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Boosting Terpenes! What Organically Sourced Product do YOU Use for Greater Quantity/Flavor/Aroma/Complexity of your Terpenes?

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
I use a product called Chitosal, a mixture of oligochitosan and salicylic acid. Supposed to increase terps and resin - can't say for sure if it does what they say without lab analysis, but the plants do get nice and frosty and stinky, they also seem to have good resistance to pathogens and bugs

Odd that this product is not available n the USA. I wonder why?
 

KIS

Active member
Gypsum (calcium sulfate) and insect frass are my 2 favorite inputs. Though I think it's more about genetics and keeping your environment dialed in (especially during drying and curing).

Sure, you can buy a bunch of products, and they may slightly change the expression of the plant, but I think that's a bit like chasing your tail. Better to find genetics you really like, dial in your environment, and go from there.

Keep in mind too, that hydrology plays a massive role in nutrient cycling and uptake. So how you water may have a bigger impact in how your plant finishes than what you add to the soil.
 

acespicoli

Well-known member
Did not quite understand that bit about the sulfur; are we to take that sulfured molasses would be better at adding terps and smells?
Ive read just a little about the terp/sulfur thing but people seem to say it has to do with the smell of "volatiles" or solvent like. We recently had something similar to this on our newest light fixture with a full complement of wide red and blue uv supplement but it hasnt been running for enough time for me to really make any statements on it, just that it smells doper than plain white.
For plants we want unsulfured molasses
this component https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide# would not be added to it as a preservative

Thanks for pointing that sulfur thing out the molasses Sulfur Dioxide SO2
varies from the agricultural Sulfur,S that you would want in the mix

Just to recap buy only unsulfured molasses :huggg:

You know the different sugars carbs starches etc all can be dissolved in acids
Roots produce many types of acids for weatherizing rock, shells etc
In a indoor or outdoor grow the energy available to grow is the limiting factor
  • The food energy (kcal) in slightly more than half of an ordinary-sized sugar crystal (0.102 mg/crystal).

light spectrum and mineral deficiencies a whole other rabbit hole :D

I have already learned alot from this thread thanks for sharing

Best >>>
 

Piecho

Well-known member
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driver77

Well-known member
the commonality of an underlying aroma throughout your multiple strains indicates to me that the humic acid is injecting a flavor and not eliciting a greater terpene profile. if it were creating a stronger terpene profile each strain would display it's unique profile, only stronger.

this is a paper by dr nirit bernstein

it discusses the impact of these substances on cannabinoids but she does not deal with terpenes here.

an excerpt from the discussion;

"Interestingly, HA significantly reduced the natural spatial variability of all of the cannabinoids studied. However, the increased uniformity came at the expense of the higher levels of cannabinoids found in the upper regions of the untreated plants (Figure 4). For example, following HA application THC levels at the top of the plant was reduced from 11.8 to 7.4%, and consequently concentrations throughout the plant height did not differ significantly (Figure 4A)."

Impact of N, P, K, and Humic Acid Supplementation on the Chemical Profile of Medical Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L)


her conclusion on humic acid supplements is that they reduce cannabinoids in the top levels of the plant.

what i have been doing is using perlite as the bulk of the media. to 6 gallons of perlite i have been adding 3 lbs of worm castings and 18 oz's of diatomaceous earth. not mixed throughout the medium but worked into the top few inches. the plants are watered from the top with a drip ring but applied in pulses of approx 1/2 gal every 3-4 hours.

to this, in the recirculating feed tank, i add 1ml fulvic acid per gal (mr fulvic) and a heaping teaspoon of maxi crop kelp powder per 20 gals.

i'm using jack's 3-2-1 as a base nutrient. this combination has noticeably increased the overall flavor but i'm not sure it's increasing the terpene profile.

fulvic acid has a smaller molecule than humic acid and i don't think it is reducing cannabinoids but i have not yet found any research on it.

just a heads up on humic acid. i think that naturally occurring humic acids such as forest floor types may not cause this reduction in cannabinoids but, again, i have not seen any research on the subject.

this is my last plant grown this way.
I have a problem believing that HA reduces thc content....products like AN ph perfect is a good example of having humic in it but never hearing people say any weed grown in it is less potent??
Anyone else experience reduced potency from it's use?
I've always felt it helped intake of nutrients and should add terps and potency if anything.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
@PoweredByLove Cannabis is a bit different than most plants, and a number of things can influence the flavors and aromas it will produce.

1. Cannabis is a dynamic accumulator. This means it has more than the 'passive ionic' uptake method all other plants use to absorb "Stuff" in the root zone. This also means it can (and most often does) absorb molecules and elements it has ZERO need for when building new plant structures. With cannabis, this means things which can affect flavor. As @goingrey mentions, there is something in AN pH Perfect Sensi Coco with a honey flavor to it the plants are absorbing.

2. Genetics of the plant are a shotgun of variables controlling terpene expression. When a plant is given exactly what it needs, the genetic expression of the terpene profile will be the best and most complex version of those genetics. When you don't have enough of a micro-nutrient or are missing a bit of a needed element (sulfur is common), the terpene profile is going to be different.

You can look at it as each plant is a house builder with blueprints. Depending on the quality and quantity of the materials and tools they're given, the resulting house will be different, no? Imagine if a part of the lumber required for the house was replaced with plastic pink flamingos. lol

3. Environmental factors have an effect on terpene complexity and production. Terpenes are a result of chemical reactions which are mostly assisted by enzymes. The thing about enzymes is they create different terpenes from the same materials, with the differences occuring because of changes in temperature, pH and hydration levels. So the same clone grown in the same hydro setups will have different terpene profiles, simply by keeping the pH the same in one res while allowing a healthy pH swing in the other. The variable pH clone will have much more complex terpene production than the steady pH clone.

@greyfader I don't understand why she is applying HA as a foliar in the middle of flowering? The very nature of humic substances means there will be interaction and destruction of what's there. *sigh* Humic substances lock out heavy metals while making nutrients we want more absorbable, which is why they work so awesomely in the ROOT zone. lol ;) Keep in mind your nutrient/supplement strengths need to be reduced when you start using humic substances with them. I'll bet if you used your same setup without the HA you would notice the difference. ;)

@Rocket Soul Yes! I have read several references to some terpene production working better with certain wavelengths of light. Looking forward to seeing more info on that in the future. :) The sulfur is a needed part for building the house. Without enough sulfur the house will look odd. (The cannabis will smell/taste/grow differently)

@chilliwilli Companion planting is an interesting subject. There are a number of plants which produce organic molecules in their root zone and, as I stated above, cannabis is capable of absorbing at least some of these molecules. ;) I have no doubts you would see some changes with the right setup and plants.

@acespicoli Good share. :) I always use a bit of epsom for the magnesium and sulfur. I've noticed a definite terpene boost from the sulfur over many different strains. Carbs and sulfur! :) (Thanks for participating!)



At the end of the day, I'm only interested in what cannabis can produce as flavors/aroma purely through genetic expression. With cannabis being able to absorb and lock in non-cannabis flavors, the quest involves figuring out which flavors/aromas are from the plant genetics itself, and which of them are actually coming from something absorbed from outside the plant.

While I still need to do further testing, my use of rabbit poo has not carried a flavor with it across strains. Rabbit poo has humic and fulvic components with a very high micronutrient availability. I've only noticed an increase in overall terpenes, along with a much more complex aroma/flavor to them.

Have you noticed any other products/amendments with a persistent flavor like AN pH Perfect Sensi Coco or seabird/bat guano?
 

Rocket Soul

Well-known member
@PoweredByLove Cannabis is a bit different than most plants, and a number of things can influence the flavors and aromas it will produce.

1. Cannabis is a dynamic accumulator. This means it has more than the 'passive ionic' uptake method all other plants use to absorb "Stuff" in the root zone. This also means it can (and most often does) absorb molecules and elements it has ZERO need for when building new plant structures. With cannabis, this means things which can affect flavor. As @goingrey mentions, there is something in AN pH Perfect Sensi Coco with a honey flavor to it the plants are absorbing.

2. Genetics of the plant are a shotgun of variables controlling terpene expression. When a plant is given exactly what it needs, the genetic expression of the terpene profile will be the best and most complex version of those genetics. When you don't have enough of a micro-nutrient or are missing a bit of a needed element (sulfur is common), the terpene profile is going to be different.

You can look at it as each plant is a house builder with blueprints. Depending on the quality and quantity of the materials and tools they're given, the resulting house will be different, no? Imagine if a part of the lumber required for the house was replaced with plastic pink flamingos. lol

3. Environmental factors have an effect on terpene complexity and production. Terpenes are a result of chemical reactions which are mostly assisted by enzymes. The thing about enzymes is they create different terpenes from the same materials, with the differences occuring because of changes in temperature, pH and hydration levels. So the same clone grown in the same hydro setups will have different terpene profiles, simply by keeping the pH the same in one res while allowing a healthy pH swing in the other. The variable pH clone will have much more complex terpene production than the steady pH clone.

@greyfader I don't understand why she is applying HA as a foliar in the middle of flowering? The very nature of humic substances means there will be interaction and destruction of what's there. *sigh* Humic substances lock out heavy metals while making nutrients we want more absorbable, which is why they work so awesomely in the ROOT zone. lol ;) Keep in mind your nutrient/supplement strengths need to be reduced when you start using humic substances with them. I'll bet if you used your same setup without the HA you would notice the difference. ;)

@Rocket Soul Yes! I have read several references to some terpene production working better with certain wavelengths of light. Looking forward to seeing more info on that in the future. :) The sulfur is a needed part for building the house. Without enough sulfur the house will look odd. (The cannabis will smell/taste/grow differently)

@chilliwilli Companion planting is an interesting subject. There are a number of plants which produce organic molecules in their root zone and, as I stated above, cannabis is capable of absorbing at least some of these molecules. ;) I have no doubts you would see some changes with the right setup and plants.

@acespicoli Good share. :) I always use a bit of epsom for the magnesium and sulfur. I've noticed a definite terpene boost from the sulfur over many different strains. Carbs and sulfur! :) (Thanks for participating!)



At the end of the day, I'm only interested in what cannabis can produce as flavors/aroma purely through genetic expression. With cannabis being able to absorb and lock in non-cannabis flavors, the quest involves figuring out which flavors/aromas are from the plant genetics itself, and which of them are actually coming from something absorbed from outside the plant.

While I still need to do further testing, my use of rabbit poo has not carried a flavor with it across strains. Rabbit poo has humic and fulvic components with a very high micronutrient availability. I've only noticed an increase in overall terpenes, along with a much more complex aroma/flavor to them.

Have you noticed any other products/amendments with a persistent flavor like AN pH Perfect Sensi Coco or seabird/bat guano?
What would be your recommended sulfur nutrient addition, enough in order to make a difference in smell?
 

greyfader

Well-known member
@Douglas.Curtis "@greyfader I don't understand why she is applying HA as a foliar in the middle of flowering? The very nature of humic substances means there will be interaction and destruction of what's there. *sigh* Humic substances lock out heavy metals while making nutrients we want more absorbable, which is why they work so awesomely in the ROOT zone. lol ;) Keep in mind your nutrient/supplement strengths need to be reduced when you start using humic substances with them. I'll bet if you used your same setup without the HA you would notice the difference. ;)"

i just presented the paper as a point to discuss. i don't spray any foliars on my plants. i agree that her use of it in flower in this fashion may have influenced the outcome.

i have been using and experimenting with the PPK system for 15 years. with 13 years of roots in the water hydro before that. i have tried many things and yes, i have tried it with and without fulvic acid. i do get a better aroma when using fulvic but the question remains; "is the aroma from increased terp production or simply an "injected" one? in oregon, i leased a building in a large storage facility that was full of growers. we saw one another daily coming and going and became friends in some cases. in oregon we all had to have our products tested to sell them. often we were growing the same cuts from the same sources. such as oregon pineapple, a very popular cut there. we had people growing the same cut in soil, soilless, and straight hydro. recirculating and drain to waste. the different methods produced plants with slightly different aromas but, when lab tested, had remarkably similar terpene profiles. so, it seems we were affecting flavor and aroma but not actually changing the terpene profile much at all.

there is a huge difference between researchers and commercial growers. most good growers can grow circles around most researchers. researchers are focused on points in the process whereas growers are looking at the whole picture. i take all research papers with a grain of salt and healthy skepticism.

i realize that fulvic acids are a subset of humic acids but there are striking differences between them. the first is molecule size. they cross cell membranes more easily than humics. fulvics function at all ph ranges not just alkaline ph as do humics.

fulvics are better chelators and i did need to drop my overall nutrient strength using it.

recirculating soilless and soil are two different animals and these products may not behave the same in both.

as @KIS mentioned, hydrology plays a huge role in uptake.

but here is a little article on the differences between humics and fulvics that some may find interesting.


 

Prs2xs

Active member
Have you ever tried the old blind coke/pepsi challenge with and without the Chitosal?
For me its enough that i and people around me is able to able to smell a difference, dont need papers if regular peeps can feel a difference.
No, I haven't, because I only have the one flowering room, and everything is watered from the same reservoir. Also, I have so many strains to get through before I die, I only grow one plant of each kind. I work out of town and have to do my watering remotely, so I'm unable to give the attention it would deserve, but it seems to work well enough!
I suppose that if I were to luck out and find that one plant that REALLY does it for me, I would stop going through my collection and just grow that particular plant, then something like you propose could be done. I often wonder if all the additives ( chitosal,microbial mass, dynomyco) are worth the money, but I do regularly get about a pound per plant in 7 gallon pots, so I'll keep on keeping on!
 
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greyfader

Well-known member
From my experience you can at least increase smell and sharpen up terpene profile using UV and violets; 365-400nm. The effect of added uv seems to be modulated by green amount (less green in the base, more uv effect on smells).

Re Chitosan: ive seen some ppkers try to use megacrop for feed which is a one component nutrient which contains chitosan and a whole bunch of other things YMMV.
yeah i have some info on manipulating spectrum to enhance terps and cannabinoids, but this thread is about organically sourced inputs so i didn't want to go off topic too much. i'm also studying manipulation of npk mineral ferts or should i say, the withholding of them in ratios at key points in the plants life to enhance terps and cannabinoids. and inducing abiotic stress at a key point to achieve the same thing.

of course, intense light also affects the expression.

i think that we will ultimately find that these secondary metabolites are affected together and simultaneously by the same factors.
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
JLF made from cannabis. Nothing compares.
Jadam is great tech, and a 100% cannabis JLF would be rather awesome indeed. When using clean plants, you would definitely know you were only introducing cannabis tastes/aromas. :)
 
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xtsho

Well-known member
Jadam is great tech, and a 100% cannabis JLF would be rather awesome indeed. When using clean plants, you would definitely know you were only introducing cannabis tastes/aromas. :)

Made with trim from pruning, harvest, and spent males. It didn't smell bad. It had more of a sweet smell unlike some of the really smelly JLF made with other plant material. I know many are intent on purchasing some product with a silly name from one of the many cannabis nutrient companies but I'm not one of them.

I get people attempting to ridicule me for not buying into the specialized cannabis specific nutrient scam but would scoff at using a fertilizer that's actually made from cannabis. Probably because it doesn't come in a shiny bottle. You make it in a bucket for free. People are sure in a hurry to part with their money unnecessarily.



cannabisjlf.jpg
 

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
I've read over 200 research papers on rabbit manure, and it definitely is some awesome shit compared to everything else out there.

@xtsho What microbial innoculant are you using?
 

xtsho

Well-known member
I've read over 200 research papers on rabbit manure, and it definitely is some awesome shit compared to everything else out there.

@xtsho What microbial innoculant are you using?

Just leaf mold from my backyard sourced from under trees and pieces of decaying wood. I didn't make any this year but I'll use the trim from this years harvest and let it sit until next year.

To make JLF, you need three main ingredients: leaf mold, organic material, and water. The process of making JLF is simple:
  1. Fill a plastic container with organic material.
  2. Fill with water.
  3. Add a handful of leaf mold.
  4. Cover and leave to process for 3 to 6 months.
  5. After the material has broken down, you need to filter out the liquid.
  6. Dilute the liquid before applying to soil or plants
It doesn't require any purchased inoculate.
 

Piecho

Well-known member
Grow a 4 lb yielder, pinch off all bud sites except for one, then you get 4 lbs worth of terps in one bud! More roots than bud. No one wants to make that sacrifice anymore.



View attachment 19034778

Pyruvic acid is expensive. But people used to laugh when I told them I put vinegar in my soil. It's gonna kill my terp bush! And da microbes!

I would ask, why would you laugh at an ounce you couldn't make payments on? The $1,200 ounce is no myth. If your clone trays don't reek I'd start over, instead of hiring a graphic designer.



Rabbits love weed. They'll climb. about 4 ft up the plant for leaves, in exchange for butt bullets, funk on site. Rabbit poop has a good C:N ratio. And it ain't no bitch ass carbon/nitrogen either.

“The diversity of bacterial flora and other organisms within the cecum is substantial and includes many bacterial species dependent on location within the cecum lumen or wall, unidentified anaerobic species, ciliated and flagellate protozoa, and a rabbit-specific yeast. The effects of bacterial fermentation include the production of volatile fatty acids including acetic, formic, propionic, and butyric acids. These are a major energy source for rabbits. A portion of these VFAs are contained in cecotrophs and utilized upon re-ingestion, while another portion is absorbed directly across the cecal mucosa. Fermentation produces volatile fatty acids, vitamins B, C, and K, and proteins which are eventually digested in the small intestine after cecotrophy, which occurs once or twice a day, usually at night. Over 100 additional strains of anaerobic bacteria have been isolated from the cecum mucosa of rabbits, and of those, very few have been identified. “
How does your vinegar supplementation looks like? At what state of the grow do you use it?
 

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