Many cannabis cultivators refer to the crops in their massive plant canopies as their “babies.” This idea was noted in the December 2017 issue of Cannabis Business Times in a report about plant nutrition: Just like children, cannabis plants depend on the right balance of essential nutrients to grow to their full potential.
And just like children, cannabis needs the right environmental conditions, too. CBT’s 2019 “State of the Cannabis Nutrients Market” includes exclusive research about nutrition best practices and how growers manage this important aspect of cultivation. In addition, the report features a look into how Grow Op Farms’ Mojave Morelli oversees the Washington company’s growing operation, and some of his suggestions for plant health go beyond the nutrients themselves.
His seven tips start with the foundation of the facility: Establish and maintain a clean environment for your cannabis crops. “The majority of sites we visit have deficits in grow-room sanitation,” Morelli says. Nutrition cannot solve sanitation problems or wipe away dust on lights and other fixtures.
Regular CBT columnist Kenneth Morrow echoes Morelli’s advice, kicking off his article, “Cultivation Essentials: 17 Tips for Success” with a reminder about the importance of proper quarantine practices and grow-room hygiene. “Everyone knows, has read or has been told many times over to quarantine clones before introducing them into a pest- and disease-free environment. But I still hear about very large-scale facilities being infected with broad or russet mites due to the introduction of infected clones. Some growers and facility employees also don’t completely decontaminate themselves or change attire after working in a quarantine environment.”
These suggestions from Morelli and Morrow are just a few of the 61 key takeaways you’ll read in CBT’s “Annual Tips Issue.” During the past four years, industry experts have shared more than 400 tips in our December issues, with ideas and advice to help cultivators improve their businesses. But the idea of establishing a clean growing environment stood out, as this was noted several times throughout the issue, including in an article about how to identify cannabis pests.
Your business can use this information and the other tips and research published in this edition to make 2020 its best year yet, and CBT is thrilled to play a part in that. Happy holidays, and see you in 2020.
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