Maximum Yield Cannabis USA March/April 2019 | Page 34
4 expert tips
for
Rookie Growers
Every cannabis grower has to start somewhere.
While trial and error is a good way to learn, it
can be mitigated to help save time and money.
Kent Gruetzmacher points out four variables to
consider when growing for the first time.
by Kent
Gruetzmacher
34
Maximum Yield
C
annabis is a relatively easy plant to propagate. After
all, the species has managed to thrive in most of the
world’s continents without human intervention. However,
there are several pitfalls experienced by many novice
cultivators when attempting to create ideal growing
conditions for cannabis. These issues usually relate to
light, water, airflow, temperature, humidity, nutrients,
and pH. Indoor and greenhouse growers run into a clear
majority of potential problems with environmental
controls, and variances in troubleshooting techniques
arise between indoor, greenhouse, and outdoor cultiva-
tion operations. Obvious portions of this brief article, such
as water and nutrients, apply to all forms of cannabis
cultivation, while certain concepts are only applicable to
indoor and greenhouse growing.
The cannabis plant finds its evolutionary origins in the
steppes of Central Asia, so the climate of this geography
is rather telling concerning ideal growing conditions for
the species. After all, thousands of years of evolution can
teach one far more than any grow book. This region of
Asia reports 250 days of annual sunshine, as well as dry
summer weather averaging around 80°F. Looking world-
wide, other famous marijuana growing climates, like
those seen in California, are akin to the species’ evolu-
tionary home in Central Asia.
In other words, cannabis thrives in sunny and dry condi-
tions. Growers attempt to recreate these ideal conditions
in efforts to push their plants to their full genetic poten-
tial. For novice gardeners, it is important to understand
that all cannabis cultivators, no matter how advanced,
are after this same goal. The best way to work towards
this goal is by developing environmental conditions and
fertigation techniques to which cannabis plants respond
favorably. Here are four areas newbies can focus on to
help grow the best buds.