Sativa vs Indica — making the right choice, and why Cannabis Ruderalis is important playing its role

Fri, 04/Oct/19

Cannabis is divided virtually into two groups: Indica and Sativa. This is where we start, the axiomatic rule. Nowadays the most of commercial strains are the mix of the two, however the wording stays and now it mostly indicate the future effects: calmness, thoughtfulness are for “indica”, where creativeness and energy is for “sativa”. Watching at 70% indica seeds label you understand the type of the highness it’ll deliver.

Everywhere where marijuana is respected and is allowed by law, in every single description of commercial marijuana seeds, every grow-shop, every dispensary, every coffee-shop (whatever the legal weed delivery is called in your country), everywhere weed is more labeled with: “Sativa”, “Indica” or both if it is a mix of both.

Understanding Sativa and Indica

One my friend once told me a simple formula to catch the basic idea: Sativa is to laugh, and Indica is to sleep. Not only this, but it shows the very basic idea well enough and easy to remember.

SATIVA gives a taller plant comparing to INDICA which is more bushy, that is why breeders often add Indica into the mixture to get the ‘HIGHNESS’ of Sativa along with its height but the size of Indica.

Many sources point to the shape of a plant and teach us how to distinguish between Indica and Sativa when they are in a form of a plant. As if we meet cannabis plants size of a human daily on the streets, except that you are somewhere in Sri Lanka. However I think it’s curious to know when a friend offers to light up one and you know the plant-family and see how go the effects.

Cannabis Leaves: SATIVA (on the left) and INDICA (on the right):

Sativa leaf (on the left) and Indica leaf (on the right)

Sativa

The main difference however is that SATIVA contains more of THC, not always but in general. This is why it is “for laughing”. Being the main psychoactive component of marijuana THC affects the brain, therefore you feel “higher” due to more amount of THC consumed. Even a little bit hallucinogenic it may be with strong strains, sources se-so, but to get that high from a regular marijuana is not easy, you’ll need to train yourself to feel your body well-enough and play with your brain and feelings (some people spend years in temples in India smoking religiously all the time… “hallucinogenic” is not that you see monsters all around right after one puff, don’t worry).

Indica

As for INDICA. It does not mean at all that you’re not high with Indica, it’s very fine too, but just contains (in general) more of CBD which is more applicable as medicine rather than THC, this CBD works for relaxation and other body-related stuff, and this is the reason why it is referred as “for sleep” and this is the reason why Indica is kind of more close originally to the basic idea of medical marijuana.

Summary — Indica and Sativa

PLANTS SATIVA is more straight and tall cannabis plant, loosely branched with long and narrow leaves, basically much more taller than a Cannabis Indica plant. While INDICA is more like a bush, densely branched and wider leaves (see the image to compare), and significantly lower in height. It’s said that Sativa can reach up to 10-20 feet height in the wild, and this is another reason why breeders mix both Indica and Sativa into the INDOOR strains to inherit the smaller height of Indica to keep the plants still lower than your growing space is.

THC / CBD INDICA contains in general more of CBD and less of THC. Such does not mean it shall not bring you HIGH, of course it can be and it is HIGH enough. However Indica is considered more as for the medical use.

While SATIVA is like energetic and stimulating and it loads an extra activity into the brain, being more “trippy” so to say. It’s not that Indica does not provide a trip, but just contains less of THC.

Growing INDICA is more often considered as an AMATEUR strain to grow your own Marijuana supply in a household. Don’t worry, you’ll be high enough, and you’ll get all medical effects too, Indica is not ‘bad’, but just EASIER, and it stands better against pests and climate conditions.

What means:

Easy to grow — the best offer for the beginner’s first try. Still enjoying the high-end cannabis strain in the end with a smooth aroma of coffee and nutmeg. From growers to beginner growers, the perfect choice!

Feminized — means that you get one trouble less. Yet, not autofem, which may mean you’re still on a beginner’s quest about the light-regimes.

50% of Sativa and 50% of INDICA mix, you get all-in-one this time before you choose your own preferences, what to grow, to smoke, to smell, even growing strains to create a specific mood. Yet, staying in the middle for awhile, is often perfect for starters to gain own errors.

Can reach up to 20% of THC. The high standard on the market.

Contains 0.3% of THC makes such one good for a MEDICAL use too. Most certainly CBD will be contrary high

8 weeks to flower Such shall mean: very fast. FOr indoor with a good care and light regime and nearly perfect temperatures, it’s 3-4 months – still considered fast enough. For outdoor growing for a regular weed in a regular green-house… up to 6 months, or about.

More of History

The terms of “Indica” and “Sativa” were suggested for the first time by French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1785. While his comparing the Cannabis plants grown in India which were used to produce highly psychoactive hashish for religious purpose, to those from Europe mainly used for ropes and cloth. Eventually he discovered that the latter was less psychoactive. And this is the very idea to differentiate “herb” and “marijuana” in legal terminology nowadays.

The modern breeders are already beyond this initial classification. Most of strains are a mixture of two. Indica in its turn is already bred to contain good amount of psychoactive compounds, making people to debate about changing the terminology. For everyday use referring to cannabis plants’ properties in Indica and Sativa terms is fine and totally universal.

What about Ruderalis

It is not Indica and it is not Sativa, not a mix of them, it’s Ruderalis has just appeared on the stage, frequently referred as a wild cannabis, comparing to the well-cultivated well-developed Indica- Sativa-based strains.

Suddenly, what a beautiful discovery, scientists have engineered the autoflower seeds out of the properties of Ruderalis, but how?

Ruderalis originates from the North where the climate is colder, by that these strains are less sensitive to the light regime, they flower by reaching the definite age rather than as a reaction on the rhythm of sun. Secondly, a shorter ‘summer’ (because it is colder)s made it evolve to flower in shorter terms. Already guess that the Ruderalis happened to fit idyllically for breeding out the “auto-flower cannabis strains”: mixing ruderalis with sativas and indicas to add the full set of commercially required properties they have resulted into what we know as autoflowering strains.

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Hydroponic Cannabis Growing Made Easy Guide

Sun, 29/Sep/19

Due to the legalization of Marijuana across many states in the USA and Canada, the cannabis industry is progressing at a massive rate and is heading towards becoming one of the fastest-growing business sectors in North America. At present, people have also started to take a swing at growing cannabis through the process of hydroponics because of its benefits, both medicinal and economic.

What is hydroponics growing?

Thanks to the internet and its reach, you can buy different variants of weed such as edibles, concentrates, flowers, CBD oil, and budget buds online. Or, you can grow your weed hydroponically at home.

Growing cannabis hydroponically refers to the process of cultivating and harvesting it in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution, avoiding the traditional means of using soil. This way, the plant roots have direct contact with the nutrient-rich solution, ensuring their proper growth.

Hydroponic weed growing: Advantages

• You get a better quality of marijuana.
• You can cultivate the strain of your choice.
• Weed plants grow faster in the hydroponics medium.
• There is no overgrowth of weed plants and hence, a lesser mess.
• Your weed plants do not contract any soil-borne diseases.
• This method allows you to harvest more copious amounts of weed.

Now that we know about what hydroponics cannabis growing is and its benefits, let’s start with the process.

Guide to growing cannabis hydroponically

There are different hydroponic systems that you can try to grow cannabis. Here are the most popular ones —

1. EBB AND FLOW SYSTEM – The simplicity and ease of use make Ebb and Flow system one of the most popular methods of hydroponic cultivation. In this system, you need to place the plants on a tray with a porous growing medium such as Rockwool or lava rocks to retain air and water. Followingly, place the tray on top of a reservoir and fill the latter with nutrient solution. An attached pump fills the growing tray with the solution from the repository. The fill tube drains out any excess from the growing tray.
2. AEROPONICS – Growing mediums aren’t required in this type of hydroponic system. Hang the roots of the weed plant mid-air within the aeroponics chamber at a humidity level of 100%. The highly oxygenated roots then absorb nutrients from the solution sprayed by sprinklers. This method allows weed plants to grow almost ten times faster than traditional soil cultivation methods as there is no loss of water through evaporation.
3. DRIP IRRIGATION – In this system, you must place the weed seedlings on a growing medium. Followingly, apply the nutrient solution to the root or stem of the plants drop-by-drop through droppers from above. This system is extremely efficient in saving water and nutrients. Again, the rate of evaporation is minimal.
4. DEEP WATER CULTURE – The DWC method of cannabis hydroponic cultivation is an ideal way for beginners to start. It is also one of the fastest and cheapest means of cannabis growing. You can practically build this system with simple items available at your home. Here’s how you can build your DWC system to grow cannabis hydroponically.

Procedure to build your own Deep Water Culture

• The very first step is to gather your essentials, namely a grow tent, grow light, DWC tank, nutrients, and seeds.
• Once you have your essentials in place, fill up your DWC tank with a nutrient solution. Followingly, suspend your weed plants so that their roots are in direct contact with the solution.
• Add continuous oxygen supply to the water. This can be quickly done with the help of an air pump and some airstones to pump bubbles in the solution.
• Light is essential for plants to grow and blossom. Make sure you place your hydroponic system where your weed can receive a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight every day.
• If you are new to cultivating cannabis and want to buy weed online, there are a plethora of websites that you can choose from. If it is your first time at growing cannabis hydroponically, it is advisable to use live plants rather than seeds, also known as cloning. You can and remove the seedlings from the soil and container that it came in. Wash off any dirt to ensure that there is no contamination in your nutrient solution.
• Use RO or Reverse Osmosis water for your nutrient solution and keep the pH levels in check. Make sure the pH level of the solution is within the range of 5.5 to 6.3, or else it could cause some severe damage to your plants.
• Lastly, get the best nutrients for your solution so that your weed plants can have faster and healthier growth.

Read more — Grow Weed Hydroponically (opens in new window)

As a beginner, you may find it difficult to grow cannabis hydroponically. Start with a simple setup and then move on with the more complex ones. The results of hydroponic growing are very effective. Its users will feel no difference in the commercially available and the hydroponically grown Cannabis at home whether they use it in a  glass percolator bong or make an edible out of it. 

This article is an attempt to simplify the process so that you can yield the best quality weed at home. After all, smoking self-grown weed is one of the most satisfying experiences for a stoner!

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Common Cannabis Plant Problems: Seeds, Roots and Stems

Thu, 19/Sep/19

Cannabis plant may suffer a certain amount of problems and sicknesses, and this troubleshooting guide we have compiled as a practical advice to diagnose a problem, how to recognize and prevent the possible seed issues, root issues and stem issues. There can be also pH and water related leaf symptoms, but we focus on the very base – hit which one to jump to: roots, stems and seeds. And in the first place you should find the part of the cannabis plant or type of plant material that is showing a symptom that makes you think there is a problem.

Seeds Issues

Jump to: Stem Issues or Root Issues

These are the beginning of life for the cannabis plant, and any problems with such a base of life will result in poor performance throughout the entire grow and finally affect the total yields. This is the common picture of cannabis seed we all know it well.

The Ideal Seed

The ideal seed is a dark green, almost brown, may also have sort-a ornamental stripes or markings, also depending on genetics. A viable seed is plump and firm. Applying slight pressure on the seed should not crush the outer coating.

Brittle Seed

A brittle seed, less brown or too light green, or if you push slightly and it cracks or otherwise break the coating – all these demonstrate that the seed is not yet rite and most probably it will not survive to maturity. Remove such seeds at once. And then while producing the seeds – in case you do not buy ready steady seeds but instead going to do it on your own – it’s recommended to keep them growing until they naturally fall to the ground which is a healthy approach and seeds will be naturally ripe and ready to produce a new healthy cannabis plant in your garden.

Green Seed

The green seed however can be saved, but just there is no actual reason to do so except that it is literally the last seed in this particular genetic collection, or you are a castaway in a small piece of land in the middle of Pacific alone, whatever. To save such seed one should be out into paper towel into dark warm place – right, like you do while germination. So if it goes darker and then finally sprout – plant such seed closer to surface, as soon as it does not have enough nutrients in its stock to make the full way.

10 Top Reasons Why Seeds Do Not Germinate

Too big, too small?
Size does matter, after all
Zu groß, zu klein?
Er könnte etwas größer sein
(from ‘Rammstein’)

1. Too Cold. Cold temperatures can kill seedlings by preventing germination or otherwise result a slow, uneven germination and provoke attacks by soil diseases.

2. Too Hot. Higher temperatures result a dry soil and injury to seeds or seedlings.

3. Too Wet. Excess water prevents oxygen, and also cause soil fungi related diseases.

4. Too Dry. Water is just vital and essential for germination. So maintain the soil moisture and/or the humidity when germinating before putting into soil, by putting plastic wrap or glass covers.

5. Too Deep. If planting cannabis seeds too deep then the sibling shall need more energy to go through while the amount of it is still determined by the capacity of the seed itself, as soon as it is filled with nutrients to supply this emerging stage. Limited “food storage” for a sibling may result a weaker plant in general. Recommended planting depth: ½ in.!

6. Too Shallow. If you plant cannabis seeds too shallow they can dry out too quickly.

7. Too Firm. If your mix of soil is too firm – that may affect the oxygen from getting to seeds and later – the roots, and also affect drainage.

8. Too Loose. Soil that is too loose will result in too much air surrounding seeds, making it harder to absorb moisture and your siblings will most likely dry out.

9. Soil Fungus. Keep it all clean – from your germination container, properly cleaned before you ever start, and then the pot well washed, and all the surrounding. And still any overwatering, lack of ventilation or drainage, may cause appearing of fungus attacking the seeds. Prevention is the best (if not the only) tool against these ones.

10. Non-viable Seeds. By any reason unviable: whether if the seeds have been stored improperly or been damaged, or simply immature seeds (see above) or just lack of luck this time without any visible reason.

Roots Issues

Jump to: Stem Issues or Seeds Issues

Roots are the beginning of the plant. They supply everything to the buds through the whole plant system. You need a strong and healthy root system to be able to pass enough nutrients all way up to support the plant at its maximum growth rate.

As soon as the whole root structure is not much visible it is important to take proper preventative measures to avoid even any possibility that roots ever develop problems.

Tight-packed Roots Curling Around the Edge of the Pot

That one is a very common scenario especially in the conditions of limited grow space – like a pot, for example, or any other container. The very beginner grower mistake at the same time, and quite predictable too. Also keep in mind that the roots take less advantage of the container’s horizontal space. Just give them more space.

Root Stunting

Root Stunting – when roots become chunky and in the laterals especially, and the whole system may discolor to brown or grey. Root stunting is often a result of calcium deficiency, acidity, aluminum toxicity, and boron deficiency or copper toxicity.

Loose and Weak Roots

Generally speaking roots grow well in a space with a carefully maintained pH and lots of oxygen. And weak thin roots can be an early message that you need more oxygenation. Poor drainage or tight soils can be reasons – check them first.

Smelly Roots

Sounds disgusting to me. Okay, this is lack of oxygen making the condition in which roots start rotting. I would not try saving a rotten plant, yet it can be saved in some occasions, and let us consider this is the worst root problem to avoid.

Stems Issues

Jump to: Seeds Issues or Root Issues

Stems transport all nutrients from the soil through the roots into the leaves and buds. Nice strong thick stems demonstrate the health of the whole system and result good frosty harvest in the end.

Leaning Branches

This is also related tot he next issue with weak and long – and both are about strength in the stems and branches, but just different reason. Except lacking the light the reason may be in lack of wind, and the plant cannot simply train the strength. Give more wind and your cannabis girl shall become more sporty and well fitness’ed then )

Thin and Tall and Looking Weak

The most common for this is lack of light. When getting insufficient amount of light the plants start stretch into direction of poor light source. In the early emerging stage of the plant just dig it down deeper when transplanting. Adding an extra fan to increase the airflow is also a solution – it may strengthen the stems because they’ll resist stronger wind. And in any case – add more light if such possible.

Broken Stem

This is not the end of the world yet don’t panic. Tape the broken stem together with the undamaged stem or stronger branch with a string. Using some additional supporting pole is also a good idea. Give it a lot of time to recover before giving load back onto the damaged part.

If it was a cat or a dog who damaged the cannabis plant, then think twice then, as soon as cats and dogs are also the carriers for germs of all sorts ann varieties, that can bring even more harm to your cannabis plant.

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