Growing Plants Is Good For You

The growing season is fast approaching and all us gardeners and growers are jumping out of our skins itching to get our hands in the soil. It’s too cold here in upstate NY to really get out there, so until then we’ll have to dream and plan and fantasize about our gardens in our hearts and minds.

While we’re dreaming and planning, I thought I’d take some time to chat about why growing any plant, and especially Cannabis is good for you.

Here are just a few reasons.

You know exactly what has gone into the growing process.

You know every detail, every amendment, anything that has been sprayed on the plant throughout its entire life. This fact is extremely important since the budding cannabis industry (pun intended) has a dark side. A side where the consumer is told the flower is “organic” but unless you know the correct questions to ask specifically, the label means nothing. An organic pesticide might be fine for food, but you don’t want that chemical anywhere near your flowers that you plan on inhaling.

I’ve been in numerous conversations where growers tell me, “it says on the product label it’s fine to spray on the flowers right up to the day before harvest.”

As of right now, much of the cannabis industry is not regulated. There’s not enough enforcement as legal markets are trying to establish themselves. Please do not assume that since you are buying from a legal dispensary, everything is above board in regards to your medicine.

Here’s one example: I’ve witnessed first hand, from a legal dispensary the same exact cultivar of flowers being sold as three different cultivars, with three different prices associated with each. I’m not trying to throw shade, I’m telling you what is happening right now.

You are building a healthy ecosystem & supporting a local economy.

The highest quality cannabis flower is grown in healthy, regenerative soil. Yep, the cannabis cup winners, the ones with the most complex flavors and the highest terpene profiles are grown outside, in living soil.

You are intimate with the plant medicine.

I LOVE wandering through the cannabis field every day with my cup of tea. A few years ago I started a practice of visiting the field twice a day. Once to admire, encourage and appreciate the girls and once to go through looking for potential issues. It felt wrong to only walk through looking for problems.

I “get” to spend time in the elements with my plants.

By growing plants, you are stepping into an ancestral relationship between humans and cannabis that started over 6000 years ago. The benefits of this relationship and the plant medicine start the very first day you germinate the seeds (well, it probably started the minute you made the decision to grow).

“Science” continues to verify things we’ve always known. Being in direct relationship with the world around us; the birds, the plants, the soil, helps remind us we are safe and connected to something bigger. Forest bathing & grounding are examples of science “proving” what we already know in our bones – that getting yourself outside, with your feet on the ground, interacting with the plants & animals around you benefits you (and the rest of the world).

Spending time in your garden, with the soil, the birds, the insects, and your plants all regulate your nervous system. All provide health & wellbeing while you “work” in your garden.

Growing your own is THE most cost effective way to get the highest quality medicine.

Period.

For the cost of good quality seeds and the investment of your time, your hands & love you’ll have high quality cannabis medicine for a few dollars per pound.

You might be asking, “Well what defines good quality seeds? Where do I get them? And How do I know which ones to pick?”

I got you!

Join me for ”All About Seeds” on March 27th to master the art of selecting the perfect cannabis genetics! This focused session will empower you with a framework to choose cultivars that thrive in your region, factoring in crucial elements such as your local first killing frost. Whether you’re in Vermont with its 8-week window or North Carolina’s 14-week grace, you’ll learn to tailor your grow season for optimal results.

Then we’ll go even deeper with my ”Seed to Harvest: How to Grow” webinar on April 3rd! Discover the best spots for your cannabis to flourish—be it terra firma or pots—and unravel the secrets of soil selection. This session guides you through optimizing your space and soil for the healthiest plants. This will elevate your grow game!

Quality soil is a hot topic and one I am super passionate about. Today I visited the Moosewood restaurant to ask if I could take away their compost for the next few days so I could rebuild my compost empire. I’ve got bags of leaves and buckets of alpaca manure all waiting to get mixed together to start cooking!!!

I am a happy girl!!!!!