 | NORML News: BUSH DOCTOR: Damp winter blues |
 Norml News Winter 2007
Blimey, what a wet winter we’re
having this year. Last year it was
weirdly cold around our ways and now
it’s extraordinarily wet. Never mind - at
least we can turn on the sun in our private
sanctuary of blooming stonedness.
Grow rooms and cupboards generally do
well in cooler temperatures, as it’s easier
to heat a garden rather than cool it down. If
your sub tropical haven is running too cold,
the easiest way to warm it back up is by
reducing the air fl ow through there. Either
put the extractor fan on a timer to only
come on periodically, or for the more techno
oriented grower it’s not too hard to wire a
dimmer switch into the fan lead. This way
you’re using the heat your light(s) generate.
If you are placing the ballast(s) inside the
grow space to help keep it warm, make sure
it’s popped in a safe, dry spot off the floor.
The other big issue is that of damp.
Cannabis likes dry air, especially during
the advanced stages of the budding
cycle. Unfortunately low humidity is an
impossible dream for most of our indoor
gardens during the winter and spring, so we
often get cursed with botrytis and pythium
amongst other moulds and fungi that like
the cool and damp. Once those unwanted
spores have taken a hold in a grow room,
you must fight them immediately, just like
you would an insect invasion!
Botrytis (bud rot), especially, can move hellishly fast
through a crop and render it useless almost
overnight. Remove any affected plant
material straight away.
The best remedy is prevention though.
Keep your grow space meticulously clean.
That means especially no dead leaf litter on
your grow room fl oor or around the stems
of your plants. No puddles or little piles
of dirt or any other detritus either - clean
means clean!
Regarding cleanliness, there is a routine
to be established and followed fairly
strictly to help keep unwanted anything
out, and keep your equipment functioning
at optimum. Make the cleaning routine
something that is part of your growing
cycle, slotting in between harvest and plant
out. It is as crucial as any other part of the
growing cycle, as the success of your next
crop depends on it.
Start by removing the dust filters off your
air intake and carbon filter, and put them
through the washing machine. Then wipe
any burnt on dust, insects etc… off the light
bulb(s) gently with a soft cloth. Clean bulbs
burn brighter! On that note also thoroughly
clean the inside reflective surface area of
your shade(s). Ballasts also need dusting,
clean equipment works better and lasts
longer. Then mix up a mild bleach solution,
approximately 1 part bleach to 5 parts
water. Thoroughly wash all the walls and
floor and any other exposed surface inside
the grow room with the bleach mix. You
can dry the room using oscillating fans, the
bleach doesn’t leave any toxic residue. You
can use the same mild bleach solution to
wash your hydro system or pots or whatever
containers you use in your garden. And
don’t forget to wash all your gardening
tools, plant stakes and anything else that
will come into contact with your plants, soil
or water. If you routinely clean your garden
like this, you avoid carrying problems over
from crop to crop, whether it be a fungus or
an insect.
There are a few extra little precautions you
can take at times of high humidity and
cool temperatures.
Supplementing your feeding
regime with extra silica,
copper and calcium during
vegetative and early flowering
stages will really assist your
plants battle the moulds fungi.
Then there are a couple of
non-toxic sprays on the market
that can be applied directly to
the plants to kill any spores.
These are generally citric acid
based, and are sweet to use
until about week 2 of the 12/12
cycle. Spraying the walls and
floor of your grow space is
not a bad idea as preventative
maintenance on a regular basis
through winter, either with the
spore killer or a mild bleach
solution.
Avoid over watering your
garden. Pythium loves the
cool and wet and will at best
slow things down and at worst
kill the plant from the bottom
up. Soggy soil has little air
in it, which will restrict plants
ability to breathe and thrive.
Crisp, white, hairy roots like to
move rapidly through a light,
airy but moist (not wet) media.
If your plants water uptake
slows down due to cooler
temperatures, adjust your
watering accordingly. A dry soil
will come up to temperature
far quicker after the lights turn
on every day. Plants will grow
faster when the root zone is
around 18C rather than cooler.
So make the most out of your 12
hour daily sun by keeping your
garden dryer and warmer.
But even with the most care
in the world, root rot can still
sneak into a crop. There are
several products available to
combat root disease and to help
fortify root structures’ resistance
to disease. I won’t advise
specific brands or products
here, just be aware that there is
an appropriate additive for all
common maladys. Your local
grow shop should be able to put
you onto the correct product
for the occasion regardless of
which brands they stock. Just
like people, plants have a natural
immunity system which is
fortified by vitamins.
Foliar feeding your mother
plants, cuttings and vegetating
plants with vitamins, especially
vitamin B will help prevent
fungal attacks later on during
the flowering phase. Avoid
foliar feeding anything during
the budding cycle, though, as
moisture can easily get trapped
inside fattening buds and
actually start botrytis. So, during
veg and early bloom set apply
vitamin supplements through
the leaves and during flowering
feed them through the root
zone. Vitamins can also act as
a nutritional catalyst, helping
plant take up nutrients easier
and faster.
If you’ve been quite happy
with your results using only
mineral based fertilizers, try a
couple of vitamin additives and
you’ll be delirious. Less disease,
and faster growth.
Final tip for those who seek
to grow dense, heavy buds.
Of course all plants love extra
potassium at flowering time, but
besides high K nutrients look for
products which contain
carbohydrates and
sugars. Again, just like
people, plants bulk out
on carbs and sugar.
Be warned though,
whatever you feed
your babies during
the second half of the
budding cycle will
come out in the taste of
your smoke. Not every
additive may be to your
liking, so be prepared
to experiment.
Happy growing everyone. Stay warm!
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