Whether you are growing for yourself or for others you will need some space. In just one square meter you can produce enough for your smokables, and even keep a couple of extra plants for edibles and ornamentals. If you are intending to live off of your harvest, you could get by on a ten by ten room or a small greenhouse or garden.

SEED You can obtain seeds fairly easily, whether it be from a friend, a friend's product, or a local hemp store. If you already have some plants then there are many ways to yield hundreds of seeds without sacrificing your sinsemilla harvest. I prefer the idea of seeds because if you have an endless supply and good selection then you can plant as many as you want along with as many different varieties as you might choose to plant. You also don't need any mother plants to take clones from. When you are planting your seeds, keep them pointed end up and cover with no more than one inch of medium. Temperature and a constantly moist surface layer are key factors to germination. You should add water when the surface begins to get dry, however, be careful not to over-water. Medium, room, and water temperatures should be around 20-24 degrees Celsius for best results.

CLONES Cuttings or clones are easily available from any plant you might have, regardless of whether it is in a vegetative or floral state. Clones are a great way to fill your garden with all female (or male) plants. They are also good to have ready to go as soon as one crop is finishing or finished. I have taken a lot of clones in my years and I think the nicer the cutting the better. There are numerous factors in clone production, such as temperature of the soil, water, room air, and a correct humidity level. The temperatures should be the same as for seeds and the humidity should be between eighty and ninety percent. INSIDE/OUTSIDE Whether you grow inside or out you should consider a few things about the area you use. If you are using lights indoors you should consider the light seeping out, the odour of your plants, how fast your hydro meter is spinning, excessive noise, condensation on your windows, and who will know about your garden.

If you are renting your space you might think of some excuses for why your landlord (or anyone else for that matter) cannot go in certain areas of your house. If your garden is small you probably don't have to worry about showing friends, but if you get more involved then make sure that only those you really trust are let in on the secret. Lots of people are greedy and will rob you without a second thought, so be a little cautious. Outside some of the same hassles will apply. Neighbours, hikers, and police are all potential hazards to your plants. Although your backyard is connected to you, it is easy to grow a good crop if you disguise it well. Most people think of cannabis as a plant shaped like a christmas tree, so training, pruning, tying plants over, flowering clones, and companion planting are all good methods of camouflage.

PHOTO PERIOD Plants that are planted outside at the beginning of the season live through an increasing daylength followed by a slowly decreasing daylength. Inside you must recreate this photo period to control the responses of your plants. If you want your plants to grow big before they flower you should keep your lights running sixteen to twenty-four hours a day. If you are using window light and the day is not long enough then you can still keep a plant growing vegetatively by exposing it to light several times during each dark cycle. When you want your plants to flower then a twelve hour on period followed by twelve off is good for almost all plants. Make sure your plants are in complete darkness for the full twelve hours or they will produce much less bud. Plants measure the dark period to control their responses, so if your plants are exposed to any light then it will effect their flowering cycle.

Plants outside can be sheltered for the first few morning hours or evening hours every day so as to start them flowering early in the summer. This way you can harvest before the old eye in the sky can invade your right to liberty. When your plants have big colas (flower clusters) you can speed maturation by cutting the light hours back to fourteen off and ten on for the last two weeks, inside or out. BUDS PER FOOT Most people think that big bushes are the way to grow the most flowers. Most big plants have large spaces between nodes and flower bracts. When you grow small plants side by side you get a cubic layer of buds, thus almost all of your area is filled with colas. Picture a square foot with one plant, and then picture that same space with four to six plants. With one plant you get one main cola and with four to six you get four to six main colas. Get the picture?

pH LEVELS pH is a scale from 1 to 14 that measures acid-to-alkaline balance, with 1 the most acidic and 14 being most alkaline. 7 is considered neutral, and cannabis likes a pH of about 6.3 to7.5 in the water and medium. pH test kits and adjusters are available at most plant stores. If you disregard the pH of your nutrient solution or medium then you will notice serious effects on your plants. If the water is too acidic then the nutrients will be bound by the acid salts and the roots are unable to absorb them. An alkaline solution or medium will cause a toxic salt build-up and limit water uptake. When you choose a medium to use, make sure you find out the pH and how it will react to water. ANY QUESTIONS? For those of you who need help getting started, Dr. Clone explains what to do with your seeds to get your garden going. If there are any questions anyone would like to ask then please send us your letters. If enough of you send in your letters then we'll have a Question & Answer column in the next issue.