Frequently Asked Questions by Ed Rosenthal

I am looking for tips on how to grow my own. I don't know anything about it. What should I do?

M., Carteret, New Jersey BEFORE YOU PLAN a garden or buy any equipment you should read at least one book on growing marijuana. There are a number of good books out there by several authors. Although the techniques described in the books differ a bit, any of them will improve your suc¬cess rate. Rather than attempting to start a garden using trial and error techniques, which often results in buying expensive but unneces¬sary equipment followed by failure, use others' expertise to create a productive garden the first time. Information is the cheapest, most effective equip-ment you can buy. Think of it as software for your garden. Even with equipment worth thousands of dollars, the garden cannot be run well without knowledge of how to do it. In addition, there are lots of videos and video channels providing demonstrations of different growing techniques and methods. I recommend Marijuana Growers Handbook. It will help you grow a successful garden the first time.

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN GROWING KILLER WEED? WOULD IT BE SOIL, TEMPERATURE, NUTRIENTS, OR SOME-THING ELSE?

BUD LOVER, Internet THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR that affects the quality of the weed you are growing is the plant's genetics. No matter how well a plant is grown, it can only reach its genetic potential. The cheapest way to improve your garden is to find better varieties. Environmental conditions enhance the potential of your crop, or rather; they can hinder your plants from reaching their full potential if the plants' basic needs are not met. Light, water nutrients, CO2 and temperature are the limiting factors.

My plants/seedlings are stretching, what do I do?

[caption id="attachment_8839" align="alignnone" width="800"] Stretched seedlings[/caption] THE PLANTS ARE suffering from insufficient light. This is a common problem. The seedlings are stretching to the light to searching for a stronger light intensity. The solution is to provide them with brighter light.

How do you force flowering?

Marijuana is called a short day plant because it flowers in response to a long night (dark) cycle. The plant measures the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness each night using a hormone called phytochrome. During the day the presence of red light keeps phytochrome in its active form, which prevents flowering. In darkness phytochrome gradually reverts to its inactive form, allowing flowering. When the hormone builds to a critical level, which occurs when the dark period is long enough, the plant flower¬s. When the gardener creates this critical period of 12 hours uninterrupted darkness in each 24-hour cycle it is called "flower forcing." When the 12-on/off regimin is maintained the plant soon changes from vegetative growth to flowering. The first flowers appear 5-10 days after forcing.

What lights should I use?

[caption id="attachment_8841" align="alignnone" width="800"] LED Lights[/caption] Lamp technology is going through rapid change. For the past 30 years single ended high-pressure sodium lamps have been the lamps of choice. Now however, there are several new lamps that are available. Various experiments, as well as grower reports indicate that double-ended HPS lamps are more efficient, emitting more useable light than single ended. Both based on both light emission and growing tests results show yield increases of 20-30%. LED lights are now the most effective for indoor growing. The reason is that they produce narrow spectrums of light so just the spectrums used by plants can be produced, saving energy. At the same time the lights are dispersed more completely over the garden so there is a narrower range of hot and cold lighting spots and since the lights are placed close to the top of the canopy not much light escapes the garden. This can be a problem for HPS lamps in gardens with aisles or spaces between plants. Some new LED’s also produce light in a wider spectrum range, producing spectrums helpful to the plant that that are not emitted by other lamps.

Is it better/ easier to grow hydro or soil method?

[caption id="attachment_8842" align="alignnone" width="800"] Hydro method[/caption] Planting mixes are generally more forgiving of mess-ups such as over-fertilization and water pH out of range. If you do follow directions, are sensitive to the plants’ conditions and prefer a system that promotes fast growth, try hydro. The choice is yours. Do what feels comfortable for you. Growing plants should not cause you stress. There is no right or wrong way as long as the plants are healthy and thriving.

How can you tell that plants are ripe?

8>>>> Ripe cannabis plant. Photo by Good Dog by Greenthumb Seeds of Canada -- published in This Bud's For You by Ed Rosenthal PLANTS RANGE IN HOW long they take to ripen based on their variety and the conditions provided. Ripeness can be recognized when the ovaries recede and swell to bulging with THC. The white hairs called stigmas dry up and turn color, the trichomes caps, where the cannabinoids are made and stored fill with resin stretching the caps membrane taut. Then the clear resin begins to turn milky or amber. At the same time the odor intensity increases substantially. The plants are ripe. It’s time to harvest

Does CO2 work? How do you use it?

CO2 (CARBON DIOXIDE) Is an inert gas composed of carbon and oxygen. In a process called photo¬synthesis, plants use light energy to cleave water into its two component elements. Oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen gas is released into the atmosphere. The hydrogen combines with CO2, to produce sugar. Sugar is used by the plant to fuel metabolism, that is, the process of living. Any excess is combined with other elements as raw material for growth. Air contains about 400 parts per million (ppm) CO2. However, under the intense light found in grow rooms plants can use CO2 at a far faster rate, and grow much faster as a result when the air is enriched with it up to about 1,500 ppm. The growth rate climbs in a linear ratio to the presence of CO2. There are two ways of supplying CO2 to the garden; by using a generator that burns propane or natural gas, producing CO2 heat and water vapor or using a CO2 tank. Sensors that regulate CO2 ppm in the air control both.

The bottom leaves are yellowing, what do I do?

[caption id="attachment_8843" align="alignnone" width="800"] Ripe cannabis plant. Photo by Good Dog by Greenthumb Seeds of Canada - published i n This Bud's For You by Ed Rosenthal [/caption] Most likely the plants are suffering from nitrogen (N) deficiency. This is he most common deficiency encountered when growing marijuana. To build tissue, plants use N. When there is a deficiency, the plant moves the N from old growth to the new growth. The solution is to add a high N fertilizer. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are always listed in fertilizer packages in the same order, commonly known as the fertilizer's N-P-K. Yellowing fan leaves that occur at the end of flowering are not a problem that needs to be addressed. Their nitrogen is being used by the plant for ripening the buds.

How can I minimize the telltale smell of my garden?

There are several ways to remove odor in the garden. The easiest is to use a carbon filter. You can place it in the garden to clean the air circulating in the space. Negative ion generators and ozone generators precipitate odor molecules, leaving the air smelling fresh. However they also neutralize odors in the plants so they should not be used in the grow room, but in adjacent rooms or in the exhaust system to clean exiting air.

How can I control powdery mildew?

Powdery mildew is endemic in marijuana gardens. It looks like finely powdered sugar on the leaves. As a preventative, herbal fungicidal sprays and biological fungicides prevent the mold from germinating and attacking plant tissue. Although it is not pathogenic buds infected with it are not considered useable. Most methods used to concentrate cannabis do not eliminate it. Here are several controls for it on plants that are already infected: • Make a spray of 10% milk and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The recipe: Add 3 ounces milk and 1-teaspoon baking soda to a quart of water. Shake and spray. • Make an herbal spray by soaking 1-tablespoon oregano and 1 tablespoon ground cloves to an ounce of alcohol. Let soak for a few hours. Add water to make a quart. And add a pinch of dry lecithin powder or a drop of detergent. Stir or shake. Let soak a few hours more. Strain and spray. • Use an herbal fungicide. • Use a biological fungicide such as Serenade®, which uses s. subtilis, a bacteria that feeds on fungus, as its active ingredient. One problem with using it is that it increases the bacterial count, making it unacceptable at some dispensaries, although their ingestion is not harmful.