Grower Interview for Biotabs - kohlrabi

kohlrabi I was asked to answer interview questions - and I'm sharing them here, in case anyone is interested. 1. Tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where are you from, and what do you do outside of growing? I’m in my 40s and from Berlin (best place in the world). :) Ihave a lovely family and a normal job, working as a university teacher. I tend to become kind of intense about my hobbies, and after writing, computers, languages, sewing and coffee, growing weed was next. 2. How did you get into growing? Tell us about your very first steps. That was actually rather funny. My husband saw an offer where you could get seeds completely free of charge. He didn’t think it was real, but he applied just for fun. When the seeds arrived, we were very surprised. As it was still illegal, my husband didn’t plan to use them, but I was intrigued. No more buying weed on the street? A choice of strains? Ecological growing? The first seed was placed under a simple grow light for houseplants, and of course it was a complete failure in terms of the harvest. However, investing in a small, one-plant stealth tent was worth the money, and it was great fun and very rewarding to have a harvest to share with my friends. 3. What role does cannabis play in your life – personally and as a grower? The answer to that varies greatly depending on what stage of life I’m at. At the moment, I use it occasionally in the evenings to help me fall asleep more easily and relieve tension. When I go dancing, I sometimes smoke a joint with friends, but unless it’s a more stimulating strain, it usually makes me feel so sluggish that it’s not really a party drug for me. My husband uses it for medical purposes. As I’m someone with a poor memory who likes to keep a written record of everything, I immediately turned to growdiaries when I started planning. This led to cannabis becoming the catalyst for some wonderful new connections and friendships. A nice bonus is that my knowledge of plant care has expanded enormously and I now live in what feels like a jungle of houseplants. 4. What growing method do you prefer and why? (Indoor/outdoor, soil/hydro, etc.) I have a small garden, but I think that, being in the middle of Berlin, the smell would quickly attract people who would help themselves to the harvest. So I only grow indoors in a grow box. I definitely prefer soil, not because I think the end product is necessarily superior, but because I’m interested in the whole cycle involving soil organisms, production, composting and fermentation. If anything, I'm more of a farmer than a chemist. 5. Which strain is closest to your heart and what fascinates you about it? My preferences change from time to time. Initially, I was really keen on 'Wedding Cheese Cake' and thought that I only liked sativa strains. Then I realised that when I was in a bad mental state, sativa could make me feel slightly paranoid. When I am stressed, I now prefer pure indica, such as the 'Purple Dream' strain. On most days, I like hybrids; currently, I'm enjoying 'Chemdog/Hubba Bubba Haze'. Although many purists look down on them, I’m a fan of autoflowering strains. The main reason is my impatience – I don’t want to wait five or more months for the harvest. The second reason is that fewer weeks also means less time for mistakes, and less chance of bud rot or other diseases and pests taking hold. 6. What has been your biggest learning moment as a grower – a mistake or a success that helped you grow? That’s a good question. For me, the most interesting thing is that book knowledge isn’t enough here. Before I grew my first crop, I spent about three months studying cannabis cultivation very intensively. I drew up complex schedules and measured everything meticulously (at that time, I was still using liquid nutrients). Despite that, it didn’t go well at all. With every grow, I learn that it's not just about the numbers; you also have to look at each plant individually and consider what might be wrong or what would benefit it. There’s no magic formula that always works perfectly, especially if you keep trying different strains or conditions. This has often been the case with my other hobbies, and it's what makes growing special to me. It's also very helpful to ask more experienced growers for advice – I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me so far! You are the best. 7. What does your typical grow routine look like – how much time do you invest and what do you enjoy most? I try to look after my plants every day in the morning, but still have some mechanisms that help out when I don't have the time, like automatic watering systems. I think the setup is what I enjoy most: mixing the soil with soil improvers and the anticipation as the little shoots of the plants sprout from the seed trays. If everything goes well, the little plant grows very quickly at the start, so there’s something new to discover every day. That’s fun. When I have enough time, I also enjoy low-stress training. By the very next day, you can see how the plant has adapted to the new shape – it’s fascinating. 8. What advice would you give beginners who are just stepping into the world of growing? There’s a lot of unreliable advice out there on growing – every other grower seems keen to tell you what you’re doing wrong and what the one true method is. That can be unsettling. My advice would be to find a reliable source of information at the outset and follow its recommendations as closely as possible. Even so, the result might not be perfect – at which point you can start experimenting. I would even recommend not trying topping or other high-stress training methods the first few times. There’s a high risk that the plant will suffer as a result and might even become hermaphroditic. Don’t cut away too many leaves, it’s stressful for the plants and provides an entry point for pathogens. To start with, it’s enough to observe how the plant grows on its own – that way, you’ll also learn to assess what you can improve later on. And don’t forget: mistakes are normal and important. You really do learn with every grow! 9. How did you first hear about Biotabs and what made you want to try it? I first heard about Biotabs here on GrowDiaries and was really taken with the idea of not having to mix up fertiliser every day, but instead developing the soil in which the plants grow from within. I like the fact that bacteria and fungi are encouraged to optimise nutrient uptake, rather than constantly dumping more fertiliser on top. This means the soil can ultimately be recycled too, which is good for the environment and saves money. From the same perspective, I also like the fact that the products aren’t delivered in large plastic bottles, like liquid fertilisers, but in space-saving boxes and bags. 10. How has Biotabs influenced your grow and what do you appreciate most about the product? Since I started using BioTabs, I’ve not only found growing much less stressful, but I’ve also achieved much better yields. Because the nutrient supply is regulated right from the start, I can no longer make mistakes in that area. Ironically, this has made me realise that I’m still making plenty of mistakes when it comes to watering! :)