If you’ve ever wondered what the future of cannabis cultivation will look like, take a peek into the 6+ acre California farm featured in this month’s garden tour at GrowingExposed.com. The facility uses a light-deprivation greenhouse that grows cannabis on a scale that most have only dreamt of. With California already growing 1/3 of the vegetables and 2/3 of the fruits and nuts for the rest of the country, the Golden State has many areas with a favorable climate perfect for growing cannabis all year round.
The only thing stopping California from producing for the rest of the country in 2018 is current federal law, which most feel will inevitably change. And when looking at a facility like this, of course, you are going to wonder how is this possibly state-legal now? Under the Compassionate Use Act, groups of medical patients in California are creating cooperatives -also known as collectives- which operate under the current state medical laws that allow for unlimited members, so long as they don’t grow more than is medically necessary for themselves. But before you decide to start growing acres upon acres just know you will require an organization of thousands of members.
The operation itself is quite low-tech. Since the climate is controlled by nature you just need to make sure that your greenhouse is located in an area that has a favorable climate. Many areas of Northern California have this already. This operation uses large commercial fans for air movement and inside it has a very comfortable environment.
Out of all the areas we visited on the farm, the one that stood out the most was the cloning room. They did not have cloning trays like your typical grow room, but instead, created a room that was basically one big cloning tray. It has misters that can keep the room at approximately 90 percent humidity and it was fascinating to watch in action. When running full blast, you would be lucky if you could see your feet below, as it created a thick fog.
During the growing or “vegetative stage”, they add a small amount of supplemental light to ensure that they get 18 hours of light during the months they need it. It was surprising how good the plants looked even during mid-December when the days were shorter, with just a string of 100-watt lamps overhead.
Meanwhile, in the grow room, they control the amount of time the plants are exposed to light by having large black-out curtains move back and forth, ensuring the plants are limited to only 12 hours per day of sunlight during the long summer months. Light deprivation continues to be an effective technique often used in the flower industry. The only reason it has not been used much prior in the cannabis industry was the need for underground growing to avoid anyone knowing what was going on inside. Now, finally, growers can better utilize the power of the sun, because not only is it the best quality light source for growing plants… but more importantly – it’s free.
Growers are always looking for ways to save money. One of the better ways is finding a commercially viable nutrient solution. Justin from Green Planet Nutrients explains that Dual Fuel, their new 2-part nutrient formula is something the company created to fill a gap in the market for large-scale growers. They set out to create a system for the top professionals that was reliable, easy to use, and economical. This also makes it a fantastic choice for the growers at home.
Now with legalization, don’t be surprised if you start to see more and more sun-grown cannabis, which is the best way to grow on a commercial scale. Combining the best of both worlds by controlling the environment without taxing the electrical grid that is already strained.
If you want to see this grow for yourself and many others, visit their website at GrowingExposed.com
