Growing Organic Cannabis With Happy Buddha

Indoor

• You can control the environment and lighting
• You can provide the right amount of nutrients for your plant as the hot soils temperature is regulated
• Watering is controlled

 Outdoor

• The sun provides the lighting
• Good yields
• Does not take up space in your house
• You may need to water if you go through a dry spell
• The soils temperature is not regulated. You may have water run off during rainy season. You may need to add a Tea with molasses or malted barley and fulvic acid for a small boost in the microbial/bacterial life in the soil for the last few weeks when your plant finishes if you grow outdoors.

• Germinate your seeds and get them started for at least 2 weeks before putting them outside. You want strong healthy seedlings before planting them outside. See the using our soil guide HERE
• Pick a spot outdoors that gets the most sunlight if possible.  The more light the bigger your growth.
• Use a 10 to 20 gallon container minum.  Outdoor plants grow large and create a large root base.  Also the more room your roots have to grow the bigger your plant will get.
• Monitor your soils water levels.  You might still have to water your plant even though it its outdoors.
• If you get a lot of rain and some of your nutrients drain out you can replenish the microbial life in the soil with some molasses or malted barley flour as a top dress 2-3 weeks before your cannabis is finished.  Don’t use anything with NPK.
• That’s it, there really is no difference between outdoor and indoor growing other then mother nature provides almost everything.

You only have to worry about a couple things when growing with organic soil to make sure you have the right conditions for fungi and bacteria to thrive.

Temperature
-Living soil works best if the soil is kept at 18.5 celsius (65 fahrenheit) to 24 celcius (75 fahrenheit)
-Raise your pots off of cold floors to avoid cold soils.  Cold soils don’t provide as many nutrients due to slow bacteria growth.

Watering & water type
-You don’t want to water. To much over watering creates root rot and pests.  This also prevents your soil from breathing and getting oxygen to your soils food web.
-Don’t water with water over 500 PPM  (parts per million).  Cambridge water has areas with around 460 PPM. some of the hardest city water in ontario. If you use R/O water you will need to give the water Cal/Mag to bring the PH to between 6 and 7PH.  Or you can mix in city water until your PH is between 6 and 7.
–If your water has chlorine in it let it sit for 24 hours and the chlorine will rise to the top and evaporate as soon as it hits oxygen.

When choosing your space take into account these factors.

• How far is your venting,
• Bends/twists and the longer the venting/air exchange run is the more CFM you will need on your exchange/venting unit.
• Can you get adequate electricity?
• Will the power you draw from safely handle what you require?

Temperature control.

Is this space extremely cold or hot during different seasons? Can you control this with heaters, AC, Humidifiers or dehumidifiers and venting to outside?.  Temperature control is very important!

• Think of the soils temperature.
  If the floor is cold you will need to raise the soil off of the cold surface. You can use a 1” thick or greater piece of Styrofoam or anything that acts like an insulator and does not transfer the cold from the floor to the plant.  Soil temperature needs to be kept at a minimum of 18.5 Celsius (65 Fahrenheit).
• Think of your lighting and the heat that it will put out.
  The more light the more heat.  Some lights put out less heat like LED lighting.
• How many plants are you growing?
• You will want to take into account how big your plants are going to be, some factors are container size, vegging time and the amount of light. Are you just letting it grow tall or are you pruning/training it to get bushy and wide. Genetics of the cannabis are also important to take into account. Most reputable breeders have information on how long the flowering time is, how the plants grow and other information.

• Plastic pots.

Can be used but not recommended for indoor use as they do not let the soil breath as much and create the possibility of becoming root bound sooner.

• Fabric pots.

We recommend these over anything else. A quality fabric/smart pot allows the soil to breath on the sides.  The roots will also grow along the outside of the pot because the roots will grow towards the source of the oxygen giving you a wider root base faster with little chance of becoming root bound. You will also have to water more often in a fabric pot but your plant will grow faster by getting more oxygen to its root base.

• Air Pots.
  These have the same results as fabric pots for root and plant growth. Air pot are thinner and taller so you can fit more into a smaller space. But with air pots you get water run off when watering and you don’t want this with our system.  When you over water you are losing nutrients in that water. We recommend fabric pots.
• Size of your container.
  For indoor growing we recommend using 5 gallon pots for a few reasons. The size of your root base has a factor in your plants size and yield.  3 gallon pots also require more watering in fabric pots.

You can be the best grower in the world but if you have horrible genetics then your cannabis will always be low yielding and low quality.

• What are you looking for in your cannabis?
  Are you looking for an energetic high found mostly in Sativa dominant strains? Or something for pain or deep relaxation and sleep found in Indica dominant strains? You can also get hybrid/cross strains that can give you an array of effect from both.  There is also CBD that has amazing medical properties on the body and mind for a lot of people. Cannabis also comes in many different tastes and scents that come from a compound found in many plants, fruits, trees. They help make up some of their flavors and aromas, these are called Terpenes.
• Does the potency meet your requirements?
  Make sure the strain you want has a potency to meet your tolerance and needs. The more THC and or CBD the greater the effects. CBD works best with THC, this can be as little as under 1% THC. You don’t have to get high to get the full effects of CBD.
• How does your cannabis strain grow?
  Each strain grows slightly different. That can be flowering time, preferred environments, length width and height can vary. This can all affect how/where you are going to grow. Indica tends to be shorter and bushier. While Sativa tends to be taller and thinner. Also some strains are easier to grow over others. Some strains are more resistant to diseases or can take more of a “beating” when it comes to nutrient mistakes and physical harm.
• Are you growing multiple strains?
  When growing multiple strains think of how fast the strains grow and their flowering time. You want them to grow evenly at the same time so you have an even canopy this way your light has an even coverage.

• How much CFM (cubic feet per minute) do you need?
  You want your air to circulate at least every 3 minutes. This may need need to be more if you have a very hot environment from lights or choice of growing space.
  Here is an example:  We have a 8x8x7 tent, that’s 448 ft3 (450 for easy math sake).  450 divided by 3 minutes is 150 CFM a minute you will need minimum for air exchange.
  Now take into account the heat from your lights at CFM x 5% for direct vented HID lights and LED lights.  About CFM x20% for none vented HID’s.  Your carbon filter will add about CFM x 20% in resistance.
  Start with your basic needed 150 CFM then calculate,  150 CFM + (150 CFM x 20% = 30 CFM) for 1 unvented HID then add  (150 CFM x 20% = 30 CFM) for your carbon filter resistance.  This comes to 210 CFM.
  With this calculation we would want a 600 CFM exhaust fan to give you ample power to move more air if you need and it won’t wear out your exhaust fan as fast.
• Check your carbon filter CFM.
  Make sure your carbon filter is rated for the same or better CFM as your venting fan.
• How are you getting air into the tent?
  When getting fresh air into your tent think of these things. Is the air you’re taking in fresh and free of bugs and other pollens?
• Will light get into the open venting ports of your tent during your lights off part of the cycle?
  This is very important as any light at all in your tent during lights off time can cause negative effects, hermaphrodite your plant and cause pollen and other things.  We recommend putting a normal fan in front of your air intake port.  This increases your overall CFM as more air is getting into the tent. If you need to take to take air from outside I recommend putting a cover over your intake to prevent bugs, rodents and pollen from getting in.  Also cover your exhaust for rodent and bug protection.
• Have good internal air flow
  Put a few small fans blowing air directly over your plants .  This will help give them fresh air inside and under the canopy.  The constant light pressure from the air will also help strengthen your stems and branches.

Lighting is a very large topic and here we will touch on the basics to help you choose what route you want to go for lighting. When looking at lighting there are a plethora of choices. Here is a list of basic pros and cons of light sources that are commonly used in cannabis growing

CFL/T5 lighting

• Cheap to buy and use
• Good lights for clones or seedlings
• Can be kept inches away from the plant
• Good light spectrum for cannabis
• Great for very small spaces like a small box or areas
• Low yielding compared to other lights

High density discharge (HID).

This family of lights includes, Metal Halide (MH), High Pressure Sodium (HPS), Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) and Light Emitting Ceramic (LEC). We recommend a 600 watt or lower HID for first time growers learning how to control their environment.

• Metal Halide. These creates more of a bluish color and are best for the vegetative stage.
• High Pressure Sodium. Produces more of a yellowish light and is one of the best lights for the flowering stage and producing good yields.

Ceramic metal Halide/Light Emitting Ceramic. These are the same light just called different names. These lights are good for both veg and flower. Producing better vegetation cycle results then a MH but not as good as an HPS for the flowering stage.

LED lighting.

LED lights come in many different varieties from the cheaper purple type to white LED lights that are costly but produce amazing results.

• Prices range from budget to expensive
• Put off little heat compared to the HID family of lights
• Small unit size and fits better in small areas
• To calculate a much closer comparison to the HID family of lights calculate the wattage draw of an LED light from the wall.  So if the LED light you are buying claims that it is a 600 watt light but only draws 300 watts of power from the wall then it is much closer to the power of a 300 watt HID

Clean water free of chemicals like chlorine and not over loaded with minerals (hard water) is very important with any organic grow. Chemicals like chlorine can kill the microbes in your soil destroying the food web. Also hard water with a lot of minerals in it can cause your plant to go into nutrient lock out. Because the cannabis is taking up minerals in the hard water and not the needed nutrients in the soil.  Cannabis and plants in general can only use a certain amount of nutrients a day.
Cannabis prefers its PH level to be between 6 and 7 when in organic soil. So if your water supply is not hard or chlorinated you will be fine. Organic soil naturally adjusts its PH slightly.

• Do you have chlorine in your water?
  If you leave the water in an open container for 24 to 36 hours you will be fine. Chlorine naturally rises to the top and evaporates when it hits the air.
• Do you have hard water?
  To see how hard your water is you will need to know the PPM (parts per million), this tells you how many other minerals and other things are in your water. If your water PPM is over 400 PPM then you need to use a filtration or RO system to bring it down. You can also buy spring or distilled water. If you use an RO system you will need to add calcium and magnesium back into the water and this can be done with an organic 2 in 1 liquid bought from any cannabis growing store.  We add it in our RO water until the PH is back to 6.5 give or take a couple points.
• What should my water PH levels be?
  Between 6 and 7 PH. We keep our water between 6.3 and 6.7 PH.

Below is listed a basic list of equipment to help you with growing organic cannabis indoors.

• Indoor tents
  To get the best results from growing indoors we recommend using an indoor growing tent. This makes it much easier to control your environment and get more from your lighting.
• Small fans
  You should use some indoor fans to help stimulate your plants. This helps circulate the air, control temperature and strengthen your plant. We use 2 clip on fans in a 4×4 tent and create an even cross breeze. If you have 1 fan in front of an air intake port it will greatly help with your circulation of fresh air.
• PH and PPM meter.
  It is good practice to check your waters PH before watering just in case. Also it is important to know your water sources PPM.
• humidifier
  Use one of these if you need to add humidity to the air. You can buy them in a variety of sizes to meet your needs.
• dehumidifier
  This will take moisture from the air if you have humidity issues.
• Ratchet style Light hangers.
  Most lights don’t come with these. They are a ratchet system that makes it easy to raise and lower your lights.
• Waterproof heating pad for clones or seedlings.
  Clones and seedling need warm soil. We recommend a heating pad to put your new cannabis plants on. These can be found online under waterproof heating pads for plants.  Also warm soil helps the microbial life thrive.  In turn this helps create more available nutrients for your cannabis plants.
• A good surge protector/power bar.
  Safety first! Buy quality electrical equipment and keep all power connections raised off the ground just in case of a water spill.
  
• Lighting timers
  You can get these in mechanical and digital options
• Temperature and humidity reader
  These you can hang in your growing space to easily check up on your environmental conditions. Try and have the sensor a few inches below the top of your plants so you read the conditions that the plant is sitting in.

Happy Buddha Organics HLS system is designed to be used with Happy Buddha Organic Living Soil.

Step 1

Layer the Bottom half of the container with Happy Buddha HLS(Hot Living Soil)
lightly pack it down but not too much, you want your roots to move easily through the soil and it let the soil breath better.

Step 2

1. If starting from seed direct in your final growing container (very easy method for beginners).
   Fill the top half of the container with Happy Buddha LSS (Living Super Soil). Make a hole about half an inch to 1 inch into the moist soil. Wet but not soggy. Put the Endomycorrhizal fungi that comes with the soil onto the bottom of the seed and plant into the hole.  Lightly cover up the seed and sprinkle a few drops of water onto the seed.
2. If you are transplanting a clone or seedling.
   We recommend using a container for your clone/seedling that fits into the top half of your pot like a solo cup for 5 gallon and up containers. This makes transplanting easy. Also make sure your clone/seedling soil is moist so it holds its shape when you remove the cannabis plant.  Again not so soggy it falls apart.
   Make a half to 1 inch “buffer” layer of soil on the top of the Happy Buddha hot soil. Don’t let your roots sit right on top of the Happy Buddha hot soil. This can cause nutrient burn.
   Then set your container  with your clone/seedling in it into the pot and add more soil underneath your container if needed until the top of your transplant container is flush with the top of your pot.
   When this is done fill in the rest of the pot with the Happy Buddhas LSS around the transplant container. Again lightly pack it. The soil will also settle more as you move it and water it, so don’t be afraid to top right up.  Leave the cannabis plant in the transplant container and inside the pot.  This will create a perfect hole for transplanting.
   Take the baby cannabis plant from its transplant container and sprinkle the Endomycorrhizal fungi directly onto the roots of the cannabis plant and plug the hold you made earlier. Lightly pack it in and you’re done!

Step 3

You just need to care for your cannabis plant. That’s it!

Cannabis has a very wide variety of genetics and each strain can have a different “sweet” spot that it thrives in.  Below we will list the general environment that cannabis prefers.

Temperatures

• Vegetative stage, Cannabis generally prefers a temperature of 20 C to 30 C during vegetation.
• Flowering stage. Cannabis likes cooler temperatures of 18 C to 26 C.

Cannabis Humidity 

• Clones/seedlings. 70% humidity
• Vegetative stage. 40%-60% humidity
• Flowering stage. 40%-50% humidity
• Last couple weeks of flowering. 40%-45%

Cannabis Lighting times

• Clones/seedling and vegetation stage. 18 to 24 hrs of light.
• Flowering stage. 12 hours of light.

• Don’t water until you have water run off from the bottom of the container.  This depletes the nutrients in the soil.
• let the soil properly dry between waterings.  Always wet soil can cause a slower growth.
• Don’t let the top of your soil be constantly wet.  This is the perfect environment for fungus gnats.
• Pick up your containers when your watering them.  This way you get a feel for how heavy your cannabis plants are before/after watering.  You will soon be able to just pick up your plant and judge how much water it will need if any.
• You can use a water moisture sensor when first starting out to judge how wet the middle of your containers soil is.

That’s it. Keep these levels in check and good watering practice and you will have a clean quality cannabis you can be proud of.