“Grow Your Own” (Tin House Books, 2017, $26.95)
The authors — the team behind Raven Grass, an organic Washington state grower — focus on plant selection, energy efficiency, natural soils and nutrients in guiding gardeners on indoor versus open-air grows. The book’s colorful 300 pages contain tips for training the plant’s canopy, what to watch for week by week in the flowering phase, and basic information on harvesting and troubleshooting. Colorful graphics and photos of insects and buds, as well as step-by-step how-to photos of trimming, make for a great introduction for beginners.
“What’s Wrong With My Marijuana Plant?” (Ten Speed Press, 2017, $19.99)
From the makers of a series of gardening books (“What’s Wrong With My Vegetable Garden?” and “What’s Wrong With My Plant?”) comes a guide devoted to the marijuana plant. Its 192 pages are devoted to pests, root problems, nutrient deficiencies and more, with photos of problems in the front half and solutions in the back. It’s the closest thing to a Sunset Western Garden Book you’ll see in the cannabis space.
“Marijuana Harvest” (Quick American Publishing, 2017, $24.95)
Where other books focus on gardening, this guide by one of the founders of High Times magazine is devoted to the harvest. Why? “A good harvest followed by a poor harvest is as disastrous as crop failure,” Ed Rosenthal writes on the first page. Improper picking, trimming, drying and curing can lead to a big waste of time if buds are not ripe enough at harvest or develop mold during the harvest process or lose flavor from faulty storage. This 245-page strategic guide is best suited for meticulous growers.
Carolyne Zinko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: czinko@sfchronicle.com