Useful terms defined

videoman · 08-15-2007, 10:50 AM

SoG - Sea of Green. A method of growing that uses several small plants as compared to fewer large ones. The plants are kept small, and encouraged to grow only one main cola. This allows more plants to be grown in the same area. The phrase comes from the impression you get from looking at a garden grown this way, ie just a sea of green buds. Also known as the plantlet method.

ScrOG - Screen of green. A method that utilizes fewer plants trained to grow along a screen to insure all budsites get equal light. Normally grown plants will generally devlop one or two main colas at the top of the plant, smaller buds on the sides, and 'popcorn*', or very small buds on the bottom.

Toppped or topping - Pruning the plant by cutting off the top to encourage lateral branching.

FIM or fimmed - Stands for '****, I missed'. Refers to attempting to cut the growth shoot of a plant so that it grows into multiple branches instead of one. The phrase comes from how easy it is to miss the tiny growth shoot.

Hydroponics also hydro - A method of growing that does not rely on a nutritional substrate such as soil. All the nutrition that a plant would normally obtain from the soil is mixed into water in certain concentrations to allow for maximum growth. The plant gets all of the nutrients it needs to grow from the water solutiuon.

DWC also RDWC, MDWC - Deep Water Culture. A style of hydropinc growing that utilizes a deep resvoir of nutrient aerated by an airstone. Generally the resevoir is a five gallon bucket. The plant rests in a netpot*, filled with hydroton* or another inert media. The roots grow through the netpot into the nutrients below, allowing for very large root systems. RDWC connects the buckets in a continuous system with a pump and an additional reservoir, known as a recirculating DWC. MDWC refers to either Mediumless or Modified DWC. Mediumless referrs to using a collar instead of a medium filled netpot to hold the plant in place over the nutrient solution. Modified means the basic DWC design has been modified, and will likely be explained in the post. Also known as Bubblers, bubbling buckets, and Tubblers (the use of Rubbermaid style storage tubs instead of buckets). Often used with ScrOG

E&F - Ebb and Flow. A hydropnic style of gardening that utilizes tables a shallow pan or table for the plants and medium, and a seperate resevoir of nutrient solution. Using a pump connected to a timer, the nutrient solution is pumped into the table until it fills, then allowed to drain. The "flood" of nutrients soaks the roots and medium, then 'ebbs' back into the resevoir, allowing the roots a chance to dry out and breathe. Often used in SoG gardens.

NFT - Nutrient Film Technique. A hydrponic method growing that allows a thin trickle or 'film' of nutrient soultion to constantly pass of the roots to provide nourishment, but not so much that the roots cannot breathe.

Soilless - A Hydroponic method that utilizes pots like a standard soil garden, which can be handwatered or utilize a standard soil irrigation system. The pots are filled with inert medium, usually a mixture of perlite and vermiculite that retains water much like soil. However, all nutrients come in the hydroponic solution, there are none stored in the medium, as in soil.

Coco also coir, coco-coir - Similar to Soilless, utilizeing the hairy bark of coconuts as the growing medium.

Aero also Aeroponics - A method of growing that utilizes a hydropinc solution vaporized into an aresol solution with misters. This nutrient fog emvelopes the root sytem of the plant, allowing for maximum of absorption of both oxygen and nutrients. As the vapor condenses, it is channelled back to a central resevoir and revaporized.

pH - Acidity of a nutrient solution or soil.

TDS Total Dissolved Solids - Measurement of the amount of nutrients in a solution. (May be expressed in multiple values (PPM, TDS, EC - consult your meters manual)

PPM Parts Per Million - Measurement of the amount of nutrients in a solution. (May be expressed in multiple values (PPM, TDS, EC - consult your meters manual)

EC Electrical Conductivity - Measurement of the amount of nutrients in a solution. (May be expressed in multiple values (PPM, TDS, EC - consult your meters manual)

R/O or RO water - Water that has been filtered of impurities by the Reverse Osmosis method.

Trichome also trich - a structure on the skin of plant that contains the THC and other desirable cannbinoids found in marijuana.

BHO - Butane Honey Oil. A method of extracting the trichomes from plant matter. Butane gas strips the trichomes from the plant matter, and collects on a dish. The butane is evaporated away, leaving a very high potency oil.

ISO - Isopropyl alcohol. Used to extract trichomes from plant matter. The Isopopyl alcohol strips the trichomes from the plant matter, and is then evaporated away, leaving a high potency oil.

Bubble also bubble bags - A method of making hash that seperates the trichomes from the plant matter using ice water and gentle agitation. The water is then filtered through bags that contain a fine mesh screen which collects the trichomes.

Kif also keif, keef - The collection of trichomes using a fine mesh screen to seperate the trichomes from the plant matter. The buds are either stored on or lightly drawn across fine mesh screen that allows the trichomes to fall through, but not the plant matter.

MH - Metal Halide. A type of high intensity lamp used for growing indoors. The lamps give off a whitish blue light, often though to simulate the spring and early summer sun. Generally used for vegitating plants, but can be used during flowering as well.

HPS - High Pressure Sodium. A type of high intensity lamp used for growing plants indoors. The lamps give off an orange light, often thought to simulate late summer and fall sun. Generally used for flowering plants, but can be used during vegetative growth as well.

A/C Hood - Air cooled hood. Air is drawn through an enclosed reflector around a high intensity bulb to remove the heat generated by the bulb.

Cool tube - Air is drawn through a glass tube that surrounds a high intensity bulb to remove the heat generated by the bulb.

Carbon filter - A method of deodorizing air coming from or inside a growroom, by passing the air through a layer of activated carbon that absorbs and eliminates odors.

Pheno phenotype - Certain unique characteristics of a plant that set it aside from other plants of the same genes. Plants grown from the same seed stock often show unique charteristics like smell, coloring, and flavor.

FMCD Full Melt Clear Dome - A way of judging the purity of a hash or other extract product based on the way it melts and bubbles when lit. Full Melt Clear Dome means the material completely melts into a bubble that is clear when it forms, showing an extremely pure sample.

IBL Inbred Line - A genetic line that has been stabilized through inbreeding to consistently produce plants with similar traits.

Hermaphrodite also Hermie - A female plant that has produced male flowers, allowing self-pollenization.

Clone also Cutting - a branch or shoot of a plant that has been removed and rooted independantly, producing a new plant with the exact physical characteristics of the original plant (aka mother).

Calyx - The round outer portion of the plants bud.

Pistil - The white hairlike growth on the plants bud.

Pollen - Produced by the male plant to produce seeds in a female. Also used to refer to kif.

Landrace - A genetic line of plants that occurs naturally within a given region, without human influence on their characteristics.

Sativa - A type of cannabis that is usually associated with taller plants and longer flowering periods. Sativas are usually associated with an up, energetic head high.

Indica - A type of cannabis that is usually associated with shorter, squatter plants with shorter flowering periods. Indicas are usually associated with a narcotic body stone.

Feminized Seeds Seeds that have been created through various methods without the use of male pollen, resulting in seeds with no male DNA, resulting in all female plants. However, feminized seeds are generally seen as more prone to become hermaphrodites.

Foliar Feeding Application of a nutrient solution to the leaves and above ground portions of the plant, as opposed to the roots. Foliar feeding should not be done while the plant is exposed to high intensity light, as the drops can act as magnifying glasses and burn the leaves.

Organic - Nutrients that are developed from naturally occuring substances.

Chem Chemical - Nutrients that are synthetic, developed in lab settings.

Perlite An additive that aerates the medium, preventing compaction, creating air pockets, and reducing water retention.

Vermiculite An additive that helps retain water in the medium.

LST Low Stress Training - A method of growing that slowly trains the plant to a specific height or shape. The training usually starts young by tying down the branches and growth shoots.

Reveg Returning a plant to a vegetative state after it has begun flowering. Normally used in reference to a plant that has completed its flowering cycle and been harvested, but can also refer to a clone that was taken from a flowering mother. Generally used to preserve genetics after harvest.

Neem Neem oil - A broad spectrum botanical insecticide, miticide and fungicide treatment derived from the seeds of the neem tree.

Flushing - the process of removing nutrients from your plants. In soil this is achieved by running plain water through the soil (usually double your soil volume). In hydro, it is achieved by removing the nutrient solution and replacing it with plain water.

Curing- Preparing the buds for long term storage by allowing them to age in an area that equalizes the moisture in the bud.

RW rockwool - A growing medium that comes in cubes or slabs, easily identifiable by its green color.

Slab - one meter of grow medium, usually referencing rockwool or coco coir.

GPH gallons per hour - The rating of a pumps capacity to move water. Check the pump information carefully, as the GPH falls as your distance from the pump increases.

PM powdery mildew - A fungus that attacks plants identifiable as a powdery film on the surface.

Node The location on a plant where branches and new growth are produced. The area between nodes is referred to as internodes. Internodal spacing is often used as a cue to determine light distances.

CFL compact fluorescent light - A fluorescent light about the size of a standard incandescent light bulb that can be used in any standard light socket. Used most often for starting seeds, clones, and in micro grow applications. Note that the wattage to go by is the actual wattage, not the equivalent wattage ie, a 42 watt CFL that says equivalent to 150 watt incandescent would be counted as 42 watts, not 150.

The Borg aka spider mites - Horrid little beasties that invade plants seemingly over night, and can completely destroy a crop. Referred to as the Borg in reference to the nearly unstoppable Borg characters on Star Trek, because once they've established, they multiply incredibly fast, and are very hard to eliminate.