Danny Danko - Cannabis: A Beginners Guide to Growing Marijuana

First published in the UK in 2018 by ILEX,

a division of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

www.octopusbooks.co.uk

For Ilex:

Publisher: Roly Allen

Editorial Director: Helen Rochester

Commissioning Editor: Zara Anvari

Managing Editor: Frank Gallaugher

Senior Editor: Rachel Silverlight

Art Director: Julie Weir

Designer: Mnica Oliveira

Senior Production Manager: Peter Hunt

Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 2018

Illustrations Paul Layzell 2018

Foreword copyright 2018 by Jorge Cervantes

This 2018 edition published by

Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc.

Charlottesville, VA 22906

Distributed by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

www.redwheelweiser.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

Danny Danko asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

ISBN 978-1-57174-846-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.

Printed and bound in China

Printed by 1010 Printing

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book contains information on growing marijuana: it has been written and published with the intention of offering information to the public.

Marijuana is a controlled substance in North America and throughout much of the world. The publisher does not advocate the practice of illegal activities and advises the reader to conduct their own research in order to gain a thorough understanding of the legal restrictions that may apply to them.

FOREWORD
Jorge Cervantes

INTRODUCTION
Why Grow Your Own?

CHAPTER 1
Plant Growth Basics & Grow Room Setup

CHAPTER 2
Strains & GeneticsA Primer

CHAPTER 3
GerminationGetting Started

CHAPTER 4
Sexing Male or Female

CHAPTER 5
MotherplantsWhy & How

CHAPTER 6
Cloning SuccessRooting Cuttings for Healthy Plants

CHAPTER 7
Vegetative Growth Stage

CHAPTER 8
Flowering Growth StageBuilding Buds

CHAPTER 9
The Proper HarvestWhen & How to Take Plants Down

CHAPTER 10
Pests, Fungi, Molds, & DeficienciesPrevention, Detection, Identification, & Controls

CHAPTER 11
Concentrates, Edibles, Tinctures, & Topicals

Danny Danko was my only choice to assume my question-and-answer column for High Times. Danny, my protg and friend, is a dedicated cannabis cultivator. His numerous articles packed with expert advice have helped growers produce crop after crop of outstanding cannabis.

His newest book, POT: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana, gives new growers the exact information they need to grow successful cannabis crops. This work is not filled with fluff and unfounded opinions. It is packed with tried-and-true techniques that produce heavy harvests every crop.

Danny, Senior Cultivation Editor at High Times, and I have stood together to present many cultivation seminars at events in North America and Europe. He has developed a deep and intricate knowledge of cultivation practices and techniques. Extensive travel and garden tours have given Danny the ability to write about and demonstrate cultivation practices that growers use around the world. His vast knowledge will help you expand your garden know-how beyond localized methods that often diminish harvest.

Danny and I have toured many gardens together and spent countless hours with expert growers learning and putting into practice bona fide cultivation techniques that work every time. Unlike many authors, Danny has been in the trenches and raised beds of countless gardens. His extensive garden background and contact with growers in the US and around the world, coupled with his direct writing style, provide you with specific information you can apply immediately.

You are smart to follow my lead and invest in Danny's expertise, and draw on his extensive knowledge to grow big buds the first time and every time.

Why make cannabis cultivation your new hobby? Because you can create a far more superior product, tailor-grown for your medical needs, from seed to harvest, cheaply and effectively, in a relatively small space. Besides this, you'll know everything that went into, or was sprayed onto, your precious buds. If you want to grow organic, or even vegan buds, it's totally up to you.

Lab tests regularly find evidence of pesticides, fungicides, and other potential poisons on commercially grown cannabis. Most pot grown for retail sale is rarely flushed, nor properly dried and cured. Overfeeding runs rampant and the finished product can burn improperly and taste harsh. Some plants are even harvested when immature or overly ripe, decreasing their appeal and effectiveness.

It's also essential to know the genetics of what you're growing and consuming. Different pot strains can vary greatly in flowering time, aroma, flavor, and, most importantly, potency level. Medical marijuana patients must be certain that they're getting the most effective remedy for treating specific ailments and symptoms.

But most of all, growing your own is fun! Like modern-day alchemy, you can conjure connoisseur-quality cannabis with just light, air, water, and food.

The book you hold in your hands is the key to gaining a solid understanding of how pot plants grow and what you'll need to grow them from start to finish. I hope you will embark on this rewarding and never-ending journey using the information and tools provided herein.

Get growing today!
Danny Danko

Assuming you've never grown a plant indoors before in your life, let's start from the beginning.