Jeffrey Hickey Writes Blogs

Category: Uncategorized

  • Surprise

    As previously written, I love growing local cultivars. I love trying to grow a cultivar that someone I know has put the time and energy into developing and engineering. These are plants carrying unique information. That these plants are not known, or not widely known, makes them even more special…

  • Sexing

    This will be my third year of growing exclusively with seeds, so it will be my third year of sexing. I have had two completely different experiences so far, which is not unusual. The first year, I had more females than males, which is unusual. I started very few seeds…

  • Babies on Board

    Yesterday, I spent several hours doing the slow, precise work of transplanting 32 starts from little cups to 3-gallon pots. As much as I enjoy every step in this process, I will admit to this being one of my least favorite days. The simple reason is the amount of bagged…

  • A Home Dispensary

    The accompanying photo was taken last fall, when we finally were able to fit all 17.1 pounds into half gallon jars, and then into a cool, dry, closet for storage. Each jar is identified by a two digit designation for the cultivar, the bed number and the year. Further, once…

  • Starting Seeds

    I start normal cannabis seeds (as opposed to feminized) wrapped in tissue, in a heated grow mat compartment. I spray each tissue and compartment with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide. The proportion is ½ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water. This is the only water…

  • Beneficial Insects and Plants

    Bee took this miraculous photo last year. In it, we have a beneficial insect eating a harmful insect. This is the Assassin Fly, and it has a burrowing beetle in its mouth. We began noticing assassin flies two years ago, the same year we embraced borage as a permaculture addition…

  • Pathogens

    Did you know that the pathogen, powdery mildew, lives in the bits and pieces of plant debris leftover from your previous growth, and therefore, lives on in your soil? Did you know that the powdery mildew that attacks your zucchini is not the same powdery mildew that attacks your tomatoes,…

  • Pests Part 2

    I have a truly vile anecdote regarding fish and raccoons that I share for full disclosure. The first year I planted fish, we had no idea what to expect. I worried about raccoons, but had to simply wait and see what happened. In that first year, and the second, they…

  • Pests

    All growers have pest issues. Be they insects or vermin, growing food and/or cannabis attracts creatures who want to help themselves to whatever is being grown. I have largely prevented raccoons from helping themselves, and that is a major victory. I work proactively to prevent as many pests as possible.…

  • Compost Teas

    I remember when my teacher began talking about compost teas, I felt a bit sick to my stomach. I had heard about compost teas for a while, but knew nothing about the specifics. Whenever I heard compost tea, my thoughts were only on the unruly mess of stuff we have…