The “Hardiness” of Marijuana
The “hardiness” of Marijuana
The summer of ’83 was a typical one by Southern California standards – hot, smoggy, and dry. In spite of this, my backyard was teeming with beautiful plant life. One fence was bordered with ivy, a fig tree hanging over the middle of it, a banana plant, short lemon tree, and Oleander nearby. Bordering the porch were marigolds, some sunflowers, a fence with Bougainvillea, and in the main yard corn, with two rows of Marijuana. By September, the hardiness of the Marijuana left it alone in the main growing area, surrounding dead or dying vegetation was destined for the compost pile.
Plant hardiness generally refers to a plant’s ability to withstand cold temperatures. In the case of Marijuana, there are several attributes of hardiness attached to this aggressive herb. Shaking off some cold temps, is not uncommon with Cannabis. Some Sativa and Indica strains have been known to mature, in spite of a few days of chilly weather at frost readings. A weed is classified as “an unwanted plant” in your garden. However, Marijuana, and some of the more common weeds that have invaded gardens past are survivors.
If Marijuana gets a head start on neighboring plants, Marijuana will win, especially the Sativa outdoor variety. Cannabis Sativa can be started as an accidentally dropped seed somewhere in your backyard. Without water, fertilizer, or cultivation, before you know it, there stands a huge plant at eye level. This aggressive weed, does not attract many pests, and once Marijuana has a foothold, large animals generally won’t bother it either.
Marijuana employs a “tap root system”, one in which the primary root grows down from the stem with some small secondary roots forming on it. A carrot, for example, is a tap root vegetable. The Cannabis tap root will seek water and nutrients deep below the topsoil, delving at whatever level is necessary for survival. A well grown Sativa would need a saw to get taken down. After the earth softened, and you pulled up the remaining root, you would discover an arm’s length tap root. This is the tenacity of Marijuana.
Marijuana will do all that it can to ensure its future in a location. This may also mean producing hermaphrodites. Plants having male and female sex parts are hermaphrodites. When a pot farmer is striving for a Sinsemilla (seedless) crop of Marijuana, he will pull or cut down males before their pollen sacs open. The remaining females are oozing with sticky resin (THC) in hopes of pulling in some male pollen. In the wild, this would end this Marijuana family. But alas, the female plant produces male sacs as well, and fertilizes herself! This is the utmost in nature’s uncanny ability to promote itself, as the hermaphrodite drops her fertile seeds to the ground while dying. After a dormant winter, those seeds will spring forth with a new Marijuana crop, and left un-checked, would over-run that yard.
In addition to the built in hardiness of Marijuana, there are the botanical efforts of agriculturists worldwide determined to make Super Weed a reality. Seed banks already have feminized (female only) strains, automatic (AK-47) flowering strains, and mixed percentage (Sativa/Indica) varieties. Recently in a remote part of Mexico, Militia combating Marijuana crops discovered a new hybrid of Cannabis. Named “Colombians”, this strain takes two months to mature, and may be planted at any time of the year. In addition, this “Colombians” strain is resistant to herbicide. To kill this plant, you must destroy it at root level. The man power to shift from raiding harvests in the fall, to perpetually year round- and Marijuana eradication manually, as opposed to spraying herbicide, will be closely monitored I’m sure by U.S. pot farmers who are best at growing American. The hardiness of Marijuana continues onward.
Joyce
Joyce supports the “Cannabis Culture” at http://www.cali9.com
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