For centuries, people have been growing plants indoors, whether it was for aesthetic or practical reasons. The practice of growing plants indoors has evolved over time, as people have experimented with different techniques and technologies to create the perfect indoor environment for plants to thrive. In this blog, we'll explore the history of growing plants indoors and how it has developed into the modern-day practice of indoor gardening.
The ancient Egyptians are credited with being the first to bring plants indoors for decorative purposes. They would place potted plants in their homes and gardens to create a pleasant atmosphere. In ancient Rome, wealthy citizens would build elaborate indoor gardens, complete with fountains, statues, and exotic plants. These gardens were seen as symbols of wealth and power.
During the Middle Ages, monasteries became centers of horticulture. Monks would grow medicinal plants in indoor gardens, which were used to treat a variety of ailments. They also grew vegetables, fruits, and herbs, which were used in cooking and brewing.
The 19th century saw a resurgence of interest in indoor gardening, particularly in Europe. Wealthy families would construct large conservatories to house their plant collections, which often included exotic plants from around the world. The development of glass-making technology during this time made it easier to construct large glass structures, which allowed for the creation of large indoor gardens.
The Victorian era saw a particular fascination with indoor gardening, with people experimenting with different techniques to create the perfect indoor environment for plants. Gas lamps were used to provide light, while stoves and furnaces were used to provide heat. The invention of the Wardian case in the mid-19th century allowed for the transport of plants over long distances without them succumbing to the harsh conditions of travel. This led to an increased interest in exotic plants from around the world, which could now be grown indoors with greater ease.
In the early 20th century, the practice of indoor gardening became more accessible to the general public. With the advent of electric lighting and central heating, it became easier to create the perfect indoor environment for plants. The development of hydroponic systems in the 1930s allowed for the cultivation of plants without soil, making it easier to grow plants in small spaces.
During World War II, the Victory Garden movement saw people growing fruits and vegetables indoors to supplement their food supplies. This led to an increased interest in indoor gardening, as people saw the benefits of growing their own food.
Today, indoor gardening has become more popular than ever. With advances in technology, it is now possible to create the perfect indoor environment for plants, regardless of the climate outside. LED grow lights, automated watering systems, and sophisticated climate control systems make it easier than ever to grow plants indoors.
Indoor gardening has also become more accessible to the general public. Small-space gardening techniques, such as vertical gardening and container gardening, make it possible to grow plants in even the smallest of spaces. This has led to an increased interest in growing herbs, vegetables, and even fruit indoors.
In conclusion, the practice of growing plants indoors has a rich and fascinating history, spanning centuries. From the ancient Egyptians to the modern-day indoor gardening movement, people have been experimenting with different techniques to create the perfect indoor environment for plants to thrive. With advances in technology and a growing interest in small-space gardening, indoor gardening is likely to continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.
]]>What's the difference you may ask?
Photoperiod and auto-flowering plants are different in some ways.
The very word "photoperiod" refers to the time frame of sunshine or light the plant experiences.
Photoperiod Strains shift into a flowering mode when their light cycle changes.
Auto-flowering strains aren't reliant on the duration of light or dark hours they receive in order to start flowering.
They start to flower automatically when they are a few weeks old.
When it comes to choosing between auto-flowering and photoperiod cannabis strains, Take into consideration the following:
Are you a beginner or an experienced grower?
What light schedule are you able to offer?
what space do you have to work with?
what amount of effort does it take?
once you have got weighed out your options the best option should become a clear-minded choice.
]]>What's the difference you may ask?
Photoperiod and auto-flowering plants are different in some ways.
Photoperiod and auto-flowering plants detect seasonal changes in several different ways; this is due to the fact that they evolved in, and adapted to, different environments.
The very word "photoperiod" refers to the time frame of sunshine or light the plant experiences.
Photoperiod Strains shift into a flowering mode when their light cycle changes.
When growing Outdoors, this happens when summer transitions into winter and also the days get shorter.
When growing Indoors, growers have to initiate flowering by reducing the quantity of light their plants receive. Usually going from 18 Hours right down to 12 Hours on a daily basis.
PROS
-Great yield potential
-More resilient to training techniques
-Higher cannabinoid content than autoflowers
-Greater variety of strain options
-Allows the ability for cloning/indefinite vegging (Housing Mother Plants)
CONS
-Harder to Grow for beginners
-Takes longer from seed to Harvest
-Can be inconvenient/difficult to grow
-Indoor growers are accountable for inducing bloom
Auto-flowering strains aren't reliant on the duration of light or dark hours they receive in order to start flowering.
They start to flower automatically when they are a few weeks old.
This tends to make autos great to grow all year round especially favorable for winter outdoor grows.
All auto-flowering hybrids contain genes from a subspecies called ruderalis.
Ruderalis Strains are native to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and thus evolved with a far shorter season than her photoperiod Sativa and Indica counterparts who were growing elsewhere within the world with longer growing seasons.
PROS
-Easy to grow
-Fast life cycle
-Greater variety than before
-Covert size
-Resilient
CONS
-Small size equates to lower yields
-Slightly lower potency than most photoperiod strains
-Easier to overfeed
-Can’t use high-stress training techniques
When it comes to choosing between auto-flowering and photoperiod cannabis strains, Take into consideration the following:
Are you a beginner or an experienced grower?
What light schedule are you able to offer?
what space do you have to work with?
what amount of effort does it take?
once you have got weighed out your options the best option should become a clear-minded choice.
Got any further questions or perhaps looking for auto-flowering or photoperiod Genetics, Contact Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge today or take a look through our online store for details on our offers.
Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge is proud to bring you some of the best genetics of Cannabis Seeds from some of the worlds leading Seed Banks & Breeders such as Barneys Farms seeds, Dutch Passion Seeds, Royal Queen Seeds, Sweet Seeds, & Blim Burn Seeds to name a few or Try your hand at our more budget-friendly Skyline Seeds Genetics.
From Auto-Flowering Cannabis Seeds to Feminized Cannabis Seeds, to THC High & CBD Dominant Strains, you will be able to find what's best to suit you.
All Seeds are sold for Novelty and Souvenir purposes only.
Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge supports responsible and legal use, we do not condone any illegal activities. We trust that you as the customer will adhere to the laws of your country.
]]>One of the major perks to an indoor grow setup is that you get complete control over your plants’ light schedules, allowing you to manipulate their stages of growth and more importantly, the volume and quality of bud you get after a successful harvest.
Growing cannabis indoors can be tricky, especially for beginners, because there is so much to understand when it comes to lighting and grow lights, and such little margin for error.
Not to worry, the Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge has you covered with simple advice on how to choose the best grow lights for your needs and budget.
The right lighting is directly tied to plant growth and bud production, with that said, if you aren’t getting the yields you expect, looking to your light kit is generally a good place to see where you can make improvements.
600-watt HID lights generally provide the ideal light needed for a healthy and bountiful crop, but there is room for flexibility with regards to wattage and lighting type.
Technically even a 250-watt HID can do the trick for small setups (though it is not recommended), while many growers prefer to use 1000-watt lights to improve results where large amounts are grown.
The point is that there is no straightforward answer to how many watts you should opt for, it depends on what you want to do, how large the grow area is, and how much you are willing to spend on running electricity costs.
The following is a formula you can use to determine how many watts you need (with an HID grow light) depending on the size of the growing area:
The yields also depend on the genetics of the strain being grown, if the genetics results in poorer yields, not even a 1000 watt HID will improve this, so the genetic quality of the plant is also something you should account for. Keep in mind, however, higher wattages mean more electricity consumption, especially in the case of HID and fluorescent lights.
The color temperature given off by a light is also an important factor to consider. Certain spectrums are better for growth, while others do nothing. On top of that, the plant will benefit from different colour temperatures at different stages of growth.
The following colour rendering index shows how different colour temperatures or CCT (measured in Kalvin) replicate certain types of natural light, and can be referenced when purchasing grow lights:
Produces a blue light, ideal for encouraging healthy growth of leaves and stem.
Emits a light-blue light, also ideal for the healthy growth of leaves and stems.
Produces a neutral white light. Good for normal plant growth.
Emits a warm neutral light. Ideal for promoting rapid growth.
Produces a warm, yellow, neutral light. Used for promoting highly active photosynthesis during the growth stage.
Produces a hot red or orange light. Ideal for promoting activity during the flowering stage.
With this in mind, you might be thinking that you will require different grow lights for different stages of the plant’s life cycle, and for the best results and yields, you are correct. You do, of course, also need to consider the running costs of your lighting, because they can add up quickly.
HID and fluorescent lights are typically the most expensive to run at any wattage, so while they are often the lighting of choice for high yields, for smaller grow rooms, they can be remarkably impractical where costs are concerned.
LED lights, which are a far more developed and modern lighting technology, on the other hand, produce far less heat and consume much less electricity than just about any other type of grow light, making them ideal for cost-effective setups.
Seedlings require little to no light at all, this is true whether they are placed in a growing medium or germinated from seed.
Minimal light is required until the first leaves (cotyledons) show, and for indoor plants, you should avoid window light which will cause the seedlings to stretch. You want to keep those internodes short, so rather use low-wattage fluorescent or LEDs instead.
Avoid HIDs, even low-wattage ones, as they are far too strong for seedlings.
At this stage you want to increase lighting while still keeping internode lengths short, so a high wattage fluorescent or a low wattage LED or HID is recommended here.
This is also the case for clones that require a light source.
Once about 4 leaves appear on the plant (not including the cotyledons) you can consider the plant to be in its growth stage, which means that it will need plenty of good quality light.
During this stage, high wattage HIDs and LEDs are your best bet for ensuring short internodal spacing and accelerated plant growth.
LEDs are a popular choice here because they are cheaper to run and produce much less heat, but veteran cultivators often opt for metal halide or high-pressure sodium HIDs for this stage.
Once the plant has matured to the point where it can flower, you will see that the calyxes (the portion in the nodes where the bud will grow from) have started to develop.
Outdoor plants would generally wait for a change in seasons after this to start flowering, but indoor plants will change to the flowering stage when you manually reduce the hours of light it gets to 12 hours a day.
Indoor growers should consider what this means for changes to their grow lights. It is generally best to avoid fluorescents at this stage since they produce too many lumens and too much heat.
Because of this, high wattage LEDs and their gentler touch are far better, while experts often prefer to use high-pressure sodium HIDs at this stage.
Implementing the right grow lights for your needs doesn’t have to be complicated, although a little knowledge can go a long way towards producing the perfect yield every time.
Of course, you want to invest in grow light kits that you can rely on to perform dependably and give your plants the best they deserve. For great deals on quality light kits for grow rooms of all shapes and sizes, be sure to visit the Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge online store today.
]]>Canna-culture has changed over the years, particularly with regards to how many ways there are to grow the stuff, which can make things as complex for the stoner hobbyist looking to grow their own as it can for those with, erm… larger scaler operations.
For anyone looking to grow, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is which of the seemingly endless list of grow mediums is best for you, but it is also important to remember that there is no definitive answer to the question, nor is there any magical combination of them that gives perfect results.
The right choice for growing mediums depends very much on what you want out of your yield, how much money and time you can invest in the operation, how experienced a grower you are, and what you have to work with.
Let’s go over a few of your options to give you a better idea of which one would suit you best…
As growing mediums go, soil is generally the most widely used because it is easy, organic, cheap, and pretty good when all things are considered.
If you are a starter grower, soil is likely the answer for you because it lets you get away with more mistakes than pretty much any other medium. Soil is the most forgiving in terms of PH fluctuations, which require careful management in nearly all other mediums, needs very little feeding, and is by far the cheapest approach.
It does come with its own set of drawbacks, however, such as a higher risk of pest infestation which can be troublesome to deal with especially late in the grow, much longer growth cycles (which makes it take longer to notice grow issues), and generally smaller yields when compared to other growing mediums.
We Recommend using a Living Organic Soil for the best terp smelling buds and a simple “just add water” growing experience. Or start with a cannabis-friendly soil mix such as the popular Organics Matter Organic Living Soil or 420 Mix Soil which already contains enough nutrients to last the first month of your young plant’s life and give nutrients in the water as plants get older.
Although this technically includes any grow mix that doesn’t include soil, with ingredients such as Coco Coir, Perlite & Vermiculite, etc.,
Coco peat is used as a soil additive or as a growing medium for various crops. It can be mixed with a wide variety of components to create suitable growing mediums or it can be used on its own. It is often blended with coconut shell chips and coconut fibre to increase porosity and stimulate root growth.
most cannabis growers use a mix that’s primarily made out of coco coir and perlite. All soilless mixes are technically considered hydroponic growing since there’s no soil, but most growers think of them as somewhere in between soil and hydro, and you get a lot of the best parts of both.
coco peat offers a great compromise that gives many of the benefits of organic (soil) growing and other mediums. It is relatively easy to work with (though not as simple as soil), affordable to some extent, and has the added benefit of being reusable.
These growing mediums offer a middle ground in terms of cost and ease but give much better yields than soil does. They also offer a much shorter growing cycle and give you full control over the nutrients your plant has access to (which can be good or bad, depending on how adept you are).
These mediums, like all others, also have their drawbacks. You will need to manually give nutrients to your plant, but that is not unique to these mediums.
You also have small margins of error, which can be a nightmare for new growers to get right, since you need to carefully monitor and manage PH and nutrients yourself, and even the smallest mistakes will affect the final yield and quality.
When Growing In Coco we recommend using either a 50/50 Coco/Perlite mix or if you wish to water less often use an 80/20 Coco/Perlite Mix.
Perlite
Expanded perlite ore is an excellent aggregate to add to growing mixes, or even on its own in hydroponics environments. It is a volcanic mineral, that when it is heated (to about 871C) the particles pop in a similar fashion to popcorn and forms a very light, white material.
Similar to expanded clay, each particle is made of many tiny closed air cells. Tiny cavities cover the surface which creates a very large surface area in which moisture is held. Roots, therefore, have access to this water. At the same time, the shape of the individual particles creates air passages between the particles and hence provides aeration and prevents root rot. Because it is sterile and appropriate fertilisers should be added. Different grades or sizes are suitable for different applications.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is well established as a growing medium. It is most commonly used in compost formulations, usually in combination with peat or coir. Vermiculite/peat or coir compost formulations provide ideal conditions for plant growth. The presence of vermiculite particles in the compost aids airation, improves moisture retention and promotes the steady release of added fertilizers, whilst the vermiculite itself contributes potassium, magnesium and a number of minor elements. The air/water ratios for vermiculite/peat or coir composts are ideal for the stimulation of root growth, and hence the production of healthy young plants. The vermiculite is sterile when processed. If stored correctly it will need no further treatment before incorporation into composts. Vermiculite can also be used as a carrier and extender for fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. It is also used in a ground form for encapsulating seeds.
-In Conclusion :
Perlite will add drainage to the soil that it’s mixed with.
Use Perlite if or when:
Vermiculite will mix with soil and help to retain water.
Use Vermiculite if or when:
Rockwool is most often used in hydroponic builds, but it has several other growing applications as well. In terms of both difficulty and cost, this growing medium sits in the mid to high ranges.
Rockwool is a lot more hands-on than soil or even perlite, requiring very careful management of PH levels and nutrients. In addition to this, you cannot grow organically with Rockwool, increasing the amount of attention you will need to give your plant.
The most common uses for Rockwool include hydroponics (which we will discuss more later) and germination. Where germination is concerned, its excellent moisture retention properties and the ease with which seedlings can be transplanted without being removed from the Rockwool, make this growing medium ideal.
It also significantly lowers the risk of pest infestation, being a non-organic medium.
Rockwool, regardless of its application, is best used by those with some experience with growing and cultivating cannabis and ensuring the correct balance of nutrients.
Remember too, that it does not biodegrade, and it is not recommended that you reuse it.
Hydroponics, in all its variations, is one of the most complex, expensive, and conversely rewarding approaches to growing.
With the highest possible yields and nutrient control, the shortest possible growth cycles, and the smallest risk of pests, it is easy to see why.
Hydroponics setups typically come in one of two varieties: systems that hold another medium like Rockwool or perlite and use drippers to give your plants nutrients; and those that use no solid mediums at all, where plants are placed above a tank and have their roots reaching down into a nutrient-rich water-based solution.
Both approaches are highly effective for quality, clean, large yields. Both are extremely difficult and expensive to get right; making them better suited to experienced growers. This is largely due to the manual need for PH and nutrient control, which is generally more sensitive in hydroponic setups than in any other.
There is, however, something to be said about the taste of hydroponically grown bud, and it's one that comes down to preference. It will lose the ‘natural’ taste of plants grown organically.
Here at the Skyline Vape & Smoke Lounge, we specialise in a complete range of quality growing mediums that cover everything you need, no matter which way you choose to do it.
Be sure to visit our online store to see more about our offers.
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