Q: Without overwatering, how do you tell it’s time to water when growing in soil?
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A: You can pick up the pot and judge by weight or you can watch for the edge of the soil to pull away from the pot slightly. Both work. Both require a little practice. When you do water, water until you get just a little runoff out the bottom of the pot — no more, no less. You will find that you get into a rhythm, watering every 2 to 3 days or so until the plant’s surface area explodes during flowering, at which time your watering pace will pick up dramatically.
with READ SPEAR
Read Spear began cultivating in the late ’80s. His medical marijuana dispensary was among the first to be issued its Medical Marijuana Center license in Colorado. He is active as a consultant in the industry, specializing in new business development, business funding, and mergers and acquisitions. Read is the author of “Marijuana Cultivation Reconsidered: The Sc i e n c e a n d Te c h n i q u e s Fo r Huge Indoor Yields” (available on Amazon.com) and has two degrees in philosophy, a Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts from Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost in Pittsburgh. When not traveling, he lives in Colorado with his hound dog. Have a question? Ask the expert: askthegrower@sativamagazine.com 16
DECEMBER 2014
Q: I’m having a really hard time regulating the water temperature in my hydro system. I’ve even gone as far as running the reservoir water through a coolant system (homemade of course; mini fridge) back into the reservoir, but it still gets way too warm. Do you have any suggestions that might help me regulate water temp? A: I am sympathetic. This is a common problem and one that frustrates many growers. If you want to avoid buying an expensive chiller, you can coil your line inside the fridge. The more coils, the better the heat exchange (copper is a good choice for this). You can also try using a less powerful pump (one that doesn’t get as hot) and using a heat sink, for example, by setting your system on a concrete floor.
Q: What is an appropriate room size in which to grow six plants? Will it be the same regardless of growing medium? A: This depends on the size of plants you wish to grow. I prefer four square feet of space per plant, one light per plant space. Yes, my recommendation is the same no matter your medium and this rule of thumb holds for both home and commercial operations. Q: How many times do I have to pollinate until I have created a stable strain? A: I think you are asking, “how many generations must I breed until I have created a stable strain?” The answer depends on the number of traits you are breeding for and how you are
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