How Dry Is Too Dry?

[DonJones]

I've been reading that the strains originating in arid climates produce more resins and trichs.

If this is true, how does one determine at which point decreasing the humidity and watering to improve the resin and trich production be off set by the decreased plant growth and vigor?

I want to try to balance improving the quality with maintaining the quantity as much as possible.

Thanks for any information anyone can give.

Great smoking.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I have found that resin and trich production is more of a genetic trait than from environmental controls.

 

[DonJones]

legalize freedom,

I agree that genetics are very, if not most, important in determining what kind of output you are going to get, but you and I also know that environmental variations can have a profound effect too.

The best of genetics will NOT over come unfavorable growing conditions.
the humidity and amount of water given to a particular plant is an easily manipulated factor. An example is I just finished a crop of variety that gave excellent quality but disappointing yield in comparison to my son's experience with clones from the same mother. The only significant variation that we could find in growing conditions was I had nothing except MH lights so that is what mine were finished under while he had a mixture of HPS. Now I'm starting another crop off of the same mother which will be flowered under more HPS than he had in his mix even. Logic and experience of other growers with the same mother's clones says that my yield will improve too.

Like wise, if the common factor in the background of high resin/trich producing varieties is that they originated in arid climates with wide geographic diversity, then logic would support the idea that the arid climate had something to do with the development of those traits. Even today, some of the best outdoor grown weed comes from arid climates (North Africa and the Middle East mountains like Afghanistan, regardless of the strains and genetics involved.

Therefore, if the premise that is widely reported is correct, then growing in an arid environment should maximize the resin and trich production in a given variety.

So the basic question boils down to two parts. first is it even true that an arid climate increases resin/trich production for a given variety? And second, if so, how does one determine where dry becomes too dry and starts hurting rather than benefiting production?

I should have clarified my question better when I originally posted it. I apologize.

Legalize freedom, thanks for prompting me ot clarify and refine my question.

Great smoking.

 

[JBonez]

Resin production is is part genetics, part plant. You CAN increase trichome production by allowing the plant plenty of space, without overlapping leaves from nearby plants competing for light.

By reducing the need to "outgrow" its neighbor, it can use that energy to boost its natural pest repellent, or as well like to call them, trichomes.

this is fact.

Humidity has absolutely nothing to do with trichome production, only in the regard that too much or too little can speed or slow transpiration directly, and of course that effects production of anything the plant "creates".

stay safe

 

[JBonez]

In fact, apart from discouraging crowding, i would venture to say that since the plants trichome production is a direct reaction to pests, that if you wanted to boost trich production, simulate a small attack on the plants leaves, Botanists are actually confirming this theory.

Fun fact, youd be suprised to know that most plants produce trichomes.....

 

[DonJones]

JBonez,

That defense thing was part of the rational for the arid climate's effect in the literature I read, that it was a defensive reaction to the dry environment.

I didn't know that about most plants other than MJ producing trichs. Thanks for the information.

Great smoking and Happy 2010.

 

[DonJones]

PuffinNugs,

By single digits, you referring to humidity aren't you?

Have you grown in that low of a humidity before? If so, what were the results?

Great smoking. Happy 2010.

edited to correct whom it was addressed to by DonJones

 

[JBonez]

JBonez,

That defense thing was part of the rational for the arid climate's effect in the literature I read, that it was a defensive reaction to the dry environment.

I didn't know that about most plants other than MJ producing trichs. Thanks for the information.

Great smoking and Happy 2010.

right on, in regards to marijuana, im unable to find a direct correlation to increased resin in dry, arid climates.

If it was only as easy as running lower humidity....... ahh

But... If someone was able to show me something that offered a rational explanation of your findings, well buddy, im all ears.

I read alot......

 

[JBonez]

i dont read very many of those books, and if Jorge Cervantes has tought us anything, misinformation can and does find its way into these coveted bibles we rely on.

Its sais this really?

does it offer an explanation of how this boosts resin? Or is this claim anecdotal in nature?

if you could explain, again, im all ears.

and yes, stress caused by vermin, ie: insects that chew up the plant, do trigger a response in regards to resin production.

this is proven. (if only we could could replicate that) and why couldnt we?

ps, cooler temps slow down transpiration, therefore energy production is slowed, trichomes need energy for production, im gonna put that theory to rest right now.

and as ive stated before, trichomes are nothing more than a pest deterrent, and have nothing to do with temps. Again, if it was only that easy.

 

[JBonez]

Cannabis seems not to produce more resins in response to dry soil, as it does to a dry atmosphere. Drying out plants by with- holding water for the last weeks of flowering does not stimulate THC production, although an arid atmosphere may do so. - Marijuany Botany, Robert Clark

does he offer how this is achieved?

otherwise, this is clearly an anecdotal remark.

Im a facts guy, and often challenge what i hear unless viable evidence is offered.

Not to discount this very well informed author, but its his book, not mine.

Ive also heard a couple days in the dark at the end of the flower boost trich production,

yet there is no sound explanation to explain why, as it appears this low humidity situation.

I run pretty low humidity in flower, but i guess i do it all the time, so i cant really compare.

 

[JBonez]

my man....

thanks for the info.

It appears no one has a real answer for the op.

shucks.

 

[DonJones]

JBonez,

To further complicate the question, the arid areas they usually are referring to are near the equator and/or at higher altitude, both of which increase the amount of UVB light they receive that is damaging, at least some what, to the DNA in the plant cells and has been shown to increase the production of both resin and THC laden trichs , in an apparent attempt to prevent the UVB light from damaging the plant further.

God isn't MJ wonderfully complex and yet very simple. Give it the right conditions, leave it alone and it does everything for you. Start trying to manipulate things and look out Irene it is a very complex interaction of many things!

It seem like probably my answer is to give it all of the water it wants to drink, but limit the amount of humidity. It seems like it is okay to run the humidity down to at least 10 to 15& and maybe lower.

Is that a fair summary of what I've read here?

Great smoking.

 

[legalize_freedom]

Cannabis grows best under RH conditions between 40-80%, but different stages thrive better in different conditions. clones do best in high RH btwn 80-95%, vegative growth thrives in 60-70% and flowering with 40-60%. Many prefer to keep the RH at 50% and below during flower to decrease the chances of mold and mildew.

Sorry this info was gathered from 3 different sources (books) I was not born with this knowledge, nor do I have the time or space to preform experiments. I leave that to the experts. If 3 different experts give me the same info, then I would say that it is probably pretty accurate.

 

[JBonez]

yeah don, i think we can surmise that mj grows or at least flowers better under dry conditions.

Yo legalize, i thought clones were better off in humid conditions as well, but man, once i get past the drooping, they seem to perk up, without the dome.

Keeping the humidity high ive noticed makes clones take longer to root, any input?

Others i share information with agree, but then some dont.

I usually leave the dome on for a day or two at most, then when i see em droop, instead of putting it back on, i wait, and they perk up?

I also notice faster rooting when i submerge the cuttings up to right before the first internode under the grow tip, giving me about 4 inches of stem for roots to protrude from.

I dont know man, my clones root faster and faster each time, so something i, doing is working, lol.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I leave the dome on for 3 days...I also know others that don't use a dome at all with excelent success.

I know alot use a dome for seedlings to, I don't.

 

[JBonez]

ive been having success with only a day of keeping the dome on, but my RH is about 70 percent where im keeping them, so yeah.

I germinate with them covered, after the cotyledon have opened, off it comes.

 

[DonJones]

You know, what you're saying sounds like what I remember from my various successes and failures with seed sprouting and cloning. I didn't keep records so I can't say for sure whether on not of my successes had domes or not. My first attempt which gave 100% success is the only one that I really remember much about a dome and it was half ***** at best, a piece of clear VISQUENE draped loosely over the top of a home made light stand approximately12" high and 2' long sitting in a tray about 18' wide. All of the ones that I remember clearly about using a dome with were 100%failures but that was also when I was fighting widely fluctuating temperature tat were way to cold and then way to hot. Now that I'm back in a stable 70 F to 80f environment, I'm up to 100% again, except for trying to clone budded branches nearing harvest. And the ones of those that have failed have all been the ones I left the small buds on like I had been told to do. The "branch" cuttings that were lower and mid-sections of the branches without any thing except fan leaves and rooting nodes all survived but the tips with buds all failed to root.

So from my limited experience, I would say high humidity is NOT a necessity for cloning while moist cuttings and stable temperatures are.

Thanks guys for helping me muddle through this and kind of sort it out.

Great smoking.

 

[BBFan]

Hey JBonez!

How's the new location coming along? Hope it's going well.

I'm kinda a facts guy too, so I'd like to ask for your definitive source for this statement:

and as ive stated before, trichomes are nothing more than a pest deterrent, and have nothing to do with temps. Again, if it was only that easy.

In the excerpt from Clarke that was posted above by Puffinnugs, from his book "Marijuana Botany",

It follows that increased resin production in response to arid conditions might account for increased THC production

The difference herein lies in whether the amount of THC is increased resultant from the increased trichome production. But there is little ambiguity in the statement that aridity favors increased trich production.

Also, I've read several sources concerning trichome production increases in response to UVB lightinging as a defense mechanism.

Another source suggests desiccation is cause for increased trich production to insulate the flower- protection from aridity and wind.

Further sources suggest trichome production may be a fungal attack response.

I agree that increased trichome production does not necessarily equate to increased THC production- I concur that THC level is genetics related. But the production of trichomes is a different matter.

As you said, many plants produce trichomes (and there are many types of trichomes), but to say emphatically that trichome production is simply a response to predation is incorrect. At least that's what I've read.