"For thousands of years Cannabis Sativa has been a part of civilization. The hemp was used for clothing the seeds for food and flowers for medicine...
Marijuana was freely used, medicinally and ritually until that right was taken away from us by globalized western pressure in the last century. Since the Reagan era just say no! the DEA and other drug agencies have spent much time in other countries and have been quite successful, stopping the growing and importation of thousands of kilos of marijuana to the US and Canada causing domestic prices to skyrocket.
Since then thousands of brave and dedicated growers have
looked to their backyards, basements and closets
to escape the perils of the black market: contaminated herbs, getting
ripped off or being picked up by cops."
In the summer Marijuana will grow almost anywhere as long as it gets adequate sunlight and water. Technology has made it possible to plug in a tropical environment with HPS (high pressure sodium) lights and inventions such as the Phototron (uses fluorescence).
With as little as a 4 sq. foot area it is possible to harvest 4-6 crops per year indoors!
GERMINATING SEEDS
The best way to germinate seeds is to soak them in distilled
water overnight. Then place them directly in your soil medium or rockwool
cubes. Many suggest to place them in between paper towels until they sprout
but I do not recommend this for beginners.
Once you have obtained seeds suitable for your growing
arrangements soak in distilled water overnight and place directly in your
moist soil medium pointed side facing up to germinate, keep moist
place
1/4 inch in your moist soil medium. Start seeds in 24 hour light. Do
not expose seeds or roots to direct light! Place a plastic tent over
germinating seeds to keep humidity above 80% (only for germination).
Growing indoors you will need lights, if a good supply of natural light is not available from a sun room or large window you will need artificial light preferably at least one 400 watt Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium bulb and ballast, try to get a set that is ready to plug in and be sure you know your electrical requirements, or have an electrician friend set up the wiring for you.
GROWING CYCLE
Let the plants grow under 24 hours
light for three weeks then change the light cycle to 12 hours for the remainder
of the flowering period, which should be no longer than 11 weeks for indoor
strains. Do not interrupt the dark period!
as this will delay and confuse the flowering process. Even a Small amount
of light will revert flowering plants back to vegetative and bye bye buds!
MALES and SEEDS
After a few weeks of flowering you will begin to spot males take them out! they will ruin your garden because the produces most of it's resin and buds when they are not seeded! Males show first and generally grow taller and sparse while females are opposite getting bushier at the top. Males have hanging pods while females have white pistils. Males can be quite potent just before they release pollen! Even when the females are not close to peak potency. The males can supply you with some temporary bud until the females are ready!
Hermaphrodites are plants with both sexes on the same plant! These can cause problems for growers who wish to have a seedless crop. Sometimes these are caused by seed producers who wish to have all female seeds. They accomplish this by using chemicals to induce a male flower on a female plant! Then they allow the plant to pollinate itself! This results in 100% female seeds. This is unnatural and I do not recommend it! It results in the offspring having a tendency to produce the occasional male flowers on female plants, ruining sensemilla (seedless) crops! I recommend traditional breeding techniques which involve 100% male and 100% female plants.
If you want to produce seeds for future growing simply keep one of the best males alive far away from the females and gather pollen on a small brush. Turn off the fan and brush a few superior female branches gently. Spray with a fine mist of water. In a week to ten days the pollinated pistils will produce seeds.
PLANTING TIME
Outdoor growers in warmer climates should place ganja babies outside around the Third week of June. Germinate indoors for at least 10 days or protect well if starting seeds directly outdoors. In colder climates start seeds indoors the first week of June under 24 hours light. On June 21, the longest day of the year place seeds outside and as the days get shorter the plant will grow compact buds and have plenty of time to mature before the fall.
HARVESTING
time is very important because timing and the way the bud is cured and handled has a significant effect on the final product. When the plants growth slows to a halt and about 3/4 of the white pistils turn brown it is time to harvest. Resin should be visible as thousands of crystalline looking glands along the flowers and small leaves begin to swell.
The type of high can vary depending upon the time plants
are harvested. If they are harvested a little earlier the effect will be
more light (not weak) and cerebral, mentally and physically energizing.
If plants are allowed to overripe they will be practically oozing resin
and be heavier and the effect will tend more towards a heavy hitting (stoned)
high leaving you burnt.
To each his own.
MAKING CLONES FROM CUTTINGS
Starting seeds from cuttings
is the first step in preserving a particular strain you have grown.
Cuttings are easy
to work with and will all be identical clones of the mother plant. This
makes it easy to have a garden of uniform female plants and avoids
(male and female flowers on the same plant) seeding your garden.
The other main advantage to using cuttings is that the
age of the cuttings is the same as the mother.
Since you are using plant material that is several months
old, the clones will develop faster and flower almost instantly when night
cycle is introduced. They will also be more potent than plants started
from seeds which are forced to flower indoors after only 3-4 weeks old!
Start from seeds and select your best plants at harvest. Select for potency, fast maturing, and yield. Don't pull from the roots but leave the bottom 3-4 branches and a few flowers. Revert plants to 24 hours light and a vegetative growing formula. After a few weeks there will be several fast growing shoots that are perfect for taking cuttings.
The best shoots for taking cuttings are the side shoots on the lower part of the plant. These will grow roots faster than older parts of the plant.
First prepare your space for the cuttings, have a humidity
tent and prepared rockwool cubes, or for newbies peat pots work great.
Take a sharp clean razor and make a clean cut in-between
the nodes, your cuttings can be 3 inches to 6 inches.
Immediately place in distilled water to avoid a air bubble
forming in the tiny hole in the center of the stem.
If this hole is blocked the cutting will die in 24 hours.
Remove the larger fan leaves and only leave a few at the end of the cutting,
the cutting must concentrate on root growth and too many leaves will result
in a lower survival rate.
Soak your peat pots (or rockwool cubes), then dip the
cutting in a rooting glue for 10-20 seconds.
You can obtain a rooting glue from your local nursery,
liquid hormones work best.
Place the cuttings in the holes in your rockwool cubes
or peat pots. Water with a mild solution of the vitamin B1 solution (superthrive).
This helps root development but is not necessary.
Place the humidity tent over the cuttings but put a few
holes so the cuttings can breath and place under 24 hour fluorescent lighting.
If using a halide or sunlight place in a shaded region, this will prevent
shock and increase the survival rate.
The first week is critical, keep temperature at 25*C humidity
around 80% and remove any leaves that rot. The plants should not be overly
wilted but for the first week this is normal.
Feed a very dilute solution of fertilizer, increasing
as roots grow and show through the medium.
After 3-4 weeks your clones are rooted and you may transplant and flower as required.
