Using Hydroponics to Cultivate Cannabis
Everyone seeks to grow the best possible cannabis whether it’s indoors or out and hydroponics is a very popular method that involves cultivating plants statically in a medium that introduces the plant’s roots to nutrients, air, and water. While it seems counter-intuitive, plants don’t require soil. They just need minerals, water, and nutrients.
Soilless mixes may look like soil since they’re made of organic materials such as peat, wood chips, perlite, gravel, or coco. Mediums can be polymer bound plugs or loose mixes. Hydroponic mediums, however, don’t include the constituents known to be in the soil, like clay, sand, and silt which is why they are considered “soilless”. Nutrient solutions are introduced to the plant when they are mixed with water.
Types of Hydroponic Grow Systems
There are a variety of systems to choose from such as flood-and-drain, top-feed, or deep-water culture systems that provide a consistent dispersion of water and nutrients. Flood-and-drain systems use porous containers to store the plants on flood tables. Once the water floods the table, nutrients, and water soak the growing medium. Drain systems are used to recycle the water or drain the waste depending on the nutrients and medium used.
Top-feed hydroponic systems supply nutrients and water to each individual plant by emitters that are placed directly in the growing medium. The water is dispersed by dripping or spraying. Flood tables are also used here, and while drain systems can be recirculating, they are usually drained to waste.
Deep-water culture cultivation systems are popular solutions for many cultivators because they offer scalability. Large buckets are used to contain each plant, which is set in a netted container within an opening in the lid of the bucket. Water lines connect the base of each bucket together, and a pump-and-reservoir system fills each bucket with water allowing the roots to drop into the water to soak up nutrients. Read more...
Hydroponically vs. Soil Grown Cannabis
Hydroponic plants grown indoors can be grown all year-round in climate-controlled conditions. They work well where space is limited and allow growers to control every element of the growing process. Therefore, they can maximize the chemovars genetic potential. When cultivators are in control, they can correct any issues that arise easier.
Also, the yields are often larger, and the plants grow faster. Cannabis plants favor rich soil that drains well. Growing in soil is usually easier than hydroponic growing, depending on the system used. Some people feel that cannabis has a better flavor when grown in soil. However, plants grown in soil can be expensive and require more space.
Let us know what you think.
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Dispensary Money May Be Going to Benefits
In 1991, spending on temporary rewards and bonuses for salaried employees accounted for an average of 3.1 percent of total compensation budgets, while salary increases amounted to 5 percent, Aon reported. In 2017, those same temporary rewards and bonuses consumed 12.7 percent of those budgets, while raises amounted to 2.9 percent. We’ve seen an uptick in cannabis industry workers questioning potential employers about benefits across the industries, this tells us that candidates are closely examining quality-of-life issues in the cannabis industry. Is Your Dispensary Afraid to Raise Base Pay? When the economy is strong, unemployment is at an all-time low, many businesses turn healthy profits, and the financial markets surge. But these developments have not translated into robust wage growth for many cannabis industry workers, even though basic economic theory holds that this should have happened. Instead, wages for many low- and middle-income workers have remained relatively stagnant, in some cases barely keeping pace with the yearly rise in the cost of living and in other cases not keeping pace at all. Investing More in Benefits Than Base Wages? One possibility is that cannabis industry employers have become more risk-averse after issues with government regulatory agencies, so they are restructuring compensation to give themselves more flexibility in case of an issue. Investing in benefits is not necessarily a fixed cost, it is easier and quicker to take away benefits – including bonuses and vacation time – if the economy turns sour.
This, of course, varies across different industries, f you take finance as an example, people are generally more money-motivated than in other industries. Undergrads Tend to Value Base Pay Yet many college undergraduates, encumbered with large student loans, want to make good money after college and are willing to give up greater job security and richer benefit packages in exchange for bigger paychecks. Good acknowledged that pay raises that don’t – or that barely – keep pace with the cost of living could be a disadvantage to workers in the long run because their current pay impacts their earning potential down the road. But, it really depends on the worker and their individual needs. For example, as professionals are getting older, benefits like retirement savings plans and premium health insurance might be more appealing. On the other hand, professionals who live in areas where the cost of living is high might seek the higher salary over a standout benefits package. Although wages haven’t risen in line with the cost of living, it’s not necessarily a disadvantage to the worker. There are several reasons for this. In short, people are generally realizing that money isn’t everything. Historically in the U.S., you were paid well, but benefits were scarce. Read more below...
For example, paid time off used to be about a standard 10 days. Now we are typically seeing 15 to 20 days as standard. Factors such as one’s manager, the content of the work, the workplace environment, the culture of the business, work/life balance and the ability to learn new skills can far outweigh the benefit of being paid a little more annually, and people are generally wiser to this fact than in the past. Paid and even unpaid vacation are also appealing in a society where leisure time has become more valuable to the worker and where whether a worker can take a longer vacation is at the employer’s discretion.
Similarly, it is difficult for a worker to improve some aspects of his or her health care plan – such as the choice they have in doctors, hospitals and procedures – unless it’s provided by the cannabis industry employer. In this case, it may be more effective to give benefits than a higher salary. Let us know what you think. Molecular Editing is Shaping Cannabis Cultivars While most are familiar with the different species – Cannabis Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis – there are many crosses between these, commonly known as hybrids. These contain different levels of phytochemicals than the parental branch and have varied effects on the body. For many years, cannabis growers have mostly followed traditional plant breeding, applying basic Mendelian methods to select desirable traits from parent crosses. However, within the past few years, cultivators have integrated the advances in molecular biology into their work, providing innovative methods to aid in cannabis breeding. The Human Genome Project, completed and published in 2001, provided a genetic quantitative blueprint for understanding how the human body is built and maintained. With this genetic information, researchers in molecular biology identified a novel genetic tool that allows for selective and specified its by targeting breaks in DNA. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) This tool called Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-Associated Protein 9 (Cas9), has quickly became a popular method of forgenetic editing. In this system, a short guide RNA (a cousin to DNA) programs an enzyme (called endonuclease)to target a piece of DNA and make specific cuts. CRIPSR/Cas9 has recently even used to edit living human cells, but what does this have to do with cannabis genetics? The CRISPR-cas9 system, which exists as a part of the immune system of bacteria and archaea, another type of microorganism, will increase the ability of cultivators to create tailored cultivars with specifically selected genes. Compared to traditional methods, using CRISPR-cas9 will take years off the breeding process, and specific gene-editing will be more precise and less costly. In addition to editing genes that affect the levels and types of phytochemicals and terpenes, this tool will allow breeders to create disease-resistant cannabis plants with higher yields – perhaps even reducing the needs for pesticides, a significant concern for consumers. So, is this is a win-win for the industry and patients and consumers? Man Cave Bars Natural Handcrafted Soap A masculine, fresh, clean scent reminiscent of a barber shop, with crisp bergamot, sandalwood, cedarwood, and vegan activated charcoal. This bar is all man, fresh, clean, man! CBD Custom, and Wholesale orders also available at California Handmade Soaps. This past year, Sunrise Genetics, Inc. announced that they had successfully mapped the cannabis genome for the first time. While the CRISPR-cas9 system has certainly unlocked incredible innovation that could re-shape the way cannabis is bred, as with any newer technology, only time (and a continued adherence to strict testing) will tell.
Having the Dispensary Termination Discussion When a breach of progressive disciplinary warnings results in a termination for cause due to poor performance, you have choices for your cannabis dispensary:
Let’s assume you’ve provided an employee with verbal, written and final written warnings as outlined in your company’s policies and in accordance with past practices. You’ve also spoken with outside legal counsel, as needed, to ensure that your termination is on solid, and legally defensible ground should the individual pursue post-termination litigation activity, and you’ve received the appropriate approvals to move forward with the termination. What do you say and, more important, how do you say it? One good thing about employees with workplace due process in the form of progressive discipline is that the ultimate termination shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. True, individuals may feel that they’ve turned their performance around and up to an acceptable level and, as such, may feel surprised by your decision to terminate. However, even in times of disagreement about the ultimate decision to terminate, the individual should be aware that there’s a serious problem and that his employment is in serious jeopardy of being lost. The Meeting Opener When starting your conversation, be direct and caring and get to the point right away (let’s use a fictitious employee called “David” to better understand these hard-conversations):
This is a much kinder and gentler way to phrase what’s happening. Separating your employment says the same thing as ‘terminating you‘ or, heaven forbid, ‘firing you,’ but in a much more humane way that allows the individual to retain dignity and self-respect. The Justification While the initial shock of the announcement reverberates in the individual’s head, and emotions start kicking in, it’s important that you state your justification in a clear and to-the-point manner. Follow the italicized phrases in the discussion below to see how the justification is delivered:
I know you’ve been trying to meet the expectations outlined in the notices you received, and I appreciate that. Please don’t think that we see this as a lack of effort on your part. It’s just that sometimes we come to the realization that our interventions are not really sustainable in terms of matching a person’s efforts with our needs, and it becomes best to separate employment. I thank you for all you’ve done for us. I’m sorry it had to come to this, but I hope that as you think of this, you’ll realize this was probably the right thing to do for both sides. As a company, we don’t want to see someone constantly fighting an uphill battle just because of the job’s needs and that individual’s strengths really aren’t a good match or otherwise in sync. Don’t underestimate the importance of the words ‘thank you‘ and ‘I’m sorry it’s come to this. Especially when employees are feeling vulnerable, it becomes so important that they sense and experience a human touch. Cold and distant tones of voice and keeping individuals at arm’s length make it difficult for them to look inside, forgive themselves and focus on their future. Worst of all, any threats such as “And if you’re planning on suing us, good luck, because we’ve got the best outside counsel in our city on our side” will almost always create perceptions of resentment and anger. Don’t forget that a lawsuit is a tool for workplace revenge. Strip people of their dignity and humiliate them when they’re most vulnerable, and you significantly increase your chances of post-termination litigation. The Meeting Closer and Exit You have options when discussing the physical separation:
The options available should be customized to the situation at hand. It’s always healthiest to avoid the ‘perp walk,’ where the individual is marched out in shame while accompanied by security, but in cases of theft, fraud or embezzlement, you may be left with little choice other than to do so. Barring such extremes, however, allow the individual to have some choice in the matter. Ask if he or she needs help with packing or moving his or her belongings to the car. And by all means, ask if that person would like a few minutes to say goodbye to co-workers. Healing the wound can start right away if the individual feels treated with respect and dignity. As such, your exit conversation may sound like this:
At this point, the employee should meet with another HR representative, who will conduct a formal exit interview. That’s when the company will collect the employee’s ID badge, cell phone, laptop, office keys, and any other company items.
Handled respectfully and communicated thoughtfully, this meeting should leave you feeling good about the way you’ve managed a particularly difficult situation and will give the employee the chance to focus on his or her future, rather than dwell on the past. Artificial Intelligence for Greenhouse Automation Technology Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely a familiar term to many readers, but how this technology can automate tasks and increase efficiencies in your greenhouses for cannabis cultivation may seem unclear. After all, when most people think AI, they think of Skynet from the Terminator series. AI is a lot simpler than you might first think. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? AI is just sophisticated software, ultimately. And artificial intelligence does not necessarily need to have predetermined logic. Using artificial intelligence, companies are building sophisticated software that can actually learn by finding patterns and associations in data – since data is essentially ‘a lot of information,’ computers are ideal for identifying patterns. Once the AI software learns the patterns, you can provide the AI new information and ask it, “what do you think will happen under these circumstances?” and the AI tool will offer a prediction and give you its estimated degree of accuracy, which is higher the more training data it has to work with. No Need for Robots, but Just as Smart
For instance, clients have witnessed a 50% to 70% reduction in error for harvest forecasts from the start; following a year of further learning, the AI technology can reduce errors by more than 70%. The AI technology will also become more accurate in predicting harvest yields weeks into the future. AI tools for greenhouses get better and better over time so it’s a smart investment if you want your money to go the extra mile. Harvest Forecasts for Greenhouses There are many factors that influence plant growth and the ripening of produce in your greenhouse. It is impossible for humans to analyze all of these individual factors and know exactly how your plants will grow. But nothing’s stopping a computer from examining all of these factors at once. AI is able to simultaneously analyze all of these growth factors, providing highly accurate assessments of cannabis plant growth. This is why AI works so well for making estimates of future harvests. AI is better at estimating harvest yields than expert agronomists, which allows you to automate this task so that your Head Greenhouse Cannabis Growers and agronomists can focus their time on other important issues that a computer may not be able to solve.
On average, agronomists free up over a day of time they otherwise spent doing harvest forecasts. Best of all, technology requires no radical changes to your business. There’s another hidden advantage to machine learning. Machine’s don’t rely on intuition at all, just looking at what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes computers will notice correlations between sets of data that humans would otherwise miss.
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authorLilly, the gardener. Archives
September 2019
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