Hydrolife Magazine December 2017/January 2018 [USA EDITION]

As such, it is recommended to cull plants at each stage before
moving them into the next phase. This means that you survey
your crop, select the best ones to move on, and destroy the rest.
Let’s repeat that: At each stage of the grow, throw some
plants away and keep only the best performers.
To make this work, culling losses must be factored in
from the beginning. For example, let’s take a conservative
estimate of 10 per cent culling loss at three stages —clones,
rooted clones, and vegetative growth. Using this formula
requires about 140 initial cuttings for every 100 plants that
end up in the flower room. This culling loss can (and should)
be adjusted based on your success rate and cultivation
style. When losses are not factored in from the start, the
pressure to produce often overrides plant quality. Gaps in
your healthy plant count are filled with less than desirable
replacements, which in turn bring yield potential down and
increase the potential for pest/disease incursion, both of
which create more work for facility personnel.
THE REWARDS OF CULLING PLANTS
With culling, the plants that make it through to harvest
will be the best performers. You won’t be struggling with
underperforming plants or playing catch-up. The culling
process can help avoid many common cultivation setbacks
associated with pests, disease, and genetic drift, since sickly
plants are often the most vulnerable. The plants selected in
this process will produce higher yields and better-looking
products. You will easily be able to make up the cost of
starting extra plants through the quality of the ones that
make it to flowering.
"
CULLING
plants at each stage will produce a more robust
and higher yielding crop through the selection
of the strongest individuals and the
discarding of weak plants.”
Stephen Keen is a 14-year veteran of the cannabis industry and lifelong
tinkerer. He saw a need for cannabis-tailored climate control
solutions, which led to his co-founding of Hydro Innovations—
now Surna Inc—in 2007. Surna’s mission is to design efficient,
reliable, and intelligent equipment for climate control for cannabis
cultivation. Keen has vast knowledge of controlled environment
agriculture, including serving as the chief cultivation expert for
one of Colorado’s largest MMJ operations and being published in
various industry magazines. He has served as president and CEO,
and now as director of technology, of Surna Inc.
myhydrolife.com
grow. heal. learn. enjoy. 39