Heat, turpines and spliffs

Hey man. This hot weather is freaking out my plants. What should I do?

—Heath Stroke

Say word. Hot weather is rough on everyone, and cannabis plants are no exception. Just like people, cannabis plants need extra water during heat waves, so make sure your plants stay well hydrated.

Another thing to worry about is pests. In the past two years, I have heard from growers all over California about russet mites being a huge problem. Russet mites are hella small and hard to spot, and if they aren’t caught early, they can spread to your whole garden. Russet mites love hot days. It makes them horny AF. In cooler weather, they lay eggs once a week or so, When it is hot like this, russet mites lay eggs every one or two days.

I have heard good things about the organic pesticide known at AG Plus. It’s expensive, but it is full of ingredients that aren’t harmful to humans, and it is designed to suffocate the little buggers as opposed to poisoning them, so you don’t have to worry about the mites developing a resistance. You can get some more info here at growweedeasy.com. The price of good weed is eternal vigilance. Stay hydrated.

Is there a way to tell if a strain is more body buzz or mind buzz based strictly on percentages?

—@ScottmayBstoned (via twitter)

I think you probably could. You would have to know the terpene numbers more than the THC count. As we have discussed before, different terpenes have different effects. Linalool (found in the strains known as Lavender and in LA Confidential) will probably make you sleepy. Pinene (smells like Trainwreck) is known for alertness.

Most clubs don’t really test for terp profile as much as they test for THC content and pesticides. Fortunately, most terpenes have distinctive smells. Point your browser to “Leafly terpene chart” and follow your nose.

Dear Ngaio: Why are spliffs so popular in some European countries? 2nd question: Can I hit that?

—@logrusZed (via twitter)

Who knows? Probably because it used to be hella hard to find good weed in Europe but easy to find hash. Hash is a pain to smoke by itself (OGs will remember “hash under glass” or the “two hot knives” methods), so rolling a “spliff” (a marijuana joint mit eine kleine tabak) is a good and easy way to get your buzz on. Also, as anyone who has ever smoked a blunt can tell you, combining THC with nicotine creates a different and way more powerful buzz than just smoking weed alone. Tobacco is not great for your health, so I recommend you roll those Eurotrash spliffs on special occasions. Like when your European friends come over and you don’t want to get them too stoned on your hella potent California weed.

As to your second question: Hell yes. Come over. Bring snacks.