by
George
Mayfield
A Straightforward
guide to growing Sensimilla
Contents
Preface
Chapter1
Section
1 What is this marijuana
Section
2Security
Section
3 Outdoors or Indoors
Chapter
2
Section
1Electric Gardens
Section
2The Spectrum
Section
3Photoperiod
Section
4Lights (Fluorescent and high power)
Chapter
3
Section
1The set up
Section
2The soil
Section
3Water
Section
4Nutrients
Section
5Ventilation
Section
6What size garden (running costs)
Chapter
4
Section
1Seeds (selection)
Section
2Sexing the plants
Section
3Germination
Section
4A basic growing study (feeds)
Chapter
5
Section
1Preparing the growing chambers (construction)
Section
2The method of growing
Section
3Cuttings and “Mothers”
Section
4Flowering
Chapter
6
Section
1Drying
Section
2The things to know generally; insects,
plant diseases, hermaphrodites, THC, plant training, pruning, alternatives.
Last
words
Preface
So
many books have been written about marijuana cultivation. Most of them
are very informative, and at the end of the day they provide a very detailed
way of growing.
Most
books though, although they are good, miss the point. The majority of people
who attempt to grow end up with a miserable crop at best and at worst,
a sad window sill “garden”.
Most
first time growers end up with large shade leaves, a few shoots and a headache
from smoking badly grown weed.
Unless
you are a “green fingered” type of person, most other books assume you
are already some kind of gardening expert. Most people want to know how
to grow successfully straight away, without all the hassle of trying to
understand complicated growing data.
Sensimilla
Just
the mention of the word conjures up in the mind a vision of something really
special. In fact Sensi isn’t anything special to grow, just much better
to smoke.
Most
closet growers have their own method of cultivation. This book will show
the reader how, if it were legal, to grow first class Sensimilla, every
time, Guaranteed.
Once
the grower has seen their first attempt looking like a proper garden, smelling
right, and “heads” from courgette to cucumber size, glistening with resin,
they will know they have got it right.
The
books prime function is to show the reader how it is GUARANTEED
to produce a perfect Sensi garden every 8 WEEKS.
The
boo is laid out in very easy to understand sections. Drawings have been
added where needed, to show you what I mean.
It’s
not complicated, it’s not hard, it’s just a matter of reading this book
and understanding the very simple basics of growing Marijuana.
After
that, the outcome is guaranteed. Ripe pure Sensi every time, full power,
smooth to the throat, what else could a grower want?
At
present, the laws of this country prohibit the growing and smoking of Marijuana,
and it’s a shame the reader cannot actually, put into practice the knowledge
they gain from this book, but it’s nice to know that if it were legal,
the reader would be able to raise a beautiful sensi garden every time,
every 8 weeks guaranteed.
Chapter
1
SECTION 1:
WHAT IS THIS MARIJUANA
Marijuana
is a weed. A fast growing very hardy plant that can withstand human, animal
and bad weather abuse.
It
will grow in virtually any climate and most soils, and has a good resistance
to most insects. Lack of water, freezing weather, doesn’t make any difference
to the marijuana’s inner strength to carry on.
It’s
a winner, it has been around for thousands of years. Marijuana is an annual
plant. This means that it has to do its “Business” in one season. Once
the season is over and the seeds have been cast they die.
The
next year’s cycle relies on Mother Nature. The warming of the soil, a drop
of rain, and that’s it, they’re off again.
If
this happens naturally outside without any human help, then how can there
be any problems inside? You will be eliminating all the natural ‘agro’
the plant gets outside by growing in a perfect environment.
The
life cycle of a Marijuana plant is the same as any other plant. Firstly
the seedling stage, the vegetation stage and the flowering stage.
Basically
after the seeds have germinated, it takes between 5-6 weeks to complete
the seedling stage. After that, the vegetative stage is the time the plant
uses to get itself big and strong. It has one purpose in life and that
is to reproduce, so with this one aim it grows lots of leaves to catch
the sun. Its roots, which can grow at a really fast rate, are busy searching
about below ground trying to find water and minerals.
I
won’t go into the night and day thing here with you, but the plants naturally
know when the nights are drawing in, and they start to prepare themselves
for flowering.
The
male plants would have grown taller than the females, and they would release
their pollen over them. Both the male and female plants have flowers. The
desired ones are female.
Once
the male has cast his pollen, his purpose is over, his strength will go
and he will start to die. The females, who’s flowers are now pollinated
will go on to produce lots of seed, to ensure species survival the next
year.
Marijuana
grows best when it is in a fertile, well-drained soil, with lots of light
and a nice balanced atmosphere. Get all these right can you can’t stop
it growing. It ‘s as if it wants to please you.
You
end up staring at it for hours, mesmerised by all the little happenings
and goings on. There is a lot of pleasure in any kind of gardening once
you understand it, and marijuana growing is no exception, except that everything
happens much faster.
Get
yourself a magnifying glass and take a look at all the little resin ‘mushrooms’
all over the ‘heads’. Wonderful to see. Don’t worry you’ll see them I promise.
There
are a lot of people who have grown successfully. Not many at their first
attempt, I’m sure. Most fail. The reason being that there is so much useless
information about that people don’t know what is right and what is wrong.
They cut corners trying to save money and time. They use the wrong feeds
at the wrong time, and don’t understand what they have to do to get the
plant to give the desired end product.
When
I first started smoking ‘grass’ there wasn’t any available information
to be had. I had my bad crops like everyone else. I cut corners because
I thought I knew best. There weren’t many growers about when I first started
so it was all guesswork and perseverance.
As
time went by I spoke to other growers and listened to what they had to
say. The majority didn’t have a clue, but then again I didn’t know that
much so I followed up on a lot of information and tried what I was told.
Mostly disaster I’m afraid.
It’s
amazing how many novice growers who have just out a seed in a pot for the
first time become experts overnight. Like I did to begin with, the majority
of growers ended up with these long skinny throat scraping plants that
give you a headache.
Eventually
I gained experience and knowledge from time. I learnt to log my findings
and apply common sense to it all.
Well
that’s it really, a simple plant that will lovingly respond to your efforts
and attention.
As
you read on you will learn how to get the best fastest results from your
garden. There aren’t any great secrets or myths connected with growing
good grass. You watch it grow up, you watch it blossom into a beautiful
looking plant and to top it all off, she blows you away.
This
book will show you how to grow Sensimilla every time. Sensimilla being
the unfertilised female flower, that’s all sensi is.
Keep
the males away and the plants can’t play (poet). If she hasn’t been pollinated,
the female will go on producing flower after flower to try and attract
a male partner. This will go on for weeks and weeks, each cluster offlowers
on every bud getting thicker and thicker until they all join up along the
stem, forming into large resinous heads. How’s that sound?
I’ve
seen lots of bad plants and the growers have said that they don’t understand
why they turned out like it. They say they have fed and watered the plant,
given them plenty of light. The answer is that they want to run before
they have learnt to walk. They just didn’t bother to learn the very basics.
I’ll show you, read on.
Chapter
1
SECTION 2:
SECURITY (THE HIDDEN GARDEN)
Although
marijuana growing is legal in some parts of the world, the need for a safe
secure hidden garden is still necessary. An illegal gardener will be arrested
if caught growing marijuana. For whatever reason it may be, the need for
a secret garden is of utmost importance.
This
is probably the hardest part of growing. For a start, the smell of pungent
grass, escaping light are just two of the giveaways.
Those
trustworthy friends, are they? Envy is a terrible thing. People DO grass
on you. A grower needs to find the right site and tell NO-ONE!
Once
you have found the right site and you are satisfied with its secrecy, then
you can relax.
Remember,
the courts have the right to take cash and property away from you if they
think that they were gained from the proceeds of illegal growing.
Until
the marijuana growing laws in this country change, any garden is illegal.
BEWARE!
Chapter
1
Section
3: Outdoors or Indoors
Although
this book is about outdoor growing, I thought I’d tell you a little about
the pros and cons of both indoor and outdoor gardening.
Firstly,
if it were legal and we could put our plants out in the best sunniest positions,
the weight return would be amazing compared to a similar size indoor garden.
I
have heard of plants that were grown outdoors that when dried and graded,
produced a couple of pounds plus of dried heads. Half a dozen fully maturedplants
outside. Doesn’t take much working out does it? The return from a large
outside garden could be phenomenal.
Greenhouses
and lean-tos are other excellent sites. In these you aren’t at the mercy
of the elements. You can control things a lot easier in them. One thing
I must say is, that in or out there should be no differences in strength
all things being equal. (conditions of growth)
Unfortunately
these sites are easily seen. The police have helicopters and binoculars
and neighbours and friends have eyes and noses (read Security).
Inside
the grower is in complete control from start to finish. No light or weather
problems to contend with. In this book I will tell you how to grow a minimum
of 9 ounces of dried sensimilla bud every eight weeks. A pound plus could
easily be achieved from this small inexpensive cheap to run system.
Chapter
2
SECTION 1:
ELECTRIC GARDEN
There
are lots of different types of light systems on sale. It would be easy
to get confused not knowing what lights you would need. Different lighting
is needed for each stage of growing, and the wrong choice could make a
great difference to the final outcome. I will describe some to you and
explain their functions.
Then
when it comes to setting up the garden, the grower will then understand
why I tell you to use one type, as opposed to another.
Remember,
the idea is to create as near as possible the exact light needs of the
plant. Do you understand the light spectrum, do you know what effect it
has on plants ? No problem you will.
Figuring
out what light size you need is closely coupled to the power needed to
run them. It is obvious that the larger the garden the more it will cost
to run. The reason being that a large garden will need more light.
Anyhow,
as I have said, I will explain the Spectrum to you next, and that should
start to make things a lot clearer.
Chapter
2
SECTION 2:
THE SPECTRUM
Without
light plants can’t grow. Just a glimmer though, will start them off. How
much light and the right kind are essential for good growth.
Natural
light is made up from all the colours of the rainbow (the spectrum). Marijuana
efficiently converts the light for its needs. Mostly though, the areas
of the spectrum that marijuana needs, are in the blue and red regions.
These
different colours help the plant go through its development stages. The
plants take in the energy through their leaves and convert the light energy
into growing energy. All other factors being equal, a plant that has been
“zapped” by its favourite light cannot help but to grow fast and lush.
The
different colours all have a significant effect on what happens to the
growth process. During its life the plants take from the spectrum and convert
the light it needs, to use for whatever stage it is in.
A
vegetation plant would freely use all the spectrum to help it grow, but
when it starts to flower the plant would start using the part of the spectrum
in the red areas. Next I will explain to you the PHOTOPERIOD. This is very
important. The grower would need to know about this so that they can combine
it with the spectrum, and then understand why the right light at the right
time is crucial for a good crop.
Chapter
2
SECTION 3:
PHOTOPERIOD
Photoperiod
means day and night. Black and white. The amount of light a plant gets
determines how it develops in terms of speed and maturation.
Outside
in the natural environment the nights get longer the nearer we get to winter.
Towards the end of December (22nd) the nights are at their longest.
Then
we pass through winter towards spring, then summer, the nights get shorter
and the days get longer. This is a natural occurrence and all plant life
is affected by it. Let me take you through it and explain how the photoperiod
works on plants.
If
you put a marijuana plant under 24 hours of constant light it could go
on growing (vegetating) for ages. Being and annual plant it has to get
its business done before the short nights set in and the bad weather comes.
So, you’ve put your seedlings out into he greenhouse around March, you
harden them off by putting them outside during the day and back in of a
night. Once they have weathered after a few days you would then put them
out into a permanent site. Now they are at the mercy of the elements. All
other factors being good, the feeding, watering and weather, they are now
totally governed by the natural day and night lengths (Photoperiod).
As
time goes by the plants “suss” out that the nights are getting shorter
and the days are growing longer. Ground temperatures are rising, summer’s
coming!
This
is the signal to the plants to go into its vegetative stage. The plant
then grows lots of leaves to catch the energy from the sun (Light). Small
shoots and branches go berserk all over the place. The stems get thick
and strong, and its growth rate is amazing.
All
this carries on happening through the long days right up until June 21st.
This is the longest day of summer. From that day on the days gradually
get shorter and the nights start to get longer. Because at this point (June
21st) the daylight is considerably longer than the night, vegetative growth
keeps going, but not as manic as before.
Gradually
the plants get to know that the nights are getting longer and they start
to prepare themselves for maturity. Then the plants stop the vegetation
stage, and go into a semi-dormant stage for a couple of weeks to prepare
themselves for flowering.
As
you know, there has to be a point when both day and night are equal in
length. Long winter nights and longer summer days, they have to balance
somewhere.
We
live in the Northern Hemisphere and our equal days fall on September 21st
and March 21st. So….,our plants were put out about March when day and night
was about equal. As the nights got shorter and the days longer towards
the summer, the plants grew vegetatively.
Come
September 21st (equal night and day) the plants go into action for the
next stage. Plants need to have about 2 weeks of equal nights to initiate
flowering, well the trigger would be round about then. The nights and days
would be roughly of 13 hours or thereabouts to initiate flowering, but
generally the 12 hour nights are nearer the norm.
After
the 2 weeks or so of constant nights, the plants will have started to flower
and show their sex. The males would mature earlier than the female to enable
them to pollinate. Males grow taller and spindlier. They cast their pollen
onto the females and gradually die.
Depending
on what they are, the females take from 5-10 weeks to mature. After this
hey die. The pollinated females will produce lots of seeds to ensure species
survival. The unpollinated female will go on frantically producing flower
after flower trying to attract a male before it’s too late and she dies.
These
unpollinated plants are Sensimilla. It’s unlikely that if all the plants
were grown in close proximity that one of the females would escape pollination.
Wind and light breeze would virtually certainly ensure full female pollination.
The
long nights are back and the plants have done their job. Growing inside
enables you to eliminate all this and control the situation. No winter
conditions or erratic nights under artificial light!
I
hope this has given the reader some idea of what the photoperiod is all
about. Fortunately this book eliminates the need to be clued up on the
photoperiod, because the garden demonstrated in this book will be based
on one setting of 12 hours equal duration.
Still,
it doesn’t hurt to know a bit about how it works and how it affects plant
life. Now we can go into the different lights with a bit more understanding
of things to come.
There
is one last thing I must mention. During the dark hours the flowering chamber
must NEVER be opened. This is especially important during the first two
weeks. NEVER unless you want to do some real damage, let so much as even
a flicker of light get to the plants. Even a lit match or lighter is a
stab in the heart to the crop.
The
reason for this is that marijuana constantly produces a flowering hormone
called PHYTOHROME. This hormone initiates flowering.
Exposure
to light during the dark period will stop this hormone from working. The
hormone helps the plant develop flowers rather than leaves. This is another
reason why the chamber needs to be light proof, and not just for the obvious
reasons. (See Security)
Chapter
2
SECTION 4:
LIGHTS
Remember
what I told you in the last section about the spectrum. I will take you
through this section explaining to you how to make the lights fit the job.
Just think colours! Firstly, the starter lights.
FLUORESCENTS
These
tubes come in all different sizes from 6” up to 8 foot. The length normally
determines its power (output). For example a 3’ tube would be 30 watts
and a 6’ tube would be 60 watts. They are generally made with different
combinations of the light spectrum, depending on the job they were intended
for.
Some
are called White light and these have a general light spectrum. Others
if you look at them when switched on, give out a definite hue, some bluey
looking and some pinkey red. By mixing these tubes it is possible to create
the right amount of colour required for any particular need.
Tubes
are excellent for starting cuttings or for seedlings. You can raise and
flower any crop under tubes and be pleased with the result. A lot of Dutch
growers use only tubes. They are commercial growers with loads of tubes
on the “go”.
A
few tubes in a room will not really give a grower the fast turnover crop
that other light sources can. For a start, because the light density of
tubes aren’t even, the grower would have to use more tubes or move the
plants about to compensate. 5 x 8’ tubes (400W) wouldn’t be anywhere near
as good as a high powered single unit light of 400 W. Lots of manufacturers
make tubes that are specially designed for plant growth. Some are called
money saving and others high output. Some are specially designed for fish
tanks and Vivariums.
Because
the growing method in this book is a fast turn over garden, any wrong tube
would hold back the process. The only light that I would recommend would
be the kind known as Power Twists. These tubes look like long pieces of
cough candy twist. Instead of one smooth light surface these are lots of
different surface angles to through the light about everywhere. They are
formulated with a good strong balance from the spectrum.
These
tubes can easily be obtained from most good electrically shops. If for
any reason you can’t use these tubes, then ordinary white light tubes will
do but only until the others can be obtained. Don’t cut corners if you
can help it.
Fluorescents
are a good source of supplementary light. Because of their low running
costs they could be added to other light to help improve conditions. Also
because of the different sizes, they can easily be adapted to most spaces.
So now you know that the tubes in this garden will be Power Twists, which
are a general overall spectrum tube. They will be perfect for the cutting
box. (See Chapter 5).
HIGH
POWERED LIGHTS
These
lamps are the best Especially those designed to give the best spectrum
for the intended job. Because they have a point source of lights, unlike
the linear source a fluorescent gives, they can’t be beat. Their efficiency
is second to none. They can penetrate the leaves and light up the whole
plant much better than any other light source. This means thicker faster
lush growing plants.
METAL
HALIDES
Metal
Halides can be used to grow and flower a garden. They are strong in all
the colours of the spectrum. They promote strong healthy vegetative growth,
and they can also be used to flower your garden. Most growers use these
bulbs to bring their garden on, until they decide to flower their crop
off. Then some use just a Sodium to flower off or both. It depends on how
the garden is run, as to what light you would use and when.
Although
they have a similar spectrum to the Power Twists it would be silly for
the inexperienced gardener to try and start seedlings or cuttings under
a Metal Halide. They are far too powerful to start with, and if you don’t
know what you are doing, the plants will either stretch into tall skinny
useless plants, or you’ll burn them. Probably both. Most high power lights
have their power boxes separate from the light fitting. These boxes can
be kept away from the growing area which is good for safety. We wont be
using a Metal Halide in the growing system, but it’s nice to know how they
could be used and what they do best.
HIGH
PRESSURE SODIUM
H.P.S.
These bulbs are the business, but only if you use them properly. They aren’t
dangerous to use. The respect of any electrical device should be of the
utmost importance. H.P.S. are rich in the red end of the spectrum. They
are perfect for flowering off plants and are relatively cheap to run. We
will be using a 400W H.P.S. to demonstrate my book.
LIGHTING
GENERALLY
I
haven’t covered all the different lights that are available. The reason
for that is that if they aren’t needed, then what’s the point.
I
don’t want to fill your head with a lot of data. Some books go on and on
about lumiens (light intensity) and give all the facts and figures. Who
wants to know all that? Personally, to be able to grow properly first time
without any hassle has to be the only way. I’ve got to tell you something
about lighting and associated things because they are necessary, but I
wont be bogging you down with any high powered data.
There
are two main shapes of bulb foe both Halide and Sodium lights. One hangs
from its socket like a conventional house light , and the other is fixed
in its socket in the horizontal position.
As
I said, both types of light should have separate power boxes. The light
I would recommend would be the horizontal type. The vertical bulb looks
similar to a large household bulb in a large conical reflector. The horizontal
bulbs, (although they can be the same shape as the vertical bulbs), tend
to be the long sausage shape bulb. They are a more efficient bulb because
they are housed in a parabolic reflector. These reflectors help to focus
the light better than the conventional conical reflector.
All
high power lights come in different sizes from 150W up to 1,500W. Not all
similar power lights are the same. Some manufacturers claim their lights
are the best – well they would wouldn’t they? Unfortunately there are so
many on the market at the moment that knowing what one is right for the
job is hard to sort out. No problem. I went to Amsterdam and took a look
at what they are using. Right in the middle of the Marijuana Museum was
an amazing plant being grown under sodium. I clocked what light it was
and went next door to the seed shop to ask him if they could be bought
in England.
They
had the same lights on sale in the seed shop for about £150 but I
didn’t fancy taking a large box home o the Magic Bus. Too bulky, too uncomfortable
and well, maybe it was paranoia, but I didn’t want to take one through
customs. Anyway the bloke in the shop told me that the lights were available
in the UK.I searched about when
I got home and eventually located these lights. Don’t bother with smallelectrical
shops, they don’t stock them. Go to a large wholesaler/retailer. No problem!
The
actual bulb has the words SON–T printed on the side. These are good
bulbs. Next to these words printed on the bulb is the word AGRO.
So you would need a SON-T-AGRO.
Phillips make these bulbs together
with the proper lightweight housing and reflector. They are brilliant.
As you’ve probably guessed the AGRO bit means agriculture. They are designed
for deep plant penetration. Once again, if you can’t locate one (are you
sure?), any sodium one will do until you get one. I’ll always try and give
you an alternative to what I recommend, but by getting anything else you
will be cutting corners, wasting time and reaping a smaller harvest. You
only get back what you put in. So up to now you know that the system I
describe will comprise of 4’ power twists and a 400 watt SON-T-AGRO sodium.
Now
all these lights as I said, have got reflectors. These play an important
part in plant development. They push or direct the light down to the desired
area. These light reflectors can be greatly helped by other reflecting
things. Mirrors or silver foil on the walls to name a couple. I found the
best way is to paint all the walls with flat matt white emulsion. This
helps to direct any stray light back towards the plants.
I
want to show you in this book how you would (if it were legal) grow easily,
and simply, first time. If you are interested in all the sophisticated
methods of growing there are some great informative books to be read. Personally
all I was after was to be able to grow some decent grass. I taught myself
from scratch and learnt from trial and many an error. With all this designer
seed about, there isn’t any need really to get involved in all the intricacies
of growing. If you know how to get the best out of your seed stock with
simple easy to maintain garden why both complicating things?
Chapter
3
SECTION 1:
THE SET UP
This
part of the book will cover all the requirements needed to get started.
I will tell you about water, soil, vegetation and nutrients.
I’ll
try not to dwell too long on one subject, but what I do tell you will be
really important, if you want to understand fully. First of all, here is
a complete list of what is needed to fully equip the garden:
1.1
x 400watt high pressure sodium, SON-T-AGRO
2.4
x 4’ Power Twists
3.1
x small but durable oscillating fan
4.1
x 24 hour time switch
5.2
x thermometer / humidity gauges
6.36
x 3 litre plastic rose pots
7.1
multipack of 3” start pots (seedlings)
8.1
x 80 litre bag of soil (See soil)
9.1
x 80 litre perlite
10.A
quantity of nutrients (Feed) (See Nutrients).
Chapter
3
SECTION 2:
SOIL
You
wouldn’t think that there is much to say about soil. Unfortunately it is
just as important to understand what soil is needed, just as it is important
to know about lights.
I
used to think that any good soil would be OK to use. Basically I was right
in one respect, but like all the other factors to be taken into account,
was the soil I chose the right type for the job its intended for?
The
fact is there are so many different kinds of soil for sale. There is heavy
soil and light soil, some with coconut (COIA) added, some with lots of
peat.
The
proper soil to use is one that drains well and is capable of breathing
freely. These properties help to assist plants to grow strong and healthy.
Lots
of soil manufacturers make up all different kinds of soil to suit most
requirements. The soil I needed to find was one that was stocked with all
the minor nutrients but low in the three major nutrients. I tried lots
of different types, but as I become more proficient I knew that if I could
control the intake I would be more in control of how the plants grew. (See
nutrients).
I
was forever buying bags of soil that I thought was right, and found that
I was having to adjust it to get the desired result. I had started to understand
a little of the data supplied on the side of some of the soil bags. The
N.P.K. (See nutrients) was never right and it started to get a bit frustrating.
I wouldn’t say that I’m a perfectionist, far from it, but I did know what
I wanted. I also realised that as long as I wasn’t using the right growing
medium I would never achieve the desired results. As I said in the beginning
of this section, I was on the lookout for a soil that had all the minor
nutrients but very very low in the three major ones. I won’t pretend that
I found it. I didn’t. A fellow gardening friend of mine who was having
the same problem, found the best soil (to date?) for the job. It gave us
the results we were looking for, so I have to say that it was the best
for us.
The
soil I started to use was developed for specialist nurseries whose business
it was to grow delicate or hard to root seedlings and cuttings. It had
a crumbly texture and its nutrient content was spot-on.
FISONS
F.1
This
soil is reasonably easy to get although you probably won’t get it from
the local garden centre.
Its
not a soil that is generally available to the public, so you’ll probably
have to order it. By phoning the company that formulated the soil, they
can save you time by telling you of the nearest dealer who stocks it.
Try
not to cut corners by buying any other soil. Other soils can work brilliantly
and give good results, but unless you know for sure that your plants are
peaking on time, you won’t know if they are at their best.
By
knowing exactly what nutrient is in the soil and feeding the plants with
the correct amount at each stage of growth, the grower will be in complete
control of the plants development.
This
is how I view it. I know that this particular growing medium is the best
for my way of growing. Other gardeners have their favourite, this is mine.
I just happen to believe that if you can eliminate all soil associated
problems at the beginning, then not only does it make life a lot easier,
but the plants have been allowed to grow hassle free.
Why
cut corners, the end result far outweighs everything. The P>H> of the soil
is important. A small inexpensive P.H. tester kit will let you know whether
the soil is ACID or ALKALINE.
A
soil with a neutral P.H. would read number 7 on the tester. Marijuana grows
best in slightly acid soil, say 6.3 – 6.5. The soil I have told you about
is a neutral soil.
The
soil should be mixed exactly 50/50 with the Perlite. Now you have a light,
airy, moisture retaining soil, with a beautiful structure ready to grow
your plants to perfection.
Don’t
knock up all the mix with Perlite. Save enough to fill at least 60 of the
3” starter pots.
PERLITE
This
is the stuff you mix with your soil. It has practically no weight, it contains
no nutrients. It can hold water and it doesn’t affect the P.H. Available
at any garden store. To adjust the P.H. of the soil if it is too low add
lime according to the instructions, for high P.H. add Gypsum. Don’t overdo
it, if you take your time and get it right first time, you will know how
much to add to new soil without having to keep testing. A good source of
information for gardeners who are keen to learn their trade, is a garden
centre who specialise in exotic plants. Do you know someone who grows Orchids
or Bonsai?
Normally
these people are experts at preparing soils for specialist plants.
Don’t
be afraid to ask people for help, especially gardeners. Subtle questions
can be put to them to get the information you need without the need to
tell them what crop you are to grow.
Gardeners
in general are a nice type of person, they are only too happy to help a
novice understand a problem. Maybe they have a home developed soil mix
that is perfect. Who knows?
Chapter
3
SECTION 3:
WATER
When
gardening, it is advisable to keep a nice largish plastic container full
of water. As big as you can keep without it getting in the way.
NEVER use
water straight from the tap. For a start its too cold and just as important
you don’t know what P.H. it is.
The
way that you water your plants, and the amount of water you give, can be
a major factor as far as healthy growing plants are concerned.
If
you are to water a plant through its life, you’d be amazed how much they
will need, that’s why a good supply of proper water is essential.
A
water that is cold can shock and retard a plant’s growth. Water that has
a high P.H. can damage the plants. Rainwater is a good source of water
to use. Rainwater has a natural acid in it which helps get rid of salts
and alkaloids from the plants. Rainwater is nearly neutral P.H.
If
rainwater isn’t available then we must use tap water, but you must remember
to do a couple of things to it first before using it.
Firstly
always let the water stand for at least 24 hours before use. If you do
a P.H. test on the average tapwater, depending on where you live the P.H.
will always vary and tend to be high (Alkaline).
Get
this water down to an acid reading of 6.3 – 6.5. Use Acetic acid (Vinegar)
sparingly, and test during application until you have it right. If you
don’t get the P.H. of the water down you will be giving the plants a high
dose of nutrient. These nutrients form a “build up” round the roots of
the plants and block up them. So what happens is that the plants aren’t
able to take in the correct feed and water supply. You probably think this
is a little over the top, but it isn’t. Water and its content are vital
to a plant’s progress. Don’t get lazy, it’s nothing to sort a drop of water
out! Once again the end result will convince you.
The
correct water for seedlings is especially important. They are the nucleus
of the garden and if they aren’t off to a good start then the rest of the
chain suffers. Get it right!
OVERWATERING
Overwatering
is a common fault with novice growers. Most people assume that the plant
will take what it needs and the rest will drain away. True, but with all
that excess water goes all your precisely measure nutrients (feed).
The
plants end up growing in a saturated mess. Oxygen can’t get through and
the plants suffer. The plants start to show similar symptoms of a plant
that is dying from underwatering.
The
grower sees the leaves going brown and the plant is wilting. Off they go
and give it more water and fertiliser, not knowing that they are gradually
giving it a massive overdose. If this ever happens and you recognise your
mistake in time, don’t water it until the top 3” –4” inches have dried
out, and gradually bring it round by feeding pure fresh water that has
been standing. I will tell you how much water and how much fertiliser to
use in the growing section. Stick to this and you shouldn’t have any problems.
UNDERWATERING
Underwatering
has hardly any effect on the marijuana plant in comparison to overwatering.
When the plants start to wilt, that obviously is a sign of underwatering
(unless you are guilty of over-watering), and causing the plant to display
similar ailments.
Just
water the plants again and go back to them an hour or so later. They should
have picked up with no noticeable damage. The gardener would have to be
neglecting the plants if they were to get like this. Regular precise watering
is the key to success.
Regular
visits to the plants will tell the grower their water needs. Poke your
finger two of three inches into the pot. If it’s moist and the plant looks
healthy upright and strong, leave it alone.
If
the soil is dry, try to remember when you last watered, how much you gave
it and in future give it the same amount a day earlier than you would have.
Remember as they get older the more they need but, this is really important,
don’t overwater if you can help it, especially when the plants are flowering.
The reason being that in a warm confined space the humidity gets high and
this can cause problems. Bud rot, loss of weight, who needs it?
Whether
you are a novice gardener or not, it is easy to make mistakes, but you
would have to be pretty simple if you couldn’t manage to sort out some
kind of correct watering regime.
It
doesn’t take much working out and come the end, your efforts will be richly
rewarded.
Chapter
3
SECTION 4
: NUTRIENTS (FERTILISERS)
I
used to think that the best fertiliser on the market was the one to use.
It’s understandable really, I wasn’t a gardener and I thought that if you
bought a box or a bottle of fertiliser and it said it was great for growth,
that was the one to have.
Marijuana
needs are similar to the tomato plant’s needs, so I used to buy Tomato
fertiliser. I had some good results but my plants didn’t look like I wanted
them to. They never used to get as big as I wanted them to and to be honest
I didn’t have a clue how to feed them properly.
It
wasn’t as if you could go into the local gardening store and ask them the
best formula for dope plants. Most other growers must have had this problem.
I knew the marijuana was a nitrogen loving plant. Why? I knew that marijuana
needed balanced amounts of Phosphorous and Potassium (Potash) Why?
Once
I found out why the plants needed these three major nutrients, I could
then apply this knowledge to help me give them a proper feed.
I
did hear that some companies were advertising in High Times, fertilisers
for marijuana. I never followed it up. Maybe I should have, but learning
the plants needs for myself helped me in my understanding for there needs.
Anyway, I had to learn the names of the nutrients I needed and also I had
to know how to give the plants what they required at the right time. As
I said trial and error soon had me on the right path.
N.P.K.
Ifyou
look on the side of any fertiliser container, you will see these three
letters. The ‘N’ stands for Nitrogen, the ‘P’ stands for Phosphorusand
the ‘K’ for Potassium (Potash). Besides these letters there will be numbers
indicating what percentage of these nutrients are in the mix. An example
would read,
N.
(15) P. (30) K (20) These numbers next to the letters could be anything
really. It all depends what stock the fertiliser was formulated for. Different
plants need different combinations of fertiliser (N.P.K.).
Marijuana
is a Nitrogen (N) loving plant. It gorges itself constantly on it, in order
to grow strong and healthy. So the need to keep it properly replenished
is important.
Phosphorus
(P) helps the plant during germination and its infancy stage, it also contributes
to and promotes good flower formation.
Potassium
(K) is vital for helping the plant settle down. The formulation of a good
sturdy healthy plant depends on proper use and application of this nutrient.
Also good during flowering.
So
now we’ve read the side of the packet and the N.P.K. reads 15.30.20 and
we know that these numbers indicate the major nutrient quantities.
Unfortunately,
there aren’t any generally available to the public that I know of, although
as I said, if you find a specialist advertiser that can supply your needs
then all the better. Anyway I knew what I needed so I went to the garden
centre and I bought off the shelf the boxes of nutrient I needed. 1 box
of Nitrogen, 1 box of Phosphorus and 1 box of Potassium (Potash). I also
bought 1 bottle of Maxi crop organic seedweed. Its what is called a complete
feed and its N.P.K. reads 5.5.5. 5% of each major nutrient in its formula.
I
then took my scales out and measured out my feed. My own N.P.K. formula
is made up as follows. I need one of my feeds to have a N.P.K. reading
of 5.35.25.
Five
per cent Nitrogen, thirty five percent Phosphorus and twenty five percent
Potassium (Potash). Notice that although I said marijuana is a Nitrogen
loving plant, the amount I use is very low. Don’t worry about this for
the moment, all will become clear if I explain it to you in turn. I don’t
want to con fuse you at this stage.
Using
a 2 gallon plastic bucket, I measured and added my nutrients to my prepared
water as follows:-
Measure
out from the bottle of natural organic seaweed a two-gallon dose. Your
water at this stage has a N.P.K. of 5.5.5. Then to this you would add 60
grammes of Phosphate and 15 grammes of Potassium (Potash). You give the
mixture a good stir and you now have a N.P.K. of 5.35.25.
The
powder mixes (Phosphate and Potassium) can be measured out exactly in two-gallon
formulas and stored at the ready for future use. During the eight week
cycle the plants will need to have about 4-5 feeds. So making up 4-5 formulas
separately and storing them in plastic moneybags will save the grower time.
If
you added the powder mix to the water and omitted to add the Natural organic
seaweed your N.P.K. would read 0.30.20 get it?
When
mixing the powder ingredients together the grower might have trouble making
it dissolve properly, a good idea is to mix the powder first with a small
amount of hot water before introducing it to the two-gallon bucket.
ALWAYS
after feeding or watering refill the 2 gallon bucket so that it would have
stood for at least 24 hours before the next drink. Don’t forget the P.H.
of the water.
I
found that the N.P.K. amounts that I used were very good for my personal
satisfaction. If you feel at anytime you would like to experiment by giving
a different feed then go ahead.
There’s
always room for improvement in one way or another and Marijuana is a responsive
plant so don’t be afraid to experiment.
When
it comes to growing, I will tell you how to feed and water the plants.
I’ll also tell you how to water the cuttings precisely (For cuttings see
growing).
Well,
I have basically covered what nutrients are and what they do. You will
remember that the soil you bought will have a good amount of the minor
nutrients in this composition, so over all, the plants will be getting
a balanced diet of fertiliser. You are in control.
To
be honest I don’t know much about the scientific things to do with marijuana,
but I do know that years of smoking, smelling and constantly playing about
with the plant has given me the ability to produce top class dope. I leave
all that mind-blowing stuff to the boffins to find out. I’m not interested.
Chapter
3
SECTION 5:
VENTILATION
Outside
a plant has a constant supply of fresh air. Indoors we have to give the
plants the same. Although fresh air manages to get into the tightest of
chambers, the air does tend to become stale or stagnant if it isn’t moved
about. This is why we use an oscillating fan. Cold air is heavier than
warm air, so the warm air will naturally go to the top of the chamber.
Marijuana can handle a stuffy atmosphere to a degree, but like any living
thing it must get affected by it. Any chamber must be constructed so that
fresh air can get in and stale air out. A light proof vent fitted at both
the bottom and the top should ensure adequate ventilation.
Combine
these with the fan and the grower should experience no venting problems.
Some strains of marijuana really stink when growing. For obvious reasons
this has to be channeled away from unwanted “noses”. Location of the site
must be considered when really pungent crop is to be grown.
There
are lots of ways to lose the smell and its up to the grower to find the
best way to solve their problem. Larger gardens need more air turnover
than a smaller one and a thermostatically controlled extractor fan will
solve the problem. In fact if you can afford it use an extractor anyway.
They really help. They can turn the fresh air overly regularly, ensuring
a nice humidity free environment. Humidity must be kept to a minimum in
the flowering chamber. The extractors will do this, although if you don’t
have one or you can’t use one for whatever reason, then make sure you don’t
let it happen. Larger (light free) ventilation, maybe the chamber can be
kept open during the light hours, what ever it takes to keep the humidity
to a minimum. Over watering can cause high humidity. Get that right and
it’s another thing you don’t have to worry about. High humidity in the
cuttings box will be no problem t attain. The plastic lining (See Chapter
5) and the high amount of moist cuttings, combined with the lights will
easily take care of this. Use the vents in the cutting box to control humidity
and air flow.
When
a constant supply of fresh air is given to the plants they can breathe
and do their thing properly. During the day they make lots of Oxygen and
during the night CO2. Plenty of CO2 is used to help the plant in its growth.
It takes in the Oxygen during the night and enriches the grow room with
CO2. The more Oxygen they have the more CO2 they make. During the day the
plants don’t make CO2 instead the room gets filled with Oxygen.
Some
growers supplement their grow room with additional CO2 during flowering.
This doesn’t improve the quality or potency, but it can really speed up
the growing rate to the point of nearly doubling the return weight.
If
you used one of these you would have to adjust your feeding regime to compensate.
Anyway that’s up to you. If you feel at a later stage that you would like
to use CO2 check out a place that sells them, and they will clue you up
as to how and when to use it.
Chapter
3
SECTION 6:
WHAT SIZE GARDEN
When
considering starting a garden the following things must be taken into account.
Firstly the space available, its situation (See security) and the running
costs.
As
you know the system will comprise of a 400W Sodium light and4
x 4’ power twists. The power of the four twists coming up to 160W. With
the other bits and pieces, the fan etc. taking up very little electric
their running costs will be low.
First
of all though I want to explain to you how to get the perfect space versus
light ratio. You need to get the most light you can per foot up to a maximum
of 40W per square foot.
Therefore
a 400W light would perfectly cover 10 square feet or 1 square meter approximately.
Try
to use this way of gauging any garden’s size, allowing yourself a minimum
of 20W per square foot.
Anything
below 20W per square foot will be a waste of time really. Too small a light
in too large a room will result in a much inferior crop, compared to one
with the right amount of light. Don’t cut corners!
So
now you’ve guessed I’m going to be growing in a meter square room. The
need to figure out how much it would cost to run any grow room is also
an important thing to take into account.
So
the next section will deal with the expense incurred running a room the
same size as I will be using in the example.
RUNNING
COSTS
As
I said earlier in the book the grower must consider the price of electricity
when determining the garden’s size.
At
present in Great Britain the average price of power is 8 pence per Kilowatt
per hour. A kilowatt is 1000 watts.
My
system runs 4 x 40 watt tubes and a 400 watt Sodium. The running costs
of the fan and other bits is so small that I will add a small amount to
the total to cover it.
Now
we break down the actual amount used over an eight week period. I say eight
weeks because barring a day or two either way this is the time it takes
to complete a cycle. The four tubes are on for 24 hours a day and the sodium
for 12 hours per day.
1
KILOWATT = 1000 WATTS = 8 pence per hour
Based
on the above figure a 400 watt light would use 3.2 pence per hour. 12 x
this amount every day comes to 38.4 pence. Multiply this amount by seven
and you have a weekly running cost of approximately £2.77 per week.
Multiply this amount by eight and the total running cost for a 400W light
comes to £22.16.
Now
the tubes. At the same rate (8 pence) the tubes would use 160 watts (4
x 40 watts) which comes to approximately 1.5 pence per hour. 24 x 1.5 pence
= 36 pence per day. Multiple this amount by seven and you have a weekly
cost of £2.52. Then once again by eight and the price of power for
the tubes comes to approximately £20.16.
So
now we have a total power cost for the eight weeks cycle as follows:
Sodium
Power= £22.16
Tube
Power=£20.16
Fan
etc. (£1.00 per week)=£8.00
Total£50.32
As
you can see from my figures the weekly cost comes to roughly £6.25
per week.
I
have based the above figures on a 560+ watt system, using light at 40 watts
p.s.f.
Chapter
4
SECTION 1:
SEEDS (SELECTING A STRAIN)
There
are more types of seed on the market than there are different strains of
marijuana. The reason for this being that there are lots of hybrids about.
The
Dutch growers have got this down to a fine art. They take the good qualities
of one strain and cross them with the good qualities of another. An example
being a strain that has a high potency being crossed with one that has
a good fast growth rate.
These
plants outgrow all ‘standard’ seed stock. Hybrids are normally a healthier
faster growing plant than either of their ‘parents’.
The
name on most growers’ lips now is SKUNK. The garden I describe in this
book is based on growing SKUNK. Any plants can be grown in the system but
I prefer the Skunk. Skunk has been developed into so many different strains
to suit individual tastes. NORTHERN LIGHTS, SHIVA SHANTI, RED HAIR to name
a few. Under a proper set up these plants grow very fast.
If
I wanted to I could go on about all the different types of seed available,
but what’s the point? As I have said before, this book is geared to showing
the grower how it is possible to grow perfect Sensimilla first time.
Once
the grower sees the result of their effort, the enthusiasm should be stoked
up. With this new-found confidence the grower might want to go on and develop
their own strain. But one can’t think about all the technical bits and
pieces to do with breeding until they are capable of growing properly first.
Skunk
seeds are easy to obtain. They are sold ‘mail order’ or over the counter
at most ‘Head Shops’.
Some
seeds are genetically engineered to produce female stock, so it eliminates
the need to sex the plants. Make sure any seed stock comes from a reliable
source.
Remember,
it doesn’t matter if the grower had all the best equipment and the most
perfect of growing environments, if the seed comes from crappy stock the
resulting plants will also be crap.
The
strain I preferred to use were Northern Lights 1. Stocky, sturdy, fast
growing and really potent.
If
this book manages to stoke up the reader’s enthusiasm for breeding and
experimenting thenthere are some
excellent books on the subject. At the end of the day, the growing procedure
of cultivating any seed is basically the same. If the grower is going to
create a perfect environment, then why grow any inferior stock? Genetically
engineered seeds are best. SKUNK!