In our previous installation, we explored unique consumer-end products at this year’s Seattle Cannacon, and now we’re back to take a look at the standout products for cannabis growers. Much of the convention is geared toward large-scale growing and processing, but after enough exploration, I found a number of companies that are producing tools that benefit gardens both large and small.
Natural Enemies Pest Management
Founded by Shane Young in 2014, Natural Enemies is a company that helps growers transition from chemical to biological control of their garden. To do this, Natural Enemies sells predatory mites, insects, and nematodes that can be released into your garden to prevent or manage outbreaks of unwanted pests.
The goal of using mites, insects, and nematodes is to completely replace the need for pesticides and establish a healthy environment where you let nature do the work for you. This keeps your garden healthy and happy without having to worry about outbreaks or chemical contamination of your buds or grow space. Pest management with biological control has been used in agriculture and cultivation for decades, and its application in the cannabis industry is a welcome alternative to chemical pesticides.
Soil Test Kit from Soil Savvy
Designed by Unibest, this easy-to-use soil test kit is perfect for home growers. When amending your soil, the first step should be to find out the contents of your soil. From here, you can determine what amendments you need to add to ensure your soil is ready for the growing season ahead. A common problem when looking at soil quality is whether or not the nutrients in the soil are truly available to the plant’s roots. Soil Savvy remedies this by introducing a synthetic root system which allows the soil sample to be tested for nutrients that are actually available to the root system.
Once your sample has been taken, simply mail that sample in and wait 7-10 days for the results. You’ll be provided readings for 14 different nutrients as well as recommendations for synthetic or organic NPK fertilizers for your soil.
Volcano Brewer from Synergy Agricultural Products
Designed by Synergy Agricultural Products, the Volcano Brewer is a compost tea brewing machine. Tea brewing helps to introduce nutrients, fungal colonies, and beneficial bacteria to your soil or foliar spray. Many growers find that tea brewing is a simple way to strengthen their plants’ immune systems and help create more available nutrients in their soil food webs.
Ranging in size from 30 to 2,610 gallons, Volcanoes are designed to efficiently introduce air and circulation into your tea while also allowing for easy application. With its cone-shaped base, sediments are directed towards the center of the volcano where air is introduced, moving the sediments up to the surface and towards the exterior. This circular movement continually introduces air into the water, helping to increase the development of microorganisms in your tea.
Wormganic Worm Castings
Produced in Tennessee, Silver Bait’s Wormganic worm castings is a great product for growers looking to give their garden a boost.
Worm castings, which are the byproduct of growing worms, offer the following benefits:
- Provide a range of nutrients including slow-releasing nitrogen
- Act as a pH buffer
- Help keep soil from compacting
- Introduce beneficial bacteria and microbes
A family-run and vertically integrated business, Wormganic is involved at every stage of the process. They started out in the early 90s growing worms for fishing, but have since expanded their product catalog.
Grassroots Fabric Pots
Fabric pots have been around for decades, initially used for nurseries to grow trees and other large plants. They have since been adopted by cannabis farmers for their drainage capabilities, root breathability, and ability to be reused and transported.
A well-built, multi-season pot is a necessity when trying to cut down on growing costs. Grassroots offers a quality pot at a good price that falls below many of its competitors. They offer all sizes of pots (3 to 600 gallons) in addition to raised beds and transplant pots.
Lead image: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
