Our Growing Process

Outdoor Cultivation

As the East Coast’s first outdoor cultivator, we’re proud of our outdoor cultivation facility in Cambridge. With the success of our historic 2019 harvest, we invested heavily in automation technology and state-of-the-art equipment. In 2020, we expanded our commercial cannabis facility, and tripled the cultivation acreage. Currently, CULTA’s outdoor facility sits on three acres and is believed to be the largest outdoor cultivation center east of the Mississippi.

Since we are continually expanding, our cultivators must be well-versed in both cannabis production and farm infrastructure. A daily task can range anywhere from using a microscope while looking for pests, to driving a tractor or forklift. This means continual growth and education of our staff is a must. We aim to not only produce high-quality flower, but also teach the science and philosophy behind it as well.

We use only natural-based products and were the first organically managed farm in Maryland to be certified by Clean Green Certified. Clean Green Certified is the largest and most award-winning cannabis certification program in the world, and all certified facilities must meet strict eligibility requirements.

By using no-till practices as well as beneficial insects as part of our IPM (integrated pest management), we strive to pair proven organic methods with new cannabis technology. This often means more labor from our dedicated staff, but the resulting terpenes and environmental sustainability are worth it!

Our Cambridge facility is home to approximately 3,300 cannabis plants in addition to beneficial native plants that were landscaped in the surrounding fields and pond. One acre sits under a retractable Cravo system, meaning our cannabis plants can enjoy optimal outdoor conditions and be shielded from inclement weather.

Indoor Cultivation

Our 20,000 square foot indoor facility utilizes a multi-stack LED grow and relies heavily on automation. Because of our state-of-the-art vertical-grow PIPP stack system, we’re able to grow four times the amount of flower than other indoor facilities of the same size. Each plant is hand-harvested, bucked, trimmed, and whole plant hung in order to preserve as much flavor and potency as possible.

Unlike our outdoor facility, we’re able to influence the pH of the water, and the wavelengths, duration, and intensity of the light, helping us create an optimum environment for our cannabis plants. We use high-pressure sodium (HPS) in conjunction with light-emitting diode (LED) lights, as they use less energy and increase the production of secondary metabolites (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.), which are the main components we grow cannabis for. Our Priva fertigation system allows us to specify how much water and food our plants receive.

Our indoor facility is built to medical-grade code, meaning it has the same cleanliness standards as a hospital or medical facility. All our HVAC and electrical systems are located on the outside of the cultivation room to prevent cross-contamination.

Our Soil, Seeds, and Phenotypes

We use coconut coir as our growing medium for our plants. Since coir is a natural fiber extracted from the outer husk of a coconut, it’s organic and environmentally friendly. As far as pest control goes, we use beneficial predatory insects and incorporate “natural enemies” into the biome, allowing us to use less pesticides and chemicals to control pests and pathogens. This, combined with compost teas, cover crops, living mulch, companion plants, and wildflowers allow us to create the ultimate natural biome for our plants.

Starting from seed and choosing from our extensive seed bank, we are continually able to bring our patients unique and high-quality products. Our flowers continue to mature and produce potent profiles as we hone in on our preferred phenotypes, including two of our most popular strains, Dosido 22/22 and Dosido 22/16. Our extensive pheno-hunting process means we can continue to bring our patients beautiful, flavorful, effective cannabis.

Harvesting

Now that you know more about our indoor and outdoor cultivation process, here’s what we do when plants are ready for harvest:

1. A typical flowering cycle is 63 days, and we always harvest the whole plant.
2. First, we defoliate the fan leaves.
3. Next, we cure in the curing room for 10-14 days to achieve our target moisture content.
4. An additional full week of flushing allows us a very clean product without sacrificing yields or quality.
5. Plants are placed in sealed bins for another 10-14 days.
6. At this point, the plants are trimmed by our dedicated staff.
7. Finally, the flowers are sealed in airtight buckets for another 7-10 days before they’re sent to our CULTA Baltimore, CULTA Urbana, CULTA Columbia, and Partner dispensaries.

Our Flowers: Strains and Lineage 

CULTA works with national brands and talented cultivators to find and grow the best medicine possible. We also want our patients to have an understanding of the lineage of the strain they are buying. While these strains are not all available year-round, you can search availability in our online menu or at a CULTA partner dispensary.

Our Favorite Strains

CULTA takes pride in its consciously cultivated flower, concentrates and extracts. CULTA’s team would never sell you a product they wouldn’t be proud to use ourselves. That is the CULTA promise. In candid conversations, our leadership team reveal their favorite cannabis strains.