We’re back with another Growing With Pulse feature and this time we caught up with our good friend Jay of @Jay_plantspeaker_, an established greenhouse cultivator based in Oregon, with a passion for no-till living soil and other organic growing methods.There isn’t much we enjoy more than getting to connect with some of our favorite people in the industry, asking the questions we all want to know, and sharing their story with you. 

Jay has been growing for over 30 years and has dabbled in almost every setup/style out there; from small closets to hillsides. He’s accrued a well of knowledge over his lifetimethat is invaluable to new and seasoned growers alike. Sit back, spark up, and enjoy this Q&A with the one and only @jay_plantspeaker_.

Q: How did the name “Jayplantspeaker” come about?

“The name Jay Plantspeaker sort of appeared out of thin air in revealing itself to me. Kind of like hey this works and it's you. You should use it. -the plants did it, they deserve the credit.”

Q: Tell us about your brand / any brand mascots?!

“GreenGoddessGardens is the primary brand and focus. It is through the farm that all things are possible. Jay Plantspeaker is now also a brand or offshoot very much a product of the farm. The mascots are the mule deer that have been a part of both the land and then farm since the beginning.”

Q: Do you have any pets? Tell us more about all these wild animal friends who come and visit throughout the year!

“We do have pets. A pair of Presa Canarios, a few doxies as well as a few cats and of course the deer. Lol. The deer are always here. I view them as friends. Good omens. I spend a lot of time outside, especially during the grow season. We’ve grown uncommonly close over the last 10 years or so.”

After hearing more about Jay’s brand and farm, it was time to talk grow. Jay is known within the grow community for his incredible greenhouse runs; massive plants grown in living soil. In fact, this is his seventh season with the current greenhouse structure and for good reason, it crushes every .single. year. This round he’s running three varieties in his 30x100 ft greenhouse that contains twelve plants that sit in two neat rows of six: Sour diesel, Gmo, and Headband. As for how much time they spend putting in the work to keep everything healthy and happy, he mentioned “depending the stretch or processes we’re involved in at that time, i’d say anywhere from several hours a day up to as many as 8+ /60 on up per week and or round the clock.”

Q: You mentioned you started growing 30 years ago, What got you started/what was your first grow like?

“Oh gosh. What got me started growing….I guess it really stems from my having what I can best describe as a mental breakthrough that occurred after a series of sessions in which I was first exploring cannabis. That breakthrough really brought what felt like a focus. Brought about feelings of spiritual calm and comfort. I had not felt any of these feelings up to that time and so I had not been aware honestly. Only I was now. - I guess you could say I needed to water those feelings and so that's what I set out to do. My first grow was wildy amateur. Single plant 150w hps in a closet indoors. Studio apartment shit hahahhaha. Was not much to it really. Little to no knowledge in that moment but hunger and a desire to…those feelings were on a trillion. Visualizing it. Closing my eyes and seeing it. Dreaming to be one of those “bud of the year” type people.”

Q: What are some other setups you've grown in along the way? Have you ever grown indoors? What made you make the switch to greenhouse?

“As far as growing styles go, you name it I've done it. I’ve grown in closets basements to master bedrooms to whole houses to warehouses then hillsides..greenhouses, I like greenhouses best. I’ve grown indoors faithfully for 20 years now. I do it mainly to backup genetics for the sun season greenhouse runs. Switching to greenhouses coincides with a belief in sungrown combined with the climactic intensities of our high desert location. Greenhouse is a must per certain areas (i.e., geographical location , desert , etc).”

Q: What is the greenhouse looking like this season 23’ setup wise? 

“This year is another sun season. We used artificial lights to extend the day length for a few plants in particular but otherwise it's the usual: (12) 200gallon smart pots. This season we’ve added a SustainableVillage / BlumatWateringSystems irrigation setup to explore the automation side of watering. 4 Pulse Ones, 1 Pulse Pro, we’ve also added the Pulse Hub and all of the “as of now available instruments'',(Ph, Ec, THV , Soil moisture/VWC in particular*) to measure and keep track of the Blumats setup in real time. Multiple cameras including one thermal imaging device to help better identify any potential hot zones that the Pulse Ones can either then confirm or squash from a concern standpoint.”

Q: Any new greenhouse changes compared to last year? If so, what and why?

“Just the BlumatWateringSystem as mentioned and the additional Pulse monitoring equipment. I am always sure to keep changes or modifications at a minimum…,never more than say 2 at a time. It’s far easier to differentiate pros and cons in this manner.  Keeps potentials and variables within reach. We are fortunate to have a solid base and good string of years down prior in getting here. It’s easier to maintain your confidence and then also your nature of approach when things aren't broken and so then you are not chasing a turnaround success in the immediate moment.”

Q: When it comes time to harvest, how do you go about dry/cure?

“When harvest time comes around we have an insulated shop that is setup specifically for the task. We limb and line, using hangers creating rowed filing systems. We control the sealed room volumes in a low and slow manner. 55-60 degrees temp, 55-60% humidity are about general targets. In the dark. The longer the better on up to 21 days maximum should be the rule. Load size ultimately dictates how close or far you are from that number if you are not rushing…key words…Are. Not. Rushing. Do not rush or compromise the craft.”

Q: How are you using the Pulse devices in your greenhouse this season and how are they helping you? Which devices and features do you use and enjoy the most/why?

“This season I’m using the Pulse Systems to monitor just about everything. From the temperature, humidity, light spectrum, soil moisture and temp, pore water ec, and solutions ec as well as ph values (from mixes made to runoffs). To accomplish all of these tasks we use 4 Pulse Ones, 1 Pulse Pro, and also 1 Pulse Hub with all of the current as of now released options. 

Hmmm which devices and features….., I’m glad you did not force me into a single choice as that would have been really tough to call. I really like the Pulse Pro for the light spectrum reading capabilities. I also really like the new Pulse Hub THV and VWC options. I’m currently using the VWC data to cross analyze and chart our new BlumatWateringSystems performance, comparing the volumetric water percentage to an electronic mbars (soil tension) reading has been extremely exciting in what is just the beginning weeks for us. The information has already added layers of inferences that were up to now invisible. This will inevitably lead to some ‘tightening up’ in our program.  That’s exciting and something that we all strive for in this day and age.”

Q: Do you have a website? Any future plans to offer a program or course, etc? Would love to hear about any other ventures or future aspirations/goals you may have in mind as well! 

“We do have a website, Plantspeaker.com. Future plans include sharing information, further empowering the hobbyist/ homegrower to an increased independence and gardening efficiency. Experimental gardening / product development & collaborations are also extremely exciting frontiers that we want to further continue and explore.”

To close things off on an inspirational note, we asked Jay to drop some advice for those new to growing and asked about a lesson learned from growing…

Q: Biggest tip/advice you’d tell a new grower starting their first garden?

“What you’ll get out of it is inevitably what you put in. Gardening can be one of the most rewarding and liberating explorations of consciousness you will ever know. Or not. Like everything else in life, it's up to you.”

Q: What is the biggest lesson that growing has taught you?

“What is the biggest lesson that growing has taught me…Gosh..(longggggg pause). That’s deep…..hits sour ……That’s a book in itself but I’ll try best to sum it up in five words …“it’s the bigger picture repeating.”  

It was awesome getting to learn more about our friend Jay, his farm, and his experiences in growing. As different as some of our setups, methods, or lifestyles may be, many of us growers can all learn something from each other's experiences and lessons; that’s one of the reasons we enjoy sharing these stories so much. Whether you are growing out of a greenhouse, a tent, or a commercial facility, the one thing we all have in common is a love for the plant and that passion is tangible in every feature we do. Thank you @jay_plantspeaker_ for being a reliable resource and inspiration to so many within this community, all while keeping true to yourself and your methods along the way.