Indoor cannabis growing - Page 5

What is the stretch?

Stretching is what we canna-cultivators call the natural vertical growth spurt put on by cannabis plants during the early stages of flowering, and more notable in Sativa varieties and Sativa/Indica hybrids. Most varieties that display this characteristic will finish stretching by the third or fourth week of 12/12 photoperiod and start to fill out the bud sites, while some strains can continue stretching for a considerably longer time.

Stretching is largely looked upon as something to be avoided at all costs when growing cannabis. This is due to the multitude of problems that can be caused by a grow room full of tall and spindly plants, reducing production as plants outgrow the cultivation area and reach up into the lights, shading lower bud sites and causing weak, airy bud growth. In other words, spoiling all our carefully laid plans for keeping an even canopy throughout the flowering period and definitely not maximising the efficiency of our grow space or lamps.

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As some of you may know, we've recently added the new Green House Feeding Bio range of nutrients for plants to our catalogue, which is composed of three excellent products. On the one hand, we have two completely organic base nutrients in powder form, one for the growth phase (Powder Feeding BioGrow) and another one for the bloom stage (Powder Feeding BioBloom). On the other hand, we have a highly efficient root stimulator called Additive Feeding Enhancer, which we'll test in this article.

GH Feeding Enhancer is a complete mix of humic acid (75%), fulvic acid (3%), seaweed extract (10%, Ascophyllum nodosum), Trichoderma harzianum (10%), Bacillus subtilis, alginic acid, manitol, fucoidan and several amino acids (alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylamine, proline, tyrosine, valine and tryptophan). This complex provides the root system of your plants with all the necessary elements for explosive growth, plus extra protection against several phytopathogens that may harm the root ball. Furthermore, it also enhances nutrient uptake while stimulaitng microbial life, improving the vitality and resistance of plants against adverse conditions.

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Growing with clay pebbles

Expanded clay pebbles are a widely used growing medium in the world of hydroponic cultivation. It?s a lightweight, roughly spherical, red ceramic aggregate with a high iron content. Before it can be used, it must undergo several different processes during manufacture. The most important of these steps is heating at extremely high temperatures, causing the rapid expansion of the clay and trapping air in pores within the odd-shaped balls. Clay pebbles have many uses besides hydroponic growing, also being widely used in construction as lightweight aggregate and thermal insulation, etc.

The size of clay pebbles can vary from 5 mm for the smallest to 15mm for the very largest kind. It must be noted that bigger clay pebbles will retain moisture  more easily and for a longer time than those of smaller size.

In this post we will focus on explaining how to properly employ clay pebbles in cannabis cultivation and avoid any potential problems using this hydroponic culture medium.

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Coco coir as substrate for plants

In this post we'll explain how to properly use coco coir as a substrate for our cannabis plants. After years of experience with this growing medium, we believe that coco coir is the easiest choice among hydroponic substrates.

To get the most out of it, first of all we should take a closer look at its composition and properties.

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What is vapour pressure deficit?

Often, cannabis growers who have their plants in indoor grow tents or rooms with artificial lighting, take into account parameters such as temperature and relative humidity to maximize plants growth and bloom, thus obtaining abundant harvest with top quality flowers. As we will see later, these factors affect different processes of the plant, such as transpiration or nutrient uptake.

However, we usually forget about another important factor that is related to the aforementioned ones: vapour pressure deficit or VPD. Broadly speaking, VPD is the difference between the amount of water vapour that the atmosphere is able to retain (which depends on temperature) and the amount of water vapour contained in it (relative humidity). It is usually measured in kilopascals (kPa).

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Cannabis as a plant species grows wild in many places of our planet Earth. As a result, we can find a great diversity of cannabis genetics worldwide. Across the different regions where these plants are found, there are significant environmental and geographical differences in altitude, latitude, temperatures, humidity, photoperiod, etc.

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How to grow  in Rockwool

1. History of Rockwool
2. How to stabilise Rockwool
3. How to germinate seeds in Rockwool
4. How to root cuttings in Rockwool
5. How to grow in Rockwool
6. Recycling Rockwool

1. History of Rockwool

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How to install a magnetic ballast?

Today, we can find on the market a considerable number of ballasts or power supply units for indoor gardening. Most of them - for example, electronic ballasts - are easy to install since they don?t require prior manipulation from the user.

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Ballasts and growing cannabis plants indoors

When we are about to set upe an indoor marijuana growing space, there are many factors to take into account if we want our plants to enjoy proper ventilation, lighting, etc. If we grow with discharge lamps (HPS or MH) we are going to need a ballast to correctly operate our lighting system.

The main doubt that can arise is whether to choose a magnetic or an electronic ballast. Electronic ballasts are a step forward in lighting systems for growing cannabis, replacing the traditional power transformer of the magnetic ballasts with electronic components.

Although the price of most electronic ballasts is a little higher than that of magnetic ones, they have a number of advantages in comparison with these:

• Electronic ballasts are lightweight, smaller and they practically don?t emit heat
• They're much more efficient, with a better use of the electrical consumption
• They are more silent, compared to the vibration emitted by magnetic ballasts
• They lengthen the lifespan of the lamps and reduce flickering
• Most of them have dimmers that allow us to control the light output according to the needs of our plants

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The best reflectors for indoor cannabis growing

Reflectors are, along with the light-bulb and the ballast, one of the three main components of indoor lighting systems. They have the purpose to support the bulb-holder and reflect the light emitted by the bulb downwards the plants (in the most uniform possible way). It isn?t difficult to imagine that both the manufacturing materials and especially the design of the reflector will largely determine its quality and features.

The reflector is then responsible for directing the light emitted by the bulb toward the plants. The light reflection and distribution capacity of the reflector mainly depends on the shape and the material of which it?s made of. Most grow tents and growing spaces are square, so the shape of the reflector should distribute the light evenly in this space, avoiding illuminating one area of the crop more than another, which would create heat pockets.

Besides the kits where everything is included, like the LEC CMH lighting kit, there is a multitude of options on the market regarding reflectors for indoor grow lights, both for novice and for advanced and professional growers. Alchimia has made a selection among the best options to put at your disposal the best reflectors, from the simplest to the most professional models, without forgetting the practical air-cooled reflectors like Cooltube.

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Basic tips for indoor cannabis growers

When someone wants to start growing cannabis indoors, several questions may arise: Which substrate should I use? Which seeds should I get? How to use my nutrients? How should I water my plants based on their pot size and stage of growth? Which are the best growing systems? And many, many more...

In this post, we present you a short grower's handbook for those who want to start growing their weed at home.

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Growing regular marijuana seeds is easy

Contrary to popular belief, growing regular marijuana seeds (in which we find male and female plants) isn?t more difficult than growing feminized seeds. They are accessible for everyone, also for beginners. Until early 2000, everybody learned to grow marijuana using regular seeds and the selection of female and male plants was just another step of the grow, something fast and simple to realize, such as the germination process or switching the photoperiod.

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Cannabis odour control in indoor cultivation

Cannabis cultivation has more followers every day, be it for the medicinal properties of the cannabinoids or recreational use. As more and more people, as well as associations, choose interior growing methods, there is a clear need for precautions that mask the smell of the plants, especially during budding.

One of the riskiest factors of growing is without doubt the strong odour that is given off by most varieties of marijuana that can alert neighbours or the authorities. Because of this most growers use a system of odour control to either mask or eliminate the smell that comes from interior growing set-ups.

Anti-odour systems for cannabis grow rooms

We can find many anti-odour systems that either camouflage or eliminate the smell of the plants. There is a wide range of products that differ greatly in price and features. What follows is a brief over-view of these products.

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Marijuana crops in small spaces

Lots of people can't grow marijuana at home because they don't have enough space to do it. In this way, growers must be more creative when planning their grows, since, as we'll see, any corner of our house can be used to grow cannabis for our own supply if we use the correct lighting system: CFL's, LED panels, HPS lamps, LEC CMH lighting kits...

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When you start growing cannabis, one of the first things you learn is the importance of the pH of both the substrate you are going to use and the irrigation water, especially if you are growing in coconut fiber or other hydroponic media. And, to achieve the best results, every detail counts, and the pH of the growing medium (and, of course, the irrigation water or nutrient solution) is one of the most critical factors for the success of the crop. From root development to nutrient absorption, pH balance plays a critical role in every stage of your plant's life cycle.

In this article, we'll explore in depth the importance of maintaining proper pH in your growing medium, from how it affects plant growth and health to how you can effectively measure and adjust it. Get ready to delve into the world of pH and discover how you can optimize your crops, maximizing the yields of your plants while avoiding possible problems of nutrient deficiencies or blockages.

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