New Indoor Grow Underway
Experimental Cultivation Parameters:
The cultivation system I'm building consists of a substrate composed of approximately 70% clean, washed calcium-rich white sand and 30% soil. Plants are established in perforated 5-gallon containers equipped with collection trays to facilitate bottom watering during later stages of development.
Seeds undergo a period of frozen cold stratification prior to sowing. Following planting, illumination is maintained continuously (24-hour photoperiod) during the germination phase. The seed stock includes the following cultivars: Afghan Gelania, English Pharmaceutical, Indian Shweta, and Chetak (Northern Indian).
Following germination, the lighting regime is adjusted sequentially to an initial 13-hour light/11-hour dark photoperiod, followed by a 14-hour light period for approximately two weeks, and subsequently a 16-hour light/8-hour dark photoperiod during the flowering phase.
Environmental conditions are maintained within a climate-controlled room measuring approximately 10 × 12 feet. The average ambient temperature is 62 °F (16.7 °C), with an average relative humidity of approximately 40%. Interior wall surfaces are lined with reflective Mylar film to improve light distribution.
Artificial illumination is provided by 4-foot Barrina full-spectrum LED tube fixtures with a combined actual power consumption of approximately 504 watts (manufacturer-rated equivalent output of approximately 2,800 watts) on a timer and daisy chained.
Plants receive a combination of mineral nutrients and organic fertilizers throughout vegetative development. During the transition from veg. to the hook stage and flowering the nutrient regimen is modified to strictly black tea as an organic amendment. Irrigation is discontinued upon petal formation to allow natural maturation of the reproductive structures.
The experimental layout consists of four 5-gallon cultivation containers and eight smaller containers maintained under identical environmental conditions.