How To Turn Growing into a Career

July 31, 2020 by RoanVestment

How To Turn Growing into a Career

How To Earn A Living Growing!

With the ever expanding concrete world, growing plants can be a very useful and influential career option. The world is falling short on greenery, and needs plantation in abundance. And if you love to work in the open and prefer grass and plant life over concrete structures or confined desk jobs, then choosing a career in Horticulture can be very satisfying for you. Horticulture is a huge career field with jobs that can range from gardening, to farming, to teaching agriculture, the choices are vast. Getting into and building a career in horticulture depends greatly on your interest level and the particular job you wish to take up. Some careers may need a degree, while in others all you would require to have is experience and willingness to work in that particular field. To work as a gardener it might not be necessary to have a university degree, but for a career which requires more knowledge or level of expertise, you would be required to have a degree. It is very essential that learned people are in the profession and available around, to be able to guide others in the sector to be able to grow better. Working in horticulture can be creative as well as scientific. Some careers specializes in conservation and research which focuses more on environmental problems, while others require design and planning expertise while keeping beauty and functionality in mind.

Some career options in growing are horticulture, agriculture, arboriculture and botany.

Horticulture

Working as a horticulturist would require you to manage large landscapes or parks, but the focus of a horticulturist would be more on caring for plants and trees. In horticulture you would be working on projects related to new crops and solving environment related problems. These involves pest control initiatives, and the study of certain types of plant population. Horticulturists are required to work in both the field and in laboratory setting as they perform tests and analyzes data. To work in the horticulture industry, you would typically need to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in plant science, botany or any such related degrees. Working in horticulture requires very good people management skills, and also to have vast knowledge of gardening and plants.

Agriculture

Agriculture includes farming, aquaculture or hydroponics, plant breeding, and specialty growing such as viticulture. When working as an agricultural professional, you would need to be both indoors and outdoors. A career in agriculture can take you beyond farming. The agriculture industry also has scopes for bioprocessing and irrigation engineers, soil scientists and plant geneticists. The educational requirements for an agricultural professional are different for different level of jobs. For a root level worker, educational qualifications might not be very necessary, but for most jobs in the agriculture sector, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree is very valuable.

Arboriculture

Arboriculture is the cultivation and study of individual trees, shrubs and vines. In arboriculture, the professional is most often responsible for caring and managing trees in a designated area. An arborist is responsible for looking after all plantation, pruning and removal of trees in that particular area. Arborists are generally employed in organizations that specialize in tree care, cultivation and removal. An arborist is required to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Botany

Botany is that segment of biology that studies all about plants. It focuses on plant’s relationship with the environment, the life cycle of plants, and the discovery and conservation of certain species of plants. A botanist researches about plants and plays a vital role in the growth and sustaining of certain species. A bachelor’s degree is a must for a botanist, and a master’s degree and later on doctorate degree is deemed valuable for advanced positions.

There are numerous other career options such as forestry, forest science, forestry consultancy, soil science, plant genetics, and many more. Growing can be a fun and enjoyable profession, while being a very helpful one for the environment and mankind.

Leachable Nutrients

July 31, 2020 by RoanVestment

Leachable Nutrients

What Are Leachable Nutrients?

The term leaching is believed to have been derived either from the late Middle English term ‘leche’ or the Old English term ‘leccan’ which means to moisten and to allow leaking. Leaching can be described as the loss of soluble substances or small particles through soil or rock, due to rain and irrigation. Leaching can also be considered to be the practice of applying a small amount of surplus irrigation where the salt content in the water is high. This is done to avoid salts from accumulating in the soil. While carrying out the process of leaching, it is necessary to have a proper drainage system for carrying away the excess water. Leaching can be a cause of concern for the environment as it often leads to groundwater contamination, especially in regions with intensive agriculture. During leaching, valuable plant nutrients are lost in the soil. This may sometimes change the soil structure. Nutrients that are leached below the level of the roots are most likely to be lost from the system, although there remains a possibility of these being recycled if the roots grow deeper. Nutrient leaching plays a big role in creating nutrient deficiency.

How Are Leachable Nutrients Beneficial?

Leaching can also be considered to be two important activities occurring in concurrence; the interaction of chemical with surfaces, and the movement of water. When the water passes through rocks and soil it comes in contact with the surfaces of the minerals. This can lead to the compounds on the surface of the minerals to become dissolved. Furthermore, the movement of water displaces and moves particles. Leaching can move around chemical compounds such as dissolved substances or larger materials like fragments of rock, decomposing plant materials, and microbes throughout the soil.

The soil is somewhat similar to a sponge. When it rains, the soil at the top absorbs as much water as possible, and in this way keeps the moisture available for the plants that grow there. When the soil gets filled with water, it begins to leak and travels downwards through the layers of rocks and subsoil. Once water reaches the bottom, it takes soluble chemicals such as nitrogen and other fertilizer components, and other toxic elements as well along with it. When the soil is more porous, it becomes more susceptible to leaching. It becomes easier for the chemicals and other components to pass through. Pure sand is most suitable for leaching. When a vegetation or garden has more sand, it is more likely to be vulnerable to leaching. Soil, on the other hand, is more of a clay components and has less chances of facing leaching issues. When elements leach from the plants and gets passed through the soil into the water table, it poses as a threat to the environment. Leaching, as a result, is more of an environmental concern rather than a drainage issue. Leachable nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous are most often responsible for this.

Nitrogen is one of the most common elementsfound in the atmosphere and is very essential for nutrition in plants. It covers approximately 78% of the Earth’s environment. Nitrogen assists in plant growth, and as nitrogen naturally cycles through the air, water, and soil, it goes through various transformation, both chemically and biologically. Nitrogen leaching is affected by the type of soil and its structure, the amount of water that is absorbed by the plants, and the amount of nitrate that is already present in the soil. Nitrate leaching is also heavily responsible for acidification of the soil.

Phosphorous is also an essential nutrient regarding the presence of excessive minerals and nutrients in water bodies. Loss of phosphorous from a vegetation or garden is one of the biggest threats to surface water quality. Leaching is a crucial transport route for phosphorous loss from agricultural lands, mostly in flat areas with sandy soils or soils prone to favorable flow. Unlike nitrogen, phosphorous interacts with soil particles through adsorption and desorption.

Mobile Nutrients

July 31, 2020 by RoanVestment

Mobile Nutrients

What Are Mobile Nutrients

The growth and development of plants highly depends on nutrients acquired from the soil, air, or through fertilizers. Nutrients are essential for the growth of a plant, and they differ in their ability to move within the plant. The demand of nutrients keeps changing throughout the life of the plant. It generally increases during vegetative growth, and decreases during reproductive development. When inside the plant, nutrients are transported to the locations where they are necessary, generally to the points of growth. Once nutrients are absorbed by the plant, some elements can be mobile while others can be immobile. Nutrient mobility influences redistribution of nutrients and the fertilization of crops.Mobile nutrients can leave their original location and move to areas where the requirement is more, and immobile elements normally get locked in place and stay there. If one knows how nutrients move within the plants, then it can become a lot easier in diagnosing deficiency symptoms. The deficiency symptoms of mobile nutrients can be first seen in the older leaves as the nutrients are transported to new growth from there. Immobile nutrient deficiencies can be first seen in the new growth as the plant cannot take ample amount of nutrients to transport them to the new shoots.

What Are The Mobile Nutrients

There are eighteen elements, found in the nature, which can be considered necessary for plant growth and nutrition. Each of these elements has their own functions in the plant, and differs in characteristics and in the level in which they are required. Three out of these eighteen elements are non-minerals and the rest are minerals. The non-mineral elements are carbon (C), hydrogen (H)and oxygen(O). These elements are used within the physical plant structure, and are obtained from the environment (from carbon dioxide, CO₂) and water (H₂O). They form the basis for carbohydrates such as sugars and starch and acts as the source of energy for the plant.The minerals can be further classified into primary and secondary macronutrients and micronutrients. Plants need macronutrients in comparatively large amounts and micronutrients are required in smaller amounts. The requirement of nutrients increases as the plant grows.If nutrients are deficient or present in excess amounts, then plant will be damaged by slowing down or constraining the growth. Most of the time deficiencies can be identified by observing plants.

Primary Macronutrients

Primary macronutrients comprise of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), which contributes to nutrient content of plants, function of plant enzymes and biomechanical processes. If macronutrient are present in deficit amounts it will result in reduced plant growth and yield. These three elements are considered most important nutrients that are absorbed from fertilizers.Secondary macronutrients comprise of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S).

Primary Micronutrients

Micronutrients, even though used in very small quantities, are also essential for plant growth and survival. These include boron (B), copper (Cu),iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni).

Mobility in plants- In the plant, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassiumand magnesium are very mobile. Suplhur, copper, iron, molybdenum, zinc, and manganese are moderately mobile. Calcium and boron are immobile nutrients.

Mobility in soil- In soil, nitrogen as nitrate, sulfur as sulfate, and boron are very mobile. Potassium, calcium, molybdenum and magnesium are moderately mobile. Organic nitrogen, phosphorous, copper, iron, zinc and manganese are immobile nutrients.

Xylem & Phloem

July 31, 2020 by RoanVestment

Xylem & Phloem

What Is The Xylem and Phloem!

Similar to humans, plants also have their own circulatory system that facilitates their growth. The main parts of this circulatory system are called Xylem and Phloem. Plants (and trees) have a top and a bottom portion. The top portion consists of trunk, branch and leaves, and the bottom portion is a system of roots. The top portion conducts photosynthesis and helps the plant reproduce, whereas, the lower portion keeps the plant steady and consumes moisture and nutrients from the soil. Both the portions are dependent on each other for survival, and need to be connected. Xylem and Phloem are responsible for making this connection.

What Does The Xylem and Phloem Do?

Xylem and Phloem are two types of vascular tissues which are considered as the transport system in plants. They are responsible for moving materials such as food, water, nutrients and other minerals around the plant body (between the roots, stems and leaves). Xylem and Phloem are found in groups called vascular bundles and work together as a unit. The vascular bundles connect tissues in the roots, stems and leaves, and also provides structural support to the plant. Xylem vessels are tough and are made of complex, dead and permanent tissues, whereas Phloem vessels are soft and are made up of living cells. Xylem vessels are composed of dead tissue at maturity which makes the vessels hollow with no cell contents. Phloem vessels are composed of living tissue, but sieve tube elements lack nuclei and have few organelles. Xylem’s movement is unidirectional. They only move upwards. The movement of Phloem is bidirectional. They move both upwards and downwards. While the basic function of Xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, it also transports nutrients. On the other hand, Phloem transports photosynthates (soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis) and amino acids to those parts of the plant where it is needed.

Apart from these, there are some other evident differences between Xylem and Phloem. The structure of Xylem tissues is similar to that of a star. They are tubular shaped and has no cross walls. Phloem tissues are also tubular shaped but are elongated. They also have thin sieve tubes with walls. The vessel wall of Xylem consists of fused cells that build a continuous tube for uninterrupted flow of materials. The vessel wall of Phloem has cells that are connected at the transverse ends to create porous sieve plates, which functions as cross walls. The fibers in Xylem are smaller, and larger in Phloem. Xylem consists of xylem parenchyma, xylem sclerenchyma, xylem fibers, tracheids, and vessel elements. Phloem consists of sieve tubes, phloem fibers, bastfibers, phloem parenchyma, companion cells, and intermediary cells. Xylem occupies the center (or inner portion) of the vascular bundles, and Phloem is located on the outer side of the vascular bundles. Xylem moves materials through the process of transpiration, and Phloem moves materials around the plant through the process of translocation. Xylem gives mechanical strength to plant and helps in making the stem strong. Phloem transfers the synthesized sugars, especially sucrose, made through photosynthesis, to storage organs such as roots, bulbs and tubes. Xylem lives with hollow dead cells, and Phloem lives with cytoplasm within the nucleus. The total amount of Xylem tissue is more in comparison to Phloem. Xylem replaces the total amount of lost water molecules through transpiration and photosynthesis, and Phloem transports proteins and mRNAs all over the plant.

How To Increase Harvest Yields

March 7, 2020March 6, 2020 by RoanVestment

5 Tips And Tricks To Increase Yields

Learning to grow isn’t complicated but learning to grow well is the hard part. A plant will typically take 6-8 months to fully grow from seed and 4-6 months if it’s from a clone. With in that time you can grow 1 ounce or 10 pounds. Growing outdoor you can yield 3x -5x the amount of a indoor harvest with less plants. But the quality isn’t comparable majority of time to indoor of course there are few exceptional growers that can produce fire outdoor. Where you lack quality you make up for quantity. In this post I’ll be dropping a few nuggets on how to increase harvest yields without sacrificing quality.

Tip #1

CO2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is used to make sugars for your plants.

Your light source provides the energy for photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water into sugars and oxygen. The higher the light intensity the more CO2 your plants can use/ need. Increasing harvest yields.

By using CO2 in your grow you can increase your dry weight by almost 30% if done correctly.

Co2 Bag Vs. Co2 Tank

Pros

Cheap Start Up Cost
Easy To Set UP
Up To 6 Months Of Consistent CO2
Will Allow Your Grow To Be Warmer

Cons

Once Started You Can’t Turn It Off
No Way To Adjust The Output
Bags Won’t Cover Large Areas
The Warmer Your Grow The Faster The Bag Is Depleted

Pros

The Output Can Easily Be Adjusted
Customization To The Coverage Area
Easy To Store Excess
Can Be Re purpose For Other Uses

Cons

Hella Heavy
You Need Other Components Beside The Tank ( Regulators and Tubing )
Your CO2 Will Last For About 30 Days
CO2 Sold Separately

Tip #2

Mycorrhizal Fungi

Mycorrhizae fungi has a symbiotic relationship with host plants. The fungi colonizes the root system providing increased water and nutrient absorption. In return the plant provides the fungus with sugars formed from photosynthesis.

Almost all land plants has some association with mycorrhizal fungi. By introducing it into your garden you are still within a natural process of increasing your your harvest yields.

Tip #3

Defoliate Plants

By cutting off a lot of the under growth you’ll be increasing your light penetration tenfold. Without the excess branches your plant uses the new energy to make bigger buds and increases your harvest When doing a indoor garden you can’t compete with the sun and never will be able to. Plants outside can be extremely bushy and thick with very limited problems, but with indoor you have to worry about way more things such as humidity, air flow, mildew and many more.

Remember Mother Nature Knows Best!

Tip #4

Trellis

A trellis maximizes available grow space and light penetration in your indoor garden. With a trellis you’ll be able to bend sections of your plants that grow too fast down allowing shoots that wouldn’t receive as much light to receive more light and grow faster. The idea is to create a level growing environment maximizing light and space while allow only using a few plants. Allowing you to take your grow to the next level by dramatically increasing harvest yields.

Tip #5

Nutrients

Plant Nutrients

How To Grow Cannabis

How To Start Your First Garden

November 24, 2019 by RoanVestment

How I Started My First Garden With Less Than $60

Sometimes starting a garden can be quite expensive and overwhelming. I remember 7 years ago when I was starting out on my gardening adventure I did everything on a budget. I Started my garden for less than $60. Not knowing if I was going to be good at gardening or like gardening I did not want to sink a whole bunch money into my first garden. Fast forward into my today’s garden I have over $10,000 to $15,000 worth of equipment and is still growing strong. So for this article I’m going to discuss how I started my first garden with less than $60.

Starting Your Garden

Lights

The first thing that I needed when starting my garden was to figure out what kind of lights I would be using and where to get them from. Keeping my decision simple wasn’t my main objective but not knowing how complex gardening can be I was oblivious to how complicated the decisions could be . I bought my first set of lights from HomeDepot and they were T8’s lights. The fixture cost around $17 dollars and the bulbs cost around $10 for a 2 pack from HomeDepot. A little more pricier today then when I bought mines but we should still be under budget.

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10

______________________________

Total Cost $27

So far just for the lights we’re at $27 dollars. Now keep in mind that these lights are not the best for the full grow cycle but will still get the job done! My first grow yielded me a little bit more than an ounce. I wasn’t growing pounds and pounds like I do now and just using these lights you might never grow a pound. But will still always have a use for them, for example I use T8’s now for my seedlings sprouts. I even still use the fluorescence bulbs instead of leds bulbs at this stage. I found that the Leds don’t produce enough heat for seedlings and would require a heating mat. Adding extra cost and breaking our $60 budget.

Soil

Buying soil will be one of the highest recurring cost associated with growing along with nutrients. As you advance in your grow garden the type of soil you use can be the difference between top shelf and mid shelf. Example:When I started out I was using a cheap bag of Miracle Grow that had premixed nutrients into the soil. As time progressed I realized that each strand of cannabis or type of plant required different combinations of nutrients and that a all in one bag of soil and nutrients wasn’t ideal for advancing my grow skills to the next level. But for beginner purposes all in one bags of soil are more cost effective and entry to barrier is easier because most big box retailers carry those brands.

When starting my garden 7 years ago I knew nothing about soil and amendments. I originally grabbed soil from my yard but had no success. I bought one those cheap bags from Walmart that’s always sitting outside. Note to self, “there’s a reason why they’re super cheap.” The bags worked for my first garden but buying soil that has been sitting outside is a boiling pot for pest!

For this article we’ll be bypassing the mistake of buying outside soil or not treating your outside soil. A brand that I have used in the past was Kellogg Organic Garden Soil. It’s not the best soil on the market but gets the job done. For the price you can get a decent harvest from it. A bag of this soil normal cost about $10 dollars and can fill close to 2 five gallon buckets.

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10

Soil $10

_____________________________

Total Cost $37

Containers

If your planning on growing outdoor then this step isn’t needed. For the most part you can get used garden pots for free from a nursery. Believe it or not I actually picked up dozens of used flower pots from my local Walmart. I went to the nursery department and asked what do they do with the pots when plants die. And pretty much in a bunch of words they said they throw them away! Now if free isn’t your style then you can always pick up 5 gallon buckets for about $4 at the most from big box retailers. Note if you go to a grow specialty store you can expect to pay around $10 -$15 dollars for a 5 gallon grow pot. For this exercise we’ll budget for two 5 gallon buckets at $4 duckets a piece.

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10

Soil $10

5 Gal Buckets $8

_____________________________

Total Cost $45

Nutrients

Starting out I knew nothing of organic and inorganic nutrients. The only thing I knew was that a few people suggested Age Old Grow to me, and that is the only bottle of nutrients I used for my first grow! If you would like t o know w hat each nutrient is used for read this p ost!

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10

Soil $10

5 Gal Buckets $8

Age Old Grow $15

_____________________________

Total Cost $60

Special Consideration

This guide is meant to be the first steps of action and to simplify complicated decisions. Everything in this post is the same way I began minus a few mistakes along the way. When asking people for advice when starting out I was always told that growing cannabis is close to growing tomatoes. If you would like a more complete grow guide visit my 14 step guide to growing Cannabis!

Plant Nutrients!

August 12, 2019 by RoanVestment

Primary Nutrients

Carbon (C)

Carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis to make sugars and enzymes.

Oxygen (O)

Oxygen is used to break down sugars and enzymes produced by photosynthesis ( mainly done at night)

Hydrogen (H)

Hydrogen is used during the photosynthesis process. The plant combines water with carbon dioxide releasing a Oxygen molecule.

All the primary nutrients come from air and water. As being a grower there isn’t much along the lines of supplementing, of course we can increase our carbon dioxide with CO2 tanks to help promote faster and bigger growth, or do soil less hydroponics and grow the plants in deep water cultures. But the truth is your plant will grow just fine without all the fancy equipment.

Macro Nutrients ( Primary )

Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen is used to build plant proteins, plants cells such as chlorophyll, and is extremely important for plant growth.

Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus is used in cell division, development of new tissues, stimulates root growth, is required in photosynthesis, helps transport nutrients, and is responsible for crop maturity

Potassium (K)

Potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata, activate certain enzyme, helps produces ATP ( Adenosine Triphosphate ), and acts as a phloem solute transport

Macro Nutrients are the nutrients that your plant requires an large amount and can’t live with, if there is a minor imbalance in your soil you could potentially ruin your whole crop/ harvest. These nutrients are so import that when you buy your fertilizers they advertise the dose one the front. (NPK) When you look at fertilizer packaging you will often see numbers in this format (00-00-00) on the packaging, this is telling you how much Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) is in the product. All number format on fertilizers would be the same, the first number is (N) the second number would be (P) and the third would be (K). Even though there are more macro nutrients out there manufactures only live the three primary macro nutrients on the cover.

Macro Nutrients ( Secondary )

Calcium ( Ca )

Calcium is uses it to strengthen cell walls, hold cells together, plants metabolism, and activates specific plant enzymes. Improve the absorption of nutrients and helps in their translocation within the plant.

Magnesium ( Mg )

Magnesium is responsible for making chlorophyll, and helps create plant proteins.

Sulfur ( S )

Sulfur is used to create plant proteins, chlorophyll, hormones, and aids in the metabolism of nitrogen.

Don’t let the term secondary fool you. If your plant is missing any of these nutrients your grow won’t last long, all the nutrients listed as secondary tend to play an important role in cell development, and creation of proteins. (Remember your plant would tell you when there’s a deficiency!)

Micro Nutrients

Chlorine ( Cl )

Chlorine is used for regulation of stomata, helps balance nutrient intake, and aids in fungal and disease prevention.

Iron ( Fe )

Iron is used to creates some pigments ( main one is GREEN), metabolism, respiration, and aids in the production of certain enzymes.

Boron

Boron is used to strengthen cell walls, cell division, transports sugars, and reproductive growth ( Flowering )

Manganese ( Mn )

Manganese is used for photosynthesis, aids with chlorophyll production, nitrate metabolism, and activate certain enzymes.

Zinc ( Zn )

Zinc is used for certain enzymes and proteins production, and helps create growth hormones

Copper (Cu )

Copper is used to activates certain enzymes, aids in respiration and metabolism of certain proteins.

Molybdenum ( Mo )

Molybdenum is used to convert nitrate and inorganic phosphorus into usable compounds.

Nickel ( Ni )

Nickel is used to create certain enzymes.

More!

How To Clone Cannabis Easy!

What's In Liquid Karma?

How To Grow Cannabis In 14 Steps!

How To Make Feminized Seeds!

Why Do Plants Need Calcium?

How I Clone Cannabis Easy!

January 19, 2020August 2, 2019 by RoanVestment

If you’re new to growing cannabis then cloning cannabis could seem very difficult. Where to cut your plant, how to cut your plants, and why you cut your plants the way you did. Are some of the questions I asked when starting out. So for today I’ll answering those questions in hope to save you time. I’ll be explaining how to clone your cannabis plants and answer those questions as well.

Why Clone Cannabis?

Cutting Cost

Before I learned how to clone cannabis I was buying seeds and clones from other people. Paying between $5- $20 per clone depending on the strain. I wasted countless hours looking for sellers and messaging people just to find certain genetics. I have ordered seeds online but those too were expensive. Then they took a long time to arrive. You could buy cheap seeds without the sex identified and hope for females. (Normally 50% Chance) Or you could buy or make feminized seeds. Buying feminized seeds will run you for about $10+ per seed plus shipping. Making feminized seeds is great, but you still need you first plant.

Guarantee Plant Sex

Nothing beats growing the same plant that you already been growing for the last 6 months. Knowing the sex before you start is a crucial part for a successful grow. Each strain of cannabis grows completely different and requires a different balance of nutrients. When you clone your plants what you’re essentially doing is making a copy of the mother plant you was already growing.

Guarantee Genetics

Just like the sub tittle states clones guarantee genetics. A clone is the same as the mother plant. If the mother grows a certain way then the clones will grow the same way. No need to worry about males no need to worry about bud formation.

How I Clone My Cannabis Plant Easily Explained! ( 7 Step Guide)

Step 1. Figure out where you'll want to cut!

When cloning my cannabis plant I like to typically cut the stems that isn’t getting enough light or from branches that are growing wild and untamed. When I’m cutting my clones I like to only take cuttings from growth that grows outside of my plan. Such as branches that would produce popcorn nugs or that don’t want to grow with my trellis. When taking cuttings I usually look for 5 things.

Step 2. Making The Cut!

Always use a brand new razor when performing cuts. Our goal is to stay as sterile as possible to keep healthier plants. Picking the location to cut is mainly up growers discretion. But I’ll tell you how I pick my location to cut my mothers. I typically like to make my cutting decision based on how I want my mother to grow. For instance if my mother plant is too tall then I’ll take some cuttings from the top and etc….

When making your cut use very little pressure to push down while holding the stem with the other hand. Let the razor blade do all the work!

Step 3. Make A Diagonal Cut

Just like the picture shows you make a Diagonal cut on your stem. The reason your making a diagonal cut is to increase the surface area for your roots to form. The length of the diagonal cut isn’t too important, just make sure that your stem can support the plant.

“Cutting your diagonal cut in half isn’t a must but I like to go the extra mile for my roots”

Step 5. Cloning Gel

Now we are almost done! At this point you should have a cutting that is ready to be dipped into a cloning gel. You can use the rooting powder from Home Depot but you’ll have a lower success rate. I normally would rotated between Clonex and Rootech on my cloning gel. So far I haven’t find a major difference besides packaging. Dip you clone stem into the cloning gel. For this be generous when dipping clone.

Buy From Amazon!

Step 6. Insert Clone Into Grow Medium

Preparing your grow medium! If your using rockwool cubes you’ll want to soak them in water with a light nutrient mix. (The one I use is Oliva’s Clone Solutions ) I would PH my water between 5.8 and 6.5. Since at this stage I’m not feeding so the accuracy of my PH isn’t that important to me. I like to do a broad range and soon as I get roots I’ll dial it in. Preparing soil is a lot easier for me. I just find soil with bad drainage and use that for my clones.

When inserting your clone into it’s grow medium you’ll need to pay attention to the diagonal cuts you made. If you insert your cutting too aggressively you run risk of breaking your clone stem or wiping off all the rooting gel.

Carefully insert your clone into its grow medium and then cut half of all your leafs off. By cutting half of the leaves you’re forcing the plant to send out more roots to support the new growth. ( Remember Your not cutting your leafs completely off just in half)

Step 7. Water And Spray Twice A Day

The finish line! Once you have you clone cuttings ready to go put them into a humidity tray for about 2 weeks. Spray and water them at least twice a day to prevent your clones from drying out. At this stage you shouldn’t have to feed them for about 3 weeks. As soon as your roots start to show you’ll want to transplant them into your grow medium asap and light feed.

More!

What’s in Liquid Karma and Why?

How To Grow Cannabis In 14 Steps

How To Make Feminized Seeds!

Why Do Plants Need Calcium?

What’s in Liquid Karma and Why

January 22, 2020July 22, 2019 by RoanVestment

What’s in Liquid Karma and Why

Liquid Karma is a plant supplement made by Botanicare. It’s NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, (K)Potassium) ratio is 0.1(N) 0.1(P) 0.5(K)

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
Use with every watering during the entire growth cycle. Mix well and Ph accordingly. shake well before every use. 5ml – 10ml per feeding

To use as a foliar spray:Apply 15ml per gallon of water.

Liquid Karma is derived from Kelp seaweed extract, seabird guano, fish meal and potassium carbonate. It also contains Non-Plant Food Ingredients from Leonardite and Yucca Extract. Because of the non-plant food ingredients Liquid Karma is not a organic natural fertilizer. But let us not stop there Liquid Karma is still a good choice for beginner growers that don’t have a growing system in place. Sometimes mixing multiple nutrients into your soil all at once is over whelming for people just starting out. Today at Cal Okes we’ll be breaking down the different functions of the nutrients Liquid Karma is Derived from.

Kelp Seaweed Extract

Kelp seaweed encourages healthy plant growth and to help increase fruit yields. Kelp fertilizer is rich in micro-nutrients as well as it contains macro-nutrients. But most growers use it for there micro-nutrients. Containing a wide range of minerals beneficial for plant growth, soil health, hormones and amino acids kelp meal is a must have in your garden. It’s available in three forms Powder, liquid and enzymatically digested liquid forms.

Buy Now!!!

Amazon

Kelp Meal Chemical Analysis

Vitamins

Cabohydrates

Amino Acids

Seabird Guano

Seabird guano also known as bird poop is a phosphorous rich fertilizer source. Helping plants through their flowering stages and helping improve yields. Seabird guano is awesome but it can still affect soil pH, salinity and moisture in your soil so you’ll need to handle with care!

Buy Now!

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Bio-Fish

Now let me guess what your thinking! Bio- Fish!!!! What? That isn’t a ingredient that Liquid Karma is derived from. And you are correct Bio-Fish isn’t a main ingredient of Liquid Karma but it does have the main ingredient in it. Trying to find a organic isolated source of potassium carbonate was difficult. So I opted to go with Bio- fish instead of Fish Meal because Bio-fish offers potassium and calcium plus Fish Meal.

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Bio-Fish Chemical Analysis

Being derived from Fish Bone Meal, Fish Meal, Feather Meal, Sulfate of Potash, Alfalfa Meal and Kelp Meal. Bio fish is the complete spectrum of marine gathered nutrients. Helping to support heavy feeders and promote healthy soil conditions for a healthy garden. Rich in nitrogen and phosphate it helps plants create thicker stocks, sturdier branches, promotes rapid growth, and contains yucca to help nutrient absorption.

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How to grow cannabis in 14 steps

Why do plants need calcium!

Coming Soon!

How to make feminized seeds

How To Grow Cannabis In 14 Steps

July 22, 2019July 3, 2019 by RoanVestment

How To Grow Cannabis In 14 Steps!

In this article I’m going to walk you through the complete 14 step process for growing cannabis. I won’t be using any fancy terms such as lumens, lux, ppm, and etc. I want to keeps this as basic as possible so any body can comprehend it. So lets dive right on into this.

Step 1: Germination Of Seeds

Wk 0

There are 2 main methods that I use to germinate my seeds.

Method number 1 is to place my seeds into a paper towel and spray it with a spray bottle until the paper towel is real moist but not dripping. Then place the moist paper towel into a zip-lock bag. Wait for 1 or 2 days and check to see if you got a root.

Method number 2 is to get a cup and fill it with water then place your seeds into the cup. (Almost all your seeds should float ) Wait for a few hours and check to see if your seeds sunk to the bottom of the cup. Ones that didn’t sink try to push them down with your finger. ( Remeber not to keep your seeds under water for too long or they’ll drown. 12hrs max! )

Step 2: Plant Germinated Seed

Wk 1

After your seed has been germinated and you got your tap root it’s time to figure out how you want to grow. ( But for this tutorial we are going to stick with good old fashion dirt. ) To save pace when I plant my seedlings I use a 4 oz Styrofoam cup. When I plant my seedling I create a hole just long enough for the root to lay in, and the shell to sit right above the dirt. Then I sprinkle dirt over the hole and shell covering up everything.

Step 3: Water Seedlings

( Use PH Water 6.0-7.0 )

Wk 1 to Wk 2

When your cannabis plant is still in its seedling stage the roots are not established enough to use a watering can. If you water with a watering can the water run off could take your plant with it. The recommended way to water your plant is to mist it with a spay bottle or mister. ( At this stage your plant does not need food)

Light Cycle 18hrs

When your plant first pop out of the ground!

After about week your plant will begin to look this!

Step 4: Begin To Feed Seedlings

( Use PH Water 6.0-7.0 )

Wk 2

At This stage your plants used up all the stored nutrients from the seedling phase and needs to start sending roots out to gather nutrients. Now is the time when you should start feeding your plants, but don’t go all out. Start with a light dose of nutrients then gradually increase your dosage to where you want to be at. ( Tip your plant could use way less then the recommended dosage. )Here the plants are still pretty small and a watering can could still take your plant, what I use is a condiment bottle.

Cannabis Early Veg Phase

Light Cycle 18hrs

Step 5: The Beginning Of Vegetative Growth

(Clones Normally Start Here )

Wk 2 to Wk 3

The first sign that your plant is in vegetative growth is when your seedling leaves fall off, and your plant begins to look like a little cannabis plant. You’ll start to notice that your plant is growing faster and your leaves would start to resemble the actual cannabis leaf. At this stage your plant will need the most nutrients( mainly a nitrogen heavy feed ).

Light Cycle 18hrs

Step 6: Plant Training ( Optional )

Wk 3 or Wk 4

This technique is a little more advance, but if done right you can double your harvest, if done wrong you could kill your plant. At this stage you’ll want to top your plant to produce multiple main colas at the top for flowering.

Light Cycle 18hrs

Cannabis Plant Training

Step 7: Transplant Into A Bigger Container

Wk 4 or Wk 5

After your plant starts looking like a cannabis plant, you’ll need to transplant your plant so that your roots can continue to grow. ( If you don’t transplant your plants, after awhile your roots will begin die )

Light Cycle 18hrs

Step 8: Ending Vegetative Growth Phase

Wk 5

This is the last week to do specialize plant training, before you flip your lights into a 12 hours on 12 hours off cycle.Light Cycle 18hrs

Cannabis End Veg Phase

Step 9: Flowering

Wk 6 (First wk of flower )

At this phase you would want to transplant your plant into it’s final container. (Normally those containers are 3-5 gal pots/ buckets. ) You would also want to switch your nutrients from a vegetative growth nutrient into a flowering heavy nutrient.

Light Cycle 12hrs

I typically transplant my plant 2 days before flowering!

Step 10: Feeding During Flowering

( Use PH Water 6.0-7.0 )

Wk 7 thru Wk 9

( Second wk up to the third wk of flowering )

While it’s still in the beginning phase of flowering you would want to provide a feed that promotes flowering.
( While in this phase I tend to feed heavier then normal. )

Light Cycle 12hrs

Step 11: Minor Plant Training

Wk 10 (Fourth Wk of flowering )

By now your plant is thriving and you have all kinds of insane growth. This is when you’ll want to cut a lot of that under growth off, every part of the plant that you don’t think would get enough light or places that you feel is too crowded.

Light Cycle 12hrs

Photo By spliffseeds

Step 12: Cut Back On Nutrient Feed

( Use PH Water 6.0-7.0 )

Wk 11 or Wk 12

( Fifth and sixth wk of flowering )

At this point you can see the finish line and want to start letting the plant use all the nutrients that is in your soil.
I typically only add approximately 1/4th of the recommended dosage at this stage.

Light Cycle 12hrs

Step 13: Flush

( Use PH Water 6.0-7.0 )

Wk 13 and Wk 14 ( Last Wks )

Water with water to get rid of the nutrient taste!

Light Cycle 12hrs

Step 14: Harvest

The End! Enjoy!

List Of Everything I Use

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General Hydroponics pH Control Kit
Sandwich Bags ( prefer Ziploc )
Paper Towels
Cannabis Seeds
Cups (For Soil )
Spray Bottle
Soil 1
Soil 2
Compost For nutrients ( Compost is not mandatory but Nutrients are Expensive )
Liquid Karma
Age Old Grow (Very First Nutrients I Used )
Cal- Mag
Measuring Cups
Watering Cans
5 Gal Buckets

Why Do Plants Need Calcium!

14 Steps How To Grow Cannabis

How To Make Feminized Seeds!

What’s in Liquid Karma and Why?

How To Turn Growing into a Career

How To Earn A Living Growing!

Horticulture

Agriculture

Arboriculture

Botany

Leachable Nutrients

What Are Leachable Nutrients?

How Are Leachable Nutrients Beneficial?

Mobile Nutrients

What Are Mobile Nutrients

What Are The Mobile Nutrients

Primary Macronutrients

Primary Micronutrients

Xylem & Phloem

What Is The Xylem and Phloem!

What Does The Xylem and Phloem Do?

5 Tips And Tricks To Increase Yields

Tip #1

CO2

Co2 Bag Vs. Co2 Tank

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

Tip #2

Mycorrhizal Fungi

Tip #3

Defoliate Plants

Remember Mother Nature Knows Best!

Tip #4

Trellis

Tip #5

Nutrients

How I Started My First Garden With Less Than $60

Starting Your Garden

Lights

______________________________

Total Cost $27

Soil

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10​

Soil $10

_____________________________

Total Cost $37

Containers

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10​

Soil $10

5 Gal Buckets $8

_____________________________

Total Cost $45

T8 Light Fixture $17

T8 Light Bulbs $10​

Soil $10

5 Gal Buckets $8

Age Old Grow $15

_____________________________

Total Cost $60

Special Consideration

Primary Nutrients

Carbon (C)

Oxygen (O)

Hydrogen (H)

Macro Nutrients ( ​Primary )

Nitrogen (N)

Phosphorus (P)

Potassium (K)

Macro Nutrients ( Secondary )

Magnesium ( Mg )

Sulfur ( S )

Micro Nutrients

Chlorine ( Cl )

Iron ( Fe )

Boron

Manganese ( Mn )

Zinc ( ​Zn )

Copper (Cu )

Molybdenum ( ​Mo )

Nickel ( Ni )

T8 Light Bulbs $10

T8 Light Bulbs $10

T8 Light Bulbs $10

Macro Nutrients ( Primary )

Zinc ( Zn )

Molybdenum ( Mo )

Guarantee Plant Sex

Guarantee Genetics

Kelp Seaweed Extract

Bio-Fish Chemical Analysis