By Luke Sumpter


GROWING CANNABIS IN LATIN AMERICA

Latin America is a vast landmass that offers a diverse range of growing environments for the cannabis cultivating enthusiast. Mountains and valleys, dry altiplanos, coastal regions, and tropical islands are just a few of the climates where cannabis may thrive.

Cleft by the equator is Ecuador or “The Republic of the Equator”, the only country named after a mathematical geographical feature. Latin America shares two growing hemispheres, and except for Uruguay, southern Peru, and three quarters of Argentina, resides within the tropics. The distance from Cape Horn, way down at the chilly tip of Patagonia, to the Mexico-US border is nearly 11,000 kilometres. So over its entirety, Latin America has every type of climate available to the keen cannabis gardener.

Cannabis enjoys various forms of legal tolerance throughout much of Latin America. Laws may vary from country to country, but generally speaking, you aren’t going to get in trouble for discreetly blazing up a private stash. The same goes for growing plants for personal use; however, large crops for underground sale or exportation are still frowned upon.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL DIVERSITY MEANS COMPLEXITY

The geographical diversity of South America makes it difficult to give averages for temperatures. For example, the differences between coastal and mountain temps at the same latitude can vary considerably within only a few dozens of kilometres, as can climates affected by the Humboldt Current compared to climates at the same latitude to the east of the Andes.

Similarly, average day lengths differ noticeably when the whole region spans over more than 85 latitudes. Local knowledge and a sun and moon chart are invaluable components in a good cannabis grow. For the Tropic of Cancer, averages for Guatemala City are used; for the Tropic of Capricorn, Lima. For southern regions outside of the tropics, averages from Santiago are used.

WINTER

WINTER

TROPIC OF CANCER
AVG day length: Dec: 11h 16m, Jan: 11h 21m, Feb: 11h 40m
AVG temp: Dec: 23°C, Jan: 23°C, Feb: 25°C

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
AVG day length: June: 11h 25m, July: 11h 28m, August: 11h 42m
AVG temp: June: 20°C, July: 19°C, August: 19°C

SOUTHERN REGIONS
AVG day length: June: 9h 56m, July: 10h 08m, August: 10h 52m
AVG temp: June: 16°C, July: 15°C, August: 18°C

Whether it’s the dry season in the tropics or the cold and really cold season further south, successful growers are enjoying the buds from their most recent grow, and are planning next year’s crop. Strain performance and potency, growing problems and successes are personally reviewed so as to go bigger and better in the next grow season.

Equatorial growers who prefer autoflower varieties are tending to their fourth crop of the year. Although daylight hours aren’t optimal for growing weed, autoflowering strains will still produce quality flowers, only from slightly underdeveloped plants. Growing autoflowering varieties in the tropics circumvents the need to grow one large photoperiod crop by allowing four smaller crops over the whole year. This has the advantage of requiring less work per day for the same results.

WINTER LIST

Growing outdoors predominantly means growing in some kind of soil, whether it be in pots or unrestrained beds of some form. Growing world-class weed is growing organic weed. After last year’s grow, soils will need to be amended and re-mulched in preparation for the nutritional demands of young plants next season.

The more work that is put into the soil, the better it will get over time, and weed will improve in quality year over year. This includes pots; there is no need to continually replace potting soil, just amend the old soil and a diverse microecology will develop. Even worms will live their lives in a pot.

Suggested amendments for the oncoming spring season are meals of many kinds, including alfalfa, clover, blood, fish, kelp, bone, and neem. Shell flours, rock dusts, various manures, composts, and worm castings will all make cannabis boom.

SPRING

SPRING

TROPIC OF CANCER
AVG day length: Mar: 12h 03m, April: 12h 28m, May: 12h 48m
AVG temp: Mar: 26°C, April: 27°C, May: 26°C

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
AVG day length: Sep: 12h 01m, Oct: 12h 20m, Nov: 12h 40m
• AVG temp: Sep: 19°C, Oct: 20°C, Nov: 22°C

SOUTHERN REGIONS
AVG day length: Sep: 11h 52m, Oct: 12h 54m, Nov: 13h 51m
AVG temp: Sep: 19°C, Oct: 20°C, Nov: 21°C

The first month of spring features the vernal equinox, the all-important time when the full moon announces that all the days to follow until the autumnal equinox will be over 12 hours long. More than 12 hours of daylight is vital to healthy cannabis vegetation.

Within the tropics, it is safe to germinate cannabis now. Young plants will emerge and thrive in the warmth of the tropics and begin rapidly vegetating. Species selection is important when growing in the tropics. Fungal and bacterial resistance is of great benefit in often wet and always humid environments.

 

Sativa and sativa-dominant strains will thrive and flower without any problems. Indica strains will thrive during vegetation, but may have trouble switching to flowering, as night lengths do not extend rapidly enough to trigger the bloom phase. Light deprivation may need to be used to ensure flowering in more photo-dependant strains.

Outside of the tropics, although the days get longer quicker, the sun takes longer to get into the sky to give cannabis the full exposure it requires. Germinating in the second month of spring guarantees proper vegetation and the best end results. Germinating too early can confuse photoperiod plants and lower the yield and quality at the end of the flowering cycle.

In such circumstances, infant plants are told by the day length that they are in flowering mode. Then, a few weeks later, they are forced to switch back to full vegetation, then switch back again to flowering when fall comes. Vegetating plants are still impressive, but final flowers are substandard and yields are low.

Wait until there is plenty of sun when growing naturally, or use supplemental lighting. Germinating plants earlier than true spring and giving them time under artificial light to increase vegetation time is one technique for getting larger plants where the veg season is shorter. Plants that are already well-established can be put outside when days are over 12 hours long. Once hardened off in a shady spot for two weeks, they will go into overdrive when they get into full sun.

SPRING LIST

Add mycorrhizae to the root ball when transplanting infant plants into larger early vegetation pots—then again when transplanting into the final grow container. These beneficial fungi form a symbiotic partnership with the roots, increasing their surface area and improving overall performance. A healthy root biosphere also helps prevent root-borne diseases and improves overall immune resistance in plants.

Early spring is the time to begin topping plants to manipulate future growth patterns. Properly manicured and maintained plants will respond with vigorous growth and multiple flower sites. Evenly distributed canopies with open, well-cleaned branches underneath ensure utmost plant health.

Early spring is also the time to start spraying with select organic foliar applications, such as natural fungicides and pesticides like neem oil, and growth boosters like kelp or aloe vera. Always spray in the evenings.

Late spring is the time for amending soils again in preparation for the vegetative explosion of summer. This is when plants are striving to grow as many future flower sites as possible. The more a plant grows during vegetation, the more potential flower sites there are when fall arrives.

SUMMER

SUMMER

TROPIC OF CANCER
AVG day length: June: 12h 59m, July: 12h 54m, August: 12h 36m
AVG temp: June: 25°C, July: 24°C, August: 25°C

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
AVG day length: Dec: 12h 50m, Jan: 12h 45m, Feb: 12h 28m
AVG temp: Dec: 24°C, Jan: 26°C, Feb: 27°C

SOUTHERN REGIONS
AVG day length: Dec: 14h 21m, Jan: 14h 07m, Feb: 13h 10m
AVG temp: Dec: 29°C, Jan: 30°C, Feb: 30°C

Summer is the time of rapid growth for the cannabis plant. Daylight hours are at their maximum, and plants that are watered regularly are in photosynthesis overdrive. Branches will need to be controlled for optimal sun penetration and air circulation. Stakes, wire cages, trellises, and plastic netting are all ways of training the cannabis plant for optimum performance.

Summer is also the time for maximum bug and pathogen activity. Continue foliar spraying as a preventative, and check plants often for signs of attack. Regularly adding beneficial root bacteria like trichoderma inoculates plants against root diseases and deters warm-weather-loving critters like root aphids. The symbiotic nature of these bacteria also increases root efficiency a hundredfold and stimulates plant growth. Feeding plants complex sugars like molasses and enzymes like malted barley or corn extracts keeps these bacterial colonies healthy.

SUMMER LIST

Heat stress is avoidable by foliar spraying a selection of organic additives. Fermented seaweed, kelp and fish emulsions, as well as silica will increase heat tolerance by 300%. Silica has the added benefit of eliminating pests like spider mites and thrips. Then, once it migrates to the roots, will control root rot while making roots distasteful to harmful nematodes and larval insects.

Late summer is the time to amend the soil once more with bloom-friendly nutrients, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. In preparation for the coming flowering phase, malted grains, worm castings, fermented aloe vera, and various rock dusts all provide essential flower-boosting compounds. Bone meal or rock phosphate and potash are excellent sources of phosphorus, calcium, and potassium for robust flower production.

Early-flowering varieties and a number of feminized hybrids will also be differentiating in late summer. Days have been growing shorter since the summer solstice. Shorter days can trigger some species to flower, while others respond to an internal clock and will flower when they please. These strains will be ready to harvest in the middle of fall. “Normal” photoperiod strains still need to wait for the shorter days of fall for flowering to be triggered, and will mature later in the season.

FALL

FALL

TROPIC OF CANCER
AVG day length: Sep: 12h 12m, Oct: 11h 48m, Nov: 11h 27m
AVG temp: Sep: 24°C, Oct: 24°C, Nov: 23°C

TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
AVG day length: Mar: 12h 10m, April: 11h 49m, May: 11h 33m
AVG temp: Mar: 27°C, April: 24°C, May: 22°C

SOUTHERN REGIONS
AVG day length: Mar: 12h 18m, April: 11h 15m, May: 10h 24m
AVG temp: Mar: 28°C, April: 24°C, May: 20°C

In all climates, this is when the fun really begins. While early-flowering strains are already accumulating puff balls of pistils and calyxes, regular photoperiod strains are beginning to differentiate. Plants alter their silhouette as they begin to clearly sex by displaying calyxes or pollen pods.

Branches change their aspect and angle of growth, and may turn up at the ends. Plants start to become more asymmetrical, with the classic zig-zag pattern of nodes developing quickly. Soon, stretching of branches and formation of new nodes ceases, and flower formation begins. Plants still continue to grow larger as flower structures extend, but there is no new vegetative growth.

FALL 

As fall progresses, especially after the autumnal equinox when daylight hours drop below 12 hours, flowering continues in earnest. True flowers have formed and nestle individually or cluster together to form large buds. With “large” being the operative word, many strains will form colas as long as, and thicker than, an arm.

Resin development is obvious now, with trichomes clearly visible to the naked eye. Aromas are developing and plants are certainly using all the support they’ve been given to prevent branches from drooping under the weight of rapidly accumulating flowers.

It is time to be vigilant for mold problems, especially in the tropics where too much rain can cause bud rot or powdery mildew. Regular foliar applications during veg and early flower should prevent pathogens from taking hold. Good strain selection means inbuilt resistance to many pathogens, and a healthy immune system also makes plants resilient.

During the middle of fall, early-flowering and feminized plants will be ready for harvest. They have had at least 10 weeks of solid flowering since differentiation. Watch those trichomes for indications of maturity. Typically, plants are harvested when trichomes turn a milky white, with some displaying deeper colourations. But this is a general rule, and experience will let you find what harvest time suits your particular tastes.

With larger plants, the uppermost flowers may be harvested to allow more light penetration into the lower parts of the plant. A two or three-stage harvest ensures that the complete plant reaches maturity, with upper and outermost flowers maturing first, and lower and inner flowers maturing last.

Late fall is when harvest comes around for most cannabis growers. The shorter, cooler days with red-shifted light over the past month have intensified resin production, and aromas are now at their most complex. Individual calyxes and trichomes are swollen with resin, and flowers are firm to the touch and super sticky.

Trichome inspection is the one skill that needs to be developed to properly identify mature cannabis. A jeweler’s loupe, magnifying glass, or microscope are invaluable tools when determining cannabis maturity.

Larger, sativa-dominant plants may keep maturing into the final weeks of fall. Especially those that are being harvested in stages, where the lowest buds can stay on the plant until winter is in the air. The colder weather brings out stunning “cool” colors in cannabis flowers.

AND AROUND WE GO

It will be winter soon, and the merry cannabis growing carousel continues to turn. The successful growing season has rendered plenty of cured, high-quality bud. Satisfied growers are settling in for winter again, and getting ripped while pondering next year’s growing season.

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

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: