-==GROW FAQ SUBMISSIONS==-

the fact that these forums are falling apart due to a massive influx of new, and unexperienced members, has forced the administration here to consider many new forum features/topics, and since i see nothing being done here to save (what once was) our modest forums, i have decided to start this thread up accepting GROW F.A.Q. SUBMISSIONS SO THAT GYPSY AND THE STAFF CAN POSSIBLY STICK A QUICK F.A.Q. PAGE IN THE NAVIGATION BAR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

OVERGROWERS:

I am sure many of you have some of the overgrow FAQ stuff saved on your drives. This is an invaluable resource right now and posting it is a help to the community more than you know.
although OG likely had rights to the actual FAQ entries, the content itself is up for grabs. And you have some right to it, you guys were the ones who wrote it originally.

here's why this needs to be done,

upon signing on this afternoon, i was greeted with almost TWICE the amount of newb. threads as there were last night.

creation of a grow FAQ of sorts to be permanently or temporarily placed in the sites main menu, would HOPEFULLY stop some of the basic questions that neb growers have, and have no place to find the answer to except in the growers forums, this is NOT a good thing.

so post here, any and all TEKs, Write-ups, DIY jobs, soil mixes, a glossary of terms such as the one created by OG bub should have it's place here as well..

No matter what, make sure what you are posting is TRIED AND TRUE, widely accepted technique, proven to work beyond the shadow of a doubt.
i am sure NOT ALL SUBMISSIONS will be selected, as many will be repetitive in nature.

anyway, i hope the admin gets on the ball here and gets the site cleaned up.

mods aint on their job, or there aint enough of em, people NEED mentors right now, and there needs to be enforcement of the basic few guidelines, AT LEAST!

this "Grow FAQ" should eliminate some of these ELEMENTARY questions being asked over and over throughout the site.

peace

even if it never gets done by the admin, folks can come to this thread with there basic questions and do a "Search This Thread" search for whatever keywords they choose.

so get to work overgrowers...
what? you actually thought you could flop around here for free forever?

How to build a cool tube

How to build a cool tube

Original Concept Credit: johnstone, NIMBY
Written by: Don'tTreadOnMe
Additional info by: sanclem
Compiled & edited by: Smokey D Dope


johnstone- Hurricane tube NIMBY - Baking tube


Configuration
This type of fixture is very versatile. There are many different ways it can be configured:

*hanging or mounted on a chamber wall
*open-ended drawing air from the grow or ducted to a separate intake
*passively or actively cooled

Tools Needed:
*Power drill with 1/8" or 3/16" drill bit
*4.25" hole saw
*pop rivet gun (optional)
*flat head and Phillips head screw drivers












Materials:
Keep in mind that the full list of materials you will need depends on the type of glass you get and the configuration you're looking to build. Here's the materials list with some pictures and approximate pricing:

· $3.99-- Glass, either 4" Pyrex tube (approx. 12" long, 4” diameter) or "hurricane" lamp glass ($3.99 at Hobby Lobby, is 11 3/4" long and 4 5/8")
· $2.99-- 4" H/C venting starter collar
· $4.50-- 5" to 4" venting pipe reducer (for use with hurricane glass only)
· $3.00-7.00-- High-temp foil tape
· $5.00-- Thermal pipe wrap (looks like woven fiberglass tape with no adhesive)
· $8.00-- 4" aluminum "dryer" ducting (hanging configuration)
· $2.00-- 1/2 wood screws (box wall mount only)
· $3.00-- pop rivets or small sheet metal screws
· 4" (dryer ducting and/or Pyrex tube only) and/or 5" (hurricane glass only) hose clamps
· "S" hooks (for hanging)

a. Hurricane glass tube

When working with the hurricane glass "chimney," the irregular shape needs to be overcome so that it can be attached it to a reducer collar that will make up one end of the fixture. You may attach a reducer collar to a single end if you want an open ended design, or you can attach one to each end if you will be running ducting to both intake and exhaust ports.

The graphics concentrate on the exhaust end to which the bulb socket is also anchored. On this end of the glass (at the narrow "throat") numerous wraps of thermal pipe wrapping are wound around the glass and secured with a couple of wrappings of foil duct tape. The wrapping should build up the throat to the same diameter as the opening in the glass - where it snugly fits inside the larger end of the reducer.



This will allow us to use a 5" hose clamp to secure the edge of the reducer collar to this tape wrapped "cushion." (Note: you can use foil tape alone for building this "cushion" but the thermal wrapping makes for a neater seal, and is less susceptible to heat. Also, if a hose clamp isn't available, the reducer can be secured to the glass with foil tape.

If you use a hose clamp, you will need to make some 1" slits in the edge of the reducer collar the glass fits in to allow the hose clamp to compress it enough to hold the glass securely)

Mounting the socket inside the tube
In the graphic, a length of pipe strapping bent in a "U" shape is used to hold the socket far enough inside the glass to place the bulb roughly in the middle of the glass. This glass, $3.99 at Hobby Lobby, is 11 3/4" long and 4 5/8" at each end. Notice this glass is symmetrical. Don't try to use the asymmetrical hurricane lamp "chimney's" available at Lowe's or HD; they're too small and aren't shaped in a way that permits good air flow.

The socket is either screwed or pop riveted to the bottom of the pipe strap "U." My light was made from a 150w HPS security light which used a "medium" base socket; this socket has two little screws in it that more or less lined up with the holes in the strapping.

As for the mogul base sockets used with bigger lamps, I don't know what they have on the bottom of them so you may have to improvise a solution for mounting them. The ends of the strap are bent around to "clip" over the edge of the glass and then secured with a couple of wrappings of foil tape. If you'd like, a more permanent mount can be had by drilling a couple of small holes in the tapered throat of the reducer and attaching the ends of the strap with a couple of pop rivets.

Running the wires
The wires from the socket can be either run through your 4" ducting which will attach to the other end of the reducer or you can drill a hole in the tapered part of the reducer to run the wire out of the fixture to the ballast.

Here's how I actually have it done in my box. There's no venting, it just mounts to a 4.25" hole in the side of my flowering chamber via a starter collar which fits snugly inside the 4" side of the reducer collar. I've got them held together with four pop rivets for a permanent connection. The tabbed end of the starter collar fits into the hole where the tabs are bent around the edge of the hole and anchored with wood screw to the box wall. (In my box, on the other side of this wall is my utility room with a 4" 115cfm computer case fan sucking out the back of it.)

One could just as easily connect another reducer collar onto the other end of the glass exactly as the first side was with "S" hooks for hanging from above. This fixture could then have both intake and exhaust from outside the box.

Originally this is what I would have preferred to have, but as my flowering chamber is only 2'Dx2'Wx3'H, the wall mount actually did better for me.


johnstone- Hurricane tube NIMBY - Baking tube


b. Pyrex baking tube

(NIMBY) "Using a Pyrex (borosilicate glass) tube obtained from a glass blowing supply house or using a "Bake a Round" (eBay had a dozen for sale the last time I checked) one utilizes either one or two (pictured) 4" starter collars instead of the 5" to 4" reducer collars. They are 14" long and 3.75" in diameter."



"I stretched the aluminum ducting out and measured 16". I then snipped the metal "ribs" and cut the ducting open. The glass tube will now just drop into the long run of ducting. The electrial wires run to the remote ballast through the intake part of the duct (exhaust could also be used depending upon the location of the ballast). I measured 2" from each side of my original cut and snipped the metal ribs again but this time didn't cut the aluminum foil. This allows me to open the ducting up like a "wing"."



A couple of wraps of pipe wrap sealed with foil tape on each end you want to put a collar on should be used to keep from biting the metal directly into glass with the hose clamp (pictured). The socket is mounted inside the tube with pipe strapping just as in the hurricane style fixture. It can either be "clipped" and taped over the edge of the glass or better, pop riveted to the inside of the starter collar.

Simply stick the glass inside the end of the starter collar an inch or so past the bottom of the tabs to measure how far in to drill two holes 180 degrees apart, then use two pop rivets to attach the strapping

A note about pipe strapping: don't get the thin wimpy stuff. Get the thicker heavy-duty strapping. The heavy stuff is still relatively easy to bend but holds it's shape better and will hold the bulb and socket straight without sagging. At Home Depot they even have some copper pipe strapping (also known as “pipe tape" or “pipe hanger”) that is quite stiff.

Ventilation Performance
There are many different ventilation options available, since standard household ducting is used in the construction of the fixture. For those folks with bigger boxes or rooms, ducting in and out, "inline" duct fans are probably the best option.

For my little NewGanjaBoy-style setup, using the Hurricane fixture as part of the ventilation system of my box, a 115cfm computer fan does the trick. As for actual performance specs for different blowers/fans and light wattages, I'm afraid you'll have to experiment. Here's mine just to give an example:

Box:
-NewGanjaBoy-style three chambered box
-4 20w flouros in the mother chamber
-150w security HPS in the flowering chamber in original metal fixture with holes drilled in the top

Ventilation before Cool Tube installed:
-115cfm fan exhausting box
-4"x8" intake port in the bottom of the veg chamber
-Two 2' runs of 1.5" PVC pulling air through the wall between veg and flowering chambers
-Two 1' runs of 1.5" PVC pulling air from over the HPS fixture into the utility room where it's exhausting out the back.

Ventilation after Cool Tube installed:
-Two PVC runs between flowering chamber and utility room replaced with Hurricane Cool tube fixture
-ballast moved to utility room and housed in the original security light casing
-everything else is the same

Temps before Cool Tube mod:
Ambient temp: 80°F
Flowering chamber 1 hour after HPS fires up: 95°F (in direct light)
Flowering chamber 6-12 hours after HPS fires up: 100-105+°F (ouch!!)

Temps after Cool Tube Mod:
Ambient temp: 80°F
Flowering chamber 1 hour after HPS fires up: 85°F (in direct light)
Flowering chamber 6-12 hours after HPS fires up: 90°F (in direct light)

SAFETY NOTICE:
Please note that the wire to the bulb base must be a high temp fiberglass type, or the heat will eat up the wire and cause a running short. The thermal tape is a fiberglass electrical tape from most hardware stores. High temp fiberglass wrapped wire is available at any hardware or electrical store. It is imperative that you use it, as a smoking ballast is a real bummer to relight.

Nutrient Disorder Problem Solver

Nutrient Disorder Problem Solver

Nutrient Disorder Problem Solver

Version 1.1 - Feb. 1998 - distribution okay


To use the Problem-Solver, simply start at #1 below. When you think you've found the problem, read the Nutrients section to learn more about it. Diagnose carefully before making major changes.

1) If the problem affects only the bottom or middle of the plant go to #2. b) If it affects only the top of the plant or the growing tips, skip to #10. If the problem seems to affect the entire plant equally, skip to #6.

2) Leaves are a uniform yellow or light green; leaves die & drop; growth is slow. Leaf margins are not curled-up noticeably. >> Nitrogen(N) deficiency. b) If not, go to #3.

3) Margins of the leaves are turned up, and the tips may be twisted. Leaves are yellowing (and may turn brown), but the veins remain somewhat green. >> Magnesium (Mg) deficiency. b) If not, go to #4.

4) Leaves are browning or yellowing. Yellow, brown, or necrotic (dead) patches, especially around the edges of the leaf, which may be curled. Plant may be too tall. >> Potassium (K) deficiency. b) If not, keep reading.

5) Leaves are dark green or red/purple. Stems and petioles may have purple & red on them. Leaves may turn yellow or curl under. Leaf may drop easily. Growth may be slow and leaves may be small. >> Phosphorus(P) deficiency. b) If not, go to #6.

6) Tips of leaves are yellow, brown, or dead. Plant otherwise looks healthy & green. Stems may be soft >> Over-fertilization (especially N), over-watering, damaged roots, or insufficient soil aeration (use more sand or perlite. Occasionally due to not enough N, P, or K. b) If not, go to #7.

7) Leaves are curled under like a ram's horn, and are dark green, gray, brown, or gold. >> Over-fertilization (too much N). b) If not, go to #8…

8) The plant is wilted, even though the soil is moist. >> Over-fertilization, soggy soil, damaged roots, disease; copper deficiency (very unlikely). b) If not, go to #9.

9) Plants won't flower, even though they get 12 hours of darkness for over 2 weeks. >> The night period is not completely dark. Too much nitrogen. Too much pruning or cloning. b) If not, go to #10...

10) Leaves are yellow or white, but the veins are mostly green. >> Iron (Fe) deficiency. b) If not, go to #11.

11) Leaves are light green or yellow beginning at the base, while the leaf margins remain green. Necrotic spots may be between veins. Leaves are not twisted. >> Manganese (Mn) deficiency. b) If not, #12.

12) Leaves are twisted. Otherwise, pretty much like #11. >> Zinc (Zn) deficiency. b) If not, #13.

13) Leaves twist, then turn brown or die. >> The lights are too close to the plant. Rarely, a Calcium (Ca) or Boron (B) deficiency. b) If not… You may just have a weak plant.


The Nutrients:

Nitrogen - Plants need lots of N during vegging, but it's easy to overdo it. Added too much? Flush the soil with plain water. Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrate) is the form that's the most quickly available to the roots, while insoluble N (like urea) first needs to be broken down by microbes in the soil before the roots can absorb it. Avoid excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with other nutrients. Too much N delays flowering. Plants should be allowed to become N-deficient late in flowering for best flavor.

Magnesium - Mg-deficiency is pretty common since marijuana uses lots of it and many fertilizers don't have enough of it. Mg-deficiency is easily fixed with ¼ teaspoon/gallon of Epsom salts (first powdered and dissolved in some hot water) or foliar feed at ½ teaspoon/quart. When mixing up soil, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil for Mg. Mg can get locked-up by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen. Don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients.

Potassium - Too much sodium (Na) displaces K, causing a K deficiency. Sources of high salinity are: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate "pH-up"), too much manure, and the use of water-softening filters (which should not be used). If the problem is Na, flush the soil. K can get locked up from too much Ca or ammonium nitrogen, and possibly cold weather.

Phosphorous - Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.

Iron - Fe is unavailable to plants when the pH of the water or soil is too high. If deficient, lower the pH to about 6.5 (for rockwool, about 5.7), and check that you're not adding too much P, which can lock up Fe. Use iron that's chelated for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients - chelated iron might read something like "iron EDTA". To much Fe without adding enough P can cause a P-deficiency.

Manganese - Mn gets locked out when the pH is too high, and when there's too much iron. Use chelated Mn.

Zinc - Also gets locked out due to high pH. Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur together, and are usually from a high pH. Don't overdo the micro-nutrients-lower the pH if that's the problem so the nutrients become available. Foliar feed if the plant looks real bad. Use chelated zinc.

Check Your Water - Crusty faucets and shower heads mean your water is "hard," usually due to too many minerals. Tap water with a TDS (total dissolved solids) level of more than around 200ppm (parts per million) is "hard" and should be looked into, especially if your plants have a chronic problem. Ask your water company for an analysis listing, which will usually list the pH, TDS, and mineral levels (as well as the pollutants, carcinogens, etc) for the tap water in your area. This is a common request, especially in this day and age, so it shouldn't raise an eyebrow. Regular water filters will not reduce a high TDS level, but the costlier reverse-osmosis units, distillers, and de-ionizers will. A digital TDS meter (or EC = electrical conductivity meter) is an incredibly useful tool for monitoring the nutrient levels of nutrient solution, and will pay for itself before you know it. They run about $40 and up.

General Feeding Tips - Pot plants are very adaptable, but a general rule of thumb is to use more nitrogen & less phosphorous during the vegetative period, and the exact opposite during the flowering period. For the veg. period try a N:K ratio of about 10:7:8 (which of course is the same ratio as 20:14:16), and for flowering plants, 4:8:8. Check the pH after adding nutrients. If you use a reservoir, keep it circulating and change it every 2 weeks. A general guideline for TDS levels is as follows:
seedlings = 50-150 ppm; unrooted clones = 100-350 ppm; small plants = 400-800 ppm; large plants = 900-1800 ppm; last week of flowering = taper off to plain water. These numbers are just a guideline, and many factors can change the actual level the plants will need. Certain nutrients are "invisible" to TDS meters, especially organics, so use TDS level only as an estimate of actual nutrient levels. When in doubt about a new fertilizer, follow the fertilizer's directions for feeding tomatoes. Grow a few tomato or radish plants nearby for comparison.

PH - The pH of water after adding any nutrients should be around 5.9-6.5 (in rockwool, 5.5-6.1). Generally speaking, the micro-nutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) get locked out at a high pH (alkaline) above 7.0, while the major nutrients (N, P, K, Mg) can be less available in acidic soil or water (below 5.0). Tap water is often too alkaline. Soils with lots of peat or other organic matter in them tend to get too acidic, which some dolomite lime will help fix. Soil test kits vary in accuracy, and generally the more you pay the better the accuracy. For the water, color-based pH test kits from aquarium stores are inexpensive, but inaccurate. Invest in a digital pH meter ($40-80), preferably a waterproof one. You won't regret it.

Cold - Cold weather (below 50F/10C) can lock up phosphorous. Some
varieties, like equatorial sativas, don't take well to cold weather. If you can keep the roots warmer, the plant will be able to take cooler temps than it otherwise could.

Heat - If the lights are too close to the plant, the tops may be curled, dry, and look burnt, mimicking a nutrient problem. Your hand should not feel hot after a minute when you hold it at the top of the plants. Raise the lights and/or aim a fan at the hot zone. Room temps should be kept under 85F (29C) -- or 90F (33) if you add additional CO2.

Humidity - Thin, shriveled leaves can be from low humidity. 40-80 % is usually fine.

Mold and Fungus - Dark patchy areas on leaves and buds can be mold. Lower the humidity and increase the ventilation if mold is a problem. Remove any dead leaves, wherever they are. Keep your garden clean.

Insects - White spots on the tops of leaves can mean spider mites
underneath.

Sprays - Foliar sprays can have a "magnifying glass" effect under bright lights, causing small white, yellow or burnt spots which can be confused with a nutrient problem. Some sprays can also cause chemical reactions.

Insufficient light - tall, stretching plants are usually from using the wrong kind of light.. Don't use regular incandescent bulbs ("grow bulbs") or halogens to grow cannabis. Invest in fluorescent lighting (good) or HID lighting (much better) which supply the high-intensity light
that cannabis needs for good growth and tight buds. Even better, grow in sunlight.

Clones - yellowing leaves on unrooted clones can be from too much light, or the stem may not be firmly touching the rooting medium. Turn off any CO2 until they root. Too much fertilizer can shrivel or wilt clones - plain tap water is fine.


If this helped, send a few dollars to NORML.
Best of luck,
jackerspackle

Hydroponics for beginner

Hydroponics for beginner

Beginner's Growing Tips.
Growing Tips From the Experts.
This page has been designed to help answer the important questions beginning growers might have when just getting started in hydroponics. A lot of these concepts are connected to each other. Follow the links and put the pieces of this growing puzzle together.

The more you know, the easier it is to grow!

Carbon Dioxide

During photosynthesis, plants use carbon dioxide (CO2), light, and hydrogen (usually water) to produce carbohydrates, which is a source of food. Oxygen is given off in this process as a by-product. Light is a key variable in photosynthesis.

Conductivity

Measuring nutrient solution strength is a relatively simple process. However, the electronic devices manufactured to achieve this task are quite sophisticated and use the latest microprocessor technology. To understand how these devices work, you have to know that pure water doesn’t conduct electricity. But as salts are dissolved into the pure water, electricity begins to be conducted. An electrical current will begin to flow when live electrodes are placed into the solution. The more salts that are dissolved, the stronger the salt solution and, correspondingly, the more electrical current that will flow. This current flow is connected to special electronic circuitry that allows the grower to determine the resultant strength of the nutrient solution.

The scale used to measure nutrient strength is electrical conductivity (EC) or conductivity factor (CF). The CF scale is most commonly used in hydroponics. It spans from 0 to more than 100 CF units. The part of the scale generally used by home hydroponic gardeners spans 0-100 CF units. The part of the scale generally used by commercial or large-scale hydroponic growers is from 2 to 4 CF. (strength for growing watercress and some fancy lettuce) to as high as approximately 35 CF for fruits, berries, and ornamental trees. Higher CF values are used by experienced commercial growers to obtain special plant responses and for many of the modern hybrid crops, such as tomatoes and some peppers. Most other plant types fall between these two figures and the majority is grown at 13-25 CF.
--Rob Smith

Germination

When a seed first begins to grow, it is germinating. Seeds are germinated in a growing medium, such as perlite. Several factors are involved in this process. First, the seed must be active--and alive--and not in dormancy. Most seeds have a specific temperature range that must be achieved. Moisture and oxygen must be present. And, for some seeds, specified levels of light or darkness must be met. Check the specifications of seeds to see their germination requirements.

The first two leaves that sprout from a seed are called the seed leaves, or cotyledons. These are not the true leaves of a plant. The seed develops these first leaves to serve as a starting food source for the young, developing plant.

Growing Medium

Soil is never used in hydroponic growing. Some systems have the ability to support the growing plants, allowing the bare roots to have maximum exposure to the nutrient solution. In other systems, the roots are supported by a growing medium. Some types of media also aid in moisture and nutrient retention. Different media are better suited to specific plants and systems. It is best to research all of your options and to get some recommendations for systems and media before making investing in or building an operation. Popular growing media include:

Composted bark. It is usually organic and can be used for seed germination.
Expanded clay. Pellets are baked in a very hot oven, which causes them to expand, creating a porous end product.
Gravel. Any type can be used. However, gravel can add minerals to nutrient. Always make sure it is clean.
Oasis. This artificial, foam-based material is commonly known from its use as an arrangement base in the floral industry.
Peat moss. This medium is carbonized and compressed vegetable matter that has been partially decomposed.
Perlite. Volcanic glass is mined from lava flows and heated in furnaces to a high temperature, causing the small amount of moisture inside to expand. This converts the hard glass into small, sponge-like kernels.
Pumice. This is a glassy material that is formed by volcanic activity. Pumice is lightweight due to its large number of cavities produced by the expulsion of water vapor at a high temperature as lava surfaces.
Rockwool. This is created by melting rock at a high temperature and then spinning it into fibers.
Sand. This medium varies in composition and is usually used in conjunction with another medium.
Vermiculite. Similar to perlite except that it has a relatively high cation exchange capacity--meaning it can hold nutrients for later use.
There are a number of other materials that can (and are) used as growing media. Hydroponic gardeners tend to be an innovative and experimental group.

Hydroponic Systems

The apparatuses used in hydroponic growing are many and varied. There are two basic divisions between systems: media-based and water culture. Also, systems can be either active or passive. Active systems use pumps and usually timers and other electronic gadgets to run and monitor the operation. Passive systems may also incorporate any number of gadgets. However, they to not use pumps and may rely on the use of a wicking agent to draw nutrient to the roots.

Media-based systems--as their name implies--use some form of growing medium. Some popular media-based systems include ebb-and-flow (also called flood-and-drain), run-to-waste, drip-feed (or top-feed), and bottom-feed.

Water culture systems do not use media. Some popular water culture systems are raft (also called floating and raceway), nutrient film technique (NFT), and aeroponics.

Light

Think of a plant as a well-run factory that takes delivery of raw materials and manufactures the most wondrous products. Just as a factory requires a reliable energy source to turn the wheels of its machinery, plants need an energy source in order to grow.

Artificial Light

Usually, natural sunlight is used for this important job. However, during the shorter and darker days of winter, many growers use artificial lights to increase the intensity of light (for photosynthesis) or to expand the daylight length. While the sun radiates the full spectrum (wavelength or color of light) suitable for plant life, different types of artificial lighting are selected for specific plant varieties and optimum plant growth characteristics. Different groups of plants respond in physically different ways to various wavelengths of radiation. Light plays an extremely important role in the production of plant material. The lack of light is the main inhibiting factor in plant growth. If you reduce the light by 10 percent, you also reduce crop performance by 10 percent.

Light transmission should be your major consideration when purchasing a growing structure for a protected crop. Glass is still the preferred material for covering greenhouses because, unlike plastic films and sheeting, its light transmission ability is indefinitely maintained.

No gardener can achieve good results without adequate light. If you intend to grow indoors, avail yourself of some of the reading material that has been published on this subject. If you are having trouble growing good plants, then light is the first factor to question.
--Rob Smith

Natural Light

A large part of the success in growing hydroponically is planning where to place the plants. Grow plants that have similar growing requirements in the same system. Placing your system 1-2 feet away from a sunny window will give the best results for most herbs and vegetables. Even your regular house lights help the plants to grow. Make sure that all of the lights are out in your growing area during the night. Plants need to rest a minimum of 4 hours every night. If your plants start to get leggy (too tall and not very full), move the system to a spot that has more sun. Once you find a good growing area, stick to it. Plants get used to their home location. It may take some time to get used to a new place.
--Charles E. Musgrove

Macronutrients

Plants need around 16 mineral nutrients for optimal growth. However, not all these nutrients are equally important for the plant. Three major minerals--nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)--are used by plants in large amounts. These three minerals are usually displayed as hyphenated numbers, like "15-30-15," on commercial fertilizers. These numbers correspond to the relative percentage by weight of each of the major nutrients--known as macronutrients--N, P, and K. Macronutrients are present in large concentrations in plants. All nutrients combine in numerous ways to help produce healthy plants. Usually, sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) are also considered macronutrients.

These nutrients play many different roles in plants. Here are some of their dominant functions:

Nitrogen (N)--promotes development of new leaves
Phosphorus (P)--aids in root growth and blooming
Potassium (K)--important for disease resistance and aids growth in extreme temperatures
Sulfur (S)--contributes to healthy, dark green color in leaves
Calcium (Ca)--promotes new root and shoot growth
Magnesium (Mg)--chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color and absorbs sunlight to make food, contains a Mg ion
--Jessica Hankinson
Micronutrients

Boron (B), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) are only present in minute quantities in plants and are known as micronutrients. Plants can usually acquire adequate amounts of these elements from the soil, so most commercial fertilizers don't contain all of the micronutrients. Hydroponic growers, however, don't have any soil to provide nutrients for their plants. Therefore, nutrient solution that is marketed for hydroponic gardening contain all the micronutrients.
--Jessica Hankinson

Nutrient Solution

In hydroponics, nutrient solution--sometimes just referred to as "nutrient"--is used to feed plants instead of plain water. This is due to the fact that the plants aren't grown in soil. Traditionally, plants acquire most of their nutrition from the soil. When growing hydroponically, you need to add all of the nutrients a plant needs to water. Distilled water works best for making nutrient. Hydroponic supply stores have a variety of nutrient mixes for specific crops and growth cycles. Always store solutions out of direct sunlight to prevent any algae growth. See also conductivity, macronutrients, and micronutrients.

Disposal Unlike regular water, you need to be careful where you dispose of nutrient. Even organic nutrients and fertilizers can cause serious imbalances in aquatic ecosystems. If you do not live near a stream, river, lake or other water source, it is fine to use old nutrient on outdoor plants and lawn. Another possibility is to use it on houseplants. However, if you live within 1,000 feet of a viable water source, do not use your spent nutrient in the ground.

Osmosis

The ends of a plant’s roots aren’t open-ended like a drinking straw and they definitely doesn’t suck up a drink of water or nutrients. Science is still seeking a complete understanding of osmosis, so to attempt a full and satisfactory description of all that’s involved in this process would be impossible. However, we can understand the basic osmotic principle as it relates to plants.

First, consider a piece of ordinary blotting paper, such as the commonly used filter for home coffee machines. The paper might appear to be solid. However, if you apply water to one side of it, you’ll soon see signs of the water appearing on the opposite side. The walls of a feeding root act in much the same way. If you pour water onto the top of the filter paper, gravity allows the water to eventually drip through to the bottom side. Add the process of osmosis and water that’s applied to the bottom side drips through to the top.

With plants, this action allows water and nutrients to pass through the root walls from the top, sides, and bottom. Osmosis is the natural energy force that moves elemental ions through what appears to be solid material. A simplistic explanation for how osmosis works, although not 100 percent accurate, is that the stronger ion attracts the weaker through a semipermeable material. So, the elements within the cells that make up plant roots attract water and nutrients through the root walls when these compounds are stronger than the water and nutrients applied to the outside of the roots.

It then follows that if you apply a strong nutrient to the plant roots--one that’s stronger than the compounds inside of the root--that the reverse action is likely to occur! This process is called reverse osmosis. Many gardeners have at some time committed the sin of killing their plants by applying too strong a fertilizer to their plants, which causes reverse osmosis. Instead of feeding the plant, they have actually been dragging the life force out of it.

Understanding how osmosis works, the successful grower can wisely use this knowledge to promote maximum uptake of nutrients into the plants without causing plant stress--or worse, plant death--from over fertilizing. All plants have a different osmotic requirement or an optimum nutrient strength.
--Rob Smith

Oxygen

As a result of the process of photosynthesis, oxygen (O) is given off by plants. Then, at night, when light isn't available for photosynthesis, this process is reversed. At night, plants take in oxygen and consume the energy they have stored during the day.

Pests and Diseases

Even though hydroponic gardeners dodge a large number of plant problems by eschewing soil (which is a home to any number of plant enemies), pests and diseases still manage to wreak havoc from time to time. Botrytis, Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Verticillium cover most of the genera of bacteria that can threaten your plants. The insects that can prove annoying include aphids, caterpillars, cutworms, fungus gnats, leaf miners, nematodes, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies.

A few good ways to prevent infestation and infection are to:

Always maintain a sanitary growing environment
Grow naturally selected disease- and pest-resistant plant varieties
Keep your growing area properly ventilated and at the correct temperatures for your plants
Keep a close eye on your plants so if a problem does occur, you can act quickly
With insects, sometimes you can pick off and crush any large ones. Or you can try to wash the infected plants with water or a mild soap solution (such as Safer Soap).

If a problem gets out of control, it may be necessary to apply a biological control in the form of a spray. Research which product will work best in your situation. Always follow the instructions on pesticides very closely.

Alternatively, there are a number of control products on the market today that feature a botanical compound or an ingredient that has been synthesized from a plant material.

On botanical compounds as controlling agents:

Over the last few years, researchers from all around the world have started to take a much closer look at any compounds present in the plant kingdom that might hold the answer to our pest and disease control problems. Many companies have even switched from producing synthetic pesticides to copying nature by synthesizing naturally occurring compounds in a laboratory setting. Extracts of willow, cinnamon, grapefruit, garlic, neem, bittersweet, lemon grass, derris, eucalyptus, and tomato have been helpful in controlling diseases and pests.
--Dr. Lynette Morgan

pH

The pH of a nutrient solution is a measurement of its relative concentration of positive hydrogen ions. Negative hydroxyl ions are produced by the way systems filter and mix air into the nutrient solution feeding plants. Plants feed by an exchange of ions. As ions are removed from the nutrient solution, pH rises. Therefore, the more ions that are taken up by the plants, the greater the growth. A solution with a pH value of 7.0 contains relatively equal concentrations of hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions. When the pH is below 7.0, there are more hydrogen ions than hydroxyl ion. Such a solution "acidic." When the pH is above 7.0, there are fewer hydrogen ions than hydroxyl ions. This means that the solution is "alkaline."

Test the pH level of your nutrient with a kit consisting of vials and liquid reagents. These kits are available at local chemistry, hydroponic, nursery, garden supplier, or swimming pool supply stores. It is also a good idea to test the pH level of your water before adding any nutrients. If your solution is too alkaline add some acid. Although such conditions rarely occur, sometimes you may have to reduce the level of acidity by making the solution more alkaline. This can be achieved by adding potassium hydroxide (or potash) to the solution in small amounts until it is balanced once again.
--Charles E. Musgrove

Controling Ph


pH can be a tricky thing for some. Having hard water, it is a stuggle to keep the ph down. In the past, I have continually added pH down in a vain attempt to stabilize it at 5.8. In the end, it was always to much and would poisen the plants.

These days, I find that with hard water, it is far easier to set the res pH to 5.7 (5.6 to 5.8 is fine) and just let it slowly drift up until the res is changed again and then re-set it back to 5.7. In the end, the pH will drift to 6.4(Ideal) or so...it is probably not optimal but it is far easier on the plants than continually adding ph down.

Photosynthesis

Plants need to absorb many necessary nutrients from the nutrient solution or--in the case of traditional agriculture--the soil. However, plants can create some of their own food. Plants use the process of photosynthesis to create food for energy. Carbohydrates are produced from carbon dioxide (CO2) and a source of hydrogen (H)--such as water--in chlorophyll-containing plant cells when they are exposed to light. This process results in the production of oxygen (O).

Plant Problems

Every now and again, you are sure to run into a problem with your plants. This is just a simple fact of any type of gardening. The key is to act quickly, armed with quality knowledge.

Mineral Deficiency Symptoms

Nitrogen deficiency will cause yellowing of the leaves, especially in the older leaves. The growth of new roots and shoots is stunted. In tomatoes, the stems may take on a purple hue.

A phosphorous deficiency is usually associated with dark green foliage and stunted growth. As in nitrogen deficiency, the stems may appear purple. But since the leaves don't yellow as they do in nitrogen deficiency, the whole plant can take on a purplish green color.

Iron deficiency results in yellowing between the leaf veins. In contrast to nitrogen deficiency, the yellowing first appears in the younger leaves. After a prolonged absence of iron, the leaves can turn completely white.
--Jessica Hankinson

Wilting

This condition can be caused by environmental factors or disease (usually caused by Fusarium). Nutrient and media temperature can be adjusted to remedy wilt. However, if Fusarium have taken hold, the chances that your plants will survive are slim.

If wilting is due to environmental causes:

Try to spray the plants and roots with cool, clean water to rejuvenate them. If this hasn’t helped them by the next day, try it again. If the plants respond, top-off the nutrient solution and check the pH. If the plants don’t respond to the misting, empty the tank, move it to a shadier spot, and refill with cool, fresh nutrient solution. Don’t reuse the old solution--start with fresh water and nutrients.
--Charles E. Musgrove

If wilting is due to a system blockage of nutrient:

I have seen tomato plants that have been so dehydrated due to a nutrient supply blockage that they were lying flat and for all the world looked stone-cold dead. When the nutrient flow resumed and the plants were given the less stressful environment of nighttime, they rebounded so well that I wondered if I had dreamed the previous day’s "disaster." The moral of this story is to always give plants a chance to revive, even when the situation looks hopeless.
--Rob Smith


Propagation

Plants can be propagated by a number of methods. Growers can let a plant go to seed, collect the seeds, and then start the cycle over again (see germination). Another method is to take stem cuttings, which is also known as cloning (because you are creating an exact copy of the parent plant).

Although this process won't work with all plants, it is a highly effective technique. Simply cut off a side shoot or the top of the main shoot just below a growth node. Make sure that there are at least two growth nodes above the cut. Remove any of the lower leaves near the base of the new plant. This cutting can then be rooted by placing it in water or in a propagation medium (perlite works well) that is kept moist. The use of some rooting hormone can help your chances of success.

Pruning

Remove any discolored, insect-eaten, or otherwise sick-looking leaves from plants. Picking off some outer leaves or cutting the top off a plant can help it grow fuller. Use sharp scissors to prune your plants. Sometimes you will want to prune a plant to focus its energy on the remaining shoots. Pruning is an art and should be performed with care. Damaged or dying roots may also need to be pruned from time to time.

Soil

Never use soil during any aspect of hydroponics. If you ever move a plant from a soil-based situation to hydroponics, remove all traces of soil or potting mix from the roots. Soil holds lots of microbes and other organisms and materials that love to grow in and contaminate your hydroponic system. Some of these will actually parasitize your plant and slow its growth. This is another advantage of hydroponic growing: The plant can get on with growing without having to support a myriad of other organisms as happens in conventional soil growing.
--Rob Smith

Temperature

Different plants have different germination and growing temperatures. Always make sure that you check each plant’s growing requirements--especially minimum and maximum temperature levels. Keep in mind that specific varieties of plants may have different requirements.

Water

Because the water supply is the source of life for your plants, quality is important. All plants rely on their ability to uptake water freely. Between 80 and 98 percent of this uptake is required for transpiration (loosely compared to perspiration in animals), which allows the plant to produce and somewhat control its immediate microclimate. Plants also need clean, uncontaminated water to produce their own healthy food supply.
--Rob Smith

The water you use in your hydroponic system needs to be pure. It is always a good idea to test your water source before adding nutrients so you aren't adding an element that is already present. In small systems, it would be wise to use distilled water.

If you are starting a larger hydroponic operation, it would be a good idea to have a water analysis completed. Factors such as sodium chloride (NaCl, or salt) content and hardness will be of great use to growers. Also, groundwater can have elements normally not present in conditioned water. A key piece of advice: Get to know your water!


Growing Tips From the Experts
Cloning

have everything ready first then take your cuttings and plant them right away
for best results, take cuttings first thing in the morning
use only healthy actively growing stock plants with soft green stems (woody stem cuttings do not root fast!!!)
for green stem (softwood) cuttings use a straight clean cut; for yellow or brown stem cuttings use a slanted cut
remove any leaves or branches that would be below the soil line (snip off leaf stem, leaving a 1/4" stub)
dip cutting into "Roots" or other hormone products
after planting, trickle a few drop of water down the stem to settle the soil mix around the stem

To Root in Potting Soil or Soiless Mixes:

fill containers with potting mix
water well with room temperature water with "Nutri-Boost" added ("Nutri-Boost" is a vitamin mix; add 7 drops per litre or quart of water)
it is always a good idea to have "No-Damp" nearby in case you notice any signs of wilting; if this occurs, use the recommended application rate of l0m. "No-Damp" to 1 litre of water and spray generously
now take your cuttings, dip them into a rooting hormone and plant them right away

To Root in Rockwool Cubes:

rinse cubes in lukewarm pH balanced water
water cubes with "Nutri-Boost" solution as described above
plant the cutting 3/4" of the way into the cube

More Helpful Hints:

root cuttings under moderate light (flourescent light)
at 70 - 75°F
if you use a clear cover, remove twice a day and wipe any condensation off the cover and replace
use only water and "Nutri-boost" solution until cuttings show signs of new growth at tips then feed with 1/2 strength fertilizer

Hydroponic Nutrient Manipulation and Modification Techniques
or "Playing with your food"

Some gardeners are ignoring their mother's advice and modifying their fertilizer mixes. The fact is, the soil-less mixes, lava rock, rockwool, etc. hold little or no food compared to garden dirt, so any change in fertilizer strength or quality is noticed by the plant almost immediately.

This is why gardeners use different fertilizers for different stages of growth, giving the plant just what it needs for today's "Work". Here are some other tips on changing your fertilizer mix for special circumstances.

Food Strength

We match food strength to growing conditions in the garden, and to the health and activity of the plant.

Weak fertilizer for:

newly rooted cuttings
plants in low light conditions
plants in hot gardens (over 90°F or 33°C)
plants under stress - disease, bugs, etc.
plants in transition between stages of growth
plants in poor growing conditions - crowded, root-bound, poor air movement, etc.

Regular Strength Fertilizer for:

healthy plants in active growth
good light levels, temperature and air movement

Strong Fertilizers for:

natural spurts of growth in crop plants
plants in very good growing conditions - very high light levels; precise, consistent temperatures; major air movement through plants; excellent exhaust and intake fans; huge quantities of C02 delivered efficiently to the garden; regular growth hormone treatments (to help the plant take up stronger foods)
Note: Increase food strength gradually - watch for black leaf tips!

Food Formulas - We modify fertilizers by changing the quantity of individual nutrients for special circumstances.

Low Nitrogen Fertilizers:

to avoid "stretching" (long thin stems) of plants between stages of growth.
a good example would be a chrysanthemum grower who has shortened the day length to make the plants start their flower cycle; he would use a full strength fertilizer with Nitrogen only (1/2 strength or less) to keep the plants compact until the flower buds form.
return to regular Nitrogen levels once your plants have actually begun their next growth stage.
this trick works especially well with our "B" and "C" fertilizers.
You can see that gardeners start by examining the conditions in the garden and the "job" of their plant, then decide what strength and quality to mix their fertilizers.

So What's the Deal with Pesticides?

Well, they suck! However, sometimes they are necessary to save your valuable crop. The "new" trend is to use pesticides only as a last resort. Your object is to control your pests and you might even get lucky and wipe them out.

Start with a healthy plant! It's much less likely to develop problems than a plant under stress. Bugs seem to sense a hurting plant, much like a pack of wolves will prey on an injured or tired animal. That's where our Predators come In. Just wonderful little things. They are moderately priced and they do all the work for you. When the bad guys are all gone, (ie. no more food), they either pack their bags and leave, or eat each other down to the last one. Predators are carnivores (eat meat) not herbivores (vegetarians), therefore no worries about damage from them.

Predators have been used since before the "Dead Sea" was even sick. It's only since First World War France, where pesticides and rodenticides were first used in the trenches to relieve troops of overwhelming infestations that we have changed our thinking. We've been poisoning our land, our water, and ourselves ever since. Some treatments are much safer than others. Pokon and Safers Soap are a good organic way to go, plus we can get you Predators within a day or two. This old/new topic is called "Integrated Pest Management", or I.P.M. for short.

Avoiding Plant Diseases

Watching healthy plants get sick and die is a very depressing sight to a gardener. Plant diseases are always out there, waiting to attack your garden. While sonic diseases are easily treated, other more serious diseases will require repeat treatments to handle. Some diseases are so serious (tobacco mosaic virus for example), that the plant is doomed. Plant diseases can seriously lower crop production, even if the sick plants recover. Lets keep diseases out of our gardens! Here's how:

Good Growing Conditions and Practices:

The best defence against plant disease is to keep your plants healthy and actively growing, by creating good conditions in your garden.

Attention to temperature, air movement and air change, proper spacing of plants, consistent growing conditions - all these practices ensure healthy, stress-free plants that can resist bugs and disease well. Often, bugs and disease will attack a weak plant in your garden and build up armies to invade the rest of your healthy plants!

Sanitization:

Use Healthy Plant Stock

a cutting from a sick plant will carry on the disease in the new plant.
some varieties of a plant will have greater natural resistance to disease than their "weak sisters"; if possible, grow only varieties that have known disease resistance.
Keep Tools, Hands and Clothing Clean

diseases, pests and insect eggs can travel to new host plants
during pruning, transplanting and handling; wash your hands after handling diseased plants before you touch a healthy one
clean tools and knives well after use
keep garden clear of dead leaves
Sterilize Garden or other Grow Mediums
(a Medium is what your roots are growing in)

this is especially important when using garden dirt from the backyard in a container indoors or when using recycled rockwool or lava rock for new crops
the soil-less potting mixes and new rockwool are considered clean already - no further treatment is needed
Use R/O Water or Distilled

if you are concerned about the possibility of disease in your water, there are a couple of simple methods to treat water and kill disease before you infect your garden:
Chlorine Bleach (1/4 cup for 30 gallons)

add to water and stir well
add fertilizer to water after treating with bleach
use air pump and air stone to drive off bleach and keep water bubbly
Hydrogen Peroxide (35%) (1 tablespoon for 10 gallons)

this product is actually water with extra oxygen, and the active oxygen will kill disease in the water
add to water
stir well, then add fertilizer
Note: Peroxide helps plants to take up food easier and quicker, so this treatment has an extra benefit to the garden.

Watch your garden for problems and treat them promptly! You may eliminate the disease entirely, before it gains a foothold in your garden.

Treating Fungus and Bacteria in Your Garden

Seedlings and Newly Rooted Cuttings

treat with No-Damp or other mild fungicide
be sure roots are already wet before root-drench treatment: No-Damp contains alcohol that could damage dry roots or unrooted cuttings
treat plants once a week until plants recover
Vigorous Plants - Green Growth (no flowers or crop on plant)

spray top-growth well with Safers Garden Fungicide
wet all leaves until liquid runs off leaves

" Caution " - Do not spray plants with flowers or crop on them; you will definitely burn your crop!

treat your plants once a week - the best time to spray is late in the day, so the plants can dry in the dark; avoid spraying in strong light.

Flowering or Crop Plants

treat plants by hand-watering Benomyl fungicide into the roots

" Caution " - Never spray a flowering plant with fungicide; it could damage the flower or crop!

water enough Benomyl solution into the roots to drench the entire root system
treat the plants when the roots are already wet from feeding or watering, and when they won't be watered again for at least a few hours
treat once a week

To Flush or Not to Flush

To Flush or Not to Flush

Pre harvest flushing is a controversial topic. Flushing is supposed to improve taste of the final bud by either giving only pure water, clearing solutions or extensive flushing for the last 7-14 days of flowering. While many growers claim a positive effect, others deny any positive influence or even suggest reduced yield and quality.

The theory of pre harvest flushing is to remove nutrients from the grow medium/root zone. A lack of nutrients creates a deficiency, forcing the plant to translocate and use up its internal nutrient compounds.

Nutrient fundamentals and uptake:

The nutrient uptake process is explained in this faq.

A good read about plant nutrition can be found here:

Fertilizers are materials that contain nutrients required by plants. In some cases, organic materials such as manures and plant residues can supply some or all the nutrients required by plants. In other cases mineral nutrition aids or completely replaces the organic nutrient supply. Until recently it was common thought that all nutrients are absorbed by plant roots as ions of mineral elements. However in newer studies more and more evidence emerged that additionally plant roots are capable of taking up complex organic molecules like amino acids directly thus bypassing the mineralization process.

The major nutrient uptake processes are:

1) Active transport mechanism into root hairs (the plant has to put energy in it, ATP driven) which is selective to some degree. This is one way the plant (being immobile) can adjust to the environment.

2) Passive transport (diffusion) through symplast to endodermis.

http://www.biol.sc.edu/courses/bio102/f99-3637.html

http://www.hort.wisc.edu/cran/Publications/2001 Proceedings/min_nutr.pdf

The claim only ‘chemical’ ferted plants need to be flushed should be taken with a grain of salt. Organic and synthetic ferted plants take up mineral ions alike, probably to a different degree though. Many influences play key roles in the taste and flavor of the final bud, like the nutrition balance and strength throughout the entire life cycle of the plant, the drying and curing process and other environmental conditions.

3) Active transport mechanism of organic molecules into root hairs via endocytosis.

http://acd.ucar.edu/~eholland/encyc6.html

Here is a simplified overview of nutrient functions:

Nitrogen is part of chlorophyll, amino acids, and proteins. Phosphorus is used in photosynthesis and other growth processes. Potassium is used to form sugar and starch and to activate enzymes. Calcium is utilized during cell growth and division and makes up part of the cell wall. Magnesium also activates enzymes and is part of chlorophyll. Sulfur makes up amino acids and proteins. The plants also need trace elements, which include boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, and silicon. Copper, iron, and manganese play parts in photosynthesis. Molybdenum, nickel, and cobalt are used in the movement of nitrogen in the plant. Boron affects reproduction, while chlorine aids in root growth and development. Sodium aids the movement of water within the plant and zinc is part of enzymes and used in auxins, which are basically organic plant hormones. Finally, silicon makes tough cell walls, which enhance heat and drought tolerance.

http://www.sidwell.edu

You can get an idea from this how closely all the essential elements are involved in the many metabolic processes within the plant, often relying on each other.

Nutrient movement and mobility inside the plant:

Besides endocytosis, there are two major pathways inside the plant, the xylem and the phloem. When water and minerals are absorbed by the roots of a plant, these substances must be transported up to the plant's stems and leaves for photosynthesis and further metabolic processes. This upward transport happens in the xylem. While the xylem is able to transport organic compounds, the phloem is much more adapted to do so.

The organic compounds thus originating in the leaves have to be moved throughout the plant, upwards and downwards, to where they are needed. This transport happens in the phloem. Compounds that are moving through the phloem are mostly:
Sugars as sugary saps, organic nitrogen compounds (amino acids and amides, ureides and legumes), hormones and proteins.

http://www.sirinet.net

Not all nutrient compounds are moveable within the plant.

Two directions of movement within plants:
1) acropetal - means towards the apex; transport up the in xylem
2) basipetal - means towards the base; transport down in the phloem

Two classifications of nutrient mobility:
1) Mobile - moves both up and down the plant by both acropetal and basipetal transport (in both the xylem and the phloem).
Deficiency appears on older leaves first. N, P, K, Mg, S

2) Immobile - moves up the plant by only acropetal (in the xylem) transport. Deficiency appears on new leaves first. Ca, Fe, Zn, Mo, B, Cu, Mn

http://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu

Storage organelles:

When the plant receives excessive nutrition or is under serious stress, nutrient compounds can be stored in storage organelles. The most important storage organelle is the vacuol, which can occupy up to 90% of the cell volume. Vacuoles play important metabolic roles in addition to growth.

These roles include, among others, the following.

(1) Storage: Vacuoles can serve as storage organelles for sugars, polysaccharides, organic acids and proteins. Most of the flavors of fruits and vegetables are due to the compounds stored in the vacuols. When needed, these primary metabolites can be retrieved from the vacuole and utilized in metabolic pathways.

(2) Toxic avoidance: Being immobile, plants cannot escape exposure to toxic elements in the environment by moving to another location. Nor do plants have an excretory system for the elimination of such substances. By accumulating heavy metals, such as cadmium and sodium the vacuole can be viewed as a micro-kidney inside each plant cell, filtering and sequestering potentially toxic ions from the cytosol. The same thing happens to nutrient compounds when they reach toxic levels.

http://jeb.biologists.org.pdf

Translocation:

Now that the basics are explained, we can take a look at the translocation process. It should be already clear that only mobile elements can be translocated through the phloem. Immobile elements cant be translocated and are not more available to the plant for further metabolic processes and new plant growth.

Since flushing (in theory) induces a nutrient deficiency in the rootzone, the translocation process aids in the plants survival. Translocation is transportation of assimilates through the phloem from source (a net exporter of assimilate) to sink (a net importer of assimilate). Sources are mostly mature fan leaves and sinks are mostly apical meristems, lateral meristem, fruit, seed and developing leaves etc.

You can see this by the yellowing and later dying of the mature fan leaves from the second day on after flushing started. Developing leaves, bud leaves and calyxes don’t serve as sources, they are sinks. Changes in those plant parts are due to the deficient immobile elements which start to indicate on new growth first.

Unfortunately, several metabolic processes are unable to take place anymore since other elements needed are no longer available (the immobile ones). This includes processes where nitrogen and phosphorus, which have likely the most impact on taste, are involved.

For example nitrogen: under normal growing conditions plants use nitrogen to form plant proteins. With sufficient light as a source of energy, enzyme systems in green plants rapidly reduce nitrate-N (NO3-) to intermediate compounds that are subsequently converted into amino-nitrogen.
Organic acids arise from carbohydrate metabolism in combination with the amino-nitrogen to yield amino acids in the plants. The amino acids are building blocks for proteins.
Most of the proteins in plants are enzymes, catalysts that carry out all of the chemical changes involved in plant growth. There is at least one enzyme specifically responsible for every step in respiration, photosynthesis, gene replication, information processing and building cell structure.
Sulfur and calcium among others have major roles in production and activating of proteins, thereby decreasing nitrate within the plant. Excess nitrate within the plant may result from too little of some other plant nutrient rather than an excess of nitrogen.

http://muextension.missouri.edu

Summary:

Preharvest flushing puts the plant(s) under serious stress. The plant has to deal with nutrient deficiencies in a very important part of its cycle. Strong changes in the amount of dissolved substances in the root-zone stress the roots, possibly to the point of direct physical damage to them. Many immobile elements are no more available for further metabolic processes. We are loosing the fan leaves and damage will show likely on new growth as well.

The grower should react in an educated way to the plant needs. Excessive, deficient or unbalanced levels should be avoided regardless the nutrient source. Nutrient levels should be gradually adjusted to the lesser needs in later flowering. Stress factors should be limited as far as possible. If that is accomplished throughout the entire life cycle, there shouldn’t be any excessive nutrient compounds in the plants tissue. It doesn’t sound likely to the author that you can correct growing errors (significant lower mobile nutrient compound levels) with a 7-14 days preharvest flush.

Drying and curing (when done right) on the other hand have proved (In many studies) to have a major impact on taste and flavour, by breaking down chlorophylls and converting starches into sugars. Most attributes blamed on unflushed buds may be the result of unbalanced nutrition and/or overfert and unproper drying/curing

Plant Abuse Chart and Photos by Nietzsche

Plant Abuse Chart and Photos by Nietzsche

Contributed by: Nietzsche


PLANT ABUSE


Heat Stress :
Look closely below, and you'll see the brown leaf edges that are indicative of heat stress. This damage looks alot like nutrient burn, except it occurs only at the tops of the plants closest to the lamps. There's only one cure for this...get the heat away from the plants, either by moving the lamps or moving the plants.


Figure 1


Nutrient Solution Burn:
There's a good chance that this leaf was subjected to nutrient solution burn. These symptoms are seen when the EC concentration of hydroponic solutions is too high. These symptoms also appear when strong nutrient solution is splashed onto the leaves under hot HID lamps, causing the leaves to burn under the solution.



Figure 2

Many hydroponic gardeners see this problem. It's the beginning of nutrient burn. It indicates that the plants have all the nutrients they can possibly use, and there's a slight excess. Back off the concentration of the nutrient solution just a touch, and the problem should disappear. Note that if the plants never get any worse than this leaf (figure 3), then the plants are probably just fine. Figure 4 is definitely an over-fert problem. The high level of nutrients accumulates in the leaves and causes them to dry out and burn up as shown here. You must flush with clear, clean water immediately to allow the roots to recover, and prevent further damage. Now find the cause of the high nutrient levels.



Figure 3 (left) and Figure 4 (right)

Over Watering:
The plants in figure 5 were on a continous drip system, where nutrient solution is constantly being pumped into the medium. This tends to keep the entire root system completely saturated. A better way would be to periodically feed the plants, say for 1/2 hour every 2-3 hours. This would give the roots a chance to get needed air to them, and prevent root rot and other problems.
Don't be throw off by the fact that the plants in figure 5 are sitting in still water, this is actually an H2O2 solution used to try and correct the problem. Adding an airstone to the tub would also help add O2 to the solution.



Figure 5

pH Fluctuation:
Both of these leaves in figure 6 and figure 7 are from the same plant. It could be over fertilization, but more likely it is due to the pH being off. Too high or too low a pH can lock up nutrients in the form of undisolvable salts and compounds, some of which are actually toxic to the plants. What then happens is the grower then tries to supplement the plants diet by adding more fertilizers, throwing off the pH even more and locking up even more nutrients. This type of problem is seen more often in soil mixes, where inconsistent mixing of the medium's components leads to "hot" spots.



Figure 6 (left) and Figure 7 (right)

Ozone Damage:
Ozone damage typically found near the generator. Although a rare problem, symptoms generally appear as a Mg deficiency, but the symptoms are localized to immediately around the generator.



Figure 8
NUTRIENT PROBLEMS

Root Stunting:
Root stunting is characteristic of calcium deficiency, acidity, aluminum toxicity, and copper toxicity. Some species may also show it when boron deficient. The shortened roots become thickened, the laterals become stubby, peg-like, and the whole system often discolours, brown or grey.
Symptoms localized at shoot growing points.
New shoots unopened; young leaves distorted; dead leaf tips; pale green plant copper deficiency
New shoots withered or dead; petiole or stem collapse; shoots stunted; green plant calcium deficiency Young leaves pale green or yellow; rosetting or dead tip; dieback; dark green plant boron deficiency

MOBILE ELEMENTS
Mobile elements are more likely to exhibit visual deficiencies in the older leaves, because during demand these elements will be exported to the new growth.

Nitrogen (N)
Nitrate - Ammonium is found in both inorganic and organic forms in the plant, and combines with carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sometimes sulfur to form amino acids, amino enzymes, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, alkaloids, and purine bases. Nitrogen rates high as molecular weight proteins in plant tissue.
Plants need lots of N during vegging, but it's easy to overdo it. Added too much? Flush the soil with plain water. Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrate) is the form that's the most quickly available to the roots, while insoluble N (like urea) first needs to be broken down by microbes in the soil before the roots can absorb it. Avoid excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with other nutrients.
Too much N delays flowering. Plants should be allowed to become N-deficient late in flowering for best flavor.

Nitrogen Deficiencies:
Plants will exhibit lack of vigor, slow growth and will be weak and stunted. Quality and yield will be significantly reduced. Older leaves become yellow (chlorotic) from lack of chlorophyll. Deficient plants will exhibit uniform light green to yellow on older leaves, these leaves may die and drop. Leaf margins will not curled up noticeably. Chlorosis will eventually spread throughout the plant. Stems, petioles and lower leaf surfaces may turn purple.



Figure 9


As seen in figure 10 consumption of nitrogen (N) from the fan leaves during the final phase of flowing is 100% normal.



Figure 10


Nitrogen Toxicity:
Leaves are often dark green and in the early stages abundant with foliage. If excess is severe, leaves will dry and begin to fall off. Root system will remain under developed or deteriorate after time. Fruit and flower set will be inhibited or deformed.
With breakdown of vascular tissue restricting water uptake. Stress resistance is drastically diminished.

Phosphorus (P)
Phosphorus is a component of certain enzymes and proteins, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), ribonucleic acids (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) and phytin. ATP is involved in various energy transfer reactions, and RNA and DNA are components of genetic information.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency:
Figure 11 is severe phosphorus (P) deficiency during flowering. Fan leaves are dark green or red/purple, and may turn yellow. Leaves may curl under, go brown and die. Small-formed buds are another main symptom.
Phosphorus deficiencies exhibit slow growing, weak and stunted plants with dark green or purple pigmentation in older leaves and stems.
Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.
Purpling: accumulation of anthocyanin pigments; causes an overall dark green color with a purple, red, or blue tint, and is the common sign of phosphate deficiency. Some plant species and varieties respond to phosphate deficiency by yellowing instead of purpling. Purpling is natural to some healthy ornamentals.



Figure 11


Figure 12 shows Phosphorus (P) deficiency during vegatative growth. Many people mistaken this for a fungus, but look for the damage to occur near the end of leave, and leaves the color dull greyish with a very brittle texture.



Figure 12



Phosphorus (P) Toxicity:
This condition is rare and usually buffered by pH limitations. Excess phosphorus can interfere with the availability and stability of copper and zinc.

Potassium (K)
Potassium is involved in maintaining the water status of the plant and the
tugor pressure of it's cells and the opening and closing of the stomata. Potassium is required in the accumulation and translocation of carbohydrates. Lack of potassium will reduce yield and quality.
Potassium deficiency:
Older leaves are initially chlorotic but soon develop dark necrotic lesions
(dead tissue). First apparent on the tips and margins of the leaves. Stem and branches may become weak and easily broken, the plant may also stretch. The plant will become susceptible to disease and toxicity. In addition to appearing to look like iron deficiency, the tips of the leaves curl and the edges burn and die.
Potassium - Too much sodium (Na) displaces K, causing a K deficiency. Sources of high salinity are: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate "pH-up"), too much manure, and the use of water-softening filters (which should not be used). If the problem is Na, flush the soil. K can get locked up from too much Ca or ammonium nitrogen, and possibly cold weather.



Figure 13


Figure 14


Potassium (K) Toxicity:
Usually not absorbed excessively by plants. Excess potassium can aggravate the uptake of magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron and effect the availability of calcium.

Magnesium (Mg)
Magnesium is a component of the chlorophyll molecule and serves as a cofactor in most enzymes.
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency:
Magnesium deficiency will exhibit a yellowing (which may turn brown) and interveinal chlorosis beginning in the older leaves. The older leaves will be the first to develop interveinal chlorosis. Starting at leaf margin or tip and progressing inward between the veins. Notice how the veins remain somewhat green though as can be seen in figure 15.
Notice how in figure 16 and 17 the leaves curl upwards like they're praying? They're praying for Mg! The tips may also twist.
This can be quickly resolved by watering with 1 tablespoon Epsom salts/gallon of water. Until you can correct nutrient lockout, try foliar feeding. That way the plants get all the nitrogen and Mg they need. The plants can be foliar feed at ½ teaspoon/quart of Epsom salts (first powdered and dissolved in some hot water). When mixing up soil, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil.
If the starting water is above 200 ppm, that is pretty hard water, that will lock out mg with all of the calcium in the water. Either add a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of epsom salts or lime (both will effectively reduce the lockout or invest into a reverse osmosis water filter.
Mg can get locked-up by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen. Don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients.



Figure 15


Figure 16


Figure 17


Magnesium (Mg) Toxicity:
Magnesium toxicity is rare and not generally exhibited visibly. Extreme high levels will antagonize other ions in the nutrient solution.

Zinc (Zn)
Zinc plays a roll in the same enzyme functions as manganese and magnesium. More than eighty enzymes contain tightly bound zinc essential for their function. Zinc participates in chlorophyll formation and helps prevent chlorophyll destruction. Carbonic anhydrate has been found to be specifically activated by zinc.

Zinc Deficiencies:
Deficiencies appear as chlorosis in the inter-veinal areas of new leaves producing a banding appearance as seen in figure 18. This may be accompany reduction of leaf size and a shortening between internodes. Leaf margins are often distorted or wrinkled. Branch terminals of fruit will die back in severe cases.
Also gets locked out due to high pH. Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur together, and are usually from a high pH. Don't overdo the micro-nutrients, lower the pH if that's the problem so the nutrients become available. Foliar feed if the plant looks real bad. Use chelated zinc. Zinc deficiency produces "little leaf" in many species, especially woody ones; the younger leaves are distinctly smaller than normal. Zinc defeciency may also produce "rosetting"; the stem fails to elongate behind the growing tip, so that the terminal leaves become tightly bunched.



Figure 18


Zinc Toxicity:
Excess Zinc is extremely toxic and will cause rapid death. Excess zinc interferes with iron causing chlorosis from iron deficiency. Excess will cause sensitive plants to become chlorotic.

IMMOBILE ELEMENTS
Immobile elements will show their first symptoms on younger leaves and progress to the whole plant.

Sulphur (S)
Sulfate is involved in protein synthesis and is part of the amino acids, cystine and thiamine, which are the building blocks of proteins. It is active in the structure and metabolism in the plant. It is essential for respiration and the synthesis and breakdown of fatty acids.

Sulphur (S) deficiency:
The initial symptoms are the yellowing of the entire leaf including veins usually starting with the younger leaves. Leaf tips may yellow and curl downward. Sulfur deficiencies are light green fruit or younger leaves with a lack of succulence. Elongated roots and woody stem. Although it's hard to see in figure 19, the upper stems of this plant are purple. Although many varieties of cannabis do get purplish stems, the trait generally extends the entire length of the plant's stem, and not just near the top as in this specimen.



Figure 19


Sulphur Toxicity:
Leaf size will be reduced and overall growth will be stunted. Leaves yellowing or scorched at edges. Excess may cause early senescence.

Calcium (Ca)
Calcium plays an important role in maintaining cell integrity and membrane permeability.

Calcium Deficiency:
Young leaves are affected first and become small and distorted or chlorotic with irregular margins, spotting or necrotic areas. Bud development is inhibited, blossom end rot and internal decay may also occur and root may be under developed or die back. Deficiency will cause leaf tip die-back, leaf tip curl and marginal necrosis and chlorosis primarily in younger leaves. Symptoms: young leaves develop chlorosis and distortion such as crinkling, dwarfing, developing a strap-like shape, shoots stop growing and thicken.

Calcium Toxicity:
Difficult to distinguish visually. May precipitate with sulfur in solution and cause clouding or residue in tank. Excess calcium may produce deficiencies in magnesium and potassium.

Iron (Fe)
Iron is an important component of plant enzyme systems for electron transport to carry electrons during photosynthesis and terminal respiration. It is a catalyst for chlorophyll production and is required for nitrate and sulfate reduction and assimilation.
Iron deficiency:
- Pronounced interveinal chlorosis similar to that caused by magnesium deficiency but on the younger leaves.
-Leaves exhibit chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves mainly between the veins, starting with the lower and middle leaves.

Caused by factors that interfere with iron absorption of roots: over irrigation, excessive soluble salts, inadequate drainage, pests, high substrate pH, or nematodes. This is easily corrected by adding an iron supplement with the next watering.

Fe is unavailable to plants when the pH of the water or soil is too high. If deficient, lower the pH to about 6.5 (for rockwool, about 5.7), and check that you're not adding too much P, which can lock up Fe. Use iron that's chelated for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients - chelated iron might read something like "iron EDTA". To much Fe without adding enough P can cause a P-deficiency.

Note : When adding iron to the solution, it is often necessary to not use fertilizer for that watering. Iron has a tendency of reacting with many of the components of fertilizer solutions, and will cause nutrient lockup to occur. Read the labels of both the iron supplement and the fertilizer you are using before you attempt to combine the two.



Figure 20


Iron Toxicity:
Excess accumulation is rare but could cause bronzing or tiny brown spots on leaf surface.



Manganese (Mn)
Manganese is involved in the oxidation reduction process in the photosynthetic electron transport system. Biochemical research shows that this element plays a structural role in the chloroplast membrane system, and also activates numerous enzymes.
Manganese Deficiency:
Interveinal chlorosis of younger leaves, necrotic lesions and leaf shredding are typical symptom of this deficiency. High levels can cause uneven distribution of chlorophyll resulting in blotchy appearance. Restricted growth and failure to mature normally can also result.
-Mn gets locked out when the pH is too high, and when there's too much iron. Use chelated Mn.
Manganese Toxicity:
Toxicity:Chlorosis, or blotchy leaf tissue due to insufficient chlorophyll synthesis. Growth rate will slow and vigor will decline.

Chlorine (Cl)
Chloride is involved in the evolution of oxygen in the photosynthesis process and is essential for cell division in roots and leaves. Chlorine raises the cell osmotic pressure and affects stomata regulation and increases the hydration of plant tissue. Levels less than 140 ppm are safe for most plants. Chloride sensitive plants may experience tip or marginal leaf burn at concentrations above 20 ppm.
Chlorine Deficiency:
Wilted chlorotic leaves become bronze in color. Roots become stunted and thickened near tips. Plants with chlorine deficiencies will be pale and suffer wilting.
Chlorine Toxicity:
Burning of leaf tip or margins. Bronzing, yellowing and leaf splitting. Reduced leaf size and lower growth rate.

Boron (B)
Boron biochemical functions are yet uncertain, but evidence suggests it is involved in the synthesis of one of the bases for nucleic acid (RNA uracil) formation. It may also be involved in some cellular activities such as division, differentiation, maturation and respiration. It is associated with pollen germination.
Boron Deficiency:
Plants deficient in boron exhibit brittle abnormal growth at shoot tips and one of the earliest symptoms is failure of root tips to elongate normally. Stem and root apical meristems often die. Root tips often become swollen and discolored. Internal tissues may rot and become host to fungal disease. Leaves show various symptoms which include drying, thickening, distorting, wilting, and chlorotic or necrotic spotting.
Boron Toxicity:
Yellowing of leaf tip followed by necrosis of the leaves beginning at tips or margins and progressing inward before leaves die and prematurely fall off. Some plants are especially sensitive to boron accumulation.

Copper (Cu)
Copper is a constituent of many enzymes and proteins. Assists in carbohydrate metabolism, nitrogen fixation and in the process of oxygen reduction.
Copper Deficiency:
Symptoms of deficiency are a reduced or stunted growth with a distortion of the younger leaves and growth tip die-back. Young leaves often become dark green and twisted. They may die back or just exhibit necrotic spots. Growth and yield will be deficient as well.
Copper Toxicity:
Copper is required in very small amounts and readily becomes toxic in solution culture if not carefully controlled. Excess values will induce iron deficiency. Root growth will be suppressed followed by symptoms of iron chlorosis, stunting, reduced branching, abnormal darkening and thickening of roots.

Molybdenum (Mo)
Molybdenum is a component of two major enzyme systems involved in the nitrate reeducates, this is the process of conversion of nitrate to ammonium.
Molybdenum Deficiencies:
Often interveinal chlorosis which occurs first on older leaves, then progressing to the entire plant. Developing severely twisted younger leaves which eventually die. Molybdenum deficiencies frequently resemble nitrogen, with older leaves chlorotic with rolled margins and stunted growth.
Molybdenum Toxicity:
Excess may cause discoloration of leaves depending on plant species. This condition is rare but could occur from accumulation by continuous application. Used by the plant in very small quantities. Excess mostly usually does not effect the plant, however the consumption of high levels by grazing animals can pose problems so she might not be too good to smoke.

Sodium (Na)
Sodium seems to encourage crop yields and in specific cases it acts as an antidoting agent against various toxic salts. It may act as a partial substitute for potassium deficiencies. Excess may cause plant toxicity or induce deficiencies of other elements. If sodium predominates in the solution calcium and magnesium may be affected.

Silicon (Si)
Silicon usually exists in solution as silicic acid and is absorbed in this form. It accumulates as hydrated amorphous silica most abundantly in walls of epidermal cells, but also in primary and secondary walls of other cells. It is largely available in soils and is found in water as well. Inadequate amounts of silicon can reduce tomato yields as much as 50%, cause new leaves to be deformed and inhibit fruit set. At this time toxicity symptoms are undetermined.


Cobalt (Co)
Cobalt is essential to many beneficial bacteria that are involved in nitrogen fixation of legumes. It is a component of vitamin B12 which is essential to most animals and possibly in plants. Reports suggest that it may be involved with enzymes needed to form aromatic compounds. Otherwise, it is not understood fully as to its benefit to plant growth, but it is considered essential to some animal health issues.

The power of Seaweed

The power of Seaweed

Seaweed / Kelp 101 & 202 ( Seaweed in Agriculture and Horticulture) by I.M. Boggled

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Seaweed contains all major and minor plant nutrients, and all trace elements; alginic acid; vitamins; auxins; at least two gibberellins; and antibiotics.

Of the seaweed contents listed after nutrients and trace elements, the first, alginic acid, is a soil conditioner; the remainder, if the word may be forgiven in this context, are plant conditioners. All are found in fresh seaweed, dried seaweed meal and liquid seaweed extract -- with the one exception of vitamins: these, while present in both fresh seaweed and dried seaweed meal, are absent from the extract.

It is known that plants treated with seaweed products develop a resistance to pests and diseases, not only to sap-seeking insects such as red spider mite and aphides, but also to scab, mildew and fungi. Such a possibility may seem novel, but it is in keeping with the results of research in related fields. The control of plant disease by compounds which reduce or nullify the effect of a pathogen after it has entered the plant is an accepted technique.




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Seaweed, use little and often...

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LITTLE AND OFTEN:
Research has shown that to get the best results, Liquid Seaweed needs to be applied in low doses but at regular intervals throughout the periods of active plant growth.

This "Little & Often" application approach keeps the plants and, where possible, immediate soil environment, 'topped-up' with all the beneficial components of our seaweed extracts.

This helps ensure that a suppressive soil is built up around the plants roots. It also strengthens the natural resistance mechanisms of the plants themselves, thereby leading to improved plant health and productivity. Research has shown that plants that are regularly exposed to low levels of seaweed extracts establish bigger and deeper roots and are faster growing.

They also develop bigger and greener shoots that are more resistant to stresses from pests, diseases and adverse weather conditions, thus allowing the plants to realise more of their yield and quality potential.

Soil & Leaf:
To achieve faster crop establishment seaweed extracts must be applied to the soil or young plants around the roots. Hydroponics, or drenching roots every week via a fertigation or some such other system, provides excellent results.

Once plants are well established, regular applications to the foliage should commence. These will improve the plant's natural resistance mechanisms making them better able to fight off foliar diseases...and to combat the negative effects of adverse weather.

Applications to the foliage and roots will also enable plants to protect and maintain their photosynthetic apparatus during periods of stress allowing for better light utilisation and so providing greater energy for growth and productivity.

Maxicrop liquid seawwwd product benefits links

Kelp Forests


The Best "Kelp" Secret of the Sea

Every farmer & gardener should be using kelp in conjunction with a regular fertilizing program. Research & field trials have confirmed the role of kelp in increasing crop yields, drought resistance, frost protection, and stress recovery. Although kelp extracts do contain small amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, & Potassium, their value is not as a fertilizer but as a growth stimulant. They contain potent concentrations of trace minerals, micronutrients, amino acids & vitamins essential to plant growth ? but most important, kelp contains many growth hormones, including cytokinins, auxins & gibberellins, which stimulate cell division and larger root systems. Kelp extracts can be applied as a foliar spray or as a soil soak & are excellent as a root dip for reducing transplant shock. It is important to use recommended rates because these extracts are so potent. Kelp extracts are concentrates which are created quickly with heat, but which can affect the quality of the end product. Cold-processing preserves much higher levels of proteins & growth hormones. Enzymatically digested kelps are even better because their nutrients are in a more readily available form that have not been damaged by heating.

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply has a nice selection of Kelp Products

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Seaweed and Plant Growth (Long, FYI) Part One

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Seaweed contains all major and minor plant nutrients, and all trace elements; alginic acid; vitamins; auxins; at least two gibberellins; and antibiotics.

Of the seaweed contents listed after nutrients and trace elements, the first, alginic acid, is a soil conditioner; the remainder, if the word may be forgiven in this context, are plant conditioners. All are found in fresh seaweed, dried seaweed meal and liquid seaweed extract -- with the one exception of vitamins: these, while present in both fresh seaweed and dried seaweed meal, are absent from the extract.

We will deal first with alginic acid as a soil conditioner. It is a matter of common experience that seaweed, and seaweed products, improve the water-holding characteristics of soil and help the formation of crumb structure. They do this because the alginic acid in the seaweed combines with metallic radicals in the soil to form a polymer with greatly increased molecular weight, of the type known as cross-linked. One might describe the process more simply, if less accurately, by saying that the salts formed by alginic acid with soil metals swell when wet and retain moisture tenaciously, so helping the soil to form a crumb structure.

These brief notes cover two examples: one of the way in which seaweed helps to produce a crumb structure in the soil, another of the way in which it helps soil to retain moisture.

...a market gardener customer... tells us that before he used seaweed meal, heavy rain used to run down his sloping plots and carry all his seedlings and fertilizers into the ditch. Since his introduction of seaweed, the structure of his silty, sandy soil has so improved that soil, seedlings and nutrients are no longer of being washed away, even in the heaviest rain.

As to water-retaining characteristics,... the Nova Scotia Research Foundation told members:
'In the spring of 1956 I was greatly impressed with fields in the island of Jersey. This was not in any way a scientific experiment, but the results were most obvious. The year 1955 had been exceedingly dry. The only fields suitable for a second crop of hay were those which had been fertilized with seaweed. All the others had dried out, and had to be ploughed up for other crops.'

Research confirms this observation: two workers at the Agricultural Research Council's unit of soil metabolism (now disbanded) reported in 1947 that 0.1 of a gram of sodium alginate added to 100 grams of soil increased its water-holding power by 11 per cent. This is the first way in which seaweed and seaweed products condition the soil: by increasing its water-holding capacity, and encouraging its crumb structure. This in turn leads to better aeration and capillary action, and these stimulate the root systems of plants to further growth, and so stimulate the soil bacteria to greater activity.

As far as soil-conditioning is concerned -- and that is all we are to consider for the moment -- bacterial activity in the presence of seaweed has two results: first the secretion of substances which further help to condition the soil; and second, an effect on the nitrogen content of the soil. We will deal with these in turn.

The substances secreted by soil bacteria in the presence of seaweed include organic chemicals known as polyuronides. Polyuronides are chemically similar to the soil conditioner alginic acid, whose direct effect on the soil we have already noticed, and themselves have soil-stabilizing properties. This means that to the soil-conditioning agent which the soil derives from undecomposed seaweed -- alginic acid -- other conditioning agents are later added: the polyuronides, which result from the decomposition of seaweed.




Seaweed and Plant Growth (Part Two)

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The Latent Period:

The second effect of adding seaweed or seaweed meal, to a soil well populated with bacteria, has already been mentioned briefly. It is a more complex matter, and requires consideration in some detail. Basically, the addition of seaweed leads to a temporary diminution of nitrogen available for crops, then a considerable augmentation of the nitrogen total.

When seaweed, or indeed any undecomposed organic matter, is put into the soil, it is attacked by bacteria which break the material down into simpler units -- in a word, decompose it. To do this effectively the bacteria need nitrogen, and this they take from the first available source, the soil.
This means that after seaweed has been added to the soil, there is a period during which the amount of soil nitrogen available to plants is reduced. During this period seed germination, and the feeding and growth of plants, can be inhibited to greater or lesser degree.

[liquid seaweed extract is not subject to this latent period but lacks the vitamins of the fresh & dried seaweed. IMB]

This temporary nitrogen deficiency is brought about when any
undecomposed vegetable matter is added to the soil.

In the case of straw, for example, which is ploughed in after harvest, bacteria use up soil nitrogen in breaking down its cellulose, so that a 'latent' period follows. Farmers burn stubble after harvest to avoid this latent period, and the short-term loss of available nitrogen which causes it. But such stubble-burning is done at the cost of soil structure, soil fertility, and long-term supplies of nitrogen which ultimately would have been released from the decomposed straw.

...during this "Latent period" there is a temporary shortage of available nitrogen, while the total nitrogen in the soil is actually being increased.

This increase makes itself felt after the seaweed is completely broken down. Total nitrogen then becomes available to the plant, and there is a corresponding upsurge in plant growth.

It is therefore clear that while seaweed, in common with all organic matter, is beneficial to soil and plant, it has to be broken down, or decomposed, before its benefits are available.

( that liquid seaweed extract is not subject to this latent period.
The nutrients and other substances it contains are available to the plant at once.)

"The Chilcott Method":
This period of decomposition -- or composting, as gardeners know it -- usually extends over months. It can, however, be reduced by the use of dried blood and loam according to the technique created by a Mr. L. C. Chilcott
Only fourteen days of heating up are required before the mixture is used, and no latent period follows.

Brown seaweeds,
which are the ones used in agriculture and horticulture, not only contain vitamins common to land plants, but also vitamins which may owe their origin to bacteria which attach themselves to sea plants, in particular vitamin B12. There is still some doubt about this -- B12 may be contained in the seaweed, although in some cases it is in associated bacteria.

Vitamins known to be present in the brown seaweeds include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which appears in as high a proportion as in alfalfa.
Vitamin A is not present, but its precursor, beta-carotene, is, as well as fucoxanthin, which may also be the precursor of Vitamin A.
B group vitamins present are B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B12, as well as pantothenic acid, folic acid and folinic acid.

Also found in brown seaweeds are vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin K, and other growth-promoting substances. The unusual nature of the vitamin E in seaweed should be stressed. It has valuable characteristics (put technically, a complete set of isomers) found only in such seed oils as wheat germ oil.

Auxins in seaweed include indolyl-acetic acid, discovered in seaweed in 1933 for the first time. Two new auxins, as yet unidentified, but unlike any of the known indolyl-acetic acid types, were also discovered in 1958 in the Laminaria and Ascophyllum seaweeds used for processing into dried seaweed meal and liquid extract.

These auxins have been found to encourage the growth of more cells -- in which they differ from more familiar types of auxin which simply enlarge the cells without increasing their number.

One of the auxins also stimulates growth in both stems and roots of plants, and in this differs from indolyl-acetic acid and its derivatives, which cause cells to elongate but not to divide.
The balanced action of this seaweed auxin has not been found in any other auxin...

...At least two gibberellins (hormones which simply encourage growth, and have not, like auxins, growth-controlling properties too) have been identified in seaweed. They behave like those gibberellins which research workers have numbered A3 and A7 -- although they may in fact be vitamins A1 and A4.






Seaweed and Plant Growth ( Part Three)... TRACE ELEMENTS...

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We now come to Trace Elements some of the most important and most complex of all seaweed constituents.

We have seen that seaweed contains all known trace elements.
This is important. But it is also important that these elements are present in a form acceptable to plants. We have seen that trace elements can be made available to plants by chelating -- that is, by combining the mineral atom with organic molecules. This overcomes the difficulty that many trace elements, and iron in particular, cannot be absorbed by plants and animals in their commonest forms. This is because they are thrown out of solution by the calcium carbonate in limy soils, so that fruit trees growing in these soils can suffer from a form of iron deficiency known as chlorosis. It is for this reason that plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas, which are particularly sensitive to iron deficiency, can grow only in acid soils. In these soils, iron does not combine with other elements to form insoluble salts which the plant cannot absorb, and it is therefore more freely available.

It is true that an iron salt such as iron sulphate can be dissolved in water and the solution poured on the soil, injected into an animal, or put into its feed. But iron has such a tendency to become bound up with other elements that it is not available to plants or animals when introduced in this way.
If, on the other hand, iron in the form of iron oxide is dissolved in an organic compound, there will be no fusion with other chemicals in the soil, and it will be available to the plants which need it. This is the technique of chelating which makes possible the absorption of iron by living matter.



Such chelating properties are possessed by the starches, sugars and carbohydrates in seaweed and seaweed products. As a result, these constituents are in natural combination with the iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, zinc and other trace elements found naturally in seaweed. That is why these trace elements in seaweed and seaweed products do not settle out, even in alkaline soils, but remain available to plants which need them.




Hydrolized seaweed extract also 'carries' trace elements in this way, in spite of the fact that the liquid is alkaline, having a pH of nine -- in the ordinary way so alkaline a solution would automatically precipitate trace elements. This precipitation does not take place in seaweed extract because the trace elements already form part of stronger, organic, associations.

With liquid extract, this ability to chelate can be taken a stage further than happens naturally with seaweed and seaweed meal. Chelation can also be used, artificially, to cause extract to carry more trace elements than are found in fresh seaweed, in seaweed meal, or in ordinary hydrolized extract.
...

It will be remembered that liquid seaweed extract differs from seaweed meal in that it can be used directly on the plant in the form of a spray. We know that the minerals in seaweed spray are absorbed through the skin of the leaf into the sap of the plant -- and not only minerals, but the other plant nutrients, auxins and so on, listed earlier. Experience further suggests that plants' needs for trace elements can be satisfied at lower concentrations if those elements are offered to the leaves in the form of a spray, rather than being offered through the soil to the roots.

It is also possible that seaweed sprays stimulate metabolic processes in the leaf and so help the plant to exploit leaf-locked nutrients -- for it is known that trace elements won from the soil, and delivered by the plant to the leaf tissue, can become immobilized there.

And if, as has been suggested by E. I. Rabinowitch in a standard work on photosynthesis, a 'considerable proportion' of photosynthesis is carried out by bacteria at the leaf surface, spraying with seaweed extract at this point may feed and stimulate them, and thus increase the rate of photosynthesis.


We now come to the debatable matter of antibiotics in seaweed -- debatable, not because there is any doubt that seaweed contains therapeutic substances, but because the precise nature of those substances is unknown. We call them antibiotics for convenience.

It is known that plants treated with seaweed products develop a resistance to pests and diseases, not only to sap-seeking insects such as red spider mite and aphides, but also to scab, mildew and fungi.
Such a possibility may seem novel, but it is in keeping with the results of research in related fields.

The control of plant disease by compounds which reduce or nullify the effect of a pathogen after it has entered the plant is an accepted technique....

...The reason why seaweed and seaweed products should exert some form of biological control over a number of common plant diseases is unknown. Soil fungi and bacteria are known to produce natural antibiotics which hold down the population of plant pathogens, and when these antibiotics are produced in sufficient quantities they enter the plant and help it to resist disease. The production of such antibiotics is increased in soil high in organic matter, and it may be that seaweed still further encourages this process.

Complete Indoor grow guide

Complete Indoor grow guide

CLOSET CULTIVATOR _ ED ROSENTHAL

Chapter 1
THE THEORY

The most important factor in producing high yielding potent marijuana is the plant’s genes. The goal of the grower is to cultivate a garden of healthy, vigorous, fast-growing plants which are induced to flower while they are still short. Indoor marijuana farms are limited spaces. To succeed they must be used as efficiently as possible.
To get the highest yield gardeners grow many small plants rather than a few large ones. Smaller plants yield more per square foot of space, mature faster, and are easier to care for than large ones. People used to think that size or age were important, but they soon found out that maturity or ripeness is the important factor. As the buds on the plant ripen, their potency increases. Depending on how intensive the technique and the variety being grown, plants are forced to flower when they are between 8-15 inches tall. Mature plants reach a height of 18-30 inches.
Plants forced when they are small have little chance to develop side shoots. This means that each plant uses not only a smaller vertical space, but has a smaller radius. Plants which are flowered when they are very small can be placed very close together. Short plants use much less vertical space so gardeners often find it convenient to divide the growing area into several levels of shelves or bunks.

Chapter 2
PERSPECTIVE

Setting up and maintaining a successful indoor garden requires a bit of work and some hands-on experience. No one gets the garden running at full potential the first time out. Any farmer will say: "Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched." Rather than setting up a gigantic sophisticated garden with little experience, the best growers start off with a less ambitious project which has more chance of success.
Small gardens are easier to maintain than large ones. They take less time, but more importantly, they do not have the problems of energy consumption, ventilation and heat that large gardens have. With a small system, the energy consumption does not go up that much. A large system using several large wattage lamps spins the meter. The heat created in a small system is easily dissipated into the surrounding environment, especially during cool months. A large system requires a more sophisticated heat exchange system.
Marijuana has two distinct parts to its growing cycle. First it grows vegetatively, then it goes into flowering. During the vegetative cycle the plants receive lighting continuously or for a minimum of 18 hours a day. During the flowering cycle they receive fewer hours of light. For this reason it is convenient to separate any garden into two separate units, one for vegetative growth and one for flowering. The vegetative growth unit need not necessarily be large since it is used mostly for starting seeds and clones.
In the most efficient growing system, plants are grown in the vegetative section until they are 8-12 inches high and then are placed in the flowering area. The vegetative section requires about 1/3 the space of the flowering section

Chapter 3
THE SPACE

Gardeners who I have observed have converted all kinds of spaces to grow rooms: closets, small rooms, pantries, basements, attics, and small sheds. The space must be high enough to allow the plants to grow to 2-3 feet height. A space 4 feet high can be converted into a garden. A space eight feet high can be converted into a two-level garden.
The area that a space covers is figured by multiplying the length by width. The result is the number of square feet. The size and number of lights used is based on the total area. When the garden is configured, aisle space is left between the plants, so that they can be attended easily. People have an effective reach of 2 to 3 feet, averaging around 2½. Usually aisles are 1½-2 feet wide. When the growing unit is placed on moveable platforms, most aisle spaces can be eliminated. Aisles are made by simply moving the units.
Light fixtures and reflectors should hang from chains mounted directly to a stud, or using a molly bolt, into the lathing. A lamp’s height is adjusted by changing its position on the chain. It is extremely important for the light to be hung securely. Should the reflector fall, it could cause an electrical short in a wet area, which is very dangerous, even life threatening.
Gardens are equipped with circuit interrupters, which functions as a circuit breaker. This unit shuts off the power in case of a short or an interruption in service.
THE FLOORS

The floors of the grow rooms I have seen have been well prepared. Smart growers protect the floors, especially wood or linoleum tile, from water using heavy plastic lining. If the grow room is in a basement or a cool room, where the temperature of the floor is always cool, either the surface has been insulated or the plants had been raised off the floor. This is very important because cold floors draw heat from the containers. Plants germinate and grow considerably slower when their roots are cold.
There are a number of ways growers insulate the floor. Styrofoam insulation, which comes in sheets or rolls, has been placed over the floors. This material has the added advantage that it is very reflective, so that any light hitting this surface bounces back to the plants. Plywood is often placed over a layer of insulating material. Plants are raised off a floor using a table or wooden boards. Shipping pallets provide air spaces so the warm air circulating in the room can reach the containers.

Heating the Roots

Cold roots slow growth to a crawl. Heating cables or a heating mat made for heating soil or containers keep the roots warm. Some cables and mats have a built-in thermostat to keep the temperature a constant 70-75 degrees. Heating cables and mats are available from many garden shops. They are convenient to use and consume only a few watts.
Growers use room temperature or lukewarm water to irrigate the plants so that the roots are not shocked and cooled down. They use lukewarm tap water, or heat the water in the reservoir. Small reservoirs (up to 100 gallons) are warmed using an aquarium heater and thermostat. Larger tanks are heated using a water heater. An ideal water temperature is 70 degrees.

Here are some floor plans from typical gardens.

A closet 9 feet high by 36 inches deep by 40 inches wide. This space did not have convenient dimensions for using fluorescents, so it was easiest to use a MH or HPS lamp (see page 28). The total space was about 10 square feet. A 250 watt MH lamp lit the space. A shelf was constructed at half the height. The shelf supported a second garden. Each garden was powered by a 250 watt MH lamp. Ventilation is provided by keeping the door open. No CO2.


A closet 8 feet high x 2 feet x 9 feet. As a single level unit the closet was originally illuminated by 4 8 ft fluorescents. This was converted to a 400 watt MH mounted on a Solar Shuttle type track. The garden was modified to 2 shelf gardens. The top one still under the Solar Shuttle and MH. The bottom one uses two 250 watt HPS lamps permanently mounted. A small oscillating fan mounted on the top of each garden keeps the air flowing. Most of the time the doors are kept open. When they are closed, wide cracks between the doors help bring in fresh air. No CO2.



A room 9 feet high x 12 feet x 10 feet, all growing on one level. It is lit using a MH and a HPS, each 1000 watts. The lights rotate on a Whirlagig so that light is spread more evenly. Ventilation through a window fan regulated by a thermostat. CO2 using a tank and regulator. Steel shelving with three levels, each 4’ x 2’ with 4 fluorescent tubes is light sealed from the rest of the room using opaque curtains. Clones are generated in this space.
The room had 3 aisles. The first started along the door on the side of the room and extended most of the 12 foot length of the room. It was 24 inches wide. Two additional aisles branched off from the main aisle. They paralleled the width of the room and started at 2½ feet from the side wall. Each was 18" wide. They each extended a length of 7 feet from the wall leaving a 2 foot growing space at the end of the garden. The total growing area of the garden was about 100 square feet including growing shelves.
This room could have been configured as a shelf growing space using the same aisle space. Lighting would be provided by 400 watt HPS units mounted on the ceiling of each shelf. A total of 6 units would be used. Total growing area would be about 190 sq. ft.
Ventilation from this space was via a fireplace. A one foot diameter tube sucked air from the top of the room and using a powerful fan mounted inside the tube, drove the air out.



A basement space 5 x 5 feet 40 inches high. To conserve vertical space fluorescents were used. Ten were mounted permanently to the rafters overhanging the garden. Two 4 foot fluorescent tubes were mounted on each of three sides of the garden to encourage healthier growth. Reflective surface and heat preservation were accomplished by hanging mylar by the rafters along the perimeter of the garden. The floor is always cold so a thin piece of plywood was placed over a vinyl plastic sheet covering R11 insulation. A tank with regulator distributes CO2. During winter, rather than trying to heat the air in the space, heating cables keep the roots and other plant surfaces warm.



An attic garden Raw attic space has been cordoned off by hanging reflective curtains of astrolon in an area 6 x 6 feet. A 400 watt HPS light is hung from the rafters over the garden. Draft provides ventilation. Growers have reported that attic gardens have a lot of problems because they are subject to severe weather shifts and extreme seasonal conditions. If an area can be contained, either by building walls or using heavy curtains, it is easier to maintain reasonable growing temperatures. In winter, temperatures can be raised using a gas heater regulated for indoor use. The heater emits CO2 as well as heat. During the summer attics must sometimes be abandoned because the temperature gets too high.

NOVEL GARDENS

Marijuana, which would grow so easily on a windowsill or in a garden, must be hidden from unfriendly eyes. Still, people want to try their hand growing this plant Human ingenuity is a wonderful thing. So is cannabis’ ability to adapt to unusual growing conditions. Here are some novel ways that marijuana has been grown.
Training to a fence. Marijuana can be controlled so that it does not have much of a 3 dimensional shape by tying the branches to a fence. Here is a typical example. A gardener had a space which was 30" x 15" and 9 feet high between two shelves in a storage area. The walls were covered with aluminum foil. Chicken wire with two inch holes was stretched to a frame of 1" x 2"s on one of the lengthwise wall. Six 8 foot fluorescents were placed vertically on the other side of the garden so that the light was coming to the plants from the side. Three shelves were built to hold two foot long window boxes.
As the plants grew, their stems were gently spread and tied to the fence with metal twist-ties. The third dimension was almost entirely eliminated. Since the plants configuration was well controlled, the gardener controlled the spacing and helped light to reach all plant parts.

Some growers build training stakes for their plants. These are actually wooden stakes with cross stakes attached. Growers tie the plants to the guides as they grow. The stakes are configured for maximum exposure to the light. Excess growth is trimmed so that the plant conforms to the pattern set by the stakes.



Horizontalizing. Marijuana uses gravity to sense which direction is "up" and then grows that way. When a plant which has been growing normally is placed on its side new growth reorients itself and starts growing up. Growers with short spaces can sometimes maximize the space in their garden by taking a plant and placing it horizontally.



Selective Pruning. Marijuana grows branches in four directions, first in opposite pairs and then alternating. By pruning two opposite sides of the plant, it grows flat naturally. The branches can be tied down a bit so that branches of two plants can be alternated.



A space was only 2½ feet high, 13" wide and 5 ft long. A four tube flat fluorescent unit, designed for ceiling installation, was placed against one wall. The other wall was lined with a single row of 6 inch containers.


Chapter 5
THE PLANT

Years ago people grew seeds from their best stash, mostly sativas, originating in Colombia and Mexico. These plants grow in a classic conical shape, with long spreading limbs at the bottom and a single main stem on the top. Since then, Americans have discovered many other varieties such as single-stem Moroccans, asymmetrical indicas, and variants such as "creepers." There are thousands of varieties of marijuana. They have different potential yields, highs, flower size, bud structure, ripening time, height, leaf shape, color, bushiness, and amount of light required for adequate growth.
In much the same way that the environment affects the yield and flavor of grapes, it also affects the genetic potential of marijuana. The taste, quality of the high, yield, and color are all subject to modification by the environment. Some of the factors include amount and quality of light, water, temperature, amount, ratios and kinds of fertilizers or nutrients, and cultivation practices.
The Marijuana Lifecycle

Marijuana is an annual plant. Each spring the plants germinate and begin a period of rapid growth. As fall approaches, the plants’ growth changes from vegetative to flowering or reproductive. Female and male flowers are found on separate plants. To produce seeds, pollen from male plants must fertilize the female flowers. When the male plants are removed from the garden, the females remain unfertilized. The resulting clusters of virgin flowers are called sinsemilla, which means "without seeds" in Spanish. These "buds" are prized by the marijuana connoisseur.
Undisturbed by gardeners, the male plants release their pollen into the air, lose vigor, and die. The female plants continue to produce flowers for quite a while as long as they remain unfertilized. Once fertilized, the small ovary found behind each flower begins to swell, and within a few weeks, mature seeds are produced. When most of the flowers are fertilized, the plant ceases to produce new flowers. Instead, most of its energy goes to the maturing seeds. As the seeds mature, the plant loses vigor and dies.

The Modern Plant

In the past few years the breeders at the Dutch seed companies have popularized new strains especially bred for indoor growing. Many varieties are available which are high yielding potent and compact. For most gardeners, Dutch seeds are their best choice. While the price of these commercial seeds may seem costly at first; getting the best seed stock is the most inexpensive way to improve a garden. No matter how good the system or attentive the care of the plants, if they do not have the potential for massive high quality buds, they will never produce them. A seed does not represent just a single plant; but an entire genetic line. New plants are cloned by growers from plants or more seeds can be produced which carry this heritage.
Marijuana varieties are often categorized as either sativa or indica. Indica plants tend to grow compact with heavy dense buds, relatively short stature and a minimum of wide branching. Sativas used to be gangly, with smaller buds. Now they have been bred to grow smaller with heavier yields. When marijuana plants are forced early the new sativas and indica plants gain 25-100 percent height. However the older sativa varieties, even when forced at a short height may continue to grow into a large size plant. This makes them unacceptable for growing in short height gardens.

PLANT REQUIREMENTS

A plant’s growth rate, high and yield are determined mostly by its genetic material. No matter how well the plant’s needs are met, it can only grow up to its potential.
The environmental factors affecting plant growth are light, root conditions, water, nutrients, temperature and air (CO2 and O2). A plant can grow only as fast as the weakest link on the chain permits. For instance, when a plant which receives all of the light, water, and CO2 it can use, without adequate nutrients, its growth is thwarted.

Chapter 8
LIGHT

Plants use light as energy to fuel photosynthesis, a process in which water and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the raw materials used to make sugar. Sugar is the basic building block of all plants. By twisting the sugar molecule, plants form carbohydrates, which are more complex molecules. Plants use carbohydrates to build tissue. When nitrogen atoms are integrated into the molecules, amino acids are formed. These are eventually grouped together to form proteins.
Light is also used to regulate many varieties of cannabis' reproductive cycle. Scientists speculate that the plant produces a hormone during the dark period (night in nature) which induces the start of the reproductive (flowering) cycle. When the hormone builds up to a critical level, flower growth commences. The number of hours of darkness required to induce flowering differs for each variety.
Gardeners have a choice of lamps to illuminate their garden. Incandescents, tungsten-halogen lamps and screw in "grow bulbs" are inefficient sources of light. Although they are inexpensive to purchase, their cost of operation makes them the costliest source of light.
FLUORESCENTS

Until the early 1980’s most indoor growers used fluorescent lights to illuminate the garden. These tubes have tremendous advantages over screw-in incandescent lights. A fluorescent tube emits about 3 times as much light as an incandescent of the same wattage and has a light spectrum that plants can use more efficiently.
Fluorescents have their limitations. Light is emitted over a large area, the entire surface of the tube, so it is not concentrated. Because the tubes are bulky only a limited amount of light can be delivered to a given area. The fixtures are usually placed within inches of the plants so that the light does not spread and become less intense. When the light fixtures are hung they are hard to manipulate and make it more difficult to tend the garden.
Standard fluorescents have an efficiency of about 30%. Seventy percent of the electricity is not turned into light but into heat. There are newer types which are a little more efficient, but the increase in light is of only marginal help.
VHO (very high output) FLUORESCENTS are also available. They use about 3 times the electricity of standard fluorescents and emit about 2½ times the light. While they are not as efficient as regular fluorescents, each tube delivers 2½ times more light to the garden.
The inner surface of each fluorescent tube is covered with a phosphor which glows when tickled by the flow of electrons through it. Fluorescent tubes are named for the spectrum of light which they emit. Some of the spectrums are more conducive to plant growth than others. Deluxe warm white, warm white, and deluxe cool white are three types which promote fast growth. Special grow bulbs concentrate light in areas used most efficiently by the plant. However, they are fairly dim and plant growth is slowed when they are used.

HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMPS

High intensity discharge lamps (HIDs) are easier to use and more efficient. Low wattage HIDs are sometimes sold for household outdoor use. Large wattage lamps are used to light yards, streets, parking lots, stadiums and other large areas. They come in two versions:
METAL HALIDES or MH lamps emit a white light that looks slightly bluish. They are used to light stadiums, convention centers and other large areas where a natural looking light is desired.
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM or HPS lamps emit a pink or amber light. They are used to illuminate parking lots and other areas where the color of the light is not important. HPS units are more efficient than MH lamps. They are often used alone with no detrimental effect to the plants, and will promote faster plant growth than MH bulbs during both vegetative growth and flowering. Combinations of bulbs are not required, as the HPS lamp has all the light spectrums necessary for healthy growth.
MH lamps come in 175, 250, 400 and 1000 watt sizes. HPS lamps come in 150, 400 and 1000 watt sizes. Each lamp has its own ballast.
HID lighting systems are much more convenient to use than fluorescents because the lamps have a higher wattage and are more efficient at producing light than fluorescents. Large wattage systems are more efficient than smaller ones. MH lamps have an efficiency of 35-50% depending on the wattage. HPS lamps have an efficiency of 50-55%. Moving the lamp and reflector is fairly easy since they are fairly light. The light is powered by a heavy ballast; but it is connected only by a long electrical wire. Some 400 watt HID systems are manufactured with the ballast built into the same housing as the reflector. These lamps are harder to move around and are usually considered for lighting only if they are to be permanently mounted.
This chart shows how much light each lamp emits, its lumen output per 100 watts and the area it covers adequately.



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Watts # Of Lumens
Emitted # Of Lumens
Per 100 Watts Square Feet
Illuminated

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100W Incandescent 1,750 1,750 N/Applicable
4’ FL (CW-40W) 2,960 7,400 1-2
8’ FL (CW-75W) 5,800 7,733 2-4
MH 175W 14,000 8,000 5-10
MH 400W 40,000 10,000 12-20
MH 1000W 125,000 12,500 35-70
HPS 100W 9,500 9,500 3-6
HPS 15OW 16,000 10,600 5-10
HPS 400W 50,000 12,500 15-30
HPS 1000W 140,000 14,000 40-80

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Because of the ease and convenience of operating a HID lamp and their increased efficiency they are recommended for lighting indoor gardens.
Gardens should receive between 1000-3000 lumens per square foot. Of course, plants in a 3000 lumen garden will grow faster and flower more profusely than those under dimmer lights. Successful gardens usually are lit at between 1500-2500 lumens per square foot. During the vegetative stage, plants stretch out when they receive low levels of light. During flowering the flowers are looser and sparse.
This chart shows the approximate amount of light received by gardens of various sizes with a very efficient reflector. Twenty percent of the light emitted has been deducted from the total to correct for reflector inefficiency and light which never reaches the garden. Light is never distributed evenly so some parts of the garden will get more light than others.


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Garden # of # Of Lumens Per Square Foot
Size Sq. Feet MH 400 MH 1000 HPS 400 HPS 1000

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3’ x 3’ 9 3,500 11,100 4,450 12,450
4’ x 4’ 16 2,000 6,250 2,500 7,000
5’ x 5’ 25 1,300 4,000 2,000 4,500
6’ x 6’ 36 900 2,800 900 3,100
7’ x 7’ 49 650 2,050 650 2,300
8’ x 8’ 64 500 1,560 390 1,750
9’ x 9’ 81 400 1,250 500 1,400
10’ x 10’ 100 300 1,000 400 1,100

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LIGHTS AND REFLECTORS

Sunlight comes from a distant source, so that the light rays hitting a small portion of planet Earth (say a garden 12 feet wide) are virtually parallel. Their intensity does not diminish over the length of a plant 6 feet tall.
Light emitted from tubes and lamps travels in all directions. As the distance from the lamp increases, the intensity of the light decreases. It is not that any light is lost, just that the same amount of light is spread over larger area.
HID lamps and reflectors come in two configurations. Either the lamps are held vertically or horizontally.
Horizontally held lamps direct most of the light downward because the light is emitted along the length of the lamp. Only a small reflector is required to beam the rest of the light downward.
Vertical lights emit most of their light horizontally. In order to reach a garden, the light must be reflected downward using a large, bulky reflector. Manufacturers have developed elaborate and innovative hoods, still they cannot reach the light delivery efficiency of a horizontal lamp.
Horizontally held lamps have several other advantages over verticals. They take less vertical space, which is crucial for short gardens, and the reflectors are much less bulky. All in all, horizontally held lamps are considered the best configuration for the closet garden.
Aluminum reflectors deliver the most light, more than white ones. Stainless steel reflectors absorb some spectrums of light and should not be used.



A small horizontal reflector actually delivers more light to the garden below than this large horizontal reflector. The small vertical reflector allows much of the light to escape to the sides.

FLUORESCENT LIGHT REFLECTORS

A garden lit by two tubes per foot of width with a high quality reflector receives about 1,100 lumens per square foot. A garden lit by three tubes per foot of width receives about 1700 lumens per square foot.
Fluorescents come in many lengths, but the two most commonly used by indoor gardeners are 4 and 8 ft lengths. They are convenient to use and are more efficient than other sizes.
Poorly designed fluorescent fixtures, with no baffles between the tubes to reflect light downward may lose up to 40% of the light. Instead, tubes are mounted onto a reflector with individual baffles between the tubes so that light is directed downward to the garden. A good reflector may keep losses down to 20%. An alternative is to use tubes with reflective surfaces. These are made several manufacturers. Often stores do not carry them but will special order them.



Reflectors without baffles are very inefficient so light is lost. Baffles direct the light downward.

New fluorescent configurations have made it easier to build a garden. Circle tubes and thin tubed 8" doubles screw into incandescent sockets. Although these bulbs are not very efficient they are step up from incandescents. Combinations of circle lights and tubes can illuminate a garden very brightly. They can be used in extremely small spaces. These lamps always seem to be on sale. When electrical costs are not a factor they are a inexpensive way of setting up a garden.


These units easily provide over 2000 lumens per square foot.

As tubes age they become less efficient. On the average, they lose 25% of light they were rated for after about a year of use. Lights which are turned on and off a lot wear out faster. Three to six inch sections on both sides of the tube dull out from deposits after a short term of use. Growers figure the effective length of a 4 ft tube as 3 feet 4 inches and of an 8 ft tube as 7 feet.
Light Spectrums and Photosynthesis

Each source of light has a characteristic spectrum, which is caused by the varying wave lengths of light therein. Fluorescents and other electric lights emit different shades of light. To our eyes midday summer sunlight looks neutral, incandescent lights have a reddish tint, fluorescents vary in spectrum according to their type, MH lamps a have a blue coolness to them, and HPS lamps look pink-amber.
To produce chlorophyll, plants need light from specific spectrums, (TABLE 1) mainly red and blue. This is called the chloroplast light spectrum. Once the chlorophyll is produced, a slightly different spectrum of light (TABLE 1) is used by the plant for photosynthesis, the process which results in the production of sugars. Plants use red and blue light most efficiently but they also use orange and yellow light. Plants are continually growing, producing new chloroplasts and chlorophyll so both spectrums of light are being used by the plant continually. Plants reflect green light rather than using it.


Action Spectrum of: (A) Photosynthetic Response
(B) Chlorophyll Synthesis


Although the MH and HPS lamps emit different color light both lamps emit high levels of light in the critical red and blue wavelengths. Either lamp can be used for cultivation. HPS lamps produce faster growth because they emit more total light useable by the plant.
Many shop owners maintain that combinations of MH and HPS lights produce the fastest growth, or alternatively, that MH units should be used for growth and HPS units for flowering. There is no indication that either of these theories holds up. HPS lamps produce faster growth than a combination of HPS and MH lamps. There is absolutely no need to or advantage to buying a MH unit. Plants grown under HPS show some stem etoliation (stretching) and ripen about a week later. This is more than compensated with a considerably larger crop.
Some fluorescent tube manufacturers produce grow tubes which are especially formulated to provide a spectrum of light similar to the chlorophyll synthesis or photosynthesis spectrum or a compromise between them. The idea is sound, but grow tubes produce only 35-60% of the light of a cool white fluorescent, and less light useable by the plant. One manufacturer advertises Vita-Lite® and Optima® fluorescent tubes which emit a light spectrum color balanced close to the sun’s spectrum. However, they emit only 75% of the light of a warm white fluorescent.
COSTS

HPS systems are the most expensive to purchase of all of the lighting units. MH units are a little cheaper and fluorescents are the cheapest of all. However, this is figuring only the initial outlay. Factoring in the cost per unit of light produced, the positions are reversed. HPS lamps are the cheapest, followed by MH lamps and far behind come the fluorescents. In addition HID lamps are considered easier to work with in the garden and produce a better crop than fluorescents.

Cost in cents per 1000 lumens of various lamps.
(Expressed in cents per kilowatt)



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Cost Per Kilowatt Hour Of Electricity
Lamp Output 8¢ 10¢ 12¢ 16¢

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100W Incandescent 1,750 .46 .57 .68 .91
4’ Fluorescent (CW-40W) 2,960 .11 .13 .16 .22
175W MH 14,000 .10 .12 .15 .20
400W MH 40,000 .08 .10 .12 .16
1000W MH 125,000 .06 .08 .10 .13
100W HPS 9,500 .08 .10 .13 .17
400W HPS 50,000 .06 .08 .10 .13
1000W HPS 140,000 .06 .07 .08 .11



Note about the chart: These figures denote the part of a cent used to produce 1000 lumens. In dollar terms the figures for a 1000W HPS are $.0006, $.0007, $.0008, $.0011.

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Step By Step


The successful gardens I have observed use a minimum of 1000 lumens per sq. ft during vegetative growth and 1500 lumens during flowering. These figures are bare minimums, the more light the better. Gardens with 1500-2500 lumens during vegetative growth and 2000-3500 during flowering seem to do best.

The most efficient light source is a HPS lamp in a horizontal reflector. No other light source is needed. An HPS lamp supplies all the spectrums of light needed by the plant for normal growth.

LIGHTING ACCESSORIES

Both fluorescent fixtures and HID lamps use a much higher voltage of electricity than standard 110 volt house current. Fluorescent fixtures contain a ballast or transformer that converts electricity to its proper voltage. HID lamps sometimes come in a fixture containing the ballast, but most of the units made for indoor gardens are designed with the ballast remote (separate, but connected by an electrical cord) from the lamp and reflector.
HID’s with remote ballasts are much more convenient than units with the ballasts enclosed since they weigh less. 400 watt ballasts weigh about 28 lbs. and 1000 watt ballasts weigh about 40 lbs. It is much harder to manipulate and secure a heavy object like that overhead than it is to just leave it near ground level attached to the lamp by an electrical cord. The lamp is hung from the ceiling using cord or wire attached to a hook or pulley.
LIGHT MOVERS

Outdoors, plants receive light from many directions. Over the course of the day the sun bathes plants in light starting in the east and travelling west. Leaves shaded during part of the day are under full sun at other times.
Indoors, using a stationary light, some plant parts are always shaded while others are always lit. With a light in the center of the garden, plants closer to the source receive brighter light than those at the periphery.
Reflectors with different shapes distribute light in varying patterns. A good quality reflector will spread the light evenly over the garden. Still, a light coming from a single stationary source leaves some areas in permanent shadow.
Light movers were invented to solve these problems. The movers carry the lamp over a fixed course so that entire the garden comes directly under the light part of the time. These units are manufactured by a number of suppliers and use several innovative techniques to move the lamps. Some of them move the lamps quickly, so that the light passes over the garden in less than a minute. Other movers take 40 minutes to traverse the course. Both types improve light distribution in the garden. As a result, the plants grow at an even rate. Since the plants are not stretching in one direction to the light, they grow straighter, with more symmetry.
The rotating units seem most effective in a square room, while the shuttles, which go back and forth, seem best in rectangular or odd shaped spaces.



Whirlagig and Solar Shuttle

REFLECTIVE MATERIAL

Closet cultivators have found that electrically generated light is precious so any generated is best conserved. Efficient indoor gardens must reflect back the light straying out of the perimeter. Growers cover walls which cannot be painted with flat white paint, with aluminum foil, Astrolon or mylar. This is extremely important. Any light which hits a dark surface is absorbed and converted into heat, rather than being used in the garden. Reflective material is easily hung using staples tacks or tape. There are several ways growers make walls very reflective:
White reflective paint. Flat white paint diffracts the light so that it is distributed more evenly through the garden. Off-whites absorb a considerable amount of light so they are avoided. The best paint for indoor gardens is greenhouse white which is formulated for maximum reflectivity.
Aluminum foil is used to line the walls. It is highly reflective and very inexpensive. Its down sides are that it is noisy when it moves with a breeze and has little tensile strength, so that it tears easily when not attached to a surface. It is usually not used where it will be moved around or used for a curtain or doorway because it crinkles and tears easily. When the dull side out is used the reflection is defused rather than just reflecting hot spots. Eighteen inch wide heavy duty rolls are the easiest to work with. In places where heat must be conserved fiberglass insulation with aluminum reflective surface is often used to line the walls.
Silvered gift wrap comes in rolls or sheets. it is composed of a thin metal foil glued onto paper wrap. It is very reflective, easy to use and inexpensive. It is available from some wholesale gift paper houses or from gift shops.
Styrofoam is used in cool spaces where heat must be conserved. The walls can be lined with styrofoam insulating material which comes on a roll or in sheets. (available in some home improvement stores). It is extremely reflective. The rolls come in several widths, and is about 1/8" thick.
Mylar. Grow stores sell silvered mylar which is extremely reflective. While mylar reflects most of the light; it is not opaque and it allows a dim image through. The plastic film creases easily.
Astrolon is a silvered plastic which is extremely reflective, but not opaque. The thin plastic is quilted and very pliable It is very durable and very reflective.

Step by Step


Successful closet cultivators know that light should be distributed evenly throughout the grow space. Light movers or several lights may be indicated.
Smart growers line the walls of the growing area with a reflective surface to conserve light.

Chapter 10
ROOTS AND CONTAINERS

Roots serve plants in several ways. They hold the plant in position and they are its primary means of obtaining water and nutrients. The size and efficiency of the root system has a great effect upon the development of the plant and ultimately, upon its yield.
The amount of space that the roots have to grow depends on the cubic space of the container and the size of the particles in the growing medium. Roots growing around large sized particles obviously have less room than roots growing through small sized particles.
The size of the container is determined by the final size that the gardener intends for the plants. When plants are grown to the same size in different size containers the plant grown in the larger container is lusher, with more branching and more vigorous growth.
Usually gardeners use a container for each plant. This allows them maximum flexibility in moving the plants in the garden. However, using the techniques described in the book, trays holding a group of plants are just as convenient to use. Trays provide more room for the roots to spread out as well as more total cubic space than individual containers. Once a group of plants is established in a tray, the only way a plant can be removed is by clipping it off, or the other plants’ roots may be disturbed.
Cannabis is very easy to transplant so plants are often moved to larger size containers as they grow.
Size of Containers

Most containers have less space than you would think because they are round and tapered.



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Size of container cubic
inches plant
height approximate age

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2 inch (2"x2"x2") 5 4-6" 10-15 days
3 inch (3"x3"x3") 15 Will allow the seedlings to spread out more during the initial growth period. It more than triples the cubic space.
4 inch (4"x4"x4") 40 12" 20-35 days
5 inch (5"x5"x5") 80 20" Some plants are no higher than 20" at maturity.
6" (6"x6"x6") 120 36" Indicas are rarely higher than this.
10" (10"x10"x10") 640 60" Sativas are rarely taller than this indoors.

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One way to increase the amount of material a container holds is to increase its height. An additional 1 inch depth to a 4 inch container increases its capacity by 16 cubic inches.

1 quart = 57.75 cubic inches
1 gallon = 231 cubic inches

Container sizes are notoriously inaccurate. Some "6 inch" containers are really five inches, and the standard "1 gallon" container is usually about 3 quarts.
Growers make sure all containers have large holes on the bottom or sides to allow for drainage.
A grower cannot go wrong growing a plant to maturity in a square six inch container. The roots will have enough room to support healthy vigorous bud growth.
Step by Step


Plant roots need adequate space to grow. The more space the roots have, the larger the topside growth.
There are a number of choices regarding containers. Trays provide the most space but do not allow the convenience of being able to move individual plants. Most gardeners choose individual containers.
A two inch square container supports a plant 4"-6". A 4 inch to 1 foot. A 5 inch to 2 feet. A 6 inch to 3 feet. Mature plants do very well in a 6" container.
An easy way growers provide more space to the roots is by increasing container depth.

THE PLANTING MEDIUM

The growing medium holds the roots firmly so that they can support the plant, and holds the water-nutrient solution and air so that they are available to the plants. It is obvious that the roots are used by the plant to obtain water and nutrients, but they need oxygen too. Roots not obtaining sufficient oxygen become sickly and are attacked by mildews and rots.
Planting mediums range the spectrum from totally organic to artificial materials. Organic materials such as compost, topsoil, humus, worm castings and steer manure have nutrients tied up in complex molecules.
Almost everyone has grown a house plant After the plant was in the container for a while, its growth slowed for 2 reasons: the roots were pot bound and the nutrients in the planting medium were used up. When some fertilizer was added to the water, the plant showed renewed vigor.
The inert soil held the water-nutrient solution but did not supply nutrients of its own. The container became a simple hydroponic unit The nutrients in the fertilizer were in soluble form and immediately available to the plant through the water.
Most books take a vehement stand on the advantages of hydroponics vs. soil for indoor cultivation. We are courageously sticking to a non judgmental middle ground. Almost everyone growing marijuana indoors delivers at least part of the nutrients mixed in water. This is, of course, hydroponic.
Many growers make a nutrient rich "planting mix" or use top soil. These mediums support growth for some time without additional fertilization, but they are not "natural". Frankly, it is impossible to get a mini-ecosystem going in each container or tray. It does not matter to the plant. As long as its needs are met, it thrives.
Some growers maintain that earth based systems produce tastier crops, but I have experienced some appetizing hydroponic product, and in fact the best tasting tomato I ever ate was grown in a hydroponic store’s Sunlit growing unit. Various books and magazines advise that hydroponic growing is more exacting and less forgiving than organic growing methods. In fact, hydroponic growing takes no more expertise or skill than growing in soil based mediums.

Here is a list of ingredients for planting mixes:

TOPSOIL - is a rich mixture of decaying organic matter and minerals which is the uppermost and richest layer of soil. It is sold in nurseries for use outdoors. It is looks dark brown, almost black and smells earthy. It is about as organic as you can get. However, it is not sterilized or pasteurized, so it may contain pests or pest eggs as well as fungi and diseases. This is usually not a problem though. Although topsoil works well in the ground, it is heavy in containers and clumps or packs unless used with other ingredients which lighten it. Packed soil prevents water from being distributed evenly. Part of the medium becomes soaked, while the other part remains dry.

COMPOST - is an earthy smelling almost black crumbly mixture containing decayed plant matter. it is teeming with life and although not necessarily high in nutrients, it provides a rich environment for the roots. It is acidic unless limed. Some commercial composts are nothing more than chopped up dried plant matter. This material may add some organic matter to the soil, but is not the same as real compost.

WORM CASTINGS - is compost digested by worms. As they digest the ingredients they concentrate them so that the nutrients are readily available to the plants. It is a excellent ingredient in mixes.

HUMUS - is a compost produced in a very moist environment. It is very fine textured and rich in nutrients, but is quite acidic.

COMMERCIAL POTTING MIXES - are not soils at all, but mixes containing ingredients such as tree bark, peat moss, wood by-products, as well as artificial ingredients. These mixes have virtually no nutrient value unless fertilizers have been added. Usually mixes with organic ingredients are long on carbon compounds and short on nitrogen, which means they need fertilization. In a controlled experiment, researchers with the California Dept of Agriculture found that commercial planting mixes vary in their ability to support plant growth, even with fertilizers added. There was no way of telling which mediums were best without testing them by growing plants in them.

VERMICULITE - is puffed mica which has been "popped" with heat. It is inert, and holds water like a sponge. It is often mixed with other ingredients to loosen the mix and aid in both its water and air retention. It comes in various sizes. The coarse and medium sizes are preferred because they allow more air to form between the particles than the fine. Vermiculite is very light weight


CAUTION: Dry vermiculite produces a lot of dust which is harmful to breathe. It contains minute amounts of asbestos. Before using the material wet it down with water. This prevents the dust from forming. It comes in 4 cubic foot bags at nurseries and grow stores.


PERLITE - is puffed volcanic pumice. It does not absorb water, but holds it on/in its pitted surface. It is used to loosen planting mixes and stabilize their water holding properties. It is so light weight it floats in water. It comes in various sizes. Coarse perlite allows the most air to mix with the medium.


CAUTION: Dry perlite produces an obnoxious dust. Wet it down before using it.


SAND - both construction or horticultural - was much more popular as a soil ingredient before vermiculite and perlite were available. It performs many of the same duties in the planting mix; stabilizing water retention and loosening the structure. The problem with sand is its weight. Even a cupful of sand adds considerable weight to a container.

GRAVEL - holds a little water on its surface and loosens soil. It is heavy and tends to sink in the medium. It is sometimes used alone in hydroponic mixes.

LAVA - holds water on its irregular surface and holes in its structure. It is lighter weight than gravel. It is sometimes used as a hydroponic medium. Clay pellets are sometimes used in place of lava because they are lighter weight Pea size pieces are the best to use.

STYROFOAM - is hydrophobic, and is used to keep mediums dryer. It is extremely lightweight and tends to float to the surface of the medium. Usually the little balls are used but sometimes irregular chips are.

PEAT MOSS - is chopped and decayed moss. It performs many tasks in planting mixes. It helps to retain water and holds nutrients and is a nutrient buffer which holds excess nutrients rather than letting them remain too concentrated in the water. For this reason most commercial mixes contain peat moss. It is very acidic and will lower the pH of the medium so that it should compose no more than 20% of the mix.

STEER MANURE - is fairly rich in nitrogen and other nutrients including trace elements. It holds water well. Many growers swear by it. Unless it is pasteurized, it may contain insect eggs and other pests.

BARK - is lightweight, absorbs water and holds air in its pores. As it comes in contact with fertilized water it slowly deteriorates, becoming more of a compost. It is used extensively by commercial greenhouse growers. It can be substituted for lava and it weighs much less.

THE SUBSTRATES

Substrates have recently become the hot end of the medium market These are materials which come in a solid form, usually a block, and need no pre-preparation. They are just placed in the growing chamber and watered. They are inert; sterile and hold water and air well. Most experiments show that plants do better in these mediums than in most mixes. Transplanting substrates is very easy. The smaller used piece is placed on top of the larger new piece. The roots grow into the new block. All of the substrates support fast vigorous growth.

ROCKWOOL - is the most popular substrate. Originally it was used as an insulating material in home construction. Then commercial greenhouse growers in Europe started to use it for their crops. Rockwool looks a lot like fiberglass. It is made by heating rock and extruding it into thin threads. Rockwool comes in pre-pressed blocks and filled bags. It is lightweight and it holds a tremendous amount of water, more than soil, but allows plenty of air in. It comes in several forms, blocks and cubes of various sizes, bags filled with loose fiber and bales of fiber to be placed in containers. It is reuseable for several crops.


CAUTION: Rockwool releases noxious fibers when it is dry. Before growers use rockwool, the material should be wetted. A face mask and rubber or leather gloves, should be used. Body should be covered with a face mask in place.




Rockwool provides a uniform consistency and holds both water and air.


FLORAL FOAM - is used to make flower arrangements. It is very lightweight when dry, but holds a tremendous amount of water. It is inert and easy to use. It releases no deleterious fibers into the environment. The problem with floral foam is that horticultural grades come only in small cubes. The larger blocks which are used for floral arrangements have been treated with a preservative which is not good for growing plants. Before these blocks are used they should be well rinsed with water to remove the chemicals.

FOAM RUBBER - (such as the stuff used for mattresses) is lightweight and holds a lot of water and air. It is inert and easy to use in either the block form or as chips in a container. It can also be added to planting mixes if chopped to pea size.

UPHOLSTERER’S FOAM - is a thin structured foam used for furniture. It comes in rolls and is about ½-¾ inch thick, although it is easily compressed. It holds ample quantities of both water and air. Since it does not come in block form it can be used by rolling it up firmly and placing the cylinder in a container or by holding it together using a rubber band or tape. Growers have reported fantastic results using it.

What Growers Do In The Confusion

All of this information might seem a little confusing. An interested Party might ask, "Can’t someone just throw some dirt in a pot and plant the Seed? What’s with all of this complex stuff?" Selecting the right medium is very important to the plant, and the mixes are easy to prepare.
Successful houseplant growers often choose their favorite house plant mix. Here are some adaptions of popular mixes. The mixes with soil, compost or worm castings contain some nutrients for plants and help to "buffer" the nutrients supplied through the water. Buffering means holding nutrients within the chemical structure so that they are temporarily unavailable. This helps prevent over fertilization.

Organic Mixes

These mixes contain organic ingredients which help to support plant growth and act as a buffer.

4 parts topsoil, 1 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite. Moist. Contains medium high amounts of nutrients. Best for hand watering systems.

1 part worm castings, 2 parts vermiculite, 1 part perlite. Light weight, high in nutrients.

1 part worm castings, 1 part compost, 1 part topsoil, 2 parts vermiculite, 2 parts perlite, 3 parts styrofoam. Holds high amounts of water and air.

1 part worm castings, 1 part peat moss, 1 part lava, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1 part styrofoam. Good buffering capabilities.

Inorganic Mixes

These mixes contain only sterile, inert ingredients and have no nutrient value.

1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite.

3 parts vermiculite, 3 parts perlite, 2 parts styrofoam.

1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 2 parts styrofoam, 1 part sand, I part lava, 1 part peat moss.

Lava, pea sized gravel or small ceramic beads alone or mixed with a little vermiculite.


All of the mixes listed will support a vigorous, fast growing crop. Some growers try several different mixes to see which they like working with.
If I had to choose one medium for cultivation, I would use one of the substrates. I feel they have many advantages: They are easy to prepare (no preparation), distribute water and air well, are easily disposable and promote rapid growth. Their main disadvantage is that they have no buffering abilities so that the plants are more sensitive to over fertilization. First time growers usually feel more confident with a mix.
Step by Step


Several different mixes are sometimes tried at the same time.

Mixes with nutrients supply some of the nutrients required by the plant.

Mixes with organic ingredients "buffer" or chemically bind with fertilizers. They allow the grower a little leeway.

Substrates are convenient to set up. They often require no other containers. They require a little more care than other systems.

Enough mix is prepared to fill the containers

Chapter 12
PH

PH is the measure of acid-alkalinity balance of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 1 being most acidic. 7 is neutral and 14 is most alkaline. Most nutrients are soluble in a limited range of acidity from about 6-7. Should the water become too acid or alkaline, the nutrients dissolved in the water precipitate and become unavailable to the plants. When nutrients are locked up, the plants cannot grow. Typically, a plant growing in an environment with a low pH is very small, often growing only a few inches in several months. Plants growing in a high pH environment will look pale and sickly and also have stunted growth.
PH is measured using aquarium or garden pH chemical test kits pH paper or a pH meter. PH meters are the most convenient to use. The probe is placed in the water or medium and indicates pH. These items are available at plant stores and hi-tech garden centers and are easy to use.
Once the water is tested gardeners adjust it if it is not in the ideal range of 6.2-6.8. Hydroponic supply companies sell pH adjusters which are convenient and highly recommended. The solution can also be adjusted using common household chemicals. The pH of highly acidic solutions can be raised using bicarbonate of soda, wood ash or hydrated lime. Alkaline water can be adjusted using nitric or sulphuric acid, citric acid or vinegar. Once a standard measure of how much chemical is needed to adjust the water, the process becomes fast and easy to do.
Plants affect the pH of the water solution as they remove various nutrients. Microbes growing in the medium also change the pH. PH is adjusted whenever the water is changed or added. Since the medium and plants affect the water’s pH, growers often take a pH reading of the water after it has passed through the system. Water passing through a low pH medium can be adjusted upwards. High pH mediums such as rockwool are often irrigated using low pH water.
Step By Step


The water’s pH is tested and adjusted whenever the garden is watered.


Chapter 13
WATER SYSTEMS

There are several ways to get water to the plants: from the top by hand watering or using an automatic drip emitter system, from the bottom using a reservoir system or wicks. All of these systems are easily set up and maintained.
THE SIMPLEST

Everybody has watered a plant from the top. Water is poured into the container until the medium is saturated. After saturation, water drains from the container. Sometimes the containers are placed in a tray.

MORE COMPLEX

An automatic system is convenient when the gardener is not around all the time or sometimes forgets to water. The systems are often home-made.
Most grow rooms are in spaces without drainage. Systems in these areas use an enclosed system with either a top or bottom reservoir. Bottom reservoirs store water in a space below the plants, perhaps under the platform. A pump running periodically on a short range timer pushes water from underneath through a series of drip irrigation tubes to the top of each individual container. Excess water drains once the medium is saturated. Drip irrigation set-ups and instructions are available at the local garden supply store. Suitable pumps are sold in garden supply stores as well as tropical fish stores. Short range timers as well as the other supplies are all available at high-tech indoor garden centers.




Drip irrigation systems with a reservoir above the garden use a sump pump to move water from the collection tray at the bottom of the garden to the reservoir. Water remains in the top reservoir until a valve opens allowing it to flow through the drip emitter tubes to the containers. Automatic valves with timed opening and closing cycles are available at garden supply stores or can be put together using a closed solenoid valve and timer. Valves are available at plumbing supply stores.




The plants are irrigated from an overhead reservoir using drip tubing. The water drains onto a sheet of corrugated plastic which drains into a rain gutter and then into a tray. A sump pump recirculates the water back to the reservoir.

Gardens situated in a space with water and drain can be constructed using an open system. Water from the tap is supplied to the plants using drip irrigation. Excess water runs out the drain.


Indoor drip emitters are placed over each container, in this case, rockwool.

BACK TO BASICS


THE RESERVOIR SYSTEM

When plants are watered from the top excess water drains out of the container, and is either captured for re-use or drained away. However, house plant owners often put a tray under their plants to capture the excess water. The container sits in the water and draws the water as the roots use the water held by the medium.
To assure that the roots oxygen requirements are met, especially the roots which grow into the water, gardeners sometimes place a fish tank air pump with aerator attached which constantly moves the water. Oxygen dissolved in the water is used by the roots.
This system works best with the drier mediums, which are impossible to get too saturated. A mixture of 5 parts lava and 1 part vermiculite is ideal, but mediums which are compact and hold a lot of water in the particles are too moist for this system. Adding a high proportion of lava gravel or styrofoam pellets helps to dry the medium out.
With the reservoir method the roots sit partially in water. The water level can be up to 20% of the container depth. An 8 inch high container can sit in 1½ inches of water, a 12 inch container can have a water level of 2½ inches. Containers can sit in individual trays, or for convenience of watering they can be placed in a single large tray. Plastic dish trays, lab trays and plastic kiddie pools all make ideal water trays, or a watertight tray one can be constructed from wood coated with plastic resin.



This is the easiest system to set up. A container with a well drained mix is placed in the tray and water is added.

Water can be added through the tops of the containers or the water can be poured into the tray. Gardeners use several methods to maintain this system. The water level should be maintained at a constant level by adding water as it is used up.
Most American gardening books advise that when roots sit in water they may be damaged. In Europe however, containers incorporating the reservoir system are sold as standard items in plant stores. As long as the roots come in contact with air containing oxygen, their needs are met.
A ball valve similar to the ones used in toilets are sometimes used to automate this system. When the water level falls, the valve opens up filling the tray to the desired height. When several trays are being used, the valve sits in its own container and controls the water level of all the other containers. The containers are connected to the central unit using tubes. A constant level of water is maintained.




This simple unit is very effective and will produce about the same yield as a sophisticated, water moving system.


These simple units increase the time between watering by several days. They add water to the reservoir only as it is needed.

THE WICK SYSTEM

The very first hydroponic units I ever used were wick systems. They consisted of two plastic containers which fit into each other. The bottom of the top container had been drilled and 3¼" thick pieces of nylon cord were strung across the bottom and hung down into the lower container from both sides. The top container was filled with vermiculite. The bottom container was used as a reservoir and the nylon cord drew up water into the vermiculite and kept it moist. The unit produced some incredible vegetables and flowers. Wick systems are very easy to construct, work well and are trouble free. Moist mixes are suitable for this unit. The wicks act as a self-regulating moisture supplier. It is often used by novice growers because it is hard to make a mistake using this system.
There are several ways to automate the wick system. Probably the easiest way is by placing the containers on a platform above a water tray and let the wicks dangle into the water. One grower took a kiddie pool and placed a pallet inside. The containers rested on the pallet. A flush valve system as described for the reservoir system easily automates these units.




THE EBB AND FLOW OR FLOOD SYSTEM

The flood system is the method most people picture when hydroponics is mentioned. The containers are periodically flooded and then drained. Construction of a manual unit is easy. Imagine a tray with a flexible drain tube on the bottom. The tube is held up in the "plug" position. Water pours into the tray until the containers are flooded. The reservoir, often a water jug, is placed back into position so that it can catch the drain water. Then the tube is placed back into the "drain" position.
Growers often make small automated units. First they seal the reservoir tightly. Two tubes are attached using a bottle stopper. One is attached to an air pump at the other end and pushes air into the top of the reservoir. The other tube goes into the bottom of the reservoir. When the air is pushed into the reservoir the water rises, flooding the growing area. When the pump is turned off, the water flows back to the reservoir. More sophisticated units have a back-flow valve. Usually gardens are flooded twice a day using a short range timer. Larger systems use a water pump to flood the growing area.





Before watering the drain hole in the tray is plugged. Water is added to the two and one half inch level, then the plug is pulled allowing the water to drain into the holding tank. The grower watered two to three times a day.

After each flooding additional water is added to the reservoir to replace the liquid absorbed by the containers.
Ebb and flow tables are commercially available. These work like the flood system, but only partially submerge the growing container with 2 or 3 inches of water.
Step By Step


Gardeners choose the system that they feel is right for themselves. All of the systems work well because they supply the roots everything they need.
The choices are


Watering from the top and letting it drain out.
Drip irrigation and letting the water drain out.
Automated drip irrigation.
Manual reservoir system.
Automated reservoir system.
Aerated water system.
Wick system.
Automated wick system.
Manual flood system.
Automated flood system.

All of these systems are designed to support fast growth. The choice is based on convenience.

Chapter 14
NUTRIENTS and FERTILIZING

Plants require nutrients in order to grow. The roots absorb the nutrients from the water as dissolved salts. These are the simple compounds found in chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers travel a more circuitous route, first breaking down from complex molecules through microbial action, and then dissolving into the water.
Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) are called the macro-nutrients because plants use large quantities of them. The percentages of N, P and K are always listed in the same order (N-P-K) on fertilizer packages.
Calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg) are also required in fairly large quantities. They are often called secondary nutrients.
Smaller amounts of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), boron (B), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and chlorine (Cl) are also required. These are called the micro-nutrients.
When marijuana germinates, it requires a modest amount of N and larger amounts of P. This supports vigorous root growth and limits etoliation (stretching) of the stem. When it goes into its vigorous growth stage, usually within two weeks, marijuana's need for N increases. The nutrient is used in building amino acids, the stuff protein is made from. During the reproductive stage when the plant flowers, the female’s flower growth is promoted by P and K.
Plants which are being grown in soil mixes or mixes with nutrients added such compost, worm castings or manure do better when watered with a dilute soluble fertilizer, too. When a non-nutritive medium is used, the nutrients are supplied as a solution in the water from the beginning.
Typical formulas used for the seedling and early growth stages include: 7-9-5, 5-10-5, 4-5-3. Formulas for the fast growth stage usually have a little more nitrogen. Most growers use different formulas for the different growth stages. Other growers supplement low nitrogen formulas with fish emulsion or other high nitrogen formulas. Some gardeners use the same fertilizers throughout the plant’s life cycle. A typical formula for this is 20-20-20.
Plants growing under warm conditions (over 80 degrees) are given less N to prevent stem etoliation. Plants grown in cool environments are given more N.
During flowering a high P formula promotes flower growth. Formulas such as 3-10-4, 5-20-5 and 4-30-12 are used. Plants are sometimes grown using a nutrient solution containing no N for the last 10 days. Many of the larger leaves yellow and wither as N migrates from old to new growth.
The fertilizer should be complete, that is, it should contain all of the secondary and trace elements. Some fertilizers do not contain Mg. This is supplemented using Epsom salts, available at drug stores. Sometimes growers prefer to use more than one fertilizer. They find that changing the formulas and ingredients helps to prevent stresses and deficiencies. However, the chemicals in each fertilizer are blended to remain soluble. Different fertilizer formulas may react with each other. As a result some of the chemicals may precipitate and become unavailable to the plants. To prevent this growers use only one fertilizer at each watering.
Overfertilization is very dangerous. When plants are under-fertilized more nutrient can be added, no harm done. Overfertilization can kill a plant quickly.
Growers take no chances when they change hydroponic nutrient water solutions every 2 weeks. Even though the solution may have nutrients left, it is probably unbalanced since the plants have used some of the nutrients, and not others.

Chapter 15
AIR AND TEMPERATURE

Temperature, movement, humidity and content of the air all affect plant growth.
Unlike warm-blooded animals, which can function regardless of the outside temperature, plants’ rate of metabolism, how fast they function and grow is controlled by the temperature of the surrounding air.
At low temperatures, under 65 degrees, the photosynthesis rate and growth are slowed. The difference in growth rate is not readily apparent if the temperature dips once in a while or the low temperatures are not extreme. However, temperatures under 50-55 degrees virtually stop growth. Temperatures in the 40’s cause slight temporary tissue damage. When temperatures dip into the high thirties tissue damage which takes several days to repair may result, especially in older plants.
When temperatures rise above 78 degrees, cannabis’ rate of growth slows once again as the plant uses part of its energy to dissipate heat and keep its water content constant. The rate of growth continues to slow as the temperature rises. Photosynthesis and growth stop somewhere in the 90’s.
When the lights are off, photosynthesis stops. Instead, the plants use the sugars and starches for energy and tissue building. The plants do best when the temperature is lower during this part of the cycle. The fact that the lamps are off will lower the temperature quite a bit, and ventilation can be used to cool the space down.
Looking at a marijuana leaf under a magnifying glass, a viewer will notice that there are small "hairs" covering it. These appendages form a windbreak which slows air movement around the leaf. This helps to modify the temperature by holding air which has been warmed by the tissue surface, similar to the way hair or fur keeps warm air trapped near the skin.
Since plants transpire water, the air surrounding the leaf surfaces is more humid than the air in the surrounding environment.
Outside, there is usually a breeze so that air is ventilated from the surface. The breeze removes waste gasses and humidity and brings fresh air containing CO2 in contact with the surface.
Indoors, air movement is easily achieved using fans. The movement should be swift but not forceful. Leaves should have slight movement. Oscillating fans are convenient means gardeners use to provide an air stream to all sections of the garden. A draft which is too strong can be buffered against a wall so that the current reaches the garden indirectly.
Marijuana functions best at a humidity of 40-65%. Higher humidity causes problems in two ways. First, fungi which attack marijuana become active at higher humidities. They affect all parts of the plant, but especially the buds, which contain moisture holding crevices, are dark and have little air movement. The other problem with high humidity is that plants have a hard time dissipating water transpired by the stomata (plant pores).
The humidity level is a measure of how saturated the air is with moisture. That is, how much water the air is holding as a percentage of its water holding potential. The warmer the air the more moisture it can absorb, so that when the temperature rises the air becomes less saturated and the humidity goes down, even though the same amount of water is dissolved in the air. The reverse happens when the temperature declines. The same amount of water may be in the air, but the airs water holding capacity is lower so the humidity rises.
There are several ways to maintain the proper temperature and humidity. The easiest method gardeners use to rid a space of excess heat or moisture is to vent the space. Small spaces such as a closet or shelf are easily vented into the room because of the large surface area in contact with the general space. Room temperature and humidity conditions are similar to those needed by the plants. Heated rooms may be a little low in humidity, but the moisture level in the micro-environment surrounding the plants is usually higher. This is caused by evaporation of water from the medium and by plant transpiration.
Since hot air rises and cool air sinks, a fan placed above the plants pulls out the heated air. Squirrel fans and other ventilation fans make these setups a snap. Experienced gardeners choose fans with the capacity to move the room’s cubic area every 10 minutes. As an example a fan in 200 cubic foot grow space moved 20 cubic feet per minute.
Increasing the rate of air change using a fan has beneficial effects besides controlling temperature and humidity. A breeze which causes some movement of the stem increases its strength. When a plant moves in the wind, small tears develop in the tissues. The plant quickly grows new tissue, thickening and strengthening the stem. A breeze also increases the amount of CO2 available to the plant. This is covered in depth in chapter 17 - CO2.
Sensible growers know that open windows are not as good a solution as fans for several reasons. They present a new problem regarding detection, both by light and odor, and plant pests living outside might use the passageway to find new indoor feeding grounds.
Some growers use a closed system. The air is cooled using an air conditioner, the humidity is lowered using a dehumidifier and the CO2 is supplied using a tank. Each of these units is connected to a sensor so that they go on and off automatically. In temperate areas the air conditioner remains on only a small part of the time, except during the summer when it may be called on for heavy duty work. The air conditioner also dehumidifies the room. A small sized dehumidifier can keep a room at desired humidity when the temperature is within the acceptable range.
Grow spaces located in basements or attics may get cool during the winter. An electric or gas heater designed for indoor use is often used to increase the temperature. Electric heaters raise the temperature, but decrease the humidity of the room because no additional moisture is added to the air. Gas heaters vented into the grow space provide CO2, moisture and heat to the plants.
Plant roots are very sensitive to cold temperatures. Containers placed directly on a cold floor lose their heat. To conserve warmth the units are set on a pallet or the floor, or it is covered with a layer of styrofoam sheet, which is both an excellent insulation material and light reflector. Heat mats and heating cables which are thermostatically regulated to keep trays and soil in the mid-seventies are sold in many garden shops. Water in reservoirs is often heated using aquarium equipment.

Chapter 16
CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas found in the air. Under normal circumstances, including the conditions growers deal with, it is totally harmless. Each molecule consists of one part carbon and two parts oxygen. CO2 is often generated in the home. When a stove or water heater bums gas it produces water vapor and CO2.
Plants use CO2 as a raw material during the process of photosynthesis. CO2 is quickly used up in a well lit enclosed space Until it is replaced, the process cannot continue. The availability of CO2 to the plant can be a limiting factor in photosynthesis and plant growth.
Keeping the door or curtain of a small grow room open helps tremendously because a whole side of the grow space is exposed to external air. An open door in a large a room gives a much smaller ratio of interface, since the percentage of the perimeter serving as a vent is much smaller.
CO2 constitutes about .03%, or 300 parts per million of air in country areas and about .035 - .04% in industrialized regions. Photosynthesis and growth could proceed at a much higher rate if the amount of CO2 available were increased to about .15% or 1500 parts per million instead of the .035 - .04% found in urban areas. Higher concentrations of CO2 can increase the growth rate up to 300%. Usually though, growers report increases of under 100%. Either way growth rate is increased significantly. When plants grow faster, it takes less time to yield a bigger crop. Once CO2 enrichment is added to the grow space, light will most likely be the limiting factor.
The most practical method that a closet farmer has to enrich the garden with gas is a CO2 tank with a regulator. The regulators are sold by all of the high-tech garden supply companies. These devices control the number of cubic feet of gas released to the garden. CO2 gas refills are available from companies listed under the Bottled Gas or Industrial Gas sections of the Yellow Pages. The largest tanks hold 50 pounds of gas, but they weigh 170 pounds filled. A 20 pound tank is much smaller and weighs about 50 pounds filled. At room temperature there are 8.7 cubic feet in a pound of gas. Refills are inexpensive.
CO2 enrichment reduces ventilation requirements considerably for several reasons. First, the CO2 in the air is being replenished and the plants function more efficiently at a higher temperature when CO2 is at high levels. Rather than trying to draw in CO2 from the surrounding atmosphere, the aim is now to stop the gas from dispersing into it.
Growers figure out how much gas to use by finding the number of cubic feet (ft3) there are in the grow space (Length x Width x Height). For instance, a closet 6 feet long, 2.5 feet wide and 8.5 feet high contains 127.5 ft3. Then they multiply that number by .0015. In this case the figures look like this: 127.5 x .0015 = 191 ft3.
One grower had a closet 3 feet by 3 feet by 10 feet. He figured that its area was 90 ft3. To find the amount of gas to inject he multiplied 90 x .0015 = .135 ft3.
For each one hundred ft3 of space about .15 ft3 of gas is required.

1 lb. CO2= 8.7 cubic feet

Small unventilated closet areas are sometimes set up with a constant flow of CO2 enrichment when the lights are on. Well designed ventilated rooms are re-enriched every time the ventilation stops. Unventilated rooms need a full replenishment of CO2 every one to two hours.
A room 6 x 3 x 9 = 162 ft3. The lights are on continuously and the air is enriched with a steady flow of.25 ft3 of CO2 per hour. Six feet of gas is used per day. A 20 lb. tank holds 20 x 8.7 = 174 ft3 ¸ 6 = 29 days of use per refill.
Growers often ventilate the hot air out of the space to disperse heat. They found that it does not do much for the plants to run the CO2 enrichment system and the ventilation system at the same time, since the gas is drawn out. Instead, the CO2 unit goes on after the ventilation system has stopped and quickly re-innoculates the area with CO2. Some high-tech garden companies sell devices designed to regulate the systems automatically.
CO2 is heavier than air, and when it comes out of the tank it is being depressurized, which makes it cold. Subsequently, the gas sinks as it enters the space. In gardens with little internal ventilation the tubing is usually suspended just over the tops of plants. In large spaces the gas is sometimes dispersed using laser drilled irrigation tubing or released in front of the internal fans.
Exhaust gas emitted from a stove or water heater is suitable for the garden. A garden in a room with a water heater will be enriched every time the burners light. Of course, anytime a person works with natural or LP gas or with fire, they must be very careful.


A CO2 tank and regulator is used to enrich the air. CO2 laden air increases the growth rate phenomenally.

Step By Step

Plants do best in indoor gardens when they are supplied with CO2. Growers usually choose:

An open door or curtain is often the best solution for small spaces which have a large surface-to-air ratio.

External ventilation to blow out the used air and draw in new air. This is usually adequate for small rooms.

A CO2 enrichment system. This consists of a tank and regulator flow meter and either a timer or other automatic valve. This increases the growth rate of the plants phenomenally.

A water heater or gas stove may supplement the garden with CO2.

ODOR and IONS

Odors are caused by minute solids floating in the air. Each particle has a positive electrical charge because it is missing an electron. This enables it to drift as it is drawn in one direction and then another by electrical charges.
There are several ways growers eliminate these particles. Air filters use filter pads and activated charcoal to cleanse the air. More sophisticated units also use electrostatic precipitators to remove minute particles. These units have a negatively charged lining which attracts any positively charged particles passing through.
The easiest and most effective method gardeners use to eliminate odors is using a negative ion generator. These units are sometimes called ion fountains or air ionizers. Negative ion generators charge air molecules with extra electrons, giving them a negative charge. When negatively charged air ions comes in contact with a positively charged dust particle, the air molecule gives up its electron. The positively charged particle is neutralized and no longer floats since it is not as influenced by electrical charges. The particle drops from the air (precipitates) and falls onto the wall or floor. It no longer creates an odor.
Negative ion generators are inexpensive and cost very little to operate. They solve the most daunting odor problems. In addition, ionizers precipitate dust.
A number of studies have shown that the electrical charge of the air influences behavior in animals and growth in plants. Negatively charged air seems to be conducive to less irritable behavior in animals and faster growth in plants.


These units release negative ions which precipitate solids including odor particles.

Chapter 18
SETTING UP

Before a seed is planted or a cutting transferred to the new garden, successful growers make sure the space is ready. All lights, timers, water and ventilation systems should be working. The space should be lined with reflective material so that all light is directed to the growing area. Units in which water is transported are thoroughly tested and adjusted so that there is no flooding and so the pumps work when they are supposed to.
The Medium

Ingredients are mixed in buckets or a large tray. Larger amounts are more easily mixed using a cement mixer or a shovel in a large space. The mix is added to the container to a level ¾-1 inch below the top. After adding the mix, the container is watered again so that the mix settles.
Substrates are placed in position and thoroughly watered.


CAUTION: Planting medium dust is harmful to breathe. Intelligent growers have been known to moisten all the ingredients of with a watering can or hose before mixing. This prevents dust from getting into the air. This is extremely important since respiratory problems have been associated with dust.

No matter what kind of system is being used, experienced growers try a final test run. They make sure that delivery and drainage lines are working properly and that the units are receiving the right amounts of water in the right places. Pumps and timers are carefully inspected to make sure they are working properly. it is much easier to repair the system before the plants are growing.
Wall areas likely to receive light are painted reflective white or lined with reflective materials so that any light missing the garden area is reflected back to it.
The ventilation fans must be working properly. The goal is to supply a steady stream of air to the plants without the space being drafty.
Finally, the system is run for a day to make sure that all of the components are working in a coordinated fashion. The outside ventilation should be regulated by a thermostat or timer so the room stays in the 70’s during the light cycle. When the fans go off, CO2 should be released. Automatic irrigation systems should keep the medium well moistened.
When everything is working it is time for the grower to plant.

Chapter 19
PLANTING

Successful growers plant marijuana seeds about a half inch deep and then cover them. Seeds placed in substrates are pushed into the material so that they are totally surrounded. Once the seeds are planted, the medium is watered again to help the seeds settle in place. The direction that the seed faces is not important. Using gravity as a means of sensing proper direction, the seed will direct roots downward and the stem upward.
Marijuana need not be planted in its final container to start. Even a plant which is destined to be a giant can be started in a 2 inch pot or block. The advantage to starting small is that the plants do not take up unneeded room. However, plants must be given more room soon after germination or they will become root bound, which stunts the plants. Seedlings are transplanted using the same techniques described under cuttings.
Germination begins when moisture seeps through the seed coat and signals the seed to start growing. Heat regulates the rate of germination and growth until the seedling reaches light.
Water

The planting medium is kept moist until germination is complete. If the surface of the medium tends to dry out, plastic wrap is placed over it to retain moisture.
Seedlings have tender root systems which are easily damaged when the medium dries out so the medium is kept moist at all times.

Heat

Marijuana germinates rapidly when the planting medium is kept at an even temperature. Room temperature, about 70 degrees, is best. When the medium is cool, germination slows and the seeds may be attacked by fungi or other organisms. With high temperatures, seedlings grow thin and spindly, especially under low light conditions. This occurs because their growth rate is sped up by the heat, but the seedlings are not photosynthesizing enough sugar for use as building material.

Light

Once the seedling breaks ground and comes in contact with light, it starts to photosynthesize, thus producing its own food for growth. When the light is dim, the plant stretches to reach it. In the wild the seedling is in competition with other plants which may be shading it. By growing taller it may be able to reach unobstructed light. However, a stretched seedling is weaker than one with a shorter but thicker stem and has a tendency to fall over. Seedlings with ample light grow squat, thick stems. Seedlings can be started in constant bright light of the same intensity that is to be used for their growth cycle.
Some growers recommend that seeds be germinated in a napkin or on a sponge and then placed into the growing area. This method risks damage to the seedling in many ways; the delicate plant tissues may be damaged by handling or moisture problems, the seedlings are more likely to be attacked by infections and they maybe subject to delays in growth caused by changes in their position in relation to gravity.



DAY 1: Germination. The cotyledon, the first leaves of the plant open, and start photosynthetic food production.


DAY 2 - 3: The first set of true leaves appear.


DAY 3 - 5: A second set of leaves has opened and the third and fourth sets have opened. Vigorous growth is about to begin.

CUTTINGS (CLONES)

Many growers populate their gardens with cuttings rather than seeds. Cuttings have several advantages over seeds. These are discussed in Chapter 23, Clones. Transplanting cuttings is very easy.
Cuttings which have been rooted in a substrate such as floral foam, Jiffy rooting cubes or rockwool are easily placed in a larger rooting area. If the cuttings are being transferred to another substrate, the small block with the rooted cutting can be placed firmly on top of the larger substrate. Growers rub the two blocks together so that there is firm contact between the two materials. The roots will grow directly from the smaller block into the larger one.
Growers report that it is also easy to transplant substrate rooted cuttings into a soil or soil-less medium. The cutting is not held by the leaf or stem, because the pull of the heavy block may injure the stem or tear the roots. Instead, the block is held and placed in a partially filled container. After placing the block in the container, mix is placed around it so that the block is totally covered. The medium is tapped down firmly enough so that it is well packed but not tight or compacted.
When transplanting plants grown in degradable containers such as peat pots or Jiffy cubes, growers report best results when the containers are cut in several places. This assures an easy exit for the roots.
Cuttings growing in individual containers are transplanted before they are root-bound. First, the rootball is knocked from the container. To do this, growers turn the plant upside down so that the top of the soil is resting between the index and middle finger of one hand with the stem of the plant sticking through the fingers. The container is held in the other hand and knocked against a hard surface such as a table. The rootball is jarred loose from the old container and rests in the gardener’s hand. The rootball is placed in a larger container partially filled with mix. Then mix is added to bring the medium to within a half inch of the top of the pot. When plants have a long bare stem, growers sometimes place the plant deeply in the container, burying part of the stem.





Paper cups are sometimes used as containers. They are carefully opened using a utility knife or scissors. Rootballs sticking to styrofoam cups sometimes release if the cup is rolled tightly between two palms before knocking. If the rootball still sticks, the cup is cut open.
Once the rootball is out it is placed in a container partially filled with medium. More medium is added packed firmly around the rootball, until the top is covered.
Transplants sometimes take a few days to adjust. Then their growth spurts with renewed vigor.
Step By Step


Seeds are usually planted one half inch deep and covered.

Growers often start seeds in small containers. They are transplanted as they grow. This way small plants do not waste unused space.

Seeds are kept moist at 70 (degrees) to encourage fast germination.

Growers transplant cuttings easily by placing the the rootball in a partially filled container. Then planting medium is added until the ball is completely covered.

Chapter 20
VEGETATIVE GROWTH

Growers report that once the seeds have sprouted, the plants begin a period of fast growth. With good conditions plants grow three or four sets of leaves within the first 10 days. After that they really take off growing both top and side branches. By the end of the first month, a stocky plant usually grows between one and one and a half feet. After two months of growth plants grow between two and three feet depending on conditions and variety. Plants grown using intense light and CO2 grow faster.
Rooted cuttings in an adequate size container grow very quickly, usually faster than seedlings for the first few weeks. Clones develop a stockier stem, with shorter internodes and their branching patterns may also be different from their sisters grown from seed.
Light

During vegetative growth the plants do best when the lights are kept on continuously. The plants do not need a "rest period". Some growers cut the expense of running high watt lamps 24 hours a day by turning them off for 1-6 hours. However, costs other than light; such as rent, labor and risk remain fixed no matter what the light cycle is set at. This means that the garden is at maximum efficiency on a continuous light cycle. It actually costs growers more to grow an ounce of bud using an 18 hour cycle rather than a continuous one. Of course, meter considerations may dictate a break in the light period.

Water

The medium is kept moist continuously. Reservoir and wick hydroponic systems are self regulating: the medium draws water from the reservoir to maintain an even level of moisture. However, the reservoirs must be refilled periodically. Large plants use more water than small ones, so their reservoirs are checked more often. Once the reservoir is filled with water-nutrient mix added water is clear, pH adjusted and nutrient free.
Active hydroponic systems require irrigation two to four times a day. Warm gardens with large plants use more water than cool gardens with small plants. Reservoirs of re-circulating systems are refilled with pH adjusted nutrient-free water after each irrigation.
Plants growing in soil-type mixes also must be kept moist.
Small plants in a cool space may not need water for 4 or 5 days. Larger plants in a warm space may require irrigation daily, especially if they are kept in small containers.
When watering most growers irrigate until the containers drain. Cold water can shock the roots and hot water can burn them. They do best when irrigated with lukewarm water, in the low 70’s.

Nutrients

Smart growers know that fertilizers are best used as directed. The worst thing that a gardener can do is over fertilize, since this can cause the plants’ sudden death. The nutrient-water solution is changed every other week. The old water is drained and replaced with fresh nutrient-water solution. The system need not be rinsed. The old water is suitable for use in the outdoor garden.

Chapter 21
FLOWERING

The goal of the closet cultivator is to grow plants which yield a large crop of sinsemilla, the unfertilized female flowers of the plant. Usually male and female flowers grow on separate plants. By removing the male plants from the garden, the females remain unpollinated. Pollinated plants put much of their energy into producing seeds, rather than bud growth.
Unpollinated plants grow clusters of flowers over a period of 4 to 8 weeks. Within a few weeks the growth takes the shape of a bud. As the buds ripen, the clusters of flowers grow thicker and the resin glands found on the small leaves and branches begin to swell as they fill up with THC. When it is ripe, the bush fluoresces with 10,000 points of light.
When to Flower

Indoors, growers force marijuana to flower at any time. Even seedlings will indicate sex and produce flowers given the right conditions.
Marijuana flowers in response to the light cycle. Under natural conditions, the plant senses oncoming autumn by chemically measuring the uninterrupted dark period. Indoors, when the light regimen includes a dark period of 10-12 hours each day, the plant stops its vegetative growth cycle and starts growing reproductive organs, male and female flowers, which usually occur on separate plants.
When light hits a leaf the tissue absorbs certain rays which it uses in photosynthesis. Those rays are unavailable to leaves below the top. 1000 watt HID lights penetrate only 12-18 inches of leaves depending on their size and quantity. Vegetative material below this canopy receives little light, does little photosynthesizing and produces little energy for the plant.
Since a tall plant produces no more than a short one, the plants are forced to flower when they are 8-15 inches tall. At maturity they will stand only 18-36 inches.
When the light cycle is switched to "short day," the plant's growth changes from vegetative - the production of leaves and stems, to the reproductive cycle. A few days after the change in the light regimen, all visible growth slows down. Then the first flowers appear.

Here are the stages of flower growth.

Slowdown then stop of vegetative growth. 4-10 days after beginning forcing. Lasts up to a week.

Appearance of first flowers. 10 days to 15 days after beginning forcing.

Massive growth of flowers at the budding sites. Continuing after the first appearance of flowers for 30 to 40 days. During this time the buds develop and take shape. Starting with a few flowers, layer after layer of flowers is grown until the bud sites are merged together into one large cola.

Maturation. Eventually the pistils start to turn color from pale white to red or brown At the same time the flowers close up, forming false seed pods. The small glands on the flowers now start to grow. These are called stalked capitate glands and are composed of a tiny stalk supporting a thin clear membrane. As THC is produced near the site, the membrane swells with the potent liquid. The membrane stretches and the gland takes on the appearance of a mushroom. When the glands have swelled and the pistil has receded into the false pod, the bud is ready to pick.
At the point of maturity, the cola almost glows. This is caused by light hitting the tiny glands filled with THC. The bud looks like a flower which has jewels scattered all over.
The number of days from onset of flowering to maturity varies depending on variety and the length of the dark period. The shorter the dark period, the faster the flowers mature. However, when the flowers are brought to maturity faster, they are smaller than when they are given more time to mature. For instance, a bud under a regimen of 12 hours of darkness may take 6 weeks to mature. The same bud, kept under a 14 hour darkness regimen may take only five weeks to mature but may weigh 15% less than the longer maturing bud.
Some growers start the flowering cycle at 10-12 hours of darkness. After 4 weeks they turn up the dark part of the cycle to 14-16 hours of darkness and the buds quickly mature.
Sometimes parts of the bud are mature but new growth is continuing. Most growers pick when the rate of this growth slows. However, the mature parts of the bud can be removed using a small pair of scissors. Some varieties respond to pruning by continuing to produce new growth.
A few varieties including Thai and other South East Asian plants are natural hermaphrodites which produce flowers intermittently under a 12 hour regimen. They have adapted to the latitude in Thailand which is close to the Equator and does not have much seasonal variation of daylight hours. Colombian varieties have also adapted to low latitude conditions by prolonging flowering a bit, until it catches up with a chronological schedule.

Chapter 22
DRYING

Some growers point out that a few buds are easily dried by placing them in a loosely folded brown paper bag at room temperature. Larger amounts are hung or placed on trays in a dark area such as a closet. The buds need some air circulation and have a relatively high humidity, so that they dry fairly slowly. It is reported that bud dried for 2-5 days smokes much smoother than it does when it is dried quickly. The reason is that after picking the buds are still alive and some of the chlorophyll and starch is used by the dying cells.
Some growers use a microwave or oven to dry the buds. Microwaves do not hurt the THC, but marijuana dried this way has a harsh taste as compared to the slow dried. Growers microwave by placing a wet bud in the oven for 30 second periods until it is smokeable. After seeing how long the sample takes to dry, the grower sets the timer for a minute less than the total time used on the sample so the grass does not get crispy.
Oven drying is riskier. If the temperature is too warm, the THC evaporates and is totally lost, so the oven is kept at a low temperature, and should not go above 150 degrees. Hemp kept in the oven too long comes out crisp and stale.
Electric dehydrators are safe to use, but once again, the hemp is dried very quickly and has a harsher, green taste, than when it is dried over a longer period of time. Cannabis connoisseurs do not recommend solar dehydrators. Sunlight reduces the potency of drying buds.


Chapter 23
CUTTINGS AND CLONES

Nearly everyone has taken a cutting from a house plant and placed it in water. Within a short time roots grew and the new plant was ready to be placed in a container with medium. The new plant had the same genetic make-up of its clone mother. The new plant’s growth, flowers, and reactions to environment were exactly the same as the plant from which it was taken.
The genetic make-up, and therefore the characteristics of a plant started from seed cannot be determined until the plant is grown. Although the lineage of the plant may provide a fair amount of information, there is no way of pre-determining its exact qualities. There are literally billions of possible combinations of genes that the two parents can supply. No two plants from seed are likely to be identical.
There are many advantages to growing genetically identical plants. Here are some which growers have brought to my attention.
The plants have uniform growth characteristics so the garden is easier to maintain. Each plant grows to the same size, has approximately the same yield and matures at the same time as its sisters. Starting from seeds, plants of the same variety exhibit subtle differences in growth patterns.

Buds from clone sisters will be of the same potency and taste the same.

There will be no males in the garden. Since all clones from a single "clone mother" have the same genetic make-up, clones from a female plant can be only female. Usually about half of the plants from seeds turn out to be male. Using clones saves valuable garden space which would have been used to grow males.

Clones seem to exhibit shorter internode length (distance between the leaves) which means that the garden has shorter, stouter plants.

The exact genetic make-up of a particular plant is easily preserved. This means that the characteristics of a super-plant or other novel specimen can be continued.
There are also disadvantages to growing clones:
All of the plants from a single clone mother yield the same product. There is no variation. Gardeners growing for personal consumption often wish to grow several different varieties.

There is no genetic progression. Since no breeding is taking place, the genetic line remains static. There are no surprises and no new finds. Using clones, there is no way of genetically adapting a line to a particular environment.
HOW CLONES ARE MADE

Cuttings are taken from soft green tissue because the drier, woody sections of the plant do not root as easily. Sections taken are 2-5 inches long with several sets of leaves. The cut is made with a very sharp blade which makes a clean, straight cut, rather than a scissor which pinches and injures the tissue. As the cuttings are made they are placed in a bowl filled with lukewarm water to prevent them from drying out.
Once all the cuttings are taken, they are trimmed of their lower leaves, leaving only one or two sets plus the growing tip. This helps to prevent the cutting from being water stressed. If the leaves were left on the cutting, they would create water demands that the stem end, with a limited draw, cannot meet. Any large fan leaves are also removed for the same reason.
Next, the rooting solution is prepared. Liquid type rooting compounds are the best to use because the active ingredients are in solution and are guaranteed to come in contact with the stem. Powders are often scraped off as the cutting is set in place, and drop off when placed in water. Some popular rooting solutions which work well are Olivia’stm, Klone Concentratetm, Hormextm and Wood’stm. The solution is used as directed for woody plants.
The trimmed cuttings are placed either in water or a rooting medium such as vermiculite, rockwool or floral foam which has been watered with one quarter strength flowering formula fertilizer solution. At least ¾ inch of stem is inserted in the rooting medium which is patted down to make sure that the stem is in direct contact with it.
The cuttings growers make are placed in an area of high humidity to limit water stress. Growers often construct a "mini-greenhouse" using plastic wrap placed over the rooting chamber. Some trays come with clear plastic covers to retain moisture. The cover is removed when the plants develop roots. A fine mist spray helps relieve water stress. The clones respond best to a moderate rather than a bright light. Some gardeners light the clone garden using 2 tubes for an area 4 x 2 feet, 10 watts per square foot. Clones being rooted in water do best when the water is changed frequently and aerated using a small pump and an aquarium bubbler. Rooting blocks or medium must be kept well saturated.
The temperature of the medium affects the rooting time of the clones. Cuttings root fastest when the temperature is kept in the low to mid 70’s. At lower temperatures the cuttings take longer to root and are more likely to suffer from infections. Growers report the easiest way to keep the cuttings warm is to use a heating cable or heating mat made especially for germinating and rooting plants. These are available at most plant nurseries and are very inexpensive.
Given good conditions, cuttings usually root in one to two weeks. Some varieties are easier to root than others. For instance Big Bud, is notoriously difficult to root. Skunk and Northern lights are much easier to clone

Chapter 24
PROBLEMS

Every gardener faces some problems with the garden at one time or another. Environmental problems, insects and diseases can create havoc among the plants and often leave the grower stumped.
The best way gardeners have prevented problems has been to carefully examine the garden at least once a week. First a gardener looks at the entire space. Do the plants look healthy and vigorous? Is their color normal and bright? Then the grower examines a few plants closeup. Do they look healthy? Have they grown since the last examination? Do the leaves or any other plant parts show signs of nutrient problems? Taking a photographer’s x 4 or x 8 loupe, available at camera stores, the cultivator looks at the leaves of several plants. He asks, "Are there any abnormalities? Any insects or eggs on the undersides?"
The most common problems with plants are not pests. They are over watering, under watering and over-fertilization.
When the medium is waterlogged the roots cannot obtain enough oxygen. At the same time, anaerobic bacteria, which are active in oxygen free environments, attack the roots and produce ammonia. Plant leaves may curl under from lack of oxygen. Waterlogged medium is not usually a problem for hydroponic gardeners but may occur in a some planting mixes. One solution is to water the plant less.
Roots have a harder time drawing water as the medium dries. During the light hours, the need for water is especially acute. If the roots have no moisture; first the bottom leaves and then the entire plant starts to wilt. Water must be added before the leaves die, which can be only a matter of hours. The old myth that water stressing the plant increases potency is not relevant to indoor cultivation.
Slight chronic over fertilizing can cause the leaves to curl either upward or underneath. Heavy over fertilizing can cause the plant to wilt in a matter of minutes. When the soil medium has a higher concentration of salts (nutrients) than the plant, it draws water from the plant. The only solution growers reported to this problem is to get rid of the excess nutrient by rinsing it out. Once the plant starts to wilt, a few minutes may mean life or death.
THE PESTS

The best way to deal with pests is to prevent them from infecting the garden. A smart gardener never goes to the indoor garden after being in the yard or around outdoor plants. S/he may inadvertently carry in pests. While they are kept in check naturally outdoors, they have a field day indoors in a much less hostile environment. Healthy plants should be kept away from infected plants and should not be handled after handling infected ones. The pests most likely to infect an indoor garden are mites, white flies and aphids.

MITES

Mites are not insects but arachnids, related to spiders. They are very small and look like small brown, red or black dots on the undersides of leaves. A blemish can be seen on the top side of the leaf where they have been sucking. The infection may not be noticed until after there are 10-50 of these on a leaf. Using a magnifier they will be noticed walking around on their eight legs when they are not sucking the plant dry. Mites thrive in a dry environment. High humidity and low temperatures slow them down.
There are two major problems with mites. First, they breed very quickly every 8-14 days and they like large families. Secondly, they are hard to control. Before budding a soap dip or the homemade bug killer will knock down the population. Then pyrethrum and soap sprays will keep it low. Growers realize that the idea is not to expect to eliminate them, but to keep the population down so that it does little damage to the crop. Once established; mite predators, which are other mites which feed on their cousins, keep the population totally under control it may take several introductions to get them started There are several different species of predator mites, each does best at a slightly different temperature range. Some growers introduce mixed populations, others just one species.




APHIDS

Aphids are oval looking insects about 1/16 of an inch long that come in a rainbow of colors including white, green, red brown and black. They are soft skinned and are often farmed by ants which squeeze them for their "honeydew" which is a sugar concentrate. Aphids suck on plants looking for protein. The excess sugars are exuded onto plants and these areas become hot spots for fungal and other infections. Aphids breed very quickly, and like warm, dry climates. They are very susceptible to pyrethrum and dry up from soap sprays. The home made spray a grower developed works wonders against them.




WHITEFLIES

Whiteflies look just like a housefly except they are only about 1/5-1/10 the size and are all white. They fly around the plants when they are disturbed. Whiteflies are susceptible to pyrethrum, but the best control is with Trichogamma wasps, which get them under control in just a few weeks.
Trichogamma wasps are about ¼ the size of a white fly and are harmless to humans and pests but not to whiteflies. They parasitize the larger whitefly egg, laying their egg inside it. Once released they fly around and live in the garden but are rarely seen. Until wasps are introduced the aphid population is kept in check using pyrethrum sprays. The wasps are susceptible to sprays so growers do not spray for several days before release.




Pesticides

In the past few years there have been giant strides made in the development of safe pesticides for indoor use. A few companies produce safe insecticides in aerosol form which release a measured spray periodically. The aerosols use environmentally safe propellants.
Concerned growers never use pesticides which are recommended only for ornamentals. What this really means is that it is NOT RECOMMENDED for food crops. The best pesticides to use are natural ones which have a short life, or simple non-toxic ones which often act by physical or simple chemical rather than biological means. Some growers have found a few safe pesticides which are available at plant and grow stores. They said they helped to eliminate pest problems.

Pyrethrum based insecticides and miticides. Pyrethrum is a broad spectrum insecticide produced by the pyrethrum, a flower closely related to the chrysanthemum. It is toxic to cold-blooded animals including fish. Insects and mites are all susceptible. It seems to have no effects on warm-blooded animals and once it is used it quickly loses its activity. Pyrethrum based insecticides usually state that they can be safely used up to the time of harvest.

Soap based insecticides and miticides use the ingredients in soap to physically dry out and incapacitate the pests. These sprays usually come in trigger type bottles. After using, the soap residue dries. Then it can be rinsed off the plant, Liquid soaps found in the supermarket such as Ivorytm and Dr. Bronnerstm Peppermint or Eucalyptus can also be used. They are usually diluted at the rate of ½ teaspoon per quart of water.

Biological controls. Some pests have natural predators which keep them under control. Predatory mites keep mites under control. Whiteflies are easily controlled using the trichogamma wasp, which lays its egg in the fly egg. These wasps are very tiny, do not bite or sting and are non-social, they do not have nests. Once they are released, they are hard to find because they are so small. But they do a great job and are the best control for white flies.

A grower’s homemade spray which he said works well has the following recipe.

1 quart water

3 ounces strong onion, peeled

2 ounces fresh garlic

2 tobacco cigarettes (remove paper)

1/8 teaspoon dish washing detergent

4 ounces denatured alcohol

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 Teaspoon Dr. Bronners Peppermint soap

The onion, garlic tobacco and water are mixed in a blender until liquefied. Then the mash is cooked until simmering. It is cooled to luke warm. Then the soap, detergent, alcohol and buttermilk are added. The liquid is poured through a fine mesh strainer. The plants are sprayed or dipped. Most of the pests hang around the underside of the leaves. Special care is taken to reach these sections. The spray is used every two or three days. Keep out of the reach of children and pets as the nicotine leached from the tobacco is highly toxic.

How to guide for Composting

How to guide for Composting

Making compost
Good compost

Compost ready for turning
It's easy to make good compost. Quite a lot of people make some kind of compost, but you couldn't say it's "good". It's no more trouble making a really good product -- in fact it's less trouble, because good compost reduces almost every other kind of gardening problem. So why not get it right in the first place? This guide is about making GOOD compost.

There's a lot of discussion about all the technicalities involved in what constitutes "good" compost, but we reckon good compost is either compost that gets HOT -- 60 degrees Centigrade (140 deg Fahrenheit) or more -- or it's Vermicompost, made for you by special earthworms.

How not to fail
It's a common mistake to use too much water -- it's probably the most common reason for failures. (Others are not enough nitrogen, and, more rarely, no aeration.) The overall moisture content of the assembled pile should be about 60--65%. They say it should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge, which is a good guide if you've put everything through a shredder so it's homogenized and the particle-size is small, but with the usual rough compost materials it's not very useful.


Midori filling a compost bin
This is typical advice: "Spray the mixed materials with a hose until wet like a sponge but not soggy. Fork it into the bin, spray more water to make sure it is wet enough."

Beginners read such things and end up with a disaster. When the stuff starts to decay it disintegrates into a slimy, stinking sludge, like what happens to grass clippings if you leave them in a big pile: it gets very hot, and then it dies into a dark green gunge -- much worse if there's manure and kitchen scraps in it! And it's difficult to repair the damage and get it working properly. That's often the end of that particular beginner's composting efforts.

Compost materials are often much wetter than they look at first. Fresh green leaves can be 95% water, but they don't look wet. Kitchen wastes are usually more than 85% water. Spreading fresh greens out and letting them wilt for a day loses a lot of the water, and probably quite a lot of the nitrogen too, unfortunately. Manure is a lot easier to handle if it's on the dry side, which also loses a bit of the nitrogen.

There's another way of going about this.

Greens and browns
Compost materials are assembled in the correct proportion of "Greens" (nitrogen-rich) and "Browns" (carbon-rich) to achieve an overall carbon/nitrogen ratio of 25-30:1 (Virtual composter, and Compost Calculations from Rodale). Put simply, fresh green matter such as grass clippings, vegetable wastes, fresh leaves, etc, contain a lot of nitrogen. So does manure, bloodmeal, kitchen scraps, alfalfa meal, and hay. Fallen leaves, straw, sawdust, shredded newspaper and cardboard, wood chips -- browns -- contain high proportions of carbon.


Keith turning compost at the Beach House
Instead of thinking in "greens" and "browns", think in terms of "wets" and dries". In fact wets are usually green, and browns are often dry. You can make sure the browns are dry -- collect fallen leaves when the weather's dry, for instance. Presume your compost materials will always be too wet, and always have lots of dry browns on hand to balance it with. Too much carbon? We'll deal with that in a minute.

The advantage of dry browns is that you can store them indefinitely, unlike wet greens. With a bit of foresight and effort you can always have a few garbage bags filled with dries ready for when you need them. Make a big effort in autumn -- collect enough leaves for the whole year.

Hints
1. Not enough water is better than too much water. Too much water is a usually a disaster, but if there's not enough, the pile will heat up and then stop. Empty it out, loosen it all up with the compost fork, add more moisture, and put it back in the box again, no big deal. Soon you'll learn how much water is enough. If your pile is too wet, try emptying it, fluff it out, add more dry stuff, and some dry greens if you have such a thing (bloodmeal, peanut cake, alfalfa meal), and rebuild it. It might work.

2. Too much nitrogen is better than not enough nitrogen. If there's not enough the pile will just sit there forever, nothing happens for a year or two. If there's too much the pile will heat up well and simply blow off the excess with the steam in the form of ammonia gas, until the balance is right. But isn't that a waste of precious nitrogen? No -- nitrogen's only precious if you're dumb enough to buy it from a chemical company (see below, Adding liquids). Again, this way you'll soon learn how much is enough.

3. Roots: shake as much soil as you can off clumped roots before putting them in the compost. Many people put much too much soil in the compost with the roots, and it clogs everything up. But always have some soil sprinkled throughout the pile. It helps to inoculate the compost with the beneficial soil microorganisms that make the process happen, especially if you're not using animal manure, and clay particles in the soil help to spread a thin film of moisture throughout the pile, which is just what you want.

4. Useful additions: Lime, or, better, ground limestone, the finer ground the better. Liquid seaweed emulsion, such as Maxicrop, SM-3 or equivalent -- all the minerals for all the soilbugs, in easily digestible forms. Compost or compost siftings from the previous batch to inoculate the pile. Sprinklings of ground rock powders are useful.

5. Newsprint: Modern printing inks are almost always non-toxic and biodegradeable, particularly black ink, so don't be shy of using shredded newspaper (very "brown").

Compost containers
If you have really big supplies of organic wastes, make windrows, 8ft at the base, 5-6ft high, with sloping sides, and as long as you like. Otherwise prefer boxes or bins to heaps. If you're expert enough you can make a steep-sided heap, even a sheer-sided one, otherwise it degenerates into a mound, which is not efficient -- unless you're making an expert Biodynamic compost heap, that is.

Boxes and bins have sheer sides, and protect the compost from the elements. There are endless different designs -- see HDRA -- Building a compost bin for instructions on making a simple, flexible box system.


A chickenwire compost bin (Beach House style) on the left. When cooked, you can open the wire mesh and work on the pile (centre). Cardboard boxes (right) also make a good compost bin
Here's how to make a wire mesh bin.

Make a "tube" of chickenwire, 3ft in diameter. Leave about 8-10" overlap, and connect the ends with four twists of wire each. You'll need about 10.5ft of 3ft-wide mesh, and two more pieces each 3ft long -- total 16.5ft.

Line the bin with a garbage bag, or two bags, with the bottoms cut off, to keep the moisture in. Have the liner flush with one end, and overlapping the other (that's the top).

Make a 3ft square of four bricks, one at each corner, with a fifth in the middle, and put a 3ft square of tough wire grille such as pig fencing on the bricks. Put one of the two 3ft-square pieces of chickenwire on top of that. Stand the mesh bin on end on top of this aerated base. Now you can fill it with compost material.

When it's full, depending on the weather, you can close it loosely with the garbage bag overlap, again to keep the moisture in; when it starts steaming, open the bag, if it seems to be getting dry, close it again.

Cover the top with the second 3ft-square piece of chickenwire, and clip it on, to dissuade wildlife. If it's in the open, cover the top with a garbage bag to keep the rain out.

You'll need two of these bins -- you always need at least two compost bins/boxes: when one's full, you start filling the next one. By the time that one's full, the first one is finished and can be emptied.

Assembling the materials
It's easier to make good compost if you have enough materials to fill the box at one go. If not, see below, Batches. See HDRA -- How to make compost, for good information on which materials to use and how to use them. Basically, anything that was once alive or part of something alive can be composted. This is the recipe: the assembled pile should have 60--65% moisture content, good aeration, acid-alkaline level about neutral (pH 7) or slightly acid (pH 6-6.5), carbon/nitrogen ration 25-30:1 (Virtual composter, and Compost Calculations from Rodale).

First, collect all the greens together and mix them thoroughly with a compost fork. If anything's too big to mix, chop it up into 4-6" lengths with the edge of a spade or a chopper.


A compost fork -- the perfect tool for composting, 4-tined or 5-tined

Up to 10% of the material can be rough material like small sticks and prunings -- they probably won't break down but they'll help with aeration and prevent the material packing down and clogging up too much.

Assemble all the ingredients in a sort of big pancake (5-6ft diameter) in front of the open box (leave yourself enough room around it to work).

Put wet greens on top of dry browns. Use a 5-gallon bucket or a basket. Spread out two buckets of browns (pack it in) and then one bucket of greens on top.

Do that twice, then add some sprinklings: a handful of ground limestone or wood ash (sprinkle it like icing sugar on a sponge cake), some bonemeal if you have it, a handful or two of soil, and a couple of handsful of compost (unless you're using the siftings from the previous batch -- mix with the browns if they're dry enough). Scuff over the surface to bury the sprinklings a bit, then add liquid (see below, Adding liquids) -- 1-2 litres, with a sprinkling can. If you must use a hose, set the nozzle to a fine mist.
Mixing the layered material before putting it in the bin


Repeat this whole layering process two or three more times or until you've used all the materials.

Now work from the edge of the layered pancake: rake off about 1ft with the compost fork, mix it up well, and fork it into the box, spreading it evenly and tamping it down firmly (but not too tight). Layering it and then mixing vertical slices this way gets it thoroughly mixed and evenly distributed. Then do the next foot, and continue until it's all in. Sweep up fines as you go, sprinkling them into the box with a shovel.

Aeration
Compost needs air from underneath. You can put the box on the soil, if it's good soil that breathes well. Even then, loosen it well with a fork to a depth of about 12 inches. An advantage of this is that if the pile is too wet some of the excess water might drain off into the soil. (Or it might not.)


Turning the pile aerates and mixes it thoroughly to burn a second time
Alternatively make a base like that for the wire mesh bin described above: make a 3ft square of four bricks, one at each corner, with a fifth in the middle, and put a 3ft square of tough wire grille such as pig fencing on the bricks. Put a 3ft-square piece of chicken wire on top of that, and stand the box on this base.

When filling the box, stand a 5ft length of bamboo or a broomstick upright in the middle until the box is full. Then shake it from side to side a bit (an inch or two) and pull it out. Or make vertical holes every 6" or so across the top with a piece of rebar, push it right down until you hit the wire mesh at the bottom. Now your compost can breathe easily.

Put a lid on the box when it's full, not airtight, but wildlife-proof, and waterproof if it's in the open.

That's it. By the next day the temperature should be above 50 deg C, and it should climb to 60 deg or higher. You can turn it after a week or two when the temperature's fallen to about 40 deg, or just leave it for another couple of weeks instead.

Get a soil thermometer, or any long thermometer that will reach the centre of the pile to monitor the temperature. Or just put your hand in -- if it's too hot to keep it there, it's fine.

Adding liquids
The best form of liquid addition for compost is what some composters primly call Household Compost Activator. Other people call it urine. Don't be coy about it -- this is what should happen to urine rather than wasting it by flushing it down the toilet. Develop a self-righteous attitude about not wasting it -- but don't shout about it too loud, modern city people like neighbours and so on can be funny about these things, what they don't know won't hurt them.

First, urine is sterile. Second, it contains the drainage of every cell in the body -- it's crammed with minerals and vitamins. Third, it contains a lot of nitrogen -- that's one reason that it's silly to buy nitrogen (there are others).

It shouldn't prove too difficult to arrange to have a few litres of Household Compost Activator set by when it's time to make the compost. You can use it neat, or mix it 50-50 with water, and add a capful of seaweed emulsion while you're at it. Use a sprinkling can.

For further information and reassurance on this matter, see: Container Farming -- Organic food production in the slums of Mexico City

More about nitrogen: well-made compost piles often end up containing more nitrogen than they started off with -- up to 25% more. It's provided by free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria that thrive in a compost pile and "fix" nitrogen from the copious supplies in the air.

Batches
Smaller gardens won't provide enough material to fill a 15 cub ft compost unit at one go, it comes in dribs and drabs. So do kitchen scraps. You could just throw it all in a compost bin as it comes, but it'll probably be too wet and clog up, or it won't get hot, or only quite hot (mesophilic) rather than very hot (thermophilic), which is better than nothing. It's worth organizing the process by gearing garden wastes to kitchen scraps and then processing it all in batches until the bin is full.

Kitchen scraps
Get a smallish (10-12") plastic bucket with a lid, and a tray that it can stand in. Drill some holes in the bottom. Put 3" of dry stuff in the bottom, add your kitchen scraps on top as they're produced. Keep the bucket in the kitchen. No meat/fish etc or cooked food until you're more experienced (eggshells are fine). If you're a big family you might need a bigger bucket.

Don't let it get too wet, don't let it go rotten -- if liquid starts coming out the bottom, empty it (every few days, depending how much you cook).

Meanwhile collect garden wastes and odds and ends of greens -- they'll keep for a while if you spread them out somewhere dry in a layer a few inches deep.

For the first batch, put 4" inches of dry stuff in the bottom of the compost bin. Mix up greens and kitchen wastes, add some manure if you have it. Then mix it up with twice the quantity of browns/dries, add sprinklings of lime or wood ash, bonemeal, some dry compost, as above ("Assembling the pile"), and a bit of liquid if necessary, and dump it in the bin, spreading it evenly. Pack it down quite tightly.

Add an inch or two of browns plus a sprinkling of compost or topsoil on top. The first batch might not have the bulk to get hot, which normally eradicates the smell of the kitchen scraps (and anything else), and a layer of browns on top will help keep flies away. As further batches increase the bulk it should heat up well. Put a lid on the bin.

Once it cools down it should be turned -- empty the bin, fluff everything up thoroughly with the compost fork, add liquid if necessary, and put it back in the bin. If it doesn't get that hot the second time, never mind, just leave it there for a few weeks.

See also What to do with a cardboard carton -- Composting

Animal manure

Buffalo dung from the local herd
Many people say it's not essential to use animal manure to make good compost, and that's true. Some people actively avoid it. But it's better to use manure, if you can get it. All natural topsoil is derived from a mixture of animal and plant matter -- nature never attempts to raise plants without animals. It's important that some portion of what's recycled into the soil should have passed through animals. This is one of the reasons we recommend using urine as an activator.

Manure from any animal that's not a carnivore will do, plus poultry. The Biodynamic school of organic growing -- ace compost makers -- swears by cowdung, ascribing special qualities to it. In Hong Kong we used manure from the herd of feral water buffalo who were our neighbours, and it was excellent. A fifth of the total amount of compost material is enough manure, don't use more than a quarter.

Beware of manure from factory-farmed livestock that's fed commercial feed laced with antibiotics. You can use it, it'll probably work okay, and the antibiotics will break down in the heat, but why put stuff in your compost that'll kill the very critters that do all the work for you?

Sifting
If you've got a shredder, you can shred the materials before you load the box, shred them again a week later, and maybe again a week after that, and then you won't need to sift the compost. Otherwise it'll need screening.


Keith sifting the finished compost
There are many different screening systems. Simplest is a 5ft x 3ft-wide piece of 5/8th-inch or 3/4-inch wire screen wire-stapled to a light wooden frame. Stand it at an angle against a wall and throw the compost at it with a shovel (aim high). Or use it horizontal to the ground, supported at each end at a height of 3-4ft, shovel the compost onto it and rub it through the screen with your hands (use gardening gloves) or with the back of a garden rake.

Store what goes through the screen for a few weeks to let it cure before using it in the soil. When applying it to the soil, hoe it lightly into the top few inches where it'll do the most good. The earthworms will do the rest. No earthworms? Don't worry, there soon will be!

You'll be left with up to a quarter of the pile in siftings. It makes a very good mulch, or you can add it to the browns for the next lot, or mix it with kitchen scraps and greens for batch composting.

Cold weather
A person who said he'd made "lots of compost" wrote: "In northern climes especially, you're more in need of adding heat to the pile some of the year... The problem here in Wisconsin is it just gets too cold in winter. I know, I've tried it, it froze solid in the winter. Somewhere I've seen plans for a solar heated outhouse, and solar heated compost bin, which would probably be the ticket."

That's just not how compost works. If it's correctly prepared, the biological activity will heat it up, no matter how cold the weather is. Adding extra heat from outside is no use.

Finally he admitted: "I don't think my compost piles ever heat up much. Not enough nitrogen for one thing, here in town. I suppose if you had a large batch of materials mixed up properly with the correct ratios, it might have a chance, but you can't do that with the daily wastes." Yes you can.

As for not enough nitrogen, a strange statement indeed, he then read this: Container Farming -- Organic food production in the slums of Mexico City. He'll be trying "Household Compost Activator" next year.

Elaine Ingham, President, Soil Foodweb Inc., wrote: "The definition of properly composted material, when applied to thermal compost, is that it has reached temperature throughout the material for long enough that weed seed, human pathogens and most of the plant pathogens and pests have been killed... Many people do not understand that the bacteria and fungi growing in organic matter raise the temperature. If all you do is physically heat compost, you don't get the same reduction in [pathogens]. This is a biological process. Competition with aerobic bacteria and fungi, inhibition by other bacteria and fungi, and consumption of disease-organisms by protozoa and nematodes are all part of the process of making good compost, getting rid of the pathogens. If you just steam heat organic matter, you don't get the same benefits of the growth of the competitive, inhibitory and consuming interactions that happen when the full food web is present." -- Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group, 5 November 2002
http://www.soilfoodweb.com/phpweb/

"Even in Alaska -- in the middle of the winter -- my compost pile reaches 140 degrees or more. If it gets too hot, beneficials, such as worms, simply move (crawl) out of harm's way. Turn pile every 4 or 5 days, folding ouside materials to the inside and versa visa, like kneading bread. Keep it moist, not soggy, and be glad you're making 'post! Nice work!" -- Marion, message to the GardeningOrganically Internet mailing list, 26 September 2002

We've made compost outside in the usual way at temperatures of -15 deg C (5 deg F) with no difficulty, the compost rose to 65 deg C (150 deg F) as usual

Organic Guide

Organic Guide

Organic Nutrient Chart
Manures

Rabbit manure N= 2.4 P= 1.4 K= 0.6
comments- Most concentrated of animal manures in fresh form.

Cow manure (dairy) N= 0.6 P= 0.2 K= 0.5
comments- Often contains weed seeds, should be hot composted.

Steer manure N= 0.7 P= 0.3 K= 0.4
comments- Often contains weed seeds, should be hot composted if fresh.

Chicken manure N= 1.1 P= 0.8 K= 0.5
comments- Fast acting, breaks down quickest of all manures. Use carefully, may burn. Also, stinks like hell - composting definitely recommended.

Horse manure N= 0.7 P= 0.3 K= 0.6
comments- Medium breakdown time.

Duck manure N= 0.6 P= 1.4 K= 0.5

Sheep manure N= 0.7 P= 0.3 K= 0.9

Worm castings N= 0.5 P= 0.5 K= 0.3
comments- 50% organic material plus 11 trace minerals. Great for seedlings, will not burn. Is a form of compost, so doesn't need composting.

Desert Bat Guano N= 8 P= 4 K= 1
comments- Also contains trace elements. Fast-acting, mix in soil or as tea (1 C guano to 5 gal. water).

Cave Bat Guano N= 3 P= 10 K= 1

Fossilized Seabird Guano N= 1 P= 10 K= 1
comments- Slow release over 3 to 12 weeks, best used as an addition to potting mix.

Peruvian Seabird Guano (pelletized) N= 12 P= 12 K= 2.5
comments- Legendary fertilizer of the Incas. Use in soil as a long lasting fertilizer, or make into tea (1 tsp pellets to 1 gallon water).

Note: it is recommended to first compost any fresh manure before you use it for 2 reasons:

to lessen the chance of harmful pathogens.
to break down the manure to make it more usable to the plant (and reduce the smell!)
The rates for pig or human manure are not listed because of the high rate of harmful pathogens they contain.

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Organic Meals

Blood Meal N= 11 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Highest N of all organic sources, very fast acting if made into tea.

Bone Meal (steamed) N= 1 P= 11 K= 0
comments- Releases nutrients slowly. Caution: European farmers should not use because of the risk of spreading Mad Cow Disease; growers elsewhere may face the same issue.

Cottonseed Meal N= 6 P= 2.5 K= 1.5
comments- If farming organically, check the source. May be heavily treated with pesticides.

Fish Scrap N= 5 P= 3 K= 3
comments- Use in compost or work in soil several months before using. Usually slightly alkaline.

Fish Emulsion N= 4 P= 1 K= 1
comments- Also adds 5% sulfur. Good N source for seedlings, won't burn.

Kelp Meal N= 1 P= 0.5 K= 2.5
comments- Provides 60 trace elements, plus growth-promoting hormones and enzymes.

Soybean Meal N= 7 P= 0.5 K= 2.5
comments- None

Coffee Grounds N= 2 P= 0.3 K= 0.2
comments- Highly acidic, best for use in alkaline soils.

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Minerals

Greensand N= 0 P= 1.5 K= 7
comments- Mined from old ocean deposits; used as soil conditioner; it holds water and is high in iron, magnesium, and silica - 32 trace minerals in all.

Eggshells N= 1.2 P= 0.4 K= 0.1
comments- Contais calcium plus trace minerals. Dry first, then grind to powder.

Limestone (dolomitic) N= 0 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Raises pH, 51% calcium and 40% magnesium.

Limestone (calcitic) N= 0 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Raises pH, 65-80% calcium, 3-15% magnesium.

Crustacean Shells N= 4.6 P= 3.52 K= 0
comments- Contain large amounts of lime. Should be ground as finely as possible for best results.

Wood Ashes N= 0 P= 1.5 K= 7
comments- Very fast acting and highly alkaline (usually used to raise pH). Contains many micronutrients.

Crushed Granite N= 0 P= 0 K= 5
comments- Contains 67% silicas and 19 trace minerals. Slow release over a long period of time.

Rock Phosphate N= 0 P= 3 K= 0
comments- Contains 11 trace minerals. Slow release over a long period of time.

Epsom Salts N= 0 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Provides Mg and acts as a balancer.

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Soil Amendments and Organic Material

Cornstalks N= 0.75 P= 0.4 K= 0.9
comments- Break down slowly; excellent soil conditioner. Should be shredded.

Oak Leaves N= 0.8 P= 0.35 K= 0.15
comments- Break down slowly, shred for best results. Good soil conditioner.

Feathers N= 15 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Chop or shred finely for best results.

Hair N= 14 P= 0 K= 0
comments- Good soil conditioner, oils break down slowly. Chop or shred finely for best results.

Sources include: Rodale Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, The Deluxe Marijuana Growers Guide (Frank and Rosenthal)

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Organic Fertilizers - Composition

Organic soil composition involves creating a soil medium that has a balanced amount of nutrients - NPK as well as trace elements and minerals - plus organic material that provides food for not only the plant, but also the countless soil microorganisms, fungi, worms, and bacteria that comprise a healthy soil. This soil life breaks down the raw materials of the fertilizers you add so the plants can absorb them, and also plays a part in as-yet undefined processes that aid plant growth and improve soil health.

Below are various "recipes" for both organic fertilizers and organic soil mixes.

Mix and match formulas

Pick one source from each category. The results will vary in composition from 1-2-1 to 4-6-3, but any mixture will provide a balanced supply of nutrients that will be steadily available to plants and encourage soil microorganisms
Nitrogen
2 parts blood meal
3 parts fish meal
Phosporous
3 parts bone meal
6 parts rock phosphate or colloidal phosphate
Potassium
1 part kelp meal
6 parts greensand
source: Rodale Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

More Organic Fertilizer Mixes

2 - 3.5 - 2.5
1 part bone meal
3 parts alfalfa hay
2 parts greensand
2 - 4 - 2
4 parts coffee grounds
1 part bone meal
1 part wood ashes
2 - 4 - 2
1 part leather dust
1 part bone meal
3 parts granite dust
2 - 8 - 2
3 parts greensand
2 parts seaweed
1 part dried blood
2 parts phosphate rock
2 - 13 - 2.5
1 part cottonseed meal
2 parts phosphate rock
2 parts seaweed
3.5 - 5.5 - 3.5
2 parts cottonseed meal
1 part colloidal phosphate
2 parts granite dust
2.5 - 6 - 5
1 part dried blood
1 part phosphate rock
4 parts wood ashes
0 - 5 - 4
1 part phosphate rock
3 parts greensand
2 parts wood ashes
3 - 6 - 3
1 part leather dust
1 part phosphate rock
3 parts seaweed
3 - 7 - 5
1 part dried blood
1 part phosphate rock
3 parts wood ashes
3 - 8 - 5
1 part leather dust
1 part phosphate rock
1 part fish scrap
4 parts wood ashes
2.5 - 2.5 - 4
3 parts granite dust
1 part dried blood
1 part bone meal
5 parts seaweed
4 - 5 - 4
2 parts dried blood
1 part phosphate rock
4 parts wood ashes
6 - 8 - 3
2 parts fish scrap
2 parts dried blood
1 part cottonseed meal
1 part wood ashes
1 part phosphate rock
1 part granite dust

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Herbal Tea Plant Food


1 t Comfrey leaves
1 t Alfalfa leaves
1 t Nettle leaves
1 Qt boiling water
Steep for 10 min. and let cool until luke warm. Drain the leaves out and add the luke warm tea to your plants to keep them healthy and vibrant!

The reason for adding slightly warm tea (or water) to your plants is that they will be able to absorb the needed nutrients more easily by keeping the root pores open verses cold tea (or water) will have a tendency to restrict the pores, meaning a much slower process of absorption.

Comfrey is called knitbone or healing herb. It is high in calcium, potassium and phosphorus, and also rich in vitamins A and C. The nutrients present in comfrey actually assist in the healing process since it contains allantoin.
Alfalfa is one of the most powerful nitrogen - fixers of all the legumes. It is strong in iron and is a good source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and trace minerals.
Nettles are helpful to stimulate fermentation in compost or manure piles and this helps to break down other organic materials in your planting soil. The plant is said to contail carbonic acid and ammonia which may be the fermentation factor. Nettles are rich in iron and have as much protein as cottonseed meal.

RIGHTEOUS BRO

RIGHTEOUS BRO

this is what we need, thank you very much for getting the ball roling 00420, i will do a basic write up on a few things later on in the day, need to go pick up some depot stuff and promix so i wont have free time to do it till later but thanks again for your help, it's greatly appreciated and who better to start with than Ed and his fantastic style of writing that noobs can understand, and learn from, while still keeping seasoned vets' eyes glued to the page. Ask Ed!

CO2

CO2

Many hobbyists fail to realize the importance of CO2.
In a closed area growing plants rapidly use up the CO2 in the environment and replace it with oxygen. When the plants use up about one third of the CO2. which doesn’t take very long if the plants are large or in rapid growth phase, plant growth virtually stops.
The situation becomes most serious in areas without any internal air circulation, such as a fan. This is because a microclimate forms around the leaves. The small area directly around the leaves rapidly depletes of CO2. Even though there may be adequate CO2 levels a few inches from the plants, the leaves themselves are not in direct contaCt with air containing enough
CO2.
CO2 replacement is necessary even in a room with good internal circulation. A closed room full of healthy growing plants can use up the CO2 in less than an hour. A large room with small cuttings or seedlings doesn’t use up the CO2 nearly as quickly but the CO2 still must be replaced.

ED ROSENTHAL



Measuring Airborne CO2

CO2 is calculated and measured in parts per million - ppm . Country air contains about 300 ppm. City air usually contains about 400 ppm. Most researchers put the ideal level for maximum growth rate at about 1500 ppm, or five times the amount of CO2 found in fresh air.


Inexpensive CO2 Tester


The simple inexpensive test kit pictured here is available
from a number of garden supply distributors across the country.
Each glass tube is good for just one test, and costs about $7.50.
This is a small price to pay for the benefits that come from proper
CO2 enhancement, no matter what size the garden.


Using the CO2 Test Kit

1. Place the short piece of flexible plastic tubing on the end of the

plastic syringe.

2. Carefully snap off each end of the glass tube.

3.
Push the plunger on the syringe all the way in to clear any

air.

4. Draw back the plunger to the 100 cc mark in the air to be

tested.

5.
Place the glass tube in the open end of the flexible tubing.


6.
Push firmly on the plastic plunger and slowly force the air

through the glass tube. The entire process should take about
one minute.
7. Notice the white powder in the tube change color (either red
or blue depending on the brand).

8. When all the air in the syringe has been forced through the
glass tube, the CO2 level is indicated by the top of the colored
band in the indicator tube.

Before You Start

Before choosing a CO2 production system for your growing pleasure, keep in mind that CO2 is only one of several interdependent growth-enhancing factors. If any one of these factors is forgotten or ignored, all your efforts with CO2 will be wasted. These factors are:
Ventilation
Temperature
Humidity

The Benefits of Coco Coir

The Benefits of Coco Coir

In North America, a trend in indoor gardening has been a shift towards soilless growing practices versus hydroponics. One of the primary differences in this cultural practice is that plants are watered manually. This is usually accomplished with the aid of a submersible pump, length of hose, and a watering wand delivering the nutrient solution from a reservoir/cistern where the nutrients are prepared. While in hydroponics, the nutrients are mechanically circulated to individual planting sights typically via emitters, sprayers, flood/ drain fittings, etc. Also in hydroponics, there is typically much less growing media which is usually inert, and the nutrients are most often re-circulated.

Traditionally peat based soilless mixes have been the most widely used by growers. Bear in mind that you are much more likely to encounter a peat bog in North America than you are a coconut plantation. Since the supply is already in our backyard, it has been the natural choice.

Peat is typically stripped from bogs. The composition of different peat deposits varies widely, depending on the vegetation from which it originated, state of decomposition, mineral content and degree of acidity (Lucas et al. 1971; Patek 1965). The colour may range from dark black to a light tan depending on the source, moisture content, and other parent material present. Basically there are three types of peat: Moss Peat, Reed Sedge, and Peat Humus. The one most commonly found in commercial soilless blends is the Moss Peat variety, which is most often milled from Sphagnum moss. It is relatively inert, light in weight, holds up to 10 times its weight in water, is acidic, has some cation exchange capacity (CEC), and contains little if any beneficial nutrients. Bogs are a relatively “non-renewable” source of growing media when compared to coconut coir.

Coco coir is the fiber that results from the processing of coconuts (the removal of the “nut” from its fibrous encasing). The coir fiber is a by-product of an existing process and is quite renewable when compared to peat moss sources. The fiber is arguably more bio-active than peat fibers resulting from bog conditions. The coconut, as we know it from the grocer’s, is surrounded by tough fibers in a green casing where it is attached to the tops of coconut trees swaying in the breeze in tropical conditions. The coconut tree is a well adapted plant, in its ability to populate an area through the “seed”; the coconut. As the coconut matures on the tree, it breaks free and may fall a considerable distance. It may roll down an elevation before coming to rest, or it may become water borne and float for many months and wash up far from its origin. In any case, the coconut is able to germinate and root itself in sandy and often saline (salty) conditions miles away from its parent conditions. We are talking about a 6 to 8” high octane seed here! As a matter of fact, sterilized coconut milk is often added o the growing media as a source of hormones and nutrients in plant tissue culture.

The coconut is teaming with naturally occurring growth hormones and other bio-stimulants that are inherent to the survival of the species, which fortunately for growers may be found in the fibers surrounding the “seed” which may be processed for use as a growing medium. As with peat, there are factors affecting the quality of use of the coir as a growing medium. The origin and age of the parent material largely plays a role in the fiber qualities. Coconuts harvested when fully mature contain more lignins and cellulose. These fibers are tough and durable enough to manufacture rope from. Interestingly, coconut fiber is the only natural fiber resistant to breaking down in salt water. This helps make it ideal for indoor gardeners, as nutrient solutions, particularly popular inorganic varieties and the salts they contain, play a role in the erosion of growing medias over the course of the crop.

After coconuts are harvested, the fibrous husk is removed from the coconut “seed”. An interesting fact about coconut harvesting from the Royal Botanical Gardens, KEW website: “…in some coconut-growing areas in Indonesia and Thailand the pig-tailed macaque monkey (Pithecus memestrinus) has been trained to climb the trees to collect the nuts. The monkeys are well-treated and prized for their skill….”

After the coir fiber is separated from the nut, it is then soaked in slow moving pools or streams to moisten it, allowing for further separation and processing. If the coir fiber is intended for high value horticultural crops, care must be taken to remove salts. Often these streams are near or contain saltwater. Some sources of coir are high in sodium, as a result of poor conditioning. “Double washed” coir fibers tend to have significantly lower levels of impurities such as sodium.

To help determine the quality of your new and unfertilized coir fiber, flush 1.5 liters of distilled water through 1 liter of growing media, and measure the runoff with a dissolved solids tester. This is based on the Dutch RHP method of analytical procedure. Chart 1-A illustrates the final analysis of two coco coir samples that are well suited to growing applications based on their salt content. Note that the test does not provide information as to the structure of the coir, just specific ions as impurities. Both samples have significant levels of soluble Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, suggesting that they have been pre-treated to satisfy the CEC requirements of the soil.

An overall value of 150 ppm or less characterizes a very pure material, while values up to 500 ppm have likely been treated to condition the media. Values greater than 500 ppm should be suspect in containing excessive sodium levels. Sodium levels should be kept as low as possible. Levels at over 100 ppm would be considered excessive and over 250 ppm are considered toxic.

I have spoken with several growers who had tried coconut coir as a growing media several years back when it was first being introduced to the indoor gardening marketplace. They did not continue to use the media, and switched back to peat based soilless mixes. After working with some of the older coconut coir available I can see why. Firstly, the earlier coco coirs available contained extremely high levels of sodium. In one batch tested, the leechate was over 1000 ppm! Keep in mind, that’s with just fresh water being run through the containers. Also the fiber quality was very poor. The coco was lighter in colour, suggesting immature fibers. The result was a powdery growing media that had poor structure for root growth and aeration. Coupled with high sodium levels, the crop was limited from the day it was planted. The coconut coir available to indoor gardeners in North America today is usually leaps and bounds ahead of the coir that was available just a few years ago.

Coconut coir that is optimal for plant growth also tends to be near neutral in pH (7.0). This helps ensure proper ionic balances in nutrient solutions, as fewer additions of pH adjusters are typically required to compensate for the pH of the growing media (i.e. rockwool has a very high pH).

Coconut coir as a growing media can be purchased in either loose or dried and compressed forms. The loose forms are already hydrated and are usually ready to be added to containers or raised beds for planting. The compressed forms require hydrating. Although the hydration process may be laborious, the dried and compressed blocks are much easier to transport to and inside of the growing location. The blocks are ideal for remote outdoor gardens. In compressed form, the blocks typically take up about 1/5th of the space as commercial peat mixes, and are much lighter in weight. For example a 5KG block of compressed coco coir measures about 10” X 10” X 4” and when expanded yields near 72 liters of high quality growing media. That’s enough to fill nine 2 gallon pots; one block per 1000W HID lamp.

Some coirs have been chemically treated, this is most often the case with loose pre-hydrated varieties versus compressed blocks. The treatment has been done to satisfy the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the growing media. As a refresher, “cations” are positively charged ions, such as Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium. This means that the growing media will hold these ions in a matrix, releasing them as required by plants. There is one slight drawback to this. Until the cation exchange capacity of the growing media is filled, the growing media may hold positively charged nutrient ions, most notably calcium, in reserve, making them less available to plants. However, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the coir media is quickly filled, and actually assists calcium absorption in the crop cycle. To ensure optimum availability of all nutrients, supply additional calcium during the first week of growth or during the hydrating process of the coconut coir. Calcium supplement products are ideal for this. Some nutrients specifically formulated for coco tend to have elevated levels of calcium and magnesium while having lower levels of nitrogen.

Coir is the ideal growing media for organic and hydro-organic applications. The air volume retained harbours greater populations of beneficial (oxygen loving) soil organisms than peat mixes. Increased population levels of soil micro-organisms play a strong role in high yielding organic gardens.

One of the most impressive attributes of coconut coir as a growing medium is the level of aeration and structure supplied to the rootzone. A coarse, good quality coir is difficult to over water. Basically, if you supply too much moisture it will just run out the bottom of the container, and will not become water logged (anaerobic) like peat based mixes may. The coconut fibers are much tougher and coarser than those of peat. This means more airspace is available for drainage and to supply the roots and soil life with higher levels of atmospheric oxygen (O2). Coir fiber will not compact over the course of the crop as with peat. With peat, we all remember filling the pot right to the top at the start of the crop, only to find that a third of the media is “gone” by harvest. What is happening is that the peat fibers are eroding from the force of watering, saline conditions, and the roots compacting the media. This robs the crop of valuable air space in the rootzone, and increases salt build-up as drainage is impeded. With coir fiber there is little if any compaction of the growing media over the cropping cycle due to the higher content of lignins and cellulose found in the physically coarser fibers. In container grown crops, little compaction is evident. Plants receive optimal water to air ratios over the course of the entire crop, not just the first few weeks.

Coconut coir is the ideal choice for raised bed production for several reasons. Firstly, many raised beds have been constructed without drainage. Moisture and nutrient management become much more temperamental in this type of growing situation. If you over water, there is much less of a chance of drowning roots. The coir fiber will retain airspace throughout the growing media, and the excess moisture will pool at the bottom, where it may wick up through the growing media, as coir tends to have excellent capillary movement for moisture and nutrients. To see just how resilient the air space is in coir, pick up a handful after thoroughly soaking and squeeze the material. When you open your hand, you may be surprised to find the media springing back like a sponge. Try this with peat, and you will not see any memory for macro pore space. Also, the coir fiber is resistant to breaking down under saline conditions, such as those found in non-draining raised beds, particularly those that are re-used over several crops. If the growing media is to be re-used the coir fiber will resist breaking down from mechanical handling (i.e removing old roots, mixing in growing amendments), while peat tends to become not much more than dust after several cropping cycles. In Holland, coir has been used to grow long term crops such as roses for periods longer than 10 years! The cation exchange capacity of the coir fiber also helps to reduce the incidence of salt burn, as it offers some buffering against positively charged ions such as sodium. When re-using any growing media, impurities such as sodium tend to accumulate over time. Organic based nutrients allow for a longer periods of use over multiple crops, as they tend to have less salts as impurities.

Unlike peat, coir may be used in re-circulating applications. In re-circulating drip systems it is recommended that the fiber be mixed 50/50 with either coarse perlite, pumice or grow rocks for faster drainage. Coir is also very suitable for flood and drain applications. There are coir products now available in the hydroponic marketplace that are excellent substitutes growing mediums. One such product is a small, plastic wrapped square of compressed coco coir. Once hydrated it expands into a 6” X 6” X 6” growing cube. Moisture management may differ from other media. Another benefit is that coco tends to have a near neutral pH value, so lesser quantities of pH adjusters are required in the nutrient solution. Excessive additions of pH adjusters may create an ionic imbalance in the nutrient solution, locking out or precipitating some nutrients.

One of the greatest benefits to using coco products is that disposal is easy and environmentally sound. The coir makes an excellent and natural looking top dressing to outdoor flower and vegetable gardens.





Chart 1-A

( Done with 1: 1.5 V/V Extract According to RHP method)



SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2

mmol/l PPM mmol/l PPM


1 E.C in ms 0.45 450.00 0.50 500.00


2 pH 6.30 6.30 6.5 6.50


3 Sodium (Ex-Ws) 1.50 34.50 1.6 36.80


4 Potassium (Ex-Ws) 2.50 97.75 2.3 89.90


5 Sodium (Water Extract) 1.60 36.80 1.8 41.40


6 Potassium (Water Extract) 1.40 54.70 1.6 62.50


7 Chlorides 2.40 84.50 1.9 67.30


8 Calcium 2.70 108.00 2.2 88.00


9 Magnesium 1.10 26.70 1.2 29.20

Bunzboys 10 steps, for the cheapest way to make hash.

Bunzboys 10 steps, for the cheapest way to make hash.

GrowFAQ : Hashish and oil

Bunzboys 10 steps, for the cheapest way to make hash.
Added by: MedMan
High Everybody,

I just wanna show the people who's harvest comes at a time when they can't afford other methods,(like myself) the cheap way that I make a little hash from the trimmings I'd ordinarily throw out. So here goes.

First pic is of the ingredients you'll need

1 - 32oz clean mayonnaise jar.

2 - The coldest water that you can get (I take cups filled w/ water & put
them in the freezer 30 minutes before I start)

3 - 1 coffee filter basket w/ a coffee filter in the basket

4 - Roughly 1/8 - 1/4 oz. trim (Believe me that's all that will fit in the jar)

5 - (Not shown - too stoned) - a tablespoon for spooning out the weed.







Step 2

Fill the jar about 2 inches from the top with the water (I always throw in 3-4 ice cubes - helps keep the water cold & adds a little abrasiveness to the trim.)



Step 3

Fill the remaining space in the jar with your trimmings.





Step 4

Shake violently for 30 minutes.





Step 5

Let it Settle For 30 Minutes, roll & smoke a nice big spliff from the buds this trim was from to pass time.





Step 6

30 minutes Later the waters not as cloudy and you can see the trichromes on the bottom.





Step 7

Open the jar & use your tablespoon to remove all of the weed (this is what takes the time but GET IT ALL OUT).





Step 8

After weed is removed it may look like crap but boy will it bring you happiness.





Step 9

Hold the coffee filter basket in one hand and slowly pour the water into the filter basket.





Step 10

Remove the remains from the coffee filter and leave untill dry. An inexpensive and easy way to get a nice couple of hits from some otherwise trash for yourself & a friend. After all that's what stoners are all about,sharing.


Peace Bunzboy.

A summary of hash extraction methods

A summary of hash extraction methods

GrowFAQ : Hashish and oil

A summary of hash extraction methods
Added by: snoofer
Contributed by: fergetit
Submitted: 04-01-2003

Hash is the collected and pressed resin glands from buds. The best hash is "blond" (in reference to its light tan color); only the pure resin crystals are used. Green hash is the next grade, it contains much more of the plant matter than the blond hash giving it its characteristic green appearance. Black hash is generally either hand rubbed hash, which has turned black because of THC oxidation or a mixture of keef (the crystalline resin glands) and other psychoactive alkaloids.

The methods of collecting this resin vary depending on who makes it and what materials are being used. Typically, most hash is made from the manicured leaf left over from trimming fresh pot, but some is made from buds, and can be chemically extracted from all manner of herb leftovers. Real hash handles easily and tends to stick to itself, instead of you. Under very brief heat, it becomes very soft and easy to crumble or smear into little hash curls that can be rolled into cigarettes, or thrown on bowls or hot knives. Remember the best hash is made from the best bud!

Traditional Preparations

1. Crystal collection

A) Hand rubbing - Hand rubbing is the practice of accumulating lots of resin on your hands then rubbing them together to produce small black balls of hash. Scissors hash is very similar, it is taken off of manicure scissors when pruning bud. This is probably the least effective method of making hash because the hand rubbing breaks open the resin glands oxidizing THC and giving it a black color, but sometimes it's convenient if handling lots of bud.

B) Sieving - On it's most crude level, a sieve is a piece of cloth stretched over a pot, which you break up, handle, bounce, or scrape your buds over to knock the resin glands off into the bowl. The best screens are sized at 150 microns and only allow the resin glands and some fine debris to fall through. They can be obtained from hobby and art supply stores. Green keef can be re-sieved to make it ¡¥more blonde¡¦, the plant matter will tend to float on the screen while the crystals fall through. Alternatively, hash can then be turned over a 50-micron screen, which will allow most of the debris to fall through, but leaves the keef. To maximize the resin collection, the bud or budleaf trimmings should be extremely dry and cold. Put it in the freezer for a few hours before processing. Cruder sieved type hash is made bye drying or rolling dried pot in burlap bags, the resins tend to stick to the sides leaving hash.

C) Water extraction - A crude water extraction can be done with some really dry pot and a jar full of ice water. Don't fill the jar more than 1/5 full of material, throw in some ice cubes and cold water, shake, and voila! The resin tends to sink to the bottom while the leaf matter floats. The vegetation is removed the crystals caught in a coffee filter. A more advanced extraction can be done with 150-micron pore bag to separate the crystals from the leaf. The remaining leaf can be saved to make butter or honey oil.

2. Pressing

Once the keef has been collected it can then be pressed into hash. Keef needs pressure and warmth to become that dense lovely THC laden wonder called hash. Very small amounts can be pressed between your fingers and rolled into a ball (if done in a piece of cellophane it will help inhibit THC degradation). Alternatively, a precision press can be used, it's important to have a good die fitted to 0.001 inches, unless you want to squeeze a bunch of your hard won keef to smash into the gap in the die. Once pressed, most hash tends to darken on the outside but remains blond in the middle. Make sure to pre-press water-extracted hash in a piece of cellophane to help get rid of the water.

Chemical preparations

1. Volatile solvent extraction

A volatile solvent extraction is the simplest method of chemical extraction since it involves simple equipment and solvents that are liquids at room temperature, but low boiling points. Good choices for solvents are alcohols and fine petroleum distillates (EG 99% isopropyl alcohol, 95% ethyl alcohol, and white gas), ketones tend to redux with the cannibinoids, and naphia and heavier solvents are too hard to drive off. Pick a solvent that boils at less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and exhibits non-polar tendencies.

Soak your dry weed in the solvent for a few hours to a couple of days, the longer you soak it the more trash comes with the solvent. Then separate the solvent and evaporate. The left over gum is chemically extracted hash. Typically it tends to have a green/black color because most solvent also dissolve plant waxes and chlorophyll, as well as cannibinoids. This green oil can be cleaned from dark green -> light green -> red -> amber using an activated carbon filter on the solution before evaporation. Just fill a tube or funnel with activated carbon (fish tanks, air filters) and run the juice through it. If allowed to soak in ethyl alcohol (usually vodka) and left diluted the green solution is usually refereed to as green dragon, and is drank for some intense effects.

2. Lipid based extraction

Pot butter is easy to make and can be made with butter or any other high fat cooking product (oil, ghee, margarine, Crisco, etc). There are a lot of ways to get the THC to go into the butter, but as far as I see it, only one really easy way- that's to boil it. Step by step:

A. Use the right amount of dope for your butter. My standardized dose is one gram of keefed manicure, trimmings or schwag bud per hit. I generally achieve this by using one stick of butter per ounce of pot. Most recipes I cook with would use 1/4 cup of butter, so I split each recipe into 14 units of cookies, rice krispy treats, toffee, etc.

B. Place your dope and butter in a pot with a couple quarts of water. Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer for one to two hours.

C. Line a bowl big enough to fit the mix, with cloth. Pour the hot mix into the bowl. Once it is cool enough to handle, strain all of the pot out of the mix by carefully lifting the cloth. Be sure to squeeze the mess real good, before throwing the waste vegetable matter into your compost heap.

D. Allow the bowl with water and pot butter mix to sit at room temperature for several hours until cool. Then put the whole mix in the refrigerator over night.

E. In the morning, carefully remove the layer of hardened butter off the top of the water. You did let it sit and cool slowly, so it came off as one neat piece, instead of lots of watery grains. Let it sit on an uncovered plate in the fridge, flipping occasionally until it dries out. Store it in the freezer to keep or cook with it.

3. Direct isomerization

Sometimes if pot is totally rank and crappy, or you're dealing with a bunch of roaches, trimmings, or some other inferior source of THC it is desirable to go well beyond what a simple volatile solvent or super critical fluid extraction can do. You want to convert all those free available cannibidiols into more potent THC analogs and cannabinols.

This technique also will render a fully decarboxylized end product, as well as destroying many terpenes and aromatics which can improve or destroy a product depending on the original quality. It is important to understand this is not a full conversion to ƒ´9-THC, but to THC analogs and more active cannibidiols, and is included in this discussion more as an educational exercise. Basic isomerization takes place with a quick reflux of your cannabinoids in the presence of any H+ source (acid).

1. Treat your stuff as if it were a volatile solvent or critical fluid extraction.
2. With the remaining resin, dissolve it in a non-polar solvent. Be sure to use one that separates easily from water such as naphia or white gas.
3. Treat this mixture with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid until a pH around 1-2 is reached (approximately one drop of concentrated acid per gram of extract).
4. Place this in a reflux apparatus and cook it for about an hour. In case you¡¦re not familiar this is basically just Pyrex breaker with a large looped tube plugged into the top. This will cause the solution inside to be exposed to elevated pressures as well as temperatures, as well as preserving all of the original contents. Simply simply boiling the mixture in a small strong covered vessel can mimic it.
5. Wash what¡¦s left with water, keep the oil layer.
6. Neutralize your mix (bring it to pH 7.0) with a little Sodium Hydroxide solution (pH 9.0) or baking soda then rewash it with water. Save the oil layer again.
7. Allow your oil to evaporate and you should be left with a sticky amber liquid that contains almost pure THC.

I would recommend an extraction for a starting point, since if you start clean your product can only get much better. Once you¡¦ve obtained nearly pure THC, converting it to an acetate is supposed to produce more psychedelic like effects.

More THC analog modifications can be made (to yield pure ƒ´9 or ƒ´6 THC), but generally the consumption of the original products in these reactions makes them hardly worth while (usually 5-20% yeild, so it may be half as psychoactive but you have 5 times as much of it in the beginning).

Hash oil

Hash oil is basically hash in which the walls of the resin glands have been broken down leaving a gooey oil. Often chemically-extracted hash will be almost an oil, or keef can be dissolved in alcohol, then the alcohol is allowed to evaporate. Hash oil can be smoked like hash in cigarettes, bowls, hot knives, reconstituted into a more hash like substance with the addition of ash or powdered plant matter, or applied to bud to make it more potent (way more potent!).

Hash additives and preparations

A variety of different plant extracts can be, and sometimes have been, added to hash for more a more intense psychedelic experience. Generally only a very small portion of additive is added for the amount of keef available, maxing out around 20% additive and around 5% additive on the low end.

Almost any psychotropic herb could be used. Screen your additives into your keef before pressing.

Environmentally friendly paper disposal and recycling

Environmentally friendly paper disposal and recycling

Environmentally friendly paper disposal and recycling
Soaked, shredded paper is a good carbon source for composting. Black and white newspaper is safe, but colored paper usually contains dangerous substances.

Paper is a good ground cover to kill weeds or grass. Place a layer of paper products up to an inch thick. Cover it with mulch or soil and sometimes even sow seeds on it. In a year's time, the roots below the paper are dead and the paper is ready to be composted or simply left where it will become part of the soil. The soil underneath has become easy to dig.


Some folks cultivate certain edible mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, etc.) in shredded newspaper in plastic trash bags- kind of like edible composting - the fungi degrade the cellulose and you can eat their fruiting bodies.


Shredded paper also makes a good mulch.

How can I make ice hash for less than $5 outlay?

How can I make ice hash for less than $5 outlay?

GrowFAQ : Hashish and oil

How can I make ice hash for less than $5 outlay?
Added by: 10k Last edited by: snoofer
Contributed by: Kunta wears a sarong

Cost? - if the ice cubes are free then it should not cost any more than a few bucks for the small scrap of mesh needed to separate the water and resin heads from the vegetative matter, I told you it was low cost!

You will need:


Electric mixer (or 2 x tireless arms)

Refrigerator (or if you are in the bush, substitute the refrigerator with a bucket of take-away ice and water)

Ice cubes

Glass bowl

Soup ladle

Teaspoon


3 or 4 tissues

Blow dryer (or let naturally dry)


A piece of polyester monofilament fibre mesh - 30 cm x 30 cm, (1 ft x 1 ft), 100 lines per inch mesh or " 100 mesh " (approx. 155 micron size), available from all screen printing/art shop supplies and from online ....

Note:
Don't use pantyhose material or silk scarves because the hole openings may not be the right (consistent) size to allow all the resin heads to fall through and keep most of the vegetative matter out ....the correct screen mesh with monofilament fibre strands is the most important aspect of any ice hash collection method - get the correct mesh, a small piece will last for years.


Wet or dry leaves, manicuring trim and/or lower fluffy "pop corn buds" ...at least two handfuls

How to make it:

Place the fresh or dry herbs in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer for at least an hour.

Put equal amounts of freezing cold water, ice cubes and herb (Put herbs in last)into an electric mixer, blend on low speed for 2 - 3 mins
or
Use a medium sized glass or plastic jar with a screw on lid and manually shake vigorously for several minutes.

(Note: "disappointing green slop" instead of "tan coloured wet sand" can occur with too much mixing and poor starting material)

Slowly pour the green liquid through the mesh screen into the glass bowl, the vegetative matter is caught on the mesh as the resin loaded water passes through the small mesh holes.

Put the glass bowl into the freezer section for about 45 minutes, tapping the bowl occasionally to allow the frozen resin heads to fall and collect on the bottom of the glass bowl as they are heavier than the leaf matter that floats to the top.

Very carefully ladle or siphon out, 95% of the liquid from the bowl, take care not to muddy up the water otherwise you'll get more contaminates in there ....then slowly teaspoon out the last water and use a tissue to suck up the remaining moisture.

Blow dry the remaining moist ice hash on medium for a few minutes , then collect it all together into a lump with your index finger. Or place the bowl in a warm place for a day to let the resin dry out.

The remaining sticky "grit" is mostly pure resin - Ice hashish!

Please note:
The results may vary with longer or shorter mixing times, slow or fast mixing speeds, using hand shaking, drills or electric mixers, wet or dry material, letting it sit longer or shorter, by using another smaller sized mesh to separate the resin from the water etc - read and experiment, this is just a very low cost method of ice hash extraction, there are many methods.

You can also repeat the whole process with fresh ice cubes to get a little extra ice hash as well.

With all things being equal ...this method will get you same amount of "ice hash" as any other more expensive ice hash extraction methods and "kits"

....the only thing different is that all the ice hash extracted will end up as a single grade lump ...not in 3 different grades like the bag kits ....I can live with that! especially that this method can be done with small amounts of harvest "trim" to start with which is ideal for the average small grower who gets only a shoe-box or two full of trim for each year.

This might be a good method for those who want to try out ice hash extraction before splashing out and buying a set of professionally made ice extraction bags.

Recently AF flat screened a small amount of high quality trim and got a small amount of lovely sticky resin that pressed into "hash" very easily and set that aside. AF further "worked" the remaining trim over and over the screen until there seemed to be no more resin passing through, just more broken up vegetative matter and worked that powder into a ball with a bit of spit and thumb pressure in AF's palm. The remaining trim was "shaken, not stirred" in the above ice method and returned a small amount of pure light coloured, sticky ice hash - definitely worthwhile!

it's nice with ice!