DrCannaCanadian: MarsHydro & Seedsman, Soil & Coco, 2020

Dagobah Frost Forest
Update

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Vegetation - Day 42

Hello 420!!!

The good news is both Seedsman Peyote WiFis are still growing strong!!!

However, the Dark Side is doing its crappy job and really ticking me off!!!

Emperor Sidious and Darth Maul are literally runts - slow growing & low quality genetics - weak plants take so long to recover from HST!!! Grrrr!!!

We are pretty confident that they will be very difficult to keep healthy going forward - because weak plants are susceptible to disease!!! Grrrr!!!

There are just so many reasons to cull weak phenos - but hey, as long as they smell like tangerine (Fruity - Terpinolene terpene), they get to stay alive!!!

Nevertheless, Emperor Sidious and Darth Maul got some LST to help spread out their growth nodes. Here's a quick video on that:



Emperor Sidious and Darth Maul should be fully recovered and have a solid canopy by February 26, 2020.

Therefore, we will flip to 12-12 on February 26, 2020.

At this point we only want to grow verified high quality seeds in coco coir/perlite - that is, my growing in soil with bag seed has officially come to an end!

And here they are, the Seedsman Jedis and the Bag Seed Dark Side getting ready for the flip to 12-12:
 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Royal Queen Seeds



What Causes Curly Cannabis Leaves And How To Cure Them

There are numerous reasons why you might find curly cannabis leaves in your grow-op. This guide will explain why this phenomenon occurs, and what you can do to prevent it from ruining your final product.

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Cannabis plants can’t vocalise a call for help—but they can send signals to tell you all is not well. If you see leaves either clawing or curling, there is trouble with the trees. Don’t ignore their pleas. This blog will help you identify the causes and cures for curly cannabis leaves.


CAUSE: OVERWATERING

Overwatering will literally drown your plant's roots. Excess water will not only rinse most of the beneficial microbes from the medium, a sodden substrate can also become colonised by algae and nasty fungi. Persistent overwatering invariably invites the parasitic Pythium, better known as root rot. Cannabis plants with droopy, claw-like leaves could be trying to tell you they are waterlogged.

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CURE

“Water mould” microorganisms are just like vampires; you have to invite them in before they can do any harm. Keep them out of the garden by making sure they are not welcome. Maintaining an effective wet-dry cycle is all it takes. If you can pick up your pots, do it. Then you can tell by their weight when it’s time to water.

If you can’t lift the containers, then consider a moisture meter and make sure to carefully monitor post-watering plant behaviour. Try reducing the volume of water. Alternatively, take longer intervals between waterings. Unfortunately, Pythium is virtually incurable and will turn your plant's roots into brown sludge. If you see droopy, curly cannabis leaves, especially with young plants, look to the roots for answers.



CAUSE: OVERFERTILISATION

A heavy-handed approach to nutrients is ill-advised. Excessive doses of nitrogen-rich vegetative growth base nutes can cause clawing in leaves. Sometimes, they will even canoe. Similarly, overdoing it with the phosphorus and potassium during flowering will cause curly cannabis leaves and scorch the tips. Chlorosis is a common symptom in both cases.

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CURE

Dial in feeding. Easier said than done right? Wrong! Almost every brand of well-known cannabis fertiliser offers a feeding chart free to download from their respective websites. Granted, not all cannabis varieties will respond in the same way to fertilisers.

It’s better to start low and go slow. You can incrementally increase doses without seeing leaves curling or clawing. But if you dive right in at maximum strength, you can expect plenty of curly cannabis leaves that will probably die and eventually drop-off.
It should go without saying, but we’ll say it again for good measure; make sure the nutrient solution is the right pH. That’s about 6.0pH for soil and a more precise 5.8pH for coco/hydroponics.


CAUSE: TEMPERATURES ARE TOO HOT

Heat stress can occur indoors or outdoors. If you see curling and nasty-looking brown fringing, your cannabis leaves are sending you a distress signal. Cannabis plants can photosynthesise efficiently at moderate temperatures up to 28°C. Anything above 30°C and your plants are in the danger zone. Combine this with low RH and you’ve got real problems. New leaves will grow gnarly and old leaves will curl yellow and maybe even burn to a rusty, brown crisp.

CURE

Indoor growers must constantly maintain the optimal environmental conditions. This starts with optimal light distance. The only way to keep the plant canopy in the sweet spot is to measure and adjust until mature plants peak in height during mid-late bloom, depending on the strain. Moreover, indoor growers can utilise air-con and fans to keep the grow-op cool.

Outdoor growers confronted with heat waves and drought conditions have less control than the indoor grower. Constructing a simple screen shade will keep plants slightly cooler and may prevent leaves from fraying and curling further. You can’t really revive scorched leaves and will have to remove older foliage beyond saving. Also, planting in white pots instead of black pots will keep the root zone cooler.


CAUSE: TEMPERATURES ARE TOO COLD

Cold temperatures can cause curly cannabis leaves too. Eventually, all kinds of leaf discolouration will develop. Sure, cooler nighttime temps late in bloom can add a dash of purple charm to buds, but prolonged exposure to temperatures below 10°C will kill your plants. Flowers will be loose and leafy if plants even make it to harvest. Coupled with high RH, buds will be moist and become vulnerable to Botrytis, AKA bud rot.

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CURE

Indoors, if temps are too low, you can always add more grow lights and turn a negative into a positive. Outdoor growers might consider an early harvest, or if possible, moving plants indoors at night. Cannabis is a hardy plant species, but outside of the optimal 20–28°C temperature range, leaves will curl or claw.


A FINAL WORD ON CURLY CANNABIS LEAVES: GENETICS

Genetics are the cause of all kinds of cannabis leaf deformities and mutations. Some strains occasionally have a tendency towards curly leaves or other odd traits. Most growers will thin out these plants. All the shrewd cultivator can do is write it off as bad luck.

Sativa strains and many autoflowering varieties are sensitive to high doses of fertilisers. This is a trait that can cause problems for beginner growers. The solution is to research your reefer. Always find out as much as you can about the genetics of a strain before you decide to grow it. Curly cannabis leaves can be completely avoided if you know how to keep your plants healthy.
 
DrCC's Favorite Canna Recipies

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By DrCannaCanadian



How To Make Simply Delicous Canna Crackers
When we're in a hurry or just plain tired, this is a very easy and delicious recipe.



So tonight, we simply:

1) start with a cracker as the base​
2) add some cream cheese​
3) add some home made red pepper jelly​
4) top with our nightly dose of canna butter​
 
You’re going to love the MC. It’s so fast and easy with great results.

I have to say one thing about the post on curly leaves.. 6.0 is much too low for soil pH over an extended period of time. 6.5 is basically optimal with6.3-6.4 being good in veg and 6.5-6.7 being good for flower. After too long at 6.0 I think you’d start to see Ca lock out.
 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Royal Queen Seeds



Thrips – How To Get Rid of Them?
Thrips are a common threat to cannabis cultivators. They are small pests that look like little worms or flying insects. They are tough to get rid of and survive by sucking the sap out of your plants. Here is a quick guide to spotting thrips, and a few ideas for preventing and controlling an infestation.

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Growing cannabis can be an exciting and rewarding hobbie. But what happens if others decide to enjoy your cherished crop before you do?

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WHAT ARE THRIPS?

Thrips are a common problem faced by canna-cultivators. They are a minute pest that literally suck the plant sap out of your crop. Thrips also come in several different species. They can be tiny winged insects (measuring in the millimetres), or they can look like small, pale worms.

Regardless of their species, thrips are the bane of farmers everywhere. They can reproduce up to 12 times per year. When mature, they can survive just by flying from one plant to another. Outside of cannabis, thrips’ favourite crop seems to be cotton, although they can damage many kinds of crops. But they really seem to love cannabis! Unfortunately, they are particularly damaging when they appear early on in the grow process.

The most damaging thrip threat to cannabis comes from a species called Frankliniella occidentalis. These thrips are yellowish-white flying bugs. They lay their eggs on the plant itself. The first signs of their presence are small, silver stains or dots on the underside of leaves. This is how thrips lay their eggs. They are also easy to miss.

Worse? While not a significant threat to outdoor growers, they thrive inside. Indoor grows and greenhouses are their favourite environments. They love high temperatures. Thrips can also be persistent if not treated properly. And if not eliminated early, they can significantly reduce yields.

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THRIP PREVENTION AND CONTROL

The best way to rid yourself of thrips is to never have an infestation in the first place. Make sure that you thoroughly sanitise your growing space before you begin. This means not only keeping the place spotless, but removing all dead plant matter.

Once the grow space is set up, install insect adhesive strips. Much like fly paper, these are insect traps that will catch most of the free-flying bugs around. The bugs will get glued to the strips. Problem solved.

Eradicating thrips once they have established a presence is the only way to save your crops and prevent a new infestation. The best method (without using harsh chemicals) is to use potassium soap or neem oil. Pyrethrins and rotenone are also good options, although use sparingly as pyrethrins are also highly toxic to bees.

Spinosad products are also organic and harmless to pets, children, and plants. Spinosad is an organic pesticide made from the fermentation of certain kinds of soil bacteria. This form of insecticide can be used both as a topical spray and at the roots. When added to water, these products are only good for about 24 hours, so only mix what you need at any given time.

If you want to use chemicals to clean your space and crop, try to use the least toxic substances available. Remember to use both masks and gloves when handling all toxic chemicals.

Introducing natural predators like Orius laevigatus (the common bed bug) is another way to keep your harvest thrip-free.

 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Royal Queen Seeds



Neem Oil: The Organic Pesticide Of Choice For Cannabis
Neem oil can act as both a preventative tactic and cure for a number of insect and fungus problems. It doesn't affect friendly insects and acts as a growth tonic that keeps marijuana vibrant. Neem oil is a must-have for the serious organic cannabis grower.

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NEEM OIL

Neem oil affects a wide variety of insects and plays an important part in an organic pest and pathogen management program. Sometimes, it appears as a deep green or mustard yellow, dark red, or pale green colour depending on the region and the extraction method used.

The neem tree grows prolifically on the Indian subcontinent. It is prized for the powerful effects of the concentrated triglycerides and triterpenoids contained within its oils. Neem oil is pressed from the seed and fruit of the neem tree and has been used horticulturally and in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

The list of benefits of neem oil for the human body are quite astounding. Those interested in natural medicine will really find some interesting uses. To this day, neem soaps and cosmetics are still produced and preferred in India.

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NEEM OIL FOR ORGANIC CANNABIS CARE

The organic cannabis grower will find the benefits of neem oil to be a pest and fungus-free garden. Neem oil remarkably only targets bad bugs in your garden and leaves good bugs alone. A regular application will suppress spider mites and white flies, fungus gnats, and nasty nematode infestations. Ladybugs and butterflies, bees, and earthworms all remain unaffected.

Regular application also suppresses a number of other pathogens that can affect cannabis. Powdery mildew and rust, rose black spot, and other fungi endemic to humid and still conditions cannot take hold. Neem oil can also be watered into the growing medium to prevent or control root rot, while acting as a mild growth stimulant.

The application of neem every ten days acts as a prophylactic measure for pests and pathogens. Prevention is always the best policy. If there is not an active harm prevention policy in place, an infestation of some kind can occur. In this case, neem oil can also be used as a direct pesticide.

Examples Of Use:
  1. Removing the webs of spider mites, then spraying with neem will cure an infestation and return vigour to new growth.
  2. Fungus gnats are more difficult to control as they swarm, but leaf damage is far less with neem oil as the leaves become inedible. Used in conjunction with sticky strips, gnats can be brought under control quickly.
  3. When rinsed through the growing medium with water, neem destroys bad nematodes and makes the bodies bioavailable as nutrients.
  4. Aphids succumb quickly to neem oil, but it will not harm overfed lady bugs.
  5. With one application, leaf miner infestations disappear overnight.
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HOW TO USE NEEM OIL

How to mix 100% first press neem oil:
  1. 1 teaspoon of neem oil per litre of water. Neem oil is temperature sensitive and will solidify into neem butter or jelly at lower temperatures. This does not harm the oil; in fact, chilled neem will last much longer. A water bath of 30°C will return it to its liquid form for easy measuring.
  2. Warm water. It is always preferred to use warm water when mixing, then waiting for it to cool. The neem remains a liquid longer, and the surfactant emulsifies more efficiently. Use warm, not boiling water as some beneficial compounds can degrade.
  3. 4-5 drops of surfactant. Neem oil is hydrophobic on its own, and a surfactant needs to be used when mixing it with water. Standard liquid dishwashing soap, preferably non-phosphate, does a perfect job. Literally only use four or five drops per litre.

Once mixed, use an atomiser or one-hand pressure sprayer on the finest mist setting possible. Mist the top and bottom of the leaf surfaces. Turn plants 360° where possible to ensure complete coverage. When applied once every ten days, plants will have an invisible armour against pests and fungi.

Avoid using neem three weeks before harvest. The lingering oil can affect final flavours. Although, it would be very bad luck to have something go wrong in the last three weeks.

Used regularly during all growth phases, neem plays an important role in maintaining plant health. First, as pest and pathogen prevention. Secondly, as a topical solution if there is an infestation. Neem is an essential addition to any organic cannabis garden.
 
Exploratory Data Analysis
of
Green Leaf Nutrients & Fox Farm Nutrients


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Calculation Of Base Nutrient & Bloom Nutrient Strength
Required For Extended Vegetation


Right now, we could easily fill up the 4'x4' tent with just the 2 Seedsman Peyote WiFis - they are a top notch strain that I will be growing again!

As much as we want to flip to Transition on February, 26, 2020 - we are thinking the TCs will fare a whole lot better if we wait until March 01, 2020 - and make sure the nutes are dialed in properly.

Our next feed tomorrow is going to be between 25% strength and 50% strength because we have some Fox Farm Open Sesame, Beastie Bloomz & Cha Ching to use up.

Note: Although we will report our nutrient strength using the universal EC measurement, we will also include a ppm (500 scale) for confusion and unnecessary complexity - actually, because our TDS pen includes it :)

The following table presents GLN & FF product NPK values we will be using in the next few weeks:

Name [Version]AcrN-P-KDescription
Mega Crop [V2]MC09 - 06 - 17base nute ++
Bud ExplosionBE00 - 19 - 39blooming enhancer at later stages of flowering - 1.0% Mg - 10% S
Open SesameOS05 - 45 - 19Early Flowering Formula (Weeks 3, 4, 5)
Beastie BloomzBB00 - 50 - 30Mid Flowering Formula (Weeks 6, 7, 8)
Cha ChingCC09 - 50 - 10Late Flowering Formula (Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12)

Let's start with:

1) base: 25% strength MC which is 0.25 gram / liter.​
2) bloom: 0.25 gram / liter OS.​

At equal parts, the net ratio is 14 - 51 - 36 and the normalized ratio is 01 - 03 - 02.

In our opinion, the P is a bit high - and since N and P are both anions, they may compete.

We will be mixing 12 liters of feed - so we will need:

1) base: 3.0 grams MC.​
2) bloom: 3.0 grams OS.​

We are thinking we may need to drop the amount of the bloom nutes - my intuition says it is a bit high.

And since every great cannabis warrior listens to their intuition, let's do some diagnostic review:

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Medical Cannabis Science & Technology

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The Therapeutic And Dietary Benefits of Eating Raw Cannabis
By Royal Queen Seeds

Move over kale and spinach, marijuana is the new superfood! When we get down the root of the situation, cannabis is technically a vegetable, even though it's not often viewed as such.

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Move over kale and spinach, marijuana is the new superfood! When we get down to the root of the situation, cannabis is technically a vegetable, even though it's not often viewed as such.

Most people are familiar with the effects of smoking, vaping, or otherwise consuming cannabis, but have you ever considered eating it raw? From a nutritional perspective, cannabis is actually extremely healthy. It's a leafy green vegetable that's loaded with protein, fibre, antioxidants, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Fresh leaves and buds can be blended up into a smoothie with other fruits and vegetables, pressed into a raw juice, or even eaten in a salad. The possibilities are limitless and the health benefits are impressive.

BENEFITS OF RAW CANNABIS CONSUMPTION

Consuming cannabis straight from the earth has a multitude of therapeutic advantages. First and foremost, the cannabinoid acids THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), which turn into THC and CBD when heated, remain as they are.

CBDA has anti-inflammatory properties, functions as an antibacterial, and has links to reducing nausea and vomiting. Preclinical research states that THCA may have the potential to protect against neurodegenerative diseases, treat epilepsy and muscle spasms, and provide relief for insomnia and pain.

Cannabis will also hold on to a lot more of its beneficial terpenes when it's not getting torched. Aside from producing the aroma and flavour profile, terpenes also have their own set of medicinal properties. They're known to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-cancer properties.

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Like many other leafy greens, cannabis is chock-full of fibre, protein, fatty acids, and iron. It can also give you a nice daily dose of vitamin C for immune function, vitamin K for calcium absorption, calcium for strong bones, and folate for DNA repair. Do you happen to have any purple-leaved cannabis? If so, make sure to add that to your diet as well! It contains anthocyanin flavonoids, which function as antioxidants.

It is worth noting, eating raw cannabis will not get you high, as the aforementioned THCA has not been turned into THC through decarboxylation. For some, this will be a turn-off, but for others, this may be of benefit. Know that THCA and CBDA do not have the same effects as THC and CBD. Both sets are being investigated individually, with active THC and CBD currently believed to have more therapeutic potential. However, this does not mean raw cannabis doesn't have its benefits, especially when it comes to a healthy, wholesome food source.

“We have a series of cannabis strains called ACDC. ‘AC’ stands for alternative cannabinoid, which is the CBD acid molecule, which has come into focus lately as being very important as an anti-inflammatory. And ‘DC’ stands for dietary cannabis. […] If you do heat it, then your dose is around 10mg. And if you don’t heat it, if it’s raw, then your dose is around one to 1,000–2,000mg”. —Dr William Courtney, medical doctor and promoter of the “raw greens” cannabis movement.

CONSUMPTION METHODS

It's important to remember that you need to use leaves and buds from live cannabis plants when eating it raw. Dried, cured buds will not work for raw cannabis consumption.
  • Smoothie: It's a good idea to mix some leaves/buds with other fruits and veggies to dilute the bitter taste of the weed. Check out this easy and delicious recipe.
  • Juicing: The fresher the cannabis, the better the juice.
  • Salad: Chop up some leaves and mix with other greens and some dressing for a delicious and healthy salad.
  • Hemp Seeds: If you have access to hemp seeds, these can be consumed just like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or any other kind of seeds you enjoy snacking on.
  • Cold-pressed hemp seed oil: Use as an olive oil substitute.
Raw cannabis products are safe to be consumed daily. There are so many benefits raw marijuana can offer that you just can't get any other way!
 
Barrie's Hello Winter 2020

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By DrCannaCanadian


We do love our walks - and the other day was quite beautiful, peaceful and thought provoking!

We put this lovely video to Peter, Paul & Mary's Blowing In The Wind to honor our nation's fallen!




We started our walk at the Southshore Center - definitely a local favorite! They have a visitor's center, so if you come for a visit - pop in and get some great info on Barrie and the surrounding area!



Just East of the Southshore Center we have the War Memorials. Now that I am older, it is a very solemn and humbling experience to read the names of people who gave their lives so we could live in a country of freedom - instead of a country of oppression and civil atrocities.


Along the trail there are numerous "fire bushes" - one of my favorites because they turn a spectacular bright red in the fall.



Looking East again along the lakeshore and the trail. We definitely need to get some great shots of the incredible sunrises and sunsets.




My favorite memory from this walk. We stood under this tree for a few minutes - closed our eyes - and we were at complete peace listening to the wind gently rustle the leaves above our heads.

 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Leafly



Extreme Defoliation: High-Risk Ways to Boost Cannabis Yields and Bag Appeal

Pruning, or defoliation, is a technique that keeps your cannabis plants healthy and growing properly. By removing small amounts of foliage during various phases of the life cycle, growers can increase a crop’s yield and potency by allowing light to hit bud-producing nodes more directly.

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All growers perform some light pruning, but there is a different and more advanced approach to plant training: extreme defoliation. This practice requires the mass removal of fan leaves and foliage from an entire canopy during key phases in the cultivation cycle.

We’ll talk about two prominent extreme defoliation techniques, schwazzing and back-building, and how they push the boundaries of defoliation. Coming with a high risk yet offering high rewards, these techniques polarize opinion. Neither method is recommended for beginners, and growers experimenting with these practices should do so with caution.

If you are interested in these techniques, try performing them on one plant at a time. Experimentation in the garden is highly encouraged, just be sure to start slow to reduce the odds of losing an entire crop.

Schwazzing

From Joshua Haupt’s 2015 book Three a Light, schwazzing takes the idea of defoliation to the next level. According to the book, this practice removes the entire canopy of fan leaves within the first few days of the flowering cycle and then again at the third week.

Joshua Haupt coined the term “schwazzing” to describe the sound of scissors and snipping that takes place during the process. The book’s title refers to getting three pounds of cannabis per light, or about twice as much yield in a harvest or even more.

By the entire canopy, he really does mean every fan leaf below the top two or three nodes. The caveat to this risky maneuver is that the stripped plants must receive proper after-care through a high concentration of nutrients following both defoliations. This is crucial to the recovery process.

By removing the fan leaves on the first day of flowering and again on day 21, the plants will be able to replenish the lost foliage before all of their energy transitions toward bud development. By supplementing with a high-nutrient feeding, the plants should push through any shock they may have undergone.

What’s the Upside to Schwazzing?

According to the book, the successful implementation of this technique can promote a massive uptick in the yield of a plant. But keep in mind, neither the book itself nor any review of schwazzing—also called heavy pruning or heavy defoliation—has given an exact explanation for why the practice is so successful.

Some growers suggest that the practice of removing such a large amount of foliage from a plant in this stage of its development may trigger a defense mechanism, tricking the plant into developing more buds as a survival technique.

One possible explanation points to the fact that cannabis is a wind-pollinated species, and the removal of a massive amount of fan leaves may trigger growth hormones to swell buds as a last ditch effort to receive incoming pollen from a nearby male stamen.

Another possible explanation is that the removal of fan leaves promotes airflow throughout the plant and in turn, more vigorous bud growth. However, these hypotheses have not been backed by any study.

The Downsides of Schwazzing

Despite praise and success stories, there is a high risk of crop failure with this method. When it comes to overall plant health, even the heartiest of cultivars will experience some amount of shock after this process.

Unless the grower has expertly dialed in every other aspect of their growing process—including lights, grow medium, temperature, humidity, airflow, CO2, and more—simply feeding a plant more nutrients won’t suffice.

Even if everything is dialed in and plants are properly cared for, there is still a chance that they will die under this extreme stress. Some genetics might never fare well under such circumstances and some may handle the process better than others.

The bottom line is that although schwazzing may work under ideal circumstances, it’s not a method of defoliation that should be practiced without proper experience. This is not recommended for novice growers or anybody working with sub-par genetics or below-average equipment.

Back-Building

Whereas schwazzing increases the overall yield of a cannabis harvest, back-building aims to build a more dense structure in buds and to create a more aesthetic final product.

Back-building, bud-pinching, and bud-swelling are all terms used to describe the process of clipping the tips off of flowering colas in order to promote growth—this builds out, or causes swelling in the remaining bud.

This advanced defoliation technique needs to be performed roughly halfway through the flowering process, around 3-5 weeks in. The idea behind it is to redistribute the plant’s natural growth hormones to the power areas of the cola.

With this technique, only the very top few calyxes and pistils are snipped, and it’s important to only do one cola at a time over the span of a week or two, so that the plant isn’t thrown into stress or shock.

The Pros and Cons of Back-Building

This technique isn’t meant to increase yields but rather to create more bag appeal by encouraging the plant to produce a more uniform and attractive final product.

The downside is that not all plants will respond appropriately to having their tips clipped off. Some plants may end up fox-tailing, creating stringy and unsightly columns of cola growth that indicate plant stress and have less bag appeal. It can also be a very time-consuming process because plants must be clipped over the course of several weeks, never all at once.
 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Three A Light



Joshua Haupt - Q&A - What is schwazzing and why do I need to do it?
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Joshua Haupt explains what schwazzing is and why you need to do it in this short five minute video:

 
Dagobah Frost Forest
Update

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Vegetation - Day 47

Hello 420!!!

Well, we have decided to try Schwazzing with our two healthy Seedsman Peyote WiFi plants.

By turning our two Peyote WiFi plants into "cactus girls", it will give us an opportunity to study, in a bit more detail, just how the cannabis plant grows.

That is, by looking closely at how our two plants grow, we should be able to come up with a solid strategy for our new "bowling" technique.

We are thinking there should be a clear methodology on how to take advantage of bending, topping, defoliation, lolipopping, back-building, & stem splitting to maximize the yield of our indoor harvests.

All the plants are currently being fed with the 25% strength Mega Crop and the 25% strength FF Open Sesame.

Note: In addition to the Schwazzing, the Peyote WiFis were all heavily topped again.

We will investigate the Schwazzing strategy more tomorrow to determine when we should flip to Transition.

Although, at this point, with the second heavy topping having only been completed yesterday, we are now tentatively scheduled to flip to Transition on March 04, 2020. Assuming the plants have fully recovered and the nutrient fertigation strength is dialed in of course.

And here they are - the Schwazzed & Topped Jedis and the runty Dark Side loving their Mars Hydro sun:

 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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ByGrowWeedEasy


What is “Schwazzing” & How Does it Increase Cannabis Yields?


“Schwazzing” is a term found in a book called Three a Light by Joshua Haupt. It refers to a specific time sequence of defoliating your plants to increase yields.

Here’s a time-lapse video showing the technique in action:


First defoliation at 0:30 (right before switch to flowering)
Second defoliation at 0:38 (3 weeks after switch to flowering)


This isn’t a review of Three a Light as I’ve never read the book (again, it’s $500!) and from what I understand there are more parts to the book besides just schwazzing, but the author of the book does talk about using the schwazzing plant training technique to increase yields indoors. In fact, the author claims this technique can be used to help yield up to 3 lbs of bud from one light, hence the term “Three a Light.”

So what is schwazzing? What does it mean to “schwazze” your cannabis plant?

As it’s core, schwazzing is a variation of defoliation, a curiously effective technique for increasing cannabis yields indoors. The idea behind defoliation is to remove fan leaves from your plant at specific times. As a result, the plant ends up producing bigger and fatter buds.

Why does defoliation work to increase yields? No one knows for sure why cannabis plants react this way, but I have a few theories.

Plants that have been defoliated early in the flowering stage make bigger, denser buds than leafy cannabis plants

Nebula’s Theories on Why Defoliation (in the Early Flowering Stage) Increases Yields

1. Cannabis is a wind-pollinated plant, which means the only buds that would get pollinated are ones exposed to the wind. If you think about that, it kind of makes sense that buds would only develop if exposed to fresh air and a breeze. In the wild, it’s only those buds that would get access to pollen!​
2. Cannabis spends energy lengthening colas/bud sites instead of maintaining leaves during the “flowering stretch.” When you first switch your cannabis plant over to the flowering stage by changing the light schedule to 12/12, it responds with a dramatic increase in growth known as the “flowering stretch.” Basically, most cannabis strains grow like crazy for the first 2-4 weeks after the switch to 12/12. In fact, plants can double or even triple in height during this growth spurt. So perhaps if the plant doesn’t have any leaves to focus on, it just puts all that extra “energy” towards bud development.​
3. Reaction to stress during the flowering stage – Is it possible that intense defoliation causes some sort of defensive reaction during the flowering stage? If a flowering plant gets completely defoliated by bugs in the wild, it could die before it has time to make seeds. Perhaps the plant is responding to this emergency by going into “overdrive” as far as bud production. Just a guess!​

Did you know? Cannabis Isn’t the Only Plant!

You may be surprised to learn that cannabis isn’t the only species of plant that rewards growers with increased yields as a result of defoliation. Some commercial crops including cotton need to be defoliated at specific times during the growing process in order to produce the best quality and yields. For various plant species including cannabis, defoliation takes advantage of natural plant processes to “hack” the plant into growing more bud than it would naturally grow in the wild. Even if we don’t fully understand exactly why the plant reacts the way it does, we can still use this information to our advantage!

How to Schwazze Your Cannabis! (Nebula’s Version)

Step 1A: Defoliate heavily right before initiating flowering

Right before the switch to 12/12, remove most of the fan leaves on your plant, especially the biggest ones.


Before – Notice how leafy these plants are; no light can get down past the top canopy and the floor is in shadow. Way-too-bushy plants like this are prime candidates for defoliation​


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After – Notice how all the bud sites are now exposed, and the light can get to bud sites deeper down into the plant.



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Quick video: immediately after defoliation




Step 1B: On each cola, remove everything below top 2-3 growth tips (Optional)

Only do this if you’ve trained your plant to grow flat and wide with many colas via plant training!

When I defoliate my plants at this stage I also remove all growth tips below the top 2-3 on all my main colas. This way the plant only focuses on those colas and doesn’t try to make any larfy buds to compete with the ones you’ve nurtured. I’m not certain that this is taught in Three a Light as part of the schwazzing technique as this is more geared towards smaller indoor grows, but it will reward you with bigger and denser buds if you’ve trained your plants to grow the right shape.

Removing Unnecessary Growth Tips Forces the Plant to Focus on Only the Best Bud Sites

When a cannabis plant starts making buds, it makes them all over the plant – everywhere there’s a growth tip! (A growth tip is any new stem coming out of the side of another stem – these are always located at the base of fan leaves, and it is where all bud sites are located)!



Remove all the growth tips except the top 2-3 on each main stem, otherwise they may develop into smaller bud sites that compete with your main colas​


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Bud sites that don’t get direct light will never fatten up, but they keep stealing resources from the plant. By removing them before the plant starts making buds, you’re letting the plant focus only on the buds that have a good position under the light instead of developing larfy buds lower down on the plant that ends up in your trim pile at harvest.



Top View – Before & After

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That is some pretty extreme defoliation, shouldn’t it hurt the plant? I wouldn’t necessarily recommend removing this much from your plant at once especially during your first grow because it could stunt your plant… but I can tell you that the plant on the right ended up yielding 12.6 ounces compared to 10.5 ounces for the plant on the left. It could be genetics or a million other reasons causing the difference in yields, but I think it shows how a plant can recover from defoliation if it happens towards the end of veg or at the beginning of the flowering stage. If your plant is a nice size and growing fast and healthy, it can take quite a bit of defoliation.

Check out how those two plants developed in the pictures below in the next step.

Step 2: Defoliate again about 3 weeks later

By the time it’s 3 weeks after the switch to 12/12, plenty of new buds should be forming.

3 weeks after switch to 12/12

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If the plant is getting bushy, defoliate the plant again around week 3 by removing the bigger fan leaves, and all the lower stuff that’s in major shadow. In general, I recommend defoliate lightly during the flowering stage after buds have already formed since you can always take more away but you can’t put leaves back.

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If your plant seems bushy around 3 weeks after switch to 12/12, you may want to do another defoliation session by removing most of the biggest fan leaves. This exposes the newly forming buds to plenty of light / air and reduces the amount of shadowy areas

These next pictures show the progression of the two plants from above; notice how there is light going all the way down into the defoliated plant, while the left plant is mostly in shadow. All those hidden buds on the left won’t fatten up properly without being exposed to direct light and fresh air. After exposing all buds around week 3 they will start growing faster immediately (you will be able to see the difference).



Week 3 of Flowering: Left plant needs defoliation while the right plant was just defoliated.

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No more major defoliation after 3 weeks of 12/12! As the flowering stage progresses, you may still prune away any small growth underneath that doesn’t get light, as well as big fan leaves that block bud sites and can’t be tucked away.

Although defoliation (removing leaves) helps with better light penetration on bushy plants in the flowering stage, it’s important to remember that your plant won’t be making any new leaves after the first 3-4 weeks of 12/12. So you need to make sure to leave enough healthy leaves to last until harvest time!

Buds should be exposed, but it’s important to keep enough leaves to power growth until harvest

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Why Week 1 & 3? These aren’t magic numbers; they are just general timelines that are known to work well for growing cannabis plants. Cannabis can “re-leaf” itself during the first few weeks of flowering, but not later. If you defoliate later in the flowering stage, or take too many leaves earlier on, the plant will not be able to make new leaves to replace the one’s you’ve taken. By only taking leaves on Week 1 and Week 3, you get the benefits of defoliation while still giving the plant time to grow enough leaves to take it to the end of the flowering stage.

With your well-maintained plant under a nice grow light, you will be rewarded with long, dense thick colas with huge nuggets of buds! Here are those plants just before harvest:

That’s it!​

This was just a mini-tutorial based on what we’ve learned from our grows to show the results we’ve gotten. Although I only have a very general understanding of what’s inside Mr Haupt’s book about schwazzing cannabis plants, it seems so similar to what we do at GWE that I wanted to share our pics and experiences.

To get the original schwazzing tutorial straight from the horse’s mouth (and to see what else he talks about in his book), check out Three a Light by Joshua Haupt (available on Amazon).
 
Exploratory Data Analysis
of
Green Leaf Nutrients & Fox Farm Nutrients


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By DrCannaCanadian


Calculation Of Base Nutrient & Bloom Nutrient Strength
Required For Extended Vegetation


We are currently making sure the nutes are dialed in properly before we flip to Transition on March 04, 2020.

Our latest feeds have included Green Leaf Nutrients Mega Crop & Fox Farm Open Sesame.

Note: Although we will report our nutrient strength using the universal EC measurement, we will also include a ppm (500 scale) for confusion and unnecessary complexity - actually, because our TDS pen includes it :)

The following table presents GLN & FF product NPK values we will be using in the next few weeks:

Name [Version]AcrN-P-KDescription
Mega Crop [V2]MC09 - 06 - 17base nute ++
Bud ExplosionBE00 - 19 - 39blooming enhancer at later stages of flowering - 1.0% Mg - 10% S
Open SesameOS05 - 45 - 19Early Flowering Formula (Weeks 3, 4, 5)
Beastie BloomzBB00 - 50 - 30Mid Flowering Formula (Weeks 6, 7, 8)
Cha ChingCC09 - 50 - 10Late Flowering Formula (Weeks 9, 10, 11, 12)


Recall that MC indicates we may use up to 1 gram / liter for the veg phase and extended veg phase.

In our last post we had an intuition that our bloom nute ratio might be a bit high, so we did some further investigation.

The instructions for using Fox Farm Open Sesame indicate we may add from 0.25 teaspoons up to 0.50 teaspoons of the bloom nute into 4 liters of feed.

Since we mix 12 liters of feed per batch, we weighed 1.5 teaspoons of Open Sesame, which came out to 8.80 grams. So, for full 100% strength we use 0.73 grams / liter and for 25% we use 0.183 grams / liter.

We decided to go with the following for our next few feeds:

1) base: 25% strength MC which is 0.25 gram / liter.
2) bloom: 25% strength OS which is 0.18 gram / liter.

Which means we use:

1) base: 3.00 grams.
2) bloom: 2.20 grams.

Note: (3.00 * 09 - 06 - 17) + (2.20 * 05 - 45 - 19) = (27 - 18 - 51) + (11 - 99 - 42) = 38 - 117 - 93

The net ratio is 38 - 117 - 93 and the normalized ratio is 01 - 03 - 2.5

This looks like high PK bloom numbers - which we expected - so let's see what happens over the next few days.
 
Eyes Wide Shut

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By DrCannaCanadian


Number Of US Senior Citizens Using Cannabis Up 75% In Three Years

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‘Drinking alcohol before using weed can ramp up the effects of THC'
This is good news!

Lol - even the Mrs's mom (Grandma) tried some for the first time a few months ago - and she laughed sooo much :) She said it was one of the few times she's relaxed since Grandpa died :(

I used to work in a nursing home, and it will be nice to see seniors be able to take healthy cannabis as a pain med instead of the addictive opiate pain meds our medical doctors are trained to prescribe.

Don't kid yourself - open your eyes!!!

The pharmaceutical companies control the education of medical doctors, and the greedy pharmaceuticals do not allow the MDs to study cannabis or even to study the massive benefits of vitamins!

And they treat symptoms not cures - healthy people do not make money!!!

Curing people is NOT a good business model for the pharmaceutical giants!!!

Pharmaceutical companies hate cannabis & hemp - because it is a healthy plant that helps prevent disease and even cure diseases!!!

In the end though, I'm just glad to see Grandma has a lot more options now - especially with edibles!

And we'll definitely need to watch what we eat after she's been baking!!! lol :)
 
MY Medical Cannabis Experiences

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By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes - Searching For CBD Strains


Bama Yao x SCBDX Feminised from Super CBDx


We like Bama Yao x SCBDX Feminised from Super CBDx 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 highly respectable CBD plants is a big plus. The 9 weeks to harvest may be acceptable depending on the veg growth rate.

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

The fact that it is mostly a sativa may make it a bit easier to train, and it may have wide varying phenos.

I'll check if there is a smoke/edible report from a respectable and trusted 420 member here - that would be great!!!

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Description
Bama Yao x SCBDX crosses the super CBD strain with a marijuana strain from the autonomous county of Bama Yao located within Guangxi province. This region has become well-known for the long life-span of its inhabitants whose diet is supplemented by hemp seeds. It is said that these people live longer than any other group of people in the world and their life expectancy is in excess of 100 years.

Bama Yao x SCBDX is a special medicinal strain with many claimed health benefits. It is recommended as a great strain from which to make tinctures. It is an 80% sativa strain that will grow indoors, outdoors and in a greenhouse environment. Indoors flowering lasts for 60 - 65 days. Its aroma is predominantly of pine and the flavour combines pine with pepper.


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MY Medical Cannabis Experiences

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By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes - Searching For CBD Strains


Cream Caramel CBD Feminised Seeds from Sweet Seeds


We like Cream Caramel CBD Feminised Seeds from Sweet Seeds 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 highly respectable CBD plants is a big plus. And the yield looks good. The 9 weeks to harvest may be acceptable depending on the veg growth rate.

We've never tried a 1:1 THC:CBD plant - but we really think the cream caramel will go well with edibles and baking.

The hint at candy, sweet, citrus in the description suggests an uplifting effect due to the presence of the citrus limonene terpene.

The fact that it is mostly an indica may make it a bit harder to train, and as a hybrid it may have wide varying phenos.

I'll check if there is a smoke/edible report from a respectable and trusted 420 member here - that would be great!!!

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Description
Cream Caramel CBD was created by crossing the popular Sweet Seeds' strain Cream Caramel with their CBD-rch Diesel clone. These plants will produce THC and CBD in the ratio of between 1:1 and 1:2. It is 70% indica which is reflected in its structure.

This indica-dominant strain grows with one main central cola with fairly large side-branches. It is fast to flower and finishes in 8 weeks when grown indoors with yields in the region of 400 - 550 gr/m2. Grown outdoors in the open air each plant can deliver 375 - 600 gr. with northern hemisphere harvests coming in late September. The larger leaves tend to turn a deep purple colour during late flowering.

The buds from this plant are candy sweet with some earthy notes backed up with citrus and cypress. THC production is 7 - 15% while CBD comes in at 9 - 17%. The high-CBD nature of this cannabis variety makes it likely to have beneficial properties for treating a wide range of symptoms.


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Dagobah Frost Forest
Update

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Vegetation - Day 49

Hello 420!!!

Well, we did some more research, and we discovered that Schwazzing is supposed to occur on Day 01 and on Day 20 of the Flowering cycle!

We also noticed that Three A Light veges for about 9 weeks - which is definitely okay with our schedule!

Since we have already lollipopped and heavily defoliated the canopy twice, there may not be a lot of fan leaves to Schwazze after we flip to Transition on March 04, 2020.

By March 04, 2020, we expect the Seedsman Peyote WiFis and the TCs to be fully recovered from the heavy topping and the heavy defoliation.

Only the high quality Seedsman Peyote WiFis will be participating in the Schwazzing portion of this grow. Unfortunately, the ICs will not fare well to HST during the flowering phase.

All the plants are getting 25% strength fertigations and the lights are 45 cm (18") above canopy providing about 40k LUX.

Note: We need to look up the conversion factor to calculate PAR from LUX so we can calculate our DLI. It would be nice to get it close to 43.

We think tomorrow should be a good day to review what we have learned so far from this grow, and do a bit of planning for the rest of this grow, and for our next grow.

We would really like to focus on our "bowling growing methodology" in combination with topping & lollipopping.

Well, here they are getting ready to flip to Transition and then get Schwazzed on Day 01 of Flower:
 
Daily Tips & Tricks

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By Royal Queen Seeds



Nutrient Burn In Cannabis Plants

Nutrient burn can affect cannabis during any stage of growth. Prevention, identification, and remediation are all essential pieces of knowledge in the cannabis grower's arsenal.

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NUTRIENT BURN

Nutrient burn in cannabis could be called the “novices lament” or “over-enthusiasm backlash.” Nutrient burn is a type of stress caused by overfeeding your plants or mixing nutrients too strongly. Novice growers are often under the misconception that more is better. This is very untrue. Often, burning can be caused by simple human error. Luckily, the condition can be fixed before it demolishes your crop. That said, it can damage a crop at any stage of its development.

Unlike animals (humans included), plants don't put on weight when you overfeed them. After all, plants are a whole different order of organism. They require a balanced and ongoing series of chemical reactions to survive and thrive. Trying to fatten them up with extra feeding is the fast track to disappointment.

Nutrient burn can be caused by:
  • Mixing nutrients stronger than recommended during any phase of growth
  • Overwatering; plants need a dry period to function properly and access oxygen
  • Using bloom boosters too often or in too high a concentration
  • Using growth stimulants too regularly, causing dwarfism and burning due to excessive nutrient uptake
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IDENTIFICATION

Nitrogen is the predominant compound found in cannabis nutrients, especially during the vegetative phase. Nitrogen toxicity will be quickly followed by more severe symptoms.

Early indications of nutrient build-up prior to burning can be:
  • Very deep green leaves
  • Bright, Day-Glow green, almost fluorescent tips
  • Leaf tips bent at 90°
  • Stalks and branches will become deep red, magenta, or purple
  • Sugar leaf and calyx tips will turn yellow, then dieback. Unlike the appropriate dieback of leaves during flowering, overfed bud leaves will remain engorged while they yellow, then dieback quickly and crisply
Further indications of nutrient burn are yellow, burnt tips on leaves. This will be widespread as over-fertilisation affects the whole plant. Small, burnt tips are common and nothing to worry about. When the yellowing intensifies and advances, however, it is time to take action. Once leaves start to curl and go brown, they are definitely goners.

Nutrient burn can be gradual if the overdose is only slightly stronger. It can also be rapid-appearing, progressing over a few days. The worst-case scenario is a chronic overdose that causes crop-wide yellowing and wilting overnight with leaf curl and lack of turgidity. In this case, if during the vegetative phase, start again. Recovery may be impossible or take longer than restarting completely.

Buds can be affected by nutrient burn as well. During the flowering phase, cannabis changes the way it uses nutrients. The need for nitrogen drops almost to zero while the demand for other compounds like calcium and magnesium increases. An overdose of any kind of additive will cause the same type of burning features.

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HOW TO FIX IT

Once your plant’s woes have been identified as nutrient burn, carefully remove all the damaged material. Break off all the damaged leaves. Trace calyx clusters back to their branch and remove the whole florette, just to be sure. Dead flowers and leaves will rot. As soon as possible, flush your growing medium out with clean, pH balanced water. If you are growing with a reservoir, measure the contents with a pH/EC meter and adjust with fresh water.

If you are mixing daily by hand, then calm down tiger, less is more with cannabis. Keep in mind that satisfactory results can be obtained with just plain water for the whole life of the plant.

Prior to returning to a regular feeding schedule, use a specialised plant tonic to nurse the plant back to health. The root biosphere will have been affected, as well as the green parts of the plant. Tonics with silver nitrate, humic and fulvic acids, vitamins and minerals are ideal to restore plants to health.

When returning to regular feeding, use only ¾ strength to avoid burning again. Plants will quickly regain their vigour and continue to grow strongly. Remember to adjust the growing period to allow for time lost when the plants were ill. Adding time to the vegetation photoperiod will not harm the plants. If the burning happened during flowering or with autoflowering strains, then you will just have to take the lower yield on the chin.

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PREVENTION

Prevention is always the best policy, so it is a bright idea to develop good habits that decrease the chances of mistakes. First of all, be sure to use the correct nutrients for the appropriate growth stage. Even then, it is a wise idea to only use ¾ the recommended dosage on product packaging. Sometimes, manufacturer recommendations can run things a bit “hot,” which leaves little room for error.

Use an EC/pH meter to check nutrient strength every time, whether hand mixing daily or in hydro reservoirs. Be sure to flush hydroponic systems, grow mediums, and soils to prevent salt build-up in the root zone.

When measuring nutrients, use a measuring device that has a set capacity. If the mix is 10ml per litre, use a 10ml kitchen-type measuring spoon, for example. Take the human error out of the equation as much as possible. It is very easy to overdose if you misread a measuring line on a jug or cup. Looking down on a measuring line will always be too much. Make sure you always measure at eye level.

One of the numerous benefits of growing in organic soil is that it provides a buffer zone of organisms around the root system. Soil grown plants are more resilient to overfeeding and other stressors. A well-prepared organic soil really needs no nutrients for the entire grow cycle, removing the danger of burning altogether.

Nutrient burn can be a cumulative problem or an overnight disaster depending on the overdose amount. Early detection and remediation can save your crop. Don’t freak out if your plants get burnt; well okay, freak out a little bit. Then, follow these easy steps to return plants to health and vitality.
 
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