Growlink Smart Farm Blog

Dr. Robert Flannery is the first Ph.D. in the United States with certified technical expertise in growing commercial cannabis. He earned his doctorate from UC Davis in Plant Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Horticulture with specific expertise in hydroponic crop optimization for cut-flower production. While working on his doctorate, Dr. Flannery began advising Cannabis cultivators throughout Northern California on modern horticulture practices. As Production Director at SPARC in San Francisco, Dr. Flannery managed the company's largest department and supervised every segment of cannabis cultivation, packaging, & delivery of the final product to retail. An overachiever for sure!

Cannabis plants have an amazing capacity to adapt to different growing mediums, which gives growers significant advantages, as they can be grown in diverse places using different types of substrates. Let's examine the different options for the medium your plants are grown in.

Indoor cannabis grow operations have become the industry standard by providing privacy and an environmentally controlled growing space. These indoor grow facilities have a few downsides that you need to consider when creating a sustainable grow operation.

Changing seasons means it's time to reassess your lighting and watering goals for the Fall. As you know, greenhouse energy costs account for a significant share of a grow operation costs. Using available energy sources can affect your ability to harvest the predetermined crop quality and yields you forecast. And as the colder weather approaches, doing some maintenance can also save you some cold cash this winter. 

Automation is essential to indoor farming systems to ensure all crops receive the proper light, water, and nutrients. Automating lighting, fertilization, and irrigation is a sensible and practical solution to managing your indoor growing operation. 

What is vertical farming?

According to Wikipedia, vertical farming is "the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics."

Past, Present and Future

Hydroponics has enjoyed a resurgence lately. Popularized in the 1940s, and solidified in growing culture by the 2000s, hydroponics actually began much further back in our ancient history. Let's explore a brief history of hydroponics.

Increase yields and save valuable resources

Automated grow systems have been used for many years to keep labor costs down. Whether it's lighting, vents, or artificial intelligence, automation, and technology are capable of repeatable and predictable results. This allows growers to streamline previously time-consuming processes quickly and efficiently. Most automated greenhouse systems allow users to control their cultivation environment via an app on their smart devices. 

How To Train Your Plants

Topping is a fundamental tool used to train plants. It enables growers to force plants to grow horizontally instead of vertically, making the most efficient use of available lighting. Topping is a simple way to increase yields by removing the tip of the top of the plant growth, allowing it to send vital energy out to lower nodes, encouraging growth outwards, instead of up.