Missouri’s growing patient population is becoming a growing patient population, and because the best medicine is the medicine best for you Greenway for Patients has enlisted the help of home cultivation expert and general green guru Robert Stewart to help you answer some of those questions that might be “bugging” you.
Whether you’re a real fun guy or a real fly gal we know home grow is all about your roots.
I’m having a fungus gnat problem, what do I do? (And what are fungus gnats?)
The larvae of fungus gnats feed on fungi in the soil, hence the name. The adults, while annoying, do not themselves feed on anything at all. The larvae will also eat rotting roots caused by overwatering, so check and be sure that that is also not a problem that you are causing.
There are several ways to successfully manage these pests. A very thin layer of diatomaceous earth spread on the surface of your growing medium will wound and kill adults and larvae when they come into contact with it. You can water your plants with a 1:4 hydrogen peroxide to water mix. There are also fungus gnat predators you can purchase online at here. Hanging a few yellow sticky pads near lights can be quite effective also.
Should I trim the large fan leaves that are blocking some of the new under growth on an auto flower?
This is a highly debated topic in the world of autoflowering. Some say to definitely remove them to let the light reach lower buds. Others will say to leave the fan leaves because of all the sugar they produce.
If I were you I would do a side by side test with a couple of plants with the same genetics and see if it’s worth the time and effort for future grows.
How do I clone my plants? How big should the mother plant be before trying to clone it?
Aside from a few techniques that help to insure a higher success rate the act of cloning a plant is as simple as cutting off a branch that is 4-6 inches in length, dipping it in some rooting hormone and placing it in a saturated grow medium and then placing it under a soft light for a couple weeks. Use a dome to trap in humidity, if possible, and keep it moist for several days afterwards.
A plant should be at least 8 weeks old and be big enough that you can take a branch that is 4-6 inches long without removing more than 35% of the donor plant.
Also, if possible, stop giving nutrients to your plant several days before taking clones.
What is an auto flower? Should I be using that?
Autoflower cannabis plants switch from vegetative growth to flowering based on age rather that light cycle, e.g.12 hours off, 12 hours on. Autoflower strains are good for beginners and seasoned growers alike. It really just comes down to your preference. Personally I like starting from clones. With clones you know exactly what you are going to get every time. Autoflower strains cannot be cloned because they cannot be held in a vegetative state. Every autoflower plant starts from seed.
I have some old seeds, is there anyway to increase the chances they grow, I’ve heard of scoring the seed – does that work?
Seeds stored in a dark cool place, like your refrigerator, can last a decade. That said, if we are talking about some random seeds you found in a drawer that you forgot about, it depends on how old they are. Germination rates will decrease over time and it is quite likely that many, if not all of them, will not germinate. So basically, it’s not going to hurt anything if you try to germinate them. And, yes, scoring does help whether the seeds are old or not. We use a little bit of 150 grit sandpaper and gently scrape the seed with it several times while also rolling it so it is scored all over.
First time growing, not sure what light to get, any help is appreciated.
There are so many choices here it’s not even funny. But whatever you do, do not buy a cheap LED. LED lights that are under $300 claiming a footprint of 4’x4′ are total BS! I purchased one on Amazon for $105 that had 4 ½ stars with over 13k reviews with a great many of them claiming that the light was perfect for beginners. I had to see for myself, and it was garbage! It had more like a 1.5′ x 1.5′ footprint and the lumens were barely enough for vegetative growth.
I recommend and use KIND LED. The K3 Series2 XL300 LED is good for beginners. It has a 2’x2.5′ footprint with 50k hours of run time. At just under $400 it is a great buy and will last for years with little to no maintenance. We use the XL750 in our grow room. It has a 4’x4′ footprint, the same run time and is perfect for use with a 5’x5′ tent systems just like the one setup in our office for display. It’s also fully programmable with an internal clock. You can always come by and check it out in person.
This Q&A was written by Robert Stewart
Robert Stewart is the Chief Operating Officer of The Weed Squad LLC. Stewart has been cultivating cannabis for over 12 years, his extensive plant knowledge and career background in construction and engineering make Stewart a trusted name in cannabis cultivation consulting.
What do you think?