In an attempt to quantify and render repetitive my technique, I relate the method depicted here. I do this because one of my friends asked me: "How in heck did you do this?" OK, he didn't say "HECK". I'll start with H. D. It stands for HIGH DEFINITION. It is a title I coined to briefly describe the concoction of specific nutrients I use during the growth and bloom stages. Here it is:
During the growth stage I use ADVANCED NUTRIENTS 'FLORA NOVA GROW' @ 8cc/gal.
That's all. If you provide maximum light, air, adequate moisture and keep the temperatures under control nothing else is required. You grow the plants to the height you want before entering the 'bloom' stage. The height of the plant will mainly be controlled by the size of the containment vessel. For instance: Growing in your standard 2X5X7 tent requires the maximum height of the growth stage be limited to 24 inches. The plants will double that height during the bloom stage leaving a comfortable 15 inches between the plant top and the 600 watt HPS lamp when finished. A 3 gallon pot is perfect. By the time the plants finish flowering the containment vessel will be root bound and pretty mostly used up. If you have an 8 foot tall tent then 4 gallon pots may be used and a total plant height of 68 inches is possible with a corresponding increase of bud size and quantity. The quality will be unaffected if all other variables remain constant.
It is during the Bloom stage where the magic is done. I start with the ADVANCED NUTRIENTS 'BLOOM' formula at 8cc/gal. The same company makes both the FLORA NOVA GROW and FLORA NOVA BLOOM formulas. BTW the formulas used here are for COCA soil. There are hydroponic formulas available from the same company.
To that mix I add: SENSI coca BLOOM parts A & B at 4cc/gal. Nitrogen, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate & Potash are used in large quantities during this stage. By the way, part of the Nitrogen component is provided by Urea. Urea is a constituent of Cattle urine, & people too. It's is sterilized so don't fret.
(I'm not recommending you pee on your plants, but you could in theory. I think that technique might be used by some farmers out doors in remote areas. What do you think?) For me? I don't like buying institutional pot. I never know exactly what I am getting when I buy Marijuana from the dispensary. It is scary. Some one might have peed on it, or some animal. It's something to ponder while visiting the little tile lined room. That is one of the main reasons I grow indoors. There are no birds to randomly fertilize my crop with their droppings. No thanks.
I also add: "BUD CANDY" at 6cc/gal during the first 6 weeks of bloom.
It is during the last 14 days prior to putting the girls on a straight water diet I add 'OVERDRIVE" at 8cc/gal. All of this comes from the same company and all of it is mixed together. It seems like a lot of trouble but it is worth it. Your buds will be sweeter tasting and more potent. The BUD CANDY adds the critical Magnesium component during the bloom stage. At week 6, 2 weeks prior to flushing, the addition of OVERDRIVE to the existing nutrient mix provides the necessary Phosphate & Soluble Potash. The addition of the OVERDRIVE at the last two weeks of nutrient causes the buds to gain more weight and is characterized by the darkening of the flowers and thickening of the resins. After two weeks of that, no more nutrients are necessary. Now the necessity is to remove all vestiges of the nutrients from the soil and provide pure water only. The nutrients are nice for the plants but you won't want them in your finished product. The last step is to purify the plants. This process is started with a through flushing of the soil with fresh water.
After a through flushing, (somewhere around week 8), the last two times the plants are watered it should be with water only.
You might think the difficulty is determining when to perform these steps. It isn't really. Remember, all nutrients mentioned here except the OVERDRIVE are added together. the OVERDRIVE added to the mix during the last two weeks of watering before the flushing. You will most likely harvest at week 9 or 10. This allows about 14 days with two or three watering with pure water just prior to harvesting. Finally, I let the soil begin to dry out a little and register at the lowest part of the yellow scale on the moisture meter before removing the plant from the pot, commencing the drying process. I have been told by experienced growers the deprivation of moisture during the last 3 days before harvesting instills a sense of urgency to the plant causing it to increase resin production while simultaneously increasing the substance of the resin it makes, making it thicker in consistency thus more potent. The final stages are critical. It is a good idea to acquire a good jewelers loop preferably an illuminated one. Look at the buds on top of course but also observe the state of the buds midway down the plant. Don't be in too much of a hurry to harvest. I know, the smell will drive you crazy with desire. Hold off for a couple days until the middle of the plant begins to cloud the resin, then harvest. This particular strain was called GOLD LEAF. It was named that way for a reason. When the preponderance of leaves turn golden, you're ready to harvest. The golden leaves are one of the unique characteristics of Robert Bergman's Gold Leaf strain. All of these signs happen simultaneously and are indicative of the successful completion of the life cycle process. This method describes my HIGH DEFINITION process during the time the plant is connected to the root system. After separation from the root system the second part of the H D process continues with specific steps.
It doesn't end there. Resin production continues for a couple days after harvesting. The cutting of the stem causes a shock wave of urgency to the plant and it begins to consume the remaining water and Chlorophyll in the plant to make the resin as potent as possible, (so as to protect the seeds she thinks she has). The rest of the HIGH DEFINITION process involves additional specific steps which need to be performed during the drying process. The depiction of which will be related in a future blog. It is during the first 4 days of hanging upside down when the temperature, humidity & airflow must be carefully controlled. The aim is to prolong the death process as long as possible to give the plant time it needs to finish the seed protection process, while avoiding mold.
Stay tuned.
WAIT! There is a disclaimer I forgot to mention. I grow indoors in a tent. There are constraints which govern the size of my crop which I tried to depict here. This technique may not work out doors for you. For that I refer you to experts like my neighbor who grows out doors and have worked out all the inherent bugs associated with that endeavor. I end with the usual statement: Your results may differ.
During the growth stage I use ADVANCED NUTRIENTS 'FLORA NOVA GROW' @ 8cc/gal.
That's all. If you provide maximum light, air, adequate moisture and keep the temperatures under control nothing else is required. You grow the plants to the height you want before entering the 'bloom' stage. The height of the plant will mainly be controlled by the size of the containment vessel. For instance: Growing in your standard 2X5X7 tent requires the maximum height of the growth stage be limited to 24 inches. The plants will double that height during the bloom stage leaving a comfortable 15 inches between the plant top and the 600 watt HPS lamp when finished. A 3 gallon pot is perfect. By the time the plants finish flowering the containment vessel will be root bound and pretty mostly used up. If you have an 8 foot tall tent then 4 gallon pots may be used and a total plant height of 68 inches is possible with a corresponding increase of bud size and quantity. The quality will be unaffected if all other variables remain constant.
It is during the Bloom stage where the magic is done. I start with the ADVANCED NUTRIENTS 'BLOOM' formula at 8cc/gal. The same company makes both the FLORA NOVA GROW and FLORA NOVA BLOOM formulas. BTW the formulas used here are for COCA soil. There are hydroponic formulas available from the same company.
To that mix I add: SENSI coca BLOOM parts A & B at 4cc/gal. Nitrogen, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphate & Potash are used in large quantities during this stage. By the way, part of the Nitrogen component is provided by Urea. Urea is a constituent of Cattle urine, & people too. It's is sterilized so don't fret.
(I'm not recommending you pee on your plants, but you could in theory. I think that technique might be used by some farmers out doors in remote areas. What do you think?) For me? I don't like buying institutional pot. I never know exactly what I am getting when I buy Marijuana from the dispensary. It is scary. Some one might have peed on it, or some animal. It's something to ponder while visiting the little tile lined room. That is one of the main reasons I grow indoors. There are no birds to randomly fertilize my crop with their droppings. No thanks.I also add: "BUD CANDY" at 6cc/gal during the first 6 weeks of bloom.
It is during the last 14 days prior to putting the girls on a straight water diet I add 'OVERDRIVE" at 8cc/gal. All of this comes from the same company and all of it is mixed together. It seems like a lot of trouble but it is worth it. Your buds will be sweeter tasting and more potent. The BUD CANDY adds the critical Magnesium component during the bloom stage. At week 6, 2 weeks prior to flushing, the addition of OVERDRIVE to the existing nutrient mix provides the necessary Phosphate & Soluble Potash. The addition of the OVERDRIVE at the last two weeks of nutrient causes the buds to gain more weight and is characterized by the darkening of the flowers and thickening of the resins. After two weeks of that, no more nutrients are necessary. Now the necessity is to remove all vestiges of the nutrients from the soil and provide pure water only. The nutrients are nice for the plants but you won't want them in your finished product. The last step is to purify the plants. This process is started with a through flushing of the soil with fresh water.
After a through flushing, (somewhere around week 8), the last two times the plants are watered it should be with water only.
You might think the difficulty is determining when to perform these steps. It isn't really. Remember, all nutrients mentioned here except the OVERDRIVE are added together. the OVERDRIVE added to the mix during the last two weeks of watering before the flushing. You will most likely harvest at week 9 or 10. This allows about 14 days with two or three watering with pure water just prior to harvesting. Finally, I let the soil begin to dry out a little and register at the lowest part of the yellow scale on the moisture meter before removing the plant from the pot, commencing the drying process. I have been told by experienced growers the deprivation of moisture during the last 3 days before harvesting instills a sense of urgency to the plant causing it to increase resin production while simultaneously increasing the substance of the resin it makes, making it thicker in consistency thus more potent. The final stages are critical. It is a good idea to acquire a good jewelers loop preferably an illuminated one. Look at the buds on top of course but also observe the state of the buds midway down the plant. Don't be in too much of a hurry to harvest. I know, the smell will drive you crazy with desire. Hold off for a couple days until the middle of the plant begins to cloud the resin, then harvest. This particular strain was called GOLD LEAF. It was named that way for a reason. When the preponderance of leaves turn golden, you're ready to harvest. The golden leaves are one of the unique characteristics of Robert Bergman's Gold Leaf strain. All of these signs happen simultaneously and are indicative of the successful completion of the life cycle process. This method describes my HIGH DEFINITION process during the time the plant is connected to the root system. After separation from the root system the second part of the H D process continues with specific steps.
It doesn't end there. Resin production continues for a couple days after harvesting. The cutting of the stem causes a shock wave of urgency to the plant and it begins to consume the remaining water and Chlorophyll in the plant to make the resin as potent as possible, (so as to protect the seeds she thinks she has). The rest of the HIGH DEFINITION process involves additional specific steps which need to be performed during the drying process. The depiction of which will be related in a future blog. It is during the first 4 days of hanging upside down when the temperature, humidity & airflow must be carefully controlled. The aim is to prolong the death process as long as possible to give the plant time it needs to finish the seed protection process, while avoiding mold.
Stay tuned.
WAIT! There is a disclaimer I forgot to mention. I grow indoors in a tent. There are constraints which govern the size of my crop which I tried to depict here. This technique may not work out doors for you. For that I refer you to experts like my neighbor who grows out doors and have worked out all the inherent bugs associated with that endeavor. I end with the usual statement: Your results may differ.
