July’s Issue of High Times carries my latest article Succeed with Seeds (or Seeds:The Beginning of the Bud) and features some absolutely delicious photos of seeds and seeded plants by Lochfoot. The exquisite beauty of the marijuana plant in seed is so sweetly photographed that I was inspired (I’m trying out some new shots this year.) The close up seen on the contents page needs to be a poster. The plant photographed (from Humboldt, I understand) bursts with sticky health. And the genius of the photo is it takes you to a new place.  You’ve probably never really seen this intimate of a view of a plant giving birth to a seed before. In contrast to that incredibly lush photo, Lochfoot also took the simple clean image above which also comes from the article.

In the piece, I interview two of our top-knotch local growers about why they grow from seeds. Here’s an excerpt:

[According to Matt,] creating seeds allows for stability. He says, “I know people who have been working with the same strain for 20 or 30 years.” These strains, he believes, retain their potency and flavor in ways cloned strains don’t.

Beyond stability, one of the most important reasons seed growers give for their choice is healthier plants. “A cloned plant,” says Tea, “might be sick, might carry pests in with them.” Clones are only as good as the grower who provides them. One of the largest sources of spider mite and other pest contamination comes when clones are brought from one place to another—whereas seeds bring only their genetics. In addition, Tea believes “the importance of seeds is the ability to evolve as disease evolves. Every generation develops new reactions to disease.” The healthiest survive and pass on their genetic resistance to their offspring.

The two growers then outline the best ways to grow from seeds.  Since I’ve written the article, new growers have asked me for copies of the step by step directions to help them begin their own gardens this spring. But I know some of you have some good ideas to add. I’d love to get your take on the article and what you do that works.

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Another Humboldt writer, Tyce Fraser,  is in the Summer 2012 issue of High Times Medical Marijuana. He takes on the notion that indoor is the only safe way to grow cannabis. He writes,

To that end, certain indoor growers like to portray their operations as controlled, sterile environments, similar to the laboratories where pharmaceutical drugs are produced.  But how well does this pleasing image mirror reality, when we already know that enclosed monocultures like cannabis greenhouses and indoor growrooms provide an excellent breeding ground for molds, mildews and pests?

 

When you pick up a copy of either of these articles, please give me some feedback.  Forums like High Times and this blog need input from knowledgeable growers to get the best information out to everyone.  I know just seeing Lochfoot’s photos gave me new ideas on ways to photograph the marijuana plant.  I can’t wait til Fall.  If any of you have a garden you think might make a good photo shoot, let me know.  mskymkemp@gmail.com