With the Connecticut state pushing forth a proposition towards marijuana usage for adults and Flora Growth, a Columbia-based cultivator and manufacturer, entailing a 2-million-euro strategic investment in Hoshi International, there is clearly an upward trend for cannabis spread.
In light of recent developments, there is an ever more need for manufacturer sand cultivators to understand the gambit of sanitization and antimicrobial product use. In addition, when considering cannabis production, there are houseplant diseases that cultivators should know. These are powdery mildew, gray mold or botrytis, fungal leaf spots and blights and water mold root rots.
There is a lot to be planned and considered when growing cannabis in your backyard. Firstly, an optimal growth environment needs to be in order. That is, as a cultivator, you should look into growing or processing rooms. Secondly, study and understand sanitization.
Sanitization refers to thorough cleaning of any spills, excess water, filth and debris. These are basic cleaning methods that are like day-to-day cleaning of your kitchen or home. The reason this merits consideration is that cannabis plants are sensitive to climate. Hence, when cleaning the growing area, a thorough clean helps get rid of excess moisture.
You see, excess moisture drives up the humidity that becomes a breeding ground for mold and rot, thereby dampening the quality of your cannabis crop.
While sanitization appears to produce a clean and tidy surface at the outset, there are still airborne inhibitors that cultivators need to manage. With the saying that prevention is better than cure, producers should consider installing quality air sanitization systems that keep the climate, humidity and moisture levels in check for the proper growth and development of the cannabis plants.
Another aspect that must be seen when contemplating sanitization is houseplant diseases. The reason is spotting and getting rid of insects or mite pests is a lot easier than detecting plant diseases. Viruses, bacteria, and pathogens are not directly visible and tend to stray away from the naked eye. Hence, in this regard, the concept of sanitization goes beyond cleaning. It should also include timely and frequent inspections of plants to help recognize any disease symptoms.
If you happen to spot white to gray growth appearing on leaves, flowers, and stems, it is an indication that powdery mildew has paid your indoor plant an unpleasant visit. This powdery mildew will not kill the plant, but it will reduce the aesthetic appeal and quality. The solutions are to reduce humidity and early watering of the plant. More so, the positioning matters as well. To save from mildew, you should consider shifting the indoor plants towards brighter light and away from cold drafts that sit near windows and doors.
Gray mold primarily infects spent flowers and older foliage by producing spores. It does so when the relative humidity remains high for several hours. The good news is the infections breed either in cooler temperatures or if leaves or flowers remain wet for extended periods; in simpler words, you should watch out for gray mold during monsoons and winters.
These fungi typically spread through the splashing of water that contains fungi spores. Some of the chief ones are Cercospora, Fusarium and Colletotrichum. Luckily, the symptoms are visible in plain sight. You will either witness tan to reddish-brown to black circular spots running together or blighting of the leaf.
The name itself is a giveaway! You got it right - water is their breeding ground. These attack the roots and stems and result in the damping-off of cuttings and seedlings. They do not out rightly kill the plant but are still hazardous.
Their attack on the root system hampers the growth potential of the plant. They also impact the overall health of the plant through yellowing and stunting. The primary causes of root rots are overwatering and poor drainage, and the solution is to ensure proper soil aeration and adequate water frequency. High salt levels are another cause of root rots. Hence, you should make sure that quality water is used for watering. Additionally, you must engage in periodic leaching of container soil.
With several regions contemplating legalizing cannabis use, the future seems to be incredibly bright. There is like to be burgeoning demands for cleaning and sanitization services as these form part of plant-touching services available to breeders, cultivators and manufacturers alike. Other developments are cannabis-infused beverages, vaping equipment, edibles, and hemp- and CBD-based products.
Given the multitude of avenues for cannabis integration, sanitization is even more profound. Hence, those contemplating entering the cannabis space, even through ancillary business avenues such as packaging, logistics, equipment and security, would need to have a basic understanding of this game-changer.
