How do we light our cannabis growing space?

When we decide to set up an indoor cannabis grow for personal use at home, there are many factors to take into account if we want to get the best results, but one of the most important to consider is the type of light and its power consumption.

When deciding on the type of light to use, we must keep in mind that each technology has its different advantages and disadvantages with respect to growing cannabis. Certain types of bulbs will offer the best yield (lumen per watt) but at the same time they are a considerable heat source that can cause problems to many growers, especially those that live in particularly warm climates or are only able to grow cannabis in small spaces.

On the contrary, other types of illumination emit almost no heat at all, although often the high price of this kind of lighting, combined with its lower effectiveness when compared to other systems, combine to make them less popular. They are, however, indispensable to the many indoor growers that can only cultivate cannabis successfully thanks to the low heat emission of these lights.

This lighting kit with air-cooled reflector includes all you need for plentiful flowering

The choice of lighting systems for indoor growing mainly depends on …

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Why isolate cannabinoids?

In recent times we’ve seen a great increase in the amount of isolated cannabinoids coming onto the market, with CBD crystals and pure THC distillate becoming a more frequent sight on the menus of dispensaries. Their popularity is mostly due to the ease of calculating dosage amounts. While the vast majority of resin extracts have an unknown cannabinoid content, when we isolate a cannabinoid, users can be confident that they have a product with a purity approaching 100%, which makes it very simple to adjust dosage to a specific amount of milligrams. This is particularly important when preparing edibles, tinctures or other products for oral consumption, where knowing the cannabinoid content is vital to avoid any ill effects caused by ingesting too much THC.

THCA Crystals isolated using this method

For the most part, these isolated cannabinoid products are the result of complex processes that employ expensive equipment, volatile chemicals and in-depth, specialist knowledge that are far out of the reach of the average home grower, extraction enthusiast or fan of cannabis concentrates.

THCA molecule

However, over the last year, new techniques have come to light that enable anyone with a rosin press and some good quality starting material to produce their own isolated THCA, the un-decarboxylated, acid form of THC. It …

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Within the cannabis vaporiser market, the portable vaporiser sector is experiencing an enormous growth in popularity. Brands are acutely aware of this and as a result there is lively competition among them to produce compact vaporisers, which are growing increasingly smaller over time, and offering even higher performance.

DaVinci is one of the vaporiser brands that haven’t missed the opportunity to come up with new models in this vibrant portable vaporiser market, so today we present their new gem, the DaVinci MIQRO. This ultra compact portable unit with elegant, discreet and functional design can be purchased on its own or bought together with all its accessories in the complete DaVinci MIQRO Explorer Kit.

The DaVinci MIQRO portable vaporiser is elegant, discreet and functional

The MIQRO vaporiser, the new gem from DaVinci

The DaVinci MIQRO is the result of excellent work by DaVinci, fruit of a design process that has led to a 33% reduction in size of one of its flagship products, the DaVinci IQ vaporizer, and all without any decrease in performance, and even increasing it in some cases.

This new DaVinci portable vaporiser has an elegant design and at the same time great simplicity of operation, with all the functions of the vaporiser being configured with just three buttons located on the right hand …

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Risotto is a traditional Italian dish made with medium graine rice, which should be rich in starch. This recipe comes from the Verona area, since top quality rice is widely found there, as well as the other main ingredient of rissoto, cheese. In Italy, rissoto is defined as “minestra asciuta“, which means dry soup and indicates that the resulting preparation must be neither dry nor too liquid, but with a creaminess that allows to use a fork.

Risotto, along with pasta and pizza, are probably the three flagship dishes of Italian cuisine. Despite the main ingredient of today’s recipe is rice, we are going to use it as a vehicle to transport the rest of flavours that we want to incorporate to the dish. You can use a wide range of ingredients to complement your rice, the only thing to keep in mind is to achieve a correct balance between the different flavours. Thus, you can use vegetables, seafood, poultry meat, bush meat, guts, spices, wines, etc.

Our cannabis risotto with saffron is ready!

Tips and tricks to prepare the best cannabis risotto

The first thing to know is that rice will be ready around 15-20 minutes after adding the first spoonfuls of broth. Thus, it is best to have all ingredients ready before …

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Among its many cherished characteristics, cannabis is highly appreciated for its aromas, but sometimes plants can generate a smell so powerful that it can attract the attention of neighbours and this issue can become a serious problem for those growing weed outdoors, where maximum discretion is essential and in which the use of carbon filters or other anti-odour systems is impossible.

In these cases choosing a cannabis variety that gives off discreet aromas is a good idea if we want to limit the smell generated by our garden, especially for outdoor crops on terraces and balconies. For this reason, you should avoid any genetics that stand out for their powerful and telltale aromas typical of cannabis, these include the varieties of the Diesel or Skunk families, Cheese or the Sour Diesel among many others… we are talking about varieties with a very high terpene content, which are distinguished by their characteristic, persistent and highly volatile aromas.

In this article we look at a selection of the varieties most recognised for their subtle and discreet scents, to help you avoid security headaches and uninvited guests at your grow spot.

Some cannabis strains have a more discreet aroma than many others

Sugar Pop by Philosopher Seeds

The variety Sugar Pop from Philosopher Seeds is perfectly adapted to single …

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Afghanistan is a landlocked country in central Asia, wedged between the western foothills of the Hindu Kush and the deserts of Iran, is a country with one of the greatest traditions of cannabis cultivation and, more specifically, of hashish production. Since it is believed that cannabis originated thousands of years ago on the slopes of the Himalayas (home of the largest mountains in the world), today it seems obvious that this was one of the first places where this plant was cultivated in a controlled manner, although even now there is still some confusion as to what kind of varieties have been traditionally grown in this area, as well as the “emergence” of the Afghan genotype, or in other words, what we now refer to as Afghan varieties.

What is clear is that Afghanistan is one of the cradles of cannabis and especially of hashish, with a tradition that today represents what would probably be the world’s oldest in terms of the development of hash. In addition, and according to the UNODC, in recent years Afghanistan has become the world’s largest producer of this resin concentrate, surpassing Morocco and seeing the cultivation of cannabis gradually displace that of another traditional crop in the Golden Triangle area, that of opium.

Cannabis is grown in many of Afghanistan’s valleys

…

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The Peak Smart Rig

The world of cannabinoid extractions is in a golden age, these days more and more users are switching from the combustion of flowers to the vaporisation of resin concentrates. The main reason for this change is to avoid inhaling smoke and its harmful derivatives, and instead to vaporise, obtaining a medicinal effect free of impurities and contaminants.

Puffco The Peak Smart Rig

These precious resin concentrates also demand high quality products with which to consume them, for example the Puffco Peak, which allows us maximum enjoyment of the terpenes in the extract, capturing all the flavours of the plant.

The Peak is the next step in the evolution of e-nails, which until now have always been bulky devices that require a mains socket or transformer to provide the power needed to reach high vaporisation temperatures and fully enjoy the most pure and tasty concentrates.

With The Peak Puffco has taken the essence of the old style e-nails and recreated it in a stylish, elegant option that’s easy to use, small in size and forgoes the need to buy a bubbler or pipe in addition to the e-nail itself.

The Peak Travel Pack

Its design is very distinctive, and the unit is compact, with an ergonomic base, 6cm wide with a …

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Lemon curd is a fast and easy to prepare recipe, a delicious lemon cream ideal to fill cakes, cupcakes or to use just as decoration. On this occasion, we’ll show you how to cook your own version, of course enriched with cannabinoids thanks to the cannabis butter used to prepare it.

Necessary ingredients to prepare Lemon Curd

Super Lemon Curd: Lemon cream and cannabis resin

To prepare your super lemon curd you’ll need some cannabis butter, which you can easily cook by following the instructions on the link. In this case, we’ll use butter enriched with BHO (Amnesia Live Resin. We chose this strain – rich in limonene – to combine it with the citrus taste of the cream).

How to make marijuana butter

Once cooked, allow your marijuana butter to cool in the fridge and get everything ready to prepare the lemon curd. You’ll need (for 2 people):

• 50g of powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• The juice of one lemon
• 50g of butter (we’ll use 2g of BHO butter and 48g of regular butter, see final note)

Beat the icing sugar and the lemon juice in a small bowl until getting a uniform mixture. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then add the cold butter and the egg. Cook the mixture over a low heat and …

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Paisa Grow Seeds is an example of the new wave of cannabis breeders and seed companies, with passion for the plant and the aim for a work well done as main virtues. Despite being a young company, the project started some years ago, when the guy in charge created his own collection of cannabis genetics which has only increased since then.

With this amazing collection of strains, Paisa Grow Seeds have created some trully outstanding hybrids that represent the hundreds of plants grown, tested and bred over the years. Some of these spectacular varietiess are Monkey Banana and Super Choco, both with THC levels above 20%. Other remarkable genetics from Paisa are Colombian Fruit, Fast Mass Haze, Old Amnesia or Toro Blanco.

The quality of Paisa Grow Seeds genetics is beyond doubt

Innovation and dynamism are two aspects that the guys at Paisa Grow Seeds show year after year, constantly developing new and interesting marijuana strains. As an example we have Choco Cookies, a cross between the renowned Girl Scout Cookies Thin Mint (female) and Super Choco (male), or Gold Honey, a mostly Sativa hybrid between Afghan Honey Kush and their Super Choco male with very vigorous growth and awesome effect.

But Paisa Grow do not only develop THC strains. Paisa CBD is their brand …

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Causes of death in cannabis plants during the growth period

The vegetative growth of cannabis plants can be one of the longest periods of cultivation when growing outdoors – or indoors – where in, for example the countries of southern Europe they enjoy a lengthy spring and summer. During the course of this growth phase, problems can arise that may lead to the death of the plant even before the flowering stage begins.

Let’s see what are the most frequent causes of death during the plants’ growth period and what we can do to avoid a premature, unhappy ending.

Cannabis plants in vegetative growth

Overwatering cannabis plants

The most common cause, especially among beginner growers, is undoubtedly overwatering. The excess of irrigation particularly affects young plants in their first weeks of life (although it can also occur with larger plants).

The main reason is watering too much, too frequently. Small plants have a very limited resistance, partly because of their size. A plant with two cotyledons and three small roots can not cope with large amounts of water, simply because they can not process it, not having sufficient absorption capacity in the root zone.

The growth phase is crucial for an abundant bloom

If we overwater our plants, the substrate will be permanently wet, meaning the roots will not …

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Rosin has become a hugely popular extraction method, not only because it’s really easy to carry out and completely safe, with no risk of explosions or fire, but also because of the purity of the results, giving clean cannabis concentrates produced using only heat and pressure, totally free of solvents, and within the reach of everyone.

Simple, clean and safe, rosin is the perfect extraction method for the home grower

With this growth in popularity, the number of purpose-built presses on the market has increased hugely over the last year, with a wide range of different sizes, styles and prices available to the budding extractor, depending on his or her requirements.

In posts over the last few years we’ve shown you how to make rosin from flowers and then from hash using a simple electric hair straightener, a great and inexpensive way to get started in this world of solventless cannabis extractions. But now it’s time to look at how to extract on a larger scale, using a hydraulic press and heated aluminium plates.

The principals of the extraction process are the same, as are the variables to control: temperature, pressure and time. However, things are a bit easier in the case of a professional press, we’ve got more pressure at our disposal, the temperature …

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Expogrow: Much more than a Cannabis Fair

This past weekend, from 14 to 16 of September, the 7th edition of Expogrow was held in the Basque Country, an absolutely un-missable event for the cannabis community.

Once again, the Ficoba exhibition centre in Irún hosted the fair, with a considerable increase in the space for stands: 5,000m2 spread over 4 pavilions for exhibitors and professionals from the cannabis sector, as well as a large outdoor area of 7,000m2 for leisure activities, chill-out areas and food trucks, alongside numerous fun things to do.

Poster for the 7th Expogrow 2018

With 12,000m2 of surface area, Expogrow has continued to expand since its beginnings in 2012 and has grown to become the largest cannabis event in Europe. According to the organisers, Expogrow 2018 broke all records with 181 exhibitors, a score of countries represented and more than 2,000 accredited professionals, a new participation success with almost 15,000 visitors attending over the 3 days of the expo.

Alchimiaweb, Philosopher Seeds y Reggae Seeds at Expogrow 2018

This year, as with all others, our team from Alchimiaweb, Philosopher Seeds and Reggae Seeds traveled to Irún to participate in Expogrow. At stand B301 we installed our Plinko Alchimia game, with a wide variety of prizes for all participants with gifts ranging from a grinder, …

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What is curry?

Curry is the western name for a group of different dishes prepared with a mixture of spices commonly used in Asian cuisine. This type of recipes spread across the globe mainly thanks to the diffusion of Asian cuisine during the times of British colonies in Asia, around the XVIII century.

Thai green chicken curry with cannabis

Types of curry

In short, curry is a paste prepared with different Asian spices – always depending on the location – which may include: chili, basil, celery, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, mustard, pepper or nutmeg, among many others. Each country and area has its own recipe, so it is not strange to see plenty of variations of this recipe. For example, curry in India usually contains cardamom, nutmeg, peanut, cumin, ginger and coriander and mustard seeds, thus producing a perfectly balanced blend which results in an extremely complex taste.

On the other hand, Thai curry is normaly fresher, with lime, lemongrass, fresh coriander, fresh basil, fresh ginger and galanga. In this way, the flavour is fresher and citrus especially when compared to the traditional recipes from India. We are also going to use some cannabis infused milk, so you’ll have to have at hand some buds of your favourite cannabis strain!

Turmeric is one of

…

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Plant training – a low-stress alternative to pruning

Cannabis is a robust, vigorous and fast-growing plant which responds very well to crop optimisation techniques such as: pruning; propagation via cuttings; hydroponic cultivation and more. In a previous article we looked at the so-called “destructive” techniques like pruning, super-cropping, etc, and in this article we’re going to talk about a very useful technique both for indoor and outdoor growers: Training or tying down, often referred to by cannabis growers as LST (low stress training). This technique originated in the agricultural sector, where for generations vineyards and orchards have been cultivated using a variety of training techniques, to facilitate harvesting and improve the productivity of the crop.

Plant training is a traditional technique in vineyards and orchards

Why train cannabis plants?

The most common use of training is to limit the height of our cannabis plants, whether it’s in order to make sure they stay at a discreet height and out of sight below a wall or fence when we’re growing outdoors or to keep the tops of the plants at the proper distance from our indoor grow lamps, we can bend and them to manipulate their structure, without needing to top them or cut the growing tip.

Training works to keep our plants out of sight

…

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Ozone, the cannabis cultivator’s friend

Ozone (O3) is a substance that is a colourless gas at ambient temperature and pressure, giving off an acrid smell; Thanks to its high oxidising power, this gas has a great ability to disinfect and eliminate odours. Nowadays, ozone has many applications in areas as diverse as industry, agriculture, or domestic sanitation, being of particular interest for the indoor cannabis cultivation.

The ozone molecule (O3) is composed of three oxygen atoms (O2) formed by dissociating the two atoms that make up oxygen (Image © Siyavula Education)

Atmospheric ozone is best known for forming the infamous ozone layer; This is a type of pure ozone that is found in different concentrations between 10 and 40 km above sea level, its two main functions being to act as a filter for ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun and as an air purifier.

Ozone has the honor of being the first allotrope of a chemical element identified by science. In 1785, a Dutch chemist called Martinus van Marum noticed a strange smell while carrying out experiments with electric shocks and water and believed that the smell came from the electrical reactions; in fact, that smell came from the ozone he had created without realising it.

Since then, both the techniques to generate ozone and …

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At this point in the season, when outdoor plants begin flowering and indoor grows are suffering the highest temperatures of the year, it’s common for pests to make their first appearance in our garden, which can be particularly difficult to combat precisely because of the high temperatures, that on most occasions will favour their development and propagation. Our plants are therefore more sensitive than ever to insect pests and, later on and once they have developed buds, to the dreaded fungi.

Because of this, it’s the season of the year where the most insecticides (early summer) and fungicides (late summer) are used, because no grower wants to watch their efforts and dedication be ruined by a pest or disease. However… are we making the best use of pesticides? How can we limit its impact on our health and the environment? This article was born from my own experience during the years that I spent cultivating cannabis outdoors in my garden, when I saw the fauna in it gradually diminish and, fortunately, how I’ve seen its resurgence in recent years thanks to a more responsible use of phytosanitary products.

A healthy cannabis plant will produce first-rate flowers

Organic and chemical pesticides

The first distinction to take before deciding to use any of these products is if we want it …

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Carbohydrates or sugars in the cultivation of cannabis

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are a group of compounds that include sugars, starches and cellulose among many other substances. These are formed by carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

They are vitally important compounds for both plant and animal life. They perform vital functions so that plants can develop healthily and problem-free in all stages of their life and also serve as a source of food for the animals that feed on plants.

Bubble Kush, 44 days, fed with aminoacids

There are two major types of carbohydrates, the so-called structural and the non-structural. The structural carbohydrates are known to make up part of the cellulose that forms plants cell walls, giving rigidity to the stem, branches and roots, etc., all parts of the plant that keep it standing upright, and without them plants would fall over.

Non-structural carbohydrates are stored in many parts of the plant, for example the stem, roots, rhizomes, stolons, as well as the aerial part of the plants where they play a vital role as the source of energy that the plant relies upon in order to carry out its metabolic functions. They are the fuel the plant needs to keep growing.

But exactly what functions do they perform in plants, and in particular, how do they …

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When it comes to cannabis, the part of the plant that gets all the attention is naturally the bit we’re all growing for: the flowers. But while it’s easy to be enamoured with the beautiful frosty flowers we shouldn’t overlook the rest, because behind the bud there’s a whole plant, with all its component parts, each playing an essential role in bringing us our precious harvest.

Here at Alchimiaweb we strongly believe that the more we know about our favourite plants, the more success we’ll have cultivating them, and the happier we’ll be with the results! For these reasons here we’re going to take a closer look at the cannabis plant and identify all the different elements of its anatomy to help you get to know this wonderful plant a little bit better.

1, male flower, enlarged detail; 2, pollen sac; 3, pollen sac; 4, pollen grain; 5, female flower with bract; 5, female flower, bract removed; 6, female seed cluster, longitudinal section; 7, seed with bract; 8, seed without bract; 9, seed without bract; 10, seed cross section; 11, seed longitudinal section; 12, seed without hull (Franz Eugen Köhler 1887)

The Cannabis seed

For most of us, our introduction to cultivation comes when we buy or are gifted some cannabis seeds for the first time, so …

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Dank Genetics is a seed bank created from a community of growers from around the world established in the UK, formed with the intention of creating excellent quality cannabis strains either as regular or feminised seeds.

The search for genetic excellence has led Dank Genetics to use only the best strains on the market to make their own dank creations. So, unless the new genetics can pass their strict quality tests, they won’t be distributed, which means we can safely say that all of the strains presented by Dank Genetics are excellent options. Let’s look through the most representative current strains of this exciting seed bank below.

Dank Genetics

Fresh Orange, refreshing orange juice

A strain created by crossing Mandarina Kush, from Trichome Jungle Seeds, with Sour Dubble, also known as Sour Dubs, which results in a tasty, powerful and euphoric variety.

Let’s look at the origin of its ancestors to give us an idea of what growers can expect from Fresh Orange.

Fresh Orange from Dank Genetics

On one side we have the Mandarina Kush, a big winner at Spannabis in 2015, where it took the first positions both in the flower and the solventless extraction categories. It is a tasty poly-hybrid created by crossing Agent Orange x (Pinneaple x Dynamite …

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It’s high summer and many of us are on vacation or preparing to go camping, to festivals, or to simply relax, enjoy the sun and have a good time. For cannabis lovers, the long summer holidays also represent the best opportunity to calmly savour our harvest… for example, enjoying a quiet summer afternoon with a good Sativa can be priceless, or taking a dip at the beach after a nice tasty dab.

In this article we’d like to suggest a few products from our catalogue that we think are ideal for cannabis smokers on holiday or who simply want to enjoy summer and share their herb with their friends in a comfortable and easy way.

Happy swimming!

It’s time to relax and enjoy the summer

Abscent anti-odour bags

Ideal to travel discreetly, Abscent offers a range of anti-odour products such as bags, backpacks, purses, toiletry bags… all of the highest quality and specially designed to neutralise and contain the powerful aromas given off by our cannabis. With them we can store and move our buds or cannabis concentrates without the pungent smell raising suspicion. In addition, Abscent models with larger capacity will also allow us to transport the more bulky accessories for the consumption of our favourite plant: grinders, pipes, bongs, etc.

Manufactured with several layers of activated …

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Famous grower Kyle Kushman, creator of Strawberry Cough and expert in medical marijuana, presents Vegamatrix, his own brand of vegan and environmentally friendly nutrients for plants. Mainly composed of plant ingredients, with Vegamatrix you’ll increase both the size and terpene content of your buds, which results in bigger yields and improved scent and taste.

In this article we present you the Vegamatrix range of nutrients, which we’ve tried from seed to harvest indoors with – we must admit – excellent results. Of course, you’ll also find some tips to increase their efficacy and get the best possible results.

Vegamatrix nutrients for plants

Vegamatrix range of nutrients for plants

The range of organic nutrients formulated by Vegamatrix includes the following products: Base nutrients for both the growth and bloom stages (Grow and Bloom), a stimulator rich in magnesium and calcium (Boost), an enzyme complex (Prime-Zyme), an aminoacid-based cocktail (Amp-It), a bloom booster (Big N Sticky), a growth booster made from seaweed (Hard N Quick) and, last but not least, an effective insecticide/fungicide formulated from plant ingredients (FTB).

One of the first striking things about these quality nutrients is the fact that almost all the products of the range are used in each and every watering. Indeed, …

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Moulds can quickly ruin your plants during the last weeks of the flowering stage, that’s why many growers choose mould resistant cannabis strains to guarantee success. This type of genetics are resistant to high relative humidity levels, rarely developing moulds like botrytis or powdery mildew even if grown in humid climates.

If you checked the link above, you may have seen a wide rage of mould resistant varieties. Still, we want to make your decision easier for you by listing some of our favourites, genetics that – for one reason or another – have captivated us for their excellent results in humid climates. Let’s see them now!

Harvest time is coming!

Viper City OG XIII by Moxie Seeds

Moxie Seeds are known for the amazing amount of trichomes produced by their strains, a trait highly appreciated by lovers of resin extracts. Their Viper City OG XIII produces outstanding amounts of cannabinoids and terpenes, and is also highly resistant to excess relative humidity and diverse types of moulds.

This mostly Indica hybrid comes from a backross between Viper City OG and Lemon OG. It grows relatively compact but with plenty of side branches, focusing bud production on the main stem. It is also resistant to pests and nutrient imbalances, being a great choice for beginner growers.

Viper City

…

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Pakistan Chitral Kush, Grape Ape, Grandaddy Purple, Serious Six, Peyote Purple, Panama Red…all of these cannabis strains show a wonderful colour palette which goes from reddish to purple. Indeed, and while the most common colour in cannabis is green, both leaves and buds may turn orange, pink, purple, black, red, blue…These awesome colours are often one of the traits that breeders want to fix, since it is also one of the most demanded traits by users. 93% of cannabis smokers have noted that they’ve been influenced by the colour of the strain sometime. But, how does cannabis develop such beautiful shades?

A colourful indoor cannabis garden

Natural pigments

When we think about plants, the first colour that comes to mind is green. Indeed, the world of plants id dominated by the green colour, but if we take a closer look we’ll soon realize that plants can also develop many other colours, which is explained by pigments. Pigments are chemical colorants, either from living organisms or synthetic. In cannabis plants, they’re are normally divided into several categories:

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is quite abundant in plant cells, representing around 70% of the pigments contained in one plant. It is responsible for the green colour and essential for the plants life, since it allows them to absorb the necessary …

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The use of humic and fulvic acids is becoming increasingly popular among all types of cannabis farmers, who can now take advantage of a healthy, rich and living soil that produces happy plants and therefore abundant harvests. Thanks to this substances, nutrient uptake and management are much more efficient, and root growth is simply spectacular.

Either if you’re using organic soil or hydroponic systems, using  humic and fulvic acids is a very easy way to ensure the best possible conditions for the roots of your plants. Indeed, it is especially recommended in hydroponic cultivation since these types of growing media do not contain nutrients nor microbial life. In this way, you get the most out of the nutrient solution that you’ve carefully prepared for your plants.

Quality soil produces quality flowers

Soil organic matter

Soil is composed by many substances, some of them resulting from a transformation process of certain molecules. Among the organic components of soil, we can find living organisms on the one hand and organic matter on the other, which usually comes from chemical and microbial transformation processes of organic wastes contained in the soil.

In turn, we can divide this organic matter into unaltered material (fresh, not processed or modified) and altered material (sometimes called humus), which are byproducts physically and chemically different from …

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Summer heat is comming, and with it the desire to consume fresh foods and drinks like fruit juices, salads, guacamole or, of course, pesto! Originary from the northwestern part of the country, from one of the smallest regions in Italy (Liguria), this delicious, classic Italian sauce has become a true classic across the planet, especially when mixed with pasta. Let us welcome it today to our Cannabis Kitchen section!

While the main ingredients of the traditional recipe are genoese basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, parmesan or pecorino cheese and olive oil, there are plenty of variations of this popular sauce, like red pesto (with fresh or dried tomatoes) or using a wide variety of dried fruits which can be either mixed with the pine nuts or used to replace them (it is hard to find them in some places!). Today we invite you to make a delicious dish of pesto pasta with a new and exciting ingredient…you guessed right, cannabis!

Cannabis pesto pasta recipe

To prepare this recipe we’ll need the following ingredients. Keep in mind that, as happens with any other recipe, you should not hesitate to innovate and try new things if you wish! Remember that you can check our recipe for cannabis infused oil in this article Cannabis Pizza.

Ingredients for cannabis pesto

Ingredients

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Alchimia Grow Shop have recently introduced a new and interesting product, 100% legal cannabis buds with CBD. The THC content (<0,2%) of this flowers is far below the legal limit, while CBD content is up to 8%, so they’re especially aimed at those who want to benefit from the medicinal properties of CBD – and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes – without getting “high”.

We invite you now to take a closer look at these new products and know more about their main characteristics.

Hemp cultivation is recovering its former importance

Legal cannabis buds?

Indeed, and as we already mentioned, THC levels in these buds are below the legal limit, thus being officially classified as “hemp”. Thus, you can freely – and legally – purchase and use these flowers in most countries where “marijuana” is illegal (that is to say, cannabis with high THC content). What is then the difference between this new product and the hemp flowers which have been already available for some time? Well, the main difference here – apart from growing techniques – is the genetics used to produce this buds, far superior from traditional hemp varieties.

Cannabinoid content of Orange Star

Despite most hemp strains contain considerable amounts of CBD and almost no THC, many of them have unpleasant scent and taste. In this …

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Alchimia Grow Shop have recently introduced a new and interesting product, 100% legal cannabis buds with CBD. The THC content (<0,2%) of this flowers is far below the legal limit, while CBD content is up to 8%, so they’re especially aimed at those who want to benefit from the medicinal properties of CBD – and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes – without getting “high”.

We invite you now to take a closer look at these new products and know more about their main characteristics.

Hemp cultivation is recovering its former importance

Legal cannabis buds?

Indeed, and as we already mentioned, THC levels in these buds are below the legal limit, thus being officially classified as “hemp”. Thus, you can freely – and legally – purchase and use these flowers in most countries where “marijuana” is illegal (that is to say, cannabis with high THC content). What is then the difference between this new product and the hemp flowers which have been already available for some time? Well, the main difference here – apart from growing techniques – is the genetics used to produce this buds, far superior from traditional hemp varieties.

Cannabinoid content of Orange Star

Despite most hemp strains contain considerable amounts of CBD and almost no THC, many of them have unpleasant scent and taste. In this …

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We’ve recently added a new Spanish bank to our feminised seed catalogue, a bank that, despite its young age (it was founded in 2017), has already aroused enormous interest among cannabis growers and users. We’re talking about BSF Seeds, short for Bigger, Stronger and Faster that perfectly sums up the philosophy of this team of breeders when it comes to developing the cannabis varieties they offer. In this article we’ll familiarise you with this seed bank and its work.

BSF Seeds: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

The BSF Seeds catalogue is made up of both feminized and large size automatic varieties (also feminized), making them hugely popular with fans of auto varieties. As well as including some classics of the cannabis scene, the catalogue also gathers together some of the most coveted current hybrids of the moment, like Gorilla Glue, Tangie or the famous Zkittlez.

The breeding program followed by BSF is clear: select the most resistant, productive and fastest specimens to stabilise and fix these traits to obtain hybrids that are especially easy to grow and give excellent results, whether they are autoflowering seeds or photodependent varieties. If we factor in the high quality of the genetics from which they start their work, the formula for success seems assured! Furthermore, they’ve also used a very original formula to manage …

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Ganja, Collie, Kiki, Sinsemilla…cannabis has plenty of different names, especially in Jamaica, a small Caribbean island known around the world for its long relationship with this plant.

Indeed, Jamaica is a true place of reference with regard to cannabis cultivation for smokers worldwide. Its tropical climate and fertile soil are ideal for the cultivation of cannabis plants, especially Sativas. Moreover, it is also the place where the Rastafari movement was born, which promotes a religious use of ganja and has a large number of followers in the island. Still, the use of cannabis is widely spread among all social classes – not only Rastafarians – and is doubtless one of the most popular crops in the island. In this article we’ll tell you more about the relation of cannabis with this small Caribbean paradise.

7-mile Beach, Jamaica

Introduction of cannabis in Jamaica

Being British colony until 1962, Jamaica is a traditional producer of sugar, also cotton during the slavery period. The indigenous people from the island – the Arawak tribe – were exterminated before the arrival of the British by the Spanish colonizers, while the Commonwealth government forced thousands of slaves to move from Western Africa to Jamaica to work on plantations.

After the abolition of slavery in 1838, and while many slaves abandoned their …

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If we have a look at all the different pieces of equipment we need to set up an indoor cannabis grow, we can see that they fall into one of several categories according to the role they play in the grow tent: Illumination, ventilation, humidity control and heating are the main elements responsible for recreating as close as possible the natural cycles and ideal conditions for plant growth. The proper control and adjustment of these elements is crucial to achieving a great final result, with a healthy yield of the highest quality flowers.

Over time, various electronic devices designed to control the climate in cannabis grows have appeared on the market, these devices connect and coordinate all the elements required to recreate sunlight and climate, making it possible to program photoperiods, control air intake and extraction, and regulate temperature, humidity and pressure.

The grow space climate must be optimised to create the ideal environment for plant development.

A climate controller can save the grower a great deal of work, in addition to optimising electricity consumption. The effectiveness of a climate controller relies upon the sensors used to control and record the variations in temperature, humidity or air circulation inside the interior culture room.

Among the climate controllers that you can find in Alchimiaweb.com, here we’d like …

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The energizing effect of some cannabis strains is, without a doubt, a true favourite among many users. This uplifting feeling – often called “high” – is often associated to Sativa genetics with high THC content, although other plants with different cannabinoid ratios can provide a very pleasant, social and creative effect.

For this reason, and within the myriad of feminised seeds available on the market, we have selected 7 marijuana strains that will increase your creativity and social side, improve your mood and motivate you to perform daily activities. We hope you’ll enjoy their vibrant energy!

Sativa plants are known for their uplifting effect

Easy Haze by Philosopher Seeds

Easy Haze is one of the strains included in Philosopher Seeds Classic Line. Coming from a Special K backcross, her euphoric and almost psychedelic effect is ideal to listen to music or enjoy outdoor activities. She is used by many users to improve mood and induce a very pleasant feeling of full happiness.

She grows vigorous but with compact structure, traits inherited from the Yumbolt parent. On the other hand, the Kalimist parent provides its unique incensed and woody scent and intense Sativa effect. Yields are awesome, while THC content can reach 21%.

Easy Haze (aka K-13 Haze) by Philosopher Seeds

The scent of Easy Haze is intense, a blend …

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In this series of posts we’re taking a comprehensive look at a range of techniques used by growers to shape cannabis plants and facilitate cultivation. Pruning and training are essential tools to control the way our plants grow, whether to restrict height, maximise yields or as a management tool for the indoor cultivator trying to control multiple varieties in one grow space.

Pruning plants is a great way to maximise flower sites

When discussing these techniques, we can essentially split them into two basic types of method:

• Destructive pruning methods that effect some kind of damage on the plant, like pinching out, FIM, super-cropping etc.
• Non-destructive training techniques designed to minimise damage, such as LST (Low Stress Training), SCROG, etc.

Choosing between pruning or training as a method to control your plants is largely a matter of personal preference. Many gardeners dislike the “destructive” methods, which effectively damage the plant as part of the process, provoking a certain amount of stress and creating potential entry points for infection in the wounds left behind. For this reason some growers prefer to use non-destructive methods of bending and tying-down to control height and shape plants, an approach known as LST or Low Stress Training, which we examine in detail in another post. In this article we’re going to concentrate on …

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What is CBG?

• Name: Cannabigerol
• Formula: C21H32O2
• IUPAC name: 2-[(2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
• Molecular mass: 316,48 g/mol
• Boiling point: Not available
• Apearance: White powder/crystals

Discovered by Gaoni and Mechoulam in 1964, CBG or cannabigerol is one of the cannabinoids exclusively produced by the cannabis plant, which is stored in the trichome heads with the rest of cannabinoids and terpenes. While the CBG content in most plants is often low or very low – in most cases lower than 1% – this particular compound is crucial for cannabinoid synthesis, as we have known for the past 4 decades ( (Shoyama, Yagi and Nishioka, Phytochemistry Journal, October 1975). As a general rule, hemp contains higher amounts of CBG than commercial, narcotic cannabis strains.

CBG is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, which means it is produced by plants and does not “get you high”. It is believed that it has multiple medicinal properties which can be used to treat different conditions, and is also precursor – its acid form, to be exact – to the main cannabinoids (THCA, CBDA, CBCA) secreted in the trichome heads, which in turn explains the low percentage of CBG found in mature plants when compared to their THC or CBD content.

CBG (cannabigerol) molecule

CBG and the synthesis of cannabinoids

Cannabinoid synthesis in marijuana plants starts with the production of cannabigerolic …

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The history of this North American cannabis seed company Brothers Grimm is quite uncommon, especially if we take into account the huge success of their strains since they were first introduced in the market in 1996. Indeed, and before their withdrawal from the seed market in 2002, some of their genetics had already become true classics in the cannabis scene, with names that will surely sound familiar to you: Cinderella 99, Apollo 13, Killer Queen or Rosetta Stone just to name a few. Over time, this varieties have also become the baselines for many other hybrids from breeders across the globe.

Brothers Grimm Seeds, living history of cannabis breeding

The number of awards won by both Brothers Grimm Seeds varieties and other strains developed from their genetics is simply astounding. But, how did it all started? Let’s take a look now at the origins of this company, their flagship genetics and, of course, the exclusive interview with MrSoul!

Origins of Brothers Grimm Seeds

It all started when MrSoul – one of the founders of the company – contacted the dutch seed bank Super Sativa Seed Club in 1987. Soon after, he was already distributing their seeds throughout the American territory. The access to new and amazing genetics, as well as his knowledge on engineering (he had studied nuclear engineering …

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The use of medical cannabis to treat ailments and the symptoms of a large number of diseases is becoming increasingly common, as are the many users who testify to its effectiveness compared to the so-called “synthetic drugs”. While sometimes the use pharmaceutical medicines may be essential, we are increasingly more aware of the medicinal properties of cannabinoids and terpenes and how to use them, either to alleviate the symptoms caused by the disease itself, or to mitigate possible adverse effects of medications or treatments.

One condition for which cannabis seems to be of great help is endometriosis, a chronic disease estimated to affect more than 170 million women worldwide, and one that in many cases goes undiagnosed. This past March was the Endometriosis Awareness Month, a global initiative aiming to raise awareness of this problem and encourage governments and organisations to actively fight against this disease.

Cannabis can alleviate many of the symptoms of endometriosis

What is endometriosis?

As we saw in our article on cannabis and menstruation, each month women lose endometrial tissue during their period, the tissue that normally envelops the uterus. Endometriosis is a gynaecological disease in which said tissue (endometrium) also grows in other internal areas of the body such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes or intestines. We can define it as …

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