DrCannaCanadian: MarsHydro & Seedsman, Soil & Coco, 2020

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes - Searching For CBD Strains

Doctor Seedsman CBD from Seedsman

​

I like Doctor Seedsman CBD from Seedsman because it is a photoperiod and allows us greater control over the vegetation phase. Being a photoperiod also lends itself to cloning & mega cropping when we find a strong pheno!

The fact that its parents are "classified" is a big minus. The yield is likely a bit low because it is short and squat - we'd prefer a 550 gram/m² plant if we can find one. The 9 weeks to harvest may be acceptable depending on the veg growth rate.

The hint at ginger & pine in the description suggests a sedative effect due to the presence of Pine (pinene terpene).

The fact that it is a mostly sativa hybrid makes it a good choice for the summer grow.

The big plus for me is the downloadable lab reports!

Very high CBD:THC ratio of 30:1
​

Description
Doctor Seedsman CBD is the crowning achievement resulting from a long and diligent effort seeking to discover a strain of cannabis with very high levels of CBD but with less than 1% THC resulting in healing effects without any psychoactivity. Many CBD-rich strains have been created but up until now the vast majority have virtually equal amounts of CBD and THC.

Dr. Seedsman CBD is 80% sativa and is descended from a plant that its breeders named CBD Asia due to its provenance and high CBD levels. This amazing plant didn't even need the usual inbreeding in order to both emphasise and stabilise its desirable traits. It is a robust plant growing vigorously yet staying quite short and squat in the process. Indoor flowering lasts for 8 - 9 weeks while outdoor harvests should be ready in early October in northern latitudes. Yields are high and the buds nice and dense and covered with loads of resin.

This plant is very aromatic but non-psychoactive. It has a powerful and penetrating taste with a pine and ginger note on the finish. CBD production has been laboratory tested at 20% while THC comes in at less than 1%. This represents a CBD:THC ratio in excess of approximately 30:1. The effect is very deeply relaxing to the body with no cerebral effects whatsoever.

​

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes - Searching For CBD Strains

Pink Kush CBD Auto from Seedsman​

I like Pink Kush CBD Auto from Seedsman because it is an autoflower and gives us a quick 9 weeks from seed to harvest.
The fact that one of its parents is also a respectable Kush CBD plant is a big plus. We like Kush! The yield will likely be a bit low - but at only 2 months to harvest, and we have some medicine ready for curing - now that's acceptable.

The hint at earthy, fruity, pine in the description suggests a light uplifting but also calming effect due to the presence of the Fruity (terpinolene terpene) and Pine (pinene terpene).

The fact that it is mostly indica may make it easy to train, and it may not have widely varying phenos.

The big plus for me is the downloadable lab reports!

A smoke/edible report from a respectable and trusted 420 member will definitely go a long way in my books!!!

Fast CBD auto strain with a lovely pink tone.

​

Description
Pink Kush CBD Auto is the result of crossing Pink Kush CBD Auto with Pink Afghan CBD Auto strains. It is 90% indica, has a fast life-cycle and a CBD:THC ratio of at least 30:1.

As an auto-flowering strain it will be suitable for just about all environments. Taking a scant 9 weeks from germination through to harvest yields are said to be good although we do not as yet have any exact figures. Outdoor growers in warm climates will be able to achieve 2 or even 3 harvests per year. It displays an attractive pink colour in the buds.

The scent and taste resembles pine and damp forest with earthy hints of red fruits. CBD is rated at approximately 17% with just 0.5% THC. Its effect is a soft, light, relaxing body high.

​

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Dagobah Frost Forest
Update


Vegetation - Day 35​

Hello 420!

The plants are quickly recovering from their recent topping and defoliation here in the Dagobah Frost Forest!

Everyone got a solid 4 litre (4 quart) fertigation of 75% strength nutes today. The feed was made up of 3ml/liter of Advanced Nutrients Coco Grow A&B, and 0.25 gram/liter of MegaCrop.

We think it's still a bit strong for them, so we'll back down to 2ml/liter of Advanced Nutrients Coco Grow A&B, and 0.25 gram/liter of MegaCrop for their next feeding.

Tomorrow, we need to make a decision on whether to flip to 12-12 on February 23, 2020 or on March 01, 2020.

Although, we are currently thinking that the Tangie Cookies should grow a bit more before we flip them.

Remember, we make our decision to flip to 12-12 one week before the actual flip. This way we can defoliate the lower 1/3 of the plant and do last minute topping while still giving the plants a full week to recover from the high stress training.

Alright, here's Seedsman & Mars Hydro giving us the excellent results we really want:

Dagobah Frost Forest - Group Photo

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 15, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seed seedsman tangie cookies

Group Photo - Veg Day 35

Dagobah Frost Forest - Princess Leia

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 15, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seed seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 35

Dagobah Frost Forest - Obi-Wan Kenobi

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 15, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seed seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 35

Dagobah Frost Forest - Emperor Sidious

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 15, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seed seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 35

Dagobah Frost Forest - Darth Maul

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 15, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seed seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 35

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Dagobah Frost Forest
Update


Vegetation - Day 37​

Hello 420!

Both Seedsman Peyote WiFi plants have finished recovering from their heavy topping and defoliation last week. Their new growth is exhibiting signs of nute burn on the fan leaf tips, so we have decreased the nutrient strength from 75% down to 50%.

We are disappointed and have serious doubts about the unpackaged "BC Bud Depot - Tangie Cookies - Regular seeds" we received from our stepdaughter. Although the plants have a strong hint of citrus about them, they are definitely not "mostly sativa" nor are they expressing high quality pheno traits expected from high quality genetics.

We are not even certain they are regular seeds and both may turn out to be female.

We simply cannot stress just how critical it is to start your grow with high quality seeds from a trusted source in verifiable protective packaging.

Nevertheless, these two plants are lucky to be alive because we would have culled any other slow growing plant by now - but we are really looking forward to the citrus terpene - so they get to live on - growing slowly! Grrrr!

We have decided to flip to 12-12 in one week, so we did our heavy topping and defoliation on the two Tangie Cookies today.

We will defoliate the lower 1/3 of all the plants tomorrow in anticipation of our flip to 12-12!

Anyway, everyone got a solid 3 litre (3 quart) fertigation of 50% strength nutes today. The feed was made up of 2ml/liter of Advanced Nutrients Coco Grow A&B. Tomorrow's feed will be made up of made up of 1ml/liter of Advanced Nutrients Coco Grow A&B and 0.5 grams/litre of Mega Crop - this will maintain the feed strength at 50%

We are going to continue single daily fertigations of 50% strength nutes and watch the plants carefully for how they respond.

In two weeks, as the plants enter their flowering stage, we aim to have the feeds dialed-in to twice daily fertigations.

Alright, and here they are - even the dark side 'lucky to be alive' - under the strength of Mars Hydro.

Dagobah Frost Forest - Group Photo

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 17, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Group Photo - Veg Day 37

Dagobah Frost Forest - Princess Leia

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 17, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 37

Dagobah Frost Forest - Obi-Wan Kenobi

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 17, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 37

Dagobah Frost Forest - Emperor Sidious

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 17, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 37

Dagobah Frost Forest - Darth Maul

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 17, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 37

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Cannabis Grow Lighting Myths and FAQs

By Dr. Bruce Bugbee ​

My following notes, are based on the video presented by Dr. Bruce Bugbee, released on January 09, 2020:

​

00:00) Intoduction

Dr. Bruce Bugbee debunks myths and answers FAQs on grow lights for cannabis based on his research so far at Utah State University's Crop Physiology Lab (see time-stamps below to navigate topics). Bruce is a world-renowned crop physiology professor famous for his work in controlled environment agriculture for NASA and is president of Apogee Instruments, a developer of research-grade instruments used in precision agriculture.

Bruce's lab at Utah State is one of the few with a license to study cannabis cultivation with several active research projects underway (see: Hemp Research Underway at Utah State University ). The lab's license is to research hemp, but these principles apply to marijuana, including sativa and indica.

Some of Bruce's answers in this video are based on what the research is showing so far, but further tests are underway. As this is a very hot topic right now, we will do our best to monitor questions posted in the comments below and ask Bruce to answer them in future videos.

02:24) Light As One Of The Nine Cardinal Parameters

Light drives the optimum levels of all the other eight cardinal parameters.

Light As One Of The Nine Cardinal Parameters

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 18, 2020
• my medical cannabis experiences

Light drives the optimum levels of all the other eight cardinal parameters.

​

04:04) Can too much light cause problems with my cannabis plants?

Cannabis is like a race car. We can give cannabis exceptionally high levels of light, if all the other eight cardinal parameters are optimized.

It is critical to get the lighting right!


05:30) How far should my lights be above my cannabis plants?

This depends on the wattage of the light and we use μmol/m2*s. Just saying put your light 30 cm (12 inches) away from your plant is simply too imprecise! You need a light meter.


09:30) What is the optimum light intensity for growing cannabis?

To help with this, we need draw a light response curve: PPFD (μmol/m2*s)[photons] vs Pn (μmol/m2*s)[leaf] .

If we put a plant in the dark, it eventually respires and dies. In the dark, the plant is shrinking, and we have a negative Pn. The light compensation point is the minimum PPFD needed to keep the plant alive.

Cannabis can take 2000 PPFD, but we need elevated CO2 and a 'balanced nutrient solution'! That is, you don't need lots of nutrients!

If the leaves are green, we are using the photons efficiently and we have high photosynthetic rates!


16:59) PAR and PPFD explained

PAR - is a generic term.
PPFD - is universal and always means (μmol/m2*s)[photons].


19:30) The best DLI (Daily Light Integral) for Cannabis

PPFD is per second.
DLI is an integral - a summataion.
PPFD: 1000 (μmol/m2*s) = DLI: 43.2 (mol/m2*day) - This is high light.

In summer, outdoors, - we can get to a DLI of 60.0 (mol/m2*day).

After we reach a DLI of 43.2 (mol/m2*day) - we see diminishing returns.


24:25) The proper tools to measure light levels

In order to get Manageable, Measurable and Reproducible results we need to quantify our data.

Researchers use a Bluetooth Quantum meter or a Spectroradiometer.

I personally use a LUX meter for basic measurements.


26:40) DLI levels for seedlings/cuttings

You can push seedlings/cuttings with very high light - if you can keep them watered - and the other parameters are not limiting growth!


27:20) Photo periods and light pollution thresholds during dark periods

There is no evidence that turning on the lights shock the plants. There is no need to ramp them up slowly.
There is some evidence to support a 24 hour photoperiod to get the plants growing.

How dark does it have to be for cannabis at night? Very!
There are studies supporting that cannabis is exquisitely sensitive to light pollution.
Anything more than just full moon light can be a problem.
Recall, we can see clearly in 7 (μmol/m2*s)[photons].


30:20) New light pollution sensors

You can get instruments to quantify Reagent Grade Darkness.


31:30) Light requirements of different cultivars

There are different physical characteristics - but the cultivars like high light.
Some cultivars can take 13h or 14h of light during flowering.


32:50) Light quality effect on the synthesis of cannabinoids and terpenes

THC, CBD, Myrcene, Terpinolene.
Currently there is NO evidence to support that changing the colors of light makes a significant difference in the ratios of cannabinoids.

Stay tuned!!!


34:17) UV and Far-red effects on cannabis

This is very important!

The classic definition for PAR is from 400 to 700 - but since LEDs are improving this is changing.
Using 700-750 (far-red) is critical - it causes photosynthesis - and can lead to more branching and more height.
Using 350-400 (UV) also cause photosynthesis - reduce disease and trigger cannabinoid synthesis.

The definition of PAR is likely to change.

Stay tuned!!!


39:40) Optimal spectrum for veg and flowering

Percentage of blue photons.

Before LEDs - MH (30% blue) for 18h vegetation - then HPS (4% blue) for 12h flowering.

Sunlight has about 30% blue and keeps the plant compact.

We like to see very efficient lights - and the presence of white helps us to diagnose diseases.


42:52) Design Light Consortium (DLC) and light efficiency listings

DLC have listed the efficiency of lights from independent test labs!!!

Efficiency: μmol (out)/ Joule (in)

LEDs can hit 2.5 μmol (out)/ Joule (in) now.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


How do I manipulate the photo period for larger yields?​

This is an old, yet interesting article - and it ties into my current investigation into learning more about current lighting theory.

How do I manipulate the photoperiod for larger yields?

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 18, 2020
• my medical cannabis experiences

An article posted by ChefDGreen: Alright everybody,
I need to hear you all’s opinions on...

In a nutshell, the author is claiming that by increasing the duration of the lights-on period, the plant's metabolism will increase and the yield will go up. The author claims success for running this light cycle for a two week period.

However, I do not see the author actually quantify how much of an increase in yield they actually got - or the quality of their bud.

All the author says is "Don't be afraid" - although I would be afraid!

We know that to trigger flowering in a photoperiod, we need to increase the lights-off to 10h, 11h or most commonly to 12h.

Note: We know that running a 14-10 lighting cycle will take the plant longer to ripen, so there really is no net gain.

From what I recall, when we increase the duration of the dark cycle to 12h, the phytochrome red receptors turn into far-red receptors. This change in plant physiology causes the generation of flowering hormones - sets the circadian rhythm - and thus the plant begins to flower.

Note: We know that phytochromes can be manipulated with far-red light to produce unique results that benefit the cannabis grower. By using far-red light at the end of that 14/10 cycle, it forces a plant to "sleep" immediately so it doesn't take any longer to ripen. The net result is about 17% greater yield.

I would suspect that the increase in the lights-on hours will affect the ratio of red:far-red receptors.

I would also suspect that if you are not careful, one could accidentally send the plant back into a vegetative state.

Note: We can use the "monster cropping" technique in week two of flowering to take a clone, revert it to veg, and get a bushier plant.

I appreciate that the increase in lights-on will increase the DLI - which is a good thing - but we also need to dial-in the other eight cardinal parameters mentioned in my previous post.

I'm assuming that increasing the lights-on duration will increase the time necessary to ripen - again - is there really any net gain?

I would also be concerned that the plant might hermie or throw bananas with this unusual photo period..

It is certainly is a fun experiment to consider, but it also appears to have significant unknown risks.

If someone was to actually run this experiment, it would be prudent to do it with significant growing knowledge, use clones, establish a control, and definitely be able to quantify and document the results so it can be reproduced.

 

[nivek]

interesting,, however,, the inconvenience of having an irregular schedule would so far outweigh any benefits,, least certainly for the hobby grower.

interesting thinking tho,, outside the box a bit, indeed,, and could be possible to possibly have an affect,, one way or tother

cheers friend

 

[ChefDGreen]

​

From what I recall, when we increase the duration of the dark cycle to 12h, the phytochrome red receptors turn into far-red receptors. This change in plant physiology causes the generation of flowering hormones - sets the circadian rhythm - and thus the plant begins to flower.

I would suspect that the increase in the lights-on hours will affect the ratio of red:far-red receptors.

See when you talk about the change to far-red receptors, the change comes from a lengthening of night hours. You say the lengthening of daylight hours will affect far-red receptors, but it isn’t what triggers flower. People veg under all kinds of day:night ratios. It seems possible to me that you could flower under long days as long as the nights are long enough to maintain far-red receptors (12hr). The author seems right on to me when he says that metabolism would be increased while flowering is continued. I guess I’ll find out in the following weeks.

 

[Scottylikesbud]

This man is delving deeper then anyone who has come before. I wish you well on your journey and hope you return with knowledge that forever changes how weed is grown.

It seems possible to me that you could flower under long days as long as the nights are long enough to maintain far-red receptors (12hr). The author seems right on to me when he says that metabolism would be increased while flowering is continued. I guess I’ll find out in the following weeks.

 

[PCaddict]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes - Searching For CBD Strains

Candida (CD-1) from Medical Marijuana Genetics​

I like Candida (CD-1) from Medical Marijuana Genetics because it is a photoperiod and allows us greater control over the vegetation phase. Being a photoperiod also lends itself to cloning & mega cropping when we find a strong pheno!

The fact that its parents are also respectable CBD plants is a big plus. The yield seems a bit low - we'd prefer a 550 gram/m² plant if we can find one. The 9 weeks to harvest may be acceptable depending on the veg growth rate.

The hint at lemon in the description suggests an uplifting effect due to the presence of Citrus (limonene terpene).

The fact that it is a hybrid may make it a bit tricky to train, and it may have wide varying phenos.

The big plus for me is the downloadable lab reports! I'm getting pretty tired of low-level breeders marketing seeds at 30% THC without a respectable lab report!

But hey - be mindful - as bigger and bigger money comes into play - so does corruption to profit from false marketing!

Therefore, a smoke/edible report from a respectable and trusted 420 member will definitely go a long way in my books!!!

The flagship strain from Medical Marijuana Genetics, Candida (CD-1), meaning Bright Light in Latin, offers a 20:1 CBD:THC ratio, the highest ever count of a CBD-rich phenotype in Europe to date.​

Description
Candida (CD-1) has the highest CBD and lowest THC content of any strain to date on the seed market. It was named after the founder of Medical Marijuana Genetics’ late mother and the name actually means ‘bright light’ in Latin.

The laboratory test results show CBD levels of between 20.6% and 10.9% CBD with THC levels rising with higher CBD levels - but never surpassing 1% THC. The balance between CBD and THC remains more consistent than any other similar strain.

With this ratio of CBD to THC, the anti-psychotic capabilities of the higher levels of CBD outweigh the relatively small amounts of THC, and serve to nullify the "high", effect, ensuring a non-psychoactive cannabis product.

Candida can be grown both indoors and outdoors. It is suitable for all environments and growing media and has a unique lemon flavour and aroma that complements its medicinal properties. CD-1 will thrive in any climate. It impresses with its highly vigorous early growth

Candida will produce two different phenotypes; a sativa and an indica. Initial studies have suggested that the sativa phenotype will produce lower, whispier yields often associated with sativa strains. We have noticed to date that the sativa pheno produces higher CBD counts. In comparison, the indica pheno will produce bigger, denser yields with lower CBD levels but still with significant CBD content. It is recommended to give good care to the sativa phenos as these can be harder to manage and will have larger distances between the internodes making the plants more vulnerable.

Generally, the sativa pheno is better suited to making extractions than to smoking and vaping, whilst the indica pheno is suitable for all.

It came Highly recommended to me by @InTheShed and a couple other members who have tried it and the pictures I have seen that other members grew looked really Nice, Big fat colas and Lots of them. I haven't tried it but I have heard good things

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


How do I manipulate the photo period for larger yields?​

See when you talk about the change to far-red receptors, the change comes from a lengthening of night hours. You say the lengthening of daylight hours will affect far-red receptors, but it isn’t what triggers flower. People veg under all kinds of day:night ratios. It seems possible to me that you could flower under long days as long as the nights are long enough to maintain far-red receptors (12hr). The author seems right on to me when he says that metabolism would be increased while flowering is continued. I guess I’ll find out in the following weeks.

Hey @ChefDGreen ,

You said: "It seems possible to me that you could flower under long days as long as the nights are long enough to maintain far-red receptors (12hr). "

The cannabis plant is an annual herb that has its anatomy and physiology programmed at the genetic and cellular level to establish circadian rhythms based on Earth's 24 hour day. It is either in veg or flower based on internal hormones established by external sensors.

How can you possibly flower under longer days given that you need 12 hours of darkness in a 24 hour period to maintain maturation and ripening of the flower?

Just because you are growing an outdoor plant indoors does not mean you get to change hundreds of thousands of years of plant evolution on earth.

Maybe I'm missing something?

Note: Some cultivars will flower under 11 hours or 10 hours of darkness.

Also, please remember that holding a cannabis plant in flower for 8 weeks is highly stressful to the plant already. It is our job as growers to balance and limit the stress we impose (LST & HST) on it. We are effectively walking a tight rope
trying to add just a bit more stress at the right time to tweak out more cannabinoids and terpenes - without making the already stressed plant hermie.

I was curious and crunched some numbers on your planned experiment and basically I see a very irregular light cycle and at least four days where you are instructing the plant to re-veg.

We know that irregular light cycles are the number one reason for cannabis plants to hermie.

We know that cannabis plants will unexpectedly revert back to vegetative growth if there is any disturbance in their dark photoperiod (if they aren’t in darkness for at least 12 hours a day).

Even the tiniest of changes in a cannabis plant’s light cycle can cause it to flip back to a vegetative state, and some plants may even turn hermaphroditic, growing both male pollen sacs and female flowers.

So, I'm thinking an irregular light cycle combined with only 3 days where you have 12 hours of darkness puts the plant at significant risk of becoming hermaphroditic or re-vegging.

Anyway, good luck - I hope things work out in your favor.

Day	Lights-On	Lights-Off	Lights-On	Lights-Off
Day 01	Sunday 06:00 to Monday 03:36		21:36
Day 01		Monday 03:36 to Monday 06:00		02:24
Day 02		Monday 06:00 to Monday 15:36		09:36
Day 02	Monday 15:36 to Tuesday 06:00		14:24
Day 03	Tuesday 06:00 to Tuesday 13:12		07:12
Day 03		Tuesday 13:12 to Wednesday 01:12		12:00
Day 03	Wednesday 01:12 to Wednesday 06:00		04:48
Day 04	Wednesday 06:00 to Wednesday 22:48		16:48
Day 04		Wednesday 22:48 to Thursday 06:00		07:12
Day 05		Thursday 06:00 to Thursday 10:48		04:48
Day 05	Thursday 10:48 to Friday 06:00		19:12
Day 06	Friday 06:00 to Friday 08:24		02:24
Day 06		Friday 08:24 to Friday 20:24		12:00
Day 06	Friday 20:24 to Saturday 06:00		09:36
Day 07	Saturday 06:00 to Saturday 18:00		12:00
Day 07		Saturday 18:00 to Sunday 06:00		12:00

Day	Lights-On	Lights-Off
Day 01	21:36	02:24
Day 02	14:24	09:36
Day 03	12:00	12:00
Day 04	16:48	07:12
Day 05	19:12	04:48
Day 06	12:00	12:00
Day 07	12:00	12:00

 

[ChefDGreen]

I am putting to the test that the plants adhere to a 24 hour circadian rhythm. You are assuming that 12 hours of dark inside every 24 hour period is necessary. Im asserting that this is not the case. The only thing that truly matters to keep a plant in flower is the following: (typically)12hr of uninterrupted darkness at the end of every light period. Obviously there are limits, 12 hours of dark a week isn’t going to be enough.

I don’t think a plant goes by, “oh this is the end of day one, even though the lights are still on.” I very much doubt that the plant is on a 24 hour clock. Chemical reactions don’t work that way. How would the plant, or the chemical reactions inside the plant, descern from day one darkness and day two darkness?

I think it’s much more simple than that. Chemical responses to dark go on during dark, and chemical responses to light go on during light. Plants don’t care really what the cycle is, as long as it’s consistent. If you consistently have darkness long enough to provide adequate flowering hormones, your plants will flower.. assuming you’re not interrupting their precious dark hours.(which I’m not)

you say that it’s an inconsistent or irregular light cycle. I think you’re very off. The light cycle is consistent in that the lights always go off after 21:36, and they always come on after 12. People have flowered plants under this cycle and taken them full term (Assumedly, for the nonchalant way the author writes, as if he had tested various light schedules over many grows) . If your 24 hour circadian assumption were true, that wouldn’t be possible.

Edit: Think of it this way.... if one day you woke up, and the daylight lasted 21 hours... you’d go, “ what the hell? That’s weird?” But after a week you wouldn’t even notice anymore.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

I am putting to the test that the plants adhere to a 24 hour circadian rhythm. You are assuming that 12 hours of dark inside every 24 hour period is necessary. Im asserting that this is not the case. The only thing that truly matters to keep a plant in flower is the following: (typically)12hr of uninterrupted darkness at the end of every light period. Obviously there are limits, 12 hours of dark a week isn’t going to be enough.

I don’t think a plant goes by, “oh this is the end of day one, even though the lights are still on.” I very much doubt that the plant is on a 24 hour clock. Chemical reactions don’t work that way. How would the plant, or the chemical reactions inside the plant, descern from day one darkness and day two darkness?

I think it’s much more simple than that. Chemical responses to dark go on during dark, and chemical responses to light go on during light. Plants don’t care really what the cycle is, as long as it’s consistent. If you consistently have darkness long enough to provide adequate flowering hormones, your plants will flower.. assuming you’re not interrupting their precious dark hours.(which I’m not)

you say that it’s an inconsistent or irregular light cycle. I think you’re very off. The light cycle is consistent in that the lights always go off after 21:36, and they always come on after 12. People have flowered plants under this cycle and taken them full term (Assumedly, for the nonchalant way the author writes, as if he had tested various light schedules over many grows) . If your 24 hour circadian assumption were true, that wouldn’t be possible.

Edit: Think of it this way.... if one day you woke up, and the daylight lasted 21 hours... you’d go, “ what the hell? That’s weird?” But after a week you wouldn’t even notice anymore.

Hey @ChefDGreen , thanks for your response - your thoughts are quite interesting.

I certainly don't agree with you, but I commend you in your efforts - and I hope you can document clearly a new way for everyone to increase their yield!

Are you using clones from the same mother?
Are you using experimental plants under 21:36?
Are you using control plants under 12-12?
Are you measuring and quantifying your results? Yield in grams? Yield in grams per days in flower?

Are you going subjective instead of quantitative this round?

I'm not trying to be confrontational - I'm just curious - and I'm always open to new ideas based on measurable results!

Unfortunately, I just can't put a lot of faith into experiments that are not managed and measured.

I'm definitely looking forward to your results!

 

[ChefDGreen]

Hey @ChefDGreen , thanks for your response - your thoughts are quite interesting.

I certainly don't agree with you, but I commend you in your efforts - and I hope you can document clearly a new way for everyone to increase their yield!

Are you using clones from the same mother?
Are you using experimental plants under 21:36?
Are you using control plants under 12-12?
Are you measuring and quantifying your results? Yield in grams? Yield in grams per days in flower?

Are you going subjective instead of quantitative this round?

I'm not trying to be confrontational - I'm just curious - and I'm always open to new ideas based on measurable results!

Unfortunately, I just can't put a lot of faith into experiments that are not managed and measured.

I'm definitely looking forward to your results!

Doc,
I hope that I also do not come off as confrontational. This dialogue is how we all grow better produce. It’s great to discuss ideas with someone who can articulate as well you.

Regarding whether we agree or not; I am not fixated on my point of view per se. As you said, I just want to get to the bottom of a technique that supposedly can increase yield. If my plants go wacky and reveg or hermie, I’ll have proven to myself that you’re right about a 24 hour circadian rhythm.

This run is speculative for the most part. I do have some “anecdotal controls” in the two cookies n chem clones. I’m familiar with how the that cultivar bulks up and how long it takes to finish.Thank you for your push for the scientific method so that I can quantify my results if any. This will be my goal in the future, and I will most certainly be calling on you for advice regarding the logistics of gathering empirical data.


For now, I will be elated to demonstrate 2 things. 1) a long day photoperiod can be used even at mid/late flower
2) as long as a 12 hour night happens 5 times per week, my plants did not reveg or hermie.

Simply put; 2 weeks of long days was, at the very least, not harmful. If I can show that, it’s a starting point for others to build on.

Thank you for your time Doc. I appreciate the engaging discussion.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Dagobah Frost Forest
Update


Vegetation - Day 41​

Hello 420!

Well. we gave the plants a heads-up yesterday - we changed the light cycle from 18-6 to 16-8.

The plants are officially on notice that the days are getting shorter and they can expect to begin flowering soon.

That is, we are still on track to flip to 12-12 on February 23, 2020 - although we don't think that Emperor Sidious and Darth Maul will be fully recovered until February 26, 2020.

At this point, all the plants have been topped, defoliated and lolipopped - and they are now in their 'one week recovery' period before beginning the 'transition' phase.

We haven't lolipopped before - but this time we are going to try it just for fun. Normally, we like to keep as many fan leaves as possible and let the plant cannibalize them at the end.

We are thinking about calling our 'heavy topping & heavy defoliation' technique 'bowling' - because the plant takes on a bowl shape.

We are pleased that the canopies are flat, the stems are strong and the tops are plenty!

Dagobah Frost Forest

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

A flat canopy is very important!

Note: You can increase your yield by up to 40% by simply keeping the canopy flat.

We are thinking about using some bamboo and some ties to space out the tops just a bit of LST before transition.

The Seedsman Peyote WiFis are drinking 3 litres (3 quarts) of 50% nutes once each day - and Emperor Sidious and Darth Maul are only drinking 2 litres (2 quarts) of 50% nutes once each day,

We set the lights at 45 cm (18") above canopy - we will lower them as we get the flowering nutes dialed in.

Anyway, here they are, all lollipopped and healing under the Mars Hydro light:

Dagobah Frost Forest - Group Photo

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Group Photo - Veg Day 41

Dagobah Frost Forest - Princess Leia

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 41

Dagobah Frost Forest - Obi-Wan Kenobi

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 41

Dagobah Frost Forest - Emperor Sidious

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 41

Dagobah Frost Forest - Darth Maul

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 21, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 41

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


The Flowering Stage Of Cannabis Week By Week ​

The flowering stage is when your cannabis plants grow their aromatic and soon-to-be-smokeable buds. This is a particularly important stage in your cannabis plants' life cycle. A lot happens in the flowering stage; learn how to care for your plants through every week of flowering.

​

When the light cycle provides your cannabis plants with longer hours of uninterrupted darkness, they enter the flowering stage. Your plants will stop growing and instead put their energy into producing buds (flowers). Outdoors, this will normally happen when the days get shorter around the end of summer. When you grow indoors, flowering will begin once you switch your lights to 10-12 hours of darkness.

For most cannabis strains, the flowering period will last about 7-9 weeks, although some sativas require even longer for their buds to mature.

What happens during flowering and at what exact time can somewhat vary depending on the particular strain you are growing. So don’t expect your plants to follow this schedule to the T; see it more as a general guideline that you can go by. Let us look at the flowering phase of cannabis week by week.

THE FIRST FEW FLOWERING WEEKS (WEEKS 1, 2 AND 3)

When the flowering period starts, it isn't an abrupt change in your plants’ growth. Cannabis won’t just stop growing and then go into flowering right away. In these first weeks of flowering, many cannabis strains may indeed undergo a considerable growth stretch. This is important to know when it comes to feeding your plants properly, but also if you want to give them sufficient space to grow.

WEEK 1 (TRANSITION STAGE AND STRETCH)

In the very first weeks of flowering, your cannabis plants will be in the transition stage. Thinking that winter is not far away and that she will soon have to carry a big load of bud, your plant will likely grow rapidly. Some strains can almost double in height during this time. Because of the fast growth that your plant is undergoing now, this early flowering phase is also known as the stretch phase.

While your plant is putting in quite some overtime to gain size and height, she will grow a number of new leaves mostly at the top of the main colas. Your cannabis plant is busy growing “green stuff,” like leaves and stems so she can become stronger and sturdier.

​

Important things to know in this early stage of flowering.

Although your plant has officially entered the flowering phase, she will now have an increased need for growing nutrients. You should not abruptly change your nutrient schedule and use flowering nutrients from one day to the next. It is usually recommended that you continue to give growing nutrients for at least one more week once flowering starts.

With the stretching of cannabis in early flowering, you may possibly want to think about training techniques such as low stress training (LST). This is where you bend the stems down and away from the centre of the plant so you can get an even canopy for a more efficient use of your grow lights. This can help you obtain much better yields later on.

WEEK 2

In week 2 of flowering, you may spot the first white pistils growing on your female cannabis plants. These fine and wispy white hairs will develop at those locations where the big fan leaves meet the main stem. It is these fine hairs that will later become buds.

If your cannabis plant happens to be a male, it won’t grow these “hairs,” but will instead grow small pollen sacs. Should you grow regular, non-feminized plants where you don’t know their gender, now is the time when you should “sex” your plants so you can separate the males from the females. The males won’t grow buds and will also pollinate your females, causing them to grow seeds. This is something you do not want to happen.

To properly feed your plants once they start to flower and to initiate the first signs of growing buds, you should check your nutrient manufacturer’s schedule. It is normally around this time at week 2 where you will have to increase flowering nutrients to help your plants reach their maximum yield potential.

​

WEEK 3

Your cannabis plants have still not entirely stopped growing and will now be about 50% bigger than what they were just three weeks earlier. Although still stretching a bit, the stretch will now gradually slow down and soon come to a complete halt.

At the locations on the plant where you previously saw some hairs, you can now see the first signs of real buds developing. There still won’t be many resin glands and trichomes on your plants, which means that the smell won’t be too pungent yet either.

This phase of flowering where your plant is starting to spend increasingly more energy on growing flowers is particularly critical. Make sure that the nutrients you give are appropriate and check the labels for the recommended dosages.

As your plants become more picky, you should check for potential deficiencies that could manifest in various ways, such as discoloured, yellowing leaves or loss of leaves entirely. At the same time, you should also check your plants for signs of possible overfeeding (“nutrient burn”) that could show up around this time as well. Nutrient burn will usually show in the tips of the leaves becoming discoloured. If this happens, you need to cut down on feeding.

​

WEEK 4

At week 4 of the flowering stage, your cannabis plants will likely have stopped growing altogether and are now spending all their energy on growing buds. There will still be white hairs sticking out from the buds, but the buds themselves will become bigger and fatter with each day. With more and larger buds growing, your plants will now produce more trichomes, making the odour a lot more noticeable at this stage.

Since your cannabis plant will have stopped growing, you won’t have to pay attention to training your plants any longer. Where you bent down branches before, now you may possibly consider holding them up should they require structural support.

​

WEEK 5

In week 5 of flowering, you can observe the buds all over your plant becoming thicker. You may also spot new buds growing in new places such as along the main cola. With buds abounding, your cannabis plants will get fatter every day. This is a surefire sign you are in full flowering mode. At this point, your plant will have a very intensive odour. Ensure that you have a good ventilation system in place if you grow indoors or in a region that doesn’t allow for legal cultivation.

Some of your cannabis plants’ previously white pistil hairs may now be turning darker into a brownish or amber colour. At the same time, when you check the trichomes of your plant, you may spot some of them becoming opaque. The trichomes becoming milky white and the hairs turning darker are all signs of your plants not being too far from harvest.

​

WEEKS 6, 7 AND 8 (LATE FLOWERING STAGE, RIGHT BEFORE HARVEST)

Not all cannabis strains require the same amount of time for their flowering, but many varieties will be ready to harvest in these last three weeks. There are, however, not too many strains that will be ready before week 8.

Flushing Your Cannabis Plants
Depending on the flowering time of your particular strain, the time for flushing your cannabis plant is normally two weeks before harvest. When you “flush,” you stop administering nutrients and give the plant only plain, pH-balanced water in these final weeks. This will get rid of (flush out) salts and minerals in the soil which will make for a better and more pure-tasting bud. Otherwise, your smoke will be quite harsh and can have an unpleasant, chemical taste.

Check Your Plants For The Right Harvest Time
To find out when it’s time to harvest your plant, you can use a jeweller’s loupe or a small microscope to regularly check your plants’ trichomes. You can observe whether the trichomes turn from clear to a milky white colour. If many of the trichomes you see are still clear and transparent, it means it’s still too early for harvest. But when most of the trichomes have an amber colour and an opaque clarity, this means that the THC content of the buds is at its maximum and the plant is ready for harvest.

​

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


The Cannabis Blooming Phase ​

PART 1 / INTRO

The end is almost in sight, and in just another couple of months of blossoming we will be ready to get our sheers out of the cupboard. In order to get the very best out of each plant we need to tune all the possible factors and harmonise them with each other.

After all, it often the tiniest improvements that lead to the most enormous results. This issue I will look at each of the important factors in turn, as well as how you can quickly remedy a nutrient deficiency.

​

Blossoming is well and truly underway and after a couple of weeks white hairs start to sprout on various parts of the plant. The formation of the buds is now slowly but surely underway. As I have said before, do not forget to separate the male from the female plants. The males that develop will soon start to develop little balls that within about three weeks will be ready to burst and spread pollen all over the place, fertilising the hairy females. The first three weeks of the blossoming period is in actual fact a sort of growth period.

After setting your plants into bloom by putting the lighting on a 12 hours' light / 12 hours' dark time scheme, the plants will start to bloom (grow) explosively; they can very quickly double or triple in size. Especially if this is your first time growing it is a really wonderful sight to behold, watching that little sprog of a bush transforming into a strapping whopper with buds swelling bigger and bigger, whose THC-rich crystals begin to pile up in mounds. The specific odour of the plant develops more and more, leaving you barely able to wait to harvest some of those buds and get enjoying your first spliff of the new harvest.

PART 2 / GROWTH AND BLOOM FEED

​

During the blooming period we will be switching over to using bloom feed and we can stash away any remaining growth nutrients until the next time, however little we have needed it to date.

If you have used well pre-fertilised soils, then you will easily have been able to go a few weeks without having had to use any liquid fertiliser. Naturally, your pregrowth period should not last too long, otherwise you will have to use growth nutrients.For this set-up we solely used Plagron nutrients; some brands use just a single bottle that you can use to make up both growth and bloom nutrient, while others make separate growth- and bloom-nutrients. Many growers also continue to give their plants growth nutrients into the first or second week of the blossoming period because this is a sort of transitional period and the plants still have a great thirst for nitrogen and other building blocks for their rapid development.

By doing this the plants will also end up somewhat bigger, given that the bloom feed stimulated the plants to switch their attention (and resources) more to bud formation than increasing their size. In this way, you can use your giving of nutrients to play around a bit with the eventual size of the plant. If you already have good-sized plants and would prefer that they remain a little compact due to constraints on the space you have available for them, then just give them bloom feed immediately.If your plants are on the small side and will not fill your space optimally at this rate and you want increase their size as much as possible, then you can continue to give them growth feed for a while longer to stimulate this.

Of course, these differences are not huge, but every little helps, and a few centimetres more here and there can make a nice difference. After three weeks' blossoming you will notice that the plants have reached their maximum size. The plants have stopped putting on any more height or girth and now they will be doing the real work of forming their buds. At this moment it is important to give them bloom feed, as the plants have a greater need of phosphorus and potassium.These are some of the most important building blocks for a good bud development.

This means it is a good ideas to also get your bottle of PK 13-14 out. PK 13-14 (I used Plagron's PK Plus) is a separate bloom feed used as a supplement to your regular bloom feed. As you might have surmised from the name, it contains extra phosphorus and potassium that your plant really needs to be able to reward you with big, fat buds.There are two ways of administering PK 13-14. You can start with small doses from the first week and then slowly build up the dose each week. So start with 0.25 ml / per litre in the first week and by the third week aim to be giving 0.75 ml / per litre.

How much you need to give is usually written on the side of the bottle too. The second way is to wait until the fourth week of bloom has begun, because it is this moment at which the most bud development begins, and then go straight to giving them 1.5 ml/per litre immediately and continue with this until the end of blooming.In short, using PK 13-14 makes for harder and denser buds by supplying the plant with a wealth of building materials.

Do not forget too that at this stage you must tailor your nutrient-giving to the needs of the plant. This has now developed very different nutritional requirements to when she needed lots of feeding for her strong development during the preceding three weeks. If you continue to give them as much nutrient as you have been doing, you run the risk of over-fertilising very quickly.If you had been giving them nutrients every day in the first few weeks, then maybe they only need them every other day now. It is something to pay attention to.

Every plant blooms in its own way, so some varieties have a very rapid increase in bud size between the third and fifth week of blooming, while other varieties put their real weight on as measured in grams in the last weeks. This means that you just have to look carefully at your plants (and listen to them) to know what their nutritional needs are at any PARTicular moment.I mention this because many beginner growers start off well and think that they have everything running smoothly, when after a few weeks the needs of the plant changes and the grower sticks to her old pattern, which can then result in him only managing a feeble harvest.

PART 3 / FEEDING THE LEAVES

​

The plants bloom enthusiastically and are fed with Algal Bloom. Every week they are sprayed with Phytamin Leaf Feed, and as a bloom stimulator, Plagron's Repro Forte is applied, which serves to ensure that more sugars are transported from the leaves to the buds.

Every two weeks enzymes are also given. These enzymes clean your medium by removing dead roots and reduce the salt accumulation that has occurred from the application of nutrients.

Seed plants have the tendency to grow in height earlier than clones. So by now they will be considerably larger and for that reason I strongly recommend if you have limited head room in your grow space that you 'top' or bend your plants. You bend a plant by pulling down the crown bud with string fixing it bent under slight tension. By doing this you get the same effect as topping (removing the top of the plant) but with the advantage of you getting to keep the crown bud.

The lowest- situated side branches will develop better and the plant will develop more buds, on a wider girth. Grow spaces that are lower than 1.5 metres in height will need their plants topping or bending earlier, or else given a much shorter growth period. Better too little food than too much, but if you should experience a severe nutrient deficiency that you cannot solve by recommencing with the bloom feed, then the quickest way of solving the problem is by applying leaf feed.

You make up some nutrient mix as you normally would and spray your plants with the solution. Plants can also take up nutrients via their leaves, and the advantage of doing it this way is that you do not change the pH of your medium. Spraying your plants is best done just before you turn off the lamps and / or just before you switch them on. The problem that presents itself when you get a large deficiency to deal with is that when you give the plants a nutrient solution (via the medium) you have to wait until the plants are thirsty again. There is no point in giving them a feed solution every day if the plants can't actually take up what they need. You're forced to wait a while, certainly longer than you would wish, before you can adjust the deficiency properly.

By combining watering with the application of leaf nutrient, then the plant gets what it needs immediately via the leaves. Generally, you will notice the improvement the very next day. You will observe that the yellow spots on the leaves will have regained some of their colour again. By continuing to give feed water and leaf nutrients, the plants will soon once again be a ravishing shade of green. Another advantage of leaf feeding is that you can safely experi ment to find out what kind of deficiency your plants have. Many growers are stricken by doubts as to whether they are dealing with an under-fertilisation or an excess.

By simply spraying the leaves with a feed solution you can very quickly observe if there is a positive or negative reaction from the plant and from that deduce what the problem is. Something that is always handy to have around is a set of bottles filled with individual nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. With these you will be more easily able to experiment with your nutrient problem. Suppose you have a nitrogen deficiency and are forced to use a general nutrient solution to correct it; you are also giving the plant the elements that it does not need too.

Adopt the simple expedient of keeping a separate bottle with only nitrogen in it. Adding this will raise your plants nitrogen levels without influencing the other fertiliser components. This bottle system is especially useful for outdoor growers who are in the process of raising large plants in pots and needing to apply large volumes of nitrogen. PARTicularly during heat waves it is handy to spray your plants with a nitrogen solution, or simply increase the percentage of nitrogen in your general feed water. Obviously, the same process can be used for phosphorus and potassium deficiencies.

PART 4 / VENTILATION

​

In order to achieve a good bloom there must be sufficient carbon dioxide for the plants. They need CO2 for a vigorous growth and bloom during the daylight hours.

The more CO2 in the air the faster your plants can develop and the greater their tolerance for high temperatures. How you have your grow space set up is very important.

An optimal space is one in which all along one side, at the very bottom, holes have been bored to allow air in, while on the other side there is a vacuum extractor - placed as high up as possible. This set up offers an optimal air circulation from one side of the space to the other side. The CO2- rich air that enters flows over the plants, is used by them, then the CO2-depleted air is sucked out, drawing fresh air back in via the bottom-most holes. If growing in larger spaces and you are using a fan or air blower of some sort, this can be placed at the top of the space if you are also using an air- sock.

The air blower works in exactly the opposite way to a vacuum pump: rather than sucking air out, it blows air in. This is unnecessary when growing in small spaces, which have sufficient air renewal with a pump. An Air-Sock is a long sock made from textile, between 3-5 metres in length. If you just use an air blower then you are usually getting cold air pumped into one side of your space , which means the climate on this side is not at its optimal temperature. Nor is the CO2 spread evenly over the plants. The Sock works as follows: you fasten it on top of your air blower and fasten this to the ceiling.

Once the blower is switched on then the Air-Sock is filled with incoming air, which then enters the space 3 to 5 metres into your space. After that the CO2-rich air is evenly spread throughout the space, and the effect of this is that all your plants can better enjoy the fresh air, plus the cold outside air is given time to warm up, so the climate remains nearer to optimal. It is simple but effective. Having too little ventilation produces weaker growth and blooming, the plants can not develop well, and yellowing of the leaves can occur.

A rotating fan is another important piece of grow space equipment. This does not only ensure that you have good air circulation in your space which mixes the warm and cool layers of air together, but your plants also like a nice breeze. Thanks to the breeze your plants will develop nice thick stems, and they will mature into slightly smaller and more compact adults, and as you know by now, a thick stem determines to a large extent the eventual yield your plant will be able to produce. By and large, the plants with the thickest stems will also be the biggest yielders.

PART 5 / BUD FORMATION

​

The most important weeks of the blossoming period are from the third to the fifth week of bloom for the majority of plants.

The most important weeks of the blossoming period are from the third to the fifth week of bloom for the majority of plants.

Given that now most plants will be devoting most of their energy to developing their buds, during these coming weeks they are going to increase very rapidly in size. So now is the time when you really have to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

The beginning of the third week is also the last chance you have to spray your plants with an organic pesticide. The buds are not yet hard and compact. It can be a good idea to spray them now preventatively, rather than wait until the fifth week and find that your buds are now crawling with bugs, by which stage it is not advisable to spray. There's not much more to do than simply giving nutrients during this stage besides of course enjoying the sight of these gorgeous buds gradually appearing. More and more white hairs are being produced and slowly but surely separate small buds grow into each other to create one huge bud.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


The Cannabis Cultivation Timeline

An overview of the 5 stages of cannabis cultivation.
​

Growing cannabis comes with a lot of uncertainties. That said, cannabis cultivation itself can be broken down into five distinct stages, regardless of which seeds you’ve selected.

GETTING STARTED

​

Before you just start throwing seeds into soil, consider what kind of grower you want to be. Are you running an indoor operation, or working in the great outdoors? Do you have the supplies fit for your growing environment? Have you made sure to pick seeds that'll thrive where you're planting them, indoors or out? Speaking on that last point, any aspiring grower should know the difference between photoperiod and autoflowering cannabis plants. There are a few key differences to note.

PHOTOPERIOD PLANTS

The main marker of a photoperiod plant is the potential for indefinite vegetation—as long as you keep the plants on an 18/6–24/0 light/dark cycle. We'll talk more about that later, but it means these plants can withstand more mistakes in the growing process. It also means you can ensure your plant produces the best crop possible once you initiate flowering. All you need to do to make the switch is adjust the light cycle to 12/12. This becomes even more useful when you're able to make unlimited clones of your optimised plant. The main drawback is that it'll take around four months to get a substantial yield. However, you'll have a larger and usually more potent plant once you're there.

AUTOFLOWERING PLANTS

The way these differ from photoperiod plants is written in the name. Regardless of whether you feel the plant is ready, it'll start flowering at a certain time depending on the strain's genetic programming. In one sense, these plants are easier for novice growers because there's less to think about in regards to light coverage and cycle adjustment. On the other hand, due to the limited vegetation time, you have fewer opportunities for mistakes. This isn't ideal for first-timers, but the fact that it only takes two months from germination to harvest is definitely appealing. Autos tend to produce lower, milder yields than their photoperiod counterparts, but modern advances are bridging the gap.

5 STAGES OF CANNABIS CULTIVATION

Now that you’re familiar with the distinctions between photoperiod and autoflowering strains, we can begin to break down each stage involved in cannabis cultivation.

STAGE 1: GERMINATION — 1–7 DAYS

​

Even when your plant is a mere seed, the work you put in will dictate its success or failure. Germination is the stage when the first root cracks out of the seed's shell, which takes between 1–7 days. The wet paper towel method is a classic approach here, but you start out with the major setback of tiny fibres all over your new root. You can plant directly in the soil, of course, but you need to ensure temperature and moisture are dialled in.

If you want to keep all your seeds safe and clean, we recommend the Royal Queen Seeds Starter Kit. With that, they can enjoy clean, undisturbed germination. Once they get to 2–3cm high, you can remove them from the starter and place them in a suitable growing container.

STAGE 2: SEEDLING — 2 WEEKS

​

Breaking through the germination stage, plants enter the seedling stage next. At this point, they'll need about 18 or more hours of daily light. After two or so weeks of proper care, though, they'll be well on their way to robust growth.

This is the point where it starts to look more like a cannabis plant. There will be one ridged blade per leaf at first, but the blades will get closer to their typical 5–7-finger stage by the end of this period. Until they get the full 5–7 blades, though, the plants are considered seedlings. Along with the increasing blade count, a vibrant green colour is another mark of a healthy plant. To keep them healthy, the two main things to keep an eye on are water and cleanliness. Seedlings are still fragile, so only light watering is necessary. Cleanliness is equally vital due to their disease and mould vulnerability. The perfect home for cannabis seedlings is a propagator, ideally with 70% RH and temps 20-25°C, under either white CFL lights or LED’s.

STAGE 3: VEGETATIVE PHASE — 2–8+ WEEKS

​

Vegetative growth is normally associated with a transplant at some point as plants outgrow the starter medium be it a Rockwool block or paper cup filled with soil or coco. Continued development of the root zone and robust branching are the top priorities for the grower. High RH of 50% is ideal and cooler temps 20-24°C can promote more females if growing regular seeds.

Autoflower cultivators have even less time to play with than photoperiod growers as most autos will race into flowering after just 2-3 weeks of vegetative growth. It’s for this reason that many auto growers plant their autoflowering seeds directly into the final container. The clock is ticking with autos from the moment of germination.

Photoperiod strains can be kept in vegetative growth indefinitely so long as 18+ hours of light and suitable conditions prevail. This is what allows indoor growers to keep mother plants for years and why outdoor grower’s plant in springtime. Indoors or outdoors 18+ hours of light facilitates taking cuttings too.

This is the stage to pot up photoperiod plants into final containers, at least a couple weeks before switching to bloom or prior to Summer outdoors.

While the photoperiod strains can be kept in veg weeks or even months to allow for all kinds of pruning and training to boost yield like topping, FIM, LST or even a ScrOG the Auto grower is somewhat limited by time.

STAGE 4: FLOWERING — 6–12 WEEKS

​

At this stage, the focus of the grower and plants switches to the production of buds and the grower is already dreaming of a frosty marijuana harvest in the near future. RH needs to be reduced to 40-50% and temps kept between 20-28°C.

Cannabis plants will first give you an indication of their sex in the early phase of bloom. Typically within the first two weeks of flowering females will develop pistils or “hairs” to confirm their femininity.

If you see “nanners” or anything resembling a cluster of grapes protruding from flowers or anywhere on the stem then you have a male cannabis plant. Should you see both hairs and nanners then you have a hermie to remove right away.

Photoperiod strains are induced to bloom by the hours of light they receive; indoors the grower changes to a 12-12 light-dark cycle to artificially promote flower growth.

Outdoors Mother Nature dictates the grower’s schedule and flowering will only commence in Summer/Autumn as the hours of daylight naturally diminish, making for a longer more gradual flowering period. Weed growers in the Northern hemisphere don’t refer to October as “Croptober” for nothing.

Of course Autoflowering strains don’t follow the rules due to their Ruderalis genetics, so they will begin to bloom in about a month post-germination. Auto’s prefer to stay in 18+ hours of light for flowering and will be more productive on a light-dark cycle that would inhibit photoperiod strains from blooming at all.

Flowering generally lasts 7-10 weeks for indica and hybrid photoperiod cannabis strains, while the more Sativa dominant strains can take 10-14 weeks to fully ripen into primo head stash.

Autos really only flower for 30-45 days with a much more sudden transition into flowering, choosing feminised autos is a wise choice for novices that don’t want a seeded stash.

It’s always best to evaluate if a cannabis plant is ready to harvest by taking a closer look at those resin dripping buds. Using an inexpensive scope to zoom in on those resin heads to make sure they are milky and amber rather than clear removes all the guess work.

Once you confirm you’ve got a ripe marijuana crop on your hands it’s time to break out the trimming scissors and get harvesting. After two weeks slow drying in paper bags or hung up, at room temp and approximately 50% RH, you’ve got a stash.

​

STAGE 5: HARVEST AND CURING — 1–2 MONTHS

Harvest is the most gratifying part of the process. In terms of timing, the first thing you should look to are the plant's trichomes. These are the glands that contain most of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes. As the flowering phase starts, trichomes feature a translucent appearance. As you see 60% or more turn from translucent to cloudy, it's harvesting time. Some growers will wait until around 90% have turned in order to obtain a more sedating end product. For a comprehensive guide on the subject, read our blog on harvesting cannabis.

Foliage is another key sign. Peak maturity is indicated by the leaves becoming increasingly yellow. This indicates that the buds are fully utilising the nutrients, exactly as it should be. Once you see both of those signs, it's time to trim and cure your product.

Wet trimming happens soon after harvesting while the buds still have a high water content. They’re stickier, and that complicates the process a bit, but overall it's far more common and easy. Dry trimming, if you have the space, is easier on your scissors. However, it takes a lot longer for your buds to dry post-harvest.

Finally, curing. If you wet trimmed, you'll have to dry first, but dry trimmers are already ready. Get some airtight glass jars and fill them two-thirds full with buds. Curing gets rid of remaining moisture, sugars, and chlorophyll, ensuring a final product that hits smoother than the rest. Open the jar once or twice per day for the first two weeks to release stale air and check for mould. After further drying out, you'll only need to check once or twice per week. After those few weeks, your buds should be all ready to go!

For more info on drying and curing your herb, check our blogs Top Tips To Successfully Dry And Cure Your Fresh Cannabis Buds and How to Cure Your Cannabis Buds.

 

[PCaddict]

Doc,
I hope that I also do not come off as confrontational. This dialogue is how we all grow better produce. It’s great to discuss ideas with someone who can articulate as well you.

Regarding whether we agree or not; I am not fixated on my point of view per se. As you said, I just want to get to the bottom of a technique that supposedly can increase yield. If my plants go wacky and reveg or hermie, I’ll have proven to myself that you’re right about a 24 hour circadian rhythm.

This run is speculative for the most part. I do have some “anecdotal controls” in the two cookies n chem clones. I’m familiar with how the that cultivar bulks up and how long it takes to finish.Thank you for your push for the scientific method so that I can quantify my results if any. This will be my goal in the future, and I will most certainly be calling on you for advice regarding the logistics of gathering empirical data.


For now, I will be elated to demonstrate 2 things. 1) a long day photoperiod can be used even at mid/late flower
2) as long as a 12 hour night happens 5 times per week, my plants did not reveg or hermie.

Simply put; 2 weeks of long days was, at the very least, not harmful. If I can show that, it’s a starting point for others to build on.

Thank you for your time Doc. I appreciate the engaging discussion.

Hay Chef I think your experiment sounds Great. Learning something new is always Fun and trying different things to try and improve is Great. I hope you get good results and we can all learn for your experience good or bad. Kudos on you for trying it. I think DrCanna makes some good points on how to gather and use your info. Take LOTS of notes. Lots of things have been started right here on 420mag so maybe you can add another Great technique to our growing number of things 420 members have worked out and refined. Great discussion going on here and DrCanna this journal is Full of interesting and informative articles.

Kudos to the two of you on discussing things and not getting worked up, keeping things to a learning experience. Part of what I Love about this site. People are Mature and discuss things not troll each other. There are other forums for those people.

 

[ChefDGreen]

Hay Chef I think your experiment sounds Great. Learning something new is always Fun and trying different things to try and improve is Great. I hope you get good results and we can all learn for your experience good or bad. Kudos on you for trying it. I think DrCanna makes some good points on how to gather and use your info. Take LOTS of notes. Lots of things have been started right here on 420mag so maybe you can add another Great technique to our growing number of things 420 members have worked out and refined. Great discussion going on here and DrCanna this journal is Full of interesting and informative articles.

Kudos to the two of you on discussing things and not getting worked up, keeping things to a learning experience. Part of what I Love about this site. People are Mature and discuss things not troll each other. There are other forums for those people.

Thanks PC! that is exactly how I feel about 420mag as well, and why I’m happy to “sacrifice” this cycle to a learning experience. I feel very strongly that knowledge gained and shared on 420 is worth much much more than a singular harvest.. there will be plentyyyyyy of harvests in my future. I’ll always be happy to try something we can all learn from. I feel it’s only just because of how much I’ve learned from everyone here.

Thanks for the Kudos, and thanks to DrCanna. I really appreciate the way him and I have been able to discuss fundamentally opposed ideas without anyone getting offended. It is a very big part of why 420mag is the great place of learning that it is. I just want to do my part in contributing to the learning.