how to grow your own 4 plants · 2020-03-10 · grow in my homemade ‘super-soil’ - just add...

Cannabis 101How to Grow Your Own 4

Plants

So you want to grow your own cannabis!

This is an excellent decision for a variety of

reasons:

● You produce your own! Don’t have to rely on

anyone else

● It’s much cheaper

● It can be much higher quality

● You control the way it’s grown and the inputs

that are used

● It can be very therapeutic

● It’s an easy and fun plant to grow!

In this talk I will cover:

● Genetics selection (seed vs clone, photo vs. auto, ‘indica’ vs ‘sativa’)

● The four stages of growth: germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering

● Post-production: harvest, trimming, drying, and curing

● Common plant pests and diseases

● Indoor vs Outdoor growing

A little about me...

● Been growing (officially) for ~4 years, MED patient for 6, using

cannabis for ~10

● Grew up in small town Saskatchewan

● Geologist by trade, horticulturist by passion. Strong background

in soil science during university so very interested in that aspect

of things

● Currently working on my Master Gardener certification

● Worked in various industries - ethanol, geology (both lab and

field)

● Grow in my homemade ‘super-soil’ - just add water; no additional

fertilizer needed

● Primarily grow indoors but always like running 4 plants outside

when possible

● Very much enjoy talking about cannabis with anyone who will

listen

General Cannabis Info

● Cannabis is dioecious○ Produces separate male and female plants

○ Need both in order to produce new genetic material (seeds)

■ There are ways to produce male flowers on female plants - I’ll touch on that a bit later

● Cannabis has both determinate and indeterminate varieties○ ‘Auto-flowering’ and ‘photoperiod’

● Cannabis is a relatively heavy feeder○ Fast lush growth needs lots of food

● Most closely related relative is Humulus (Hops)○ Check out the male flowers - they’re basically identical!

● Cannabis is an annual plant○ Has a specific life span - grows, flowers, produces

seeds, and dies

○ Seeds grow new plants the following season

Female Cannabis Flowers Male Cannabis Flowers

Male Cannabis flowers Male Hops flowers

Genetics Selection

First question: where to get seeds/clones?

● MED growers (like myself)

● Bag seed - must be from legally purchased product○ Difficult to prove origin of seeds, however

● Retail stores (i.e., REC stores)○ To my knowledge, only one company is currently offering seeds

● Nurseries (not yet here but soon)○ As of writing this, SK doesn’t have any licensed nurseries to purchase seedlings/clones

● Gray market (online, trade shows, some unlicensed dispensaries, etc.)○ Up to you whether you decide to use these options

Legally, any Canadian is allowed to give another Canadian up to 30 seeds

(Cannabis Act says 1 seed = 1 gram)

Genetics Selection

A quick note on clones: A lot of the first two sections is a bit redundant when

speaking about clones, as a lot of the selection process I go through is specific to

seeds and has already been done for you (i.e., isolating a female plant with

desirable traits). That said, the basic principles of strain selection apply to both

seeds and clones:

● What effects/flavours are you looking for

● Growth style/nutrient needs/flowering time, etc.

I will get into clones and cloning a bit more in the

veg section - hold tight!

Genetics Selection

Pros Cons

Seeds

● Relatively easy to source

● Both photos/autos available

● Available in regular or feminized

● Stronger, more robust growth

● Easy to collect and store

● Autos can be grown outdoors

here in SK

● Variability in end product

● Seedlings fragile - easy to lose

● Must cull males (if using regular

seeds)

● Some seeds don’t germinate

Clones

● Will all be female

● Genetically identical to mother -

desirable traits preserved

● Less time to harvest - ready to

flower immediately

● Genetically identical to mother -

instabilities maintained

● Can be contaminated

● Not ‘F1’ hybrids - less vigor

● More difficult to root

● Harder to find/maintain

Genetics Selection

Once you have a source of seeds/clones:

● Photoperiod (indeterminate) vs Auto-flowering (determinate)

● ‘Feminized’ vs ‘Regular’

● ‘Indica’ vs ‘Sativa’

Genetics Selection

So what do we mean by ‘autoflowering’? It’s quite simple!

● All this means is the plant is a ‘determinate’ variety○ Same as your garden veggies - plant, wait some amount of days, harvest

Typically, autos can be are ready to harvest after 3 - 3.5 months. They will grow vegetatively for

approximately 30-45 days, after which they stop producing additional branches and leaves, and

start to focus on producing flowers, and, more importantly, the resin that we are interested in.

Flowering usually lasts for 60-75 days (about the same length as the average photoperiod

plant).

Genetics Selection

Auto-flowering plants are good because:

● They stay relatively small (~2-3 feet tall, can be smaller)○ Easier to manage/move around - in my experience 3gal (12L) pots are the perfect size

○ Smaller size/shorter grow time = less nutrient needs

● Grow under any light regimen ○ Don’t need to worry about ‘flipping’ to 12/12 and keeping the plant in the dark

○ Especially important in SK with our shorter growing season and abrupt seasonal changes

● Easier for new growers (of cannabis) to understand○ Grow like typical annuals/vegetable gardens (i.e., plant, wait XX days, harvest)

Genetics Selection

Autoflowering plants are not so good because:

● They only grow so large, limiting potential yield

● They are not able to be cloned○ Need new seeds to start each new batch

● Not as common○ Strain/cultivar selection is not as varied with autos as it is with photos due to autos being

relatively ‘new’ - not enough time to stabilize all the genetics.

● ‘Regular’ autos difficult to find if you want to breed and make your own seeds

● Don’t like to be transplanted/manipulated ○ Planting in the final container not always feasible

○ Can be more finicky in terms of their nutrient needs and tolerances

Autoflowering ‘Afghani Kush’ in flower - plants are only ~2’ (60cm) tall

Genetics Selection

Photoperiod plants are good because:

● Indeterminate growth - they get as large as you let them○ Can vastly increase yields (I’ve seen plants yielding 10 dry pounds or more)

● Much larger genetic diversity○ More selection as these have been bred and crossed for generations

○ Very easy to find both feminized and regular seeds so, easy to breed your own

● Able to be kept as ‘mother’ plants○ Can be kept in vegetative growth indefinitely, cuttings can be taken whenever needed

○ Preserves genetics if exceptional or useful traits are observed/no males exist to make seeds

● Generally less fussy than autos○ Take abuse better - more time to recover from transplanting, topping, bending, pruning, etc.

○ Can handle swings in pH, ec, moisture, temperature, etc. with less effect

Genetics Selection

Photoperiod plants are not so good because:

● More difficult to flower○ Need to keep them under no more than 12 hours light for at least 8 weeks (usually longer)

○ No light allowed during the dark period - light leaks can interrupt flowering and cause issues

like ‘re-vegging’ or ‘hermi/intersex’ plants

● Longer growth period○ More time for something to go wrong

○ More nutrients needed = more expensive

Photoperiod plants in flower - plants are 3 - 5’ (90-150cm) tall

Genetics Selection

A quick note on semi- or super-autos and/or fast/early flowering-versions:

● These plants are basically a mixture of the two types and are supposed to

perform just as the names imply, basically having a much longer vegetative

growth phase, but still automatically flowering earlier than a typical

photoperiod plant.

● This type of plant would be very useful outdoors here in SK...

Some ‘super-autos’ on a friend’s farm this past year (2019)

Genetics Selection

Regular vs ‘feminized’ seeds

● Cannabis is dioecious, that is, a plant is either a male or

a female, producing only male or female flowers.

● We are only interested in the female flowers - they are

the ones that produce the cannabinoid-rich resin

● If a male pollinates a female, seeds are produced and

overall flower yield falls drastically

● For 99% of growers, female plants are all we really want

● How do we select for or guarantee female plants then?

Genetics Selection

Regular Seeds

● Regular seeds are exactly that - regular. They behave just like you think,

producing both male and female plants (about 50/50)

● Regular seeds tend to be cheaper/more available (especially from smaller

breeders), but unless you want to produce seeds, you will have to cull the

males○ If using regulars, some growers plant large amount of seeds and then pick the best females

out as soon as their sex is determined. This can be difficult to manage when only allowed to

grow 4 plants at a time

Genetics Selection

‘Feminized’ seeds

● Feminized/female seeds are produced when an otherwise female plant is stressed into

producing male flowers

○ The pollen in these stress-induced male flowers contains only female genetic material (only X

chromosomes, no Ys)

○ When a female plant is pollinated with this ‘female-only’ pollen, the resulting offspring contain

only female (X) chromosomes, resulting in all female progeny

● Very useful in that the grower doesn’t have to worry about a rogue, early-flowering male

ruining the crop with pollen and producing unwanted seeds

● Very commonly available (almost as common as regular seeds)

Genetics Selection

‘Indica’ vs ‘Sativa’

● A very interesting (and sometimes controversial) topic

● I am not a botanist/plant scientist so I am not going to get into the taxonomy of names and

the different thought camps.

● In my opinion (and a lot of other people’s), the terms Indica and Sativa refer only to the

general phenotype or growth profile/characteristics of a plant, and not to the effects that are

supposed to be experienced

● Basically, Sativa-type plants grow taller and branchier, with typically longer flowering periods

● Indica-type plants stay shorter and stouter with more compact internode spacing and shorter

flowering times

● Most plants now are hybrids of the two - very hard to say something is 100% anymore

● Important to consider these factors, especially if working with limited time/space

Physiological difference between Indica and Sativa https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/sativa-indica-and-hybrid-differences-between-cannabis-types

‘Amnesia Haze’ - Sativa-dominant ‘Critical Mass’ - Indica-dominant

‘Amnesia Haze’ cola - Sativa-dominant ‘Critical Mass’ cola - Indica-dominant

Genetics Selection

So, with all that in mind, what ‘strain’ should you grow? Whatever you want! Just be

sure of a few things:

● Trust the source - know what your growing!

○ Lots of bad genetics out there

○ If someone grew something that you really liked, ask them!

○ If possible, make your own!

● Have enough time/space/patience

○ Do you really want to wait 14-16 weeks for that Old Timer’s Haze to finish flowering?

○ Do you want to deal with a 10 foot tree? I’ve found 3-5 gallon (12-20L) pots grow the ideal

sized plants for the every-day grower, yielding 2-3 dry oz (56-84g) per plant.

○ Some cultivars are more resistant to mold, frost, pests, etc. - important if these are issues for

you

And most importantly, grow something you like!

○ Effects are variable but, if you find something you like, stick with that

○ Aromas/flavours usually standardized but some olfactory profiles are not for everyone (e.g.,Some Cheeses,

The Piss family, etc.)

○ There is an insane variety of genetics so, make sure to hunt around

● It is impossible to tell if a seed is male/female, auto/photo, indica/sativa just by looking at it - anyone who

says different is lying!

Genetics Selection

Seed still in bract

Stage 1 - Germination

Freshly emerged taproots Freshly emerged taproot - close up


Very simple - drop the seed in some soil, water, and wait 3-10 days for a sprout to

emerge. There is more you can do though...

What I prefer to do to make sure my seeds are viable is:

● Soak seed in clean water for 14-18 hours

● Transfer the seed and water to plate with paper towel. Soak paper towel with water,

drain excess, and cover seed. Use another plate on top to form a ‘humidity dome’

● Place in warm spot (top of fridge, computer tower) for 2-6 days, after which a small

white taproot will emerge. Cannabis seeds are relatively large so, it’s very easy to see

● Germination successful! Plant seed in preferred medium ~2-3cm deep and get

growing!

Step 1 - Soak seeds in

clean H20 for 14-18 hrsStep 2 - Transfer seeds + water to plate with paper

towels, drain excess, and cover. Place in a warm place.

DO NOT LET THE PAPER TOWEL DRY OUT!

Step 3 - after ~2-7 days,

taproots should emerge


A quick note

If you are starting with clones/cuttings, the germination and seedling stages

obviously won’t be very relevant, being that you will have basically skipped over

them but, it’s still important to know (and interesting!)

Stage 2 - Seedlings

Stage 2 - Seedlings

Once the sprout breaks the surface of the grow medium, it is now a seedling! This

‘stage’ generally lasts approximately 2-3 weeks.

Seedlings prefer:

● A warm, moist environment (~25C/60-70% RH)○ Humidity domes/heat mats very useful here

● Less intense light○ I use T5 fluorescent tubes

● To be kept moist (but not too moist!)○ Smaller pots dry out faster

● Lower amounts of nutrients○ Start with ¼ recommended strength and add more if needed

Stage 2 - Seedlings

Some things to watch out for:

● Pests/diseases, especially damping off ○ Young plants more susceptible

● Don’t let the medium dry out ○ Not a big enough rootstock to withstand neglect (yet)

○ Small pots/low humidity = dry out faster

● Transplant if necessary○ If the plant outgrows its container/becomes rootbound, it can become stressed. Can cause:

■ Premature flowering

■ Poor/stunted growth

■ Water needs to increase dramatically

■ Overall poorer health

Sept 6, 2019

Sept 12, 2019

Sept 18, 2019

Sept 25, 2019

Just before transplant

^ Humidity dome

w/ heat mat.

< Watch for algal

growth on

surface of soil!

Stage 3 - Vegetative Growth


Vegetative growth begins when the plants has a well established root network/canopy, and

is now is able to produce substantial amounts of energy for upward and outward growth.

● Heavier feeding regimen begins (if using bottled nutrients)

● Photoperiod plants must be kept under at least 14 hours of light per day, preferably more

○ 18/6 is a more common schedule, some run 20/4

○ Outdoors, here in SK ~May - September is when this is available. It drops off quite fast come Autumn.

○ Autos will grow under any light schedule - the more light the better though

● Training (if undertaken) begins○ Topping, pinching, bending, defoliation, etc.

● Preflowering begins

○ Usually appear around the 5th or 6th nodes, after 4-5 weeks of total growth

○ Important if growing ‘regular’ seeds, as this is when you will first see which plants are male

● Environmental conditions○ Relative humidity, temperature,. pH/TDS, grow space, etc.

● Able to take cutting (clones) if desired


If you started your plants in small pots/started your grow with clones, the first thing

you will have to do is transplant.

● I don’t think I need to go over how to transplant as there is nothing special to

know when transplanting cannabis compared to any other plant.○ I do have a video I made if anyone is interested in seeing how I do it.


As with most plants, during the vegetative stage, cannabis likes a relatively high

proportion of Nitrogen (N) in the feed. This allows for lush green foliage production

and rapid growth. This is why ‘vegging’ fertilizers are typically higher in N than the

other main nutrients, Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

● However you decide to grow, make sure your plants have enough food!○ If using bottled/salt-based ferts, make sure the NPK ratio is correct

○ If using super-soil (like myself), perform a soil test before planting. Make note of the relative

amounts and amend as needed.

Top/right: A very large leaf

Bottled nutrient products - very fancy labels - be sure what you’re buying is what you need!

A quick note on bottled/pre-mixed fertilizers:


● There are a TON of different products ‘specifically made’ for cannabis - most have fancy

labels and shiny stickers so, if purchasing these types of fertilizers, be sure you know what

you’re getting. Being that I grow in super-soil that already has all the required nutrients mixed

in, I can’t speak to any specific product’s efficacy (or not), but just make sure you do your due

diligence. These products tend to be quite expensive so, make sure you are buying

something you actually need

● Some products have other ingredients not listed on the label so, be sure what your using is

actually the thing giving you the results you are seeing

● This industry thus far has been fairly ‘cowboy’ - that is, not a lot of regulation/product

verification (besides anecdotal) and so lots of room for ‘snake oil’ salesmen. Why don’t we

see these nutrients promoted in any other industry, especially in the non-cannabis home

gardener/personal horticulturist space?

● Take my opinion with small grain of salt - I am a super-soil grower so, may be a teeny bit

biased

An example of the

ingredients list in a typical

product - a lot more than

just NPK!


Environmental conditions

● Being more robust now, plants not as affected by temp/humidity swings

○ Still want to try to maintain ideal levels - ~21-26C & 50%-55% RH

● Harder to control growing outdoors due to climate

○ Structures like a greenhouse can help mitigate weather variables

● pH/TDS is very important

○ Cannabis prefers to grow in range of ~6.0-7.0 in soil, and ~5.5-6.5 in soil-less (hydroponics)

○ If pH of the medium is too high/low, problems will show very quickly, namely nutrient/fertilizer

lockout

○ Important to keep track of the pH of your water, both irrigation and runoff (if possible)

○ A very high TDS in your water can can mean high levels of certain unwanted ions (i.e.,

Sodium, Iron (if using well-water), etc.)

○ Some municipalities have their water treatment analysis publicly available

○ Rainwater is best! Usually ~7.0pH with very few TDS. And it’s free!

pH ranges for soil (www.percysgrowroom.com)

pH ranges for hydroponics (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Source: City of Saskatoon 2017 Annual

Water Quality Report (https://www.saskatoon.ca/sites/default/files/documents

/2017_annual_water_quality_report.pdf)

pH testing/adjusting gear


Pre-flowers

● Begin to appear after 5-6 weeks of growth, usually around the 5th or 6th node

● Basically means the plant is sexually mature and if triggered, will begin to

produce flowers○ May also see asymmetrical branching - normally new leaves/branches grow from the same

spot on the stem. When sexually mature, this becomes slightly offset

● This is the time most growers will remove any males in order to prevent

accidental pollination○ Male pre-flowers will still produce viable pollen, so best to remove them ASAP

Female pre-flowers

Male pre-flowers


Training is exactly what it sounds like - the plant is physically manipulated

(trained) to grow in a specific way. Growers do this for various reasons:

● Increase yield○ Very simply, more bud sites exposed to light = more bud

○ The same yield can be achieved from 4 larger, well trained plants as many smaller ones

● Manage space○ Control height/girth of plant very effectively. Space can be a concern, so train to fit per se, but

more like ‘suggesting a better way to grow’

○ If growing indoors, training to achieve a level canopy increasing effective surface area to

maximize light absorption

It’s the same principle & techniques gardeners use to increase the amount of

flowers/fruits/etc. on ‘regular’ garden plants.

No training ‘Topped’ once


In cannabis, growers usually differentiate between two ‘types’ of training:

1. High Stress Training (HST)a. Topping, pinching, ‘super-cropping’, defoliation - anything where you physically damage the

plant

2. Low Stress Training (LST)a. Bending, tieing down, tucking - not damaging the plant

3. Combination LST/HSTa. Mainlining, Screen of Green (SCROG)

What you should do is based on your specific situation.

● Train to fit your space/needs

● Some growers don’t train at all

The Screen of Green (SCROG) - via @Macky (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Mainlining - via Interalia666 (www.percysgrowroom.com)


One last thing to mention about the vegetative stage:

● If you plan on taking any clones/cuttings, this is the best time:○ Lots of time for the plant to recover - taking cuttings is traumatic!

○ Larger cuttings make for stronger clones

○ If I do this, I usually wait until after the 5th week of growth, and then anytime thereafter until

flowering begins

○ Can clone during flower but, a bit more difficult as the plant has to revert back to vegetative

growth. Best to do early on if at all

Before taking a cutting After taking a cutting

Keep it hydrated Clipped clone in jiffy pellet

Clones in the dome

Stage 4 - Flowering (A.K.A. the fun part)

‘Afghani Kush’ in late flower ‘Species 8472’ in late flower

Stage 4 - Flowering (A.K.A. the fun part)

The plant diverts its focus/resources from growing larger/increasing foliage to

preparing for reproduction and the end of its life cycle. Flowering very typically lasts

~8-10 weeks, but some ‘sativa’ varieties (e.g., ‘Old Timer’s Haze’, ‘Dr. Grinspoon’ can

take 4 months (or more!) to finish

Major changes in plant growth:

● Intense upward growth (The Stretch) for the first 2-3 weeks

○ Can expect around 50% increase in height in most common cultivars

○ I’ve heard of plants going from ~30cm to ~120cm - a 90cm increase!

○ ‘Sativa’ varieties generally stretch more than ‘indica’ varieties - important to consider when

choosing what to grow

○ Branches begin to grow out of the stem asymmetrically as well, producing progressively fewer

leaf blades

Stage 4 - Flowering

Major changes in plant growth (con’t):

● Different preferred environmental conditions○ During flowering, keep the temperature the same (21-26C) plants prefer less relative humidity

than veg - ideally 40-50%. I’ve flowered in as low as 15% without much issue

○ Low humidity can help with control of certain pests/funguses, namely Botrytis cinerea (Budrot)

● Flower/resin production begins

● No longer see new leaves at new growth sites - small white hairs (pistils)

begin to appear instead. This is the beginning of what will become a ‘cola’

(the bundle of flower bracts)○ Resin production begins.This is where the active ingredients reside (i.e. cannabinoids,

terpenes, etc.)

Just beginning

to flower

Very early in flower (~2-3 weeks) - resin beginning to

form on leaves, flowers beginning to grow.

Stage 4 - Flowering

Major changes in plant growth (con’t):

● Nutrient needs change

○ During flowering, growers usually switch to a fertilizer with more P and K and lower levels of N

○ Promotes flower growth rather than leafy green growth

● That smell!○ Things will get quite aromatic - Skunk is called Skunk for a good reason!

○ Easy to control growing indoors (carbon filter), not so easy outdoors

Stage 4 - Flowering

● As flowering progresses, the ‘colas’ will grow larger and larger, producing more and

more resin.

November 21, 2019

(~3.5 weeks before harvest)

November 29, 2019

(~2.5 weeks before harvest)

Stage 4 - Flowering

● As the end of the 8-10 weeks approaches, the colas will swell and gain a lot

of mass and resin will begin to mature

● Important to look at the resin glands themselves (hand lens, microscope, etc.)○ They turn from clear to cloudy to amber as they age

○ More clear glands tend to give a more ‘cerebral’ or ‘heady’ high, whereas more amber glands

tend to be more sedative or ‘stoney’. This is quite anecdotal though - very much depends on

the individual and how they personally react to it

○ Most growers prefer to harvest when they see 10-15% amber - totally up to you though

● When you decide to harvest will depend on what you are after, effects-wise:○ Harvesting too early diminishes yield - big no-no

○ Most people prefer the more relaxing effects compared to the mental stimulation, but again,

ultimately depends on what you’re after

Trichome maturation stages (www.percysgrowroom.com) Ready for harvest

Stage 4 - Flowering

Flushing your plants

● A very common practice, especially if you’re growing in soil-less mediums

○ The idea is to ‘wash’ out any residual fertilizer in the medium so the plant is forced to use it’s

own stores up, ‘cleaning’ it out, resulting in a smoother, better tasting end product

○ 99% of growers will tell you this is absolutely necessary

○ Some studies have been done that show otherwise - the jury is still out!

○ Because I grow in ‘super-soil’ it is impossible to flush - my end product always burns clean

● Easy to do - for the ~2 weeks prior to harvest, simply irrigate with clean, low PPM water

(e.g. RO, distilled, etc.)

○ This will dissolve anything soluble and wash it out of the medium

○ TDS/EC meter comes in handy to monitor the levels

■ the levels in the runoff should fall as the flush progresses

Stage 4 - Flowering

Flushing Con’t

● Also done to clear the medium of excess salts, correct pH problems, etc.○ Basically a ‘reset’ for the medium if salts have accumulated to toxic levels

○ Can be done anytime during the grow

○ Can require a lot of water depending on the severity of the problem - up to 5 gallons of water

per 1 gallon of soil

Stage 4 - Flowering

Flowering autos and photos is the same, with one important difference:

Photos must be kept under at least 12 hours of darkness in order to effectively flower

● If they receive more than 12 hours of light after beginning to flower, there is a

possibility of some undesirable growth characteristics:○ Intersex a.k.a. ‘Hermaphrodite’ plants - both male and female flowers present

■ Potential for unwanted pollination

○ ‘Re-veg’ - plants revert back to veg, starting again to grow foliage instead of buds

■ Loss of yield, time to finish flowering lengthened

● Photos also have the potential to get much larger, depending on how long the

veg time is. Autos generally don’t get too much larger than 1m tall○ There are exceptions (super autos, really lanky ‘sativas’)

Stage 4 - Flowering

A note on male plants

If growing from ‘regular’ seeds, whether autos or photos, there will be male plants

● Tend to occur at about a 50/50 ratio

● Unless breeding, no use for males

● Male plants tend to mature MUCH faster (~14-21 days, compared to 6-9 weeks for

females) - important to locate and deal with then as soon as possible (pre-flowers

helpful)

● If no pre-flowers appear before flowering begins (e.g., not long enough veg time, autos

don’t always show), just keep an eye on the plants for the first couple weeks after

flowering begins - this is lots time to be able to identify and remove any undesirable

specimens

Male plants in flower

Check out the pollen

on the leaves!

Post-production - Harvest/Trimming/Drying/Curing

Hand-manicured ‘Ice Cream’ top cola


In my opinion, this is the most critical part of the entire grow

Three important things to consider:

● Don’t harvest early - watch the trichomes

○ I always say, when you think it’s done, give it at least another week. A lot of breeders say

‘flower for x days’ but in my experience, this is a suggestion at best. A lot of strains were

originally bred for cash crops so, the earlier the better for them. Not for us.

○ A lot of bud weight is put on in the final few weeks so, early chop = less yield

○ The effects of more mature cannabis are generally preferred - more relaxing & sedative than

cerebral and stimulating

Trichome Maturity

(www.percysgrowroom.com)

Left: Hand scope (60-

120x mag)

Right: USB Microscope


● Don’t dry too fast or too hot - low and slow is the key

○ The ideal conditions are ~16-18C/50-55% RH for 7-14 days

○ Probably the most critical part of the grow - many months of work can be ruined in under a

week in non-ideal conditions (ever had cannabis that tastes like hay? That’s why.)

○ Drying too fast doesn’t allow the chlorophyll & other unpleasant constituents to break down

○ Drying too hot can cause terpenes and other VOCs to evaporate

○ Best to have an area where the temperature/humidity can be dialed in and controlled

○ Plenty of airflow - stagnant air can promote fungi colonization and ruin the flower

● When is it dry enough?

○ My rule of thumb is when the buds have lost ~75% of their weight, they are optimally dry

■ E.g., a bud weighs 24g wet - after 10 or so days, it should weigh 6g

○ The general rule is when the stem the bud is attached to snaps/breaks rather than bends, the

bud is dried

■ Common sense required but this is a pretty good indicator

Tent with drying rack

Left: Drying

Tents

Right: Climate

controllers/heater

/humidifier

Left: Freshly harvested & trimmed buds

Right: Properly dried (~75% less weight

than wet)


With all that in mind, how exactly do we harvest, trim and dry?

● Based on the individual's situation/preferences - you can:

○ Cut the whole plant down

○ Cut off main branches

○ Cut off individual buds

● ‘Wet’ trimming vs ‘dry’ trimming - again, personal preference/dependent on situation

All depends on what kind of space you have available and how much time you

want to spend harvesting/trimming


Wet trimming

● Basically just what it sounds like - the bud is manicured immediately after harvesting,

while it is still full of water (wet)

● In my experience, the majority of cannabis is wet trimmed

○ Performed by humans (smaller scale) or machines (large scale - industrial)

● The good

○ Buds are shaped to what we are accustomed to seeing and dry evenly

○ Generally faster than dry trimming, due to less material (no main stem) to dry

○ Resulting ‘trim’ can be used for vaping, edibles, topicals, etc.

○ Resin build-up on your scissors/gloves, resulting in ‘scissor/finger hash’

○ Once dried, just put in the jar and you’re done - hard work already completed

● The bad

○ Takes much longer if trimming by hand - each bud must be manicured individually

■ Can be very time consuming, especially in certain leafier/large-yielding cultivars

2 31

1. Cut plant/large branches

2. Cut branches for easy

trimming

3. Trim ‘sugar leaves’

4. Cut individual buds off

stems

5. Lay buds on screen to

dry

54


Dry Trimming

● Also basically how it sounds

○ Just chop the plant and hang it - that’s it!

○ The large fan leaves are removed but, everything else is left on

○ Most growers who do this cut the larger branches and hang them, but some hang the whole

plant!

● The good:

○ Very fast! Just cut the bigger leaves off and you’re done. No manicuring individual buds

○ Generally has a slightly longer dry time, resulting in more even drying and smoother end

product (in theory)

● The bad:

○ Doesn’t look as nice, depending on how much you trimmed before hanging

○ Still have to deal with removing buds after drying

○ NO SCISSOR/FINGER HASH!

Cannabis plants hung to dry (dry trimming) - photo via @Macky (www.percysgrowroom.com


● Cure your harvest!○ Curing is not necessary but, makes the experience much more enjoyable

○ Similar to aging liquor - slow subtle changes bring out intense flavours and colours, and break

down harsher, less pleasant compounds resulting and a much smoother and tastier product

○ Easy to do, but difficult to practice - sometimes hard to keep your hand out of the cookie jar!

How to Cure:

1. When your cannabis is dried properly, place it in an airtight container (I use 2L Mason

jars). Place the jar in a cool dark spot.

2. Open the jars to refresh the air inside at least 2 times per day for the first week, and

then at least once for an additional week, or for as long as you like thereafter

a. 2 week minimum - I usually go for 4 if i can manage

b. Watch for budrot - you can immediately smell it (like a musty gym bag)

Cannabis curing in mason jars ‘CVaults’ and similar products can also be used to cure

Common Plant Problems

Cannabis is a fairly resilient plant - it can take a beating! But, it is definitely not immune to

problems, both directly caused by humans (nutrient excess/deficiency, stress) and indirectly

(insect/fungus damage, plant illness)

Aphids (adult and nymphs)

Nitrogen Excess Immobile nutrient lockout - pH


Nutrient excess/deficiencies

● Occur for various reasons○ Simply too much/not enough fertilizer/wrong type of fertilizer used

○ Soil plants being grown in poor soils (certain nutrients concentrated/depleted)

○ pH is too high or too low - nutrients present but locked out and unavailable for uptake

● Macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S) ○ usually manifest in older leaves first and move up through plant

■ Many different sign and signals - if left undealt with, can result in odd growth, increased

chance of infection, and diminished yields

■ If corrected, healthy growth returns to affected part of plant (usually)

○ Micronutrients - B, Co, Cl, Si, Ni, Se, Mo, Cu, Zn, Na

■ Manifest in young, new growth

■ Affected growth does not return to normal

■ Generally not an issue as most fertilizers/soils have more than enough of these present

Nutrient deficiencies/excesses - The Cannabis Encyclopedia (Cervantes, 2015), pgs 350, 354-368

Nitrogen Deficiency - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Nitrogen Excess - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Phosphorus Deficiency - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Phosphorus Excess - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Potassium Deficiency - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Potassium Excess - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Calcium Deficiency - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)

Calcium Excess - Signs & Symptoms (www.percysgrowroom.com)


Environmental

● Heat stress○ Too close to lights (more common with HID-type lights)

○ Too hot outside/no way to cool ambient air

○ Causes the leaves to ‘canoe’ and become brittle and crispy, eventually dying

○ More of a problem indoors than outdoors

○ Stresses plant and lowers yields, among other issues

● Light stress○ Too close to light - plant is receiving more than it can handle

○ Leaves closest to lights start to yellow, occasionally curl upwards, dry out, and die

○ Buds can become ‘bleached’ (more common with strong LEDs)

Heat Stress

Light-bleached top colaLight burn (too close to HID) - photo via The

Cannabis Encyclopedia (Cervantes, 2015) pg 380


Pests/diseases

● Cannabis is hardy but definitely not immune to opportunistic pests and/or disease

○ Nutrient deficiencies can compound this issue - weak plants get sicker easier!

● The easiest way to not deal with any pests or disease is cleanliness

○ Keep the growing area as clean as possible

■ Fungal spores/insects/eggs travel via dirty tools, contaminated clothing, etc.

○ Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

■ Introduce/encourage beneficial organisms (e.g., nematodes, predatory mites,

ladybugs, lacewings, Beauveria bassiana, etc.) for active monitoring of grow

space

● Much easier to prevent an infestation than deal with one

○ The sooner the problem is dealt with, the better. Doesn’t take long to lose control

Aphids Thrip damage Stem boring - root maggots



● Some commonly encountered insect pests include:

○ Fungus Gnats

○ Thrips

○ Aphids

○ Soil/root maggots

○ Spider mites

○ Whiteflies

● Many of you are likely already intimately familiar with these pests

○ Quite common in most typical gardens/greenhouses

○ Very hard to completely eradicate - best to learn to manage them


Other pests can include but are not limited to:

● Stem boring insects○ E.g., European Corn Borer

● Caterpillars

● Cutworms

● Leafhoppers/Leaf miners

● Grasshoppers

● Mealybugs/scale

● Wild animals (rabbits, deer, etc.,)

*These will mainly occur outdoors (unless of course you have a very dirty growing space)*

Caterpillar on cannabis (outdoor, 2019)


● Some commonly encountered fungal/bacterial-based diseases are:

○ Powdery Mildew

○ Budrot a.k.a. Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea)

○ Damping off (seedlings)

○ Leaf spot

○ Leaf blight

○ Root rot (Fusarium Wilt)

● Again, many of you are likely quite familiar with a few of these already

○ The same techniques used to fight these in the vegetable garden can be applied to

cannabis

○ Use common sense though - you are the end user after all

Powdery Mildew - photo via The Cannabis Encyclopedia (Cervantes, 2015) pg 457

Budrot (Botrytis cinerea) -photo via www.percysgrowroom.com


If you do decide to apply something to deal with a problem,

be sure what you are using is safe!

● Ultimately up to you what you use but, you are the one

that will be using the end product

● Non-systemic fungicides are definitely preferred

● Best not to use any sprays during flower - sometimes

some sad decisions have to be made!

Health Canada has developed a list that they deem

acceptable for the Licensed Producers to use - definitely a

good idea to have a look

Top: Parasitic

Nematodes

(Steinernema feltiae)

Left: Predatory mites

(Amblyseius swirskii)

Approved pesticides for medical/recreational

cannabis via Health Canada (as of Feb 6, 2020)(https://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/ls-re/index-eng.php - Search for

‘Cannabis’)

Indoor vs Outdoor Growing

A quick overview on indoor vs. outdoor growing

● Traditionally, cannabis has been grown indoors ○ Mainly due to the former illicitness of producing it - much easier to hide a room than a field

● Up to you where you want to grow but some important considerations○ Location, location location! Important regarding ease of access to plants/water source,

intrusiveness, growing season length, inclement weather, etc.

○ How much do you want to spend? Outdoors obviously cheaper via free sunlight/rain, rich soil

VS. jacked up power bill, fertilizers, water, etc.

○ Quality - in my experience, indoor grown >> outdoor grown

○ NIMBY neighbours


Growing Outdoors

Pros:

● Cheap/free premium quality light, water and/or soil○ If you already have an established garden, you’re 75% of the way there

● Doesn’t intrude on your living space○ Having a big loud grow tent inside the house not always ideal - noisey, smelly, etc.

● Can grow almost anywhere○ Backyard in the garden, in flower pots on the deck/balcony, basically anywhere with good

soil/light

● Bees love cannabis!○ Seems to be very popular with both honey and bumble varieties, as well as the hover-flies

Pots! A raised bed! The garden!


You can grow in...

Bees love cannabis too!


Growing Outdoors

Cons:

● Little to no control over environmental variables/weather○ Freak storms, extreme heat/cold, etc.

○ Pests/diseases

○ Rogue pollen from irresponsible growers/local hemp fields

○ Ambient light during night messing up growth (only in photos)

○ Potentially could be stolen

● Fairly short growing season

○ In Saskatchewan, basically 5 months between May - September

○ Long enough for 2 (if you’re lucky) harvests of autos, photos will very likely be frozen before finishing

flowering

● ‘Lower quality’ product

○ I’d love to be proven wrong but, this is my experience thus far

Sept 21, 2018 - Looking good! Sept 24, 2018 - Looking bad!


Growing Indoors

Pros:

● Complete environmental control○ Able to dial in temperature, humidity, light schedule, CO2 levels, etc.

○ No hailstorms to worry about

● Can grow all year round○ No seasons to worry about

● Higher quality product○ Again, in my experience, indoor grown >> outdoor grown

● Security○ Easier to keep your plants safe from nosey opportunistic people


Growing Indoors

Cons:

● Can be expensive

○ My power bill has increased by about $50-60 per month

○ Start-up costs usually more

● Can be dangerous (only if you’re not paying attention)

○ Be 100% sure you don’t overload the circuit you’re using

○ Easy to do when adding in ‘just one more thing’

○ The worry over ‘the walls molding’ is quite overblown, especially with proper exhaust and

circulation but, care should be taken to ensure proper moisture levels are maintained

● Somewhat intrusive

○ Can be loud and smelly

○ If flowering photos, care must be taken not to expose them to any light during the dark period -

can be challenging


Growing Indoors

If you decide to grow indoors, there are basically two routes you can go:

● Purpose built room○ The best option if available/plausible - can fully customize to exactly the specs you need

○ May be overkill for most people only growing 4 plants

● Grow tent○ Smaller and modular so, able to be moved around/taken down and sized to the space you

have to work with.

○ Likely cheaper than renovating a room (a 4’ x 4’ tent is only ~200$)


Growing Indoors

Whatever you decide, the general components of the grow area will be the same:

● Tent (if not building/repurposing a room)

○ Many different brands/sizes/styles available - be sure to shop around for something that will

work for you

● Lights & timers - HID or LED

○ Depends what you like/your heat situation/budget

● Exhaust & Circulation fans/Carbon Filter/Ducting

○ Air movement/exchange

○ Carbon filters scrub the air of smelly particles - important if you need to contain the aroma

● Vessels for your plants

○ Pots - Plastic/Fibre/Airpots

○ Hydro gear - flood tables, pumps/nutrient reservoirs, etc. (not my area of expertise)


Growing Indoors

● Growing medium - something for the plant to live in

○ Super soil, no fertilizers needed

○ Regular potting soil, coco coir, peat/perlite, clay pellets (hydro), etc.

● Nutrients/fertilizer/water amendments

○ Absolutely necessary if growing in hydro/soil-less

○ My super soil has everything the plant needs built in, but I still add kelp juice, compost

tea, and mycorrhizal fungi, as well as use pH Down to adjust my irrigation water

○ pH/TDS pens are vital to be able to properly monitor nutrient/pH levels

● Environmental controls

○ Thermometer/hygrometer - helps with monitoring and maintaining suitable conditions

○ Heater/humidifier/controllers to maintain proper temp/humidity (if necessary)

4x4 Tent

4x4 Tent with lights

4x4 Tent fully loaded

4x4 tent - fully armed and operational

2x4 tent - LED light, no carbon filter

Carbon filter/fan setup


Growing Indoors

One final point - location, location, location!

● Finally, make sure you put the tent/room somewhere easy for you to use

○ How close is your water supply? Is there a tap nearby?

■ No one wants to haul water up and down stairs/through the house

○ Are you able to easily and conveniently provide 12 hours of dark for flower?

■ Windowless rooms, non-legal basements, etc.

○ Plenty of outlets close by?

■ Best not to run extension cords if at all possible

■ Multiple circuits if needed?

Conclusion

That’s it! Really not much to it, just attention, care,

patience and persistence. (And good genetics, of

course)

It’s very easy to grow cannabis, but it takes practice

to grow good cannabis

You will likely definitely make mistakes but, this is

the best way to learn! Don’t be discouraged and ask

LOTS of questions. Most growers are more than

happy to talk about their experiences with this

amazing plant.

Thanks for listening! Variegated leaf

Acknowledgements

Everyone at Percysgrowroom.com for the help/knowledge/graphics/pics.

I’ve never met them personally, but I’ve learned more from Jorge Cervantes & Ed

Rosenthal through their books/videos/articles than anyone else.

Jackie Bantle at the U of S for her help with the mites and everything else.

The folks at Early’s Farm and Garden - always spend way too much time there.

Anyone else I’ve ever chatted/grown with on the forums or in person. Knowledge

is power, and should be available for anyone that wants it!

How to reach me

Twitter: TempleGrower (Chase__B) ← Two underscores

Percysgrowroom.com - @TempleGrower

Email: [email protected]

how to grow your own 4 plants · 2020-03-10 · grow in my homemade ‘super-soil’ - just add...

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