Bio Tabs NL Interview - Grow Diaries

GoodTimesOrganics How did you get into growing? Tell us about your very first steps. Was it by chance, a friend, curiosity? How did it all start? Here we go 😁: Growing up in the late nineties, in a huge (sometimes good, sometimes not so good) social environment where there were also many older acquaintances. I was only thirteen at the time, and there was this one buddy who was already seventeen and had smoked a lot. Back then, it was always about someone who knew someone. I started smoking occasionally with the guys. When I was fourteen, we had Orange Bud for the first time from a coffee shop in the Netherlands, and it tasted pretty good. At first, I never got stoned; that happened for the first time in Spain with some Caramelito when I was just under 15. I was thrilled by the high. We laughed and enjoyed life. So, now to my first attempts at growing. Around the time we were in Spain (year 2000). I was just fifteen and grew up in a very tolerant household, where you could still buy cannabis seeds in Germany. So, we bought Ruderalis Indica seeds from Sensi Seeds at the nearest headshop, and I tried to grow them at home among the houseplants. My mom even helped with the watering. However, it was unsuccessful. The plant eventually died. I don't even remember why. That was my first grow attempt. A year later, there were large hemp fields near us, from which we brought back all sorts of grass. We just smoked it for fun and tried to grow the seeds in a clearing in the woods. Again, without success. Well, the years went by, and I occasionally took seeds from the grass we smoked. In 2003, I managed my first skylight grow with one plant. It just grew in a large flower pot with potting soil. And that’s when I first learned that the plant had to grow until the end of October to actually yield anything. I ended up with a proud 20 grams, without fertilizer, no frills, and an early harvest. And yet, I was still a bit anxious about getting busted. So, I stopped again, and we had other sources. A buddy always talked about another friend who was growing. That’s where we got our cannabis from. Usually him. Because I was a student and mostly completely broke! So, there was never any talk of grow equipment, as I was just happy to cover my living expenses. Kali Mist, Big Buddha, White Widow. Those were the strains available. Grown under HPS lights with surprisingly good quality. The stories about the grower that none of us really knew well and about whom no one could say anything or talk about with many others! Those were interesting stories and formed a mystery around cannabis cultivation for me back then. Nowadays, it’s not so deep anymore, but in the youthful imagination, it was. Then there was a long break, and I only consumed cannabis on weekends, limited to one or two joints and definitely no more bongs. In 2013, when we moved into our house and I got to know one of our neighbors better, my interest suddenly grew again. Because he was growing cannabis indoors in a double room system. Moreover, my wife has various diagnoses for which cannabis as medicine would definitely help. It all started when I asked my neighbor if I could get some trim leftovers from him to make cannabis butter. Sure! I got a completely newspaper-wrapped and dried plant that had hermied. It was a Freddy's Best from Dutch Passion! Wow! That’s where it all really began. I picked out the seeds, we made butter, and bangarang. The butter was really strong! However, it was too strong to consume in the evenings for medical reasons, so I smoked instead to better gauge the dosage. (Well, my wife did). Then I asked my neighbor if he could give us some more, and that was fine too. At the same time, the thought came to me that I could just cultivate it myself! I had the seeds and now enough space! Then it all kicked off in 2014! The first run in our balcony-like section of the house! Before that, I had acquired a lot of knowledge from the book: The Cannabis Cultivation: Everything about Botany, Cultivation, Propagation, Processing, and Medical Applications as well as THC Measurement Methods. I took notes, and then it was on! However, not right away! No, since cannabis is a photoperiod plant, I built a blackout system that I could pull over the plants so I wasn't just dependent on the waning sun. It was a 2.3-meter-high wooden box with blackout curtains. I pulled it over the plants every evening at 7 PM and pushed it back every morning at 7 AM. (Never again 🙂) But it worked! Additionally, I could use the summer and warm temperatures to improve the results and not wait until the end of summer. See pictures! It became clear afterward! I need a small cabinet for indoor cultivation! Starting in 2015, I began growing indoors! The reason for this was also that the era of LED technology had arrived, making the electricity costs for growing more manageable. So, I converted a small office cabinet into a grow cabinet. That’s where it all began! Then the nerding out started, along with the equipment acquisition and improvement! Year after year! What role does cannabis play in your life – personally and as a grower? Cannabis has always played a bigger role at times and then a less significant role in my life. Back in my youth, from around 16 to about 23, I was a regular consumer. During the high times, I was even a nonstop bong smoker. Nearly 3 to 4 years of that. Get up in the morning, smoke a joint, and the day begins! Break in between - smoke a joint, and off we go! This was the pattern throughout my youth. Looking back, there were decisions I would definitely make differently today – and that’s exactly what I learned from. During that time, it was all about consumption and sourcing around cannabis, less about technical information. The image I formed of cannabis (less harmful than alcohol! Better tolerated! Much cooler high, etc.) still exists today! However, it’s always crucial what time and what amounts! Well, since I turned 23, I’ve only been a casual consumer. And if I do, it’s usually only on weekends! This hasn’t changed significantly since the partial legalization in Germany, as it had long been my own decision. But what really got me hooked, and this has been the case since 2015! Cannabis cultivation! This fascination for this one plant is so overwhelming and amazing, controversial, multifaceted, forbidden, legal, and ultimately just passion! What I still wonder is whether this plant is genetically designed to draw people in so irresistibly, giving it a higher chance of survival from an evolutionary perspective. I mean, which plant causes as much uproar worldwide as cannabis? I don’t know of any other.

GoodTimesOrganics Medicine, relaxation, creativity, passion – what does the plant mean to you? Cannabis means all of these questioning keywords to me! I can also add science and research, community, relationships, connection, creation! The medical aspect came particularly into play as I wanted to support my wife in alleviating her complaints from endometriosis and occasional severe pain and various menstrual issues. In our region, medicinal cannabis is only prescribed for the treatment of severe illnesses like cancer, and even then only in derivative form. So I decided for myself: We are going our own way – responsibly and consciously. Additionally, there had been a suspicion of an ADHD diagnosis for my wife for a while, which was then confirmed by a doctor in 2025. All in all, it helps her in the evenings to regulate overthinking and improve sleep. It alleviated her pain and stimulated her appetite, as it was very difficult for her during the day with ADHD to pay attention to taking her meals.

GoodTimesOrganics What growing method do you prefer and why? (Indoor/Outdoor, soil/hydro, etc.) I mostly cultivate indoors now in a semi-open system. However, during the warm season, I occasionally put an autoflowering plant on the balcony. Also, for me, this is more of a philosophical question! Because yes, cannabis can be cultivated in many ways. Here I've made a clear decision - plants grow in soil! And they do so without synthetic fertilizers dependent on petroleum/natural gas! Therefore, aside from a few lazy projects, I grow purely organic and without the addition of mineral fertilizers in soil/living soil, etc.! Share your personal approach with us and tell us how you came to it. Do you know this? You had different weed, and sometimes it tasted so soapy? I didn't know for a long time why that was, and I only found out not too long ago! It's due to the mineral fertilizer! Honestly, and we can discuss this or not! Of course, it could also be that the plants weren't flushed early, etc. I found this out because I tried everything and was in contact with people about it over and over again! But these are topics I've also dealt with. Until I finally came to the realization! It's simpler than one sometimes believes! In the process as a grower, I've gone through many stages! From absolute rocket science with adjusting pH and EC values, adjusting the watering with tons of different means, and creating the ultimate room climate, etc.... You know what I mean! Then one day, the enlightenment came! Feed the soil, not the plant! That came to me with the first known organic fertilizers, where I thought, hey, this weed somehow tastes better! Then I got into topics (because of my garden!) like living soil, sustainable gardening, and permaculture! Interrelationships between different plants through the food web established in the soil - fungi and bacteria cultures in the soil! So that's it! So mix your own soil! Humus - organic raised bed soil! A bit of coco for structure! Rock dust, long-term sheep pellets, and then also guano, beetroot, banana, and nettle powder. Basically done - it works too!

GoodTimesOrganics Which strain is particularly close to your heart and what fascinates you about it? Do you have an absolute favorite? What makes it so special for you? Yes, the strain with which it all began! Freddy’s Best! Freddy is one of the breeders from Dutch Passion! Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, as he passed away last year. Rest in peace, your work is appreciated! You have definitely inspired me! And that through your cultivation! If anyone still has some seeds of that or knows someone who does! Please pass it on to me, thanks! I will try to cross them back! His strain Freddy’s Best is unfortunately also not available anymore. Otherwise, I also keep returning to the strain Orange Bud, I think it has something to do with the nostalgia flavor. The strain just tastes incredibly delicious! But I also really enjoy cultivating new strains! I was impressed by: GMO, Blue Dream, GG#4, all the Sherbets, Cake and Cookies, also the Punch and Pantie strains are pretty awesome! What I can say is that I really appreciate the combination of old school and new school. What was your biggest learning moment as a grower – a mistake or a success that helped you develop further? That's not so easy to answer. I think the success of achieving better results with less effort. That was one of my biggest learning successes! Preparing the soil from the very beginning so that you as a grower don’t have to do anything until flowering and the plant grows super healthy at a rapid pace. That was a success experience that I still apply today! I mean, it works just the same with Bio-Tabs. So my basic philosophy stands solid and is always crowned with success. There are also different paths leading there, which I am always willing to try out again.

GoodTimesOrganics No grower is perfect. What has taught you the most? What does your typical grow routine look like – how much time do you invest and what do you enjoy the most? Typical grow routine: Cotton pad germination, directly into the prepared final pot - Watering, Observing, Documenting. What I enjoy the most is preparing for a new run! Mixing soil, setting seeds, and waiting for the first cotyledons to come out of the soil. Then I already know: Done! Waiting – Watering – Waiting – Watering – Waiting – Harvesting – From the beginning!

GoodTimesOrganics Routines, rituals, special moments in the grow room. What advice would you give to beginners just entering the world of growing? One of my rituals is to naturally test every plant I've cultivated after a week of storage. I might never smoke it again, but that's just how I do it! Make mistakes! Over time, you'll find your way. If you want a shortcut! Take: 40 l. organic universal soil, 40 l. organic compost, 20 l. coco soil. Mixing all the soil is top! Rock dust! Long-term organic fertilizer pellets, done! Make sure to store the soil somewhere indoors! Because if it's outside, unwanted guests will come faster than you think! Thrips - fungus gnats. In the flowering stage, use PK - compost tea!

GoodTimesOrganics Your very personal tip – what would you have liked to know earlier? How easy it can be to achieve top results! Decide on your philosophy and work on it!

GoodTimesOrganics How did you first hear about Biotabs and what motivated you to try it out? I've come across Bio Tabs several times while searching for fertilizers based on pure organic/biological principles. However, I was still more focused on my living soil experimentation trip back then. That’s still ongoing today, but at Mary Jane 2024, I received the Bio Tabs compost tea to test at the booth and combined it with my living soil. I was so convinced by the results that I use it every time now.

GoodTimesOrganics The story behind your first contact with Biotabs. As mentioned above, I had seen the products several times while searching for organic fertilizers but never tried them. At the Mary - Jane Berlin in 2024, I watched as Bio Tabs was preparing a compost tea. I asked him what that was, and he explained everything to me. This totally resonated with me in the context of the Livingsoil philosophy, and I decided to try it right away. Results were great! Then I combined that with my diaries on Grow Diaries and set it up as fertilizer there. Then, a while ago, I was contacted by Mia. Here we are!

GoodTimesOrganics How has Biotabs influenced your grow and what do you appreciate most about the product? Concrete experiences, observations, results – what has changed? Without going into detail about who does what better or what works better or whatever... I'll put it this way. Bio Tabs has developed a component method that transforms a regularly purchased standard substrate into a bio-organic living soil. This fundamentally aligns with my understanding and philosophy of plant cultivation. The special focus is probably on the products Bactrex and Mykhotrex, which bring active soil life into the substrate. However, these require food, hence the long-term fertilizer tabs, Startrex, Silicon Flash, and Orgatrex. These prepare the used substrate perfectly for a long-term environment. While these alone already release nutrients for the plants, the fungi and bacteria support the decomposition processes and improve the plant availability of the organic fertilizers! Therefore, it is usually quite possible to use only water for watering. In the flowering phase, it is important to boost the soil life again and introduce a fresh influx of nutrients. Thus, the renewed application of Bactrex and the introduction of Bio PK 5-8 makes sense. From AB BW3 onwards, my favorite comes into play: The PK compost tea, which brings a good boost of soil life and food for the microorganisms into the soil. That's it!