What it’s Oil About: Understanding Hemp, CBD, and Cannabis Oils

With several different oil products coming from cannabis and hemp plants, it can be challenging telling what’s what and the benefits of...

Cannabis and the Teenage Brain

Chris Bond cites the latest studies on how cannabis affects the teenage brain.

5 Tips for Better Autodosing

Many of the benefits of autodosing are self-evident while others are more discreet.

The Newest Cannabinoids: THCP and CBDP

The cannabis research field is abuzz with the news that two new cannabinoids have been discovered and isolated.

The Pros and Cons of Growing Cannabis Using Aquaponics

Seasoned cannabis cultivators looking for large yields and a quick growth cycle might want to consider aquaponics.

Understanding Chelation in Plants

Chris Bond explains the chelation process and why it’s key for healthy plants and crops.

Growing Healthy Hemp Plants

Starting with seed selection, Chris Bond elaborates on what’s needed to grow healthy hemp plants for crop production.

Flushing Your Hydroponic System: Water vs. Agents

Whether or not to flush is not the question. This is as true for your personal bathroom habits as it is for your hydroponic system —...

Innovation in Cannabis Remediation

Purogen's TheBOX, brought to you by GreenBroz, is one of the industry's best products for ensuring total quality control. Using organic...

Terpene Isolation and Extraction: Grabbing a Share of the Cannabis Market

Plenty of research and money is being invested in isolating and extracting terpenes from cannabis plants. Chris Bond details what terpenes...

The Importance of Industry Born Equipment

As the cannabis industry continues to mature, the technology to process and package it is evolving as well. It's best to avoid for...

Sorting Your Flower: The Most Important Step You Didn’t Know You Needed to Do

Long gone the days of sorting cannabis flowers by hand! By using a trimming machine, you can gain even more each month by maximizing...

Secret Weapons for Your Garden: Humic and Fulvic Acids

Turns out two of the most essential amendments gardeners can have in their growth arsenal are humic and fulvic acids. Read on to see the...

The Pros and Cons of Various Cannabis Extraction Methods

There several ways to extract compounds from the cannabis plant. Chris Bond reviews some of the key extraction methods plus the benefits...

Help Your Plants Help Themselves: Enhancing Natural Defenses

Plants have evolved their own natural defense systems to fight pests and disease.

The 8 Best Cannabis Strains for Better Focus

Looking for a cannabis strain to achieve better focus and mental acuity? Try one of these 8 cannabis strains to help you find your focus.

The Lesser Known Cannabinoids and their Effects

Chris Bond looks at some of the lesser known cannabinoids and what known properties they have.

The 14 Best Autoflowering Cannabis Strains for Outdoor Growers

Lighting is easily controlled in a greenhouse, but outdoor growers can be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to photoperiod development...

The Best Fast-Flowering Cannabis Seeds for Outdoor Growers

Sometimes, outdoor growers aren't patient enough to wait for some of the longest cannabis strains to flower. Here are nine fast-flowering...

Six Ways to Make Hash: From Hand Rolling to Mechanical Drums

One of the oldest forms of cannabis, hashish has a long, long history after becoming popular in the Middle East more than 1,000 years ago....

Identifying All-Natural Pesticides and their Benefits for Cannabis Plants

When it comes to dealing with pests on cannabis plants, the best way to go is using an all-natural pesticide. Chris Bond examines the...

Essential Nutrients for Growing Cannabis

All plants, including cannabis, require certain essential nutrients to grow healthy, strong, and productive. Grow the most fruitful...

Understanding Short-Path Distillation: How PolyScience Is Redefining Cannabis Extraction

When it comes to extraction, the name of the game is purity. With new technology and methodology, PolyScience and Summit Research are...

PolyScience: Product Testing in the Cannabis Industry

Summit Research is one of the many distributors providing the testing and feedback, so when PolyScience rolls out a product it is assured...

What’s Next in the Cannabis Extraction Industry?

By improving on past designs and incorporating environmental responsibility, the team at PolyScience is moving things forward in cannabis...

Understanding How Plant Roots Take In Water and Nutrients

Roots play an integral part in plant survival, whether it’s as an anchor or providing life-sustaining water and nutrients. Chris Bond...

Baby Boomers and Medical Marijuana: A Budding Relationship?

The baby boomer generation once used marijuana as a form of protest and rebellion. With raising families and careers now behind them, many...

Cannabis and Beer: Chronic Brewskis

Beer and Weed have more in common than you’d think, and commercial brewers are even starting to combine them into one glorious product.

The Side Effects of Cannabis: For Better or Worse

Chris Bond sourced the latest reports to provide a snapshot of how cannabis can affect us for better or for worse.

From Seed to Bud: The Cannabis Life Cycle

For those wondering about the stages a marijuana plant undergoes as it grows from seed to potent bud, Chris Bond breaks it down by...

Strengthening Plant Roots with Phosphorus and Potassium

No matter what crop or plant you’re growing, healthy and strong roots are the foundation for maximum yields. Chris Bond breaks down how...

Choosing the Right Lighting Ballast For Growing

Selecting the right ballast for your grow set-up can be a daunting task with many variables to consider. But if you follow Chris Bond’s...

Pollinating in Greenhouses

Greenhouses are often verdant oases of lush, flowering plants of all kinds. They are often a treat for the senses when visited during...

Differentiating Between Industrial Hemp and Marijuana

Are hemp and marijuana the same or are they different things? The truth is somewhere in the middle. Chris Bond takes the time to lay it out...

Greenhouse Glazing and its Effect on Photosynthesis

Depending on what crop you want to grow in your greenhouse, the type of material that covers the structure is very important for promoting...

Understanding Reverse Osmosis and How It Benefits Plants

A reverse osmosis system can help keep unwanted contaminants, pesticides and bacteria out of your grow system. Chris Bond explains how the...

Finding Your Cannabis Sweet Spot for Growth

Like every crop, marijuana has its own sweet spot when it comes to the optimal levels of nutrients, electrical conductivity (EC), and...

Already Vaped Weed - Learning your AVBs

Vaping doesn’t scorch cannabis like smoking does, meaning the used flower coming out of your pen is somewhat reusable. So, instead of...

Tips for the Home Grown Beginner: Soil, Soilless, or Hydroponics?

Cannabis can be grown successfully in soil, soilless media or hydroponically. Consider some of the pros, cons and tips to each method...

Institutional MMJ Research in the US

Throughout a majority of the 20th century, most institutions shied away from conducting cannabis research. That, however, is changing.

Tips For the Home Grown Beginner: What Do I Need To Do To Start Growing My Own Weed?

Growing your own weed for the first time can be an exciting and overwhelming process. We take a look at what you should consider before you...

The Entourage Effect

Many in the cannabis community talk about the entourage effect, but what is it exactly and is there proof that such a thing exists? Chris...

4 Challenges of Scaling Up a Legal Cannabis Business

Running a business is hard; running a cannabis business is harder. Scaling up said cannabis business, however, is fraught with even more...

10 Key Tips for Growing Marijuana Using Hydroponics

Getting started using hydroponics to grow marijuana can be tricky. Here are ten tips to make it a little bit easier.

5 States Still Opposed to Legalizing Marijuana

We take a closer look at which US states are unlikely to pass any kind of cannabis legalization bill anytime soon.

Are Cannabis Plants Monecious or Dioecious?

Knowing that there are male and female flowers on marijuana plants is important for the successful cultivation of cannabis.

How to Detect, Treat, and Prevent Bud Rot in Your Cannabis Grow Room

Bud rot starts inside of a bud, so it is not easily seen until it has started to spread. It favors dense colas and densely leafed plants....

How to Detect, Treat, and Prevent Powdery Mildew on Your Cannabis Plants

In small amounts, powdery mildew is mostly a cosmetic issue, but if left untreated for a long enough period of time, it can kill your...

Bacteria? Virus? Fungi? Diagnosing Common Cannabis Diseases

Like marijuana plants that have fallen victim to a pest infestation, diseased cannabis plants will have visual symptoms as well.

11 Common Pests That Can Destroy Your Cannabis Crop

Many of the same pest species that are the bane of many greenhouse and field growers of traditional crops can affect cannabis crops just as...

Cannabis Themed Weddings Are on the Rise

Soothing Salves: How Topical CBD Treatments Work

When it comes to treating inflammation, cannabis doesn’t always have to be ingested or smoked. Instead, it can be put on the skin. Here’s...

7 Types of Lighting Systems Suitable for Growing Marijuana

Novice cannabis growers may think that a grow light is a grow light is a grow light. But there are many different types of grow lights out...

What To Do When You've Ingested Too Much Cannabis

The effects of edibles often takes longer to realize than with other methods of cannabis consumption. As such, it is easy to consume too...

Can a Person be Allergic to Marijuana? Cannabis and Allergies: What You Need to Know

Cases of rashes, hypersensitivity, and even anaphylaxis due to contact with cannabis pollen, plants, or smoke are on the rise.

Cannabis Use and Mental Health: Things to Keep in Mind

Many people use cannabis to treat illnesses and disorders or alleviate disease symptoms. Others use it for the positive effect it has on...

Can medical cannabis relieve rheumatoid arthritis?

Physicians are still advised to counsel against cannabis-based medication as a first response, but as research increases, evidence shows...

A Look at North America's Renewed Interest in Cannabis

Chris Bond provides reasons on why the noose on marijuana may be loosening.

A Brief History of Cannabis Use in North America

Just a few generations ago, cannabis was widely used as medicine in North America to treat numerous ailments. By the early 1930s a tax on...

Colorado State University: More Money for Medical Marijuana Research

Colorado State University has received the green light to begin studying and documenting the benefits of MMJ.

Let Them Eat Cannabis Cake: An Update on the Edibles Market

The cannabis edibles market is in a state of revolution. It’s expanding throughout the country as more states decriminalize/legalize...

Stormebud: Chasing Calm

Taking medicinal marijuana for anxiety and depression, and watching his chosen profession fall upon hard times due to the economic downturn...

10 Markers of a Quality Marijuana Seed

If you're looking to start growing your own marijuana, the first place to start is with the seed. What should you look for? How can you...

Cannabis Trimming: Wet or Dry?

Once you've grown your bud, you have to harvest and trim. Trimming can be done either wet or dry. What does it mean, and why does it...

A Sum Greater Than its Parts: Soil Composition

Soil is a combination of materials, and the percentage of these in relation to each other can have a big impact on how your garden...

The Science of Serenading Your Plants

People sing to their plants… but does it work? Chris Bond separates the fact from fiction in this matter by looking at the science.

Phenomenal Growing Possibilities in Itty Bitty Living Spaces

If you have ever grown a houseplant, you can grow greens. Chris Bond goes through some of the different locales and tricks to try to make...

5 Growing Mediums and Their Benefits

You've decided to grow something, but have you thought about what you're going to grow it in? Today, we look at 5 different options, and...

Soil Testing: Is It Better To Go Through a Cooperative Extension?

Cooperative Extension or DIY? We take a look at the differences between the two, and the benefits of using them.

Understanding the Different Types of Grow Lights Available

When considering the different types of grow lights available on the market, understanding efficiency, both in energy consumption and...

Methyl Jasmonate: Plant Defender and Communicator

For centuries, methyl jasmonate has been used in perfumes and teas as a component of the fragrance jasmine. It wasn’t until the middle of...

How Plant Hormones Work

Plants, just like humans and all other living things, make hormones to fulfill their natural functions.

3 Types of High-Value Cash Crops to Grow Hydroponically

If your local grocery store is always out of certain produce that can be grown hydroponically, there might be an opportunity to fill that...

Tips for Growing Plants in a Hydroponic Wick System

Wick systems are cheap and easy to set up, but they can take a lifetime to master. Here are a few tips.

Pumping Iron: Why Plants Need Iron in Their Diet

Iron is one of the essential nutrients required for plant health and development. It is needed by plants in relatively low amounts,...

How to Detect and Treat Sulfur Deficiencies in Plants

Sulfur is necessary for plant health and high yields. Here’s how to tell if your plants are lacking this macronutrient, and what to do if...

How to Prevent Your Plants from Getting Nutrient Burn

If you give your plants too much love, it’s possible you’ll both feel the burn.

Don't Try to Grow These Plants Hydroponically

There are some crops that just do better in hydro systems, and some that you'll want to avoid even trying to grow.

Self, Cross, and Open Pollination - What's Going On?

Unlike in the animal kingdom, there are a few different ways that plants “get busy” to pass along their genes.

From Imperfect to Perfect: An Introduction to Different Types of Flowers

Here are 16 different types of flowers to serve as an introduction to the world of flowering plants.

5 Reasons to Add Calcium Carbonate to Your Garden

Here are five reasons to add calcium carbonate to the garden to improve the performance of your crops.

Setting the Record Straight: Primary vs. Secondary Plant Nutrients

There can be confusion sometimes when growers talk about nutrients. Our own Chris Bond takes us through the differences, and when we should...

4 Things Affecting the Drainage of Your Soil

Managing cultivated plants so that they receive just the right amount of water when they need it is as much an art as it is a science.

Think Your Plants Have Interveinal Chlorosis? Here's What to Do

10 Advantages of Using Ceramic Metal Halide Grow Lights

Check out these 10 reasons to see if CMH is the way to go for your grow.

Setting Up a Kratky Hydroponics System in 6 Easy Steps

Kratky hydroponics is a soilless growing method that is so simple in its design, it is the perfect introduction into the world of...

What Needs to be Done in Between Crop Rotations

When growing in soil, crop rotation has historically been one of the best ways to reduce insect pressure, reduce incidences of disease, and...

Do You Need to Add More Humus to Your Garden Beds?

In this article, we walk you through what exactly makes a good garden humus, and how to make sure your plants are getting enough of the...

Food Grade vs. Food Safe: What's The Difference?

Think you know the difference between food-grade and food-safe terminology? Think again! The answer isn't very clear.

Farming & the City: Starting a Farm in the City

So, you’re thinking about engaging in one of the oldest livelihoods in an area where there is very little arable land? Here's what you need...

The Write Way: What to Keep Track of in a Gardening Journal

Keeping a garden journal allows you the freedom of not having to remember everything about a past growing season when you are planning the...

The Science Behind Natural and Synthetic Root Growth Promoters

Though plants naturally produce their own root promoters, there are a variety of ways a motivated grower can stimulate root propagation...

How to Deal With Blossom End Rot in the Garden

While the bane of every food grower, the appearance of the dreaded blossom end rot doesn’t have to be a tragedy. Here's how to avoid those...

Advantages of Organic Weed Control

Chris Bond digs deep to uproot the best organic weed controls for your garden.

Getting off the Grid: Alternative Energies for Hydro Systems

With solar cells dropping in price and battery systems improving all the time, there are considerable benefits to looking at alternative...

Crop Spotlight: Aronia

Aronia, more commonly known as chokeberry, is a native, understory shrub that has been rediscovered in recent years for its use in the...

Start Off Strong with the Right Seeds

Did you know that heirloom seeds are not by definition organic? Or that hybridized crops do not necessarily pass along their traits through...

Crop Focus: Mistletoe

Mistletoe, a holiday decorating staple for centuries, reproduced itself without soil for millennia before anyone even knew hydroponics was...

Between Hydro Crops: What to Do and What to Reuse

When you’re between crops in the indoor garden, it’s a good time to think about cleaning your system and sorting out what to keep and what...

How to Extend the Life of Your Harvested Crops

After setting up the perfect environment for your crops and maintaining every growroom parameter to the letter, you’ll find that the most...

10 Instruments Every Grower Needs

Growers can never have enough information to gauge the state of their plants. From auxanometers to Brix meters, the more beta the better....

Pesky Garden Pests: Spider Mites, Fungus Gnats, and Caterpillars

In Part II of our primer on common garden pests, we take a look at identifying damage from spider mites, fungus gnats and various...

Controlling Pests Organically: Aphids, Whiteflies, and Thrips

Aphids, whiteflies and thrips are three of the most common pests of indoor growing areas. Here are some solutions for controlling them.

Building the Perfect Organic Fertilizer

Tailoring your fertilizer program to meet the unique needs of your plants and soils is not only possible, it is easier than you might think.

Gear Up Your Greenhouse

Spring is an ideal time to move your indoor garden outdoors and into a greenhouse. Many of the principles behind operating a successful...

Techniques for Proper Pruning

A look at the selection and care of plant pruning equipment, as well as how to take cuttings.

Proper Pruning Techniques Part 1

Correctly pruning your plants can add years to their lives and increase yields of healthy, disease-free fruits and flowers.

Get Your Drip On: The Advantages of Drip Irrigation

The most effective and efficient method of watering plants is drip irrigation, and setting up a system for a garden of any size or shape is...

What Makes a Good Gardening Potting Mix?

It can be difficult to navigate the world of soilless growing mixes without knowing a thing or two about what different mixes are made of...

Faster Seed Germination with Cold Plasma Treatments: Energize Your Seeds

We all want faster germination and better performance from our seeds. What if there was an emerging technology that could do that, plus...

Extending The Growing Season

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are plummeting. While this would normally signal the end of the outdoor growing season...

Kelp: The Wonder Amendment

With a whole host of benefits, from improving seed germination and increasing stem strength, to helping plants deal with drought, high...

The Goodness of Guano

As a gardener, you’ve likely heard about guano, an ingredient used in some plant supplements. Guano, often associated with bats, is a...

Giving Plants the Green Light

Green light is not apparently useful for plant metabolism, but it does seem to play a role in plant form and composition, as well as being...

Bone Meal Basics: What You Need to Know Before Applying It to Your Plants

Bone meal, made from ground-up animal bones, is an organic source of phosphorus and calcium, and it also contains trace amounts of nitrogen...

Good Greenhouse Hygiene

Plants are more likely to thrive in a clean environment. Make it your goal this spring to carry out these simple sanitary measures in your...

Hydroponics 101: A Back-to-basics Guide

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants, food crops or flowers in a liquid medium without the use of soil. Hydroponic crops can be...

An Organic Primer Part 2

In An Organic Primer Part 2, we examine the ways growers can control or prevent pests, diseases, and weeds using organic practices.

An Organic Primer Part I

Soil building, cover cropping, companion planting and crop rotation are some of the hallmark practices of organic gardening. But what else...

Growing in Small Spaces

Just because you live in an apartment doesn't mean you can't grow your own food. Chris Bond has some out-of-the box, tight space gardening...

Adding Animals to a Home Food System

Many home-based food growers resist the idea of adding any form of livestock to their food system for fear of what might be involved.

Seed Saving

A good way to save money and ensure that you don't rely on genetically modified seeds is to start collecting seeds from your own plants....

Tips & Tricks for Caring for Your Christmas Tree

For those who opt for a cut or living Christmas tree during the holiday season, the care and culture of the tree while it is indoors is...

Beginner's Guide to Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects for pest control can supplement or replace the use of insecticides.

Will flushing improve the taste of my tomatoes?

Hi Antonio,There is some debate among professional growers over this. Some would say to do it as a matter of course, some would say to do...

What method should I use to grow pineapples hydroponically?

Great question! Though pineapples are not typically thought of as a viable hydroponic crop, they certainly can be grown in hydro systems....

What are the benefits of using humic and fulvic acid are when growing cannabis in soil indoors?

Humic and fulvic acids can help your cannabis plants reach their full potential. These amendments are known to help the plant’s...

What would be the best way to plant a sprouting seed in aquaponics?

Great question! I take it to mean that you have a seed that has already germinated and is ready for transplant into your system versus...

Can medical cannabis relieve rheumatoid arthritis?

Cannabis as a medical treatment for individuals suffering with pain and inflammation is becoming a more accepted treatment, especially in...

Why are the outer edges of my plant's top leaves starting to curl?

There are several possibilities regarding what could be causing your curling leaves. Curled leaves that are not accompanied by any necrosis...

How do I get rid of white flies, aphids and spider mites in my garden?

You have named three of the most prolific and perennial pests of greenhouses and production areas. All of the ones you have named feed on...