With California’s cannabis growers, business owners, and regulators busy prepping for 2018, there is good news for the cannabis farmers. Hordes of corn earworms and white mold infestations had for years spelled disaster for even the most conscientious grower. With strict pesticide guidelines in place, many a grower has felt the sting of lost time and profit while trying to keep these pests in their place. For those in search of help the good folks at Marijuana Biz Daily have put together a few handy pointers to keep in mind whether you grow outdoors or indoors.
Soil Is Key
Soil, of course, is key to healthy crops of any sort. You wouldn’t plant some delicious heirloom tomato seeds in lackluster soil, right? Same goes for growing the stickiest of sticky cannabis for your business. Cannabis strains require loamy and well-drained soil that is also rich in nitrogen to produce the best results. Even the casual green thumb can tell you how crucial nitrogen is and it goes double for cannabis, a plant that demands a high amount of N2.
Cleanliness Counts
Homebrewers understand how invaluable sterile environs and equipment can be in making a great pilsner. Growing cannabis is similar –yes, even though you’re playing around with dirts and soils. Make sure that your equipment: gardening hoses, raised plots, pots, shovels, etc are kept in clean and functioning order. Take particular care to ensure that your hoses are drained and dry to avoid trouble spots where molds and funguses can take hold. Gray mold, Botrytis cinerea, in particular can be troublesome and, oddly enough, should be familiar to the oenophiles in the audience by its other name “noble rot” and what it can do to vineyards.
One great tip from MJ Biz Daily? Invest in disinfectant mats and have everyone wipe their shoes before entering the greenhouse. This way you’ll drastically reduce the risk of bringing in foreign spores and molds from outdoors.
Don’t forget, California has very specific regulations for growers, particularly when it comes to pesticide usage. Be sure to get all the facts by reviewing the state’s regulations before 2018 here. And if you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact MMLG and our team of cannabis experts.