Marijuana strains description

Description Of Marijuana Strains

A note about descriptions:

Yield Size is based on comparison of all strains and is rated as small, average, large, very large, etc. Harvest time is based on previous experience and may differ from the times stated depending on light quantity, amount of nutrients, weather, and other conditions. Learn how to recognize when a plant is ready to be harvested. Not recommended outdoors means that unless you are growing marijuana fairly close to the equator (very long grow season) your crop will probably not have time to fully mature before cold weather kills the plants.
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AFGHANI - A pure variety, never hybridized, imported from Afghanistan, grown in Holland. Very broad leaves, 100% Indica. Heavy buds with lots of resin. Some plants turn purple at harvest time. Rather high flower to leaf ratio. Taste: heavy, almost medicinal. Stone: very strong, physical, practically narcotic. Yield Size: (not available). Harvest Indoors: 8-9 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: 1st week of November.

AFGHANI #1 - The Afghani part is a very short Christmas tree-like plant, 100% Indica, very resinous and very consistent. The F1-cross with Skunk #1 gives the variety a bigger yield and better taste. Taste: (not available). Stone: very good, up high. Yield Size: large. Harvest Indoors: 8-9 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: 1st week of November.

AK-47 (SPECIAL-K) - A 65% Sativa - 35% Indica hybrid that produces a quick stone with a long lasting cerebral high. Tall with large girth and giant calyxes it does best indoors unless you are near the equator. The aroma is spicy with a slight sandalwood taste. This can satisfy any connoisseurs' taste. Taste: flowery and sweet. Stone: strong, long lasting. Yield Size: average. Harvest Indoors: 8-10 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: not recommended outdoors.

AMERICANO - 100% Indica bred by British Columbians for their American customers. Produces nice crystallized tight buds with a minimum of red hairs in a short amount of time. Taste: skunky. Stone: sleepy. Yield Size: average. Harvest Indoors: 6-8 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: not recommended outdoors.

AMSTERDAM FLAME - 100% Indica with a high thc content potential. Taste: fruity. Stone: strong and sleepy. Yield Size: average. Harvest Indoors: 7-8 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: not recommended outdoors.

AMSTEL GOLD - Amstel Gold is an Indica variety developed in California in the seventies and has been grown outdoors in Holland since 1980. Smokes soft with a citrus like aroma and has a good high. Easy to grow, grows with long compact resinous buds. One of the best green outdoor varieties collection. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

B-52 - A truly superior skunk selection. Grows with heavy buds. Top variety for commercial skunk grower. As with other Skunks, superior sweet taste and aroma, the well known Sativa influence is detected in its high. Super fast for a skunky strain. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct., beginning of Nov.

BAZOOKA - An excellent green variety. Not much known about this strain but the breeder did mention Bubblegum. Good results indoors and out. Specifications: (indoors) ~ Flower: 55-60 days ~ Height: 5-6' ~ Yield: Above Average (outdoors) ~ Plant: Jun. 1st ~ Finish: Sept. 15th ~ Height: 6' ~ Yield: Above Average

BIG BUD - Winner of the Cannabis Cup in 1989. Mostly Indica. All plants have guaranteed high yields, 25% has something special to it. Usually the lower branches collapse under the weight of the buds. Cash cropper's delight. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7.5-8.5 weeks

CK DOMINA - An Indica with large bracts and sticky resins. Compact plant. Specifications: ~ Flower: 50 days

BLACK JACK - Black Domina crossed with Jack Herrer. Produced by two of the most potent and premium strains and created a plant unlike any other. A super potent Indica this plant will be very resinous and sticky. This strain will more than satisfy the pickiest of connoisseurs. The name should say it all for the potency of Black Jack. Specifications: (indoors) ~ Flower: 55-60 days ~ Height: 130-150cm ~ Yield: 90-125 gr/sq M

BLUE VELVET - Blue Velvet was developed from genetics unique to Europe. Not only Blue Velvet, but also Blueberry and Flo are developed from these new genetics. These varieties are of the highest thinkable quality. An Indica/Sativa cross (50%,50%) with trademark fox tail buds. The leaves and buds exhibit several hues including reds and lavenders, usually on the underside of the leaves. The buds have very large calyxes often with long dark stripes showing. The mature plant produces a fruity and floral mix of aroma and taste that is very sweet. This produces a very active cerebral high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-7 weeks ~ Harvest: 2nd to 3rd week of Oct.

BLUEBERRY - Blueberry is a mostly Indica (80% Indica, 20% Sativa) strain, that dates to the late 1970's. A large producer under optimum conditions. A dense and stout plant with red, purple and finally blue hues that usually cure to a lavender blue. The finished product has a very fruity aroma and taste of blueberry. It produces a notable and pleasantly euphoric high of the highest quality and is very long lasting. Medium to large calyxes.Blueberry has a long shelf life and stores well over a long period of time. Specifications: ~ Flowering: 45-55 days ~ Height: 70-100 cm

BUBBLE GUM - 1995 2nd place winner, with little details about the strains that produces it. Extremely resinous with an uplifting high.

BUDDHA - Another favorite from our collection, developed by our breeders in 1996. A female Oasis/Shiva/Haze crossed with a male Oasis/Shiva/Skunk. The talk of the town in Amsterdam in 1996. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct.

CALIFORNIA ORANGE - A stabilized hybrid, inbred since 1980. Can be extremely resinous, including the leaves. 50% Sativa, 50% Indica. Some plants have a pronounced citrus aroma and flavor. Very strong, fairly clear high. Yields are slightly above average. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-10 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Nov.

CHITRAL - This variety is a hybrid of Chitral and Skunk, Chitral being the variety of the famous Chitral-hash of the seventies. Hybridized with Skunk, the variety tends to be even stronger. Good harvest, nice herbal taste and strong physical high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: 3rd week of Oct.

CHRONIC - Chronic is the plant to grow when yield and quality are top concerns. Mostly an Indica this plant can produce up to 600 grams per m2 while not compromising quality. Chronic has a strong high with a heavy resin content. Smokers that know and grow choose this plant for both appearance and it's sweet scent. Winner of 3rd place hydro division in the 1994 High Times Cannabis Cup, this is chronically the best choice for growers that are tired of loosing quality when gaining yield. Indica/Sativa bred with powerful effect and sweet smell in mind. Quality without compromise, serious flower power! Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-8 weeks

DURBAN POISON - Imported from South Africa, produced in Holland. Exclusively inbred, never hybridized, 100% Sativa. Large long bud leaves, buds are also large and long with lots of resin. A sweet licorice or anise flavor. Up high similar to Thai. High yields. Well suited for out crossing with late bloomers to produce earlier flowering. Also does very well under artificial light. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept.

DURBAN POISON X MIGHTY MIGHT - Better outdoors than Durban alone, yet a better yield than Mighty Might alone. A classic. Specifications: (indoors) ~ Flower: 60-65 days ~ Height: 110-140 cm ~ Yield: 300-325 gr/sq M (outdoors) ~ Plant: Jun. 1st ~ Finish: Sept. 8-15th ~ Height: 5-6' ~ Yield: 3-4 oz

EARLY BUD - Fast flowering, big buds. Fresh citrus like taste, nice high. Very similar to early girl. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: Sept.

EARLY GIRL - This is a mostly Indica variety, one of the earliest in our outdoor collection. Very potent, medium yield, with a hashy taste and aroma. These compact plants will tend to grow to one main stem. An ideal choice for your balcony.

EARLY PEARL - Mostly Sativa with excellent potency. Sweet, resinous and mold resistant. A popular outdoor variety.

EARLY SKUNK - A cross between Skunk #1 and Early Pearl. Finishes two weeks earlier than Skunk #1 outdoors. Sweet smell, smooth high, mold resistant and a good yielder.

ECLIPSE - A new variety, mostly Indica with a sweet taste. Somewhat a version of the bubble gum/bubble berry famous by American clients. This is one for the young and the young at heart. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-10 weeks

EUFORIA - Developed by our breeders in 1996. A very fine Skunk selection, very commercial, very heavy bloom, bumper harvest, the famous Skunk high. Taste is not as sweet as our other Skunk selections but it is one of our favorites. Good for greenhouse as well. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct., beginning of Nov.

FLO - Original Flo is a Sativa/Indica cross (60% Sativa, 40% Indica) with very Sativa phenotypic characteristics that also matures very early. The large, tight, spear shaped buds are made up of small, densely packed purple calyxes. The plants are taller and like to branch out. Indoors the buds are fully mature by the end of their sixth week. Outdoors the plant is a super producer when multi-harvested over a period of time. The first buds are ripe around the third week of September. About every ten days after that, new buds form and can be harvested through the end of November, if the plant can be kept alive that long. Therefore, Flo is ideal for greenhouse production. The motivational high produced by the Flo is quite unique, the flavor is like Nepalese Temple Hash. A most pleasant and enjoyable experience. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-7 weeks ~ Harvest: 3rd or 4th week of Sept.

FOURWAY #1 - Four Way #1 is a hybrid of 4 different strains, 25% Indica, 25% Ruderalis, 25% Northern Light, and 25% Skunk #1. As a whole the Four Way #1 cross has the Indica appearance. The plants are strong and easy to grow. Some of the plants give very high yields, so select a clone. The plants have a minimum amount of leaves and grow well developed buds. A very good smoke in taste and high. Not susceptible to spider mites.

GREAT WHITE SHARK - A cross between a Super Skunk and a White Widow. Thick, dense crystallized colas are sticky and solid, just like the original parents. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks.

GREEN SPIRIRT - Green Spirit is a hybrid of Big Bud and Skunk #1. Was developed because Big Bud itself is not a very consistent strain, with very big differences among individual plants. By crossing Big Bud and Skunk #1, Green Spirit became quite homogeneous. Good results under artificial lights. Clear and strong high. The plants have an explosive flowering trait and are extremely resinous. Very high yield. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Nov.

HAWAIIAN/SKUNK - Mostly Indica (F1 hybrid) with exceptionally broad leaves. Lots of resin on leaves as well as flowers, with a musky hash like aroma. Strong physical high. Yields are above average. Short rounded plants. Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-12 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct.

HAZE - 100% Sativa, it's a hard plant to grow, but famous for it's special qualities. A classic Sativa High. Good results for those who do not mind to wait a little longer. The plant that sets the standard for all Sativa's. Was one of the prize winning selection for Homegrown Fantaseeds in the Cannabis Cup '97. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10-13 weeks

HAZE SKUNK - Originally Haze is a pure Sativa strain. It is crossed with Skunk #1 to get a bigger yield, a softer taste and a shorter flowering period. Truly superior sweet taste. The high is incredibly clear and up energy. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10-12 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Dec.

HEMPSTAR - Developed as a tribute to all the Hempsters and the International Hemp Movement. A three way cross between Skunk, Oasis and Haze, it is the combination of the three major varieties. This strain has an enormous potency and sticky Sativa high. The taste is very mild. Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-12 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Nov.

HIMALAYAN GOLD - A cross between Himalaya hybrid and South India. A blend of Indicas and Sativas. Strong yellow hairs that are long and flat. Misty crystal structure set on pale green bud. Compact form with great size colas. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-10 weeks.

HINDU KUSH - Pure Indica, one of the most constant kind. Best start for anyone who wants to grow his own Indica. Hash like taste, large firm buds, above average yield. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks

HOLLANDS HOPE - One of the first Dutch Outdoor strains, grown in Holland since the early eighties. A heavy Indica variety with a knock-out high. Very mold resistant. Highly recommended. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

HYPNO - Hypno is a 100% Indica strain. Developed 1997 from new Californian and Afghani genetics. Some of the plants turn red/purple. Sweet aroma. A strain with high expectations. Good yield and mold resistant. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

JACK HERER - Combining three of the strongest secret varieties kept by Sensi resulted in this multiple hybrid of many years of selective breeding. Highly resinous.

PK2 - It's the little sister of the White Widow Bio, short plant ideal for people with little space. Very soft taste and decent high. Grown very much by local growers, a perfect compromise between quality and yield. Strongly favored by Hydro growers. Very good yield. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks

KALI MIST - Serious smokers know, pure Sativa is a smooth smoking experience not soon forgotten. Kali is a superb Sativa with a high calyx-to-leaf ratio, and long running tops that produce full, fluffy buds. Expect this goddess to produce a high resin content with spiral buds that carry an extremely spicy scent. Kali Mist won the 1st Place Cannabis Cup in High Times 1995 hydro competition, and is the personal stash for expert gardeners! Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-10 weeks

KC 33 - Dutch variety, crossbred with a Thai and Brazilian weed, special for the outdoor grow, but inside also a number one. A favorite outdoors variety right through Europe. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks, 8-10 outdoors ~ Harvest: Sept.

KERALA\SKUNK - This Southern Indian variety is crossed with Skunk #1 (F1 hybrid). As a whole the plants have a Sativa appearance (87.5% Sativa, 12.5% Indica). The buds have a sweet exotic smell and taste and a very clear medium strong high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10-11 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Oct.

KUSH - A heavy budding plant that produces crystals galore. Good rich smoke, excellent indoors and outdoors. Clones very easily. Specifications: (indoors) ~ Flower: 60-70 days ~ Height: 110-150 cm ~ Yield: 300-325 gr/sq M (outdoors) ~ Plant: Jun. 1st ~ Finish: Oct. 1st ~ Height: 5-6' ~ Yield: 2-4 oz ~

KUSH X MIGHTY MIGHT - Heavy budding and lots of crystals makes up this plant, larger colas than Kush alone. Smooth smoke and excellent high. Easy to grow, and great for both indoors and outdoors. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-10 weeks ~ Height: 4-5'

LAMBSBREAD\SKUNK - The famous Jamaican Lambsbread crossed with Skunk #1 (F1 hybrid). A very special taste and high. Grows with long slim buds, has a medium yield and is almost 100% Sativa. Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-11 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st half of Nov. in greenhouse

LEDA UNO - This variety is a sativa/indica cross (a hybrid of a KC 33 male and a Brazilian female). A superior plant with lemon like aroma. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-9 weeks ~ Harvest: end of September

MANGO - Mango is a 100% Indica variety, a F-1 hybrid of KC-33 and Afghani. High yields and some plants are very early. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-7 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

MASTER KUSH - A F1 cross between two different Hindu-kush strains. Yield is high. Excellent taste and strong high. One of our favorites.

MAZAR - This is an upgraded selection of the former valued Afghan/Skunk. A 1997 improvement was made on its yield. The taste is softer than before. The Afghani (Mazar-i-Shariff) part is a very short christmas tree like plant, 100% Indica and very resinous. The F1-cross with Skunk #1 gives the variety a bigger yield and better taste. Very good up high. As both parents are very consistent, the offspring is very consistent too. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Nov.

MIGHTY MIGHT - From the Lequiti Island in B.C. Seeds take up to 14 days to germinate. Huge cola! Specifications: ~ Plant: Jun. 1st ~ Finish: Oct. 1st ~ Height: 4-6' ~ Yield: 3-4 oz

MISTY - Sister of White Widow. Short, bushy plant yielding a high THC content. Harvest time is based on previous experience and may differ from the times stated depending on light quantity, amount of nutrients, weather, and other conditions. Learn how to recognize when a plant is ready to be harvested. Not recommended outdoors means that unless you are growing marijuana fairly close to the equator (very long grow season) your crop will probably not have time to fully mature before cold weather kills the plants.

NIAGARA - A mostly sativa (75%) strain developed by Dr. Greenthumb in Ontario. A cross of Afghan and Mexican seeds produced this beautiful, early finishing, mold resistant variety that can be grown with equally good results indoors (using hydro or soil) and outdoors (as far north as Ottawa/Montreal). A recommended seed for any grower. Taste: hashy. Stone: very good, energetic high. Yield Size: average. Harvest Indoors: 6-8 weeks after flower forcing. Harvest Outdoors: Middle of October.

NIAGRA X SHIVA - A mostly sativa strain, early finish, sweet taste, mold resistant, high flower to leaf ratio, soaring high and produce large yield.

NIGHT QUEEN - A 1197 upgraded strain. Very early flowering, very productive, a Sativa/Indica cross. Big fat buds. The aroma is sweet, Sativa high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

NORTHERN BERRY - Blueberry crossed with Northern Lights #5. A combination only a stoned mind could think of. Specifications: ~ Flower: 55-65 days ~ Height: 100-120 cm ~ Yield: 250-300 gr/sq M

NORTHERN LIGHTS - A pure Indica, won the Cannabis Cup in '88, '89, '90. Much used for cross breeding for it's strong and big buds. Famous throughout the world, everyone has heard of N.L. Sweet taste and very potent stone. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-8 weeks

NORTHERN LIGHTS X SHIVA - Strong sweet weed, much THC, with big buds and few leaves. Improvement on, and has a stronger taste than pure Northern Light. This is the #1 in it's kind. Best for inside cultivation.

NORTHERN LIGHTS #1 - Developed in Seattle, perfected in Holland, Northern Lights has become the State of the Art indoor plant. A must! Specifications: ~ Flower: 45-50 days ~ Height: 100-125 cm ~ Yield: 300-325 gr/sq M

NORTHERN LIGHTS #5 - This state of the art Indica is the result of over 20 years of select in breeding. Bred for vigorous growth, high yield, and superb high. A must for growers who prefer short bushy plants. The buds have an extremely frosted, resinous appearance and the yield is high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 55-65 days ~ Height: 2-3'

NORTHERN LIGHTS #5 X HAZE - An extremely potent plant with a great Sativa high. In the 1994 harvest festival this variety was miles ahead of its competitors. The high yields compensate for the slightly longer flowering period. Hybrid vigour provides for lush growth, heavy bud formation and abundant resin. A true champion!

OASIS - One of the most popular varieties, Oasis is our Northern Lights #2 selection. A very strong plant, almost spider mite resistant. Good yield, excellent taste and excellent high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Nov.

ORANGE BUD - A 100% Skunk selection, grows with thick hard buds and orange pistils. A very appreciated variety. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct. Original Misty A truly beautiful plant misted all over with bulging THC glands. A good producer in terms of yield, fat donkey dick tops, combined with prize winning quality, gourmet taste and a sweet aroma. This plant has it all. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks

POWER PLANT - Power Plant (mostly Sativa) was developed in 1997 from new South African genetics. This strain has been inbred only, never hybridized. Very rich in THC. It is a strain with an enormous grow potential. Indoor as well as in a greenhouse the plants have an enormous yield. Indoors flowering starts already one week after turning back the light cycle to 12 hours. Outdoor flowering starts late, but the plants ripen very fast. This variety is very uniform. Strong up high, very soft smoke. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: 2nd week of Oct.

PURPLE #1 - A strong plant (50% Indica, 50% Sativa), easy to grow. Purple Afghan seeds have been crossed in Holland with Indica and Sativa varieties since 1983. The plants are fully adapted to the Dutch climate and have a respectable yield. This variety has calyxes that turn purple, starting at the beginning of flowering. Up to 90% of the plants turn purple. Has rough, but subtle aroma and a very good high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: 2nd half of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

PURPLE HAZE - Produce from Mexican, Colombian, South Indian and Thai variety. Incredible resin development. Produces a clear energetic high.

PURPLE HIGH - Original Dutch outdoor variety, strong plant. Almost all plants turn a rich purple, sticky with T.H.C. Very easy to grow, early finish. 100% Indica, unusually fragrant smell. Tastes a little rough, but delivers a clear and sharp high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-7 weeks ~ Harvest: mid to late Sept.

PURPLE STAR - Very strong and easy to grow purple variety (100% Indica). Very resinous, having a heavy perfumed aroma. The aroma is a little rough, but the variety produces a very strong high. About 50% of the plants turn purple. Specifications: ~ Flower: 6-7 weeks ~ Harvest: 2nd half of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

PURPLE SKUNK - This variety is a hybrid (F1) of Purple #1 and an early Skunk. About 50% of the plants turn purple during flowering. The variety is 87.5% Sativa and 12.5% Indica. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Oct.

ROMBERRY - Is a very vigorous F1 hybrid of the pure Romulan female and a select Blueberry male. The hybrid retained the large sticky and stinky buds of the Romulan. It gained stronger stems and fruity aroma and taste from the Blueberry. Colas should become larger and more frosty than the Romulan buds seen in Aug. 98 High Times. This one is also very easy to clone. Specifications: ~ Flowering: 55-60 days ~ Height: 90-140 cm ~ Ruderalis Indica Flowers automatically Outdoor. Ready 3 1/2 months start to finish. Good for Northern or rough outdoor areas.

SHAMAN - This is the former variety Purple/Skunk. This variety is a hybrid (F1) of Purple #1 and an early Skunk. About 50% of the plants turn purple during flowering. The variety is 87.5% Sativa and 12.5% Indica. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Oct.

SENSI SKUNK - A strong plant with that typical Skunky taste and high. It has a high calyx-to-leaf ratio with large, full buds. Its excellent yield makes this one an absolute must for the greenhouse grower.

SHIVA - Pungent Afghan smell with Indica. Short bushy plant. Heavy good quality crop. Best for inside cultivation.

SHIVA SHANTI - This Afghani with its penetrating Indica aroma is one of the better yielders in the collection. Its pleasant taste and above average potency make this an attractive variety for beginners.

SHIVA SKUNK - This cross between Skunk #1 and Northern Lights #5 is a very reliable variety. Excellent hybrid vigour and yield make this one a snap to grow. Works superbly indoors as well as in a greenhouse. Taste and high are similar to Skunk #1, a rich sweet pungency, but with more resin and better yield. High calyx-to-leaf ratio, you can almost throw those scissors away as very little manicuring is required. An absolute must for beginners or experts.

SILVER PEARL - A three way hybrid developed from Early Pearl, Skunk #1 and Northern Lights. This hybrid is quicker and sweeter than Shiva Skunk. Excellent indoor and greenhouse results. Plants exhibit frosted resinous characteristics of the Northern Lights #5 and the sweetness and calyx-to-leaf ratio of Early Pearl/Skunk. One of our favorites and in 1994 the winner of the mixed Indica/Sativa category.

SKUNK #1 - Winner of several harvest festivals, and High Times Cannabis Cup. Skunk #1 (75% Sativa, 25% Indica) was originally a cross between 25% Afghani, 25% Mexican Acapulco Gold and 50% Colombian Gold. Inbred since 1978, now a stabilized homogeneous strain. Blooms with long, thick buds, varying in color from light green to golden. Very high flower to leaf ratio. Soft and sweet aroma and a very strong up high. Excellent variety for indoor growing or greenhouse with darkening system. Very high yields. Easy to manicure. This variety serves as a standard against which others can be measured. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-11 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st half of Nov. in a greenhouse.

SKUNK PASSION - Skunk is the best known variety to the indoor grower. Skunk Passion is a selection of these seeds. Selection was based on early flowering. It's no use growing these seeds outdoors in Northern climates (see Skunk/Indica). The strong pungent smell is characteristic of this variety. Mean THC levels are high. Sensitive to spider mites, over and underfeeding. Sweet and soft smoke, very high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st half of Oct. in a greenhouse

SKUNK RED HAIR - The variety which made indoor growing possible since 1985. Still one of the growers favorite. Will even taste better outdoors under the right conditions. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8-9 weeks

SMOKEY BEAR - Produced by Dutch Passion, a cross between the famous Masterkush and KC 33. A very nice outdoor plant. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: 3rd week of Sept.

SUPER CHRYSTAL - Super Chrystal is produced by Homegrown Fantaseeds. Super shiva mix. 75% Indica, beautiful and nice plant to grow. Strong oriental taste, heavy stone. Low compact plant. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-8 weeks

SUPER HAZE - This variety made Dutch Passion the High Times Cannabis Cup winner in 1992. Formerly this strain was called Haze/Skunk. Still one of the best for the Dutch Passion team. Original Haze is a pure Sativa strain. It is crossed with Skunk #1 to get a bigger yield, a softer taste and a shorter flowering period. Truly superior sweet taste. The high is incredibly clear and energetic. A very favorite strain from our collection. Very high yield for an almost 100% Sativa variety. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10-12 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Dec.

SUPER SKUNK - This plant is especially developed for Skunk lovers. Crossed of best Skunks to their Afghani ancestors. Brush against this plant and the room becomes immediately filled with powerful Skunk aroma. Despite the smell a very pleasant high with a little more body to it than the Skunk #1. One of the winners of the 1990 High Times Harvest Festival where it clearly defeated Skunk #1.

SWAZI X SKUNK - 100% Sativa crossbred with a Dutch Skunk. This is a real bargain, slow but well worth the wait. Exotic taste, strong high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-14 weeks

THAI - This variety grown in Holland is a pure Sativa, selected for short size and early bloom. Large buds full of resin, with typical Thai flavor and aroma. Very strong and energetic up high. Very high yields, easy to cultivate. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10-14 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Nov.

TRANCE - An upgrade of the former variety Skunk/Indica. With 100% Skunk seeds, it's not possible to grow fully mature outdoor plants because the seeds were selected for growing under artificial lights and greenhouse. Skunk was crossed with an early Indica, to let it mature sooner and to make the plant stronger for outdoor conditions. This is the F1 generation. It has come out as a very nice strain. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 2nd week of Oct. A beautiful purple variety with high yields and Afghan taste. Heavy buds and high. 100% Indica. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7-8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Sept., 1st week of Oct.

VOODOO - A green strain, developed from Thai parents in 1997. The Thai parents having grown in Holland for years already. A very strong plant with long thick buds. Has a Thai aroma and a clear, fresh smell. Sativa high, very productive. Specifications: ~ Flower: 7 weeks ~ Harvest: 1st week of Oct.

WHITE CLOUD - This variety has 30% of prize winners, as the rest of its make up is of great quality. A very good variety to select a clone from. Sativa cross, mild taste and Sativa high. Specifications: ~ Flower: 9-12 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Nov.

WHITE RHINO - Somewhat a mystery strain. Suffice to say it has 60% Indica to 40% Sativa ratios expressed with a definite freak in it's family. Specifications: ~ Flower: 10 weeks.

WHITE RUSSIAN - With the combined power of White Widow and AK-47, this potent plant became and an easy winner of Cannabis Cup '96 organic pot award. Select best female for future cloning. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks

WHITE WIDOW - The most rewarded variety of recent years in Holland. The plants are white with THC glands, even on big parts of the fan leaves. A very soft smoke and great high. Very potent. Specifications: ~ Flower: 8 weeks ~ Harvest: end of Oct.

WHITE WIDOW X NORTHERN LIGHTS #5 - White Widow gives Northern Lights #5 a powerful boost in this strain. Like a Super Beetle with a Porsche engine, this Indica will pack a lot of power. Specifications: ~ Flower: 55-60 days ~ Height: 3-4'

How to grow

How to grow marijuana

by Dr. Clone

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This is one method of growing marijuana indoors. It is based on growing with soil using metal halide lighting. You would probably get the same results using the same wattage of high pressure sodium lights. So you've decided to grow pot, but you don't have the money to buy several 1,000 watt halide lamps, and, unless you steal power (not a good idea, legal wise) four 1,000 watt halides will cost $256 every two months in British Columbia. That's a bit unwise, if your previous electric bill from BC Hydro (ponic) was $50 for two months. Then there is the large problem of massive amounts of heat, humidity and smell. And you might be concerned with all this equipment and activity and its association with a legal problem described as manufacturing or cultivating with the intent to distribute or some such charge. A simple way to solve this dilemma is to use one or two 400 watt halides. Some growers will tell you that this is way too little or you won't get anything worth while out of that wattage. I say hogwash to them. A 400 watt bulb will not give as much light as a 1,000 watt set-up, but the bulbs are cooler, last 2 to 3 times longer, and the spectrum is the same as 1,000 watt. You can flower six large plants (about 2' tall at the start of the 12/12 cycle), but the 2' tall plant will not flower as profusely as a one foot tall plant, nor will all of the light reach the back of the plant. So all in all, stick with a height of ONE FOOT high. This will allow you to flower 12 plants per 400 watt bulb. Place SIX plants ON tomato juice cans, coffee cans, etc., in a circle around the bulb, about one foot away from the bulb. There will be large spaces below for the other six to sit in. Each plant will yield around half to three quarters of an ounce of buds. If you have an exceptional variety (Big Bud, for example), seven or eight ounces per bulb can be grown, but you should be able to harvest 3 to 4 ounces (minimum) every 60 days (plus or minus one week, depending on variety). Let's start with your house. If your landlord lives upstairs, don't do it! If the landlord visits unannounced, don't do it. A bedroom with a closet works best. The closet should be a minimum 50 inches wide for 4-foot fluorescent fixtures. This will be your vegetative CLONE room. Keep this room open while the metal halide(s) are on. With a 400 watt system, you will not need to rewire unless you live in an old house with fuses. Your Grow Room White plastic is to be used in both the closet and a corner of your grow room. Since you want to contain as much light from the halide(s), it will be necessary to put a corner post where two walls (do not now exist) will meet. Put plants on an old table. In your veg/clone closet, hang one fixture above the upper shelf (one foot) and suspend the other fixture from clothes rod (make it adjustable -with chain).

Soil & Pots

I prefer one gallon nursery pots. For a good soil less mix, I use 50% peat, 50% perlite. To the dry mix add one tablespoon of fine dolomite lime and three tablespoons of bat guano per gallon (OF WHAT?). Mix well. Use a dust mask. Add water. Next, get a book like Marijuana Growers Handbook by Ed Rosenthal, as you need a reference book, no matter what. See the list of books at the bottom of this page and decide which is best for your needs.

Seeds vs. Clones

No question about it. Clones are best. If you start from seeds, it will be 5 - 6 months before you harvest. If you obtain clones, three months at most. If you have started your plants via seeds, keep them under fluorescent light until 6 to 8 inches tall. Transplant and put in the bulb area, two feet from bulb. In four to five weeks these plants will be anywhere from 10 - 36 tall, depending on variety and sex. At this point, take two clones off of each plant (long, lower branches are best.) To determine the sex of the plants, place a black, air-permeable piece of paper over one shoot of each plant. Within 7 days they will manifest sex characteristics on those shoots. Male plants (see your Handbook for pictures) -out! Or put all clones at this point in a closet with lights on a 12 hour on-12 hours off cycle. 8 - 14 days later, your clones will have male or female characteristics. Unless you want seedy pot (or seeds), kill all male plants. Put closet timer at 18 hours on/6 off as soon as sex identification is made. If you can, take two more clones off of each female and put in closet. Turn bulb timer to a 12/12 cycle and wait for your buds to start flowering. But, if you get clones from female plants, you won't have to do this. Just transplant immediately and put under bulb at 18/6 for one month. Take two clones from each plant and now turn closet lights to 18/6 and turn open area bulb to 12/12 (these plants will mature faster too). You won't need a fan in the closet. You will need an oscillating fan in the halide bulb grow area, blowing at the bulb. Also, a fan in the doorway will force hot air out of the grow area (an ugly box fan works fine).

Watering

Pot prefers a dry medium. Always. Don't keep plants saturated. Empty trays after watering, to keep humidity low. Low humidity will promote shorter, bushier plants. Water temperature should be about 70 degrees F. Never use hot tap water. It will kill your plants. Fill your pail with water & heat some on the stove to bring temperature up. PH factor will not be a problem if you have used fine dolomite lime. Fertilizer should be applied at half strength of what is recommended on jar or container, ONLY every third watering.

When To Harvest

The question of when to harvest tenderly cared-for plants is a question that puzzles many new growers. Most farmers' goal is to pluck the fruit at the exact moment when the potency of the bud is at is peak. Realistically, the skills needed to detect the specific day (or even hour) when a plant is at its peak can only be acquired through years of experience. However, even the novice grower should be able detect the window of time during which the harvest results in premier crop of outstanding bud. 0) Maturity and THC Although some growers are interested in fiber content, most people consider the plant to be mature when the percentage of THC found in the plant reaches its maximum. It is not practical for the average grower to actually measure THC in a plant, as the chemistry is somewhat complex. In a growing plant, each successive pair of leaves contains more THC than the previous pair. The budding tips of the plant contain the most THC of all. Both male and female plants contain THC. In fact, some research has shown that in the early stages of growth the males actually contain more THC than the females. From The Marijuana Growers Guide. Even conniseurs believe it is worth cutting and sampling shoots before the THC has reached its maximum. Clarke suggests that the best test for pot is to roll joints of several different strains, invite all your friends over, and see which pile of joints disappears first (Marijuana Botany, p. 94)

1) Plant Size

The size of the plant has little to do with its maturity. Outdoors, a plant might reach a height of over eight feet (2.5m) and still not be ready for harvest. Indoors, mature, budding plants can be under 18 (.5m) high.

2) Photoperiod

The Key to Maturation The chronological age of the plant has little to do with its maturity. How quickly a plant matures is mostly dependent on the amount of light the plant receives each day (photoperiod). Typically, a plant will transition from the growing (vegetative) stage to the budding stage when the light per day drops below 12 hours. This is not to say that a 3-week-old seedling will begin to bloom when the light is cut. As a general rule, a plant must be a minimum of 60 days old before it is mature enough to respond appropriately to decreased light. For indoor growers, the decision on when to cut the photoperiod depends on available growing space, as well as the need to harvest weed. Some growers report that clones (cuttings) can be forced to bloom prior to 60 days old, perhaps since the cutting itself is somewhat mature at the time it is rooted.

3) Male Versus Female Almost always, male flowers will show prior to female buds. Thus, once the males in the garden are detected, you can be sure that the female budding process will start soon - usually within 1-2 weeks.

4) Different Varieties Many gardeners report that certain cannabis varieties take longer to mature than others. In particular, the narrow-leafed Sativas are said to take significantly longer to initiate and complete budding, as compared to the wide-leafed Indicas. Under some conditions, Sativas will require an additional month or more to mature after the Indicas have been harvested.

5) Time of Year Obviously, indoor growers cannot use the seasons as a guide to harvesting (though a cold winter-time grow room can significantly retard the growth of the plants). Outdoor growers on the other hand can use the seasons as a predictor of the ideal harvest time. In the Fall, once the length of day drops below 12 hours, the count-down to harvest will be begin. Weather conditions will affect the exact harvest day from year to year, but generally you can expect to harvest within the same two-week window each year. If you can avoid it, don't harvest during or immediately after a rainy spell.

6) Monitoring Buds The best way to tell if the plant is ready is to examine the bud. In the paragraphs below, the terms pistal and stigma refer to the white hairs in the center of the female bud. The term calyx refers to the pod that would surround the seed (were the plant to be fertilized). Many growers elect to pick each bud individually, as it reaches it prime. Buds are at their peak potency about one week after flower formation slows...Harvest the plants when about half the stigmas in the buds have withered... When the plants are left in the ground, the resinous qualities of the plant may become more apparent. The bracts and tiny leaves may swell in size...The resin content of these buds may be higher, [but] the grass will smoke more harshly than if the buds were younger when picked. From The Marijuana Growers Guide. In the primordial calyxes the pistils have turned brown; however, all but the oldest of the flowers are fertile and the floral clusters are white...Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce marijuana with a clear cerebral, psychoactive effect. From Marijuana Botany. Eventually the pistils start to turn color from pale white to red or brown...When the glands have swelled and the pistil has receded into the false pod, the bud is ready to pick. From Closet Cultivator At the peak of florescence, all but the oldest of flowers have white pistil development...Another indicator is bouquet. When a plant is at the peak of florescence, it has a sweet and musky fragrance. Later, it loses the sweetness. From Sinsemilla Technique The best way to harvest is to examine the resin glands on each bud. As they turn from clear to amber, that is the optimum time to pick. Buds usually mature from the top down, if grown under artificial light, and you will end up with more high-quality pot if you pick each bud when ready. However, the plant will not just continue to produces buds at the same rate. Like any other plant, the flowering cycle lasts a specific period of time. If you wanted a further harvest of buds, the plant would need a second cycle of vegetative growth. This can be achieved indoors by simply turning the lights back up to a 24 hour cycle for a few weeks. Outdoors though, you are dependent on the seasons. Frost and long nights will usually kill the plant. Of course, such a strategy is only viable if growing a few plants. If your operation runs on an industrial scale, just drive the combine harvester through the field.

Growing tips II

I recently saw a *very small* indoor garden that used 4 common shop lights.
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The gardener was using two 12" x 4' shelves attached to adjacent basement walls. They were remarkably discreet and almost entirely above eye level. Above both shelves he had suspended a pair of 4' shop lights, which ran parallel to the shelf, right next to each other. In these lights he used both regular ol' 40W fluorescent tubes and the more expensive "grow lights". The decision of which to choose was solely an economic one. Fluorescent tubes can be found for a buck or two while the purple grow tubes can be rather pricey. The wall and ceiling above the shelves were covered with heavy duty aluminum foil. Also hanging above the shelves, right above the edge, were several homemade blinds. These "blinds" were simply a black sheet of vinyl and a white sheet of vinyl which were attached a 4' piece of wood. The wooden strip had then been fastened to the ceiling. The white vinyl hung to the inside and was able to reflect light back onto the plants while the black vinyl hung to the outside, making the whole set-up practically invisible. When he needs to water, etc. the vinyl is rolled up by hand and tied with a short piece of cord. And it can be held in its unrolled position rather nicely by a few strips of velcro. The ends of the shelves used a different homemade set-up. Using more vinyl shades would have suffocated the plants. Instead, he cut a piece of cardboard to fit the opening and into the top portion of this cardboard he cut a hole. The inside of the cardboard was covered with aluminun foil and the outside was painted black. Velcro was attached to the cardboard, the shelf and the ceiling so that this panel could be easily attached and removed.

Next, he hung two small fans from the ceiling. (the clip fans cost him $6.00 and were his most expensive purchase) One fan hung on the outside of his little grow house and one on the inside. One fan blew fresh air into the house and the other blew air out. On one of these shelves the lights were kept on 24 hours each day. Here he germinated and grew his herbs to the budding point. The other shelf was magical! The lights were cut back and his crop was allowed to reach maturation. It was so simple! It was so beautiful! It was so small! It was so inexpensive! A setup like this could work almost anywhere. Stop participating in organized crime. Grow it yourself!

I've tried to start cannabis seeds several times, using the suggestions offered in alt.drugs (germinate between wet paper towels, keep them warm, etc.). I've gotten about 5 or 6 seeds to the point where the shell of the seed opens and a small white shoot pushes out of the crack. But the seeds seem to dies upon transplanting to soil. Is it probably just a bad batch of seeds (all of Seed germination, be it with cannabis seeds or any kind of seeds, is a delicate art. The warm paper towels system works well, but I'd keep them in paper towels until you have a bit more sprout than just a small white shoot. I would wait until the shoot is a little more than 1/4" long. When you transplant them into potting soil, use commercial potting soil that has been well dampened before hand. Mixing a bit of peat moss into the damp soil might be helpful. Pot your seeds close to the surface -- I usually lay the seeds on top of an almost full pot, press the shoots *lightly* into the soil, and then just sprinkle some more potting soil on top. Then water; all the soil should be kept damp, but not wet, at all times. Something I've found helps seeds in the trnasition from paper towels to soil is to cover the pot with plastic wrap and put it in a sunny window. Poke a few pinholes in the wrap so that air can get in, and check it daily. Keep the soil damp -- this is crucial. Cannabis in particular *loves* water. Don't drown it, and if it starts molding leave the plastic off the pot for a bit, but keep it damp and warm and moist. Once your shoots start up to where they're pressing against the wrap, you can leave the wrap off. But again, keep the soil wet -- even one day dried out can kill all the shoots.Hope all this helps; I've only grown pot once, but I'm a chronic gardener, and much of the same rules apply.

Plants (and marijuana in particular) respond to different wavelengths of light differently. The optimum wavelengths for chlorophyll production and photosynthesis occur in the red and blue ranges, so any light in the middle of the visible spectrum is good for vegetative growth. In short, ordinary fluorescent lights work great; most incandescents are crappy because they put out too much infared (wastes energy, produces heat) and not enough blue. It has been suggested that THC is produced as a defense against short wavelength ultraviolet light (UV-short). This would explain any truth to the rumor that the best ganga is grown at high altitudes. As far as I know, no studies have been done. Other botanists speculate that THC is merely an insect repellant. Even so, the photochemical potential of UV-short cannot be ignored. [This is presumably for 3000 K incandesents. Higher temperatures would produce this same black-body radiation spectrum shifted to the left. Of course, you would then need UV protection. There are fluorescents available that simulate *only the visible portion* of 6000-7000 K black bodies. Why anybody would use incandescent light for growing when these efficient fluorescents are available is beyond me. Mercury and metal halide lamp spectrums are concentrated in a few "spikes" distributed through the visible spectrum. They would probably work fine for photosynthesis. The low-pressure sodium is pretty much a single spike in the yellow; high pressure sodium has spikes from green to red (not much blue). No regular lights put out significant UV-short, otherwise they would cause skin cancer. UV-short lights are designed into special box-type devices (such as EPROM erasers) for safety. If you do elect to experiment with UV-short, do not allow any humans or animals in the room when the light is on. Please post the results of any such experiment to alt.drugs. Inquiring minds want to know.

The planet earth has just passed the equinox which means the days are now becoming shorter and the nights longer. A very important time in the lives of happy growers. The plants life-cycle undergoes major changes as the grower watches with patient anticipation. This is a short but concise account of the critical time for the harvesting muller. What to look for, when to pick, and how to prepare the buds; so they look great, smell delicious and smoke you into fantasy land!!!

The cannabis plant regulates it's growth and flowering stages by measuring changes in the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness to determine when to flower. The plant produces a hormone (phytochrome) beginning at germination. When this chemical builds up to a critical level, the plant changes it's mode from vegetative growth to flowering. Male plants flower before the female. The male plants should be removed to stop any fertilisation occuring. A grower wants sinsemilla buds. An unfertilised plant will continue to produce new flowers. The buds get thick with the unfertilised flowers over a period of several weeks. The flowering patterns begin to change, the stigmas begin to wither and change colour.

Next the ovaries begin to swell, however it's only a false pregnancy. Here the glands begin filling up with canniboids. Usually the heads will seem as though they will burst, showing the last stage of flowering. As soon as the heads show any amber shade they should be harvested, otherwise the THC will begin to degrade into two other canniboids (CBL & CBN). THC is the ingredient which is PSYCHOACTIVE!!!

The other two are it's precursors, which often leave the smoker feeling disoriented, sleepy, drugged, and/or confused. The goal is to allow the plants to reach their full potential, that is to obtain the highest amount of mind blowing substance possible!!! When a bud is picked, many of it's metabolic processes continue for a while. The cell begins to convert carbohydrates back to sugars and break down some of the pigments. Chlorophyll is one of the pigments affected. Buds will appear a lighter green than when first picked. Some of the other pigments break down to give the bud a red-purple or cream colour. The crop needs to be dried slowly so that moisture remains in the cells to continue the life processes. Since all of the vegitation is contributing moisture to the air, ventilation is essential to prevent mould forming. While the plants are drying, the large leaves can be removed. It is harder and takes longer to manicure when the plants are wet. To manicure the budding area, large sun leaves present are removed. The buds should now appear almost naked, except for some single fingered leaves sticking out from between the flowers. To enhance appearance these leaves can be clipped to the circumference of the flower. Sun leaves are unsuitable for smoking, however they are useful for cooking, brewing or extracting the THC to make HASH or HASH OIL.

IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE CURRENT LAW TO CULTIVATE MARIJUANA IN AUSTRALIA!

Marijuana prohibition was initiated because of the people who smoke it. The laws continue in effect today for those same reasons. Politicians do not like people who think for themselves, are independant and who recognise bullshit. They would prefer for each citizen to become a subject; a ward of the state, who is dependant on the government for making his/her life decisions. Gunja tends to let us develop different set perceptions, to see the world a little differently, to change not only what we think, but how we think. This is what scares the regulators. Go forth and multiply Have a MARY season Raj - Profound Member

I have an eight inch plant that was growing like a weed until a few days ago. It was started in regular soil from my yard in a two-cup tupperware bowl and the entire thing was transplanted a week ago into an 8in potter filled with potting soil mixed with perlite. I am using a 150 watt grow bulb about two feet from the top of the plant on an 18 hour cycle. It is in a ventilated, 72 degree room and is watered daily. Also, when I made the transplant, I sprinkled some scotts herb and flower fertilizer (18-11-12) around on top of the soil.

Question: Why is it dying??
Any help would be appreciated. It appears to have about 2 days left.

There are a few things that may be wrong:

1) If the leaves are turning brown or wilting you may be over fertilizing it.
Solution: Flush the soil of the fertilizer salts with clean water.

2) You may be over watering. The plant's roots need oxygen.
Solution: Don't water as often. It's O.K. for the soil to dry out a little, just don't let it get too dry.

3) It may not be dying. It may be in shock from the transplanting.
Solution: None that I know. All you can do is wait.

4) The change in the light spectum from natural sun to artifical light can damage a plant (not getting the spectrum it needs or the spectrum it is used to).
Solution: Get a different light, or put it back outside.

5) The soil may have a nutrient difficiency other than what is in the fertilizer you are using. (You will have to describe what the plant looks like for a diagnosis.)

6) If the light is on 18 hrs, you want to use a vegetive fertilizer instead of a flower ferilizer. Or, turn down the light cycle to 12/12 (light/dark) to force flowering (if this is what you want). I do not think this would kill it, but I could be wrong.

I hope this helps.

Hydroponic principles II

Why does Hydroponics produce such fantastic results?

By giving a plant the exact nutrients it needs we accomplish several things:
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#1 We give it a perfect diet. In nature this is next to impossible, so when this actually happens, plants GROW & GROW & GROW.
#2 When we GIVE the plant it's food it doesn't have to go out looking for it. HUH?.....Yes, plants actually expend energy looking for food by growing huge root systems. If the plant doesn't have to waste energy looking for food, it puts all of it's effort into the parts above ground. The results are rapid, large healthy growth and massive fruit and flower production.
#3 By necessity, Hydroponic systems are automated. This removes the negative human influence from plant cultivation. Specifically, forgetting to water, or watering too much.

How do I grow my plants hydroponically?

Fortunately, many methods of Hydroponic growing have been invented throughout the years - from painfully simple to slightly complex. All you need to do is select the system that meets your needs and build it. As luck would have it, all of the systems that have been invented use very basic items assembled into very basic mechanisms. There is practically no method you cannot construct at home with no more than simple hand tools and commonly available parts.

Nutrients

All plants, weather grown hydroponically or in soil, need 16 basic elements to grow. Most of us are familiar with the top three that are consumed by plants. These elements are called the Macro-Elements and they are Nitrogen Phosphorous and Potassium, they are abbreviated N P K. You probably have seen these letters on bags of common fertilizer. The other 13 elements are grouped together as the Micro-Elements. Most people are not familiar with these elements because we have always counted on them being present in the soil, which works for the most part.

Preformulated Nutrients:

This is really the best option for the hobby to small farm Hydroponic grower. You can be assured that all of the necessary nutrients are present and available to the plants. All you have to do is mix a predetermined amount of concentrate with water and add it to your system. If you want to be successful as a first time Hydroponic grower, use a ready made nutrient specifically for hydroponics. Preformulated Nutrients come in the forms of 1-part powders, 2-part powders, 1-part liquids, 2-part liquids, & 3-part liquids. I have found that nutrients are pretty much nutrients, with the exception of the General Hydroponics 3-part flora series. This one nutrient system really stands out above the rest, it gives the best results by far. You can customize the mix for specific crops and different phases of the crop (i.e. one mix for vegetative growth and another for flowering/fruiting phases of growth).

Formulating your own:

Once you have some experience with hydroponics and you are producing large crops of a specific plant, you may want to look into formulating your own nutrients. Since all plants do not consume the same amounts of nutrients (individual elements) you can possibly save yourself some money by making very specific formulas for your crop. This involves a good amount of chemistry knowledge, some lab equipment and each of the 16 individual elemental nutrients. Many crop specific formulas exist from others' research, all you have to do is find the right recipe and mix it up. Over time you will probably adjust this formula to match your growing conditions and crop more closely. Mixing your own is best left to the more experienced who are producing large amounts of one crop (i.e. 1/4 acre on up).

Miracle Grow:

Many people insist on tying to use miracle grow plant food as a Hydroponic nutrient. It is true that this is great stuff for soil, I personally use it on my flowers and man do they freak out. Let me stress though, this stuff is not a complete nutrient for hydroponics. It does contain some micro elements, but not all. Your plants will start out fine using this, but eventually they will suffer from deficiencies. In the long run it is not worth the cost savings over a real Hydroponic nutrient. The analogy would be something like buying a brand new corvette and then having the cheapest tires put on it and filling up with the cheapest Circle K gasoline. You will not even come close to getting the performance that is possible.

Nutrient Additives

There are quite a few Hydroponic additives on the market. They mainly consist of combinations of kelp extracts, bone meal and blood meal. They are commonly sold as "Organic" boosters just to hook the "green" crowd. They are supposed to supply enzymes, hormones, vitamins, amino acids, sugars, and plant acids that can't be supplied by Hydroponic nutrients. I believe that there are some merits to using these additives, but many of the claims made by these products are UNFOUNDED and UNTRUE. I have tried the "Earth Juice Catalyst" and I THINK that I saw a performance increase, but nothing major. In the future I will perform an experiment with a control group of plants to see how this stuff really performs. One additive that falls in it's own class is the "DynaGRO PRO-TEEKT". It is a potassium and silicon supplement that is supposed to help increase resistance to pathogens, increase resistance to heat stress and build stem strength. I have yet to try this product.

pH

pH is simply the measure of the acid content of a solution. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, 1 being very acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is very basic. pH affects the ability of a plant's roots to absorb nutrients. The range in which nutrient absorption is best is from 5.8 to 6.5. It is very important to maintain this range. Measuring pH: You can measure pH either chemically or electronically. Chemical test kits cost about $8 to $18, they are accurate but you have to replace them periodically because the chemicals are consumed. Electronic methods typically are packaged as a pen that you simply dip into the solution and the pH is read out on a digital LCD display. pH pens cost about $65 to $100, they are fairly accurate and must be calibrated periodically. The benefit is ease of use and they don't wear out - a wise investment. Adjusting pH: To lower pH add acid. The best acids to use are phosphoric, nitric, and sulfuric acid, these acids disassociate and free up phosphorous, nitrogen an sulfur respectively. Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Sulfur are all elements that plants need for growth. I have heard of people using Distilled Vinegar for pH adjustment, this seems a bit sketchy to me but I suppose it would word in a pinch. To raise pH add a base. The bases used in hydroponics are Potassium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide. These disassociate and provide Potassium and Sodium, respectively. Another pH up "elixir" that I have heard of is baking soda - personally I think this is a bad idea. TIP! When adding acid or base to adjust your nutrient solution, add small amounts at a time and wait about 1/2 hour to take a measurement. The closer your pH is to 7, the less acid or base it takes to effect change. This change takes place exponentially, for example: it can take two milliliters of acid move the pH of 25 gallons of nutrient from 7 to 6. From 6 to 5 it can take 8 milliliters, from 5 to 4 it can take 500 milliliters. BE CAREFUL and make changes slowly. Making your own pH adjusting solutions: One quart of acid or base from General Hydroponics retails for about $7.00. This is the biggest rip off in the Hydroponic business! It takes about $10.00 of concentrated acid or base to make 2000 gallons of pH adjusting solution. Subtract packaging and shipping and you'll see that they turn $10 into $4000. OUCH!!!!! Coming soon I'll have instructions for mixing your own solutions from concentrated acids and bases that you can buy in almost any town over-the-counter.

Organic Nutrients (??????)

With the relatively recent green movement the concept of "Organic" food production rings louder and louder every day. "Organic" guidelines prohibit the use of any refined chemicals in food production. The result is fertilizers derived from compost and animal waste. Naturally people want to try to apply these principles to hydroponics in the form of a teas made from compost and other natural ingredients. This seems logical but the result is counter productive when used in a hydroponics environment. To understand why, we must first understand what nutrients are and how they are absorbed by plants. Plants rely upon sixteen basic chemical elements for food - Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are just a few. These elements must be in a form that can be absorbed by a plant. This form is a chemical salt - a very basic chemical compound containing one of the sixteen elements and a complementary element that forms a salt. These elemental salts are what is absorbed from the soil by the plant's roots. So, the big question is - In the natural"organic" cycle of things how do these chemical salts get into the soil? Let's start with organic material (compost) and follow it to absorption by the plant. A bit of compost contains complex organic chemical chains that contain the elements for the chemical salts that eventually will be absorbed by a plant. At this point these complex chemical cannot be used by a plant. When the compost gets mixed into the soil it starts to be acted upon by soil born bacteria. This bacteria is what breaks the organic material down into the chemical salts that can be used by plants.

Organic material + Soil Born Bacteria = Nutrient Salts

Mother Nature uses bacteria to refine organic material into inorganic chemical compounds for plant absorption. In a Hydroponic system sufficient bacteria are not present for this critical conversion, instead we must provide these refined chemicals directly to the system. For those who insist that they can do it "organically" there are some "organic" nutrient mixes available for you to try. They typically produce limited results that I belive is entirely counterproductive to the Hydroponic philosophy. I suggest that if you want to grow organically, do it in the dirt. Supplement the hell out of your soil with natural fertilizers and you will get excellent results. I do this in my own dirt garden and everything grows wonderfully.

Preserve potency-pests & decay

HOW TO PRESERVE POT POTENCY... by stopping bugs and fungi before they damage your weed

by The Bush Doctor

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Growers taking time to harvest a healthy cornucpoia of cannabis must also carefully watch over their cut crops. In addition to two-legged thieves, myriad bacteria, molds and insects have been known to rip-off your stash while curing, drying, or in the fridge. Avoiding these ubiquitous threats is nearly impossible, but there is a way to lessen their impact. The key is being able to manipulate storage conditions. A variety of bacteria grow on damp marijuana. Many are deadly. Researchers have found Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae and Streptococcus (group D) growing in government-supplied reefer. Salmonella muenchen was found in marijuana growing across the Midwest. (Let someone else roll the joints. I don't lick rolling papers anymore!) Under anaerobic conditions (i.e., damp marijuana stored in airtight containers), Clostridium species will rot pot; these are the famous boutlism bacteria. In addition, a number of bacteria-like Actinomycetes have been identified in confiscated ganja, including Thermoactinomyces candidus, T. vulgaris, and Micropolyspora faeni. These bugs cause allergic reactions (sometimes severe), as well as "Farmer's lung" disease. Insects in pot are less intense. Growroom critters, such as aphids and spider mites, rarely damage marijuana after harvest. Smith & Olson (a list of references appears at the end of this article) identified five beetle species from confiscated Mexican weed in San Francisco. They completed this study at the request of the DEA agents, whose offices were overrun by the pests. The predominant species, Tribolium confusum (confused flour beetle), attacks only seeds, not marijuana proper. Two other beetles cited in the study, Adistermia watsoni and Microgramme arga, are fungus feeders (the marijuana was moldy). Thankfully, the researchers found no cannabis equivalent to Lasioderma serricone, the tobacco cigarette beetle. Otherwise some whacked government lab would be growing the bugs en masse to spread across the continent. Fungi destroy more bud than bacteria and insects combined. Bacteria in marijuana may be more dangerous to humans, but they are rare. Molds are common, and can be nasty: Ramirez reports four policeman developing pulmonary histoplasmosis after pulling up a 5,000-square-meter plot of marijuana in Puerto Rico. Some fungi won't rot pot, but they will put you in the hospital. Many fungi causing disease in plants die off after their host is harvested. Exceptions include Botrytis cinerea (the cause of gray mold) and Alternaria alternata (brown blight). After harvest, your competition becomes Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Mucor, the baddest actors on the planet. Each genus causes disease under different conditions: Ubiquitous Aspergillus grows on anything from rocket fuel to astronauts. The genus is millions of years old; while Home sapiens may come and go, Aspergillus will remain. Westendorp first found an Aspergillus species attacking Cannabis in 1854. More recently, Margolis & Clorfene describe a mold that increases potency in marijuana. Their "black weblike fungus" sounds like an Aspergillus species. What species, I'd like to know....

Schwartz scraped Aspergillus niger from the skull of a marijuana smoker experiencing sinus headaches. I frequently encounter A. niger growing in ganja stored at room temperature. It does not increase potency. Kagen also reports A. niger growing in moldy marijuana, along with two even nastier Aspergilli: A. fumigatus and A. flavus. Chusid et al. blame A. fumigatus for causing near-fatal pneumonitis in a 17-year-old. They note the patient buried his marijuana underground for "aging." No doubt the patient was looking for Margolis & Clorfene's fungus, but A. fumigatus found him instead. A. flavus, on the other hand, kills slowly. It oozes carcinogenic metabolites called aflatoxins. Llewellyn & O'Rear found aflatoxins contaminating Virginian marijuana. Aspergillus species grow better in warmer climates, Penicillium in cooler climates. Refrigerator storage encourages Penicillium infestation. Kagen et al. isolated Penicillium from marijuana cigarettes. Babu et al. identified P. chrysogenum attacking marijuana. (P. chrysogenum occurs abundantly in nature, and was Alexander Fleming's source of penicillin.) I isolated P. italicum from marijuana stored with an orange peel at 0 degrees Centigrade. Adding peels to pot imparts a "pleasant bouquet" (Frank & Rosenthal). In my case, the peel imparted a nidus of infection. P italicum, the "blue citrus mold," is notorious for its ability to spread by contact (i.e., "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch"). Five Mucor species have been described on Cannabis. Members of this genus grow fast and die young. One of them, M. hiemalis, regrettably bioconcentrates (and cannot metabolize) the herbicide paraquat from tainted substrates (Domsch et al.). Mucor's first cousin, Rhizopus, occurs in soil, ripe foodstuffs, and occasionally on people (especially diabetics). Grebeniuk isolated R. stolonifer from hemp stems. In an inoculation experiment, I quickly rotted some damp marijuana with a colony of R. stolonifer found growing on bread.

DIAGNOSIS

Rotting marijuana produces a spectrum of odors, from stale to musty to moldy. P. italicum perfumes a lavender bouquet, while A. flavus smells like a locker room. Clostridium bacteria stink like carrion. Infested marijuana often darkens in color and becomes crumbly. Anaerobic bacteria turn marijuana into brown slime. Marijuana undergoing rapid decay may feel warm to touch. (At this stage your stash is ready for the compost heap.) Tufts of fungi are often visible in mold material. In marijuana stored in darkness, strands look white to light grey. Exposed to light, storage molds spawn millions of colored spores in velvet clumps. A slight tap sends these spores into great billowing clouds. Generally, Rhizopus and Mucor produce grey-black spores; Penicillium species are light blue-green; and Aspergillus species are dark green-black. To check for aflatoxins, inspect your stash under a black light (in medicalese, a "Wood's Lamp"). Material contaminated with aflatoxin-producing A. flavus will fluoresce to a green hue under ultraviolet light. To screen for insects, simply shake samples in a No. 10 steel sieve. Of course, not all bugs found in marijuana cause damage. Some are simply "innocent bystanders" caught during harvesting and die right away. Live (and chewing) insects are more suspicious. A hand lens is helpful for I.D.

CONTROL

Avoid damaging plants before they completely dry (even while they are in the ground and growing). Wounded tissues release exudates on which fungi feed and establish a foothold. Lucas says diseased and nutrient-deficient leaves (as well as old yellow leaves) produce more exudates than healthy leaves. Expect more mold problems in poorly grown plants. The secret to stopping bacteria and mildew is moisture control. Even grey mold dies if plants are carefully and quickly dried. Oven-cured pot rots less than air or sweat-cured crops. Sweat-cured Cannabis (remember '70's Colombian?) maintains a "tradition" of Aspergillus contamination. The oven-drying method inevitably leads to a harsh product. So most people air-dry by suspending plants upside down with enough space for circulation. Drying rooms should be cool and dry, preferably in uninterrupted darkness. (Most storage fungi require light to sporulate and spread.) Living cannabis plants are about 80% water. Perfectly dried marijuana contains about 10%-15% water or moisture content (MC). Material below 10% MC becomes too brittle and disintegrates. Fungi cannot grow below 15% MC. Unfortunately, many growers market their crop above 15% MC. Cannabis, like corn flakes, is sold by weight, not volume. Tobacco farmers also allow thier product to gain weight by reabsorbing moisture before sale. They term this risky business "coming into order." Recently purchased products should be redried. Freezer storage will not protect damp pot. Placing lemon or orange peels in stored marjiuana is discouraged, as they raise the MC above 15%. Dipping Penicillium-infested plants in a solution of baking powder will inhibit these acid-loving fungi but the product must be rapidly redried. Maintaining stored marijuana at 10%-15% MC also discourages insects. Insecticides have no application in stored marijuana. Their residue pose a danger to customers. Also, water-based sprays will kill bugs but trigger a fungus infection by raising the MC. Fumigants (gas, not sprays or aerosols) contain no liquid, thus they do not trigger mold infestations. But they leave residues in air pockets of fumigated material. Big buds are full of air pockets. Poisons are very useful for disinfecting drying rooms, but only after the crop has been cleared out. Low temperatures will "freeze" an insect infestation. However, with rewarming, many bugs continue their destruction. Another drawback to freezing above-15% MC marijuana involves the aforementioned exacerbation of Penicillium. Heating marijuana in a 66-93 degree Centigrade oven for 10 minutes will kill most pests. This also dries out the product--again, the cornerstone of control. Marijuana should not be heated longer than 10 minutes or 93 degrees Centigrade to prevent THC oxidation.

Hydrogen peroxide

What are the benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide and how do i apply it?

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) it is made up of Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2), however H2O2 has an extra Oxygen atom in an unstable arrangement - it is this extra negatively charged Oxygen atom that gives H2O2 its useful properties. H2O2 is used for many purposes including cleaning, bleaching, sterilizing, rocket fuel, animal feed treatment and in addition many miraculous claims about its health benefits have been made. This faq focuses on its use in horticultural applications. H2O2 is of great use for both hydroponics and dirt/soilless gardening.
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What Does Hydrogen Peroxide do?

H2O2 is an unstable molecule; when it breaks down, a single oxygen atom (O-)and a molecule of water is released. This oxygen atom is extremely reactive and will attach itself to either another Oxygen atom (forming a stable O2 molecule) or attack a nearby organic molecule. H2O2 will rapidly eliminate the Chlorine used in many municipal water supplies, as well as degrade any pesticides, herbicides or other organic matter that might be present. Well water is often high in methane and organic sulfates, both of which H2O2 will remove. Both the stable and O- forms will increase the level of dissolved oxygen. Increasing the DO in your nutrient solution will benefit the root system and be detrimental to harmful anaerobic bacteria such as pythium. Many disease-causing organisms and spores are killed by the free O- atom. The free Oxygen atom will destroy dead organic material (i.e., leaves and roots) in the system, preventing them from rotting and spreading diseases. H2O2 will help eliminate existing infections and will help prevent future ones. It is also useful for suppressing algae growth.

Over Watering

Both soil and hydroponic plants often fall prey to the same syndrome. Hydroponic crops often fail due to "root rot" and soil crops succumb to "over-watering." The actual cause is a shortage of Oxygen at the root zone, allowing a Pythium infection to take hold. In a soil system, the soil consists of particles, a film of water on the particles and air spaces between the particles. When too much water is put into the soil, the air spaces fill with liquid. The roots will quickly use up the dissolved oxygen within these pore spaces. If the root system has not absorbed the water within these pore spaces, air will not be able to enter and Oxygen within that space will become depleted. In a low oxygen environment, roots will begin dying within twenty-four hours. As the roots die, the plant’s ability to uptake water and nutrients will drastically decrease, and the plant will show symptoms of nutrient deficiencies (pale leaves, and slow growth). Plants will start to wilt (appearing water deficient) – at this point many growers will mistakenly water their plants! In a Hydroponic system, oxygen deprivation is often caused by high temperatures and inadequate nutrient circulation and/or aeration. High reservoir temperatures interfere with Oxygen's ability to dissolve into water. Temperatures above 70F (20C) will eventually cause problems, 62F-65F (16C-18C) is recommended. Oxygen deprivation symptoms in hydroponics are similar to that of soil - but at least you are able to check the roots. Healthy roots should be mostly white with maybe a slight yellowish tan tinge. If they are a brownish color with dead tips or they easily pull away there is at least the beginning of a serious problem. An organic, ‘dirt like’ rotting smell means there is already a very good chance it is too late. As roots die and rot, they remove Oxygen out of the water; as Oxygen levels are depleted even further. more will roots die - a viscous circle!. Reduced Oxygen levels and high temperatures encourage anaerobic bacteria and fungi, which attack the plant further mercilessly.

How does Hydrogen Peroxide prevent root rot & over-watering

Plants watered with H2O2 will experience extra oxygen in the root zone when the peroxide breaks down. This helps stop the Oxygen from being depleted in the water filled air spaces until air can get back into them. High Oxygen levels at the roots will encourage rapid healthy root growth. In a Hydroponic systems, H2O2 will disperse through out the system and raise Oxygen levels as it breaks down. Strong white healthy roots with lots of fuzzy new growth will be visible. This fuzzy growth has massive surface area allowing for rapid absorption of the huge amounts of water and nutrients needed for rapid top growth. A healthy plant starts with a healthy root system.

How to use/apply it

H2O2 comes in several different strengths: 3%, 5%, 8% and 35%, also sold as food grade Hydrogen Peroxide. The most economical is 35% which we recommend be diluted to three percent before using. When working with food grade H2O2, it is very important that you clean up any spills or splashes immediately, it will damage almost oxidize everything very quickly. Skin will be temporarily bleached pure white if not washed cleaned. Gloves are strongly recommended when working with any strong chemical. Food grade H2O2 can be diluted to three percent by mixing it one part to eleven parts water (preferably distilled). The storage container should be opaque to prevent light from getting in and it must be able to hold some pressure. If three-liter pop bottles are available in your area they are ideal for mixing and storing H2O2. There are twelve quarter liters (250ml) in three liters, if you put in one quarter liter H2O2 and eleven quarter liters (250ml) water in the bottle it will full of three percent H2O2 and the bottle can hold the pressure that the H2O2 will generate. Three percent Hydrogen Peroxide may be added at up to 3 ml's per liter (2 1\2 tsp. per gallon), but it is recommended that you start at a lower concentration and increase to full strength over a few weeks. For hydroponic applications, use every reservoir change and replace twenty-five percent (one quarter) every day. Example: In a 100L (25gal) reservoir you would add three hundred ml's (3%) H2O2 when changing the nutrient. You would then add seventy-five ml's more every day. [Editor’s note: high concentrations of H2o2 can be detrimental to organic additives (such as beneficial additives) and organic nutrient mixtures.]

Application: US Standard

1. 28*G/C= Liquid Oz's per day
Metric 10*L/C= Ml per day
Where; C= % concentration of H2O2 L= Number of liters in reservoir G= Number of Gallons in reservoir

Example: How much 3% H202 should I add to 7 gallons of nutes?
1. 28*7/3=2.986 Oz's each day.

Where to get it

35% food grade is called “food grade” because it has no toxic impurities. Of course your local hydroponics retailer or web stores have it (there may be shipping restrictions on high strength peroxides). The local feed supplier may have it in small towns. Prices range from fifteen dollars per quarter liter to eighty dollars a gallon. One gallon will treat up to fifty thousand liters of water. 3%5%, 8% Can be found at most drugstores or pharmacies, prices start at a less than a dollar for a one hundred-ml bottle that will treat one hundred liters.

Feed your head-stash

Food and water are two critical components to a successful garden. One of the simplest ways to increase the quantity of your harvest while maintaining quality is knowing the right times to water and feed. It doesn't involve mysticism by any means, but it does require a care and attention to learn the needs of your plants. When the plant is dry and thirsty, it needs water. When the root medium is heavy with moisture, it doesn't. This may seem obvious, but learning to zero in on the optimum times to feed and water is dependent on this simple fact. As with any other aspect of this industry, hands-on contact with the plants, and close attention to them, is of utmost importance. Different needs will present themselves in regard to feeding and watering times, depending on the amount and type of medium, the size of the plants, how recently they were planted or transplanted, the amount of light, heat and ventilation in the room, and other factors such as humidity and air pressure.
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Hydro systems

Hydroponic systems are usually automated and should have the simplest schedule to satisfy. Active hydro systems merely need the nutrient solution passed over the medium three or four times a day. This can be done by the disciplined hand, but a timer and pump will eliminate the need. Passive hydro systems allow the roots of the plant to reach the reservoir, eliminating the need for watering altogether. In both types of hydro systems, the reservoirs usually need to be topped off regularly, and the nutrient solution will need to be changed at least once every two to three weeks. This is to help eliminate the nemesis to all hydro systems: algae. Algae can clog hydroponic medium and its tubing. Algae, along with other pests such as mold, fungus and bacteria, are capable of blocking the aerobic quality of the hydro medium and suffocating the plant via its roots. These problems must be addressed immediately upon finding them. Better still is to take the necessary precautions to insure that they don't begin.

The optimum mix

Soil mediums, especially organic varieties, are the trickiest to learn to deal with. Regard the process as an ongoing education, and it will go fine. The difficulty is the many variables related to the problem. Depending on the "mix" of your soil, it may be heavy or light. Heavy soil is generally more moss than perlite and holds water longer. A lighter soil is generally more perlite or vermiculite, and therefore releases its moisture quicker. Learning to condition the soil you are working with is the first step to success. Different brands have different ingredients (and even the same brand may have different ingredients at different times). If you use the basic soil mix I recommend, where equal parts of perlite and coarse cut sphagnum moss make up about 70% of the overall mix, then you have the optimum mix. This mix seems to be the perfect blend for a regulated watering schedule.

Dry weight

Vegetating plants in small containers (two to four inch pots, or 16 to 24 ounce cups) may need watering as often as daily, others may be fine for a couple of days. Plants in larger containers (2 gallon and up) may go anywhere from three to six days between watering. The trick is in realizing when the plant is going to wilt, and watering it the day prior. This is done by physically lifting the plant container and judging its weight. The plant will suck its bucket of medium dry and then begin to wilt. Only experience can reveal what exactly the weight of the dry pot is. If a plant does happen to wilt due to drying out, check the weight of its bucket to see what too far is. We want to avoid wilting as much as possible, but a minor wilt is by no means fatal to the plant. I've seen wilted plants revived within twenty minutes when relieved of their thirst. However, wilting can also contribute to stunting.

Bottom feeding

After getting the soil mix down and learning the right watering time by the dryness, or weight, of the medium container, there is one more important tip to best maintain the proper watering schedule for your plants. I call this tip the bottom feeder method. Not merely because the method was perfected in a white-trash trailer park, but because it serves the nutrient and solution to the outside-bottom of the medium container. The solution is then sucked up by the roots through the holes in the bottom of the buckets. This method requires that the buckets be placed within the confines of a watertight container, such as a solid grow tray or a kiddie pool. The nutrient solution is then dumped or pumped right into the tray, watering many plants at once. It takes the plants anywhere from an hour to a few hours to soak up all of the moisture that they need. Individual mini-trays may be used for each individual container, but this causes much more tedium during watering. There are a number of trays, from large to small and of varying styles and sturdiness, available on the market these days. Some may hold a dozen small plants while others may hold twenty or thirty large plants. An entire grow room may be water-proofed as well. First, lay out a layer of 2-inch thick Styrofoam insulation panels larger than the intended pool. Next, a basic wood frame is constructed to the exact size of the desired pool on top of the Styrofoam. Finally, a swimming pool liner or landscaping pond liner is laid over the area and over the edges of the wood frame, after being fitted to the space. Plant containers may be placed directly in the pool and watered all at once. Please note that although this method allows the greatest ease of watering a large number of plants, it would be nearly impossible to judge exactly how much water these plants would consume in any given watering. Therefore, the garden needs to be checked a few hours after watering to see if the plants need more, or if the excess solution needs to be removed from the pool.

Less is more

The main focus of feeding should be the concentration and mix of fertilizers in the solution. I cannot emphasize enough that "less is more" when it comes to fertilizing plants. If too little fertilizer is used the only problem will be a slightly smaller yield. Too much fertilizer, however, is liable to ruin the entire crop. It is generally recommended to use less fertilizer than the instructions call for. Most fertilizer companies print their maximum allowed amounts for mixing. I like to use half of what the directions call for. This is especially true if one is mixing different nitrogen fertilizers. If two or more nitrogen fertilizers are used during the same feeding, then even a smaller ratio of each is needed. That is, if two nitrogen fertilizers are mixed together during one feeding, then only a quarter the recommended amount of each is needed to make the final concentration truly half strength. Nitrogen is the most commonly abused fertilizer additive, but this same logic should be applied to phosphorous and potassium concentrations as well. When the fertilizer concentration is low enough, then fertilizer may be added during each watering (except, of course, the last few weeks of pure water flushes). The plants should look like they are thriving if they are properly fed. The leaves should stretch up and out to receive the light. Their color should be bright and consistent with a shiny, healthy glow. New growth should be obvious daily, and the old growth should last as long as possible. Underfertilized plants will merely be slow or, at worst, small, but overfertilized plants may look burned or splotchy. The leaves may become curled, with unnatural looking colors from bright yellow to dusty brown. The stems may stretch and turn dark, or they may harden and solidify, stunting growth. All in all, an overfertilized plant will look unhealthy and deeply in need. If signs of overfertilization appear, it may be necessary to dilute the concentration with pure water. For one or two waterings flush the plants with water only, and see if the situation improves. There are organic soil additives on the market that eliminate the need for any extra fertilizer additives in the water. Many of these fertilizer additives are made up of harsh petrochemicals. The best organic substances I've found are bat and seabird guano and pure worm castings. Fossilized bat and bird guano come in a powder form, while pure worm castings are like a very rich manure. Both may be added to soil to enhance its nutrient level. Most indoor plants do not remain in the same container for any longer than two months. So once the right soil mix is obtained then water alone will suffice, or water with a B-vitamin supplement to help the plant best metabolize the nutrients available to it. Plants grown using this method produce some of the most outstanding flavors and desirable palate and head.

A tale of two gardens

A Tale of Two Gardens
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Liz started a garden to keep herself supplied with primo buds. She wanted an efficient low care system which would produce high quality buds without much effort. Since she did not have a lot of space to spare, Liz emptied a closet and prepared it to serve as a garden. She painted the 4'x4'x7' closet flat white and installed a heavy plastic tarp on the floor to prevent water spillage. She hung a 400-watt high pressure sodium (HPS) lamp from a hook in the ceiling with a chain so it was adjustable. A 20 lb. CO2 tank and short interval timer were placed in the chamber to inject the gas into it. A hole was made in the wall to vent an exhaust fan connected to a thermostate-humidostat. This was designed to keep the room termperature in the 70s and the humidity in the 50s. An oscillating fan was placed in the room to keep the air Circulating. (a negative-ion generator was used to control odor). Now it was time to start the seeds. Small rockwool cubes were placed in a tray and watered with a dilute solution of hydroponic vegetative growth stage fertilizer. The tray was drained of water so that only 1/4" - 1/2" layer remained. A seed and a label were poked 3/8" deep into each cube. The cubes were kept moist. The seeds, descendants of several varieties of Dutch seed, germinated in a few days and were ready for transplanting nine days later. The seeds were transplanted into round 6" diameter containers filled with pebble-sized crushed lava rock. The rock absorbs water and transports it through capillary action, much as a tissue moves water. Six containers were placed in each tray. An aerator was placed on the bottom of each of the five trays. Each aerator was attached to a gang valve which in turn was connected to a single small aquarium pump. The containers were watered from the top with a full-strength vegetative growth stage nutrient/water solution. About two to three inches of water was left in each tray for the lava to draw up, much like a wick. When the water level went down in the tray, unfertilized water was added.

Part 2

Last month, Liz transplanted into 6-inch containers. Liz's closet garden took off. In 30 days, the plants were 18" tall and growing very rapidly. Liz changed the fertilizer solution in the trays every 10 days and kept the light about two feet above the plants. She made sure that the water level in the trays was maintained at about two inches. During the month that she was away from the garden for a three and a four day stretch. Though the water level in the trays had dropped a bit when she returned, the plants were still healthy and doing fine. The plants looked vigorous and showed no signs of deficiencies. Shortly after these pictures were taken (sorry no pics), Liz turned the lights back to 12 hours to induce flowering.

Part 3

Liz's garden was in mid-flower. The buds were swelling and creating their characteristic definition. The Early Pearl and Northern Lights bids grew along main branches, developing their configurations, then swelling out. The Skunks were maturing slower, their buds growing large on the primary branches. The plants looked healthy with no sign of deficiency. They were growing fast and vigorously. The system continued working without a hitch. Liz added water to the trays as needed to keep a level between 1 and 2 inches. The fertilizer solution was changed in each tray every ten days. Liz changed over to flowering fertilizer when she turned the lights down to 12 hours. Still, the plants showed no signs of lack of nitrogen (N). Because of scheduling problems, Liz was unable to take cuttings off the plants until two weeks after turning the lights down. After taking the cuttings she placed them in the refridgerator for a few days until she had time to work on them. From bottom up, her cloning kit consisted of: + A small heating mat (sold in nurseries) over the wooden bookshelf + A plastic tray about three inches deep, filled with water + An aerator sitting at the bottom of the tray hooked to a pump + And an almost flat styrofoam plate salvaged from a fruit carton. (The plastic tray had melted into the mat a little, so it was replaced with a glass tray.) The clones were cut from the bottom of the plants. Liz trimmed them to about 2 1/2"-3", leaving only a few leaves at the top. She punched holes with a pencil and inserted the cuttings. The styrofoam held the clones in place. The water-nutrient solution contained flowering fertilizer at 1/4-strength and Olivia's rooting solution (a brand name). The heating mat kept the water in the tray at a constant warmth, in the low to mid-'70s. The aerator insured adequate supplies of oxygen to the stems. The flowering fertilizer was used to limit leaf growth and help stimulate root growth.

Part 4

Liz transplanted the seedlings to 6" pots about 90 days ago. Now half the garden has been harvested. The Early Pearls and some Northern Lights have blossomed, ripened, and been cut. This leaves some NL crosses, the Skunks, and Hash plant. Hash plant seems to be having a hard time flowering and probably needs a shorter light period The glands have filled with resin causing the buds to floresce. New pistil growth has stopped. The fan leaves are yellowing and dying, leaving the maturing buds naked. The tray and pot system worked extremely well. Liz now changes the water every two weeks and adds water as needed to keep the level at between one to two inches. the five-parts-lava-one-part-vermiculite mix stays moist through capillary action, but has large air spaces, so the roots always have oxygen. The water itself is aerated with a small fish-tank air pump. Roots have been growing out of the containers into the water trays. They look healthy and white. The clones, which were started last month, are now rooted, ready to be transplanted into the garden. They have been growing in a tray filled with water. They are supported by a styrofoam divider salvaged from a vegetable box. The water is kept at 75 degrees F. using a fish-tank thermostat-heater.

Part 5

Liz has harvested all of the plants in the garden, yielding between 6 and 8 ounces. She likes all of the plants, but especially the NL-Skunk crosses. Liz now has three growing areas. Her largest space, is the 4' x 4' flower room. Underneath this garden, she has built a small vegetative growth space which can handle either clones or plants which are less than 8" tall. It is lit using flourescent lights. This space is not being used right now, but will be soon. There are only a few clones left in the rooting chambers. The rest of them have been potted and placed in the flowering room, where they are being given constant light. Some of the plants which were harvested are also in the room. Most of the buds have been picked off them, leaving only leaves on a stem no higher than 12". The plants are expected to revert to vegetative cycle and then will be reflowered. The lighting cycle will be cut back to the flowering cycle of 12-on/12-off within a few weeks.

Part 6

All three of Liz's gardens are being used now. The rooting section, the stage two vegetative growth section and the flowering section have healthy plants. The rooting section consists of a glass baking dish filled with water slightly enriched with high phosphorous fertilizer. Styrofoam forms the float on the water, holding the clones in place. The water is aerated using a fish-tank pump and aerator unit. To promote rooting, the water is kept between 70-75 degrees F. using a plant heating mat. The second stage garden is where the rooted clones are fattened up before flowering. The space is lit by flourescents and allows the plants to get about a foot tall. The plants in Liz's main garden, where flowering takes place, are in early flowering and filling out. Most of these plants have already flowered once. After removing the buds from the plants, Liz let them go into a vegetative cycle by running the lights continuously. After a few weeks the flowereing cycle regimen of 12 hours light/12 hours darkness was reinstated. When plants are reflowered they tend to be very bushy. To eliminate small branches crowding the area, most are clipped off. Liz let most of the branches grow. As a result she has hundreds of flowering sites on each plant, but they are much smaller than they would be with fewer branches. Liz is away, so she has placed "water fountains" in her garden to make sure that the plants do not go dry. The reservoirs are designed to keep the water level at two inches. The water is stored in a 2-liter plastic soda bottle and travels through a small tube directly into the tray.