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Issue #356 - Sunday, February 10, 2019
Dear Fellow Grower,
In today's issue...
- I'm sure you've heard at least one growing "tip" that turned out to not be true at all! Today, we're discussing some of the most popular/weird myths surrounding growing cannabis. Make sure you're not doing anything on this list!
- Bagseed can be "okay" if it's all you can get, but don't be fooled into thinking it's a good option. In fact, if you've been told bagseed is anything other than a last-ditch option, that's a myth!
- The trophy picture for this week is simple, but captivating. I'm not exactly sure why it's such an appealing picture, but I'm sure you'll agree when you see it!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)
"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."
~John F. Kennedy
7 Most Common Growing "Myths"
by Sirius Fourside
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Some guy on an internet forum showed me a super-secret trick that he learned from his neighbor’s cousin who is a master grower…
All you have to do is crumble 7 goldfish crackers per gallon of water into your nutrients every other feeding. The crackers use a wheat compound that’s impossible to obtain for non-commercial use, and this compound contains enzymes that make buds grow 40% larger!
Does that sound crazy? Good! Because it IS crazy!
One of the downsides to an invention as incredible as the internet is that crazy, nonsensical “tips” can easily be spread to thousands of new growers without any fact-checking. Unfortunately, many misleading tips just as crazy as this one not only exist, but are followed by inexperienced new growers!
That’s why today, we’re showing you the 7 myths we hear most commonly, and our verdict on their usefulness. Protect yourself against faux-info!
Myth #1 “You can tell the sex of your plant by looking at the seeds.”
Since only female cannabis plants produce buds, most growers are very interested in knowing the gender of their plants! It would be incredibly convenient if there was a way to look at cannabis seeds and be able to definitively identify the gender. As appealing as that idea is, there just isn’t a consistent way to visually identify the sex of cannabis seeds. Despite that fact, there is
this persistent diagram that has been circulating the internet since at least 2008 and we get a few questions about it every year even though it’s simply not true.
This is Not an Effective Way to Identify Plant Gender! Growers Have Asked Us Regularly About This Misleading Diagram Since At Least 2008. Let’s Put This Myth to Rest!
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The main idea behind the “technique” is to look at the seed and identify characteristics that show the seed is female. However, it’s important to note that actual cannabis seeds don’t have “depressions” in the same place as the seeds in the
picture. In fact, the seeds in that picture aren’t even cannabis seeds!
Cannabis seeds don’t actually attach to the plant at the place shown in the diagram. Compare the illustrations to real cannabis seeds below.
Despite the fact that the seeds in the picture clearly are not cannabis seeds, we’ve still had growers vouch for this image. I talked to one grower who told me they use this “method” on a regular basis, and he claimed that it works better
than random guessing once you get some experience. But unfortunately, even he said the method has up to 70% accuracy in the best-case scenario. Even if his story is true, those aren’t good odds! That means about 1/3 of “female” seeds end up being male. It also creates false negatives, which means that about 1/3 of the “male” seeds you’re throwing away are actually female…and those best-case-scenario numbers!
The feminized seeds in the picture below all grew into female plants, but not one of them fits the description of a “female” seed from the diagram.
Did you know? The “tiger stripes” on cannabis seeds are actually part of a dark brown coating that can be easily rubbed off with your fingers. Seeds are tan underneath.
Even if the technique from the diagram performed better than 50/50 guessing (it doesn’t really seem to), it’s definitely not a way to ensure that all plants you grow are going to be female. As far as we know, it’s currently impossible to determine plant gender purely from just looking at seeds.
The good news is, you can determine the sex of your plants by looking at their pre-flowers, which appear as early as 3 weeks from germination. They will have appeared on just about all plants by the time they’re 6 weeks old, even if the plant is still in the vegetative stage! You can also start with feminized seeds from a reputable breeder, which guarantees that 99.9% of
plants end up being female.
Myth #2 “You should urinate on your cannabis plants to give them extra nutrients.”
This myth isn’t as popular as it used to be, but it’s just too good (sensational) to not mention.
Despite how bad this one sounds, urine does contain some nutrients plants can use, the most notable one being Nitrogen.
With that being said, don’t do this. There are many cheap, effective, and readily available means of giving your plants Nitrogen without involving urine.
A real cannabis nutrient system allows you to control exactly how much Nitrogen you’re giving your plant, so you give the right amount of nutrients at the right stage of life. More Nitrogen isn’t always better, especially in the flowering stage.
Additionally, the amount of Nitrogen contained in urine changes depending on several factors and is extremely difficult to measure (who would want to anyway?). Peeing on plants may give them nutrient burn or nitrogen toxicity, and sometimes may suffer from other nutrient deficiencies at the same time due to nutrient lock-out.
I don’t know about you, but nutrient burn due to urine seems much worse (psychologically) than the standard variety of nutrient burn!
Myth #3 “You can grow weed in a [Insert Garden Gimmick].”
Many growers write into GrowWeedEasy.com to ask if growing weed in various garden gimmicks will actually work.
One common one is the Aerogarden. There are even growers who have written cannabis tutorials for it, and some swear by it as a cannabis growing method!
Weed can be successfully grown in an Aerogarden, that has already been established. But the reason the Aerogarden makes this list is due to the impracticality of growing weed in it.
An Aerogarden does save you from having to buy growing lights and a DWC (hydroponic) kit. But a better hydro kit would be cheaper, and the light provided isn’t strong enough to produce significant yields in the flowering stage. The lights are also way too close to the tops of plants, and the roots will overgrow the too-small reservoir in just a few weeks.
Another hydroponic option that’s good for some plants and herbs but bad for cannabis is NFT (Nutrient Film Technique). These work best for small plants like lettuce. With cannabis, the plants at the bottom of the system often get nutrient deficiencies because plant roots are constricted and only get nutrient water after it’s been used by several other plants. It’s also common for plants to fall over and not be able to support their own
weight.
NFT Systems Don’t Work Well for Growing Cannabis
It’s a good idea to avoid most items that are intended for non-cannabis plants. For example, the Topsy Turvy is okay for tomatoes but causes upside-down cannabis plants to grow all the way around the outside to produce buds. Having to do that extra work may reduce overall yields compared to letting the plant grow out the top of a container.
The Topsy Turvy is designed for plants with hanging fruit, like tomatoes. It is not suitable for growing cannabis plants. Cannabis plants don’t hang. Instead, they will constantly try to grow upward against gravity.
If the garden gimmick is made for herbs or other non-cannabis plants, it often isn’t a great choice for cannabis! Before you invest your time or money in a particular product, take a moment to search Google or check online and see what results other growers are getting!
Myth: Bagseed is great for beginners!
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“Bagseed” is a term for random cannabis seeds that you find, for example, in bud you purchase. Some growers get lucky growing bagseed and produce great plants, but a lot of growers will be disappointed with their results from growing bagseed.
Especially for beginners, bagseed comes with some downsides what will make things tougher for your first grow.
Here’s what you need to keep in mind when growing with bagseed…
- You’ll have no idea how the plant will grow – Will your plant grow short or tall? Fast or slow? High or Low THC? How long will you have to wait before harvest?
- More likely to produce hermies – meaning you’re much more likely to end up with seedy buds and lower yields
- You don’t know which strain you’re growing.
- More runts and increased chances of stunted growth
If bagseed is all you can get yourhands on, there's no shame there! But if you can, always start with good genetics!
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"GEEEE I love that hair!! Y-all really outshine the other sites for comprehensive info. Keep Well, Keep up the great work, Happy Trails, from Hillbilly Heaven"
~Alan
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Trophy Picture of the Week!
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"One of my first. The strain is unknown. Flowering for 3 weeks."
~gingerbeard
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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 can be 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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2019 GrowWeedEasy.com
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Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, or Medical Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their
local laws but are not lawyers or medical professionals. Any decision to grow marijuana should only 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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