Author: Samantha White

Growing

Managing Cannabis Pests and Pathogens
Even though cannabis grown indoors is protected from Mother Nature, it remains vulnerable to pests and pathogens. Growing dense stands of plants in a humid, enclosed environment can lead to infestations and infections.But growers can reduce the risk of outbreaks by implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM)—an effective, environmentally sensitive way to manage pests and pathogens that seeks to prevent infestations and infections from occurring in the first place and uses multiple control methods to address issues if they arise.[1]Determine tolerable levelsIPM is …
Growing

Terpenes and their Benefits
Cannabis strains have a range of fragrance and flavors, from musky and earthy to floral and sweet to citrusy or spicy. Terpenes are the naturally occurring compounds responsible for these unique aromas. While terpenes are found throughout the entire cannabis plant, they are primarily concentrated in the trichomes—fine, hairlike growths that cover the plant’s foliage and flowers. In addition to their effect on the senses, terpenes offer therapeutic benefits, deter pests, attract pollinators and may even synergize with cannabinoids in producing psychoactive …
Growing

Cannabis Pests and Pathogens
Pests and pathogens threaten cannabis crops. Pests—larger organisms[1] like insects and mites—physically damage plants, whereas pathogens are microorganisms that infect and cause diseases within plants. A useful rule of thumb might be that while pests can typically be removed physically, pathogens cannot.Both pests and pathogens pose distinct threats to plant health, reducing cannabis yield and quality. This blog post explores some of the most common pests and pathogens that cannabis growers may encounter, the specific plant sites they target, and …
Growing

Types of Growing Media
Choosing the right growing medium for indoor cannabis cultivation is no simple matter. Growers need a substrate that has high porosity and proper consistency, retains a moderate amount of water between irrigations, drains and dries rapidly, is free from pests and pathogens, and strikes a good balance between physical and chemical properties. Growing media may consist of organic components derived from natural matter—such as peat, coir, wood, bark, compost or biochar—or inorganic materials like perlite, expanded clay, pumice, rockwool or vermiculate. And …
Growing

Why the Growing Medium Matters
In soilless cultivation like hydroponics or container gardening, growers typically use a growing medium, also called the substrate, made from coconut fiber, rockwool, perlite or another porous material in which their plants can take root.[1] Providing an “artificial” environment for the roots offers several benefits over soil: The growing medium is often infertile, so growers have complete control over nutrient levels. The risk of soilborne pests and pathogens is lower. And it can improve water and resource efficiency. However, not all growing …
Growing

How to Identify Nutrient Toxicities
Providing plants with the right concentrations—not too little, not too much—of all essential nutrients is vital. Underfeeding can lead to suboptimal fertilization and nutrient deficiencies, while overfeeding can cause nutrient toxicities. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why nutrient toxicities occur, their specific symptoms and how growers can avoid them.Causes of nutrient toxicitiesOverfertilization is one of the main reasons nutrient toxicities occur.There is a misconception that more is better when it comes to fertilizing plants, but nothing could be further …
Growing

How to Identify Nutrient Deficiencies
Nutrient deficiencies prevent plants from reaching their maximum genetic potential in terms of both quantity (yields) and quality (color, flavor, fragrance and potency).As we discussed in our blog post on suboptimal fertilization, a deficiency in just one essential plant nutrient can seriously impair plant growth and health. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to spot the first signs of a deficiency.In this blog post, we’ll discuss the symptoms that indicate a nutrient deficiency and how to determine which nutrient …
Growing

HPS Versus LED Lighting
When cultivating cannabis indoors, growers have no shortage of artificial lighting sources to choose from. However, the most popular options are high-pressure sodium (HPS) and light-emitting diode (LED) lights.In this blog post, we discuss why these two are preferred over other artificial lights, the differences between them, and what to consider when choosing HPS or LED lighting.Why use HPS or LED lighting over other optionsThe challenge with using any artificial light to replace natural sunlight is the energy cost, its …
Growing

How Light Affects Cannabinoid Production
Light is the primary energy source for plants. Not only is it necessary for photosynthesis, but certain wavelengths impact the accumulation of secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.This blog post unpacks the impact of the light spectrum on cannabis and how different wavelengths influence yield, cannabinoid production and plant morphology.Light spectrum and intensityThe light spectrum is determined by wavelengths. For instance, ultraviolet light encompasses a part of the spectrum whose wavelength is 10–400 nanometers (nm).The sun emits light with …
Growing

Carbohydrate Supplementation
Produced through photosynthesis, carbohydrates are a plant’s primary source of energy, and they play important functions in plant development. While cannabis plants synthesize carbs on their own, providing supplemental carbohydrates can save the plant energy, allowing it to divert that energy to other processes, including budding and flowering. In this blog post, we explain what carbohydrates are, the roles they play, and why growers may want to consider supplementing their plants with carbs.What are carbohydrates?Carbohydrates (CH2On) are organic compounds made …
Growing

How to Maximize Photoperiod
Light is a primary driver of plant growth. For many cannabis genotypes, the photoperiod plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, including determining when a plant will flower. When growing these genotypes indoors, it is important to know how long the photoperiod should be in different phases of their development.By managing the duration and intensity of light exposure, growers can control the flowering phase, extend the growing season to facilitate year-round production, and increase yields in doing so.What …
Growing

How Amino Acids Promote Plant Growth
Proteins are known as “the building blocks of life”—and amino acids the building blocks of proteins. Plants synthesize their own aminos naturally, but if crops are stressed, they may not have sufficient energy to manufacture these crucial compounds.[1] In this blog post, we’ll unpack what amino acids are, why they’re important for plant development, and why it’s a good idea to feed cannabis with a fertilizer that contains them. What are amino acids?Amino acids are chemical compounds that include an amine …
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