Welcome to the Alchimia Growshop Blog

Freeze-Drying Marijuana

In this article we tell you how freeze-drying works, what happens with chlorophyll and terpenes, if it really eliminates microorganisms, how freeze-dried flowers age and, above all, if it makes sense for you as a home grower.

Hemp for Victory and the Spanish Armada: When Governments Encouraged Hemp Cultivation

Can you imagine the Government knocking on your door to ask you, please, to grow cannabis? Today it sounds like a dinner table joke with munchies included, but it has happened. And not just once, but quite a few times. There was a time when our beloved plant wasn't synonymous with raids, but with patriotism. Kings, ministers and even the United States Department of Agriculture begged farmers to fill the fields with Cannabis sativa. The reason? Without hemp, ships didn't sail. Today we invite you on a journey through time with two stops: 18th century Spain and its ships of the line, and 1942 America with its famous documentary Hemp for Victory. Two eras, two oceans and one same obsession.

Marijuana in the courts, when a genetics name clashes with a registered trademark

Gorilla Glue, Girl Scout Cookies, and Zkittlez conquered cannabis cups and menus around the world, but their names ended up clashing with very powerful brands: a glue manufacturer, the Girl Scouts of the United States, and the candy giant Skittles. In this post, we review the history of each of these strains, how they rose to fame, what happened in the courts, and what name you'll find them under today.

Origin of the Toad Venom cannabis variety

Toad Venom has a very murky history: it was born almost by chance, changed its name along the way and, since then, no one can agree on who it really belongs to. Thefts, rumors, counterfeits and crazy prices: everything around it seems shrouded in mystery. How did a simple plant become a legend? We'll tell you.

What to do with manicure scraps?

Did you just finish manicuring your harvest and have a mountain of sticky little leaves in front of you that you hate to throw away? You're right to hesitate! Those remains that many growers send straight to the trash hide a treasure of trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids waiting for a second life. In this article, we'll tell you what to do with manicure trim, both with resin-laden leaves and those that barely have any. We'll talk about solventless extractions like hash or rosin, solvent extractions, cannabis cooking, creams, and even uses for your garden. Keep reading and don't waste a single leaf!

Setting Up a 60 x 60 Grow Tent on a Tight Budget

Do you feel like diving into indoor growing but your wallet trembles just thinking about giant grow tents and thousand-watt lights? Don't worry! A 60 x 60 cm grow tent is the perfect entry point: it takes up little space, consumes little energy and, when properly set up, can give you harvests that will leave you speechless. In this article we'll tell you what you need to set up your first 60 x 60 indoor without breaking the bank. We'll talk about lighting, ventilation, pots, substrate and accessories, and we'll give you an estimated budget so you know what to expect. Will you join us?

What to do with the substrate after the outdoor season

Have you finished the outdoor season and don't know what to do with the soil? In this article we'll tell you why you shouldn't throw away used substrate or reuse it as is, and how to give it a second life. If you've grown in pots, we'll show you step by step how to regenerate it: sieving, salt washing, worm castings, aerating agents, amendments like bone meal or bokashi, and a good winter rest. If you've planted in mother earth, you'll discover how to protect and enrich the soil with green manures, mulching, compost and crop rotation. Prepare today the soil for your next harvest!

Breeder Banks, artisanal cannabis Seeds

Cannabis seeds from author banks come from independent breeders working with exclusive genetics, intense terpenes and limited batches. Discover Alchimia's selection.

How cannabis hormones influence growth and flowering

Discover cannabis hormones and how they affect growth, flowering, and plant health. Complete guide with practical applications.

Cannabis yogurt cake

Here we present a simple, easy, and quick space cake recipe: cannabis yogurt cake.

Pheno Hunting, how to find the plant of your life among a handful of seeds

Discover what pheno hunting is, why to do it, and how to select step by step the best phenotype among your seeds to preserve it as a mother plant.

History of Cannabis in India and Pakistan

Weed or hash? Discover the history of marijuana in India and Pakistan, its religious and traditional uses, and its legal status today.

Schwazzing: Extreme Defoliation of Cannabis

What is Schwazzing, where does it come from, when to apply it, step by step, advantages, risks and the mistakes to avoid with this intensive defoliation.  

Learn to grow Supersoil with Dogma Organics

  Discover Dogma Organics, the artisan Italian SuperSoil for watering with water only. We introduce you to their SuperSoil 4 Components, Root Connection, Top Dress Flo and Zeolita Pure10, and we explain how to combine them phase by phase, which format to choose and how to regenerate the substrate. Happy harvest!

Higher Heights Mendo, the artisanal seed bank from Mendocino that selects by terpenes

Higher Heights, the seed bank from Comptche, Mendocino: who Nate is, his craft philosophy, and the genetics that define his work.

The Trendiest Genetics of This Summer (2026)

The varieties that have been most popular this summer at Alchimia: triploids, purples, gas and candy profiles, XL citrus, and our exclusive 25th anniversary strains (2026).