Every time I see a small crisis, an impending disaster, caused by weather or something as simple as a broken irrigation line or water pump in the tractor, “It’s farming” is what I say. You think that you have solved or corrected every issue with growing a crop. But then, you face a brand new problem. We faced the challenge of a cold, unusual spring that led to stunted seedlings in cannabis plants and delays during the growing cycle.
A family of mice was eating the fragile cannabis seedlings we planted in 2- and 3-gallon planters. We had placed boards on the ground for a more level surface. These tender, young plants were like salad bars for mice. They ate up nearly one-quarter of them. We solved this problem in the spring by placing all pots upright on tables with the table legs submerged in water. We used mini 4-inch pots that were filled with a mix of rice hulls, coir and worm casts to save money on potting dirt.
Growing outdoors, in the sunlight and following the changes of Mother Nature will always present challenges. As we grow and learn, so does our garden.
Enjoy the Rain and the Sun
As soon as our seeds were cracked and placed in planting medium early in April, the weather ran riot. This was an unpredictable weather ride. It was an unpredictable weather rollercoaster. This pattern continued throughout the spring.
Only later did we realize that the tiny pots were a mistake, due to the freak weather—there was so little medium in the mini pots that the temperature around the roots fluctuated to the extreme weather changes. The roots might have been better protected in a two or three gallon pot.
The idea of getting under-pot heating pads was considered, but I decided to pass on it as I could not run the generator for all night. It was going to get warmer soon. It didn’t. We probably would have purchased the heating pad when we first considered them.
The weather of 2022 was unmatched, as anyone who has lived in Northern California knows. Actually, it wasn’t January—it was really “June-uary,” as the weather was so hot and dry. As the hot and dry weather continued, February also got a brand new name: “Februuly.” Since records began, this was the longest stretch of days without rainfall in two months. The climatologists who studied tree rings and ice ages declared it to be the most dry three-year period since 821CE, 12 hundred years ago. The last thing that we anticipated going into the planting season was freezing temperatures.
Move with the Changes
For the unpredictability of weather conditions, a tunnel with PVC, rebar and greenhouse material was constructed. For the cold nights a propane heater was used, and at other times a dehumidifier became necessary because of heavy condensation inside the fabric. It was necessary to use a generator in order to keep the temperature down. Sometimes it was so hot and humid that we had to open the ends and sides.
The next day at 4 am, the temperature would rise to 26 degrees. The poor little sprouts—at first only the rounded cotyledon leaves, then the first pointed saw-toothed single leaf—nearly froze to death. It was only in the morning that it became apparent that the stalks of the sprouts were now a paler pink.
It seemed that the weather was warming again a day or two later. The spring was here at last! Boom! Next day, it was grey and rainy. In mid-May, we even got snow. Then. Over the course of May, and even into June, there were alternating periods with 80-degree temperatures, cold weather, or both. Even the Fourth of Jul was rained upon.
Lessons Learned
We were going insane trying to keep pace with all the changes. The plants were confused, cold and stunted. We should have used the generator and bought heating pads earlier, but we were trying to do the right thing and help the environment.
Good news! We got the rain needed to end the drought. In May of this year, our pond had not filled up yet after June-uary’s and February-uly’s extreme dryness. The late rains filled Lake Rubbadukky all the way to its culvert.
The cold and rainy weather has also affected other farmers in the Emerald Triangle. A friend told me he has never before planted cannabis seeds so small. The answer I gave was a little sardonically that this is just part and parcel of growing cannabis in the United States. terroir, One of the many natural stresses that makes our weed so special.
Owner of Eel-River Hay, up in Fortuna (where we get organic straw to mulch), said the Humboldt County alfalfa and Quinoa crops are severely stunted. They will yield their lowest ever yield.
Leafworks had to wait until we could get our cannabis seeds analyzed for gender. Inclement weather delayed the work of preparing beds for planting. It is difficult to garden in heavy rain.
As I type this, in mid-July the girls have been safely tucked away in their garden beds. They are now starting to grow and sprout after several soil soaks in compost tea and foliar feeds.
Our plants can be much smaller than in “normal” years, but they tend to have more aroma and are more powerful. The size of the plants will depend on how they grow this year, but even these small cannabis seeds are amazing. According to the old saying, “stressing plants will bring out their inherent quality.”
As John Dryden (1631-1700) once said: “Mighty Things Grow from Small Beginnings.”