POST #8: Understanding Common Plant Challenges During Growth Phase

Insights from an Experienced Grower: Understanding Common Plant Challenges During Growth Phase

Seasoned cultivators recognize both the pleasures and hurdles associated with the vegetative growth stage in marijuana farming. Regardless of whether the cultivation is indoor or outdoor, this phase often stretches out to be the longest during the entire growth cycle. Throughout this stage, numerous issues can result in plant mortality before even the commencement of blooming.

Common Growing Problems:

Even with the best care, you may encounter some common issues while cultivating cannabis.

Nutrient Burn: This occurs when plants receive more nutrients than they can handle. It manifests as yellow, brown, or burnt tips on the leaves. The solution is to flush your growing medium with plain, pH'd water and then decrease the nutrient strength.

Overwatering and Underwatering: Both of these can harm your plants, resulting in droopy leaves. The key is finding a balance. Ensure your plants' growing medium drains well and only water when the top inch of the soil is dry to the touch.

Light Burn: If your lights are too close, they can cause light burn, characterized by yellowing or browning at the top of the plants. Avoid this by maintaining an appropriate distance between your lights and plants.

Pests: Pests like spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies can cause serious damage to your plants. Stay vigilant for any signs of infestations and treat promptly with suitable organic or chemical pest control methods.

Diseases: Fungi and bacteria can lead to diseases like powdery mildew or root rot. Good sanitation practices, adequate air circulation, and avoiding overcrowding can help prevent these issues.

Remember, every grower encounters problems. The key to success is closely observing your plants, identifying any issues early, and taking appropriate action.

Let's delve into the most prevalent issues causing plant death during the growth phase and discuss some strategies from an experienced cultivator's handbook to avert an untimely and disheartening conclusion.

Managing the Common Issue of Overwatering

In my extensive history of marijuana cultivation, overwatering is one of the most regularly seen mistakes made by beginners. This is especially damaging to young plants during their initial weeks of growth, although older plants aren't completely safe either.

The fundamental problem arises from a mix of excessive water and frequent watering. Considering their size, young plants have a limited ability to resist and absorb water. A small plant with just two cotyledons and a few minor roots simply isn't capable of managing large amounts of water.

As experienced cultivators, we know that overwatering results in a constantly damp substrate, causing oxygen deprivation in the roots, which in turn leads to root rot. These conditions also welcome fungal pathogens that can destroy the plant within days. Some strains, like Northern Lights with their Afghani roots, are less resistant to constant moisture in the root zone due to their dry, desert origin. In contrast, strains with tropical lineage, such as Skunk, show more resistance.

To prevent overwatering, it's crucial not to saturate the substrate. If it feels too wet, allow it to dry before watering again. It is also recommended to avoid heavy, clay-rich substrates to ensure the roots receive enough oxygen.

When roots fail to transport nutrients due to waterlogging, plants start utilizing their nutrient reserves, which gradually turns the leaves from a lively green to a dull yellow. If this isn't corrected quickly, root rot can set in, signaling the impending death of the plant.

Confronting Fungal Pathogens: A Cultivator's Dread

Marijuana plants often succumb to fungal pathogens like Pythium, Fusarium, and Phytophthora. These fungi invade plants via the roots, typically as a result of root rot or decaying organic matter. A crucial preventive measure involves removing any dead leaves from the substrate that might lead to fungal infestations.

Another effective strategy to shield roots from fungal attacks involves the use of beneficial microbials like trichoderma. This friendly fungus safeguards the roots and enhances nutrient absorption more effectively than lifeless substrates. These microorganisms keep harmful fungi in check, making them essential for a successful growth.

Addressing Under-Watering or Drought Stress

The opposite of overwatering is drought stress, which can be equally devastating. Plants deprived of water for extended periods, or even a few hours depending on the cultivation system, can die easily. Even if the plant survives a drought period, damage to the root system is inevitable. This weakens the plant, decreases nutrient processing capability, and results in a smaller yield. In such scenarios, products that stimulate root growth can be beneficial, assisting the plant in developing stronger roots, improving nutrient efficiency, and increasing drought resistance.

Lighting: Achieving the Ideal Balance

Lighting is critical for the success of your marijuana cultivation. The type of lighting you choose can impact not only the health of your plants but also their yield. Indoor lighting options include High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lights, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

HID lights are divided into Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) types. MH lights are perfect for the vegetative growth stage as they produce a bluish light that encourages bushy growth. Conversely, HPS lights emit a reddish light that is highly beneficial for the flowering stage.

CFLs are a more economical option that generate less heat compared to HID lights. However, they are not as efficient and may not provide as much yield per watt of electricity used.

LEDs are gaining popularity due to their energy efficiency, long lifespan, and reduced heat emission. The advanced models are also full-spectrum, implying that they cover all light wavelengths necessary for plant growth, making them ideal for both vegetative and flowering stages.

When installing your lights, remember that the light intensity diminishes drastically with distance. Hence, you should position the lights as close to your plants as possible without causing heat stress.

Nutrient Requirements:

Like all living organisms, cannabis plants need nutrients to flourish. These are divided into macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) and micronutrients (Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, etc.).

During the vegetative stage, plants require high levels of Nitrogen and Potassium but lesser Phosphorus. In the flowering stage, this switches and they need more Phosphorus and Potassium, but less Nitrogen.

Using a pre-formulated cannabis nutrient mix like Nature’s Living Soil concentrates can help ensure your plants receive all the necessary nutrients at the appropriate stages of their growth. However, always adhere to the manufacturer's instructions to avoid nutrient burn.

In addition to these, maintaining the pH of your soil or nutrient solution is crucial. Cannabis prefers a slightly acidic environment, with a pH of 6.0-7.0 for soil and 5.5-6.5 for hydroponic systems.  For Living Soils like Nature’s Living Soil the target pH is 6.5.

Harvesting and Curing:

Finally, the reward for all your effort - the harvesting and curing stage. Timing is crucial when harvesting cannabis. Harvest too early and you miss out on potency and yields. Harvest too late and you risk converting THC into CBN, a cannabinoid with sedative effects.

After the harvest, the curing process is essential to bring out the best quality of your buds. It involves slowly drying the buds in a controlled environment to facilitate the breakdown of chlorophyll and other undesirable compounds. A proper cure will enhance the potency, flavor, and shelf-life of your cannabis.

Curing Process:

The curing process is about controlling the drying speed of your cannabis buds. This usually takes 2-4 weeks. Here are the basic steps:

Trimming: After harvesting, trim the extra leaves from your buds. These don’t contain much THC and can result in a harsher smoke.

Drying: Hang your buds upside down in a room with controlled temperature (60-70°F) and humidity (45-55%). This drying process will likely take about a week or two. The buds are ready for the next step when the stems snap instead of bending and the buds are dry to the touch.

Curing: Once your buds are dry, place them in airtight containers – quart-sized mason jars work well for this. Fill the jars 75% of the way to allow some air space. Seal the jars and store them in a cool, dry, and dark place.

Burping: For the first week, open the jars once a day for a few minutes to let them "burp." This allows moisture to escape and replenishes the oxygen inside the jar.

Checking: Monitor the buds closely. If you see any signs of mold or mildew, remove those buds immediately and let the remaining ones dry out a bit more before resealing.

This process may seem long and arduous, but it's crucial for the development of full flavor profiles and a smoother, more enjoyable smoke.

Advanced Growing Techniques:

Once you've mastered the basics, there are advanced techniques that can help you increase yield, potency, and overall plant health:

Low-Stress Training (LST): This technique involves gently bending the plant's stems to encourage a more horizontal growth, allowing light to penetrate deeper into the plant, thus potentially increasing your yield.

Screen of Green (SCROG): This method involves placing a screen over your plants and weaving the branches through as they grow. This leads to a flat canopy, making more efficient use of light and space.

Sea of Green (SOG): The SOG method is about growing many small plants instead of a few larger ones. This reduces vegetative growth time and can help maximize yield in a limited space.

Topping and Fimming: Both of these techniques involve cutting the plant to create more colas (flowering sites), which can increase yield. Topping is cutting off the top of the plant, while fimming is slightly higher and leaves some of the top.

Super Cropping: This is an extreme form of LST where you pinch and bend stems until the inner fibers break, but the outer layer stays intact. This stress can increase the plant's resin production, thus increasing potency.

Harvesting and Testing:

Knowing when to harvest for maximum potency is crucial. The typical indicator is when 60-70% of pistils (the hair-like structures on the buds) have darkened and curled in. For a more accurate check, you can use a magnifying glass or microscope to observe the trichomes, the tiny, mushroom-like structures on the buds where the majority of the cannabinoids and terpenes are stored. When half of the trichomes have turned from clear to a cloudy, amber color, it's generally the best time to harvest.

Also, remember that in many jurisdictions, testing your homegrown cannabis for cannabinoid and terpene profiles, as well as for potential contaminants, can be done at certified laboratories. This can give you a good understanding of your crop's potency and safety.

The Legal Landscape:

Home cannabis cultivation is subject to different laws depending on where you reside. Always check with local and federal laws before starting your cultivation operation. In some places, growing cannabis is allowed for personal use, in others, only medicinal use is permitted with a prescription and a license, and in others, it's not allowed at all.

Cannabis cultivation can be a rewarding hobby, with the added benefit of producing your own supply of cannabis. With a bit of practice, patience, and persistence, you can grow high-quality cannabis at home. Happy growing!