The importance of quality botany or horticultural books in an industry shrouded in ‘Bro-science’ will hopefully provide you some relief.
Books that help you with plant care and books written under the guise of botany are generally the ones you want. There are some great reference manuals out there that will allow you to research on the spot and can give you a general guide towards any potential answers you are wanting.
The Botany of Hemp for example has already been done, sure science has advanced and a few things have changed but in most part it remains the same. Revisions to older scientific literature are commonly being released with the latest findings to amend older literature in the market. Keep your eye on the latest edition of any book you are looking at buying.
Generally speaking, books that ‘over-promise’ returns are red flags and usually should be avoided, for example; a book claims you 'can double or multiply your yield' simply by reading its contents, I can tell you its highly likely it will be rubbish, and nothing more than an amateur gardeners attempt at trying to teach you their technique and application.
Remember, every environment is different. I remember buying Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding book, after years of struggling to do it Arnold's way I realised one thing is more important than any growing trick or techniques, and that is genetics.
Here’s a list of great books to help you on your journey through horticulture whether indoors or out, all the information can be applied to any type of gardening practice.
I’ve written them in order of my personal preference:
- Marijuana Botany – Rob C Clarke
- Hemp Pests & Diseases – McPartland, Clarke, Watson
- Cannabis Evolution & Ethnobotany – Frank, Clarke
- Teaming with Nutrients – Jeff Lowenfells
- Teaming with Fungi – Jeff Lowenfells
- Hydroponics – Geoff Winterbourne
- Advanced Guide to Hydroponics – James Sholto Douglas
- Cannabis Encyclopedia – Jorge Cervantes
- Growing Marijuana Indoors – Ed Rosenthal
- Botany – Randy Moore, Clark, Stern
Over time the things you learn will build in your mind and form a compendium you can always draw from and most importantly rely on. Books and scientific literature are generally well reviewed and tested information that you can stand behind and rely on to educate yourself with, as the saying goes: "knowledge is power"
#growwithus
