Indoor Cannabis Grower’s Glossary
It occurred to us that within the cannabis community we often stumble on our terminology, which only adds to the rampant “Bro’ Science” that’s already out there. So, here is a glossary which I will continually add to, as I find words that seem confusing to a first time grower.
An autoflower plant, sometimes referred to as an ‘auto’ or plural ‘autos,’ is a hybrid cannabis plant, which flowers automatically on a timeline irrespective of season.
The actual name of the Russian subspecies used to create the hybrid is Cannabis ruderalis.
Autoflower plants are the opposite, in hortocultural terms, of ‘photoperiod’ plants.
Autoflower cannabis strains, or autos, are FASTER to flower. They flower 3-5 weeks from seed.
They may be smaller than photoperiod plants andthey are on their own timeline, not dependent on being “flipped” into flowering mode as a result a change in their lighting schedule.
This blog is really about indoor cannabis growing but we do have a word to the wise about autoflowers and growing outdoors.
If you live in a northern environment (like Russia or Canada) where your summer is very short and you are worried that your plants may not mature in time for the first frost, then you are well-advised to grow autoflower cannabis if your grow is outdoors.
You can plant at the start of summer and be 100% sure that your plant won’t be caught in frost.
“Blurple” LED Grow Lights are purplish-blue because they have blue and red diodes which make them that colour.
Blurple lights are generally more affordable than the higher-end LED grow lights available on the market and some say they are old technology.
They are still pretty popular, and I have personally used them for the veg phase of my own grow, switching to more powerful lights for the flower stage.
Calyx: / ˈkāliks / (pl. Calyxes or Calyces) comes from the Greek for “husk” and “to cover or conceal.” Often mistaken for pollen sacs on the cannabis plant, the calyx is comprised of “sepals” (which look green and leafy) and is the outermost whorl which covers and protects the flower’s inner petals as they develop.
Decarboxylate: / ˌdēkärˈbäksəlāt / (sometimes shortened to “decarb”) employing a low, slow heating process to convert the non-psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in cannabis flower and leaves to psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Decarbed cannabis is used to make edibles.
“Fimming” is an acronym: “F*** I Missed!” – it is a variation on “topping” bud sites on cannabis plants. Removing 75-80% of the bud site with scissors instead of plucking completely will create four new bud sites (instead of two – which you would get by simply “topping”).
Flipping your cannabis plant only applies to photoperiod cannabis; autoflower cannabis strains flip themselves to flowering automatically, according to their internal clock (usually 3-5 weeks from seed).
With photoperiod plants, there are phases of the grow and lighting requirements are generally as below:
- Germination (24/7 light)
- Seedling (18 hours on / 6 hours off)
- Vegetative (“veg”) (18 hours on / 6 hours off with stronger light)
- Flowering (12 hours on / 12 hours off)
To flip your plants, you need to change your lighting schedule to 12 on-12 off – your plants will know what to do (they will begin flowering)!
Photoperiod cannabis is the opposite of autoflower cannabis and photoperiod plants NEED to be “flipped” into flowering mode by changing their light schedule.
You are able to grow photoperiod plant to whatever size you want before you “flip” them into flowering (changing their light schedule to 12 hours on and 12 hours off).
Terpene: / ˈtərpēn / (pl. Terpenes or shortened to “Terps”) an aromatic, volatile hydrocarbon compound found mostly in plants, especially coniferous and citrus plants. Terpenes have medicinal properties and give cannabis its fragrance. Based on a cyclic molecule having the formula C10H16, terpenes in the cannabis plant are responsible for that wonderful AROMA.
“The Stretch” is a term used by cannabis growers for the sudden vertical growth spurt which occurs early in the flowering stage – the plant’s equivalent of puberty.
Trichome: \ˈtrī-ˌkōm \ comes from the Greek word for “hair.” Trichomes are the sparkly little appendages on the cannabis plant, containing THC & cannabinoids.
