By Max Sargent


Keeping a cannabis grow journal, or just a general weed journal, can satisfy many different motivations. Whether you want to keep an eagle eye on the behaviour of different strains, figure out when to plant your seeds, or just record how different strains really taste and feel, a cannabis diary can be a great companion.

Suitable for both growers and consumers of cannabis, a cannabis grow journal simply provides a means to record and share observations and discoveries. By giving you a comprehensive overview of the process and characteristics, it allows you to hone in on practices that work, and strains that really hit the spot.

What Is Cannabis Journaling?

Cannabis journaling can fit into your life however you see fit. It can range from recording the specific behaviours of a certain strain, or even one plant, to recording your general thoughts under the influence of one strain or another.

Generally, for growers, cannabis journals provide two main functions. The first is to record the progress of the grow. The sort of things that may be covered include:

Growth Size
Nutrients Watering
Pests Deficiencies
General observations



The second function of a weed journal is as a marijuana grow calendar. You can track when plants require feeding, watering, etc., and if things are progressing as predicted. By combining the two aspects of recording progress and predicting progress, any issues can be more easily overcome.

For smokers, keeping a weed journal allows you to assess with a sober mind how you felt about each strain while high. This gives you a comprehensive sense of how each type of smoke actually affects you.

Cannabis Grow Journal

But what to include in a cannabis grow journal? And what do they already come with?

Tracking a Grow

For many growers, the most useful function of a cannabis grow journal is to keep track of their progress. Through careful observation over time, you can really fine tune the way you treat your plants.

Alongside giving you space to organise as you wish, marijuana grow diaries tend to have dedicated sections for every aspect of the grow. Below is a snapshot of what you can expect.

  • Germination Method

First, why not try out a few different germination methods and keep track of the outcomes? Not only will this quickly tell you the most successful method of germination, but by recording the entire life cycle and results of the harvest, you may even be able to figure out if germination method changes the final results, all those months later.

  • pH, EC, Nutrients, and Watering

Record when you add nutrients, which nutrients to add, and in what ratios. This information, combined with careful observation of your plant's growth, yield, and quality, will give you amazing insight into the effects of different nutrient blends. Moreover, if you find a strain you really love, over a couple of crops you’ll learn its secrets, and should be able to get the very most from it.

Likewise, observing the effects of watering will put you in good stead. Perhaps some strains like to live in slightly damp conditions, while others thrive when they get to dry out from time to time. Keeping a marijuana grow diary will help you figure out what your plants crave.

After watering and feeding, what happens to the pH and EC levels? How could you adjust this for next time to yield optimal results?

Cannabis Grow Journal

  • Lighting

The world of cannabis lighting is not as clear-cut as some think. By recording how your plants respond to different kinds of light, at different spectrums, different times, and varying distances, you can decide for yourself what works best.

Perhaps you’re trying out some autoflowering strains and want to determine the best lighting schedule. The internet is rife with speculation, but without any clear answers—so why not discover them yourself?

  • Week by Week

You could even do it day by day if you really want to understand your little green friends. A cannabis journal is the perfect tool for tracking the ongoing development of your plants through each stage of growth. How long does the pre-flowering stage actually last? In which week does the most growth happen? When do they really begin to smell?

All these questions and more can be answered by you, in your diary.

  • Temperature and Humidity

Tracking your plants’ response to environmental changes will help you give them the best home in which to thrive. Under what conditions did they seem most vigorous? Or perhaps they all got a fungal infection at the same time. What was the humidity at that time?

  • Pests and Sickness

Likewise, detecting when bad things happen to your plants, and how quickly they spread or recede, is powerful knowledge. Compare it with other information you’ve attained; perhaps your crops always get bud rot or powdery mildew? Or maybe they always end up with nute burn?

Recording any plights as they occur will help you see what else was happening at that time. What was the temperature and humidity? How much were you feeding them? How close were the lights?

In discovering these connections, you can ensure you don’t make the same mistake twice.

  • Drying and Curing

It doesn’t end at harvest. How long is it best to hang your weed for? How often should you burp during curing?

Fiddle around and find out!

Marijuana Grow Calendar

As mentioned, the other major function of a weed journal is as a marijuana grow schedule. With a full calendar function, you can use the knowledge you've gained, and that given by the breeder, to predict a schedule for your cannabis grow:

When to plant seeds? When should each plant finish vegging?
At what speed should the buds develop? When should it be ready for harvest?



Knowing if you're on track can give you great insight into how to proceed. If your plants won’t enter the flowering phase, maybe you have a light leak. Or, if harvest is drawing close but the buds aren’t developing much, perhaps they're nutrient-deficient or you're using the wrong spectrum of light.

It’s clear to see how using the journal and calendar in conjunction puts you in a very knowledgeable position. It even helps with planning the next grow. If you know you’ve only got a week left until it’s time to harvest, you can get to germinating your next batch of seeds so they're ready to move into the grow room right after your current crop finishes.

Cannabis Consumption Journal

So, you’ve harvested and cured your crop, and now you want to know which practices yielded the best-quality bud. Or, maybe you just love smoking and you want to learn the nuances of the many different strains available. Either way, a marijuana consumption diary is essential.

What To Record in a Cannabis Consumption Diary

Really, this is up to you. You could focus mostly on the quality of the bud itself, on the effects, or how you feel the next day. Keeping a consumption diary is a very fluid and personal matter. Nevertheless, here are some ideas.

  • Appearance, Aroma, and Flavour

What are the buds actually like? Are they a beautiful purple, or perhaps a vibrant, almost toxic green? Do these aesthetics in any way correlate to the flavour or quality of the high?

If you’re really into your weed, you can even try to identify which terpenes are present. Calibrate your olfactory senses to such a degree that you can tell, from just a whiff, whether you’ve got eucalyptol, limonene, or linalool packed into your favourite flowers.

What To Record in a Cannabis Consumption Diary

  • Effects

Of course, for most people, the end goal of any cannabis journey is to experience some soothing or elevating effects. Different strains, and different methods of growth and curing, will result in different ratios of cannabinoids, and thus different effects. But which do you prefer?

With a consumption journal, record factors such as:

Method of consumption Time of consumption
Size of dose Effects: elevated, cerebral, physical, relaxing, etc.



Pinpoint the types of weed you really love. Do you get a kick out of THC-packed sativa strains, or are they a little overwhelming? Perhaps you prefer a strain with a 1:1 CBD to THC ratio and deep, physical effects?

Regardless, keeping a weed journal means that, given time, you can identify the strains that work best for you. If you consider yourself a holistic cannabis user, this can be even more crucial, and could even improve your quality of life.

Conclusion: Cannabis Journaling Can Benefit Everyone

Journaling allows cannabis growers to get better results, in terms of both yield and quality. Moreover, it allows consumers to identify the types of strains that best satisfy their mind and body.

But it’s bigger than this. Journaling also creates a large record of communal knowledge, and this is a powerful thing. Better growing methods can be discovered, as can optimal curing times, harvesting tips, and much more.

For consumers, it provides detailed observations on the relationships between strains and their effects and flavours. For holistic cannabis users in particular, it allows people to come together and share potentially life-changing discoveries about the effects of different types of cannabis.

Together, this combined knowledge can lead to greater innovation and broader understanding.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: