Home Growers Corner
Part 4
How To Clone
The Old School Way
Tried and True Methods to Grow Big Plants . by Jay Richardson , contributing writer Our original six clones as two-month-old bushes .
Greetings to all our faithful readers ; I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start . Outdoor plants and animals are enjoying the approaching summer solstice and the abundance of sunlight that the longest days of the year bring . Marijuana plants living in this natural outdoor environment won ’ t begin flowering for a couple of months , and their precious buds won ’ t be ready for harvest until October .
Photosynthesis cannabis plants ( using the sun ’ s energy ) flower when winter approaches and the available daylight hours begin to shorten . When you have an indoor marijuana garden , you can initiate that process whenever you desire . You simply need to adjust the timer on your grow lights and create a timetable that mimics the Autumnal Equinox . This is the day in September when the days and nights are exactly twelve hours long .
Giving your marijuana plants equal amounts of light and darkness triggers the release of hormones that cause your buds to begin to form . You don ’ t need the room to be pitch black , but the plants can ’ t have more light than they would on a night with a full moon . If your grow room has windows , you may need blackout curtains or a similar remedy .
The key is to block out sunlight but still allow adequate airflow . Plants need to breathe and require fresh air . Unlike us , they breathe CO2 and exhale oxygen . That ’ s not to mention the fact that stagnant air will encourage mold and fungus to form . Moldy buds will have what I call bud rot and will make the marijuana unusable . Smoking moldy pot is incredibly unhealthy and can cause numerous respiratory issues . You can ’ t grow good medicine in an unhealthy , contaminated environment . Always garden in a clean area and provide plenty of fresh air . Healthy plants create healthy people .
I brought up the flower cycle because my plants are ready to move into that stage of life . If you have been following my column , then you know that we have been growing six marijuana plants in real time .
We started here in March ( part 1 ) with six clones . As of May , our six cloned plants ( close up of three shown here ) have grown large , bushy , and nearing harvest time . ( See photo of these plants growing up at the top of this page .)
The reason we grew six is because that is what Missouri law allows . Our six plants are now two months old and ready to flower . While these plants have been growing to maturity , I have been simultaneously flowering six other plants in another area . By treating my garden like an assembly line , I can have plants in all stages of development at any given time . When one group of plants is harvested , the next group moves into the flower area for their turn . The same process large commercial cultivation companies use . As this is occurring , I am also cutting new clones . The cycle of life continues , and we always have fresh buds on hand .
Much like the flower area , the vegetative area also mimics nature . In the veg room , we are creating the middle of summer by providing 18 hours of light and six hours of darkness . A good indoor gardener will also use lights with the proper color spectrums . The flower area is best with a red-to-orange spectrum , and vegetating plants prefer a bluish-white light . By giving them 18 hours of light , the plants will not flower , and you can grow them as large or small as you like . You control your own small planet , and you get to decide when the seasons change . The best thing about your planet is that it never has winter .
Up until this point , I have been showing you the progress of the plants in real-time and bringing you up to date with photos showing you my techniques for enhancing their growth . As you can see in the current photos ( on the next page ), they have turned into some healthy little bushes . I have transplanted them into their final containers , which , in this case , are some two-gallon mop buckets that I picked up for a buck apiece at Dollar Tree . I drilled holes in the bottom to provide drainage . If I see a chance to save money , I do it . If you spend several thousand dollars on lighting and equipment , then your home-grown marijuana isn ’ t exactly free .
The plants in the flower area have been cut down and are now hanging in a cool , dark area with good airflow . You harvested your crop , so don ’ t let it get moldy now . The amount of time it takes them to dry and cure will vary depending on the amount of humidity in the
36 June 2024