The Simplicity of Growing Cannabis with Our Systems
It’s legal for the most part and all walks of life enjoy the benefits. Whether you are growing strains of cannabis for an eating disorder, anxiety, sleeping issues, relaxation, medicinal purposes or recreational socialization. It’s legal to grow 4 plants in almost every province and territory but......it’s still considered a dirty little secret. No one wants to plant them out in the garden where animals such as skunks, squirrels and raccoons can dig them up. Neighbours enjoying your progress, until the last few weeks of maturity and then they vanish. Our hydroponic systems allow you to grow in a safe and secure spot of your choice. Most find close to home, such as a deck or patio, to be ideal. You can keep a close eye on them. Trim them at your leisure. Having them close to your domicile gives you a sense of security.
If you need to move them for whatever reason; hail, family visits; contractors; gatherings or an extended leave, you can do so immediately. You can even take them with you to the cottage for a few weeks. Large pots of soil are eliminated so weight isn’t an issue. The small footprint for a Hydropak Starter Kit is clean and manageable.
Whether it’s an apartment balcony or a townhouse patio, garden shed or garage, as long as you have good sunlight and proper ventilation for air flow your fine. And by air flow I mean if you have a window or a register vent in the floor your good. If it’s a closed in room with stagnant air and zero air flow you will require a small fan for circulation. If it’s indoor gardening during the winter you will need supplemental lighting. Nothing crazy high tech.An LED grow light in a desk lamp or similar type model is sufficient.
How to Get Started Growing Cannabis
If you start your seeds in the early spring and plant early summer you can probably skip the lighting. Provided you have a nice window with lots of sun. Grow 4 plants and harvest in the early fall. Cut the branches and hang somewhere that smell won’t be an issue. You’ll need an inexpensive, small oscillating fan on the branches to prevent mould from setting up. After a couple of weeks trim up and put into glass jars for final cure. Open up the jars for a little while a couple of times a day for a week or so. Go back to the start and repeat process.
Clean out the base and pots. Buy some new growing medium and nutrients. Get some seeds and peat pods and let the games begin again. Fun times.
Optimal PH Values
It’s not hard but it’s not without some work. The most important thing is your water and it’s PH value. Canada standards for drinking tap water is high in PH 7-10 on average. Surface ground water 6.5-8.5 average. Ideal PH is 5.5-6.5 for our perlite/vermiculite growing medium. But again it’s easier to say yellow. Don’t need to buy a high tech tester. Yellow is 6, perfect.
You buy a simple PH test kit with mid range drops and once you establish what your water is and what the PH looks like at say, 5 or 10 litres, you’ll never be bothered again. You take a container and add water to a 5 litre mark. Then check the PH. It’ll be high, blue or green maybe. Add a capful of PH down. Mix it up. Check the PH. Is it orange or reddish? It’s too low, probably 4 ish. So add that with the nutrient A. Follow mixing instructions. It’s 5 ml for every litre so 25 ml into the container. I usually add 50 ml so the next 5 litre container will have 50ml of the B nutrient only. Keeps it simple. Pour the 5 litres of water with the PH capful and 50ml of A nutrient into the reservoir.
Fill the container again to the 5 litre mark with the 50ml of B nutrient but zero PH down. Just the nutrient B. Very important note. Rinse out the measuring cup you used for the A prior to adding/measuring the B. Mixing A and B together in a container neutralizes them. Add the 5 litres of water and B nutrient into the reservoir. Check the PH. Probably yellow. Perfect. If not you have 20 litres of space to perfect it. Try a little less than a capful if the 10 litre reading is orange-ish. Add a little more if it’s greenish. Make notes so after you have your PH adjusted you know what to add for every 10 litres. And you don’t need to check the PH all the time. It isn’t being moved around with a pump so it’s set. Yellow and you’re golden.
Remember this isn’t a grow op. You aren’t a criminal and if you make a mistake try again. Lots of sites on the internet to assist. This is a very simple and proven system. Extremely efficient and easy to manage for the beginner with professional results.
Our systems can use a wide range of media. In its purest hydroponic form it will utilize inert media. However, due to its unique action, the systems can also use wholly organic material as well. In most hydro culture, mixing inert with organic goes against the fundamental rules. As a perfect example, a seed or seedling stated in a peat pod can be placed directly into the inert growing media of our systems without failure to the Smart-Valve.
Perlite
Made from mined silica and expanded by high temperature to many times it’s original mass, much like popcorn.It is light, absorbent and comes in grain sizes. It is a standard growing medium in our systems.
Vermiculite
This is a form on mica that is also mined. It is light and has a much higher absorbency level than Perlite. It is easily broken down and less stable than Perlite. It has been found to be ideal in our systems where the pots are 10-12” in diameter. 50% is a nominal maximum.
Have fun and enjoy
Recognizable sign is a deformation of leaves, especially at the tip. This however can
also be a sign of sucking insects, such as aphids. On that matter, a water and dish soap
mix can be sprayed on the plant to control most sucking insects.
Viral diseases can also be carried over from one generation of plant to the next, having
been present in the seed itself.
As the above is a general guide to troubleshooting, your plant may have a specific disease that
has been experienced by many. There are numerous internet sites with forums and pictures
that are descriptive in their explanations and will assist with any issue you might encounter.
Of important note, not everything is as it seems. Where yellowing has occurred as a result of a
lack of water/nutrients, the issue might be as simple as your growing system. Maybe a line is
blocked and the flow is now a trickle. Having clean and easy to maintain equipment is equally
important in growing healthy and strong plants.
Fungal - white powdery mildew will be the main visible indication. This disease favours an
environment that is warm and humid. Best method of control is good ventilation, a dry
atmosphere and avoid overhead watering. Mildew can be removed with soapy water and
a paper towel if not present throughout the plant. Removing infected leaves will also help
prevent further transmission. If aggressive within the plant, spraying an application of
garden sulphur (easily available in garden centres) will control the issue. Follow simple
instructions on label.
Bacterial - this is something you most likely won’t encounter. However, plants started in a
soil environment - seed to seedling, could contract disease that is present in the root
system. Starting seeds in perlite, peat or sterile soil will avoid this problem.
Dark colour - over watering, lack of sunlight.
Light colour or light colour green around the edges - under watering.
Yellow leaves at bottom of plant - Lack of nitrogen (potentially under watering)
Yellow leaves throughout - PH level outside of comfort zone. Soil 6-7 / Hydroponic 5.5-6.5.
Dark spots - fungal.
As the above is a general guide to troubleshooting, your plant may have a specific disease that
has been experienced by many. There are numerous internet sites with forums and pictures
that are descriptive in their explanations and will assist with any issue you might encounter.
Of important note, not everything is as it seems. Where yellowing has occurred as a result of a
lack of water/nutrients, the issue might be as simple as your growing system. Maybe a line is
blocked and the flow is now a trickle. Having clean and easy to maintain equipment is equally
important in growing healthy and strong plants.