David Watson was a Cannabis genius and was already establishing his voice decades ago. In the 1979 issue of Blotter (No. 2/4), he contributed the substantial article “Sun, Soil, Seeds & Soul” under the name Selgnij.
This longer piece offers a comprehensive look at what it took to grow high-quality cannabis in California at the end of the 1970s. It covers climate advantages, the origins of sinsemilla techniques through imported genetics, patient selective breeding, and the development of vigorous local hybrids adapted to local conditions.
Watson describes the rapid improvement in California varieties through years of careful work — crossing imported landraces and selecting for traits suited to the region’s sunny, temperate climate. He notes the resulting plants often matched or surpassed famous imported materials in quality, with well-manicured tops commanding significant prices at the time. The emphasis is on choosing hardy, pest- and disease-resistant stock, timing flowering cycles (including techniques for early and late varieties), and using greenhouses to extend seasons and protect against weather.
The breeding section is particularly detailed. He explains basic genetics, inbreeding and backcrossing strategies, the importance of maintaining vigor through selective crosses rather than extreme inbreeding, and practical methods for producing stable seed lines. Diagrams and explanations cover single crosses, double crosses, and how to evaluate and stabilize desirable traits across generations while avoiding loss of hybrid vigor. It is methodical writing aimed at growers who wanted to improve their own stock rather than rely on whatever was available.
The soil discussion continues the practical tone. Watson provides specific recipes for fertile, living mixes using compost, worm castings, horse manure, redwood sawdust, sandy loam, rock phosphate, dolomite, kelp, fish meal, and trace elements. He stresses balanced nutrition, aeration, pH management (slightly alkaline around 7–8), and avoiding over-fertilization or chemical approaches that can burn roots or create imbalances. Root health, container vs. in-ground growing, and protection from pests are all addressed with the same attention to detail seen in his later work.
The “Soul” portion ties the technical advice to the grower’s relationship with the plants. He speaks to the importance of care, attention, and positive conditions — including the benefits of a well-managed greenhouse for controlling temperature, humidity, and light to produce better flavor and potency while minimizing mold and stress. It is not sentimental language but a recognition that the cultivator’s approach affects the final outcome.
This 1979 article shows Watson’s thinking already fully formed: a combination of practical cultivation knowledge, breeding principles grounded in observation and selection, and an understanding that quality comes from the full system — sun, soil, seeds, and the care that connects them. It predates the Sinsemilla Tips pieces by several years and demonstrates the consistency in his perspective across the late 1970s and 1980s. The same focus on genetic stewardship, soil health, and producing genuine quality appears here and carries through his later breeding programs, Hortapharm, and the founding of the International Hemp Association.
Together with the 1984 articles, these writings form a clear record of David Watson’s contributions as both a grower sharing usable knowledge and a breeder working to preserve and improve cannabis genetics under difficult conditions. They remain useful references for anyone interested in the history and fundamentals of serious cultivation.
