Outdoor cannabis timing for cuttings

Placing cuttings outdoors is a good way for gardeners to ensure that they are going to have the right number of female cannabis plants. This is the biggest downside of planting seeds in the spring. There may be some seed failure, or in the case of ‘regular seeds’ there will probably be males in the mix. Female seed are a thing as well, but sometimes the stresses of outdoor cultivation can cause them to show intersex traits (staminate (pollen) flowers on a female plant).

Plant your seeds indoors during the months of January or February. If you start from regular seeds you’ll probably want to start them in January so you have time to sex the plants before taking cuttings to move outdoors.

When the young plants are 5-6 nodes tall, snip the top and make a cutting. Once the cutting has rooted (or before), induce flowering immediately by switching your lights to 12/12 (on/off). Within a couple short weeks you’ll be able to sex these young cuttings. Discard the cuttings and/or the parent plant as necessary. The remaining plant(s) will serve as your parent stock for the year. Keep them healthy and transplant them to bigger pots as needed. Every time a branch gets about 3-4 nodes, snip the top. This will create a lot of potential clones but you’ll want to stop doing this about the last week of March.

Mid-April, take the cuttings you intend to place outside. Root them, and transplant into a 2 gallon pot. By the end of May, they’ll probably be around 18-24″ tall and getting unruly.

First week of June, start to harden them off to sunlight by placing the pots in a shady area at first. No direct sunlight for the first couple days. Over the course of the week get them more and more light. A shade cloth (or 2) over your grow area will serve you well. I prefer this method as it will allow you to transplant earlier.

By the second week of June they should be in their final home and by June 21 they will be starting to flower already. This method usually results in a slightly earlier harvest time, but much of that will depend on fall weather.

I’ve found that this is the best general method that will work for almost all varieties. Some varieties don’t mind being put out sooner. However, there are some varieties that, if you put them out too soon, will start to flower then attempt to revert to vegetative phase because the nights continue to get shorter. Remember, indoors your lights are probably on a 18/6 (on/off) cycle. Outdoors at that time of year we the nights are 10 hours long which will trigger many varieties to flower.

Tell us how you’ve done it in the past.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

Worm Castings – a magical soil amendment

I have mentioned the use of worm castings in several articles, but have failed to describe why it is important to use. This is probably the most used amendment on my shelf and it can literally be used at any time, and almost any way, with great results. As the title suggests, there is some magic to it. That magic comes from the huge volume of beneficial microbes that are native to worm castings. How those microbes work is poorly understood, thus it is magic!

“Casting” is another fancy way of saying excrement, feces, or poop. When earth worms have fully consumed their food you are left with pure worm castings. The mixture of microbes in the gut of the worm have an excellent balance of beneficial microbes that are transferred directly into the castings. These microbes are decomposers who create nutrients that can be taken up by our cannabis plants.

The microbial content of worm castings along with the nutritional content are perfect for custom blended organic living soils such as the blend I use. This is a critical element in a new soil mix as it provides the microbes needed to break down the solid amendments added to the soil. In addition to the nutrients and microbes, castings also contain enzymes that can assist in breaking down nutrients into plant usable forms, along with humic acid. All of these things are invaluable in your soil.

Top dressing with castings is an excellent approach, particularly if you, at least partially, water from above. As water moves through the castings is carries nutrients and a fresh army of microbes into the lower layers of soil. Over time, this top dressing seems to ‘melt’ into the soil and eventually disappears. I like to top dress with small quantities of solid amendments along with worm castings that start decomposition of those amendments immediately.

Worm Tea is another great way to use castings. There are many different ways to accomplish this, but at the end of the day you have a dark colored, enriched water. Similar to top dressing, this water is now full of nearly all the components needed to make your plants healthy and happy.

In my opinion, worm castings are superior to compost for use in custom soil mixes. Compost can come with a huge variety regarding the inputs used to create them. Composts are more likely to come with larger debris (sticks and so forth) that are not beneficial in the soil. Compost is also far more likely to carry pests with it.

Quality worm castings should have almost no smell, still be moist to the touch, and be comprised of small, consistent football shaped nuggets. If castings are smelly or dried out, you should try a different brand. Some castings may still contain small yellow-brown sphere’s that are earthworm cocoons. For this reason, I also recommend using red wiggler earthworm castings. Red wigglers are known to moderate their population depending on container size and available food so you shouldn’t have any issues with over-population should those cocoons hatch.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

Missouri NORML wants to double down on unfair medical marijuana scoring system

Quietly in the month of January, all Missouri NORML chapters voted to support Initiative Petition (IP) 2020-128. To date, the best argument for doing so has been; “IP 2020-128 has the best chance of passing” and “IP 2020-128 is well funded.” I find the move rather dis-heartening due to the fact that the current scoring system for medical marijuana under Article XIV is flawed and has left dozens of small communities without access to the medical marijuana industry in Missouri. The high prices we are destined to see will limit patient access to medicine.

Gross.

IP 2020-128 contains provisions that allow, once again, for limits to the number of adult-use marijuana commercial facilities in the same way that Article XIV currently does. It includes the same broken scoring requirements as Article XIV and grandfathers current medical license holders into additional adult-use licenses. As a consolation, a select few disabled veterans will be able to start micro-businesses (I’m a disabled veteran and that is laughable). Worst of all, it will certainly keep in place the arbitrarily limited number of licenses by allowing the state to impose such a limit.

This creates a protected market for big operators and will keep prices artificially high at your local dispensary. Is it any wonder that this petition is well funded?

I lobby on behalf of patients and adult consumers that deserve high quality cannabis at prices less than $250/oz. Do you want a protected system like Illinois? No, those prices are ridiculous.

I lobby on behalf of the so-called illicit market. A protected market and subjective scoring system will never allow these folks to participate in a legal market. Do you want 80% of marijuana sales to occur outside the legal market like California and Maryland?

I lobby on behalf of small communities across the state who could benefit hugely from access to a legal market due to the jobs and tax revenue that it would generate.

I’m all for legalization, but this isn’t the right way to go about it. We should be able to enjoy an open market along with <$150 ounces just like Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.

Are you frustrated that NORML made this move without consulting its membership? Do you think this is the wrong move? Are you going to do something about it?

Write your local NORML chapter and voice your concerns! Activists need to get active! Share this using the link below!

NORML KC:

Kansas City MO 64119
newnormlkc@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/normlkc/?fref=ts
https://www.instagram.com/norml_kc/
https://twitter.com/normlkc

Springfield NORML:

Springfield MO 65804

info@springfield-norml.org
http://www.facebook.com/springfieldnorml

Greater StL NORML:

St Louis MO 63103 314-995-1395

greaterstlnorml@gmail.com
http://greaterstlnorml.org/
http://www.facebook.com/gstlnorml

NOTE: To be fair, this is the only chapter I’m aware of who brought this to its members. Despite membership speaking out against, they remain in support of IP 2020-128.

Mid-Mo NORML:

Columbia 573-819-2669
danviets@gmail.com
http://midmonorml.org/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mid-Mo-NORML/812408365464674
Twitter: @midmonorml

MCIA Presentation: organic living soil

This is a compilation of articles that support a presentation given in January 2020. A link is also provided at the bottom of this post to the presentation used. If this information is useful for you, please consider subscribing so that new content is delivered to your inbox.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

Supporting Articles:
Soil or Hydro?
DIY Soil
The Lit Farmer soil mix
Water Sources
Maintaining perfect soil moisture
About lactic acid bacteria (LABS)
Maintaining plant health
Basic Bio-controls for pest management
Using predator mites
Growing your own predator mites (coming soon)

Click here for the Powerpoint presentation

Patient/Caregiver expectations for medical cannabis

The key to a bountiful patient/caregiver relationship has to do with setting expectations. I posit that 80%+ of problems between patients and their caregivers come from a mismatch in expectations. For example: A caregiver might be upset if they bought a bunch of equipment to cultivate for someone who needs very little medicine each month. They may have been able to provide that amount for no extra investment of gear!

What follows is a list of questions that should lead to a good set of expectations between patient and caregiver. While a contract may be too formal for some, putting these things on paper (or email) is a good idea so each party has something to refer to over time.

Who will pay the cultivation fee?
(I recommend patients do so because they then own that permit and can assign it to a caregiver, or decide later to grow for themselves.)

Who provides nutrients, soil, lights, and other gear?
(This question speaks to equipment ownership.)

Who provides genetics? Who gets to choose what is grown and when?

What is being charged for, when, and how much? Monthly? Upon delivery of medicine?

When will first supply of medicine be available?

How much notice should be given when supplies run low?

Will medicine be delivered?

What happens in the event of a crop failure?

What if the patient is unsatisfied with the quality of the end product?

May the patient tour the grow room?

Will the caregiver mentor the patient regarding cultivation?

Who will possess what portion of the 12 oz patient limit, and when?

If known, what are the patient’s consumption needs in terms of ounces?

Will infused products be provided?

Will trim be provided and what is the cost?

Will the medicine be safety tested?

This list is probably not complete. If you have ideas for more expectations that should be set, please let us know and I’ll be sure to add them to this list.

Special thanks to the patients and caregivers who helped to develop this concept for me. You know who you are. I believe this will add a lot of value for current and future patients and caregivers.

Read more about caregiving.

Cheers!
— The Lit Farmer —

Predator mites and cannabis

Controlling spider mite pests in a cannabis crop is very important. While aphids and thrips can be relatively easy to treat for, the two-spotted spider mite, russet mite, and their kin can be extremely difficult to control. This is especially true once a colony is established. Further, if you don’t control for them then you will almost certainly catch a case. This is especially true in a living soil system since we don’t sterilize every piece of material (soil) before it comes into the grow.

When using the various sprays it is important to rotate the types of sprays you are using. If you continuously reapply the same type of spray, these hardy creatures can develop a resistance to it. Be cautious in living soil systems because many sprays will hurt your microbial populations as well. Although spider mites can develop a resistance to sprays, there is one thing that they can’t become resistant to: being eaten!

Predator mites come in all shapes and sizes. Fortunately, they are reasonably priced these days and are easy to purchase. I recommend applying predator mites just after your spray regime has ended. This is usually sometime around the second week of flower. I find that using these insects as a control measure, and not as a response to infestation, is most useful.

Select your predator mites based on your environment. Some predators like it warm and dry, others don’t mind it being cool and moist. Selecting the right variety for your environment will help them get established and ensure that they remain hungry! Also, if you have an active infection you will want to buy a bottle of hungry adult predators. Meanwhile, if it is purely preventative, you can purchase time-release sachets for extended protection.

I have had success with P.persimilus for active infections, and a knock-down spray will be needed [first] to help get the infection under control. A.andersoni, A.cucumeris, and A.swirskii are good beneficial to keep as they have a varied diet and may subsist on pollen and mold as well. This means that they will persist in the garden much longer as a preventative measure.

NOTE: A.cucumeris is a thrip predator and is not effective against spider mites.

I hope you have found this information useful. Exploring the world of beneficial insects can be challenging, but it can be fruitful as well. Stay tuned – in a future article I will detail how to create a breeding colony of beneficial predator mites.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

The Lit Farmer living soil mix

I’ve received a number of requests for the living soil mix I use personally. While I have published a general DIY Soil Mix, there are a few adjustments in what you will find below. I did not invent this mix and refuse to take credit. Modern potting soil mixes are based on the ‘Cornell Mix’ developed by Cornell University researchers in the mid-twentieth century. It was later fine tuned for cannabis by Clackamas Coot (use search term “Coot Soil Mix”). This mix is largely Coot’s mix with just a couple adjustments.

1 cubic foot recipe

2.5 gallons peat moss*
2.5 gallons aeration material**
2.5 gallons compost or worm castings
0.5 gallons biochar

Minerals:
1/2 cup oyster shell flour***
1/8 cup crushed basalt
1/8 cup green sand
1/8 cup azomite

Nutrients:
1/2 cup kelp meal
1/2 cup neem cake
1/2 cup crustacean meal
1/2 cup bone meal

1/4 cup insect frass
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup malted barley (ground)
<read more about using insect frass and grains as amendments>

Inoculate:
Bacillus Thurigensis-israeleus, Beauvaria Bassiana, & LABS****

Notes:
* Peat moss should be thoroughly hydrated prior to mixing for best results
** A variety of aeration materials may be used, including perlite, lava rocks, shale, pumice, rice hulls, etc.. If you plan to maintain a colony of red wiggler earth worms in your bed, rice hulls are an excellent choice. The rice hulls will eventually break down and the worms will take care of aeration on their own.
*** Peat moss is slightly acidic, so use of oyster shell flour or gypsum is needed to buffer PH in the soil. Both are also good sources of calcium. Avoid using dolomitic lime as it may add too much magnesium to your mix.
**** Innoculations as described above are optional, but I highly recommend doing so. Compost often comes with a colony of fungus gnats and/or white flies – among other things. While these decomposers are generally good, they can become a problem indoors. It’s always best to start your pest management practices very, very early on. The LABS part of the inoculation is to boost your beneficial microbe counts. This can be accomplished with a quality compost/castings tea as well. The compost/casting used in the soil mix should do the trick, but I don’t mind taking it up a notch. If you water over the top then a top-dressing of compost or castings will also work well in the place of tea or LABS.

Be sure to let this mix sit for a week or two – depending on your conditions. After just a few days you can feel how [literally] hot the mix is by plunging your hand into the middle of it. You will need to wait until the mix cools off before use. I always have a batch of living soil ‘cooking.’ This mix is great for seedlings and clones provided the mix is well aged. During this period is also when the biochar gets charged with nutrients and microbe colonies.

Last but not least, this early decomposition process releases a great deal of CO2 into the environment which is a great secondary benefit.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

Missouri law enforcement has instant access to patient information

In a recent communication with Missouri Medical Marijuana Program officials, I was informed that Local Enforcement Officers now have access to patient information from their squad cars using the MULES system. This is important as some patients have been challenged about the validity of their license. If you are in that scenario, you should feel empowered to tell officers that they should be able to confirm using their MULES system. Many have not been trained, but if you mention this they’ll know what to do next. I’m including the response from the department.

“Article XIV of the Missouri Constitution allows for the release of related patient information to verify that a person who presented a patient identification card to a state or local law enforcement official is lawfully in possession of such card.  Our rules further define specific information that can be released for verification law enforcement pursuant to 19 CSR 30-95.025 (1)(A) which states:

Upon request and for purposes of verifying whether a particular individual is lawfully in possession of a qualifying patient, primary caregiver, or patient cultivation identification card or lawfully in possession of a particular amount of marijuana, state and local law enforcement personnel shall have access to patient and caregiver information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and purchase limitations;….

Local and state law enforcement do have access to the patient and caregiver information, as defined in the provision above, through the MULES system and access is restricted to be utilized only for the purpose as authorized in Article XIV. 

We do not have an information kit, however if you are a member of law enforcement you can inform your agency of the information provided in this response.  

Medical Marijuana Regulation Program
Website: https://medicalmarijuana.mo.gov
Toll Free: 866-219-0165
Email: MedicalMarijuanainfo@health.mo.gov“

Insect Frass – what the crap?

Frass is a common term that refers to insect detritus. That is to say, bug poop. While ‘honeydew’ is liquid version of insect excrement, frass is the term used for the solid waste. For horticultural purposes, including cannabis gardening, the cultivator should be sourcing frass from a herbivorous insect. Mealworm frass is quite common given that mealworms are produced to feed poultry, reptiles, fish and amphibians that need live food. Insect frass is often very reasonably priced and has great value in organic living soils.

As frass breaks down it provides a low, balanced amount of NPK. Like fish hydrolysate, frass has a high amount of chitin. While crustaceans use chitin to form their shells, bugs use chitin to form their rigid exoskeletons. Plants react to the presence of chitin (and other chemicals in frass) as if they are being attacked by bugs. Thus, your cannabis plants will try to develop thicker stems as well as thickening of the epidermis and cuticle (outer layer of cells and the waxy coating that protects the plant from excessive transpiration and insect attack). The idea is to encourage the plant to become stronger and therefore more resistant to pests.

An attractive secondary benefit is that chitin is a substance that fungi use to make its hyphae. Fungus literally uses chitin as its ‘skin.’ Most of us do our best to encourage rigorous myccorhizal fungi growth in our root zones and insect frass will help promote this growth and therefore increase the potential for nutrient uptake for our cannabis plants.

I’ve found benefit in mixing about 1/4cup of frass to each cubic feet of soil initially, then top dressing with a light dusting every two weeks through the life-cycle of the plant. Because I top dress regularly, I don’t use frass to re-ammend my soil between crops.

Finally, frass can make an excellent tea. Brew it in a cheese cloth (so it can easily be removed) for an hour or so and your tea will be infused with chitin, nutrients, and other chemicals that will help achieve the desired effects described above.

Do you use frass in your grow? We’d love to hear the details and whether or not you find it beneficial.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —

DIY Climate Control

Recently I was faced with a challenge; I wanted a single fan to exhaust garden air when either the temperature was too high or the humidity was too high. This sounds straight forward but almost every controller I found controlled one or the other, but not both. The few that did control for both had separate sockets for two devices. Although I did find a couple high-end controllers that would fit the bill, I wasn’t willing to pay that kind of money. So, for $80 I did it myself and I am very pleased at the result!

On my workbench you can see the XXDuoStat (attic fan) controller, an outdoor extension cord, and a Govee thermometer/hygrometer. The Govee was an additional $14 but makes for a great addition that allows you to track stats using an app on your phone.

Unboxed, it is clear that this device needs to be wired. Note the extra 2″ length of 14 gauge copper wire. It should be attached to the green screw which will ground the unit (as seen below).

Assuming your home wiring is standard (white = common/neutral, black = hot, green = ground), use the picture below along with the wiring diagram on the inside of the unit to make your connections. I wired mine with the power input from outlet on the left. Chop your extension cord in half, peel back the insulation and strip the wires. Be sure to install cable connectors first and use appropriate wire-nuts.

Notes:
–White wire passes through so simply reconnect with wire-nuts.
–Ground wires should be connected to the ‘stub’ that is connected to the green grounding screw on the unit.
–This picture does not show cable connectors installed on the openings where your power cord enters and exits the unit. I’m not too proud to admit that I forgot to install first, then had to take apart my wiring and try again (I forgot to take a second picture). Cable connectors help to keep pests out of the device and ensure that the wire-nut connections aren’t stressed.

After dialing in the temperature and humidity settings for a couple days, this unit has performed extremely well and has dialed in the environment in the grow tent nicely. As you can see from the graphs, the trend for temperature and humidity are staying within a consistent range. I have a bit more work to do to further refine the environmental parameters, but this unit is doing precisely what it was designed to do.

Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —