50 Words Every Versed Cannabis Grower Needs to Know
Arjans Thai cannabis.
Cannabis Growing should be easy. But as any grower knows, doing it well is not.
In an effort to demystify some of the lingo that surrounds the growing process I've gone through my Marijuana Grower's Handbook and pulled out some of the key terms I often get asked about, along with a few terms I thought were interesting or overlooked.
This list only gets us to T. So look out for more pieces in the future. In the meantime, I've tried to compile a list that both novices and experts will enjoy, and perhaps, learn from.
-Ed
Here Are 50 Words Every Versed Cannabis Grower Needs to Know
1. Aeroponics: Roots hang in the air and are sprayed with nutrient solution.
2. Apical Meristem: Growing tips, where high concentrations of meristem (undifferentiated building block) cells are found. Clones should include at least one to allow for further growth.
3. Auto-flower: Will flower regardless of lighting schedule. A trait inherited from a ruderalis ancestor.
4. ATP (Energy Molecule): Adenosine triphosphate. Used to transport energy to cells.
5. Auxins: Hormones that regulate or modify the growth of plants.
6. Ballast: Lighting equipment used to strike (light) a lamp (light bulb).
7. Calyx: The outer leaves that envelope the individual flowers.
8. Cannabidiol (CBD): A cannabinoid found in cannabis. CBD is not intoxicating but is attributed to have medical benefits.
9. Capillary Mats: Used in sub-irrigation systems. They are about 0.25” (60 mm) thick, made from soft polyester covered in opaque polyethylene perforated with small holes.
10. Chlorosis: Yellowing caused by a lack of chlorophyll.
Cannabis Calyx. Photo by Professor P of Dynasty Seeds.
11. Chlorophyll: The green pigment in plants that aids in photosynthesis by absorbing light energy for use in making sugars. Most active under blue and/or red light.
12. Chloroplast: A semi-autonomous organelle which holds chlorophyll.
13. Consemilla: Refers to a mature cannabis bud with seeds. From the Spanish “con” for “with”, and “semilla” for “seed”, meaning “with seed”.
14. Cotyledons: Seed leaves. These are the first pair of leaves that appear at germination.
15. Crimping: Used in super cropping as a method of bending branches by damaging the internal tissue to make it easier to bend.
16. Cytokinins: Plant hormones that work opposite auxins to determine growth emphasis.
17. Fan leaves: The large cannabis leaves that collect light. The traditional leaf symbol that is commonly associated with cannabis.
18. Fertigation: The application of fertilizers to planting mix using an irrigation system.
19. Friable: Refers to the consistency of the soil; friable soil forms a clod when squeezed into a fist but easily crumbles when it is poked.
20. Ganja: The term for marijuana in Jamaica and is the same as in India. Indian immigrants brought the tradition with them.
You can see the pericap of the seed still on top of the embryonic leaf, the cotyledon. The first true leaves are visible above the cotyledon. Cannabis seed photo by Professor P of Dynasty Genetics.
21. Gibberellins: Plant hormones that stimulate the growth and stretching of leaves and shoots. Can be used on female plants to induce pollen production.
22. Hemp: Commonly refers to cannabis varieties with diminished THC content cultivated for fiber or oil.
23. Kali: The traditional Jamaican term for the best weed and is named for the Indian killer goddess.
24. Light Movers: Move lights along a track or circularly for better light distribution.
25. Limonene: Terpene found in cannabis, citrus rind, and other fruits and flowers.
26. Lumen: is a unit for measuring light.
27. Lux: is a metric measure of light.
28. Macronutrients: The nutrients that are used in the largest quantities by the plant. They are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K).
29. Micronutrients: The nutrients that are used in smaller quantities by the plant.
30. Myrcene: The most prevalent terpene found in most varieties of marijuana. Described as smelling clove-like, earthy, green-vegetative, citrus, fruity with tropical mango or minty nuances.
Stretched marijuana seedlings.
31. Necrotic: Dead patches of tissue on a leaf.
32. Node: The spot where the leaf joins the stem.
33. Organelles: Bodies within the cell that have a specialized function.
34. Over-wintering: Describes techniques used to live through the winter season. Insects over-winter as adults, pupae, or eggs. Many plants over winter as seeds.
35. PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation): Refers to light in the range of 400-700 nanometers.
36. Petiole: The stalk or support that attaches the blade of a leaf to the stem.
37. Photosynthesis: The chemical reaction, powered by energy from light, by which the plant uses light energy to combine water and CO2 to make sugars and release oxygen.
38. Phytochrome: A photo reversible pigment that controls flowering. It exists in two forms: red and far-red sensitive.
39. Pinene: A terpene with an odor associated with pine trees. It is found in many plants including cannabis, rosemary, sage and eucalyptus.
40. Pistil: The ovule-bearing organ of a flower.
Platinum Huckleberry Cookies Trichromes. Photo by Professor P of Dynasty Seeds.
41. Rhizosphere: The area of soil immediately surrounding the plant roots which contains many living organisms.
42. Ruderalis: A variety of cannabis that is not dependent on long dark periods to trigger flowering.
43. Short Day Plants: Plants such as cannabis that flower when exposed to long dark periods.
44. Sinsemilla: Spanish for “without seeds”, this refers to a seedless female flowers.
45. Stretching: The elongation of the stem caused by a combination of heat and inadequate light.
46. Supercropping: A technique of sharply training top branches to grow horizontally so that the primary bud is exposed to more light.
47. Terpenes: The essential oils which contributes to the different cannabis aromas between varieties.
48. Tetra-hydrocannibinol (THC): The main psychoactive substance found in cannabis.
49. Transpiration: The loss of water vapor from a plant to the outside atmosphere. It takes place through the stomata of the leaves.
50. Trichomes: are glands growing off of the leaves and buds that contain THC.
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