As a grower, you may have flicked through cannabis magazines and seen detailed grow reports that highlighted every characteristic of a cannabis plant from seedling until harvesting. Now, you may think wow, that seemed like a lot of work and is a difficult challenge, but did you know keeping a cannabis grow journal is inexpensive, easy to do, and an incredible learning curve? This article explains what a grow diary is, why you should keep one, the benefits, what you need to get started, and document the smoke report.
What is a cannabis grow diary?
A cannabis grow journal or diary is a way of learning everything you and documenting exactly how a cannabis plant grows in its environment. From nutrient uptake, shape and structure, flowering traits and potential, final yield weight, and some type of smoke report or lab analysis. You will have probably seen growing reports online with websites like Grow Diaries or Soft Secrets Magazine.
The benefits of keeping a detailed cannabis grow journal
● You can identify past mistakes and bad habits and improve.
● You experiment and write down the E.C. the plants can withstand.
● You can share your diary with other growers so they can learn from your experience.
● Diaries are a very useful tool when searching for phenotypes or working on hybridisation projects, (phenotype hunting).
● Anyone can start a growing journal, and you do not need much equipment.
● Journals let you plan ahead and learn from your past mistakes
● Keeping a file of lab-tested cannabis buds gives you real-time data to work with.
● Documenting multiple plants at the same time is a wonderful way to gather lots of data.
So, what will I need to get started?
The best thing about starting a cannabis grow journal is that anyone can do it, and you do not need fancy laboratory expensive equipment, and a white lab coat and gloves! Below is a list of everything you need to get going, and as you will see the requirements are not costly and can be done on a low budget.
1. Pen and pad
You may not have used a pen and notepad since you left school or college, but if you want to be a great cannabis grow diary creator, you need nothing more than a pen and notepad. The old-fashioned but trusty way.
Organising your pad so that you can fill in all the necessary information each time will make your life easier and allow you to fill in the blanks.
2. Digital hygrometer
A digital hygrometer will allow you to see the temperature and humidity of your grow room, at all times. Some hygrometers have a setting that shows the highest and lowest temperature and humidity during a 24-hour period, which is one of the main things you need to record.
3. Measuring tape
As your plants grow and the weeks pass, you will need to measure the height and width of the plants, as well as the leaves. A measuring tape should always be kept close by and will let you see how fast or slow your plants grow, which react better to training, and how tall the plants stretch once flowering.
4. E.C digital pen
Not all cannabis plants are the same, so will use different amounts of nutrients during the different stages of their lifecycle. A digital E.C pen provides the strength level of your nutrient solution and should be used when testing the run-off value.
5. pH digital pen
In the same way, your E.C pen records nutrient strength, pH pens will give an accurate reading of the pH of your nutrient solution. Keeping a record of the nutrient solution pH and the run-off is very important.
How should my cannabis grow journal be written?
You should create headings for each week of the vegetative cycle and the flowering cycle. Then during those weeks, you can write the following set of data followed by an in-depth smoke report analysis.
Week 1 – 18/6
● Plant height
● Plant width
● Nutrients list
● Nutrient pH level
● Run off nutrient pH level
● Nutrient E.C levels
● Run off nutrient E.C levels
● Temperature
● Humidity
The smoke report
Once you have harvested and dried your buds, now comes the fun part. Creating a smoke report will allow you to know exactly how the final product is like, and what could be done next time to make it even better! Below is a guideline for how to create the smoke report section of your diary and what should be considered.
The look of the buds
Here you should describe the colour of the buds and how they look on a first impression. Make a note of whether they stand out or have a premium appeal that makes you think ‘wow’, or could they be improved in the next round?
The aroma of the buds
The terpene profile of the buds will be at their pinnacle and most aromatic when dried. Describe here in detail the aroma of the buds. Are they earthy, fruity, floral, sweet, fuel, gassy or candy?
The flavour of the buds
Just as you have written about the aroma, describe here the taste and all the different flavours you experience. Are the buds soft, rough or do they taste amazing? Do they have any special notes that stand out?
The density of the buds
How thick and compact your buds become can depend on light intensity, nutrition and genetics. Describe here how swollen and ripe the buds are, whether they were harvested early or late, and what you could do to make them fatter and more compact next time.
Trichome production
How frosty and resinous a cannabis bud is will greatly influence its taste, aroma and effect. Describe the trichome production, how crystallised the buds or leaves are, whether it is worth keeping as a clone. Also note if the buds don’t seem as frosted as you expected, and why you think this might be.
The effect
When describing the effect, you should write about how strong or mellow it is, and whether it leaves you feeling stoned and tired or uplifted and talkative. It is also an excellent opportunity for other growers to see and compare how the strain in question has performed.
Our conclusion on cannabis grow diaries
You really do not need a lot of equipment or tools to get started, and the key to a successful cannabis grow journal that can be seen on Grow Diaries, or a cannabis magazine is to be consistent. Once you get started, you need to maintain a professional approach and cover every step until harvesting. If you have access to chromatography lab testing, then we strongly recommend you take advantage of it and have records of all the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of each plant.
Taking on a professional and clinical approach to study and record data on how your cannabis plants grow, flower, and yield can greatly benefit you in the present and future. Not only will accurately recording data allow you to identify old growing patterns and potential bad habits and improve yields, but cannabis grow journals will also allow you to have the awareness to reduce mistakes later down the line. Good luck with your first-ever cannabis grow journal and taking your growing experience to the next level!
