tagged w/ Marijuana Growers
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Want to know how to get larger yields and bigger buds with only the cost of some string and some of your time? Would you like to fill the same amount of stash jars using less plants and taking less clones? Of course you do - so let's explore the science of plant canopy management.
It is amazing what can be accomplished using plant bondage (or LST - Low Stress Training) and canopy management. These can be very useful in medical gardens where the number of plants is limited, but everyone can benefit using this technique by achieving larger yields per plant. I get amazing results with much larger plants using simple topping and spreading the plant open and using string or floral wire to tie her down. This method can help in many areas.
First we want to top our plants very early and close to the soil so they have multiple heads and they're left in the vegetative phase for long enough to form a large bush with a height of about 24-36”. Once the plants leave the vegetive area and enter the flowering room, tie them down so that their overall height is much shorter and the plants are wider. This allows your lights to be a bit lower - maximizing lumen efficiency. With taller grows, sometimes the lights can be so high that the overall lumens reaching the shorter plants have diminished so much that those plants end up with poor yields. This method also allows you to fill a rather large area with far less plants and it requires fewer plants to be cloned.
The second thing this training of the plant allows is more light to the second level buds - or lower shelf, as I like to call it. Before we employed this method our tops were huge but the lowers were airy and mainly fluff. This trick assures large buds even at the lower levels.
Last and most importantly, it increases yields per plant. Many state medical programs have strict plant limits, so yield can be extremely important. With larger-topped plants tied up to maximize yields and manage the canopy height we get a good four ounces per plant minimum, and on some strains we get 5 and 6 ounces per plant. That’s enough to last and make enough cookies for our patients and other friends who have cards.
My setup: I run two grow rooms - one for the vegetative phase (Metal Halide) and one for the budding phase (High Pressure Sodium). I grow the plants in my own mix of concentrated super soil containing worm castings, bat guano, bone meal, Epsom salts, lime, and other organic ingredients including endo/ecto mycorrihizae, which I find extremely beneficial to young plants. I start rooted seedlings and rooted clones in straight high-quality potting soil so the super soil concentrate doesn’t burn the fragile babies. The clones are started into rapid rooters and then they are transplanted into 1-gallon pots, and when they're firmly established I top the meristem (Main Stem) nice and low so the plant develops a nice short bush-shape with 3 to 4 growing heads. As long as I leave two sets of fan leaves, the plant always recovers well and gets a great start.
Seedlings are a bit different, and you must allow the seedling to develop and have at least 4-5 internodes before topping. If you top a seedling too early the shock will slow the plant down, wasting a tremendous amount of time. Clones and seedlings grow under a 18/6 light cycle until I can see roots in the lower drain holes. They then get transplanted again into large 7-gallon lowboy pots, using my super soil in bottom 2/3 of pot and straight premium potting soil in the top 1/3 and placed back in 18/6 under the same 1000-watt MH. Once the plants have been in veg for almost 60 days, almost everything is finishing up in the bud room and harvest time is approaching. After everything is trimmed-up and the old pots moved out and the soil recycled, it’s time to clean everything well, washing the floor and tarps with bleach and making sure everything is mold-free. Clean off the glass in the vented hoods with glass cleaner. A clean room is the sign of a good grower! The plants are now placed in main bud room that measures 10x5 with 2 1000-watt HPS Hortilux bulbs.
Then we clean up our plants, removing any smaller shoots that are still shaded. This way, the energy that would have gone to produce fluff and added time to trimming can instead go to the upper buds that are actually in the light. This also allows more air to circulate under the canopy so that O2 doesn’t stratify. This in itself will increase the yields and make your trimming a bit easier. I'm not sure everyone will understand this analogy but the plant looking up should kinda look like broccoli, with everything up top.
Tie your mother down!
Using a small drill, I make 4 holes directly beside each main branch. I use floral wire and secure the branch about halfway up and then gently pull that branch down - opening and exposing the center of the plant to allow more light to penetrate the canopy. As discussed, this also makes the plant shorter and can allow more veg time and a larger base stem - all things that can increase your yields. Don’t be so quick to bud your plants as a few extra days can make a huge difference in how long your medicine holds out. 'Super cropping' is the next technique I want to cover here. In layman's terms super cropping is bending or pinching the stem to cause slight damage. The plant repairs this damage, making a stronger stem that creates much larger buds. Some people completely break their stems and then repair them using bandages or splits - we don’t need no stinking bandages! Try treating a room of plants and not a garden and get in touch with each strain or hybrid you grow to determine how much it will stretch and whether it does best topped or (like a rare few) better untopped.
Try some of these techniques on your plants and you will be amazed at the outcome.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/tie-herWant to know how to get larger yields and bigger buds with only the cost of some... more
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not just for some, but for everyone of us !
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Since 2007, Oaksterdam University has been teaching marijuana law and cultivation. The school trains people to operate within the industry in a safe and responsible manner.
On the forefront of a new industry, students are trained to work in a dispensary, start their own business or work at changing the laws for marijuanaSince 2007, Oaksterdam University has been teaching marijuana law and cultivation. The... more
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CANNABIS CULTURE - Master grower Subcool on trichome production, THC levels, and the best time to harvest your blossoming buds.
So you have worked hard for 8 weeks! You have invested money into equipment and possibly genetics; you have invested time and dedication to get to this point. How can you tell when it’s time to harvest your gooey girls? Well 'fire one up' and let’s take a look at the best way to be sure you’re harvesting at peak potency. This article will help you understand what happens in the final weeks, so you can harvest for the specific type of high you prefer.
The harvest window is one aspect of the craft which, unfortunately, gets overlooked. As well, many growers simply don’t have the patience to wait-out the last few days to insure max THC content.
Some strains are better harvested before their peak THC production and some are better harvested after their peak THC production.
Robert Clark wrote about trichomes and what they tell us in his book “Marijuana Botany”;
“The elevated resin heads appear clear, since fresh resin is still being secreted, often being produced in the cellular head of the trichome. At this time THC acid production is at a peak and CBD acid levels remain stable as the molecules are rapidly converted to THC acids, THC acid synthesis has not been active long enough for a high level of CBN acid to build up from the degradation of THC acid by light and heat. Terpene production is also nearing a peak and the floral clusters are beautifully aromatic. Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce marijuana with a clear, cerebral, psychoactive effect It is believed that, in peak floral clusters, the low levels of CBD and CBN allow the high level of THC to act without their sedative effects.”
What the hell does this mean?
When growing Indica hybrids, unless you want to end up on the couch, it’s best to harvest when the trichome heads are fully formed but before they start to cloud over and turn amber. This could take as little as five days or as long as two weeks, depending on the maturation time of the specific strain. If you allow an Indica to go too long, you can dramatically affect the taste and high. Fortunately, going too long is not a real problem for most people.
I like to study close-up photos taken with a high resolution digital camera; however an inexpensive hand-held microscope works wonders. It almost looks like you are in an alien world when looking at resonated buds using fifty-times-power.
With the Sativa-dominant hybrids, you want to make sure that all the trichome heads are fully formed and also about thirty percent amber. Letting a plant mature beyond this point will risk flavor and the finished smoke may be harsh with very little "high". There are exceptions; Haze has three different harvest windows, all being very late into flower. It is every grower’s job to learn what he or his patients prefer in the terms of "high".
This article will not address yields: if you are at the third stage of floral maturity with fully-formed trichomes, we can assume most strains have packed on all their final weight.
Use the guidelines spelled out below to help gauge the best harvest window for your plants based on the trichomes.
1. Fully-formed but still clear will provide a cleaner 'up' high with less sedative effect; this is the best window for heavy Indicas.
2. Fully-formed and turning slightly cloudy or milky; this is probably the best time to pick most hybrids available today.
3. Fully formed completely cloudy or milky with at least 30% of the heads turning amber; this is usually best window for the late maturing Sativa’s such as Haze. This is also a good window when using the plant primarily for Hash production.
Take for instance the Jacks Cleaner, harvested at 56 days; all trichomes are still visibly clear with very few turning cloudy. At this point it has a very 'up' high and CONTINUED>>>CANNABIS CULTURE - Master grower Subcool on trichome production, THC levels, and the... more
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Limited legalization of marijuana has put more of a hurt on Mexican drug gangs than all the law enforcement expenditure on arrests and interdiction.Limited legalization of marijuana has put more of a hurt on Mexican drug gangs than... more
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juicie
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1 month ago
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As the Senior Editor of High Times Magazine, David Bienenstock has traveled the world writing about marijuana. He has interviewed everyone from growers to dealers to prisoners to politicians, which means he knows just about everything there is to know about pot.
Check out www.revelinnewyork.com for more videos and for David's personalized city and culture guide to New York.As the Senior Editor of High Times Magazine, David Bienenstock has traveled the world... more
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Jeanne Merserve from CNN takes a look at the only legal marijuana grow house in the U.S.
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Find a job working in a medical marijuana dispensary. If that's the craziest thing you heard? Economy is dead and people don't have jobs, medical marijuana dispensaries are filling that void.Find a job working in a medical marijuana dispensary. If that's the craziest thing... more
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boykit
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6 months ago
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I know the cops must be mad. Cannabis Career Institute will hold classes in Fresno - that can't be good for the biggest mafia in Fresno. But, whether the cops like it or not, people will learn how to safely own a medical marijuana business.I know the cops must be mad. Cannabis Career Institute will hold classes in Fresno -... more
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boykit
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6 months ago
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medical Ohio -- Results from the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research show that a strong majority of Ohioans polled support prescribing medical marijuana.
The figures, published May 8 from the Ohio Poll, reported, “73 percent of Ohioans say they favor (either ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’) allowing Ohio doctors to prescribe medical marijuana.”
The poll was conducted from April 16 to April 27, using a random sample of 818 Ohio adults via telephone.
The demographic reported to be most in favor of prescription marijuana were respondents between the ages of 18 and 29.
Additionally, the poll found that 37 percent of Ohioans favor legalizing all marijuana use,...read the full story, here: http://socialtalent.ning.com/profiles/blogs/ohioans-support-medicalmedical Ohio -- Results from the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy... more
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boykit
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6 months ago
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The Obama administration's new drug czar says he wants to banish the idea that the U.S. is fighting "a war on drugs," a move that would underscore a shift favoring treatment over incarceration in trying to reduce illicit drug use.
In his first interview since being confirmed to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske said Wednesday the bellicose analogy was a barrier to dealing with the nation's drug issues.The Obama administration's new drug czar says he wants to banish the idea that the... more
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boykit
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7 months ago
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Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua said he’d be willing to participate in discussions about legalization. But he questioned whether now is the time.
“I don’t think on an important topic like this it can be done when we’re facing a deficit at our doorsteps,” he said. “At this point it serves as a needless distraction to Sacramento.”
Education officials said legalization would do more harm than good.Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua said he’d be willing to... more
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boykit
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7 months ago
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-- Marijuana should never have been made illegal in the first place.
Ask why it was made illegal - by many state governments and eventually the federal government during the first four decades of the past century - and the answer cannot be found in expert medical testimony or any objective assessment of the costs and benefits of prohibiting marijuana.-- Marijuana should never have been made illegal in the first place.
Ask why it was... more
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boykit
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7 months ago
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Oceanside is considering a dispensary moratorium. What's interesting about this is
that Oceanside is in San Diego County, where the DA has been enforcing a county-wide
ban on dispensaries. Is Oceasnside worried that the DA's resistance is weakening?
http://cannabiscareerinstitute.com NEWSOceanside is considering a dispensary moratorium. What's interesting about this is... more
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boykit
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7 months ago
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Woodward Avenue has been a magnet for car enthusiasts and shoppers for decades, but the boulevard soon may earn a new reputation as Michigan's first pot zone.
Royal Oak's leaders are contemplating a zoning ordinance that would require medical marijuana growers to set up shop in the city's general business district, which encompasses the retail and commercial business strip along the byway.
The proposal, to be discussed Tuesday by the city's Plan Commission, targets growers who are state registered caregivers of medical marijuana patients. It would not apply to qualified patients who are physician-certified to grow the drug.
City planner Doug Hedges said leaders had concerns about illegal activity sprouting up at private residences where marijuana was being grown.
"The act does allow a caregiver to be compensated for services so they are a potential commercial activity," Hedges said. "We thought it best to treat them as a business. We don't allow home occupations in Royal Oak where a customer visits a home."
The Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposal and make a recommendation to the City Commission.
State law allows caregivers to grow marijuana for up to five registered patients, which means caregivers may legally possess 2.5 grams and 12 plants per patient for a total of 12.5 ounces and 60 plants.Woodward Avenue has been a magnet for car enthusiasts and shoppers for decades, but... more
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boykit
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7 months ago
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Does anyone have the balls to start up a cannabis dispensary business?
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boykit
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7 months ago
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There's a push by students at Florida State University to legalize marijuana.
Students are gathering petitions for a constitutional amendment. They'll need almost 700,000 to get it on the ballot next year.
Kim Russell is one of the organizers and says it could help her father with Parkinson's disease avoid surgery.
"It's a pain reducer. It's a neuro-protector, meaning it protects the brain. It has anti-oxidant properties. There's many medicinal purposes for it".There's a push by students at Florida State University to legalize marijuana.... more
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Can we start selling medical cannabis, legally? Yes we can.
Start by learning all the laws and how to open a medical marijuana business.
http://sites.google.com/site/420college/HomeCan we start selling medical cannabis, legally? Yes we can.
Start by learning all... more
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boykit
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8 months ago
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How many people will be scared to open a LEGAL medical marijuana business? In California there are over 600 legal medical marijuana dispensaries, so why aren't more people cashing in on this opportunity.
http://sites.google.com/site/420college/HomeHow many people will be scared to open a LEGAL medical marijuana business? In... more
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boykit
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8 months ago
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LOKAL 420 Founder Unkle Mike explains why he is going to prison for 3 years.
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