Leonard Wong has over sixteen years of experience as a greenhouse specialist with a vast knowledge and dedication to organic gardening.
Currently, Toronto’s Len Wong is head grower and founder of Genetix Consulting, a cannabis consulting firm in Toronto, Ontario, as well as The Grow Depot, which provides superior products best suited for the Canadian grower.
Leonard joined us to answer some questions about his businesses and what it takes to practice sustainable gardening in the cannabis industry.
FinSMEs: How would you describe your company,The Grow Depot? Who does it service?
Len Wong: The Grow Depot was designed to provide high-quality products and tools for our customers to meet their growing needs. The store is employed with a skilled and dedicated staff who are able to pass their knowledge on to help our clients grow their plants to their full potential.
We understand that each plant and each growing location has different needs for their lighting, food, watering, and even the kind of medium they grow in. The Grow Depot has the ability to assist customers with all of their growing needs, from the very beginning stages to the end product.
FinSMEs: As a genetics enthusiast you are passionate about sustainability and have designed greenhouses to produce the most organic forms of cannabis. What should people know about organic versus synthetic growing practices?
Len Wong: Much like food, organically grown cannabis is cleaner, healthier and safer to the human body than its counterpart.
Sustainable growing practices took a while to catch on, but I’m seeing more and more growers moving back outdoors using the sun as their main source of lighting – the way it was intended to be. Large, indoor facilities that many growers are accustomed to require abundant amounts of energy, leaving unwanted carbon footprints. I have proven that growing with sustainable organic methods using high quality fertilizers is by far the most profitable and sustainable approach.
FinSMEs: Your other business, Genetix Consulting, is a cannabis consulting firm that specializes in genetic research and development. Tell us about what led you to this venture.
Len Wong: I have a passion for genetically developing and breeding new strains of cannabis. This passion further developed when I discovered the impact these unique strains had on patient’s overall well-being and improved health.
Over the years, I’ve set my focus on breeding superior cannabis strains with remarkable phenotypes and improving strain selection in order to cultivate high quality, craft-style cannabis.
Genetix Consulting is focused on helping our clients with all of their application processes. We offer training in organic, biological, renewable and sustainable growing practices and we only work with reputable licensed producers and master growers to ensure every detail of their operation runs as smoothly as possible.
FinSMEs: What are some of the organic gardening practices you are working on developing right now?
Len Wong: Right now I’m working on protocols and instructions to combat pest and disease control as well as harvesting methods and new growing techniques. I’m continually researching and staying up-to-date on the latest trends in cannabis in order to develop new strains, and I’m also breeding mildew resistance strains pertinent to the Canadian climate.