HOW TO GROW MARIJUANA

Here are some
Frequently Asked Questions
from the ASK ED^®Column,
now appearing in
Cannabis Culture magazine.

Marijuana Question? 
Click here to
ASK ED!

REGENERATION

Dear Ed,

I am growing 15 plants from seed. I would like to regenerate the plants with the best buds into mother plants. How does regeneration work? Do the plants have to be a certain size?

El Toro,
Seattle, WA

Marijuana plants respond in a predictable manner to changes in the lighting regimen. Given 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each day, the plants change from vegetative growth to flowering. Inversely, plants which have been under the flowering regimen of 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each evening, can be forced back into vegetative cycle using continuous lighting.

To force plants from flowering to vegetative growth, cycled light is replaced by continuous lighting. When the ripe buds are pruned from the plant,  some vegetation, the lower portion of the bud, is saved. New growth will emerge from this vegetation within a few weeks of forcing.

The plants can be any size, but they must retain some leaf matter to regenerate.

FRUIT FLIES

Dear Ed,

I have fruit flies in my garden. How can I get rid of them?  I have drained my plant's soil and changed the water, but that didn't work. Please advise.

Mr. Choker,
Internet

Fruit flies and sand flies are about a 1/16 of an inch long, and look like tiny black gnats. They usually hang out towards the lower part of the plant and near the planting medium. Both are vectors for disease. They and their pupae, which live in the planting medium, eat decaying organic matter. In their travels they are likely to pick up pathogens from an infected plant and transfer it to the next one.

The insects are attracted to the color yellow. One way to determine whether the garden is infected is to hang  a yellow sticky card. If the garden is infected, some of the pests will stick to it. Pyrethrum, an organic insecticide completely safe to mammals, is effective at eliminating the insects. It can be sprayed or used as a soak. The soak will kill the pupae.

Biological control is an even  more effective method of eliminating the pests. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms which attack all kinds of soil dwelling insects. They are available at many nurseries and by mail order. They are inoculated into the medium by adding them to the irrigation water just before it is to be used. The nematodes search out the pupae and then invade and eat them from the inside out. Then they reproduce and the cycle repeats. Within a week or so the mature flies die, and virtually no pupae emerge from the inoculated medium.

SEEDS IN CONTAINER

Dear Ed,

How many seeds should I plant in each container? I plan to grow in 20 liter pots.

Stevie,
Internet

Start each seed in an individual container. Rather than germinating the seeds in the large containers, use two to four inch pots so that many seeds can be sown. Then the best plants can be selected to grow in the large pot

STAYING ALIVE

Dear Ed,

We want to keep about 20 plants alive for a month without supervision. We don't need great growth or vigorous plants when we return, but don't want to have dead plants.

Closet Cultivator,
Internet

First, air circulation and temperature must be managed. Automatic ventilation and thermostat controlled cooling can take care of that. The very high intensity lighting should be placed (20-30 inches) 50-70 centimeters higher than normal.

There are many ways to deal with water. Plants growing in soilless mix can be watered passively using a wick system. Wick systems are easy to make. Before planting mix is added, several pieces of 3/8th inch woven nylon rope is placed up the side of the container and through the bottom holes, and hanging out about 20 centimeters (7 inches). After planting, the container is placed in a tray with sides 15 cm (5 in.) high. The container is raised using a pallet, blocks of wood, styrofoam blocks  or other inert pieces. Water is added to the tray and the container is watered. Once the wicks are wetted, they draw water to the container using capillary action, the same way a tissue draws up a puddle. The wicks replace moisture in the pots as it is used, as long as there is water in the tray.

A ball valve, can be used to replenish water in the tray from an overhead reservoir such as a working toilet tank. The valve keeps a stable water level, opening only to replenish water as it is used.

Hydroponic system reservoirs can be re-supplied with water from an additional reservoir using a ball valve. Watering is controlled using timers or computer.

LIGHT TRACKS

Dear Ed,

I am using a 1000w HPS lamp in a 42sq ft. space. I am thinking of getting a light track that moves the light back and forth to better distribute the light. What should I expect to gain from this.?

Pman,
Los Angeles, CA

The garden has an electric light input of about 24 watts per square foot. This is inadequate for producing high yields in flowering plants. If the light is now stationary in the middle of the garden, the plants at the edges of the garden receive considerably less light than the ones closest to the center. A light mover would help to even out light distribution so plant growth would be more even.

The garden really requires at least one more 1000 w lamp, increasing light, input to 47 watts psf. Plants are living factories, using light energy to convertcarbon dioxide and water to sugar. The amount of light plants receivedetermines the amount of sugar they produce and thus their growth rate. Adding more light will increase growth rate and bud yield

AIR COOLING

Dear Ed,

I'm going to be growing in a 7'x 13' room on a 4'x6' table with two 600 w HPS lamps. I am going to supplement the room with CO2. The room has a window 1.5 x 2.5 ft. How can I control the heat under the lights that is going directly on my garden? With enriched air can I bring in fresh air from outside constantly or should I have air brought cyclically? If I bring in fresh air do I need to vent out the old air? 1.5'x2.5' window?

Mad scientist,
Minnesota

Air-cooled lights are used to control the heat directly under the lamps. These lamps have a glass plate at the bottom of the reflector so light can get through but the heat is enclosed. Two 4" flexible air tubes, one on either side of the reflector respectively push unheated air in and exhaust out the lamp heated air. A small fan installed inside the tubes pushes the air through. This eliminates much of the heat under the plants and in the room. The heated air, which is odorless because it was never in the grow room, is exhausted into a space which needs heating or to a vent.

In gardens in which the air is enriched with CO2, it is best to keep the same air in the room to preserve the high levels of CO2. Even with air cooled lamps the room heats up. If the room is ventilated, the new air must be enriched.

One way to solve this problem is by using window mounted or a portable air conditioner. These units cool the air in the room but do not replace it. As long as the air is enriched, cool and not too humid there is no need to ventilate more than once an hour.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY

Hi,

I grow Jack Flash and Original Misty in Canna coco mats (coir in plastic bags) using a run to waste dripper system. I follow the instructions on the Canna coco fertilizer and everything seems fine up until the third or fourth week of flowering. Then the lower fan leaves start to go blotchy all over while the top leaves become very dark green. The splotchy appearance spreads up the leaves eventually reaching the newer ones. By harvest time there is little green leaf remaining.

I feed the plants three times a day and flush with fresh water once a week The pH is kept between 5.2-5.8. I also use a b.cuzz booster designed for coco. I have tried adding epsom salts but it made no difference.

dazdon2001,
Internet

The plants are suffering from potassium deficiency as well as other possible deficiencies including nitrogen and phosphorous. The reason is that the salts in the fertilizer are insoluble and unavailable to the roots in the highly acid, low pH water. Adjust the water's pH from 5.2-5.8 as it is now, to 6.2-6.5. The minerals in the fertilizer will become soluble and available to the roots. New growth on the plant will not be affected by the deficiencies, but the damage to the old growth will remain.

One way to get needed nutrients to the deficient tissue quickly is to make a foliar spray using a liquid kelp extract containing a high percentage (3%) of potassium. The spray will provide micro-nutrients and plant stimulants, too.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Dear Ed,

I am very poor and have spent too much money on chronic. I recently cleaned out my closet, and am motivated to start growing.  I've saved up about 200 dollars already, (I cut back, and went to the dirt weed), and I am ready to start my own grow room. I haven't a clue on where to start. I try to read the stuff on the net, but everything seems so complicated. Is there anything that gives exact directions on what to buy, from where, and the process it going to take to do it.  I need something reasonably cheap and easy to follow.  Please help me out!!! I'm starting from scratch.

Gabe,
Los Angeles, CA

Buy a good book on marijuana cultivation. They are advertised on the Net and available in many bookstores. Even a simple guide will send you in the right direction. Information is the most inexpensive of tools to acquire. Make sure to read the book and plan your garden before buying any other equipment. This will save you both time and money.

RIPENING TIME

Dear Ed,

How long does it take for the plants to actually start getting buds on them?

Sonoma58,
Knoxville, TN

The first signs of budding usually occurs about two weeks after the plants are forced to flower.  Marijuana is forced by cutting the number of hours of light per day from 24, continuous light, to 12, giving the plants 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each day.

Stigmas start to appear at the node where the leaf joins the stem. They also grow all along the tops of the plant. Plants usually mature 6-10 weeks after the first flowers.

INEFFICIENT FLUORESCENTS

Ed,

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH) lights might be good for some growers but for me I like to save my money and use fluorescents. I have two four foot lights in a 4'x3' grow space. Is this enough light? (5 plants total) How tall should I grow the plants before flowering?

Yello Thumb,
Las Vegas, Nevada

Fluorescent lights do not save you money. Although they are cheaper to buy, they are much less efficient at converting electricity to light. The full amount that you spend on light is the total of the cost of the equipment plus the cost of power. On this basis, fluorescent lights are much more expensive than HPS or MH lamps.

Fluorescents can be used to grow a crop, but they don't produce a good yield because the plants don't receive intense light. Not only are fluorescents inefficient as compared with HPS lamps, but they are low wattage. Four 4 ft. fluorescents use a total of 160 watts. This is only 40% of the electricity of a 400 w. HPS. Years ago, I recommended a minimum of 20 watts of fluorescent per square foot (psf) for budding. Later, I said, 30 watts fluorescent or 20 watts HPS psf. Now I recommend 40-60 watts HPS psf. The more intense the light, the more energy it delivers. Plants are fueled by light energy, which they use for photosynthesis. With more light, the plant is able to produce more sugar, which it uses both for energy and tissue building.

If the garden is to be lit by fluorescents, for results which are considered adequate in the twenty-first century, it will need two more 4 tube fluorescents fixtures. The lights will have a total input of 40 watts psf. Since there are only five plants in the garden, they should be encouraged to bush a bit, so they have a wider canopy. On the other hand, too much branching produces spindly buds. The lights are kept about 12 inches from the top of the canopy. This can be a little awkward if plants are different heights. One way to solve the problem is to raise the containers of the shorter plants.

NITROGEN DEFICIENCY

Dear Ed,

I have ten plants in my garden. They are all in enriched potting soil in 6" pots and are about a foot tall and bushy. This week the leaves on the bottom of the plants started turning yellow and it is progressing Should the plants be doing this?

Sunny,
Burnaby, BC

The plants are suffering from a nitrogen deficiency and may be in too small a container. They should be fertilized with a high nitrogen (N) fertilizer. Check to see if the roots are girding the container. If they are, they can be transplanted to a 10"-12" diameter container.

IDEAL FERTILIZER

Dear Ed,

We have tried different variations of N-P-K ratios in nutrient solutions. Is there an ideal N-P-K ratio for vegging and flowering?

Greengenes,
Internet

There is no ideal fertilizer for several reasons. First, the quality of water varies and fertilizer requirements vary with the mineral content of the water. Secondly, different varieties of marijuana have different fertilizer requirements. Third, nutritional needs change with environmental changes. Light and temperature conditions have a tremendous effect on plant needs. Fourth, marijuana's nutritional needs change. Early and late vegetative, early, mid and late flowering each have unique nutritional needs.

HARD TO RIPEN

Ed,

I have a plant that is taking a long time to ripen. What is the best way to get the plant to ripen?

Batybo,
Internet

Equatorial varieties, which receive 12 hours of darkness all year,  use other cues as well as light regime to determine flowering and ripening time. They seem to respond to increasing dryness and cooler temperatures as well.

Increase the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness to 14 and lower the temperature about 3 degrees Celsius, (5F.).

Some varieties never seem to ripen. For instance, ruderalis and ruderalis hybrids, which start producing flowers early, never develop big buds and the flowers never ripen. Instead, the stigmas die but the ovaries never develop. Some equatorial varieties also produce flowers as they grow, but never develop flower heads under indoor conditions.

FLOWERING EARLY

Dear Ed,

My garden has 14 plants which I grew from seeds. I'm in 3rd week of vegetative growth under 24 hours of light. The babies are 5" tall and are healthy. I am using the sea of green method. Now I'm planning to begin flowering and sexing. Is that a good idea?

SMEF

Yes. However, the yield will increase substantially if you allow the plants to grow another two or three inches. This first crop you might also think about branching the plants out a little since approximately half of them are going to be tossed as they are sexed as males. This will leave a lot of space available in the garden. Figure that each branch or lead requires a space approximately 6" x 6", each square foot can hold approximately 4 staked leads.

EARLY FLOWERING

Ed,

I am growing plants indoors from seed. When my plants get about 4 weeks old can I take clones from them?

Cola Dude,
Cincinnati, Ohio

Yes. Then either the clone or the plant can be forced to flower. The clone and the plant will have the exact same genetics and will react similarly to the environment. Eventually they will yield the same type of bud.

REFLOWERING

Dear Ed,

I have a female plant that went through the flowering cycle. I left a lot of flower material on the plant. I forced her back into a vegetative cycle. How many days should I keep her in vegetative before forcing her back into flower cycle again. How many times can I do this?

S.
Los Angeles, CA

The plant can be forced to flower as soon as it has developed large enough new leads to support large buds. You may have to prune the plant, too, since revegetated plants have lots of branching.

The plant can continue to switch cycles for a long time as long as it is not attacked by bacteria or virus. One garden was using the same plants for two years.

PASSIVE OR ACTIVE HYDRO

Ed,

I am planning my first home garden and am confused by contradictory information contained in several books I've purchased. The garden will be constructed in a 2'x2'x5' cabinet, using a "sea of green" approach. I can't decide whether I should use a reservoir system or an active flow system. Some sources say an aerated reservoir is good for a simple system, while other sources say the plant roots should not sit in the water. Also, for a flow system, some kits come with submersible pumps, while other authors say never use a submersible pump because the pump will heat the nutrient solution and burn the roots.

Gerry
Columbia MD

Both passive and active systems will work in the garden. Roots should never sit in water that is not oxygenated. The roots require oxygen and will die if they are sitting water without it.. An inexpensive air pump will supply the reservoir with oxygen by circulating the water. As the water comes in contact with air, it releases carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen.

Small submersible pumps use little power and create little heat. They can be used in reservoirs without fear of boiling roots.

The best advice for small gardens is based on the word KISS- Keep It Simple, Stupid. Not referring to you, personally, of course.

BUYING SEED

Dear Ed,

I live in the U.S.A. and I'm having a hard time finding good high quality seeds. I know the legal ramification of buying through seed banks from other countries. Is there any other way to purchase seeds?

Seedless in Mo,
St. Joseph, Mo

The legal ramifications of growing marijuana anywhere in the U.s. are onerous. Anyone planning on embarking on the marijuana cultivation trip should be aware that there is a government pogrom against marijuana, its users, cultivators and even the culture associated with it. Last year more than 700,000 of your fellow citizens were arrested for marijuana and some of them are still in jail. Buying the seeds is just the start of your vulnerability

The door to door seed salesperson will be in your neighborhood next Friday from 2:00-3:30.

FRUIT-FLAVORED BUDS

Dear Ed,

I am growing outdoors in the 30th latitude. How do I get the buds to taste like various fruits such as lime, grapefruit or berry?

Zoom,
Lebanon

Those flavors are genetic factors which have been bred into the varieties. The odor molecules are essential oils, the mono and di-terpenes. These evaporate at low temperatures, starting at about 32 degrees celsius (90 F.).  There are quite a few varieties which yield fruit flavored buds. Choose one of them.

VARIETY PATTERNS

Dear Ed,

Is it possible that 9 plants which came from seeds of the same variety can grow in different patterns?

D.M.A
Odense, Denmark

The reason that the plants all look different is that the breeder has not stabilized the variety. It takes 6 or 7 generations of astute crossing to create a variety from a hybrid.

F1 generation plants are all uniform. When the F1 generation is crossed by itself it sorts out and plants show many different characteristics because of the different versions of genes that the plants have. This variation is what you are experiencing.

Take clones of all the plants now. After harvesting and testing the plants, choose the plant you like best. The clone will produce an exact genetic duplicate of the original plant.

BEST STRAIN FOR BEGINNERS

Dear Ed,

I am a beginning grower. I am wondering which strain to begin with.  I plan to grow in a small space, probably a closet or dresser.  I have not chosen lighting conditions but will use whatever is needed for the strain I choose.  Is there an ideal strain for a beginner grower such as myself??

Future Harvester,
Internet

There are a lot of good strains around. For instance, Marc Emery's operation advertises over 200 varieties. Most of them are derivatives of commercialized strains. As with commercial seeds, such as tomatoes, except for a brief, very favorable description, buyers do not really know what they are getting. Add to that the middlemen are often deceived, so the strains they advertise may not really be what the seeds are and that many "varieties" are really hybrids of hybrids and do not produce uniform results. It's a crazy world out there and it's still- Buyers Beware. All that being said, there are some varieties that are fairly easy to grow. The Skunk series and the White series are both fairly common, but extremely high quality and very easy to grow.