The hashish plant has existed on this planet for hundreds of years. Nevertheless, resulting from criminalization in the USA, analysis into agricultural finest practices has remained restricted. Traditionally, novice marijuana farmers primarily relied on word-of-mouth to be taught their vegetation develop finest.
The underground nature of hashish cultivation has allowed many myths to permeate the tradition. And whereas there may be some fact to sure previous wives’ tales, like harvesting at evening when the temperatures are cooler to guard unstable terpenes, lots of the surviving fables are removed from accepted truth in 2022.
We took a more in-depth have a look at 10 common hashish cultivation myths — learn on to search out out in the event that they’re truth or fiction.
Drying vegetation the wrong way up will improve bud efficiency
Hanging hashish cola down through the drying part is really useful by specialists, however not as a result of it boosts THC ranges. It merely helps retain terpene and cannabinoid content material by slowing down the method, giving remaining chlorophyll and sugars the right time to be damaged down. This permits for a extra even remedy, and a greater total smoking expertise — however gaining extra THC merely received’t occur.
“Efficiency might be decided by the plant’s improvement at harvest time,” stated Invoice Levers, a legacy grower turned author and co-founder of Beard Bros.
“The one factor you may do from there to lower THC is by dealing with it incorrectly. We like to hold the entire plant the wrong way up however one in every of our causes is in order that the sugar leaves will dry across the buds and defend them till trimming.”
Important quantities of phosphorus are required to develop hashish
Phosphorus is a vital nutrient for all vegetation, selling vegetative development. However overdoing it on the mineral throughout feeding is not going to do a grower any favors. The truth is, an excessive amount of phosphorus could make buds harsh to smoke; many cultivators level to this as a purpose to flush vegetation prior to reap.
“It’s actually all about sustaining steadiness,” Kurt Kinneman, a Wisconsin-based cultivator and proprietor of Kinnektion Products, stated of nutrient feeding. “Along with doubtlessly damaging the vegetation, feeding an excessive amount of of 1 particular person aspect could cause the vegetation to lower their consumption of different vitamins they want.”
Residing soils result in failed microbial checks
Stopping the event of pathogens and mould is a vital a part of the cultivation course of, particularly since a failed take a look at can spell catastrophe for a complete crop. Residing soils do comprise micro organism, serving to to spice up a plant’s immune well being very similar to the microbiome within the human digestive system.
“Residing soil really protects the plant,” explains Northern California grower Ryan Harner, additionally a gross sales govt for Boveda. “The synergy between all these pure components creates a pure protection in opposition to dangerous micro organism and fungi.”
Harner provides the vast majority of microbial points happen resulting from poor hygiene or overly humid circumstances in drying, curing, and storage environments.
Extra vitamins imply larger, higher vegetation
Enough fertigation is among the most necessary elements of marijuana farming, however very similar to the phosphorus fable, an excessive amount of of something isn’t a superb factor. Many novice marijuana farmers get overzealous with their feeding, a standard mistake that may really result in nutrient burn or lockout, a kind of plant stress that when not addressed can kill vegetation totally. Early warning indicators embody yellowing of leaves or a extreme darkening of stalks and branches.
Michelle Underwood, aka MissRadReefer, an indoor rising knowledgeable and proprietor of Rad Reefer Company, echoed Kinneman’s sentiments concerning steadiness.
“Much less is often extra. Vegetation want many issues to develop massive and powerful and supply bountiful fruits. Vitamins simply fulfill one position of many wanted, together with daylight, carbon dioxide, quantity and frequency of water, together with correct temperate and humidity. Merely including extra vitamins can typically result in what growers name a nutrient lockout,” she stated.
Hashish is a creature of behavior — any deviations from its common schedule will solely result in bother.
Including fruit to your soil can impart new flavors
Relating to the best way hashish tastes, it’s all in regards to the terpenes — not the grime the plant was grown in. Terpenes are compounds present in all vegetation, answerable for their distinctive aromas and flavors. In hashish, these molecules additionally assist drive the general results of every cultivar.
Genetics decide the terpene profiles of any given pressure, and whereas particular person outcomes might fluctuate relying on components like environmental circumstances, placing additional fruit within the soil is not going to improve terp percentages or assist hashish vegetation produce new flavors.
“Microbes (in soil) can improve the terpene profile,” famous Ted Blair, proprietor of Humboldt-based CannaCountry Farms. “However mixing up fruit and throwing it down? No.”
There’s just one proper setting for hashish cultivation
There are a whole lot of opinions within the broad hashish neighborhood about which setting is finest for cultivation. Outdoor, indoors, greenhouse — every has its diehard devotees. However the fact is that each sort of operation has professionals and cons: out of doors flower tends to be extra sustainable and better in terpenes however requires extra bodily labor, and the cured buds might lack bag enchantment. Indoor hashish presents extra choices for automation however tends to be closely resource-intensive.
Potential cultivators and hashish corporations want to think about the laws of their state, their local weather, and their total manufacturing objectives when deciding which kind of setting they wish to construct out.
You possibly can inform a male from a feminine seed by the way it seems
The overwhelming majority of cultivators within the hashish trade hope for feminine vegetation as they’re those that produce bountiful buds, however making an attempt to identify a distinction between female and male seeds is solely unattainable. The one solution to decide whether or not a top quality seed will lead to a male or feminine plant is thru genetic testing. Many in large-scale hashish manufacturing who desire a certain guess will make the most of feminized hashish seeds, that are particularly bred to provide feminine marijuana vegetation.
“Lots of people suppose they know if a seed is male or feminine from taking a look at it, however there’s simply no means,” Kinneman stated.
If left to probability, growers will be capable of be taught the intercourse of their vegetation by inspecting the nodes when the branches start to develop off the stalk. Male vegetation could have small bumps indicative of pollen sacks whereas feminine marijuana vegetation will develop small, bushy flower clusters.
Grams per watt is an efficient measure of a farm’s efficiency
When figuring out whether or not an indoor or combined mild facility is profitable, the “grams per watt” calculation is just not the end-all-be-all, in line with Kinneman. Mild is one necessary enter for hashish, however watering your vegetation, vitamins, labor, and different components are additionally at play — and contribute to the general working prices. Moreover, producing buds doesn’t imply a farm is doing its finest, particularly if the ensuing product is poor high quality or fails required testing.
Companies are profitable after they flip a revenue, and the identical could be stated for hashish grows. Metrics corresponding to gross sales, buyer satisfaction, and environmental impression are a lot better indicators of success versus sheer quantity.
“A greater and extra correct metric to measure a farm’s efficiency within the cover is grams per sqft of cover (or grams per sq. meter),” Underwood prompt. “This will provide you with a greater thought of how a lot is produced within the house relatively than a sign of the facility used to develop it, as as of late, not all farms are producing beneath the traditional commonplace of 1000w HPS over a 4’x4’ house.”
Hashish grown in sure areas is superior
Whether or not it’s the Emerald Triangle or the Hindu Kush mountains, sure well-known cannabis-producing areas have developed hardcore fanbases that tout the distinctive traits of the native flower. However much like the indoor vs. out of doors debate, all of it comes down to non-public choice, not calculated measurements of high quality.
The designation of hashish terroirs, or the follow of recognizing areas for his or her distinctive environments’ impact on their native vegetation, seeks to guard and honor locations identified for his or her landrace strains. Nevertheless, the idea doesn’t decide which setting is the “finest” — it merely identifies their distinctive traits, much like winemaking areas.
Hashish vegetation can’t use inexperienced mild
The concept that hashish doesn’t want inexperienced mild resulting from its heavy chlorophyll content material had been a reasonably widespread notion till developments in LED know-how proved in any other case. Inexperienced mild really passes via the plant tissue at a greater fee and may promote denser development. Moreover, inexperienced mild is much less disturbing than different colours on the sunshine spectrum resulting in an increase in the usage of inexperienced headlights by farmers working at evening.