Trouble reading today's article? Click
here: Issue
#238 - Sunday, November 6, 2016
Dear Fellow Grower,
In today's
issue... - Today I wanted to share a tutorial on how to pick the best soil for your plants, even if you don't have access to any fancy brands!
- U.S. Citizens, don't forget to vote Tuesday, there are cannabis legalization bills in
many states!
- This week's trophy pic features a "Ducksfeet" plant!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com) "There are more living organisms in a tablespoon of highly organic soil than there are people on the planet."
~Howard Warren Buffett Hello Growing Enthusiasts!
Last week I linked to the supposed "Simplest Cannabis Growing Guide Ever" and it went to
the full, several-pages-long tutorial which is definitely not the simplest growing guide ever! I'm not sure how I manged to do that...
So before the main article I want to share the real link I meant to give you last week!
Simplest Cannabis Growing Guide Ever - This is a super-condensed version of our Beginner Guide! This tutorial is very basic, but if you follow the 10 steps you will get to harvest!
I appreciate your patience and I hope you enjoy today's article!
Happy Growing! Nebula
P.S. I made a few very short extra articles this week if you want to check them out :)
P.P.S. I'm working on making a big picture gallery of "ready to harvest" buds to help out new growers who aren't quite sure what to look for. Feel free to reply to this email with pictures of your buds
right before harvest if you want to get your pictures added!
Is This Soil Good For Growing Cannabis? by Nebula Haze |
When it comes to growing cannabis in soil, unless you're using a brand that is known for making soil that is specifically cannabis-friendly, there are a few things that you need to consider before starting a grow.
Important Cannabis Soil
Considerations
- Texture
- Drainage Ability
- Water Retention
Although that list looks vague and complicated at the same
time, the requirements you want to meet are actually pretty simple; let me break it down!
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Texture, Drainage & Water Retention It's easy to get caught up thinking about what nutrients and amendments are in the soil, and those are important, but perhaps the most important aspect of any soil is actually its texture, ability
to drain, and overall water "holding" ability.
In order for a cannabis plant to grow and thrive, it needs a good mix of both water and oxygen at the roots at all times! Too much water and the plant roots can't get enough oxygen (lack of oxygen at the roots is why plants get droopy from overwatering) but on the flip side if there's not enough water retention the roots can be injured from drying out too quickly!
What gets the best results for growing cannabis is a soil with
a light texture that is good at retaining water...but not too much!
Note: Don't worry, there'll be examples of good and bad soil in just a bit!
Good Cannabis Soil...
- Appears dark and rich
- Loose texture
- No big chunks of wood
- Drains well (doesn't make a pool on top of your soil for more than a couple of seconds and doesn't take forever to drain out the bottom)
- Holds water without
getting muddy (you want wet soil, not dirt-batter)
If you get this part right, you have almost everything you need to get to harvest! With the correct texture, drainage and water retention, you've got a perfect base. Add good soil cannabis nutrients and you should
get to harvest with great results!
Example of happy marijuana plants in good soil! Common Amendments to Alter Texture, Drainage & Water Retention of Soil Perlite
- Perlite is one of the most common soil amendments. It is highly
recommended for any soil mix that doesn't have some already.
- Very light, airy white "rocks" that feel almost like popcorn and add oxygen while increasing overall drainage ability.
- Add perlite to the mix (10-40% of the total volume). Use less
perlite if you want better water retention and don't plan on using a lot of extra nutrients. This is because a lot of extra perlite can cause the nutrients leach out faster from the soil. Add higher levels of perlite if you want to use a lot of added nutrients or supplements without burning your plants (since perlite helps prevent nutrient buildup).
Vermiculite
- Vermiculite "lightens up" heavy soil and improves water retention.
- Some growers use perlite and vermiculite interchangeably, though they're not exactly the same. Vermiculite holds water much better than perlite, but is not as effective at adding aeration and drainage.
- Some growers use a little bit of both. If you go high with vermiculite, you don't want to go as high with perlite and vice versa. Together, perlite and vermiculite should never make up more than 50% of your soil!
Coco Coir
- Coco coir is made from coconut husks. It can be purchased as loose coco coir, in an amended potting mix, or as coco bricks which needs to be rehydrated before use (learn how to re-hydrate coco bricks). Coco has some unique properties that make it a good supplement for cannabis
soil mixtures.
- Coco improves water retention, but doesn't make soil heavy.
- Roots tend to develop faster and plants are less likely to suffer from overwatering in coco coir.
- Some growers grow in pure coco, but if you're adding it to a soil mix as an amendment, you might add 10-30% coco coir.
Worm Castings
- Worm castings is a nice way of saying worm poop, and cannabis plants love it!
- Improves texture, drainage and moisture retention
- Add a natural source of
nutrients that breaks down slowly
- Usually contains high levels of beneficial micro-organisms due to going through a worm's digestive system :)
- Add up to 30% worm castings in your soil (although it contains nutrients, it's gentle enough that
it's unlikely to burn your plants even if you add too much)
Now here are a few examples of good and bad cannabis soil so you can see the texture you're looking
for!
Good Cannabis Soil
Rich and light composted soil. Since this soil doesn't have a lot of perlite, it's a good choice for a grower who doesn't want to add a lot of extra nutrients or supplements in the water. Good Cannabis Soil
Another light, rich soil mix with great drainage. Although
there is a wood chip in this picture, for the most part the mix is completely composted and broken down. Feel free to remove wood chips if you see them! Good Cannabis Soil
This soil has quite a bit of perlite, which is a good choice if you plan to feed heavily with
nutrients and supplements since the extra perlite prevents nutrient buildup in the soil Good Cannabis Soil
The plant is growing in organic, composted "super soil" which has enough amendments to last your entire grow, so the only thing you do is add water! Here's organic "super" soil up close Bad Cannabis Soil
This soil is muddy, clumpy and waterlogged. It retains too much
moisture, which makes it really easy to overwater your plants. Bad Cannabis Soil
Cannabis soil should not have big visible wood chips in it. That means this soil hasn't been fully
composted. Bad Cannabis Soil
Although this seedling is over a month old, it has stayed tiny.
Its growth is stunted by the thick heavy soil that holds way too much water and not enough air. Note how some of the soil looks like one solid object. Bad Cannabis Soil
Don't use dirt from outside! It almost never works, especially if it looks like
this!
U.S. Citizens: Don't Forget to Vote Tuesday! |
No matter what you believe in, if you are a registered voter in the USA, please take the time to vote this Tuesday, November 8, 2016! There are several states looking at cannabis legalization this year!
Up for Vote on Tuesday, November 8,
2016
Legalize Cannabis for Adults
- Arizona
- California
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Nevada
Legalize Medical Cannabis
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Montana
- North Dakota
Where's Your Polling Station?
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Subject: Thank You! Just Shameless Praise!
Message: I just wanted to say this is hands-down the most substantive, comprehensive cannabis
guide online BY FAR. As a first-time grower in our Nation's Capital (yay, Initiative 71!), I can't thank you enough for such an awesome, thoughtful resource.
I couldn't believe all the machismo, misogyny, negativity and straight-up terrible advice I found across all the major forums -- so disappointing -- and then I came across Grow Weed Easy! Total godsend! It was a few weeks before I realized
the site I was basically using as a grow bible was -- unsurprisingly -- founded and written by a woman (and, obvi, a rockstar dude)! You grow, girl!
I just wanted to say thank you and keep up all the amazing work. I can't wait to submit pics of my plants in a few weeks and I honestly couldn't have done it without this site. Just wanted to give a HUGE thanks -- I'm sharing your site with all of my
fave grow friends and look forward to all the great stuff to come. Oh and did I mention thank you? ;)
Peace, love and pitbulls (best grow assistants ever, imo) from Washington, DC <3 Emily |
Check Out Our New Grow Forum! |
We opened a free public forum last September so growers like you can ask questions and talk with each other anonymously! If you sign up to join, please be patient because it may take us a few hours to let you in, but we'll accept you as soon as humanly possible!
Ask Questions and Get Answers From Real Growers!
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We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
I'll be honest with you, when I first started growing, I struggled. Now, it is my mission to make it easier for new growers to
get started as well as help advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. We are updating and adding articles every single week and our goal is to eventually build a comprehensive growing resource so anyone and everyone can grow if they want to! If we all share the knowledge there's more buds in the world for everyone :) |
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Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium (deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
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be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Any medical decisions should only be made after speaking with a doctor or other medical professional. Be safe!
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