this technique is for free, just like my tables and beds. so learn well and pay it forward. enjoy.
The med-man method and the law of 4
A practical guide to growing the best cannabis
Introduction-
For the longest time ive grown less then 1 plant per square foot.. and when growing bigger plants with less numbers, it becomes very obvious very fast that if even 1 plant does not reach its full potential, the loss in yield and wasted electricity amongst everything else really makes an impact.
Optimal yields and quality are achieved in every garden by uniformity. The best way to achieving uniformity is by cognizant preparation which in the long run equals prevention.
That is where the med-man method and the law of 4 to me became a practice birthed by necessity more then anything else.
Using natures law, survival of the fittest, and good stress techiniques (GST) will allow you to achieve the most yield of the highest quality for the least amount of labor and overhead/investment. Remember that prevention, protection and insurance are all gates to achieving the most crops per year with as little waste and loss as possible
I noticed early in my growing career that there was always 1/4 of the plants that had the most vigor, yield and resistance to stress like drought, heat, parasites, bugs, mold mildew etc etc. this law proves true with seeds and clones the same. With that being said lets start the show.
Any of the optimal conditions I give will still be superior at the end of every year for return and quality from your garden. I just respect the fact every grower has their own personal abilities/resources, and I like to try to keep that in mind. As ive had to do all of the 4 at 1 stage of my growing career. In 100 light grows my methods have increased yields by 100%. And increased quality by an average of 25%. So the average difference between the most optimal and least optimal averages about 15-20% once numbers are crunched, labor is done and yield is tallied. So if you are new to th medman method, and con only use the least optimal method, it can still increase you productivity immensely, and from one optimal condition to another we are talking smaller percentages. Its just best overall to control every aspect of your grow. To avoid relying on others that have a potential to not only hold you back from optimal crops per year but also giving your grow space b ugs parasites and other problems. Avoiding/preventing problems will save you so much money, time, headaches and heartaches.
decreased work , cost, waste, increased yield, quality and bag appeal
Med-man method and the law of 4 step 1- mother plants – moms aree the most important phase of the med-man method. Keeping your own mothers allows you to keep a clean clone stock, makes you self sufficient and gives you complete control and power over you schedules and cloning numbers. Making the time and space to cultivate your own mothers far outways relying on other with potential grow room threats like disease and bugs and having to actually pay for them.
The most optimal conditions – start f-1
hybrid seeds, choose a mother for production and start c-1 clones from her. F-1
hybrid vigor will give you faster growing mothers, faster rooting clones, less veg time, less flowering time and bigger more potent yields. Something special happens when 2 stable kinds are mixed. Take advantage of nature if you can. Keep 4 x as many mothers as you would usually
Optimal conditions – you want mothers from c-1 generation. Which means you start plants from seed, find a “keeper” mom for clone production. This plant will be your own “elite” clone only strain. Take at least 16 clones off her to start c-1 moms (that’s first generation clones from seeded mother) Keep 4x more moms then you need. So if you usually keep 1, then keep 4 etc etc.
Semi optimal conditions – find a strain you really like from a clone producer. Clone factories usually always have amazing kinds. They wouldn’t sell if they didn’t. they can be found through friends, grow stores, dispensaries etc. just find what you like the most. Kepp 4x as many moms as you usually keep.
Least optimal conditions – if you cant keep a mother plants, and can only buy clones, that’s totally fine. Itwill just hurt your pocket book a little more then needed. And in the long run still be not a wasted investment. Buy 4x as many clones as you will need.
Med-man method and the law of 4 step 2 – taking clones - taking 4x more clones then needed allows you to eventually isolate the top 25% that nature gives the most vigor and stress resistance to. You want to start this process 4 weeks before harvest of your next crop to get the biggest best specimens rooted and prevegged and selected so there is no down time. While a crew is harvesting, another one is cleaning and replanting. Make sure the clones are rooting in 1 holed prop tray within a solid one for easy irrigation.
Most optimal conditions – from your f-1
hybrid, c-1 generation mothers. Take at least 4x as many clones as you will eventually need in your production space. (bonus clone section “med-man method cloning” for help or tips). Use rockwool rooting plugs as the best rooting medium. Its clean, cheap and efficient, and fresh cuttings love rooting in it.
Optimal conditions – from your c-1 keeper moms, take at leats 4x as many clones as you will need in you final production site. Use rockwool plugs as directed.
Semi optimal conditions – from your elite clone only moms, take 4x as many clones as you will need in the production site. Use whatever medium you are used to or fell comfortable with.
Least optimal conditions – buy 4x as many clones as you will need as you get them , try your best to know the provider, and fully dunk them all in insecticide/fungicide every 7 days for 4 weeks to prevent infestations and or outbreaks. Preveg your new babies in 3 inch rockwool cubes. Pack them 21 per prop flat. Make sure you have 1 prop flat with holes in another solid prop flat for easy and even irrigation/feeding.
Med-man method and the law of 4 step 3 – culling clones – the clones that root first and start vegging ahead of the pack are the specimens you will desire the most to make the final cut. Prevegging for a week or 2 tightly packed will force them to compete with eachother. Bringing out the top of the class. The ones you want flowering in the production room. Plus it allows you to keep vegging the other ones as back ups to fill the spaces of any top 25% that get stressed or don’t take well. So no down time
Most optimal conditions – out of the 4x or more cuttings, isolate the best 50% that have rooted/started to grow and plug them into 3 inch rockwool cubes. Pack them 21 per prop flat. Make sure to use a holed prop flat with a solid one for easy irrigation.
Optimal conditions – out of as many cuts that you could take, keep the best ones that root first and started already growing. Plug them into the medium of your choice, pack them as tight as possible. Preveg for at least 2 weeks.
Semi optimal conditions – if only as many as you need rooted, plug them into your desired medium to preveg for at least 2 weeks. Poack them tight so they compete with eachother. Give them space when they start to grow, putting the smallest under the brightest light, and the tallest around the perimeter so the equalize by the time they need to be plants.
Least optimal conditions - make sure all the clones you bought are cleaned regularly for bugs and pests. Once they start to root in the 3 inch cubes, isolate the first 50% that start to grow. Keep the rest as back ups for friends or resale to recoup some money. Or plant them outside or at another site? Or toss them. Its really subject to the individual.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 4 – culling plants
Most optimal conditions – out of the 50% from the last step have prevegged, choose the best 50% of these. Select for vigor, size and root mass. Save the rest for back ups/resale/garbage/planting elsewhere
Optimal conditions – same as above
Semi optimal conditions – choose the best of your prevegged stock for production. Save what you can as back up.
Least optimal conditions – follow most optimal condition
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 5 – med-man messages – i developed med-man messages when I first started growing. I never agreed fully fully “super cropping” and breaking branches. But I did agree with bending and twisting, which ultimately means immune activation. My messages evolved into all my good shock therapy aka good stress techniques (GST). Some have already been used, others are all my practices. GST will increase stock, stem, branch, leaf size and vigor as to aid in nutrient and sugar transfer between the plant and its root system. As well as increased immunity from disease and parasites. Growth rates increase as well as the fact that the thicker the stem, the more flow of need nutrients, the bigger the buds and the more weight they can hold.All beneficial aspects of GSTs.
Now I start the messages with mothers. as the first 50% of clones start rooting and growing (step 3). If I have to buy my clones then it starts the day I get them. Which is the same timing.. Depending on stage of life will dictate how the messages are executed
Mothers – moms can handle aggressive messaging and man handling lol. You can twist and bend the whole plant at once, or each stem individually. Nice strong thick immune activated brach tips equals strong, fast rooting clones, with 95% or higher survival rates.
Clones – gently, with an open palm, stroke/rub the tops of the lil babies. Twisting and bending can be done but be careful. Babies are very small and vulnerable to breaking/snapping and even dieing if the messages are too strong. You don’t have to start med-man messages at this stage. As long as you are soft and gentle they will be fine.
Preveggers – follow the same method as the clone messages. If you can start twisting and bending the branches. As the plants get bigger they get stronger and can handle more GST. A gentle canopy stroking and soft stem twisting is all they will really need.
The chosen ones – once the top 25% of the plants make it to the production space. Vigorous twisting and bending of the main stock, individual stems and shoots and the whole plants can commence. Plants will at least double in girth and vigor every week at this stage with these messages. Once plants get really thick and strong, be careful to not brake or snap any branches. It is negative at this point, and will slow growth. Repeat 2x a day while vegging and 1x per day for the first 2-3 weeks of flowering subject to strain and their flowering times. Once shock
pruning is done, stop the med-man messages. After this point it will hinder flower production.
Shock flushing (for med-man tables or other hydro systems only) – make sure that for ever week you flush for 48 hours not just 24 hours. This is standard practice from veg to harvest in water cultures……
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 6 – shock topping – once the plants have 8 nodes/branches. Cut the growing tip. This forces the plants energy equally into every branch. Withing 3-5 days the plants will look crazy thick and robust.
Most optimal conditions – pinch growing tip with 8 branches/nodes per plant.
Optimal conditions - pinch growing tip with 6-8 branches/nodes per plant.
Semi optimal conditions – pinch growing top with 4-6 branches/nodes per plant.
Least optimal conditions - pinch growing tip with 4 branches/node per plant.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 7 – shock flowering – shock flowering is just one of the GSTs used in the med-man method. It allows a mojor build up of flowering
hormone to jump start the budding cycle.
Most optimal conditions – give the plants 36 hours of darkness to kick off the bud cycle.
Optimal conditions – give plants up to 36 hours of darkness to kick off the bud cycle.
Semi optimal conditions – give plants 24 hours of darkness to kick off the bud cycle.
Least optimal conditions - give plants the standard 12 hours darkness to kick off the bud cycle.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 8 – shock
pruning - shock
pruning makes for the biggest most dense nugs that have no leaf to trim and no pop corn to deal with once harvest comes around. Plants can stretch 200% by the time they ripen. This method increased light and air flow whilst eliminating work and increasing weight and quality. Text book med-man method. This happens at weeks 2-3 of the bud cycle. Subject to strain.. the plants should look naked and almost sick when done properly.
Most optimal conditions – keep the best 4 out of the 8 branches. Strip off all but 4 nodes at the tops of each branch
Optimal conditions - keep the best 4 of the 6-8 branches. Strip off all but the top 4 leaf
Nodes.
Semi optimal conditions – keep the best 4 of 6 branches. Strip off all but the top 4 leafs/nodes.
Least optimal conditions - with the 4 branches, strip off all but the top 4 leafs/nodes.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 9 – screen of green – the screen will allow more even and intense light and air flow to the canopy. Making co2 more ambient to all relevant parts of the plants. It allows sideways training in the onset of flowering and will support the heavy dense colas once ripening occurs. It prevents diseases and mold as well as bugs and pests. Plus it allows more growing space to be utilized. If you are growing with vertical lighting. Use farm fence or tomato cages to train and bend the branches sideways. Training also allows for every bud to have its own area to grow eqauly uniform buds, making the bag appeal unmatched, and trimming a snap.
There is no more or less optimal when training plants sidways. This is one of the biggest ticks with med-man brand bud and the med-man method.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 10 – defoliage shock – once plants have 14-10 days left to harvest, remove the bottom 2/3 of all the leafs. And all yellowing and dieing leafs as well in the upper canopy. This opens up more air flow and light to the ripening buds at the bottom of the canopy. The shock from this will increase resin production and aroma. As well as make trimming easier in the weeks to come. Bud rot prevention and increase in yield, quality and aroma. Make sure to not remove the top leafs still green and healthy. It will hinder your yield and quality.
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 11 – shock flowering – shocking flowering is my GST that increases yield, aroma,tatse and quality, for virtually nothing.
Most optimal conditions - for the last 3-7 days, give plants total darkness, and non-stop ice water with a water chiller, as cold as possible
Optimal conditions – for the last 3-5 days, give plants total darkness and the coldest water for as long as possible
Semi optimal conditions - for the last 3-5 days, give plants total darkness and 1 solid dose of the coldest water possible
Least optimal conditions – for the last 3 days give total darkness and 1 solid daose of the coldest water possible
Med-man method step and the law of 4 step 12 – cropping – just like prepping and growing plants to fruition, harvesting is the same. If everything was under optimal conditions, each plant should have 4 perfect branches packed with huge dense colas.
String a strong line or find an empty closet, or anywhere you can hang clothes hangers. Cut every branch as needed , make sure to cut it from the main stalk , as it will act as a hook to hang from the hanger.
Now, the lower part of the branch that was pruned at week 2-3 acts as a nice handle to hold, so that none of the buds or precious
thc has to be touched. Its so key to leave all the
thc in tact.
Remove all the big fan leafs by hand. They will snap off nicely at the main stalk. All the other smaller leafs should be so coated in trichomes that only the tips need to be trimmed off. I do all my trimming over kiddie pools. To catch any resin that falls/breaks off during harvesting. It also makes clean up a snap and a great place to dry the trim for oil and hash making or cooking etc. plus you may be lucky enough to catch random seeds that me develop.
Hang as many cleaned branches per clothes line as possible. Make sure proper air flow and humidity are optimal for the drying buds. Check my med-man method grow guide for further details.
Once buds feel hard to the touch, just wrap garbage bags around as many hangers of bud as possible and tie tightly at the hook. This prevents and extreme handling of the colas, and keeps as much glandular trichomes in tact without breaking and or degrading. Leave bags on for 24 hours per sweat. And re apply once buds feel hard to the touch again. Reapeat until buds are hard when garbage bags are removed. Shaking, banging or disruption of the colas will result in loss of
thc. Which equates to less yield, smell and taste.
Just remember. The longer the dry, the better. And the more sweats the better. Its commonly accepted that afghanicas and inidcas do best at leat 6 months cure, and sativa types with at least 12 months cure. To get the best from them.
****bonus material****
Med-man method cloning – make sure to use a holed prop tray in a solid prop tray for easy and efficient irrigation. . Keeping the medium warm by having heat mats or warm lights mounted underneath will significantly increase survival rates, decrease rooting times and lesson transplant shock. Too wet mediums and no fresh air kill clones very fast. Its so important to have a lot of fresh air and a spoungy medium to get clones to root in 5-10 days. Even with fresh air a soggy medium will kill, stunt or delay rooting significantly.
Step 1 – take all the nice strong top and side clones. Don’t take any lanky lower clones that old weird growers claim root best. They shouldn’t even be there, as you should only have leads where the most intense light is (2 feet of canopy at most) cut at 45 degree angle with at least 4 nodes (leafs). Dip in your favorite gel or powder or soak in your fave
hormone. Then stick immediately into pre treated rockwool cubes, o r the medium of your choice.
Step 2 - cover full tray with a dome that has adjustable vents. Blow a nice deep breathe into each window and seal 100% for 24 hours
Step 3 – day 2 – fan babies with dome and breath into 2x . Leaving 1 vent fully open.
Step 4 – day 3 – fan babies with dome and breathe into 2x . leaving 2 vents fully open.
Step 5 – day 4 – fan babies with dome, then leave off for 15 minutes, then breathe into dome 2x
Step 6 – day 5 – fan babies then leave dome off until wilting occurs or leave totally off until roots show or growth starts.
Step 7 – I usually need to feed every 7 days. When feeding, use h202 @ 1.6 ml/Liter and make sure only the bottom ½ of the cubes/ you medium of choice gets wet. This is achieved by lifting out the holed prop tray filling the bottom one with solution, and evenly dropping the holed prop tray into it. Depending on how many clones and what medium you use will dictate how much solution to use.
med-man
