absolutely no point in growing cannabis outdoors if you are not sure if the plants are male or female. In fact, having to throw out large sized male plants that have taken up space, pots, soil and nutrients would be a total waste of money and resources. Feminized cannabis seeds will guarantee the plant will be female, making those secret outdoor stealth grows even easier to pull off.
9. Female seeds are available in single, 3, 5 or 10 packs
Due to the increasing popularity of feminized cannabis seeds, most seed banks will offer single seed packs, 3,5 or 10 seeds. Not only does this make life easier for those who are only growing a
few plants every 4 months, and are restricted to a budget, it also makes choosing the strains much easier. In the old days, you would buy 10 seeds and hope for at least 5, and with feminized seeds, you can buy a single seed!
10. Seed banks will have special offers and promotions
Everywhere you look nowadays there is always a wonderful promotion from different seed banks. With so many special offers and promotions to take advantage of, growing with feminized seeds becomes far more exciting and incentivizing than regular sexed cannabis seeds.
A great tip is to have a look at what promotions the seed banks are doing on 4/20 each year, as this is usually when you will snap up a great deal, including some new and exclusive releases from the breeder.
Feminized seeds are perfect for a sea of green setup like this photo.
grower has multiple feminized strains growing in this vegging tent.
Barney’s Farm strain story
Words & Pics: Green Born Identity – G.B.I.
BLUE GELATO 41
THE TWO VOLUPTUOUS SISTERS
Thanks to their excellent Californian connections, Barney’s Farm have managed to create a couple of strains with heavily popular West Coast genetics. Blue Gelato 41 is a spectacular scoop the Barney’s breeder made and turned into an actual seed strain – good news for all growers in Europe who can easily get their hands on this elite cross now.
Consisting of 60% indica and 40% sativa, Blue Gelato 41 was bred from the iconic strain Blueberry and heavily sought-after Gelato 41 (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Indica Sunset Sherbet) from the Cookies Family.
Well, the breeders were sure that marrying these two genetics aces to one another was going to lead to something great… and it did. To be clear about the results – mighty indica power that will “rapidly plunge you into a tranquil pool of potent psychedelic pleasure”, as Barney’s puts it nicely, and can act as a kind of anti-pain massage.
But that strong relaxation effect doesn’t give you a dizzy head feeling, users can enjoy their chill-out session without the chance of falling asleep. Resin glands in vast amounts come naturally to this hybrid. In terms of yields, Blue Gelato 41 is a hit – indoors it delivers a stately 600-700 grams per sqm. After 63-70 days of flowering outdoors bumper yields up to 2.5-3 kilos are feasible with an extended vegetative stage.
Plants will mature between the 2nd and 3rd week of October, with a good chances of a completely clear harvest as Blue Gelato 41 possesses a very high mould resistance. Aromawise, there’s a basic citrus flavour with a certain earthiness and a sweet topping.
This variety may reveal different phenotypes, with a likeliness of leaves and calyxes turning purple to blueish. The basic rule here is of course that the colder cultivation temperatures are, the intenser these colourations become.
Exemplarily good uniform vegetative growth
Blue Gelato 41 and its genetic make-up were music to the ears of The Doc who has had West Coast fever for some time, being fired up by all those beautiful genetics coming from over the big pond to Europe.
So the race was on for this West Coast gem at his place! As usual, with two feminised seeds that sprouted very well, just 2.5 days later and the two seedlings sprouted, eagerly stretching towards the light soon after.
It didn’t last long until rapid vegetative growth set in, with early lateral branching. The plants’ dark green leaves turned out to be thinner than
expected, leaning more to the sativa side. Tight internodal spacing resulted in bushy compact growth, when The Doc switched them into flowering after three weeks, they had grown extremeley well, having formed an excellent scaffold of strong branches ideal for flowering. They impressed The Doc with their overall uniformity, also height-wise with 30 and 33 cm.
Buds so resinous as if a shower of resin would have rained down on them
Flowering began quickly, after about a week female preflowering appeared on both plants. n the period that followed they stretched so much that they way more than doubled their height - the sativa dominance of Blue Gelato 41 became apparent. Soon after bud production was running at full blast. Within a month, thick young flower bulbs formed along the branches the calyxes and leaves of which were already covered with many trichomes.
“Wow, this is quite a great start!”
cheered the Doc. And it was going to continue extremely well, too: in the second half of flowering, the buds grew into some real fat whoppers and oozed out tremendously amounts of resin,
“as if a shower of resin would have rained down on them”
as The Doc put it. That lavish resin coat covered many of the bud leaves, even big ones sticking out of the buds with their stalks were largely covered in crystals. The buds swelled heavily and became ripe after 68 and 70 days. All of the buds were of remarkable size, with the head buds naturally being particularly grand.
“Just like all the plants from Barney’s Farm I’ve had so far, these two are true beauties! Beauties that are looking like twins, one could call them ‘the two voluptuous sisters’”, laughed The Doc. Buds like glittering pieces of silver: welcome to the noble metal class!
The “two voluptuous sisters“ had reached 74 and 77 cm tall in the end, and although their many branches were laden with heavy-weight buds, they were not hanging down so that The Doc didn’t have to support them – “some perfect low-maintenance indoor plants”, he praised Blue Gelato 41.
The smell was broadly similar to the breeder’s description, a marvellously tangy citrus bouquet, but instead of earthiness it had a tart note of fuel mixed in, the whole thing was rounded off with a dash of fruit sweetness.
“a magnificent blend of flavours, could sniff at it for hours!”
The drying process left the bouquet’s character basically as it previously was, not much changed. In their dry form, the buds looked like glittering pieces of silver, and also their hardness fell into the hard metal category. This had an impact on the yield of course – fabulous 223 grams went into The Doc’s huge storage jars!
Instant kick: The Doc feels buzzed in no time
A huge “whoaaah!“ came from the old pothead’s lips after he had inhaled a first hit off his Mighty vaporizer, because the deliciously spicy-citrusy tasting Blue Gelato 41 weed instantly kicked in – at the very moment when he exhaled the big vapour cloud, he felt completely buzzed.
His neurons were sending strong signals of relaxation which made his head feel as light as cotton wool. Two more hits and his body followed, with his limbs pleasantly slackening and his previously somewhat stiff neck
loosening up. It felt like having taken a hot bath in the tub: blissful relief, deep physical and mental relaxation, but no heavy paralysis – The Doc could have got up from his chair if he had wanted to, but allowed himself the luxury of chilling the whole day, daydreaming with a happy smile on his face and listening to some music, pretty stoned, but not heavily befogged and spiritless. That splendid relaxation session lasted about 2.5 hours.
“The two voluptuous sisters have treated me to a real pampering“
the Doc said afterwards, grinning. “That special relaxation effect without a mental knock-out provided by Blue Gelato 41 is just perfect for chilling. This variety has more than fulfilled my expectations, it ticked all the boxes to perfection, talking about its growth and bloom performance, yield, fragrance, taste and effect. The Californian West Coast holds some amazing treasures, and I will definitely uncover more of these!”
Vegetative stage three weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage 68 + 70 days / 63-70 days in general
Medium Plagron Grow Mix soil, 11 litre pots
pH 6.2-6.6
EC 1.2–1.8 mS
Light up to 12 x SANlight S4W = 1680 watts
Temperature 19-28°C
Air humidity 40-60 %
Watering by hand
Fertilisation Organic Bloom Liquid from Green Buzz Liquids
Additives/stimulants Living Organics,
and Clean Fruits from
Tools CleanLight Pro for mould prevention
Height 74 + 77 cm
Yield together, 223 grams
Genetics Blueberry x Gelato 41 (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Indica Sunset Sherbet)
More Roots, Humin Säure Plus, Big Fruits, Fast Buds
Green Buzz Liquids
Green Born Identity - G.B.I.
HashCampus, immersion in the art of water hash
Just a few days before the latest Spannabis fair, another event named HashCampus took place near Barcelona. It was an educational session organised by an exceptional team and featuring experts like Bobby from the famous La Kalada club, who delivered in-depth classes in solvent-free extracts complemented by unique experiences and insights.
Can you introduce HashCampus and tell us what inspired its creation?
HC: HashCampus is much more than a masterclass, it’s an exclusive experience, a total immersion in the magical world of solvent-free extracts. Trainees have the opportunity to share moments with the best hash makers in the world, while staying in an exclusive venue with the
option of an overnight stay. They mingle with special guests, creating unforgettable memories in a private atmosphere. Enrolment is extremely limited to ensure confidentiality and foster a strong network among participants.
The idea that inspired us to create this event was to make knowledge accessible to all. We have always promoted education and training. The incredible support of
major brands like Trolmaster and Lowtemp Industries was crucial in turning this idea into something real. They have been our main sponsors, making it all possible.
What motivated you to organise an event on solvent-free extracts?
It was a natural sequel from previous courses with Bobby KLD. As you know, the cannabis market is becoming increasingly demanding in terms of skills, and there’s a strong desire for knowledge.
We wanted to create a space where we could talk to experts and share lessons as well as free time, in order to build relationships and strengthen links between enthusiasts. The idea was to break down barriers and create an event where you could interact with the best hash makers. For those who are not in the industry, as you know, it’s not that simple.
I think it’s a unique event so far; there was a need to create something different to foster engagement and knowledge and continually improve techniques in this evolving market.
In addition, we were delighted to welcome The Dank Duchess. She needs no introduction, with 18 years of growing and 7 years of hash extraction experience, she has trained hundreds of thousands of people over the last few years. It was an incredible opportunity for our trainees to meet such a cannabis guru.
Needless to add, our gratitude goes to La Chanvrière, Grateful Seeds Company and BlueIce for taking the time to evaluate the trainees’ efforts and give feedback that enriched their learning experience – it was
Ice-o-lator by El Professeur. Illustration photo by Olivier F.
also an exceptional mentorship opportunity for them.
How satisfied do you think the trainees were with the knowledge and experience they gained at HashCampus?
They were extremely satisfied and described it as an experience like no other. Not only did they get to learn from the best minds in the business, but they also had the chance to sit down with them over meals and ask for invaluable tips and insights that they could not find anywhere else. This really fosters a sense of camaraderie and community among the trainees. We also ran a risk reduction overview, encouraging an informed and responsible use of the plant.
For those interested in taking part in next courses, how can they get involved?
Those interested in taking part can contact us via Instagram on hashcampus.official - they must be at least 21 years old and sign on the waiting list for our next call. Although I can’t share specific dates and details for the time being, our next editions are scheduled to take place in Germany, the Netherlands and Thailand.
We’d like to give a warm virtual hug to all the trainees who joined us and were fully engaged throughout this two-day course, creating incredible bonds both professionally and personally. A huge thank you goes to Bobby KLD for sharing invaluable advice and insights with everyone, and to Cannabisjobs for their incredible support.
Bobby, can you share your background and explain how you started teaching at HashCampus?
Bobby KLD: I’m a hash maker and grower, with over 13 years’ experience and 50 international awards from renowned competitions such as Master of Rosin, Legends of Hashish, Dab a Doo, The Ego Clash and Homegrown Cup. I’m currently working on new projects in the Netherlands, Germany and Thailand.
I’ve always been passionate about cannabis, and particularly its extracts. When I started out in this world many years ago, it was completely different. Having access to reliable information was hard, there were few blogs and many, many legends.
Cannabis enthusiasts and extract lovers like me even had to travel to distant continents to verify the stories we were told. That is why, after years of travelling and taking advantage of the wave of associations in Spain, I turned my passion into a job.
Many years ago, with the La Kalada club, with which I’ve been involved since day one, we launched the ‘School of Ice’. These were regular sessions where we gave practical demonstrations to our members,
to inform them about the extraction process, which was not so popular 10 years ago. This is a good illustration of my commitment to education.
I joined HashCampus a year ago after a seminar on solvent-free extracts during the Spannabis fair. After months of preparation with the organisation, we launched a pioneering event that differed from a traditional masterclass.
When you organise your workshops, how do you reconcile the needs of both beginners and more experienced trainees?
We created groups of up to three people on the basis of the information given during the preliminary trainee-selection interview. We then regrouped individuals according to their objectives and skills. This was a prerequisite for us to offer the most personal learning experience possible throughout the campus.
What do you think are the key skills or concepts that trainees should take away from your workshops?
Our intention is not just to impart skills on how to carry out the process (which, after all, doesn’t have many secrets), but rather to highlight typical mistakes. These are often due to simple oversights that can be very costly in the end. I can’t name a specific key skill that HashCampus teaches. It is rather individual trainees who, based on their experience, can focus on certain concepts and identify their weaknesses. Undeniably, each hash maker is unique, but all aim to make extracts of the highest quality.
In your experience, how has interest in water hash making changed over the years?
Over the last 10 years, the approach to water or bubble hash has changed considerably. Once unknown and reserved for a small group, it has become synonymous with quality, especially since solvent-free methods started replacing solvent-based methods.
What’s more, with the significant development of extraction machines and better growing technologies and tools, people are more and more inclined towards producing their own extracts. The substantial growth of the hash-making industry shows a growing demand, both from professional brands, which we can now claim to have in Europe as well, and from home growers.
Certainly, if I were to identify a significant turning point, it would be the introduction of the freeze dryer as a drying technology, which has revolutionised hash making.
No doubt, accurate genetic research into strains and flavours suited to water hash has had a considerable impact in this
Preparing to make hash on the Hashcampus.
product segment in recent years. While in the past hash-makers had to make do with genetics designed primarily to produce flowers that were optimal for smoking, there is now a selection philosophy aimed at seeking better resin and flavour without focusing just on the quality of the plant, which used to be one of the fundamental selection factors, but is now solely confined to the production of flowers.
Are there any preconceived ideas about the hash and rosin production process that you’d like to clarify?
Without a doubt, one of the main challenges we face at the moment is rushing to produce results. This often leads to applying heat and speeding up the curing process. The market demands certain standards, and some people take shortcuts rather than complete the whole process. We need to refocus our attention on the quality and exclusivity of our products rather than following the latest trend.
It’s also important to remember that heat is not always the answer to obtaining the best materials. A good curing process is the key to achieving quality. If, on the one hand, curing can improve initially mediocre elements, on the other, inappropriate curing can spoil even the best product.
For anyone looking to enter this field, what advice would you give them, and
how can their attendance of HashCampus benefit their learning experience?
For anyone looking to enter the world of solvent-free extracts, I’d say that starting with HashCampus is definitely a good choice, although it’s not directly targeted to beginners but to extract makers at all levels. In addition, I recommend gathering knowledge and information to improve personal skills.
As we’ve mentioned over the last few days, access to information is now easier, so being proactive is the key for extract makers to achieve their goals.
A great way to get into the cannabis industry in general can also be to adapt personal skills to those required by the legal market. Great job opportunities can be found all over the world on the Cannabisjobs website. We can’t expect the world to remain unchanged. Just as America is leading the way, Europe is preparing to become a major player in this unique industry.
It will soon be necessary to strive for differentiation, and having an excellent knowledge base is not common to everyone, so all should try to showcase their experience in the field because not everyone can boast about it.
Personally, I left my homeland to pursue my dream, and I advise everyone to travel, get out of their comfort zone and achieve their dream, whatever it may be.
With Stoney Tark
DEALING WITH HEAT STRESS AND PESTS OUTDOORS
When growing cannabis outdoors, you may face a few challenges, such as coping with heat stress and pests. There is nothing worse than watching your precious plants take a beating over the hottest part of the year, whilst getting slowly eaten by pests. In this article, I explain the different ways to help combat heat stress when growing cannabis outdoors, as well as the various insects to look out for and ways to deal with them.
What is heat stress?
Heat stress basically means that cannabis plants suffer under the high temperatures. The reason being that cannabis plants transpire water through their leaves, and excessively high temperature and low humidity can cause problems when it comes to the uptake of water and nutrients.
We would normally grow cannabis plants in a cooler environment with a high humidity level above 50%. During this time, plants have very little pressure on them to use the available water around the roots, resulting in healthy, green and lush plant growth.
How does heat stress affect cannabis plants?
Unfortunately, when a cannabis plant begins to suffer from heat stress, it will begin to change its growth structure and begin to droop downwards, or produce the leaves to curl inwards. Between the blistering hot sun and harsh dry winds, cannabis plants can quickly become stressed and will respond by reducing the amount of sunlight it receives. The amount of photosynthesis performed by the cannabis plant is reduced due to the leaves curling inwards, and over time the plants will lose vigor, colour and appear dry.
• Fan leaves will start to wilt and droop downwards.
• The tips of the fan leaves will curl inwards.
• Foliage will become dry and thin.
• Nutrient deficiency will begin to show itself. Cannabis plants will grow slowly with stunted growth.
Yields will become significantly affected.
• The buds are dry and have an airy characteristic.
The different ways to protect your plants
1. SHADING NETS
Dry winds can also be one of the main reasons
why cannabis plants suffer from heat stress, especially if they are constantly forcing the plants to transpire. I am a big fan of using shading nets during the hottest parts of the day, as they are cheap to buy and will reduce the intensity of the sun by up to 50%.
2. SHADED SPOTS
Sometimes the best solution to dealing with hot summer days, is to move your cannabis plants to an area that is shaded. Between 12-4 in the afternoon will be most effective and over the long run, your plants will grow much healthier and happier.
3. WATERING TIMES
If the aim of the game is to reduce the amount of pressure on your cannabis plants, then watering times will play a big role. The best times to water your plants will be early morning and early evening time. The reason being that the plants will drink the water and be able to hold onto it without running out. Avoid watering your plants once during the hottest part of the day.
4. AVOID FOLIAR SPRAYING WHEN IT’S HOT
One of the biggest mistakes I often see outdoor growers make is to enthusiastically get the hose pipe out, and start foliar spraying the plants in an effort to cool them down. This may seem like a good idea at the time, however doing so when the sun is at its hottest, can cause the foliage to burn. If you do want to
spray your plants down, then do so once the sun has set.
5. BE CAREFUL OF HOT FLOORS
One of the easiest ways to cause heat stress is to allow the pots to sit on hot floors. Temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius will cause the root zone to become hot, reducing oxygen levels and encouraging root rot. The best way to deal with a hot terrace floor or garden patio is to use wooden blocks or small pallets.
The different types of pests you may experience
WHITE FLY - These bright white tiny flies are not the end of the world compared to other pests, however if not dealt with in time, there will be hundreds of them flying around driving you mad. You can spray the plants with 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide water as a deterrent or use an organic repellent to fight off-white fly.
SPIDER MITES - Probably the biggest threat to anyone’s flowering plants, and a nightmare to get rid of in some cases. Spider mites will settle where the air is hot, high humidity and a source of food. Spider mites are a hard bodied pest, so are much more difficult to kill than soft bodied. Phytoseiulus persimilis are the most effective predator when it comes to battling spider mites populations.
CATERPILLARS - No one is safe from caterpillars when growing cannabis outdoors! These little pests are hard to spot, and it’s only their trail of destruction they leave behind that is the only tell-tale sign. Caterpillars will also eat and excrete out pathogen rich organic matter that will also infect buds. Bacillus thuringiensis is one highly effective method of killing caterpillars by using a bacterium that when digested is toxic to them. Another solution is to use a soapy water solution, however if the plants are flowering, then Bacillus thuringiensis is the best option.
Lots of different fems growing in coco for a phenotype selection hunt.
A caterpillar will eat through foliage and buds .
With Stoney Tark
TROUBLESHOOTING DURING THE FLOWERING PERIOD
Growing cup winning cannabis plants that are worthy of a front page of a cannabis magazine is easier said than done. It can take years to find the magic touch, and along the way there are many lessons to be learnt about flowering cannabis. In this article, I explain some of the most commonly faced problems a beginner level grower may face. It is better to be aware of the potential dangers lurking around the corner, so let’s get ready to troubleshoot.
THE TEMPERATURES
ARE TOO HOT
There can be a number of reasons why your indoor grow room temperatures are too hot. The weather outside may be warm, or it may just be the fact that your extraction is not working as well as it should be. Hot temperatures will only cause
grower has to work extra hard. Cold grow rooms can lead to cold roots, stunted plants and low yields. Your room temperature should be between 20–24 degrees Celsius with a drop to 17–18 degrees when the lights are turned off. Using a heater combined with a temperature controller
THE PLANT ROOTS ARE TURNING YELLOW
The roots of a cannabis plant are extremely important and will dictate how healthy and productive the plants will become. If you have noticed that the roots down the sides and bottoms of the pots have become yellow coloured, this may be an indication that you are suffering from the early stages of root rot. The main culprit for yellow and wiry roots is overwatering your growing medium. This can be easily done during flowering and if the problem is not fixed, the plants will struggle to uptake nutrients properly and produce low quality buds.
heat stress and encourage mould to form on the buds. The best way to deal with growing rooms that are too warm during the flowering period is to invest in new and superior extraction units, or run the lights at night when the temperatures outside are most cool.
THE TEMPERATURES ARE TOO COLD
Cold grow rooms can be a frequent occurrence, especially when living in Northern Europe. During the winter months, temperatures outside can plummet to serious lows, meaning the indoor
and sensor will allow you to programme and maintain a consistent temperature.
HUMIDITY
LEVELS ARE INCONSISTENT
Flowering cannabis plants prefer to grow in a cool and dry environment with a humidity level between 40-50%. Maintaining the same humidity levels indoors can be tricky during the wet winter season or if the summer is extremely hot and humid. A dehumidifier is the most practical way of removing excess moisture from the air and safely depositing it out of the grow room.
A WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE ON THE LEAVES
As a beginner grower, you may be deceived into believing that the white fuzzy layer forming on the fan leaves and smaller leaves is resin. The truth is, the white powder are spores that have settled into the leaf tissue. Once attached, this airborne pathogen will thrive and spread to other plants. High humidity levels and poor air flow can be the main cause of a heavy powdery mildew problem, so make sure you keep the air fresh and the currents from fans blowing around the buds.
BUDS ARE GRAY COLOURED AND TURNING SOFT
When you go to check your buds, and they feel like soft candy floss and begin to pull apart in your hands, panic can set in, and you are left wondering what has happened. Mould can infect cannabis buds from the outside and, in a worst case scenario, from the inside outwards. Usually, dense buds with little air flow will produce mould, however once inside the garden can spread from plant to plant. Keep your humidity levels as close to 40% with multiple oscillating fans blowing around the middle and tops of the plant canopy.
I CAN SEE SPIDER WEBS FORMING ON THE BUDS
The ultimate nightmare scenario that I think every grower has to face at some point in their career as a green fingered enthusiast. If you can see spider webs around the buds and the top colas, then this means you have spider mites. You can go online and order some Phytoseiulus persimilis predator mites to fight them off, but time is certainly of the essence. Spider mites can be kept at bay with experience, but can also ruin an entire crop if not sorted in time.
MY CONCLUSION
Not everyone can grow plants like the top growers on Instagram or in the magazines, but knowing what potential issues you encounter will certainly give you an advantage. For all the problems covered above, there are preventatives to stop these issues happening in the first place, and there is lots of great technology around to help indoor growers dial in their optimal environment.
My advice would be to invest wisely in temperature fan controllers, heaters, dehumidifiers and multiple oscillating fans. Good luck mastering the flowering stage and being well-prepared for any potential issue to arise!
This grower has suffered from a bad spider mite infestation and ruined the crop.
This plant was treated with a chemical solution and has burnt the leaves.
Text & photography: Derrick Bergman / Gonzo Media
GOOD INTENTIONS LEAD TO DESPERATION AND A 45,000-KILO CANNABIS MOUNTAIN EAST COAST
CANNABIS TOUR, PART 2: NEW YORK
What is the state of legalisation on the US East Coast? To answer that question, Soft Secrets’ Derrick Bergman travelled to the three biggest cities on the East Coast. The second and final part of his report deals with the difficult legalisation in the state and city of New York. ‘Blow it right in their face, it’s legal!’
It took a long time for New York State, traditionally a progressive bastion, to legalise recreational cannabis. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. After that, it took until December 2022 for the first legal cannabis shop to open. By the time I arrived in New York, in late 2023, a surplus of a hundred thousand pounds of legally grown cannabis had emerged. A cannabis mountain of over 45,000 kilos.
Cannabis entrepreneur Damnien Cornwell runs the Just Breathe Marijuana Dispensary and is a member of the Cannabis Association of New York. In the podcast New York Now, he aptly described legalisation in his state: ‘Good ideas meet bad execution meet reality.’ Due to poor execution, good intentions collided with reality. Because the intentions were certainly good. The state wanted legalisation to be fair, with consideration for residents who have suffered most from the drug war and priority given to local, small, and medium-sized entrepreneurs.
For legalisation to be sustainable as well, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) opted to allow almost only outdoor cultivation. The first licences went to existing hemp farmers in New York State, many of whom were struggling because hemp did not yield as much as they had hoped. A kind gesture, but it didn’t pan out well. New York state issued some 280 permits, allowing cultivation in greenhouses only to an extremely limited extent.
Licensed growers harvested a large mountain of outdoor weed in 2022 and 2023. But because legal shops opened only sparsely, they were barely able to sell it to anyone.
Good intentions also collide with reality when it comes to issuing licences for shops. Eligibility for such a licence was conditional on having been convicted of a cannabis offence by New York State. In the US, this is called social justice or social equity; those who have suffered most from the repression of cannabis are given priority in legalisation.
An estimated 4 to 500,000 New Yorkers have criminal records for cannabis. But the second condition for a shop licence greatly thinned that group; you also had to have successfully run a business for at least two years.
The proceedings led to a spate of lawsuits, which greatly delayed the whole process. In the meantime, the number of illegal cannabis shops exploded, especially in New York City. Smoke Shops, but all kinds of other shops also started selling weed, under-the-counter or not. I even saw a nail salon with a sign for weed.
Estimates of the number of illegal sales outlets range from two thousand to eight thousand. By the end of 2023, there were -number of residents across New York State: 8.46 million but 27 legal weed shops. To
the despair of those few legal shops, action against their illegal counterparts is neither frequent nor strict.
Even more desperate are legal cannabis growers, who are not yet allowed to process their surpluses into concentrate. The older their outdoor weed is, the harder it is to sell. To accommodate them, the OMC has allowed Cannabis Growers Showcases since summer 2023, markets or shops where growers can sell their produce directly to customers.
The first Showcase in Manhattan is the Hell’s Kitchen Cannabis Collective. The Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood formerly had a bad reputation and was the scene of conflicts between Irish and Puerto Rican residents, paddy boys and spics. Paul Simon sings about them in The Vampires:
Frenchy Cordero goes down to hell’s kitchen to sell the Irish some weed
So this paddy boy’s mother on the stoop starts bitching about spics is a mongrel breed Now here comes her son, he looks like a ton of corned beef floating in beer
He says: fucking Puerto Rican dope-dealing punk
Get your shit-brown ass out of here
The song is playing in my head as I enter the shop. General manager Patrick Conlin - it doesn’t get much more Irish - welcomes me and opens up about the difficult regulations. Yet joy and pride prevail; about the shop and
ConBud in the Lower East Side in New York, “the world’s first and only dispensary run and operated by formerly incarcerated professionals” (Foto: Derrick Bergman).
Made in New York: Crooklyn Runtz, grown by Electraleaf (Photo: Derrick Bergman).
the weed, vapes and other products, all of them made in New York. Patrick talks about the Piff Haze, a typical New York name for strong weed. I buy a 3.5-gram package of Piff Haze by Ithaca Organics. It costs $55.62, about fifty euros. It smells reasonable, looks good for outdoor weed, but is not worth 14 euros a gram. My second pick, Create (Humboldt Dream) van Bud + Boro doesn’t make me particularly happy either. Average quality at a high price.
Prices are hefty anyway: $33.90 for ten gummies, concentrates for $67.80 and $79.10 per gram and a joint with 1.5 grams of weed and 0.5 grams of rosin for $56.50. Such an extravagant 50-euro joint does suit New York; eve-
products sold by Gotham Buds, Omar visited over 100 legal producers. He recommends Crooklyn Runtz, a cross of Runtz and Gelato 41, grown in the greenhouse by Electra Leaf. It ended up being the best weed of my East Coast tour. Bursting with flavour, perfectly cut and curated, with a long-lasting high. 3.5 grams cost me $56.50, of which $6.50 goes to New York State, i.e. 13 per cent.
Converted into euros, Crooklyn Runtz costs me €14.85 per gram. The shop is spacious and clearly laid out. The product range is impressive. Besides, the atmosphere is much friendlier and more personal than at Zen Leaf, the chain I visited in New Jersey.
Like his colleague Patrick, Omar mentions the
rything is expensive there and even the most exclusive things are available. Asked about how discreet you should be when smoking a joint near cops, Patrick replied: ‘Blow it right in their face, it’s legal!’ While I didn’t exactly do that, smoking weed in public doesn’t appear to be a problem. The weather is bright and warm, and I am in Central Park smoking a Georgia Pie pre-roll. They are packed per five in a stylish tin, 0.8 grams per joint.
My next destination is Harlem, the once-black part of Manhattan, where African Americans are now far outnumbered. Across from the legendary Apollo Theatre sits Gotham Buds, Harlem’s first legal adult use dispensary . Advertising rules are strict; neon signs, for example, are prohibited. Gotham Buds gets around that with an all-black facade and in the middle in bright yellow letters the company name. Omar Tejeda, one of the founders, shows me around. He estimates that he sells about 85 per cent flower and about 10 per cent edibles. The rest is vapes, concentrates and merchandise. In Harlem, most of the competition is from the black market, Omar says; dealers are sometimes literally at your doorstep. He is a legacy grower and has been growing for sale for years; “I can grow seven strains with my eyes closed.
Omar and his partners all hail from the neighbourhood, so there is a great deal of community support. To select the growers and
legally possessed by a qualified patient.’ Not only do I not have to show a prescription or medical card, because it is happy hour, I get a free pre-roll with it. I pay by cash and forget to note what I paid, but it was less than in the licensed shops. The quality is fine, but that certainly does not apply to all unlicensed shops.
Meanwhile, the situation of legal cannabis growers in New York State is becoming increasingly dire. ‘Help us, we are dying’ reads the headline above an article about their plight on Syracyuse.com. Many members of the Cannabis Farmers Alliance are at their wit’s end, a survey shows. ‘I exhausted my body to
costs and overregulation, they are hardly able to compete with illegal growers.
On my last day in New York, I see a poisongreen van parked at a loading and unloading bay in Manhattan. On display screens on all sides appear the words ‘UNCLE BUD’ and ‘The Green Truck’ . A small counter is attached to the side, under a window through which you can order. An ice cream man, but for weed. Only in America.
The overriding thought at the end of my East Coast tour: there’s no turning back from this. You can’t get the toothpaste back in the tube, legal cannabis is here to stay. Judging from reports since my return, New York has been
contaminated illegal cannabis that regularly leads to hospitalisations. It contains all sorts of things: pesticides, heavy metals, fungus, synthetic terpenes, and unknown chemicals.
‘People are thankfully increasingly aware of the risks of contaminated cannabis,’ Omar says. ‘Here you are guaranteed to buy clean weed.’ The shop is just the beginning; Gotham Buds also wants to launch a consumption lounge and a delivery service. But for now, the shop is the priority. A telling detail: at the bottom of the sales receipt is an address to which you can mail feedback about the products.
Whereas it is obvious at the many Smoke Shops that cannabis is being sold without a licence, I hesitate when I walk past a dispensary named Moz.
The shop is in The Lower East Side and a lot of attention has been paid to the interior. The lady behind the counter explains that her boss has not yet finished all the necessary paperwork. Her father taught her to smoke; cannabis has been part of her life for a long time. New Yorkers are a bit apprehensive of indica strains, she says: ‘They think you will fall asleep after one hit. I explain to them that that is not the case.’
I opt for the Pink Certz, beautiful purple-blue buds. The package says it is medicinal cannabis: ‘Medication in this package was produced and distributed in compliance with New York State Medical Marijuana Program. It may be
the point where I could not physically recover,’ writes one of them. ‘I feel like my family life has been ruined by my choice of this industry.’ Growers are in deep debt, paying excessively for laboratory tests and barely able to sell their weed because there are so few legal shops. Moreover, due to high production
cracking down on illegal cannabis shops. Legal entrepreneurs will be given more space and more legal shops will be added; there will be 78 by the end of February 2024. New York wanted to do things differently than all other states. It did. However, legalisation alone is not an example of good policy.
The facade of Gotham Buds, Harlem’s first legal adult-use dispensary (Photo: Derrick Bergman).
Only in America: cannabis sales by bus in Manhattan (Photo: Derrick Bergman).
Nearly ready to open: The Highlife Cannabis Club in New York City.
Royal Queen Seeds
ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS × TYSON: A HARD-HITTING COLLABORATION
Mike Tyson and Royal Queen Seeds have joined forces to bring the world a fresh wave of cannabis strains. Discover their effects, flavours, and other traits.
Creating high-quality cannabis strains for decades, Royal Queen Seeds has become one of the largest and most influential seed banks in the world. Now, the company has joined forces with none other than Mike Tyson to bring the boxer’s own genetics to growers all over the world.
Mike Tyson earned a legendary reputation as a fierce and powerful opponent in the boxing ring, willing to put anything on the line. However, the feared athlete has grown into a rather different persona in recent times: Mike the Grower. While boxing and cultivation might seem like radically
different ventures, they require a similar degree of tenacity and skill. “You get knocked down 100 times, you learn 100 lessons”. This Tyson quote aptly sums up the process of earning the green thumb capable of growing truly great weed. Since his championship days, Tyson has developed a deep affinity for the plant and has emerged as an advocate for destigmatisation, stating, “I think my being open and honest about using cannabis responsibly and how it helps my mental and physical well-being helps to shift to conversation”. Iron Mike has also been vocal about his
passion for cultivation, commenting, “Growing my own cannabis has been very important to me. It has been a fundamental principle in my journey to deepen my relationship with the plant”.
Tyson’s appreciation for weed has formalised itself into a highly profitable enterprise; the boxer’s Tyson 2.0 brand is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The company provides a suite of cannabis-based products to its loyal consumers, including concentrates, consumables, and dried flowers that have become wildly popular in
dispensaries across the United States. Despite the wide range of products manufactured by Tyson 2.0, their genetics have remained under lock and key—until now. Tyson made the decision to release his genetics and allow growers all over the world to experience the strains he and his team have worked hard to produce behind the scenes. However, Tyson didn’t rush to find the right partner to make this move a reality. In his own words, “The brand is an extension of me, and it’s a great feeling because it’s given me a new way to connect with people who are passionate about
the plant like I am”. With the personal value of his brand in mind, Tyson sought out a company that could uphold his ethos of mutual thriving: “I only succeed when I help others succeed”. Ultimately, Tyson found the perfect cannabis seed company to shake hands with. Royal Queen
in a vape will really bring the flavour profile to life. In terms of cultivation, indoor plants grow to 80–120cm and produce up to 450g/m² after a flowering time of 8–9 weeks. Outdoors, Gelato 44 grows to 140–180cm and churns out up to 600g/plant.
Apply LST on the third week of veg to maintain a compact size. If you grow indoors, expect plants to peak at 100cm and produce up to 500g/m² after a growing cycle of just 11–13 weeks. Outdoors, plants grow to 120cm, or 150cm if untrained, and yield 140–180g/plant.
a flowering phase of 7–9 weeks. Plants grown outdoors capitalise on more space and peak at a height of 150cm. Their colas take on striking hues of yellow and orange as they mature. Prepare to harvest and process massive yields of 650–750g/ plant during October.
Seeds emerged from humble beginnings in Europe but now stands as one of the biggest seed banks on the continent. After supplying European growers with reliable and unique genetics for decades, the company has recently expanded its operations into Thailand and the United States. RQS not only produces superb strains, but their relationship with their customers has created a thriving cultivation community across the world. About this partnership, Tyson said, “Growing cannabis at home is an amazing way to slow life down and find enrichment—and the pros with Royal Queen Seeds really know what they’re doing. These first six strains are a perfect taste of what’s to come”. Without further ado, take a look at what this duo has achieved so far.
TYSON X RQS GENETICS: MEET THE LINEUP
RQS breeders have successfully brought the first six of Tyson’s strains to market. Discover their effects, flavours, and growing traits below.
GELATO 44
Gelato 44 derives from legendary parent strains Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. From this pairing she inherited desirable traits including the former’s heavy physical effects and candy-like tastes, and the latter’s euphoric sensations and overall potency. This indica-dominant hybrid produces large, dense colas drenched in resin and loaded with terpenes. A THC content of 22% ensures a fast-acting high with creative, euphoric, and relaxing effects. Flavours of citrus, cookies, earth, fruit, and mint make each hit a delight. While smoking is certainly a viable way to experience Gelato 44’s taste, placing the buds
DYNAMIC DIESEL
Dynamic Diesel delivers heavy hooks to the body, leaving users feeling stoned, deeply relaxed, and ready to raid the fridge. As the progeny of Sour Diesel and Skywalker OG, Dynamic Diesel descends from a lineage of champions. Her THC content of 22% goes toe to toe with fruity and savoury terpenes to produce a long-lasting high perfect for the evening hours. Indoor plants grow to 100–150cm without training and produce a rewarding 500–550g/m² after blooming for 9–10 weeks. If you’re after smaller plants, apply LST during the third week of veg to keep plants between 80–100cm. Outdoor plants thrive in sunny, well-irrigated positions and pump out up to 675g/plant ready to harvest in October. During late bloom, you’ll watch a visual spectacle unfold; rising anthocyanin levels cause the buds to become deep purple, and in some instances almost black.
NYC SOUR D AUTO
NYC Sour D Auto combines agility with potency. This small but powerful variety will run you around the ring with its THC content of 21%. The offspring of NY Diesel and Sour Diesel Auto, this swift hybrid elicits a euphoric and motivating high, making her an ideal smoke before hitting the gym or cruising along forest trails. NYC Sour D Auto departs from the typically sweet and candy-like terpene profiles of many modern strains. Instead, high levels of volatile sulphur compounds and savoury terpenes treat users’ taste buds to notes of diesel, lime, and sourness, with hints of citrus on the exhale. When it comes to growing NYC Sour D Auto, simply soak seeds in water for 12 hours and sow them directly into 11-litre pots, where they’ll grow happily right up until harvest.
GOAT’LATO AUTO
Tyson is known as the GOAT among scores of boxing fans, owing to his body-rocking crosses and deadly jabs. GOAT’lato Auto shares some of these traits with her creator. As well as tearing through the flowering phase in just 7–9 weeks, this robust hybrid will leave you seeing stars with her one-two combination that targets the head with euphoria and the body with deep relaxation. Her THC content of 20% might not seem like anything too severe, but the molecule teams up with the sweet terpenes found in this strain to deliver a fast-acting high that lingers for hours. Expect formidable flavours of cookies, earth, and fruit with each hit.
Grow plants indoors in 11-litre pots and watch them reach a height of 70–120cm. Make sure to defoliate well during late veg and early bloom and apply adequate potassium and phosphorus throughout flowering. Flush during the last two weeks and prepare to harvest, trim, dry, and cure up to 450g/m². Outdoor plants peak at 160cm and offer 130–180g/plant.
PUNCH PIE
Punch Pie pairs knockout power with a smooth smoke and sweet flavours. As the progeny of Purple Punch and Purple Kush, this indica-dominant hybrid takes on stunning purple hues during the end of the flowering phase. Her THC content of 22% means it only takes a few tokes to feel a deeply stoning high come on with full force. Tastes of blueberry, candy, and earth are the icing on the cake. Indoors, plants maintain a compact size of 80–110cm without training, making them suitable for small spaces. Keep your plants well-fed and lit, and they’ll churn out up to 600g/m² after
CORKSCREW AUTO
Mike Tyson’s corkscrew uppercut sent many of his opponents collapsing to the canvas. Much less violently, Corkscrew Auto will send your head towards the couch after infusing your brain with high levels of THC.
This strain inherited this trait from none other than Cherry Pie Auto and Tangie. Not only did they pass down a THC level of 19%, but their flavours of candy, citrus, and pineapple are also detectable in the progeny. Overall, she possesses the speed of a lightweight but the productivity of a heavyweight.
Plants are ready to harvest in just 12–13 weeks after sprouting, making this strain highly attractive to growers who prioritise brevity and stealth. Indoors, plants peak at just 100cm and won’t grow past 70cm when trained. Prepare to pull in a harvest of up to 500g/m² after a short flowering phase of 8–10 weeks. Outdoor plants will thrive in a sunny spot surrounded by protective companion plants. They’ll grow to 120–150cm and produce a rewarding 90–175g/plant.
GROW LIKE MIKE: ACHIEVE KNOCKOUT YIELDS EVERY TIME
It’s time to step into the ring and grow like Mike! Experience the potency and productivity of champion-grade cannabis genetics. Bred for power, flavour, and yield, these exclusive varieties will help you take your growing game to the next level.
Take advantage of a new wave of powerhouse cultivars, dreamed up by one of the most legendary boxers of all time, and propagated by one of the finest seed banks in the world.
Seeds
Text: Tommy L. Gómez / Photos: Tommy L. Gómez and GreenForce
THE NEW DIABLO ROJO XL AUTO® A CREAMY CHAMPION FROM SWEET SEEDS®
The path to glory is often paved with dedication and hard work, and our passion for cannabis growing makes no exception. The determination and perseverance of a great Cannabis grower and the Sweet Seeds® R+D+i Department were behind the first place won by one of our new releases, Diablo Rojo XL Auto® (SWS110), in the Best New Strain of 2024 category at the Autoflower World Cup, which was recently held in Barcelona. In this article, we invite you to discover the full story of this exceptional strain, from the day of the award ceremony to the secrets of its successful cultivation.
In November 2023, a reputed Portuguese cannabis grower, known as GreenForce, was privileged to have access to a few seeds of various strains that Sweet Seeds® was about to release in early 2024. Plants were harvested in early February to make sure the buds were dry and cured in time for the competition. The event took place on Saturday, 16 March, at the OG Club in Barcelona, which coincided with the cannabis fair Spannabis.
TRAINING FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
On this occasion, only one seed of Diablo Rojo XL Auto® was used, which germinated in the record time of 36 hours later between two pieces of wet paper. The grower reported that the plant had been grown hydroponically together with three other autoflowering plants in a space of 120x120 cm. During the vegetative and flowering stages, the plants were lit by a Zeus 465W Pro 2.9 µmol/J LED system from Lumatek. A mix of 70% coco fibre and 30% perlite was used as substrate.
During most of their lifecycle, plants were placed at a distance of approximately 60 cm from the LED panel, while the hydroponic system consisted of four 11-litre pots from
‘The Bucket Company’. From the early stages of growth, Diablo Rojo XL Auto® showed remarkable vigour and excellent health. About 30 days after the appearance of the cotyledons, the plant began to produce pistils which, a week later, clustered densely with the calyxes to form the first flowers.
At this point, Diablo Rojo XL Auto® began to unfold its beauty, displaying magnificent purple hues in the first calyxes. Indeed, these hues are inherent to the genetic makeup of this autoflowering strain and are exclusively attributable to anthocyanins in high concentration. Therefore, the vibrant reddish coloured buds develop naturally, without the need for exposure to low temperatures or nutrient deficiencies.
THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AN XL CHAMPION
Midway through flowering, we were particularly surprised by the remarkable size of the plant, which developed an extraordinary number of strong and thick side branches, while its total height was around 110 cm. Each side branch looked like a single plant, as their structure resembled that of colas of the most common
…ONLY ONE SEED OF DIABLO ROJO XL AUTO® WAS USED, WHICH GERMINATED IN THE RECORD TIME OF 36 HOURS LATER BETWEEN TWO PIECES OF WET PAPER
autoflowering plants. In addition, the aromas given off at this stage were truly amazing: sweet and fruity, with hints of cola filling the room.
At the end of flowering, even the side branches produced large flowers, while the main bud was made up of over 30 cm of several flowers clustered together at the tip of the plant. In addition, Diablo Rojo XL Auto® proved to be a top choice for resin extraction, offering a beautiful ‘dry sift’ hashish with purple hues and high-quality aromas. During flower ripening, along with the sweet and fruity fragrances that could be perceived in the mid-flowering stage, subtle hints of citrus and incense emerged, further enriching the organoleptic properties of this strain.
The effects of this strain are mainly indica, providing a happy and relaxing feeling, while stimulating creativity. For more information, visit our website www.sweetseeds.com, where you will find all relevant information about this strain and the rest of the Sweet Seeds® genetic collection, including an official video dedicated to Diablo Rojo XL Auto®
unanimously shared very positive comments. Here is one example:
“The colours and appearance of the plant’s resinous buds were incredibly attractive, but what really stood out was the strong scent of its buds, which lingered even after taking them out of the jar and retained all the richness of its top-quality terpene profile.”
In addition, everyone qualified the effect of Diablo Rojo XL Auto® as extremely pleasant and noticeable, even after trying several strains throughout the day. We also received praise for the exceptional quality and potency of its effects, as well as for the way the vibrant, fluorescent orange pistils, which contrasted beautifully with the dark purple and reddish hues of its calyxes. It is clearly a plant that every grower of auto strains should try at least once.
If you are intrigued by this award winner, we invite you to admire it in all its beauty in the Sweet Seeds® channel of the GrowDiaries app. There, you will not only find our friend GreenForce’s grow diary, but also a wide variety of other extraordinary diaries featuring our
DIABLO ROJO XL AUTO®, THE WORLD CHAMPION 2024
As we arrived at the Autoflower World Cup event, we could experience an amazing atmosphere, with the delicious aromas of our beloved plant in the background. Samples in the contest were elegantly displayed in glass cases, each one looking more exuberant than the previous. The presence of growers made expectations rise to the highest. It is worth noting that Sweet Seeds® had won 1st place in the Best Autoflowering Sativa category at the same event the previous year, in 2023, with Sweet Gelato Auto® (SWS76).
When the event organisers announced that Diablo Rojo XL Auto® had won 1st place as the Best New Strain of 2024, a wave of pure joy swept over us, calling to mind the effects caused by this new champion.
The joints lit up in celebration as the winner received warm congratulations from all present. In addition, we had the opportunity to talk with members of the organisation, other cup winners and members of the jury, who
seedbank’s plants. Sweet Seeds® would like to wholeheartedly thank all the Cannabis growers who choose our strains and share the products of their sweet harvests in the cannabis cups.
Thank you very much and may your smoke and vapours always be sweet!
DIABLO ROJO XL AUTO® BEGAN TO UNFOLD ITS BEAUTY, DISPLAYING MAGNIFICENT PURPLE HUES IN THE FIRST CALYXES
Grow
With Stoney Tark
GROWING AUTOS OUTDOORS AND WHAT CAN GO WRONG
Growing auto flowering cannabis is one of the most fun and exciting ways to produce your own home grown flowers, however, things may not always go according to plan. In this article, I explain some of the strange things that can happen with auto flowering genetics, as well as some top tips to help you get the best results possible.
What are auto flowering cannabis plants?
Auto flowering cannabis plants are a type of genetic plant that is able to flower automatically after a 4-week period. Autos do not require set light periods to flower like the indoor 12/12 schedule, meaning they can be grown indoors under 18–20 hours of light and flower, or be grown outdoors from April onwards, rewarding a grower with back-to-back perpetual harvests.
Photoperiod plants can be kept in a vegetative state under 18/6 for as long as needed before flowering is induced; however, autos have a vegetative time of 30 days, before flowering. You cannot take a clone off an auto flowering plant, and once they have started growing inside a pot, it is better to not repot to avoid stress and encourage small and stunted plant growth.
• Auto flowering genetics can be grown indoors and outdoors with excellent results
• Autos work very well in private back gardens, terraces and even balconies.
• Most photoperiod plants will have an auto flowering variety available.
Growers in hot and tropical climates can grow autos almost all year.
Autos are easy to grow, low-maintenance and ideal for a first time grower.
Autos can be easily hidden and camouflaged amongst other plants.
Plants are small and stunted
In this scenario, I am talking about dwarf-sized plants that will not grow taller than 30 cm and
can be considered a total waste of time and space. Small plants will produce around 7–10 grams if you are lucky, and will often be down to bad genetics, heat stress or poor growing conditions.
No flowers after 5 weeks
I have been sent plenty of photos before from concerned home growers and some seed banks, wondering why their autos are not flowering. Some plants seem to literally stay in a vegetative state and will not flower even if they get 12/12 indoors. Again, this can be a case of bad genetics and a costly mistake for a grower to endure.
Growing with one leaf
This can be one trait that makes a grower wonder why, on Earth would you grow autos with one leaf instead of a full set of fingers. When this happens, not only will the plants continue to produce one leaf, they will also flower, throwing out little, singular buds. Imagine a plant that is being re-vegged and trying to flower at the same time!
No main cola and foxtailing buds
You may have a plant that is growing bushy and
does not seem to have the typical main cola characteristic. Combined with the odd-looking growth structure, the buds that are being produced are fox-tailed and have a strange appearance. In some cases, the plant will look bizarre and yield very small amounts of fingernail-sized buds.
Male and female flowers
When you see this, throw the plants out immediately. Autos that flower with female and male flowers will produce a seeded crop. You will also run the risk of pollinating your other plants, so in the event of a hermaphrodite plant, don’t waste any time and get it in the garbage bin.
3 top tips for growing the best autos
Sometimes, when it is a genetically related issue down to bad breeding, there is not much you can do, apart from learn your lesson about the importance of reliable stock. Below are some of my top tips to think about next time you are preparing for an outdoor auto flowering project.
TOP TIP #1 - INVEST IN GOOD GENETICS
I cannot stress enough how important it is to spend your hard-earned money on top-quality
auto flowering genetics is. There is a very high chance that when working with a seed bank that has a strong reputation, you will not experience most of the genetic mutation issues covered above.
TOP TIP #2: LARGE POTS WORK BEST
Over the years, I have found that planting autos in large containers that are 25 liters or larger will always produce the biggest sized plants, and the most abundant yields. Repotting autos from a smaller pot to a larger one can actually set you back and cause the plant’s stress.
TOP TIP #3: - PLANT FROM JUNE ONWARDS
If you have the opportunity to plant auto flowering genetics outside, then planting them from June onward will produce the best results. The reason being is that plants will begin to flower from July until early September, eliminating the concern of plants growing one leaf and thinking they are revegging.
My conclusion
If you are growing cheap autos, then you cannot expect the same results as a superior seed bank that takes pride in its range of autos. You will only kick yourself if your plants are all deformed, mutated or grow with one leaf and produce minimal yields. By following my top tips and staying clear of bad auto flowering genetics, you will be surprised at just how rewarding growing autos inside and outside can be, and you will quickly learn what all the hype is about!
Grow with Ed Rosenthal
Ed Rosenthal
CRESWELL OREGANICS OCTAGON GARDENS
Growing vertically has several advantages, but the reason why this grow method is so efficient is it maximizes all the energy produced by the HPS lamp and minimizes the space and power needed for rooms dedicated to vegetative growth. Rather than lighting a horizontal garden with overhead lights and reflectors, the canopy is literally wrapped around the bulb, absorbing all the output produced by the lamp and doubling the canopy space that the lights are covering.
Trent Hancock of Creswell Oreganics designed two “octagons” for vegetative growth and flowering. The octagon for vegetative growth has six shelves evenly spaced, with three containers per shelf. It is capable of holding 128 plants and supplying four flowering octagons. The flowering octagon is 12 feet (3.65 m) in diameter and has eight sides with four levels of shelves that each hold two plants around four vertical HPS lights. Each level is spaced evenly, with the top shelf at 6 feet (15.25 cm). Each shelf holds two containers.
As the plants grow up and out toward the lights at a 45° angle, they cover the containers on the shelf above them. The flowering octagon holds 64 plants that produce up to
four ounces (113 g) of flower each. Although the plants stay relatively small, between 3 and 3.5 feet (0.9–1 m), the yield is higher and the density is spread throughout the entire stalk, not just the top cola.
The goal of Creswell Oreganics is to produce connoisseur-quality flowers in the most cost-effective and natural ways possible: to have “all the quality of indoor with the efficiency of outdoor” growing. Creswell has focused on vertical efficiency and using rapid-fresh air exchange as a method to control pests.
The air inside the octagons is rapidly exchanged. This creates a hostile climate for bugs; they are blown off by wind gusts and cannot move or reproduce in cooler climates. Hancock designed the garden so that the air could be fully replaced every 20 seconds in order to simulate a high-altitude climate that is inhospitable to pests.
The gusts and warm air in the daytime prevent the proliferation of mold and mildew spores, and cool temperatures in the night cycle prevent proliferation of pests. Air is exchanged rapidly using three air plenums that interact with each other. Temperatures are kept at 75°F (24°C) during the day cycle and lowered
to 48°F (9°C) during the night cycle. The heat bursts during the last five minutes of the day cycle at 94°F (35°C). The company grows with one solid philosophy: they won’t grow it if they wouldn’t smoke it. This means dedication to pest-free climates and never using sprays of any kind, even certified organic pesticides.
Creswell produces a regular supply of cannabis flowers for dispensaries in the Portland and Eugene, Oregon areas. Trent got his start as a teenager in the 1990s working on small indoor gardens in Oregon. He relocated to Montana, where he ended up with a felony cannabis charge in 2004.
While he was on probation, he studied political science and started consulting. When Montana legalized medical cannabis by ballot initiative, also in 2004, as a felon Trent was barred from being a provider in the industry but became a consultant to legal medical gardens and helped design many that reached commercial success.
Trent produced well-known cultivars in Montana including Big Sky Kush and Blueberry Silvertip. After a ruling in the Montana Supreme Court shut down legal cultivations in 2016, Trent and head grower Shayney Norick relocated back to Trent’s home state of Oregon and founded Creswell Oreganics.
Creswell usually grows about seven varieties at once. They specialize in their own cultivars, Grapefruit Crater and Crater Kush (White Widow x Obama Kush), but grow other regional favorites like Purple Punch, Kashmir Kush,
and White Tahoe Cookies. When Shayney and Trent are pheno-hunting, they start with up to 5,000 non feminized seeds and whittle them away through a series of stress tests. The 300 best structured plants with the best immune systems are cloned and numbered.
They go in the flower room in a soil-coir mix. After the seedlings flower, the best three versions of the cross are saved in the clone room and the other clones destroyed. The final phenos are determined by aroma, effect when smoked, aroma after smoking, trichome production, immunity to mold and disease, structure, root structure, and speed of vegetative growth and flower ripening.
The plants are fed just enough liquid nutrients to not be deficient, customized to each variety’s preferences. Water is mixed in tanks and plants are watered by hand.
“We never have to spray, so it’s the only time we have interaction with the plants. I use it as time to check on them,” Trent says. “The best crops I ever had was when I was a small grower. Shayney and I try to do as much as we can to repeat that high quality on a commercial level.”
After harvest, plants are dried using a negative air pressure dry rack that pulls air from the center; the shelves each have their own intake drawing evenly at the edges. Once buds dry to the touch, it is sealed up and opened every day until the stems snap.
Guy Holmes / Grow Magazine.
Guy Holmes / Grow Magazine.
Grow with Mr. José
Mr.
José info@mrjose.eu
IoT in a Home grow room
Maintaining the right climate, suitable irrigation schedule, or lighting control can be quite challenging in home cannabis cultivation. Integrating IoT into a home grow room represents a smart and relatively affordable step towards automation and optimization of the growing process.
New technologies enable continuous monitoring and control of humidity, temperature, lighting, and other factors, leading to higher efficiency and yields. In this article, we will explore how you can use IoT and AI to improve your grow room.
IoT, or the Internet of Things, is a system of interconnected devices that communicate and share data over the internet. You can easily control them remotely via the internet and simple applications. These include switches, sensors, and other electronic components that monitor and influence the growing environment. IoT not only enables automation and remote control but also allows for real-time or long-term monitoring of growing conditions.
CLIMATE CONTROL IN INDOOR GROW ROOMS
When I first started growing cannabis under artificial lighting, all I needed was a sodium lamp, an exhaust fan, and two plug-in timers. I set the air extraction to run for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off, and the lighting schedule depending on whether I wanted the plants to flower or not.
The first harvests were great, partly because the location of the grow room allowed for effective cooling even with such amateur conditions and primitive equipment. Over time, however, I found that the timer was not very reliable.
If the timer connected to the lighting got stuck in the “on” position, it could interrupt the flowering phase at its best, and it might take a few days before I noticed the error. I gradually bought switches with thermostats and hydrostats that could trigger the ventilation or humidifier, based on current conditions.
As I became more interested in larger grow facilities, commercial operations, and research projects, I realized that simply switching electronic components on and off wasn’t enough. I also needed reliable recording devices that could notify me if any monitored parameters
THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND SMART PLUGS GIVE NEW POSSIBILITIES TO ALL GROWERS
deviated from the set values. Then you don’t have a light on when it’s not supposed to be on, because the light sensor can send a warning that the light is on, or on the contrary, not on outside the set cycle.
Checking the logs will also help you adjust the growing cycle and improve the equipment setup to achieve optimal conditions. Without records, it’s difficult to achieve any standardization of production, where repeating the same growing conditions is essential.
Another important aspect is that all switches and sensors should be part of a single system, from which you can control them and obtain the necessary data. Such a comprehensive system is quite costly, but in a commercial operation or research facility, it is indispensable. However, when you want to bring part of this professional approach to a small grow room, you face a problem. Even small complex climate and lighting control systems are relatively expensive. And this is where IoT comes into play.
An older junction box was used for optimal loading of the three phases.
SMART AND CHEAP CLIMATE CONTROL
I’ve been using smart plugs, thermostats, and radiator valves for several years, and I have to say, I love it. If I forget to turn off the heating when I leave, I can do it within seconds from my mobile phone. In my office, I have monitors and speakers connected to a smart plug. If I leave and forget to turn it off, I can easily do so from anywhere, saving unnecessary electricity. I can remotely open the door to the warehouse with the ready shipments and check on the camera that he has picked up everything he was supposed to. It would be a shame not to use smart devices for growing as well.
If you look on the internet, and you are looking for a system that can control lighting, humidifier, dehumidifier, cooling, heating, or irrigation, you will be hard pressed to find a system under €200. If you want data export and internet control, the price at least doubles.
If you want to export records and control via the internet, the price will at least double. On the other hand, you might be able to control the speed of the fans or dim the lighting. You can’t do such things with smart plugs yet. But you’ll know how much electricity each appliance has consumed, and you’ll be able to optimize future growing cycles with an eye to reducing costs.
There are many manufacturers of smart plugs and sensors. Initially, I tried Shelly, but eventually, I preferred the Tapo brand because the installation is much simpler. I started by buying a €28 camera that is connected to the internet and has night vision. This allows me to check on the plants anytime and from anywhere, and even take photos or videos. With the camera, I occasionally check if the lights are on when they shouldn’t be.
Next, I bought three smart Wi-Fi plugs, which cost me around €60 in total. Enough to connect an exhaust fan, a humidifier or dehumidifier and lights. I also got a temperature and humidity sensor for €18 and the Tapo H100 central unit for €23, which connects all the devices and allows me to set up smart actions. The total cost for the monitoring and switching
Thanks to the camera, I can check the plants at any time.
equipment was therefore €129. I use a passive irrigation system, so I don’t need any switch for watering. A comparable setup specifically designed for growing would cost at least twice as much, but more likely I would have to pull around €400 out of my pocket. But now let’s see how the whole setup works.
SYSTEM SETUP AND OPERATION
To make the system work and control it from your mobile device, you need to download an app. The app is compatible with both iOS and Android.
up the automation to switch devices on and off according to the achieved values. For instance, you might want the dehumidifier to turn on when the relative humidity exceeds 60%. Don’t forget to also set the level at which the dehumidifier should turn off; otherwise, it will run continuously once it’s triggered, as there won’t be a set criterion for turning off.
You can also set the fan to switch based on temperature. It’s great that you can set certain conditions for triggering the action. For example, switching the fan on if the temperature exceeds 22 °C and the lights are off.
This sets the grow room cooling at night. For the day, you might set the fan to turn on if the temperature exceeds 26°C when the lights are on.
The advantage of these conditional actions is that they will maintain the set values both day and night, regardless of how long the night is, which is particularly advantageous when switching into the flowering phase for short-day varieties.
What I particularly enjoy is tracking the consumption of individual components. I can track the current consumption, the daily consumption, how many hours each device has been running, just a whole range of useful data that helps me optimize the growing process and increase its efficiency.
THE TOTAL COST FOR THE MONITORING AND SWITCHING EQUIPMENT WAS €129
I couldn’t find an app for Windows; from a PC, you can only view the camera stream but cannot configure the devices. Anyway, in the mobile app, you can easily pair the central unit with the internet and all available Tapo plugs and sensors. Name each plug according to what you want to connect to it, which takes just a few minutes. I recommend updating the firmware of the devices immediately, but I think the app will prompt you to do so.
Now you can get started with the settings. I usually start with the lighting. Setting up a schedule to turn the smart outlet on and off is trivial. This function is available on almost all Wi-Fi plugs, so the model you choose doesn’t matter much.
Compared to traditional timers, there is a huge advantage in that the plug constantly has access to the precise internet time. This ensures that it never falls behind or runs ahead. All devices connected to one system simply work with the same time.
Now comes the point at which ordinary switch sockets end. Setting different conditions for day and night to achieve proper control of the fan, air conditioning, dehumidifier, or heating based on temperature or relative humidity is where automation comes into play. You can set
In addition, I can make changes from anywhere and at any time. So when I get a push notification that the temperature is out of the set range, I can immediately see if the cooling is on, or simply click to turn it on and look for the reason why it wasn’t running properly. I can also resolve the setting error directly from the mobile. On the other hand, I am still missing a CO2 sensor on the Tapo, which could control its dosage and alert me to changes in its concentration.
HOW BIG CAN A SMART GROW ROOM BE?
The Internet of Things and smart plugs give new possibilities to all growers. With their help, you can control growing conditions much better. In conjunction with artificial intelligence, these systems will themselves suggest possible improvements and ways to make the growing process more efficient.
However, it should be added that the solution described in this article is particularly suitable for home growers. In commercial operations, it will hardly replace sophisticated systems that allow to control professional HVAC systems and measure various variables with maximum accuracy.
Grow with Jorge Cervantes
Jorge Cervantes jorge@marijuanagrowing.com
KEEPING YOUR GARDEN COOL
CLIMATE
Outdoor climates can be broken down into microclimates that exist within larger climates. An internet search for “microclimates your state/ province” might turn up the perfect information. These sites will give you more detailed picture of local conditions.
Your local County Extension service in the USA and similar agriculture-oriented government agencies in other countries were established to
help you with your gardening needs. Contact them and ask for gardening recommendations in your microclimate.
You collect the best microclimate and garden information with your daily observations. Take notes on wind protection, frost pockets, soil conditions, etc. during the year. Compile this information each year and draw on this data to improve your garden.
Mulching soil cools the ground and lowers water consumption. Moisture held in the mulch cools plants, lowers ambient temperatures and increases humidity. This is extremely beneficial in hot dry weather. Letting soil warm before applying a heavy layer of mulch will speed root growth. A thin layer of mulch will still protect the soil while allowing it to warm in the spring. Professional market gardener, Steve Rogers, advises, “I mulch with a thick layer of straw 8 cm in at least 46 cm radius around the plant. Plants that needed daily irrigation before mulching, needed irrigation only every 3-4 days after mulching and an initial irrigation.
Geographic topography, hills, valleys, large bodies of water and urban areas all contribute to creating microclimates. Cold air tends to descend into valleys and hang there, especially at night. Hot air rises and tends to be most prevalent on sunny hillsides and hilltops. Ponds, lakes, seas and oceans moderate temperatures creating weather that is neither too hot nor cold. Larger bodies of water have more dynamic effects. This is why you see farms and greenhouses located near the water. Urban areas create heat and pollution. . Microclimates are a product of buildings, trees and other vegetation, ponds, rocky areas including pavement and sidewalks, fences, and raised beds.
Lower hot temperatures outdoors by selecting the proper planting site. Plant gardens in natural breezeways so a wind will cool plants during the heat of the day. Planting under trees or the shade of a structure and bending branches, tying them in place can be a great way to protect plants from midday heat. Setting up shade cloth over
the garden will lower temperatures and reduce stress. Cannabis benefits from shade when temperatures climb beyond 29 degrees C and growth essentially stops. If you are planting in a hot climate, make sure plants receive filtered sunlight during the heat of the day.
Mild coastal climates are cool and rainy. Annual rainfall often exceeds 40 inches (103 L per m3) and can exceed 100 inches (253 L per m3). Warm and cool climates with a marine influence seldom freeze. Winter blows in early bringing chilling rain and low light levels in northern zones that experience shorter days than southern locations. Growing cannabis in these climates can be challenging because there is no hard freeze that lasts for several days to kill insects. These climates are plagued with prolific uninterrupted insect growth. Some cool coastal rainforests are packed with lush and often invasive foliage and fungal growth is promoted by the cold damp conditions. Acidic clay soil is common in moist coastal zones.
DROUGHT-TOLERANT, TROPICAL & ALPINE GARDENS
Dryland crops, although less productive, are possible if the area gets at least one good rain every one to four weeks. Otherwise regular irrigation to supply life-giving water will be necessary. Of course, a thick layer of mulch will cool and protect soil and retain moisture by minimizing evaporation.
In marginal planting zones, soil quality and water quantity can extend the footprint of your garden. Plants draw water and nutrients from the soil. Acceptable soil to grow cannabis holds at least 3 cm of water per 30 cm2 of area and can grow a plant 2.1-2.4 m tall with a root system 1.5 m across and 1.8 m deep. In general, sativa-dominant varieties have a bigger root system than indica-dominant varieties and are more drought resistant.
Cannabis grown with insufficient water in marginal soil results in small flowers. For example, a 1.5 cm tall plant may produce only one to six ounces (30-180 gm) of high-quality dried flowers. By contrast, a plant in good soil with ample water will be more robust and yield 2-10 times more than those in poor soil. Even though the harvest is meager, so is the workload involved
Alpine mountain climates are freezing cold much of the year. Freezing temperatures, mineral-heavy acidic soil and wind top the list of grower concerns. Summer temperatures in the mountains can dip to -1 degrees C or lower in the summer at low elevations, 2000 feet (610 m). Temperatures below 10 degrees C virtually stop growth and temperatures below 5 degrees C can cause plant tissue damage in some varieties. Low temperatures cause stress in plants and a reduction in harvest weight. On the other hand, plants in high alpine climates tend to produce 10-20 percent more cannabinoid-rich resin than those in lower gardens.
An easy inexpensive way to feed and irrigate cannabis plants in the absence of a water source is to cut a 3/16-inch (5 mm) hole in the bottom of a five-gallon (19 L) bucket and fill with water and watersoluble fertilizer. Place one bucket by each plant with the hole oriented near the stem. Buckets should be refilled every 5-10 days during the hottest weather. Water bladders for irrigation in remote areas are also available from internet vendors. The extra water and nutrients will really pay off when it is time to harvest.
The first frost typically arrives in late August to early September and the last frost sometime in May or June. Spring and fall months are rainy with a dry period in July and August. Cold rains in the fall can cause mold. Transplanting early maturing varieties of 60 seedlings and clones grown indoors helps overcome the climate limitations.
Typically, alpine mineral soils lack humus and it must be added. Wind is more pervasive at higher elevations causing plants to dry out quickly. For best results, plant in the most fertile soil, commonly found where grass pastures grow. You can help your plants climatic stress by backfilling planting holes with a soil mix of compost, peat moss, coco coir, chicken manure and slow-acting layers of organic fertilizer.
This article is supported by the Cannabis Encyclopedia, ¡¡FREE!! in Eleven (11) lanuages – Czech, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Japanese, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Ukranian at, www.marijuanagrowing.com.
Award-Winning cannabis cultivation author Jorge Cervantes teams up with Seedsman for a FREE, comprehensive digital book on home growing.
100-page digital book
270+ color images
Interactive – Searchable
Comprehensive guide to cannabis cultivation
FREEBOOK
Beginner and advanced growers
Easy-to-follow cultivation examples
8 chapters of cultivation wisdom
Dedicated to increasing cannabis yields
Discover the magic of cannabis!
www.marijuanagrowing.com/grow-cannabis-book
Co-Authors
Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Gary Yates
Stefan Meyer
Table of Contents
• Cannabis Botany
• Life Cycle of Cannabis
• Cannabis Seeds & Seedlings
• Plan Your Garden
• Grow Room Setup
• Twelve-week Garden
• Harvest, Manicuring, Drying, Curing & Storage
• Diseases, Pests & Problems
JORGE CERVANTES
Author Marijuana Horticulture.
Legendary Jorge Cervantes, published in eight languages sold over a million copies worldwide.
Text: Derrick Bergman
RAP STAR NICKI
MINAJ ARRESTED AT DUTCH AIRPORT FOR PRE-ROLLED JOINTS
AND SHE DIDN’T TAKE IT WELL...
Famous pop artists being arrested for cannabis is nothing new. Think of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in England in 1967, David Bowie in New York in 1976, Paul McCartney in Japan in 1980 and Snoop Dogg five times in different places around the world. But the Dutch police arresting a world-famous rapper at Schiphol airport for a number of pre-rolled joints? That is something new.
It happened to Nicky Minaj on Saturday 25 May of this year, two days after her performance at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Minaj (41) is the most streamed female rapper in the world, has sold more than a hundred million records and is the first woman to have seven songs in the American Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time. She has worked with Ariane Grande, Elton John, Beyonce, Rihanna, Will.I.Am, Eminem and other world stars. For her current Pink Friday world tour she plays in the biggest arenas in Europe, in front of tens of thousands of “Barbz” as her fans call themselves.
Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj in Port of Spain, on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. When she was five, she moved to New York, where her mother had found a house. Initially, she wanted to be an actress, but she chose music instead and released her first mixtape, Playtime is Over, in 2007. Shortly after, she was discovered by rapper Lil’ Wayne and signed a record deal with his label Young Money Entertainment. Her big breakthrough came in 2010 with the album Pink Friday. Her favorite color will come as no surprise: pink.
Few artists are as active on social media as Minaj is. She filmed her arrest at Schiphol and streamed the images live. We see a number of military police officers tell her that she has been arrested on suspicion of transporting drugs. Minaj immediately denies this and asks for a lawyer. What is striking is that both the military police and Minaj herself remain calm: no pushing, pulling or raising their voices. One of the military police officers says that they want to help her to be on time for her next
performance, in Manchester, England. In the end, that does not work.
Before and after her arrest, Minaj sent out a series of tweets, updating her fans:
15:21: “They did everything they could to stop this tour.”
15:21: “They took my luggage and when I asked where it was, they said it was on the plane. That can’t be true, I just got here.”
15:22: “I never gave them my bags. They refuse to let me see my bags.”
15:25: “They’re getting paid a lot of money to try and sabotage my tour because soooo many people are mad that it’s so successful and they can’t profit off of me. (…)’
15:44: ‘This is how they put things in your luggage.’
15:45: ‘I’m on the plane alone.’
15:52: ‘This is Amsterdam by the way, where weed is legal.’
15:54: ‘They’re trying to keep me out of MANCHESTER.’
15:56: ‘I’m still in my car. They took my luggage without permission. They lied and said it was on the plane.’
16:25: ‘Now they said they found weed and another group of people had to come here to weigh the pre-rolled joints. Keep in mind they took my bags without permission. My security has already let them know the joints are theirs. Oh yeah and the pilot wants me to delete my Instagram post.’
From her Manchester hotel that night, Minaj pens a lengthy post on X. She reports that she spent five to six hours in a jail cell. And she writes: ‘So they succeeded in their plan to not let me on that stage tonight. I was able to get to the heart of it all, by filming them and posting it all in real time. I have soooooooo much video evidence. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. I’ll let the lawyers and GOD take it from here. Please, please accept my deepest and most sincere apologies. I’m sure they knew exactly how to hurt me today, but this too shall pass.’
Apart from the missed concert in Manchester, the damage is limited; Minaj is fined €350. The military police announced via X: ‘We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. After consultation with the Public Prosecution
officer, it was “less than 100 grams, but sufficient to impose a fine”.
To be clear: cannabis is NOT legal in the Netherlands, but is tolerated under strict conditions. Export is prohibited in any case. The concert that Nicki Minaj was scheduled to
Service, the suspect has been given a fine and can continue her journey.’
Remarkably enough, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service cannot say exactly how much cannabis was found. According to the press
give in Amsterdam on Sunday 2 June has been cancelled, ‘due to the events of last week’, according to the Dutch concert organiser Mojo.
Anyone who had bought a ticket was refunded.
Background Report
Derrick Bergman
US ‘cannabis entrepreneur’ risks death penalty after failed coup in Congo
Who is Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun?
It sounds like the plot of an implausible action film: a Congolese man who fled to the US commits a coup in Congo with his 21-yearold son, a convicted cannabis dealer from Washington and a handful of locals. However, their attempt streamed live via Facebook ended in disaster, resulting in six deaths. And yet this all really happened, on Sunday 19 May 2024, in the Congolese capital Kinshasa. Around four in the morning, a group of armed men attacked the home of economic affairs minister Kamerhe. Shooting two policemen dead, Kamerhe remained unharmed. Meanwhile, coup leader Christian
Malanga streamed images from the Palais de Nation, President Felix Tshisekedi‘s workplace. He and his companions strolled through the empty corridors flying the old flag of Zaire, as Congo was called until 1997. Felix dégage! they shout, get lost! Soon after, the army intervened. Malanga (41) and three others were killed, and the rest of the group arrested.
‚President of the new Zaire‘
Christian Musumar Malanga‘s family fled from Congo to the US state of Utah in 1998. In 2006, he returned to Congo, worked for the army, and ran in parliamentary elections in 2011. He was arrested, however, briefly detained and returned to Utah. On his website, Malanga describes himself as a businessman, leader of an opposition party in exile and „president of the new Zaire“. One of his business partners and fellow coup plotters was Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. Soldiers show his passport after the failed coup. Who is this 36-year-old American? Zalman-Polun was born in Maryland and
studied at the University of Colorado and Georgetown University in Washington DC, his current home. This university has a reputation of being a „spy school“ and a recruitment site for the CIA. After his studies, Zalman-Polun was active in commodity trading and worked as a courier and Uber driver. In 2014, he was convicted of illegally selling at least 20 kilos of cannabis. He confessed to selling them with a friend from California to customers across America. Due to his cooperation with the investigation, the prosecutor asked the judge for leniency. It is unclear how long he was detained.
Link to Israel
In 2022, AfricanIntelligence.com reports that Christian Malanga and Zalman-Polun, who is described as a „cannabis entrepreneur“, are collaborating in the gold trade in Mozambique. Documents published by researcher César Chiyaya after the coup reveal that Zalman-Polun „set up at least three large companies in Mozambique in the last two years, all for mineral resources and in all cases Malanga‘s name appears“. As if the story were not suspicious enough, there also appears to be a link to Israel. After the coup, a picture of Malanga and Zalman-Polun surfaced at the Golan Spy Shop in Tel Aviv. What were they doing there?
Is Zalman-Polun a CIA agent, recruited in exchange for a reduced sentence? Or does he work for Mossad, the Israeli secret service? For both, perhaps? Due to the amateurishness of the coup, analysts suspected a set-up. Someone must have provoked Malanga to commit his act, Africa investigator Dino Mahtani told the Associated Press. Mahtani: ‚It is very hard
to imagine how 20, 30 guys thought that by storming an empty Presidential Palace at four in the morning, they could somehow take over the Congolese state.‘ Did the CIA instigate Malanga, through Zalman-Polun or otherwise?
Precious raw materials
Or was it a domestic distraction? Tshisekedi‘s reappointment as president in December 2023 is controversial. It is not inconceivable that he turned a blind eye to the coup or even allowed it to be provoked in order to divert the attention of the grumbling populace and be able to crack down harder on critics. Or was it all about money? Few African countries are as rich in precious resources -from diamonds and oil to cobalt and lithium- as Congo. But this wealth is more curse than blessing for the 99 million ordinary Congolese. Corruption and nepotism seem ineradicable.
For instance, Congo has asked the US to ease its sanctions on Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler. The US accuses Gertler of abusing his friendship with former Congolese president Joseph Kabila for corrupt mining and oil deals. Those deals would have cost Congo over $1.3 billion between 2010 and 2012 alone. However, yes, President Tshisekedi owes his position to a deal with Kabila, designed to block the candidate who got 60% of the vote. Thus, everything is intertwined, and the country is being looted while the population remains poor and conflicts continue in the eastern part of the country.
Death penalty
Meanwhile, the fate of Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun is uncertain. Al Jazeera
broadcast footage allegedly showing soldiers summarily executing a coup participant. According to British newspaper The Times, Zalman-Polun, Malanga‘s 21-year-old son Marcel and the other coup plotters risk the death penalty. They will not be tried by an ordinary court, but by a military tribunal.
Zalman-Polun at the Presidential Palace during the coup.
Soldiers show the passport of Benjamin Zalman-Polun.
Zalman-Polun and Christian Malanga at the Golan Spy Shop in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Leader of the failed coup Christian Malanga and his son Marcel in better times.
Benjamin Zalman-Polun during the coup, with the old flag of Zaire behind him.
With Stoney Tark
THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING TO HYDROPONICS
There can be several reasons why a home grower may wish to make the jump from easy organics to the much more complicated world of growing Cannabis with hydroponics. It can be the case that you need to go away on holiday and are stuck without a babysitter for the garden, or are simply fed up with carrying large bags of soil around with neighbours peeping away, always cleaning up and above par yields. There are many advantages to switching to hydroponics, so in this article, we break down all the reasons you should consider growing Cannabis with hydroponics.
WHICH HYDROPONICS SYSTEM IS BEST FOR ME?
Dripper systems: These types of customized set up systems are usually the entry level and an excellent starting point for a first-time grower making the shift to hydroponics. The dripper
Aeroponics systems: A way of growing Cannabis with hydroponics that requires allowing the roots to be suspended in a chamber, where they are then sprayed with a rotating spray nozzle. The pump will sit at the base of the reservoir and spray upwards as the roots hang down. Aeroponics can be performed using low pressure or
were decades ago. Basically, a way of growing Cannabis that allows the bottom parts of a plant root to be temporarily submerged in a nutrient solution, until it is drained away. As small sized plants are used and grown together in a high volume such as a Sea of Green set up, the feeding frequency can be increased up to 5–10 times a day in some cases.
Top Tip: Each time the nutrient solution is drained away, the roots are flushed with oxygen.
Deep water culture systems: Probably the most productive systems of them all, however, can be the least forgiving and also the loudest hydroponic system of them all. Created from a bucket, air stone, air pump and nutrient solution,
system can be set up according to the plant count and save hand watering, allowing the plants to be systematically fed using a timer and pump, based on a 15-minute interval. The initial cost of buying a pump, tubing and stakes won’t set you back much, and should last for a long time as long as the drip lines do not become blocked.
Top Tip: It is important to clean the pump and drip lines after every harvest or any built up salts.
with a high pressure, meaning a mist is formed. Aeroponic grown Cannabis plants will grow very large in a short time, so it is essential to keep a very short vegetative time,
Top Tip: Using a low pressure aeroponic system with the spray on 24/7 is easy and highly effective.
Flood and drain systems: You do not really see flood and drain systems being used as they once
The old school debate amongst home growers would always be which one tastes better out of organic or hydro grown Cannabis. In modern times, there are many upsides to growing Cannabis with hydroponics that far excel just the taste and smoking experience. Below are a bunch of different reasons you may want to consider making the move once and for all.
Less
vegetative time
Anything that can increase the number of crops per year, and also reduce on electricity, nutrient use and reduce heat is a massive bonus for a home grower. One of the reasons why a short vegetative time of 14 days from seed is recommended, and 7–10 days with clones is due to how fast the plants will grow, and ultimately yield.
Savings
on
electricity and nutrients
This may be the main reason why many wish to get as much return on investment as possible, and start growing Cannabis with hydroponics. Knowing that your time blasting the grow lights for 18 hours a day is limited to a window of 10–14 days, not only saves on electricity bills every month, the amount of nutrients used is also reduced in the long run.
Consistent commercial scale yields
The only downside to growing Cannabis with organics is that the buds can be small, and the final yields are decent. Hydroponics can allow a grower to increase their yields by 200-300% and even more in some cases and especially once you have the strain and systems dialled in.
No need for moving soil around
The final reason why many have switched over to hydro is the thought of having to buy questionable amounts of soil from the local grow shop, garden centre or have them delivered to the house. Either way is not ideal and can cause an anxiety causing trip, and it only takes a nosey neighbour or police car to set you in high panic mode. The great thing about hydroponics is the amount of growing medium required as far as rock wool, hydroton or coco is much more practical to source and coco and hydroton can even be used again once cleaned and treated.
the roots are fixed into the lid of the bucket and hang down in a permanently oxygenated solution of water and hydroponic nutrients.
Top Tip: Deep water culture is the most demanding and expensive system in terms of nutrients.
THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH GROWING CANNABIS IN HYDROPONICS
systems.
This grower uses coco, drip lines and a drain to waste system.
Growth times under 18/6 are reduced with hydroponic
Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV Galvaniweg 11, 5482 TN Schijndel, Netherlands Telephone: +31(0)73 5498112
Contributors: Stoney Tark Jorge Cervantes, Ed Rosenthal, Mr. José, Green Born Identity (G.B.I.), TricomaTeam, Tommy L. Gomez, Fabrizio Dentini, Olivier F., Hortizan, Derrick Bergman and others.
Photography: iStock, Unsplash
Editorial adress: E-Mail: readers@softsecrets.nl
Advertisements: E-Mail: info@softsecrets.nl
A word from the publisher: Soft Secrets is a bi-monthly free magazine which is published in The Netherlands (called Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic and Chile. World wide there is a process going on of rela-
tive 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.
