Light intensity
Light has an enormous influence on the metabolism of plants. The more intense the light exposure with good indoor grow lights according to Ethnic.ch's advice, the higher the flower production, provided that nutrients and CO2 are also at an adequate level.
Our advice: check the data sheet of your grow lights and make sure they emit the right amount of photosynthetically active radiation per square meter. Lumens measure the light output as perceived by the human eye. So even if you have an HID lamp with a lot of lumens, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is the right choice for your plants.
Temperature and humidity
For indoor cannabis growing, we recommend flowering at 24ºC, with a humidity of 30%. As the plants transition to flowering and double or even triple in size, the humidity should be gradually reduced to levels below 40% to avoid fungus and to increase the density and trichome production of the buds.
Our advice: reduce the humidity from 70% to 30% during the first two weeks of flowering (transition phase). The drier the environment in the grow room, the higher the density and trichome production of the buds. You can use a dehumidifier, which you can connect to the controller of one of the extractors.
pH control
Cannabis plants feed on primary nutrients, secondary nutrients and trace elements. To absorb these, the pH of the nutrient solution should not be too acidic or too basic, in which case you should use a pH corrector.
Our advice: if you irrigate your indoor crop manually, adjust the pH to 6.0-7.0. In hydroponic systems, on the other hand, slightly more basic values, between 5.5 and 6.5, are preferable, but care should be taken because if they fall below 5.5, nutrients become unabsorbable and nutrient deficiencies can occur.
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Phosphorus and potassium levels
During flowering, plants need phosphorus and potassium to produce stems, flowers, terpenes and trichomes. Once the transition phase is over, it is recommended to use a stimulator, which can be liquid, solid or organic and which will be accompanied by a nutrition table.
Our advice: Flowering stimulators can be used as needed, but remember to start flushing the roots at least 14 days before harvest to remove the mineral salts accumulated in the root mass and substrate. During the flushing process the plants will burn off all nutrient reserves and the flowers will be much more palatable.
Cuttings
If you are used to growing exclusively from seed, we encourage you to give mature cuttings a chance to flower directly. In this way you can grow large quantities of plants, which will also have been tested by other growers.
Our tip: cuttings are suitable for the Sea of Green technique, in which a large number of small plants are grown together. The use of cuttings, which saves time and resources, is common among growers who cannot wait more than 8-9 weeks between cycles.
Light spectrum
It is often thought that bulbs are more efficient the brighter they are. But as lighting technology continues to develop, it is becoming increasingly clear that cannabis plants need a spectrum of red, white and blue light with the right wavelength. That's why some LED lights have a function that allows you to adjust the colour spectrum.
Our tip: avoid using only HPS lamps, which emit a yellow and red spectrum that is much less effective than the red, white and blue spectrum. If the latest LED lamps are out of your budget, combine HPS models with MH.
No pruning
Once the plants have started producing flowers, the last thing you want to do is stress them. Otherwise they may stop growing and, in the worst case, develop hermaphroditism.
Our advice: make sure you apply pruning, topping, FIM, superculture and similar techniques during the vegetative period. When flowering is advanced, they are not necessary and would end up being counterproductive.
Crop rotation
There are two ways to grow cannabis indoors: a long vegetative period aimed at producing large plants, and the Sea of Green method, which allows plants to flower almost immediately. This method has many advantages and is the easiest way to implement crop rotation in a home environment.
Our tip: fill the growing space with small plants in 4 litre pots, positioned a few millimetres apart. The vegetative period will last a week at the most, but if you want to go straight to flowering, you can use cuttings that are already rooted, which will produce really large and uniform central buds.
Odour control
When growing plants with an intense aroma and high terpene content, such as OG Kush, it is essential to control the smell. Whether it's fruity strains with floral overtones or spicy strains with hints of petroleum, the air in the grow room needs to be filtered to avoid aggravating the neighbours and attracting the police.
Our advice: invest in a good indoor CBD grow kit and an activated carbon filter that neutralises the smell coming from the plants. Avoid cutting corners and choose a high-performance model that does not have efficiency problems.
