Cultivating with Cannabaceae: Cannabis and Hops
By Bryant Jones
Published August 2020
Terpenes and Testing Magazine: Marijuana News, Science & Information
Many species of angiosperms are important to humans. Humans throughout history have sourced or cultivated many of our valuable industrial, medical, and societal novelties from diverse families of plants. There are few, however, that have had such an impact on humanity than that of the Cannabaceae family, which gifts us hops (Humulus spp.) and cannabis.
Offensive propaganda and failed declarations such as the “War on Drugs” [1] and “Reefer Madness” ultimately marginalized and incarcerated many citizens over cannabis. Prohibition of hops in England [2] exemplifies legislation that affected the Humulus crop on both sides of the Atlantic, while creating a counterculture fueled by cultivation of the family Cannabaceae. Although the relationship between humans and Cannabis spp. predates that of Humulus spp. by thousands of years [3], both followed similar paths into their own little reigns in society.
The historical relevance of Cannabaceae, considering the current global pandemic, may cause an influx of new interest, bringing these crafts back into the home farm where they began. This prospect for some may have been too arduous a task but now as the world has downshifted, the time might be more favorable. Do-it-yourself gardens have begun to pop up with higher frequency now that people are staying at home; assuredly, cultivating legal forms of cannabis will have a place on some to-do lists.
The unique species belonging to the Cannabaceae family are prized for their capability to produce numerous secondary metabolites like terpenoids. Hops produce alpha- and beta- acids, along with an array of other compounds, such as myrcene, farnesene, geraniol, caryophyllene, linalool, pinene, and limonene. Cannabis spp. produces a diverse spectrum of aromas thanks to modern breeding, from combinations like GMO (Garlic Mushroom Onion) to the overall terpene profile of wedding cake.
So, where does one begin? Whether cultivating Cannabis spp. or Humulus spp., the process starts with the selection of cultivars and preferred methods of propagation. Horticulturally, cannabis is only identified by sativa or indica when differentiating between industrial cannabidiol (CBD)-dominant types (sativa), while drug-type, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dominant types are referred to as indica. Furthermore, when planning for your personal garden, even less consideration should be given to this differentiation as growth habits can be “taught” to the crop by including different cropping methods.
For example, flowering that utilizes a defoliation cropping technique, a process where larger leaves connected to petioles are removed to increase light penetration to the more shaded, lower plant regions, is performed mainly to increase flower size or yield. This relatively simple process will “train” a plant to behave differently than it would if left to natural events.
Another option for cropping, commonly known as “topping,” involves the removal of the apical meristem (node and internode) to promote dominance of auxiliary nodes, thereby increasing overall plant density. This process can be performed earlier in propagation during the vegetative phase. Premeditated cropping can also be useful in planning out a smaller garden where your Cannabaceae plants may shade out other plants. Utilizing a “low-stress-training” method, the plant is ultimately encouraged to grow low to the ground and branch laterally, allowing sunlight into your plot.
Hop cultivars have been developed to meet two primary demands in the brewing industry – those that have the capacity to bitter beer and those that have favorable flavors and aromas. Sometimes, they can be combined to have both flavor/aroma and some bittering capacity but often they tend to fall out as one or the other. Though most hops grown for beer don’t meet maximum yield outputs until approximately the third year of growth, there are cultivars that produce in their first year. Due to the returning nature of this perennial, your choice in cultivar will be a long-term relationship. Setting bines which have an abundant yield requires patience, but some brewing techniques for small batches call for about an ounce of fresh hop cones.
To ensure a lasting home cultivation, take time to plan your desired method of propagation. To further assist in this, see the succinct flowchart that encompasses breeding routes and commonly encountered barriers involved with Cannabaceae breeding in Figure 1.
In small or large populations, methods of propagation will affect genetic characteristics. Allele (genetic trait) changes and the combination of dominant and recessive traits in an individual (genotype) are influenced by many factors that you, as the gardener, should be aware of whether starting from seeds or clones.
Selection: the process of the gardener choosing plants with desired traits for breeding, causing differences in fertility and viability
Mutations: where alleles spontaneously change to their recessive counterparts
Non-Random Mating: affects the combination of traits in your population, not the types or frequency of traits expressed
Drift: in a small population – a plant that perishes will affect the availability of those genotypes in later generations
Although there are other factors, these could be most pertinent for a home garden. The sum of these factors is part of a larger principle known as the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, a method to quantify any population’s genetic and physical traits. Breeding heirloom genetics created the Cannabaceae family in society as we know it, and modern legalization made this process high tech. With the current state of our union and availability of time, now may be the perfect time for a nostalgic approach.
