Marijuana Grower's Handbook - Page 2

Whether they cultivate cannabis indoors, outdoors or in greenhouses, many growers like to apply various training or pruning techniques in order to maximise the yield of their plants and thus obtain the most abundant harvest possible. These types of techniques can be of high impact and cause stress, such as pruning (where some part of the plant is cut, no matter how small) or low stress, with less negative impact. A perfect example of the latter would be Low-Stress Training, where the branches of the plant are tied so that it grows with a structure determined by the grower, but where there is no pruning or cutting of the plant, it is simply guided in its structural development.

Today we are going to discuss a high-stress technique - because it involves pruning - although as you will see it differs slightly from the classic apical pruning or topping, as it is usually called. What we're talking about is the FIM pruning technique, with which we will achieve even greater development of new buds and lateral branches than that achieved with the tried and tested technique of apical pruning. Let's see what this it's all about!

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As with many other plants, vegetables, and vegetables, cannabis homegrowing is undoubtedly one of the most satisfying activities for any consumer of this plant, because apart from the advantage of being able to decide what to grow, how, and when, you always have the satisfaction of having taken care of your plant in order to get a product of the best possible quality. And it is that, as they say, there is no better cannabis than the one you grow yourself!

However, there are many reasons why we may not be able to give our plants all the attention we would like during the months that the crop will last; work, vacations, family...or perhaps, simply and simply, we are somewhat lazy and prefer a type of cultivation that does not require too much work on our part. Well, today we are going to give you a series of tips and tricks that you can follow to make cannabis cultivation take as little time as possible, and without subtracting an iota of quality. Go for it!

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When talking about whiteflies, many people might think of some kind of common fly, but in reality these are not flies at all. Rather, they belong to a group of insects called Homoptera, which includes such well-known species as cicadas, aphids and mealybugs. Whiteflies belong to the family of Aleyrodidae, which includes more than 1,500 species of whiteflies.

These flying insects look like tiny white moths that are about 1-2 mm long in females (males are smaller), with three pairs of legs and two to four wings, depending on the species. The body is covered with a thin layer of waxy secretions, in the form of a mealy-looking powder produced by ventral glands. The most common in marijuana is Trialeurodes vaporariorum, whose body is slightly yellowish and has four wings, in the resting state are parallel to the body.

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Two of the most widely used terms in the cannabis world are Indica and Sativa, almost unavoidable when talking about the plant. But, as cannabis takes on a more legitimate form around the world, experts have begun to question the validity of these words. Are they still relevant or, on the contrary, have they become completely outdated?

We've all heard how Indica plants are compact in structure and have broad leaves, and that Sativa varieties are taller with narrow leaves; Or that Indicas will relax you while Sativas will give you energy. This is nothing more than an urban legend as the exact opposite may be true. And in general, it is an overly simplistic classification for a plant that has been evolving alongside humanity for at least 12,000 years. So it's important that we fully understand how exactly to define it.

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You may have heard about the elite clones or selected clones. Perhaps because you are lucky enough to grow one, or because they are plants that are known for their particular characteristics that have "made them famous" among the cannabis community. Certainly, as any grower knows, when cultivating cannabis seeds (in fact any plant) we are sometimes lucky enough to come across a plant that stands out from the rest, usually in terms of
production or flavour and aroma quality. If the plant is preserved, we can certainly be looking at a future elite clone!

We present here some of the elite clones used by our breeding team to develop some of our varieties. Several of the parents used in Philosopher Seeds are selections from our own or from collaborating growers in our environment. In other occasions, elite clones are used, plants well-known for their particular characteristics, mostly of high quality, which have already earned their place in the ever-changing cannabis world.

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As described in our previous article on soil microorganisms, a complex symbiosis is established in the soil between the plant roots and a series of microorganisms and other animals, forming the so-called soil food chain. This microbial life enhances and accelerates many processes involved in plant development, such as the nutrients absorption or root development. The advantages of using beneficial bacteria and fungi also represent an excellent preventive defence against various pathogens, such as other fungi such as botrytis or pythium.

We would like to explore in depth the exciting micro world that lies beneath our plants substrate, observing on the one hand the main beneficial fungi we can find favouring our plants and on the other hand the different ways of stimulating and promoting these fungi's presence and reproduction in the growing medium.

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Of all the pleasant experiences to savour when growing our own cannabis, undoubtedly one of the most special and highly anticipated is the moment we finally take the scissors and cut the plant at harvest time. In many cases this emotion is followed by a great relief, brought on by the tranquility of removing plants, especially outdoor grown plants, which may have been exposed to certain prying eyes.

Situations such as this one, as well as others such as, for example, the grower’s sheer impatience to finish the crop, can lead to bringing forward the harvest and cutting the plants too early, before they reach their optimum maturity. Rushing these things is never a good idea, as haste clouds our judgement and can force mistakes, so the decision about whether to harvest or not will require close observation and patience.

The most common harvesting mistakes are usually to do with to the maturity of the plant, although there are other, less serious errors that can prove decisive to the quality of the harvest, alongside following the proper drying and curing process to ensure a top quality cannabis crop.

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Guerrilla growing cannabis

Guerrilla growing cannabis is a fairly common practice among those growers who don’t have any place of their own to cultivate, whether it’s an indoor grow, an outdoor garden or a balcony. In short, the idea is to find a suitable site in a nearby forest or scrubland where you’ll be able to safely grow a few plants and remain undetected. This can end up being a real challenge, given the numerous potential dangers we can face: Forestry patrols, hunters, hikers, wild mushroom collectors… they could all accidentally stumble upon your plants, something every grower wants to avoid at all costs.

In this article we’re going to explain everything you’ll need to consider when looking for the best spot to grow cannabis, as well as the best way to prepare the site so your plants are as well camouflaged as possible and can offer their maximum potential. We’ll also recommend the most suitable cannabis varieties and teach you a few tips and tricks to help you get the best out of your guerrilla grow, because, as every outdoor grower knows, the head stash supply for the whole year can depend on just one harvest, so there’s no room for errors!

With this in mind, security, discretion, weather conditions and genetics are just some of the aspects that we’ll be dealing with so that you can harvest the very best buds from your guerrilla grow... as if you cared for the plants in your own garden!

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The first time you venture into the world of cannabis cultivation at home, it’s perfectly normal to be overwhelmed with doubts and questions, making you feel like it’s all too much!

You will, of course, have made sure to read all the information you can get from the Internet blogs, forums, books and magazines, and your grower friends (if you know any) will have filled your head with loads of tips, tricks and secret, infallible techniques (so they say, anyway!) that we must follow to the letter if we want an abundant and high quality cannabis harvest.

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Principle characteristics of Automatic plants

Autoflowering or Automatic cannabis seeds are characterised by being varieties that flower all by themselves, or in other words, they are not photo-dependent, unlike photo-sensitive feminised cannabis seeds they do not depend on the cycle of light and darkness to trigger bloom.

Once the seed germinates, it goes through its vegetative growth period of about 15-21 days, after which in then begins flowering, regardless of the hours of light it receives.

This is the feature that makes autos so popular with many growers, as they can deliver a harvest just 60-80 days after germination, much faster than any traditional genetics.

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When we cultivate cannabis outdoors or indoors, it is always exciting, especially if it’s our first time, as it opens us up to a new world of opportunities in which anything is possible, and in which the growers wishes, doubts and dedication are combined.

The usual way is to start reading, immersing oneself in reference books to make sure everything, or at least the basic notions, are clear before getting down to work. What can leave us, either with a strong sense of being overwhelmed, or with full understanding of the "Kung Fu of cannabis cultivation."

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Of all the procedures we should follow when growing cannabis, none are as simple or as important as flushing the roots at the end of flowering. This simple operation, basically consisting of flooding the substrate with water, can make the difference between obtaining good or bad results from our cannabis harvest: if we haven’t washed the plants correctly they will contain residues of nutrients which will negatively affect the flavour of the smoke.

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Why grow cannabis as a monoculture?

Even if we only have a little outdoor space for cultivation it can seem a bit absurd to only grow a single product. In cannabis cultivation, for various reasons, growers usually opt for monoculture, turning their back on the wealth of advantages brought by integrating cannabis within a polyculture of vegetables, aromatic plants and flowers.

Cannabis plants are perfectly adapted to horticultural gardens, whether urban or rural. Sharing the cultivation space with other vegetables has great benefits which can be used by cannabis plants in different ways.

Aside from the obvious benefit of harvesting a variety of products, polyculture cultivation has a range of direct benefits to the cannabis grown in it, positively influencing aspects as important as the control of pests and diseases, fertilisation, yield, and the final quality of the harvest.

Towards the end of winter or in early spring is the best time to plan our next outdoor cannabis grow, to allow enough time to calmly prepare the ideal plan to suit our possibilities.

Studying the cultivation space fully, together with the assessment of the means we have at our disposal and the dedication and effort that we can provide, will mean we are much more likely to  optimise resources like the time and money that we will invest over the entire process of the culture.

The previous planning work will also help us to anticipate specific situations or needs of the crop that will occur during its development - irrigation, fertilisation, pruning, pest management, harvesting, etc.

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Healthy soil, productive soil

A healthy crop soil is a productive soil. The health of the growing medium can be measured by the diversity of organisms and microorganisms that inhabit it. These microscopic soil inhabitants, mainly fungi and bacteria, establish a whole series of relationships with the plant that are essential to the proper development of a cannabis crop.

In all substrates these beneficial microorganisms must be maintained and promoted. This is essential to achieve a balanced growing medium, as this equilibrium will give us the optimal conditions for the development of plants. All these soil microbes live in a symbiotic relationship with the plants to make up the so-called soil food web.

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What is a pure or landrace cannabis variety?

Landrace or pure strains are those cannabis varieties that are native to a specific area and have been adapted generation after generation to the conditions of that area and remained isolated from other varieties, keeping their genotype unaltered.

Cannabis is an ancient plant - probably originating from the Himalayas - that has been cultivated by humans for millennia, either for its recreational virtues, for its well-known and documented medicinal properties or for the multitude of industrial uses (including food) that he has. Over the centuries, it has been adapting to cultivation according to latitude and to different climates across the world, especially in the intertropical zone and in many of the temperate parts of the globe.

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