Case Study Toni

As a medical patient, Toni has a passion for cannabis cultivation. He is constantly experimenting with new products, collecting information and fine tuning his gardens. This case study follows one of his gardens and interjects a few examples from past gardens too.

As a medical patient, Toni has a passion for cannabis cultivation. He is constantly experimenting with new products, collecting information and fine tuning his gardens. This case study follows one of his gardens and interjects a few examples from past gardens too.

Toni is also an expert photographer. When it came time to write up the research from my garden visits and interviews with Toni, it was difficult to pare down the information. We have only six pages for Toni´s Case Study. His fotos are outstanding and there is too much detailed information about his gardens. Please see Toni´s forum, “Cultivando Medicina,” at www.marijuanagrowing.com for complete details on many more of his gardens including experiments and comparisons. The Spanish language forum is easily translated to English and other languages with the translator available on the site. His photos are incredible!

Toni is a stickler for cleanliness and order in the garden. Cleanliness, disease and pest prevention are on the top of his list. Weekly during vegetative growth he takes steps to prevent fungus insects, mites and their eggs.

Cleanliness + Organization = Success!

Seeds and Seedlings

Toni avoids growing auto-flowering feminized plants. He finds they require too much light (20 hours daily) and electricity for the amount of production rendered. But increasing the hours of light increases harvest weight up to 30%.

Vegetative Growth

Toni applies the following fungicides in rotation weekly, Tetraconazole, Penconazole and Myclobutanil. He uses a hand-held UVC lamp (Clean Light Hobby Unit from Hortitec) to kill fungus, insects, mites and their eggs. He also uses a sulfur vaporizer;

HPS and LED Light

Light Schedule per Day

A combination of LEDs and HP sodium light illuminates this garden. Plants need less light during vegetative growth. Toni uses 400 watts for the first 33-40 days growth. At flowering the ballast is set to full power and the HPS emits the maximum amount of light.

The LEDs are of different colors and emit the perfect spectrum for medical cannabis growth. They are placed around the HPS lamp to augment spectrum. The entire canopy of plants grows evenly because it receives the same amount of the proper spectrum of light.

As a general rule HIDs are kept at 14 inches (35 cm) from the canopy of the garden to provide maximum intensity and even coverage. LEDs are kept about 6 inches (15 cm) above the tops of plants. But if the temperature climbs beyond 75ºF (24ºC) at the tip of buds, he raises the light so plants do not get too hot.

LEDs must run at the correct temperature to operate properly. Beyond the narrow operating temperature band of maximum efficiency LED light output falls drastically and spectrums become unstable.

Toni uses only high quality Cree or Osram LEDs. He cites the notable difference in manufacturing process that makes these LEDs brighter and last longer. LED technology is changing rapidly. Please check Toni´s forum to learn up-to-date information lighting in his garden.

Electronic ballasts allow Toni to increase light output when necessary. During vegetative growth plants need lower light levels. During vegetative growth light output is cut to 400 watts to save electricity without affecting growth rate.