Torus #C9

Cook up your batch of homemade Cal-Mag supplements, using Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) and Calcium nitrate (a common fertilizer). The ideal ratio is two parts calcium to one part of magnesium. A safe homemade Cal-Mag concentration would be 380ppm, with 260ppm Calcium and 120ppm Magnesium. For reference, you would need around 6g of calcium nitrate and 4.5g of Epsom salts per gallon of water. Budding-stage cannabis plants require large amounts of nutrients. Using an enriched soil or nutrient solution dissolved in water ensures that the plant is getting enough nutrients. In order to understand the finishing process, it helps to know how the plant absorbs nutrients. The roots of the cannabis plant are connected to the two vascular (think circulatory) systems: the xylem and the phloem. The xylem carries water from the roots to the branches and leaves. A combination of surface tension and adhesive forces, formally known as capillary action, allows the plant to pull the water up the stem against gravity. The phloem is part of the system that carries sugars, hormones, enzymes, and wastes from the upper canopy down to the lower portions of the canopy, the stem, and ultimately the roots. The roots flush and exude sugars, enzymes, and wastes that are digested by micro-organisms in the rhizosphere, the area surrounding the roots that support micro-organisms including mycorrhizae. There is no indication that the phloem carries raw nutrients, the dissolved solids that makeup fertilizers, out of plants. Since cannabis is such a valuable crop it is sensible that farmers try many methods and techniques for enhancing crop quality and yield. Fertilizer companies have introduced dozens of products for bud enhancement, many of which are described below. The companies have followed two paths, nature and science. Well-known growth and flower enhancers such as humic acid, kelp, molasses, and sugars, guano, and mycorrhizae increase crop performance by enhancing the root environment, which increases ability to absorb water and nutrients that stimulate the plant’s growth. Formulas dependent on the new botanical sciences include: amino acids, vitamins SAR stimulators, as well as plant hormones to increase quality and yield while shortening ripening time. Finishing Products For Your Cannabis Plants All finishing companies keep their formulas proprietary. However, they all work based on one of two theories: They either bind the nutrients so they are no longer available to the roots (whether they remain or are washed away). They make the salts more soluble so they flush out of the soil easily. ALGAE EXTRACT: Kelp extract AMINO ACIDS: Primarily glutamine and cysteine, but includes others. May be absorbed through the root system, increasing stress tolerance, growth, yield and vitality. AMMONIUM MOLYBDATE: Molybdinum (Mb) micro-nutrient AMYLASE: An enzyme that acts as a catalyst for breaking down starches, turning them into sugars. These sugars provide a source of energy for the plant ASCORBIC ACID: Vitamin C AZOMITE: A natural mineral complex that stimulates growth. B VITAMINS: Use of B Vitamins noted in literature or practice. B1 VITAMIN: Touted as a stress relief for plants. Proven to have no value. B2 VITAMIN: Also known as Riboflavin. There is no direct literature or note of its use in plants, which produce it in abundant quantities. However, it is known to protect some organisms from UV light BAT GUANO: Source of organic N or P BONE MEAL (STEAMED): Moderate release source of P (N:1.6-2.5, P:21, K:0.2) CACO3: Calcium carbonate, source of Ca CARBOHYDRATES: Simple sugars such as glucose or dextrose that plants can uptake CARROT (WILD, AKA QUEEN ANNE’S LACE): Ferments into amino acids that stimulate flower growth CHARCOAL: Soil conditioner that stimulates plant growth. CHELATED: Many micro-nutrients are metals that have little availability. When bonded with other elements (chelation) they become much more available. CHITOSAN: Found in crustacean shells, insect exoskeletons and fungus cell walls. Plant growth enhancer, and bio-pesticide substance that boosts the innate ability of plants to defend themselves against infections . CITRIC ACID: Vitamin C. When sprayed under stress conditions, improves growth and internal citric acid concentration, and also induces defense mechanisms by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. May play a positive role in stress tolerance. CYSTEINE (L): An amino acid high in sulfur. Effective against bacterial infections in plants and may stimulate terpene production. DOLOMITE: Mined combination of Ca (lime) and Mg EXTRACT: A preparation containing the active ingredient of a substance in concentrated form FE Iron FESO4: Iron sulfate FISH MEAL: Made from ground fish byproducts and non-food fish, 60-70% protein. A rich source of amino acids FISH PROTEIN: Concentrated fish meal GLUTAMINE (L): (Glutamate) An amino acid involved in plant growth. Supplementation may increase stress resistance and growth GUANO: Seabird or bat poop HUMIC ACID: A complex of acids that result from the decomposition of plant matter. It contains humic and fulvic acids as well as other molecules. It JASMONIC ACID: Regulates plant growth and development processes including growth inhibition, senescence, flower development and leaf abscission. K2CO3: Potassium carbonate, a common fertilizer KELP: The seaweed, ascophyllum nodosum. Kh2PO4: Potassium phosphate, a common fertilizer KhSO4: Potassium hydrogen sulfate (potassium-bisulfate); a common fertilizer K2O: Potash, a common fertilizer Kh2PO4: Potassium phosphate, a common fertilizer KNO3: Potassium nitrate, a common fertilizer K2SO4: Potassium sulfate, a common fertilizer K: Potassium, always used as a compound MGSO4: Magnesium sulfate aka Epsom Salts MICRONUTRIENTS (MICROS): Elements used by plants in small quantities. They are: boron (B), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and chlorine (Cl). In total, they constitute less than 1% of the dry weight of most plants. MNSO4: Manganese sulfate- Micro-nutrient helps to regulate the bio-availability of nutrients to the roots. MOLASSES: Sugar concentrate made from sugarcane MYCORRHIZAE: Fungi that grow in association with plant roots in a symbiotic relationship. Ectomycorrhizae form a cell-to-cell relationship with the root hairs. Arbuscular mycorrhizae penetrate the root cells. Both provide nutrients and protection in return for root exudate containing their food, and sugars. MG: Magnesium, an essential element MGHPO4: Magnesium phosphate N: Nitrogen *NIPACIDE: Biocide. Kills all living organisms. Made from formaldehyde. DO NOT USE. P: Phosphorous, Always used as a compound *PARABEN: Widely used in cosmetics as a preservative and bactericide and fungicide. Weak association as an estrogen simulator and with endocrine interruption. DO NOT USE. PHOSPHATES: Phosphorous compounds PO4: Phosphate P2O5: Phosphorous pentoxide, commonly used fertilizer *POTASSIUM SORBATE: Preservative and fungicide commonly used in foods and cosmetics PHYTO-ACIDS: (Bloom Master, Earth Juice). Undetermined plant products. RADISH: Ferments into amino acids which are growth stimulators SAPONINS: Derived from Yucca. Reduce water surface tension and loosens minerals from around roots SEAWEED: Kelp SUGAR: Plant food supplement absorbable by roots TRIACONTINOL: Plant growth stimulator. Large quantities are found in alfalfa. TRYPTOPHAN (L): Boosts flower hormone production *DO NOT USE The standard practice to initiate flowering in medicinal cannabis involves reducing the photoperiod from a long-day period to an equal duration cycle of 12 h light (12L)/12 h dark (12D). This method reflects the short-day flowering dependence of many cannabis varieties but may not be optimal for all. We sought to identify the effect of nine different flowering photoperiod treatments on the biomass yield and cannabinoid concentration of three medicinal cannabis varieties. The first, “Cannatonic”, was a high cannabidiol (CBD)-accumulating line, whereas the other two, “Northern Lights” and “Hindu Kush”, were high Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) accumulators. The nine treatments tested, following 18 days under 18 h light/6 h dark following cloning and propagation included a standard 12L:12D period, a shortened period of 10L:14D, and a lengthened period of 14L:10D. The other six treatments started in one of the aforementioned and then 28 days later (mid-way through flowering) were switched to one of the other treatments, thus causing either an increase of 2 or 4 h, or a decrease of 2 or 4 h. Measured parameters included the timing of reproductive development; the dry weight flower yield; and the % dry weight of the main target cannabinoids, CBD and THC, from which the total g cannabinoid per plant was calculated. Flower biomass yields were highest for all lines when treatments started with 14L:10D; however, in the two THC lines, a static 14L:10D photoperiod caused a significant decline in THC concentration. Conversely, in Cannatonic, all treatments starting with 14L:10D led to a significant increase in the CBD concentration, which led to a 50–100% increase in total CBD yield. The results show that the assumption that a 12L:12D photoperiod is optimal for all lines is incorrect as, in some lines, yields can be greatly increased by a lengthened light period during flowering. PMCID: PMC10004775PMID: 36903921 Cool. Pillbugs form an important component of the larger decomposer fauna, along with earthworms, snails, and millipedes. All of these animals return organic matter to the soil where it is further digested by fungi, protozoans, and bacteria, hence making nitrates, phosphates, and other vital nutrients available to plants. Although they may occasionally feed on roots, pillbugs do minimal damage to live vegetation and should not be regarded as pests. Pillbugs are also of importance in sites such as coal spoils and slag heaps, which face heavy metal contamination. They are capable of taking in heavy metals such as copper, zinc, lead and cadmium and crystallize these out as spherical deposits in the midgut. In this way, they remove many of the toxic metal ions from the soil. Furthermore, owing to their high tolerance of these ions, they thrive where other species cannot, and promote the restoration of contaminated sites by accelerating topsoil formation. This in turn favors the establishment of plants that stabilize the soils by root formation. Stabilized soils reduce problems of toxic dusts and the leaching of metal ions into the ground water.