Cannabis Horticulture

Learn everything about cannabis horticulture, from propagation to harvest. This content is all about horticulture trends, insights, and courses.

How Phylos is Using Genomics to Breed Novel Cannabis Varieties

How Phylos is Using Genomics to Breed Novel Cannabis Varieties

Oct 26, 2025 | , ,

High Times Magazine recently released an article How Genomics is Shaping the Future of Cannabis Genetics by Oaksterdam’s Director of Academics, Angela Bacca. We conducted many in-depth interviews with experts on cannabis genomics and genetics, which are fascinating reads in their own right that we wanted to share. Below is a Q&A with Alisha Holloway, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Phylos Bioscience, about their groundbreaking cannabis genomic research and how it is shaping the industry today. 

Learn How To Fix Cannabis Nutrient Deficiencies

Learn How To Fix Cannabis Nutrient Deficiencies

Jun 30, 2023 | , ,

Even though cannabis is known as “weed” and has a reputation for growing quickly and easily, cultivating high-quality cannabis plants can be quite challenging. One of the most common challenges is maintaining the correct balance of nutrients throughout the growth cycle. 

Nutrient deficiencies can be disastrous for a cannabis crop, but growers with the proper training can usually reverse the effects. Oaksterdam University offers courses to help you troubleshoot your cannabis crop and ensure a high-quality yield every time.  

Sustainability for Home Growers

Sustainability for Home Growers

Apr 22, 2023 |

Is cannabis cultivation sustainable? Like all other types of agriculture, it can be. It also can be incredibly destructive in its cultivation practices and in the sourcing of inputs.

The cannabis movement is not just about the freedom to grow cannabis for personal consumption. It is about freedom in many forms. People fought for cannabis decriminalization, the process that made home cultivation legal, to free themselves from the oppression of the War on Drugs and, along the way, created underground economies that were networks of family-based cottage industries of craft cannabis cultivation. 

Many of these cannabis pioneers were growers who cared deeply about the preservation of the land and waterways around their gardens …

Announcing: Oaksterdam Alumni Network

Announcing: Oaksterdam Alumni Network

Sep 1, 2022 | , , ,

Oaksterdam Alumni — 80,000 students from 110 countries around the globe — have gone on to become the biggest leaders, personalities, and change-makers in the history of the cannabis movement. Now, there’s a place for all of us to gather, network and stay in touch. As part of OU’s ongoing 15-Year Anniversary celebration, we’re excited to announce the launch of the Oaksterdam Alumni Network. 

Hort Labs Open to OU Alumni & Asynch

Aug 16, 2022 | , , ,

Oaksterdam University is excited to announce that our longstanding Horticulture Labs are now open to all OU alumni and students. Bring your plant babies, questions, and coffee for a morning chat about all things cultivation. 

OU’s “Hort Labs” have been a Friday morning staple for as long as we can remember. Until now, they were open only to students currently enrolled in our live courses. As we celebrate our 15th Anniversary we’re opening the labs to the wider OU community.

 

How to Get a Job Growing Cannabis

Jul 29, 2022 | , ,

Jobs in cannabis are booming, and professional cannabis growers are in demand. Keep reading to learn about what a professional cannabis grower does, what they need to know, their salary and job outlook, and how to get a job growing cannabis.

Professional cannabis growers work in cultivation facilities to grow plants from seed to harvest. There are numerous career paths within the cannabis cultivation industry. Positions range from entry-level trimmers to agronomists, plant breeders, lighting and ventilation consultants, integrated pest management experts, and cultivation directors.

OU Courses Apply to Degree at Golden Gate U

Jun 20, 2022 | , , , , ,

Oaksterdam University is pleased to announce an exciting educational partnership with Golden Gate University. The partnership allows students to transfer credits from Oaksterdam Certification Courses toward their Bachelor’s Degree at GGU. It is the first partnership of its kind.

OU graduates may transfer up to 18 credits of corresponding OU courses toward their accredited degree. Learn more here …

Virtual Field Trip: Alibi Cannabis

Jun 10, 2022 | , ,

Oaksterdam students and alumni recently took a virtual field trip to Alibi Cannabis in Portland, Ore. Read the recap of our tour through the state-of-the-art grow operation and the equipment they use to cultivate their amazing craft cannabis.

If you are a business wishing to host an OU virtual field trip, contact OU Lead Facilitator Samira Hasib at facilitator@oaksterdamuniversity.com, or (510) 251-1544. Alumni are welcome to reach out to Samira to join our next tour!

How to Control Cannabis Odor

How to Control Cannabis Odor

Jan 25, 2022 | , ,

If you grow cannabis, you probably savor its familiar, pungent scent. Your neighbors? Not so much. Whether you’re growing a few plants for personal use, or you’re a commercial cultivator with an indoor facility or outdoor farm, odor mitigation is an important issue. Oaksterdam University experts share insight on how to mitigate that “skunky” smell.

Main-lining

May 1, 2016 |

“Main-lining” is the process of training your cannabis plant (utilizing Topping, LST, and Lollipopping) to form a...

Combining N-P-K Ratios

Jan 1, 2016 |

If you are an indoor cultivator you may be wondering how to properly add multiple N-P-K ratios together to calculate the overall ratio of your feedings. When mixing multiple nutrients with varying N-P-K ratios, you must combine their values to calculate the new ratio. By doing so, you’ll be able to match your feeding’s ratio with your preferred ratio for each stage of plant growth.

Choosing a Growing Medium

Nov 1, 2015 |

Deciding which growing media to use in an indoor garden can be a difficult decision for beginners. There are several options available which each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Microbes & Molasses

Sep 1, 2015 |

Micro-organisms (Microbes) are microscopic, unicellular organisms that are necessary in nature. Microbes are the oldest form of life on earth, with fossils dating back to more than 3.5 billion years ago. There are millions of microbial species, which are divided into six major types: Bacteria, Archaea, Protozoa, Fungi, Viruses, and Microbial Mergers.

Hermaphrodites

Jul 1, 2015 |

A word derived from the names of the Greek deities Hermes and Aphrodite; hermaphrodite is meant to convey the presence of both sets of reproductive organs.