DIY Autoflowering Cannabis

September 16, 2019
In this informative, low-budget guide, organic gardening writer Lowenfels (Teaming with Fungi) champions reasons and methods for growing the autoflowering variety of cannabis sativa, a strain adapted to survive harsher northern climates. After pointing to the recent “sea change in attitudes” that has made it “now legal to grow Cannabis in Canada and in many of the United States,” Lowenfels dives into the nitty-gritty of plant fertilization science; lists of supplies needed and pointers on gardening best practices (including information on seeds and seedbanks, soil, lights, watering, feeding, and pests); and methods for harvesting, drying, curing, and storing. Lowenfels also suggests ways to “enjoy your harvest”—such as by, of course, smoking it—and includes recipes for edibles, such as “canna butter chocolate mug cake.” The accompanying charts and drawings substantiate his claims about autoflowering cannabis’s versatility, but the color photographs look amateurish. Moreover, while Lowenfels asserts that “if you can grow tomatoes, you can quickly learn to grow Autoflowering Cannabis,” the specialized knowledge he imparts doesn’t support that claim. For those already determined to grow cannabis, this book will be a boon, but it’s just as likely to overwhelm gardeners simply curious about the buzz.