Marijuana Growers, Don't Fear Legalization

Hey folks, here I am back with another post. I know I am usually far and in between with my posts but you must know I don't blog just anything. I blog when the passion hits me. That means, it has to be important enough for me to address.

19.0 wet grams of Princess Diesel

Well, here we are in the United States, not quite on the advent of legalization but the movement is steady in that direction. We'll truly be on the advent of legalization when the US Congress starts having the guts to challenge the status quo. But, I doubt that will happen until this treaty business with the UN is addressed. But, I will address that at another time when all my information is gathered.

Anyway, there seems to be a major problem within the marijuana growing community in regards to legalization.

What?

Some folks simply don't want it legalized. We're not talking about the maniacs who've drinking that DEA juice. We're talking about the growers who are persecuted AND prosecuted by the very laws they want to protect.

Why?

Well, what really happens if marijuana is legalized? It means that the local and illegal market will have to contend with the world market as well as large money interests who can eye a new major industry.

In other words, COMPETITION.

It's easy when there isn't much marijuana to go around and millions of users. You can pretty much charge what you like. If you're a student of business, as I was (BBA in Marketing), you understand that price can dictate demand if there isn't enough product to go around. However, demand will dictate price if there is too much product on the market. When marijuana is legalized in the US, you're going to have entire nations clamoring to supply this hungry market. The situation reverses.

The idea of paying $50 to $65 for an 1/8th (3.5 grams) of marijuana is out of the window.

But, is it?

Absolutely not. I want to let my marijuana growing friends know that it isn't out of the window at all. The game just changes. And, you will have to learn to adapt with those changes. Let's look at the tobacco market which, I believe, is identical to what a marijuana market will look like if and when legalized.

Sure, you have companies like Marlboro who sell cigarettes by the ton. But, what do they do to that tobacco? That's right. We all know that story. The tobacco industry tuns tobacco into smokable bullets. Take enough hits and you will die. It's as simple as that. However, who says you have to buy tobacco from Marlboro?

I always remember going to Nat Sherman in NYC on 42nd Street. It's an amazing tobacco shop. They don't sell crap either. I don't smoke tobacco at all. However, if I did, Nat Sherman would be the only place I would visit. You go inside and you see jars of loose tobacco on the counter. It looks like a dispensary would look like today. As old as Nat Sherman is, I'd bet they were the model for many of these marijuana dispensaries today. But, they sell tobacco.

Simply put, there are pockets of tobacco aficionados out there. And, I know this doesn't alleviate your fears but let me show you why you shouldn't be fearful of a legal marijuana market. Keep reading...

Ounce of Mexibrick schwag.

At the same time, you have Mexican drug cartels who sell marijuana by the ton. We all should be familiar with Mexican grown marijuana (see pic). It's basically the same as corporate tobacco - mistreated and trashed. And, who exists among those large corporations to bring customer high quality marijuana??

YOU EXIST!!!

Just as folks at spots like Nat Sherman don't care for the low-cost poison that companies like Marlboro deliver to communities around the US, we don't care for the low-cost poison that Mexican drug cartels deliver around the US. Just like Nat Sherman, you will and have always targeted folks who could afford, and would pay for, a high quality product.

Will things change? Absolutely. But, the change simply means you'll be able to come out from hiding. You will find it easier to attract better clientele. It's like the wine industry, the cheese industry, the beef industry and so on. They all have low quality producers and high quality producers. Someone looking forward to a nice wine isn't going to the corner liquor store for some Yellow Tail.

If you want to stay competitive in the future, worry about the quality of your own product. Don't worry about the large corporations, the Mexican drug cartels, or nations in Asia, Africa, and so on. They'll all be thinking about high profits by increasing production and cutting costs. That means, just as they do with tobacco now, they'll gladly shred up seeds and stems in your future marijuana cigarettes as well as poison them.

They won't be able to produce a high quality product like you and therefore won't be able to compete at your level nor for the same customer base. It'll be the right of the people to choose their poison. And the same market that goes after high quality marijuana right now will be looking for you tomorrow. This is why I say worry about the quality of your product.

Do you think the likes of Marlboro can compete with this when marijuana is legalized?
They can't even compete with other quality tobacco today!!

Also, differentiation and specialization will become important. Since we may be a few years away from legalization, it's not a bad idea to shed the European breeders and start some breeding programs of your own right here in the US if you haven't already. For example, I grew out some Princess Diesel. But, who can't get Princess Diesel through a quick visit to the Reservoir Seeds or some other seed site. Imagine if I had a strain of my own. Sure I could grow out other stuff. But, this strain would be mine and no one would be able to grow it but me.

So, stand out even more by creating your own strain and stabilize the phenotype (grower talk). We have a few years before marijuana is legalized. It won't hurt to start now. Just make sure that when you're finished, you keep seeds in a safe location for the future.

Read More

Homegrown: Fears of Marijuana Growing

First, I want folks to understand that this is geared more toward the personal marijuana grower. These are people who grow under 10 plants at the most. So, I don't go into the problems of a commercial grower. However, a lot of what's said in this post will definitely apply to a commercial grower's concerns.

Intro to my world

Ever since I decided to grow my own marijuana, I've gone through many of the fears and paranoia of growing marijuana. But, I didn't hide from the fears. I chose to investigate them. I wanted to know the reality of the situation. Growing marijuana is not legal and can result in jail time. But, there are so many marijuana growers in the United States that get away with it eventually. So, I wanted to understand it thoroughly. The best way to do that was to actually do it. So, from my fingers to your eyes, allow me to alleviate your fears.

Please ask questions if you don't understand how to proceed about something.

The number one fear of any marijuana grower is, of course, getting caught. We always see someone getting caught in the news. Law enforcement tends to make a big deal over every marijuana grow they get their greedy little hands on. I always take the time to read those articles because I find those gems of security information to keep me aware. In other words, how in the hell did they get caught? From those lessons, I either add to or reinforce the knowledge that I have learned.

The best way to think about security is to draw three circles, one inside the other, with yourself as the core. Each circle represents a security concern. The inner circle represents your control over the grow room itself. The middle circle represents the home and includes close friends and family.The outer circle represents your community.

Let's start...

Core: YOU

As a grower, your job is to be responsible for no one within those circles to reach the core. You're responsible for a clean running grow room. You're responsible for any friends and family that you entrust with knowledge of your activities. And finally you are responsible to anyone else who finds out that you grow. So, change your way of thinking.

Recklessness will get you nowhere.

Inner Circle: Is your grow room snitching on you?

In a grow operation, you'll have a lot of things going on - lights, fans, pumps, and so on. These can all be security concerns. It comes down to the planning and strategy of the grower. Just having the right space is a concern. Other concerns include lights which are bright and give off heat. Fans make a lot of noise. Odor control is major issue which can invade the home which is a bad thing if cops are at your door step. Electrical fires can happen with those Home Improvement/Tim Allen types who aren't careful with wiring.

Usually, in the news, you hear about growers getting caught due to their own carelessness. Some homes are dead giveaways because the rooftops weren't covered with snow during the winter due to the heat from the lights. Neighbors can smell your marijuana from inside their own homes. Someone may see a bright light that comes on at the same time every day. All a concerned neighbor saw was smoke coming from the basement so they dialed 911.

All of those lines are examples of things to keep in mind when growing. So, conceal the light, vent the heat, clean the air, and be very careful. You don't want your grow room to snitch on you. Pay cash! Rip off barcodes/labels when done. Don't stop there. Keep thinking of everything else you can do to keep your grow room from snitching.

Middle Circle: Home, friends, and family

The number one rule in marijuana growing is don't tell anyone.

Unfortunately, this rule is always broken and probably leads to the most problems for marijuana growers. Human beings are social creatures. We do something, we talk about it. Marijuana growers are no different. We can't live alone like some hermits. We have friends and we come from families. Law enforcement counts on that. The police will go after your friends and family like any criminal organization looking for blood. Keep your friends and family safe, and especially yourself, by simply keeping your mouth shut about what you're doing.

Usually in the news, you'd hear about some grower going down because someone, an informant, told on them. It could be a jealous friend, an angry lover, a greedy partner, and even a "concerned" family member. Don't tell anyone anything. Even if they seem cool at first. Things can change. Things always change. The best kept secrets are the ones you keep to yourself.

Although I try to remain approachable, I advise potential growers to join a marijuana growing forum - International Cannagraphic. You can get the best advice there from growers with way more experience than me and communicate anonymously.

Outer Circle: The Community

Unfortunately, we do not live in this world alone. It is important to be a good neighbor, employee, father/mother, etc etc etc. People are very suspicious, especially those suburban, conservative types. If something seems out of place, they will complain. A neighbor who never seems to be home or outside will arouse suspicion in a small community "where everybody knows your name." Employers do drug tests and coworkers will take notice if you don't act like everyone else.

The point is to keep up appearances as much as possible. You want to create an image for the community that if someone smelled something or saw something, they'd be willing to talk to you before outright dialing 911.

If you feel that you are not up to this.. perhaps it's too much to deal with in your situation, then definitely postpone any growing until you feel you are in a comfortable space. For example, since this economy has basically been trash, I have a few friends who have moved back home with their parents. Another friend lost her house to foreclosure. They're all interested in growing but want to be in a better situation - their own place. Some rather have a house because they're worried about inspections.

A few more things
When I say ask questions, get an assessment of your situation. For example, those friends in an apartment waiting to get a home, you want a portable grow box. Simply put, you build a wooden box to whatever dimensions you need and outfit it to grow. Then you put wheels on it. Inspection day is here? Wheel it to a different location. Or, if the build was incredible, you wouldn't need wheels because you could simply leave it in plain sight. It's all about planning and strategy.

Lastly, no one gets caught from good police work. If that were in the news, I'd have to make sure I was reading the actual news and not some comedy. It's hilarious. The police do not work. You will not hear a case where police infiltrated some network, went undercover, etc etc etc. I can't recall a marijuana grow operation that wasn't busted due to growers violating these unspoken rules. The last few cases I could think of were grower mistake - grower got caught smoking in the car, grower got pulled over for a busted tail light, grower's house burned down due to electrical fire from grow room, and grower got caught after partner ripped off the grow to make it look like a robbery leaving the grower with liability. You stay within the circles and you'll be fine.

Read More

Homegrown: The Future of Marijuana

Although this occurred to me a long time ago, I've yet to give the concept its true attention.

DEA targets marijuana grow operations at a cost of some $12 billion every year. Local cops purposely create pseudo-war zones in urban communities with minority targets. Criminals destroy one another in search of a piece of the pie. Politicians stand by twiddling their thumbs as people are murdered in the street. Bullets flying from both directions. Marijuana users can't find decent marijuana at a fair price.

The best option to put a stop to all of this pain is legalization.

But, you have law enforcement building lies upon lies to protect their easy jobs. Lawyers salivate over marijuana cases because of the ease in prosecuting marijuana cases. Large companies put millions behind pro-prohibition candidates to keep marijuana competition from being legitimate. By being tough on easy marijuana crime, politicians can pretend to care about their constituents.

It's clear to me that the movement toward marijuana legalization is a perfect example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Then again, the details of this situation prove to be a less difficult scenario. Criminals work with law enforcement because most times, law enforcement are the criminals. So, the immovable object and unstoppable force become one and the same. That's the current nature of this war on drugs. This is why it's failed.

But, that's aside from the point.

All of these people have their own loyalties whether it's to their own riches or to someone else. That's the nature of humanity. We really only care about ourselves individually. And, this is what what I appeal to with my marijuana using peers.

You see.. the criminals only care about making money. Law enforcement only cares about statistics. Politicians only care about getting votes. And, those random prohibitionists only care about who they can tell what to do. We all know, behind closed doors, the prohibitionists are doing the worst.

The solution becomes simple. What's the best way to stay away from criminals? What's the best way to keep off of law enforcement's radar? How do we go about keeping those random prohibitionists out of our business? How do we get politicians to do something about marijuana legalization?

Answer: Set up your own personal grow room/box.

The main problems most people have with growing their own marijuana is fear of being caught. Rippers may find your stash and try to run off with it. Cops may show up at the door to investigate a noise. And, there are always nosy neighbors who smell or hear something. There's a lot to be concerned about. But, all of these concerns can be addressed.

There's a reason many people grow their own marijuana and get away with it. I'll tell you how it's done next time...

Read More

Seed Sites Need Marijuana Porn

I am sure many of my (3 or 4; lol) readers has visited a site that sells marijuana seeds. I know I visit them all the time. The next strains that I have my eyes on include Brainstorm and Mazar. I have some history with Brainstorm. And, Mazar, as I've read, is supposed to be an aphrodisiac for the ladies.. heh heh heh.

That's neither here nor there...

The problem that I have with these sites is how they present the images of marijuana or marijuana porn. Most times, I can't see shit. If you ask me, all the images might as well be the same save for the major differences in color from purples to deep greens to orange hairs and so on.

When I visit sites for specific strains of marijuana, I don't even bother looking at the pictures. I already know their small. I'll see them because they're there but I am always disappointed. I want BIGGER pictures and I want to see more pictures as well. While the descriptions are usually incredible, bigger images are still good for folks to see just what kind of buds can be grown.

Beyond that, who doesn't love some great "marijuana porn".

Well, I'll quit bitchin'. I figure it's better to lead by example. Unfortunately, I don't have a site for the purposes of selling marijuana seeds since I don't sell marijuana or the seeds. However, I do have some killer pictures of Princess Diesel. So, if I had a marijuana seeds to sell, I'd present the strain like...

	Princess Diesel Breeder Reservoir Seeds Environment Indoor/Outdoor Flower Time 8 to 9 weeks Description The Grimm's Ice Princess meets Rez's Sour Diesel. Fat, quick plants that finish at 56 days,with superb yield and specifically bred for lower odor, for the stealth indoor grower with odor control problems. Grower Testimonials "PD had a lemon diesel fuel/cleaner smell as well." -Anon "We called it "giggle weed" as it put a major grin on our faces for hours." -Anon "Seems like the Sour Diesel is dominant." -Anon "She's a pretty resistant strain putting up with my newbie grower mistakes. Can't wait to see what the smoke is like." -Anon Price I don't sell seeds. This is just an example!! HA!

Now, go visit some sites that sell marijuana seeds. They're expert growers, seed breeders, with award winning strains. The descriptions speak a lot. They make a lot of money. Why can't they put up a decent picture of the marijuana that they're trying to sell? Wouldn't you, as a potential customer, like to really see what the seeds you're about to buy can put out? I know I would like to see better images.

Read More

It's All About The Magic Beans

Of Growers and Genetics

A lot of marijuana growing is in the genetics - the magic beans or the seeds - that you use. Quality genetics matched with a competent grower can bring you very incredible marijuana.

Check out this picture of the Deep Chunk strain:
If you don't know what you're looking at, it's definitely marijuana that's producing THC at an amazing rate. But, also notice the deep green and waxy reflection of the leaf. That's a sign of incredible plant health which is a sign of how an incredible marijuana grower was matched with incredible genetics. Even if the genetics were sent by God, it takes an amazing grower to push that plant to its best. Yeah, that's just nice!

Usually when you smoke marijuana, you're smoking the clusters of flowers or the buds which usually contain the most THC. Sometimes leaves will produce a little THC but nothing serious and that Deep Chunk is serious.

What to do with quality genetics?

So, you want some of those quality genetics - Deep Chunk, Cinderella 99, Black Domina, Mazar, Afghani Bullrider. Maybe, you're already growing and you've got some quality genetics - Jack Herer, Sour Diesel, Super Silver Haze, Grand Daddy Purple - but you're running low or you want something different.

So, you go get those magic beans, now what - just grow them out, dump the males, let the females flower so you can smoke?

HELL NO. YOU MAKE MORE MAGIC BEANS.

Female marijuana plants are the ones that produce high levels of THC. Males produce THC at incredibly low levels; so low, they're not worth keeping around. Therefore, marijuana growers are taught to cull or destroy the males once identified. Males, just like humans, will pollinate the females. A pollinated, or "knocked up", female will produce seeds. The problem is that the energy the female plant would use to produce THC is diverted into producing seeds. So, it makes sense to get rid of the males.

However, anyone who has purchased seeds knows how troubling it can be to get those seeds in the US. You can lose your money in many ways or even go to jail if the delivery is intercepted by federal authorities. And, the amount of money you lose can be substantial. Seeds can cost between $50 and $400 per pack with only 5 to 10 seeds each. The higher the THC, the more popular the strain, the higher the price.

With all of that in mind, wouldn't it make sense to make more seeds when you get your pack of quality genetics? It's not hard to do. You simply have to let the males and females do what they've been doing for thousands of years. That 10-pack of Jack Herer you purchased from Sensi Seeds for well over $200 can easily turn into 200+ seeds.

From that point on, you can start a seed collection of your own, share with friends to increase your collection, and give seeds to other people. Get a large enough collection of seeds and you might be able to start your own seed business. I sure as hell need to boost my own collection and I'd be more willing to buy locally than from afar.

Read More

Marijuana Growers Were Newbies Once Too

Usually when we hear about these marijuana grow operations,. we hear about, or see video, of the good ones. With indoor grow ops, we see these complicated setups - tubing, meters, lighting, buckets or tables. With outdoor ops we see these huge trees, some standing upwards of 9 feet tall or 9 feet in diameter.

When I first started growing, I got excited and inspired by these setups, especially indoor grow ops. It gave me encouragement but I still didn't have all the know how. I had the access to information but nothing will ever replace the knowledge you gain from experience. You don't gain experience from growing perfect marijuana every time. You learn more by making mistakes and grower error.

I want to show people - that are interested in growing marijuana and even those that may have lost faith in their ability - that we all make mistakes because we were all new at this job at some point. Even the professionals, some with 5 to 30+ years of experience still make mistakes.

Here are some great errors admitted by marijuana growers [I'll let you know why, if it's not obvious]:

"I remember my brother's first attempt at hydro. It was a damned mess. He was hot gluing everything instead of using grommets and tubing. Eventually, it ended up with him flooding the damn bedroom and you could see wet spots in the ceiling of the garage above the room lol."

"My big error was using tape on a water pump that was too damn strong for one dripper ring. I walked into the room and just heard that empty water pump sound. I ran to the closet to see an empty bucket. Luckily it was only about 2 gallons of water total. I unplugged everything just in case and used a lot of towels."

"First several times I tried to grow with 100W incandescent bulbs. Other'n that, I got nothin'."
[Incandescent bulbs, or regular light bulbs, do not have the right spectrum of light that will promote plant growth]

"I've heard of people that are convinced their herb tastes like grapes not because of the strain but because they pour in a gallon of grape Koolaid the last week of flower."
[Usually people who don't know much about marijuana either make up or believe made-up stories of how marijuana gets its scent or flavor. Different marijuana strains have their own natural scents and flavors. Sometimes some scents match those already in nature, some desirable, some not. For example, who wants their marijuana to smell and taste like a skunk?]

"When I first went indoor, I couldn't fer the life of me get em to flower. Mel Frank and High Times helped me feel like an idiot. 12/12 huh...who knew???"
[12/12 refers to the light cycle of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark to mimic the changing season. 12/12 signals the plant to start flowering or growing buds. Marijuana won't show buds indoors unless you signal it to do so.]

"I remember my first 'real' indoor grow (8 x 4' flouros mixed cool/warm) back in 93 or 94. "You can tell if you have a female by the sets of two white hairy pistils that originate at the base of a branch in a calyx" "preflowers can be seen much sooner, and you might need a magnifying glass"...was what the text read. Little did I know you couldn't see them when the plant was two or three sets of leaves tall! LOL. My god, I was right in there with my face looking for the 'preflowers' trying to figure out if I had boys or girls! After a few weeks of wondering, I saw my first sets of preflowers and I was hooked! Thanks, now I have to go back to my corner..." [Preflowers]

"I got a couple good stories about a buddy of mine out here. I gave up on trying to help him because he just doesn't like to listen. 1# He use to stab the dirt through out his whole grow to aerate the soil. I told him don't do that you are killing the roots. Still didn't listen, **** knew best!!!! 2# He use to cut off all the leaves in about the 5th week of flower. Said lets more light reach the bud. Said this way he would get bigger buds, Because the buds need more light than the leaves. Don't want big leaves just big buds. I love this guy but his head is thicker than the walls out here."
[First problem is obvious, I think. The second problem is that the buds do not support themselves. The fan leaves are the light gatherers and process the light, air, and nutrients for the buds, THC, seeds, etc. In other words, YOU NEED FAN LEAVES]

"...sold a newb a 10" can fan that he wanted to use to exhaust a 10'x10' bedroom.. Told him it was overkill for the room and he needed at least double the surface area of the fan for intake.... A big f'n hole lol. he didn't think so, thought the small gaps around the door was fine. Couple days after runnin the fan it sucked the bedroom window right off the frame into the room onto his plants hahahahaaa.. best lessons learned are the hard way I guess."
[Negative Pressure]

"When I first got my 1k set up going...I was trying to cut corners an had a vast supply of boxes that were 10 inches deep an were 7x7inches around...they were cardboard so I lined with 2 thats right 2 plastic grocery store bags....was my first encounter with black mold....lol"
[Cardboard and moisture is a breeding ground for black mold which can cause/aggravate asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia]

"I was told by a friend, that shwagg seeds grow shwagg plants, dense, compressed brown nugs......according to him....he saw a shwagg plant lol."
[example of what can be done with schwag seeds]

"I once thought that a 2k room didn't need any cooling in the summer, with temps hitting the mid 40s Celsius. Had a nice bubba S1 clone that produced great looking buds with no smell and practically no high, musta cooked all the volatiles and cannabinoids right out of them...lol"
[2k refers to 2 kilowatts of light which gets pretty hot. This could have been worse than what occurred. Please make sure to use proper ventilation in any grow room.]

"Heres one I heard few years ago....some dude was going out of town for a week an asked a buddy to feed an water his girls...second day into it the friend mistakes ph-up for being a nute an gave em all a healthy dose of ph-up...couple days later entire dead crop..lol"
["pH up" is used to balance the pH (acidity/alkalinity) of hydroponic solution. Proper pH is important to aid in the plants uptake/absorption of nutrients. Too high or low will cause "nutrient lockout".]

Don't think you can't do it because you don't have a green thumb. Don't get discouraged because your first, second, or even third attempt failed. It's the mistakes that teach you the most important lessons. So, don't be afraid to admit your humanity by asking questions or getting information if you need help. Tens of thousands of growers around the world go in and out of marijuana growing forums just so they can help others. And, it's all free of charge. Dust yourself off and get dirty again.

Read More

Dumb Cops, Ignorant Media Exaggerate Marijuana Value.. AGAIN

Did you guys think I was lying about dumb ass cops and the media that help them spread their garbage in my last post?

Read: Marijuana, the New Gold Rush

Here's another one to sink your teeth into. Let's go...

Marijuana operations shut down

It seems cops in Texas have found the ultimate marijuana grow operation in the world to date. Even I've never heard of marijuana grown this way. You won't believe what the cops said..

"Plants grown this way shoot up rapidly and produce plants free of stems and seeds. The dried leaves produce a high dollar drug. "Street value would be around $6,000 an ounce," explained Kerss, who also invited in the DEA and Texas Rangers into the investigation."

Well, slap my ass and call me Susan.

I'll be damned if the idiots actually found a marijuana plant with NO FUCKING STEMS. And, if you think that's a misquote or typo, the cops continue to say that it will be worth "$6,000 an ounce". Yeah folks - leaves, roots, and no stems. Technically, they didn't say anything about roots or even buds. It's no wonder this marijuana has a street value of 6,000 per ounce. It doesn't have any damn stems. The THC level must be around 200% too.

INCREDIBLE.

And, your tax money was spent saving us from whom?

"So far, deputies have charged Charles Thomas Smith, Timothy Gillispie,63 and Daniel Poirier,54 all of Nacogdoches County with engaging in organized criminal activity."

Yeah folks, the DEA and Texas Rangers were called into this "amazing" haul by the local idiots to save the American people from 3 senior citizens! Ok, I'll be fair to the local, state, and federal authorities here - 2 senior citizens and 1 almost senior citizen. I wonder if that makes the "authorities" feel better about what they're doing with their lives.

And, what exactly did they find at this amazing marijuana grow operation?

"The alleged growers of marijuana were into hydroponics. Only one lush marijuana plant was found."

HA.. HA.. wait, I can't breath.. AAAAHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA. THAT'S IT?!? ONE PLANT.

How many cops from how many different agencies spent how much tax payer money for ONE plant?

Well, to be fair, it was quite a nice operation they had going on from the video - very well kept home and property, top notch equipment, and a nice hydroponic setup. I see the grow lights, the mother room.. shit.. they even had the meters to keep track of pH and ppms and so on. By the quick look at the nutrients, it seems they were growing organic.

The good thing about organic growers is that they are naturalists for the most part. They won't use unnecessary or unnatural products. They won't give you anything that they won't use themselves. It was a high quality operation, very clean.

When marijuana is legalized, I hope these guys get out and start up their farm again. It was impressive. It's the kind of the model that indoor commercial growers should probably follow. We need more growers like that supplying the consumers.

Til then folks, GROW YOUR OWN.

On another note, I don't think I can just leave this without giving some honorable mention to the idiotic media, KTRE and, the author of this stupidity, Donna McCollum. Without their propagation of infinite stupidity and lack of journalistic integrity, people are lead to believe that marijuana can possibly bring them $6,000 an ounce. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to believe that marijuana can grow without stems... WAIT.. Donna McCollum and KTRE was stupid enough to run that line in this fairytale.

$6,000 an ounce... aaaahhhh hahahahahaha.. SO STUPID.

Read More

Overgrow, the Marijuana Movement!

A few years ago, there was a website called Overgrow. Overgrow was THE largest website in the world for marijuana growers. You could find growers of every level and walk of life - small, personal grows to large commercial operations to breeders; recreational and medical; all races, ethnicities, creeds, and religions. If you were a marijuana grower, you knew about Overgrow.

Unfortunately, Overgrow was shut down along with many other sites. That event sent the marijuana growing world scrambling. People were concerned because it wasn't just a shut down, it was a raid by Canadian police. They had taken servers and were basically hunting down people. Some were caught, most weren't.

Cannabisworld.com and Overgrow.com Seized By Police via High Times

Fortunately, marijuana growers were able to regroup on other sites and continue growing. They finally understood what was going on. They internalized what happened to them and their friends - their marijuana family. And, they got pissed.

The shutting down of Overgrow and all these other sites stoked fires in the hearts of growers around the world. Overgrow became an ideology, a battle cry. Marijuana growers weren't just growing marijuana anymore; they were overgrowing the government. Overgrow, the ideology, is a giant "FUCK YOU" to the government and the special interests that seek to keep this plant out of the hands of the people.

Overgrow has become the idea that the people will continue to grow marijuana in spite of all these attempts to kill it. We will grow so much marijuana that it will be completely impossible to keep it out of the hands of the people.

And, it's working.

So many people around the world use marijuana on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the laws in most countries don't allow marijuana growing or use. Just as unfortunate is the reality that some of these people do end up indirectly supporting a violent element in society. The people aren't to be blamed for this. A government that supports prohibition is a government that supports violence and demonizes an entire swath of their own community including their own friends and family.

It's these people, the users, that are becoming the marijuana growers. They understand the same things that I understand

• Marijuana is safe to use
• Marijuana is easy to grow on your own
• Growing marijuana is safer than buying it on the street

It's my pleasure to support these users by showing them how easy it is to grow your own marijuana for personal use. I've never grown commercially. I've never sold marijuana either. But, I have, and will continue, to help others grow their own marijuana cheaply and safely away from violent people, badged or not. It's my way of fighting prohibition where common sense and even precedent has failed. It's my way of fighting the greed and lies that keep marijuana from being legalized.
It's my way to OVERGROW.

Grow marijuana, save a life!
Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Read More

Grow marijuana, save a life!

The Problem

In this war on drugs, it has become apparent to me that stupidity and greed have always been at the forefront. The smart guys are the drug dealers. They make billions yearly while entire police departments and federal authorities pat themselves on the back because they found a ton of marijuana or raided a marijuana grow op(eration).

It's sad because they pose in these photos with huge smiles on their faces not realizing their "contribution" to the drug war amounts to absolutely nothing. That ton doesn't even scratch the surface. That indoor grow op or large field of cannabis means nothing. Those millions of plants, hundred thousand users, thousands of dealers, and hundreds of homes adds up to only 5-10% of the total drugs that get into the hands of waiting consumers.

That's barely enough to put a dent in the pricing of marijuana and other drugs. And, believe it or not, that's less than the expected loss for drug dealers. The drug dealers have more faith in the police catching them than they deserve. Anyone who's invested 10 minutes in the debate already knows the absolute lack of usefulness of local police and federal authorities. It's pitiful.

Truthfully, there are some truly dangerous people on both sides of this war from overzealous cops that murder old ladies in their own home (Kathryn Johnston or Alberta Spruill) to drug cartels that are responsible for mass graves. The typical marijuana user is truly caught between a government-issued assault rifle and drug cartels' mad men.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and hard place! Incredible.

The Solution

While the best option at this point in time is to legalize and regulate drugs, especially marijuana, it doesn't seem as though that will happen anytime soon. Very few politicians have the guts or the brains to make the right or smart decision. And, most are being paid off anyway. $50,000 to a senator's "campaign" is more important than saving the lives of innocent people, so it seems.

(only marijuana is important to me at this point)

While we wait for hard working organizations to fight for common sense drug policy, the solution, albeit temporary, is for the users to grow their own marijuana. The reasons for growing your own marijuana are numerous but I am interested in saving lives. If you grow your own marijuana, you save your own life as well as the lives of friends and family by:.

• maintaining quality control over the substances you may use or distribute (ie. lacing - roach spray, cocaine)
• running a small grow op that will fly under the radar of overzealous, violent police/feds who want the big busts
• not supporting violent drug cartels

Just a bit of advice

Growing marijuana is not hard to do. All you need are the seeds. From that point, any garden shop and tomato growing instructions will help you grow marijuana. There are books available along with DVD's and online guides and forums with so many supportive growers that are willing to help you. You don't need a college course in botany even though some schools in California offer that kind of education.

In fact, I'll help you. Start here: Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Don't be afraid to start your own small, personal marijuana grow op. Here are some risks of growing marijuana and why you won't be at risk with a small op:

• Snitching: the #1 rule of marijuana growing is not to let others know.
  
  • However, so many people grow, use, support marijuana that telling people what you do becomes a non-issue. In fact, many of my friends know that I grow. It's a recipe for disaster but even the ones I've mad angry over the years haven't turned on me or turned me in. I can even count a New York City police officer as one of the people that knows I grow. He smokes marijuana as well so he can't wait to try out my next crop. It's amazing. He smokes every where and every day and whips out his badge like a get out of jail free card. This is because most NYC cops smoke marijuana as well.
  • Then again, shit happens. So, keep your mouth shut. The only person who can snitch on you is YOU!
• Electricity: a dead giveaway is your electric bills sky rocketing overnight.
  
  • However, a small marijuana grow op naturally uses a small amount of electricity - a bump that always goes unnoticed. Remember police are looking for big busts. So, a 200-400-watt per day bump is not going to alarm anyone. It's the 1000-watt per day bumps coming from small apartments that raises eyebrows. Even homes can get away with a 1000-watt bump because homes take up considerably more electricity on average. The bigger the house, the more you can get away with.
• Smell: we all know marijuana has a strong odor.
  
  • However, with a small grow op, all you need is a typical room air purifier. This won't raise the kind of suspicions a large carbon scrubber (activated carbon air purifier, usually custom made) would raise.
• Noise: a dead giveaway for a large grow op is the noise from humming fans to whirring electrical ballasts to water and air pumps.
  
  • While a small grow op will need all of these items to function properly, they would be considerably smaller, causing considerably less noise. A simple air conditioner can cover any "unusual" sounds coming from a small marijuana grow op.
• Heat: A tactic used by police/feds to find marijuana grow ops is the use of infrared sensors. They look for the high heat signatures that come from high intensity discharge (HID) lights.
  
  • By nature, a small marijuana grow op will either not use HID lights or use smaller versions of them. They do not generate the type of heat that would alarm a police department that uses that kind of technology (search: FLIR). For example, a 125-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL), while inferior to HID lights, is nearly cool or mostly warm to the touch while a similar HID may burn your finger.
• Paper Trail: Police may look for purchases in your financial records that may lead them to clues you're growing. Imagine spending $10,000 at a garden shop and not purchasing any seeds. However, a small marijuana grow op can cost as little as $300 and lower depending on how small you want to grow.
  
  • You can also NOT leave a paper trail by paying cash for everything. It's a small grow op so carrying upwards of $500 isn't going to attract attention.
  • Another idea is to spread your risk. Instead of buying all items from one place, purchase from different places and have friends purchase items for you. You can also spread your purchases over time.
  • Create a list of all the items you think you need. Find a different store that may carry specific items. For example, Home Depot carries light timers. Pathmark carries plant fertilizer. Kmart carries flowerpots. Pet stores carry air stones and air pumps as well as tubing.

I don't want to say that a small marijuana grow op is completely secure. Nothing is ever completely secure. However, you're much better off with a small marijuana grow op. Besides that, you learn how to grow marijuana.When it's legal, you can definitely opt to grow on a larger scale.

Last word

Small grow ops can be small in height or number. For example, we could grow quite a few plants in small space using 100 watts of CFLs or we can grow maybe 4 to 6 plants up to 5 feet high in a closet using only 250-400 watts of HID light. Other methods exist for maintaining small marijuana grow ops as so many people do it this way to stay under the radar. And, they do it because it works.

Read More

Pres. Anthony's Marijuana Q&A #002

Intro

Well folks, here I am back with a few more good questions from you budding marijuana growers.

But, before I continue, I want to make sure people understand that there are hundreds of thousands of marijuana growers right here in the United States. Many of them are on forums like ICMag, ready and willing to help teach folks, like yourself, exactly how to grow marijuana safely and securely from criminals and cops alike. You can also purchase books like Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook: The Indoor High Yield Guide or Jorge Cervantes's Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Growers Guide.

So, join the forums and get the books. I can answer questions some of your questions but I am not the best authority and I am only one guy.

On to the Questions & Answers

Anthony,

I found your blog while looking up some growing tips and ideas for "grass". Please see the attached pictures and tell me what you think.

In summary, the first pic is about 4 weeks into growing. I germinated the seeds and planted them (2 plants) in 1/2 liter pots. I've got two growing now. The second and third pics are after trimming the roots a quarter-inch and repacking in miracle grow potting soil (basic $5 bag). The age at these pics are about 6 weeks +/-. As for growing conditions, these are growing in South Texas, average daily temperature is 90-101 degrees, humidity anywhere from 20-40%, UV indexes of 7-9 daily, and light winds. I've been giving the plants 1 1/4 cups of water per pot each day except until recently. I had to move the pots to a secret location because of neighbors. The pots are still out in the open but now receive about 10 hours of sunlight due to their location; they're behind a large rock that blocks their sunlight from about 4pm-7am.

It's my first time growing - now that I'm out of school I can focus real time on doing this. I'm tired of buying and want to grow a SMALL amount for personal use. I'm extremely intrigued by your micro-scale plants (the soil grown 1-ounce plant is amazing! that's what i'm shooting for). If you could give me some advice on what i've got growing now i'd really appreciate it as well as where to begin growing those 1-oz. plants. As I said I'm in about the 7th week of growing and i need to know what to do now. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Your plants look very healthy.

The issue with the light isn't so bad. It's more important that the plant receive at least 12 hours of darkness or sleep. 10 hours of light affects the plant by making it mature faster but the yield will be lower. Essentially you're on a sort of 22 hour day. Although, it's not ideal, it's ok. On the other side of the coin, if you were indoors, you could extend the hours of light and increase yield as long as the plant gets the minimum of 12 hours of sleep. But, of course, it would take longer because you would be on a 26-hour day, for example.

Since they are outdoors, you don't need to feed them so often. Just make sure the soil is damp, even allow it to dry out a bit at the top. They sell soil testers at garden shops for pretty cheap. I got one for $5 about 2 yrs ago. Or just shove your finger deep in the soil to make sure the soil is moist.

Marijuana is a very strong and hardy plant. The best growers will tell you to simply leave it alone and let nature handle it. The worst growers are the ones who interfere too much. The best advice I can give you is to just let them grow and learn what you can for next time.

As far as the 1oz grow, it's more of a hobby of some growers who just like to show off their ability and have a little fun. I use it as an extreme example of how we can grow at home without worrying about 9 foot tall plants. Those pics don't belong to me.

Hi. I started growing weed and didn't think it would acually work. Now I have 4 little small plants and one big one but the problem is 3 of the small plants are in the same pot and close together. Can I do anythingy about it? The big one is also in the same pot of the 4th one and now the big one has outgrow the little one by alot and i need help. I was considering growing again and doing it the right way. Can you give me any tips. I did the first ones outdoors. Should I grow my new ones indoors?

Well depending on how big the flower pot is, they might be able to hang out there if you're keeping them small. But, I'd advise transplanting them to separate pots with fresh soil immediately. The roots most likely will get tangled as it grows so try to separate without doing to much damage.

Let them grow out and see what happens. You can only learn from this point on anyway. As far as tips, get a book on marijuana growing by either Jorge Cervantes or Ed Rosenthal and there are other authors as well. And, sign up at icmag.com. You'll get help from hundreds of other growers as well. While you're reading and getting a better idea of what's involved, you can continue with what you have now, scrap and start over, or start another bunch of seeds.

As far as the next grow, I'd do it inside because the grow season has already begun outdoors. It may be a bit more work but there's nothing better than having a higher level of control over your grow. Also, you don't want to get spotted by nosey neighbors, someone passing by, or cops in helicopters. If you're gonna take that chance you better know what you're doing.

Good luck. Stay safe.

I was wondering if there is any type of heating lamp that is the best to get?

No problem. You're not looking for heating lamp but the lights you would want do get hot. The "big boy" growers use HID lights which include HPS (orangish) and MH (bluish). Since you're just starting out, go for CFL lights because they stay pretty cool and are cheaper. The drawback is the light isn't as strong so your final amount will suffer. Check out BGHydro for grow supplies. They've got it all.

Read More

Pres. Anthony Answers Questions

Well folks, there are a lot of growers out there full of questions and needing some serious answers. And, here I am doing my best to answer them.

Can I get a plant with a little bud on it in a month time by growing for 1 month then do 12on/12off last month?

No. Any plant or even life form has to go through its natural processes. Asking or hoping for a plant to be done that quickly is like asking for a child to be born at the age of 18. You can't rush this stuff. Just let nature take its course. The fastest a marijuana plant will grow depends mostly on the genetics of the plant. Even the fastest growing plant I've heard of would take maybe three months. And, that's still the case even when cutting corners.

Hey I'm a new grower and I guess I planted too early because I am going into bud stage. They are out door. Will it continue getting taller through the summer even though it started budding? White Widow x Bubble Gum. It's good stuff but I'm worried that it wont get any bigger.

It's difficult to answer this question honestly. I am not an outdoor grower but I have read up on it. Also, I don't know the area nor the weather fluctuations at the time and that all affects the plants. Chances are you did plant too early. You have to give the plant time to get some hardiness so that it can withstand the elements. Remember, indoors, you control just about everything. Outdoors is a different monster. Moving from indoors to outdoors will shock the plant. So the first week or so, it may not show much. If the plant is young, it may take even longer as it's roots will need to grow as well. Give it some time and let's hope they aren't in too much shock.

My plant the widow/gum produced leaves with only one leaf on them, if that makes sense. There's over 12 hours of sunlight why are the buds getting bigger and not the plant?

It's possible that the plant is "auto flowering". Some plants will flower automatically. Also, it could be the case that the plant may have been so stressed that it's going into self-preservation mode. That means it will produce both pollen sacs and buds - hermaphrodite - and pollinate itself so that it can stay alive.

Do these little plants still produce seeds?

Absolutely. Plants will be plants.

My leaves are yellow. What am I doing wrong?

Yellowing leaves can come from a number of different problems. It's hard to say without pictures of the leaves. Make sure you join forums or buy a book so that you can identify some problems yourself and adjust accordingly.

How often should I root prune my plant?

Root pruning shouldn't be done often at all. Once at the most and only if absolutely necessary.

My widow/gum plant still hasn't grown an inch, the buds have, but its a pretty pathetic little plant. I've heard that plucking the buds off will make it grow but the plant is basically 1 bud it will surely die if I did that. Any suggestions on how to get some growth going.

It sounds like it's a wrap for this little plant. Don't waste time with it anymore. Don't be discouraged either. I know a grower that didn't get it right until his 4th try. Each step he stumbled on was a number of lessons learned. Now he's growing some damn good Super Silver Haze. So, start over and try again.

How long would it take to grow the small plants you display on the top? And would this be a good start for a first timer? If so, what are the specific steps in order to do this? Like you said, there's so many variables to growing, and so many ways to do so. What were the specific steps you took and items you used to grow those nicely done small scale plants.

First, I didn't grow those plants. The plants displayed at the top are for hobby/fun purposes. I believe those plants may have taken approximately three months to grow. Remember a plant is a plant from the smallest weed to the tallest tree. They all only need air, earth, and water.

Is medical marijuana different than normal weed, or is it normal weed but they just call it that because its not used for recreation purposes but rather used medically to relieve anxiety/pain or whatever. As in if somebody bought weed from a person and smoked it because they needed to relieve stress, is this technically medical marijuana or no?

Well there is really no such thing as normal weed. There are different strains of marijuana and they all can affect us in slightly different ways. So each strain is rather unique. But, to answer your question, it is just marijuana that's used for medicinal purposes. There's no special or specific medical-only marijuana. If you're using for medicinal purposes, you have to find the right strain that works for you. For example, Michelle Rainey suffers from Crohn's disease. She uses, mainly, Afghani Bullrider to help her cope. That strain is good for her but it may not be what is preferred by someone else with or without the same disease.

This is just an example of the various people who want clean, safe, high quality marijuana. I won't stand behind medicinal users or act as though I am a medicinal user. But, I think I speak for all marijuana users when I say people want their marijuana. Unfortunately, the black market has control over marijuana so it's difficult getting marijuana safely from nickel and dime thugs and criminal cops alike.

Remember, the future of marijuana under prohibition is small, quiet, personal grow operations. We can continue growing marijuana in peace and not fall into the trap of supporting this failed War on Drugs by buying Mexican cartel trash weed nor paying government taxes used to wage war on ourselves.

Grow your own.

And, don't forget to join those forums and buy those books. I don't know everything, obviously. And, I won't always be able to respond in a timely manner. Don't let me be your only source of information. Keep growing.

Read More

Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Grow Your Own Series

1. Intro
   What to expect and what not to expect from the Grow Your Own series
   
   
2. Buying Equipment
   Some "rules" regarding buying equipment
   
   
3. Item Lists/Seeds
   Actual equipment/gear for growing marijuana, how it's all used, and a note on buying marijuana seeds
   
   
4. Let's Grow Something
   Discussing the general life cycle of marijuana from seed to ash and perpetual growing
   
   
5. Back to Security
   Reminder on maintaining security once you're already set up and growing

Other Grow advice

1. Managing Small Plants
   Although growing small plants is more of a hobby, there are a lot of useful skills that you may use in managing a larger garden.

Essential Knowledge

• Books
  Every good grower should have some literature handy for quick reference. Try Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible by Jorge Cervantes
  
  
• Marijuana Forums
  I can't tell you everything. A book can't even tell you everything. But, thousands of growers on a marijuana forum should be able to tell you anything. Join one. Try International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums. Sign up, read the forums while you wait for approval, ask questions only if you can't find the answer through a search.
  
  
• Local, State, Federal Laws
  Never do anything unless you thoroughly foresee, understand and accept the consequences of your actions. Growing marijuana is still a crime even in California. As long as you can be prosecuted for it by someone, it's a crime. It's best we all know and accept that reality. Sure, we can go into a whole debate on it and I'll agree, under the US Constitution, it is legal. But, guns and money run the United States, not the US Constitution. When you have DEA agents with assault rifles pointed at you and your family, you won't have a chance to debate anyone legally. And, your chances surviving court are slim to none. Know your rights and the law. If you know what they can and will do, you won't act recklessly. Find out what the laws are in your state.
  

I will be updating this from time to time.

Read More

Grow Your Own: Back to Security

So, you've got your equipment from various places. You didn't raise any red flags. You've started growing and your first crop was AWESOME. You even rolled a 2-gram joint of your own homegrown and it had you floored.

Do you think it's over? I hope not.

Security continues to be an issue from odor control to police visits to nosy neighbors to friends with big mouths.

Treat your home in layers like an onion.

The core is the marijuana. The closest thing to the core is YOU. First rule of growing marijuana is to keep your mouth shut. No one needs to know what you're doing. If you have to tell someone, expect to bring them in on the action in some way. A good friend will help you out in more ways than one. You keep him in good weed and he'll be an extra set of eyes, ears, hands, and muscle. But, keep in mind, you can't fully control your friend. If anything happens, it was your own bad judgment that pulled him through so many layers.

The next layer is the home itself. You have to do everything you can to maintain the security of the home. The number one offender is odor. The only person in control of odor is YOU. So, if you feel you need to backup or double-up on your odor control, do it. Spend the extra money if you have it. It's worth it in the long run. Make sure all of your wiring is properly done as well. You don't want any fires to happen.

After the home is everything that can happen outside of the home. Nosy neighbors may bring pesky police. Thieves may find your grow op and you'll never get rid of them once they know. So, you have to approach this problem from all sides.

• Be a good neighbor. Lots of grow ops get popped because neighbors pay attention. Having no neighbors raises a red flag. Someone may come to welcome you to the neighborhood and no answer. Notes left go unanswered. Something's wrong. Good neighbors respond. Go to neighborhood meetings and so on. Keep your lawn and backyard clean. Good neighbors don't raise red flags.
  
  
• Be vigilant. Increase your security against prying eyes - physical and digital. Police will not have a problem trespassing in your home or even sending some civilian in there to find something. Get some security cameras for your property to keep an eye on things. This way if some weird person shows up at your home, you'll know to at least be on alert. Surveillance scares both thieves and police.
  
  
• Never keep anything in your car. I know so many people who keep small pipes in their car or rolling papers. Don't do it. One slip up and that could land you in jail.
  

Know your rights. A lot of marijuana growers get caught by their own activities or words in front of police. Think about your answer, be clear, be precise. Don't give more than what they asked. Remember, "you have the right to remain silent (5th Amendment)" and anything you say "can and will be used AGAINST you in a court of law." In other words, there is nothing you can tell an officer that will help you in a court of law. Police are not there to help anyone. They are there looking for crime. If they have to make it up, they will.

Check out Barry Cooper's Never Get Busted. Barry Cooper is a former Texas interdiction officer that was considered Texas' #1 drug cop. You don't get that distinction by being bad at catching people. Barry Cooper basically saw the error of his way and

Read More

Grow Your Own: Let's Grow Something

Now that we know how and where to buy our marijuana growing supplies, it's time to get some...

Marijuana Growing Education

There are three main phases to growing any plant - germination/seedling, vegetation, and flower. I'll get to harvesting, drying and curing at the end. I'll also add a bit about perpetual growing which is really the second best part of growing. The absolute best part of growing is, of course, smoking your hard work.

Marijuana's time schedule depends heavily on the strain and the grower. Overall the time can be anywhere from 2.5 months to 6 months. Indica strains are usually faster growing than sativa strains by about 4 weeks. Hydroponics is faster than soil by about 2-4 weeks. I can rattle off a million examples but it doesn't matter. You've got to find your perfect strain and perfect growing method. It's al up to the grower.

Lighting, air, and nutrients are important issues. Remember, we are trying to mimic nature.

During germination, the seed will need complete darkness and a warm place as if it were in the earth during Spring when this warm up.

During the seedling and vegetation phases, the plant will need a lot of light to mimic those Spring/Summer days and plenty of nutrients. This is why you'll need a light timer because you can't expect to be there to turn the lights on and off appropriately. You can set your timer to 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark. Some growers use 24 hours of light straight. You'll stay in the vegetation phase for as long as you like, typically 2-4 weeks.

Flowering occurs when the normal day/night cycle is about even - during the later summer through the fall finishing in the early winter - 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. You'll be in flower from as little as 4 weeks to 12 weeks depending on the seeds you have.

Germination/Seedling

This phase simply covers the first week or so from seed breaking out of its shell to sprouting a taproot up to the first set of true leaves. This will all happen in the first 7 to 10 days. There are many ways to germinate a seed. Personally, I like the tissue paper method.

1. Wet some tissue with warm water
2. Fold about 5 to 10 seeds in that tissue
3. Place the tissue in a plastic bag or baggie
4. Leave it a dark and warm place
5. Wait 24-48 hours for the seeds to pop
6. When you see about a 0.25 inch of taproot, place it in your media (dirt or rockwool)

You'll come across other methods online, many are good. I've tried them all and don't think there are any that don't work.

The seed will provide enough nutrients for the plant to grow in this phase. They will look like bean sprouts at first. After you've planted them, you'll see the top of the sprout, open up with these rounded leaves and green up within a few hours. You've given birth to a seedling. YAY, but it ain't over! As the grower, simply water the seedling and let it "eat" its own resources. The plant will use this time to grow its roots into that complex web you may see weeks or months later. You'll know the plant is ready for feeding when you see the first set of true leaves. Proceed with a very light nutrient solution, 10% of the recommended dose.

The germination phase will take place over a 2 to 3 day period. The seedling phase will happen over the next 4-5 days.

Vegetation

The seedling phase is pretty much over when you start feeding. This is when the plant will begin to show vigorous growth. You can start feeding your marijuana and just let it grow. Remember to mimic nature - plenty of light and air.

If you're in soil, make sure air is flowing through because those roots need to breathe. That means do not overwater or else your roots will be sitting in mud. The roots will use up all available oxygen after which they will suffocate. So, make sure to have set up good drainage.

If you're in hydroponic solution, make sure your air stone, tubing, and air pump are all working together to keep that water full of air for the roots to use. And, make sure your hydroponic solution is healthy. Don't be afraid to change out the water and so on.

At the end of vegetation we come to flowering. You'll reach the end of vegetation when you want. A marijuana plant can stay in vegetation for long time. Since, flowering is dependent on you, flip your light timers to "12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark" aka 12/12. Now, you're in flower.

Flower

This is where all the fun begins. You'll spend another week or two as the plant transitions into flowering. Growth hasn't stopped, it's just changing tracks, so to speak.

Instead of building more roots and leaves, it's going to start getting prepared to procreate - pistils and pollen. You will be able to tell a female marijuana plant by its pistils, sometimes referred to as the "hairs". They'll be white and coming out of a sort of tiny pouch called a calyx. The pistil catches the pollen which then slides into the calyx. The seed process begins and the calyx is the "womb" for that seed. They're small but visible. On the other hand, the male will start showing pollen sacks aka "balls" because they hold "plant sperm" and they're kind of round. Get rid of the males. Remember, they have no THC. We want to concentrate on the females.

At this point, you want to just let the plant keep doing what it's doing. Keep the top layer and rootzone healthy and the plant itself properly fed.

The females will start to grow buds which is just a collection of calyxes with pistils. The fun part starts when those buds and the surrounding leaves start producing THC in what are called trichomes which look like tiny poles with a ball on top. They are much easier to see with a microscope which I hope you've purchased from the list of items to get. You'll be relying on it in a minute.

Harvest, Dry, and Cure

You can tell when the marijuana is ready to be harvested by looking at the color of the trichomes. At this point, it's all about the trichomes. Trichomes start off clear. As the plant matures, they become cloudy and eventually turn amber or yellowish-brown. You want to harvest around when most of the trichomes in a sample have turn mostly cloudy with a touch of amber.

There are benefits to pulling a plant earlier than later. Without getting into the different sciences that apply, pulling marijuana a little early may benefit those looking for a "head high". Pulling marijuana a little late may benefit those looking for more of a body high. However, don't full assume this is how you get the difference between a head high and body high. The real difference is in the type of marijuana you are growing but pulling a little early or late does help depending on what you want.

Once you're happy with your plant's progress, cut her down. You have to prepare the plant for drying. Mold is your enemy here. Mold likes warm and humid places. Stagnant air only helps their process even more. There are many methods to drying but hanging them upside-down in a cool, dark, dry, airy place does the trick. Depending on how much marijuana you have, this may take weeks. But, we're growing personal and if you don't have too many plants, it may only take a few days.

Pull a sample bud from your plant. Record the weight. I hope you bought your scale. You'll know when you're plant is dry when that bud's weight is about 20% of the original weight. It will go down quickly. You don't want it to go down too fast however, too slow may bring problems. Just remember to keep air flowing and the area dry. You may want to check your buds from time to time just to make sure they're ok.

After you've reached that all important dry weight, this is where you want to cure your marijuana. Curing is not necessary to smoke the marijuana. Once it's dried properly, it's smokeable. Curing is important because it brings out the taste and flavor of marijuana. Curing has other benefits as well. You cure by keeping your marijuana in large containers. Whatever moisture is left in the buds will become equally distributed throughout the plant matter, drying out some parts and rehydrating others. You don't want completely dry marijuana. It will be like dust and harsh to smoke. A little moisture is good for a smoother smoking session.

A Word on Perpetual Growing

Perpetual growing is simply a way to grow marijuana in its different phases, concurrently. Remember the processes that marijuana goes through - seedling, vegetation, flower, and harvest. While one plant will experience all of these processes in order, this does not mean that all of your plants have to go through it at the same time.

Let's "walkthrough" a typical grow period of 4 months or 16 weeks.

• Week 1: Germination/Seeding
• Weeks 2-6: Vegetation
• Weeks 7-14: Flower
• Weeks 15-16: Harvesting/Drying/Curing

To run perpetually, look at the longest grow period which is the flowering for 7 weeks. You could be germinating and vegging plants in that time period since it's only 5 weeks. So, when you move your first set to flower, you've got 2 weeks to rest and start a new set of seeds. At the end of the flowering time for the first set, you can immediately move the second set into to flower. You've just shaved 5 weeks off the initial 4 months. You can't rush flower but you can start a third set in another 2 weeks.

It's easier to view the process on a calendar

• 01/01: Germination/Seedling
• 01/08 - 02/05: Vegetation
• 02/06 - 03/19: Flower
• 02/20 - 02/27: Germination/Seedling of 2nd set
• 02/27 - 03/20: Vegetaion of 2nd set
• 03/19 - 04/02: Harvesting/Dry/Cure
• 03/21 - 05/09: Flower of 2nd set
• 05/09 - 05/23: Harvest/Dry/Cure of 2nd set

As we can see, the time between the harvests of the first and second sets of crops is less than 2 months (April 2 to May 23) as opposed to 4 months if we started the cycle again from Week 1. If we continue to run the veg, flower, and harvest at basically the same time, the next crop will be ready to smoke by July 13th and September 3rd. In this way, a grower can literally pull 5-6 crops every year as opposed to 3 crops the regular way (April, August, December).

Read More