Dutch Passion is the seed company behind the invention of feminized seeds, thanks to the intuition of Henk van Dalen, the company’s founder. Such an achievement has been possible because of the cultivation expertise that Henk gained over the decades. Based on that passion, the company has continued to improve their seeds with different genetics from around the world, producing exceptional results. With many years of experience behind them Dutch Passion have come up with 10 golden rules for every cannabis grower.
You shall have no others before your plants
It should go without saying, but a grower should be passionate and always take pride in every step of the process. This is the key point. Remember, many excited people got into the cannabis industry thinking they could make a quick buck - that cannabis was easy to grow. Many of them eventually got out of the industry when they realized how tough being a grower is. The truth is that they were in love with the product, but the process is what real growers are passionate about.
You shall trust cannabis science and research
Many legacy growers have been historically forced to grow illegally. Often, professional cultivation studies, qualified staff and research papers were in short supply. Now, with regulation and the stigma fading away, academic papers on cannabis cultivation have started popping up at an unprecedented rate. There were 1600 cannabis publications in 2015, in 2020 there were 2,300. That’s a clear sign of an upward trend in cannabis research.
You shall work with the best cannabis genetics
Growers should, of course, be extremely knowledgeable about cannabis, and how to best grow it. Yet you can be the best grower in the world, but you won’t be able to get good results from low quality cannabis seeds. The whole breeding scene can feel like a sort of wild west, but you can still find well-established and trustworthy companies whose genetics are guaranteed to be of high quality. “You can’t create the best strains by accident, explains Mahmoud Hanachi head of genetics at Dutch Passion Seed Company. "Starting with the finest quality foundation genetics is absolutely essential. Improving the quality and consistency through each generation is vital, especially when you’re supplying seeds to high profile commercial licensed growers.”
You shall not trespass the laws nor the trust put in you
The cannabis industry is still very much in its infancy, and an increasing number of countries are jumping onto this green wagon. However, no one is born knowing everything, and the experience of Canada and many states in the US have shown how regulations need to be updated or changed. Thus, it is imperative for every grower to stay up to date with regulations and to follow them strictly, always putting transparency and honesty at the very top of their priorities. Unfortunately, cannabis growers need to go the extra mile because of the stigma the plant has faced over the past century.
Harvest approaching at grow facility
You shall prevent any health or safety issues for your plants
Growing medical cannabis is about producing pure sustainable medicines out of biomass. This means that said medicines need to consistently provide the same effects and results – just like your average paracetamol, so to say. Because these medicines are made from plants, it is critical that these plants are grown in such a way that there is an almost insignificant variation between crop cycles. Microclimate variations, pests, oversight, and so forth, can all compromise the quality of the plant and eventually the revenue of a cannabis operation.
Jouke, Eric & Mahmoud from Dutch Passion getting ready to visit a grow facility
You shall test, test, test, and optimize your production
It is never tiring to stress the importance of data collection and data interpretation. The higher the quality, the higher a grower’s revenue will be. Collecting data during cycles allows growers to have a more thorough understanding of what works and what does not in their strategy. The goal is to always improve, and experiential learning and data collection are the way to achieve that. “If you’re serious about highly focused cannabis breeding, elite genetics, and high cannabinoid levels then there is no real alternative, according to Mahmoud Hanachi. You have to use all the tools available to be the best in the business. That includes lab testing, tissue culture labs, terpene profiling and other research tools.”
You shall invest in high quality cultivation equipment
The cannabis industry is making huge leaps forward in terms of technological advancements not only for itself, but for the horticulture industry as a whole. This is also because cannabis is a highly valuable crop, so it makes more sense to push the envelope to drive production and quality up. New technologies and innovations will keep coming at a relatively rapid pace, and new players might get an advantage of those over those using older technologies. That is why it is critical to invest in high quality equipment that would propel a cannabis operation to the highest standards. Expenses may be considerable in the short term, but they are definitely worth it for the business viability in the long run.
You shall grow organic for the best-quality products
Many cannabis producers are moving towards organic certifications for their crops, especially in the US. The organic label is recognized as increasingly valuable by consumers and may drive the price per pound up. There are many different ways to ensure that a cannabis cultivation is as organic as possible – for instance, one may carry out regenerative agriculture, or avoid the of use chemical pesticides and solely rely on beneficial insects. Bluntly put, quality is far more important than maximizing the yield if a grower wants to keep their clients happy and loyal.
You shall keep an eye on the market trends
Setting up a cannabis cultivation is a very intensive, time-consuming endeavor. By the time a grower gets through that and reaches their first harvest, the market might be subtly different from the time the facility construction started. That is why it is critical to come up with a business plan that looks at future trends and is able to hit the market running in the best way possible.
You shall remember sustainability breeds scalability
The cannabis industry is full of stories of companies getting bigger and expanding for the sake of expanding. But, as an old saying goes, the harder they come, the harder they fall. The scaling of a business will only be successful if the operational foundations are sustainable.
For more information:
Dutch Passion
Hoogoorddreef 133
1101BB Amsterdam
0031 (0)20 567 39 00
sales@dutch-passion.com
dutch-passion.com