However, growing plants from seed has a major risk involved. The desired cannabis flowers are female, but a seed can be male or female. If a mature male cannabis plant blooms in a female cannabis garden, it can pollinate the room and destroy the entire crop. Pollinating a female cannabis garden causes seeds to form in the female flowers and will lower the overall potency and quality of the marijuana buds.

I have been studying how to determine the sex of a cannabis plant prior to blooming it. This is extremely important because it can save a lot of time, space, money, and resources. My goal has been to determine the sex of my cannabis plants while they are still in one gallon pots versus five gallon pots. This would save soil, pots, and nutrients. It would also save time from having to water, manicure, and transplant a plant that will ultimately be destroyed.

I have spent hours analyzing the preflowers of my cannabis plants at The Mountain Orchid facility. Fortunately, I have been able to determine the difference between the male and female cannabis plants while they are still in one gallon pots! Below is a picture of a male preflower. The hanging bells will continue to grow in a grape-like formation until they bloom and pollinate. As soon as I determine a male cannabis plant, I remove it from my garden to be safe.

The ratio of male to female cannabis plants with my first round of seeds has been around 40/60 (male/female). I will continue to remain diligent with all plants while I bloom them to ensure that no males slipped through the cracks, but I feel confident in my sex determinations. The picture below is a cannabis female preflower.

The two white, wispy hairs are pistils emerging from the calyx. This is a sure sign that the cannabis plant is a female. Once I see the confirmed pistils on a female plant, I transplant it into a five gallon pot and prepare to bloom it!

Cecelia is an amazing journalist and has been involved with the booming cannabis industry in Colorado since the very beginning! She is also an incredibly good friend and has watched me progress as a cannabis grower over the past decade. When she reached out and asked to interview me for an article for Everythingbuttheplant.com, I was honored and ecstatic!!

It was a wonderful interview. I had a great time discussing the topics she covered. As you will see in the article, she focuses on the key components of growing cannabis. She gets in depth about the plant mediums, facility size/location, genetics, equipment, nutrients, watering methods, and then adds a few original bonus ideas at the end. The article is super informative and offers multiple different views on each subject.

Not only did I enjoy sharing my thoughts, but I loved reading the other growers’ input as well. There are many ways to grow cannabis successfully, so the research never stops! Cecelia interviewed the grower from Freeworld Genetics as well. They are a one of the three companies to supply our first cannabis seeds. I have really enjoyed working with them and their seeds have been noticeably stronger than some of the others from the start.

Cecelia has had her finger on the cannabis pulse from the start. She spent 10 years in the marijuana industry while moonlighting as a journalist. Now she writes about cannabis and wellness full-time at Heavy.com. Her publications and social media account share a large amount of useful information regarding cannabis plants, the industry, CBD products, various companies, specials, sales, etc…

Not only will Cecelia blow you away with her knowledge, but you will fall in love with her while she does it! If you want the most up to date, researched information regarding cannabis and cannabis products, I highly recommend following her on Instagram (@ceceliamayusetoomanywords). She will make you laugh while you learn!

It was special getting to christen the facility while Anthony’s mother, Sandy, was in town. It was a beautiful day in the mountains, and we were all smiles as we peered ahead into The Mountain Orchid’s bright future. I am so excited to grow in this pristine cultivation facility!

 It was a big day for The Mountain Orchid Family! I began germinating the cannabis seeds by placing them on wet paper towels between plates. It is important to ensure that they stay dark, moist, and warm.

It takes a couple days for the radicle to emerge from the seed. The radicle is the tip of the plant’s tap root. Once the seed has germinated, I place them in moist root starters under T-5 lights. Now the seedlings are ready to grow!

It is magical watching the tiny cannabis seedlings sprout. The sprout extends out of the root starters and sheds its seed covering. Then the cotyledon begin to unfold. The cotyledon are the first two leaves in the sprout. The cannabis seedlings turn to soak up the light.

Once the roots are established in the root starters, I move the seedlings to soil. The soil provides security, stability, and the necessary nutrients for the seedlings to flourish. It is amazing watching these precious sprouts absorb the elements from the soil. As the plant develops, the leaves become vibrant and beautiful!

Growing plants over the years has taught me the importance of a keeping a well-balanced diet for myself. When my diet provides all the nutrients and minerals necessary to maintain healthy life processes, I feel I am glowing bright like my healthy plants. However, if I am not eating healthy, my body feels dull and run down. Therefore, I believe it is important to concentrate on a healthy diet for both my plants and I, so we can continue to shine.

I have germinated four different strains so far. I started with The Farm’s Mountain Thunder strain. Mountain Thunder is a sativa dominate hybrid. It is a cross between, MadCow BX and Sour Bubble. I had a 95% germination rate on these seeds. Next, I moved on to The Freeworld Genetic’s Orange Cookie Chem seeds. This strain is a cross between Orange Cookies Kush x FreeWorld Chem. These seeds germinated 100% and all seedlings are consistently great!

My third strain to pop was The Colorado Seed Inc’s Doobiebird Daydream. Doobiebird Daydream is a cross between Blue Dream and Gupta Kush. These seeds also had a 100% germination rate. Doobiebird Daydream is sativa heavy hybrid with a 60/40 ratio of sativa/indica.

Currently, I have our fourth strain, Strawberry Blonde from The Farm, in root starters. Their sprouts are starting to emerge as we speak. Strawberry Blonde is Super Lemon Haze x Sour Strawberry. These seeds had a 97% germination rate. I felt is was best to compare seeds from three different Colorado State licensed seed companies. All three companies have been wonderful to work with. I look forward to seeing how the genetics compare.

It feels good to have happy plants in The Mountain Orchid cannabis cultivation facility.

Since our cultivation facility’s elevation is above 10,500’ and most other state licensed facilities are much lower, we are concerned about clones experiencing transportation and altitude stress when traveling between gardens. By beginning from seed, we eliminate that concern. 

Many of the growing processes can be rushed, however we believe in the importance of patience and allowing the plant to determine the timeline. Even though it takes the plant much longer to reach maturity when started from seed, we think that you will notice the difference in our final boutique buds.

We received these beautiful seeds from Colorado Seed Inc, The Farm, and Freeworld Genetics. I have really enjoyed working with all three companies and look forward to growing their genetics.

We feel blessed to have a new business in the Colorado marijuana industry. Throughout my networking, the entire industry has really impressed me. There seems to be a resounding theme of open mindedness, positivity, professionalism, and diligence with all employees and companies that I have had the pleasure to work with. We look forward to deepening these relationships as we grow as a business. Stay tuned as we pop these new seed strains on Monday 4/20/2020 at 4:20pm! The countdown is on!

We talk to our plants while we hand water and hand manicure each one individually. We give our plants endless love and attention so they can feel our presence. We coordinate the plant processes with the Lunar Cycle to utilize the gravitational pull that the Moon, Sun, and Planets provide. We apply the metaphysical properties of various Energetic Crystals by placing them throughout the garden, and most importantly we strongly incorporate music into the plants’ lives. 

The Mountain Orchid opened their doors on 4/20/2020. Later that year, our great buddy and musician, Keller Williams, surprised our team while they were tending to the garden with a 2-hour private concert in the bloom room! It was AMAZING to say the least. Out of gratitude, we asked Keller to name this particular harvest batch. He coined it “LOVESONG.” We decided to stick with this theme and dedicate each individual harvest batch to a different professional musician friend and have them give it a unique name. It has been such a wonderful way to differentiate between the various rounds, similar to wine vintages.

The next round, we played Chris Pandolfi’s then outcoming solo album, Trancebanjo, on repeat throughout the entire Cannabis bloom cycle. He named his round after one of the album tracks, “FLAGSHIP.” We have continued to invite harvest hosts to name a harvest round and have numerous incredible names today. Every name makes me smile and is completely one of a kind!

Many of the harvest hosts have had the opportunity to come play their music in the garden and take photos. We stream the musician’s tunes throughout the blooming cycle so that the buds of each round are completely infused with that particular musician’s beats and sounds. We believe music penetrates the plants aura and incorporates in the growth of each plant. It has been an awesome musical gardening experiment. At minimum, the gardeners enjoy dancing around to each host’s soundtracks!

Here are The Mountain Orchid’s musician Harvest Hosts and the titles they shared with their Harvest Batches:

• Keller Williams ~ LOVESONG
• Chris Pandolfi (Infamous Stringdusters) ~ FLAGSHIP
• Andy and Cecelia Thorn (Leftover Salmon) ~ BEAR JERR’S BLEND
• Andy Hall (Infamous Stringdusters) ~ AMBIENCE
• Dave Watts (The Motet) ~ KATHARSIS
• Mark Levy (Circles around the Sun) ~ SMILES AROUND THE SUN
• Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass) ~ LA BUENA VIDA

• Larry Keel (Larry Keel Experience/Keller and the Keels) ~ LIVING PEACE
• Jeremy Garret (Infamous Stringdusters) ~ ORACLE
• Maddy O’Neal (Producer/DJ) *First Female Harvest Host ~ AFTERGLOW
• Andy Hall (Infamous Stringdusters) ~ AMBIENCE
• Lyle Divinsky (Solo/Formerly the Motet)~ INNERVISIONS
• Kyle Tuttle (Molly Tuttle and Golden Hwy/Solo ~ FIVE WIRE FIRE

Our facility has speakers in every room. While the plants are in the vegetative state, we play Sanskrit Chants from the practice of Ayurveda that sing to the plants and vibrate their cells to encourage lively growth. We meditate and practice yoga around the plants to create a positive, intentional, relaxed atmosphere for them to flourish. 

Our plants live in the highest incorporated Town in the Country and have access to rare, unique elements. We believe this attention to extra detail causes our plants to live happy, stress-free lives and therefore transmit positive energy when consumed by the appreciator. We are grateful for the benefits provided by the Cannabis plant and treat it with the utmost respect.

What Makes us Unique

• Hands-on ALL the time (Hand Water, Trim, Manicure all plants and products)
• Small batch, high-end, boutique
• Quality not quantity
• Start strains from seed
• Unique musician harvest names
• Consistent music provided for plants, creating “music-infused buds”
• Top of the line grow nutrients only
• One of the highest altitude state-of-the-art cultivation facilities in the US
• Pure mountain spring water
• Clean mountain air quality
• Incorporate Lunar cycle
• Utilize ancient Sanskrit chants to promote growth
• Include Crystal Energies
• No pesticides
• No water treatment
• No sludge farming
• No air conditioners
• No transport stress

• Air: The breath of all living organisms – a perpetual symbiotic balance between plants and animals. 
• Water: The unifier of all living beings – the essential elixir of life perfectly pure and balanced to ensure quality of life and growth.
• Earth: Our home, our shelter, the host to all living things – offering form, structure and support to all that exists while incubating the delicate balance of living organisms.
• Fire: The catalyst of existence.  Without heat and light, photosynthetic development would not happen, and life would not exist.
• Ether: The untouchable, invisible energy that connects all living beings. 

Air

The Mountain Orchid production facility is nestled in the mountains at 10,400 ft and surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest. The brisk mountain air used to ventilate our grow space is treated with nothing but the surrounding aspen and spruce trees.

The lower median temperatures in Montezuma provide natural pest protection and completely eliminate the need for air conditioners, ensuring the purest air quality possible. Maintaining the correct level of Carbon Dioxide in the grow environment is crucial to a plant’s development. The Mountain Orchid production facility has a constantly regulated and tested supply of CO2 to ensure the perfect air quality at all times.

Water

Montezuma is blessed with access to its own high mountain aquifer providing the cleanest natural water available for horticultural application. In addition to the aquifer, we’ve developed a balanced mineral diet based on a specific mixture with water collected from the river running directly adjacent to the facility, Morgan Creek. The perfectly balanced pH and mineral levels provide the foundations for our plants stress-free lives and overall success. The water is never treated with chemicals and is tested for quality daily.

Earth

The Mountain Orchid has chosen to grow our plants in the highest quality, cleanest coco coir available. We like to ground and stabilize our plant’s root systems. The coco provides the structure for infantile plants to begin growing and for growing plants to continue to flourish.

The coco’s water retentive properties make it an unbeatable precedent for growing mediums across the board and allows us to provide a consistent nutrient diet for our plants eliminating any concerns of deficiency, overfeeding, or stress. We have found that the coco also properly aerates the plants’ roots providing optimal opportunity for growth that directly improves the plants’ overall health.

Fire

Just like the rest of the elements, without fire/light life could not exist.  Fire/light energy has opened technological doors for the human race like no other element has. Harnessing the power of electricity to replicate solar energy, we have developed the ability to mimic the sun. The intricately designed lighting system utilized at our facility is a one of a kind labor of passion and ingenuity.

We have ensured that each and every plant receives the exact same amount and intensity of light at all times. Carefully calculated statistics were projected for the future of the facility and the light/heat demands necessary for the entirety of the process. We use interchangeable bulbs and light intensities to represent the shifting seasons and ensure a natural growth cycle for the plants.

Ether

We are convinced there is more to life than just what we can see and touch.  Ether is believed to permeate all space. Plants are living organisms that are sensitive to touch, space, sound, and energy.  There is much more involved in raising a healthy plant than just soil, water, and light.

We focus on all aspects of growth including the Lunar Cycle, Crystal Energy, Astrology, Ayurvedic Chants, and Positive Vibrations.  We connect with our plants on multiple levels, and we strive to create the perfect energetic atmosphere to promote optimal plant growth.

In this high alpine community, we are located above 10,400’, which allows us to have access to the purest water and highest air quality. The laid back, mountain-style environment is apparent in our stress-free Cannabis plants.

The Mountain Orchid’s premier, one of a kind, cultivation facility is held to medical grade standards of environmental regulation. Our plants are supported by custom designed aircraft grade aluminum tables and lit by state-of-the-art dynamic lighting racks which hang 40 HPS bulbs at an adjustable distance from the crop to ensure maximum light exposure at all times.

Each room has strict thermal and air quality regulation with the ventilation capability to exchange the entire building’s volume of air within minutes.

In order to produce Mountain Orchid quality Buds, we began our entire grow from seed and conducted an extensive phenotype hunt of each strain. We started our plants from seed in order to maintain strong unique genetics and to have the opportunity to choose our preferred phenotypes. Starting from seed also allows us to prevent pest contamination from other gardens and eliminate plant transportation stress as well.

We pop around 50 seeds of each strain at the same time. I observe each individual plant throughout multiple cycles until I locate my absolute favorite. I use a strict criterion when sorting through the different characteristics. I let my nose lead me. If the phenotype doesn’t have an intoxicatingly strong aroma, it does not advance to the next round. I also consider appearance (color), bud structure, taste, effect, potency, yield, and overall plant health when selecting our preferred phenotypes.

I am amazed every time at how different the various phenotypes can be within the same strain. One will be purple and then next one bright green, one will have dense thick nugs and the other is thin, one will smell like berries and the other is dank. It makes narrowing down a batch of 50 into the top 3 phenotypes extremely difficult!

However, once we designate our prize phenotype, it will be one of a kind to The Mountain Orchid. We don’t sell our clones so no other grow will have our exact chosen genetics with the rare characteristics that we believe make it so special. We hope you enjoy our well-thought out selections as much as we do!

We provide extended flushing at the end of the bloom cycle to ensure that our plants are thoroughly flushed clear of all nutrients. We believe in taking our time to properly cure the final product as well. Properly curing increases the flavor and provides a smooth inhalation. For a plant to produce its optimum flowers, it needs to live a stress-free life with access to all the necessary components for premium growth. We are committed to providing our Cannabis plants these necessary ingredients to excel!

Marijuana Infused Product- Budder

After the plants have completed their blooming phase, they are harvested. During harvest, the Marijuana buds are hand manicured. The leaves that are trimmed off the buds go through the same curing process as the flowers themselves. The THC, the trichomes on the trim leaves, are extracted and concentrated under high pressure at -42 degrees Fahrenheit. We use a medical/food grade gas Chlorofluorocarbon-N. Through our extensive and detailed process, we capture all gas during the process assuring a one of a kind, clean, flavorful, extremely potent product called ”Budder”.

Where to Buy

We package and deliver all our products in vacuum sealed bags to ensure the highest quality when you purchase from one of our dispensary partners.

Mountain Annie’s ~ 970-626-4099
157 US-550 ~ Ridgeway, CO 81432
www.mountainanniescannabis.com

Other Outlets: Durango, Silverton, & Cortez

Alpenglow Dispensary ~ 907-468-0343
765 West Anemone Trail ~ Dillon, CO 80435
www.thedispensary.com

Other Outlets: Breckenridge & Littleton

Outlets: Naturita, Dinosaur, Fraser, Georgetown, Ridgway, Paonia Purple, & Craig

Stay Tuned for More Product Locations…

He custom built a light rack that is able to move within a ten-foot range at a touch of a button. This allows the ability to maintain the proper distance between the lights and the plants at all phases of growth. We believe in letting our plants reach maturity before blooming them. Therefore, it is extremely important to have the ability to adjust our light rack so that the lights are not too close to our full grown plants.

After programming the lights to turn on and off in a staggered formation, recreating a similar effect to the sun rising and setting, we illuminated the room for the first time! It was an overly exciting moment for The Mountain Orchid family to see years of labor literally light up!

We will be growing with doubled ended 1000 W HPS bulbs.  Double-ended HPS bulbs are more stable than traditional, single-ended HPS bulbs. Not only do double-ended HPS bulbs emit more UV and IR light than traditional bulbs, they also have a 10 percent increase in light intensity.

Anthony constructed the facility to have very high ceilings in order to better control the garden’s atmosphere. Double ended HPS bulbs conduct a good amount of heat. The high ceiling allows space for the heat to rise, and the top-of-the-line ventilation system completely exchanges the air in the room within minutes. The high ceilings along with the brisk mountain air, also eliminate the need for air conditioners in the facility. Mother Nature cools our garden down for us.

We are beyond excited to cultivate cannabis in this amazing facility! Anthony, thanks for your amazing vision and hard work to create the perfect grow space!

The Mountain Orchid’s director of cultivation has had over a decade of experience in growing Cannabis plants and a lifetime of experience in other plant growth.  Lesley has dedicated her career to perfecting the cultivation of Cannabis.  Her love for horticulture was instilled at a young age by her mother. During her childhood, she was raised with a greenhouse full of Orchids and other blooming plants, where she was taught how to interpret a plant’s needs and how to provide the proper care for her plants to flourish. Lesley brought several of her mother’s orchids with her to the Mountains of Colorado, hence the business name, The Mountain Orchid.  

Lesley received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education at the University of Miami in Oxford, Ohio. She followed her love for nature and moved to Colorado after college graduation. She met her future husband, Jay Davis, and they moved to the Town of Montezuma in 2002. Jay and Lesley met their business partner and best friend, Anthony Paretti, in Montezuma. Lesley and Jay work hard together in the garden, and Jay is Lesley’s right hand man when it comes to cultivating Cannabis. Together, Lesley, Jay, and Anthony have manifested their vision of constructing a state-of-the-art facility to produce the finest boutique Cannabis products.

MIP Extractor/ Owner – Anthony Paretti

The Mountain Orchid’s Marijuana Infused Product extractor has been developing his process for over ten years. Using his training as a professional chef, he has very carefully designed a process to concentrate Cannabis trichomes into a product that can be safely consumed and enjoyed. In addition to his extraction practices, he is also the mastermind behind the construction of the Cannabis Cultivation Facility. Anthony has incorporated many of his own unique, construction styles and has created the quintessential agricultural grow space. His innovative methods create astounding results and allow him to truly produce a rare, one of a kind, high-end product.