Gardening Notes
Pot Night - The Book, Channel 4 Television, 1995
Tom Hodlin
Those who make a great fuss over the growing of marijuana often ignore the fact that the plant used to be regarded as a weed with a weed's characteristic strength and durability. It was also once a commom sight in England where it was grown to be made into rope for the ships of the British Navy and Merchant Marine and gave its name to (among others) Hemel Hempstead. The hemp cultivated for rope was, however, very unlike the specialised plants available today, and was low in THC, tha active ingredient that has made Cannabis sativa one of the most popular of plants today but one unlikely to feature on Gardener's Question Time or in the admirable Dr Hessayon's bestsellers.
Traditionally the best grass came from the hot countries of North Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies. English hemp grown for rope tasted of just that and gave the enthusiast a blistering headache which only an optimist with scrambled brains could mistake for a 'high'. Thirty years ago, it was believed that the English climate made it impossible to grow any plant of quality, yet out ancestors obviously did not share this opinion. Evidence of the presence of cannabis in monasteries before Henry VIII's Dissolution would indicate that the medical properties of the plant were known and used by these primitive apothecaries. Research conducted at London University 15 years ago also proved that under the right conditions, marijuana plants of the same potency as those grown anywhere alse in the world could be grown in Britain, albeit under glass with the aid of special lighting in the early stages of their life.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS There has been a revolution in the production of marijuana seeds and the equipment needed to reproduce fine specimens. In Holland and the UK, specialised firms can now produce seeds for a variety of environmental conditions. Particular plants can be grown indoors under lights, in greenhouses, in pots on balconies and in the garden from a variety of seed which have been developed to allow the amateur gardener to choose the plant which bests suits his or her conditions.
For purely indoor plants, 'Northern Lights' has won the High Times Cannabis Cup on no less than three occasions. The plant is hort, stocky and bred to produce maximum bud yields in a very short time. It's ideal for the flat-dweller who yearns for the great outdoors. 'Silver Pearl', on the other hand, winner of the Cannabis Cup Indica/Sativa mix in 1994 is ideal for outdoor growth. The plant is a three-way hybrid of 'Early Pearl', 'Skunk 1' and 'Northern Lights'.
With sophisticated lights, hydroponics, climate controllers, pest controls and carbon dioxide metering equipment, the true enthusiast can convert a small bedroom or loft space into a jungle paradise of blooms which can produce highly potent material throughout the year. But this industrial approach is not always the best way to appreciate what is, after all, a very attractive plant which can brighten up the dullest of suburban gardens.
The development of 'skunk' seeds has resulted in plants which are hardy, disease resistant and spectacular in full bloom, and which grow perfectly well in an English country garden, given a good summer. You can see many of these varieties towering 2-3 m (6-10 ft) in allotmentsand tucked away against railway embankments. Like roses, cannabis plants need the company of annuals, intermixed with established perennials. Seedlings planted in early May and fed with a high-nitrogen fertiliser will result in giant plants. By September and early October, the plants burst out all over with flower heads, filling the air with aroma.