Bio Tabs Grower Interview 2026

HandsomeTerpz 1. Tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where are you from, and what do you do outside of growing? Let us know who's behind the profile – hobbies, work, passions. Hi, and thanks for the opportunity to share a bit about myself and my passion. My name is Dr. Terpz, which is of course an alter ego I use to avoid any connection to my real identity, as this could otherwise cause issues in both my private and professional life. I was born in the early 80s and grew up during the peak of hip hop, grunge culture, and MTV. I was born and raised in a major city in Germany, where I still live today. Professionally, I spent a long time searching for my true passion. I have not fully found it yet, but I am content with where I am. In today’s terms, I would be described as neurodivergent, specifically as someone with high-functioning autism. This only affects my daily life to a limited extent. I see myself as a highly creative person. Throughout my life, I have been deeply involved in creative activities such as drawing, graffiti, and music. The 90s had a strong influence on me, especially through comics, video games, cartoons, and film. That influence remains to this day. I have a strong appreciation for the strange, the absurd, and abstract art. I am a big fan of anime and manga, and I admire artists like H.R. Giger. Through this passion, I discovered miniature painting in the 90s, and although time has limited how often I practice it, I have never lost interest. I keep coming back to it whenever I can. I also enjoy reading, especially non-fiction books and novels by authors like Terry Pratchett, as well as high fantasy such as The Lord of the Rings. At the moment, I am reading the sci-fi novel Predator Armada. Growing up in the 90s, hip hop had a strong impact on me, including its cultural connection to cannabis. However, I was not able to maintain my passion for hip hop over the years, as it never gave me what metal music has consistently provided for nearly three decades. Outside of growing, I am simply a regular family man. I am married and navigating the everyday chaos that comes with being a father.

HandsomeTerpz 2. How did you get into growing? Tell us about your very first steps. Was it chance, a friend, curiosity? How did it all begin? My journey into growing is closely tied to how I grew up. As I mentioned before, the 90s shaped me in many ways. Skateboarding was a big part of my life, along with movies like Kids, Boyz n the Hood, and Menace II Society. Music also played a major role, often portraying and normalizing cannabis use. At the same time, exposure to drugs at school was very real. I attended a school where access to substances like cocaine and amphetamines was not uncommon. Compared to those, cannabis was seen as relatively harmless. One of my friends even started dealing hash in the 8th or 9th grade, so we were constantly skateboarding and getting high. However, I began to notice how cannabis affected my memory and concentration during my teenage years. Because of that, I reduced my consumption to a minimum and eventually stopped completely in the early 2000s. Still, I always had the feeling that legalization would happen one day. I made a promise to myself that if it ever did, I would grow my own cannabis. In 2024, when legalization finally became reality, I was also at a point in my life where I needed a balance to work and family responsibilities. I spent several months researching the topic in depth before even buying my first seed. Then I decided to fully commit. I sold things I no longer used, like my PlayStation 5, and invested the money into a complete grow setup. Since then, I have been actively growing. As I got older, there were also additional reasons for returning to cannabis, which I will explain in the next question.

HandsomeTerpz 3. What role does cannabis play in your life – personally and as a grower? Medicine, relaxation, creativity, passion – what does the plant mean to you? Over the course of my life, I suffered a spinal fracture due to a series of smaller accidents. This resulted in chronic pain, as the damaged vertebra fused with my tailbone. When the search for a cause and solution began, there was no real answer, so I was prescribed various pharmaceutical medications. One of them was Lyrica, also known as Pregabalin. It is typically used to treat epilepsy, as it affects the nervous system. At first, it gave me a sense of relief and peace that I had not experienced in a long time. However, it came at a cost. I had to take a daily dose of around 400 to 500 mg, which is close to the maximum recommended amount. After taking it for several years, I began to feel empty, isolated, constantly unwell, and sedated. This eventually led to a severe depressive state. As a result, I was prescribed the antidepressant Venlafaxine, which stabilized me to some extent, but it also intensified the side effects. A few years ago, before legalization, I came across a report from the UK that linked around 6,000 deaths to Pregabalin, with similar symptoms and patterns to what I had experienced. That was the moment I started to seriously question the medication. I learned that it is also widely misused, including by people dealing with opioid withdrawal. That realization shocked me enough to stop taking it immediately, despite the pain returning. From that point on, I began to question many aspects of my medical treatment, including neurology, psychology, and chiropractic approaches. I found it irresponsible that such medications were prescribed without proper awareness of their risks and long-term effects. With legalization, I finally found an alternative. As someone dealing with chronic pain, I started growing my own cannabis and using it in the form of edibles. Since then, it has helped me significantly. I am now more or less pain-free, without the heavy side effects I experienced before. That being said, I want to make one thing clear. Medical treatment is not nonsense, and professional help is important. However, it is essential to question what you are being prescribed and to stay informed. At the same time, people should avoid falling for dangerous misinformation. For example, drinking colloidal silver is not a cure for serious illnesses like cancer. Always take your symptoms seriously and consult qualified specialists.

HandsomeTerpz 4. What growing method do you prefer and why? (Indoor/outdoor, soil/hydro, etc.) Share your personal approach and what led you to it. I like to stay open-minded when it comes to growing methods, but my approach changes depending on the season. During winter, I clearly prefer indoor growing, which is the most practical and controlled environment. In summer, however, I really enjoy growing outdoors whenever possible. For outdoor growing, I usually recommend autoflowering strains. Regular or photoperiod genetics often take too long due to the natural sunlight cycle, which makes them more demanding in terms of time and care. Autoflowers are simply more efficient and manageable in that setting. At the moment, I grow exclusively in soil or coco. Since I have been using BioTabs for a long time, I tend to stick with soil. In my opinion, it is better suited for maintaining a healthy microbiome, and it allows the mycelium to develop more naturally. That being said, everyone should choose the method that works best for them. I am not against DWC or hydroponic systems at all, but it is important to understand that these methods rely more heavily on mineral nutrients and salts. In the end, it comes down to personal preference. For me, I prefer the organic route, as it simply feels more natural and gives me better results in terms of overall experience.

HandsomeTerpz 5. Which strain is closest to your heart and what fascinates you about it? Do you have an all-time favourite? What makes it special to you? I honestly have to say that I still have not found my personal holy grail strain. I think many people can relate to this. At some point in the past, you experienced a very specific smell or effect, and ever since then, you have been trying to find it again. For me, this goes back to the early 2000s, when I visited a cannabis museum in Amsterdam. There was this one aroma that I have never forgotten. It was incredibly fruity and extremely sweet, with no diesel notes at all. I have been searching for that exact profile ever since, but without success so far. That said, I have not given up hope. Since I primarily consume cannabis in the form of edibles, the taste of the smoke is not very important to me anyway. What I do know for sure is that I am not a fan of strong gasoline, diesel, or solvent-like aromas. Those profiles are simply not for me. Aside from that, I am open to exploring all kinds of strains. I am especially drawn to exotic genetics, even though they are often harder to find.

HandsomeTerpz 6. What has been your biggest learning moment as a grower – a mistake or a success that helped you grow? No grower is perfect. What has taught you the most? To be honest, there was no single defining moment for me. What I have noticed, though, is that many growers tend to get frustrated with their results. Yields feel too small, plants do not develop as expected, or issues like mold appear. I believe one of the most important lessons is not being afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes you will fail completely and even have to throw away an entire harvest. That is part of the process. The real enemy is standing still and not improving. Continuous learning is key. Try things out, experiment, and observe what happens. What does too much light do, or too little? How does overwatering affect the vegetative stage? What exactly are nutrients, and how do they work? It is also valuable to learn from other growers, even to copy their methods and see how the results differ in your own setup. Not being afraid of mistakes is one of the most important mindsets. Growing should be enjoyable. It is not a competition. In the end, it is not some mysterious art, but a craft that can be learned. You are working with a plant that simply has certain needs depending on its genetics, and your job is to understand and meet those needs. Interestingly, if you look at yield and bud size, my very first grow was actually my best one. I have not reached that level again since. But that is not a bad thing, because now I understand why the parameters changed and what influenced the outcome.

HandsomeTerpz 7. What does your typical grow routine look like – how much time do you invest and what do you enjoy most? Routines, rituals, special moments in the grow room. This is actually one of my weak points. In everyday life, I simply do not have as much time as I would like to fully focus on my plants. My main priority is to keep them healthy and stable. It might sound simple, but that alone can already be a challenge. With kids, my wife, and our dog, my time is limited, so I truly appreciate the rare moments when I can work calmly in the grow room. Low stress training and defoliation are the parts I enjoy the most. Those are the moments where I can really connect with the plants and focus. My daily routine is fairly simple. Every morning, I check both tents to make sure all plants are healthy and that there is enough water in the system. That is usually all I can manage during the week. One small ritual I try to maintain is starting my grow cycles around the weekend, ideally on a Friday. It does not always work out perfectly, but I like having that structure. What I honestly dislike the most is harvesting and trimming. It takes a lot of time and can be exhausting. Because of that, I have moved away from dry trimming and now prefer wet trimming, as it feels more efficient to me. One of my favorite moments is taking the plants out of the tent and doing a proper photoshoot. When the pictures turn out well, I feel genuinely proud of what I have achieved, and I enjoy sharing those results with others.

HandsomeTerpz 8. What advice would you give beginners who are just stepping into the world of growing? Your most personal tip – what do you wish you had known earlier? My main advice is simple: do not give up and always keep an open mind. Try to look beyond the obvious and keep learning. It is better to grow fewer plants and take proper care of them than to grow too many and not have enough time for each one. Focus on training techniques like topping, low stress training, and defoliation, and do them well instead of spreading yourself too thin. When it comes to equipment, pay close attention to your lighting. The lamp is the most important part of your setup. It is often better to invest in a good used light than to buy a cheap new one that will not deliver proper results. Work clean and stay calm if your plants develop spots or minor issues. Most problems can be fixed if you react in time. At the same time, be aware that growing is not a cheap hobby. It requires a noticeable amount of energy and ongoing costs, so you should be prepared for that.

HandsomeTerpz 9. How did you first hear about Biotabs and what made you want to try it? The story behind your first contact with Biotabs. The first time I heard about BioTabs was actually through a forum post where a grower was having serious problems using it. That made me curious, so I started researching the system in more detail. At first, I had to really understand how it works, and once I did, I could clearly see where that grower had gone wrong. Later on, I came across another grower who was achieving outstanding results with BioTabs. At that time, I was still using mineral nutrients. One of the biggest issues for me was the cost. A single grow required a large number of different products like A and B nutrients for coco, enzymes, CalMag, root stimulators, PK boosters, nitrogen, flushing agents, and more. In the end, the results were decent, but nothing exceptional. On top of that, managing EC levels was always a challenge. Switching to BioTabs simplified everything for me. The system is cost-effective, the yields are solid, and it is fully organic. I no longer have to constantly measure pH or EC, which makes the whole process much more relaxed. Using simple tap water is often enough. I would honestly recommend the BioTabs lineup to any beginner without hesitation. It is very forgiving and allows for mistakes that would be much more critical when using mineral nutrients. With mineral feeding, if you miss a feeding at the wrong time, your plants can suffer immediately. With BioTabs, the system is much more stable and beginner-friendly.

HandsomeTerpz 10. How has Biotabs influenced your grow and what do you appreciate most about the product? Concrete experiences, observations, results – what has changed? BioTabs is, first and foremost, an organic fertilizer system that turns your soil into a living soil by supporting microbial life and mycelium development. From a biological perspective, the interaction between the plant and this living ecosystem is the most natural approach, in my opinion. Of course, you often see massive yields and huge XXL buds, which look impressive. However, the real challenge usually comes later, during drying and in the final taste. Cannabis tends to reflect the conditions of its environment, including what is present in the soil. That is why quality and flavor can sometimes suffer when the focus is only on pushing maximum output. It really depends on your goal. If you want to compete for the biggest possible buds, BioTabs might not be the ideal choice, because you do not have the same level of control to push the plant aggressively during flowering. In those cases, growers often rely more on mineral nutrients or advanced techniques like injection methods, which are scientifically interesting but also more complex. At the end of the day, the question is how much of a difference it really makes. Whether you harvest 120 grams or 100 grams of dry material per plant does not change much in practical terms. Most growers already have enough supply, so chasing maximum yield is not always necessary unless you are aiming for competitions or visual impact. What I personally appreciate most about BioTabs is its simplicity and reliability. It works well, it is easy to use, and it allows me to focus more on the plant rather than constantly adjusting parameters. That being said, this is just my personal preference. I remain open to all kinds of nutrients and approaches, as there are many good products available on the market. One final tip: do not believe everything you hear about extreme yields. Yes, it is possible for a plant to produce very high dry weights, even up to a kilogram, but that requires very specific conditions. We are talking about top-level setups with full automation, CO₂ systems, and highly optimized environments. For a standard grower who simply wants high-quality cannabis with great aroma, flavor, and effect, that level of effort is usually not necessary.

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